CHAPTER 32
THE FULL TRUTH

MICHAEL immediately shoved Coraline behind his back as the door swung open. She tried to push her way past him, but the bond made him stronger, and him simply holding his arm in front of her felt like she was ramming her whole body into a brick wall. Coraline quickly fixed the top of her dress when she recognized the two women entering the suite, knowing that from the looks of their faces, this could mean nothing but trouble.

Venable walked in carefully, allowing her cane to guide her. Ms. Mead, of course, was trailing behind her, lips pulled into a wicked grin. Coraline realized she couldn't hear any music coming from downstairs, nor did she hear the happy shouts of partying survivors. It was quiet – too quiet.

"Ladies," Michael sneered, recovering from their surprise visit, "I'm a little busy right now."

Venable hummed, "This won't take long." Ever so slowly, her eyes slid to Coraline's, hiding beneath Michael's towering form. Venable's brows knitted together when she noticed the protective arm he had in front of the brunette woman. "Coraline Avery," she called, mouth contorting into a frown, "why didn't you stay for ... for the festivities? You missed our little treat."

Coraline knew then that she had been right. Could she have prevented it? Maybe, but the future is hard to reverse, and fate wants things to stay in place. If she hadn't gotten so distracted ... maybe she could've saved someone – anyone. Maybe she could've saved Gallant, or Mallory. The quietness coming from downstairs became deafening. She refused to go down there now; she refused to see the mess of apples and bloody vomit that she wanted to counteract.

Eventually, Coraline cleared her throat, glancing to Michael for a moment, before turning back to Venable. "Langdon wanted to see me," she replied. "He ... wanted to congratulate me on being selected for the Sanctuary."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Michael rub at the bridge of his nose and sigh heavily. Both Venable and Ms. Mead's expressions became muddled. Michael finally turned back to the two women with a huge smirk.

"Miss Avery is lying," he stated proudly, making Coraline's eyes grow wide. "She has been coming to my suite every night for weeks now. We have been engaged in copulation." Michael clicked his tongue and paused between his next few words, "Every. Damn. Night."

Coraline gripped his arm tightly, mouth twisting into a tight frown. "Michael, stop it –"

Venable was shaking with anger. She hadn't even noticed Coraline's slip of Michael's real name. Venable was too distracted by her own rage. Her whole body vibrated, and not even Ms. Mead's hand on her shoulder could help contain her fury. "Mr. Langdon," she spoke with gritted teeth, "is this your admittance to seducing one of my survivors?"

"You do not own the inhabitants of this Outpost, Ms. Venable," Michael spat. "You have tried time and time again to make this place over in your image, when that was not in your place to do. Especially, when you thought that no one who knew any better would ever be around to notice these new rules. You were to follow the directives I drafted."

Ms. Venable launched forward, standing just a foot from Michael. She could easily use her cane to beat him senseless, but she needed it to stand. Her eyes blazed and she found it difficult to breathe properly through her nose. "I should slice both your throats for going behind my back," she fumed, eye twitching. "This is my Outpost."

Michael raised one brow and shook his head in mock pity. "You don't have that kind of authority."

Venable chuckled darkly. "Oh, I do, Mr. Langdon."

"So, what's your plan then?" Coraline spoke up again, moving slightly to the right so she could stand beside Michael, instead of being sheltered behind him. She wasn't afraid of Venable, or even her accomplice. This Ms. Mead had nothing on the real thing. "Are you going to kill us for breaking rules that shouldn't have existed in the first place? Sounds a bit far-fetched if you ask me."

"In a way," Venable replied, sharing a look with Ms. Mead, "because we're making the selections now, and I'm afraid you both didn't make the cut."

Coraline's stare narrowed, while Michael actually seemed amused. He released a chuckle at Ms. Venable's expense. She didn't look to be phased by it, though, lips staying in a devilish grin.

"I'm sorry," Michael exhaled, holding a hand to his chest. "I wanted to let you have your moment, but I just couldn't hold it in."

"You think this is funny?" Venable scoffed.

Michael glanced to Coraline for a moment, and she was completely perplexed by the sneer on his face. "I think I'm impressed, Ms. Venable. I wasn't sure you had it in you."

Coraline looked from Michael to Venable's confident expression. "Where are you going with this?" She muttered.

He raised his hand and shushed her with one pointed finger. "You've passed the test," Michael continued, turning back to Ms. Venable. "You're perfect for the Sanctuary."

The answer hadn't even stunned her. Venable's grin vanished, replaced by a stern darkness in her already black eyes. With hands clasped in front of her, she called, "Ms. Mead."

Coraline's stare shifted to the woman in question, watching Ms. Mead flip the safety off of a handgun and point it in their direction. "What the fuck –" Coraline shouted, suddenly kept back by Michael's arm again. This time, she curled her hands around it, eyes growing wide at the sight of a gun aimed right for her skull.

"I wouldn't do that," Michael warned.

That only heightened Venable's conviction. However, she soon realized that her partner wasn't doing anything. Bullets didn't fly. Hearts didn't stop. "Ms. Mead," she called again, stronger this time.

Michael was staring at the older women, lifting a brow. Ms. Mead was frozen in place, staring at Michael's pleased expression, as Venable spun to look at her confidant.

And then Ms. Mead's hand started to move, as if she had no control over it. Her eyes remained on Michael, yet the gun in her hand slowly advanced to point at Ms. Venable. Without a second thought, she fired the weapon, right into Venable's chest. The Outpost leader fell to the hardwood floor, blood spilling from her chest.

Michael's lips curled, while Coraline didn't know what to think. Her eyes went immediately to Venable gasping for air on the ground, trying to tear at her chest to extract the bullet, but it was in too deep. Coraline knew Michael was powerful, but ... had the bond also made him able to switch the decisions of others in a split second? She didn't doubt it.

Ms. Mead trembled at the sight before her. "I don't know why I did that!"

"Neither do I," Coraline remarked, watching Ms. Venable quickly lose her will to live. Air was escaping her; death was imminent.

Michael abandoned his protective wall in front of Coraline to kneel by Venable's still body. "It's alright," he cooed, as if the woman didn't just murder the only person she had been loyal to. "You were obeying commands, like you're programmed to do. My commands."

Coraline's brow raised. So he hadn't been lying about the whole robot thing, she thought to herself. Stranger things have happened, I guess.

Yeah, like fucking your ex from high school, who turned out to be the Antichrist, her conscious barked back.

Michael quickly stood to his feet, smiling softly in Ms. Mead's direction. "Did you enjoy executing the poison apples plan, as much as I enjoyed coming up with it?" He then gestured to Coraline. "With the help of our prophet predicting it, of course."

"You what?" Coraline stepped in front of him. She was extremely close to stepping over Venable's corpse. "How – why didn't you tell me? You programmed that poison apple plan after my vision? Those were innocent people –"

"They all wanted you dead, Coraline," Michael answered quickly. He placed a hand on her elbow, hoping that she would understand that this was the only way; that this wasn't a repeat of his mistake at the Winter Ball. No – this had a purpose. "Gallant told both Coco and Andre about us before the Halloween celebration started. They were trying to come up with a plan to kill you so you wouldn't get into the Sanctuary."

Coraline blinked quietly. Her and Gallant were ... friends. At least, she thought they were. Him finding out about her relationship with Michael must've really pissed him off. She did break the friend code, after all. She didn't want to believe Michael's words, but he never lied. She could see it in his eyes. It was true – all of it.

"You ..." Ms. Mead stuttered, shaking her head as tears sprang from her eyes. Both Coraline and Michael swung their heads in her direction. "You wanted everyone dead?"

"It's what needed to be done," he replied simply. "I've never been a fan of getting my hands dirty. I learned that from my Father." Michael then gripped Coraline's hands, causing her to step forward. She nudged close to his side and relished in the warmth he exuded. "Always more fun to entice men and women to dirty deeds. Confirms what I've always believed."

Ms. Mead's mouth trembled. "W – What do you b – believe?"

"That all people, if given the right pressures or stimulus," his voice grew to a hiss in Coraline's ear, "are evil motherfuckers."

"I'm having trouble with this," Ms. Mead admitted. Her sobs became quieter, and she was suddenly no longer shaking. "I know, I'm just a machine –"

Michael shook his head. "Never say that," he interrupted, concern echoing in his tone. Coraline pursed her lips as she looked at him, realizing how much he cared for this replica, as if she was the real Ms. Mead.

Maybe the boy she knew was still in there.

"You're not just a machine," Michael whispered. "Not to me. When I tasked the Cooperative's RND department to have you constructed, I gave them a prototype to model. Someone from my childhood. Someone very dear to me. A person I couldn't live without."

Realization dawned on Ms. Mead's face. The tears on her cheeks dried, and her eyes lit up. She remembered a beautiful blonde boy, with curls the color of sunshine, and a power that could create miracles. This was that boy, standing before her, and he loved her for the machine she was.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he continued, walking forward with his hand laced with Coraline's. "But I had to keep the most important part of you hidden from your mind to protect you, and the plan. So me, you, and Coraline, along with my Father, could start over. We can rebuild the world from the ground up – together. Like how it was prophesied."

Ms. Mead's stare reverted to Coraline, who slowly lifted her chin towards the older woman. It was then that Mead realized why Coraline had looked familiar when they first met. The woman she was modeled after knew Coraline – quite well, she assumed.

She walked forward then, a huge grin covering her face, as she wrapped her arms around Michael. His hand slipped from Coraline's so he could hug the older woman, and she felt almost like the real thing. He needed her by his side. He always would. At that moment, Michael was grateful that he was able to care for powerful women.

He leaned away, but kept his hands on Ms. Mead's shoulder. A proud smile graced his lips, and he carefully smoothed out the wrinkles in her jacket. "Ms. Mead," he said elegantly, "would you mind giving Coraline and I a moment?"

"Of course," she nodded, grinning from ear to ear. Ms. Mead patted his hands one last time before nearing the doorway. "I'll be right outside."

Michael bobbed his head in agreement, turning to face Coraline once the door was shut. She stared at him with concern, unsure if she should move closer or stay in the same spot. His eyes were cold again, yet she knew that was far from what he felt on the inside. His moment with Ms. Mead proved that.

"You really love her," Coraline whispered. Her lips parted as she paused for a moment. "You loved her enough to bring her back in any way possible. I've noticed that you tend to do that – you know, bringing back the people you care for."

Michael stayed quiet. Coraline was surprised that he didn't have a cynical response to fire back, but he simply looked to his shoes. Coraline didn't want to say too much then. She tried to suppress the emotion bubbling in her stomach, but it was too powerful. Not even her newfound strength from the bond could stop it.

A sniffle emerged from her nose. Her throat clogged with words she knew it wasn't the time to say. Tears welled up in her eyes as she finally professed, "I'm ... I'm so sorry, Michael."

His stare lifted again. Coraline stepped forward, just a few inches from him, watching his icy expression soften when he noticed the haze in her grey eyes. "I shouldn't have abandoned you when we were younger," she murmured, shaking her head in shame. "I know ... I know I acted cruelly when I said that months ago. I know I told you to get over it, but ... fuck, I'm so sorry. I hurt you. I left you when –" She bit her lip, sucking in a loud sob. "I left you when you asked me to stay; when you said that you were afraid of hurting me. I'll never stop regretting that – ever."

Slowly, he raised his hand and rubbed the tears coating her freckled cheeks. That alone told Coraline that he understood; that the old him was still in there.

She grabbed his hand that laid on her cheek, lacing their fingers together. Her hands were still small, and they would always fit perfectly in his palm. "I want to help you," she muttered. "I want to be with you to rebuild the world. I don't know what I can do, but I want to stay here, with you, for as long as I can."

He licked his lips and his thumb caressed the tear gliding underneath her eye. "I lied to you all those weeks ago," he whispered, refusing to meet her stare. "When I said that finding you after the ball wasn't on my to-do list. I never lie, but in that moment ... I feared in revealing the truth to you."

Coraline squeezed his hand, urging him to continue.

"I frequently went back to find you over the past four years," Michael admitted. "It wasn't hard. You stayed in the same spot – happy, living your life as if I never existed. And that ... that made me so angry, because you influenced my life so much and it didn't seem the same when I found you again.

"I ..." He paused, almost afraid to continue. Coraline hadn't seen that kind of fear on his face in a long while. "I planned to kill you so many times. I imagined different ways I could do it – some being more painful than others. But I never could. The thought of a new world without Coraline Avery seemed crueler than anything I could've done."

Coraline swallowed hard. She didn't know how she could answer to a confession like that.

"I even used to have hallucinations that you were there with me," he said, chuckling for a mere moment. His tone was still sad, though. "I spent four days in the woods once, trying to contact my Father. I became delusional as my hunger got worse, and I saw you several times, walking through the wilderness, torturing me with your presence. You've always been more spiteful than me sometimes."

He leaned his forehead on hers then, closing his eyes as memories resurfaced. The bond connected them at that moment, and Coraline instantly saw his recollections in her head. She saw him in the woods. She saw him rocking back and forth, talking to the wind. She saw flashes of herself in his eyes. Coraline gasped, tightening her grip on his hand.

"I lost you and I couldn't bear it," he said, brushing his lips across her own. "I can't imagine a new world without you by my side. The only person who ever understood me, who loved me for me."

Coraline's mouth trembled as she opened her eyes, realizing that his stare had been burning into her the entire time. "I'm not leaving anytime soon," she whispered, grabbing his face with her small hands and marveling at his warm skin. "I could never leave you again."

His mouth met with hers. For the first time in a while, the kiss was soft, sweet, and caring. It wasn't full of lust or vicious passion, and as much as she liked that, Coraline only wanted to relish in the moment that this was his confession. This was them admitting their flaws, but also that she loved him, and he felt the same for her. The bond linked their lifelines as one, and they would stay that way until the end.

But then the air shifted. Music began to blast from the stereo downstairs. She's a Rainbow by the Rolling Stones reverberated through the floorboards, causing both Michael and Coraline to break apart. They looked down at the ground, still holding on to each other's faces, when the door opened once again.

Ms. Mead stepped through with an anxious look in her eyes. "We have a problem."

•••

A/N: This chapter,,,,,,,RUINED ME!!!!!! But it's one of my favorite chapters 🤧🤧🤧 I loved writing Michael's cool exterior breaking and him finally admitting his feelings 😩 We out here being soft!!!!!!

UPDATE: SOMEONE MENTIONED LISTENING TO BILLIE EILISH IN THE COMMENTS AND I REMEMBER I WROTE THIS CHAPTER WHILE LISTENING TO OCEAN EYES??? WE CAN CRY NOW!!!!

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