Chapter 104: Villain (2/2)

Emil raised his clenched hand which Zinnia stopped holding it. She opened his hand to see an origami of the graffiti he had on the wall. It was in the shape of a bird. ”Because I have to be strong, I have to be cunning and bold, brave and kind. They aren't here, so I have to make up for that. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not that's what you've got. There is one thing about me that's unlike the others.”

”Yeah, and what's that?”

”I play dirty.” The origami bird came to life striking Zinnia in the eye, slashing her as a small strain of blood flickered out. She stumbled back dazed dropping Emil. Using all his willpower, he stood up as from his pockets dozens of origamis fell into his hands as he held them out. Zinnia stepped back gasping, noticing all the cars on the street where gone. She was too caught up in her act of villainy that she hadn't noticed till now. Cupping her eye, she flinched seeing the origamis in his hand where all of the cars. Emil spun his arm around, readying his batting throw as he yelled out his final attack. ”Take this Zinnia Origami killer!”

The origami was all thrown into the air dissolving back into their natural form as cars bombarded Zinnia crushing her before they all exploded, leaving an extensive trail of smoke. Zinnia lay back coughing as Emil limped over to her struggling to stand, let alone walk. Zinnia was continually wiping her eyes, trying to stop the tears as she was breaking down. ”Kill me, please Emil just kill me. This truth, the stolen lies my heart can't take it. It's tearing me apart. I'm nothing more than a mistake… Please, I beg of you kill me before I become something I will regret forever.”

”You heard her Emil darling. Kill her.” Emil froze as all the colour left his body. He turned seeing his mother, hulking over him in size, walking towards them with a knife. Emil could already feel the pain of that knife before it was even close to him as he stepped back. ”You didn't think you would enter these trials without having to face me again did you mistake?!”

”You're not real.”

Emil's mother kicked him to the ground her hair greasy, and all over the place, she had a mad drugged filled look as she began swinging the knife around. ”Not real?! Oh, but I wish that was the case for you. Everything was perfect for me. I had the perfect job, the perfect life then you had to come along, and I lost everything. Christopher threw me on the streets with a child I didn't want. You took everything from me!” She stood over Zinnia with the knife up. ”If this mistake wants it to end so I'll put her out of her misery.”

Emil didn't know what happened in those short moments. He didn't know how it happened, but his body just began moving on its own. A short burst of adrenaline roared as Emil found himself standing in front of his mother ready to take the hit dead on instead. ”If you want to hurt Zinnia you have to get through me! I promised myself I was going to save her, I'm not giving up until the very end!”

He looked away, squinted his eyes waiting for the knife. It never came. He opened his eyes, seeing Zinnia in front of him, holding her arm, stopping the blade. She was struggling to keep her back as she yelled out. ”I won't let Emil get hurt anymore!”

Emil was shocked by these turns of events seeing Zinnia saving him. But with her weakened state, she wouldn't be able to hold her back. Emil took to action holding her other arm back as the two held the form of his mother. The trial's puppet began morphing between Emil and Zinnia's mother as the two held their ground. ”I won't allow myself to be consumed by fear because of the past. I'm moving forward, and you mother won't be holding me back anymore!” Emil screamed.

Zinnia began slipping, refusing to give up. ”A villain or not I can't allow your choices to defy who I am! I accept who you are, but that is not who I am! I'll make my own future not follow in the footsteps of someone else!”

The puppet screamed out, falling apart before exploding into a flurry of leaves and flowers as the two friends fell to the floor exhausted. Emil lay forward panting but also in between laughing. ”We did it. We stood up against her. I'm not. I'm not afraid anymore!”

Zinnia rolled overtaking heavy breaths dropping her hand by her side as the wanted poster of her mother flew by. Zinnia was a little distort still, but she countered it with a smile looking up at the blue sky, knowing her destiny was forever her own. ”I won't make the same mistakes as you mum, I'll be the best hero I can be one even you can be proud of.” She looked over to Emil nodding. ”We made quite the team, didn't we?”

”After the large beatdown I received from you, yeah we sure did. I felt like nothing could stop us.”

Zinnia looked at her hand, which still had crackles of lightning. ”Emil thank you, for not giving up on me until the very end. I was ready to throw it all away, knowing the truth. I didn't know how to live with myself.”

”Whoever does?” He mellowed. ”We just take that risk step by step and never look back.”

Zinnia stood up, helping Emil up as two held onto each for support. ”Let's get out of here. People are waiting for us.”

Emil looked up, seeing the trials falling apart. The city crumbling into the Garden. Although shocked, he expected as much from a place full of hate and horror. The Garden was withering away and dying, their act of bravery and selflessness breaking the hold on this place. Heading towards the exit, they both began ascending from darkness seeing the bunker's light just insight. With one last push of willpower and determination, they made the final step to freedom appearing back on the doorstep of the Montague manor. Gale and Butch were there to catch their fall. Gale held them both as all three hugged each other. ”You're both back! I knew it, I knew you would make it out alive!”

Zinnia smiled nodding. ”I couldn't have done it without Emil.”

”Likewise.” Emil coughed.

Florence dragged herself out, looking on in shock. ”Impossible. She made it out with herself still intact. I didn't know it was possible!”

The streamers turned as the bunker began rusting as nature began growing all over it. Soon enough, the bunker was consumed in leaves and vines before it all fell into a large pile revealing the bunker to be no more any signs gone forever. ”The trials, the connection to the Garden is gone forever. We truly did it.” Emil cheered.

”We did.” Zinnia muttered, gripping her friends tighter. ”We did it as a team…”