Alive Again: Awakening (Book 1)

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 By the look on Brandon's voice, he'd taken my little electromagnetic experiment personally. Something told me I was about to find out just how much.

"You seem confused," he informed me. "I know it must be hard for you to understand. You've gone through a lot in the last forty-eight hours. But the five of us? My team and I are trained for these missions. We're professionals." Beetle's finger was securely up his nose as Brandon enunciated the words. "We are the only ones qualified to make mission-related decisions. I can see that in your own annoying way, you're trying to be helpful. The best way for you to that is to keep your mouth shut, head down, and follow my instructions."

Suggesting we steal a car didn't feel as badass as it had a few seconds ago.

His eyes told me not to argue, and I ignored them long enough to squeak. "What's wrong with stealing a car? Other than it being completely and totally illegal? I mean, really, we'd cover double the distance than we would on foot, and—"

"What's wrong is that you're clearly going deaf," he snapped. I closed my mouth. "I don't have to explain mission procedure to you. We're not stealing a car. It would draw too much attention."

"Right, like a terrorist attack or getting a school blown to pieces." Sting spoke for the first time in hours. "Wouldn't want to do anything like that."

Brandon shot Sting a look and then turned to Delilah. "A truce."

"Right," she smiled. "I think we should steal a car."

"What?" He demanded.

"A truce doesn't mean Sting has to be nice to you or that I have to agree with you. It just means we won't let our feelings devolve into another wrestling match," she explained.

"Oh, but it does mean you'll let your feelings get in the way of your professional judgement?" He threw his hands up.

"Isn't that what you're doing?" She countered. "You hate that we're mad at you, so you're trying to redeem yourself by leading a perfect mission, following the mission handbook?"

Brandon closed his mouth reluctantly. "You threw out the mission handbook the minute you decided to come down here without us. Finish what you started." His fists clenched and unclenched with anger, little bunches of sparks falling from them. Delilah turned in my general direction. "Lead the way, Robyn." Brandon flinched at the word 'lead.'

"Yay," Maple chirped happily. She held my hand and all of us, Brandon trailing behind, made our way towards the car dealership.

Everyone's spirits seemed to rise, as Brandon's spirits fell.

Guilt churned inside me.