My teeth crunched through metal, the sensation coming as a cold and bitter surprise.
It's a robot! I thought furiously. When I get my hands on that conniving little bitch...
I swore aloud in my native language, dropping the fake Blitz to the warehouse floor.
Only then, seeing the puncture wounds in the robot's head, did I fully realize what I'd just attempted.
I tried to kill a man.
My mind swirled like a hurricane with mixed emotions. Some of them came from me—grief, despair, anger towards myself, while others came from Tekuani—a cold sense of rage, and the bitter reminder to do what must be done, no matter the cost.
Eyes blurring from unshed tears, I picked up my helmet and contacted Doctor Cramer.
He answered immediately. "What's your situation, Jade Jaguar?"
My voice came out hoarse. "It was a trick. Blitz isn't here."
I heard his fingers tapping a keyboard. "Hold on. I'm accessing your helmet-cam."
I glared down at the dead machine at my feet. "Your brother tricked me with a robot decoy of himself. He's still out there somewhere, scheming."
Doctor Cramer sighed heavily. "That definitely sounds like Elias. Don't worry, we'll find him. Get back here ASAP. We have two boys in the medical wing that Fade brought in."
I nodded and ended the call, leaping out of the warehouse after cuffing Axis with power dampeners and contacting the other authorities.
Twelve minutes later, I arrived at the Cramer Tech facility. The head of the medical staff, Doctor Greaves, let me in.
"Anything on the two kids Fade brought in?" I asked her. Doctor Greaves was a stern but kind African-American woman who'd saved my life on multiple occasions, including my first week on the job four years ago.
"The older one had a slight head injury, but that was the worst of it," Doctor Greaves responded. "It's taken care of now. Is he a super?"
I nodded. "His powers are similar to mine, but I think his are weaker. He got them from my blood sample. Can I see him?"
She nodded and took me to Keith.
Sweat dripped down his brow, and he was visibly trembling on his hospital bed. His eyes flicked towards me nervously.
I took my helmet off, stowing it between my arm and chest. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Keith's voice shook, and my heart ached. "Where's my brother? When can we go home?"
"Your brother is here, and he's okay. You can leave soon," Doctor Greaves said soothingly. "I promise. We just have a few more tests to run, okay?"
After a pause, Keith nodded. "Thank you."
Doctor Greaves smiled and left the room, leaving me alone with my blood brother.
I crouched so we were at eye level. "I need to ask you some questions, alright?"
He exhaled through his nose. "Let me guess—why was I working with supervillains?"
"Yeah, it pretty much boils down to that," I said. "Why did Blitz and Axis take you?"
Keith closed his eyes for a moment. I could see pain in his gaze when he opened them again. "Well, Axis is my aunt. And my mom..."
He took a shaky breath, tears spilling down his cheeks. "She's dying. Auntie told me Blitz could find a cure, but he needed a favor first. That favor was killing you."
