Yep, I'm the bad guy, I thought as I shut the door to Josh's room, leaving him standing motionless and staring blankly at one of the beds. Adela had told me to put him in his and Erin's old room. I don't know why, probably just to rub it in further. I think she has a secret crush on Josh though she'd never admit it. Another thing to put on the list of things that make us second to Josh and Erin:

Adela and I basically hate each other. Not good for combat chemistry.

I walked through the base freely, ignoring the fact that every Triple soldier was jumping into different rooms as soon as I came along. They were scared of me...and to be honest I don't blame them. I've done some terrible things and they have no doubt heard about that. But I did those things with Adela at my side. She was the evil one, not me.

Wasn't she?

No. Josh's emotions were making me weak. I was latching onto them, becoming something I was not. I wasn't a good person. I was not Josh and I had to stop thinking I was.

"Austin," a voice said. I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face the Master. "Is he secure in his room?" He asked. I gave him a firm nod. "And Lucy has full control?" Another nod. "Good." He gestured for me to walk with him and I obeyed without a second thought.

"I someday thought that you six will be of use," the Master continued, the scars on his face rippling. "You were just unlucky that you were created before them." I stared at the floor as we continued walking.

"Austin, are you certain that Josh no longer has thoughts of his own?" The Master asked again. "You are free to speak in my mind."

"I am certain, Master," I said. "You don't need to worry. The plan will work. Lucy has already informed me that she has control of all of Erin and Josh's powers; Erin will be powerless to contact him or fight against us."

"I am just concerned," the Master murmured. "This has to work. Erin will go to the World United Army with Hunt. She will give away everything she knows to them. So, we have to be one step ahead."

"Master?" I asked. "What are you saying?"

"I'm packing up this base," the Master said. "I've planned and prepared the final attacks. In exactly one week's time, every city on this planet will have fallen, all governments will bow to Triple and the World United Army will be destroyed."

"But what about us?"

"The six of you shall be rewarded," the Master said. "I will deal with Erin and Josh when the time comes. They were always meant to be soldiers, expendable now that I know I don't need both of them. It was a calculated risk using Lucy but it worked. You six will always be my greatest creations."

"Thank you, Master," I said. He stopped me and placed his hands on my shoulders, almost fatherly like.

"You are my favourite, though Austin," he said. "You get the job done without any emotion, just like me. Adela hates too much, longs for revenge and the others... they're not as powerful or useful for too much. I only told Josh about one of you and that was Adela. You don't let your hate blind you, you use it. Trickery, deception and truth are your tools and you use them well, my son, just like me."

'You play a complicated game, Master,'  I said.

"Yes, quite a complicated game," the Master agreed. "But only I know what the outcome will be. I tell people different things so I win. I always win. And you, Austin, you will always be my perfect creation." 

I wasn't quite sure how to react to that. Something inside of me felt ashamed that I was this evil person's greatest creation. What does that make me? Luckily I didn't have to do anything because the Master was gone, walking down the corridor to sort out the final preparations for the last attacks.

***

'Where have you been?'  Adela asked me when I got into the common room.

'Taking care of Josh,' I replied curtly to her.

"Guys, get out of my head right now or I swear to God I will make you sorry," Kieran said through gritted teeth. He was leaning on the wall on the other side of the room, his partly metal skin glinting nastily.

'As if you could touch us,' Adela sneered at him, giving him the most murderous look I had ever seen. Although, there was probably an even worse one reserved for Erin.

"Do you really want to find out?" Kieran said, pushing himself off the wall and clumping his big metal feet towards us. He was stopped by the Twisted who fixed their pale eyes on Kieran and made him stop. We didn't know their names but they were the first failures to live so we just called them the Twisted. All they had were telekinesis but that was very weak. They did make good prompters when the Master wanted to scare someone out of their minds though...which was why he kept them around.

"Whatever," Kieran said, shrugging and jumping up on the table. "I can't be bothered with you losers anyway." Adela rolled her eyes and turned back to me.

'Is Josh totally alone?' she asked, still through Kieran who threw his head back in disgust.

'What do you think?'  I muttered. She smiled wickedly

'No reason, just another chance for me to make Erin suffer,' she said. She started to walk past me but I caught her arm.

'No one is meant to go near him,' I said. 'Lucy is working. If you disrupt her, you don't know what will happen.'

'Oh but I do, Austin,' Adela said, wrenching herself out of my grip. 'I spoke to Lucy about it and she agreed it would work. She even said it will be a good idea to immobilise Erin even further...you know, just in case it  is real.'

"You're not on about that  are you?" Kieran called. I knew exactly what she was talking about now. Ever since we were thirteen, Adela had started to see something in Josh's behaviour towards Erin. She had finally come to the conclusion that it was love (which she didn't believe in.) So, since then, she had been making a plan to rip Erin and Josh apart even further, perhaps beyond repair. She didn't even care how it effected me.

Her plan was to get Lucy to make Josh fall in 'love' with her  just to get back at Erin and to prove that love wasn't real. Petty and stupid and childish, I know but Adela seemed to believe that it would make a difference. I myself thought it was a terrible idea.

Adela swooped past me, giving me a triumphant look then left the room. I slumped down into a chair and put my head in my hands.

"Woah Austin," Kieran grinned. "That's very much unlike you." Silently, I was cursing myself for showing weakness. This is Josh, not me. This is not me.

Wasn't it?

The realisation came crashing down on me so suddenly I took a sharp intake of breath. It wasn't Josh. It was me. It has always been me. Josh had just helped. I looked around me, eyes wide with fear, shock, I don't even know anymore. One thing was for certain: I wasn't free here. I had never been free here. They had filled me with hate and anger which wasn't mine.

What could I do though?

Josh. Josh knew things. All I had to do was free him and that was it.

But it was impossible. Lucy's grip was tight.

No, there was only one person who could help me now.

Erin.

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

Hello you lovely lot!

Right, I think this was a lot better chapter than the last one so hopefully this was ok for you.

So, what do you think of Austin now? He's going to go AWOL but is he really team Erin and Josh? You'll have to wait and see for that one.

Ok see you soon!

CricketCat