//------------------------------//
// 12) Please stay calm God Henry 
// Story: The Death of Lab 14 
// by SapphireRose87 
//------------------------------//

{Henry}

It was the night after we had destroyed another location of Lab 14 and there was still no sign of Cora. We still had twenty-four locations left to destroy. I still dreaded the day when I would have to face Cora again. 

For some reason when I go get my two hours of sleep lately I've been having strange dreams. To me a strange dream is better than a bad dream or a memory of growing up at Lab 14 any day. 

Since there weren't a whole lot of locations left Derek and I were taking breaks from destroying Lab 14 more often. Today I was finally able to get to sleep after being awake for a while.

That's when I had that strange dream. The dream started out with me sitting next to a young boy on a bridge near a river. I knew the young boy's name was Derek. The Derek in my dream looked a lot younger than what he looks like in real life. 

"So what game are we going to play today?" Derek asked. "Mom said I could stay out later today!"

"I don't know." I picked up a small rock and skipped it across the water.

"What are you thinking about Henry?" Derek asked.

I wasn't really thinking about anything much but wondered why Derek and I were so young in this dream.

"Never mind that," said Derek, "it's a good thing you live down the street with your father. He's a pretty nice guy. Because if you didn't live so close, we wouldn't be able to get together like we do now."

I tilted my head and blinked. "My father?"

Derek smiled, "Yes, he owns the store that's in town. I have something I want to ask you."

"Ask me what?" I asked.

That was when the strange dream took a turn for the worst. I stared at Derek in horror as the pupils in his eyes disappeared and his eyes turned all purple. 

"I was going to ask you to tell me you love me!" Derek said. His voice was deep and reminded me of Experiment Rose. After that, I woke up.


*	*	*


I woke up in the bed in a cold sweat and I was shaking. Derek said, "Darn it!"

I looked at Derek in confusion. "Huh?"

"Sorry Henry," said Derek, "I was trying to help you stay asleep peacefully again working with Tiger Stripes. It seems your brain overruled that. Somehow the dream turned into the Experiment Rose. I was so hoping that it would help you stay asleep. You've only been asleep for a half hour now."

"Oh." I said. "It's okay Derek. My mind doesn't work the way yours does."

"I know," said Derek, "you didn't grow up in a loving environment like I did. When my family and I saw the awful things those labs were doing, that's when we decided to start working with the Resistance. Every time we tried to get you out of Lab 14 you were moved to a new location. It's funny because it took Pestcord breaking you out of there for us to help keep you safe."

I yawned, "Yeah, but of course I didn't get out of there in one piece. But I knew that was going to happen anyway because it's Lab 14. No one goes inside Lab 14 and gets out in one piece."

Derek smiled. "Yeah I know, at least you look tired enough to go back to sleep now. I will make sure you stay asleep like I always do. I already slept earlier anyway."

I didn't know how tired I was until after Derek kissed me. So I rolled over and went back to sleep.


*	*	*


"Rain," I said to myself, "I hate the rain! Why does it even need to rain here anyway?"

I finally got my two hours of sleep that's required for me to and I woke up to the sound of rain. It always drives me nuts when it rains. It's because it reminds me of when I first woke up as part of Lab 14's Experiment.

"Well, at least it's not a thunderstorm!" Derek teased.

I groaned and then rolled my eyes. Derek started laughing so hard he fell off the bed.

"Well Derek," I growled, "you try waking up when it's raining outside and not remember who you are and then see how you feel about it!"

Derek composed himself. "Sorry, I just thought it was funny because you don't like it when it rains. I guess I shouldn't take how you feel about it lightly. It's just I've never come across someone who doesn't like rain."

"Gee I'm glad I'm entertaining, but this guy," I pointed to myself, "hates the rain! I don't think I'll change my mind about it anytime soon."

Derek started laughing again. I didn't do anything in response. I just sat there staring out the window, watching the rain droplets slide down it. That was when I realized how much hatred I have for the rain. I had half a mind to create a planet to make sure that it didn't have to rain to help the forest's of the In Between prosper.

"I bet you're trying to figure out a way to keep it from raining here aren't you Henry?" Derek asked.

I rolled my eyes and said with sarcasm, "That's cute, you know me so well."

Derek sat behind me and put his arms around me. I guess that's his way of comforting me. Honestly, just being in his arms in general always comforted me.

"We are the gods that rule over the In Between now," said Derek, "it doesn't have to rain here if we don't want it to."

"I guess so," I said, "it might take a while for the residents to get used to it."

I didn't say anything else because Derek bit my ear. "Ow! Hey, what was that for?"

"Hmm," said Derek, "I just felt like biting you."

"Yeah you've been doing that randomly lately," I said.

"I know," said Derek, "it's just so much fun teasing you like this. If I wanted to have sex with you, I would let you know."

I rolled my eyes again. "I know that."

My mind went back to thinking about how much I hate the rain again. I was just about lost in thought when Derek bit my ear again.

"Seriously!" I snapped. "I'm not food Derek! If you're hungry then go get something from the kitchen!"

Derek snorted, "I know that Henry. I'm not hungry, I'm just playing around. Just chill out okay?"

"Yeah, sure you're just playing alright." I said with sarcasm mixed in with a hint of annoyance.

Derek then put his tongue in my ear to keep teasing me. I growled, "Your teasing is starting to get on my nerves!" 

"Hmm, I'll try to stop but I can't make any promises." Derek said. He bit my ear again.

I was getting ready to get up and walk away. Derek must've sensed I was getting ready to do, so held me tightly. 

"I think you should relax, you've been so worried about facing Cora again, you're stressing yourself out because of it," Derek said. "Your nightmares have been getting more intense lately. I've been trying to help you with it but it's been very hard to."

I had to admit it but Derek was right. I was so consumed with being worried about facing Cora again and hoping I had the strength to kill when I did see her again. To tell the truth, I was terrified of Cora so much, I didn't know if I would be able to kill her.

I sighed, "You're right Derek. I'm not sure if I can relax. I don't think the word relax is in my vocabulary at the moment."

Derek started to laugh but then caught himself. "Hmmm."

I could tell by his body language that he was coming up with some sort of idea.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked.

"One word," said Derek, "magic…"

I panicked when I heard that word. "Nope! No way!"

I was getting ready to run when Derek stopped me. "Calm down Henry, it won't be my magic, it'll be yours!"

"Excuse me?" I asked. I felt nothing but confusion by what Derek just said.

I heard Tiger Stripes laughing hysterically.

"What is so funny Tiger Stripes?" I said.

"How do you think we've been able to give you pleasant dreams lately?" Tiger Stripes answered.

"Well, if you want to call my strange dream pleasant then okay," I said. "I'd rather have a strange dream than a nightmare any day."

"We've been using your magic to hijack your dreams to try and turn them into something pleasant," Derek explained. "It doesn't always work because your memories of growing up in Lab 14 have a tendency to take over."

"We're trying to get you to stay asleep and wake up feeling relaxed," Tiger Stripes added. "I wonder if this would work better if you were awake for this instead?"
 
"I'm not sure if putting me under a spell would count as me being relaxed," I said.

Derek chuckled, "Oh Henry, it would be no different than when we have sex. You're barely aware when it happens. I wonder why that is?"

I shook my head. "I don't know."

"Maybe," said Derek thoughtfully, "do you think that it's because with me you feel safe and relaxed when it happens?"

I thought about it and smiled because I realized that's exactly what happens. When I'm with Derek, I don't feel the need to run. All I want to do is stay put and I don't want it to end every time it happens. Derek bit my ear again and it snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Ow!" I said. I smiled. "Now that you think about it, I don't feel the need to run when I'm with you. I chose to stay put because I love you."

"Aww," said Tiger Stripes, "true love is so cute. It almost makes me want to cry. So what do you say Master God Henry?"

I nodded. "Sure if it'll help, I say go for it."

"In the meantime," said Derek, "I think I'll just take advantage of the situation. If you know what I mean."

"Yeah," I said, "I don't want to know."

Derek sat on me and made me lay down on the bed. He smiled. "It starts with this..."

He pointed his index finger to my forehead. I didn't realize how tense I was until after a while I felt very relaxed. When Derek kissed me, I was barely aware of what was going on. At that moment, I didn't care what happened to me. 


*	*	*


{The Lord God Supreme}

I was sitting in my chambers looking out the window to my universe and I had a smile on my face. I had just recently built a new planet as a tribute to God Henry and God Derek. It was a medium-sized brown planet with a large tree sticking out of it. The tree was chopped in half and the stump had a hole drilled into it. It was my day off and I was thinking of what planet I was going to build next year.

I was listening to some music when I got an alert. I rolled my eyes at it so I put my robes on and went to go see what it was about.

I was surprised when I saw the other gods that made up The Grand God Council had shuffled into the viewing room. The lights in the viewing room dimmed and the viewing table that sat in the middle of the room lit up.

"What's going on, Your Highness?" God One asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know God One, I just got the alert."

Before we could say anything else, we heard a voice coming from the viewing table that signaled the beginning of the viewing session. "Come with me and you will see a tale of a horrible tragedy. Future you'll see the truth unfold, an unspoken story that needs to be told…"

All of the other gods of The Grand God Council and I gasped at what we saw next. It was a vision that we had relayed to God Henry and God Derek. It looked completely different now. God Henry and God Derek would face off with Cora at the last location of Lab 14. God Henry now had a rope attached to a belt around his waist. When Cora saw the wedding rings around God Henry and God Derek's necks she was pissed.

"You're not the one I picked for Experiment Henry to be with!" Cora snarled. 

"It doesn't matter!" God Derek roared. "You have no right to tell someone who they should and should not be with! Henry's not an experiment and not your property!"

Then a sharp object came out of nowhere and hit God Derek in his head and his lifeless body dropped to the ground.

Cora gasped when she saw where the sharp object came from. "Experiment Ada, what are you doing?" 

"I'm sorry God Henry," cried Experiment Ada, "but this is the only way to keep you safe from Head Cora!"

A sharp object came out of Experiment Ada's hand and it went through God Henry's chest. His lifeless body fell to the ground with a loud thump. Another sharp object came from Experiment Ada's hand and it went towards Cora and stopped in mid air and fell to the ground. 

Cora gave a smug look. "I think this means that I can't be killed."

"You want to know something Head Cora?" Experiment Ada sneered. "If God Henry hadn't wrecked the wedding, I would have!"

Cora looked down at the ground horrified when she saw the looks on God Henry and God Derek's faces on their seemingly dead bodies. God Henry stood up and gave Cora a sinister smile. Shortly after that, God Derek did the same thing. 

Experiment Ada smiled at this and God Henry returned the smile. Cora kept staring at God Henry and God Derek in shock and disbelief. 

"Oh boy Cora," said God Henry, "what creature did you pick for me to marry this time?"

Experiment Ada started laughing hysterically, "My name is Ada, that's what you can call me before I die, God Henry."

God Henry exchanged a look with God Derek, "Uh, Derek? Did I get some sort of brain damage from playing dead?"

God Derek shook his head. "I don't think so. If you did, then so did I."

"I don't understand, you two were dead!" Cora exclaimed.

"That's because you can't kill a god Cora you monster!" God Henry snarled.

"But Experiment Ada couldn't kill me so-" Cora started.

God Henry cut her off, "No Cora you're not a god. It's Derek and I that have the responsibility to kill you and no one else's. Only the gods ruling over this universe can hand out responsibilities to people. Since I'm so eager to kill you that I chose to keep that responsibility as my own." 

That's when the vision ended. As I watched the vision I had been thinking about what to do about this new information. After the vision ended I made up my mind. "I think it's best that we keep this to ourselves. God Henry and God Derek have enough on their minds as it is. I also want to see how this plays out in the end."

God One through Five nodded their heads in agreement. I smiled. "Well, let's set this decision in stone."

With that, the viewing session ended and when I parted ways with other Gods that made up The Grand God Council I couldn't help but wonder how things were going to turn out for God Henry and God Derek in the end.