Leo

Chapter Twenty-Six

[Marvin's POV]

We cleared the place immediately, lighting up the whole toxic spill below the building sewers was the tricky part, they had to dig and get a barrel of radioactive gunk and spilled it all over the place. Eyes would hover up the skies, and drop a flaming torch, although they have to be discreet otherwise the towers will spot the torch from miles away.

I told him this is going to be flawed, even if the toxic spill doesn't affect all of us, Royale is bound to figure out what the hell we're doing.

[TJ's POV]

If Marvin isn't the brother of Leo, I would have killed him on plain sight. How dare he question my decisions? This is my foolproof plan, this is going to work. Though, I must admit I was shaken by his words. I knew they were bound to notice what the hell is going around, why we're all out in the open and plainly heading underground.

I am still contemplating when I am cut short by Marvin.

"So, this is phase one of the plan, where are we exactly going?" he asks.

"Underground." I say, waving my hand dismissively.

"Where's the entrance?" he asks again. I ball my fists, he is getting on my nerves.

"Oh, we're digging holes." I smirk. He glares at me and I respond. "There's a mine shaft during 2020, it's already run down though. They dug up this huge underground tunnel inside a building, leads to the sewer but then they dug deeper and struck a few gold. Don't know how they did it, but all I know is that it's a mine shaft." I shrug.

I found the mine shaft when I was little, I was playing around the place when I fell through the giant hole, I didn't know how I missed it but honestly I almost plunged to my death. I was pretty much alone for the entirety of my life. Never really got used to having people around, to have company, to have allies and friends. I wasn't much of a leader back then but there needed to be a person who's tough enough to make the calls for everyone, and unfortunately I was the only one who bothered to step-up.

Here's the thing about the antidote, if we do not take it before the Merging comes, we will turn and suffer as animals or at least the forms that we assume. The Merging is the point where the Serum is attached to your DNA and Brain that your functions cannot distinguish the point of which you are human and therefore you will forget that you were ever a human before. That is what I was afraid of, if the people in my gang, the people that I have learned to care about suffer from this I will never forgive myself since I had a chance to redeem their humanity and I failed them and myself.

I envy Marvin, and I snap at him not because he is out of the line but he can get in and out of Royale and never did it cross his mind to get the antidote. All of us knew what the Aviators are capable of, heck everyone knew how much Leo's worth. Truth be told, everyone is after her and on the day that we tried to grab the antidote, I am glad that we found her first. But it was too late to save her, the serum has now bonded to her or at least it's binding as we speak. There's nothing much I could do about it though, there is so little that I could do for her and her brother. That wasn't the deal though, I am not ready to give up this act just yet.

"Great, we'll be buried alive then, thanks for the heads up. I appreciate it." Marvin mutters. I turn to glare at him and keep on moving. If only he knew what I was about to do to him. If only he knew what I was capable of doing. I can kill his sorry ass in two seconds, without hesitation if the opportunity presented itself. I want to get underground for a lot of reasons: a) since it was the place that we used to break into Royale first; and b) it was the only place I felt safe. Why, you ask? It's the only place where we ran for survival, after I found it, I became a leader and I sucked up everything and tried my best to keep them and myself alive, and human for as long as I can.

"If you don't want to, I'd be happy to leave you for the explosion and watch you blow up to bits." I snap. If only those Hackers thought of actually doing something productive for once in their life like say, I don't know, steal the antidote before hand and just trading the extras for a ton of cash that way we won't have to break in and waste precious time.

"I would have to kill you before you can do that." Leo speaks up, she pushed past me and starts walking hastily forward. It's like she knew where she was going with her attitude, like she belonged. To say that I'm actually smitten by Leo would be an understatement, and honestly nothing terrifies me more, thinking - no, knowing - that I might have feelings stirring inside me, more than lust and something deeper and meaningful.

I stop and I tell them to push forward. I need some time to clear my thoughts.

[Leo's POV]

TJ was gone the moment my brother arrived at the site, I thought that maybe Marvin killed him along the way but he at least has the decency and respect to not kill him since TJ showed a little remorse, even though he was rude for the entire time.

"Where's TJ?" I ask. He simply shook his head.

"I saw him leave a while ago." he replies. He moves past me and heads down the giant hole, I've checked it's not dangerous.

Out of curiosity, I changed into a Leopard and started chasing after him by following his scent. I honestly did not know why, I have this sudden urge to know his whereabouts, to know what's going through his mind.

I found him human by the building that we're about to blow up. "Lust will give you the urge to look for me, you know? If that's not your motive, then what is?" he says out loud. I stand still and head butt him, he falls to the ground. It wasn't my fault I was concerned for his well being. Hold on a sec, I am concerned for this guy's well being?! Snap the fuck out of it Ria, clearly this guy did something to you and it is not good. I turn around on my heel and start walking away, and when I hear his footsteps following I run.

Then I'm cut short when someone tackles me to the ground. I roll, screech as I keep on falling on my face and back until I stop. He is on top of me, he is still in human form.

"The moment I get my hands on that antidote, you are the first one to take it." he says through gritted teeth. I say nothing of course, only a string of growls will be the only things he'll hear from me. But there is that silent question in my eyes: Why? "I don't need to tell you why, just promise me that you'll take it first." I nod. "Now, turn human. The trick is to think that you have clothes on." And I did as he said. I try focusing on turning my body smaller and more stealthier, simply mind over matter but I feel my bones break and I grimace at the pain but I don't yell out like I did the first few times I've practiced.

He's still on top of me, not moving as he touch my black hair. What the fuck is this guy doing? More importantly, why the fuck is my body responding to his touch? "What are you doing, TJ?"

"I honestly don't know." he whispers. He leans in closer and closer until his lips touch mine.