X: The Beginning

Chapter 22 - Heroes

Chapter 22 - Heroes

After I pop back up from the suit machine in my PJs, I still can't believe it: Joseph Martino is after me, and his henchmen are upstairs searching my house for me. Well, at least we're all safe in the Post. It's not like they can find us... OH CRAP! Wilbur and Jaz are upstairs! I race up to the elevator when Chase grabs my arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Wilbur and Jaz are still up there!"

"It's a trap and you know it!"

"Yeah, they are only looking for me, but they don't know about the rest of you. I'll keep my tracker somewhere they won't look and hope I can save them."

He stops me before I can move past him, engulfing my lips with his, sending heat and X through my body. "Please, Jessie, be careful."

"Always."

I take the elevator to the level above the main staircase. I emerge through a door on the second floor, down the hall from my room. As soon as I close the door, it locks. Huh... so that's where this door goes to... I freeze as I hear one of the floorboards creak. It's still very dark in here, but my vision is sharp because of the X.

I see the shadow of a man slowly moving towards me. I wait until he passes to strike, quickly disarming him and knocking him out. I stay low to the ground and make my way towards the side staircase near the kitchen. As I am about to head down, I see a figure heading up the stairs. I jump down towards the wall as he walks into my feet, causing me to land on him. I disarm and put him to sleep.

I carefully step to the edge of the doorway before the kitchen. The lights are still on, but I don't hear any movement.

"Keep them here. I'll find the girl." I hear a man say from inside. I quietly race back and open a door to one of the closets, waiting inside for the man to move past. As soon as his body enters my view, I wrap my arms around his neck and sit down in the closet, putting him to sleep. I put the rest of him inside and close the door.

I go back to my spot by the doorway to see a man with a gun pointed at Jaz's head, who is seated on the floor next to my uncle. It looks like they knocked him out because I can see his back rising and falling with each breath. The man's back is turned to the doorway I'm near, so I quietly crouch down and duck behind the counter. I round the edge and am now right behind his legs. He's so close to her, I can't risk him pulling the trigger. She suddenly looks over and makes eye contact with me.

I hold up the number three with my fingers. She blinks, which I hope means yes. I count up slowly with my fingers. One... two... three! I kick the back of the man's knees as Jaz rolls away. The gun goes off, but the bullet hits the ceiling lamp, causing it to shatter. The room goes black, an my eyes are slow to adjust.

"Jaz, you okay?" I ask as I remove my arms from the man's neck after he falls limp.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright." I hear her say from the other side of the room.

"How's Wilbur?"

"He's fine, just unconscious."

"How many are left?"

I hear a gun load behind me, and I freeze, "One."

I slowly raise my hands above my head. As a hand roughly grips my shoulder.

"Come with me, Miss Frost. My boss would like to have a word with you..."

He leads me back up the stairs to a room I haven't been in since my mom died: my dad's office. It was always unlocked, but neither Wilbur or myself had any desire to step into this room ever since. Everything is straightened out and neat. He must have been in here when he came back because the last time I remember being in here, it was a mess.

Standing behind my father's desk, with an evil grin on his face and a gun in his hand is Joseph Martino. Just looking at this man, you could tell he had a screw loose.

"How nice of you to join us, Jessie!" His voice echoes. "Harry, please close the door and wait outside."

The man who had the gun against my head grunts and leaves the room. Martino doesn't speak until the door is shut.

"So how are you, Jessie?"

"Cut the crap, Martino, what do you want?"

"I want you contained, that's what I want!" He clears his throat. "Excuse me, I have a bit of an anger problem."

Yeah, that's not all that's wrong with you... "What do you mean 'contained?'"

"When we decided to put the X in your system, we didn't think about the implications your... misplaced heroism would have on our business."

My jaw drops. He planned it.

"Oh yes, that's right, it was planned. All of it."

"My father-"

"Knew nothing about it, but we had to teach him that betrayal is not allowed in my business."

"He was just trying to leave and do what was right for his family."

"Now see, when he started working for me, I became his family. Then, he found his conscience and decided to try and find you. That's when I knew the opportunity would eventually arise for me to test out my latest creation: a serum that would create a super soldier. So, when Freddy returned and wanted revenge, I pulled a few strings, blew up a few prison walls, and here you are.

I have to say, though, you have given me the most trouble, even more than that Jason Fields. That's why I unfortunately, well for you not me, have to put you down." My body starts to shake, which he must be thinking is fear because he laughs.

"There's one thing you didn't factor in..."

"Oh yeah?" He laughs, "And what's that?"

I give into the shakes and appear right behind him, "My will to live."

"H-how did you-"

I slam his head on the table as the office door opens. Martino slumps onto the ground as the Guardian walks towards me. My body starts shaking, partly from the X, but mostly from fear. I stare at my hands. What have I become?

"Jessie, babe, look at me," He says in a calming voice. It soothes me a little, but it's not enough.

"I almost killed him..."

He is standing in front of me now, taking my hands in his, "He was going to kill you."

"But that doesn't make it right to take his life."

I feel his hand brush my hair behind my ear, "Look at me."

I finally bring myself to look into his eyes, gazing at me not with judgement or fear or anger, but with love and compassion, "I almost killed him, Chase."

"But you didn't."

"I know but-"

He puts his other hand along my face, "You chose not to. We don't always get to choose the circumstances we're given, but it's what we do with what we've got that defines who we truly are.

You had the option of killing him and those guards from the start, but you didn't. With everything he's done to you and your family it would be easy to see how someone would snap and take revenge... but you chose the higher road.

That's why you're a hero, Jessie, because you have the guts to make the right choice in the most dire of situations, even if it isn't the easiest."

I smile as the fear dissipates, almost evaporating from my body. He's right, and as long as I live, I will show this town, and maybe even the world, that we all have the choice to be heroes.

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A/N: Not done yet!! Just one more and this chapter of Jessie's story will be closed.

Comments/Likes/Votes are always welcome and appreciated :)

Jordan