Tension's Like a Fire

Night fall was when they all did the most of their super powered things for the simple fact that most normal people would be less likely to notice it. They figured the less the normal people knew the safer they were.

Amelia told them they way the boss usually did things. They way he set up watches of the warehouse -which were in place when they saved Jazz and Sally but the people assigned left their post-, the way the warehouse was set up so they wouldn’t be relying on stupid blind luck and Jack’s minute extra skill, and things like that.

They decided to strike. Leaving the girls at home on hopes of keeping them safe. Jenny was even in the apartment with the other girls so they could keep each other company and possibly keep each other’s minds off what could happen. They were lucky with how well they all got along. Amelia sitting off trying to remain focused in hopes of catching visions of the guys succeeding while the rest of the girls were talking quietly trying to keep from disturbing Amelia. They joked and just shot the shit and got along splendidly.

The guys on the other hand were yet again driving Jenny’s van toward the place that the girls had been taken not too long ago.

They were all intense. Zack’s muscles tight ready to break a person in half. Alex’s mind in the place that held all the white hot intensity this boy held, the part his fire really came from. Jack and Rian were in the same state.

Rian pulled the car to the same place they had before and hopped out and began doing laps around seeing no one around it again but this time that made him suspicious.

He came back to where the guys were standing waiting for him to give them the ok.

“There’s something wrong here...” He didn’t even finish saying here.

Something was flung over them. Heavy. A steal net?

It wasn’t too heavy for Zack to easily toss off but it caught him by surprise and gave him a little knock to the head so it took him a minute to recover.

In that time they were surrounded by super humans just like them and out of the middle of the crowd before them emerged none other than Stefan walking like he was the king of the world. His thumbs threaded through the belt loops on his gray pinstriped trousers that matched his vest that covered his simple white button up shirt that was rolled up to his elbows flashing his thick tan forearms. His whole posture screamed overconfident.

“Hello, Gentlemen it’s such a pleasure to finally meet you.” He drawled in his exotic accent. “Oh your powers all are so strong. They feel fantastic, almost make me feel invincible.”

Zack’s rage brought him back to a hundred percent. He launched the impossibly heavy net on to them like he was playing the blanket game. You know that game that most dogs hate where you toss a blanket over them so they can’t see and it frustrates them.

Stefan using his new found strength just tossed it over himself and walked closer to them letting the rest of his men figure out how to get out from under the net.

The guys were all back on their feet just dying for a fight Alex was already so angry the flames covered from the tips of his fingers to his elbows.

“You guys are adorable thinking you have a chance even against just me let alone at my place with my minions.” His arrogance only further pronounced by the use of the word ‘minion’ in conversation in front of said people. “You’re foolish boys who are far too young to play this game.” He used another of his new skills and launched fire before their feet. He looked at his hands and chuckled after he did it, he was so amused with these powers. “I’ll let you leave to fight another day, this time.”

Alex brought the fire Stefan had just launched at them under his control and sent the blaze back at Stefan. “Fuck you!” He spit back as the fire covered Stefan.

Stefan screamed not expecting to be able to be harmed by the fire.

“Damn it boy what’s wrong with your power?” He howled after figuring out how to stop the flames.

Alex just smirked.

He used another power -the water power- to wash the heat from under his skin. “You want to fight.” He now spit the pain coursing through his body had subsided. “I’ll give you a fight boy.” He launched himself at Alex, slamming his now flaming fist in his chest using Zack’s super strength as well as Alex‘s own power against him.

Alex flew back. He’d never felt Zack’s full strength used against him before and then he was glad of it.

His back slammed into the van door cracking the window and putting a dent in it the size of... Well him.

All the guys tried to make their moves against Stefan. All very short lived. He didn’t even need to pull out any powers but theirs. He didn’t need any but those four of the vast array of powers he’d collected over the years.

Zack charged on him muscles ready to take any blow delivered hoping that since he’d had the super strength longer he’d be able to out maneuver the man.

Stefan just threw more punches faster. Thanks to Rian’s power he threw the punches to fast for Zack to even see them to attempt to block them. He was knocked to the ground before he’d even registered what hit him.

Rian whipped around Stefan a couple of times getting in a few punches when Stefan couldn’t see him thanks to his speed but Stefan countered that by using telekinesis to toss Rian right beside Alex just with slightly less force.

Jack tried to make a plan. Figure out the best place to hit him what weakness to use but came up with none.

“What not as brave as all your little friends, or smarter?” Stefan mocked.

“Definitely not smarter.” Jack muttered as he finally hit Stefan with his best shot.

The definition of insanity had been said to be doing the same act repeatedly expecting a different response. Which is exactly what they all -save for Alex seeing as he was the first- did without fail.

Jack used his power to toss one of Stefan’s boys at him.

It was the water guy, it was how he slipped out of the net, Jack hurled him instead of one of the handful of others in strategy.

He knew how he’d try to counter.

He knew Stefan would try to light the guys on ablaze and send him flying back at Jack but the man wouldn’t light thanks to his power making him a little more fire resistant. Although there was steam rising off of him. This distracted Stefan, he didn’t realize who was flying toward him so he didn’t know why he wasn’t lighting so he didn’t even start hurling him back. He just made himself hotter covered himself in more flame which was promptly put out by the water man hitting him and going straight to water in hopes of recollecting himself behind the boss but a good portion of him went up in steam.

It was like killing two birds with one stone.

Stefan was enraged but didn’t strike as he assumed he would.

No, not at all. Instead Stefan just wiped some of the water vapor off his face and as his hand trailed off he had a conniving smirk perfectly in place.

“You kids realize you’re just wasting time here. Right?” His accent was never clearer than when he was planning his words like he was then.

Rian and Zack had picked themselves up and dusted themselves off and were now helping Alex -who took the hardest hit- to his feet as well but their attention was on the Stefan who they knew was going to say something important.

“I mean, how could you just leave your precious girls back home all by themselves with no one protecting them. What do you think Amelia can save them?”

It dawned on all of them they were prepared for them. They knew when they were going to be there. They knew when the girls would be alone.

Jack turned tail and hopped straight into the passenger seat while Zack helped Alex up to the middle seat and Rian was already in the driver’s seat.

“See you soon boys.” Stefan called after them tauntingly as they hit the gas once they were all in.

Alex, in pain and terrified for Jazz, was sprawled across the middle seat with Zack in the back seat trying to help keep him from rolling off. It was his way of keeping his mind off Jenny.

Rian drove over the speed limit keeping his eye out for cops but once he hit traffic he was screwed. He had to go the speed of the surrounding traffic and it killed him.

Jack was ready to break. He’d just gotten Sally. He thought he could have a little bit of the fairytale but there had to be some asshole with a grudge.

They darted out of the car when they got to the building -Zack now carrying Alex- up the stairs to their apartment.

Rian got up first but because of his jumbled nerves he had trouble getting the key in the lock.

The other guys had caught up by the time he got in.

“Sally!”

“Jenny!”

“Amelia!”

“Jazz!”

They all called out as soon as the door came open.

But silence echoed back.