But Kid already could tell by the direction of the conversation and the way everyone was talking about it what the answer was.
“I’ll die,” Kid said.
Treycore’s face flashed red as his jaw and neck tensed. “He’s not doing this.” Treycore spit the words out.
“Treycore, I understand your feelings,” Aerysn said.
Treycore started toward him. “You know nothing about my feelings. You know nothing about who Kid is or how I feel. You think I’ve been chemically brainwashed into feeling the way I feel, but I know better. What I feel is different than what you, Kinzer, or anyone else has felt about him.”
“I’m not saying you don’t. I’m saying it certainly didn’t hurt things for you to feel this sort of amped-up energy from him initially.”
“I’m not listening to any more of this!” Treycore insisted. “You all can say what you want about who Kid is, what he was intended for, but I know how I feel. And I also know that I’m not going to let you send him in to that Christ monster to die.”
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
“We kill the thing ourselves,” Kinzer said. “I agree with Treycore. We’re not sacrificing Kid. You didn’t make some robot. You made a person.”
“We made a weapon,” Quintz said.
Kinzer shook his head as he directed his words to Quintz. “The other night, when you were going on about how you admired what I did for my fellow immortals and for mortals, you said you were so impressed because of my empathy. But here you are, doing the same thing immortals have always done. Can’t you see this is no different? He’s not a weapon. Look at him. He’s just as real and alive as we are.”
“This isn’t about me not seeing that,” Quintz said. “This is about all the lives he could potentially save.”
“He’s right,” Aerysn added. “Maybe what we did wasn’t the most ethical thing, but we did what we could to save so many more lives.”
Kinzer pointed at Kid. “Can you look at him, right now, and tell me that you’re willing to send him to his death?”
“This is what he was created for, Kinzer,” Quintz said. “This is his purpose.”
“No, it wasyourpurpose,” Treycore barked. “You thoughtlessly, selfishly created him to do your bidding, but I’m not going to let you kill him. We’re doing this, and we’re doing this ourselves.”
“Treycore, I don’t think you understand what we’re up against,” Aerysn said.
“I don’t think you understand what you’re up against.” Treycore approached Aerysn, getting in his face.
“Treycore,” Kid said, “this is about me, so let me get mad about it. It’s nice hearing someone finally explain this crap because a lot of things in my life suddenly make a lot of sense now. Things that made me feel weird or unusual in the world, and it’s because Iamdifferent. I’ve always been different. I’ve lived an awfully shitty life because of what you all did, and I hate you all for that. But also, I do recognize that if I can stop this thing—”
“No, that’s not an option.”
“I agree with Trey,” Kinzer said.
“Why don’t we let Kid decide?” Aerysn asked.
There were too many thoughts racing through Kid’s brain. Too many voices shouting. “I think I need a minute,” he said. “This is too fucking much right now.”
He wanted to get out, get anywhere else. Away from everyone. He needed to process everything that had happened.
Treycore wrapped his arm around Kid again and ushered him to the back door of the kitchen, leading outside.
“We’re going to talk,” Trey said. “And if anyone disturbs us, they’re going to be choking on their own dicks.”
And Kid was so glad he was there for him, because he needed him to take charge, to get him out of there. But he couldn’t help but wonder if all this protectiveness was a part of that pheromone they said he was releasing.
If that was all it had ever been.
***
How dare those bastards say those things in front of Kid, Treycore thought. Kid wasn’t some weapon. He was…everything. He could have kicked Aerysn’s ass for how callously he had acted, how he’d planted these seeds of doubt and worry in Kid’s head about how Treycore felt about him. Treycore guided Kid away from the cabin, his arm around him, but he could feel Kid keeping some distance.
