Elijah arched an eyebrow, his green eyes glinting in the harsh prison lighting. "Not feeling guilty?" He laughed, the sound echoing off the concrete walls. "I don't believe you."

I fidgeted with the lock pick in my hands, avoiding his gaze. "I'm not the one who deserves to be in prison," I snapped, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

In my earpiece, Hannah's voice crackled with urgency. "The guards are coming. Get out of there."

"Oh really?" Elijah chuckled, oblivious to Hannah's warning. He rattled his chains dramatically. "Because breaking into a federally protected prison and attempting to release a known murderer just screams that you're a stand-up citizen." He gave me a small, respectful bow, his orange jumpsuit stretching across his broad shoulders. "Bravo."

I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore how the movement accentuated his muscular frame. "What about you?" I huffed, focusing on the lock. "Last time we were face-to-face was when you handed my broken body over to the police and took off to chase down Doctor Quackery."

Elijah flinched, his cocky demeanor faltering. His eyes fell to the concrete floor, tracing the cracks. "To be fair, you needed medical attention… and I was… overwhelmed with the desire to make the Doctor pay for what he had done to you."

"And how did that work out for you?" I asked, my fingers working faster on the lock.

"He's in prison and you're alive." Elijah looked up, his gaze catching mine with unexpected sincerity. "I'd apologize, but things worked out, didn't they?"

I clenched my jaw, biting back a retort. The topic was brewing a full-out emotional brawl between us, and this wasn't the place for that.

Elijah seemed to sense it too, changing the subject with a smirk. "And you brought your little team of... villainesses with you. How sweet." His cocky tone made the hair raise on the back of my neck. "I see you finally came to your senses. When did you decide to join my team?"

“Don’t get too excited.” I tried to hide the flood of emotions in my voice. “We’re only here to use you for your powers. Once we’re finished with you, you can come back here for all I care. That’s up to you.”

"Oh, don't worry, darling," he said with a wink that sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine. "I'm not opposed to being used."

I rolled my eyes at his comment, ignoring the heat rising to my cheeks. "Let's just get out of here and focus on the mission at hand." I turned to further examine his shackles, my fingers brushing against his wrists. "I don't have time for your macho posturing. Right now, we have a plan that we thought you'd be interested in. A plan to take down the heroes once and for all. And you, darling," I flashed him my evilest smile, "are going to help us do it."

"I can see how enthusiastic you are to work with me again." More sarcasm, but he smiled back, the softness on his face melting the ice around my heart. "Because of that, I'll do it. No questions asked. That and the fact that you're getting me out of this luxurious spa."

"I'm glad your accommodations were to your liking," I quipped, giving up on his wrist restraints and following Elijah's shackles to where they were attached to the wall. "I hear the prison's cucumber water is to die for."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

With a simple twist of my lock pick, the shackles detached from the wall. The sudden freedom seemed to energize Elijah, his entire body humming with power.

“The guards are almost there," Hannah buzzed in my ear, her usual calm replaced by barely contained panic.

As soon as we got Elijah out of this place, we could figure the rest out. The current problem: we had counted on using his powers, but now, he was handicapped with his hands still bound.

I grabbed Elijah's arm, trying to ignore the solid muscle beneath my fingers. "We gotta go." I gathered the metal cable that was still attached to his wrists and pushed my ex out of the cell through the opening. I had him on a leash and I wasn’t letting go. There was no way I’d let him sneak away.

Elijah surprised me by leaning down to help Jasmine up. Her legs wobbled, so he looped his still handcuffed arms around her, lifting her into a front piggy-back. The way Jasmine wrapped her legs around his waist was intimate enough to flood me with an emotion I never expected.

Jealousy.

"Which way?" Elijah asked, his voice husky from the exertion.

I pointed to the open door beyond Natalie at the guard station. "The same way we came."

"The route is clear," Hannah said over the comm, her voice tinged with relief.

Elijah, with Jasmine latched on, led the way. I followed close behind, my eyes darting between potential threats and the flex of Elijah's back muscles, all while holding his leash. Natalie brought up the rear, her fingers glowing faintly with telepathic energy.

As we jogged through the familiar corridors, the sound of sliding metal and heavy boots echoed behind us. My heart raced, pumping equal parts fear and exhilaration through my veins.

"Hurry. Hurry." Hannah buzzed, her usual cool demeanor cracking under the pressure.

Our steps quickened, Elijah's feet falling heavy with Jasmine in his arms. Memories flooded my mind of a time when my legs were wrapped around his powerful waist. Of our whirlwind romance that led to a quick marriage. Of how I felt I had found my soulmate.

But I couldn't fantasize about that. Anything between us was clearly over.

Elijah was the villain.

(But so was I.)

My mind snapped back to the present as we took one turn, then another, and finally approached the final turn. The exit was right ahead, promising freedom and complications in equal measure.

Jasmine pried her head up from where she'd been nestled in the crook of Elijah's neck. Was she sniffing him? "Why are the guards so slow?" she asked.

I paused, straining my ears. The corridor was silent except for our ragged breathing and pounding hearts. "Ever heard of the silence before the storm? Keep moving."

As we rounded the final corner, my words proved prophetic. We had our answer to why there were no guards—they were all cowering in a corner waiting for the superzeros to arrive. And there they were, waiting for us. There, standing in the last corridor, chests puffed out in their gaudy spandex and billowing capes, were two members of the Wonderful Wons: Captain Celestial and The Thunderbolt.

"What? No Golden Guardian today?" Elijah laughed his villainous laugh, the sound sending an inappropriate shiver down my spine. "Are we not a big enough threat to send in the entire team?"

Jasmine slipped from his arms, her wobbly knees miraculously steadied. I could practically see the gears turning in Natalie's head as she raised her hands in mock surrender.

"Okay, okay?" Natalie's voice dripped with fake innocence. "We give up."

I joined the line of villains, shoulder to shoulder with my ex. He looked over at me with a puzzled eyebrow arch, not privy to Natalie's little surrender act. I gave him a subtle nod, hoping he'd play along.

The only problem was we didn't know if Natalie's telepathy would work on another super. She'd tried putting all of us to sleep during training, and it had worked on everyone except Jasmine. Fingers crossed the superzeros weren't immune.

Just as hope began to flicker, a side doorway burst open. Three guards piled out from the stairwell, their weapons trained on us.

Well, fuck.

We were surrounded, caught between overzealous guards and self-righteous heroes. As I met Elijah's eyes, a silent understanding passed between us. Whatever happened next, we'd face it together.

Let the games begin.