All of this has become much more dramatic. Scarlett knew Jason would show up at some point, but adding more to the mix? All it felt like was a schoolyard fight where everyone took sides.
"Crack," James said as Greyson threw something at Jason.
This is how the majority of getting hydro has been processing. Scarlett now held the flashlight, directing it at the water. It still flowed around, with ice slightly forming due to the cold temperatures.
"Will we actually get our hydro back?" Scarlett asked, standing near James, who stared at her, then back at the water.
"I don't know," he whispered.
Scarlett pointed her flashlight at Bella, who stared at the feared outcome. Did she expect it would be easy to drag Jason back? Nevaeh came walking toward her as she cocked her head, wearing her smirk.
"This was the mission?" Nevaeh inquired.
Scarlett pointed the flashlight down at the cracking ice. "It's better than huddling in the cold," she said.
"Are you going to stop them?" Scarlett knew who Nevaeh was referring to.
"Eventually, one of them will make a comment," Scarlett said, pointing the light at Greyson. He had sour lips as Scarlett arched an eyebrow. "Jason, if you're trying to make negotiations, it won't work. The Dauntless Leader doesn't want you to intrude on his plans."
"Crack," James said.
Greyson sped toward them, but Jason held out his hands and fired directly at him, except it didn't hit him.
"You burned the wall!" Esme exclaimed, toying with Luke.
There had indeed been a hole in the wall that flashed part of the violent storm outside. Jason had a hand on his face while Greyson dismissed what he had done.
"We have to fix it!" Bella freaked from the top of the staircase.
"Well, I don't see the hardware store around here," Scarlett said.
"Jason can fix the hole he caused," Greyson spat as Scarlett flashed the light down at the cracking ice.
"It has to discreetly crack," James stated.
"And if it doesn't?" Greyson asked.
"We won't have any hydro at all," James said, looking up.
Scarlett felt her own heart race. No hydro? That meant no hot showers or heat to help them with the cold.
"Wait, no hydro?" Jason asked, walking toward them, but he got thrown back by Greyson. Scarlett watched Jason wobble, almost falling due to his boots and wounds.
"Stop rushing around, you Speed Demon!" Luke yelled as the two bolted out of the room.
"Can't it go quicker?" Greyson spat impatiently, hands on his hips.
"If we speed up the process, the building will crash," James implied.
"Only large construction machinery could destroy it," Greyson said, but James shook his head.
"All of this could flood and bust," James said.
"Well, we're going to quicken the process," Greyson stated.
Scarlett narrowed her eyes at Greyson. "So, you want us all to blow up?" she asked.
"Is there a way to lessen the impact, James?" Greyson asked.
"You'd have to carefully hit it with the pipe," James explained.
Greyson inwardly smiled, holding out his palm to raise the pipe. It hovered over the ice as he slowly lowered it, making a crack. Scarlett swiftly walked upstairs to see the highlighter boy. He still glowed while staring around, confused. She held a hand to his cheek as he jumped back. Despite him being quick, it had been a Low rank. It doesn't do much other than shine like a light.
Bella glared at her, arms crossed. "If you want Jason to come and leave, good luck with that. Now, just be a good housewife and leave," Scarlett taunted, turning on her heel. Descending the stairs, she glanced at Bryce. She knew he was of low rank as well.
"Low," Scarlett whispered in Greyson's ear as he flickered her gaze before lowering the pipe.
"This is taking too long," Greyson muttered, looking around the building. "I need something to melt."
Scarlett watched his idea flash before his eyes. She knew exactly what his plan was in mind. When it came to melting anything, there was one person who could do that.
"Are you still in the mood to fight me, Jason? Or are you worried Bella will get injured?" Greyson threatened.
Jason came staggering over, eyes narrowing. "I'm focusing on stopping you first," he mumbled.
This felt like before Greyson and Jason stopped the disappearance from actually happening. The two are fighting over trying to use a plan while the other is attempting to stop those plans.
"Well, I'm leaving whoever wants to," Nevaeh called while climbing up the staircase.
"Andrew and Preston can leave," Greyson ordered. It wasn't because Andrew was hurt, but because he was no longer useful. River followed as Bella stayed in the same place.
Scarlett yawned, sticking a piece of pineapple in her mouth. She almost forgot that she still had some food on her.
"I'm leaving too," Bryce called with a smirk. "Try not to kill each other!"
"We're doing this faster," Greyson said.
Scarlett looked at the large hole in the wall. It seemed like a blur from the outside; you could barely tell it had been snowing. She wondered if the storm would get worse in the next few days.
"With the temperatures now, that water will turn to ice," James stated, staring at her. Scarlett smirked with a hand on her hip, watching Greyson grit his teeth.
"Why don't we listen to James and not die?" Scarlett inquired.
"No," he said. Luke came over with a sadistic grin. Esme wasn't in sight, making Scarlett wonder if he beat her up.
"God wanted us to do that," Luke said.
"Have you become a Catholic?" Scarlett mocked.
"It's a great feeling. It gave me this arm," Luke gloated, staring down at the ice.
"You sound like Eden when she preaches," Scarlett sneered.
"Your statement doesn't have an option. My orders, not yours," Greyson said.
Luke was only useful to Greyson because of his noodle arm. With him failing by killing two people, Greyson refused to let him lead anymore. She watched as he whispered something into Luke's ear. She watched that devious grin appear to look at Jason, who now stood with Jade.
"Let's have some fun, Jason," Luke said. He disappeared into the dark as she heard the whipping sound with a cry of pain. Scarlett shut her eyes and focused on the task in front of her.
Zane could feel his body shaking even when they were dressed in winter gear that would keep them warm. With whatever has been going on at the power plant, he knew he had to focus on creating these trenches. It wasn't just because of the snow; one building had been completely destroyed, and soon all of them may be.
He stood in the trench with Xander and Yara, holding the tarp up. One they found in a shed for a pool that someone had stuffed away. There were the regular-sized trenches; they set a tarp roof over them.
Conner sat against one of the walls, lowering his mask. "How many of these are we making? I want to pass out," Conner grumbled.
Zane flashed the lantern they found. "Should be good for now. We have to wait until Esme comes back," he said.
Conner climbed out using a ladder. He did help with the trenches, but he wasn't happy to be in Simcoe. He often rolled his eyes or complained about why they were doing this when there were houses around.
"I'm not sure if I want food or heat more," Yara said as they climbed out.
They laid the tarp across it, using rocks they had found to avoid people falling in. Some may not have come outside, but those rushing back and forth from the infirmary had a duty.
"Heat, definitely," Xander clattered out.
"Infirmary time," Zane said, as they stumbled their way over high snowdrifts.
There were no snowploughs to clear the streets, but mainly shovels. When they got near the doorway, Zane spotted Mark bringing out a body. People died quickly from coughing out their insides. Without heat to warm them or even unknown medications, soon everyone will be dead.
Descending into the dark infirmary, Hanna looked up at him. "Emma comes back tomorrow," she mustered, sitting against the wall. "There are buckets of vomit, and I need rags if you can find them."
Zane nodded, turning to Yara and Xander. "Yara and I will search some houses while Xander takes the vomit out," he stated.
Those who have mainly been dying have been the ones freezing. Some felt hotter than a fire, and others felt as cold as ice.
"Alright," Hanna remarked.
Soon enough, they wouldn't be able to drive at all. Bumping around in the freezing cold and pulling up in front of a neighbourhood, they both went into the same house. Every one of them had been raided, mainly for food and drinks—anything that wasn't canned—but it wasn't exactly easy.
"I found some," Yara called, her voice muffled.
She held up some washcloths and a towel, and she tossed them. She looked down at the five washcloths and brought over a blanket, wrapping herself in it. He knew Hanna probably wanted these to clean up the vomit.
"Is there anything that can generate heat?" Yara asked.
"Only generators or a wood stove," Zane implied.
"Stoves don't use wood," Yara said, waddling toward him.
Do people actually still have wood stoves nowadays? When he lived in the Yukon, they had one, but he wasn't the one who powered it. Mainly, people had fire places or an actual heater, but those options weren't going to work.
"Do any houses have a fireplace?" Zane asked.
"Some people said there had been fireplaces in houses. I thought those ones used hydro." Yara said, clearly confused.
This could work as another alternative. They couldn't just destroy a fireplace in a wall. If they did gain heat, they couldn't all stay in the place. Emma and Hanna are already trying to manage all of the illnesses, but it will be the same outcome.
"We could put those freezing people in the fireplace homes," Yara suggested.
"Emma and Hanna can't run back and forth," Zane said. "And I don't think we have any wood that isn't damp. We may have matches or lighters, but we need starter objects."
"People created a fire with books," Yara said.
Zane didn't even want to start a fire. How could they produce heat in the trenches other than with candles?
"Or there's Jason's power," Yara added through clattered teeth, huddling herself into a ball.
"That could be a possibility, but we have to think about what we have," Zane stated.
"We have snow and wind. Cindy could help us with finding a fireplace," Yara added.
Cindy had pushed her role from being an infirmary helper, full of kindness, to one where she now refuses to help. He assumed it was because of Melany's death, since it was a tragedy.
"The only problem is that she doesn't want to help," Zane murmured.
Cindy could be anywhere, and they didn't have Esme to speed around. Zane didn't realize how much they had started relying on their supernatural abilities.
"Jade and Stick are gone, too. I'm pretty sure Devon has the illness," Yara stated.
All of this had become a stumping situation. They went back to the infirmary to drop off the washcloths that they had found.
"It's a viral infection," Hanna implied as Zane looked at her. "An unheard of infection that people are coughing up their insides."
This flu didn't just make people vomit or cough up blood; but this illness also coughed up body parts. Those who hadn't gotten a touch of Emma's power ended up having that happen.
"Have you figured out a way?" Zane asked.
"A lot of the medication isn't working either," Hanna said, shaking her head.
They had to hope Emma would get well soon. It may not just be the medication working, but everything they're trying isn't.
Bryce Cross didn't expect to be sent on some crazy adventure with a bunch of people he didn't know. He has done his fair share, but driving through large snow banks wasn't one of them.
"Why is he coming with us?" Nevaeh asked Henry, who pushed Stick into the backseat.
"I'm going to talk to Greyson. He doesn't want to," Henry spat, slamming the door as Bryce watched the guy lean his head on the window.
Andrew whimpered with the pain in his arm, but River said nothing. Nevaeh had Preston thrown in the trunk because he was ten and he annoyed her.
"Do you even know where we're going?" Andrew mustered out.
"Maybe," Bryce said, not knowing how to get back. "So, hitchhiker, what were you going to Uden for?"
River seemed to snap out of his trance. "Education system," he murmured as he leaned back on the brown leather seat.
Who wants to go to Uden Academy for their educational system? It's a school nobody likes in general with everything that happens.
"Pretty boy like you probably would get bullied," Bryce began. "Not just by boys. Unless you fall into the category of druggies like me."
"You stopped smoking weed," Nevaeh implied with a smirk. "And I don't think you classify as a druggie."
Bryce cocked an eyebrow at Nevaeh, who stared at him. He assumed she was probably searching his mind for his assorted secrets, but he didn't care what she heard. She could learn that there are other dangerous people here those who are underestimated.
"I'd rather keep to myself," River said, his eyes downcast.
"Stick, are you still alive?" Bryce asked, Stick nodded as he raised his head.
"You've been moping about Vickie's death for four months. Focus on something else for once," Nevaeh remarked.
Bryce didn't know Stick well; other than that, he was no longer a stick. If they were still referring to him as something similar, he was more of a log now.
"Look how high those snow drifts are," Andrew gasped.
The snowdrifts were as high as small mountains, except uneven. The snow was so thick that Bryce could feel the tires sinking into it.
"Start digging," Bryce said, as the car rocked from side to side in the snow.
It felt like being on the Zipper, where you shake back and forth. No snow had been even nor had the sight in front been.
Bryce got lost in his own thoughts as Nevaeh kept asking the boys in the back questions. He mainly stayed back at Uden Academy, just watching how everything flew by. He heard about the hostage situation or about some freak named Ashley, who is made of acid. That's when he decided he'd rather do something other than smoke and kill time.
Everything seemed chaotic, but Bryce didn't stress. His parents being gone or food running out didn't matter. He was just another freak who developed his powers during this mess. He would test it, then brush it off. It didn't seem to do much, but he found it cool. He can walk through walls or even have a rock thrown right through his body. He discovered the downside of it being only one object. If he were to get stabbed and then shot, the bullet wound would kill him.
Before that, he had been a delinquent at Uden Academy due to him smoking a joint with his brother. You can't have that type of behaviour when your parents are addiction workers.
At least at Uden, you found some people who shared that interest. You'd see people getting bullied or girls getting taunted. Within his time, however, he took an interest in Emma. It wasn't because of her looks, but because their personalities had been switched. The two of them had to do a project together throughout the year, in which he had to get to know someone in your class better.
Emma had been shy and anxious, and while he took it as another assignment he might fail. He found her endearing and funny in her own sense.
Once during that project, he told her he didn't do his part, and she started panicking. When he told her he did, she just stared at him without saying anything, as if it had been false.
From then on, he wanted to get her attention. Not focusing that she had a crush on Greyson, but there had been more than being insecure and constantly worrying. That's why he poured their science mixture on the counter, creating a hole with the pencil person.
As they went over another drift, it got stuck. "We're stuck," Bryce sighed, pressing on the gas, but it wouldn't move.
"Do we have a shovel?" Andrew asked.
Nevaeh looked around the back, but there was nothing. "Okay, who's crazy power can get us out of this?" she inquired.
"Stick can," Preston's disembodied voice said as he cleared himself into view.
"I shouldn't..." Stick mumbled without meeting their gaze.
"This is where your redemption starts," Nevaeh implied.
"Redemption?" Stick questioned.
Bryce knew someone couldn't pick up a car with their bare hands, but this wasn't the normal world. He had never seen Stick's power, but mainly those that stayed back at Uden like Maverick or Eden.
"I'll try," Stick said, pulling up a towel that had been wrapped around his face. Stumbling out, Bryce felt the rushing winds as River slammed the door shut. For a moment, nothing happened as Stick stood in front of the car.
Bryce felt the car rise, flying forward toward the glass. Stick held the car up, carrying it as if it were weightless. They skidded through a snowdrift and onto a less-sunken one.
"Woah!" Preston awed, leaning toward the front.
"Was that real, or did the wind just move us?" River asked.
"Guess him being starved helps," Bryce remarked, smirking as the car shook.
Stick slowly climbed back in and shut the door. "Am I redeemed?" he mumbled to himself.
"Okay, if we get stuck again, Stick throws us," Nevaeh stated.
Bryce didn't get how a guy could mope over a death for this long. Wasn't it some girl he barely knew?
"Do you want us all to get stuck in the snow?" Bryce remarked as Stick remained quiet. "Didn't think so, golden boy."
"Where are we even going?" Preston asked, sitting on the ground, facing forward.
"Dropping Andrew off, then who knows? Emma isn't at the infirmary, so we'll stop there," Nevaeh said, a smirk on her face.
When they spotted bundles of houses, Bryce was surprised that they actually made it without getting stuck.
"Are we there yet?" Andrew whimpered as they drove over more snowdrifts.
"Guess Zane didn't clean the roads," Nevaeh sighed as they parked on the lawn.
"We're here," Bryce said, climbing out, opening the door, and glancing around.
"Isn't Emma supposed to be resting?" Nevaeh muttered. "If she isn't here, she'll be at her own house."
They searched the house through every room, but Emma wasn't anywhere to be found. He tried to think of the next location she could be, but his mind was blank.
"Okay, the house she stays at with Esme," Nevaeh said.
They piled out of the house as he attempted to speed his way there. It doesn't exactly work in the snow, but it was rather bumpy.
"That one," Nevaeh pointed out as Bryce slammed on the brakes.
He didn't bother parking; he left it on the road. He opened the small door and looked around the dark house. Taking off his boots, he found it easier to walk in over the heavy amount of clothes.
"Found her," Nevaeh called. Bryce shuffled his way into the living room to find her asleep on the floor. Had this girl never heard of a bed?
"Okay, time to get up," Bryce said, but he didn't actually have a clue what time it had been.
He grabbed her from under her sleeves and lifted her up, but her head still hung. She slowly opened her eyes, which had been bloodshot with his eyes meeting hers.
"You need to sleep at least on a sofa, not on the floor," Bryce said. She stumbled when he let go, grabbing the sofa.
"Bryce? Why are you here?" Her voice was raspy as she rubbed her eyes.
"Andrew got hurt," he remarked.
Andrew hobbled over to them in pain. She held out a hand to his shoulder as Bryce watched the pain stop.
"That feels better. Stupid pipe," he muttered, and he walked out of the room. Emma turned to look at Nevaeh, who was playing with the piano keys.
"Is that all?" Emma asked, Bryce glanced back at Nevaeh with a smirk.
"I'll stay here while Nevaeh brings the rest back," Bryce implied.
"I'll hear the details," Nevaeh whispered in his ear. Bryce shot an eyebrow up as she walked out of the living room.
"Bryce, it's late," Emma whispered.
"Teachers aren't going to yell at us for staying up late," Bryce joked as he heard the house door shut.
"Shouldn't you be with Jason?" Emma asked.
"There were a huge number of people there. I went back with Stick, Nevaeh, Preston, and some pretty boy named River," Bryce said, shaking his head and taking off his thick gloves.
"Do you know how many died?" Emma murmured, slowly sitting on the red sofa.
"Don't know," he responded.
"You don't have to stay here," Emma whispered.
"I'm going to stay here," Bryce said. She met his gaze but didn't say anything. "Uden is too much of a hassle to walk in this condition."
Tears started to stream down Emma's cheeks as she rubbed her eyes. "Sorry," she said. "People keep dying, and I'm not there to help them. I'm so stupid because they used me."
Bryce knew Emma was being used, not because of her powers, but because he already knew Greyson had been in love with Scarlett. However, Bryce couldn't tell her. It wasn't because he wanted to cause her stress, but she would never have believed him.
He was one of the delinquents who'd escape from campus, crash parties, or do illegal behaviour such as buying alcohol with three others. Everyone on campus at least knew some of the behaviours they had performed.
That's why he started changing when Emma broke it off with Greyson. He wanted to be part of her growth as a person, but her confidence had died.
"You have to focus on the now," Bryce implied. "Since you have terrible anxiety."
Emma glanced up at him through her bangs. "I can't," she mumbled.
He lifted her chin with a finger and smirked. He wiped a tear away and leaned in so close that he was inches from her lips. Her grey eyes grew wide, and her cheeks began to flush red.
"See," he said, pulling back and grinning.
Emma's face went red as she covered it with her hands. "That surprised me," she mumbled.
"Will you stop overthinking for at least a day?" Bryce inquired.
"Maybe," she muttered, rubbing her raw eyes.
"Okay, let's get you to actually sleep on a bed this time," he said, standing. "Now which one is your room?"
She pointed at the first room, which was small. It had yellowed painted walls with a white nightstand and dresser that appeared old. The bed was a double with a navy comforter and white bed frame, which was a strange match together.
"Oh, you have a flashlight," he said, taking it off the small nightstand and flashing it around the room.
"It's some light I found," Emma murmured. He flashed it at her as she covered her face with her arms.
"You're under arrest for overthinking," Bryce teased.
He turned the light off as she sat in the middle of the bed, legs to her chest. "Why are you doing this?" she whispered as he sighed and crossed his legs on the bed.
"Am I not allowed to?" Bryce asked.
"I mean it theoretically," Emma whispered.
"I assumed you were like this," he said, presenting his hand to her.
Bryce stared in thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. He had an idea in mind, but he wasn't sure if she would agree to it.
"How about I sleep with you?" he asked slyly as her cheeks flushed red. "For body heat."
Bryce watched Emma lower her eyes but slowly nod her head. When he unzipped his navy coat, she looked confused as he raised his eyebrows.
"I'll probably squish you if I keep this puffy coat on. I don't think you want to be a pancake," he said with a sly grin.
He reached behind him to grab a soft blanket, but saw the tears in her eyes—the ones that were threatening to spill and stream down her cheeks. Right now, he couldn't do much, but he wanted to be there. It may be difficult, but he will help her through everything.
Bryce watched her pull down the sheets as he went to the right side. Instead of sleeping apart, as she assumed, he pulled her close to his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
However, he felt her body trembling. As he grabbed the warm blanket to put over them, he stared at her for a moment.
"You can cry," Bryce said. She sobbed instantly but didn't pull back. He felt her hands grip his white hoodie, her head in his chest.
He quickly grabbed the pencil person from his pocket, flashing it up. She looked up slightly, her lips quivering.
"Mack doesn't like it when you're sad," he said as she put her face back into his chest. He kept it out as she cried because she wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
Were you surprised about Bryce's delinquent behaviour?
-Lexi