Fury and Flame | 3

2 | 5

J A X O N

      Our combined anger was enough to fuel our group's unrelenting strides into the building, ignoring the soldiers gathering around us. They were trying to see what we were doing there, but no one said anything. We were there for Krasowski and her alone.

She'd done this to us. She was the reason we had these powers that set us away from all the other normal people. For all my life, I'd wanted to be normal just so that my family wouldn't have to hide me away like a bad secret. And now that I'd heard the details of what she'd done—experimenting on young pregnant women after they decided against joining her...I'd destroy her.

I knew the others mirrored my rage—for once, Arlo wasn't smiling and both Kane and Jake looked murderous. Finn wore an uncharacteristic scowl, which completely changed his usually sunny disposition. Even Riley, who didn't know much of what was going on, had her fists balled at her sides. Though she'd taken all our weapons, we'd rip Marcella Krasowski apart if she tried to stop us.

The soldiers, now catching on to our goal, tried to stop us from passing through the hallway to Krasowski's office. We simply pushed through their barricade, determined to win this fight. She couldn't push us out. Not this time.

      The new secretary was going to say something to us until she saw the looks on our faces. At that, she went silent for a moment too long. Kane forced the office door open.

     Inside, I was shocked to see her standing behind her desk as if she was expecting us. And standing next to her was Benny. For once, he wasn't swaggering and smug. In fact, he looked like he'd rather still be unconscious than be subject to the director anymore.

"Whatever you're here for, you're not going to get it," she told us with remarkable calmness. I wanted to see it break.

"We know what you did." I couldn't help but give her a smile dripping with cruel satisfaction. "And soon, everyone will know it too. You'll be ruined. Everyone will see you for the monster you are."

She laughed—actually laughed at that. "Now isn't that a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black? Look at yourselves: thieves, liars, gangsters, killers."

"Take it from me, being a science experiment is the worst kind of torture," Arlo said, voice cold. "You're just as bad as us."

Instead of addressing us further, Krasowski turned to Benny. "Look into their thoughts and tell me where where they got this information. If Damien Hunt's dispelling this information..."

"We'll kill you before you can get to him," I said, knowing we needed the last ally we had in Hunt. "Don't even try."

Krasowski said nothing. Benny was watching us now, staring into our eyes, one by one. It was unnerving, especially when we still weren't sure whether he was turned or not.

      Finally, he had his answer and my stomach sunk. If he ratted us out, both we and Hunt would be in large trouble. She'd cut all communication between us and lock us down even further.

      But then he opened his mouth. "They went through some of Hunt's old files." He turned to look at her, bored. "Apparently word of your little science experiment was in there."

      Nothing about my outward expression changed, but I was surprised to hear him lie. He was covering up for us. I had no idea why, but it changed things.

Having enough of this, Jake cocked the gun I knew he'd been hiding and pointed it at Krasowski's head. "Give me one reason I shouldn't shoot right now." If he was anyone else, I wouldn't have actually believed he would. But he was Jake Evans and I didn't know what to expect.