He sighed and pulled out his phone, he searched up crashes in the area and there were hundreds, "every. single. road. has a crash on in, there are crashes everywhere. It's so obvious that they're trapping us in the city." He was right, the amount of train and car crashes in the area was strange. "Unlike you, I don't rely on my power, I actually have brain cells."
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"Welllll, well, excuse Xander for being at the hospital while everything went down," Isolde scolded, "And excuse me for trying to figure out where this guy disappeared to after the first incident at the airport."
Xander scowled.
"That's- that's quite enough. We'll figure it out, okay? Isolde, they didn't call you out to help?"
"Not yet," she said, "After all, the casualties at the airport incident… It was too late for them. And I don't like throwing myself into a fight unless it's last resort."
Isolde, unlike Xander, was functionally a healer over an attacker. Her powers controlled blood. By touching one drop, she could either keep it in someone's body or make it spill out. She could kill someone brutally under the right conditions, but she typically opted more for damage control.
"Your superiority complex is absolutely nauseating, dear. Dial it down like… ten notches," she continued.
"I said, that's enough, okay? You want to stay in here and hide, fine by me. But we're just trying to figure out why this is happening. Why Scarlett would come back after all these years. I don't want to pursue her yet. She would overpower me in a heartbeat."
"Go find your friend and clear up the roads, I'm thinking everyone of us is a hostage," He said calmly, "Just don't get me involved," He headed up to his room, laying on his bed. "If they take the city they're probably going to attack rising heroes.." He said, doing some research
"Why do I have to take you everywhere, can't you walk or something?" Taka complained, shoving her,
"Leave me alone," Scarlett rolled her eyes, waiting to be taken to the school.
She walked through the doors, a teacher stopped her and asked if she needed something, "Oh yes, just something real quick," Scarlett placed a hand on the teachers shoulder. She burst into flames, the flame roared and she didn't even get a chance to scream. Her eyes melted as her body warped. The students tried to fight back, but their abilities were to underdeveloped. The school, with everyone inside, burned.
As they sat there, Isolde still seething, a new breaking story came up.
"School- the middle school we went to! Just like the attack at the airport!"
"Scarlett…" Xander whispered.
"Let's go, I'll see if I can provide any first aid. You can try to talk to her again."
"She keeps disappearing! She won't even hold a conversation with me!" Xander protested, "But- but, I'll go anyway. I have to do something."
With that, the two heroes started towards the crime scene. Isolde opted to stay in the back, seeing if there was anything she could do to help with the mass casualties. There were bystanders who needed the first aid, but at first glance, it didn't look like anyone actually in the school survived.
"Isolde, I'll be going. Stay far away from the front lines."
Isolde gave a knowing nod.
"Go get her."
Scarlett stood in the flames, "woo! Good hustle," he pulled her hood over her head, hiding her face. She stepped on outside onto the track field, she remembered running laps with Will and Xander for goofing off, she chuckled thinking about it.
Xander stood in front of her again, much firmer this time. He tilted up his goggles.
"So, are you going to answer my questions this time? You keep disappearing before we have a chance to really talk."
Xander's teeth were bared.
"I don't want to have to fight you, but I think maybe I should put a stop to this. Before you kill anyone else."
In one hand, Xander formed a short, flickering blade of shadow.
"You have ten seconds to get talking before I start swinging. What will you do?"
"hmmm, what question did you have again? I don't remember," she smiled like nothing had ever happened, brushing hot coals off her clothes, "Why are you here anyway," she asked him, "I thought they would send a few different heroes." She laughed as she looked around
"Doubtless, I'm the only one who knew I could find you right here," Xander said, "Your… companions made it look like you'd escaped, but I knew better. The other heroes are taking care of the rest."
He brandished the blade at her.
"So what is it you were gonna tell me about Will? And there's more, of course, but one thing at a time, right?"
"willy willy willy.. stuck in a never ending dream for 5 years.. you know, fire and ice don't go well together. That's why I put him to sleep! I melted his core!" She gave a large, pleasure filled smile. "Our core is made up of our ability, and his ice was getting a little to cold for me, so I knocked him down a peg, I should best mention that I'm the one that can fix it. 5 long years training! Just to learn to take the heat out of things!" She yelled into the air, a hint of anger pulsed through her
"It's not just Will you hurt, you know," Xander sighed, "You'd have been better off killing him. It's been five years of all grief, no closure for us. And no hope of waking him up."
He shifted a bit.
"I can't help thinking you have… deeper motivations. But you haven't exactly been an open book. So riddle me this: what're you trying to achieve with these mass attacks?"
Scarlett frowned, "then let's go to the hospital, it's time for little Will to wake up," she had a grin on her face as she made her way off of the school grounds and to the near by hospital
Xander walked a bit behind Scarlett for some of the length of the track. He was very uneasy as he followed, almost as if he was cooperating with the enemy. But if it meant saving Will, maybe it would be worth it.
No, it wouldn't be worth all the lives lost. But at least none of them had really died to save him.
"You really don't intend to answer me, huh?" Xander asked.
The thought crossed his mind: maybe he should just lunge and kill her the second Will awoke from his coma. Yet, somehow he didn't think he could do it. Xander was much too soft. After all, they used to be friends. He even had once had a crush on the girl, back in middle school. Every time he saw her face, he was afraid to fight back. He was terrified of what the consequences might be.
They made their way to the hospital. She stood over Will's bed and she grabbed his hand, "I want to let you know that.." her eyes turned a little red, like she was about to cry, "he won't wake up right away.. it'll take some time." Her voice shook as she placed her hands over his stomach
Xander gritted his teeth. She was probably going to leave again. But maybe it was best she wasn't here when he awoke. Not when she was responsible for his condition.
"Are you sticking around for that?" He asked, "I still have a lot to ask you, but-"
Xander shook his head.
"We should probably stop seeing each other. We're supposed to be enemies."
"Ask me whatever you want," She said blankly. Her hands glowed as she pressed on Will's stomach. Color drained from his skin as she continued. His finger's twitched and his heart rate changed, it almost looked like his body was freezing
Xander felt a pit of worry form in his stomach. Was she killing him? But he said it himself: he'd rather Will be dead than keep suffering. Upon further thought, however, Xander decided that was not the case. She could kill him much easier than this.
"Who's the group you're working with? And what's their goal with the attacks? You've blocked us into the city, right? For what purpose? We can't comply to any demands if we don't know what you want."
"I took all the heat out of his core, his body will do the rest." She stood up and stepped away from Will, falling into a chair. "I don't know the reason, but we're taking this city. Our group is filled with very powerful users, don't try to find us, you'll loose." Scarlett sighed, a small hint of happiness, "They made me burn him like that, proving what I can do. I've spent the last 5 years learning how to withdraw heat."
"Okay, got it. Then why did you join them?" Xander asked, "You're just following their greater goals blindly. You have to have some sort of motivation beyond them telling you to do things. Why were you so okay with ruining your supposed friends' lives? You didn't have to prove yourself, dammit! You were already stronger than most of us!"
"I was selfish, I wanted more and they showed me what I could have, but I can't leave. I'll pay the price for what I've done." She walked to the door, "I have to go, I'll be back once Will wakes up, stay indoors though, it's getting wild out there," she opened the door, slamming it behind her. Just like that, she was gone.
"I'll be here. He needs someone familiar by his side when that time comes," Xander said.
He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to explain everything. But one step at a time, right? As he waited for Will to wake up, he sent a message to Isolde to come to the hospital when she could. He thought about messaging Alice, but maybe he'd wait until Will woke up; he wasn't sure she would listen until then, given how she blew him off earlier.
"Will, I'm so sorry," Xander whispered, "I wish you didn't have to come back to us at such a chaotic time."
"I want you to bring me that hero, Xander." Omen spoke. Star stood next to him, looking guilty.
"Yes sir," She clenched her fists, "What do you need with him anyway,"
"He would make a good spy, shadow is a nice ability."
"Jericho is already perfect for the job, are you going to fire him or something," She smirked, they didn't need Xander
"Don't think, obey," Omen was always distant, never letting anyone know what he was think, no one except Star knew.
Xander was none the wiser to this plan, but he was still wary of the situation. It already looked bad enough that he was even speaking to Scarlett outside of battle. Not that anyone knew yet aside from Isolde and his other roommate, and he was still pretty sure neither was convinced of the situation.
Still, it was time to focus on Will. And maybe from there, he could push Scarlett out of the picture as a friend unless she did some serious changing.
"Go and flame some random locations, keep them on their toes." Omen pushed on our newer members my way, "Take Matthew with you, he needs experience in the field."
Matthew was maybe 18, he looked scared and in pain, she knew the feeling. "Let's go," Scarlett rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm.
(poke)
(I'm backkk, sorry! School and work were kinda kicking my ass)
"Isolde, should I tell Alice to come here?" Xander asked, "She visited earlier, it might look… suspicious, I guess."
"We don't even know how quickly he's going to wake up, Xan. Just leave it for now," Isolde replied, "We don't even know if he's going to wake up. Hell, Xander, she could've been lying. A villain lying? What a concept, right?"
Xander bit his lip.
"I-I know. I just- even if it killed him…"
"It'd be better than this state. Yeah."
"I still don't understand why."
Breaking new hit once more, from coffee shops to parks, locations were either being flamed or being turned to dust. "The locations seem to be at random." The reporter spoke, "we are fearing that the city needs to be evacuated."
Xander leaned down towards Will as Isolde scrolled through her phone, keeping up with the latest news.
"Xander…" she said, "Do you really think we're trapped? They're about to call for evacuation."
Xander's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "I don't know, not that it matters to me. I'm not leaving."
"You're not going to… be seen with her anymore, right? It's dangerous for everyone, and you know it. I understand you did what you've done up to now for Will's sake, but-"
"Isolde, you should leave me," he said, "Whatever happens, you're not getting caught up in this."
Isolde frowned and waved. "I'll be around here if you want to be alone with Will for a bit longer. Call me if you need me."
With that, she turned to leave the room, leaving Xander by himself and vulnerable.