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Part 24
heyyyy it's the day Jasper got infected in-universe!
With the way I fucked up the scheduling before, this was actually going to end fully today. Not intentionally, i just picked a random day of the week and ran from there. But instead we get to go one more week! weeeeeee
2.2
“Everyone have what they need?”
Everyone nodded in silence.
The blackened remains of the Colony that Zuli had fearlessly torched squelched beneath their feet. The recent rain made the air humid and muggy, but they were sure that wouldn’t matter.
Obsidian stared off silently, leaning against Zircon. Since he woke up, he’d barely responded to anything. He didn’t get up until Zuli threatened to leave him there went they set the manor on fire.
Jade, leaning against Paraiba, was only a little better. He clasped a small box in his hands and watched Zuli prepare something that he couldn’t quite see.
The two of them were barely able to walk, but Mercury didn’t want to leave anyone behind. He’d grumbled about not having wheelchairs on their way out, but Zircon and Paraiba didn’t really mind helping them outside; not even Obsidian.
Koroit looked just as hollow as Jade, though she at least could walk. In her hands, wrapped in sterile plastic and put in a plastic ziplock bag, were a pair of earmuffs. The fabric on the ears seem completely unsalvageable, but Koroit refused to leave them behind. She didn’t say why, or even where she’d gotten them, but Zircon suggested they wrap them up so they’re safe to bring with them. Now she stood close to him, opposite Obsidian.
Zircon himself didn’t take much, either. Just a picture frame that had barely survived. It was a picture of his family. His and his spouse’ faces were destroyed, but his daughter face was clear. Zuli and Mercury did their best to clean the picture, though they didn’t have the proper tools for it.
Paraiba and Silver had nothing. Paraiba said she only needed her scarf, and Silver hadn’t had anything from their home that they’d brought with them.
Zuli, Obsidian, and Jasper didn’t have anything, either. Zuli hadn’t had his own things. Jasper hadn’t had much to begin with either.
They didn’t know if Obsidian had had anything he might want to keep, but in the state he was in, they doubted he’d answer if they asked. Nevermind that anything in his room was probably well beyond saying.
Mercury himself had a huge bag of equipment. Medical records for everyone, research notes, any chemicals he had left that he could make more vaccines with.
“...Then, I think we’re ready,” Mercury said, taking a deep breath. “Zuli…?”
Zuli stood. “Ready.”
A network of fuses trailed from the front door and the windows to the yard, twisting into a thick chord as they reached the plunger Zuli had set up.
“Should we…back up more?” Paraiba asked hesitantly.
Zuli shrugged. “We should be far enough away, but there’s no reason not to get farther away.”
“...Should?”
“There’s a chance the rubble will fly farther than I excepted, but it’s unlikely. Ideally, I’d have the plunger farther back, but this was all the fuse I could make, so…”
“...I’m going to back up some,” Paraiba decided. Jade did his best to not trip on his own feet as she and Silver led him away.
Everyone else, except for Zuli, follow them. Obsidian didn’t take much prompting to start walking, though he stumbled much more than Jade.
Zuli watched them go. He didn’t want to scare them by setting off the bombs while their backs were turned. Several of them had been very excited at the idea of seeing the manor destroyed, too, and he wanted to make sure they got to see the whole thing.
He wanted to watch too. He wanted to see this horrible place get blown sky high. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so excited.
Once everyone was at a comfortable distance, Mercury gave him a thumbs up.
Zuli set his hand on the plunger, and took a deep breath.
“Three! Two! One!”
He pushed down as hard as he could, and when he heard the hiss of the fuse lighting he turned and ran to the others, as the lit fuse raced towards the manor.
He reached the others and turned just as the first bomb went off.
The bomb weren’t strong enough to make the ground shake from where they were, but they could see the entire building shudder. The mushrooms growing from the walls shriveled and shook, releasing numerous spores, as more and more bombs went off.
Zuli couldn’t help but grin when the fire started. He wasn’t sure he’d remembered how to make any of the bombs correctly, but the firebombs seem to have worked just fine. Those were the ones he was most worried about.
The group watched the fires in silence. The flames seemed to devour the entire building, as the mushrooms shriveled more, contorted, and disintegrated. They seemed to scream out, though only the ones who’d been infected could hear it.
Zircon felt Obsidian's hand tighten on his shoulder. Obsidian was looking up into the fire, looking more present than he had since he’d first woke up. The fire seemed to fill his eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched.
Why didn’t you leave me there?
Obsidian had been silent for ages, even before Mercury and Zuli saved them. Hearing his voice, even in their heads like this, was startling. He was quiet, confused, and almost…tired.
Why are you taking me with you?
Zuli and Mercury didn’t hear. They hadn’t been infected. And they were too busy watching the fire to notice that everyone else had turned to look at Obsidian.
There’s been enough pain and death, came Zircon’s equally quiet reply. But you’re more welcome to go back inside.
Obsidian closed his eyes, and lowered his head, but otherwise did not respond.
They watched until the fires died, and their long nightmare was finally put to rest.
