Jesse followed Cara's lead glancing over his shoulder to see the guards pick up their weapons and turn toward the tunnels as one of Madden's teams rounded the last corner.

"Bre, we'll be taken before getting out of the maze of stone if we don't hurry up," Jesse called.

"Run," Breanna called as they broke into a run covering as much ground before engaging any of the forces sent to stand against them.

"Cara," Jesse panted, "is Val okay?"

"She is better than okay," Cara grinned, "she is having the time of her life."

Nodding, Jesse sighed, feeling a little happier than when he had gotten to the island.

"Let's get these people out," he said as Cara, and he sped up, catching up with the team.

"Contact twenty feet," Tania called.

"No, ten feet," Jesse correct.

"Engage," Breanna barked, pulling her weapon to the front and taking the safety off her sidearm before drawing it from the holster.

Suddenly a team of black-clad fanatics dropped in front of them, bringing them all to a sudden stop; the Protection Agency didn't open fire or engage. Instead, they waited. The black-clad fanatics weren't facing them; they remained with their backs toward the invaders, facing the oncoming forces and engaging without hesitation.

Tania gasped, "They were part of my old unit."

"What?" Scott spluttered, "how do you know?"

Tania pointed to the tallest man slicing through the oncoming attackers, "I know him, and their fighting style is familiar because it's my own."

"You were all trained together?" Scot asked.

Tania nodded, "We were, and I thought they were dead, but I guess I was wrong."

"Move," Breanna commanded, moving quickly toward the clashing groups.

Breanna slowed her approach as the small team dispensed of the last attacker. They stood in a small huddle in the centre of scattered bodies, breathing hard and looking around.

The tall man in the middle raised his head, looking directly at Breanna.

"Titan," she greeted him, "thank you for the assistance. But why?"

"We needed the exercise, and your team needs to be as fresh as possible for what is coming," he looked them over before his gaze locked with Tania's. "I see you have an expert with you."

"An expert in what?" Breanna followed his gaze looking at a flushed Tania, "what is Tania supposed to be an expert in?"

"You never told them," he nodded, "her training is in the dispensing of lifeforms in the most unnoticeable way possible."

The stunned team turned towards Tania staring.

"You're an assassin?" Scott asked.

"One of the best," Titan said, "but one of the most humane ever seen. Missed you, T," he muttered. "Listen, Breanna, there are more coming, but Valencia and whoever she talks to is currently engaging with the guards assigned to the extraction room. But they are still inside the room. Some captives have become so energised that it's like watching sugar-fueled children fighting. It may be a good thing to finish what you started here."

"Good idea," Breanna acknowledged, still looking at Tania, "you and I, Tania, will chat later."

Tania nodded before moving forward to follow her old unit.

"Remember to shoot for the head," Titan said, "don't trust any of their actions."

"Should we trust yours?" Scott asked, stopping next to the small group of fanatics, staring unblinkingly.

"Madden's men are created to do one thing," Titan said, "kill."

"You aren't?" Scott frowned, "really?

The group shook their heads, looking to Titan before joining the Enhanced Protectors as they stepped into the facility.

"We're enhanced and completed military training, like all of you. We didn't have a choice or any options; our units would not or could not accept the changes done to us, and we needed to live, eat and make some kind of life for ourselves. It may not be what we would have chosen for ourselves, but we survived."

"Then make this your new unit," Jarred stopped at Scott's shoulder, "those men following our team need you, and right now, we could do with a little back up too. True freedom means making a choice for what is best for yourself."

Scott nodded, following the others into the facility.

"Well," Jarred asked, "use your abilities as they were meant to be used and join your unit."

Titan gave a sharp whistle before handing Jarred his machine gun, pulling his black top off, and dropping it to the ground. Titan turned at the sound of running feet, his men gathering around him, looking from Jarred to Titan before taking in the discarded shirt on the floor.

"Titan? What are you doing?" one of them asked, frowning.

"We have our first choice to make," he said, looking at each man, "we have an offer of joining a new unit, one that allows choices to be made by us for ourselves. I have made my choice ... what is yours to be?"

They gave him a searching look before looking at Jarred, who waited. In the back, the shortest of them all pushed to the front.

"Are you sure this is not a prank," he asked, "another way to get us into another programme?"

Titan looked at Jarred, who stepped forward and grinned, "I'm glad Bre isn't here to hear that question. The Enhanced Protection Agency is not a programme. We are a group of people who have chosen to use our abilities to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Titan is right; this is your choice. We will leave you if you choose to stay here after this. However, if you choose to stand and fight alongside us and free the captives, you can either continue with us or relocate for a quieter life. All your choice but the decision must be made now."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Jarred watched as each man looked between Titan and himself. Slowly the guns were lowered to the ground, and their black shirts were added to Titan's. Tight-fitting beige t-shirts were exposed, blending with the tunnel's walls.

"Let's join our new unit," they nodded to each other and Titan as they picked up their weapons.

"After you," Jarred motioned toward the sound of gunfire and hand-to-hand combat inside the facility.

"Let's move," Titan barked loudly, and together they ran into the facility, meeting the new enemy head-on.

"Birgit," Valencia whispered, "it's now or never. We have very energised people waiting to get out."

"I've almost got the lock," Birgit answered, "found it, it's turning ... got it."

"What are they doing?" a woman whispered, shielding her children from the rapid gunfire raining into the chamber.

"Saving us," Jacob said, "damned if I would see the day."

"What are you talking about? You know this person," another man said.

"I know Birgit, and she is amazing. Never seen anyone with some many abilities and still holding her humanity in both her hands. I only heard of Valencia," Jacob whispered, "the legends of one equal the other. Together ..." he inhaled deeply, "... you can only imagine. We're about to see the working together."

"You find this exciting," said the woman with the energetic children, "how can you think this is exciting?"

"If they have been stabilised, it's going to be something to see," Jacob nodded, his eyes glittering.

"Has anyone else got any way to stop those guards shooting into the room?" a man crouching in the centre of the room asked. "I'm not going to be able to keep this shield in place much longer."

"You seem to be the only one with an ability," the young woman said, "please keep going as far as you can."

"Cara says to trust anything that comes naturally," Valencia said, glancing over their shoulder at the man Birgit knew as Jacob, "they are engaging. The focus is on them. Open the door now." Valencia caught each of their eyes as she turned to the assembling group, "those of you who can fight, this is your time. Put all your anger and emotion into defending those who cannot. If anyone has abilities ... even if you suspect you have an enhanced ability ... use it to get everyone off this island. We're in this together and plan on getting out of this together.

"Hold tight, everyone," Birgit grunted as though she were working on something that took a lot of energy, "the door will open ... here ... we... go."

The door burst open, propelled off its hinges into the waiting guards. The frontline flew backwards, taking those directly behind them to the ground. The small group streamed out with flying fists and various versions of war cries. Valencia and Birgit watched them disappear, simply standing, staring.

"We did it," Valencia murmured, "we ... released them, restored them. What do we do now?"

"How about leaving?" Birgit whispered.

"That sounds nice," Valencia replied but remained where they stood.

"I'm too tired to work our body," Birgit said, "could you please move."

"Sure," Valencia nodded, staring at the door.

Jesse worked through the throng of fighting. It mainly was hand-to-hand, but some included knives and long blades, assisting where he could with a punch and butt of the gun. Finally getting to Breanna's side, Jesse ducked an incoming knife thrust. He responded by landing a power punch connecting with the tall, black-clad opponent's solar plex. The man began to buckle as Breanna's high roundhouse caught his head, whipping it to the side. The result was a buckling twist that landed on the floor.

"I need to get to the room," he said as he threw a fist over her shoulder while ducking, twisting and turning to avoid an attack. He felt like he was doing some sort of weird dance while his heart was pounding in his chest. Valencia's name seemed to hum along his skin and vibrate through his bones.

"You'll need back up, and until we have gotten through the incoming, no one will be going anywhere," Breanna grunted. Flinching to the side, a fisted hand skimmed past her ear, grabbing the wrist and twisting, ducking under and kicking into the attached torso and face.

"There are too many of them ..." Jesse grunted, deflecting another attack and hissing as the knife blade sliced against his lower ribs. "Clio," Jesse called, "pinpoint the enemy and eradicate."

Small protective domes appeared in the fighting, making it easy to spot those not part of the agency.

"Titan's team hit the ground," Jarred bellowed.

A small group of beige-shirted fighters glanced around bewildered before hitting the floor as Clio braced herself and pushed her energy out.

The large swarming group of black-clad fighters dropped, some convulsing others still. But all remaining on the floor.

Clio breathed out slowly, "That was exhilarating."

"Keep the satisfaction party till later," Scott grinned.

Clio winked at him as she kicked one of Madden's fanatics, waiting to see if the limp body would move. When nothing happened, she nodded at the waiting Breanna.

"Move," Breanna shouted.

The Enhanced Protection Agents took off in the direction of the captives and control rooms. Breanna's hands flew in silent signals as she shouted orders. The group divided as they moved, prepared to meet confrontation as they pushed forward.

Rising from the ground and looking at the still forms, Titan watched the well-oiled machine work.

"Damn, I knew Clio could lay bodies to rest, but this is ..." he shook his head, "next level. Looking at his rising team, he smiled, "We fit in. We know what they don't. You heard their orders, fit in and make sure Madden's plans to stop them fail."

The group grinned slowly, "That would be a pleasure," said the smallest, "let's earn our freedom and trust."

Titan's team dissolved into the throng of people prepared to defend with honour those who were defenceless and give some long-awaited payback.

Breanna stood in an alcove watching them move; she had seen those decisive, calculated moves before nodding as a slow smile formed, "It's not just Tania."

She stepped out and blended into the fighting throng, moving toward the containment unit.

"Val," Birgit gasped, "there is another containment unit."

"Break it," Valencia said, "...quickly. I can feel our team close by, and they will need our help."

"On it," Birgit said, focussing as they watched the captives using their energy to fight against the containment forces Madden had sent.

Valencia and Birgit gasped as Birgit finally sucked the seal off the second energy containment unit.

"The energy isn't leaving," Birgit said, panic riding her words, "I can't get it to move."

"Is there another seal, perhaps?" Valencia asked.

"I don't sense another seal," Birgit shook their head, "we'll ... V we have to break the unit."

"How?" Valencia said, "if it's not coming out, you'll have to go inside it."

"I will need to, but if I go on my own ... I'm scared I won't come out," Birgit sighed, "I cannot take you with me."

"Why?" Valencia whispered, "you think I cannot help."

"You will help," Birgit said, "but if we're both stuck in there ... I cannot do that to you and Jesse."

"Then we'll need to make sure that we both get out," Valencia ground out, "what do we need to do."

"Don't get your wig in a knot," Birgit muttered, "stand with me and help me destroy the containment unit from the inside."

"Fine," Valencia sighed, "that I can do."

Closing their eyes, Valencia mentally joined Birgit at the entrance of the containment unit. Holding hands, they pushed inside.

"It's static in here," Valencia said, "who do we destroy it? We cannot get near the sides of the unit."

"No, but if we punch the energy towards the sides, it may crack enough for us to combine an ability or two to destroy the rest."

"How did you get so darn smart?" Valencia grinned.

"Yeah, yeah," Birgit muttered, "start punching." Together they aimed and punched at the floating energy particles around them.

Jacob watched as Birgit's body slowly sank to the floor of the containment unit. Frowning, he made to move toward the doorway until he felt a tug in his gut. Looking upwards, he grinned.

"I knew it," Jacob gasped as the energy fragments began to bolt toward the fighting group, "together, they are unstoppable."

A sudden bone-chilling scream from above the extraction room drew everyone's attention for a split second before the bellowing command rang over the silence.

"Kill them ... kill them all."