|1| Whatever It Takes || Code 8: Connor Reed

12. On My Mind

Victoria was back out on the porch as she was leaning against the railing, shaking her head as she thought about it. "What's on your mind now?" Jordan asked and Victoria glanced over at her with a grim half-smile on her face.

"I can only ask people to risk their lives, I can't expect them to just do it." Victoria said and Jordan looked over at her, before she moved closer and gave her a hug. "I just don't understand why it always comes down to me." She murmured softly.

"You want to know my honest opinion about it?" Jordan asked and Victoria glanced over at her with a small nod. "I think that it always comes down to your decisions, because you are the one that everybody trusts. I figured out a long time ago that if there was anybody that I would follow into a terrible situation, it would be you." Jordan remarked.

"Why would you follow me?" Victoria asked as she was looking at her best friend. "Why would you walk into hell with me, against a bunch of people who hate us? Why would you follow me into a fight that we might very well, all die in?" She wondered.

"Because we trust you and more importantly, you have given us no reason to distrust you. Sure some of your decisions have had some unintended consequences, but that's life. You have been a great leader and you haven't led us wrong as of yet, you are also willing to fight on the front lines with us." Jordan pointed out with a sigh. "Look Tori, you don't realize how important you are to us. You are fighting for what you care about and right now, you have the ability to make us believe in whatever you want to believe." Jordan murmured. "We would follow you anywhere and you would hardly have to ask."

"I don't believe you." Victoria said and Jordan glanced at her, before she was nodding.

"Okay then. Follow me and I will gladly prove it to you." Jordan offered, holding out a hand to Victoria and the other girl was taking her hand and they were walking back into the house.

Jordan threw open the door with a bang and the others were jumping up to immediate attention as they heard the door banging open, the sound was echoing through the basement as they were looking at one another.

Everyone was in the room except for Garrett and Davis. Detective Davis who had already left the place after their conversation and plan had concluded, while Garrett, it was definitely in his best interest to stay away from Victoria and her people unless he wanted to get killed in a very violent manner.

"All right. This is mainly for the adults in the room and Pav, but we have a plan to take down Sergeant King and we need help, from anybody who is willing to give it." Jordan said as she was walking forward with Victoria following her, while Griff was opening the maps on the table and they were finding objects to put on them. "Victoria, what's the plan?" Jordan asked, turning the tables onto Victoria.

"Uh..." Victoria stumbled over her own words, suddenly tripping over them as her friend tried to prove whatever her point actually was. "We are going after Sergeant Kingston and we need all the help, that we can get. We are attempting to expose the deep-seated corruption and with Pav and her ability as a Transducer, she will be able to show the world the information. As long as we get her, what she needs." Victoria said, internally cursing Jordan.

"What exactly does Pav need?" Victoria glanced over at Connor, flashing her eyes angrily at him and then he was simply smirking at her and Jordan fist-bumped him.

"We need to get one of those dogs from a police officer's house." Victoria said simply as she was looking around the room. "I am not going to sugarcoat this. We are trying to get into a police officer's house and stealing his robot canine. If we don't do this now, we might never get another chance to bring him down." Victoria said as she was looking down at the maps.

"I promised all of you when you joined up with me and this group, free will. So, I ask you this." Victoria took a deep breath. "Who is willing to help?" She asked.

Heather raised her hand and at the sight of it out of the corner of her eyes, Victoria was looking over at her and she was startled at the sight of the skeptical Aero raising her hand to help.

One by one after Heather's admission, each and every one of her people, all were lifting their hands up and she was looking at them all, before she was nodding.

"Okay then." Victoria said simply.

After getting the plans sorted, Victoria was checking her rib, carefully putting pressure on it as she was shaking her head.

"Fuck." She whispered and she was bandaging it up again, before someone was knocking on the door. "Yeah?!" Victoria called out as she put her shirt back on and Connor walked into the room. "What's up?"

"Garrett is getting us a vehicle for the first part of the plan and then we should be good to go." Connor said and Victoria was nodding slightly. "I know that look, what's wrong?" Connor asked and Victoria looked at him.

"I have that feeling again." Victoria quietly admitted and Connor looked at her, before he sat down next to her. "And the last time that I had the feeling, Tommy died hitting the fucking Pyske Run." She murmured and he was looking at her, before she shook her head. "I know that we don't have a choice at the moment, but... Something is telling me to wait." Victoria whispered.

"You are probably worried about a dozen other things right now, Victoria. Not just this situation, you have always had a lot on your plate." Connor pointed out as he reached for her hand. "I'm not leaving you guys in the middle of this, I'll stay with you." Connor said and she smiled faintly, before she was lowering her head.

"Thanks." Victoria mumbled and Connor moved one of his arms around her, as she laughed quietly and she was quickly moving closer, resting her head on his shoulder.

Connor laced his fingers with hers and Victoria shut her eyes briefly, before a sharp zap hit her and Victoria's eyes shot open and she turned around to look accusingly at him with suspicion lighting up her eyes. "Okay I swear, that wasn't on purpose." Connor said and she was shaking her head, before she was back to where she had been.

Victoria stood up and quickly turned around as the electric shocks continued, before she was shaking her head.

"Connor, what in the fuck are you doing right now?" She asked as he looked down and his entire body was lighting up with electricity, on and off and he was shaking his head.

"I don't know." Connor said and she was turning around to look at the doorway and Griff pushed open the door.

"It is happening to Tyla and Jaime too."

All three of them were racing down the stairs and they found Jaime was sucking out electricity from the main set of breakers and Tyla was staring down at herself, turning on and off like a lightbulb and now they were all reacting to it.

Connor walked forward and before Jaime could keep sucking power from the breaker on the wall, Connor yanked her away from it and pulled the remaining electricity into himself. It only took a few seconds, before they were out of power and Connor's eyes flashed.

"I had to absorb your power once, Jaime. I really don't want to have to do it again." He said as his entire body briefly crackled with electricity, before it was settling and he was walking away.