Even if this is suicide... (1)
"FACE ME YOU FUCKING COWARD!" Joshua ordered, looking around the deserted area. Dust swirled around the air, and the ground was covered in soot. The dark sky began to shine bright with lightning. Even the world itself knew how important this fight would be.
Joshua slowly took a deep breath and closed his eyes, taking in his surroundings. The dirty taste of the air, the sounds of swirling wind, and even the slight clattering of his own teeth. Shakily, he opened his eyes and looked around once more, scanning the area for any sign of Veruk.
"ETHAN!" Joshua called out, deciding he should meet up with him first. No response came, however. *Drip. Drip. POUR!* It began to rain once more, and the dark clouds loomed over him, giving off a sense of foreboding danger. "It's...cold?" Joshua muttered, feeling the rain on his body.
"ETHAN!" Joshua called out again, his heart beginning to beat even faster, but there was still no response. "VERUK!" Joshua shouted in anger, his shout piercing the rain. "Pitiful hero," Veruk commented from behind him, surprising Joshua. *SLASH! CLINK!*
Joshua slashed at Veruk, but a long chain wrapped around the blade and yanked it away from his grip. "SHIT!" Joshua screamed, throwing himself backward to avoid being hit. *BAM!* Suddenly, a heavy punch sent him slamming into the ground.
*Cough!* "What the hell?" Joshua muttered as he tried to pick himself up. "Not so fast little hero, 1 move and I'll kill your little friend," another Veruk said from behind him, making him realize he was facing two Veruk's, and Ethan was a hostage.
"Fine...What do you want?" Joshua asked, clutching his ribs, he didn't need to be a genius to know they were broken. "For starters, how about you help me?" Veruk asked, grabbing him by the hair and pointing toward a building in the distance.
"What are you going to do?" Joshua asked in fear, knowing what he was capable of. "I'm gonna force you to turn the ignition on a little rocket I created! It'll eliminate all powers permanently!" Veruk explained while grinning wildly, taking obvious pleasure in the newfound fear on Joshua's face.
"You-You're a monster!" Joshua yelled, attempting to free himself, but Veruk lifted his face to see the icicle pointed at Ethan's neck. "One step, and I'll order him to slit his throat, got it?" Veruk asked, a crazed look evident in his glare.
"No," Joshua responded, a cocky grin spreading on his face. "KILL HIM NOW!" Veruk ordered, but it was too late. "Spike," Joshua thought, and a spike rose up, cutting off Veruk's clone's head. "YOU BASTARD!" Veruk shouted in anger, starting to throw a punch at him, but stopping at the last second.
"How about I just force your friend to turn the ignition key?" Veruk asked, looking pissed. "Fine, I'll do it. Just let him go," Joshua answered, knowing he couldn't make Ethan do it, not when Ethan and Elena clearly had a connection.
"Good," Veruk answered, dragging Joshua by the head toward the building. Leaving Ethan's unconscious body behind.
Bright red light shined from above, scaring Joshua even more. The building looked small on the outside, but on the inside it was huge. Big enough to carry a few atomic bombs at least. "Go over to that panel and stick in the key," Veruk ordered, and Joshua followed his directions.
"You know...Ethan is about a 5-minute run away from here," Joshua said, gripping the key tightly. "Try anything, and I'll kill Elena," Veruk said, turning to face him with a grim expression on his face. "You didn't..." Joshua began, but he already knew Veruk did. Someone hiding in the survivors that Elena and Fabian were evacuating, was a clone.
"So...Right or left?" Joshua asked, breathing heavily as he began to shake. "To the right," Veruk answered, a chilling glare taking over his expression. Joshua knew, even without saying it, that Veruk was more than crazy enough to kill Elena.
"How do I stop this?" Joshua thought in a panic, thinking of possible solutions, but none were optional. "Turn it now," Veruk ordered, and Joshua paused instead of turning it. "I SAID TURN IT NOW!" Veruk yelled, looking as if he was about to kill him. *Clack.* Joshua threw the key aside instead of turning it, however. He now realized the true weight of the second question Terra asked him.
"I have to sacrifice my sister to save the world," Joshua muttered, tears streaking his cheeks as the key fell through the grated floor. "YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" Veruk shouted, launching himself toward Joshua. "If he gets that second key, it'll be over," Joshua realized, knowing Veruk had to have another clone hiding nearby.
"DIE!" Veruk screamed, tackling Joshua to the floor. There was nowhere to run, it was do or die. One way or another, two lives were going to be lost, either Joshua's and Elena's, or Veruk and Elena's.
*BOOM!* The doors of the place suddenly flew open, and Ethan stepped through with the key in hand. "How did you?" Joshua began to ask before realizing the key Ethan was holding had to be a fake. "I pledge my loyalty to you, Veruk," Ethan said, giving him the key.
"Good job," Veruk said, motioning at the corner, and a clone came out of the dark. "E-Ethan, how could you?" Joshua asked, playing along to the best of his abilities. "I'm sorry Joshua, but Elena's life is worth the world," Ethan answered, shaking horribly.
"This plan better work out," Joshua muttered, staring at Veruk as he and his clone inserted the keys. "Goodbye, heroes!" Veruk shouted, turning the key. But, nothing happened. Joshua was right, the key Ethan brought was a fake.
"YOU PESKY FUCKING BRATS!" Veruk shouted in anger, as his clone charged toward the pair. "Spike!" Joshua yelled, sending a spike toward the clone, but it dodged it. The clone dodged two more spikes, before managing to make it to Joshua. *SLAM!*
Joshua was sent flying back, out onto the soot-covered ground. "KILL THEM DAMMIT!" Veruk ordered as he searched for the other key. "ETHAN HELP!" Joshua yelled out, taking another blow to the chest. "R-Right! Sorry!" Ethan shouted back, charging toward the clone.
*BAM!* Joshua dodged the clone's attack and kicked up soot into its eyes. "ARG!" The clone yelled out, as Joshua summoned a sword to attack it. But, Ethan had stopped charging soon after starting, and he began looking back at the building in shock. *RUMBLE!*
"Oh no..." Joshua muttered in shock, as he cut the clone's head off. They both knew what was about to happen. Their one shot was over, and they messed it up.