A booming roll of thunder roared through the atmosphere, making everyone jump a little.

"Turn left," Maria murmured, leaning over the seats to talk to Thomas as he drove. Thomas spun the wheel and continued driving through New York. They had submerged into a fairly eery, sketchy part of the city, sunset dawning on them sooner than anticipated as thick grey storm clouds spilled their contents over the city.

Maria was carefully scanning the buildings they passed with a cold glare. She knew where they were going all too well, an apartment she had once hoped she could escape, but was now willingly returning to, all for one purpose. Tonight she was killing her ex boyfriend.

John sat in the back, Artemis snuggled into his lap, letting the drizzle and tinkle of rain outside soothe him slightly. Hercules and Lafayette sat across from him, solemn frowns on their faces. All they had gotten out of John was bitterness and resentment, and it was getting exhausting.
"John we can't do anything until we know where they are," Hercules muttered.
"I know where they are, alone probably feeling pretty betrayed in a holding cell somewhere," John growled, averting his gaze and focusing on stroking Artemis' coat.

"John, that's enough." James spoke up from the front. The whole van fell silent. "I get it, you feel bad, but being a sook isn't helping anyone. We had to leave Alex and Eliza. There's a better chance we can rescue them from the outside than we could all escape prison again. The last time you tried that Charles was shot dead, who do you want to go next? Alex?"

Nobody said a word. The rain grew heavier outside, rapping on the van roof persistently. John sighed and sank back, pulling Artemis closer and hiding his face in her coat.
"This one." Maria muttered, pointing to a derelict apartment building. Thomas cringed in disgust but reluctantly pulled over. Maria moved to the back of the van, jumping out and landing in a shallow puddle. Rain washed over her, soaking her clothes and hair. She growled and stepped up onto the sidewalk before making her way up to the building.

She heard another set of splashes and looked back, seeing Lafayette, Hercules and John jumping out.
"Get back in the van," she mumbled darkly.
"We're coming too," Hercules spoke firmly. Maria rolled her eyes and turned back around, walking into the apartment building without another word. Lafayette and Hercules advanced forward, John hesitating before Hercules grabbed his arm and tugged him forward too.

They stepped inside, greeted by an abandoned lobby and another roll of thunder. Maria didn't look back, walking straight for the elevator. The boys followed briskly, stepping into the rickety, swaying box. It honestly felt like the cable would snap any second and they would all plummet to their immediate deaths, but Maria wasn't phased in the slightest.

She selected the top floor before stepping back, her arms crossed sternly. John spared a glance her way and noticed her eyeliner was beginning to run after her short exposure to the rain, giving her an extra deadly look. She looked ready to singlehandedly fight world war 3.

The elevator ride was silent, making John's stomach churn with anxiety. He just wanted to be in Alex's arms, all of this behind them, but he didn't know where Alex was now, and it destroyed him. The elevator arrived at the top floor, swaying slightly as each person stepped out.

Maria didn't wait for anyone, strutting down the hall, unsheathing her last knife and twirling it in her fingers. The boys hurriedly followed after her, walking down the hall until she abruptly stopped at a door. The door didn't have a number, what it did have was peeling paint and chipped wood. Maria stood frozen, drawing in a slow breath of preparation before she lifted her foot and kicked the door with a shout, flinging it open and slamming it into the wall around the door frame. The boys all jumped in surprise as she fixed her jacket and brushed a hand through her fringe, strutting into the apartment with an aura of power.

"Baby I'm home!" She yelled into the apartment, tracing her delicate fingers along the blade as she roamed the apartment. It was dead silent. Furniture and broken ornaments still adorned the living space, but it all looked to have been abandoned for a long time. "Baby?"

She started to grow frustrated, storming around the apartment dragging the knife along the walls. "I swear to fucking god," she growled, stabbing the knife into the wall as she walked into the bedroom, the boys following meekly.

The yellowing bedsheets were a thrashed mess on the bed, droplets of blood here and there on the bare mattress, an uneasy feeling churning in John's stomach.
"No, no no," she laughed, whipping the sheets off the bed and flinging them to the floor violently. She walked over to the bedside table where a wallet was sitting, fairly dusty by now. Maria opened it and growled in disgust seeing the driver's license, ditching it at the wall with a cry of anger.

Lafayette wandered over and picked up the wallet, opening it for himself, Hercules and John to see. They all gasped softly seeing James Reynolds' driver's license clasped inside. Lafayette slipped the wallet into his back pocket, maybe it would be useful.

She paced around the room and out back into the main living space, her heels clicking at a fast pace. "No, no where the fuck is he?" She growled, raking her hands through her hair. "This is bullshit!"

She grabbed the lamp from beside the couch and threw it to the floor, SMASH the base and bulb shattered into tiny shards, the shade rolling away.
"Maria it is fine, we will track him down-" Lafayette tried to assure her but she ripped her knife out of the wall and ditched it at the small boxy tv, piercing the screen with a massive ZAP.
"NO!" She screamed, panting heavily. "8 YEARS! 3 of those years I was a fucking sex slave for him and his friends, the other 5 I was locked away for trying to end that asshole!"

"Maria we will find him, just come back to the van, we'll get something to eat an-" Hercules tried to calm her but she turned away.
"I need a second." she mumbled, her voice dangerously low and hoarse.
"We'll be in the van waiting," Hercules spoke calmly, walking out with Lafayette, John trailing behind.

"John," Maria muttered, turning around quickly. Her jacket had slipped off of one of her shoulders, water still dripping down her clothes and skin as she gazed at him helplessly, a concoction of tears, eyeliner and mascara dripping down her cheeks. "Stay?"

John hesitated, pressing his lips into a thin line. He wouldn't let Maria do anything, she was just emotionally distraught, like him, she needed a little bit of sympathy.

He sighed and stepped forward, reaching his arms out meekly. Maria rushed forward and collapsed into his embrace, crying into his chest, her small body shaking with sobs. John frowned and hugged her tight, rubbing her back soothingly until he felt her jacket slowly slip away.

"Thanks," she mumbled, her voice muffled by his clothes.
"It's fine," he sighed, leaning back to look into her eyes. "How are you feeling now?"
"I still want him to burn in hell," he chuckled darkly before frowning again, averting her gaze.
"I'm really sorry, I can't imagine what you've been through," John frowned, brushing her fringe back behind her ear. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll listen,"

Maria smiled up at him softly, sighing happily, and leaning up to kiss his cheek.
"You're too nice John," she whispered, bringing her other hand up to caress his jaw.

John immediately took a step back. Not again.
"Thanks Maria," he muttered with a nervous smile. "Look, we should probably get back to the-" he began to speak before Maria surged forward, slinking one arm around John's neck and the other returning to his jaw.
"Stay," she pleaded again, gazing at him lustfully with glossy tear-filled eyes, leaning up so their lips were just a breath apart.
"I'm gay." John stated, staring at her with wide eyes. "I can't do this, not to Alex, I'm sorry,"

"Alex won't need to know, it's just you and me," she hummed, brushing her hand through his hair. She slowly leaned up and pecked his lips. "Nobody needs to know,"

John's breathing sped up and he shook his head again, opening his mouth to speak up before she crashed her lips onto his, tears spilling down her cheeks. John didn't kiss back, but he didn't push her away. His whole body was frozen in shock. Maria took that as a sign to take the lead, pushing him towards the couch and slinking one hand to the hem of his shirt, slowly pulling it up.

John shivered and stopped her hand right as her fingertips ghosted over his burn scars. She sighed and pulled her hand away.
"Guess I'll go in the other direction huh?" she smirked against his lips, pushing him down onto the couch before tracing her hand down to the hem of John's jeans.
"Maria," John muttered, cringing a little as he tried weakly to move away.
"What?" she frowned, the tear stains on her cheeks still fresh. She looked up at him no longer with lust but an expression of pure pain. It made John's heart sink and he closed his eyes. He couldn't say no to her in this state.

"Go on,"