X-Ordinary

XO - Chapter 14

Alyssa's POV

Minutes Earlier

Serge walks with me into Holcroft's house – right past security, who admittedly get free electric shock therapy as Serge walks by and a twinkle of lightning takes them to the ground.

I've slipped my hand carefully around Serge's arm, as I watch the security guard's veins in their necks cease pulsing. Serge was dead-set on following through on the plan, but it had been many years since I saw any violence like this. We could have knocked them out, but he chose lethal force.

"Overkill?" I whisper to Serge, "...the guards were doing their job."

"Hearts will keep going into arrest until I know Jace and Snyper are safe," Serge might be Sally's father, but he also treats Jace and Snyper as his own, "Behave, doll," Serge's hand slides over my ass and lets out a static shock.

I yelp, mistakenly thinking it was going to be a harsher jolt. Lightning chuckles, meanwhile, up ahead, we see a little girl peaking out of the front door, spying on us.

It's one of Holcroft's daughters.

I clench Serge's arm tightly, I know he won't kill her but it's the terror in her gaze that has me feeling sick to my stomach.

The girl takes note of the dropped security guards and she runs back in, slamming the door shut and yelling out for dad.

"Stay calm, doll, and they'll stay calm," Serge murmurs.

I hadn't made a protest about the plan yet, and I know words will do nothing.

I want to make an impact, it doesn't have to involve killing that girl's mother to force Holcroft into a corner where he does whatever he has to, to help us.

For now, though, I keep quiet and when Serge and I reach the door, Holcroft is already storming his way there, looking furious as a protective father.

But he made a mistake. He should never have betrayed us. We put him in this position.

"Who do you think you are, interrupting my family at this hour?" Holcroft demands, "What the hell do you want from us?"

Serge says nothing as he approaches. I walk behind, weary of Holcroft and looking out for the rest of his family.

Serge's tactic is walking without stopping.

He tests Holcroft's courage.

Holcroft clenches his fists but steps aside from the hulking Ultimate, Serge was more wiry than Ace and Jose, but he was still tall like Hacksaw – his biological father, an infamous villain, and a dead man.

"Alyssa?" Holcroft asks me to speak, terrified by the silence.

I step into the house last of all and I shut the door.

Serge takes his gun out from his belt and taps it against his lips, telling Holcroft with one action to shut up and stop talking.

Holcroft now only looks at me, silent eyes slowly bulging as he realises we're not leaving without blood.

"Don't you know, you attract what you fear?" I ask him that, "We liked you, Holcroft. We really did. We thought you were a good man."

"I am," Holcroft answers this with a more sombre tone, while Serge is moving off to find the family with quiet steps, staking out if anyone else is here that we have to worry about, "I'm also a man." He says that with a teary conviction. He was a flawed man, a normal man. He definitely saw us as abominations, not human. What's weird is if I was in his shoes, maybe I'd even think the same.