fade into you |jordan li|

twenty three. mass chaos

The thoughts of everyone else in the room overwhelmed Cate, all of them blurring into one loud, continuous voice.

"Okay, look, let's all just calm down and assess the situation." Jordan said panicked, trying to get everyone's attention. Shetty's body was lying there, her thick hot blood seeping into her carpet, Ari having to keep herself from looking over at her.

"The situations bleeding all over the fuck rug." Emma said moving her arms to hint towards the obvious. Her hands were stained red from where she attempted to hold in Shetty's blood.

"We just, we have to figure out what to do now." Jordan continued being the mediator. There was nothing anyone could do about it now, but stay calm.

"Jordan, we can't do anything she's dead. We need to let Cate handle this, she did it. " Ari spit out, mad that they were in this situation to begin with. As awful as Shetty was, and no matter how much she knew how Cate felt, she couldn't accept the fact that she just killed her. This was her mess and she wanted her to have to get herself out of it. She wanted no part.

"You murdered her Cate." Marie looked scared now, scared of Cate unlike she had ever felt before. She always had her suspcions about her, but this, this was different.

"Marie I did this for you. I did this for all of you. When i'm done maybe eventually you'll realize i'm being a hero. " Cate tried to storm out with Athena close behind her, but Sam caught her arm at the doorway, such a change from their interraction before in which he threw her at the wall by her neck, in attempt to kill her.

"I want to be a hero too." He looked hurt, like something finally snapped. All the suffering he went through prepared him for this.

Emma shared the same expression. It was almost as if she been slapped in her face, and had her heart torn in two. She was so hurt that she couldn't even put it to words. Here another boy was leaving her, and this time she really liked him.

"Of course Sam." Cate said in a soft voice, one Ari couldn't stand.

"Leave him alone." Emma walked over to them, ready to defend him.

"Shetty sucked. I'm not an experiment." He went to where Cate and Athena stood. He had his own feelings. He went through years of punishment for something he never asked for, his power.

"What are you gonna do, Cate? " Marie asked her, not expecting her to have any plans whatsoever.

"We are gonna free the woods."

"Sam, don't go with them." Emma seemed more serious one she heard her plan.

"This is about you too. If they find out what happened here i'm not gonna be the only one they torture. Maybe it's time for me to save you." Sam walked towards the door only to be stopped by Jordan. Ari couldn't believe it. Now sam was betraying them for the girl that messed with his and his brothers minds for years, and the only person who stood in his way was Jordan.

"You can beat me, but do you really think you can beat him, or even her?" Cate asked implying that Sam and Athena were both stronger.

Jordan glanced at Ari for a look of approval, one she didn't give. "Jordan, not now. I know theres a possibility that you could win against them, but don't risk it, it would be two against one. And I can't lose anyone else. I can't lose you." Ari put a hand on their arm, wanting to drag them away from Sam and Cate, and feeling protective, though she was usually the one that had to be protected, the weak one. But she didn't have to because that was all it took.

Jordan let them pass, doing nothing about it even though it killed them to just let Sam, Athena and Cate leave. They listened to Ari, because in their eyes she was always right. That was one of the things they loved about her.

"Fuck." Jordan reached for their phone, quick to dial for someone.

"Jordan, sweetie..." Ari sounded sincere, but only for a split second. She would never use sweetie as a term of endearment. For one it was Jordan, they weren't like that, two she thought it was cringe, and three, she technically didn't even know where there relationship even stood. They never labeled it. "Who the fuck are you calling?" She questioned , wondering why they thought getting anyone else involved in this would be a good idea.

"Campus security emergency line."

Emma smacked the phone out of their hand.

"Yo."

"Are you crazy? They'll get sam." Emma looked down at the phone now on the ground.

"What about all the people in The Woods? If she lets them out, it's gonna be chaos. "

"Yeah, this is fucked up, but Godolkin and Vought are fucked up, too." Marie stood up for Emma, she knew exactly how Emma felt. Athena and her had gotten super close, and now she just left her like that.

"So, what, we just sit here?" They asked, wondering how else they could help[.

"No. We stop them."

"We need to think this through. They're dangerous, especially with the three of their powers combined. I know theres four of us, but my powers aren't much help without control, theres not enough food around for Emma to get big, and I'm sure she doesn't want to have to do that."

"Ari, give yourself some credit. I mean I'm sure its because of the accident, or even just Cate." Marie tried to comfort, as a good friend. Ari couldn't help but like being around Marie.

"It just sucks. I never even got to use my powers much, before everything. My mom always said it was better to do things myself, like a human instead of a supe. Of course Andre never listened to that, but I did. I only trained for school."

"When all of this is over maybe I can help you get a grasp of your powers." Jordan offered, bringing out a smile on Ari's face.

"I'd actually love that."

Emma looked like she wanted to barf. "Okay guys, enough flirting we ned to go now." She chimed in.

"Yeah preferably now, and we need to run." Marie agreed, leading them outside. They were running late. Cate and the others were already close to their destination.

                                  ✯★⁂★✯

The elevator ride to The Woods felt a lot longer than it actually was.

Ari's nerves got the best of her. She didn't know what to expect, scared she would have to use her powers and potentially risk everyones live, but once they made it, they all knew they were too late.

The elevators opened at a pace that Ari felt was too slow, revealing corpses of guards, meant to keep The Woods in order.

"Oh Jesus." Emma said once she noticed all the blood.

"Emma, you clear the Performing Arts Center. Okay, teachers, administration." Marie ordered panickly. "Jordan and Ari, you two sweep the student union."

They both nodded, Ari about to turn before Jordan stopped her.

"There's a panic button in Shetty's office. Under her desk. It'll lock down pretty much everything."

"Okay, thats where I'm going." Marie said, with a look of fear on her face, but turned away anyways. They were all scared. If everyone in The Woods was as powerful as Sam they would all be in a lot of danger.

"Lets go." Jordan called to her. Ari was almost glad she was with them, until she remembered her powers.

"Look. Jordan I can't be around you, not with my powers. The best bet is for me to go look for other people to help. Away from you."

"I'm not going to just let you go off when you don't know how to control your powers anymore."

"Thats exactly why I need to. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you."

"You wouldn't, I don't think you'd even be capable of that." They tried joking around, but it was kind of hard in the state, considering dead bodies were on the floor next to them.

"Jordan, I'm serious."

"Okay, okay we'll split up when we know more about the situation. For now, we need to get out of here."

"Fine." She followed them.

"Fine."