Leo

Chapter Twenty-Nine

[Leo's POV]

Running seemed fruitless, I was dazed. I still couldn't believe what I saw. There were gunshots but he kept on missing. I don't know if he was taunting me but he certainly didn't have any intentions on killing me. I keep seeing his face, on every person we pass with teriffied eyes. My tears kept falling down my face. My brother, my only brother, dead right before me and I couldn't even do anything to save him.

I just ran. I ran for my life, knowing that's what he would want. I'm no good to him dead. I'm gonna avenge. I have to avenge him. I handed Stephanie and Trey to TJ and the others who had crates with them. He saw my tear streaked face but didn't question it and just ran. Then I saw him standing there by the collapsed wall, his head shaking with disapproval, and his shirt bloody. That's when I felt a sharp pain in my back, and when I looked down, a dagger was pierced through my stomach. Suddenly, Marvin was standing there looking at me with a look of disappointment.

"You let him kill me, Ria."

"No, Marvin I didn't. I'm sorry!"

"This time I'm taking you with me." and that's when he aimed a gun at my head and shot me.

"MARVIN!" I screamed but immediately felt hands cup around my mouth, I looked around in panic in the dim lit place and my eyes adjust to find a familiar face.

"Hush, we wouldn't want to attract them here, now don't we?" Eyes said slowly, I nodded and he removed his hand from my mouth.

I momentarily forgot about the refuge camp that we build behind a collapsed building with vines growing in different places. There was a fire and Rogues are huddled around it, trying to keep warm. I focused on Eyes again, he was still looking at me with concern. "What time is it?"

"It's been an hour." the sky certainly said it was night. Only the bonfires are the sources of light. I sat up, using my elbows to push me up. "Having nightmares?"

I nodded solemnly, unable to feel anything. I feel like I'm so broken. There's a hollow feeling in my chest, regret mostly. "I can't get his face out of my head."

"We all lost someone we love, all because of those bastards."

I nodded again. "Speaking of loved ones, where's Stephanie?"

"She's in one of those make-shift tents, next to Trey's." he pointed at the tents.

I muttered a thanks and went over to the tent. So much for the training Marvin was talking about, at least I could do the one thing he has been itching for me to do. It's time I found out the truth behind all of this. I will have to postpone my mourning.

I ducked into the first tent I want to go to, I was surprised to find him wide awake.

"Trey," I cleared my throat, it got his attention. He turned to look at me, he was in fresh clothes. His hair grew, and his face was gaunt. "Marvin told me that you're the only one that knows about things." He continued to stare at me with haunting eyes and nodded towards a spot in front of him. I sat down, and waited patiently for him to start.

"The children aren't mine." he began. I looked at him quite puzzled. "Stephanie's children are not mine." My eyes widened, I opened my mouth to say something but he held up his hand continued to speak. "Stephanie is a friend of your mother, who escaped from Royale. She was injected, and harbored to raise twins needed for the nuts' experiments. Your mother being the kind woman that she is, escaped Royale with Stephanie.

"Every single assassin went to look for your mom and Stephanie. Your mom, as so she told me is the last of her family name and line and it turns out the serum that the nuts created only binded with hers completely. Making the serum more stable than it was before. You may know that the serum binds to your DNA and can only be removed with an antidote, and for as long as that serum is binded to your DNA it will slowly disentegrate your own DNA replacing it with its own. But it's too unstable for regenration, they needed a suitable host and extract her DNA to make a better serum suitable for every single human being alive and accounted for. 

"Your mom did not want this, she begged me to burn her body to ashes so that they won't get a hold of her DNA. I have never loved a woman that much like your mom, I said I refuse to burn her alive so she comitted suicide and when the Aviators came she was already in ashes. The woman that you grew up to knowing, and loving in a comatose is not your mother but a woman that I disguised to look like her. I can't risk getting found and letting them extract her DNA.

"She made me promise to keep Stephanie safe and raise her children like my own. Her children were to become test subjects for your mom's serum. To see if it was stable enough to completely transform a human being into a mindless, rabid animal in just a matter of minutes.

"You two were too young to process what happened, and it seemed like you thought I cheated on your mother and I gave up my job, my name, everything and to be as drunk and rotten as possible to throw your scents off the Aviator radar. They thought Marvin was compatible for the serum but it seems like your mother's genes is recessive and can only be found in you.

"When the serum is stable you will become an animal, stripped of human senses and consciousness that the Aviators will be able to control you wilth their will and bidding and you can't do anything about it either. You will obey them, and you will become their weapons. They will take over Vesperin and every place around it. I had to keep this from you, if you knew, they'd probably sense a teenager acting alert. Take the antidote now. You can't let them get a hold of you. Not when the serum is pumping through your veins. They will harvest you whole, Ria. Do not give them that chance."

There were tears in my eyes, and when I saw his face there were too in his face. I did the first thing that I could possibly think off, I got up and hugged him tight. Not caring that he smelled like alcohol. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm so sorry." I whispered and we held each other for a while like that. Knowing why Marvin isn't mad at him at all. Oh, Marvin.

Suddenly my ears perked at the small comotion outside and I broke from our embrace, telling him I'll be right back. The moment I stepped outside, I didn't realize who it was until I found myself aiming a gun for his head and shot him.

I shot Loki.