✔️There Will Be Nothing

25^ I'll Have To Salvage What's Left Of The Life I Have

I knew that I should've told them about Tord when I had the chance. That chance is gone, now.
     Colin leaves the room, and I follow him. It feels like some unseen force is dragging me towards him, making me follow against my will.
I never wanted this. I never wanted this to happen.
Colin opens the door and takes Tord by the throat. "Why are you here?!" he snarls.
"L-Let him go!" I cry as I pull at Colin's arm. I don't know why I'm saving my worst enemy. I should just let Colin kill him. But, he's here for a reason, right? I want to know why he's here.
Colin lets him go, and he falls to the ground.
"What do you want?" I ask.
"H-He's coming for you. Run. Run fast and far. Don't come back," Tord warns ominously.
"Who's 'he?'" Colin asks. His eyes are narrowed in a glare.
"There's another one. Just like you." Tord's eyes are wide and desperate. "He told me I'd live if I told him where you were. He wants Conrad."
"Why me?!" I snap. This is bullshit. WHY DOES EVERYONE WANT ME?! WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT ME?!?
"I-I don't know! But, he's coming, and you better ru-!"
Tord is cut off by a loud screech. Fear pulses through me. It sounds just like Cyrus did when he did his "Death Angel" thing. Is it Cyrus? Why would there be a third?
"Cyrus," Colin whispers. He jumps off of the balcony before I can stop him. He lands hard, but he seems fine as another screech rings out.
My attention is drawn to two figures approaching from above. They leap off of buildings, quickly advancing on us. They both have their... scythe things out. They're both RK1000s. "Why does there have to be three!?" I cry. "Fuck you, Elijah." I spirit down the balcony until I reach the steps.
"Conrad!!" Conan calls, but I ignore him.
As I hurry to make my way to the ground floor, Colin does his thing. His back opens up, and he has the same things as Cyrus. And to think, he's been hiding it this whole time.
As soon as I reach him, I grab onto Colin, but he throws me off of him. That's when I see his face. Fangs bared, eyes glowing red, he snarls angrily at me.
Cyrus lands, and he literally shakes the ground on impact. The other lands shortly after.
"What the hell is this?!" I cry. I always told myself to never try to be the hero, but this time is different. This time, everything is my fault, and I have to stop it. I run forward. I'm terrified, but they won't kill me if they want me, right? Right?
Six pairs of eyes are on me. I'm an idiot. They'll tear me apart. I'm already dead. I flinch as they charge at me. Angry roars and screeches overload my audio units, and I cover my ears. Someone grabs me, and I'm off. I wish I weighed more, because whoever this is handles me like I'm a bag of apples. There's a one in three chance that this is Colin, but I'm not trying to find out if luck is on my side.
One enraged scream is all I need to hear, and, with a heavy heart, I know that this isn't Colin. Hell, I'd be happy if it was Cyrus. Just, anyone but the third one.
I look up, and I don't recognize the face I see. This is so funny. How did I know that this was going to be the third one? Oh, right, because it makes too much sense for it to be anyone else. I frown. I'm so scared, but so annoyed at the same time.
He's going at a steady pace, running in circles to stay in the mostly empty parking lot. He's trying to wear them out. I think. I don't even know. I'm just a toy, at this point. Three bitter children fighting over the toy that is me.
All of a sudden, his feet are snagged out from under him, and he falls to the floor. I go flying. For a terrifying second, I'm airborne, until I hit the ground and roll a few feet. Pain pulses from the right side of my body, the side that took the impact. I landed on my arm, and it hurts the most. Quickly, I check my body for wounds, only to find that my arm is fractured. Great.
I push myself up with my left arm, while keeping my right carefully cradled against my stomach. "Fuck!" I hiss. It hurts so bad. The pain is almost too much to bear.
Colin picks me up, bridal style, and takes me away from them. Carefully, he sets me down on the side of the lot, where it meets the grass. I breathe heavily and watch as he charges back into the action. I think, I'm safe enough. I mean, Cyrus and Colin are on my side! They would never hurt me.
Cyrus takes the third one by the throat and roars in his face. He's met with a swift upper cut, and he lets him go.
Then, Colin comes in, and he pins the third one to the ground. I watch as he reaches his hand behind the guy's ear. Cyrus holds him down. He squirms, and writhes, and struggles to get away, but he's as good as dead. Colin presses his kill switch, and he falls still.
My breath hitches in my throat. I knew it was happening. I knew what was going to happen, but I wasn't ready for it. I swallow hard, still cradling my injured arm to my chest and allowing myself to breathe for a second.
Colin and Cyrus back away from the lifeless body. Hope bubbles to the surface of my heart, because it looks like they won't fight, anymore. I force myself to stand, and my legs buckle beneath me.
Colin and Cyrus whip around and lock eyes on me. It's now that I realize how stupid I am, because then they start grappling with each other, roaring and screeching in anger as one struggles to dominate the other.
It's also now that I realize one of them could die.
I stand and rush toward them, but my legs don't hold me. I fall to the ground, causing pain to pulse through my knees. Fuck, I need to fix this. I need to fix this!
Cyrus rushes towards me, grabs me, and holds me close to him before he leaps into the air. I scream in fear as he leaps off of buildings and takes this to the rooftops. "Why would you take me here?!?" I screech. I press myself into him, praying that he doesn't let me go.
Colin is right behind him. I can almost hear his gravelly breaths as he snarls behind us. With a mighty leap, he tackles Cyrus out of the air.
And, I slip out of his arms.
I'm falling. This is when I die. I scream my last scream as I watch the ground rush towards me.
Then, as I'm sure I'll die, I'm scooped up, saved from death by who I hope to be Colin. I look up to see wisps of blue hair being thrown back by the wind as he leaps from building to building.
This is my chance. I can fix this.
"Colin!" I cry. "Colin, you have to stop this! You can stop this! Please, stop fighting!" I beg.
He ignores me.
"COLIN!" I screech. "Listen to me!"
"I am listening!" he snaps. Immediately, I shrink away from his voice. It's so deep and gravelly, almost... demonic? I literally don't know how else to explain it.
"Then- Well- S-Stop!" I cry weakly. I'm almost immobilized by fear.
Cyrus roars behind us.
Suddenly, the tip of a scythe jabs through Colin's body, and I yell out in surprise as the sharp blade cuts my arm. Oh, god, he's just been impaled. His eyes widen, and he drops me.
Once again, I plunge toward the ground, and I'm stuck staring death in the eye.
Cyrus takes me back. He rushes away from a wounded Colin, who hits the ground with a strangled, pain-filled cry.
"L-Let me go!" I complain. Tears form in my eyes. "Let me go!! That's my husband on the ground!! Cyrus!" I push him away, but he's too strong for me. "Colin! COLIN!!" I cry, hoping he can hear me.
Cyrus springs past a building and ends up in the parking lot.
And, Tord stands there, dumbfounded, not yet aware of what's happening. Without hesitation, Cyrus swings his leg around and kicks Tord square in the head. There's a sickening crunch before he falls to the ground.
At this point, my heart is ramming itself into my rib cage as I push Cyrus away. "L-Let m-me go! Please!" I sob. Tears rush down my face, spurred on by the stress of watching my husband be impaled and hearing Tord's neck snap.
This time, Cyrus lets me go.
I fall to the ground in a heap of tears and pain. With my remaining arm, I drag myself away. "Y-You're a monster! A monster! Leave me alone! Leave!" I beg as I drag myself away. Pain shoots through my body. I can't fight anymore.
     A low growl resonates through the air. For a second, I'm sure that it's Cyrus. Until I look and see Colin standing there. He looks pissed. The skin has retracted on one side of his face, Thirium drips down his body where he was stabbed, and his tentacles flick, eager to tear something - or someone - apart.
     "Please..." I murmur. "Stop this..." I don't even have the strength to yell.
     Cyrus picks me up, but I don't care. Let him carry me wherever he wants. I'm so tired. My arm pulses with pain, rendering it useless. I'm so useless. Useless to do anything but watch and see who wins. Useless to keep anyone alive. I cry silently in Cyrus' arms. I wish this would all just end.
     Colin tackles Cyrus, and he throws me. I land hard, taking another impact that wrecks my already ruined body. I groan loudly. Something spurs me into moving, and I roll over. Pain floods me, and I stop. I should stay like this. If I stay still, maybe they'll forget I exist.
     Colin reaches for me, but Cyrus stops him. I crawl away as they struggle towards me. It's a mass of writhing tentacles and bodies as they both strain to get to me while desperately trying to keep the other away.
     Someone else picks me up, and I groan in pain. "It's ok, Conrad. It's me, Conan." He carries me away as fast as he can, and they are really not happy about it. Angry roars resound around me, but Conan doesn't stop. He takes me to Gavin and kneels down. They're sheltering behind a nearby car.
     "Conan!" I whine, clinging to him like he's the only this that can save me. In a way, he is.
     "Shhh, Conrad, it's ok. It's ok. It's-" Before he can finish his sentence, Cyrus lifts the car and throws it to the side. "M-My car!" Conan cries. "Oh, that is the last straw. This is personal, now!" He stands and grapples with Cyrus, fighting him, even though it's impossible that he'll win.
     Out of nowhere, Colin takes Cyrus by the throat and throws him against Conan's car, breaking it even further. Cyrus groans in pain, but pushes himself back up. He might as well have just stayed down, because he's done for. Colin and Conan gang up on him, using their combined strength to keep him down.
     Then, time seems to slow down as Colin picks him up by the throat. With an earth-shattering roar of triumph, Colin reaches behind his ear.
     "Colin! NO!" I cry. I push myself forward, but Gavin grabs me and keeps me back. "No! No, no, no!"
     No one listens to me. Why don't they listen to me?
     With a final cry of outrage and defiance, Cyrus falls still.
     Colin drops him, letting his dead body slump on the ground.
     And, it's quiet. Too quiet. The silence is deafening.
     Metallic clicks and whirs fill the silence. I watch as Colin lifts Cyrus' body with his tentacles. Then, he rips off one of his arms.
     I cry out for him to stop, but it's useless. No one listens to me.
     I'm hardly aware of Gavin holding me back, anymore. All I can do is watch in horror as Colin dismantles and smashes Cyrus' body to bits. He uses some of it to repair himself, pushing and pulling at the Android components. He uses Cyrus' body to repair himself and make himself bigger. Colin takes Cyrus' precious Thirium pump in his hand, holding it like it's a scared relic he has to protect.
     Then, he puts it inside of his chest.
     Colin has two Thirium pumps. Two.
     I kick Gavin away from me. I can't stay anymore. Newfound energy flows through me as I sprint away from them. How I'm still standing is anyone's guess, because I should be dead, by now.
     "Conrad!" Gavin pants as he catches up with me.
     "Please, let me go!" I sob. "I can't stay here."
     "Ok, ok! I'll take you away from here!" He gets into the driver's side of his car and starts it. I force myself into the passenger seat.
     "Get me the fUCK OUT OF HERE!" I screech. "Before he comes after us!"
     Watching Colin, he doesn't seem worried about me. He picks up the other dead body and starts dismantling it.
     However, as soon as the car starts moving, Colin notices me. He takes a few steps towards us, and I freak out.
"Go, Gavin! Go!"
He pulls out and speeds away, almost hitting a car on his way out. "Where-?"
"Elijah," I answer. "Take me to Elijah."
"Are you-?"
"Yes! I'm sure! Take me to him! Please!" I cry out. My voice cracks, making me wince.
Gavin doesn't say anything else. He wordlessly drives me to Elijah's house. The whole ride, I'm paranoid that I'll turn my head and see Colin running after us in the rear view mirror. I have no doubt that he's fast enough to catch up to a speeding car. They were flying around those buildings at impossibly fast speeds.
We reach Elijah's place. Before Gavin can even park, I'm out of the car and running towards his door. I bang my fists on it urgently. "Elijah! Open up! Now!"
He opens the door and greets me with a smirk. "Hello, Con-"
I take him by the throat and push him up against his wall. "You bastard! You didn't tell me there were three of them! You didn't tell me they'd tear each other apart! You didn't tell me that Colin was a Thirium pump thief!" I snarl.
"Let go of me, and we can talk," he replies calmly.
I reluctantly let go of him. I should kill him where he stands, but I'll never get answers if I do.
"Come inside." He smiles at Gavin.
Gavin shuts the door behind him.
"Come with me. I need to show you something." Elijah turns and walks off.
A part of me wants to grab him and make him explain, but what if he's trying to show me something that'll explain everything? I shake my head and follow him. This had better be worth it.
He leads us to a hallway on our right, then into a room I've never been in. Elijah reaches inside a what looks to be a crib and pulls something out. When he turns around, I see that he's holding a baby.
"Wh-What's that?" I ask hesitantly.
"This?" He looks down at it. "This is yours, Conrad."
"Haha, that's funny, Elijah. I'm not ready for kids. Speaking of kids, start explaining. I'll wait forever if I have to." I cross my arms determinedly.
He sets the baby back down in its crib, then he beckons us to another room.
I sigh in annoyance, but I follow him.
"Ok. I know, you're scared, angry, and confused, so I'll explain." He turns to us. "You weren't designed to represent our government. I pulled that out of my ass."
"Yeah, I could tell," I mutter.
"You're hurt. Sit down, and let me fix you." I sit down. I almost forgot about my arm. Elijah sits down next to me and starts messing with my arm. "So, I designed you guys to cope with myself. Connor was designed to assist with investigations, of course. He's not a part of this. But, when I started making you, an idea came to me. And, I just went with it." I hiss in pain as he snaps my arm in place. "A while ago, I was in the position that Colin is in. I wanted someone so bad, I'd do anything for that person. I ended having to fight to get her to love me, but I lost. So, I-"
"So, you wanted to replicate that with us," I finish. "You designed Colin to be so in love with me, he'd kill anyone. The other two you made were the same, and your plan was to watch them fight to the death."
He nods. "You're smarter than you look."
"Why?"
"I was upset and wanted to project my pain onto others. CyberLife took you all away before I could do anything. I tried to warn them, but they didn't listen. And, I regret it."
"What about Conan? How does he fit in this?"
"Conan," he sighs. "Is a failed Colin. I messed up his programming. I accidentally programmed him to be Colin's opposite. So, I kept him and started making Colin from scratch. I made them the RK900 and RK1000."
"And, you don't even regret it. You've ruined my life, and you don't even care." I stand up. My arm is fine. I can finish fixing it, myself. "He doesn't love me. It's all just programmed lies!"
Elijah stands with me. He wears a hurt expression. "No." He shakes his head. "At first, maybe it was, but I can tell that he really does love you. He had to kill the others. There could only be one. I programmed them with a primal urge to murder each other and make sure there was only one. I had kept the third one under lock and key, because I knew hell would break loose if he escaped. I underestimated him."
"And, he escaped, and Colin killed him. Colin took their Thirium pumps and put them inside of him. Can he even do that?" I frown lightly.
Elijah laughs nervously. "Yeah, that's funny. See, I thought it'd be real funny if I designed the winner to take the bodies of his fallen enemies apart and repair himself with it. By now, Colin should have three Thirium pumps, and these aren't your normal pumps, either. He can't die, now. Like, even if you press his kill switch, he'll live."
I swallow hard.
"That's... scary..." Gavin mutters.
"I'm sorry. I regret making you all the way I did, but... I can't just turn back time. So, I did something." He turns away. "Follow me."
"I'm getting tired of following you," I mutter darkly.
"I know, but give me a chance to redeem myself." He takes us back to the room with the baby.
A loud roar resounds through the whole house as the door is burst open.
Colin's here. He found me.
"Conrad!" Conan cries from another room.
Before I can do a thing, the door is kicked open, and Colin stands there. He's carrying Conan on his back. "Conrad!" He holds out a Thirium pump. "This is my Thirium pump. Please, I love you. I want you to have it. Take it. Take my heart, Conrad, please!"
Elijah steps up to Colin and reaches his hand behind his neck. Within seconds, he falls to the ground, where he lays, unconscious. His Thirium pump rolls a few inches away from his open hand.
"Colin! What did you do?!" I fall to my knees and take his head in my lap. "Is he dead, too?! Is this how you wanted to redeem yourself?!"
"No! Relax, Conrad! Let me explain!" Elijah sighs, clearly exasperated. "First off, he's not dead. He's in stasis. In other words, he's asleep."
I look down at Colin's head in my lap, and I stroke his hair. I like him better when he's peaceful.
"Second off, look here." He pulls a curtain, and another Colin stands there.
"Another one?! Why?!"
"No, this isn't him! This is a different model. It's like a downgrade from Colin. The reason why I'm showing you this is because I want to give you a choice. You can either come to terms with what happened and have the family you've always wanted with Colin, or I can deactivate him, and you can start all over with an Android that's not designed like Colin. I want to fix this mess I've made, but it's your choice. Choose wisely, Conrad." With that, he turns and leaves the room.
Gavin follows him.
"I-"
"Not now, Conan." I dismiss him with a wave of my hand.
He goes silent and follows the others.
I stare down at Colin before looking up at his replacement. I... don't know what to do. On one hand, Colin's probably obsessed with me, and he'll kill anyone that even looks at me funny. On the other hand, I fucking married this guy. Today. It's dark outside. Our wedding was less than 24 hours ago.
I sigh softly as tears come to my eyes. Everything's happening so fast. Too fast. Cyrus is dead. I'll never see him, again. I never knew that other guy, but I feel sad that I never will know him. I caress Colin's hair in my hands. "This isn't your fault," I whisper. "You were made to be like this."
I take his Thirium pump in my hand and take a look at it. Could it fit in me? Tears roll down my face, and I don't try to stop them as I pull my shirt off. Carefully, I slide my fingers around the rim of my pump before pulling it out. I gasp and sit still for a moment before I finally lift his pump to my chest and push it in. It barely fits, but it does. The errors don't go away, and I'm scared that I've just killed myself when they suddenly disappear.
I sit still.
Thirium levels stabilizing.
I sigh softly at the message. So, it works. Somehow, having Colin's pump in me makes me feel... alive. More alive than I've felt in a long time. How could I let Elijah deactivate him when his pump is in me? It's poetic, really. A part of Colin is keeping me alive. It's the only thing keeping me alive.
With newfound determination, I crush my old pump in my hand. I don't need it.
I curl up next to Colin's cold body. "I love you," I whisper. "You may have killed people, but... I forgive you." Tears roll down my face, and I swipe at them. "I forgive you. It's not your fault." I press myself against him as I cry.
I could never start over. I'm grateful that I have that option, but I can't take it.
I'll just have to try to salvage the life I already have.