Ultramarine | The Darkest Minds Fanfic

Chapter 28, Cole

Leave it to Clancy Gray to rain on our good days.

　　I had all but made up my mind on it—as soon as Ruby was let out of the hospital, I'll go out and turn every rock in this goddamn country over to find Sheena. However, Clancy Gray rendered the turning rocks part unnecessary.

　　It was a live-stream video, released four days after we stormed Thurmond. We all saw it in Ruby's ward.

　　"This is for all my people out there, all who are gifted." Clancy Gray started, in a somehow even silkier voice, in front of a pure black background. He was sitting behind a wooden desk, hands folded on it—a poor-man version Oval Office. "We have lived in this shadow for too long, and this is the time that we step out and live in the light—"

　　"Easy for him to say," Chubs grunted, "Leaving all the hard work to us—"

　　"We must rise, and push over those who oppressed us. Those who cages us, those who hunts us, and those who cuts us open. The leader of our new government, Mrs. Cruz, and many others in her cabinet, want to make the procedure that would strip away our ability a mandatory one. They don't want to give us any choice, and I say we will not have it—" Ruby shot me an anxious look, and I gave her one of my own right back.

　　"—I have already taken precaution to make sure that no one will fall a victim of this cruel procedure, by ridding us of the scientist that came up with that procedure for good. We don't need to be cured; it is them who are flawed." He paused there, and continued with a faintest smile, "They should fear us, and they will. We are building an army, and we'd like for you to join us. We will establish a new hierarchy, one where no one dare to put shackles on us ever again. We will lead, because we are the better human."

　　"No more fear. No more pain. This is my promise." He said, "As a show of good faith, I will take down the very man to blame, the symbol for this eight-year-long oppression against all our lives—"

　　The camera pan to the side, and refocused on a figure—Former President Gray, bound to a chair, gagged, jerking and squealing violently. Senator Cruz—no, it's President Cruz now—had had her people tried to find him since Thurmond, but they never managed. I guess this was why.

　　I don't think I could've ever imagined him like this—everytime he appeared on news, he always looked collected, calm, confident—but it's only reasonable for him to be crap-his-pants scared now. His son did just offer to execute him in front of the camera. For a second there, I didn't imagine he would kill his own old man, but then, would I not jump on the first shot I got, if the situation had been reversed?

　　No, I don't think I would. Sheena taught me that. Killing anyone who hurt me might let out the anger, but it wouldn't cure me.

　　That was when we saw her. Sheena stepped into the frame, raising one hand in her front. Though she had her back to the camera, there was no way I could mistake that silhouette with anyone else. I had to clamp down on my laps just so I wouldn't bolt for the door that instance. I still need to know where she is.

　　I could tell that all eyes in this room were switching anxiously between the screen and me. He is going to have her kill Gray. I fought with every ounce of my sanity to not scream as Sheena on screen curled her fingers in that raised hand. Gray's screech got louder.

　　And she snapped.

　　If it had been someone else, it wouldn't have been obvious, what her snap had done. Gray in the camera merely stopped moving, as if he was hypnotized. But I knew better than to assume her monster would show that kind of mercy to someone else—her monster didn't kill me, because it needed me to see Thurmond through, but it had no reason not to kill Gray, and every intention to do so.