I'm Gonna Break Down These Walls

With the boys planning strategy with Amelia, there wasn’t much for Jenny to do. Zack didn’t want to let her fight so Amelia changed the plans. Zack’s biggest fear was that Jenny couldn’t protect herself. She didn’t have a power that protected her. She only saw the past. Before she got anything it would be too late for her.
After an hour Jenny couldn’t handle listening to them anymore and told Zack she was going to work. She wasn’t scheduled for the day, but he didn’t know that. Zack decided work was a safe place for her to be so he allowed her to leave.
The only thing that was going to get her mind off finding Jazz and finally being able to have a semi-normal life was work. Cars took over her like nothing else could. Zack was a close second.
Walking into her apartment Jenny felt suddenly weird. She hadn’t been in the apartment for so long. It was all the way she left it but with a thin layer of dust. She decided to clean up a little bit before she left for work. It wasn’t like Lars was expecting her anyways.
Jenny flipped on the TV for background noise and went to change her clothes so she could clean.

Jazz was still hanging on the wall. Stefan was nowhere to be seen and neither was anyone else. Jazz sighed and shifted her weight again. She was so tired of balancing on almost nothing. She could feel herself settling into whatever was to come.
This was the place where she knew that she didn’t care anymore. If she died here she didn’t care. It was better than being chained to a wall remembering Alex. Having to remember the way he acted towards her now. The way he loved her. Dying was better than missing Sally or any of her other new friends.
The best thing she did in her final hours was let Jenny off the hook. She also bought a few hours for herself but she was sure those were running out.
Jazz thought she saw movement behind the glass wall that was tinted so dark she couldn’t have possibly seen anything. Part of her wanted it to be Stefan and part of it didn’t. Nothing happened.
Her eyelids were heavy and she was growing tired. It had been so long that she’d been hanging here. How much longer would she be able to live without sleep? How long until she shut down? Lack of food and water was making her weak. Another trick designed to make her crumble, but there was nothing to reveal if she did.

Alex was outside on the roof of the building. The sun was climbing higher and he was staring at it. The light didn’t bother him. He figured it was just a side effect of his power. He looked away and then noted he’s lit himself on fire. The flames died down and he collapsed to sit on the roof with his legs folded under him.
He drew a few lines in the dirt on the roof and then he erased them. He didn’t feel like doing anything at all. Alex didn’t want to listen to Amelia make a plan for them. He had fought Stefan once and he knew what to expect now. There was no way he was going to get Alex this time.
Alex looked out in the general direction of the building Jazz was in and he felt himself cry. He didn’t know it was him at first but he realized it when he started to sob. Never had anything torn him up like this. Nothing since when Sally left and he lost his brother. This was a different kind of pain all together though. While all three times he’d been hurt had the same feeling of helplessness, there was a different feeling with this one. He couldn’t figure it out but he would eventually.
Alex leaned against the air conditioner on the roof and buried his head under his arm to hide his tears from the sun.

Zack was anxious. He was trying not to be but he couldn’t remember Jenny’s car ever leaving and it had been two hours. He was tapping his hands on his thighs and wiggling his toes. He kept glancing out the window towards the parking lot but he never saw anything.
“God Zack! What is up? You’re more restless than I am and I used to play drums all the time.” Rian said finally.
“Sorry. I don’t know what’s going on.” He said trying to stop all his movements.
“Go take a walk or something. We’re not planning anything out.” Jack suggested innocently.
He didn’t know that he had just given Zack the excuse he needed to leave the apartment. Zack nodded and stood up.
“I’ll be back soon.” He promised walking out the door and out to the parking garage to see if Jenny’s car was still there.

There was a light knock on the door. Jenny looked from the TV that had distracted her from cleaning to the front door. She sighed as she stood to get up and answer it as she slipped on her leather gloves. Jenny was pretty sure she knew who was on the other side of the door but she wasn’t sure. Other people could be there and perhaps they had acquired a polite manner.
Of course when Jenny opened the door it was who she thought it would be. Zack was standing there with a smile. This time he was wearing a shirt unlike every other time he came to her door.
“I thought you were going to work.” He said.
“I was, but then everything was dusty and I just… come in.” She said opening the door for him.
She shut the door behind him and he stole a quick kiss from her as soon as she face him. Then he wandered farther into the apartment. Jenny caught him from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist. He stopped and she rested her head against his shoulder blade.
Zack considered turning around but he decided against it. They stood for a moment until Jenny cued him to turn around and then it was his turn to wrap his arms around her. From the way she was clinging to him and not saying anything, Zack could tell something was off. He snuggled his face into the crook of her neck and kissed her a few times.
“Something wrong?” He asked quietly in her ear.”
“Don’t worry about it.” She smiled looking at him. “You’re here now.”
Easily Zack scooped Jenny up in his arms and walked to the couch. He cuddled her into his arms more comfortably and picked up the remote. If she wasn’t going to tell him what was wrong he was just going to sit with her and watch TV.
Normally Jenny let Zack watch what he wanted but this time she took the remote back from him. He looked down at her confused when the news came back on and she turned it up. She was staring intently at the reporter on the screen and didn’t notice his confused look.
“You’re interested in this rich asshole that got caught doing things he shouldn’t have been?”
“…was discovered after an anonymous tip earlier today. Now the Kleffner family is under investigation.” The news reporter went on.
“Jennifer?” Zack asked trying to get Jenny’s attention.
“I kind of have to be interested, I gave them that tip.” She said not looking away from the TV.
“Did you see something about this?” Zack asked picking up one of Jenny’s gloved hands.
“I’ve known for a while. I just couldn’t keep quiet anymore.”
“You’ve got me confused.”
“That man on the screen… he was my ‘father’.” She said making quotes around the word father.
“John Kleffner is your dad?”
“No, he’s my mom’s husband. My real did is dead. John killed him when he found out.”
Zack was quiet for a moment trying to process what Jenny had just said. She clicked the TV off and turned away from Zack she he didn’t see her cry. There was no point for her to try to hide it because he could still feel her. Zack just curled her back to his chest and wiped the tears from her face.
“So Kleffner killed your real dad? I presume it was because your mom cheated on him?”
“Yep, I saw it all happen. It’s why I ran away.”
Zack didn’t say anything he could see Jenny had more to tell him. She was just gearing up for it.
“I saw him kill and cover up many other people and incidents. That’s why my hands aren’t a power. That’s why I insist they’re a curse. It’s why I hate it when you tell me I’m just human with something a little special. This isn’t special at all. I saw my dad die!” She cried harder at that point.
Zack held her tighter and kissed her head.
“How long have you known?”
“Since I ran. Since I was fifteen.”
“Four years before you talked.” Zack said to himself kind of amazed.
“I had to decide it tearing up my family was worth it. Some of them are innocent.”
Her hand was now on the necklace that Zack had helped her find a little while ago.
“You still care for them.”
“My mom and my little brother yes, my older sister too. They’re all innocent. My bother and father,” She said making quotes again. “are not. They worked together on cover ups and things like that.”
There wasn’t anything Zack could say to Jenny. She stopped crying and looked at her hands. Sack was till holding one and playing with her gloved fingers. He pulled the glove off despite her protests and kissed her palm. Jenny got the regular quick images of what he’d done during the day and then a few that were things she wanted to bring back up having to do with his lips on her and then there was nothing. When he went to slip the other glove off she didn’t pretest. He did the same in kissing her palm and then looked up into her eyes.
“I consider your hands a blessing. They brought you to me.”
Jenny smiled weakly but then started to cry again.
“What?” Zack asked cradling her face with his hands and looked at her.
His eyes were soft and concerned when she looked at him but then tears blurred her vision. He kissed her softly on the lips but that only mode her cry more.
“Sorry.”
“No, this is good.” She sobbed. “I always thought I was on my own. I thought I could never be close to anyone because I’d have to hid who I really am.”
Zack could tell Jenny wasn’t thinking about her family anymore. He felt like it was time to make sure she really knew how he felt about her.
“I love you, Jennifer.” He said still holding her face.
“I love you too Zachary.”

Jazz was still strung up on the wall but Stefan was there. He was scaring her in hopes that she would crack just as easily as she cracked before for Jenny. Her eyes were shut tight hoping for something that would end it quick. In the back of her mind she knew she wasn’t going to get killed by him. He wouldn’t do that. He needed her power that he believed she had.
When a low roar started to shake the building and she lost her footing due to the ground moving she couldn’t keep her eyes shut. She wanted to see what was coming. Stefan was just as confused as she was and had forgotten Jazz for the moment.
Screams from the building sounded and Sefan’s face changed. He knew what was happening and Jazz was a little slow. He glared at her and she knew he was out for blood. He tiny bit of pretending to hope had brought something.
There was only one thing that could cause the screams and the rumbling in the night. She knew the guys were here again. She felt relieved that Alex was so close to her. Zack wrecking the place caused the crashing and rumbling and the screams had to be from him as well or from Alex lighting them on fire while Jack threw things with his mind and Rian raced around to find all the ones that were hiding.
She wasn’t startled as a huge hole crashed open right next to her and Zack came walking in with building dust and rubble all over him. He smiled happy to see she was conscious and broke the chains gently so he didn’t hurt her.
Jazz’s knees gave out and Zack caught her.
“Can you walk?” He asked checking her for any signs of serious injury.
“Yea, it’s just been a while.” She said getting her balance on shaky legs.
“Stay behind me.” He said to her.
She did as she was told and Zack finished up taking all the other walls out. After the last one all that was left was a huge pile of rubble and people scurrying from the guys. Alex was still livid though he knew that Jazz was safe and running with Zack to protect her. Nothing that was living was going to escape his range as he lit all he could on fire.
After the last wall crashed down and everything was exposed they gathered back where Jazz and Jenny had been hung up. Stefan was there somewhere; they just had to find him. He couldn’t have been killed because he had Zack’s power. A wall wouldn’t kill him but it would slow him down.
Stefan emerged with weapon of choice still wrapped around his wrist. He shook himself off showing his arrogance and then lit the chain on fire using Alex’s power. The could see his eyes were aflame as well from Sally’s power. He waited for one of them to make a move but it wasn’t happening.
This gave him time to spot Amelia. This could be blamed on her. If she hadn’t been a traitor and told them all she knew, they would never had gotten this far. Stefan was sure he was about to get the power he needed from Jazz and she had told them what to do at just the right moment. Now his everything had crumbled. He let that anger build and then he lashed out with his chain and caught her face and hurt her. The flames cauterized the wound so she didn’t bleed out. She would always remember him now if she escaped tonight.
As Amelia was knocked off guard she went to grab her face mid scream and Stefan caught her around the arm with the chain and wound it around her using another one of his stolen powers. Amelia held her arm away from herself to keep from catching fire and screamed and cried. There was nothing she could do. Stefan pulled her closer to him and dug the chain deeper into her flesh. If she could see what happened to herself in visions then she would have stayed back.
Deciding that he wasn’t going to let Amelia escape he pulled her close and said, “You could have sat next to me when I ruled this shithole world. But you chose this, and I hope it's served you well because darling, it's what ended you.”
Rian moved next. He wasn’t going to let Stefan hurt Amelia anymore. He cared for her and he was her constant protector. Faster than Stefan could comprehend, Rian unwound the chain from her arm knowing that the pain didn’t matter and got Amelia back to safety with Jazz and Zack.
Jazz moved to stand behind Alex not fearing the fire flying off him. He could feel that she was there and his flames weren’t directed at her. They both just needed to know that the other was close.
“Didn't you boys learn your lesson yesterday?” Stefan viciously mocked. “Are you even fully healed yet pyro?”
“I'm good enough to finally end this.” Alex said ignoring the aches and pains that protested his statement.
“I'm sure boy but weren't you ready to do that yesterday?” Stefan laughed recalling yesterday’s fight.
Alex threw the hottest fire he’d ever used towards Stefan. It wasn’t the most strategic move but they weren’t following a plan anymore. Stefan countered with ice and a wall of steam erupted between them obscuring both their views.
“Boy you know you have to do better than that!” Stefan roared with laughter.
Jack and Zack started pitching rocks and parts of the building at Stefan with force that would kill anyone. Stefan still easily defended himself.
“Seeing as you children aren't good enough to beat me I may as well just end it.” Stefan said with his mocking tone still intact.
Before any of them could process what was said, Stefan sent the deathblow towards Alex since he was the hardest to take out. He used Alex’s own power against him to do this nonetheless.
Jazz saw what was coming though she never was very observant. She pushed in front of Alex and took the brunt of the flames because she’d rather die than see Alex die. The fires consumed her.
Stefan stopped with the flames immediately. He’d underestimated the girl. He thought he would block her and then she would be open for him to steal, but now she was lost to him.
Alex combusted like a bomb as he watched Jazz be obscured by the flames and then he threw at Stefan with the most anger and force he could ever possibly hope for the flames he hoped would end Stefan.
Stefan was caught off guard and went up like a candle. This gave Alex the chance to grab Jazz though he didn’t know what was left of the girl who had saved him.
Stefan screamed and then got his wits together. He froze himself to stop the pain as fast as he could. The flames were out but he soon realized that was the big mistake. Zack saw his opening and ran for Stefan. Stefan hear Zack coming and tried to melt away the ice but that was it.
Zack smashed his fist into Stefan’s partially frozen body over and over as Stefan screamed out in pain. He couldn’t defend himself he was hurting so much.
“Oh my God.” Alex ecstatically said as he watched Jazz.
Zack looked away from Stefan’s pummeled body to the girl that was slowly coming from the flames. They looked like they were just sliding off her.
Stefan managed to look up at Jazz with the strength he had left. He saw her and knew she had the power he needed to make himself invincible.
“Damn it.” He muttered as he dropped his head and succumbed to the darkness.
Alex pulled Jazz close and assisted in smothering the flames by taking them on himself so he wouldn’t get burned. Everyone stared at them in amazement. They thought for sure that Jazz was going to be a casualty. Zack kicked Stefan once more and then moved with the group towards Alex and Jazz.
“What the hell, are you fireproof?” Zack asked.
“I don’t know.” Jazz said elated that she was alive and astonished that nothing hurt.
Joyful tears started to pour down her cheeks.
“I guess you’re not as fragile as I thought.” Alex said with the same tears flowing down his cheeks as he caressed her face.
“I guess I had us both fooled.” She smiled putting her palms to his cheeks.
Amelia sank to the ground with her hand over her face. She was silent as the grave and closed her eyes.
Jazz saw Amelia and dropped her hands from Alex’s face. He understood when he saw where she was walking. She held her hand out and waited for Amelia to take it. She stood slowly and kept her right arm close to her body. The miserable look on her face didn’t fade.
“Thank you.” Jazz said to her.
Amelia just looked at her with her head slightly cocked to the side. Then she turned and headed for the car. They let her go figuring she was traumatized and scared.

All that mattered to them all was that everything was over. They didn’t have to worry. Life was simpler now. Jack and Sally made up for all their lost time. Alex opened up more to Jazz and in turn Jazz did the same for him. Rian enjoyed having no glaring problems and took to making sure Amelia was all right though she still hadn’t spoken. Jenny and Zack kept things at the same pace because they didn’t want to rush into anything.
By day they all kept up the appearance of normal people and by night they were out looking to save the city from it’s ugliest. Construction still paid the bills for the guys and Jenny’s mechanical job paid her bills though Zack wished she would just move in with the rest of them. Jenny liked having her apartment because it gave he a sense of privacy she knew she didn’t really have anyways with their friends, but the feeling was nice and Zack couldn’t argue with that.