Favourite Crime

Haoun

The grenade they used was the same bomb I had used outside to blind everyone.

It gave me enough time to find my way to Michaela and take her gun, and grabbing her in a chokehold.

When the smoke cleared, Cada stood with the syringe and the most recent concoction of their blood in it.

"Take your revenge." I said.

They looked at the door that people were now appearing behind and failing to get in through.

They turned to look around the room.

They looked at me.

They wanted to destroy the place. I could see it on their face. They didn't know what to do. A hero would destroy the place instead of saving themself and their companion. A villain would escape and come back later to take back what was theirs.

Cada was going to play God.

They took the syringe and injected Michaela with it.

Michaela screamed and feathers grew on her and her nails turned to claws. I let her go and came to Cada.

Cada used the box to convey a message to Michaela.

Michaela was unrecognisable. Her humanity had just been stolen from her and Cada had assumed control of her.

Michaela looked a lot like what I remembered Cada to look like.

Michaela used her new claws to pick up yet another vial and throw it at the other side's door.

Cada and I made a break for it. Cada brought the voice box with her and we found ourselves in yet another corridor.

Cada ran and I nearly limped through the isolated side of the facility before people could realise where we were.

The experiment chamber exploded behind us.

We ran into some people near the exit who were trying to seal the facility. When they saw us, one of them lit her hands on fire and blew it at us.

Cada pushed me and both of us fell to the ground.

We had little time to gather ourselves before she fired again.

We jumped apart and Cada screamed. I turned to them and saw them in a man's grip.

I avoided fire once again as Cada freed themself and threw the man into the woman throwing fire, knocking her back.

I had avoided fire in directions that had brought me to the fire extinguisher that I pulled out.

She probably thought I was going to use it when she threw fire again but I threw the whole heavy can of metal on them.

Even with all our fighting, we had ended up surrounded, but that mattered little when Herou pulled the exit door apart with her metal arm. "You two went off the plan." She scolded us.

Everyone got ready to attack her but Herou had helpers. Three little dragons flew in and attacked them. They pulled at hair, clawed at faces, bit at noses as we left the facility.

So much for all my planning. We were now relying on creatures I hadn't even known existed until just now. I really wasn't enjoying my time in Jorebia.

"Where's Joen?" Herou asked.

Cads and I looked at each other.

"I'll get her." Herou said and ran off.

We ran in the other direction to where Roy's ship waited for us with Souren.

We climbed on-board and Roy started pulling away.

We soon saw Herou running towards us with Joen and here dragons in tow.

Souren threw ropes for them and Herou was the first to latch on, followed by Joen soon after.

People started to appear on this side as we started hurrying away.

Joen and Herou pulled themselves up but Joen was shot in one arm. She let go from that arm.

Cada and Souren started to pull up her rope and Herou made it on board.

Joen too made it to the top.

We sailed fast and when we were a mile out, we finally relaxed.

Except Cada.

I stared at them and they stared in the direction we'd just come from. They caught me looking  and looked apologetic.

"Don't go." I said.

"I need this, Haoun." They said.

It was silent for over a minute. "Is that your decision?"

"Don't spend my money." They tried to smile.

I took of my right glove. I felt their eyes on me as I pulled off their bracelet.

I put it in their hand. "You can have it back."

I pulled on my glove as their eyes examined the bracelet.

They looked up at me. I couldn't decide if their eyes were really wet, and they didn't let me as they jumped into the water.

They left, like everyone else did.