Fragile Hearts [DANGEROUS FELLOWS]

⚠️FIFTY-THREE: GO ON WITHOUT YOU⚠️

"Laura," Felix spoke, and his voice was shaking. "What are you doing?"

"This madness ends here," Laura declared, ignoring him. "We let you have your fun, let you carry out your little escape. But all of that ends now."

"Laura, what are you talking about?" Felix cried. "We're on the same side! We-"

"I thought we were on the same side, Felix," Laura interrupted, moving her arm so the gun was pointed at him. "It turns out you were just a traitor."

"No... you don't mean..." Felix went pale, and he gripped the edge of a desk for support.

"Yes," Laura said proudly. "I'm one of them, as you all like to call it. I've been watching, inspecting you all, ever since day one."

"Get back," Lawrence ordered, standing in front of the group protectively. You glanced around, looking for your taser. It had been stupid of you to throw it.

"Don't be a hero," Laura said, the gun moving to aim at Lawrence. "And don't think about trying anything funny. I know your type."

"You don't know me," Lawrence retorted.

"You're more predictable than you think," Laura sighed. "You've got a strong head but a short temper. And you act on your emotions too often. We don't have any use for someone like you."

"Then what about me?" you spoke up. "Just take me and let everyone else go."

Lawrence shot you a look and Laura began to laugh.

"Don't humor yourself, hon," she laughed drily. "You're determined, but you're too trusting. And you're so twisted on the idea that the world consists of one good and one evil. If it were that simple, would we be standing here like this right now?"

"What are you going on about?" Lawrence demanded.

"We're each the good guys of our own stories," Laura explained. "Me, I'm thinking of the bigger picture. The future of the world as we know it. This is the only way we can test the virus on human subjects, find ways to study it, to use it to our advantage."

Laura swept her free hand across your group.

"And you all are the underdogs. Break free from authority and let the power of friendship lead the way! Because you're the good guys, right? Survive together one more day, one more hour, and everything will be all right, right?"

She put her finger on the trigger, and instinctively everyone braced theirselves.

"When will you learn? The world isn't divided into good and bad," Laura said. "If we need to play God, then so be it. All the lives taken here, every drop of blood, is dedicated to stop the eradication of mankind."

"You know everything, don't you?" Lawrence asked. Laura tilted her head to the side, looking amused.

"What do you imply?" she questioned. "I'm intrigued."

"You've been watching us, learning about us since we first got here. Nothing we could do right now would surprise you. Is that true?"

"Of course," Laura confirmed. "And even if I didn't, you're cornered. Which reminds me that I've babbled on for far too long."

She broke into a smile. There was no menace, and that made it a million times more frightening.

"Do your worst," Lawrence said. "All of our cards are laid. There's nothing we can do."

"Are you crazy?" Jay hissed. "She's gonna kill you! ...And then she's gonna kill us!"

Normally you would've agreed with Jay. But not now. You knew Lawrence well enough to know he was planning on something, hoping on something, to happen. You just couldn't fathom what.

"Have you accepted your fate?" Laura asked, her smile widening. "It'll be a suitable punishment for you all to see your leader lose his life. Before the rest of you are executed as well, that is."

"I've only known you for a little while," Lawrence said, the corner of his mouth tugging up into a grin, "but I've heard enough to learn one thing."

"Huh?" Laura reeled. "What's that?"

"You talk too much."

Her smile disappeared and her face went ghostly pale.

And she turned around just in time to see someone thunk a rock against her head, knocking her unconscious.

In the flesh. Alive and well. And grinning as always.

Zion.

"You guys would've been dead if it weren't for me," he declared proudly. "So get to it; go on, don't be shy! 'Thank you, Zion.' 'You're our hero, Zion.' And while you're at it, why don't you kiss my shoes?"

You didn't bow down at his feet. You couldn't even get out a "thank you." Before you'd even realized it you threw yourself at him, wrapping your arms around him, holding back your tears.

"Woah! That wasn't an option, but I guess I'll accept it," Zion joked.

"I thought you were dead," you choked. "Don't ever do that again. Never ever."

"Yeah, what's the deal?" Jay pressed. "What happened to you?"

"The guards came in instead of staying out like we thought," Zion explained. "I led them away but they caught up to me. I really thought I was a goner."

"Well? What saved you?" Jay asked.

"Patients," Zion recalled. "A bunch of them. Everyone's running wild."

"I've got a question," Harry spoke up. "How on Earth did you know he was coming, Lawrence?"

"I saw him on the security camera feed, and he was headed this way," Lawrence replied. "But I didn't know anything. I was hoping for a miracle."

Suddenly the room was bathed in darkness, only illuminated by red emergency lights. You pulled away from Zion to look around, and your eyes landed on one of the government people, their hand on an emergency button.

"This is a nice reunion and all, but I think that's our cue," Felix said, hurrying toward the door. "That was emergency shut down. Things are gonna get chaotic real fast."

"Let's go," Lawrence said, ushering everyone towards the door. He stopped to pick up Laura's gun, unloading the cartridge and sticking it in his pocket. It left the pistol useless.

"Y'know, when I was out there, and the guards came in, they left the gate open," Zion said as you and he jogged out into fresh air. "I could've legged it. But I didn't. I risked my life to lead them away."

You gave him a questioning look.

"The old me would've ran," he explained. "But I couldn't do it. I think I finally realized something."

"What's that?" you pushed.

Zion grinned.

"You guys are my friends," he said. "I can't go on without you."