Captured by Lightning

Chpt.5

Alara struggled at first, then melted into his touch, her traitorous body betraying her anger.  She clung to him, yearning for something she knew she shouldn't crave.

Rex finally pulled away, leaving Alara breathless.  "I… I'm sorry," she stammered, her voice thick with desire.  "Please…  I need you."  She unconsciously ground her hips against him, a silent plea.

Rex's voice gentled.  "Not tonight.  I have something special planned.  Put on those pajamas you bought, then wait for me on the couch, okay?"  He lowered her to the floor, his touch lingering a moment too long.

Alara pouted the need for him still a burning ember within her.  But the promise of a surprise piqued her curiosity.  She changed into the pajamas, the soft fabric a stark contrast to the harsh reality of her situation.  Settling onto the couch, she gazed up at the star-studded sky as Rex steered the boat further from shore.

An hour passed.  Alara's frustration grew with each passing minute.  Just as she was about to call out, the boat lurched to a halt.  Rex joined her on the couch, pulling her onto his lap.

"Alright, alright, your patience shall soon be rewarded," he murmured, his voice laced with amusement.  "The surprise is about to reveal itself… to both of us."  He lowered his head, his kiss a slow exploration.

They clung to each other, a silent language passing between them.  Finally, Rex pulled back, his gaze fixed on the sky.  Alara followed his line of sight and gasped.  Streaks of light arced across the heavens – a meteor shower of breathtaking beauty.

"How did you know this would happen?" she breathed.

Rex chuckled.  "Being a wanted man has its perks.  I keep an eye on the news to avoid capture, but sometimes they mention things like this.  They were off by an hour, though.  My powers let me feel the earth's magnetic field shifting, and those meteors burning up mess with it just enough for me to notice."

Alara was speechless, her wonder tinged with a flicker of fear at the raw power he possessed.  "What does it feel like?" she whispered.

Rex pondered his answer.  "Like the wind, or an invisible thread pulling you north and south.  The meteors disrupt it slightly, but not by much.  If my powers were weaker, I probably wouldn't sense it at all."

They sat in comfortable silence, the meteor shower a dazzling display above them.  As Alara began to yawn, she snuggled closer to Rex. "Do you sleep in the bridge?"

Rex let out a soft laugh.  "No, and it's not often at all that I do sleep thanks to all this energy coursing through me.  Why do you ask?"

Alara shifted, straddling his lap and burying her face in his chest. "I want you to stay with me tonight, even if you don't sleep."

Rex sighed, resting his head on top of Alaras “If that is what you desire my darling.” alara smiled as she snuggled into Rex's chest till she fell fast asleep.

"Asleep," Rex murmured to the darkness, his voice barely a whisper.  "If you want to talk, Voltaic, keep it quiet."  A cruel smile played on his lips.  "And feel free to come in.  This is about as close to defenseless as you'll ever see me."

Voltaic descended slowly and entered the cage, the metal bars suppressing his energy and revealing his ordinary appearance.  His voice was laced with cold fury, but low enough not to wake Alara.  "I should kill you now.  What have you done to her to make her like this?"

Rex leaned down and kissed Alara's forehead, the gesture surprisingly tender.  "Nothing more than showing her a kindness she probably craves."

Voltaic crackled with contained energy.  "How dare you?  Our parents loved her!  She had friends."

Rex scoffed.  "Maybe they loved you more,  Voltaic.  And those friends?  They were using her, just like everyone else."  He looked down at Alara, a hint of genuine affection softening his gaze.  "My motives may have been selfish at first, but they've changed."

Voltaic paced the deck, his anger barely contained.  "So you expect me to believe this… charade?  The all-powerful Lightning King, with a sudden change of heart?"

Rex's smile turned cold, but his eyes remained fixed on Alara.  "The powerful Lightning King still exists.  I still want to destroy everything I can.  But not her.  If you weren't her brother, and if she wouldn't hate me, I'd kill you without a second thought.  We may be equals when we have our powers, but here and now?  In this cage?  I'd snap your neck before you could blink."

Voltaic's face contorted in rage, but his voice was a low growl.  "She'll see you for what you are eventually.  This… this act you've put on.  When that day comes, I'll be there to save her from you and whatever madness you've infected her with.  And then you die."

Voltaic's threat echoed in the night air as he stormed out of the cage.  Rex, unfazed, lifted Alara's head and planted a soft kiss on her lips.  A sleepy smile graced her face and a small spark of warmth ignited in the cold depths of his heart.

Alara woke in the morning to find herself nestled in Rex's arms.  A smile touched her lips as she gazed at his sleeping face.  Leaning in, she planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

Slipping out of bed, Alara wandered into the ship's bridge, a room she'd only seen once before.  This time, she couldn't resist exploring.  At the back, a table overflowed with papers about pathogens.  Above it, a world map bristled with pins.  As she scanned the documents, a pattern emerged – the pins matched locations mentioned in the papers, all of them facilities researching or producing Pathogen-H.

A cold dread filled Alara.  The truth hit her like a blow: Rex had been targeting these facilities.  Why?  To prevent the creation of new heroes?  A million questions swirled in her mind.

Suddenly, a police scanner crackled to life, startling her.  "Attention all units, retreat. They're sending in a hero."  The voice listed a location.  Alara checked the navigation system – they were headed straight there.  Why would Rex be going into another villain's territory?  He'd attacked other villains before, but it was always dismissed as madness.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know, darling," Rex's voice cut through the air, making Alara jump.  She spun around, flustered.  "I, uh, just wanted to know… where we were headed.  Are we going to help a villain fight a hero?  Attack another compound?  Or take over some territory?"

Rex stretched, a slow yawn escaping his lips.  He sauntered over to Alara, brushing a kiss against her forehead before turning towards the map.

Rex shifted Alara gently, her soft sighs the only sound besides the lapping water. He carried her to the single bed in the cabin, intending to slip away. But as he turned to leave, her hand tightened on his shirt.
"No… stay," she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

Rex's heart ached. He couldn't bring himself to disobey. Sliding in beside her, he pulled her close. Alara burrowed into his chest, a contented hum escaping her lips.

For the first time in a long time, a strange peace settled over Rex. The constant hum of electricity in his head, a relentless reminder of his volatile power, seemed to dim. Holding Alara, the source of this unexpected tranquility, he drifted off to sleep, a fragile peace replacing the storm within him.

Alara woke to find herself nestled in Rex's arms.  A smile touched her lips as she gazed at his sleeping face.  Leaning in, she planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

Slipping out of bed, Alara wandered into the ship's bridge, a room she'd only seen once before.  This time, she couldn't resist exploring.  At the back, a table overflowed with papers about pathogens.  Above it, a world map bristled with pins.  As she scanned the documents, a pattern emerged – the pins matched locations mentioned in the papers, all of them facilities researching or producing Pathogen-H.