Gifted #Wattys2015

Chapter 15

Rogue Experiment

Where are they?

Just then, I heard the familiar pop sound that was Nashik teleporting. He stumbled through the door supporting Jamie.

My face formed a small grin knowing that she was still okay.

"Jamie!" A clearly delighted Madi exclaimed.

"You're okay!" I said, "Here, sit here." I gestured over to one of the beds in the infirmary.

"No really I'm fine, but fill me in." Jamie said adamantly, but in the end accepted the bed and sat. She listened intently as we all recalled the events of the last few hours. She didn't say anything throughout, just nodding occasionally, making no comments.

When we finally finish, she simply said - "Wow, I think we really did it guys, I can't believe we have a new place to be safe and not have to worry about the Authorities or the Anti-Enhanced coming for us." Her eyes widened and sparkled, hope clearly filling them.

That's the look I hope all the enhanced shared when the broadcast was aired. The look of safety, sanctuary and hope of a future. Of actual happiness.

"So, what's the plan?" Taylor asked.

"We need to rescue the enhanced that were being experimented on, I'm not sure what floor that is though. And on the way, we...erm...need to check on the ground floor for..." I trailed off, unable to seal the fates of Theo and Frost.

"Let's do that last bit first, and then work our way up to the 'prisoners', they could actually be in a basement area. If I was in charge, that's where I'd keep them." Blade said.

"Right then, let's go." I decided.

We travel down the corridors, one by one, the number of the floors dropping. No one talked, but I know everyone's thought's are lingering on the same question - what will we find down there? I know the Authorities called off the attack before they sent out the broadcast, but that was almost two hours after we had first broken down that main door. We had brought a large bag filled with an assortment of medicines and pills and bandages in case we were lucky.

We were not lucky.

I reached the very bottom step first, and could see out of my eye corner a shimmering light - a crystal. Frost. The room was silent, the walls coated with blood and dust - bullet riddled and stained. Various limbs and figures could be seen scattered across the floor. The ice door that Adam had helped create had been broken, leaving sharp and pointed icicles suspended from the gaping hole in the wall.

Hunched over a single, glimmering figure was a sand-coloured Theo. I ran over to them, as did everyone else. "Theo, Theo, are you alright?" He didn't even look at me, nor reply.

Taylor crouched down next to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let her go man, come on, answer us." Taylor too was suffering the hardest, both his companions - Frost and Rose - were now dead.

Theo finally turned round to face us, his eyes bloodshot, tears trickling down his colourless checks. His voice was ragged and broken. "I couldn't save her. I couldn't...stop them. Too many."

"It's not your fault Theo, these men are cruel." Blade responded.

"But I liked her, and now I've lost her." Theo practically wailed, hanging his head in pure defeat.

Jamie spoke up, her voice similarly croaky. "We've all lost her Theo, which is why we have to keep fighting - for the people that we've lost."

Theo shook his head. "Not like I lost her." He gently lowered his arms that were still cradling Frost, and slowly moved them from under her. The stone he had, still curled inside his closed fist, fell from his hand, and the sand colour disappeared. He looked even more broken in his pure human form.