Virus: Insanity

~12~

Jace crawled out of the cremation chamber, shirt burnt off. He looked over at the control panel, smiling when he saw Sola. She walked over and they embraced, Sola smoking them away. They arrived back at the mutant base, where a huge nozzle was being created in the middle.
"Your funeral was beautiful," Sola said, walking towards the nozzle.
"That's good," he replied, following her.
"Did it hurt, shooting yourself?" she asked.
"No," Jace replied. "It felt quite odd, though."
"Hm." She stopped, looking up st the nozzle. Jace followed her gaze. "This," she said, "is how we're going to rule the world."
"I know," Jace replied. "You've told me."
"We'll be ready by next month," Sola said, leaning into him. "And then we can finally be accepted again." Jace nodded.
"And we can be together."
"Without hiding. We can have a proper wedding and live in the most normal area we can find and have kids..."
"If this works."
"It will," Sola replied firmly, looking up at him. "I know it will. It has to."
"Life never goes as planned, Sola. Everyone who caught the virus found that out." They stood in silence for a couple of moments, contemplating life. Then the roof exploded.
•••
Stephen, Tori, Ellie, Vera and Madison were the Rebels. They adopted their symbol from an old dynasty of movies, TV shows and comic books: a flying bird with wings making almost the full outline of a circle, its neck and head in the middle. The symbol had been wood-burned above their hearts in the wood armor and on the flash bombs, showing their pride. And when they blew out the roof, the hole was in the shape of it. Tori went first, drawing up a cloud and using it to fly in, her pair of guns firing at anyone who dared shoot. Next went Madison, making a tube of ice all the way to the bottom before pulling out her ice-bladed metal swords. Ellie went next, sliding down the ice slide and destroying it as she went. Wielding a shotgun, she took out most everyone who came at her. Stephen flew down, sniping people with his crossbow, reloading and firing in perfect sync. When he hit the floor, he only fired when he had to. The rest of the mutants he beat up, Insanity calling out moves in his head. Left hook, right jab, flip, dodge, BAM! He slammed the hilt of his crossbow into the head of the bird-like mutant he was dueling, knocking her out. The Rebels worked their way towards Jace and Sola. Tori got there first, holding a gun to each of their heads, Madison and Ellie close behind. Stephen flew into the sky, sniping anyone who tried to get close. He couldn't really see what was going on, but he could definitely hear the dialogue.
"If you turn to that machine, so help me I will blow your brains out the back of your heads," Tori growled.
"Good thing I don't have brains," Jace- Wait, Jace?! What is he doing here?-said. A gunshot rang out, followed by a grunt and another shot. Stephen chances a quick look back. Jace was holding Tori in a choke-hold, Ellie firing shots into Jace's chest and head angrily, Madison standing guard over a frozen Sola.
"Let her GO!" Ellie commanded. Jace dropped Tori, who, despite just being choked, angrily shot off a few rounds. Jace was visibly bleeding, but his eyes were still somehow not clouded.
"I, like you, Walker," Jace said, his voice sounding robotic, "cannot die." Ellie lowered her gun, stunned by her nickname. "For I am not made of organs and muscles like you. I am made of t-technology." Slowly, his wounds closed, the bullets spreading across his metal inner frame and fixing it right before the skin closed. He straightened and smirked, looking directly at Tori. "The Scribbler," he said. "It's only natural for you to be a leader." He turned to Madison, looking her over. "As cold as ever, Frostbite," he said. She sniffed angrily at him, glaring. He ignored her, looking up at Stephen. "You, my friend," he said, "are unique. The perfect mix of man and mutant." Stephen landed, his awkward limp making him stagger slightly. Jace continued: "You would've been Kickback if you had fully mutated, but obviously you didn't. So what at are you, then?" He circled Stephen, looking him over. "The virus speaks to you, so that would make you..." You and I both know what we are.
    "We're Stephen Insanity," he said.    
    "Hmph. If you say so." Vera, who had been hiding nearby, jumped out in front of Jace, singing a series of notes that should put him to sleep. His eyes slowly closed as she sang. She smiled as she stopped, thinking she had caught him by surprise. Then Jace opened his eyes, smirking.
    "Such a beautiful voice," he said. "A pity it had to be wasted, Mockingjay." Vera backed up slightly, taken aback by her failure. Jace looked around at the small team. "The Rebels," he said, no positive emotion in his voice. "Such an honorable name for such a ragtag group. You may be talented, but you're no match for us."
"It doesn't matter. We are closer and more organized than you could ever be," Tori replied, standing tall.
    "The rebels of the past fought against a tyrannical empire. Which side is yours?"
    "Both sides are the empires, which we seek to make peace between. We can live together as one people."
    "That cannot happen. The Purebloods will always judge us."
    "Then join us and change their minds." Tori held out her hand to Jace. Jace stared at it for a few seconds, thinking about what to do. Then he slowly extended his hand out to her, taking hers and shaking it.
    "I'll help out, but I'll do it in secret," he said. "I will provide you intel on the mutant plans through email." Tori nodded, writing her email in the air and shrinking it down to a slip of paper, handing it to him.
    "Thank you," she said, turning and walking towards the door. The others fell into step behind her, Stephen and Ellie storing their weapons on their backs, Madison storing hers in a sheath tied to her belt, and Tori putting her guns into holsters before opening the door. Jace spoke right as she was about to leave.
    "The nozzle activates in a month." Tori paused, then walked out, the others following her. Jace looked over at the still-frozen Sola, brain working quickly. She was going to be mad if she found out. If. He smirked. He didn't have to tell her, did he? No. She wouldn't find out until it was too late.