Our Band of Justice (ONC 2021)

Chapter 3: Road Trip

Jack kept driving, even though those men were far behind him. The truck was rather silent, but the road was janky enough to prevent sleep. Didn't help that they were surrounded by nothing but trees, so having his foot on the pedal meant a continuous, but meaningless journey.

"Where are we going"

Jack noticed Alex talking, probably even more worried than ever. Alex seemed to be consistently shocked and awestruck by this never-ending nightmare. Except that it never ends. 

"Hey, I said where are we going!?"

"I don't know, just check these coordinates" Jack replied furiously while ramming the GPS near him. Probably lucky enough to not break it. Jack implanted his face at it, while still not having the slightest clue. The small font of the location didn't help either, squinting his eyes even further. While at it, Jack mumbled under his breath...

"To think you have no powers..."

"What did you say" Alex answered back, both angry and curious. Powers? What powers was he expecting? Alex thought fervently. "Nothing" Jack waved his hand to defuse the situation, seeing how angry Alex was.

"No, you said used my powers. What does that mean"

Jack looked at Alex. Not sure how to respond. Anger for being so useless back there, or sorry to even bring him to this mess. He couldn't really decide on what to say, except to give a long sigh at him.

"Why do you think you were there?"

"What?" Alex replied confusingly. Jack shook his head, starting to already dislike him some more. "You saw that guy shooting lightning, that girl who can teleport, and me shoving men above my size while being shot at, why so?" Jack asked him rhetorically.

"You're saying... that I'm like you people? Superpowers? Really?" Alex asked him deliriously.

"What do you think" Jack answered bluntly, already annoyed by his constant questioning. The deaths of his companions did not help one bit. Alex looked at Jack's eyes, obviously not lying towards him. After all, it was the truth. Why were they kept in the middle of nowhere, in a prison filled by guards armed to the teeth? "Come to think of it, how did they not kill you yet? Normals like you would be euthanized."

"Euthanized?" Alex asked while his mind went to a complete stop. Jack took a pause at what he said, before simply shrugging it off.

 "Hell, I don't know, if this plan wasn't so screwed up, we would've met up in some... place, to get them off this damn place" Jack ignore the question.

"You don't even know what you're saying, do you"

"Hey listen punk" Jack talked back angrily, his patience clearly running out. "I got you out, remember, and I got a plan to get out, so be grateful"

Alex shooked his head as he looked out in disbelief. The endless trees covering the smoked base where they came from did offer some sort of comfort. If those guys have powers, what does he have? He thought while not daring to talk to Jack again. 

"Hey, there are other... people like us coming right... not just us?"

Alex took the energy to talk to him. Jack simply looked towards the sandy road covered in mud, not sure what to answer.

"Yeah, we're supposed to lead the charge, this whole, escape attempt you know" Jack answered as he calmed himself. "I know a lot of people who split up"

"Wait, so there is a bigger group meeting with us," Alex said to him, his spirits somewhat up.

"Hopefully, at the Rendevous" Jack replied simply towards him, losing some of that anger.

 "Yeah, also do you have any idea why they would lock us up," Alex asked him again, not sure whether Jack is sick and tired of his endless questions. Either that or severely overestimating his social skills.

"If I did, I would have told you"

"So you don't know" Alex sighed as he continued to empty his mind.  Jack shook his head before hopefully shutting Alex with one answer "I mean, don't you know when to..."

"LOOK OUT!"

A woman flashed out of nowhere, as Jack was too late to avoid her. Nevertheless, the wheels tripped as the van slammed to the ground, then to the trees. All Alex knew within the chaos was the constant cartwheels the van kept shaking as if the cartwheels were a part of him. The metal within the van churned into his will. His vision blurred as his breath becomes shorter, and his mind starting to give up.