Rising Above: Super Story

Chapter 19: The Swipe

**This picture above is what I believe Ryder and Imelda had to go through** It does not belong to me unless I say so :)

 After the video there was a picture of all of us. Imelda, Everett, Ryder, Max, and me all in combat gear with guns to our sides we all wore similar clothes as if we were all on the same team.

Everyone left the room and left Ryder and I stood in the room. There was a video on the hard drive that was labeled "Harlow and Ryder." I hit play.

A video popped on the screen. It was Ryder and Imelda. Both in barely any clothes. They were both tied to tables that were on a tilt. Their heads were strapped to the cushion and their hands were cuffed. Ryder was injected with a serum. The scientist looked at him.

"Your name Is Ryder Dominic Domhnall. You are leader of this sector and are known for your strength, the pain you cause, and being one of the Six Council Men's children. You are a monster. You are evil. No one could ever love you." Ryder went limp on the table. Ryder look at the screen his mouth in an 'O' shape. The video ended before we could see what happened to Imelda.

Another video popped up, there was an ocean and the sun was setting. A girl had her arms spread out her back to the camera man and enjoying the light breeze as her feet stood in the dark sand. "Babe, what the hell are you doin?" Ryder's voice. He sat down in the chair. He couldn't hold himself anymore.

"I am enjoying the view of my husband!! You should try it sometime!" My husband? We were married? The video continued. Our wedding pictures showed. He was wearing a tux and I had on a short white dress with matching white heels.

"I do," Ryder said.

"I do," I said.

The next video showed us lying in a bed. Most likely his. The covers covered both of our outlined bodies and we seemed to be naked. I guess I am not a virgin. I had tears coming down my face.

"What happens when they find out that we know? They are going to separate us. What happens if they take us and one of us doesn't survive it again?" Ryder looked into past me's eyes and held me closer.

"No matter how many times they try to separate us, we will always find each other. What is this? The third time they've tried? My father can't keep us apart and our love has continued to concur. We could have married the first time and we just remarried again if that," Past Ryder said.

They had everything on video. From those moments we would try to steal kisses from each other or even a little more. They disgusted me. They took our moments together and the time we spent together and turned it into a movie tracking their progress in how messed up they could make us. The establishment's base was filled with cameras all hidden in rooms and small crevices.

The worst part of this all, and there were so many bad parts, was the fact that they erased our memories. Our memories were filled with place holders and left blank. We could recognize how familiar we looked to one another but could never guess why.

Another thing popped on the screen "Merrick" it said. I clicked it so quickly the prompter took a second to load.

Pictures of him showed up on the screen. He was standing next to the commander in one  his pictures. The commander had a smile on his face and a hand on Merrick's shoulder. Then a video of Merrick popped up. He was being interrogated. 

I felt my tears swell in my eyes. He didn't looked injured but he didn't look calm either. "My name is Merrick Artenson. I am a soldier for the establishment and the Council of Six. I volunteer myself to portray myself as subject one or Harlow Murkin's brother in order to extract information for this experiment. I will protect her and help test her in this experiment. I will grow close to her and find out what makes her work and find out her priorities. If any harm comes to her it will be under my name and I will receive punishment for not being an obedient soldier in helping the Council evaluate its last remaining supers."

Artenson. Not Murkin. He wasn't really my brother. It was all pretend.

His face popped on the screen. "Hey Harlow. I know you're seeing this and if someone has clicked this video of my progress it must mean I have died in act of duty. I never thought I could grow close to you like I did. They chose me for this op. because I had similar features as you and it would help me blend in on the rebel base. I didn't think of you as anything but a mission at first and then I started to become protective over you, like a true brother would have been. You are the last of supers as far as the Council knows. You have been injected with superpowers and have been a help in our test decided the best course of action in controlling society. They need our help. As I continued my search I noticed how corrupt the establishment was. They weren't trying to help them but exterminate them. They are coming for you and you and the rest of the group can save us. Rise sister. You were never meant for those dark tunnels. I love you. Goodbye." 

He waved and smiled at me as if he was heading to lunch. I was crying. Oceans of tears flooded my sight and dripped down my face and I fell on my knees. Ryder caught me. It hurt. I felt a pain in my chest and felt the pain of losing Merrick all over. He changed he cared and he died for me. He died knowing that he was going against his orders and saved me saved the rebellion. The last few times I was with him I was yelling at him.

 I was so angry. The last time he took a breath was handing me the drive he knew he wouldn't make it and saved me. I wouldn't fail him like I had all those other trials. I would kill the commander and the council with my hands and rip the skin from their bodies slowly and painfully. Not even that could compare to the pain I was feeling in my chest. 

These tests were only going to end one way. 

I would avenge Imelda, Ryder, Everett, Max, and Merrick.

The commander and the rest of the council's heads on spikes.