Chapter XIII

    1

Joey

SPRINTING THROUGH THE DARKNESS of the palace's hallway, Joey listened as a second blaring alarm bounced off the walls making the sound louder then it needed to be. Her heart raced as she emerged from the shadows and her eyes met Ella who was pulling herself off Bellamy, and tugging David towards the trees. Watching closely, Alex and Kathleen stumbled into the forest out of thin air, quickly caught by David, and after a few words of exchange, Bailey was racing towards Kathleen.

Out of excitement in seeing her friends, she took a few steps forward but stopped herself. Her smile quickly faded as flash backs of Kathleen lying unconscious in the snow, and Alex gasping for air filled the forefront of her mind. Her heart felt like it had skipped a beat as she suddenly withdrew out of fright.

Bellamy's head snapped in her direction, and she gasped before dashing to the left sprinting through the trees. She ran until the splashing from the palace's waterfall could no longer be heard, and she rested placing a hand on of the nearby trees. She leaned forward and panted while looking down at her boots. Turning around with her back against the tree, she slid down its bark and sat with her knees pulled up to her chest. The distressed faces of her friends returned and she slammed her eyes shut. She wrapped her arms around her legs and laid her forehead on her knees weeping bitterly. She stayed there for several minutes, just long enough to lose track of time, and was startled by the sound of a twig breaking. She jerked her head upright, immediately balling her hands into fists and formed her daggers out of habit.

"Whoa, whoa!" Her eyes met Alex a few feet in front of her with his hands raised defensively.

Glancing down at her hands, she instantly unclenched them and the daggers vanished. She rubbed her kneecaps and looked off the the side. She was unable to stare at his face for long without hearing his gasps or remembering the power in her hand as his breath left his body. Clearing her throat, she asked, "What is it, Alex?"

Alex snickered. "Really? That's what you're gonna say? How 'bout, "Oh, Alex, you're alive!" or ... you know. Something."

Joey turned her head an inch to meet his gaze with the corner of her eye, but she didn't take his hint. "How did you find me?"

He shrugged and sniffed, placing his hands inside his pocket. "It wasn't intentional. I just needed a minute to clear my head." She didn't respond, and silence filled their surrounding for a few painful seconds until Alex spoke up again. "So ... You look well."

"What's with the small talk?" Joey sighed aggravated, twisting her neck back around to face him. She threw a hand to the side. "Can't you just move on?"

"Seriously?" Alex matched her irritation. He took a step forward and jabbed a finger at her. "Joey, the last time I saw you was when my sister died for you! And all you have to say is 'move on?'"

"Alex, I—" She cut herself off and released a deep sigh through her nose before continuing, "I'm sorry about Jenny."

"Are you, Joey?" he attacked. "Because her death is all your fault!" He took another step forward, but Joey jumped to her feet with her back still pressed against the bark and her hands outstretched.

"Stay back!" she shouted, her heart sprinting into a fast beat. Her eyes darted towards her hands as the center of her palms glowed a soft orange, and she quickly lowered them placing her palms against the tree.

She watched Alex's brow furrow and he cocked his head. "Uh, you okay?"

"Just ... stay away. Please." Her voice shook with fear and worry that she'd return to the person she was in the first Dome; the person who couldn't control herself.

"Joey, what's wrong?"

He took another step, but she quickly shouted, "Stop! I mean it, Alex!" She sunk deeper into the tree bark. "I don't want to hurt you ... again"

"What do you mean?" he asked with an arched brow. "You've never hurt me."

"I did," she said, wrapping her hands around her arms and glancing down at her boots. "Back in the first Dome. Back when ... when I—"

"You mean while you had the compass?" he asked with a slight chuckle, and Joey's brow scrunched at how lighthearted he was taking her. "Joey, I know that wasn't your fault. So don't let it bother you."

"How can't I?" she whispered, raising her eyes but keeping her head low. "I almost killed you."

Alex's shoulders sagged, and he extended a comforting hand trying to get closer to her, but she quickly stepped around the tree. "No," she yapped, the image of him on his knees flashing through her mind once more. Continuing to back away, she wrapped her hands around her again in a tight squeeze. "Please, just ... Take care of Kathleen, and leave me alone," she said softly, twisting around to walk off.

   2

Alex

"JOEY! WAIT!" ALEX TOOK a few giant steps towards her, and reached out with a warm hand to grip her forearm, ceasing her walking. He swung her around to face him, grabbing her wrists, and spoke in an aggravated tone, "Where are you going? You can't just run away from us!"

Staring into her eyes, he could see the pure look of fear, and as she looked away tears rolled down her cheeks. "Alex, let me go!"

"You can't even look at me," he accused, his voice softening. With her hands that were already in fists, she yanked against his hands, but he held her wrists in a firm clasp.

He jerked back, his hands tightening their grip, when her daggers unexpectedly appeared in her fists. "I'm sorry!" she shouted, continuing to try and pull her way free. "I-I-I can't control them sometimes."

"You really are afraid," Alex affirmed, staring at the glowing dagger inches from his face. "Of me?"

Quickly shaking her head, she whimpered, "No, of me."

"Joey, that—" Unexpectedly, his hands burst to life with an orange glow engulfing his entire hand, but he was shocked to find that it wasn't fire, and as quickly as the color had appeared, it vanished. Staring at his hands perplexed, he whispered, "What in the—"

Joey suddenly screamed in agony and she collapsed to her knees.

Alex's heart lurched, and he immediately released her. Instantly, Joey curled into a ball as she withered in pain, and the world around him froze. All he could hear was the sound of his pulse pumping wildly in his ears, and he stared down at the palm of his hands bewildered.

"Alex," Joey called out weakly, tears cascading sideways down her nose and temple.

He shook his head bringing himself out of his daze, and knelt down beside her placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Joey, I'm—I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened!" He blinked several times hoping this was all a dream, but her yelps sounded all too real.

She winced, and tightened her curl as her body jerked. "H-help," was all escaped past her lips before her eyes began to close, her entire body shivered violently like she was freezing in the cold.

His eyes bulged open fearing the worse. "No, no, no, Joey!" He quickly rummaged through his thoughts trying to think of a solution. He positioned his hands out to slide them under Joey's back and legs when his brow creased in confusion. Fixating on his hands, he observed them flickering like the start of a fire kindling. He had never summoned his fire, and even as he tried making it stop he couldn't.

His gaze shifted to Joey as she laid there trembling, and he was overwhelmed with fear of knowing that if he touched her there was a possibility of burning her again. But the thought of leaving her out here like this made him sick to his stomach. He gritted his teeth, released a huff, and quickly searched the surrounding area to be sure there was no one close by that could assist. Grunting, he slid his hands underneath her legs and back and lifted her into the air.

She clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth as she moaned with the movement.

Alex threw her over his left shoulder carrying her as in a fireman's lift. He knew this position had to hurt the most, which was correct by how loudly she cried out, but it was the only way he could carry her and move the fastest. He pulled her right arm and leg over his shoulders, and gripped her wrist and ankle, praying his fire wouldn't ignite. Giving one final glance around, he took off in jog towards the direction he had walked earlier, and after several minutes the familiar sound of water splattering rang throughout the forest.

"Alex!" he heard Joey's forced words as pain thickened her tone. "Please! Stop!"

He cringed and closed his eyes for a brief moment as guilt consumed him. His throat tightened, and he couldn't bring himself to answer her plea. Instead, he continued on his jog afraid of what might happen if he stopped. As he neared the palace, he felt her breathing slow, and he shook her roughly, "Hey, hey! Don't go to sleep on me!" He tried to keep talking. Tried to keep her awake. With a chuckle, he said, "You-you've got to help me figure out what's wrong with my ability. You're the smart one. You've had your ability longer."

Her half-hearted laugh barely reached his ears. "Alex, I ... I can barely ... control my own ..." Her voice trailed off, and her body suddenly grew heavier.

Alex's heart quickened its speed against his ribs as her voice died away, and he picked up his speed. "Hey, you have to keep your eyes open," he said, jolting his shoulder to move her roughly. "Keep talking to me." He glanced to his left to see her face as her eyes slowly opened and closed. Picking up his pace even more, Alex was now sprinting until he found David and Thomas thankfully where he left them.

       3

Thomas

THOMAS FOUND DAVID SITTING crisscross in the grass where the others had stumbled through the shield, twiddling a few blades of grass. He took a step, but had to stop as an unexpected wave of nausea and dizziness swept over him, and if Bellamy hadn't gripped his bicep to hold him steady, he was sure he would've fallen.

"Something if seriously wrong with you, dude," Bellamy said in a low tone.

Thomas blinked a few times to chance the swirling world away before he could righten himself. "I'll be fine. Must've gotten sick somehow. Maybe it's from being in the desert for a few days. My body just hasn't gotten the chance to catch up."

"I don't know about that ..."

Thomas broke out in a string of coughs as Bellamy trailed off. He felt the distinct taste of iron coat his tongue, and fill his mouth. A second later, something spilled over his lip and he swiped at it with his fingers, ignoring the fact that he knew it was probably blood like earlier.

"You know I can probably help you with that," Bellamy insisted.

"No," Thomas said hurriedly, gazing over at his friend. "You just got better ... Okay?" Bellamy huffed and averted his eyes to the side. "You don't want to push it." His head swung to the left when the sound of boots shuffling through tall grass entered his ears, and he found David tramping towards them with his hands in his pocket and head tucked low.

David pulled up beside them and exchanged glances with them both. "How's Kathleen?" he asked depressed.

"Hopefully sleeping," Bellamy answered, and he used his hands to gesture. "I saw Bailey give her one of those ... vials of stuff like she did Joey."

Thomas stole a quick peak around to find the others, but was surprised to see no one around. "What happened to Alex and Ella?" His eyes returned to David, and he grinned. "Figured she would've been stuck to you like a leach."

David snorted with a grin, and pointed behind him with his thumb. "I saw Alex head off into the woods, like, a half hour ago, and Ella's inside the palace taking a look around." He shrugged. "She loves to explore."

"Is Joey still in there?" Thomas asked, turning to eye the entrance to the palace, and he saw David shrug out of the corner of his eye.

"Nah, she took off in ..." He pointed the same direction David had, and wiggled his fingers. "Roughly that direction around the same time."

Thomas stared at Bellamy, his eyes widening, and he gave him a hard slap on the shoulder. "You saw her and didn't tell me?"

Bellamy rubbed his sore shoulder before replying, "Firstly, ow! Secondly, I didn't know I was supposed to tell you!"

Thomas rolled his eyes with an aggravated sigh, but didn't get the chance to react as David cut him off. "What do you think happened to Heather?" he asked, and his voice grew even softer. "Michelle killed her, didn't she?"

Thomas ran a hand through his mangled hair as he thought. Heather being dead didn't seem to be the most likely option. Out of the four of them, he had to believe that Heather was the strongest. Angriest for sure, but he could tell that that anger was what fueled her ability and the capability to control it better than the others. "To be completely honest, David, I'm don't think so."

David's teary eyes glistened at him with a bewildered expression.

Thomas turned to Bellamy, who also seemed to be clueless. "Heather was pretty angry with Joey. I think any of us could've seen that." David nodded at Thomas's statement, and he hoped David was following along. "I don't think Michelle killed her because I think Michelle's going to use Heather's anger ..." He trailed off and tensed up waiting for the outburst. "To get her to join them."

David's eyes widened and a sudden wave of condensation blasted from his body. "What? Why would you think that?" His voice rose in anger. "Sure, Heather may have disliked Joey, a lot, but that doesn't mean she'd betray us all to get to her."

"Thomas has a point," Bellamy imputed. "Think about it, if it's Michelle's responsibility to kill off whoever's left in the Domes then that includes us." Bellamy gestured between the three of them. "And let's face it, her team is good but not that good, and after losing Chase she needs a replacement. Why not make it someone who's already driven by her anger?"

David closed his eyes and covered his ears. "No, you're both wrong!" He quickly snapped an accusing finger at Bellamy. "You don't know her like I do. Neither of you do!" He glared at Thomas, and Thomas could feel David's electric blue eyes piercing straight through him.

"Help!"

Thomas's attention was drawn away when a distant shout rang in his ears, and he turned to face Bellamy. "Did you hear that?"

Bellamy raised a brow and took a quick glance from right to left. "Hear what?"

"Someone help!"

"I heard it!" David shouted, twisting around, before Thomas could say anything. Squinting, Thomas found a silhouette in the distance but it didn't look to be shaped a person. Unsure of what kind of monster Agcorp had come up with, he forced his shards through his skin and waited patiently for it to come closer.

A few seconds later, Thomas recognized Alex as he staggered through the forest with someone thrown over his shoulder, but something wasn't right. He stumbled several times, struggling to get his footing as he came away from the tree line, and Thomas's world froze as his heart ramped up beating wildly against his chest.

"Is that Alex and Joey?" Bellamy asked, confused.

Thomas's shards retracted and his shoulder brushed against David's as he pushed past the ice boy, sprinting as quickly as he could towards Alex who collapsed to his knees in the grass.