"Kate, what are we doing here?" I laughed as Kate led me by the hand up a hill.
"You'll see when we get there," she said.
Kate was practically dancing from excitement as she pulled me. The smile on her face was adorable and very contagious.
Then we reached the top and I saw the incredible view. An enormous lake settled in a valley, the sun sparkled on the blue water and birds swooped overhead.
With a grin on her face, Kate spun, her light green dress twirling around. Her hair was loose and fell in her face as she collapsed to her knees laughing.
Then she coughed. And blood stained her pretty green dress. She looked up at me, eyes full of fear.
"Xander what's going on?" she asked.
I kneeled beside her and reached for her hand as, with one last sad look, she dissolved into a bloody mist.
"You should have saved her Silver." A voice from behind said.
I turned and saw the cold masked face of Death. Completely unmoved by the death of his daughter. Kate was gone.
"I tried."
"Try harder."
I bolted upright and looked around the sterile white prison cell where I would probably die. No, I wouldn't.
I couldn't.
"128, 129, 130, 131, 132..."
I turned my head and saw Kate doing pushups as if her life depended on it. She looked exhausted but didn't slow down.
"Kate, what are you doing?" I asked.
"Training." She said, out of breath.
"We don't have any water. You're going to get dehydrated."
"Don't give a fuck. Less than a day to live."
She reached 150 but didn't slow.
"How many of those are you going to do?"
"200. I already did 200 sit-ups, lunges, and squats."
"You're going to kill yourself."
Even I didn't exercise that much and I was in amazing shape. Kate needed to stop before she hurt herself.
"Don't care. Better than dying of that stupid virus. 175."
"At least take a break."
"Nope. Still have pull-ups and then I'll figure out cardio."
"Why though? You can't tell me this is going to help us escape or cure the virus."
At this Kate finished her set and sat up. Her piercing blue eyes stared into my soul and I felt suddenly insignificant.
"It's not going to help. But it's not like I have anything better to do. Now either come up with a plan or let me keep going."
"No. I care about you too much to let you exercise to death with no water."
At this, I stepped forward and hugged Kate. I expected her to soften and hug me back like Izzie used to. I just wanted to help her.
Instead, she punched me in the gut.
I just want you to be alright. Why won't you let me help you?
"Not in the mood. Now fuck off and let me work." Kate snapped.
I wordlessly walked over to a corner of the cell and sat against the wall. My eyes combed over my surroundings and landed on a clock.
11:32 am. Tomorrow they died.
The girl Kate had found in the warehouse would be dead by now. Millions would follow. I didn't want Kate to die, even if it meant her father dying with her.
So many innocent men, women, and children were going to die. I had to save them. I had to.
Then I heard footsteps and Rachel Gold walked into the room carrying a tray. Kate stopped doing pull-ups on the cell bars.
"I brought you guys food. My father isn't so good about feeding prisoners. And I got some peroxide for your cuts from the fight. It's not much but it's what I have." Rachel said.
She had a nervous look on her face as she slipped the try under the cell door from a foot away.
I was pissed to say the least. She'd lied to me and was the whole reason we were here in the first place. Kate had a similar angry look on her face.
"Do you have any idea what you did? 25 million people are going to die and it's all your fault." I snapped.
Instantly I regretted it.
Rachel burst into tears as she turned to leave. She'd doomed millions of innocents but she still sobbed about it like she was blameless.
"Xander shut up." Kate snapped, at if I were an insect she was brushing away. "It's ok Rachel, you did what you could."
Kate had a strange kindness in her face. Almost maternal.
Rachel gave Kate a sad smile before turning around and walking away. So Kate did have good in her.
I grabbed the food; Rachel had brought two sandwiches and two salads with what looked like vinegar on the side. There were also two bottles of water and a black bottle labeled hydrogen peroxide 70%.
I went to put some of the peroxide on a cut on my arm but as I opened the bottle Kate stopped me.
"That's 70%, they use that in rocket fuel. Trust me when I say you do not want that anywhere near your bloodstream."
I put the bottle down.
Then Kate got a look on her face.
"Is that vinegar for the salad dressing?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"Don't touch anything."
Kate grabbed one of the water bottles and in two gulps downed the whole thing.
She poured both cups of vinegar into the bottle before placing the cup on top of the electric locking system. Then she grabbed the rocket fuel quality peroxide.
She very carefully poured some of the solution into the bottle before diving into the corner. She landed on top of me but I wasn't complaining.
Then the bottle exploded taking the electric lock with it.
Alarms blaring, the Kate I knew and loved stood with a grin on her face. We were free.
"Acetic acid and high concentration hydrogen peroxide. Mix them and they explode. Let's go."
"That was awesome."
"I know."
***
Hey guys! What do you think of Kate coping? What's your opinion of Rachel? What will happen now that Kate and Xander are free? please vote and comment, I want to know what you think!
-Jade
Ps. the vinegar and peroxide thing actually works though my question got me a weird look from my chemistry teacher.