The Time

Chapter fourteen

Scrambling over the dusty obstacle course which had once been modern London, I huffed from the effort. I was so close now but hadn't risked looking back. The guilt would be too much. I knew it was only way to keep Des safe though and I guess that made what I did a little less despicable.

And suddenly I was walking through the automatic automatic doors. It was weird to hear that whoosh again.
The room, like the outside of the building, was that clean bright white which kind of made you want to wipe your shoes on the wall. There was even potted plants and air conditioning!

Opposite the door was a front desk with a woman sat behind, her hair pulled back tight and a 'fuck you' smile planted on her face.
"How can I help you?" She asked sweetly.
Her in her pink cardigan and flowery dress. Me in my dirt.
"Err... Yeah." I replied, looking around.
What in the hell was going on? I was expecting something but it wasn't this. I was anticipating guards and lab coats, not a polite desk human.
Rediscovering my composure, I told her "Yeah, you can help me. My name's Ace. You might have heard of me? Tell Velvet I'm here."
"I'm very sorry, I've never heard of you. I'll try calling though but I can't make any promises he'll come down; he is the boss."
Oh she was in for a shock...

"Yes... Mr. Velvet, I've got an 'Ace' here for you... yes... Ace..." And then her face fell. "Yes sir. I'm sorry sir. Right away sir. I'm sorry sir. I'm so so-"
And then the guards I'd been waiting for came in and I had a whole bunch of guns on me. But I knew Velvet was coming so I crossed my arms and stood in the most sassy pose I could manage without looking like an egg.

But then there was a defiant shout of "Get off me!"
And my heart generally hurt.
Exodus, skin red, smiled at me as he dragged Destiny into the reception.
"Hey!" I screamed, running for him. "DESTINY!"
I was grabbed before I even got close and Exodus' grin widened.
"Get the fuck off him!" I cried.

Suddenly, with another whoosh, Velvet stepped out of the lift. As if the situation couldn't get worse!
"Ah haha ha! Ace and Destiny; the one's that got away. But of course you couldn't stay away." He smirked before turning to Exodus; his personal bounty hunter. "Took you long enough. Put Destiny in the white room."
I then watched my friend dragged off, but before he left, he called back "Ace- Thank you- I forgive you- And I'm sorry- But give up-"

And then he was gone.

Walking over to me, Velvet looked me up and down, analysing. To be fair though, I was doing the same to him.
He looked the same as he always did. His brown hair was completely neat apart from a slither of greasy fringe and over his suit he wore a long burgundy jacket made of the material he shared his name with.

"Well," He began but I spat in his face as tears threatened to track down mine.
I wouldn't give in though. Wouldn't let him have the satisfaction.
"Still not lost your spunk!" He laughed.
"Not a good enough reason to say that word..." I growled to myself.
Ignoring me, he stated "Let's get down to business!"
"To defeat the Huns?" I grinned before being punched in the face by a guard.
"I don't know what to do with you." He continued as I spat blood. "I know I'll never get the information I still want out of you. So there's no point keeping you. So maybe killing you would be the best option?"
I then found a gun to my head.
"But that would be too boring. Too easy." He shook his head, pocketing the weapon. "So I'm going to let you go. Sounds like a trap, I know. It's not though. And you want to know why you can trust me? Why you can believe me? Because I'd rather you live knowing you can't save your friend and that they're going to suffer every day until their death than you die yourself and have your suffering end quickly."
He stepped up to me then and I felt his putrid breath on my face. Warm. Moist.
"I just wanted you to know." He smiled before I suddenly got lightheaded.
Someone had injected me with something and I was dropped to the floor. Landing hard, I took the opportunity to grab my gun as my vision started to grow gold and glittery.
And then I took a shot.
I heard the bang.
But I passed out before I saw whether it struck it's target.

When I woke up, I was beside the car I'd stolen from my friends. It hadn't been scratch. It hadn't been stripped. It hadn't been changed.
It hadn't been damaged.
But I had.

Opening, the door I dumped myself onto the driver's seat, Lion curled up asleep on the passenger seat beside me. At least she was alive. At least she was safe.
Resting my head and hands on the steering wheel, I didn't know whether to cry, scream or... I don't know what.
But instead I just sighed.

"What now then, Lion?" I asked in need of an answer I wouldn't receive.
She lifted her head and looked up at me with her big blue eyes and whined.
"I'm sorry," I told her, running a hand over her soft white and grey fur. "Destiny... He's gone. But you've still got me, okay?"
God I sounded stupid. Even I didn't believe me! And saying the words just hurt more.
In the end, I started the car and drove over miles of main road in the falling night back to Hollingbury. Back to my friends. Back to safety.

Once I got there, I stepped out of the car with Lion at my heals and saw Wayne Milton strutting towards me. What I didn't expect however was for her to then punch me. It was so unexpected in fact, I fell to the floor.
"That's for the car." She snarled.
But I didn't get back up. Instead I lay there, a sobbing embarrassment. Gravel cut into my arm, the darkness attacked me from all angles and Lion stood beside me, growling at Milton.

"Ace?" Wayne asked after a while, a hint of regret ebbing into her voice.
I didn't reply.
"Ace?" She questioned more firmly.
When I still didn't answer I was pulled to my feet and found her in my face demanding "What. Happened."
"Velvet has Destiny. It's over. And it's my fault. That's what happened!" I shouted in response.
"Over? What the hell d'you mean it's over?"
"I mean Velvet has Destiny and I can't get him back because there's too many of them and Destiny told me to give up. I tried to kill Velvet and I failed. I just can't do it!" I stated pathetically, fuelled by anger.
Wayne's face softened and she looked deeply into my eyes, sighing "You can't give up. It's not over Ace. It can't be. You know why? Because you're Beryl Bonny Burton! You're the one who escaped from Velvet in the first place. You're the one who's killed Exodus Thorn more times than he or I can count - and I used to go to maths catchup. You're the one who took down a government because they were against gay marriage. You're the one who actually managed to steal the Crown Jewels just to prove you could and then returned them because otherwise it would be 'rude'. You're the one who believed in Destiny - even if he did tell ypu to give up - enough to follow him to the end despite your fears and uncertainty. But it's not the end. It's time to believe in yourself Ace and ignore what he said. Once you've done that, you're already half way there."
"I can't do it alone though. Half way there is still not close enough." I shook my head, pausing and realised what I had to do. "You - the squad - you've got to help me. Please. I'll... I'll owe you a favour."
Her face twisted into a smile then and she breathed craftily "You already owe us a favour."
I was going to regret this, but...
"Then I'll owe you another favour. A bigger one. Anything."
"I guess we're in then. Destiny? Here we come..." Wayne grinned.
Well fuck.