Closure

19. Scream

Ruben shut the doors behind him. He slowly turned around. The darkness and red flashes of light made his expression discernible. He didn't see Anne May and I, that much was obvious.

Darcy still had her pistol in hand. She was sitting up now, but she looked confused.

Ruben got down on one knee in front of her.

"Get back," Darcy warned loudly.

"I don't have any weapons," he held out his arms. It was true.

"What do you-" Darcy was interrupted when he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

They lingered until Darcy pushed him away.

"You betrayed me," she accused.

"I was simply putting you back in your place," he said as-a-matter-of-factly. "You were never meant to be the Vice Captor."

"I never asked to be captured, you asshole!" She flipped out the pistol and aimed it at him.

"Whoa, going to shoot me are you?" He chuckled.

"Don't test me," she threatened.

"You leave me no choice," Ruben said. He turned his head to the side and rolled his shoulder.

"Oh shi-" I didn't have time to finish my sentence because he swung his fist at her, knocking the gun out of her hand.

It landed halfway between us and them.

She sat there, shocked, with her arm still held up and her hand empty.

"I don't think we'll be needing that anymore, do you?" He smiled.

Darcy let out a choked cry as she crawled backwards. He followed her quickly on his knees.

"What do we do?" Anne May whimpered. I searched the room with my eyes. There were beakers up on the shelves, but I'd be seen if I got up. Wait. The gun! I looked at the floor. Then back at Darcy and Ruben.

Darcy's back was against a table, and she was grabbing the edge to stand up. Ruben was standing up at the same time.

I looked back at the gun. It was closer to us then it was to them. If I could just crawl over there without him noticing me...

Ruben planted a knuckle right under Darcy's nose. She groaned as her head flew back. The table blocked her fall, but it was clear that she was already knocked out. Her body slipped limply to the floor. She landed sitting up.

He knelt down in front of her once again. I was close enough to hear him murmur, "Even if you're just a subject, I still want you here."

I wrapped my fingers around the handle of the gun and slowly lifted it up. I sat up and raised it.

Ruben's eye saw me from its peripheral vision. He stood up slowly.

"It's you, the only male subject." Ruben smiled. "Don't you want to know what your special ability is?"

I lowered the gun a bit. "Do you know?" I asked, though I doubted he knew.

Ruben slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks. He looked down, smiling, and kicked the ground once.

"Are you sure you want to know?" He looked at me, a devious grin on his face.

"Yes," I answered firmly.

"Remember how the files under your mattress said you were the first successful clone here?"

I nodded, unsure of what he was getting at.

He made a long face, an overdramatic frown. "You may have survived past the embryonic stage, but you were born with a defect. It's sad, really. I don't understand why they bothered to keep you alive when you don't even have any powers."