For The Love Of Chéri (CHAPTERS 1-112 REWRITTEN)

Chapter 182 : Tabula Raza : Exit Marcel

Over the wailing in the room Suzanne, who was sitting upright on her knees, turned and screamed out, "Javier! Do something!"

But Javier was catatonic, with flecks and lines of blood running down his face while his eyes darted around the room with numbed horror as he still held aim. Everyone else seemed to be frozen as well and in the throes of a loud and fearful hysteria.

"Freeze!" Shouted the last members of security in the room as they drew their weapons.

Marcel, who had been staring into nothing a moment, seemed to sigh in relief and then he pulled the black glove off and stared down at his left hand, as well as the ring on his finger. He nodded slightly as if he were in some silent dialogue with himself, before quickly lifting the gun to the side of his head.

"NO!" Javier shouted as he snapped out of his frozen state. He started to run towards Marcel as the shot rang out. He arrived just in time to catch Marcel as he fell limply and the gun fell to the floor.

The screaming in the room now reached its zenith as Bayani got up and rushed to Lennon's side. He placed his arms around Lennon's neck and lifted his head and the top part of his body while he wailed loudly. He was soon joined by Suzanne, Akara and Sanyi, who all knelt down in shock.

Suzanne reached out and touched Lennon's face, but Bayani shoved her aside, "Go away!" he shouted.

Dolores was sat by Chéri's side with the din and devastation raging all around her. She tried to wake Chéri but couldn't, so she added to the cacophony of the room by calling out for someone to get Dr V.

Javier was kneeling on the floor cradling Marcel on his lap. He turned his head carefully to survey the injury, even though he had no idea what he was doing. Blood was running from the right side of his head, obscuring the area and was soaking his peroxide white hair scarlet. He felt around Marcel's neck desperately and then placed his head upon his chest listening for something, anything.

Javier's cell phone suddenly rang, startling him, so he searched his pockets quickly and pulled his phone out, smearing it with blood as he handled it. "Javier...?" he answered in a weak and wavering voice.

Kenzo's voice came back, "We've repaired the transponder in the ESR and freed most of the assets from their rooms. We've also swept this whole side of the place before we.....-" but he was cut off by Javier.

Javier shouted back loudly, "Ken! Cheri's here. He's down. I don't know, he's just unresponsive." Javier said on the brink of tears.

"What do you fucking mean 'down'." Kenzo demanded, confused as to all the wailing going on in the background on Javier's side.

"Just that! We need Dr V, now!" Javier shouted above the noise.

"What?! And where's that giant faggot, Lennon?!" Kenzo asked.

"Lennon's down too, Marcel's down! Everyone's dead! I don't know! Please! Get someone here who knows what they're doing! Now!" Javier cried out over all the crying around him.

Kenzo ranted back, "What the fuck is going on over there?! Why didn't you do your job and take command! Why don't you ever..."

Javier ended the call and dropped his phone to the floor, "Fuck you Ken. Fuck you!", he muttered as he reached over and picked up Marcel's top hat and gun.

Mateo, who was sitting up on the floor in shock, crawled over to Javier, threw his arm around his neck and just hugged him.

Mateo regained his composure and turned back over. He sat up next to Javier on the floor, "Hav?"

"What's happening...?" he asked vacantly in Spanish as he looked around. His mind was so overloaded that English had escaped him.

"I don't know..." Javier responded back as he looked around.