A different kind of girl {Book One}

Death's door

"Run, now Stephen," I yell and we run through the halls of Ultra like our lives depend on it. We have to stop Roger. Guards lie on the floor, dead. Someone is here. Jed. Rushing through, the noise of the machine overwhelms our ears. I grab onto Stephen's hand, looking for an exit. 

"Stephen," I scream.

"Hold on!" I see Jed in the room and go to run to him when we hear a loud gunshot and then the machine starts powering down. Stephen runs to Roger and I run to Jed who is crying. He actually has emotions. 

"Dad." He hugs me tightly.

"I had to, I'm sorry." I look at Stephen and see the blood pouring out of Roger's body. He shot him to stop the machine. He sacrificed himself to save everyone. I lean down next to Stephen and hold Roger's hand.

"Everything's gonna be okay," he says. The machine starts glowing orange, pulsing over and over. "The machine, why is it still recharging?"

"It's got everything it needs from you Roger," The Founder says angrily when he walks in. "This will be your legacy. Long after you're gone, your powers will live on. And there's nothing you can do about it Stephen, you can't stop me." I stand up, feeling a surge of anger flow through me. 

"Go to hell," I scream. "We could have lived happily with the humans, but no, you had to hold a flipping grudge! Well back the hell off because Roger is dying so stop being mean, you got exactly what you wanted and you know what, karma is a bad friend and it's gonna bite you in the ass when you least expect it, you freak." He nods his head and a security guard behind him pulls out his gun and shoots me, the bullet hitting my shoulder and knocking me back. Jesus Christ. 

"Thank you. This is what will happen when someone disobeys me." I fall into Jed's arms. I reach up and hold my shoulder. Bloody hell, it hurts. It really hurts. 

"Rachael!" Jed lays me down next to Roger. 

"Stephen, you can save mankind still. There's strength in you son, strength you can't imagine. Son, I believe in you. You have to go. Take Rachael, get Cara to stitch her up okay. Jed stay with me." Stephen picks me up and teleports out unwillingly. We land in the subway. I touch his face and dry a stray tear.

"It's going to be okay Stephen."

"You're so brave standing up to them Rachael."

"Omigod, Stephen," Cara cries and runs over to us. "What happened?"

"Where's Jedikiah?" John asks.

"My father's dead. Jedikiah killed him. I need you to look at Rachael please." He passes me into John's arms and I moan because of the movement and the pressure going through my arm. I never want to be shot again. 

"Rachael," John sighs. Cara runs after Stephen. He's upset, I can't imagine the pain he's going through.

"What do we do?" Astrid asks.

"How bad is it?" He sets me down and pulls my top down. "Surface wound, that's good." He pulls the bullet out quickly like you would with a plaster but it didn't mean the pain would stop. I grip tightly to the couch arm and squeeze my eyes shut. Next time, I'm keeping my mouth shut. Stephen walks in arguing with Cara.

"What are you doing? You know paranormals can't kill anyone."

"He can," Stephen says and points the gun at John.

"I'm not even one of you anymore."

"You were one, why can't I be?"

"A killer? You think that's what your dad would have wanted."

"Stephen think about this please," I speak up.

"None of this is what he wanted. Where is the facility?"

"Stephen. John don't tell him," I say.

"John, I'm serious now. Where were you weaponised?"

"We're not letting you do this."

"You already did," he says and walks past us. I go to grab his jacket but he moves to quickly.

"What did you do?" I ask angrily.

"Stephen, killing The Founder won't bring your dad back. Killing him, it won't stop the machine and save them. Why are you doing it?"

"Revenge." And then he teleports out.

"Stephen, this is not what we wanted," I yell. "Where the hell is Russell? I'm going to stab him in too."

"Breathe Rachael," Cara says as she walks over. "We have to do something."

"A killer Stephen, who knows what will happen?" John jokes and we all look at him with plain faces. "What?"

"Idiot."

-

-

-

"Cara, I'm going home. I need a sleep and some proper warm food," I tell her as I walk into the main area.

"How you feeling?" she asks.

"Better. Still hurts like hell though." She smiles and nods.

"Get out of here, you deserve it. And if you see John..." something flickers in her eyes, "tell him I'm looking for him."

"Will do." I teleport back to Jed's, landing very badly on the floor. "A little wobbly." I look up to see Jed and John hugging. "Am I interrupting something here?" Jed looks up and smiles, letting go of John and running over to me.

"What are you doing on the floor?"

"Bad landing. Probably due to my arm."

"Yes, how are you?"

"I feel like shit. I need a warm bed and a warm meal please." He helps me up and we walk over to the couch where I sit down next to John.

"Of course, and John you can join us. Help me fetch some blankets for her." He gets up and follows Jed away. Course he has to join us. I set out a pillow and lie down. Urgh, life. Jed lies a few blankets over me and John hands me some more pillows. "You sleep, I bake." I smile and nod.

"Thank you."

When I wake the smell of spaghetti bolognaise hits my nose instantly and I sit up quickly.

"Told you it would wake her." I face John and Jed who are both smiling their butts off at me.

"What?"

"Nothing. Come and eat sweetheart. This could be our last meal."

"Way to ruin the meal dad," I say as I stand up. I sit down at the bench and stop gobbling up the food. Best warm meal ever.

"It's going to be there for a while. Don't get indigestion." I smile, my mouth half full of spaghetti.

"She's an idiot," John exclaims.

"So are you," I say and punch his arm.

"What you going to do? Shoot me." My eyes widen and my brain stops short of a thought.

"No, but Stephen might," I say then teleport to his house. I walk inside. It's quiet, Marla and Luka have gone. I hear voices coming from upstairs. Cara. I walk in just as Cara is taking the needle off him. "He didn't?" She shakes her head. "Good. Stephen this is not the way to revenge. We have the upper hand, while they have numbers, we have love and compassion and that will always win the war." He stands up and hugs me tightly.

"Come on, it's not safe here," Cara says and we teleport to a hotel. "We'll stay here and regroup with John and Astrid tomorrow."

"I tax the double bed," I yell.

"Me too," Stephen says.

"Dude, I can't sleep with you, you're my cousin."

"I'll lie on the top of the covers then," he says and smirks.

"Fine and Cara, you can lie in between."

"I'll stick to the single thank you very much."

"Suit yourself."