Genesis : Knights of Salvation Series
Chapter 50: The End to the Beginning

“W-What are you doing?” I stutter out in complete confusion and betrayal.

“I’m sorry Aspen, but you are not the only one with a mission. I need that Vial.” His usual kind and warm voice is nothing but venomous tipped with remorse for his actions. His face slowly broke away from the kind man I had to know as if the dark monster inside him has won. Completely the opposite of the man I’ve known this whole mission.

“Talon, I-I don’t understand?” I swallow hard. My eyes fall to the gun, as Talon cocks back the handle prime to shoot. I try to steel my hands, coaxing as much confidence and fight left in me.

“I don’t get it Talon, why? Why are you betraying us?” I ask out creasing my forehead as I push back the tears of betrayal forcing themselves out. Talon holds nothing of the man I’ve grown to trust, His usual smile is cold and flat, the kindness in his eyes snuffed out by anger and cold darkness.

“It’s really not so complicated, you had order’s from your father; I have order’s from the director.” He speaks monotone as if all the life I had grown to love was sucked out. A sobering chest tightening question rose in my mind. Why would the director want the virus, hadn’t she sent me here to get it anyways? I glance up to the stairs.

“They’re not going to save you.” He taunts.

“What did you do to them, Talon?” I slip out my voice filled with immovable fear. A cold daunting smile crawls onto his pale dead face.

“ Nothing they weren’t warned about. I warned them that they either helped me or feel the pain of being gutted alive. Including your precious handler.” He speaks up grotesquely determined as he walks toward me. Did he kill them? How could he kill them, they were his family? I pull the vial behind me as I back up, my butt hitting the table on the wall. I let out a slight whimper as Talon saunter towards me.

“You were my friend Talon, I trusted you!” I cry out more in a sobbing beg as I move away from the table toward the cages. Talon laughs out with venom, a face of disgust taking over.

“Well then, you can hardly blame me for that, now can you?” He spits out taunting my anguish. As he rounds the corner of tables I glance to the stair taking off to where I had placed my weapons. Talon drops his weapon moving faster than I can, the moment I get halfway to the stairs, he grabs a fist full of my hair wrenching it back.

I fly back and crash to the floor my scream ringing out in the room. Talon climbs on top of me his calloused fist thrashing down on my face. I cry out as bursts of agonizing pain fill my face, hit after hit landing on my eye, mouth, and nose the taste of my own blood filling my mouth. I lay there stunned as the weight on my chest lifts allowing for the stinging pain to seep into my bones. I turn onto my stomach and look up through my sprawled-out hair. Talon kneels down on the ground grabbing the glass bottle flung out of my hold. I grunt as I crawl to my feet, my eyes set on the bottle.

If I’m going to die, I’m going to die fighting. The vial is a chance to live. I’m not letting him take it from me. I run at Talon, jumping onto his back toppling us both over to the ground. Talon is stunned for an only moment, scatter to my feet grabbing the small fridge from the middle table launching it at his body running at me. The fridge hits him in the stomach forcing him back to the ground. My eyes search out quickly as I heave out a heavy breath, I replace the vial at the corner of the lab, and I run around the corner only for Talon to grab my ankle pulling me down to the ground.

I kick out trying to fight his hold as he turns me to my back and climbs on top of me. His fist raised up once again, and my arm bursts out from his legs slamming my fist into his jaw. I swing at him again to miss as he grabs a hold of me. Fire burns behind his eyes as he looks down at me, blood falling from his busted lip.

“You can barely hit! Ha, and I thought this was going to be a match between monsters.” Talon taunts. A burst of pain erupts in my temple from his fist’s impact. A wave of black haze bursts through my eyes. That’s when I felt it again, the anger brewing deep within. Like a hurricane setting down, stirring every inch of hatred, anger, and pain. The deep shudder within awakened in my bones.

I scream out as my hand wrenches from his grasp, reaching out and grabbing the wires to another machine my hand jerking out the wire causing a flood of papers to cast down over us. In the confusion I jerk harder on the wire a machine used to mix vials, making it topple over slamming into Talon’s head. At that moment I lurch up using the black wire in my hands to tie around his neck twisting the wires around his neck, and cutting away his air.

In shock, his hands fly to his neck pulling hard on the wire. He gets so focused on his airway, I half close my fist slamming the bottom of my palm into his nose sending him off me and to his back. He wrestles with the wire as I scramble toward the vial, quickly getting it in my hands and moving toward the stairs. I get to the stair my hand just grabbing hold of my weapon.

The terrible truths of our actions finally come to head as the first thing I hear is the thunder of his gun. My body froze in a cold motionless silence. My breath stifles as my eyes fall to the blood stain growing on my stomach. My hands fall to the blood stain, and both shock and realization set in. Both my hands pressed to my stomach as gut-wrenching pain breaks through the sudden daze. I stumble away from the step not really going anywhere. My eyes are wide as I take in Talon, his eyes wide with shock. The barrel of his gun still slightly smoking.

I swallow hard, the blood spurting from my lips. Talon’s face grows pale at the sight of me. So many thoughts run through me and the biggest, Is if I don’t get the virus neither does he.

My hands move shakily and fast, as I pull the top of the vial off the virus. Talon’s eyes grow wide as he screams out to stop his gun from dropping as he runs at me. I cast my head back pouring the liquid virus into my mouth. Swallowing the last of the vialed viruses and a mouth full of my own forsaken blood.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?” Talon screams out as his eyes are wide in terror his hands grasping my arms tightly. I fall to my knees Talon falls in desperation with me, his hand pinching my mouth to open for only drops of blood to drip out. In the moments before you die, there’s a sort of relief. The knowledge that it’s about to end gives every part of you an overwhelming relief. In that moment of relief, I give Talon a large toothy bloody smile.

Blood sure enough coating every inch of my white teeth. The terror and fear showed in his eyes from the utter enjoyment that I foiled his plans. My gut wrenches as the blood and virus grow too much for me, I wrench forward black blood spewing out of me. The black forsaken blood splattered to my knees and onto Talon.

Above the door, we hear the ear drum bursting screams from the forsaken vaulting towards the facility. Talon’s hands fall from my shoulder’s making me tumble onto the bloodied floor. I stare up at the flickering white lights as the chinking of the metal steps sound over the screams of the forsaken. I can feel tears falling from my eyes and to the floor. Hands clasp my face, drawing my eyes to Foxglove’s worried face. She moves away as Clare’s face comes into focus.

“Hold on! Aspen.” She yells in desperation, blocking out the ringing in my ears.

“t-t..” I’m forced to swallow my own blood blocking my words. Clare nods.

“It’s Talon, we know. Your okay, I’m getting the first aide!” she cries out, tear’s streaking her face. Clare disappears from my view. I turn my heavy head to see foxglove appear blocking the view of the stairs. I swallow hard putting the last of my strength in my words.

“tt-t Tell them... I-” I swallow the blood and take in a shallow breath.

“I was-wasn’t scared,” I say my blood spewing as the spit from my lips, tears of pain falling down my face.

“I will,” she says crying out and biting her lip to keep from making a sound. The heaviness in my eyes takes hold, leading me to the darkness.

Enyo’s P.o.v:

“Run! Go!” I yell out as Orion heads to the cliffs. The gut-wrenching sight of Harrison on the ground feels like a sword in my stomach.

“Harrison,” I say trying to get to him, his dark red blood seeping out around him and into my hands as I hold his bite wound. I look at his paling face, his body slumped awkwardly against the cement slab. I hear Clare run up the stairs, I lick my lips looking up to see her alone.

“Where’s aspen?” I command out. My eyes fell fast to her blooding clothes, her tan hands stained black. Clare’s face is pale, tears streaking her dirtied face. She licks her lips her body shaking as she begins to break down. My eyes fall away, to Harrison. Both of us were now pale and somber. I swallow hard pushing back the pain.

“Come on we need to get you out of here,” I order starting to stand. His hands grasp tight to mine, tears filling his eyes. His head slowly shakes, and I know. We can’t take him, we both know it but I can’t.

“I can’t leave you... I- I can’t lose you too.” I sob as my facade of strength fractures.

“You have to.” He shakes out as he swallows. The sound of forsaken growing on us as they pass the bridge. I dig into my pockets pulling out my small pistol. I place it into his cold bloody hand. With one last glance at his paled face, I stand. Foxglove emerges from the facility then, covered in aspens blood. the sight too much to bare as I look away towards the stairs. I bite my lip and try to keep it together.

I lick my lips and look up to see foxglove scream out at the sight of Harrison.

“Clare, Foxglove it’s time to go,” I order as Clare heads to the cliffs.

“No! No, we can’t leave him!” Foxglove begs out as I grab her forcing her towards the cliffs, my eyes landing on the massive force of forsaken that will be here in a few minutes.

“Noooo! Noo!” She screams forcing me to pick her up, her body pushing to get to Harrison. We stumble to the cliff, Orion And Clare pulling foxglove up the cliff. I reach up and stand at the top of the cliff, the remnants of our team all watching at the obstructed view of the door to the facility, as the horde converges on Harrison. Suddenly the loud pop of my pistol sounds, and my heart stopped with it.

Foxglove lets out a cry, collapsing to the ground. Her heart-breaking sobs filled my ears. I pull her up forcing us to move to safety. I blinked hard trying to force away the tears. Every step pushed the last sight of Harrison into my mind. The simple laugh of aspen haunting fills the wind as we run. We push farther into the trees as tears fall down my face.

With no other choice, we flee back to the walls, with no cure, half a team, a lifetime of regrets, and the burned images of the team I’ve failed.