Guardians: The Triplex Part 32

They next morning, I find Emmy has called me several times. I call her back and brace myself.

"Hey."

"Marcus! Where were you? I was gonna come find you but Ben's mom needed me to babysit at the last minute. Is everything okay?" she asks frantically.

No, I'm about to break you heart and in turn break mine. And I would fight Lucy all over again if it meant that I didn't have to do what I'm about to do.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Why didn't you come over?"

"Something came up."

"Is the team okay?"

"Yeah, it's just some stuff I had to take care of."

"You sound weird. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah..."

"I'm coming over."

"No, everything's fine. Don't come over, okay? I'll see you later."

"But-"

"Please, Emmy. Don't come."

I hang up before she can protest more. Rio comes up to the roof and stands alongside me.

"You told her not to come?" he asks.

"The only way I can get her here is to tell her to stay away," I reply.

"Guess you have it all figured out."

"Yeah, I'm a freaking genius," I spit out bitterly.

I head to my room where Ameana is waiting. She was able to get Wolf to agree to the plan. The two of them are going to be low-key until we get into the Light. It's been a few hours since her and Wolf became unofficially "official." Strands of her hair is glowing.

"Wow, that good, huh?" I ask her.

"What are you talking about?" she says, playing coy.

"I'm glad you have someone. He's different but he's a good guy."

"That doesn't mean it will end well."

"Doesn't mean it won't."

"He wants me to take yoga."

I burst out laughing and she playfully pushes me away.

"Can I get pictures of that?" I ask.

"I don't think so."

"Wolf has no idea what he's in for."

"Everyone thinks I'm a handful, but what about the Angel who stops in the middle of an argument to find his Chakra?"

The more she talks, the harder I laugh.

She looks out the window and tells me Emmy is on her way upstairs.

"Okay."

"You sure about this?" she asks.

I can't bring myself to talk. I can only clear my throat and nod.

Ameana goes over to the door and leaves it slightly ajar.

We hear Emmy's footsteps as she makes her way up the stairs. Even though I know this has to happen, a very real part of me hopes she can see through this scheme. I hope she knows that I love her even with what I'm about to do.

I hear her call out my name as she heads down the hallway towards us. I pull Ameana close. Emmy opens the door. She finds me and Ameana in the middle of an all-consuming kiss.

Her jaw drops. Her body shakes uncontrollably. She gasps as if someone is ripping the very breath from her lungs. The tears spring to her eyes like a tidal wave of pain.

She's trying to make sense of the picture before her. But no matter how she puts the pieces together, the picture is still the same. She lets out a whimper like a kitten who's just been brutally kicked. She looks at me, silently begging for an explanation.

"I'm sorry" are the only words I can choke out.

She runs out the door. I follow her. She heads to the roof, I'm right behind her.

"Why?" she pleads.

"I don't know why."

"TELL ME WHY!" she screams, as she shakes with rage and confusion.

"I thought I stopped loving her, but I was wrong," I lie.

"You love her?"

"Yes."

"You don't love me anymore?"

"No."

"Did you ever love me?"

"I thought I did in the beginning."

"And now?"

"No, I don't love you."

She gasps for air, she can't breathe. I run over to her and take her hand. She violently brushes my hand away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!!"

"I'm sorry. I should have told you I still had feelings for her. I thought they would stop eventually."

"Go away," she whispers.

"Emmy. I'm-"

"GO AWAY! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" she shrieks loudly, as she pounds her fists into my chest.

I fight the desire to take her into my arms and hold her. Then I force myself to do the impossible: I walk away from the only person who has made me feel alive since my death.

I look over my shoulder and see her crumple onto the floor of the roof. Her sobbing causes her small frame to rock back and forth. I think about going back to her and telling her the truth.

This is for her, Marcus. Walk away because you love her. She deservers better than being hunted all her life...

As I open the door to go downstairs, an unnatural darkness takes over the once blue sky. Somehow I know what was happening even before I feel it on my skin.

The blue raindrops. .h.i.t the palm of my hand. I look up and all of New York City is bathed is blue rain. For the first time in the history of man and Angel kind, a human has drained the blue from the sky.

I didn't just break Emmy's heart; I took what was left of her world...

I should have gone to the Green Mountains. I should have left earth entirely but I couldn't. I had to stay and make sure the whole Angel world knew that Ameana and I were back together. The truth is what Angels know, Demons know. And I need every Demon to know and report back to Lucy that Emmy and I are done. That way she will finally get some much needed peace.

There's another reason why I don't leave New York City: I need to look in on her. The others said they would do it for me, but it's not the same thing. I needed to see with my own eyes that she's okay. And of course, she isn't.

I swallow "No See" Snaps so I can be invisible and look in on her. It pains me to see her and know what I've done. So why can't I stay away? Why am I glued to the one place that causes me so much anguish?

It's been two days since the blue rain. Every human is talking about the day it rained a color. Scientists from all points of the globe have descended on New York City to study what they call "an anomaly." Even Angels are fascinated by it. Although they now know the story of Isis and Demetri was a true, it's still an amazing sight to behold in their lifetime.

Luckily it only lasted a few hours. Had Emmy caused it to rain longer, I'm not sure what we could have done to make the rain stop. I don't want her to suffer the same fate as Isis. The Sage admits even he didn't know a human could make that happen. But then again, Emmy isn't like any other human I know.

The Splash talked about the blue rain but that was after they spent several pages talking about Ameana and I reuniting. We have made the front page of the Splash. I suspect we will be there for some time.

I only know about it because Emmy is reading the Splash in bed. She has reread the article at least ten times. After she reads it, she looks at the Replay I gave her. She watches it for hours. She then curls up in her comforter and cries. It's the most heart-wrenching sound I've ever heard a human make. I sit at the foot of her bed and watch over her.

She cries for hours on end. And when she has exhausted herself, she feeds Ms. Charlotte and drifts off to sleep. I've taken a lot of Snaps in order to be able to watch her. The team says I need to rest. I don't care about recharging. I'm gonna stay with my love until the Council forces us to come back to the Light.

A few days later, sitting by her bed like I normally do, something strange happens. When it's time to feed Ms. Charlotte, she doesn't get up. She just stays there staring off into s.p.a.ce. The cat meows over and over again and she doesn't respond.

I call Rio and he confirms what I feared, Emmy is severely depressed. It was better when she was crying because then she was feeling something. But now it's like she's numb and doesn't care about anything.

I remember how she was when she lost Sara. She was almost catatonic. I can't let her go through that again. But then Rio reminds me that there is nothing I can do to help her. I spend every waking moment by her side just like before only now, she never moves. She doesn't cry. She doesn't do anything.

So now when Ms. Charlotte cries, I feed her. I have the grocery store deliver food although I know Emmy won't eat. She looks pale and weak so I buy her vitamins, even though I'm sure she won't take them. I've taken to straightening up her apartment when she's asleep.

Jay enters the apartment and observes me with a sense of wonder.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I'ma be real with you, I've seen you put your life in danger for Emmy many times. But I have never seen a guy, Angel or human, dust his girl's apartment. That's love, man."

"She's not my girl anymore," I lament.

"She know you come in here and do this?"

"No, when she's awake, I take a Snap and disappear."

"Words out everywhere: You and Ameana are back together."

"Good."

"Wolf hates you."

"I get that."

"And Rio's been staying away from this place."

"Emmy's emotions are that strong?"

"Marcus, she made

it rain blue. This from a girl with no powers."

"Where's Rio?"