A/N
Two words - brace. yourselves. :)
....
Controlling the earth is a powerful ability, I admit, but being able to fly – now that’s just sweet! And sick! And incredibly liberating.
Not that I got any sight-seeing or soul-searching to do during the short while I was up in the air with Super Storm as both of us flew into Haynorr. There were snipers on every roof but a simple gush of wind bringing the desert sand onto their eyes was enough for us to reach their blind spot. The radar did catch us though. Wouldn’t expect anything less from a supermax prison!
Gunfire rang out from all sides and I pulled up chunks of earth to come and shield us. My powers were weakened so high up, but I only needed to provide assistance – Super Storm was already doing a hundred tasks at once; controlling the air around me so that I could fly beside him, creating mini sandstorms to keep the guards from getting proper aim at us, and now he was summoning gales to take out the automated machine guns raining bullets at us.
“Go,” he hissed at me as a warning and, the next second, he dropped me on the roof of the most secure building in the facility.
I landed on my feet and immediately dropped to the ground so as to not get shot. Within seconds, two large arms made of earth and rocks erupted on both sides of the building, crushing the guards and the guns stationed on the roof.
The ones on the other roofs and locations, however, were still firing at Super Storm, who was dodging the bullets as easily as Aspen hits the tennis balls.
Mentally frowning at where the thought suddenly came from and leaving Storm to deal with the guards on his own, I ran towards the staircase leading into the building. It wasn’t even locked – apparently, they never expected anyone to fly onto their buildings.
My victory was short-lived, however, as the moment I entered the building, I knew I was screwed. It was made of pure steel, so thick I could barely feel the earth pulsing beneath it. With a harrowing start, I realised I was completely out of my element.
Gunfire rang out and I jumped behind the nearest wall. I heard guards come barrelling upstairs.
I clearly should’ve thought it through. I was in a maximum security prison, completely cut off from my element, and very pathetically trapped.
I thought the strange sensation I felt pulsing through my veins was fear, but when I saw my fingertips glowing red, I realised it was the very opposite of fear.
Had I reconsidered what to do, I wouldn’t have done it. Pyrokinesis was not something I was proud of – hell, I barely even acknowledged it. Geokinesis was a gift, this was a curse.
I pushed myself out of my hiding spot and let all my rage flow through my fingers into the air which combusted into flames, swallowing the guards and leaving only screams and ashes in the wake.
I made my way down the stairs, towards the basement which, I could feel, was flooded; so Garnet had to be there. Along the way, I saw bodies lying on the floor, ones I hadn’t burned, so I knew I was going in the right direction.
By the time I reached the basement, I was a mess. All the floors above me were burning, smoke snaking its way out through the vents and the stairs. Alarms were blaring, but that was all – there was not a single guard in sight. The floor wasn’t completely flooding, but there was still enough water to reach my ankles, coloured red with blood and reeking of death.
I walked on ahead, careful not to step on the bloated bodies that lined the corridors. The air around me was sizzling and the water at my feet was steaming. Old memories came bursting in and I could barely see or understand what I was doing in that moment. My heartbeat was thundering in my ears and I felt my control over my hands slipping with each passing second.
Garnet was in the last cell – its door blasted open and hanging from the hinges as water dripped down from it. Garnet sat in the centre, cross-legged, staring ahead at me, unblinkingly.
The water sloshed as I stepped in.
“I told you he’s not here,” I said, voice breaking but I couldn’t help it. I was unable to gather my thoughts, let alone control my emotions.
“Where is he, Ridge?” she said in a ghost of a voice, staring at me but I knew she was not really seeing me. “Where is Linden?”
The fire in me died down instantly at the mention of his name. With the rage gone, the helplessness settled in. And the guilt.
“I told you,” I took a few steps toward her, “he’s dead.”
Something in her snapped. “No,” she shouted and a wave of water crashed at me, pushing me hard against the wall.
Garnet got to her feet as I coughed out the water. “Why would I lie, Roux?” I looked at her but all I saw was a glimpse of orange and green and red – flashes from a memory I had tried my hardest to bury. The old rage returned with it. “Do you think I want him dead?” I hissed.
She studied me for a while before saying, “I don’t know what you want... Gravel.”
“What do you mean?” I warned.
She only scoffed at me – scoffed. “I know you never cared about Lin.”
I took a faltering step back. “What?” I breathed. “You think –” I let out a painful laugh before I could help myself. “You think I didn’t – I didn’t... care about Lin?”
Garnet did not reply.
“You think I did not care about Linden?” I shouted, letting out another laugh. “Is that what you think? That you’re the only one who loved him –”
“Don’t you dare,” she hissed taking a few steps closer to me. “I’m not an idiot. I loved him, Ridge. He meant the world to me. To you, he was just somebody you could fuck.”
I wasn’t sure what I did. But I must’ve done something, because Garnet stepped away from me, staring at me with wide eyes that screamed terror. I hadn’t even moved. I could’ve choked her if I wanted to; I did not.
“Is that what you think?” I said in a monotone. “That he was just –” I broke off and let out a scoff. “Then what are you doing here, Roux? What are you doing here with me? Linden was the one who got us together, right? So why did you stay after he was gone? Why did you stay with me if you thought I was the one who betrayed him? Go, Roux.” I gestured towards the smoke-filled corridor. “Just go. And don’t come back.”
She stood frozen in her place.
“I said go,” I yelled.
Garnet had the basic sense to turn around and run out; leaving me alone in the cell that was now dry of any moisture.
I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, but I stood there. The building above me was on fire, the steel walls had me trapped and removed from my element. Did I care? No. Maybe this was it. My time to finally die.
“Gravel,” a familiar voice shouting my name was what saved me. “Fuck you, Gravel, where are you?”
I stepped out of the cell and onto the corridor. Smoke lined the ceiling and I saw the familiar shape of Super Storm emerge. His costume and face were blackened with smoke and ash had settled on his hair.
“Grave –” He broke off on seeing me. “What’re you – where’s your sidekick?”
I walked up to him. “She left.”
“She left?” he echoed me. “What do you mean she left –”
What happened next was a blur. Even for me. I saw a dark shape over Storm’s shoulder and the unmistakable glint of a gun being fired.
Before I could register what to do, my body had pushed Storm out of the way, leaving my own chest bare for the oncoming bullet.
....
Hahahaaa
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