Gravity Rises (S3)

EG: Part Four

Grace saw the blood red amulet just before Gideon did. She watched her brother's eyes widen in fear.

"N-no," he said. He pulled his glove back on and backed away from the clone.

"I'm sorry," Red Gideon said. "I won. I'm the emotion you're meant to feel."

"No," Gideon repeated. "No, I d-don't want you."

The other clone — Charles, Gideon had called him — took Gideon's arm. "It's okay," he said. "It's supposed to be this way." He reached for Gideon's hand to pull off the glove.

"No!" Gideon jerked away from Charles and ran to Grace. He buried his head in her chest, and she held him close, regarding the two clones with a hostile expression.

"He needs this, Evi," Red Gideon said. "Would you rather he feel admiration for the man who hurts him?"

I'd rather he not get hurt at all, Grace thought. She didn't say anything, though. She just held Gideon as tightly as possible without aggravating his scars.

"It will help," Charles promised. "This is all to help him."

It didn't feel like it was helping him. It felt like these clones were drugging Gideon with happy feelings, then plunging him down into the depths of pain and fear. That didn't seem helpful at all.

"Gideon, I need to touch your hand," Red Gideon said.

Gideon shook his head against Grace's coat.

"It's a good thing," RG insisted. "I know I'm negative, but you won't be conflicted anymore. You'll be able to fight instead of worrying about offending your father."

"My brother should not be fighting," Grace said.

"Stay out of this, Evi," Charles ordered. Grace hated the way he said her nickname — like it was a condescension instead of an affection.

"I won, Gideon," RG said softly. "You're meant to feel me. It'll be better if we go through with it."

Gideon clung tightly to Grace. Tight enough that he was probably feeling pain in some of his scars. "Leave him alone," Grace said.

"I need his hand," repeated RG.

"No." Grace pulled Gideon another step back. Her foot slipped on a loose pebble. She threw her arms out to balance herself — she was standing at the edge of the cavern, and one false step could mean a treacherous tumble down the rough staircase.

As soon as she let go of Gideon, RG grabbed him. Charles ran forward and yanked off the glove; RG touched Gideon's bare skin, then turned to smoke.

"No!" Grace regained her footing and pushed Charles away from her brother. She tried to wave the smoke away, but it hung there in a swirling cloud. Gideon put his hand over his mouth and nose, trying not to breathe it in. He went to the other side of the cave. The smoke followed him.

"You have to breathe in eventually, Gideon," Charles said. He sounded annoyed.

Gideon shook his head vehemently. But Charles was right — he would have to breathe. Less than thirty seconds had passed before Gideon finally gave up and took a deep breath in.

Grace watched anxiously as the smoke entered his body. She moved toward him, in case she was needed.

She quickly discovered that, yes, she was needed. Gideon's face traveled through a carousel of negative expressions before he sank to the ground, his breath catching in his throat. Tears spilled over onto his cheeks.

Grace hurried to her brother, kneeling by him and holding him close. "It's okay," she lied. "It's okay. . . ."

Gideon sobbed into her shirt. "It's not okay," he choked. "It's. . . it's not. . . I hate him. . . ."