the ultimatum ↬ elliot alderson ✔

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We're back at the warehouse after the drive back home. My hands have been shaking too much. Joanna still thinks Tyrell is alive. The flashbacks of the night I shot Tyrell have been on my mind since I walked out of Steel Mountain.

Ten minutes after we left, the place burned to the ground. Darlene says that what we did was necessary, even if fifty people have been injured during the fire.

But Darlene says that this was for a good cause. Crushing their servers means Evil Corp's centuries of economic slavery have ended. Steel Mountain was their only option and now hey won't be able to afford a new database centre.

They've been left in the cold forever. This is their final downfall. No currency will help them regain their steps and restore their power. Public confidence has fallen by too much.

"We are finally awake!" Darlene exclaims, popping open a bottle of champagne. All of them seem to be excited and celebrating. But the moment I got here, I sank into the chair wondering if what we did was right.

Morally, it wasn't. Does this mean it's all over? The men in black, the flashbacks, the dreams I keep having and the loneliness inside me?

No. Those are things that will always stay there. But maybe this was just one step closer towards the world I want to live in. Maybe this was for everyone's sake. I gaze at Dawn, who is dancing around in her shorts and crop top with Mobley. She seems free.

Are we free? Is this all over?

I feel out of place around everyone and Darlene notices. She passes Trenton the bottle of champagne before walking over to me.

"You okay? You don't seem to be very pleased," she says.

"I don't know if what we did was right, Darlene."

"Of course it is! Are you kidding? We destroyed them for good. It's not like the Five/Nine hack. This is more rewarding than that," she insists, smiling. She seems more excited than any of us.

***

I'm back at Dawn's flat. I don't know how I should feel about the hack. Did we really just destroy our country's economy?

Dawn turns on the TV, lying in bed next to me. She has a soft smile on her face, which I manage to return.

"Are you okay? You seem really distant," she whispers.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say, grabbing her by her waist. I bring her towards me, hoping that this will distract me from my thoughts. Fuck. I have to visit Joanna tomorrow. What proof does she have that Tyrell is alive? Tyrell is dead.

My eyes set on the TV in front of us.

"The famous E Corp headquarters has been smashed by fsociety fans. The hacker group responsible for the Five/Nine hack has encouraged several extremists to launch violent attacks towards E Corp executives," the news reporter says. Suddenly, she stops talking and stares at the camera, as if she just found out something.

"E Corp CEO Phillip Price has just been found a few metres away from the building with an angry mob following him."

What?

Live footage of a mob of people holding back Phillip Price, angrily beating him with sticks. All of them have an fsociety mask on, throwing verbal abuse at Price. The police try to intervene, shooting a few of the members, but the strength of the terrorists seems greater than the FBI forces.

I suddenly notice Angela amongst the crowd. She's trying to fight back the crowd, but one of the people continuously hits her. I rise from my seat, staring at the screen as I watch Angela get beaten up on live television.