Subject Zero (COMPLETED)

Thirty-Five (Final Chapter)

Rosalyn

Rosalyn didn't know what she was more afraid of; the sinister look on her fathers face, or the utter devastation on Malakai's.

She knew exactly where they were; on the side of the building in front of the stone walls, with small bushes and flowers leading up towards two steps that led up to a mini-looking stage. Her father stood tall in the middle of the frame, while Malakai stood off to the side with his body swaying, trying to keep his balance.

"He's drugged," Sebastian noted, his body leaning towards the TV.

Rosalyn and the other subjects were huddled next to one another, surrounding the television. They had made it safely back to Ingrid's cabin just in time to watch the East Capitol go live. Hyemi turned on the subtitles for Becks, and everyone's mood shifted as the image of Malakai appeared.

Rosalyn sat on the single couch, and Sebastian leaned on one of the arms, as close as he could get to the television. The four girls shared the larger couch, while Wolfgang sat on the floor, his legs sprawled out before him.

"You see a bruise forming on his jaw there?" Miriam said, and everyone nodded. Rosalyn's heart sank as she realized who was most likely the giver of that bruise. Everyone probably knew.

"They didn't even bother tidying him up?" Wolfgang mentioned. "He looks horrible."

"It probably makes him look more scary," Hyemi pointed out. "Like it's a good thing he's not on the loose anymore. Bonavich and Veil must want him to look deadly."

Probably, Rosalyn thought. With marks and bruises and old ragged clothes on, he looked more like an image of a monster that the world had a right to be fearful of. But to Rosalyn, she could still see his bright emerald eyes, glossier than normal, but still there. She could see the soft features of his lips and the sharpness is his jaw. She could see Malakai, way deep down and hidden, but he was still there.

"I am Vice President Isaac Bonavich, and here with me is Subject Zero," Bonavich gestured to Malakai, who gaze was elsewhere. "We have come with some insightful information."

Malakai's eyes caught the screen, and his large eyes stared deeply. And to Rosalyn's surprise, he began to speak.

"The other subjects and Rosalyn Bonavich are—are still on the loose, and—" he blinked a few times. "And the cash prize is still in effect."

Malakai immediately pulled his head back to look above him, like he was searching for the sun through the clouds.

"He's being forced," Miriam stated. "He's being threatened. He wouldn't comply this easily if there wasn't something being held against him."

"And he's drugged," Hyemi added. "He looks in a daze."

"Plus, it seems like he didn't give away our location. We probably would've been caught by now if he did," Wolfgang said, and Rosalyn knew where he was going with his words. Malakai was likely beaten. He was likely already broke.

Rosalyn glanced at Sebastian, who had his lips pinned together tightly, his glowing orange eyes memorized on the screen. She could see the pain past his eyes. She could see a best friend who could only watch the other suffer.

Rosalyn's father continued speaking, and it sent shivers throughout her body. She could only imagine the conversation her father and Malakai had, especially with the result of a bruise on Malakai's face. She wanted to scream, to reach through the screen and snatch the boy back; she wanted to walk with him in the woods once more, with their walking sticks, simply living. She wanted Malakai back, and she realized she couldn't feel the same emotions for her father, the man who raised her. The man who still loved her, deep down.