Ever since the Z and N incident downtown, I've been a mess. Spending way too long training in Rai's gym, barely eating anything and avoiding people at all costs. I knew that it wasn't healthy, I knew I needed help, but I just couldn't. My friends, my family, they've been through enough, I've been through enough.
Whenever I close my eyes, I see Zoe. I see Nigel. I remember killing those innocent people. People who were just trying to help change the world. People that Z and N didn't want left alive, so they used me to kill them.
Everyday I try to sleep, I have to take heavy sleeping pills so I don't spend all night awake with my thoughts. Thankfully, with the medication, I don't dream while I sleep.
My friends have been trying to comfort me, but after what I said that day after what happened downtown, I think they're pretty shaken up. I admitted to wanting to kill more people, and it scared me. I've killed and I've killed. I've killed 237 people and yet I want to add more. I want to destroy the lives of everyone who's been a part of Z and N.
I don't think there's a reality where I could be ok with this. And as selfish as it is, I don't think I'll ever be able to tell my parents what actually happened. I haven't spoken to them since before I disappeared. They don't even know if I'm alive or not. To all of Swellview, I am a missing person.
I haven't talked to Piper though I so wish I could. I miss her more than anything in the world. Every time I see her name pop up on my friends' phone, I feel part of me breaking apart.
As I lay punch after punch against the punching bag, I could hear my friends talking in the corner of Rai's Man Cave gym.
"Is he ever going to stop punching those things?" I hear Rai whisper to Charlotte. She shrugs.
"How long has he been at it?" Jasper asked quietly.
"I don't know, what time is it?" Charlotte asks.
"16:35." Schwoz replied, taking a glance at his watch.
"He got up at eight and he's been at it since nine." Rai adds.
"I've been at it for eight hours and 35 minutes. You guys are terrible whisperers." I say from across the room. I hear them jump.
"Sorry Kid, we didn't realize you were listening."
"So talking about me behind my back is better?" I ask sarcastically.
"Well no, but-"
"I'm joking Raimond." I say with no emotion.
"Did he just full name me?" Rai grumbled.
"Henry, are you going to stop soon?" Charlotte asked, ignoring Rai's childish comment.
"No." I say bluntly.
"Henry, you haven't eaten since this morning, and even then, it was only a slice of toast with a fried egg on it." Rai sighed. "It's not enough. You haven't eaten enough and then you proceed to work it all off. You're going to make yourself sick."
"I'm fine Rai." I mutter.
"You're not fine and you know it."
"You're right Rai! I'm not fine!" I shout, whipping around to look at them. My sudden outburst causing them to flinch. "But what do you want me to do? I'm not even a person anymore! I'm a weapon! A weapon which they used to kill over two hundred people!"
"Henry-"
"Henry what? Henry we understand? Henry it's going to be ok? Henry you're not who they made you to be?" I scream at them. "You don't understand! I was tortured and destroyed! How can you understand! You get power jetted with freezing water, cut up with blades, and have your brain basically electrocuted to have information on all of my victims! Then you will understand! How can it be ok when I can't sleep unless it's scientifically induced?"
"Henry-" Charlotte started tearily.
"I know I'm not who they made me to be." I yell. "But I'm not me anymore." My scream turning into whisper. A tear slid down my face.
I look away from them, tears now falling freely.
"I have these things inside of my head that I can't take out. Words that if you say them in order, you can turn me into the Dark Soldier." I say.
"Henry, we want to help you. We really do, but you won't let us." Jasper said sadly.
"Just leave me alone." I mumble, wiping tears away from my cheeks.
"Henry, come out. We're getting some supper." Charlotte orders.
"I'm not hungry."
"It wasn't a suggestion." Charlotte said coldly.
I throw one more punch before sighing. I unwrap my knuckles and drop them in the garbage bin. "Fine."
- time skip -
We all sat around the table. No one spoke.
After finishing off a french fry, Charlotte finally spoke up. "So, Henry."
I swallow my piece of pepper and chicken from my Thai curry. "Yes?" I ask.
"How can we help you?" She asked, gaining everyone's attention.
"I told you a week ago. I want Z and N dead." I say, continuing to eat my curry.
"I don't think that's such a good idea Henry." Rai said, staring down at his burger in his hand.
"You agreed to help me Rai." I say stoically, stabbing my chopsticks into the takeout box. I thought the takeout boxes were a bit dumb considering all our food came from the auto snacker.
"I know I did, but I just don't think it's a great idea." Rai mumbled.
"I have to side with Rai here Henry. It just isn't logical." Schwoz sighs. "Think about it, you already have post traumatic stress disorder from killing all those people, why would you think killing more will help?"
"I don't know Schwoz, but I feel like I need to do something." I say quietly.
Schwoz sets down his potato latke and gives me a sympathetic look. "Henry I won't try to understand how you are feeling, but you won't feel better by adding who knows how many kills to your list."
"He has a point. Taco?" Jasper asks, handing over one of his beef tacos. I shake my head.
"Henry, what if Rai and you go to Z and N but don't kill them?" Charlotte suggests.
"Let them live?" I ask cooly. "After everything they've done?"
"I know Kid. They deserve a fate worse than death. Zoe and Nigel deserve to spend life in solitary confinement." Rai explained. "But killing them isn't enough."
I look down at my food, which was still steaming. I take out one of my chopsticks and spin it around in my hands, before taking out the other and taking the food into my mouth.
"I guess you're right." I mutter. "But what about the trigger words?"
"Noise blocking chips for every sound except our voices." Charlotte supplied simply.
"That could work well." Jasper murmured.
"Then that's what we will do." I agree.
- time skip -
Rai and I stood outside the Z and N fortress that Charlotte had found two days after our conversation.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Rai asks me.
I nod stiffly.
"Then lets go."
We break through the door and start shooting our stun guns on second to maximum, we can't shoot maximum, for maximum power will kill you. Whoever is hit will immediately pass out for at least 8 hours. Every time you shoot them, the longer they sleep.
The guards only get a few hits on us before we've cleared the first floor. So far, no Nigel or Zoe.
"You're doing great. Take a second to breathe and then get to the second floor. Theres only three floors and you've covered one of them." Charlotte explained through the com system.
"Any sight of Zoe or Nigel?" I ask, almost fearing what the answer was.
"Not yet but we are still searching." Schwoz replied.
"Henry what will you do if you do find Zoe and Nigel?" Jasper asks worriedly.
"Honestly? I don't know." I reply. The question had already run through my mind a lot. What would I do? Would I simply stun them like the soldiers? Would I switch my laser to maximum power? Would I kill them if I had the chance?
"We'll talk about this after. Soldiers are already coming down the stairs. You will be swarmed in 10 seconds. Go in front of the door and start shooting as soon as the door opens." Schwoz orders.
"Ok." Rai confirms.
We run over to the door, guns aimed. In seven seconds, the door slams open and we start shooting. It was chaos. Vibrant bolts of green light shot past me. Soldiers were falling everywhere, luckily none of them where Rai.
In my distraction, I felt a blow to the back of my head causing me to fall to my knees. I quickly recover and stun them. Panting in exhaustion, I pull myself up and continue to fight. I feel a punch hit my cheekbone. The soldier glares at me evilly and then shock as I kick him down and zap him.
As I fight, I could have sworn I saw a head of red hair. Nigel. But when I look back it's gone.
Panting, I finally realize that the floor is cleared. Well actually, bodies are all over the floor. "Schwoz, are Nigel and Zoe here?"
"Nigel's heat signature was on the second floor for a second, but he turned around and went back to the third floor. Zoe's heat signature is close to his." Schwoz supplied.
"Thanks Schwoz." Rai thanked.
"Henry, I have to ask again, what are you going to do when you find them?" Jasper asks again, more worry in his voice than last time.
"Jasper, I told you! I don't know!" I snap, frustration coating my voice.
"Henry, look, you're going to run into Nigel and Zoe, and you're going to react, but you're going to see them soon, and it's going to be hard and it will probably bring up a lot of horrible memories and trauma."
"I don't even know what I'll do when I see them, so how would any of what you're saying fix anything. Don't you think I know how terrible it will be? But I need to continue, it's the only way I can ever move on." I explain.
"Just, I know this is super serious, but we have to go." Rai commanded.
"Rai's right. I'll figure this out later." I add.
"Ok, just be careful."
"We will Charlotte." I reply.
We dash up to the third, and thankfully last, floor.
In the back of the room, in the second I get to take in my surroundings, I see Nigel with his ginger hair, 6'0 foot, glory, and the short, platinum blond demoness that is Zoe. Zoe had a sneer that would rival the devil's. Other than them, the room isn't as full as the others. A lot less guards them the first and second floor.
I as many as possible while Rai does the same. I see Zoe scramble to regain control but she's losing. They are losing. After being hit a bunch of times but never losing, it's just Rai and I, and Zoe and Nigel.
"Give it up. It's just us now." I see Zoe starting to chant the trigger words but I quickly stop her. "That won't work anymore Zoe. Do you really think I'd come here with the threat of being turned into your weapon again?"
She stumbles back in shock. Her eyes dart around, trying to find anything to use against me. She spots a gun but I quickly kick it so hard that it hits the back wall. There's no chance she could ever use it on me. Not even if I turned away from her. I could almost imagine a scenario where she shoots me in the chest, but that can't happen. Not now anyway.
"You are a soldier." I see her mouth. "You are our soldier, and while you might not be activated right now, you will always be a weapon."
A feeling of dread fills me. "I am not your weapon. Not anymore. You tortured me, scarred me, gave me post traumatic stress disorder, and separated me from my family. You will pay."
I feel the level gear under my thumb. One switch and it's on maximum level. One switch and I can kill them.
I hear my friends suspenseful breath through the com.
"I just have to know, are you sorry for what you did to me?" I ask, if there's any chance they are sorry, then I don't kill them.
"If I had my time back, I'd still do what I did to you, and I know that my sister would do the same." Nigel sneered. No chance.
"Zoe and Nigel are sister and brother?" I hear Schwoz whisper.
Zoe nods in agreement.
"Then why should I let you live?" They don't answer. I raise my gun and methodically fiddle with the level gear before switching it to maximum. I don't bother looking back at Rai, I already know his expression. A look of conflict on if he should stop me, mixed with fear and horror, and just a tad happy for me.
"He switched it." I hear Jasper whisper in shock.
"You've killed all my soldiers, why should you hesitate on us, the one's who truly destroyed your life?" Nigel asked cooly.
"They're not dead." I clarify.
"Ah, stunned. I see." Zoe sighed.
"You know, I have a choice." I state. "One click of the trigger and I can shoot you dead."
"So why haven't you?" Nigel asked.
I hesitate. "Because you're not worth it." I say finally. "I've killed, and I've killed, and now I'm left with the trauma of knowing what I've done. So instead, you two are going to sleep for a long time, but when you wake up, you will learn to regret everything you ever did to me. You will never get the chance to do what you did to me, to anyone else."
I take the gear back to second to maximum. I shoot Nigel. Immediately he slumps against his sister, which couldn't be comfortable considering his size against her small stature. I aim at her.
"One more thing soldier. You may physically get rid of us, never have to see us again, but you will never truly stop being who we made you into. You may not be the Dark Soldier anymore, but you will never truly be Kid Danger ever again. No matter what your older friend says." Zoe says with a sickly sweet tone.
"You're right Zoe, I will never be the same, but I will never have to do anything you say again."
With that, I shoot her in the chest. She's down.
Seeing my two overseers slumped against one another, it all seemed to come crashing down. I fall to my knees, tears pouring down my face. It's over. It's finally over.
I feel Rai's comforting embrace surround me.
"You're gonna be ok now. It's over." Rai soothes. "I sent an extra emergency alert to the police. They're coming to get everyone, you will never have to deal with them ever again."
"You did the right thing Henry." Charlotte says sadly.
"Let's get out of here and wait for the police." Rai suggests.
I look up at his smiling face. We shoot everyone with the 2 hour setting, which is level two just to be sure. The police come and collect everyone.
I am going to be ok.
- time skip -
Two Weeks Later
I take a deep breath as I stand outside my house. They will be happy to see me, they're my family. With that in mind, I knock on the door.
After a moment Piper opens the door. At the sight of me, she froze. Tears sprang to her eyes. Her lip quivered as she began to cry.
"Henry? Is that really you?"
"It's really me."
She pulls me into a tight hug, we both sink to the floor as we cried. I'm hugging my sister for the first time in seven months.
She raises her head to look at me, her cobalt blue eyes were relieved and happy to see me, she sniffed her runny nose. Suddenly her soft and happy eyes turned cold and angry.
"Where have you been! Do you know how worried I've been? You left for work one day and you never came back! You ran away and never even left a note!" She screamed. "You've been gone for seven months and you think you can just come back?"
"Piper, I was kidnapped." Her face went slack with shock and guilt. "I'm Kid Danger."
"You're Kid Danger..." She trailed off. "But Kid Danger is the Dark Sol- Oh. Oh no. Henry I'm so sorry."
"It's ok. The people who hurt me are locked away forever. Solitary confinement where they can never hurt me again." I tell her. "I'm not ok, I will never really be ok, but I'm getting help."
"Oh Henry, I'm so sorry." She said apologetically.
"Don't be. Everyone's sorry, but it's ok. It's going to be ok, eventually."
I stare into her eyes, a mutual understanding of sibling love, when we heard two sets of footsteps and then a gasp. I turn around from my shared spot on the floor. My mother and father stared at me in shock. I could faintly see my mother pinching her wrist to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
"Henry?" She whispers, just like Piper.
"Hey Mom, Dad."
Without another word, they both envelope me in a hug. I know that this isn't over, there will be more to this than a hug, but for now, I'm with my family, and everything will be ok.
I hope you guys like the alternate ending better than the real one. Also did any of you get the reference to the original ending?
Love you all! It's nearly 3 in the morning. Good night!