I'm Gonna Break Down These Walls

Her red hair was fanned out on the pillow behind her. She was lying on the couch just watching the ceiling. Of course she didn’t really see the ceiling. It was acting more as a projection screen for her mind. There was nothing but white for her to see so she wasn’t distracted.
This was a perfect moment to search for the future. No one was ranting about how the girls had been taken or breaking things out of frustration. The boys were all in their rooms sleeping or brooding. She didn’t know which or care much. There were more important things at hand.
Slowly the future changed into something she hadn’t seen already. For Amelia this was easy to mold into a coherent vision. Her position didn’t change and her eyes didn’t close. Just as she was she saw every little detail and logged away the vision incase she had to go back to it; that was unlikely but she did it anyways.
When it was over she sat up and picked up the pen next to the pad of paper she’d placed there only hours before. She started to scribble and scratch out all over in order to construct a plan.
“I know why they had to be taken.” She said to herself with a smile.
It was a relief to have that off her mind. She sighed and put the pen down. She might as well enjoy the silence while she still had time. Alex wasn’t lighting things on fire and Zack wasn’t breaking anything and that alone was worth celebration. Her choice, a nap.

“Now, let me tell you how this’ll go ladies.” Stefan said glancing up at them through his eyelashes as if he were too shy to explain a game they were about to play. He was flirting with them. “You do what I ask and you’ll make it out of here in one piece. Otherwise, ladies, you’ll be a lot worse for wear.” The last bit changed the tone in the room to a threat.
Despite knowing that he wasn’t lying the girls remained silent. They knew he wanted them to talk and discuss their powers with him but they were too scared. The lump in their throats was too big to get around. Besides, as they were both concerned, Jenny was the only one with a power.
He sensed that this wasn’t going to get him anywhere tonight and he wasn’t in the mood for torture. Not any of the physical kind anyways. He decided that leaving them with the threat of what he was going to do would be enough to pray on their minds.
No doubt will a mind make up something far worse than what will happen. The beauty of that was the mind could not realize nothing could be as bad as it imagined. He smiled and laughed a soft, quiet laugh to himself.
“This is your first night I’ll let you off until tomorrow. Then the punishments will begin. Sleep well.”
He turned on his heel and walked out.
The girls looked at each other slowly. This was going to be hard and they both knew it. Jenny bit down on her lip and looked away from Jazz. All she could think about was Zack. She wanted him to be there with her. More accurately she wanted to be with him rather than in this small chamber. She tried to keep her mind occupied so she wouldn’t think on him but there wasn’t much to wonder on when he was the most interesting thing she knew.
Jazz kicked the wall in frustration. She felt like she was never going to see Alex again and that wasn’t what bothered her the most. It was that she was going to die here in this chamber and never see him again. It would be so much easier if it were something lame like an illness. But no, she had to be kidnapped but a handsome and sadistic power thief.
Jazz sighed knowing what she had to do to save Jenny. She made her decision and then tried to fall into a light sleep.

They were all sitting staring at Amelia. She’d just explained to them in detail the plan and how everything would go.
“Why couldn’t this have come to you yesterday?” Alex asked harshly as if this wasn’t good enough.
Inside he was consoled just enough. His body was sore but his heart was content to know the future.
“Alex, this still had to happen.” Amelia sighed.
It seemed that Alex was the only one acting like this wasn’t enough. Zack had sat back in the couch with a smile playing at his lips. He tried to keep it away but he couldn’t help it.
“That’s what you keep saying.” Alex spat still using the same tone. “It’s just one night how important could it have really been? What can one night change?”
Alex was among the most skeptical in the group.
“One night can change the whole world.” Amelia responded eerily confident.
None of them dared challenge that. It was the set of her lips or the look in her eyes that told them they didn’t want to know or that they wouldn’t understand. Maybe with her power she could change things in her mind and see what could have happened. They didn’t want to know.
“So what exactly are we doing again?” Jack asked trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.
“Don’t worry it’ll be nothing new.” Amelia said before launching into the details of the coming night once more for him.
It all came down to this and Amelia knew it all. They didn’t know it all, but she did. That was understandable though because they didn’t have her power and didn’t see what she saw.

In the morning the girls woke at the sound of the door. Stefan walked in and smiled at them with a nod as if they were two pretty girls in a bar. Their shoulders ached and they were starting to get too tired to stay lucid.
His five o’clock shadow was present as always and his eyes sparkled with something. Was it anticipation? He craved something sadistic and harmful. He’d just woken up and that was what he wanted most in the morning.
“Good morning ladies.” He sauntered closer.
They both looked up at him with just enough strength to lift their heads. He smiled.
“You both look so tired. Were you up all night talking? I should have warned you.”
They didn’t answer.
“So, do either of you have anything to tell me?” He asked with his arms crossed behind his back as they were when he walked in.
The girls stayed silent but for different reasons. Jenny didn’t want to tell him her power. She wanted to stay if Jazz was there. She didn’t want to be in the dark. Jazz was fighting with herself as she thought about what she’d decided on the night before.
“Have it your way.” Stefan said gleefully.
Things were going his way and he knew he was going to satisfy his desire for carnage.
From behind his back he took out metal chains. He’d been waiting for a chance to use these. Only something so light and delicate for girls that looked light and delicate. He couldn’t wait to tear at flesh with them.
He allowed them to start swinging in his hands. He kind of made a show out of it but the girls weren’t amused. They were flinching and shutting their eyes tight. As he flung out the chains in his left hand he missed Jazz by an inch or two. She let out a small cry of fear and flinched away. He’d picked her first because she looked like she’d been fighting with herself. That told him she had something to share. He let the chains in his left hand miss her by a few inches and she let out a cry.
“Stop please. If you know our powers will you let us go?” Jazz asked breathlessly.
It was almost a disappointment to Stefan that she’d caved so easily. Then again he was pleased because he was getting what he wanted. He smiled and stepped closer to her to stroke her cheek.
“After I have your powers I’ll have no use for you. So of course.” He said softly as if he were saying something sweeter.
“Promise me.” She sobbed quietly.
“Jazz, don’t.” Jenny squirmed trying to think of a way to stop Jazz.
“I promise, Miss Jasmine.” Stefan said as he stroked Jazz’s cheek again.
“Jazz!” Jenny shouted.
“Unlock her. I’m telling you hers first.” Jazz said not looking at Jenny.
Stefan made a nod to signal his guard to allow Jenny down. He moved from the wall and started to work on Jenny’s restraints.
“No! Stop it Jazz. What are you doing? I can’t leave you here alone. I can’t go back home without you. What will I tell them? Leave me alone!” Jenny thrashed and kicked at the guard to keep him away but it wasn’t long before she was on her feet again.
There was no denying that her shoulders felt much better as she massaged and rolled them. She was quiet as she took in the relaxation of her muscles.
“Her hands show her the past. She touches something and she sees it’s history, the history that’s happened before it.” Jazz began after Jenny had been released. “And I don’t have any fucking powers. That’s a promise.” Jazz groaned.
Stefan was disappointed that he didn’t get all that he waned. Then again he got to play a game with Jazz still. She couldn’t be that hard to crack if she went this quickly to let Jenny off the hook.
“Well your friend gets to be free. Say goodbye, darling.” Stefan smiled at Jenny.
Jenny was scared as Stefan reached for her. She thought that he was going to take her power away from her and she wouldn’t have anything. She was relieved when it didn’t hurt and he only made what could be called a copy of her power.
“Damn it.” Stefan growled as his head felt like it was splitting in two.
He ordered the guards to escort Jenny out of the building and warned that he would be back later for Jazz. He stumbled to the wall and used it to hold himself up as he left the room in crippling pain.
“Jenny.” Jazz said commanding Jenny’s attention.
Jenny turned to look at Jazz. She was mad for what Jazz had done but she understood and couldn’t hold it against her. The truth was Jazz didn’t have a power and she wasn’t going to get free. Jenny had one and Jazz had saved her a world of hurt.
“Tell Alex I’m okay?” Jazz asked softly.
Jenny let out a tiny nod that Jazz saw. She knew Alex would get her message. The guards grabbed Jenny by both her arms and tugged her out of the room. Jenny kept up with them as they gripped her tightly and almost ran. She knew the tops of her arms were going to bruise.
They shoved her out the door and locked it not caring that she was alone out there. Jenny got up and dusted herself off. She’d never been thrown out of a place and it was an experience she never wanted to have again.
Spotting a lone car, Jenny resolved to steal it. She first removed her right glove and touched the building. Everything there was to know about the building and use of it came to her. She touched it once more just to make sure she had everything and nothing came to her. She was set.
In a time like this Jenny was glad to be a mechanic. With nothing to break into the car and cause no damage, Jenny picked up a rock and looked around. She bashed in the window, tossed the rock behind her, and opened up the door quickly.
She got into the car and ripped out the steering column so she could access the wires she needed to hot wire the car. This one was fairly old and easy to figure out. She hit the gas as soon as Stefan’s men noticed her. It was too late for them to stop her because she was far down the road.

“So how do you know this plan will work?” Rian asked.
“One, I saw the future. Two I used to work there, remember. Granted I don’t know the whole layout…”
“You don’t know the layout of the whole place?” Zack asked in disbelief.
“I didn’t have free reign of the place.” Amelia paused. This was all right on time like she had seen it. “That’s what she’s for.”
Before any of them could question who she was it was answered. Jenny flung the door open and ran into the apartment. She felt like she had no time to knock though no one was following her.
Zack jumped up off the couch and pulled Jenny into a slightly too tight for her hug. Jenny didn’t care though. She squeezed him as tightly as she could though it felt like nothing to him. She was glad he had a hold of her because she felt like she was about to pass out. He was hurting the forming bruises on her arms but she was glad to have Zack again.
“I’m so glad to see you.” He murmured into her neck and hair. “How’d you get away?”
Jenny pulled away to get a view of who else was in the room. She didn’t want to quite leave Zack’s arms yet though.
“Jazz.” Jenny finally answered.
Alex sat up straight like her name had hit him.
“What’d she do? Where is she? Is she ok?” He asked firing off all the questions that came to his mind.
“She told them my power. He was going to torture us and she spit it out to protect me.” Jenny explained looking at everyone’s faces. Then she turned to Alex. “She told me to tell you she’s ok.”
“So he just let you go?” Rian asked confused and amazed.
“He has no use for her after he gets her power.” Amelia said saving Jenny her breath since she knew that answer.
“And he doesn’t believe Jazz doesn’t have a power.” Jenny said to end the conversation.
Zack took a moment to plant a kiss on Jenny’s temple. He pulled her back into his chest––this time not as tightly–and nuzzled her neck.
Alex’s features rearranged themselves into that of anger.
“Well can we go back to when you said, ‘That’s what she’s for.’ because I still don’t get how Jenny comes into our issue with the floor plan.” Sally said.
She was glad that Jenny was safe but she was already thinking about Jazz. No offence to Jenny, but Jazz was her best friend and a little bit higher on her priorities list.
“She knows the floor plan.” Amelia said proudly. “She touched the building on her way out.... by the way guys, there also happens to be a hot car in the parking garage.”
Rian’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped into an o shape. “Hot? Like stolen?”
“Hey I had to get home somehow!” Jenny said defensively throwing her hands up and then regretting it. Zack noticed the flicker of pain and his hands fluttered trying to find the source of it. She brushed him off. “Plus those fuckers kidnapped me I stole their car. We’re not even kind of even yet.”
“Ok so you draw the floor plan out and we’ll be ready to get Jazz.” Sally said pulling everyone back to Jazz.
The conversation was over as soon as Jenny picked up the pencil to sketch out the building. Frustrated with the quality of the pencils she stopped and said she would get some from her place along with clothes. Amelia started to rub Jenny’s shoulders. Zack saw Jenny’s eyes close in relief for a moment and he realized something was wrong with her shoulders. He could see in the way she was holding them. Then his eyes inspected the rest of her and saw the two bruises on her upper arms. He gritted his teeth knowing they’d hurt her.
With the plans finalized everyone went to prepare. Zack went down to the bathroom and turned the shower on so it would heat up. He figured Jenny would appreciate a hot shower and then he would have time to talk to her alone without everyone intensely focused on what she had to say.
Alex caught Jenny just as she was going for the door.
“Is she really ok?” Alex asked tentatively. “I know Jazz, just because she says she is alright doesn’t mean she really is.”
“When Stefan got my power he had to go through the excruciating head pain that brings his mind up to speed like I did. He wanted to deliver the pain to us himself so she should be fine until it passes. I don’t know how long that gives us.” Jenny was being sympathetic but she couldn’t see Alex relaxing.
She rubbed his arm and he nodded as if her were accepting what she’d said.
Alex wandered off. Zack saw Jenny opening up the door.
“Where are you going?” He asked scooping her up in his arms easily.
“I was going to go home for a minute to grab some things.”
“Oh, I started the shower for you. I thought you’d like one. It’s hot.”
“Awe, thank you.” Jenny smiled kissing Zack. “I’ll be right back. Get in the shower. I’ll meet you.” She promised.
Jenny went down the hall and opened up her apartment. It was unlocked like always. She grabbed clothes first and then paper and pencils. She saw her bed and had to try hard to resist the temptation of passing out.
She came back to the guys’ apartment. No knock was required; she just walked in. Amelia was in the kitchen waiting for her. Jenny started work on the floor plans. Sally came in and watched over Jenny’s shoulder. She was pleased that the plan was coming together and that they were that much closer to Jazz.
When Jenny was finished she looked at Amelia.
“Any more plans for me in the future?” Jenny asked teasingly.
“Just for you to get in that shower with Zack.” She said knowingly.
Jenny blushed and picked up her clothes. She went down to the bathroom that was already filled up with steam and warmth. Zack peeked out to make sure it was Jenny and not just Jack coming to use the bathroom. She smiled at him and started to pull her clothes off, being careful about her shoulders.
Zack moved to make room for Jenny in the shower. She stepped in carefully and then just stood under the water letting the almost scalding water do wonders on her shoulders. After Zack couldn’t take it anymore he pulled Jenny into his arms and started to kiss up and down her neck, cheeks, and collarbone. She didn’t respond for a moment. She was too stunned to move. She’d thought for a moment that she’d never see him again. When her senses came back to her she curled her fingers into his hair and pulled his lips to hers.
So quickly Zack had Jenny again. She wanted him more and more each time but they knew there was a point where they had to get out of the shower. The water was getting cooler and they were getting tired. Jenny could barely stand up any longer.
They slipped out of the shower and dried off. Jenny pulled on her clothes, which were more like pajamas, and Zack only pulled on a pair of boxers. They went to his room and curled up on his bed. Zack laid behind Jenny so her could rub her shoulders. She fell asleep because she was so exhausted. Soon enough, Zack was asleep behind her from sheer contentment.