I'll Protect You (Original Version)

Confessions of an iron-heart princess.

Agents swarmed the ship, searching the deck and every level below to check for any hidden trouble. Alec was trouble, so he sort of hid behind me the entire time, clutching my shoulders as agents clad in shadows climbed aboard, aiming their guns in front of them.

"Chicken," I muttered.Jasper laughed at that, but it quickly turned into a hacking cough. I became alarmed--was Jasper sick? It was actually really cold, but thanks to my jacket, I was warm enough to pass the time by. Jasper was wearing only a thin gray t-shirt, and his pants seemed a bit too wet.

I reached out and pulled him against me. Yeah, he was soaking wet alright. I didn't know how--hadn't they used a boat to bring him up top? Unless Alec's henchmen sucked so much that they actually dropped my little brother into the ocean.

Jasper began coughing heavily into my shirt. That grabbed the attention of an agent walking nearby. I opened my mouth to ask for help for Jasper when I saw who it was.

"Who's that?" Alec asked in my ear as the agent approached us.

The agent had damp brown hair, sticking to his cheeks like brown glue. He ran his gloved fingers through his hair and it stuck up like a hedgehog's back. His hawklike eyes, a normally bright, bored butterscotch color was now a burning gold, as if someone had taken a dragon's treasure and set it on fire.

He stopped right in front of us, his pale face looking even more deadly than the last time I had seen him. It took me back to our years at Cross Academy, whenever we'd literally walk right into each other, and he'd glare at me like I was the most disgusting piece of vermin to have ever existed.

His black jacket was dripping water, and I saw that a puddle of water was forming around his black sneakers. Okay, seriously, where were the boats? Did XYZ agents not know such a thing existed? You're telling me that these super-smart agents rushed to Laguna Bay and not think to bring a few boats along?

Several more agents showed up behind Cross, putting down their guns as they realized it was just us. They did, however, shoot dark glances towards my lovely friend, Alec, but they stayed silent. Only then did I realize that Logan was the captain of the squad.

Uh-oh.

"Who's he?" Cross asked, his tone cold and relentless. He didn't even address me and I got terrifying chills creep down my spine. This boy would be the perfect villain. I keep meaning to tell him that, but I just keep forgetting.

Once I thought about it, if I told him he was evil, he'd probably kill me.

Jasper stuttered at first, not used to seeing the dark side of Logan Cross. I had to nudge him strongly in order for him to actually blink. It was a little while before he even opened his mouth to start the first syllable.

"Alec," Jasper muttered.

"Alec who?"

"Alec Darkwood," Alec answered, instead of Jasper. My little brother sighed in relief, happy that the pressure of being interrogated by the master villain of all time.

"Oh, look, it's Six!" Jasper cried all of a sudden, flashing both Alec and I an encouraging yet backstabbing smile before scurrying off to the older agent. Tha-that traitor!

"I wasn't talking to you, Alec," Cross sneered. "You may speak when addressed."

"I'll speak if the conversation involves me," Alec snorted. "I don't need your permission, Mother."

I stifled a chuckle, and shot him an approving look. This guy is like, my male bias. Alec smirked as Cross' glare became even more pointed. An icy monster had seem to taken ahold of Logan's heart as he continued his stare-down with Alec.