Try Learn Destroy (Book One- Try)

TWELVE: Ultimatum

Maroon is staring at me dominantly from a platform, looming above me. I feel small but I’m obviously significant if to be in here in the first place.

"So Miss Milan, have you changed your mind?" Maroon asks as Benet reluctantly and cautiously climbs the stairs to join his father on the balcony.

"That depends, have you changed your terms." I ask in reply tenaciously.

"No I have not." He laughs manically.

"Where’s Cyrus?" I challenge.

"He’s waiting on the A-Okay and then he will be submerged." Maroon smirks.

"I don’t believe you." I state, folding my arms.

"Well here is your alternative Miss Milan." Maroon turns, gesturing to each machine. I feel as if I am shrinking. Harlem told me that the rumours are true. Any one of these machines could result in my demise.

"Say that again Maroon." I challenge, reaching into my boot where my final elastic lead fingers lie alongside my slingshot.

"You either join the Hord or I switch on the machines." Maroon chuckles.

"What will happen to Cyrus?" I ask, refusing to give up on my friend.

"Don’t you see? We never had your pathetic wimpy water fearing scientific friend, Miss Milan you are much too gullible and you obviously have Hughes wrapped around your little finger since he joined you, despite specifically demanding you travelled alone." Maroon begins his rant. My heart soars at the thought that Cyrus is safe in the bubble, only for it to sink once more when realising Maroon has ulterior motives. He wants me to be the mother of Benet’s children. I want to vomit right now.

"You’re incredibly foolish Miss Milan. Stupid enough to just follow a stranger into the unknown. Pathetic enough to risk your life for another. You have nothing on Nancy." Maroon declares. I almost sigh in relief! He no longer thinks of me as that traitor. But what if betraying everybody is what I need to get out of Evertrent. Would I do it? I find myself pondering on the thought for a moment as Maroon’s triumphant cackles echo throughout the laboratory.

Whilst Maroon is distracted by his own gloating, I dart toward the door, ready to punch in the code when one of my two escorts rips the keypad from the wall. I gulp, running between his legs and grabbing a lead finger. Obscured by the structure of a machine, I peer around the corner only for my leg to be snagged by the man, addressed as Frank by the man with traffic cone hair. Now hanging upside down from Frank’s closed fist I aim a lead finger for his eye. Bull’s-eye! I am dropped to the ground and land in a crouch position, I try to sprint away but fall on my face. Feet apparently now bounded in shackles. Fun! Fredrick and Steve pull me upright by my hair. I try not to shriek so I end up biting my lip until it bleeds. It’s something different to focus on instead of my doom.

Still fixed in an upright stance, I shoot the first lead finger I can grab at Maroon, the snapped finger. Uncaring as to how sharp the lead is I shrug while it glides toward Royce Maroon’s smug face, stabbing his forehead. I glare at him as a small trickle of crimson trickles across the right side of his face.

"Having a fiery temper and violent tendencies are things I would never wish upon my son to deal with." Maroon puts a hand on Benet’s shoulder. Yeah right, he’s going to do something drastic like wipe my memory so I’ll willingly be with Benet. I scowl at the thought.

As Maroon is about to pull a lever another mind numbingly loud siren screeches throughout the room. Oh no. That’s either Hawk or Harlem. I assume that if Harlem is to do so, he’ll kill Nancy now, during this chaos. If I am to die right now then at least I will have been avenged.

I hear the low rumble as a machine roars to life. The shackles tighten around my feet, pretty much cutting off the circulation. I feel dizzy. A green eerie circle is illuminated on the ground, circling my body. I’m the centre.

"Is she secure enough sir?" asks the slurred voice of one of Maroon’s guards, assumingly Frank. Is he joking! How could I be any more secure?

"Yes Frank. Now, let the alterations begin." Maroon declares. I scream, hoping Harlem or Hawk will hear me.

Slowly a heated haze wafts over me, blurring my vision as the machine begins to work. I stare down at myself as every part of my body either shrinks or expands. My stomach is slowly yet surely gaining it’s former pre-teen roundedness. I put a hand up to my face, there are no more flaws! Oh no! I have to be a lot younger now!

"How do you feel?" asks Maroon patronising me.

"Hawk! Hawk! Help me! Hawk! I’m in here! Come and help me! I’m in trouble! I’m sorry; I should have waited for you! Hawk! Please! Please!" I shriek, attempting to get Hawk’s attention.

"It looks like we will have to crank it up a few notches." Maroon declares sadistically. His men laugh at me, mockingly. Only Benet can keep a straight yet remorseful face.

"Why can’t we just wipe her memories, wouldn’t that be less hassle?" Benet suggests.

"What do you think we are going to do?" Maroon claps his oldest son on the back, whilst increasing the intensity of the changing.

"But isn’t this too drastic?" Benet argues, his father strikes him with

I continue to shrink, faster now. I scream and howl, until my cries are wordless agonised pleas. I look at myself, hands small and chubby like a child. I begin to cry. I failed. I’ve failed.

Someone injects a needle into my arm. A clouded haze makes it harder to see but not impossible. It is while I cry that I hear a grate shift from the ventilation shaft, teary eyed yet still able to see, I spot a Hawk, leap from the shaft with s weapon, trained on Maroon’s head.

"No!" Benet exclaims as his father draws a knife from his belt. Hawk! Oh my god! I try to cry louder, causing Hawk’s attention to focus on me. I study him, dropping his weapon, Hawk has his arms bound and he is escorted from the laboratory. Hawk! I scream and wail, trying to have someone bring him back to the lab.

It is now that I realise that Hawk no longer sees me as me, he sees me as a new-born Hord abomination. I feel like hitting something. He won’t see me as Darcy Milan again will he?