Android Party’s smirk broadened as the footsteps came closer. Racing to Party’s bed, Android Party seized his human double by his jacket and pulled him with apparently little effort from the bed, swinging him around so that the android could place himself against the bed, trying to give the impression that Party had attacked him. Party’s eyes flew open at the motion and he immediately grabbed the jacket of his attacker, his eyes widening further as he recognised himself. As Ghoul skidded to a halt at the open doorway, Android Party played his hand.

“Who are you?” He yelled at Party. “How do you look so much like me?”
“I look like you?” Party gasped. “You mean you look like me!”

Ghoul stood unmoving and open mouthed at the door as he stared at the two identical men, struggling with each other inside the room.

“Ghoul!” Android Party gasped, as he looked over, beaming his best elated smile. “How did you find me?”

Ghoul shook his head; uncertain how to react or which, if either of them, was the real Party Poison.

Party pulled back and out of the android’s grip; standing, breathing hard, wide-eyed and uncertain. If this man was pretending to be him and attacking him, then was it reasonable to assume that the newcomer might just do the same? He wasn’t sure. Turning confused eyes toward Ghoul, Party frowned deeply. He looked so very familiar.

“I know you,” Party spoke softly, almost hesitantly.
“Which one of you is Party?” Ghoul finally asked, pointing his gun in their general direction but unwilling to aim.

He wasn’t sure what he hoped from that question; clearly they would both claim to be the same man. Perhaps the best he could hope for was a little more time and some breathing space.

“Ghoul, it’s me!” Android Party insisted, an air of disappointment falling over his face. “Don’t you... don’t you recognise me?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ghoul yelled. “Move away from each other and sit down, on the floor, both of you!”

Ghoul watched in dismay as one Party looked saddened and the other confused as they both obeyed the instruction. Ghoul frowned; that hadn’t helped. He felt certain that the real Party would have objected. Down the corridor, he could hear the sound of footsteps and glancing briefly to his left, he saw Kobra racing up to him.

“You found him?” He asked, noting Ghoul’s gun.
“I don’t know what I’ve found!” Ghoul complained with a deep exasperated sigh.

As Kobra joined him in the doorway, his shoulders sagged as he saw the dilemma.

“Two?” He sighed, raising his eyebrows. “I owe you an apology, Ghoul. You were right.”
“I know, but that doesn’t help us now, does it?” Ghoul replied, his tone conveying his frustration. “How’s Red?”
“She’s okay,” Kobra confirmed. “That’ll be them now,” he added at the sound of footsteps approaching.
“Check,” Ghoul replied with suspicion in his tone.

Kobra nodded; it was a wise suggestion. Drawing his gun, the taller man set his balance and took aim as he saw people dressed in white rounding the corner.

“Stay where you are! Drop your weapons!” He demanded, before almost immediately lowering his gun as he recognised Doctor Hawes. “Doc,” he smiled in relief, “we need your help.”
“Kobra? I take it you’re here for Party, or is there something else?”
“Party.” Kobra tipped his head. “But now there’s two of them.”
“Two?” Hawes frowned. “Where?”
“In here,” Kobra jerked a thumb to indicate the room behind him.
“I brought in the real Party,” Fielding announced. “How can there be another?”
“Come and see for yourself,” Kobra shrugged.

While Kobra spoke with the doctors, Ghoul had taken a few steps inside the room, still keeping what he believed to be a safe distance from the two men. He desperately wanted to run to them, to gather them up. He felt certain that he would know the real Party from his touch, his scent, his... his aura maybe? He would know Party, if he could just get close, but he had just witnessed the dangerous and unusual speed and strength of the imposter. The last thing he wanted to do was to give him a chance to wrestle his gun from him.

“Who are you?” He asked the one who had said that he believed he had recognised him but was uncertain.
“Why should I tell you?” He asked, concerned by the gun pointed in his general direction. “You’ve got a gun on me.”
“How about, because I’ve got a gun on you!”
“Sounds like you’ve made your mind up, then. But you’re wrong, I’m the real me. I don’t know who this is,” Party waved a hand at the android dismissively.
“Okay, I’ve got a gun on both of you!” Ghoul snapped back, infuriated by having to coax information out of someone who, by rights, should be trying hard to convince him. “One of you is the real you... maybe. So, I ask again, who are you?”
“My name’s Gerard and like I said, I am the real me,” he replied quietly. “Your name’s Ghoul? That’s a weird name.”
“No weirder than Party!” Ghoul replied defensively.
“No argument there,” Party shrugged.
“Can’t you tell that this guy is the imposter?” Android Party growled. “He’s just pretending not to know who you are so he sounds different to how he was before you got here.”

Ghoul frowned; at face value it made sense, but something in the statement didn’t add up. Unable to immediately place what it was, Ghoul tapped the side of his leg with his free hand, as he racked his brain to locate his nagging doubt.

“Ghoul,” Kobra began, “Doctor Hawes is here. He’ll sort this out in no time.”

Both Partys looked up, their blank expressions mirroring each other.

“How did you know?” Ghoul asked Android Party, ignoring Kobra as his doubt finally occurred to him.
“Know what?” He replied in an innocent tone.
“That we’d know what he was like before.”
“You came with him,” the android replied cautiously.
“No one said that,” Ghoul narrowed his eyes.
“You chased him in,” Android Party replied with a hint of irritation in his voice. “Or at least that’s what it looked like. I assumed you were together before.”
“I haven’t been anywhere!” Party insisted. “Dr Fielding brought me here.”
“Dr Fielding?” Ghoul asked, taken aback by the unfamiliar name.
"Her!” Android Party answered as the three doctors appeared in the doorway.

Fielding was staring at both men, trying hard to see a difference between them, something that would give one of them away, but both of them were absolutely identical and scowling at her.

“What’s wrong, Gerard?” She finally asked.
“I cant believe none of you recognise me!” Android Party responded to them all. “You got me out of BLI! You know me!” He added directly to Fielding.
“That was me!” Party cried indignantly. “You told me you were taking me to Mikey and you lied, didn’t you!”

At the words, Kobra turned his head, believing the man who had spoken to be his brother. Fielding smiled broadly, bordering on a laugh. She too felt certain that the man who had spoken was the real Party. Whoever the other man was, he would very probably not have been aware of her promise to him. But there was one final test that would confirm it for everyone.

“Gerard,” Fielding began. “You did a drawing in the car. You remember? Of your friend, Frankie? Do you still have it?”
“Yes,” Party replied, reaching into his back pocket to retrieve the drawing.
“No,” Android Party interrupted. “This is a set up! She brought the imposter, I’m the real Party!”
“You just said she got you out!” Ghoul snapped, now certain which was which. “Who are you? How do you look like Party?”

The android didn’t reply. His face had blanked and he was sitting unmoving and silent.

“He’s an android!” Fielding shouted, horrified by what she had realised. “Everyone get out of the building. Now!”
“What? Why?” Ghoul turned his head quickly, confused by the strange and urgent instruction.
“He’s going to self-destruct!” Fielding replied, turning on her heels, and pulling the other two doctors with her.

Ghoul turned back, Party was now on his feet and had raised his hands, uncertain whether the man calling himself Ghoul would shoot if he moved or not.

“Party!” Ghoul called frantically, waving to the red-head. “Come on!”
“Gee!” Kobra cried from the doorway, too panicked to stick to code names. “Get out!”

The pair met in the middle as Ghoul raced forward to drag him out. But even as they reached the corridor, a mere ten feet beyond the doorway, a bright flash of white heat hit them from behind. Flames, shattered pieces of equipment and assorted other debris shot out of the room as if by a cannon and all around them the concrete walls and ceiling began to crumble and fall in a hazy cloud of dust and rubble. The thunderous rumble carried through the corridors as the doctors raced to escape, dodging falling fixtures and masonry as they choked on the dust and plaster filling the air.

Entering the hospital as the doctors were almost at the exit, Jet and Red’s eyes widened in horror as the sounds of the building collapsing filled their ears.

“Where’s Kobra?” Red screamed to be heard above the cacophony.
“And Party and Ghoul?” Jet added, equally panicked and scared for their friends.

Coughing uncontrollably and eyes stinging, Harrison flung an arm backward, indicating down the corridor, still thick with dust and debris.

“Where are they?” Jet demanded, grabbing Harrison’s arms and shaking him.

Unable to speak, his throat coated with dust and plaster and struggling to breathe, Harrison pulled himself out of Jet’s grip and stumbled out of the exit into daylight.

“Where are they?” Jet repeated as Hawes, supported by Fielding, followed only moments behind.
“Behind us,” Fielding croaked. “They were...” she turned, squinting to peer down the corridor and coughing hard. “They were right behind us.”

Jet turned a terrified glance toward Red as the two doctors followed Harrison out into the parking lot. Pulling his bandana over his nose and running to the main route to the wards, Jet tried to shield his eyes to look for any sign of movement, but in the darkened and murky corridor he could see nothing. Within moments, Red was at his side.

“We have to find them,” she spoke for both of them.
“Cover your nose and mouth with something first,” Jet instructed.

Looking around from where she stood, unwilling to wander for fear of losing valuable seconds, Red could see nothing suitable nearby.

“We haven’t got time,” she insisted.

Jet began untying the knot on his bandana and she knew immediately that he intended to give it to her. She would put herself in danger, certainly, but not Jet.

“No,” she shook her head.

Glancing urgently around, she ran behind the reception desk. There, she located a first aid kit and, pulling the lid up and almost off in her haste, she found out a triangular bandage, usually used to make a sling for a broken arm. Ripping the packet open, she folded it quickly and wrapped it around her nose and mouth.

Racing back to Jet’s side, she nodded her readiness and the pair headed down the corridor. Jet cursed quietly as they were forced to move slowly, carefully picking their way through the rubble. They desperately wanted to go faster, but if they caused further damage and brought more of the walls down, they could be severely injured themselves or even worse in their eyes, bring more debris down on their friends. They could only pray that they would find them quickly and that when they did, they would be alive.

Notes

And with that, lovely readers - Merry Christmas!! :D

Sas xx