The Scientist - merome

Chapter Eleven

Jerome's hands curled around the essence. They had gotten so close, only for the plan to fall through.

"Jeanine." He growled.

She laughed coyly, fiddling with the bottle. "I see you have your essence. But at what cost? You've lost your friend. He's doomed to serve me forever now..."

"How the hell did you know we were here anyways?"

"I have my ways. Maybe a couple of cameras set up." She walked closer. "I'm prepared to make a deal, if you'll hear it."

Jerome didnt answer, only glared at her. She seemed to take this as a response and continued, holding up the bottle.

"This potion reverses the effects of zombie bites. If you give me the essence back, you're free to have it, and your friend, and leave. We're not evil, but when it comes to things we own...We're a little possesive." She glanced at the zombified Benja with a bored look. "And we don't care who gets hurt in the process."

Jerome looked down at the essence. Being a bacca was something that was important to him. It was who he was. He could be what he wanted to be, or he could give it up for Mitch.

It was in that moment that he realized what mattered most. He might get to be a bacca if he chose the essence, but that meant a life without his biggums. He could stay true to himself in this human body and still have Mitch if he chose the potion.

So, with a sigh, he stepped off of the chamber platform and walked towards Jeanine. He handed her the essence, and in return she gave him the potion. All seemed well for a short moment.

Then, a yell.

"Not today, bitch!"

An arrow, fire attached to it's tail, flew between Jeanine and Jerome-- and hit the essence. It feel to the ground and cracked open, everything inside spilling out and fading into the air, never to be collected again.

And Tyler stood across the room, weilding a bow. He nodded his head and ran out of the room. His work was done.

"NO!" Jeanine cried, bending down and trying to reassemble the broken essence. The glass only cut her fingers and broke further the more she tried. Nearby, there was a small explosion. The aforementioned arrow had hit a row of flammable chemicals, setting fire on impact.

The zombies that held Mitch back let go of him and ran in fright, and the benja started shuffling tiwards Jerome.

"Grrr..."

Jerome had to act quickly, to save himself and his friend. He lunged at Mitch and tackled him to the ground, prying open his mouth and emptying the potion into his maw. He watched as the liquid drained from the bottle and into his throat, until it was all gone.

Slowly, Mitch's zombiefied features shifted. His skin turned to that familar shade of tan, his hair looked cleaner, his teeth whitened and improved, and his ochre gaze was slowly coming back. As he was coming to, his eyes were also shutting, and once the process ended he slumped against Jerome. He picked him up and threw him over his shoulder, turning towards Jeanine, who was getting surrounded by fire. Her gaze shifted over to them as she quivered in fear.

"Looks like the odds aren't in your favor, lady! Hasta la vista!"

Jerome ran for the entrance, making headway from the roaring inferno that was swallowing the lab. He sprinted through the maze of hallways, slaying any mob or guard in his wake. And soon, he saw the bright sun above beaming down in them. He didn't stop running until he was far into the woods and the facility wasn't even in sight anymore, only a tall pillar of smoke rising into the sky.

He set Mitch down on the grass, grabbing his shoulder and cupping his cheek with a hand to keep him steady. He had a couple burns on his arms and face from where Jerome wasn't careful evading the fire, and soot stained his clothes. Jerome's thumb skimmed his cheek, admiring the face he had almost lost.

"Mitch." He murmured. "Wake up, biggums."

He didn't respond immediately, but after a moment, his eyes opened. He looked around, at the trees that grew tall in front of him, the flowers nearby, and finally settled his eyes on Jerome's face.

"...Biggums?" He croaked weakly.

"Thank Notch." Jerome breathed, holding the Canadian close to his chest. "You're okay. The potion worked."

Mitch hesitantly wrapped his arms around Jerome, slowly getting his strength back. "What happened? I just remember zombies, and a horrible pain in my arm..."

"You got converted, it was the scariest thing I've ever seen...and Jeanine, she had a potion to turn you back, but she wanted me to give the essence back. So I did. Tyler, he shot it out of her hand and broke it. And the lab is burning down. I had to get you out before it engulfed us..."

Jerome clutched his love closer, burying his face into his neck. He smelled a little like rotten flesh and firewood, but it didn't the dampen the scent that was Mitch. He inhaled, trying to calm down after such an ordeal.

"But...You're not going to be a bac anymore. You should've taken the essence and gotten out of there. I don't matter. " Mitch insisted. "The whole reason for that mission was to get you back to normal."

Jerome pulled back enough to see his face, tears in his eyes. "I don't really care. I thought if I got my body back that it would help me stay true to myself. This body didn't feel like mine. But I thought to myself, was it worth losing you? To never ever have somebody to team with in the Hunger Games? To never wake up in the morning and hear you cooking again? To live my life in solitude? It's not, Mitch. I couldn't ever lose you. I..I love you too much."

The confession was well overdue, but he didn't regret it one bit like he thought he would. Again, he held Mitch's face in his hands, caressing the skin he touched.

"...I love you too much, too." Mitch laughed, a bright smile on his face. A hand rose to cover one of Jerome's, and he leaned into the touch.

"Let's go home." Jerome suggested. "We can be all touchy-feely when the threat of a burning building isn't looming near us."

The benja agreed, and the two started their quest home.