It was getting late it was getting to the late afternoon. James tapped his fingers to the music playing in the car, 'Stuck in the middle with you' by Stealers Wheel. He liked the song, it was easy to move and sing to. It took him back, long and hot summers with Emma and Carlos. Drinking lemonade on the beach, racing up and down the lakeside paths all day.

It more so played in the background, James still looking out the window. The car slowly weaving around a small pile up before straightening back up. 

It wasn't long before the car pulled up into Whiterock again James, could already feel something was up. He looked stern, as he scanned the streets.

"Drop me off at the plaza," James said.

Emma furrowed her brow, "You sure?"

"Yeah, something feels off, I'm going to see what's up,"

"Ok, we'll be at the house, don't be too long ok," Emma stated, sounding worried.

James just nodded.

The car came to a stop at the plaza, he could already see some changes in front of the town hall.

Stepping out, he gave Emma and Faith one last nod before the car left him at the plaza.

Outside the town hall, there were several small crowds. It was just like he had left it just a few hours ago. 

Instantly he noticed something new, a large wooden sign some kids were hammering into some supports. 

Walking up, he heard whispers, his name was thrown around. 

The sign was at least 9ft high, and twice that in width, obviously some scrap boards someone had found and then arranged to be one big slab of wood. The sign wasn't the glaring thing in James' mind, it was the writing.

It had been sprayed on with black paint, each letter dripping and running.

It read:

Rule 1: All food is to be given in

Rule 2: The Leader and his asociates are to be respected

Rule 3: At noon meet at the town hall to get food

Rule 4: If any of these rules are not followed, you will be PUNISHED

In the corner was a list of names, starting with Malick as 'The Leader' and Dom as 'Cheif of Police', then a few other names that James didn't really care to give a second thought.

In front of the sign was 'The Leader', looking smug and happy looking over his new rules. 

"Looks like you've got all the priorities straight," James sarcastically remarked. 

Malik turned to face James now, level with him instead of Malik standing on a truck shouting to the masses.

"Good to see you doing your part, Stone," He quipped sarcastically in return.

James only laughed, "Oh I have, like getting the power back. Anyway, all you're thinking about is food." Malik didn't seem to react to the fact James had got the power back, which he had.

"It's important we control it before it's all gone," Malik smiled, looking back at his sign.

"Well, great leader, you must be saving more rules for all the other problems we have going on," James chuckled.

Malik furrowed his brow, "I don't like your tone, do I need to remind you about Rule 2," He said threateningly, squaring up to James. He found it almost humorous, with Malik being a few inches shorter than he was.

James looked at the ground, laughing to himself. "I'm not going to follow your rules, even if I was going to," He paused, holding in a smile as he raised a finger towards the sign. "You spelt 'associates' wrong," James laughed again.

This seemed to strike a nerve, his eye slightly twitched.

"Look, I'm the new leader around here. So what I say goes, you're just doing what you want, coming and going, while I am sorting this place out,"

James just nodded, smirking at Malik, "Sure, you got this all under control,"

At this point, most of the new 'police force' were gathering behind Malik. Some holding bats or hockey sticks. There were around eight of them, of varying age and sizes, Dom standing immensely tall above them all.

Malik looked back at his new gang, James could feel the confidence irradiating from him as he grinned.

"You know... We haven't had a chance to enact rule 4 on anyone, looks like you the first," He grinned as someone handed him a shiny wooden bat, the sunlight gleaming off its polished surface. James was worried it would be shining with something else if things got worse.

James took a step back slightly, looking around, other kids all watching like vultures. Wanting to see a fight, or just curious as to what was happening.

"Ok guys, time to show everyone how we're gonna run things!" Malik stated.

Suddenly they moved towards James, running at him, ready to grab and beat him in front of the whole town.

James' body went into survival mode, his body flooding with chemicals, it was either fight or run. As it was eight against one, he chose the latter.

Sprinting off he heard shouting, gasps and cheering from the crowd watching. He more focused on running, his legs pounding, driving him forward in a frenzy. He knew he was quick, all he had to do was get away and hide, anything would do at this point.

Looking back for a split second, five of them at least were hot on his tail, shouting at him. Again, he blocked out the noise as he turned a corner, then in a split second, he climbed over a wall into someone's backyard.

Without looking back he high tailed it across a patio and over another a fence. Catching his leg on it he more fell over than jumped over, landing in a flower patch. Now on the ground, he listened, trying to ignore the pounding in his chest.

"Where did he go!?" He heard someone shout.

"You lost him?" 

"What? No. He just vanished, I'm serious!"

James slowly got up, being careful to stay low, now covered in dirt from his landing. He waited, hearing the talking get further away as they began searching for him, it wouldn't be long till one of them figured he might have jumped into a garden.

Looking for a way out, he saw a side entrance around the house. Quickly he snuck around it, jumping a locked gate he quickly looked out onto the street. Darting his head around he saw no one, it was clear.

He carefully walked out, he would need to be on the lookout. His best bet would be to head to the marina and back down to Emma's house. His only problem is that he could be seen and then he would lead them straight to Emma, Carlos and Penelope.

Constantly looking he made his way there, looking down side streets for any of Malik's gang, it was good so far, no one was around. But this cat and mouse game couldn't last forever.

Getting close to the marina, James felt safe, further away from the plaza was good.

His calming thoughts were soon ripped from his head, the sound of a roaring engine pierced the air. The hair on James' neck stood up like a bolt of lightning had struck him. In a heartbeat, he saw a car fast approaching, barreling towards him.

He began to move, but really he was too slow.

His brain almost couldn't process it, seeing the object get closer and closer, his body frozen in fear, he needed to move, move before he was run over like road kill.

He thought about all of it, the stupidity of the situation, it didn't make sense.

James' body struck out in response, quickly his hands shot out protectively, his eyes clenched shut.

This was the end, what a life, cut short.

Light, a bright red light passed through his eyelids. It was accompanied by a sensation of heat transferring through his body before expelling out around him. He couldn't explain the feeling, but if he could guess, this wasn't what death would feel like.

Slowly he opened his eyes, he was still standing, unscathed. That's when he noticed the car.

The car hadn't hit him, was off to his left, the front of it crushed and smashed in, revealing its still running engine.

James was speechless, the car was a second from hitting him, had he stopped it with his hands? He just blinked, as he looked at the car. Nothing else could have hit it, he was in the middle of the road. 

He looked at his hands, they tingled and buzzed, he had felt a pulse go through them and thinking about it he did see some sort of slight through his shut eyes.

"What the-" He said to himself, his mind was running wild with ideas, had he done that?

Out the car, Sebastian stumbled out the driver's seat, he was dazed. Looking at James with fear he raised a hand, pointing.

"H-how did you do that?!" He shouted, shocked. He was so shaken up by the crash Sebastian couldn't stop shaking.

James looked back at his hands, "What? Do what?" His mind was still processing what had just happened, none of it fits together properly, only confusing him further.

"You, you did that!" He pointed the car which looked almost destroyed like it had crashed into a solid wall with immense speed. 

By this point, Malik, Dom, and a few others and caught up. Still with the intent to show James a bad time, as punishment for his 'disloyalty' to the new leader. James just stood where he was at the gang circled around him.

"Malik, stop! He did that, he smashed the car!" Sebastian warned him, stepping back.

Malik looked at the broken car, frowning, not really believing Sebestain who looked like a scared animal, slowly backing away from the crowd, further away from this new madness.

"Anyway, ready for your lesson?" Malik said, pushing the thoughts of the crashed car aside, instead focussing on setting an example to his new gang.

James just waited, watched who would make the first move. Seconds passed before one boy lunged forward, bat drawn back as he wildly swung at James.

Out of instinct, James shot his hands out for protection. In the instant his hand shot forward, a bright red light blasted from his palm. Heat cascaded down his arm and out his hands along with the light. 

The short beam collided with the boy, sending him flying back, the bat spiralling from his grasp. He soared through the air before he landed on his back. There was silence, everyone stared at James.

He looked around, as everyone took a step back, not really being able to comprehend what they had just seen. James didn't know what was going on, but he knew whatever was happening to him, for some reason it only happened when he put his hands out.

Quickly thinking on the spot he moved his hands out, pointing them at gang around him. The bat-wielding kids backed off and darted away like he was pointing a gun at them. They had all seen red light shoot from his hands, they weren't willing to take the risk, just in case it happened again.

Before anyone else could make a move, there was a thunderous crack, catching everyone off guard. Eyes and heads darted away from the marina, further down the street stood Carlos. In his hand was a pistol, pointed towards the sky. Slowly he lowered it, making his way towards them.

The gang soon looked to each other and to Malik. After Malik's face faltered they dispersed, even the one on the floor scrambled to his feet before they all ran down the street and around the gun-wielding Carlos like he was the all-mighty Moses and they were the Red Sea.

While Carlos walked towards James there was a long and strenuous moment silence, before it was broken by James. "What the fuck?"

Carlos looked at him worriedly, "Are you okay?" He sounded genuinely concerned for his friend, even though James only looked partially dirty and not at all hurt.

"Yeah, I'm... fine. Where did you get a gun?!" He responded, his mouth open with shock as he stared at the weapon Carlos had clutched in his hand.

"It's my dad's... Anyway, what the hell were you thinking about confronting Malik all by yourself, what do you think was going to happen?" Carlos scolded as he tucked his father's pistol back into his jeans.

"I'm not sure, a friendly chat, maybe? To be honest, I wasn't expecting to be chased around with a bat and almost run over," James remarked, sighing in relief, the adrenaline in his system plucking at his nerves. 

Carlos looked to the left, staring at the broken vehicle. Before looking around, completely confuddled. "What did it crash into?" He asked timidly, not liking the look on James' face.

James paused, trying to put it into words in his head before speaking. "Um, well... This is going to sound crazy but I did that," 

Another silence was held between them, Carlos slowly tilting his head to the side, wondering whether James had been hit in the head with a bat by Dom before he had got there. 

"What?" Was all Carlos could say.

"I'm serious... The car was about to hit me, I put my arms out, there was bright light and..." He pointed to the car, "that happened." Carlos just stood blinking, not being able to get a word in before James continued. "Then, when one of them tried to hit me I put my hands out again, light shot out of my hand and he got blasted into the air, I'm not kidding."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Carlos retorted, "I thought I was delirious when I hit my head... You've gone completely mad!" 

James shook his head, "I didn't hit my head, look if you don't believe me I'll show you."

Carlos looked around and then pointed at a nearby car that was parked on the street around 20 feet away. "Ok, so if you can shoot laser beams from your hands, then shoot that car right now, then I'll believe you,"

James nodded, breathing deeply he looked at the car and readied himself. Taking his mind back he had to remember, it only happened when he was in danger or scared, maybe if he thought about it hard enough it would happen. Really James didn't know if it works and that he was probably going to make himself look like a complete idiot in front of his best friend.

Focusing on the car, he breathed slowly, remembering the heat that flowed through his body. He began to feel something so he just went for it.

Quickly forcing his arm out, palm open, a short beam on red pulsating energy blasted out. Striking the car making the windshield smash into a million glittery pieces which soon fell back down in a shiny glass shower. 

He retracted his hand quickly, looking like he had just burnt it, all the while Carlos shouted, "What the hell!"

"See I told you!" James exclaimed loudly, doing it again, the beam smashing into the ground which created a large bloom of dirt. 

"How is that even possible?" Carlos whispered.

James put his hand down, "I mean, all the parents vanished and now I can shoot lasers from my hands... Doesn't sound that far fetched anymore does it?" 

His friend nodded slowly, "Emma is not going to believe you one bit by the way," He managed to laugh, still trying to comprehend everything new.

James laughed, "I'll have to show her I guess." 

With that, the two quickly made their way back to Emma's, not realising they were being watched from the trees. 

Blood dripped from the watchers' hands and mouth onto the forest floor. The beastly eyes of the being followed them down the road. Still hungry and watching.