Freedom

My eardrums felt full and painful like an infection had rapidly set in. D'Arby continued to squeeze my throat. My consciousness was dimming. I focused on the glowing lights of my friends' eyes fearfully darting all over the place. Someone was coming up behind them.

The grinding sound in my head came from the sensation of my muscles tearing at the base of my skull. I screamed, spitting out black blood. I was seconds from death when I heard two voices.

"Hey D'Arby." It was Bram's voice. D'Arby loosened his grip.

"Yeah, coño," Richie followed up.

Suddenly, I felt the impact of Richie's body against D'Arby causing D'Arby to drop me on the ground. As I tried to catch my breath, I watched as Richie attacked D'Arby repeatedly. Bram dashed over to me.

Most of the Noirs around me were interested in Bram not only because he was human but because he was talking to me. It wasn't an interest with intent to cause harm, just curiosity. Bram eyed the Noirs. He backed up when he saw Sledge, probably remembering their power struggles in the past but then she saw him she … saluted him.

"Holy shit. Is that you Sledge?" he asked. She nodded. Bram saluted her back. D'Arby bumped into Bram as he spun around trying to get rid of his attacker. "You got that handled, Richie?" Bram shouted.

"I'm good," Richie said with a grunt as he punched D'Arby again. Bram glanced back at me.

"C'mon, Alex. We have to get out of here."

"What do you mean?"

"Charlie knows. He doesn't care who it is. His roof laser will kill all Noirs. Plus, he found something fun in his shed. He isn't discriminating."

From the direction of Jeffy's house, I could hear yelling and hooting like war cries. Charlie and Wendy were racing toward them. They raised up futuristic-looking rifles of silver metal and red scopes, then shot at the Noirs.

A blue laser from each rifle instantly obliterated two Noirs.

"Shit, honey!" Richie yelled. "Run, my hermosa! Do it now!"

I watched Charlie chase after my friends. The group scattered in all directions. Their humming made me realize they were headed for the border.

Without warning, Bram grabbed me, and we teleported somewhere else. When we arrived and were lucid, I realized we were close to the lab. Bram stood in front of me.

"Are you alright?" he asked. He was panting while attempting to maintain a calm demeanor. I nodded. "We'll need to do that a few more times until I can get you somewhere without any soldiers."

"What will we do?" I asked, my voice sounding deeper than I was used to.

"I'm going to see if using this last shot will fix you. I have to try. Are you ready to teleport again?"

"Yes," I said.

After two more times of teleporting, we were suddenly in front of a building that I wasn't familiar with. Bram kicked the chain locks on the outside to jiggle the door. Once there was a sliver to get through, he was able to teleport us inside.

I looked around at the big cafeteria-sized room. There were tables pushed up against the wall with chairs on top of them. Bram grabbed my hand, pulled a chair down then had me sitting at one of the tables.

The needle was in his left suit pocket. He unzipped it, all the while shaking his head. As he looked into my eyes, I could see that he was trying to fight back tears.

"What?" I asked. It was all I could manage. My tongue was in agony.

"I'm worried," he admitted with a forceful exhalation. "I want you to be back with me. But if you can't be the Alex I know and love, I won't know what to do. What I mean is, I know that once I inject you, I'll find out one way or another but right now I have hope and--"

"I understand," I said, cutting him off so he didn't have to continue with the painful explanation. Through his melancholic smile, I saw gratitude.

"How are you feeling right now? Are you in pain?"

"Yes," I replied. "I think … pain will get worse. If … don't change, after needle … use … gun."

I watched as tears collected on his bottom lids. He didn't answer either way, but I know he'd do that for me if it came down to it. He unzipped the left arm of my suit exposing deltoid out for maximum access.

"Alex, I love you," he whispered. I nodded and held my heart. "Here we go." I watched him pull the cap off with his lips, spit it on the floor, and with his gloved right hand, plunge the needle into my skin. I could feel the pressure of the injection immediately. As I sat there assessing, there was the dull ache that a basic shot would normally cause, but then it began to radiate.

The sensation of a thousand miniscule needles began at the site of the injection and extended outward chopping like microscopic lawnmowers. The feeling of rolling flame then erupted underneath my skin, making my muscles feel stretched toward the epidermis. It spread from my shoulder down my right arm, to my fingertips. Then it snaked upwardly to my neck and into my skull.

I abruptly stood and without self-control began to run to the door, purposely hitting my head on the glass. Where I was going was a mystery to me, but I needed to get out. I pushed, kicked, punched, and tried using my Noir powers desperately against the doors, but it was no use. They were chained and padlocked.

When I spied out the windows, I raced to each one, but they were all barred. Bram brought me to this place this for a reason. He knew I'd try to get away like he did.

Bram rushed over restraining me as best as he could in his apt arms. He pinned mine close to my body so all I had to move and thrash were my legs. I tried grinding my feet into the dusty tiled floor to escape, but with futility. Even with my Noir vigor and speed, Bram was able to dominate me.

I felt pinching as though it was traveling into the marrow of my bones. The ache came in waves with no way to quell it. It didn't matter how my body was positioned, I could not stop the throbbing, singing feeling of daggers filleting my soul. I begged him to end it for me.

He held me closely.

"I won't need to. You can do this."

"I … don't … think I can!" I wailed. Bram lowered his eyes to meet mine, his brow furrowed.

"You can, Alex. I've seen you deal with far worse."

In my addled mind only scraps of notions and frayed ideas floated as I attempted to collect my minced thoughts. If he was talking about our relationship, it wasn't the best metaphor, but somehow it resonated with me. I now had control over my amplified, unyielding cries. I clamped my mouth shut and forcefully held my moans in my throat.

The pain was relentless, and my hearing was fading ever more as each miniature pulse erupted into full-blown bombs underneath my sinuous tendons. Bram pointed with his two fingers, silently telling me to keep my eyes on him. I was growling behind my pursed lips, my pupils widened, the wild beast within bucking to be set free.

When our eyes locked and I watched Bram give me an upward tip of his chin in encouragement like I was one of his soldiers, that we were together as a team, I sensed something unleashed from within me. A feeling of weightlessness began in my lower limbs and continued to climb upward. My legs, core, and chest were miraculously relieved of pain. As my eyes remained on his, Bram became an angel once again to me with wings cascading of frozen stalites. The exact relief I needed was that icy oasis and he was about to grant it.

I felt him wrap those icicle-covered wings around my body, encasing me in a frozen cocoon and I could have sworn I saw steam rise from our melding. Then he was golden and glowing with me like an ancient Greek God. The light rose from Noir darkness in my field of vision as it flooded like a crown behind his head. Glittering illumination filled me until I was completely blinded.

I thought I could feel the milky essence leaving my tear ducts, but I didn't get the chance to confirm. No matter what little was left of my decimated instinctual lizard brain, one final thought remained. This catharsis was necessary no matter how excruciating. I eventually relented, wilting into the weakness that my body had to embrace. With one more breath, I was unconscious. I had to let go.

***

The sunlight was flowing in the shape of honey-colored rectangles. I stared at the dust that was blowing in the bright rays of sun. Try as I might, I couldn't ever get rid of that dust at our house. No matter how mad Bram became.

Glancing down I realized I was on a make-shift hospital bed. When I attempted to sit up, I was greeted with agonizing pain. If muscles could crack, mine would be in pieces right now. I felt like an ungreased wheel as I slipped forward in skips and jerky motions.

"Oof," I said with a sigh. I was upright but that was the best I could do for now. When I scanned the entire room, I realized I was in the same building as I was the night before, but it had been transformed to a temporary triage unit. Stretchers lined up against the wall were being used as beds including my own. Tables were arranged in the middle of the room loaded with disposable medical paraphernalia.

Boxes of Nitrile gloves with flattened half-fingers poking out for grabbing convenience were at each station. Plentiful masks were for the taking, stacked on top of one another, along alcohol swabs, and miniature hand sanitizer bottles with keychains. Yellow biohazard bins were strategically placed near the area labeled "Vaccines".

Vaccines?

Farther down on either end of the unit were steel double doors that I hadn't seen the night before. Good thing or I would have used them to escape. As I was trying to get my bearings, squinting, I saw Bram walk through the door without needing a key. When he saw me, he smiled, waved and began running to me.

I waved back but I swore I heard my joints squeak with tension. He raced to me and hugged me tightly. I yelped in pain, and instantly he stepped back.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself."

"It's okay Bram."

He began examining me. I watched his flickering green eyes rove over my body with concern.

"I know this is a silly question but how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Pretty good, except for this wrenching ache in my joints."

"That's normal. The virus affects all your nerves, and your immune system is trying to fight back by increasing your inflammatory response." I watched as Bram gazed into my eyes. I could see him fighting to hold back tears when he said, "Welcome back, Alex."

"It's good to be back, sir," I said jokingly. I attempted a salute, but I dropped my arm in pain. "Ow." That helped lighten the tension as he laughed then quickly wiped away the tiny collection of tears. He came closer then pulled me into his arms for a hug.

I wanted to hug him back but there was no way I could lift my arms. I allowed myself to enjoy it as he pressed my cheek to his chest and held me. When he backed away from me, he appeared proud, though I didn't know why.

"Good news. There's a vaccine," Bram said.

"I saw the sign," I said. "That's great."

"Yeah," he smiled. "We were able to synthesize it from samples of your blood and mine. Between the two, we created something … monumental."

"That's amazing."

"I had them call it Darlnoir," he said.

"And did the Darl come from Darling?"

"You got it," he said with a quick point of his finger. "So, Alex, you're kinda famous now. How does it feel to know you helped to save the world?" he asked.

"Did I?"

"I know it's hard to believe, but yes."

"Well, it's nice to have created something with you that could help. Are you sure we're safe?"

"We are, even from my father. After all this 'saving the world' stuff, we have protection all the time and plenty of money to do whatever we please. You want to go to …" he trailed off and pulled out his phone from his back pocket. He stood beside me holding a picture of the world. "Pick where you want to visit first."

I laughed and pointed to Japan.

"Okay, Japan it is," he said slapping his hands up and down gesturing 'all done'. I giggled. "When do you want to go? I can book the trip now."

"Um," I began, then pointed outside. "Rampant virus? Military base quarantine? Potential national state of emergency?"