The Band of Misfits

Chapter 31

Joe

I knew Lissette needed time to figure things out, but that's just something we simply didn't have enough of right now. I add time to the accumulating list of things the New Order had stripped from us.

"Lissette," Monica calls out in a small voice.

She turns to us, her face plastered with a mix of emotions, like she can't decide which one to feel. She opens her mouth, but no sound escapes. She turns back to 'Amanda's' body.

"We can't just leave her," Alex says for her.

"Then we take her with us," Sarah offers.

Nobody says anything.

"I can always disable Amand-I mean her-or his-ability," Lissette says, her eyebrows crinkled together, forming a bridge at the top of her nose. Everybody looks at each other, waiting for someone to object.

"Alright," I say when nobody replies. Lissette and Alex have had so much taken from them, it's time they've had the opportunity to gain it back. A few protests come from the group of prisoners, but I turn my head, giving them a cold stare. Most of them look down at their shoes. Some shake their heads in disapproval. Alex bends down, and gingerly throws the shapeshifter's body over his shoulder.

"We need to go befo-,"

An extremely luminescent flash from outside illuminates the inside of the cavern, followed by a thunderous crack of thunder. All the lights flicker, then die out, engulfing us in darkness. I hear a muffled curse from behind me, and another person screams. Monica reaches out and digs her nails deep into my shoulder.

"Ow," I mutter.

"Sorry."

"They're here! Reinforcements!," I recognize Alex's voice.

"Ugh. Can't we go anywhere where they won't find us?," I hear Iris moan from the other side.

Nope

Another clap of thunder. Another flash illuminates the frightened fugitive's faces for a split second, then we're thrown back into perpetual darkness. Rain and wind pour through the small entryway.

"Iris, can you teleport us out of here?," I have to shout over the howling wind and monstrous thunder. Somebody outside must be controlling the weather.

Another flash of light, most likely lightning, lights up Iris' worried face.

"Not all at once. It's too many. Too long of a distance!," she shouts back.

"Go!," I shout, "take as many prisoners as you can. We'll hold them off!"

I sprint over to the other side, the powerful winds pushing against me. Monica is right behind me, her hair blowing wildly, rain latching onto the lenses of her glasses. Iris runs past us to the group of prisoners.

"Be safe," she whispers as she runs by.

After what seems like forever, we make it to the other side, our clothes drenched, our hair in every direction possible. Alex has propped the shapeshifter, still in the shape of Amanda, onto the rocky wall. Her chest rises and falls slowly in the dark. I can make out the outlines of Alex, Jason, Lissette, and Sarah. My friends. My family.

"What's the plan?," Alex says to the rest of us.

"Hold them off until Iris can teleport all the prisoners out of here. Then we get the hell out of here," Jason says simply.

A particularly forceful gust of wind sends shivers down my spine. Another clap of thunder and flash of lightning. They're egging us on. I bite my tongue and ball my fists. All I want to do is rush out there and make them pay for ruining my life.