Radioactive Evolution

Chapter 6: Hard Lessons

JARED, NO!

Jared recoiled, dropping the booster in his hand. He and Iliana both fumbled for the syringe, but it clattered to the floor and wedged itself into a crack on the floor. Jared whirled on Scarlet, what was that for?

Jared, you may have felt some of her emotions, but you only experienced her reaction to some life events. She is deliberately trying to hide something from us. I don't know what it is, but I felt the emotions more strongly than the rest.

Jared turned back around and watched Iliana try to extract the syringe from the crevice. Without her noticing, Jared withdrew his Colt and leveled the weapon at her.

"Iliana...," he deadpanned, all emotion drained from his demeanor and voice.

She glanced up to see the muzzle of the gun pointed at her head and stumbled back on her rear.

"Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?"

"Scarlet says you are hiding something. While I believe your emotions are true from the things you saw in the vision, my companion pointed out she is much better at reading emotions and thoughts than I. She says you are deliberately hiding something and unless you tell me, I'm taking this booster and we are leaving."

If we leave her alive, she may come after us.

Scarlet, I will NOT kill another human being unless it is in self-defense. We can barricade her in the room and let her find a way out on her own.

As you wish, Scarlet said making her displeasure known.

"I-I...," Iliana said while backing up and she dove for the door. Jared made to follow-

WAIT! I can hear more movement outside. She is not alone.

"I'm such an idiot..." Jared hated himself for being so foolish and naïve. Then again, it was against his nature to show hostility against another human, he always assumed the best in them. Even when he was a kid, he chose not to fight back against the bullies, but to stand strong in front of them.

He'd need to get past his unwillingness to harm people if he ever hoped to fight back against the people responsible for his mother's death.

"Put your weapon away and come out with your hands up!" An unknown male voice sounded from outside the room.

"Scarlet, can you stun them using telepathy? Do you know how many of them there are?"

I can try, but my telepathy is much weaker than my mother's was. It should at least confuse them for a few seconds, but I can't say for certain how many. It sounds like four, but I'm just not sure...

"WAIT!" Jared yelled, so they thought he at least considered their instructions and then whispered to Scarlet, "On three." Jared held up his fingers and slowly ticket them down. On one, he crouched and lunged for the door accompanied by a wave of psionic pressure he felt at the back of his head. Thankfully, his bond with Scarlet shielded him from the mental assault, otherwise he would be on the ground holding his head like their assailants.

It turned out there were five people and Jared moved blindingly fast, his new physical enhancements pushed to the max. One blow was all it took to render them unconscious. None of them wore armor, but rather clothes designed for moving quickly and quietly.

Most of the group clustered around a male figure and made it easier for Jared to knock them all out. However, the fifth member of the gang crouched on top of the melted roof as had Iliana when she first arrived. Probably over-watch in case something bad happened...