The harsh fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows on the sterile white walls of the corridor. The acrid smell of disinfectant mixed with the metallic tang of fear-induced sweat. My leather outfit creaked softly as I shifted my weight, the cool material a stark contrast to my flushed skin.

"I can handle these three," Elijah said through gritted teeth, his jaw clenching in that familiar way that still made my heart skip a beat.

My gaze met Elijah's, and a familiar spark of electricity passed between us. His jaw clenched tighter, a muscle twitching beneath his skin - a telltale sign of his frustration that I still remembered all too well. I fought the urge to smooth it away with my thumb, as I might have done in the past.

My heart raced, torn between the urge to help Elijah and the need to protect my team. Images flashed through my mind - tender moments we'd shared, juxtaposed with the pain of our bitter breakup. I shook my head, trying to clear the conflicting emotions. Now wasn't the time for nostalgia or regret.

I debated turning around to help him, but the two superzeros in front of us were more of a threat. If Jasmine, Natalie, and I handled the men in tights and Elijah took out the guards, we'd be able to escape. As outnumbered as we were, this wasn't over.

We had studied the superzeros’ powers for months and knew all their weaknesses. And we had the element of surprise, they knew nothing about us… yet.

Natalie’ laughter echoed down the corridor, bouncing off the walls with a slightly manic edge. "Is this all you've got? Two members of the team and some measly guards?" She put a hand on her hip and huffed. "You should have brought the entire gang if you wanted to take down the notorious Ladies in Leather..." She glanced over her shoulder at Elijah, a smirk playing on her lips. "Plus one."

"Is this a super-powered showdown or a high school reunion?" I quipped, while dodging a wild swing from one of the guards. "Because I didn't bring my yearbook for autographs."

Elijah rolled his eyes, the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips despite the situation. "Your jokes haven't improved since we broke up."

"Neither has your timing, apparently," I shot back, memories of our playful banter flooding back.

Natalie sauntered forward with her wrists out, her perfect hair somehow still immaculate despite the chaos. "Seriously guys, I already said I give up. Take me. I've been very, very bad." She batted her eyelashes, her voice dripping with exaggerated innocence.

I held back a snicker, admiring my friend's commitment to the act.

But when Captain Celestial grabbed her, he fell to the ground asleep faster than a narcoleptic at a lullaby convention. That's when all hell broke loose.

Natalie grabbed for The Thunderbolt's arm, but he pulled away from her touch. Damn. He was immune to her telepathy.

Jasmine spun around to stand beside Elijah, her eyes latching onto the guards' hands. With a graceful flick of her wrist, she used her telekinesis to yank the guns from two of the three guards. The weapons flew across the room in a deadly arc, each one landing perfectly into Natalie's outstretched palms. Not content with just disarming our foes, Jasmine's spun back around to protect Natalie.

I felt like an idiot, just standing there doing nothing but looking pretty. There was one guard left with a weapon. He raised his gun, finally keeping up with the slightly advanced speed we all moved at.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

And I would not let him shoot. It was my time to show them I was more than eye candy. I jumped and lunged forward, breaking out into a full fly, knocking all the air out of him as he thudded to his back. My problem was I couldn't stop as quickly as I could start, and I covered my head as I pelted into the ceiling to slow myself down, tumbling to the ground in a less-than-graceful heap.

"Nailed it," I muttered, spitting out a strand of hair that had found its way into my mouth.

While disoriented, I scrambled to stand. Tires screeched to a halt outside the doorway, the smell of burning rubber wafting through the air. From behind the fighting that was going on with my ex against the two guards and Natalie and Jasmine with The Thunderbolt, shimmered a beautiful golden minivan. Right on cue, Madison was here for our escape.

Elijah caught my eye and nodded towards the minivan outside. I nodded back, letting him know it was part of our plan. With my approval, he followed Natalie's attack method.

Elijah raised his hands in the air, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Okay, okay. I surrender. I didn't want to escape. These women were kidnapping me." The two guards yanked his arms down, grabbing hold and twisting them in awkward positions, since the metal rod still held apart his wrists.

"We don't want anyone to get hurt," Jasmine said, her gentle voice at odds with the chaos around us. She held up her hands, too, but I could see the tips of her fingers glowing. Her powers had recharged. The hinge of the stairwell door squeaked, the sound piercing through the sounds of our failing battle. Sweat beaded on Jasmine's temples, her brow furrowed in concentration.

And just like that, the stairwell door flew off its hinges with a deafening crash, pelting the two guards who stood in front of it. They went down like bowling pins, freeing up Elijah and distracting The Thunderbolt enough to create an opportunity to escape.

Hannah's voice boomed on the other end of our comms, sharp and authoritative. "Go. Go. Hurry."

Natalie and Jasmine raced for the door, throwing themselves into the minivan with its side door already open. Good girl Madison. I could practically hear her peppy voice cheering us on. They frantically motioned for me, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and excitement.

My heart pounded as I weaved through the air, narrowly avoiding The Thunderbolt's crackling energy blasts. I tucked into a roll, springing up behind him and using my momentum to send us both careening into the wall. The impact rattled my teeth, but I pushed off, spinning to face the next threat.

My mind raced, weighing my options. I could fly past the guards, snatch Elijah from their grasp while midair, and maybe make it around The Thunderbolt. Or maybe not, since freeing Elijah would surely slow me down. The superzero's hand glowed ominously, his powers brewing. One wrong move and Elijah and I would get a massive dose of the defibrillator.

Or I could leave without Elijah, certain to make it out while he distracted the guards and The Thunderbolt.

But did I trust him?

Ha. Not at all.

Another option would be better...

One where everyone could escape and I was in charge.

"Go!" I yelled, waving the rest of the Ladies in Leather away. When they hesitated, I spoke clearly into my comm to ensure everyone heard. "Go. I have a different plan. Hurry! We'll meet up later."

With that, I dove for my ex, using the force of my power of flight to knock the guards off balance while grasping Elijah in my arms. I used the guards' bodies as a wall to turn myself around and head away from The Thunderbolt and his glowing touch.

As I heard the minivan's tires squeal, I flew Elijah towards the open stairwell. I kept going up, up, and away, flying over the steps while looking for an exit to the roof.

The exertion of using my powers and lugging Elijah's two-hundred-pound body around had my entire body perspiring. His familiar scent, a mix of spice and something uniquely him, filled my nostrils, bringing back a flood of memories.

Hannah yelled in my ear, her voice tinged with frustration and concern. "Emily, what are you doing?"

What was I doing?

Making sure my girls got out safely.

And making sure my ex knew that I was stronger now. That for once, I didn't need his rescuing.

As I flew up the stairs with Elijah held so close, I admitted I liked it a bit. Whether it was the power, the freedom, or the memory of us wrapped in each other's arms didn't matter.

At the moment, I felt powerful.

And this time, I'd take care of myself.

But as we reached the top of the stairs and couldn't see any way of escape, I knew that this was far from over. The weight of my choices, both past and present, settled on my shoulders like a lead cape.

"Well," Elijah said dryly, his breath warm against my ear, "this brings back memories. Though usually, our dates ended with a bit less property damage."

I couldn't help but chuckle, the sound bubbling up despite the gravity of our situation. "What can I say? I like to keep things interesting."