Page 114 of Anarchy Missing

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO – CASE

The explosion pushes me back as Lincoln and Thomas roll underneath the blanket of chemical-laden flames. I have no feelings about this. And I know I took those pills. Was forced to take them. But there’s a little piece of me inside that hopes it’s not the pills making me act this way.

Being the villain is so fucking liberating.

But then, out of the dust, and ash, and smoke, I see Lulu.

Lulu.

“Forget her,” the voice says from a speaker above my head. I look over my shoulder and see a weird chimera of Steve’s head on the body of the Blue Boar, as he… she… it dances on its hind legs across the front of the building.

“What the—?”

“Kill them, Case. Now. Before they get up. Quick! Quick!” it screams, continuing the dance.

I look down at the weapon strapped to my body. I made this for them. All that planning and plotting. All that work to make it perfect.

It is perfect. The perfect weapon to take down Lincoln, cyborg that he is. The electrical charge will fry his brain. His whole spinal cord. The jellyfish can suck it. They won’t be able to repair him this time.

And Thomas. I will switch him on. His emotions will flood his body and he won’t be able to control himself any longer.

I load the launcher with the cartridges, hit the charge command, and balance it in the crook of my shoulder. Lincoln is already up, staring at me as he does the same, loading his weaponized arms and legs.

“Stop, Case!” Molly is screaming. “No! Don’t do it! It’s the Blue Boar,” she yells. “The Blue Boar, Case! He did this to you! He’s still controlling you! Don’t—”

I pause for a second, my brow furrowing as I tune out her words.

“The Blue Boar?” I say, looking over my shoulder. But the chimera is gone now. Just Steve. Just plain old Steve with his plain old placating stare.

He smiles. “It’s OK, Case. Go ahead,” he practically sings in that sweet unaffected voice he always uses. “Do what you were made to do.”

“Yes,” I hiss through clenched teeth. I was made for something. And this is it.

Lincoln and I fire at the same time.

Mine hits him in the arm, blowing off a metal panel. Part of his weapon, I realize. He spins in place, then falls, bent over in pain.

His flies right past me and hits the office building. A billion shards of glass cascade downward, like a waterfall of shimmering red light.

Weakness flows though me and I realize what’s he’s done.

“Shoot the girl next, Case. Then Thomas.”

I’m already following orders, arming my weapon with an Electro cartridge, when I stop. “Wait,” I say, almost to myself. I have one eye on Lincoln, who is still down, looking at his body like he’s not sure if it belongs to him. And Thomas, who has a regular gun pointed right at me.

“Do it,” I growl, loud enough to make my voice carry over all the commotion. “Because this time, asshole, I’ll hit back.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Case?” Thomas yells.

I want him to attack, I realize. I want it so bad.

“The city,” I say. “I’m doing this for the city.”

“Fuck the city, you asshole! This is us! You just fucking shot Lincoln!” He’s still pointing the gun at me. “Don’t make me kill you, Case. I don’t want to do it. But if you think you’re taking everyone out with you, you’re wrong.”

I smile. And even from within, I know what it looks like on the outside.

Evil.

“Do it,” I say again. “Try to kill me. You’ll see what I can do now.” I stare him down as I reload my launcher and aim it right at Lincoln.

The bullets hit me square in the chest with enough force to make me take a step back.

But when I look down, I start laughing. Hysterically. Thomas fires three more shots, all of which hit me dead center.

I watch as my body heals. The thin wires under my skin knitting themselves back together. Repairing the connections of the superflesh they made me into. It taught me how to heal. Each night, up there on the roof. It was teaching me how to heal. Making me stronger. Better.

When I look at Thomas again, he’s shaking his head. “Don’t do this,” he says, lowering his gun, finally admitting defeat. “Don’t—”

I shoot him with the biological cartridge. Right in the neck, hitting the jugular so hard, blood spurts out as the dart pierces the vessel.

His heart is pumping so fast the drug flows through his body in seconds. I can almost see the change in him from where I stand. And I wish I had more time. More time to memorize the moment when Thomas becomes human again.

But I don’t.

I have one more person to take care of before I can finish the city’s job.

“Sorry, Lulu Lightly,” I whisper, walking towards her. “But it has to be this way.”