A world full of darkness

Chapter 54 "What doesn't kill me."

A/N
Sorry guys this is a bit of a shortie I kind of had an emergency so I didn't get to finished writing it in time if I wanted to publish it in time :/ but I do hope you enjoy! Make sure you read the A/N at the end!!

If there was one thing in this world that Alex hated more than Kai Malum it was porridge. And as she sat in front of a massive bowl of the horrible gruel like substance she contemplated killing Hudson for telling Laurel about how much 'she loved porridge'. Thanks Hudson. Hudson nudged her in the side. "Come on Alex eat up! It's not going to kill you!" "But I might kill you..." Alex grumbled. "What's that saying...? What doesn't kill you ma-" Hudson started. "Better start running." Alex finished. Hudson looked confused. "What?" Alex rolled her eyes. "What doesn't kill me, better start running." Hudson took the cue, he began running.

Everyone now sat around Laurel as she stood in the centre of the living room. She had a massive map of the AHKTEM Greenwich complex behind her and a long ruler in her hand. Hudson sat next to Alex on the couch slowly picking out bits of porridge from his hair. As it turns out, Alex was a lot faster than Hudson was, and apparently so was a flying bowl of porridge. "Okay my lovies lets get on with this." Laurel said as she slapped the ruler on the coffee table. "This is the plan!" Alex sat still as she let Laurel explain to everyone the plan she had told her the day before. She looked across to James, who was fidgeting and looked restless. He didn't want to be here, she could tell. Biting her lip Alex endured the rest of the lecture her mind flashing bad scenarios at her with every word that dripped from Laurel's mouth, there was no doubting it- Alex was scared. Laurel slapped the ruler down upon the table once again. "And that, everyone, is my plan." Alex awoke from her trance and immediately looked over at Connor and James. Connor had a frown on his face and James was fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "Laurel... There is so many things that could go wrong with this plan-" Connor began. "I am not working with that ass wipe." James stated as he nodded his head in Connors direction. Alex glared at him and said through gritted teeth. "You don't have a choice James you have to." James glared back at her and then at Connor and then back to Alex. Alex sent a pleading look his way and she saw him clench his jaw. "Fine, but if falls behind or gets fatally injured I will leave him there to die." Laurel cracked a smile. "Great! Well let's start training then!"

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There was a very short list of things Connor loved- Alex, food, playing with weapons, sleep and punching things. If he could do all five at once he would be a very happy man. Of course James and Alex didn't need to know this. But throwing knives into a dummy pretending it was James did help lighten his mood a bit. There were no words to describe how much Connor despised James, he didn't deserve Alex. He didn't understand her like Connor did, he didn't treat her right and that serum had turned him into a cold, heartless bastard. Something Alex didn't need in her life. Connor threw the next knife with so much force it passed through the dummy and lodged into the wall behind. A loud battle cry escaped his lips as he charged the dummy and impaled it on his curved throwing knife. Panting heavily he tried to calm down but it was no use, he was already to angry. The dummy was quickly sent flurries of punches and stabbed repeatedly before Connor eventually finished him off with a perfectly aimed swipe at the neck- decapitating it. Fake sticky, blood covered Connor from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. He looked sexy yet frightening. Anyone looking over would have seen that. Connor felt sadness erupt in his chest as he realised that he would never claim Alex as his, they would never be together and she did not love him anymore. She loved him- she loved the monster.

Alex pulled the string of her newly formed recurve bow back to the bottom of her jaw. Laurel had told her that to correctly pull of this plan, she would need a stronger bow and there was no way she was using a compound- she hated those things. So that meant she needed to practise. The string was tight and hard against her cheek and the feather tickled her lips. The straight shaft was aimed at exactly where she wanted it and the heavy arrow head at the tip glinted in the light. Alex loved the feeling, it calmed her down and brought her back to her senses- she never, ever felt more alive than when she had her bow in her hand. It exhilarated her, steadying her breathing Alex took one breath in and held. Then she shot. The apple on top of the dresser fifty metres away flew off and was swiftly pinned to the wall by Alex's black and gold arrow. The second one quickly followed, then the third and then the fourth. Smiling Alex turned and came face to face with Laurel. "Not bad Alexandria, now I understand why everyone says you're so good. Seems like you're half decent with a bow!" Twirling around on the balls of her feet Alex took a bow. "Why thank you kind lady!" Laurel smiled and continued. "Now it's dinner time and I don't think you want to miss that." Alex flicked her bow and it compressed into its cylinder and tapping her quiver it did the same placing both the items in her backpack she ran to catch up with Laurel, she spotted Connor still at his dummy but covered in fake blood. "Come on Con it's dinner time!" Running up the stairs she bolted into the dining room straight into a ton of balloons and everyone singing 'Happy Birthday' to her. Connor appeared behind her and smiled at her as he walked past and joined the singing crew. After the singing a cake was brought out and placed in front of her. Alex quickly interrupted them. "Guys, it's not even my birthday... My birthday was a month ago." Connor cracked a grin. "Nobody else knew it was your birthday then and since I wasn't here to celebrate it with you like most years nobody knew. So when Hudson asked me when your birthday was I told him- February twenty third. And that was yesterday so we decided to throw you a late birthday party! Happy birthday Lexie!" Connor kissed the top of Alex's head and Alex swore she heard James growl at him. Alex began wondering if he was actually part werewolf. Someone handed Alex a big knife and told her to cut the cake, Alex had never cut a cake before so when she cut through to the bottom she did not expect Hudson to scream at the top of his lungs. Luckily for Hudson the cake knife which Alex instinctively threw in his direction narrowly missed him and embedded itself into the wall beside his head. His eyes were the size of tennis balls. Alex's hands went to her mouth. "Oh my gosh! Hudson I am so sorry! Why the hell did you scream?!" Laurel began laughing. "Alex it's sort of a tradition in some families, to scream if you touch the bottom when cutting a cake... Completely normal." Alex nodded in response. "Umm well anyone want cake?" The cake was gone in three minutes. Hudson got up on the table a Capri-sun in his hand. "Everyone! It is now present time!" Alex looked a bit shocked, she had never gotten presents for her birthday since she had been taken. Except for the ones Connor tried to make her- which usually were so poorly made that they fell apart before she even got them. Hudson stepped down and produced a small wrapped package from behind his back. "Happy birthday Alex!" He placed it in her hands, Alex ripped the paper off revealing a thick leather bound book. Flipping it over Alex gasped when she saw the title. 'The Iliad' "Hudson! Thank You so much! I love it!" Alex got up and gave him a bone crushing hug. Whispering in his ear Alex said. "You have no idea how much this means to me Hudson, thank you." Hudson smiled and moved out of the way for Laurel and Jacob. "Sorry this was kind of last minute Alex but we hope you like it, it's from both of us." Laurel smiled and gave Alex a warm hug and a shoe box with a bright blue bow wrapped around it. Alex pulled the bow off and opened the box, inside was a pair of black and gold lace up combat boots. Alex's mouth formed an 'o' just at the sight of them. "Laurel! Jacob! You shouldn't have! These are amazing! Thank you so much!" They both smiled and this time Connor walked up and handed Alex a small, flat, black box. Alex carefully pulled the lid off and inside lay three jet black small throwing knives. Alex knew straight away Connor had made them himself. At the handle of each knife was a small golden box laid into the metal. "Connor what is the gold bit?" Alex asked curious. Picking up one of the knives Connor threw it and it embedded itself into the same hole that the cake knife went. Now reaching into the box he pulled out a small, solid golden cube, grabbing Alex's hand he clicked it into her knuckle duster gloves- it fit perfectly. "Now press the cube with your thumb and hold your hand up." Conner said. Alex did as he said and all of a sudden the knife came hurtling back towards Alex. Closing her eyes she felt a thud in her palm, her fingers automatically wrapped themselves around the knife. Opening one eye she peeked out. Thankfully the knife didn't go through her hand and sat there perfectly instead. "Connor! This is amazing! I can't believe you made this! Usually everything you make me falls apart straight away." Connor smiled. "Your welcome Lexie." James began fumbling in his pocket and awkwardly as he walked over almost dropped the small package. It was a box no bigger than a plum, James carefully placed it in Alex's palm. His head dropped to his chest, sticking his hands in his pocket he shuffled his feet nervously. Alex flipped open the box and it was her turn for her eyes to be the size of tennis balls. Her mouth fell open as she realised just how much this would've cost James. The necklace sat delicately on a cushion of black velvet, a rose gold arrow with gems embedded in its metal feathers and the head of the arrow. James looked up cautiously to see if she liked it. But Alex was still in shock. "It's beautiful..." She whispered. James moved forward and gently prying the box from Alex's hand whispered in her ear. "Just like you." Taking the necklace out of the box he unclipped it and carefully put it around Alex's neck. It sat perfectly on the top of her collarbones. Launching herself at James she yelled. "James thank you so much! You shouldn't have though!" James chuckled and kissed her nose. "You were worth it. And it looks amazing on you." Alex got up and wandered over to the mirror. James was right- it did look good on her. Smiling she turned to her friends. "Let's eat!"

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A/N
So guys, the grand finale is coming up in about two to three chapters and before the big one I would like to know what your favourite characters are and why! I know I probably won't get any response to this... I mean I never do so.. Yeah. But for those of you how do take your time to read my 'hilarious' authors notes please tell me! I would love to know!

Anyway,
Until next Monday!
-Caitlin