.The Eraser.

vight-trois

                                                                     -23-

Bang. 

The great sound of the door closing, echoed in the humongous room as Onyx stood transfixed on what to do next. 

He knew that Atara's determination and effort to find her friends on her own would be futile. By herself, it would be impossible to locate where the ZED was keeping the other Erasers; but if she allowed him to assist her in her plans, then she could rescue them- well try to anyway. 

Onyx shook his head.  

His mind was unclear on what he wanted. Saving her was enough, though to his disagreement she wanted to throw her freedom away to save her colleagues. He could not blame her for that; it was normal human instinct. But what he didn't understand was why he cared so much about her. 

His gut was now telling him to chase after Atara and plead with her to allow him to help her. He wasn't even sure if Atara really meant what she said, when she said that she trusted him. The situation was ridiculous to him. If he did do that, it would be betraying the ZED- the world he had grown up in.  

His green eyes still focused on the wooden door for what felt like ages. He was torn between two sides-be a hero or continue the evil guy act.  

Onyx murmured, ''just do it- you can suffer the consequences later.'' 

And with that statement in mind, he hastened towards the door that Atara had just gone out of minutes ago. He opened it and sped out into a long dark corridor with no windows and started to shout out her name.  

'She can't be that far', he thought as he moved forward. The warehouse they were in was large and therefore he assumed that he could catch up with her. 

His gut kept pressuring him to call out her name louder and louder as he scurried around in the dark searching for any signs of her. As he did so, a little voice in his brain criticized, 'you're an idiot. You're making a terrible mistake.' 

But Onyx didn't care what would happen to him if the others found out what he was up to. He never quite cared about the consequences that would come upon him when he did not follow orders. He was always a bit rebellious and reluctant to do some of the things his was assigned to do; and that is why he felt like he was not the monster that Atara associated him to be. 

He shouted, ''Atara!'' 

Atara grunted in annoyance. She ceased walking away from the voice that was calling her name. She wanted to go as far away from him as possible; but unfortunately for her, Onyx was a persistent fellow. 

She obscured her body beside a wall next to the narrow opening to her left and quickly grabbed the crowbar lying on the floor next to her. She raised her two arms above her, while holding the crowbar in both hands, ready to strike.  

Atara's mind was a mess. She could feel the pressure of the situation at hand.  

She didn't have a single rescue plan. She was desperate and in the dark as to where her parents and everyone else were being held. To add on to the anxiety, she was clueless on the ways to locate them and then bring them back. It would not be an easy task, she was very much aware of that. 

At the same time, the chlorine gas's effect on her body had not worn off completely and so she still felt like a hammer was pounding her head. Unfortunately she was also weak and her stomach decided to growl like a hungry animal from the lack of food. But eating was the last thing on her mind as she had more pressing issues to sort out. 

''Atara!'' 

Onyx's voice sounded closer and closer to the opening. She was still furious at herself for being so blind and not realizing that he was the enemy all along. And what vexed her even more was that he sacrificed his time and energy to be on the abduction team, just to save her. She couldn't grasp it. Why would anyone do something so rush and unwise? If she was in his shoes, she knew she wouldn't have done it for him or anyone else.