The Spark That Lit The Flame

Chapter 16: Stand off

"Arms out now!"

The room fell silent as the men entered a stand-off; weapons out in the open, threatening the sleeping woman and her fiery protector. The sound of Cleo's sleeping heart, the only sound that filled the room as the men stood unmoving – waiting, for the meta-human to take a step out of line. They knew their orders, if the two acted up too much they are authorized to shoot them and 'disarm' them as they could – of course...this was on paper. When questioned, any of the guards could have acted out in self-defence, the two metahumans were dangerous, registered 'criminals' and there loss wouldn't be so great, not the public – it was a needs must situation.

"Don't be threatening me with them guns – ya'here? Put them down now, I don't wanna do nothin'." Chato snapped raising his hands defensively as he stepped slightly to cover Cleo's sleeping form. He would take a shock; he had taken worse from her when she was awake – if anything he was able to withstand more than he cared to admit and those tasers only had so much battery but he was no willing to take that chance, not now. They may not kill him – but they still had Cleo under observation and he wasn't willing to put her in any more danger than she was already in.

As the moments passed, the sound of the sleeping woman's heart made the men more and more agitated – her heartbeat like a clock; each beat edging them on to break into some manner of violence.

"On your knees." Barked one of the guards as they moved in around the tattooed metahuman who growled and decided it was best to follow orders lowering himself onto his knees and assuming the position he had come to be used to. Interlocking his fingers behind his head the tattooed inmate lowered his head as, the guard moved behind him and chuckled. Chato growled to himself, awaiting the inevitable blow he let his mind wander a little.

Cleo POV

The rest I was privy to in this hospital was less than peaceful. Sleep came and went as it pleased, my body too weak for it to have any real reaction to anything going on around me. My body hurt, it hurt more than it had in a long time – as I dozed in and out of sleep I couldn't help but think back to the days in the glass rooms.

My childhood wasn't bad, I mean it was different to other children – I still got to be play with my brother – I could see my dad every now and again behind the glass wall. I would remember how excited I used to get when my brother would come into my room, he was the only person that did – other than the nurses.

The guards were always there though, they never left – they watched me every minute of the day and the night wardens stood guard like statues in the dark. At least I was never lonely...I mean they didn't talk much – only a few guards talked to me – the others just stood guard I used to joke with my brother that my father had made them from stone and they would only move when we looked away.

My brother went along with the game for a time and then as I got older he got more and more upset by the glass room. I never understood why, I mean that was how I lived, my room was made of glass...like this hospital room....my room...no, my cage.

I missed my brother, he was all I really had. He was the only person I could hug without hurting – the only person I could really trust with my secrets, as small as they were....and he was gone because of me...

I could never forgive myself for that.

I could never- no, I would never forgive myself for that.

Marcus was dead because of me!

Snapping my eyes open with a silent gasp, the room was dark. I couldn't tell how long I had been asleep, not moving I cast my eyes to the bright light coming from the door – Chato? Focusing a little to the darkness around me I realized Chato was still in my room. I must not have been asleep for as long as I thought, I didn't have such a good sense of time anymore, if we were being honest everyday rolled into one.

"On your knees!"

I slowly moved my neck to the side and watched as the guards made their way behind Chato. They hadn't noticed I had woken up – I could hear my heart monitor in the background...moving slowly in the darkness I wiggled my fingers slowly waiting for the pins and needles to travel up my arm and down into my fingertips.

Inhaling happily as I felt a surge of energy, I waited for the two men to line up behind chato – their backs to me – fools, as one guard pointed his tazer at Chato the other men chuckled and leaned in to hit Chato with their cuffs.

This was really a bad idea...

3POV

The room lit up with a sudden flash, the glass radiating the light aroud the room near blinding the men within. The two guards let out a gasp as they fell to the floor – a whip of static passing through their temples rendering them immobile. The second guard stepped back in shock as he turned to his paralyzed colleagues on the floor before aiming his tazer at the now fully woken woman.

"Why are you people always so bloody mean?!" Cleo huffed as she watched the guard pull out a second taser before aiming it at the woman who let out a chuckle as she pushed herself up in her bed.

"Really – you are goin' to shock me'h?" Cleo snickered as she lowered her gaze to the silver band on the guard's wrist. She knew that kind of band; it was a medical band – Cleo raised a brow wondering why on earth this man would have been assigned to guard someone like her. She could just about see the word carved onto the band.

...How perfect.

"A ver, que diablos estás haciendo?! What you doin' girl!?" Chato exclaimed as he scrambled off the floor away from the two guards who had landed on top of the former gangster.

"I am getting out of here and I am not going back to that prison. I didn't do nothing wrong!" Cleo growled as she coughed slightly covering her mouth with her bedding.

"I can't move my legs!" The guard exclaimed as he looked down at his legs. Cleo smiled darkly, before coughing again lifting the sheet to her mouth as the blood covered the white linen of her bed sheets.

"Shhh!" Cleo snapped as the guard let out a whimper as he tried to lift his feet off of the floor to no avail. "Now, if you don't mind I want to get out of 'ere." Cleo mused out loud as she slowly manoeuvred herself from her bed much to Chatos disapproval who had made his way over to the bed and watched anxiously as the young woman stood up from the bed and removed the attachments from her body.

"Now, if you don't mind. Mr...George? Is it George?" Cleo smiled as she made her way over to the guard who stood in silence, flinching a little as the woman looked down at his badge – swallowing hard he nodded.

"Ok, George. Unless you want to end up like your friends, you will help us get out of 'ere no?"