Xole could hear Brandon’s panicked breathing as they reached the roof floor of the building. The man went out the door first and Xole followed using the outside moonlight. Then, he stopped just inches from the exit and pressed his back against the wall. Xole twisted the handle a few time loudly only to be greeted by gunfire from the outside, thankfully the door was bulletproof. He listened closely after the gunfire subsided. He knew Amesworth would have to reload eventually, just like the other talent users they fought earlier.

  “XOLE!” Brandon’s shrill pitch boomed, “There’s STILL time! Just hear me out!”

  Xole looked at the door again, taking the handle and briefly pushing the door open.

  ‘BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!’

  “Sorry!” Brandon said, “Flinch reaction!”

  Xole shook his head. ‘He didn’t come up here just to kill me, he came here to escape. He’s too resourceful not to have a backup plan. I can’t let him do either.’

  “Why don’t you come here and talk?” Xole replied through the cracked door. “And put the gun down while you’re at it!”

  “C’mon, Xole!” Brandon nearly laughed. “You can’t negotiate with ANYONE with terms like that!”

  Suddenly, a loud propeller noise could be heard over head with a black helicopter lowering into view. Flying nearby the edge of the building, the deafening noise nearly discombobulated Xole, even from inside.

  Brandon checked his watch. “Ooh, look at the time! My ride won’t wait forever! Sorry, Xole, it looks like we’ll have to work things out later!”

  “Damn!” Xole kicked the door. “He’s gonna escape. He’s gonna get away with what happened to Gus—”

  ‘Wait, Gus. His Talent…’ Xole’s mind worked quickly. ‘If I could do what he did back then…’

  Peeking through the door, Xole could see Brandon running full sprint for the chopper. He wasn’t even paying attention. Good. Carefully stepping outside, Xole placed his left palm over his right again, focusing on Brandon, trying to replicate the same sensation he had earlier with Janet. This time however, the world flashed white. Immediately he gagged and coughed blood, moving to cover his mouth before feeling his limbs grow numb and heavy. He then saw the concrete quickly rushing up to meet his face. Xole shut his eyes, waiting for impact.

  “…”

  When he opened them, he noticed two things. First, he had stopped falling. His outstretched arms had caught on to something. That ‘thing’, was Brandon. The second thing he noticed was Brandon couldn’t move either, as if someone were holding him back. The man groaned, struggling to move forward. Xole’s eyes were wide as his mouth hung open. By the time he realized what had transpired he lost his hold, falling to the ground, but unfazed.

  “What…the…?” were the only words Xole could muster as Brandon looked behind him, eyes filled with terror. Xole could see him reach for his gun, fumbling in his hands before dropping it. With a frustrated growl, Brandon abandoned his weapon, making a beeline for the helicopter.

  Xole staggered to his feet, feeling his head grow clear, even more than it ever has. He tried to move his arm, but felt as if he were dragging it, rather than moving it. He grimaced.

  ‘My body feels like its underwater, yet my mind feels sharper than ever. Is this what Gus did to stop that woman? Could I do the same…or more?’

  He took a step, stumbling to the next. ‘Walk before run! Walk before run!’ He continued his gait, feeling his mind slip as body was dragged into a run. ‘My body. Yesfir once told me about muscle memory during a sparring session, always thought it was some bogus drunkard talk…how did it go again?’

  Brandon ran ahead, nearly falling off the edge of the building, flailing his arms before catching himself. Angry, he looked ahead to see the black helicopter was still much out of reach. Even if he jumped, he’d fall before he even got close.

  “HEY!!” the man screamed. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? COME GET ME!”

  Then his phone rang, the caller was unknown, Brandon angrily answered only to hear heavy, insolated breathing on the other line.

  “M-Mr. Dark! Why I didn’t e-expect such a—”

  “Brandon…” a raspy voice grouched over the phone, “What is the meaning of this?”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “T-th-the meaning o-of what, s-s-sir?” Brandon stammered.

  He heard heavy sigh. “You’ve failed to produce adequate results for your machine. You’ve failed to capture the three individuals you foolishly placed on the news, thus failing to protect our secrecy. In short, you’re a failure, Brandon, and we cannot afford to continue funding failures.”

  With that, the helicopter spun around, leaving Brandon sputtering in anger.

  “No! Noo! Nooo! NOOOO! GET BACK HERE WE AREN’T FINISHED YET!” he dropped to his knees in tears. “I was…so close…”

  As Brandon sobbed, a fist suddenly smashed the back of his head, sending him falling forward on his face.

  ‘CRACK!’

  The man turned to see Xole standing behind him, one hand balled to a fist, the other over a bloody nose. He touched his cracked glasses.

  “Xole!” he smiled, climbing to his feet. “Boy am I glad your still—”

  “SHUT UP!” Xole yelled kicking the man’s stomach, knocking him over again. He fell into a backwards crawl, moving back to the entrance of the roof the best he could while sheilding himself from his attacker.

  “Xole, XOLE! Listen to me, we CAN help each other!”

  “I don’t want to hear it!” Xole spat, making his way to the man. Despite his limbs being sluggish he attempted to hold him in place again, forcibly outstretching his arms toward him.

  “You don’t want to do that!” Brandon warned. “Xole, my son’s—well rather your talent is dangerous! Without the proper training you could kill yourself! Remember what happened to Gus?!”

  Xole paused, remembering the scene. Brandon got on his knee, panting.

  “Xole, we both have a common enemy. The people who abandon you abandon me too! We’re all just disposable in the grand scheme of things! All of us, meant to be used because we’re useless!”

  “I. Don’t. Care!” Xole snapped. He needed a few moments to let is body rest. “And don’t even begin to compare us! After all you’ve done, you’d REALLY think I’d give you the benefit of the doubt?!”

  “Fine, don’t then!” Brandon groaned, clutching his stomach. “But I’ve seen them, Xole! They have more wealth than a White Collard man like myself could even dream of yet they continue to desire like a rampant virus! That desire is complete and total control!”

  Suddenly, something clicked in Xole’s head. “These people, they don’t happen to be named M.I.R.S, right?”

  Brandon was slack jawed. “You…you already know too much. But its fine, in fact that’s even better.”

  ‘This organization…’ Xole thought. Without a second thought, Bandon kicked the older boy’s leg. Xole groaned in pain as Brandon scrambled to his feet snatching for his gun where he’d dropped it earlier. He spun back and aimed it at him.

  “You little—!”

  Xole felt adrenaline shoot through his body, this time he was ready. As Brandon pulled his weapon, Xole ran forward, locking the man’s arm in his arms, twisting with his hips and forcing the gun out of Brandon’s hand. With a desperate cry, Brandon swung his free fist as Xole’s cheek, knocking his head back. However, he recovered quickly enough to grab Brandon’s shoulders and slam his forehead into the man’s broken glasses. Brandon stumbled back, now yelling in pain. But Xole wasn’t done yet, feeling as if he were in a trance, he went to the ground in a flash, catching Brandon’s legs between his own and sending the man back to the ground for the last time.

  ‘THUNK!’

  Brandon rolled to his back, struggling to catch his breath as Xole walked over to him. He cried out, crawling away as fast as he could, limping to his leg before feeling the ground behind him disappear. Before he knew it, he was already halfway off the building and falling. He began to scream and thrash his arms, only to feel himself stop. Ahead of him he saw Xole standing there, left hand over his right, using his talent to stop Brandon’s fall.

  “W-why’d you—”

  “We aren’t done here yet!” Xole said. “I still need info on M.I.R.S, Amesworth!”

  Brandon’s eyes shot to the drop below, and then back to Xole. “I’ve already told you back in the lab! Remember?!”

  “I don’t care what they did back then!” Xole grunted, feeling his arms shake. “I want to know who they are now!”

  Brandon’s sweaty body tensed. “All I know is that they’re a face for a face, a-a fa?ade of sorts! In a sense they don’t actually exist—”

  “I’m dropping you.”

  “But, BUT! I was telling the truth earlier! Xole listen, we both have enough information on them to put their group in jeopardy, a-and with YOUR talent and MY knowledge WE can finally sit amongst them!”

  “Wha-what are you talking about?!” Xole demanded. “You act like this group is going to take over the world or—”

  “GOING to?” Brandon gawked shaking his head. “Oh, Xole they’ve ALREADY taken control. We just don’t know it yet!” His frantic eyes scanned the area. “Look around you! How do you think they got so rich? How do you think I got this rich?! Do you understand?! There IS no place left anymore for people less than them, that’s why it is IMPARITIVE we join them by any means necessary! To give order, rather than receive it, that is our salvation!”

  “…And then what?”

  Brandon was puzzled “What do you mean? That is the end goal!”

  “End goal?” Xole repeated. “That’s not salvation, that’s a life sentence!!”

  “ENOUGH!” Brandon’s eyes filled with anger and terror. “You know nothing—!”

  “Of course I don’t!!” Xole shouted. “My life up to now I knew NOTHING and—until the day I die—may still know NOTHING! Do you know WHY Brandon? Because people like you gave me NOTHING!”

  He panted harder, his arms feeling as if they were on fire, yet kept his eyes narrowed towards Brandon. “So tell me, why would sitting up there, amongst them, be any different?”

  Brandon just started to laugh.

  “Oh, BOO HOO, poor little XOLE! Give me a break!!” the man spat. Blood and glass coated his face yet wore a wide grin spanning across his bloodied and cracked teeth. “I expected more than for you to play victim! Truly, pathetic!”

  Xole’s arms lowered, “You still don’t get it. I don’t care about power or control, hell even the so-called best Talent couldn’t even save my best friend! But if I can help people, victimized the same way he was, then I don’t care what you call me.”

  “Xole!” Brandon yelped as he started to slip. “XOLE, STOP!”

  “I’ve fallen before.” Xole said feeling his arms give. “But unlike you, I’ve gotten back up.”

  Brandon could only scream as Xole dropped him off the building, his voice faded into the dark below. Xole didn’t even hear him hit the ground. Instead a painful sensation pummeled his head. His vision began to blur as his surroundings began to shift…