Superior

Chapter 46

"Yes, because shooting an innocent girl in the arm is very, very helpful," I sneered mordantly.

The man's head jerked up as he glanced around, finally noticing Jeanette, who was curled into a ball, squeezing her wounded shoulder. His eyes went from slightly afraid to completely terrified in a matter of seconds. Had I not been so utterly enraged, I might have laughed.

"I-I didn't mean...," he whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt her."

I scoffed. "Yeah, well, intentions and actions can be very different things. Maybe you didn't mean to hurt her, but you did. And you also killed my brother, when you could have just wounded him enough so that he wouldn't be able to shoot me." My eyes followed a slip of fabric that darted behind the man. "Don't think I've forgotten about you, lady," I snarled. "You're just as much to blame for this as your buddy is. The two of you are a little bit too trigger happy, and you're going to pay. Hasn't your leader told you how to handle a gun?"

I saw a veil descend over the man's eyes. "Oh, he taught us all right." He reached quickly over his shoulder to grab his gun and point it at me. It wasn't quick enough, though; I anticipated his movement before he even made it and was right in front of him, grasping the barrel as it was raised to my face. The cylinder disintegrated, becoming fine dust in my hand.

The man whimpered.

I grinned.

At that moment, I felt stronger than ever before in my life—or at least, what I remembered of it. My bloodstream was laced with adrenaline, spiking anticipation in my brain and sending a low buzz of energy through my body. I knew what I was capable of: I could tear these people to pieces, if I wanted to. I could crush their skulls in my bare hands, peel the skin from their bodies with my teeth, break their legs without so much as a blink—they were completely at my mercy.

I was invincible.

I wanted more than anything to punish the two Pro-Inferiors: to make them feel pain so intense that they would beg to die, make them pay for what they had done to my brother. But I didn't just want revenge on them for what they had done; I wanted revenge on them for what everyone had done. On Leary, for changing my body and wiping my mind; on Fairleigh, for planning to blow up the entire city; on Christopher, Charisma, and Miracle, for conspiring against me when I thought I had won. I wanted to torture the two of them for every crime that had been committed against me, their own or otherwise.

But first, I needed some information. Because I didn't want to run out of time.

My face twisting into a snarl, I reached forward and picked up the man by the front of his shirt. It was ridiculously easy, like he weighed no more than a feather. He squirmed and struggled, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

"What's your name?" I snapped.

A sudden defiance came into his eyes, and he turned up his chin.

"Hell if I'll tell y—" Before he could finish, I shook him hard. His head smacked against his neck, cracking a bone, and he howled. "Joel! It's Joel, it's Joel! Please, please put me down!"

I ignored his cries and continued to my next question. "Well, Joel," I growled, "do you know when your leader is beginning his fireworks show?"

"I don't know," Joel blubbered. But he glanced away for a moment before answering, and I saw his fingers twitch.

"You're lying." My voice was deadly.

"I'm not, I—" I shook him again. "Two o'clock, two! Now please! Put me down! Please!"

A quick look at the watch on my wrist told me that it was one-sixteen. I had time, but it would undoubtedly pass quickly.