Awakened

Tough Crowd

I throw Edward on the ground and he gasps.

"What are you-how are you alive! I thought you killed yourself." His eyes are full of anger, awe, and just a touch of fear. "You're supposed to be dead!"

I smirk at him. "Next time stick around and make sure you finished the job, you coward. I am not that easy to kill."

"Yes, I can see that." He picks himself off the floor and gazes coolly at me. "Are you here to kill me? Or are you the one who is too much of a coward?"

I slam him up to the ceiling and let him fall down. "Shut up," I growl. All I see is red. "You have caused too much destruction."

He grunts in pain and I levitate him a couple inches off the floor. He hasn't used his power yet. Must be because he's still a little groggy.

"You are still the same weak girl who can't control her powers, no matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise."

I throw him against the big flat screen TV across from his bed. It cracks right through the middle. He doesn't cry out, just wipes the blood off the corner of his freaking smirk. How can he be smirking?

He stretches his arms out, laughing. "Is that all you've got?"

I glance behind him to the balcony overlooking the ocean. "Don't test me."

Edward spits on the floor. "I am guessing you weren't stupid enough to come alone."

My thoughts drift to Harry, Archie and Leslie. Shouldn't they be back already? "No, I wasn't. They are on their way." I fling a couple of books at him. One hits him in the shoulder.

"Are you sure about that?" he asks with such certainty that it makes me freeze.

"What did you do?"

He laughs. "I didn't do anything. I was here with you the whole time." He pauses. "But what makes you think that I live here alone?"

Off in the distance, I hear deep thumps and yelling. I rush at Edward and grab him by the throat. "Who else is here?"

"Just because you declined my offer, doesn't mean that other people did too," he chokes out. "Powerful people."

Oh, no.

I let go of Edward and he falls to the floor coughing. I rush out of the room and down the stairs. I screech to a halt, but not fast enough, and I trip over someone's body and go tumbling down the stairs. I hear one of my bones crack but I can't pinpoint which one as pain radiates throughout my whole body. There is a pounding in my head as I try to stand up. A wave of dizziness hits me and I lean against the wall for support. I tentatively walk to where the body is laying. I turn it on its side and let out a strangled gasp.

It's Archie. His throat is slit and there is blood coming out of his mouth. His arm is sticking out in an unnatural angle that makes my heart stop beating.

I quickly fall to my knees and try to work on healing him to no avail. I hear a noise and the lights turn on. My head snaps up to the top of the stairs.

Edward is leaning against the railing. With the light on, I can see purple bruises starting to form around his neck. Blood stains the corners of his mouth. "There's nothing you can do," he says. "That guy is long dead."

I stare down at Archie's lifeless body. "This is my fault," I whisper. Tears form in the corner of my eyes and spill over my cheeks. Oh, my god. Archie is dead because of me. I knew he should have stayed with me. Something tugs at my mind though. The last time I saw him, he was running towards the right hallway. On the second floor. What was he doing down on the ground floor?

I look back up to Edward as he walks down. There's a triumphant gleam in his eyes and that is when I know that he is in my mind.

I concentrate on blocking him out. Putting up impenetrable walls to keep him from toying with me. As I'm doing this, Archie's body flickers, starting to vanish. First his legs, then his torso and finally, he's gone. He was never there in the first place.

The smile on Edward's face gradually disappears with each step as he figures out what I'm doing. He gives me a tight smile. "I see you learned how to block me out."

I don't say anything in response. I heal myself and a warmth travels through my body, targeting each of my injuries.

His eyes widen in what looks like awe. "You have the healing ability. It comes naturally, doesn't it?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because we are the same." He takes a step towards me but I push him back.

"No, we aren't."

"Think that if it makes you feel better, but we are more alike than you think."

Footsteps sound through the hall. My heart soars, thinking it's my friends, but when the two guys appear I sigh. They don't look nice.

From another room, I hear running footsteps. Archie, Harry, and Leslie appear. Harry looks relieved to see me, but his jaw visibly hardens when he sees his twin brother. What a sight to behold.

One of the guys has dirty blonde hair and the other has black hair. Now it's four against three. Seems like good odds to me.

Edward and Harry stare each other down when Harry speaks. "Well, it looks like I finally get to meet the asshole who tried to kill my girlfriend. You don't look like anything special."

Leslie chuckles but stops when Edward glares at her.

"I would watch my tongue, brother," he spits. "You have no idea what I nor my friends are capable of."

I roll my eyes and knock all three of them down. That does it. Soon enough everyone rushes at each other. Archie disappears and Leslie helps him take on the dark-haired guy. His power, apparently, involves super strength. He hits Leslie so hard she goes flying back. I slow her descent and she gives me a nod of appreciation.

Harry and Edward are stuck in a brawl. They aren't using their powers, just physically fighting using their fists.

The blonde smirks and checks me out. "We could have used someone like you on the team," he comments.

"Yeah, I don't think so."

He shrugs and holds his arms out in front of him. I am confused about what he is doing as he separates them and quickly claps his hands together.

All of a sudden, I get hit by an invisible force and I go flying up against the wall behind me. My head smacks against the surface and my head feels like it's about to burst from the pressure. All I see are stars and black spots dancing across my vision. I did not see that coming.