Kenzie maneuvered through the chaos of the Grand River Hospital Emergency Room, her red curls bound tightly to keep them from her eyes while she worked. The blizzard howled outside threatening to take out their power and the race was on to move as many patients as possible to St. Mary''s.
"The ICU has been cleared!" she called out, slapping a strip of red tape across the door, marking the space. Despite the urgency, her movements were calm and methodical, she didn''t want to risk leaving a single patient behind.
"Kenzie!" A voice cut through the noise. It was a doctor, his coat dusted with snow, his expression harried. "We''ve told the ambulances to take not to bring any patients here,"
"Good, this storm just seems to be getting worse," Kenzie replied, peering out the window, and watching the snow build up. She turned back to him, "Badan''s buried under a mountain of snow. This is bigger than predicted."
The doctor''s face paled, his concern evident. "My family—"
"Go," she interjected, even before he could finish. "I''ll see to your last patient." he hesitated before leaving out into the storm.
"Thanks," he said, relief momentarily washing over his features before he dashed away, swallowed by the storm.
Kenzie continued down the hallway, the flickering lights seemed to threaten a blackout at any moment. One room remained on the floor. Inside, Ethel paced, while Kyle sat by Ashley''s bedside. Ashley lay unconscious, beads of sweat glistened on her brow.
"Kyle?" Kenzie''s voice betrayed her surprise. She hadn''t seen him since their date last year, and he never did call her back.
He turned, a look of realization crossing his features before he attempted to retreat into the shadows, but there was no place for him to hide. "I lost your number," Kyle muttered, trying his best to seem sincere.
"Sure you did—" Kenzie started, but her words were drowned out by a sudden beeping from the monitors. Ashley''s body convulsed, her chest rising sharply.
"Hey, hey, stay with us!" Ethel urged, as she raced over to Ashley''s bedside.
Ashley''s eyes snapped open, a gasp clawing its way out of her throat as she sat up violently. The next moment, the air filled with a floral scent as small white flowers spilled from her lips, baby''s breath cascaded onto the sheets.
"Dear God," Kenzie whispered, looking at the mess, no textbook had ever prepared her for this. She grabbed a basin, holding it to Ashley''s chin as the girl retched again, more flowers spilling out of her.
"Is this normal for vessels?" Kenzie asked, still unsure about how the supernatural body worked.
"No, someone poisoned her," Kyle looked at the mess on the sheets, his expression changed to worry.
Kenzie met his gaze, a silent understanding passing between them. They needed to move quickly to save her, time was running out.
"Let''s try to get her an x-ray," she said, retrieving the wheelchair in the room. "Before the generator gives up,"
"I need to go back to the safe house, I may have something that can help," Ethel added before she slipped out of the room.
Kenzie began to prepare Ashley for the x-ray, she didn''t know how much time they had left. And as the wind screamed outside, Kenzie couldn''t shake the feeling something terrible was about to happen.
---
Ethel returned to the dark safe house, searching the kitchen cabinets for something that could help save Ashley''s life. Jake burst through the door, and raced toward Ethel, embracing her.
"Ethel, I had to see you—before you heard the rumours about me," he said, urgency in his voice. He pressed his lips to hers, attempting a passionate kiss. But as he pulled back, the shift in her eyes told him everything—he was too late.
Zack and Rob emerged from the shadows, it was clear they had been waiting there for Jake for a while now. "What have you done with Lindsey?" Zack''s voice was calm, as he tried to hold back his anger, his fists clenched.
"Where is she, Jake?" Rob choked out, his eyes started to well.
"She is safe, I swear," Jake deflected, stepping back from the boys.
"You expect us to just believe you?" Zack countered, producing a flask. Before Jake could react, a splash of holy water hit his skin, its sanctity scorching him like acid.
"Paulina says this reveals the truth to us," Zack stated coldly, watching as Jake''s perfect features began to disintegrate, the scars of his real form emerging.
"God, Jake..." Ethel lunged forward and grabbed his throat, "You used me, you could have saved Kristian but you let them use me to kill him,"
"Wait!" Jake gasped, the plea escaping through strained vocal cords. "You need me, just call Kyle, and he''ll tell you,"
Zack dialled Kyle, "What is happening over there," Zack asked, eyeing Jake warily as they waited for Kyle to respond.
"She''s lost consciousness, we can''t wake her," came Kyle''s terse update, his voice crackling through the speakerphone. Ethel''s grip slackened, just enough to let Jake breathe, but not enough to offer comfort.
"I can save her," Jake wheezed, attempting to spare himself a fight.
"We can''t trust him," Rob implored, his raw emotion palpable. "You know he''ll try to escape the first chance he gets,"
"We don''t have a choice," With a thud, Jake hit the floor, Ethel releasing him.
Jake stood up and brushed himself off, his confidence returning. "Face it—you all need me."
---
The jeep''s tires crunched over snow-packed roads, the world outside the vehicle looked like a winter wonderland. Inside, no one said a word until Jake broke the silence.
"You know I could have run but chose to come and help Ashley," Jake asserted, trying to sound noble.
"Shut up," Ethel snapped, her focus on navigating through the icy hellscape.
"Ethel, I can help you destroy Greed—" Jake persisted, leaning forward in earnest.
"Stop talking," she interrupted again, her patience worn thin.
In the car trailing behind them, Rob''s suspicion simmered. "He''s playing us, Zack. This feels like part of his game."
"Could be," Zack admitted, his eyes on Ethel''s jeep in front of them. "But right now our only choice is to play along."
Rob glanced at Zack through the rearview mirror. "He''s Lust, and we''ve got him cornered," he posited, "So what''s his endgame?"
"Whatever it is, we''ll have to outsmart him," Zack murmured, the headlights barely piercing the swirling snow.
Ethel''s jeep skidded to a halt at the entrance of Grand River Hospital, the emergency room''s flickering light was all they could see through the storm. Rob popped the trunk of his car and emerged with a baseball bat.
"Seriously? A bat?" Zack arched an eyebrow.
Rob tightened his grip on the wood, "You''ve got superpowers, I''ve got a bat."
Inside, Kenzie was waiting for them. "We''re evacuating," she said, her voice strained but steady. "There are two ambulances en route—one in ten minutes, the other in twenty. Ashley has to be on one of them. They''ll load from the basement garage. I have to stay here and help, you go save your friend,"
"Where is Ashley?" Zack asked, looking around the almost empty space.
"Second floor—treatment room three," Kenzie answered, pointing towards the staircase.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Ethel led the charge, her long hair streaming behind her. The second floor was eerily quiet, filled only by the sound of their footsteps. Ethel''s keen eyes spotted a trail of delicate droplets, a path of blood leading to a set of double doors. She stopped and held out her arm to stop the others.
The muffled sounds of a struggle could be heard from the other side as Kyle was thrown through the doors, crashing at Ethel''s feet. A pained look on his face, "So nice of you to join us," Down the corridor, a roar echoed off the wall; Brian and Kenneth stood over an unconscious Ashley, their eyes glowing.
"I thought you were a sin," Rob knelt beside Kyle, shaking his shoulder. "Shouldn''t you be able to handle a could of Supremes?"
Ignoring the throbbing in his side, Kyle lifted himself up, "I''m a bit out of practice,"
"Kenneth! Brian! you need to step away from her, we don''t want to hurt you," Zack reached out for Ashley. Kenneth stepped in front of her.
"We need Lust," Kenneth stated, his voice a sinister hiss. "We''ll give you Ashley once you give him."
Zack turned only to discover Jake had retreated, silently slipping down the hall toward the elevator, he had used the momentary distraction to escape.
---
Meanwhile, on the ground floor, doctors and nurses began to be sent home or to another hospital to help. Danny and Amanda entered just as Kenzie finished helping a paramedic secure a patient. The elevator dinged open, revealing Jake, who froze under the gaze of the two Supremes.
Danny''s hand darted out, snatching a scalpel from a nearby cart. With precision, he launched it towards Jake. The blade whistled through the air, narrowly missing its target and embedding itself in the wall with a muted thunk.
Jake raced to the buttons, trying to get the doors to close. As Amanda lunged, hands clamping on the metal door as she started to melt them. Jake''s eyes ignited in a brilliant ruby red colour, his palms slamming against the doors. A surge of energy pulsed from his hands, creating an invisible barrier that blasted Amanda back.
"Go to hell," Jake spat, as the doors sealed themselves shut.
Amanda lay sprawled out on the ground as Danny watched the numbers on the elevator panel climb higher. Jake exhaled, pressing his forehead against the cool metal, trying to think of another way out.
---
Back upstairs, Ethel and Zack let their demon sides out, their eyes locked on Ashley lying helplessly between the two roaring Supremes. Their eyes glowed, each ready to fight for her. Claws extended ready for the battle.
"Ready?" Ethel asked, looking over at Zack.
"Always." Zack''s reply was a whisper, he forced his arms forward. His telekinesis sent Brian soaring backward down the hall. He then pulled his arms back, bringing Ashley toward them. Ethel froze time collecting the girl before they all turned to make a run for it.
They raced down the hall and ducked into the first room they could find. The operating room was silent as they listened for any sign that they were followed. Ethel checked Ashley''s pulse, it was faint but still there. They laid her out on the operating table, Ashley''s unconscious form seemed almost peaceful.
"We have to keep moving," Ethel whispered, looking around the room for another way out.
But Rob halted, the bat clutched in his hands as he heard the pair approaching. The door burst open, and Brian loomed in its frame, anger written across his face. With his best war cry, Rob swung with all the desperation of a last stand, only to watch in disbelief as the bat disintegrated into a cloud of wooden particles upon impact.
Brain''s gaze narrowed on him, unfazed by the attempt on his life. He turned and took the bat''s handle from Rob''s hand, tossing it aside.
"Stay away from him," Zack warned, his hand raised, eyes narrowed in concentration. A fluorescent light fixture trembled above, then hurtled downward, shattering against Brian''s face. Brian grabbed at his face while Kenneth raced to his side, giving Zack and his group time to escape.
---
Elsewhere, the Ion Train jostled its passengers, the safety warning being broadcast through the speakers. John''s thumb hovered over his phone''s screen, frustration etched across his face.
"Nothing," he muttered. "I can''t reach them."
"It''ll be ok," Deb offered quietly, as the train came to a slow stop. "Ahmed will recover at St. Mary''s. he probably wouldn''t want visitors right now anyway,"
"Though he was at Grand River," John was confused. "What happened?"
"The generator at Grand River Hospital failed," Jessica interjected, "they moving all their patients to hospitals that can weather the storm,"
"Then I have to go to Grand River, Ashley is there, I need to make sure she was moved too," John stated.
"We are only two stops away, I suppose there is no harm in checking in on her," Jessica nodded.
---
Back in the lobby of Grand River Hospital, Kenzie stood before the elevator, her finger lingering on the call button as she waited for the elevator to return. The door slid open but it was empty except for a scalpel wedged into the wall. She reached for it, turning it over in her hand until Danny took it from her.
"I''m so sorry about the inconvenience but I''m afraid I will require your company," Danny pointed the blade at her. Kenzie tried to step back only to bump into Amanda.
"Zack will never let you win," she breathed, trying her best to seem brave.
"Oh my dear, I don''t need you to lure Zack," Danny explained, guiding her inside the elevator. "I need you to lure out a far more important prize,"
---
Brian paced, his simmering anger clear. "Jake got away from us,"
"We''ll find him," Kenneth countered, wiping blood from his lip.
"Will we? you''re not exactly pulling your weight here, if I didn''t know better, I would say you are trying to protect them,"
"You know Greed wants Zack. I''m just making sure we aren''t blamed if anything happens to him." Kenneth looked away from Brian.
"Oh please," Brian spat. "I don''t what happened to you but you''ve changed. You actually care about these nobodies,"
---
In a room on the other side of the floor, Rob''s paced. "Now we have Ashley but we''ve lost Jake,"
"He''s still here," Ethel whispered, watching Ashley breathe. "I can still sense him,"
"So how do we get him to come to us?" Kyle looked around the room. "Lust won''t just come back asking forgiveness. We have to make it so Jake has no other choice,"
Ashley''s laboured breaths filled the room, as she tossed and turned in bed. Zack stood over her, his hands fidgeting as he thought.
"Ok, so can Lust take on Greed?" Rob asked. "If he can''t then maybe we offer him protection. We get him out of here and he gives us Lindsey and saves Ashley,"
"He won''t give us both," Zack''s tone was a cold splash of reality. "If he needs Lindsey to grow his power, he''s less likely to give her up,"
As if summoned by their dire conversation, Jake slipped back into the room, drawing their attention to him. "You really think that little of me?"
"Why did you come back?" Ethel snapped, striding toward him. "I take it Greed was blocking your escape route?"
"That''s fair," Jake shrugged making his way over to Ashley. "So here is my offer, I''ll heal the girl and give you Lindsey''s location but only if you get me out of here."
"Ok, but why don''t you prove we can trust you," Rob challenged, stepping up beside Ethel. "Heal her now."
"It will take time, and Greed is out there hunting me now." Jake shook his head, his jaw set. "You get nothing until we are out of this hospital."
"Well that is what I would say too," Kyle muttered darkly, eyeing Jake with a lethal calculation. "He''ll never actually give you what you want, you''re better off handing him over,"
"You''re not helping," Ethel hissed, just as Kenzie''s voice crackled through the PA system.
"Zack you have ten minutes," she relayed, her voice strained. "Danny wants Jake at the ER reception area in ten minutes."
"Don''t listen to her, Danny won''t hurt one of your friends," Jake assured them quickly, reading the room. "He won''t risk picking you until you''re ripe."
"You don''t mean?" Kyle blinked in surprise. "Well that explains a lot, Zack is becoming a Supreme,"
"I''m sorry, I thought you had to steal that power," Rob muttered, casting a bewildered look at his friend.
"Doesn''t matter," Zack dismissed avoiding eye contact. "I''m going to get Kenzie. Kyle, you and Rob are going to keep Kenneth and Brian busy. There is going to be an ambulance in the garage, Ethel you get Ashley and Jake to that ambulance and we''ll meet you there when this is over."
"What about Amanda, she''s probably waiting for us at the exit," Ethel scoffed, holding Ashley''s hand.
"Look Greed won''t kill me so that''s why I have to be the one who goes," Zack explained. "You know he is paranoid so he''ll have Ashley close, their focus will be on me."
"Ok but why am I stuck with the only human here?" Kyle grumbled, looking over at Rob, who didn''t seem to hear him.
Weapons. The concept looped in Rob''s head until his gaze settled on a defibrillator. He lunged for it, only to have Ethel''s stern voice stop him in his tracks. "Put it down, Rob. You''ll do more harm than good."
"Then how do I take these guys out?" Rob asked, dropping the device as if it were cursed.
Kyle''s attention had zeroed in on a 50ML syringe, its contents promising a rush of energy. "Adrenaline," he murmured, turning it over in his hands.
"Against Brian and Kenneth? That''s like tossing gasoline on a fire," Ethel countered, but Kyle was already nodding thoughtfully.
"What makes you think it is for them," Kyle raised an eyebrow, a cunning smile playing on his lips. "Rob can go with you, I''ll be able to handle the pair of them with this,"
Kyle''s chest heaved as the adrenaline coursed through his veins, his eyes shifting to their brilliant orange colour. He braced himself in the dimly lit hallway, his muscle mass increasing with every breath. Zack stood beside him, tense and focused.
"Ready?"
"I was born ready," Kyle replied, his eyes fixed on the corner where Brian and Kenneth would emerge.
As if on cue, the duo rounded the corner, caught off guard by the sight of Kyle and Zack. Kyle launched himself forward, a battle cry tearing from his lips. Zack extended a hand, sending a gurney flying in their direction. The metal clanged against the tile floor, a brief distraction granting precious seconds for Ethel, Ashley, Rob, and Jake to slip away.
"Keep it up!" Zack shouted, putting up a barrier to block Kenneth''s vines.
"Plan on it!" Kyle shot back, grabbing Brian''s fist as it emerged from a shadow and dragging the young man back into the light.
---
Meanwhile, the elevator came to a stop in the parking garage. Ethel led the charge, her eyes scanning for the ambulance. She carried Ashley, while Rob followed behind to keep a close eye on Jake.
"There!" Ethel pointed to the vehicle, its back doors partially open. They hurried inside, settling Ashley onto a stretcher, only to freeze at the sight of the driver—lifeless, with burns covering their body.
"Jakey..." The sing-song voice of Amanda called out to them. "Come out, come out, wherever you are..."
Amanda strolled through the garage, twirling the keys around her finger, her clothes stained with the blood of the paramedics. Rob''s fingers fumbled to close the ambulance doors, hiding Ahsley from view. He watched as Ethel stood by the back doors with Jake.
"Long time, no see, Amanda," Jake called out, as their eyes met.
"You''ve had quite the glow-up since we last met," Amanda laughed, taking Jake in.
"Let''s skip the small talk," Ethel retorted, gripping Jake''s arm. She knew a fight was about to start. "You know I can''t just hand him over,"
"You need to get in that ambulance and don''t come out until I get you," Ethel instructed. But Jake didn''t move.
"I have a much better idea," he urged, with a snap of his fingers the elevator door opened.
"Are you crazy?" Ethel snapped, but she followed his lead, freezing time just as Amanda hurled a fireball toward them.
"Made it" Jake breathed as the doors sealed shut, the elevator ascending with a hopeful lurch.
"We have to go back, Rob and Ashley are still down there," Ethel demanded, but Jake had other plans.