"Neptune!" I screamed, sitting up fast. My body was bathed in sweat from how warm my body was, and I couldn't seem to take a good breath as I looked frantically around. I wasn't in the parking lot anymore, there was no smoke or bright flame, only one of those automatic lanterns you can turn on and off with the push of a button. I was in a makeshift bed on the floor, made up of jackets and old blankets. I had no idea where I was, and my leg was pulsating. With a trembling hand I looked under the blanket to see a bloody bandage on my calf, concealing the source of my sudden pain.
Hearing a gasp, I then noticed Gemma sitting crossed legged on the floor at the foot of the poor bed. "Neptune! Mercury! She's awake!" She shouted, quickly crawling up the bed towards me. Pushing the blanket away from me I began whimpering.
"What's going on? Where am I? What happened?" I was dangerously overwhelmed with confusion, so much that Gemma pulling me into a tight hug had little effect.
"You're okay. We're okay. We're somewhere safe." Neptune and the twins then rushed in through the doorway with a first aid kit in hand. All three of them were dirty and tired looking with remains of their party clothes clinging to them desperately. They seemed relived, however. Behind them I also noticed Henrie waiting in the doorway.
"It's alright Abigail, you're going to be okay." Neptune reassured, handing Gemma a water bottle as Mercury started to change my bandage. "Gemma help her drink some water; she's dehydrated."
Opening the bottle, Gemma held it up to my lips and with a shaky breath I took a sip before pushing it away. "What...what happened to my...leg?" Mercury took a seat on the floor near my leg and gently pulled of the bandage, revealing a long cut that was stitched shut.
"Glass from the explosion got your leg pretty bad. Henrie helped us get it all out though and we gave you stitches. We cleaned the wound so it shouldn't get infected." She informed as Henrie hesitantly entered the room.
"I'm awfully glad your alright Abigail. When they brought you in it gave me quite a scare," he said, resting his skinny metal hand on my wrist as Mercury re-wrapped my leg.
"Henrie has proven to be useful in medical emergencies." Mars admitted, nodding respectfully at him.
"Where...where are we?" I asked, leaning heavily against Gemma. I couldn't believe she was here, it felt surreal. I felt like I was in a daydream.
Resting her hand reassuringly over mine, Neptune spoke gently.
"We're back in the warehouse. We would have moved but we were concerned about your injury. Humans aren't as easy to fix as robots."
"I couldn't agree more with that." Jupiter agreed.
In a second my anxiety was replaced by vicious anger, giving me rush of adrenaline stronger than any pain killer. Immediately rushing from the bed, I limped over to Jupiter and shoved him hard. "Why are you here? You shouldn't be here!" I screamed at him as he stumbled back, and the others quickly rushed between us.
"Abby stop it! You're going to tear the stitches!" Gemma scolded. Instead I balled my fists and pushed past the twins and Neptune before hitting Jupiter's chest as hard as I could. He seemed unaffected by it however, instead I was the one feeling the pain.
"Abigail lay back down!"
"Abigail stop it!"
"What's wrong with you?"
They all shouted as they grabbed me and pulled me away from him.
"He's a traitor! He works for Titan! I saw the tattoo!" I spat at him, struggling against everyone.
Mars looked at Mercury in confusion. "What tattoo?"
"What do you mean?" Neptune asked and I pointed at Jupiter's chest.
"He has...he has the same black lightning bolt tattoo as Titan! He's a traitor! He's a traitor...it's all his fault...he took them away...he took everything away!" I wheezed, breaking down into sobs as they released me into Gemma's arms, and she held me tightly. With darkening expressions, the twins and Neptune turned on Jupiter who calmly stood in the doorway.
"I can explain," He said, holding his hands up.
"You better." Mars growled, allowing his hand to transform into a gun.
"Careful Mars, a bad temper never gets the right answers," Neptune said, trying to keep her tight voice calm.
"You told us you were the only one who had the tattoo? You said you did it yourself." Mercury breathed, her hands twitching.
"I lied. It's not because I'm a traitor though, it's because I was to ashamed to tell you the truth," Jupiter said, looking back at me with a soft expression in his eyes. Trembling in anger, I gripped Gemma tighter. Not for comfort, but to protect her.
"The truth about what?" Neptune asked, her voice still tense.
"The reason I was able to rescue Pluto with such ease the first time and the second time with Abigail was because I had also been caught. Titan had attempted to make me one of his men, I was his experiment." He began, still watching me as I watched him. "He wanted to see if he could convince an automaton to follow him of their own free will by gaining their trust. He befriended me and a select group of other captured automatons and began to groom us. A tattoo in the image of his marking was part of the process. I knew who he was though and that he had bad intentions, so the second a window of opportunity opened I killed everyone in the program and broke free. When I did, I rescued Pluto and took him back to the Minds."
Folding his arms, he watched as everyone shared wary glances.
"Why were you ashamed to tell us that?" Neptune asked as the twins relaxed a little but kept their weapons drawn.
"Because I wanted you to trust me. I see now that was a mistake. I should've just told you." He admitted, bowing his head. "I promise I would never do anything to endanger Abigail or this team. She knows that."
Taking a deep breath, Neptune looked back at me.
"Do you believe him?"
Furrowing my eyebrows, I reflected on all the good Jupiter had seemingly done. He did stay behind that night in the house so my siblings and I could escape. He rescued Pluto and helped me prove we were a match for Titan. When we were in the original safe house, he had taken care of me; making sure I ate and got out of the room. Sure, he was a little unstable, but all of us were. I didn't have any solid proof, other than the tattoo, that he might be a traitor. Also, I guess, logically speaking, it didn't make a whole lot of sense. There were to many opportunities for him to give me to Titan and he missed all of them. How did Titan know I was going to be at the party though? I doubt they had human detectors or whatever. However, if Jupiter thought we saw him as a traitor it might make him more dangerous. He might not trust me if he didn't think I was under his spell.
"I believe him." I decided, and the tension in the room cleared.
"Alright, then we will move on from this and decide what to do next." Neptune breathed, relaxing as the twins untensed and put their weapons away.
"I think we should move that discussion into another room and allow Abigail to rest," Jupiter said, and everyone nodded in agreement as Mercury and Gemma helped me lay back down.
"Here Gemma, give her this. I'm sorry I don't have something stronger for the pain," Neptune said as she handed Gemma two pills. While I lowered my head to the pillow, I didn't break my gaze from Jupiter's. Even if he wasn't a traitor, I still didn't trust him. I felt it in my gut, there was something wrong with him.
I almost felt stupid for not noticing it sooner.
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Howdy folks!
I hope everyone's first week of summer is going well :) I started a new job this week with a summer camp and honestly its already the best job I've ever had! Granted I have to get up early, but I'm doing something I love and that is what's most important right?
Hopefully everyone is enjoying the recent chapters and don't worry, there are plenty more to come! I am planning on finishing this story before the end of the summer ;)
-Mari.