Warnings: swearing, guns, blood, 

Word Count: 2151

We let Taylor, one of the cinder block kids, collapse on her own at the edge of the road. We hear footsteps approaching, and Drake smiles as we hear voices.

'Go, Jack,' I hiss, and the SUV lurches forward as Jack steps on the gas, then jolts to a stop as he slams on the brakes. He jumps out of the car and runs towards the group of people, Sam, Edilio, Quinn, Astrid, and another girl, whose clothes are nothing but rags.

'Oh, thank God,' Jack says. 'You found Taylor. She's ill in the head, y'know.'

Drake and I rise from the back seat, both our guns cocked.

'Don't even think about it.' Drake says.

'However fast you think you are, all we have to do is squeeze the trigger.' I add.

'I'm not moving,' Sam says, raising his hands.

'Ah ah ah, no, Sammy boy,' I tut. 'We know all about your power. Keep your hands by your sides if you value your life.'

'I have to help carry this girl,' Sam replies.

'No one's carrying her anywhere,' Drake snaps. 'She's done for.'

'We're not leaving her here,' Astrid protests.

'The guy holding the gun makes the decisions,' Drake growls, then grins. 'And the girl. Plus, if I were you, Astrid, I wouldn't push. Caine wants to try to take you and your little brother alive. But if you two try and do your disappearing act, I'll shoot Sam.'

'You're a psychopath, Drake,' Astrid says.

'Wow,' I say sarcastically. 'Such a big word. I guess that's why you're Astrid the Genius, huh? You know what else is a good word? Retard.'

Astrid flinches like I just hit her, and I hear Drake's low chuckle.

'My brother is a retard,' he mimics. 'I wish I had recorded it. Okay. We're going to climb in the truck here one by one. Nice and slow. Throw the girl in the front seat next to Jack.'

'Any time before nightfall,' I snark. 'Maybe next time come with muscles.'

Astrid climbs in behind Jack. 'I really thought there might be some hope for you, Jack.'

'Nah,' Drake says dismissively. 'Jack's just a tool. He does what we tell him to do.'

Little Pete and the ragged girl share the middle bench with Astrid, Edilio and Sam in the back row. Drake presses his gun to the back of Edilio's head.

'Your problem's with me, Drake,' Sam says.

'You might take a chance if it's only your own life on the line,' Drake replies. 'But you won't risk me shooting your pet Mexican here, or your girlfriend.'

'Or whoever the fuck she is,' I say, pointing to the girl.

'Lana,' she snaps, and I smile.

'Lovely to meet you, Lana, but I didn't ask.'

We pull up outside Coates.

'Looks like a war zone,' Edilio comments.

'The FAYZ is a war zone,' Drake says darkly, and I roll my eyes at him, mouthing drama queen. He grins his sharky grin and throws me a wink. Panda and a couple of kids are waiting, armed with baseball bats.

'Before you see Caine, we have things to take care of. Line up. Walk single file around the building.' We pass the cinder blocked kids and Astrid swears with enough language to make me wonder if she's still Catholic.

'Nice language,' I say.

Drake smiles. 'And in front of the Pe - tard, too. It's the circle of freaks,' he says proudly, waving a hand like a showman. In a crusty old wheelbarrow to one side, three kids are mixing the cement. It makes a heavy sloshing sound.

'Oh, no,' Lana gasps, realisation lighting her eyes as she backs away, but one of the Coates kids smashes her behind the knee with his baseball bat, and she crumples.

'Got to do something with unhelpful freaks,' Drake chuckles. 'Can't have you people running around loose.' He sees Sam start to react and sticks his gun against Astrid's head. 'Your call, Sam. You so much as flinch and we'll get to see what a genius brain really looks like. Okay, Sam. You first. It's easy to do. You just stick your hands in and then, presto, no more powers.'

Sam walks with shaky steps to the wheelbarrow, plunging his hands into the cement. The kid with the shovel dumps a load of wet, heavy cement into the hole and uses a trowel to poke it down. Then half a shovelful and the boy uses the trowel to smooth it over and returns the excess to the wheelbarrow. Sam kneels there, hands encased, practically trembling.

'Okay, Astrid, your turn,' I say.

'About ten minutes is all, Sam,' Drake smirks over Astrid's sobbing. 'If you're going to do something brave, you've got about eight minutes. Tick - tock.' I smile and kiss Drake's cheek, and his slender fingers find mine.

'I think time's about up for you, Sam,' I grin. 'Try pulling your hands out. Can't do it, can you?'

I hear a door slam. and see Caine and Diana coming across the lawn.

'Well, if it isn't the defiant Sam Temple,' Caine smirks. 'Let me shake your hand. Oh, sorry, my bad.' He laughs, a sound that seems more a release of tension than anything else. 'Good work, Drake and Rebel. Very good work. And I see Sam's little friends are likewise caught.'

'Why don't you give them a little scratch behind the ears, Caine,' Diana says. 'They've been such good dogs.'

I narrow my eyes. 'Say that again, bitch, and I'll give you a little more than a scratch behind the ears.'

Drake's low laugh sounds in my ear, and he wraps his fingers around my shoulder, pulling me up against his chest. 'That's my girl.'

'You don't want to mess with this girl, her name is Lana,' Sam says out of the blue, jerking his chin towards her. 'She's a healer.'

Caine's eyebrows shoot up. 'A what? A healer?'

'She can heal anything, any kind of injury,' Sam replies. 'Coyote bit me. Want to see?'

'I have a better idea,' Caine growls. 'Drake: give the girl something to heal.'

Arm still wrapped tightly around me, he presses the muzzle of his pistol against Sam's knee. There's the sweet sound of the pistol firing, and then Sam sways and crumples, the leg, blown half off, buckles and twists beneath him.

Suddenly, I see a slight movement in the corner of my eye and elbow Drake's arm away from me, spinning and seeing a sobbing Astrid slamming the concrete on her hands down on Little Pete's Game Boy.

'No!' I yell, yanking out my pistol, just as the concrete, every single block on every single mutant's hands, simply disappears. Caine is quick. He backs away, turns, and runs for the building. Diana bolts after Caine, hesitating only a second. Little Pete picks up his game. It's dirty and has a piece of grass sticking out of it now, but it still works. I grab Drake's arm and go to drag him, but he's rooted to the spot. Suddenly, he raises his gun, and I yell over his wild shots at the Pe - tard.

'We have to go, Drake!' I yank on his arm, and I feel the way the gun kicks in his hand, see in slow motion as Sam raises his hands. 'Drake!' I scream, my voice breaking. 'You'll get hurt!'

I hear my intake of breath as I voice a fear I didn't know I had. I flinch, giving one last tug on Drake's arm, pulling him away away away as green light flashes from Sam's hands and suddenly Drake's gun slams to the floor as his melting fingers go limp, and now, now he's moving, bolting for the door. I slam it behind him as he falls to his knees, screaming through gritted teeth. In pure desperation, I hook my arms under his armpits as he thrashes, dragging him a few feet at a time down the corridor, the only thought is to get him as far away as possible from Sam.

'I've got you, baby,' I choke out, not quite sure if I know that or if I'm just trying to convince myself. He curses, using words even I don't know, and I raise my voice. 'Come and help me, someone! Or you're all getting a bullet through the brains!'

Caine appears down the corridor, and I just scream at him, not even making sense of my own words. Suddenly, Drake's weight leaves my arms and Caine's levitating him down the hallway. I swipe at a tear trickling down my cheek and follow as he places Drake on a table and holds him down firmly. Diana trots into the room, trailed by a hesitant Panda with a saw.

'We need to cut it off,' she says.

'Anyone who touches it dies,' Drake roars through his pain.

'We've got to, baby,' I whisper, putting his head in my lap and wiping the sweat from his brow.

'As long as the melted bit is there, it's going to hurt, and you're going to carry on wetting yourself,' Diana snaps. She looks up at me. 'Looks like your baby needs a nappy.'

'I may not be a sadist, but if you say that again, I'll have more hate and sadism than my baby.' I turn to Caine. 'And yes, I just threatened your girlfriend. Suck it up. Panda, cut.'

'No!' Drake yells. 'Get the girl, the healer!'

'She's gone,' Diana growls. 'Ran off with Sam.'

'Shoot me then!' He goes rigid, tense, blue eyes snapping open and boring into me. 'Kill me, Rebel. Please.'

'If you think I'd even consider that for one second, you don't know me,' I spit.

'Enough with the romantic bullshit,' Diana snarls. 'Panda, give me the saw.'

'I'll do it,' I say, holding out my hand.

'No,' Drake gasps. 'Rebel - I - I need you h - here.' He screws his eyes up and his whole body tenses. 'Get it over with. Just - just do it, Diana.'

I grip either side of his face, hushing as he cries out through his teeth, cursing, yelling, snarling, eyes screwed up. I need you here, his voice echoes in my head. Since when did Drake Merwin need anyone but himself? I look up, still frowning, as Diana grabs the saw and lowers it, but pauses.

'Caine, your power's in the way. Hold him down on the left side, get your thugs to hold down his right. Rebel, be useful for once.'

My head snaps up. 'What exactly are you implying, bitch?'

She flips me off, then immediately starts cutting. Drake starts thrashing, screaming, threatening, but she doesn't, won't, stop. Somewhere later on, he passes out, and it frightens me how lifeless he is in my arms. His eyes open maybe a minute later, so pain filled it hurts me too. And then suddenly, there's a thud, and the burnt stump drops to the floor, and there's a sudden rush to get a needle and thread, to sew up the end of his arm. And then there's quiet.

'It's done, baby,' I say quietly, and he looses a shuddering breath. I glance up. 'Everyone, out.'

'But - ' Caine starts. My head whips up, my eyes flashing, and I growl through gritted teeth.

'Rebel - ' Diana says placatingly, and I lose it.

'Out!' I scream. 'Just get out!'

They hurry away, herding the thugs in front of them, some of which are pale, looking like they'll be sick. Diana is still splattered with red, her hands stained with Drake's own blood. I narrow my eyes as she smirks at me, lips pulling back in a snarl. I take a threatening step forward, and she turns around quickly, dashing after Caine.

Once they're all gone, shudderingly, Drake inhales, then looks down at the burnt end of his arm on the floor that no one even bothered to move. A sob wrenches from his throat, and he touches his stump gingerly.

'I'm useless now,' he gasps out. 'Useless.'

'Chill, you can hold a gun in your left hand, baby,' I say, helping him sit up and wrapping my arms around him. 'And I've got you.'

He goes still for a second. 'You... you saved me.'

'Bullshit,' I growl, bitter. 'If I had saved you, you'd still have both arms.'

'No,' he mumbles. 'If you hadn't dragged me down, he'd have hit me in the head.'

I look down at him, arms tight around him. 'You know I would never shoot you, even if someone was going to kill me if I didn't, even if it was the only thing you ever wanted.'

'Why?' He asks, and his voice is small.

'Because, Drake, I'm a selfish bitch, and no one takes you from me.'

Drake nuzzles his face into my neck. 'Thank you, Rebel.'

'For what?'

'For being here.'