“Queen of the Villains,” I sneered. “Sorry, I’ll pass.”
That pissed him off. He stood,glitched,and ended up on the opposite side of the roof. Violet flashed, and I tried not to flinch as he appeared beside me, looming over me with a shadow across his face.
“Then you’ll die,” he rasped. “We are sick and tired of having a boot on our necks. They’re monsters, Alex. Taking babies, testingthem to see if they were borndifferent,then giving them that damn chip. We’re tracked like animals, shown off in a zoo,made into tools.They called me a Hero when I ‘died’, made me a fucking martyr to use for their propaganda.IT WAS THEIR FAULT!”
The image I’d created around us trembled, shaking, cracks forming in the sky that hadn’t changed, although the sun had long past set in the real world. And then, it all collapsed around us. Shards rained down, pieces of sky and buildings reflected in them, creating a black mass around us. He shouldn’t have been able to do that—my daydreams should’ve been untouchable. But Joon was screaming now, clutching his head between his palms, and he looked as if he’d split in two.
It’s too much. His mind is slipping. He won’t come back at this rate.
So I pulled back.
When I opened my eyes, Leo was there, and I could still hear Joon’s screams.
“What happened?” he cupped my face in his hand, searching me frantically, as if I’d come out wounded.
“I can’t get through to him,” my voice croaked, and I was desperate for water. “He’s too… twisted up inside. I don’t know how to break through.”
Leo sat me up against him, letting me lean against his chest as he put a bottle of water in my hand. I tipped my head back, chugging it, as my stomach clenched with hunger.
“How long?” I asked, wiping my lips with the back of my hand.
“Eight hours, and counting,” Dahlia answered, spinning herself in a chair beside us.
On the floor, cushions and blankets surrounded Leo and me. I didn’t have to wonder if he’d moved at all while I was down—everything was warm. He’d been pouring heat into me for hours. His arms wrapped around me, and I eased into it.
“You need a break,” his voice was hoarse.
Bright yellow light flashed in the room, and I jolted up. A large two-way mirror spanned across the wall. The room was set up similarly to the PD—only much, much larger. Someone screamed, and another voice roared back. We all stood, racing to the glass.
Behind it, lightning bounced off the walls, zipping in every direction before meeting its target. Joon thrashed in a metal chair welded to the floor. His arms were pulled behind him, and steel cords wrapped around every part of him. Ankles, knees, hips, arms and chest. Even his neck was restrained, and his face grew red as he resisted against it, choking himself.
Running along the thick cords was visible electricity, sparking against his skin and scars. His white hair stood on end,and his eyes flashed that intense purple. Reed faced away from us, his arms raised and body tense. Sweat poured down his back, and his red hair was plastered to his skin.
“Cut it out, asshole!” Reed shouted. “You’re gonna kill yourself!”
Joon spat at Reed’s boots. “More blood on the VIA’s hands. No skin off my bones.”
Beside me, Leo cocked his head. I wasn’t sure what he’d processed in the time we’d been under, how he was handling things. The scene made me weak, and my heart raced.
But Leo leaned in, his eyes scrunched as he watched them. “Jesus, does he think he’s in a freakin’ mob movie, or something? Idiot.”
I smacked him in the gut, and he actually wheezed. “This is serious!”
He winced at my tone. “I know, I know, I’m sorry. I just… we’re all exhausted, Sweetheart. Joon never took anything too seriously on the field. He was professional, but he didn’t let it get to him, you know? I guess I was trying to channel that a bit. Bad timing, my fault.”
Leo bowed his head in remorse, and something sparked in me.
Could that work?
“Chill out, and I’ll ease up,” Reed’s voice filtered through the speakers. “You think they can’t see you right now? You think this doesn’thurtthem?”
Joon’s eyes flashed, and he seemed to simmer. Reed did just as he promised; the lightning died down, condensing into the binds, and only the gentle hum of static crackled through the speakers. We were all silent; watching, waiting.
“Weird, I thought I was the only one exploring electric bondage right now,” Joon quipped, panting. “I’m not sure if I’m into it or not.”
Leo and I glanced at each other, both of us smirking.Thatwas Joon. Not Glitch, not a mutation of his old self. Unfortunately, his humor had always been… particular.
“You’re sick, you know that?” Reed leaned against the glass, and I had to shift to the side to see around his shoulders.
