Power of M

chapter 15

15. When did I do gymnastics? I know. NEVER.

"You go first" I said politely. Ash rolled her eyes. "Stop acting like you are such a gentleman. I bet you are scared. You just want to test whether it's safe before you try it. So if I die you won't do it."

I laughed awkwardly but she didn't look like she was kidding. "You read my mind" I said jokingly but she didn't say anything. Her faraway expression was disturbing me and I nudged her. She sort of fell flat on her face. She was unconscious? What the........never mind. Well wasn't the timing perfect. God, what am I supposed to do?

We couldn't stop now we had come so close. Ash was obviously in no state to climb, being unconscious and all so I swung her awkwardly onto my shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Then taking a deep breath I began to climb.

When I was about halfway up and I was thinking things were going really well, Ash slipped out of my grip and I caught her by her left ankle and my feet slipped off the bars.

Ok let me help you picture the scene. Imagine a tall window with bars aligned equally horizontally and vertically to form squares. Now imagine a cute teenage boy with black hair and misty blue eyes dressed in black denims and a black t shirt (if you remember) the lame meme was 'hello darkness my old friend' holding onto one bar with one hand, the rest of my body dangling in mid air superman style. I should also probably mention that in my other hand I was holding a fairly pretty teenage girl with black hair and normal blue eyes wearing grey jeans and a t shirt that says 'it wasn't me' by her foot. So the pretty girl was Ash hanging upside down and the cute teenage boy (heck I need to give myself some credit) was me holding her grunting with the effort.

Oh yeah guess what happened at that very moment. Queen Violet came to pay us a visit at the very moment of this extremely awkward gymnastic routine/pose thing.

"Wow" Violet crowed unable to contain her laughter at our apparent failure of escape. "I think we will need to get a crane to get you'll down."

I bared my teeth. "I think we'll need glue to shut your mouth."

She scowled and then taunted me. "What were you trying to do Alex? Gymnastics?"

I tried to laugh mockingly and almost choked. "No, I'm trying to learn how to play the piano."

Violet scowled again and motioned to the guards. Trying to ignore her, I got myself a good foot hold again. Now what? How was I supposed to get Ash onto my shoulder again?

I thought of a sudden way but if it went wrong it would be curtains for Ash.

I attached Ash's foot in between two bars. It seemed kind of stable. Then I climbed around three squared down. Now for the most difficult part. I entirely let go of the bars with my hands. What I was about to do probably didn't define as any physics laws you have ever heard of.

I was standing on a small thin bar balancing entirely with my feet and my toes were hurting from the effort of hanging onto the bars. I slowly put Ash's arms around my neck and gently pulled.

This required strength and control and if I lost balance because of the shifting weights both of us would be dead, literally or otherwise. Everything went ok and I started climbing again and when I heard Violet gasp from down below I felt like jumping up with joy. Thankfully I didn't do that. I just mean that I'm glad that someone is impressed by my hard work. You know, I try........and fail but that's not the point.

My joy was short.

"Guards! Climb the bars and catch those mongrels."

Fear made my arms and feet climb even faster ignoring the pain, and it was obvious that Ash's weight was slowing me down. Only a little longer. 'Endurance child.' I told myself.

I finally made it to the top and I had also managed to get Ash's supine body to the top as well. That was impressive. I'd done something right for a change. I wished she would wake up, the open glazed eyes and the blanked expression was seriously freaking me out.

I looked down in horror suddenly realizing what I had been escaping from. Five guards were climbing the bars and they were almost up to the top and they didn't look like they were coming to read me a bed time story.

Suddenly I had, had enough. I was terrified and I realized what Arthur meant about bonding with the tattoo. All this time I'd been thinking about the tattoo like it was another object. I totally forgot the fact that it was a part of me. Literally.

Based on a sudden instinct I reached down and touched the bars. I saw a thin black streak running down the bars and suddenly the bars combusted and the guards fell to the ground. What the............how did I? Ugh why am I like this?

Violet lifted an unmentionable finger up at me from below, her eyes reflecting pure rage.

I smiled and tut tutted annoyingly. "Now, now let's be polite."

I turned around. "How did I just do that?" I said aloud and Ash stirred.

"No, no....it's ok sleep" I didn't want her waking up right now. We were on a wall like a million meters away from the ground which is completely exaggerated but I don't care. What I'm trying to say is that jumping down the wall would be suicide.

I touched the wall hoping; scratch that, praying that it would self combust. Disappointingly nothing happened. Guess it was like a onetime thing. Hey it's not like I was disappointed or anything, don't get me wrong. It's just...............wow. I've always wanted super powers. I just didn't know it would stop working after one shot.