Pyro

Chapter 22

If looks could kill, Proditio would've been bleeding out on my living room floor right now.

Especially with Parker's intense, irate glare.

Proditio's blood red lips tilted in a slight frown. "Come, now. No need to be so hostile. I haven't seen all of you in years. This should be an occasion to celebrate!"

I wanted to scoff from behind the small bar tucked away in the corner of the room. The only occasion to celebrate would be her death. A preferably brutal, bloody, drawn-out death.

Proditio, dressed in a frilly blouse with simple black pants, sighed from her position on the couch. She was the only one sitting: The rest of us chose to linger beside the walls, and Parker guarded the exit with his massive body. My mother wasn't home-according to the maids, she wasn't planning on coming home ever-so it was just the seven of us, all crowded in this massive room. I wished all the open space, the distance I put between myself and Proditio, would assuage the twitching of my fingers, but it didn't. Here I was, openly allowing Proditio-the devil of a woman who killed, nay, slaughtered one of the few people I had on this wretched, God forsaken Earth-into my home. She not only ruined my life, but ruined Rebecca's family. She was to blame for my setting off on this stupid revenge quest and ruining the only other friendship I held dearly. That was why I found myself in my father's liquor cabinet, desperately searching for something to cloud, dull, ease, hinder, quell the roar thirsting for vengeance pulsing in my veins. Tequila worked for that, right? Or maybe whiskey?

My eyes grazed over the absinthe. The bottle practically radiated sweet release, what with the green, sloshing liquid inside declaring its presence.

My fingers hungrily grazed the glass and just and I clasped the bottle, Proditio called over her shoulder, "Might not want to do that, Henry. I'll need you to have a clear mind for this."

My fingers twitched instinctively. Just the sound of her voice pissed me off. "Then get on with it," I hissed.

Wais, who stood on the opposite side of the bar, murmured, "Don't blame you for wanting a drink."

I sighed and, suddenly drained of energy, leaned against the bar for support. I wanted Proditio gone. At this point I'd settle for her out of my house.

"I wanted to meet all of you to discuss the terms of our agreement. In exchange for destroying the Traders, I will give you the bodies of your family and friends, all of which have been preserved. This way, Hui may revive your lost loved ones."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah we know. Don't waste our time," Kaz snarled, looming beside the fireplace. Ashes tinged the bricks, and I dully noted it. It needed to be cleaned. How would one clean a fireplace? OxiClean? These were the thoughts I used to busy my mind as Proditio spoke.

"I don't expect the six of you to do this massive task alone. The Traders, after all, have eluded the SS and the police ever since its foundation. Of course, that's because there are thousands of cells across the country that are impossible to track down. Not even my boss knows every cell." Where the hell was this going? I just wanted her to stop talking. "Except I know. Perks of omnisciency. And I also happen to know that a majority of the cells located within a city coordinate efforts."

Wais's previously slumped head lifted at this. He was intrigued.

"Sometimes cells share warehouses, sometimes they team up to take down a particularly resistant target, but the biggest things are the auctions. Most cells lack connections, so some of the cells get together to host an auction. That's what I'll have you hit most of the time. However, since the New York operation is the largest, I'll have you hit both warehouses and auctions. I'll provide you with locations, plans that are sure to succeed, etcetera. All you have to do is carry them out."

Basically just let her order us around. Yeah, no thanks. Before anyone else had a chance to protest, I said, "We're not going to let you boss us around, especially when we have no guarantee you'll give us our loved ones and Hui."

All the humor melted from her demeanor, resulting in stiff shoulders. "You have my word."

Kaz answered for us. "Your word means jack shit."

Proditio sighed. Strands of her raven hair slipped into her face, but she made no move to affix them back in place. Instead, she stood. "It's a matter of whether you wish to take a risk. Trust me, or don't. It's up to you. But what do you have to lose?"

It was what she didn't say that hung heavy in the air.

We had everything to lose.

Her words inspired hope. The kind of hope that churned your stomach and made you breathless. Queasy, even. Proditio gave us hope we'd get the people we loved back. And with it, that queasiness. But that queasiness also stemmed from unease...

Because that hope she so graciously bestowed upon us was all we had left. She knew we'd hold on to it with all that we could.

The six of us reluctantly agreed, because what choice did we have?

As Proditio laid out instructions for the plan set to happen in a few days time, queasiness swirled in my stomach. I felt sick.

Shouldn't I be glad I'm getting Rebecca back? I thought. But as I listened to the gory details of her plans, I felt doubly sick.

Apparently, hope wasn't the only thing I was slated to lose.

It was my humanity.

Pyro? What was that? Who was that? Me?

Apparently, using her omnisciency, Proditio foresaw the future- the future where we defeated the Traders, and the things we needed to do to get there. "Pyro" played the biggest part, razing Trader buildings to the ground and distracting the Traders by commanding their attention to focus on an outward enemy, rather than an inward one.

I was about ready to lose my lunch.

I didn't want to do all the things Proditio was describing. Burning buildings, killing people, becoming someone everyone hated.

But... she also described other things we'd do. Free people snatched from their homes, stop others from getting kidnapped, bring the Traders to justice.

And most importantly, Rebecca. At the end of all this, I'd get her back. The only girl I ever loved.

If I had to become "Pyro" to get her back, then so be it.