Brave Fear (boyxboy)

Chapter 35

Marlene piled them all in her small car, evidently the one they had stolen the day before. Zane felt partially bad about it but she assured them that it was fine. She hadn't wanted Marcus to die either. In fact, she seemed to be most fond of him. She seemed especially drawn to protecting him upon learning details of his past, his experiences. She was once again playing the mother for them. Zane found this heartwarming and smiled every time he saw her. In this new and terrifying world, she was the only one to notice them, care about them.

She flitted her gaze to the rearview mirror, catching Zane's eyes. "I can get you into the building," she said, her fingers clutching the wheel as she curved through the throng of vehicles with lifelong ease. "But I can't guarantee getting you much farther than that."

Zane looked at his hands, wiggled his fingers. His gaze, as always, fell to his shortened pinkie finger and then the bulge in his pocket, indicating the syringe. His mind flashed back to the ace of spades in the weapons room, when Joseph had made him a blanket fort. He smiled at the memory. "No problem," he told Marlene. "I can get us further."

She sighed. "If what you're doing will be illegal, spare me the details." She cringed.

Zane chuckled. "Thanks for helping us get in, Marlene. I hate to ask you this, but do you know where they'd be holding the maps? There's no way that I'll be able to get my bearings when I'm in a glass skyscraper."

She shared the chuckle. "Forty-fifth floor," she answered. "They may not be there, but it's your best chance." She dropped her eyes back to the road. Zane hated having to make her worry, but she knew he could handle himself, if not all of them. Wawrzynski had intended to make Zane the most powerful weapon in the universe, but he had created the most powerful enemy in the universe.

Wawrzynski's serum had been powerful enough to allow Zane to alter the nature of matter itself. The simple recreation and deconstruction of everything imaginable. Zane knew he had yet to reach relatively close to the limits of his power, but he was afraid if he reached any further, there would be no turning back. Wawrzynski would get what he wanted; a rampage. Utter annihilation.

Daisy leaned over to Zane. She and Anastasia were seated on opposite sides of him in the back row of Marlene's car. Joseph had taken the front seat, and Mallory and Marcus had occupied the middle row. Jonas, being the skinny human being he was, was squished between Mallory and Marcus's seats. He looked very uncomfortable, but claimed he was fine.

"What happened last night?" Daisy hissed, for once as quiet as she intended to be. "Did you do it?"

Zane rolled his eyes as a strand of her blue hair flew across his nose and threatened to make him sneeze. "No, we didn't," he told her. "We kissed a couple times, but nothing else happened."

She scoffed. "I gave you the perfect opportunity!" she whispered viciously. "Why didn't you take it?" Anastasia and her each raised an eyebrow.

"Is that any of your business?" It was his turn to hiss this time. "That is between me and Joseph, I don't care if you've declared yourself my wingman, you don't get to know every detail of my personal life!" He crossed his arms, the universal gesture of stubborness.

Daisy leaned back. "I understand that, Zane," she said. "But I also understand you're new to practically everything that's been thrown at you. The wilderness, London, Wawrzynski's serum, weapons. But I'm trying to help you get a sense of normalcy in the midst of all of it. I know you're new to relationships as well, but they can be excellent coping mechanisms, especially when with someone you really care about, and I know you really care about Joseph. It may seem like I'm just trying to be a pain, but I'm really trying to help you."