From the Ashes

16

Alec's hands grip Tony's arm when he takes a step. "We have to get the rest of the pack."

"There's no time," he tells him, ripping his arm from his hold and swinging the door open. "Jensen, which way?" He asks as he watches the halls.

"There are fewer guys on the right." His voice calls behind him.

"Seriously," Alec yells as they exit the room.

Tony only glances over his shoulder.

Alec rolls his eyes and lets people pass him. He waits until the last person passes and follows after them into a stairwell. The three teenagers fly up the steps as they step as fast as they can. They meet a group of guards on the next floor.

They skid to the stop, causing people to bump into one other's backsides.

The guard at the front smirks as he stares at the group of people. Their eyes shift to the black stick with a red button on the top. It happens almost in slow motion. When his thumb presses the button, bodies fall to the ground. All of the people behind the three teenagers fall to the ground seamlessly without a sound coming from their mouths, only the thumps of their bodies hitting the ground beneath them.

The air becomes thick with haunting tension. It becomes dead silent.

"You killed them," Daisy's voice comes out barely above a whisper.

Tony sees Jensen flinch at her words in the corner of his eye. He stays calm, however. But his eyes change to cobalt blue, betraying his exterior. His hands flinch and the guard's smirk falters and his eyes narrow at his hands.

"So, I'm guessing you've never heard about what I can do," His voice is steady and dull as his eyes stare into the dull brown ones of the pale guard. Flames erupt from his palms as he raises them. The fire reaches out and covers the guards.

Behind the wall of fire, shrill screams of agony can be heard. All three of their faces contort as they hear their pain fill their ears.

The fire doesn't disappear until the screams have stopped. And behind where the wall of fire once stood, lay the guards, alive and breathing, but writhing in pain. The smell of burnt flesh stings their noses and the room is hazy with thick smoke.

Alec appears quickly on the other side of Daisy, taking in the scene.

"We have to go," Tony tells them and steps over one of the guards. He turns to see Jensen place his hand on Daisy's shoulder and guide her forward as she stares lazily at the door in front of her.

The four of them continue to run up the stairs until they reach the first level.

"We need to find a monitor room, and then go from there." Alec turns to Jensen expectantly.

The bodies they left behind flash in Tony's mind, but he has to push it to the back thoughts. He can't think about that right now—he has to try to free everyone else while he has the chance. You can't stop. You can't stop.

Jensen nods his head and his eyes change into orange. He looks around and squints his eyes every now and then. "Okay, we should be able to make a break for it, just follow me," he tells them when his eyes return to light blue.

You can't stop, Tony.

They all enter the new doorway and run after the black-haired boy down a hallway that has white walls and brown carpet, with the occasional closed door on the right. They take a right at the end of the hallway, as it was the only way to go. As they run for the door on the other side of the hall, they pass an open doorway.

Past the doorway, are people at desks, mirroring an average office. Surprisingly, not one of them notices, or so they think. When Jensen's hand rests on the doorknob, a gunshot fires. Alec grips his bicep as thick red blood runs down his bare arm.