The Only Hope for Me Is You

Finale: Part 2
I eyed my brother up and down, I remember back when we met, when I actually thought he was cute, when I believed he was an innocent Killjoy, like ourselves. But no, he was a traitor, a liar and most of all; a murderer.

I watched Exploder as he stared at me, smirking darkly as he waited. I then suddenly caught Gerard’s eye, his nose flaring, eyes practically burning holes in the side of Exploders head and I began to worry. Exploder saw I was looking, and turned back to a tortured Gerard.

“Aw, what’s up baby?” Exploder smiled, strutting up to Gerard and playing with the collar of his jacket as he spoke. “You and I both know your brother totally deserved everything he got.” And that was it. Gerard was far gone.

“YOU LITTLE FUCKER!” Screamed Gerard, shoving Exploder up against the wall to the side of them, before giving him a sharp right hook to the jaw. I saw everyone wince, hearing it crack painfully.

Exploder fell to the floor, groaning and cradling his jaw. Gerard wasn’t done, he reached down and grabbed his collar, kicking him square in the crotch and he let him fall back down, whimpering in pain as we all watched on, mouths agape.

I saw Gerard was about to kick him right in the gut, and I had to protest.

“Gerard, stop.” I begged calmly at first, but he didn’t listen. He just went straight into kick him and didn’t stop. I’d never seen this side of him before, and it scared me and seemed to be
scaring everybody else too.

I launched forward, grabbing both of Gerard’s arms and I hauled him away from a terrified Exploder. “GERARD!” I shouted, restraining him as he tugged and pulled to get away, panting
heavily with his muffled cries.

“Please Gee, I know you’re angry, believe me so am I.” He began to listen, calming a little as he stopped pulling. I took the moment to grab his shoulders and pull him to face me. He was beyond pissed, eyes wide and dilated and tears stained his pale cheeks.

“But I need to do this.” I finished, shaking his shoulders lightly.

Gerard sniffed, nodding at me before walking into Cy’s arms, nestling into her shoulder as she comforted him. I stared at my brother then, Gerard had beaten him senseless. He could hardly keep his eyes open as he groaned in pain, blood gushing from his mouth and nose as he struggled to pull himself up to lean against the white wall.

“I don’t want this to be an execution...” I started to the others as I walked slowly towards my brother, as he lay sprawled out across the floor, bloody and beaten. I lifted my gun from my holster, purposefully slow so Exploder could see.

“I don’t want to use my own gun...” I spoke again, eyes still on Exploder as I threw my gun to the side of me, hearing it skid across the floor. I knelt down to my brother, pulling his gun from his holster and he winced, struggling to keep his bruised eyes open and his blood stained evil grin firm. I stood back up, pulling back on his gun.

“Sit up.” I ordered Exploder sternly. I heard the others mutter to each other before vacating the room, leaving just me and Exploder in the room he had been torturing me in for the last 24
hours, and now I was the one with the gun. Exploder did not obey my order, just widened his
smile.

I grinned back sarcastically before grabbing the neck of his shirt and pulling him up against the wall, slamming his aching back against it, hard.

“Why?” I questioned him simply. I let him go, standing up as I put my hands on the back of my head, gun still in my right hand and I felt the tears brewing as I paced.

“WHY?!” I shouted down to him, tears now slowly streaming down my face. Exploder laughed, I wanted to shoot him right there and then but I couldn’t, not yet. First, I needed to know.

I stormed up to him, slapping my palms on the wall either side of his head as I stared into his piercing eyes. He chuckled weakly, wiping almost dried blood from his lip. I couldn’t help it, the anger I had built up was too much and I let loose, slapping him across his cheek, harder than I intended.

“What is this, an interrogation?” he snorted, the slap clearly not phasing him.

“Just tell me...” I sighed, shutting my eyes impatiently as I did so. I reopened them to see Exploder’s smirk had faded. “Why did you kill my parents?”

“Our parents.” He corrected me, poking my nose with his finger.

“JUST TELL ME!” I screamed, but Exploder just laughed more.

“Okay! Okay!” he said finally, shaking his hands in front of him, as if protecting himself from me. “It just had to be done, for what they did to me.”

“What?” I started, furrowing my eyebrows, “because my mother put you into care? Okay I expected you to be angry but to kill them?” I exclaimed, Exploder raised his eyebrows, shrugging at me once.

“You’re a psycho.” I sighed, shaking my head at him.

“And then, I had planned to kill you and anyone related to those traitor parents of ours.” He began again, wiping at his blood covered face more, smearing it as he patted his hands together, and brushing himself down. “Got to me first, sis.” He chuckled weakly, squinting up to me.

I walked up to him again, lowering myself down to his level. I put the gun to his temple, “We could have been great.” He said, coughing slightly as he looked at me seriously now.

“Yeah we could have been...” I trailed off, “Just me who was great then.” I grinned before pulling the trigger, sending Exploders face shocked before he went limp in my arms.
I let go of him, letting him slide down the wall, his blood leaving a crimson trail behind on
the crystal white wall.

“That was for my parents, fucker.” I spat before walking out of the room, I found all the guys
with their ears pressed against the thin plaster of the wall. They all jumped as they saw me and
Frank smiled first, approaching me.

“That last part was badass.” He grinned, patting my shoulder twice.

I frowned at him, “You think I’m proud of what I just did?!” I scolded, storming past them all, hearing Frank sigh ‘fuck...’ before running after me,

“Lauren, come on I didn’t mean—“

“Fuck off, Frank!” I pushed my way out of the building and into the opening of the bridge, before falling against the side wall, sliding down to sit against it, tears rolling down my raw cheeks. I saw Frank stand in front of me, biting his lip.

“Lauren...” he trailed off, kneeling down in front of me before bringing me into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry...”

I cried into his shoulder for a bit before shaking my head frantically and lifting my head back up, my arms still wrapped around his small frame, “No Frank, I’m sorry.” I sniffed, and Frank wiped my nose and eyes with the end of his sleeve and I gave a small smile, “I know you only meant well.”

“You did what you had to do, I understand.” He smiled sweetly, giving my cheek a friendly peck before taking my hands and pulling me to stand back up again, I stumbled a little, but he steadied me with another hug.

“Everything okay, guys?” I heard Ray’s voice from behind me. I pulled away from Frank once more, and turned towards my best friends, so glad to see them all okay.

“Not really,” I sighed, but had a hint of a smirk on my lips. I saw the others look worried for me, but I soon changed this, “I need one of those group hugs.” I grinned, and the others grinned back as we all grinned at each other. A sea of grins.

We all huddled together, squeezing each other tightly. My eyes suddenly widened in the middle of the moment, and I panicked once more.

“MIKEY!” I shouted.

.................................................................

We had finally arrived back at the shack after an intense ride home of anticipation as I sat fidgeting and worrying about Mikey, and everyone else telling me to chill out and that he’s fine, but I just needed to see for myself.

I burst out of the car before anyone else, running as fast as I could with my still blurry vision from the torture and my awkward limp but I made it soon enough, crashing through the doors to see Pony and Dr. D turn towards me, both looking scared for their lives.

“Holy shit Lauren, you scared the shit outta me!” exclaimed Pony, now chuckling along with Dr.
D.

“Uhh, sorry.” I stuttered, “Hey guys um, nice to see you!” I tried to not look impatient but Dr. D picked up on it.

“Mikey’s in his room.” He smirked, nodding towards the corridor and I grinned, thanking them before making my run again to his room.

“MIKEY! MIKEY! MIKEY!” I shouted as I knocked on the door for about a minute until it opened. I smiled so hard, seeing that face, that adorably dorky face I had so missed. A smile arrived on his face, and his eyes began shining and I assumed mine matched.

“LAUREN!” he cried, before throwing his lanky arms around me, pulling me towards him and squeezing me tightly and I did the same, crying into his shoulder. “Fuck...oh my god thank you...fuck I was so worried.” He rambled, and I matched his rambling before finally, after about half an hour of hugging and rambling, we pulled away to look at each others tear stained faces.

I pushed my lips onto his, and he copied, tilting his head to deepen the kiss and as we kissed I thought of how lucky we both were two not have died, we still had each other, and we were getting married, tomorrow.

I pulled away looking at him still, my smile still firm and huge. Just then, I felt a sudden surge, finally the full effect of the torture was getting to me, and before I knew it, I had blacked out and
fallen unconcious into Mikeys arms.