[OLD PREVIEW] The Supers Experiment (#1)

One

Springing into action, Ivy stomped on the sparks, desperately trying to put them out. But as she extinguished them, more appeared. Her hands burned. Ivy clenched her fists, trying to stop the fire.

"Get a hold of yourself," she muttered. But it was too late. The sparks were getting bigger and bigger, rapidly becoming a fiery blaze. Flames licked the walls and floor as they traveled down the hall.

The piercing shriek of the fire alarm rang in Ivy's ears. Trembling, she ran away from the fire, down the hallway toward the nearest exit. She turned a corner and was pulled into the river of students hurrying to escape.

A wave of nausea rose up in the pit of Ivy's stomach. This was all her fault. Her gaze darted between the other kids. Some were exchanging looks of confusion. One girl asked if it was a drill. In the chaotic sea of faces and shouting, Ivy caught a glimpse of the boy from the library. He was looking right at her.

The red emergency lights turned on for a few seconds before flickering and going out. The alarm grew quieter, it's sound becoming distorted. Ivy doubted the overhead sprinklers would come on at all.

They turned right at an intersection and Ivy took a deep breath. Her hands weren't burning, thankfully, but there was an intense heat in her chest. She told herself that it would be fine. The smell of smoke hung in the air, but they'd left the flames behind.

The memory of her first fire was clear in her mind. A boy at her first elementary school had been making fun of her for freaking out during the water balloon fight. She'd run off and hidden by the side of the school, thinking she was going to die, shaking from the intense heat in her chest and hands.

The next thing she knew, everything was in flames.

Years later, another school. Then her house. That was when people started getting suspicious. The police asked her more questions than they used to. Instead of a new foster home, she was sent off to a boarding school. Then another, and another, and then the one she burned down last fall.

Ivy shook her head. The exit was at the end of this corridor. A few more steps and they would be free. Hopefully everyone would make it out. Ivy couldn't remember the last time they'd had a fire drill.

Her gaze found the exit. She gasped as fire erupted in front of the door, its vibrant orange flames reaching up to the ceiling. Someone at the front of the group shrieked. Ivy turned around to see a red glow coming from the hallway behind them. They were trapped.

Ivy's chest burned even hotter, the heat spreading to her stomach, her arms, her legs. This is it, she thought. She'd survive, of course. The fire couldn't hurt her. But the others...

Ivy closed her eyes and tried to tune out the cries of the other kids. This was it. The connections between her and the fire were undeniable, even if there was no proof. No more foster homes or boarding schools. It would be some sort of detention center this time.

That was probably a good thing. Ivy couldn't stand the thought of hurting any more people. She deserved to be locked up.

Or I could run. Hide out in the middle of nowhere where I can't hurt anyone.

A loud thud came from their left. The other kids backed away from the wall, and Ivy was pulled with them. A pipe exploded from the wall, spraying water into the hallway. Ivy flinched as a few drops landed on her face. More water pipes were yanked out of the way by an unseen force, leaving behind a massive hole.

The water subsided, revealing a dark-haired boy about sixteen. Ivy stared at him as he lowered his arm and studied the students. After a moment, he pointed to the schoolyard behind him.