A/N: And now, Jam angst! It's mostly William angst but still!
Hope you all enjoy!
Love ya guys! ^-^
-KittCat
*WARNING: This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence, injury, kidnapping, murder and death. Viewer discretion is advised please!
New Bostin was a quaint and cozy town to settle in. There wasn't all that much that happened around these parts and it was the perfect place for people to avoid all the unwanted attention in their lives. It was relatively unknown enough that even moving in, no one would recognize who you were with how little word of mouth got around these parts.
And it was exactly what a certain trio were looking for when it came to starting a calmer life away from the drama that had plagued them for years beforehand.
The sound of keys tapping away was the only noise above the faint patter of rain beyond. For in the living room of an apartment building, a man sat at the coffee table with notes splayed around him, reading glasses discarded to the side, and blearily trying to make out something coherent on the screen of his laptop. Taking a second to lean back and stretch, a yawn escaped him as his half aware mind tried to bring itself back from the depths of boredom and reacquaint himself with his surroundings.
He didn't realize he had been so zoned out. When he originally started, it was a little past 6 PM. Now it was almost 9 and he was barely making a dent in this project.
Though, it wasn't his fault the article he was writing had some of the most bland material to work from. But, such was the way of a writer trying to pay the bills.
He couldn't help but grimace though. It wasn't in him to complain about any work he would receive as already, it was a miracle to have even been allowed to set out on this dream of his. But someone have mercy on his soul for being the poor sap willing and dumb enough to have agreed to take on this endeavor.
The man had been so lost in his boredom that he almost jumped when a pair of strong yet slender arms snaked around his shoulders, a set of lips pressing against the back of his neck and causing his face to burn scarlet.
"EEP-! J-Jane!"
A low chuckle escaped the lovely woman as he turned his head to face her. "I didn't scare you now, did I?"
He averted his gaze but a smile tugged at his lips nonetheless. "Not exactly. More like surprised me."
To her, the change of words was hardly convincing as indicated by the way her left eyebrow arched up: the truest sign she didn't believe him. Regardless though, she let it slide as she hooked her chin over his shoulder, eyeing the screen before him. "So, what are they having you work on for this article?"
He shrugged. "It's nothing major. Just a research article on sales."
She adjusted her hold around him as she leaned forward, squinting at the small text. Her expression only morphed into that of absolute confusion.
"Are...are they having you write an article on the declining sales of cheese???" She looked at him incredulously.
With a huff, he slumped into her hold, exhaustion weighing on him over the reminder. "Unfortunately...though I guess it's my fault for volunteering."
A noise of disapproval left her as her nose scrunched up. "Even if you volunteered, why did they even agree to have the company work on the article to begin with? Seriously, who would need to know about this?"
For a brief second, he actually thought it over on who would need this at all. A marketing team most likely. Or maybe even sales representatives. Dairy farmers probably?
Jane must've realized he was actually thinking it over because she lightly poked his cheek. "Will, don't start thinking about that. Otherwise we're both going to go on a tangent over who's going to need this article and we'll be here all night."
A chuckle burst forth from him with her eventually following along and leaning into his shoulder. "Aw, come on. You don't want to talk about why a dairy farmer would need to know bout the declining sales of his products?"
"Shush!"
While it may sound ridiculous, it had happened before. They once had both gone on a half an hour tangent on how it was ludicrous why Jane couldn't copy mental abilities. She found it crazy herself that her ability refused to allow for her to take on what was unseen. In the end though, they just settled on the fact that abilities were weird and it was best not to question it.
Did it sound crazy to rant over random topics together? Yes. But they both had fun doing it and had a good laugh afterwards. They could both keep up with the others antics and never get bored of them. It was one of the many reasons he loved her.
Unfortunately, as fun as it would be, they tended to get loud during those conversations and they both knew it. It was already late into the night and the last thing they wanted was to disturb their neighbors.
That, and one other reason...
"Also, how's John? He wasn't being difficult getting to bed, was he?"
She looked at him, smiling warmly as she spoke. "Sound asleep. He was a little upset you weren't able to regale him with one of your famous bedtime stories but he was already out when his head hit the pillow. Poor thing was tired from earlier. Playing with Adrion managed to tucker him out with how much fun they were having at the park." They both softly laughed.
Having a now 5 year old was strenuous, especially with how energetic the kid always seemed to be. While Jane's brother was still around in the vicinity, Joseph was still busy with his job and couldn't always watch John, despite how much he wanted to spend time with his nephew.
It was probably why it was great when they discovered their neighbor a few building's down: a single mother of one whose son seemed to take a liking to a rather timid John.
Poor Adrion kept trying to approach the young raven haired boy, only for said child to run and hide behind Jane and Williams legs while peaking out with curious gold eyes. The three adults couldn't help but laugh at the rather comical interaction between their kids as Adrion proceeded to try and approach John, only for him to rush around and hide behind another object or pair of legs.
With a little coaxing though, the two toddlers had become friends within the hour and had been running around, squealing with joy as they played on the lawn. Since then, they had been meeting up almost daily for play dates over the past year.
Lydia was also a joy herself and the couple frequently invited her over for dinner or offered to watch Adrion when she needed. The same was offered in turn.
Most of all though, they were thankful John seemed to have made a life long friend.
"Thank goodness he has someone who can match his energetic moods. I don't think we can keep up with him."
Jane rolled her eyes. "Stop making us sound like we're old."
"We have a 5 year old kid and an apartment, Jane. We're also married."
"Shhhh, we are not old William." She put a finger to his lips. "We are not."
He only chuckled as she continued to keep her finger pressed to his lips. "Are you going to keep your hand there?"
She tilted her head, a stray lock of snowy white hair falling over her shoulder as she seemed to ponder it. "Hmm...maybe. I quite like this."
William smiled to himself before taking her hand and pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. "Maybe you'd like this then?"
A faint blush settled on her cheeks. "It's a good option...but surely it can't be the only one, right?" She leaned forward, intending to kiss him from over the back of the couch.
As she leaned over though, a soft *ding!* came from Williams laptop. Both stopped as the man looked over, visibly sulking when he saw the email from his editor. "Great...they want this due in 3 days..." He had already been working on it for 2 and had barely scraped together an outline. Plus he had some smaller projects to work on too.
Jane eyed the laptop and then her husband. She placed a hand on his cheek and gently tilted his gaze back to her. "Hey, don't worry about it. You've been doing more than enough. Take a little break."
"But-"
"No buts. You've been working yourself to the bone and still try to help take care of John when I'm working or when things get busy. But you need a break too."
A current of uncertainty ran through him as his gaze flicked between her and the notification on the screen.
He...really did need to take a breather. And he wanted to spend some time with her right now.
"You can ignore it for now Will. It's not due for awhile."
With a small nod, he reached over and gently shut the laptop closed, turning his attention back to her.
He slowly relaxed into her as she ran her fingers through his hair and down the back of his neck. He leaned forward, a hand drifting up to her cheek as he pulled her in for a kiss.
She gently rubbed a small circle at the base of his neck, getting at a knot before she pulled away slightly, fixing him with that golden gaze he cherished so deeply. "For now, relax." The man smiled as he shifted around to face her before they settled into a familiar rhythm. Fingers tangled in one another's hair as lips moved together.
For a blissful moment, it was just the two of them caught up in the others orbit.
Unfortunately for the two, it didn't last long as there was a knock at the door, loud and forceful.
Both stopped moving at the sound. Jane glared over at the door, golden eyes practically boring holes into it. William tilted her head back with a finger and thumb holding her chin. "Hey, just ignore them. They'll probably leave soon enough. Especially if they think we're not here." He gave a small wink and she couldn't help but relax. She was perfectly content with that plan as they continued on like nothing had happened.
It was only during the second time where it sounded like they'd break down the door that Jane became annoyed, pulling away from William and stepping away from the couch. "I swear to God, whoever this is better have a damn good reason-..." she grumbled to herself as she stomped off towards the door.
Meanwhile William sighed to himself. 'So much for having a moment...'
He got up and followed her, wanting to see who it was as well. There wasn't a sane reason why anyone should be making this much noise at this hour. Unless there was a fire or something but even then, the knocking would've been constant.
By some small miracle, they didn't hear John stir as they passed by his room down the hall.
He walked up right behind Jane just as she opened up the door. "It's 9 PM, why are you-?!"
Both adults were sent flying back into the living room as something went off. Loudly.
Jane grunted as her back hit the edge of the couch. Meanwhile William was sent sprawling through the coffee table and thudding against the floor with a cry.
His ears rung and his mind was reeling as he slowly got to his hands and knees, coughing.
Something sharp nicked at his flesh, red now running in thin lines down his arms as glass and wood shifted away from him.
He could taste a powdery dust in the air, flecks of it settling around him in his vision while a scent of something almost sulfuric wafted through his nose. The world around him was blurry and unfocused.
F*ck, his head hurt like hell.
What was happening?
Where was-?
"Jane?!"
His head spun as he whipped around to find her. She had been right in front of him when they had been blown back.
And then there was John still in his room! There's no way that explosion didn't wake him up at this point. What if he was hurt?!
*Cough, cough* "Will?!"
From the corner of his eye, he saw her shift and move, wobbling a little as she got to her feet. A nasty bruise was starting to form on her cheek and a cut bled sluggishly right under her eye.
He was about to ask her is she was alright when her head quickly snapped over to something just behind him.
"WILL, MOVE!"
He rolled out of the way just as a metal pole cracked down where his head once was, snapping through what remained of the coffee table's wooden frame.
Scrambling to his feet, he pushed himself up towards the wall to get a good look at their attackers.
The looming figures were dressed head to toe in grey's and blacks. Not a single face could be spotted as they were covered in half masks while their hair was hidden beneath skin tight caps.
"Who the hell are you people?!"
Jane yelped as a slender figure ran at her with a knife in hand and nearly taking her eye out with it. Thankfully she caught it and stabbed it into the persons shoulder before kicking them in the stomach. "What the hell?! Why the f*ck are you people armed?!"
'And none of them have their abilities active either...' William thought to himself.
Wiping the blood from his face, he took a moment to survey the situation.
He had never seen attire like this before. And these people didn't look like your average run of the mill thugs either. They seemed to have a good amount of people and were decently armed. The only reason why they wouldn't be activating their abilities right now and were wielding weapons was...
...was if they knew about her weakness.
"JANE! THEY KNOW ABOUT YOUR ABIL-!"
He was interrupted as the person from before, one with a hulking build, rushed him and swiped his metal staff at his head, causing him to duck. His wife on the other hand was holding off a person carrying a similar weapon, only this one had a long blade at the end of it. Jane had caught it by the blade and threw it out of her attackers hands, using her momentum to land a punch right into their eye socket. She should've cared about the cuts now burning at her palms but right now, there were bigger things to worry about and more *sses to kick.
Meanwhile, William barely dodged as the man came at him again, the pole going through the wall behind him, leaving a gaping hole there. He quickly landed a punch against a padded rib cage and another to his face. A grunt came from the intruder but that's all that William got before an elbow flew against his cheek, knocking him to the side. Still, he got back up and caught the slender weapon before it could crack him across the face.
Beyond that, Jane held off a man, grappling with him as he tried to strangle her with a metal bar. She stomped a heel down on his toes and reared her head back, cracking his nose before wrangling herself and the metal bar free. She grabbed it and swiped upwards, knocking him out cold.
Quickly, she whipped around to call out to her husband.
"I'LL HOLD THEM OFF! GO FIND JOHN!"
He nodded, not even hesitating as he used the pole for stability to kick the person in the face.
"BE CAREFUL JANE!"
He rammed a shoulder into the guys face before sprinting towards the hallway. However, he didn't make it to John's door before he was yanked by the collar and flung backwards, the wind getting knocked from his lungs as his back hit the wall.
The man crashed to the floor, a metallic taste now coating his tongue.
"WILLIAM!" From the corner of his eye, he saw Jane knock away the knife from the man she was in a deadlock with and quickly snapped it across his face. She cried out as another person grabbed her hair and slammed her against the floor, making her cough up blood. She was swift though as she kicked a leg under their feet and sent them sprawling.
Regardless, he didn't let the ache throbbing through his back deter him from ramming at the attacker again. He was only stopped when something heavy and metallic wrapped around his wrist and yanked him to the side. Sharp, almost talon like nails gripped his neck from behind as someone leaned in close to his ear, making his skin crawl. A feminine voice greeted him and he could practically hear the smirk in her words. "Well, well, aren't you the feisty one?"
William winced as her nails scratched deeper into his skin before he reared his head back against hers and elbowed her in the face. "Get your hands off of me you b*tch!"
Using the chain still wrapped around his wrist, he yanked it from her hold just as the first attacker came at him again. He wrapped up the man's arm and using enough force, threw him over his shoulder and into the dining room table. The attacker screamed as something in his arm popped from the force.
Regardless, William made another attempt for John's room but nearly had his eye taken out as a knife lodged itself in the wall beside his face, a sharp sting now burning across his cheek.
There was almost no time to move out of the way of another knife that pierced his arm, lodging itself into his bicep.
The pain was brutal, even as he yanked the serrated edge back out of the now torn up muscle. "F*CK!"
Out of irritation and anger, he threw it back, the blade sailing low but catching the person in the leg as they screeched.
Before William could move any further though, another attacker barreled into him from the side, slamming his head into the wall as something sharp wedged into his thigh. He cried out, hands gripping his leg but his attacker didn't let up, now wailing hit after hit on him. By some small miracle, he managed to get a knee up, landing it in his attackers crotch. They immediately froze from shock and William took this chance to grab his throat and slam him down into the floor with all the strength he could muster.
Except he didn't see the brute from before throwing a fist his way, his world going dark and every thought seeming to vanish all at once.
.
.
.
His mind was foggy as he came back to himself, every bit of him hurting. His head especially throbbed something fierce, sending spikes of pain traveling down his spine and into his limbs which felt as if they were made of lead.
Thinking felt like it was impossible with how hard it was to piece a single thought together, all of them bouncing around until one by one, they finally connected together into one train of thought again.
William knew he wasn't knocked out for that long, yet it felt like it took an eternity for him to open his eyes. When he finally did however, a living nightmare came to greet him.
He was on his stomach, head facing Jane who was now surrounded by the brutish intruders backing her into a corner. A jagged cut marked her side above her hip that she held with one hand and in another bruising grip, she wielded a stolen metal pole.
Desperately, he held out a shaky hand towards her. "J-Jane...!"
Damn it, he had to help her! They needed to get John and get the hell out of here!
If only his body would f*cking move...!
A cry left his lips as he was suddenly yanked up by his hair, limbs too heavy to support him and his vision swimming. Something warm ran down the left side of his face and caused his eyelid to stick shut. He could feel his consciousness falter and he struggled to keep himself grounded enough not to fall into an endless void again.
Jane's aura glowed brightly around her yet both he and her knew it was for show. She had nothing to copy or sample from.
And at this point, it was obvious the intruders knew that fact as well.
"Deactivate your ability now! Or I take his head off!"
William felt something cold and sharp dig into his throat right at his adams apple. He saw her eyes go wild with shock as she stared at them. He tried telling her not to do it, to not listen but the man only tightened his grip, the knife digging in further. He leaned down and hissed in his ear. "Shut up you filthy cripple, or I'll take your tongue out instead."
Even through his disoriented state, he looked to Jane, hoping his eyes could say what he physically couldn't.
She looked to him, her gaze still filled with terror. It flicked between him, the knife, and then back to he man holding his trembling form up by the inky strands of his hair.
Her gaze hardened as the glow around her faded away. William felt like crying out, to plead with her to stop but he couldn't find the strength to do so.
Instead, Jane steadied her stance, glaring the man dead in the eyes past the sea of attackers still loosely eclipsing her. "What the hell do you bastards all want?! Why are you in our house?!"
"Well, it's quite simple really."
Both their gazes snapped over to the sickly feminine voice. A woman walked forward through what used to be the doorway, authority pouring off of her.
Already, William despised her and she had barely even spoken.
She skimmed around the room for a moment before her gaze settle on Jane. "You have a lot to answer for Jane. You really thought you could just walk away from every single responsibility in your life? You thought you could walk away from the hierarchy and your duties as a high tier all for some meager excuse of a man?"
Jane narrowed her eyes, teeth bared. "Shut up you f*cking b*tch! Don't pretend for a minute like you know or care about us!"
A shrug. "You're right. I don't. But I do know that you're neglecting your place as an Elite and breaking every single rule there is while doing so."
Her gaze traveled over to William, striding slowly towards him. "It's such a shame really. That this is what you threw away your life for. All of this over a waste of a human."
"What life? She never had a life with you *ssholes." he held her gaze, even as the knife at his neck dug in deeper. "Think of me lower than dirt all you want. But maybe, you should take a look in the mirror before calling me a waste of a human if you and your subordinates here can't mind your own damn business and leave us alone."
*SLAP!*
He barely flinched, even as the sting spread across his face. Thankfully his captor had enough sense to move the knife away before she struck him, less he slit his throat then and there.
Jane lunged forward, the crowd holding her back. "Don't touch him you b*tch!"
She didn't respond, only coming to kneel in front of him. "As a matter of fact, it is our business. You see, while you and your wife are free spirits, she has a duty to uphold as a high tier. One of the most powerful people this side of the country, wasting her talents being a house wife...it's a disgrace. There are so many other things she could be using her powers for and yet, she'd rather waste it all away for you. I'd admire the dedication if you were anything to fawn over, but really, there's nothing of worth about you."
A hand latched onto his chin, craning his head up o face her while Jane tried to barge forward again but was held back. "I mean just look at you. What could she possibly see in a cripple like you?"
"SHUT UP! You're f*cking wrong! He's more of a man and person than any of you could ever hope to be!"
Beyond the woman's shoulder, he caught Jane's, smiling to himself. He didn't care about what they thought of him. He knew his worth and so did everyone else in his life who mattered.
Which was exactly why he looked the woman back in the eyes, a confident grin on his face as he spoke. "Enough that she decided to marry me out of the hundreds of other people she could've chosen."
He dared a quick peak back, his wife now smiling softly.
In front of him beneath her mask, he could see the woman's cold eyes burn. But he kept grinning in her face, refusing to give her the satisfaction. "You snarky little sh*t."
She yanked his face closer to her but William was looking for an opening. He almost had one. The mans grip on his wrists had slowly gotten looser and if he timed this right, he could grab the knife and stab them both, providing a distraction for Jane.
It seemed like she caught on too, her golden eyes flickering at the distracted attackers who's gazes were starting to leave her. All she needed was one second and then-
"Mommy...? Daddy...?"
Their heads snapped over simultaneously as pure panic filled their beings, whatever bravado they had now long gone as their attackers also looked over and their window of opportunity vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Right at the entrance of the hallway, a young raven haired child stood, clutching a stuffed wolf tightly to his chest as he looked to them and then the intruders with wide and terrified eyes.
Around them, a few people murmured to each other.
"What the hell?!"
"Their child is still here?!"
"The reports didn't say he'd be in the house still."
"I don't feel comfortable with this..."
His golden eyes swayed from them to his father, helpless and bleeding in the grasp of these people. "DADDY!" He rushed forward as if there wasn't a thing to fear.
But for William and Jane, they had everything to fear now.
"NO!"
"STAY BACK JOHN!"
That moment of childish bravery was squashed though, for a large, booted foot stomped against the ground before the small child, causing his eyes to widen in growing fright.
William felt his blood run cold as the woman loosened her grip. "This day just keeps getting better..." Her gaze turned to one of the men. "Get the kid."
To his left, one of the men stalked towards John and both of the parents screeched, howling at him to run.
"JOHN, RUN!!!"
"SWEETIE, GET OUT OF HERE!!!"
The 5 year old had tears running down his cheeks as he cried, gaze flicking between his wounded father being yanked up by his hair, his mother surrounded by big, scary men and the even bigger one hovering over him with a large metal stick.
One of the men grabbed his comrades arm. "Man, stop! He's just a little kid!" He didn't say much else before a throwing knife lodged itself into his throat, his body collapsing to the floor in a bloody heap. John screamed bloody murder and William so desperately wanted to shield him from the gruesome sight.
Everyone's heads whipped around to a tall and lean figure, a deep voice making all of their bones shake. "Let him be the example for the rest of you should any of you interfere." He pulled out another throwing knife as if to threaten them all with it.
And with that, the brute began chasing the child.
John screamed as the hulking brute swiped the pole at him, barely missing his head and leaving a crack in the wood flooring. He scrambled down the hallway and towards his parents room where he knew the fire escape was, his small legs carrying him as fast as they would go. The slam of a door was all either of the parents heard followed by the lock as the man proceeded to try breaking down the door. The pure screech of terror John made as the man put a hole through the door with his bare fist caused Jane to go wild, trying to fight through the people and get to her child, but they had long since directed their attention back to restraining her however reluctant they may have been.
Within all this chaos though, William found an opening. The way his wrist popped wasn't good, but he managed to wrench his arms free of his captors grasp. He grabbed the knife blade with one hand and threw his elbow into someones stomach and a punch to the woman's face. He rushed down the hallway, knife in hand. The man barely turned his head before everything went blank for him.
William huffed, arms shaking as the blade dug in. The body before him eventually fell limp to the floor, blood pooling around the brutes head where the knife was now wedged deep.
Before he could process what he just did, an arm closed around his windpipe and threw him through the rest of the door with a snap.
Spots danced in his vision as his head hit the floor. A foot came down on his chest and William felt the air leave his lungs, followed by a crack as blood flew from his lips.
A scream sounded again and in his limited view, he saw John run up to the attacker, wailing his tiny fists against the mans leg as he tried to get him to get off of him. "J-John-!"
His son didn't listen even as he was picked up by the collar of his shirt. "GET OFF OF HIM!"
"Shut up you little sh*t." William could only watch in horror as John was thrown to the side like a rag-doll, head cracking against the wall before he slumped to the floor in an un-moving heap.
A scream built up in William's throat as his own hands grabbed at the mans ankle but it never made it out as he was picked up and thrown through the side wall of the room, coming to a stop on his side.
Each time he coughed, blood dripped from his lips, dust from the plaster settling around him and in his hair and clothes. Jane was crying out to him, but above the din, Jane screeched bloody murder, her eyes alighting with something utterly feral as her gaze caught onto something.
Williams eyes drifted over and he struggled as a bruising grip closed around him, crying out to his son who was now unconscious in a strangers arms. He still held his plush tightly to him, even as blood sluggishly dripped down from his forehead somewhere.
"JOHN!"
He weakly thrashed but his arm wouldn't move, now wrenched behind his bruising back as Jane tried to leap over the pile of people to get to their child. Tears were streaming down her eyes as she fought against them, all in vain just to get to John.
The two parents could only watch as he was handed off to the woman, now holding him in her arms as if he were something precious to her. "I can see why you two care so much about him. Even so young, he wants to save his family. How sweet. I can only imagine what he could've been like growing up with such devoted parents."
Her gaze sharpened. "And I can only imagine how much of a threat he'll be when he comes of age."
From her hand, she procured a knife.
William screeched to the point his voice broke as he struggled.
And for Jane, that was the last straw.
"STOP! STOP IT! I'LL DO WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WANT BUT LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
For once, she stopped, the tip of the blade pausing. "What was that?"
Jane's eyes went wide, her breath stuttering.
She looked to John before looking to William. And it was the look she gave him that said everything he needed to know.
Her gaze fell. And Williams heart dropped to the floor as did his entire being while Jane uttered those fateful words.
"I...I'll go willingly."
"JANE!"
"I won't attack you or resist. Just please...! Please let them go! I will do anything you ask just please leave them be!"
There was a beat of silence.
Then: "Deal."
John was deposited on the floor in a loosely curled ball.
The man gripping Williams hair dropped him to the floor and he looked on with horror as they surrounded his wife, her hands held in the air as they slowly brought them down to chain and bind her.
"NO! GET THE HELL AWAY YOU F*CKING PIECES OF SH*T!"
William raced forward and grabbed a man by his shoulder, reeling his fist into his jaw to the point a couple teeth flew loose.
He wailed yet another fist at another guard, trying with every last fiber of his being to plow through the group of attackers surrounding Jane.
"Will, I'll be fine! TAKE CARE OF JOHN!"
William faltered. "JANE-!"
A man punched him across the face, pushing him away from the group holding Jane, despite her protests. He wasn't the only one though as he got back up, William having to dodge another hit from his right. "JANE! FIGHT BACK! WHATEVER CHANCE YOU GET, PROMISE ME YOU'LL FIGHT BACK!"
"Enough of this."
From behind him, a thin hand clamped down on his shoulder before thrusting his body backwards.
*SHING!*
Everything went numb for a second. And everything went silent too.
His hearing toned out and as his gaze met Jane's, whose expression twisted into something completely foreign. A strange cross between shock, rage, maybe even pain.
Then, everything slammed back into him all at once. The agony, the terror, and the noise.
The pain blossomed in his shoulder near his chest and he dared himself enough to gaze down. There wedged in his flesh from back to front was one of the bladed poles. Blood dribbled aimlessly down the tip and onto the floor as the scent of crimson filled the air.
He couldn't move, now parallelized with shock.
"WILLIAM!!!"
Jane's voice broke as she screeched out his name, now thrashing wildly in her captors grasp.
"NO! NO YOU SAID YOU'D LEAVE HIM BE!"
She was shoved backwards yet she still kicked her legs up and practically flung herself forward through the small crowd trying to drag her away from him.
William however was in too much pain to react. His left hand trembled as he brought it up to the sharpened object, fingers grasping onto the blade.
He thought the pain of it going in was too much to bare. But the pain he felt when the metal was yanked right back out had his vision going white. He was pretty sure he screamed when he finally regained some of his senses.
The man writhed on the floor, blood already beginning to pool beneath him as he clutched his chest and his breath coming out heavy.
His eyes roamed without abandon as he tried to find Jane, to keep her in his sights.
Jane lunged forward, smacking face first against the floor as she reached her only free hand towards him, nails digging into the hardwood.
"WILLIAM!!!"
He turned his head towards her, using every last ounce of his strength to flip onto his stomach. His brain thudded against his skull as he reached an arm out, shaking from the sheer strain of it all.
But again, that pain roared to life. This time, within his leg and he swore something snapped as the metal ripped through his tissue.
"NO!!! STOP IT!!! STOP IT!!!" Jane's ability flared brightly in William's fading vision. But she was getting smaller, now being pulled away from him, further and further from his useless grasp.
She screeched out to him and John one last time before she was dragged away, her figure and the sounds of her voice fading away.
William couldn't think clearly. He could hear what was happening but his brain couldn't process it all. "J-Jane..."
Someone knelt down before him, a moan of pain escaping him as she poked his back where the blade went through. "You know, you both only have yourselves to blame. It was a matter of time before you faced the consequences of your actions. Now it's time for you to deal with them."
She stood up, grey and pained eyes following her own. "It's a pity. I would've mistaken you for a high tier with that level of bravado you showed. Maybe in the next life you'll be more lucky."
She walked away, William watching her with growing rage. He wheezed as he shifted his ribs, more blood dripping down his lips.
The pain grew unbearable, his vision blanking out for a brief moment.
"Get rid of all the evidence. I don't want an ounce of what occured here tonight to reach the public.
"Yes ma'am."
"And make sure you keep everything neatly contained. We don't want to set the rest of the neighborhood on fire."
.
.
.
When William regained his senses, the scent of smoke was already in the air.
His lungs protested at the stench, already raking his body with a coughing fit.
His eyes had flown open and just behind him. agitated flames already began to brush the ceiling with their unyielding tendrils.
Panic built up like a fire in his chest as he forced himself to move, now crawling to the side to reach his son who still lay out cold, even amidst such danger.
All he could hear was a shrill ringing in his ears as he crawled, begging with himself to move that smallest bit further. Williams hand reached out, grabbing onto those tiny fingers still gripped tightly around that wolf plush Jane had gotten for him.
Jane...
He shook his head out, even as tears welled in his eyes from the thought.
He had to move, now.
Summoning what little strength he could manage, he pulled John into his body, even as the heat from the kitchen seemed to grow ever hotter at his feet.
He tucked the boy close to his chest and using his other arm, he pushed himself towards the door. A cry left his lips but he couldn't help it when his whole body was working against him.
The floor was uneven, his hand getting cut up from broken glass and wood. Bits of plaster clung to his clothes and he barely managed to push away the chunks of wall that littered the apartment floor.
The door was there, it was in his sights.
Even as his vision faded, he kept going, needing to reach it.
He just...he just had to reach it.
Just...Just a little bit further...
That's all he needed...
By the time he got to the doorway, the smoke had already followed them outside. William hacked and coughed, more blood dripping past his lips as he tried to breathe.
He misjudged the distance between the now destroyed landing and what remained of the stairs. Because the next thing he knew, he was falling, tumbling into what felt like open air. Regardless, he never let go, holding John even closer as he tumbled and fell through chunks of wood and debris that ripped into him.
Something in his shoulder popped and something else in his leg snapped as he bounced and fell, still holding John close to him and shielding him from the unforgiving steps jabbing into his already battered body.
Still, he maintained his grip over John, even as he came to a grinding halt on the ground beneath the ruins of the stairs. The grass felt soft and cool against his skin and part of him wanted to stay there. But he couldn't. The heat was still at his back, looming above him and waiting to collapse on him.
He still had to move away.
He kept trying to crawl despite how much his head ached, how everything was blurry and his limbs felt so heavy. The second he was on the concrete path outside their building, he finally stopped, his body refusing to carry the both of them any further.
The ground shook, a corner to the apartment blasting open from the force and the glass from the windows spraying everywhere. He briefly worried for his neighbors, but when he heard the sounds of firetrucks off in the distance, he knew they were somewhere else, away from sight.
William instead resorted to curling up around his son as the last of his energy was spent trying to make sure harm wouldn't befall him from the glass raining down and the flames still licking away at the building while debris hit the ground just before them.
"John..." He turned his gaze down to where his son was still unconscious, one of his small hands now balling up the tattered fabric of his shirt and holding onto him like a life-line.
Dazed, golden eyes cracked open the barest bit, his voice much too fragile and weak for William's liking. "...daddy...?"
"I'm h-here...John..." He turned his head into the ground, blood dripping from his lips as he coughed.
That small hand finally let go of his shirt, eyes beginning to flutter back close. "...it...hurts."
His smile was wobbly but he managed, reaching a bloody hand up to cradle his sons head. "D-don't worry J-John...you'll be o-ok...you'll be ok...I'm...here..."
But it wasn't enough to stop the tears running down his face, even as John once again went limp in his arms.
"J-John...? John...!" He bit back a sob as he brought him closer, curling around him as that was the only thing he could successfully do right now.
He had failed...he had failed so miserably. Those people came into their home and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it as they tore into his flesh, destroyed their home, hurt his wife and son and dragged her away while she screamed out to them. He was supposed to keep them safe and he had let them both down...
The memories still fresh in his mind burned harshly in his chest, tears clouding his already distorted vision as he stared ahead at the darkened pavement stretching before them.
"Jane..."
Oh god what had he done...?
He let them take her...he let them take Jane...
She was gone...she was gone and it was all his fault...all his fault...
If only he weren't a cripple...if only he hadn't been born with the misfortune of not having an ability...would these people have left them alone then? If he really did have some sort of power however minor it would be?
Would they have left her here with them and not destroyed his home, hurt his son, stolen his wife and left him for dead...?
Dead...
"John..." He coughed, the air suddenly feeling thin as he gasped. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry John...I'm...s-..."
His thoughts trailed off, his head spinning. His eyes stung violently and his mind went fuzzy. While his eyes were open, it felt like he was drifting along without knowing what was happening.
Hands grabbed him and weakly shook his shoulders, terrified crying echoing faintly in his ears. The hands never left him but William could barely hear now over the white noise buzzing in his ears. He felt so drained, so tired...
So, so tired...
"William?! William!"
He was shaken again by larger hands this time, short white hair flicking across his vision as he was turned on his back, red and blue lights glaring across his field of view. John wasn't in his arms anymore and his heart leapt to his throat.
Where was his son...?
He tried sitting up but those hands kept him pinned to the ground. "John?! John-...?!"
"He's fine, William. We've got him. Just don't talk right now alright?" His gaze finally settled on those bright, champagne irises now alight with aura.
Joseph...he actually came.
Said man huffed out a strained noise. "And you thought I wouldn't?!"
No. Because he wasn't able to call him.
"I got off work early. I was coming by to see you guys but I was met with flames engulfing your apartment instead! William, what the hell happened to you?! What happened to John and where's Jane?!"
He was barely listening, his burning eyes drifting back over to the smoldering remains of their home now being doused in a torrent water.
Jane...
She wasn't here.
She was gone.
"W-WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'GONE?'"
Tears escaped his eyes once more. "'M sorry...Jane...Jane...they-..." A sob broke through his words, one he didn't realize he was holding.
"William...what happened? What happened here? What's going on?!"
"Jane...they took her...why did they take her...? Joe, why did they take Jane...?! They broke in and attacked us and I couldn't do anything and they just dragged her off and they-! She's gone...!"
The hands around his shoulders tightened as other sets of footsteps surrounded them. William could see the sheer terror in Josephs eyes at the fact his sister was now gone, taken somewhere by some unknown figures.
A sudden surge of strength rushed through William as he sat up slightly, grabbing Joseph by the arms despite the protests of him and the blurred bodies of the paramedics surrounding him. "Y-you have to find her...! Please Joseph you have to find her! I-I don't know where they've taken her and I don't know what they plan on doing with her but-but I-..."
His grip grew lax, the world swaying and everything growing dark.
"Will-WILLIAM?!"
Joseph was dragged out of his sight, those familiar hands now being replaced by ones frantic but calculated.
He just wished they didn't feel so cold...
"Someone g-...a heal...!"
He wanted Joseph...
"Get ba-...! He-...shock!"
He wanted Jane...
"LET ME-...I CAN-...-LLIAM! WILL-!"
He wanted John...
"-ay back!"
He wanted to be with them all...just one last time...
"WILLIAM!!!"
He didn't want to be alone...not again...
Hands hovered around him and the sounds of the world faded away into background noise over the beat of his own heart.
The stars above swayed over his head. But the burning remnants of embers and smoke now lingered among them, climbing higher and higher into the vastness beyond.
Beats of red and blue pulsed in a frantic tempo that flickered out of beat with the heady flames as their glows tried to rob him of the view above him.
.
.
.
William remembered watching the stars with Jane...
He remembered a moment similar to this when they went on their first date, laying like this beneath a blanket of stars as the waves of the sea tickled their toes...
The salty breeze combed through their hair while their backs were cushioned by course sand but they didn't care...
Her hand was resting in his, fingers tangled together between them...
He had been telling her about the constellations and the various myths about them, his latest one being about Andromeda...
He always loved literature from mythology and found it interesting how people could create such intricately woven stories using mere lights that glittered above them at night...
He was ecstatic when she was interested in hearing him regale her with those tales...
So, so happy...
But when he looked to the side as he reached the end of the story, she wasn't looking up...
Rather, she was looking at him...
She was looking at him as if he were one of those twinkling stars shining above their heads...
She looked at him as if there was nothing more precious to behold and caught in the light of such a loving gaze, he truly felt like he was...
And it was everything and more that he felt about her...
He saw in her something ethereal, something so beautifully chaotic and raw in who she was down to her core that it made him wonder how such a person could be real...
But he squeezed her hand then...
She did too...
And he had never felt so cherished before in his life up until that point...
.
.
.
This time when he looked to the side however, his hand was cold; empty.
There was no warm smile or those twinkling irises peering into his own. The spot beside him was vacant. As now was a piece of his heart.
She was gone and had taken a part of him with her.
.
.
.
Both of them laid on their bed, the hours of midnight slowly creeping upon them. However, both of them were wide awake, reminiscing over their earlier days together.
William hadn't expected her to remember everything about their first date, let alone the stories he had told.
Yet to his surprise, she remembered every bit of it, right down to both of them ending the night absolutely drenched because they had splashed each other with sea water.
When they finally stopped laughing at the memory, her voice became serious and her eyes drifting to the ceiling.
"Remember on our first date how you told me that story? The one of Andromeda and how her family was willing to sacrifice her for the mistakes they made?"
William looked to her, turning on his side. "Yeah...I honestly didn't think you remembered that."
She smiled sadly. "Well, that's because in all my life, I had never such a story that resonated with me so deeply. Before I met you, I felt like her. I felt like I was being chained to the rocks by my family, forced to be what they needed me to be and there was nothing I could do..."
He turned to face her, gently taking her hand. "Jane..."
It wasn't long before she turned to face him, holding his hand to her lips. "But then I met you...you pulled me off of those rocks. You gave me another chance to be someone I wanted to be and to live a life I wanted." She pressed a kiss to his knuckles.
"You don't see it sometimes, but you're worth so much more than anyone gives you credit for. You gave me and Joseph a chance to find happiness and make a life for ourselves while being true to who we are. That kindness and bravery is worth more than any ability we could think of conjuring up."
She smiled, the sight blinding even in the dark.
"You truly are unordinary, William Doe. And I will always love you for that."
.
.
.
The sights around him finally faded away, and William panicked at the feeling of sinking. He felt like he was being pulled under and he couldn't find a thing to grab onto.
Jane...
I'm sorry...
I'm so sorry...
Please...
Forgive me...
I wasn't enough...
I know you think I'm unordinary...
But I'm just one person...
I don't know how I'm going to get through this...
Please...
Please be safe...
Please come back...
Oblivion soon claimed him for it's own, dragging him away into the darkness he hadn't feared in so many years as he sunk further and further into his own version of a personal hell.
For the first time in however long it had been, he was scared of what awaited him.
End.