Drowning Lessons

“Vic!” Alex cries from behind me in the doorway. Jaime, I see now is crying. Alex shoves me out of the way to run for Vic. Mikey jumps up and blocks a bolt of electricity aimed at Alex. He winces. He said he was beginning to feel pain again so all that electricity must hurt like a bitch. “Alex,” he grunts, “Get out we don’t need you.”
Alex looks distressed and insulted. “Let me take Vic out too at least,” his voice breaks.
Mikey sighs which turns into a groan as another bolt of electricity hits him in the back. “Andy for fuck sake,” he spits.
“Sorry!” Andy calls as he pulls another bolt away directed at me.
I throw my flaming chair leg toward Jaime and pull Gee and Alex back out the door into the hall of burning bodies. The sight that will never not be disturbing. A few minutes later Mikey appears carrying the limp body of Vic. Alex bursts into tears then.
“Not fair,” he whimpers, “it’s just not fucking fair.”
Mikey lays his body on the floor where it’s not burning or smoldering. Alex crumples down beside him, his body shaking with and his head in his hands. I feel my own eyes begin to well up with tears. My confidence and adrenaline disperses and my arm begins to hurt again. It’s like the emotional pain reminds my arm that it hurts. Like being hurt in one way is never enough for a body with self-destructive tendencies.
Gerard is biting his lip and looking up at his younger, taller brother. “Mikey… are you… you okay?”
Mikey shakes his head. His eyes have tears in them too. His shirt is scorched so badly that it’s a miracle that it’s still on at all. “We can’t kill him Gerard. He’s got enough of Andy’s power that he can let electricity run through him and out of him without it killing him, enough of Jaime’s that fire has no effect at all. And just enough of mine that a bullet does nothing.”
I peer around the corner and settle my eyes on the Captain. Horrified I see bullet wounds in his legs arms and stomach. “This is fucking scary,” I say. His shirt is scorched and his body badly burned.
“We find Ray’s power can’t be used when he’s struck by electricity or hit with fire. I think when you’re hit with electricity your endorphins just do their job. Science or something. It’s like he can only use one power at a time too,” Mikey informs. “So he can’t attack with Ray’s and not get killed by electricity at the same time. Anytime I try get Andy and Jaime to hit at once they have to stop and save the other. Jaime can handle fire being thrown at him but Andy can’t. Andy can deal with a bolt of electricity to the face but Jaime can’t. They’re saving each other’s skin as much as fighting him.”
I nod. I think I know what the only answer is then. I look up at Gerard, he knows too.
“I’ll find my way up to that glass box…” Gerard mumbles. “You’ll have to get him close enough to me that I can get a clear shot. It takes a lot to drain every memory and thought ever…” he turns around and starts off across the path of not burning bodies. “You’ll also need to put this out!” he calls gesturing to the flames on either side.
Alex, still bent over Vic mumbles, “I’ll do it…”
“Mikey,” I say looking into the battle room. “Any way you could get Ryan out. He’s alive and when the Captain notices he probably won’t stay that way.”
“Yea sure, okay,” he steps into the room and to steps in he gets hit by a fist of fire. It would look really cool if it wasn’t the thing that was going to kill one of us. “For fuck sake, do your fucking job guys or I’m leaving,” he yells, “I know you’re tired we’re all fucking tired, but fire and electricity hurts!”
Andy and Jaime toss him apologetic glances and catch the next attacks and fling them back.
Moments later Mikey appears holding Ryan in his arms. He lies Ryan down at Vic’s feet. “I’m going to try help now,” Mikey mumbles unsteadily.
Alex stands up and picks up the big antique carpet. He starts putting out fires as his lips tremble and his body shudders. I knew Alex and Vic were close. So were Jaime and Vic. And Kellin and Vic. Fuck, everyone liked Vic. His death will leave a big black mark on everyone’s life. Fuck it I really liked Vic and I feel my eyes let go of the tears they’d been building.
I go over and kneel next to Ryan. “You’re doing great dude,” I whisper.
“You fucking bet I am. Fuck this hurts…” he croaks. He has burns all down his right side and a bullet wound in his thigh. “I just want to sleep forever.”
“Not yet. You’re almost finished but just keep it up.”
“I will… Fuck oww, okay go do something Frank.”
I nod and walk to the door. This could be the best idea yet or the worse.
I stroll in to the room.
Mikey is wincing in the centre of the room, flinging himself in the way of a bolt of electricity meant for Jaime. “Frank, what the fuck are you doing?!” he yells.
“I’m not sure,” I admit. Andy is on his knees but still fighting strong. Jaime is on fire but seemingly okay. I never thought I’d see a guy, in flames and doing just fine. Nothing here is fucking normal I’ve come to notice.
“Hi Frankie,” the Captain says cheerily while absorbing a bolt of lightning from the window and aiming it at Jaime. Andy pulls it toward him and sends it directly at the Captain’s burnt face. The Captain doesn’t challenge this one terribly well and his whole body shakes momentarily. Jaime takes advantage of this momentary weakness and sends all the fire from his skin directly at the Captain. His hair catches fire and his face contorts in pain.
“Frank, you’re sort of distracting me. Will you not kill one of them for me to make up for it,” he cackles, proper fucking witch laughter, and sends the flames directly at the floor by Andy. Andy jumps up and steps around it. He, strangely casually, walks towards the Captain and away from the fire. I follow him.
“Frank…” Mikey warns.
“Shh Mikey, I’m just going to stretch my legs,” I say and the Captain wriggles with laughter.
I glance up and see the orange light of a fiery chair leg suddenly fill the room. I duck and cover my head as shots go off and the glass shatters. Flakes of the boxes wall flutter down around me, a piece cutting my hand and another cutting my back. The rest just lands about on the floor.
“Hi Gerard!” the Captain waves then sends a fist of fire out to punch Gee. Jaime catches it with ease and pulls it right back into the Captains face.
Andy throws a glance at me before surging every watt of electricity at his disposal directly at the Captain. Jaime joins in and sends every single flame in his direction. A bolt of lightning flashes outside. Andy pulls it in the window and hits the Captain from behind.
He falls to his knees and cries out. He picks himself up and flings everything at Gee. Andy and Jaime pull it back and shoot it at him.
This cycle goes on for a few minutes. Gee tries to start soaking up his memories but every time he begins his concentration is broken by electricity and fire being directed at him. “Okay stop!” I exclaim at last. “Just stop giving him stuff he can use to target Gerard!”
Andy nods and extends his arms, drawing sparks from everywhere. He starts shaking then, full of all the Island’s electricity. The room is still a flickering orange when Jaime starts pulling all the fire he can towards himself. The Captain attempts to drag some out of the orbit of Jaime but fails. He may have some of Jaime’s powers but not enough that he is stronger. Fire drifts in from the hall in patches of burning wood and other things I don’t want to think about. Flaming tongues that had tasted the corpses of white coats. I shudder.
The orange lights dance around Jaime entrancingly. The Captain continues to try steal some when he is knocked to the floor. He starts gasping, his mouth open and his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He reaches a hand out in Gerard’s direction.
The Captain’s face contorts and then relaxes.
My attention is so focused on the Captain lying on the floor gurgling that I don’t notice what’s happening above me. Gerard is on his back laughing in lunacy. Then he starts rolling. Mikey runs toward him but it’s too late. Gerard rolls off the platform and laughing, falls. This isn’t falling the length of a ceiling to floor. This is breaking glass with your head and falling two room’s height down onto your front, flat, no catching yourself.
Mikey makes it there seconds too late. Gerard hadn’t so much fallen as dragged the floor up to meet his embrace.
“No!” I shout, ever too late, and run after Mikey. Andy sends all his electricity out the window and into the stormy night. Jaime directs the fire out the window too where it promptly goes out, leaving smoking debris to fall to the ground a story bellow.
I reach Gerard and throw myself down next to him. Mikey turns him over. His pupils have completely cancelled out his irises as far as I can see. It’s seriously dark now all the fire’s been sent away.
In the dark I can see the white of his teeth. He’s grinning despite falling face first from two floors, though he is unconscious. I feel his chest to verify that he is breathing. Hid breaths are short and uneven. Gasps almost, but I’m not going to think of it like that. He has a cut along his forehead and his old wounds have been reopened. He looks so beaten up and yet he’s smiling like a lunatic. I guess that’s what he is at this moment, a lunatic.
He’s bleeding quite heavily now. From his arms, head and torso where he crashed through the pieces of glass that he just rolled through. My eyes leave his face and scan his body. Seeing his foot I gasp incredibly loudly. It’s bent in the complete wrong way. His arm is also bent in a very wrong way.
“He’s losing blood,” Mikey seethes, “He’s losing blood and his breaths are all wrong! Someone get some cloth or something!”
Seconds later Alex comes running in, stripping off his t-shirt and throws it to Mikey who balls it up and presses it to his forehead and temple. The black cloth is even darker immediately and I can see in the faint light that Mikey’s hands are slowly being soaked in his brother’s blood.
Outside light very vaguely begins to grow and as the sunrise covers the sky with grey light, Gerard covers the floor in blood.

Notes

Only one chapter left! Thanks for reading, I'm sorry if you find anything disturbing in the past few chapters, I didn't think the story would take such a harsh turn... Final chapter will be up as soon as it's written :)