Frost And Flame

2

"I TOLD you no!" She yells at me, pointing her gun in my direction, and I barely duck in time as Ed is knocked to the floor. This dudes luck.....

I notice the bullet is actually a tranquilizer, and I sigh. I guess I still have to deal with these dudes later. I try to break free of the water, but not surprisingly, it does not work. The water spreads up my body and towards my head. Not so distant memories of nearly drowning cause panic to rise up inside of me, and I begin to hyperventilate.

Jenny is staring. What can she even do? Shoot the water?? I take a deep breath as it covers my face. Sounds are muffled as fighting ensues. My lungs are burning as I try to make out what's happening. My chest feels like it's of fire, and it's gonna blow. And neither of those are meant in the good way.

I know it'll do nothing, but I still claw at the water, desperate for air. I can't stop the bubbles leaving my mouth nor the tears leaving my eyes. I hate water I hate water I hate water I hate water. I hate water. I hate water, and I hate water. I hate water. I hate water, and I hate water. I hate water. I hate water, and I hate water. I try to use flames to burn it away, but nothing is working. Thatvkimda makes sense, to be honest.

Suddenly there's air and I gasp and weeze for breath. Jenny is on the floor, and so is Ed. Chevy has a decent gash along his face, and Sammys shirt is ripped. She looks mostly fine. What happened?

"Right, let's go. Make a noise, Franky, and you'll be eating dinner through a straw for the rest of your life." Chevy threatens, and then we begin to leave. I still feel so sluggish and drowsy from both oxygen deprivation and the water. I want to fight. To run. To do something. But instead, I look at Jenny as we leave her, and I'm just happy she's still breathing. If she got hurt, I wouldn't forgive myself. That might be the Stockholm syndrome talking but fuck it. I care about her.

We get to the roof of the convention and there is an actual helicopter waiting. I'm surprised there isn't an evil Mafia logo on it or something because it's so obviously evil Mafia.

Doug drops me and I struggle to stand, fists up. But they just push me into the helicopter and there's little I can do. I still can't use my fire, I'm drenched.

"He still has 3 months." Comes a voice that I've come to mildly appreciate under the circumstances.

"Deals changed. Silver needs him." Chevy stands off against the apparently infamous Slade. I kinda wish I had popcorn right about now.

"I don't care. Let him go or we'll go through what happened last time." Slade doesn't move. I swear I've seen this exact scene in action explosion rescue 6.

"I don't think so. Titanium, right? So you can't handle extreme heat." Chevy gestures to a device as he pulls it from his pocket before firing it at slade. To the guys credit, he hardly flinches. But I can see the hole in his shoulder from here and its not pretty.

"Besides, don't you have a gamer girl to protect?" Chevy continues in a mocking tone. Slade visibility stiffens, which I hadn't thought possible since he walks with a stick up his ass everywhere. I can't see the future, but I know what's about to happen.

"Just come back for me." I say as nonchalantly as I possibly can. His glowy expression relaxes, and he curtly nods before leaping off the roof edge like some edgy anti-hero disappearing into the night.

The chopper is high and far away in no time. And yet, somehow, the dread is lessened. That nod means everything to me right now. They'll come for me. I mean, I took a thousand  dollars from them sonthat alone should bring them. I just have to survive Silver.