Close To Embers (formerly known as Modern Love)

Chapter 5 - The Burning

MEGAN

Jack had barely helped her search the rest of the upper level before he made his way back downstairs again to find Ruth before leaving.  There was still one more room Megan hadn’t checked and that was the master bedroom.  Will Rice was frozen in an awkward position at the end of his bed.  He seemed to be putting on a clean pair of socks, some dirty tennis clothes lay in a basket in the corner.

She couldn’t see anything of use in here.  There was no desk, filing cabinets or any storage except for a wardrobe that only held Will’s clothes.  Taking a closer look at Will she saw a flash drive in the breast pocket of his shirt.  Time was still frozen and the information on it could possibly be valuable to them so she reached out to take it.

“What the hell are you doing?” Will asked perfectly calm as he put his hand around Megan’s wrist.

Megan replied with a head butt and Will passed out on his bed with a bloody nose.  She wasn’t aware of Jack and Ruth screaming downstairs till an explosion shook the house.  Will was coming too, groaning and pinching his broken nose.

Megan found a small balcony beyond the large doors Will had instead of windows.  Out the lawn, spread eagle styled, lay Nikita half burnt to a crisp and motionless.  There was nothing left to do, no escaping past Will or the security below.  Megan leapt into the garden below as Jack and Ruth ran to Nikita’s aid.  The jump was probably one of the scariest things she’d ever done, but at least she didn’t break any bones.

NIKITA

Her flesh was on fire, the bazooka exploded in her face even after she’d frozen time.  Arms were around her a minute later and the musky male scent made her aware that it was not a foe but friend, Jack.

Jack lifted her as if she was as light as bird but tried not to put too much pressure on the right side of her body which was where the most damage lay.  Nikita moaned as she was gingerly placed onto the backseat of the car and barely made out her friends’ conversation.

“I’ve never had to deal with anything this bad.” That was Megan.  “Do you think her excelled healing will take care of that or should we take her to the hospital?”

“And how do we explain how she got these burns?” Ruth snapped.

Nikita could already feel the healing powers working but they hurt just about as much as the burns.  She forced them to do her bidding for once and felt the flesh on her face tighten and the swelling around her right eye lessen.  Nikita screamed because she thought she’d gone blind in that eye until the power spread there too.  Slowly, her vision cleared.  First there was nothing but soon after it was like a fog lifting and she could see perfectly.

Her head was propped up on Megan’s lap, who was looking anywhere at Nikita with tears rolling silently down her cheeks.  They were already on the road; Nikita couldn’t hear anyone coming after them so she assumed they were safe, for now.

The rest of her body still stung as she forced herself to stay awake.  She didn’t know how long they’d been on the road, forcing the healing to spread, but soon enough they were outside Ruth’s apartment.  May be she’d passed out, she’d thought, or may be the healing took a hell of a lot longer than it seemed.

“Her face looks better already.” Said Jack.  “I don’t think you’ll need to take her to the hospital after all.”

“Have you got her head?” Ruth asked.

“Yeah.  Megan, can you help us with the feet?”

“Yes, I’ve got her.”

Tears were still cascading down Megan’s face and Ruth looked white as a ghost when she came into view.  Nikita tried not to flinch or scream as Megan and Jack both carried her up to Ruth’s apartment.