CHAPTER 15 -FINAL
1286 Words
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*Chapter 15 - The Tower*
The roof of VexCorp was freezing.
Wind ripped at my hair. Helicopters beat the air above us.
Below, all of London watched on their phones. Livestream. News. Everything.
Victor stood at the edge. 10 feet from us.
Hands in his pockets like he was just admiring the view.
“You think you won?” he asked. He didn’t look at us. He looked at the city.
“I built this. Every light. Every server. Every contract.”
“You built it on lies,” Lila said. She was shaking, but her voice didn’t crack.
Victor finally turned. His eyes landed on Damian.
“Son. Don’t do this. Come home. We can fix this. Together.”
Damian didn’t flinch. “This is home. And you’re not part of it anymore.”
Victor’s jaw ticked. “Then you leave me no choice.”
He pulled the remote from his pocket.
`NIGHTFALL: BACKUP PROTOCOL`
`EXECUTE IN 10...9...`
My heart stopped.
“Iceland servers,” Victor said calmly. “Mirror of everything. If I press this, the grid goes dark in 6 hours. And this time there’s no USB to stop it.”
“You’re bluffing,” I said. My voice shook.
“Try me.” His thumb hovered.
7...6...
Lila lunged.
Victor was faster. He shoved her back.
A Vant raised his gun.
“NO!” Damian screamed.
He tackled me to the ground.
*BANG.*
Pain. Heat.
Damian grunted against me.
The world went muffled.
“Damian?” I pushed at his chest. “Damian look at me.”
Blood. On his shirt. Right shoulder.
It was spreading fast.
“f**k,” he breathed. “That’s... that hurts.”
Lila was already on her phone. “Ambulance! Roof of VexCorp Tower! Now!”
Victor hadn’t moved. He was still holding the remote.
4...3...
I scrambled up. “Give it to me!”
He smiled. “Last chance, Ava. Tell him to stand down, or London pays.”
I looked at Damian. On the ground. Pale. Breathing hard.
I looked at the city.
And I chose.
I ran at Victor. Full speed.
He swung. The remote flew out of his hand.
I caught it mid-air.
2...1...
`ABORTED`
I slammed it on the concrete. Again. Again. Until it was pieces.
Police swarmed. They took Victor. They took the Vant.
Sirens everywhere.
But all I could hear was Damian.
---
*Hospital. 2 Hours Later.*
White lights. Beeping.
I hadn’t let go of his hand since they put him on the stretcher.
“Miss, you can’t be in here—”
“I’m not leaving,” I said.
The doctor pulled the bullet out. Stitched him.
“Non-critical,” he said. “Shoulder. He’ll be fine. But he needs rest.”
When Damian opened his eyes, I was still there.
“Hey,” he whispered. Voice rough.
“Hey,” I whispered back. Tears were already falling. “You i***t. You absolute idiot.”
He tried to smile. “Told you I’d take a bullet for you.”
“Don’t you ever do that again.” I was crying now. Full on. “Don’t you ever—”
“Ava.” He squeezed my hand. Weak, but there. “Come here.”
I leaned down. My forehead to his.
“I thought you were dead,” I said. “For like 3 seconds I thought—”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “Not without you.”
We were quiet. The machines beeped.
“Ava,” he said again.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t loud.
It was just true.
My breath caught. “What?”
“I love you,” he said again. Like he needed me to hear it. “I loved you when you pulled me out of that club. I loved you when you shared your headphones with me. I loved you when you chose to turn yourself in so I could run.”
He swallowed. “I love you, Ava Reyes. DJ. Troublemaker. The girl who saved my life.”
I was sobbing now. “Damian...”
“Tell me to shut up,” he said. “Tell me you don’t—”
“I love you too,” I cut him off. “God, I love you so much. I’ve loved you since you carried me out that back door and didn’t ask for anything back.”
He closed his eyes. Exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for weeks.
“Good,” he said. “Because I was not surviving this and then losing you too.”
I laughed through tears. “You’re so stupid.”
“You’re the one who dated me,” he said.
Lila walked in right then. Saw us. Saw his hand in mine.
She rolled her eyes. “Are you two done being gross? Because the whole world is watching and I need you for the press conference.”
Damian didn’t let go. “5 minutes.”
“Fine.” Lila sat in the chair. “Dad’s in custody. No bail. Nightfall is dead. VexCorp is being seized. You’re both free.”
Free.
The word felt foreign.
---
*72 Hours Later.*
Press conference.
Damian in a sling. Me holding his other hand.
Lila at the podium.
“VexCorp will be dissolved,” she said. “Assets will go to rebuilding the grid and to victims of Nightfall. My brother and I will not be taking any positions.”
Reporters shouted.
“Are you dating?”
“Is it true he saved your life?”
Damian looked at me. Then at the cameras.
“Yes,” he said. “She’s mine. And I’m hers. And we’re done running.”
The internet exploded.
---
*1 Month Later. Brighton.*
Small flat. Sea air. No bodyguards.
Damian was trying to cook. He was terrible at it.
I was DJing on the balcony for no one. Just for fun.
“You’re staring,” he said from the kitchen.
“I’m allowed,” I said. “You’re my boyfriend.”
He came out with two plates. Burnt pasta.
“Gourmet,” he announced.
I kissed him. Tasted smoke. “It’s perfect.”
He pulled me into his lap. “Hey. Serious for 2 seconds?”
“Okay.”
“Thank you,” he said. “For choosing me. On the roof. In the hospital. Every time.”
“I’d choose you again,” I said. “Even if it meant running. Even if it meant hiding. Even if it meant all of this.”
He rested his head on mine. “Then let’s not run anymore.”
Outside, the sun was setting.
No drones. No Vant. No countdown.
Just music.
And him.
---
*EPILOGUE - 1 Year Later*
The club was packed.
My name on the marquee: `AVA REYES`
Damian was at the bar. In a hoodie. No suit. No Vex.
Lila was dancing with 3 friends.
I dropped the beat. The crowd went wild.
After my set, Damian met me backstage.
“You were incredible,” he said.
“You’re biased.”
“Probably.” He handed me water. “Come home? I made dinner. Didn’t burn it this time. I promise.”
I took his hand. “Lead the way.”
On the news in the taxi, they were talking about `GRIDSAFE`. The new company Lila built.
And about Victor Vex. Still in prison. No appeals left.
Damian squeezed my hand.
“We did it,” he said.
“We did,” I said.
And for the first time since that night in the club,
I wasn’t looking over my shoulder.
I was looking forward.
With him.
*THE END....
- Writer
