Chapter Ten:

Into The Enemy's Hands

It was the night immediately after the game. I was sitting in my room and reading, just trying to concentrate on something other than the minor (yet annoying) pain in my head. Trish was let out of the hospital and going to attend classes like regular the next day.

I shut my book and sighed. It didn't feel right. Nothing felt right. Trish had been walking along with Nicholas so casually into the gym. It was easily a ten minute walk from the gym to the infirmary, and at any time he could've attacked her again.

Then again, Trish (after I'd spoken with her after the game) didn't really remember anything. She'd looked so tired, as if she didn't sleep at all when she was comatose.

I heard a tapping on my window and immediately thought of Nicholas. My body moved on its own and opened the window quickly.

But it was Jay. "We needed to talk, remember?" he said.

I nodded, but I was disappointed. I had hoped—God, I was such a terrible person.

"Where?" I asked.

Jay pointed towards one of the benches. "Meet me there. As soon as you can."

I nodded and slid the window down until it shut. I ignored the disappointment I felt and jogged to the bench after practically falling down the steps.

Jay was standing by the bench. I noticed that it was the one he'd been sitting on when Vi and I first met 'im.

"Where's Vi?" I asked.

He blinked. "She's upstairs in her room. She told me she was turning in for the night. Why?"

I shrugged. "Just wondering. It seems a bit suspicious since you're practically dating 'er and we're meeting by a bench in the cover of night. No biggy."

"Oh, right…" Jay rubbed his chin. "Then we should walk. This way?"

I didn't even pay attention to the way. "Sure. Now, you're gonna tell me about Trish's attacker, right?"

"Yes, I am." Jay cleared his throat. "I'm sure you know him already, and I'm sure you know exactly who he is."

"I want to hear it first." Jay looked at me, almost confused. "I just wanna be sure."

Jay nodded. "Nicholas. It was Nicholas."

"And why're you so goddamn sure it was him?"

Jay snorted as he attempted to hold back a laugh. "Because I know him better than anyone else. I can understand that you're reluctant to accuse him and see the truth since you're so infatuated with each other."

"I am not—!"

"Don't even lie; that's beneath you, Kayce." Jay stopped us and grabbed my arm, albeit gently. "You need me to help you against him. He wants control over everything, and everyone. We're Conduits; we can do this. We can help everyone!"

Jay's grip became harder to escape as I attempted to take my arm back. "Jay, let me go."

"Don't you want to help people?" Jay asked, ignoring me. "Look; if he gets his way, it's all over!"

I made myself look as threatening as possible, but I knew that if he saw through it, I wouldn't be able to do anything. I never could.

"Help me, please, Kayce!" Jay begged. "I just want to help!"

"Jay, let me go!"

Jay blinked and then released me. I absently rubbed my hands together and cringed when I touched the still-sensitive wound on my palm that I got from—.

"I didn't know his pendant could do so much damage," Jay remarked with a half-grin. "A pity that you were the first to find out."

And then, it clicked. "How did you know that it was Nicholas's pendant?"

Jay's smile faded. "Hm? Oh, lucky guess."

I suddenly became aware of where we were. The middle of the forest on campus, in the dead of night. With only Jay, who knew about my stupid little mistake with Nicholas's pendant?

"What the hell're you playing at?" I snapped as I started to back away. "D'you think I'm stupid?"

God, I knew I was stupid. I'd jumped towards an accusation with barely any proof. I didn't even look at any other facts. Hell, I didn't even know Jay very well!

"No, I don't," Jay answered carefully as he slowly pursued me. "In fact, I think you're very smart, Kayce. To me, it was always you. Never your cousin Violet Chance. I know all about you. Your family, your lineage, your powers. I can help with that, you know."

I continued to step back. I was alone with Jay—the asshole who'd attacked my freakishly acrobatic cousin—and my options were slowly running out.

"I don't want you're help!" I seethed. "I'm fine!"

"Even I know you don't like them! I see the way you are! Always afraid! I can help with that, Kayce! You don't need to be afraid anymore!"

My breathing suddenly accelerated. I could somehow feel his presence on the borders of my mind, just begging me to let down every wall I'd ever built and let him in.

"Get out of my head!" I shouted.

"You don't understand—I can help your powers grow!"

I fought to keep my rapid breathing steady. How did I not see this coming? How could I have missed such a vital thing?

"Please, Kayce. I can help! You don't want to become powerful off of anyone's fear anymore, do you?"

"Leave me alone!" I screamed, and charged into the forest.

"You can't run away from me!" he yelled after me, and started running.

I was fast. Let's get this straight now—I'm a goddamn race car when I move. But the way he closed in on me when I was sprinting at top speed made me rethink taking track later in the year. He pushed me as soon as he reached me. Pushed my back so hard that I tripped.

I hit the tree, and then he was on me. Jay squeezed around my throat and kept one of my arms pinned to my side. I struggled to breathe as he smiled and then pressed his lips against mine.

I tried to scream, but I was running out of air. He took his mouth away and sighed in exasperation.

"God, I never imagined you'd taste this good!" he gasped, and licked his lips. "It's too damn bad that you didn't—."

He was ripped off of me and thrown nearly ten feet away. My knees buckled and I hit the forest's ground, coughing to get some air in my lungs and holding my throat gently with my hands.

I heard Jay get up. "You!" he growled.

I was terrified as I heard them start to fight. The sound of flesh hitting flesh and bones breaking made me want to curl up and pretend I didn't exist. Here I was, a fear Conduit, a person who became stronger off of others' fear, and I was completely helpless. The only fear was my own.

Jay was hurled into the tree and fell on top of me. He angrily picked me up and put a knife to my throat.

"Don't fucking move!" he screamed, and started to back away from Nicholas. "I'll slit her throat if you do!"

The only one who was afraid was me.

And boy, I didn't like it.

"Put the knife down, James," Nicholas said, his voice suddenly firm and commanding.

Jay spat some blood out of his mouth. "Not in your life, brother."

Woah! Wait a goddamn second! Brother?

"James, listen to me! You knew what'd happen when you attacked Trish! You knew that soon someone'd come and kick your ass right to the moon because of it! Give up now, and you can still walk away with minor charges."

Jay laughed. It was the same one from that time when I'd heard him fighting with someone. It didn't exactly take Sherlock Holmes to deduct that it was Nicholas now.

"What are you, a cop? You're not very good at talking anyone down, are you?" Jay pulled the knife closer to my throat, drawing blood. I tried not to gulp. "I heard from father that you wanted to be a soldier in the army. How much longer will you pretend to hold onto you're 'Holier Than Thou' approach? It's not fooling anyone!" Jay laughed again. "Well, I guess it fooled Miss Grey here! Go on! Tell him about the puppy-eyes you've been making to him! It's a bitter irony, isn't it?"

Irony?

"Let. Her. Go."

I could almost feel Jay smile. "Or what?"

Nicholas hesitated. That was all Jay needed.

"I suppose you're not cut-out for this," Jay said with a fake sigh. "Or your 'soldiering'. Too bad."

Nicholas' eyes widened as Jay lifted something above his own head. God, I can't see a damn thing! What the hell's he doing?

"James, don't—!"

I felt something stab into my neck. I knew it wasn't a knife. Too skinny, and he was holding one at my throat anyway. It suddenly became extremely hard to breathe, and I was gasping for air.

Jay let me go and ran. I could hear his footsteps pounding against the dirt and into the distance, but Nicholas didn't pursue him.

"Kayce! Fuck, keep your eyes open!"

I was barely aware that I was hugging the dirt now. Nicholas picked me up. Everything was spinning. He pulled the thing from my neck. A needle. A goddamn. Friggin'. Needle.

"C-Crack…?" I managed to get out.

Nicholas laughed half-heartedly. "No. Not crack. None of that. C'mon, keep looking at me! Don't close your eyes!"

I didn't know why, but I felt the sudden urge to vomit. Everything (and I mean everything) was hurting like a bitch.

But there was something ten million times more important that I needed to tell Nicholas. I grabbed his shirt (which also hurt) and gathered what thoughts I had.

"I…" My words choked. "Sorry…"

Nicholas blinked. "Sorry? For what?"

I couldn't get the rest of the words out. Against my will, my eyes closed.

Trish MacGrath

I was catching up with Violet upstairs in my dorm. God, it was nice to be outta that stupid infirmary! But I wasn't looking forward to my homework at all. Violet had a lot to say, most of it questions. Stupid Violet questions, like: "What's it like to be comatose?" "What do you dream of when you're comatose? Embarrassing things?" And then, the one I absolutely cannot answer: "Who attacked you?"

"I don't remember. I never got a good at 'im."

Violet frowned. "Well, that sucks. Kayce was really trying to find out for you."

I blinked. Kayce? Violet had a more adventurous spirit than her! Plus, Kayce was usually one who tried to talk things out. I doubted that she'd want to simply "talk" with whoever knocked my block off.

"Geezus, I find that hard to believe," I replied.

She shrugged. "Kayce's really protective of us. Haven't you noticed?"

I didn't. Not at all. I mean, I'd heard about the occasional schoolyard scuffle she'd have, but…

"When we learned you were a Conduit, I remember the first thing she said. 'I hope she won't have to use her powers'. That means she wanted you to stay out of danger. And then the next day, when she got to school, she got in a fight because some kids found out you guys were related and called you a freak." Violet smiled, as if it was a fond memory. "She kicked their asses. Royally. I mean, she never fights! And there she was, barely a scratch on 'er, and a bunch of kids rolling on the ground in pain. Kayce was practically covered in what blood she'd drawn from them!"

I suddenly remembered Kayce's nickname at her school, but I'd always thought it was for basketball!

"That was where her nickname came from?" I asked.

"Hell yes! No one dared to say a thing after that!" Violet spun around absently. "Now, about your homework…"

I looked out the window. Something caught my eye, and I didn't like it.

A boy was strolling in front of a mass of people, all neatly in a line. He turned towards the dorm.

"Um… Violet?" I said quietly.

"What?" She looked out the window with me. "Wait a sec… Jay?"

Jay raised a hand above his head, and suddenly, the kids behind him attacked. They used their powers to set the dorm on fire!

"Get down!" I tackled Violet to the ground as the window exploded. Glass fell on top of us.

"What the hell?" Violet screeched. "What's going on?"

"We've got to get outta here!" I yelled. "Hurry!"

We got to our feet and ran to the fire exit. Some kids were waiting out there for us. I recognized them as a few Sojourns, Heroes, and hell, even a Paragon or two were there!

"Back inside!" a boy growled as his body turned to solid metal.

"Screw that!" a girl behind us jumped over us and planted her feet firmly in metal-boy's face. He fell backwards into the dirt, the girl perched on his face still. "Go!"

We ran. Kids were following us, some of them throwing their powers at us, others running for their lives just as desperately as us. Where were the goddamn teachers when you needed 'em?

I saw someone else running a little further from the cluster of students, but they were coming closer to us. I almost nudged Violet in warning, but I got a closer look at them.

"Nicholas?" I exclaimed, and then I saw something—or, rather, someone—slung over his shoulder. "KAYCE!"

"She's unconscious!" Nicholas explained quickly. "It was Jay. He was the one who attacked you. He had a knife to Kayce's throat, and I couldn't stop him—!"

"A knife?"

"Only a minor wound from that," Nicholas assured me. "But she needs medical attention as soon as possible! Jay injected her with something!"

"What? How the hell could he get drugs past the perimeter?"

Nicholas looked downcast. "He'd always been smart. He loved chemistry. Loved everything about it. As soon as he learned he was a Conduit, his love became an obsession." He caught my questioning look. "He wanted to increase the power of a Conduit. Him, specifically."

I decided that Nicholas would need to explain later. We were still being attacked from behind. "Where can we go? The train definitely isn't here!"

The girl who'd kicked metal-boy's face ran up beside us. I recognized her now; Mina, the Paragon team leader.

"The town," she said. "We can set up defensive positions and hopefully get a signal out. The town has its own barrier, and we can get them to turn it on once we get all the runaway students inside."

"Sounds good," I agreed readily. "Ready, Violet?"

She nodded. She still didn't fully understand what was going on. Hell, neither did I!

But one thing I did understand was that I was gonna kill Jay, bring him back from the dead, and feed him his own insides before killing him again!