The Commander of The Founders: Book Two

Chapter Eight: God Complex

Raven slowly helped Luna down the stairs to the rest of the group. Raven had Luna's arm slung around her shoulders. They stood beside Emori and Murphy. Miller moved down the stairs and stood on the opposite side of the chamber. Didrika and Clarke moved to the radiation chamber.

Abby ran a few more tests on the monitors and saw that Ethan's vitals were strong. Abby turned to Jackson and nodded. Jackson shut the door of the chamber and wind hissed out as it sealed shut. Clarke turned to the group and met Raven's eyes.

"Are we ready for this?" Raven scoffed.

"It's alright. You can do it. He wanted this," Cerberus said.

"We've been over this. None of us wants to do this, but the death wave will be here in 10 days. Luna's stem cells grafted successfully. Ethan is making Nightblood on his own. This really is our only hope," Clarke said.

"We really still talking about this?" Murphy asked, "Black rain is already here. Eighteen people died in it yesterday at Arkadia, thirty in Polis, so if Nightblood can let us walk around in it, I, for one, want to know about that."

Abby looked at Jackson and nodded. Jackson moved away from the chamber to a dial control. He clicked a button and the chamber hummed. He turned the dial slowly. Abby recited Ethan's blood pressure and body temperature.

Clarke and Didrika knelt down by the chamber. Didrika put her hand on the glass on the spot of where Ethan's hand was. Ethan was the best friend of her older brother. He had become her brother when her real one had been killed. She knew that Ethan had lost his whole family to the fish radiation and that he wanted to be with his family again. Didrika still could not bring herself to say goodbye to him. She would not have to if this worked.

Clarke looked at her with a childish grin. It was working. Ethan looked perfectly fine. Clarke took Didrika's hand and Didrika moved closer to her.

Ethan's skin began to sizzle and burn. Clarke gasped and shouted for Jackson to stop. Ethan's eyes shot open and he looked at her terrified. Didrika put her hand on the glass and he pressed his to hers. He gave her a loving and reassuring smile before pain ripped through him. He gritted his teeth and screamed. Blood poured out of his mouth. Didrika felt herself flinch. Heat rose in her chest and her eyes opened wide. Ethan had made a point to tell her that he was not mad at her. She licked her lips and felt herself shake. Ethan loved her and she had killed him. Didrika loved him. She was losing someone else she loved. Her heart shattered. She knew she could not take it anymore. She also knew that she had to confine her emotions so that she could effectively do her job. Didrika rose to her feet and slowly inched away from the chamber. She bumped into Roan and recoiled away from him.

"En's sting in! En's sting in! (It burns! It burns!)" Ethan screamed.

Ethan's body flailed against the restraints. Abby moved toward the chamber door. Jackson rushed to her and grabbed her wrist. He shook his head. It was not safe enough yet. The radiation would leak into the open air and hurt them. Abby slumped against Jackson in defeat.

Ethan screamed; the sound high pitched and piercing. It was terrible to listen to. His screams became muffled from gurgling blood. The Cavikru warriors hid their devastation, but visibly flinched back.

Didrika squeezed her eyes shut and tilted her head to the ground. Another scream that would haunt her in her dreams. Her face paled and she felt the burning hot sensation of tears building in her eyes. Roan slipped his hand into hers. She looked up at him surprised. He squeezed her hand and she leaned against him.

Ethan's body fell still and his shrill shrieks ended abruptly. Abby looked at his body horrified.

"What have we done?" Abby whispered.