Hi peeps! So this chapter is going to be a longer one because I have taken so stupidly long to update. I'll be using both Erin and Josh's p.o.v in this chapter.There will be a bit happening in this chapter so hold onto your seats... Oh but the beginning starts slow...

***************************************************************************************************

I didn't trust Hunt. I didn't just one little bit. But when he told us that we were meant to kill everyone, I just couldn't take it.

I stood up and walked towards the balcony that looked out over the ruined city. Leaning on the railing, I took deep breaths, trying to clear my head and not panic. Were Josh and I really capable of that power? If so, we held the lives of millions in our hands. And it wasn't like we could refuse. Triple would make us do it. We had no choice.  

I felt a hand on the small of my back. "Are you ok?" Josh whispered. I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak, and buried myself into him. His arms encircled me naturally. "Erin, you know that we'd never do what Hunt told us we'd do, right?"

"How can we refuse?" I sniffed. "They'll kill us, Josh. And I know that sounds selfish but I don't want to die."

"Its not selfish," Josh said soothingly.

"Well, it kind of is," Hunt said from behind us. Josh looked at him angrily.

"Do you mind?" he growled. "You have no idea what it's like to be every day scared for your life. Just shut up and leave us alone."

"Actually I do," Hunt said. "Thanks to Triple, I do. They sent their super assassins to kill me so I think that's a reason to be scared."

"We're not going to kill you," I mumbled.

"I don't know, I'm tempted," Josh muttered.

"Ha. Very funny," Hunt said sarcastically. "Anyway, back to defeating Triple and everything. I'm not actually working alone, as I said. I've got contacts."

"Like who?" Josh scoffed.

"Hmm I don't know, how about the General of the World United Army?"

"What...?" I said.

"Yeah, I've been hired as a spy slash hacker," he said. "And, my main target was to get into contact with you and deliver you to him." I snapped. And so did Josh. As one, we wrenched the gun out of the guard's hands who we could see standing by the door inside. It flew towards us and landed straight in Josh's arms, aimed at Hunt. The guard ran in but we slammed the balcony door and locked it, leaving him thumping on the glass.

"Woah," Hunt said. "That was cool."

"I don't give a damn about if you think it's cool," I said.

"You are not going to hand us over to anyone," Josh said. "The moment Triple find out that we're with the World United Army, even as prisoners, they'll pull the switch on us and kill us. Or maybe that's what you want?"

"No, I don't want to kill you," Hunt said, his arms up in surrender. "There are much easier ways to do that." Josh jabbed the gun at him.

"On your knees, now," he said. Hunt did what he was told, not arguing. Josh passed me the gun. "Erin," he said. "It's your decision."

With all the anger bubbling inside me, it should have been an easy decision. But it wasn't. I can't kill someone in cold blood. I can't, I can't, I can't... 

"She can't, Josh," Hunt said suddenly. His voice was gentle and soft. "It's not in her nature. Triple have hurt her more than you can protect."

"I didn't tell her to do it," Josh said.

"No, you didn't," Hunt said. "But she won't anyway. Believe me, I'm your only chance to survive this. Josh, if you want her to live happily and face none of this anymore, then you'll have to do what I say."

"We can't trust you," he said. "You'll hand us over and they will kill us. Or at least keep us prisoner. Where is the freedom in that?"

"I promise they won't kill you or keep you prisoner," Hunt said. "They just want to talk to you. And also, they know that you're the victims in this, not the enemy."

"Josh," I whispered. He looked at me, his gaze softening.

"Fine," he said. "But I'm warning you, by the time we get to your General, Triple will know that we've disobeyed them. They still have their kill switch."

"Oh don't you worry about that," Hunt said with a smile.

"Why not?"

"Because I can deactivate it."

***

Later that night, I stood on the balcony again, wrapped in a thick woollen shawl and breathing in the night air. It surprised a lot of people that when Triple took over, global warming was a lot less. The night sky in the city now was clear, exposing the beautiful stars that you would have never seen before in New York.

"Enjoying the view, are we?" Hunt said from behind me. I whipped around.

"Oh, it's you," I said. "What do you want, Hunt?"

"Wow, that was cold," he said, leaning on the railing next to me. "I just thought that you'd like to know that I've deactivated Triple's death switch. They can't kill you now but you and Josh are still linked." I was silent. "And I haven't opened that file yet. I know now that you can't either." I nodded. "Aren't you going to talk?"

"I don't particularly like you," I said simply. Hunt laughed.

"Not many do at first," he said. "I'm sorry if I have been a bit rude. The war with Triple has changed me."

"How has it changed you?"

"My mother and I survived the first ten years," he said. "We sought refuge with a camp just outside London. But then Triple stormed it, killing everyone. My mother got me out, told me to run but then she was shot, right here." He placed his hand to his chest. "I saw it, right in front of my eyes."

"I'm so sorry," I said.

"It wasn't your fault," he said. "You weren't even there."

"But still," I said. "She was your mother. I don't even have one." Hunt gazed at me for a while then unstrung something from around his neck.

"This was hers," he said, showing me the bronze heart shaped necklace. "She gave it to me the night before she died. And you know what she told me?"

"What?"

"She said that as long as I had it, there would always be love and hope in the world," he said. He took my hand and pooled it into my palm. "I want you to have it."

"But-"

"No, Erin," he said. "You need to believe a lot more than I do. And I think she'd want you to have it. May I?" He took the necklace again and latched it around my neck. "It suits you."

"Thanks, Hunt," I whispered. "It's beautiful."

"It sure is," he said. "But please, call me Charlie."

***

Josh's p.o.v.

The next day, Hunt gathered his men and we all climbed down the skyscraper to the ground below. "We have transportation outside of the city," Hunt told us. "We just need to get out undetected." I walked with Erin, Hunt's men all around us.

"Where did you get that necklace from?" I asked Erin as we were walking.

"Oh, Charlie gave it to me," she said, absent minded.

"Charlie? You mean Hunt?"

"Yeah," she said. "But he's asked if we call him Charlie. He's a lot nicer than you think, Josh." I was silent. It seems that Hunt, or Charlie as we now have to call him, has made a move on Erin. I realised something in that moment.

I was in love with Erin.

Anger and jealously invaded my mind without a warning. I closed myself off so Erin couldn't read me. Harry was right. I should have been quicker.

"Josh?" Erin said. "Are you alright? You've gone really pale."

"Yeah," I said. "Never been better."

I slowed down and walked nearer to the back. I just needed some space right now, away from Erin. A couple of times she glanced back, looking at me worriedly but then went back talking to Hunt. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that what happened next was all my fault.

There was an explosion that shook the ground, making everyone stumble. Before we could recover, Triple men in black uniform swarmed out of the buildings around us, shooting wildly. I dropped to the floor to avoid the flying bullets before jumping up again. Where was Erin?! In all the commotion I couldn't see her.

I finally laid eyes on her, crouching behind a block of concrete shooting wildly with her pistol. She locked eyes with me, standing up and about to shout something but then a shooting pain ripped through my abdomen. I doubled over, clutching my stomach, looking down expecting to see blood. There wasn't any.

"Josh..." Erin whispered. I looked at her and the bullet wound gushing blood from her stomach. It wasn't me who was shot.

It was her.

The world became silent as she collapsed onto the ground.

"No!" I screamed, running towards her, dodging soldiers from both sides. "Erin! Erin please, no!" I jumped over a dead Triple soldier, falling to my knees beside her. "Erin please don't leave me!" I cradled her in my arms, rocking her gently, trying to use my healing powers to heal her. It wasn't working fast enough. Why wasn't it working?

The pain in my own mid section was increasing but I knew this was nothing compared to what she was feeling. Her eyes were fluttering and unfocussed. "Come on Erin! Please!" I screeched, each word ripping my throat raw. I wasn't scared of dying myself. I was scared of watching her die while I was utterly helpless. Tears slid down my face. "Don't make me watch this, Erin," I whispered. I can't just watch her die. This was all my fault. If I had just stayed with her then this would never have happened.

Suddenly I was yanked away from her by two Triple men, being dragged in the opposite direction. I kicked and screamed, trying desperately to pull myself free but they held fast. "No! You have to let me heal her! Please, you have to let me heal her!" I cried. They didn't listen. I spotted Hunt fighting his way through Triple's men towards me but he wasn't going to make it.

"Hunt!" I yelled through the tears. "Look after her! Tell her I'm sorry!" He held my gaze, wide eyed in shock. I just managed to catch him nod at me before I was pulled round the corner and shoved to my knees.

"Hello Josh. Good to see you again," Steve said. "Boy, we're going to have a lot of fun." He swung his fist at my head and I blacked out. The last image that flashed through my mind was Erin's pale, limp and lifeless body, covered in scarlet blood.

************************************************************************************************

Omg what have I done?!?! I think that was the best cliffhanger I have ever written which might not be too brilliant for you guys...

So who do you ship? Charlie and Erin or Josh and Erin? Personally I'm like Jerin all the way :):):)

So next chapter will be with Josh then we'll have one with Erin. Hopefully this one wasn't too bad or horrible for you.

Thanks for all your support so far!

CricketCat