Betrayal Is My End

Chapter 13

Davi

It was strange, going into a place where I had no idea what was happening. Jerome had text me saying to meet him by the silo. When I got there, I'd expected to find him waiting for me. Pissed off that I was late or some other bull shit. I mean, technically, I'd been right he was waiting but, he hadn't been alone. It'd been him, Tsu, and Kai.
They'd all seemed worried but hadn't said anything, like they'd been waiting on the other to speak. Tsu and Kai were obviously in on the loop that I was out of, they both seemed on edge and kept sharing glances when they thought I wasn't looking. I saw Kai reach out for her hand and squeeze it to steady her. She'd come so far from when we first met her, when she'd been beaten and broken, there had been a deadness in her eyes. Now, though, she was strong, and immovable, when she set her mind to it- no matter the task- it got done.
That's what worried me. I'm obviously the task, but- why? It was clear that, while she was scared for me it was something else too. She was scared. What the hell could I have missed in five minutes? We walked down a small and narrow path that had clearly been dug out recently. I heard as Kai scoffed and saw the quick grin that he hid, Tsu muttered a quiet 'oh my god,' and I couldn't help but smile at their antics. The dirt was packed firmly to make a walkway and the only lighting was a flashlight in the new girls' hand.
She'd been the one to open the seemingly invisible trap door for us earlier. Jerome chatted with her for a bit and I tried to remember her, tried to scratch my brain to see if I knew her.
After some time, I came up empty and decided to drop it, not a big deal. I'll know soon enough, I threw my hands behind my head as we walked, trying to keep my nerves down. We walked onward for a while in mostly silence as the girl lead the way. It was clear she knew exactly where she was going. She was completely at ease, unlike some of the rest of us.
Jerome seemed relaxed and unbothered, it was rare for him to have his walls down like this. Especially in front of others, hell, especially in front of us. I watched as he just calmly talked with her about small things here and there.
Well, I thought calmly, those two know each other. But I wonder if they know each other. Dirt puffed up in clouds around our feet as we went and I coughed slightly at the dust in the air.
My fingers itched with unused energy as I felt electricity build in my body, I hated being underground. I'm not sure if it's because my power and the erratic behavior of electricity, or if it was a personal fear. Either way, I didn't like it. Just ahead, I could see Tsu getting slightly antsy as well, maybe she feels it too.
Kai took her hand again and squeezed it softly and I instantly watched all form of stress go out of her. Cheater. As though hearing my thought, Kai turned and winked at me with a smile before turning to face forward again.
We finally reached a door that seemed set into the dirt wall, it wasn't anything fancy, just a simple, every day, door. It seemed odd to be just down here set into the dirt wall but, no one else questioned it- so, why should I?
The girl in front unlocked it and I heard a soft click before the door opened and we were in a brightly lit, sterile looking room. I felt my stomach flip and found it hard to swallow. The cleaning chemicals swirled around the room and when I breathed I felt slightly light headed. My fear flared up and I felt as a small twinge of electricity shot out of my fingertips to the ground.
Tsu turned to look at me in confusion then, I shook my head slightly and she nodded once to show understanding. I licked my lips slowly and took steadying breaths, as slow as I could. The girl turned and I focused on assessing her to keep my fear in check. She was short, shorter than Tsu, probably about five- four? Maybe? Her hair was a reddish brown color that highlighted her tanned skin. She definitely spent a lot of time in the sun. But it didn't look unhealthy like a lot of girls nowadays did.
God, I sound like a twelve year old mean girl, when I looked at her again I couldn't help but smirk. She was hot, but in a weird innocent way- not my type. Her face was heart shaped and she had a dusting of freckles across her cheeks and nose, her body was slim but she definitely had some muscle. I wonder if she's a dancer, she moved gracefully and her muscles were perfectly fluid as she went. When she turned and met my eyes I was taken aback at how beautiful hers were. They weren't just blue or just green but a perfect mix of the two.
More of a Caribbean blue color, like the water of the ocean on a summer day. I could practically smell the goddamn ocean when I stared at her. I shook my head in an attempt to clear it, and heard Kai chuckle at me. I shot a small bit of electricity, not enough to hurt him but enough to get his attention, he growled and I couldn't help chuckle that escaped my lips. When she spoke, I was taken aback by how thick her accent was.
"What've you stepped in now, mate?" She said addressing Jerome. He shrugged and leaned against the far wall looking unbothered.
"I'm Katy, by the way," she said walking around me to Jerome. Her voice was soft and I couldn't help but stare at her in shock as her and Jerome spoke.
She didn't seem afraid of him, just exasperated at his stupidity. Holy shit, I thought, me and her could get along great. Constantly being annoyed by his bull shit he throws. I like her. I watched as he whispered to her and she frowned leaning around him again to stare at me. "Oh," she said quietly. I turned from them to Kai and Tsu but they avoided any eye contact with me.
I felt a frown forming on my lips and it deepened as she spoke again. Her eyes filled with worry now as she assessed me and I wasn't sure what to do. "You poor thing, you're in pain aren't you? Your body isn't meant for this," she says and turns to Tsu. Her eyes widen and she walks around Tsu in a circle, looking her up and down. I felt Tsu's uneasiness at the girls' closeness. Tsu hated being the center of attention, especially when it came to her power. It brought up too many memories of her past.
"You don't feel pain, do you?" Katy said turning and walking around Tsu who was looking more and more uncomfortable by the second. "Your body- it is still fighting but- wicked!" Her eyes lit up with excitement and I frowned. "Can you explain? Because I'm so fucking lost it's not even funny, either explain what the hell is going on or, I'm going back up to daylight." My voice shook just barely on the last word and I couldn't help but blow out a heavy breath.
Jerome cleared his throat and we turned to see him leaning against a simple operating table and I felt both at ease and on edge. An o.r. Is my home away from home, I'm team physician, of course I'm comfy. Only, I wasn't getting the feeling that it was for me to use, but for them to use on me. Jerome's voice was calming as he spoke, fuck me, I hate when he gets like this. He knows how to ease your mind into calming before he snaps at you. It's a weirdly useful talent he's had since day one, it's part of the reason why he works people so well.
"It means she can see your power. Katy here, has the power of Transference. She can look at you and see what your power is." My eyes widened at that and I looked at the girl beside him with more interest. I heard Kai's intake of breath just as Tsu stepped back. Katy blushed and looked down while Jerome sighed and just continued, "she can reach into your body, your very soul, and take your power." He spoke calm and clearly now, as though he were talking to children, and not a room full of serial murderers. "Her body is equipped to hold any power, no matter what, for herself or to give it to someone else."
My jaw dropped at that and the girl frowned, "it's not the divine way to reach in and take another's soul. But, that being said, I know it's not His plan to make His creatures suffer. You, my dear," she says eyeing me, "are suffering. Let me help you," she reached out and I instinctively stepped back out of her reach.
"Whoa, hold up now hondo, what the fuck does that mean?" She sighed softly and did the sign of the cross in front of her, "such profanity." She muttered clearly upset but choosing to continue rather than comment on my language.
"Basically," she sighed and I could tell she was working on a way to explain everything.
Tsu leaned back against Kai, resting her head on his shoulder. I watched as he put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed slightly before I felt the small dousing of calmness in the room.
Katy smiled softly at them and I could tell she appreciated his support to her, I wonder how accepting she'd be if she knew the three of us were together? "The easiest way I can explain it is this," she said slowly, thinking each word over before saying it and clearly focusing on my tension. I felt a small sense of calmness washing over me, my body relaxed and I felt at ease.
Until I realized what was happening, I jumped and glared at Kai who shrugged as if to say can ya blame me for trying? The answer? Yes. Yes I can blame you.
I shot a glare at him to portray my annoyance and he held his hands up in surrender before we turned back to Katy. She had a bemused expression on her face as she watched us, "I love that you two are close enough to interact like this. His will shall be done," she said and bowed her head for a moment. I couldn't help the snicker that escaped my lips just then, when she straightened she had a smile playing across her own lips. Tsu cleared her throat and gave me a don't-you-dare look so I mimicked Kai's earlier actions and held my hands up in surrender, before turning back to Katy.
"To put it simply, our powers are specific. They only really correlate to us. Just like blood type does. You can't give certain powers to certain bodies. Sometimes," she said pausing. I think she was trying to find the best way to dumb the whole thing down for us. "They're not equipped for it, so like let's say if the power is for something like heat-" she pauses looking at each of us.
I see Tsu nod, clearly she's hanging on everything this girl is saying, Kai and I both seemed to be taking a polite interest. Nothing more, nothing less. "-and the body is set up for something cold. The body won't be able to withstand the pressure that comes with it and the heat that the power will give. Therefore, it will hurt itself to compensate the strength." She slipped into full blown lecture mode now and I couldn't help but feel interested in what she had to say.
I'd always sort of suspected something like this but never actually been able to study it, let alone put it into words. Hearing her explaining it to me was like one of the few good dreams I've had in a long time. "Basically," she continued calmly, "the body rejects this power, and it slowly starts to kill the individual who's forced to live in utter and complete pain. Which," she says turning to me and I feel my heart drop.
"I imagine is what you're going through, eh?" I don't answer, I don't want to worry Tsu and Kai, I want to be strong for them. But, I can't deny it anymore. My body aches, my bones feel like they're going to shatter, my mind feels strained. My head is constantly throbbing, feeling like it'll split apart at any second. The pressure is so bad that it makes my eyes water, I bite my lip and look away from her. "If you'd be ok with this, I'd like to take that pain away from you."
Kai surprised me by speaking now, "if you do this, what happens to him?" His tone was calm but I could hear a slight twinge of fear in it, she smiled softly to him and I could tell she was trying to calm him down. You're out of your depth lady, "well, for most people it would be easy. The new power doesn't link up with the body so as soon as I reach in, I can separate it no problem." She eyes Tsu calmly and I couldn't help but inch closer to them, "there are some people, though, who can handle more than one power. The power merges with their soul and they can mesh." Tsu smiled softly but when Katy continued, her smile fell and she chewed on her lip. "However, it's still slowly killing them, it's just not as noticeable." The room went silent and I felt nausea rise in me.
I looked at Tsu from the corner of my eye and saw she had definitely paled. I couldn't help but lick my lips in anticipation. What the fuck, one minute I'm in a meeting watching a woman be bludgeoned to death, then dealing with Dylan, now I'm here discussing my own life. My eyes flicked to Tsu, then, and I couldn't help but groan softly as I did. She looked slightly paled but otherwise unaffected. She took a deep breath before speaking calmly. "This, this power wasn't mine," she said quietly and cleared her throat Katy smiled at her and pat her arm, clearly in understanding. "No, love, it wasn't," Katy conceded, "but it works with you. Your family is one of the rare ones that can pass these things down, this power would've been lost a very long time ago had it not been for that."
Her voice was clear that she was smiling and when I looked, sure enough, I saw a smile on the girls lips. She was clearly overjoyed about all of this, 'power,' talk.
I can't help but scoff at her unprofessionalism. "Your body may not have been born with this power but I believe it was born made to hold it. I can see it within your soul," her voice was barely a whisper now as she leaned in to speak with Tsu. She was a kind person, that much was obvious, she was just highly religious. Which was highly annoying. No one this religious, could truly be good. I don't trust them. Ever.
"The power to control the weather, to manipulate it, to overcome the disadvantage of having a power that was never yours, and control it is absolutely amazing. This power has bonded with you, body and soul and it is perfect." She took a deep breath and sighed before walking right up to me. Right up in my space. I fought the urge to step back or push her away. Instead, I swallowed my fear and looked down at her, she studied me, staring intently.
After a moment, she put her hands out so they rested on my chest and I felt warmth spread through me. "Then," she said quietly, "there are some like you." Her voice was strained and I felt as my heartbeat picked up and my breathing heightened. It was certainly an experience, when she spoke again I couldn't help but jump.
"Who inherit a power that should never have been theirs. It destroys their insides. I don't know how you're bloody walking, let alone standing up straight in front of me. Your insides are fried, your body is overworked, your internal systems are shutting down. I know you feel that detached feeling in your mind." She reached up and tapped my head and I sighed, I could practically feel the anger and sadness being thrown at me from Kai and Tsu. "You're right," my voice shook and I felt tears in my eyes.
I was shocked that I'd reacted this badly but I didn't know what to do. My biggest fear, leaving Kai and Tsu, was out in the open. The fear in their eyes now was exactly what I was trying to keep away. It's exactly why I lied.
My head swam now and I felt myself falling backwards, until I felt strong hands holding me, helping me to a chair. "Can you fix him?" Jerome's voice was quiet but firm, he was watching us with interest and I felt my body convulse slightly. It's as though I was losing control, and fast. The pain was becoming worse and as Katy turned to me, I could see pity in her eyes.
"I can but, it won't be fun." There was a knock on the door and when I turned I saw Lauren walking in with a bewildered looking Julia trailing just behind her. I sat up trying to give off a false air of calm but my body spasmed just then and I accidentally shocked Tsu. She jumped and I heard her Yelp of surprise, Katy and Jerome had the same look of shock on their face and Kai scoffed at seeing Lauren.
It was clear he was trying to lighten the mood, "is there anything she doesn't know? I thought we were your right and left hands?" Jerome chuckled and opened his arm so Lauren could walk to his side and be embraced. He turned and smirked at Kai with a wink, "bloods thicker than water. She's blood, you're water," Kai pursed his lips and turned away but I see the hint of a smile.
"Julia is here to assist Katy in anything she needs, you, Kai, and I will wait for the procedure to be done. We have work to do," he stood and I saw Kai freeze mid-step, "I- what? We're not gonna-" Jerome put his hand up and glared at Kai "we don't have time to babysit them. Tsu must stay because she's going to be the lovely storage container for the healing power." Tsu's eyes widened but she didn't speak.
Kai was the one who spoke, his voice was quiet and I could hear the fear and pain in his words "why is Jules here?"
Jerome rolled his eyes and headed to the door impatiently tapping his foot while Katy pulled Kai into a hug. "I asked Jerome to bring Julia. When I reach into Davi and pull the power from him, if its bonded with his soul it gets- tricky." She paused for a moment, letting it sink in before continuing. "Normally, I pull back and don't bother hurting the person and let them live the rest of their life. Julia controls death, so- even if I can't quite wriggle it away from him at first-" she didn't finish her sentence but it was pretty self explanatory.
I swallowed thickly just as Tsu launched into me and hugged me tightly. I smirked and kissed the top of her head lightly. After a moment, Kai came too and wrapped his arms around us holding us. I could feel my shirt dampen as she cried quietly. She always did, never letting a sound escape her, holding her tears back as long as she could before she burst. It broke my heart knowing she still had that training, be seen not heard.
When she pulled away, her cheeks were wet and her eyes were shinning but her voice was surprisingly strong. "Don't you dare think you can leave me. You're stuck with me, understand?" I couldn't help but smile, "yes ma'am." She kissed my cheek before stepping back and Kai wrapped his arms around me. "What she said, you come back to us, hear me?" He kissed my lips softly, and after a second he too was gone.
The door shut behind the three of them and it was just Tsu, Jules, Katy, and myself. Katy wrung her hands and made a silent sign of the cross while muttering something. "Ok, Davi, I know it's hard to be the patient but," she gestured toward the table Jerome had leaned against and I licked my lips. Tsu stood to the side clearly not sure what to do. Katy stood in front of me and smiled, "you're definitely loved. I don't know what His plan is for you, but I can tell you, it's definitely tied to them."
I rolled my eyes and she smiled, "alright mate, up and at em," I sighed, "I don't-" I paused so I could cough and as I did I felt a wetness in my throat. Her eyes widened fractionally but she didn't speak, just held her hand out to me. Tsu turned, giving me my privacy and not looking at my embarrassing state. Once on the table, Katy smiled warmly at me and I felt my mind calm.
"Just lie down, and it'll be done soon." I chewed my lip as I did slowly, feeling the cold seep into my skin.
After just a quick moment, I felt a burning sensation in my chest. It felt like I'd been cut open and lava was being poured into my chest cavity to flow through my veins.
"No warning!?" I screamed and she chuckled, "sorry mate." I clenched my jaw and felt my hands clawing at the table beneath me, I tried to push away but my body wouldn't respond. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to keep my mind blank but the pain was too much, please don't let Tsu still be here. "Mate, you're going to break your teeth, it's ok to scream." Her voice was soft and I forced myself to breathe deeply and felt a groan escape my lips.
My hands scratched at the table and I heard Jules suck in her breath at the damage. "Duck!" Katy yelled and I felt a wave of electricity that had been building shoot out. Katy plunged her second hand in and that's when I lost it, my screams rang through the room and the last thing I remember seeing was Julia's pained face looking down at me. After that, I passed out and let the darkness overtake me.