Fracted (Book #2)

Chapter 1: Guest

Glinting and tinting were the first things I saw on their eyes. The sameness of their anger, I'm terrified after the big reveal. Mom, I thought. But I didn't just think of it, I'm looking at it.
But how?
Why?
I sense the despair on the clones' eyes, not just the shining. A single gunshot was heard at the entire lobby. Then another, and another. Basically, she shot every clone that surrounded us above the terrace. Ace covered his ears so that he won't hear the gunshots coming from the entrance of the building.
How is she able to do this? I mean, the capability of betraying someone and then saving them at the right time? How did she even know I'm in this place? I'm starting to question what her real motives are, and what she was up to when she was still babying me. Second semester is almost over, and this happens? Unbelievable!
"Mom?" I said, shocked, feeling like there's a defibrillator overcharging me. It burns inside how she's here. I mean, I don't need her and she's so insistent. Just get out, please, for my sake.
"Jess, honey." She dropped her gun after shooting the last one them. "I'm so glad you're okay." Her hug was so tight, my lungs were rendered useless. I pushed her off me as soon as possible. "What's wrong? Aren't you glad to see me?"
Don't hesitate, I thought. Just come out and say it.
"No." I say softly. Come on, louder this time. "You betrayed me!"I shouted. "You tried to take away my powers!" This time, it was my loudest.
"No, I was trying to protect you. So you can be normal and fit in."
"No, you were changing me. You were gonna give it to your adoptee without my permission."
"Jess..."
"No! Don't 'Jess' me, you're not my mother. Get outta here, I don't need you." I push her shoulders forward and she backs up a bit.
"Jess, no!" Jackson yelled. "Don't... not now." He said quietly.
"You saw what my brother tried to do, he tried to kill me!"
"Really? You're gonna do this now? There are more clones beyond the mini-city. If we're gonna finish this, we're gonna do it right."
"Look, I'm glad you're okay but you're not in charge of me. No one is."
"But--" Mom said.
"Not anymore."
"She should help us." Robert said. "Seems like she knows what's going on."
"Are you kidding me? She's just gonna jeopardize our mission!"
"I agree." Ace said. "I think she's knowledgeable.
"How is this even possible?"
"Think about it, Jess, how do you think she got here in the first place?" Sarra said, leaping off the glass-shattered terrace.
"Good point." Said mom. "Let's go."
"What makes you think I'm okay with all of this?!" I yelled furiously. I think all of my veins will erupt eventually. I know I shouldn't be always this stressed because I'm young, or else I'll grow wrinkles, but it's like holding your gas in for another hour. It's irritating and it makes you wanna explode. As the rest of them walked out of the building armed, I stood there and frowned.
"Let's go, Jess!" Ace turned and called. I groaned in frustration. I retrieve a gun from a dead clone's lifeless hand and dashed out.

"How did you get here?" Sarra asked Leah.
"A clone did, he somehow just teleported us here. Then he asked me to choose from Jess or my life. So I managed to escape and shot him."
"I can't believe this, after everything I've been through today and this happens?" I realized that it was Robert I'm talking to, not Ace.
"At least she's here to help."
"You don't understand, she would've switched me to a new school but she refused. She said I only need a few more months until I graduate, but what choice do I have?"
"A few months won't hurt."
"You should've seen the x-ray of my broken rib."
"Ooh, that's cold."
"Rob, tell me the truth... am I worth it?"
"Worth it?"
"I mean, do I even fit in or what?"
"Of course you do, you fit in perfectly here."
"But what if this place never gets recovered? What's gonna happen to us?"
"How optimistic of you." He said.
"No, really."
"We can stay in the mountains."
"Or a peaceful meadow."
"Or an island."
"Alcatraz Island." I said.
"See? You got nothing to worry about."
"Look out!" Alice yelled out in a terrified, panicked tone. I see a body falling from the students' dorm building. It moved as if it was humane, but it was the strong air that made the airs flail around.
"I got this!" Robert jumps in time towards the falling body. They spin in a quick circle and landed roughly on the grassless terrain at the front of the dorm building. They were dry, despite the grass that's infront of the academy building.
"There's another one!" Jackson stopped everyone behind him and mentally stopped the body as well. Suddenly, more bodies came down with no one else to catch them. All we could do was watch in terror.