The now sizzling energy dagger plunged into Jayden's chest, all the way to the hilt before it stopped. There was no slow motion, no catching him in midair, just him crumpling to the ground like a doll. Stupid action movies.

A myriad of emotions flooded my consciousness, first fear, not for Jayden's life, but my own. The whispering inside me began to tempt me, to finish the job. To swing the killing blow, but as I hesitated, shame pulsed throughout me. Shame for even thinking such thoughts. Finally, the alpha of all emotions gripped me, fury.

As if I was a puppet on strings my body moved on its own accord to an action that will plague many ponderous nights. Instead of moving back as a shield to protect any new onslaught, I turned to take a step toward where the projectile blade came from. I ignored the flapping of wings and the shifting of wind as my eyes scanned the room until it locked onto my target. My victim, the whispers were taunting me, seducing me to walk off the cliff into the dark abyss that is cold-blooded anger.

A stout man, clad in the same grey uniform as the others as before, had six blades hovering around him with three on each side of him poised for action. He was sprinting to the side to get a better angle for another throw. The blades bobbed with him as he ducked and ran through and past gym equipment and platforms.

Again without thinking my arms pumped upwards like I was celebrating a goal in soccer, but really it was a motion to bring carbon pillars to skewer him. But as I grasped upon my power and tugged what I received in return was less than pleasant. The stabbing pain that exploded behind my eyes and in the base of my skull felt like getting kicked in the nuts but in my head. Twice.

What the hell is wrong with me? Emotions that were previously foreign to me were now common, and my power unlike before which acted as smooth as butter was like stepping on glass. My perceived eyesight was blood-red, a canvas of color that was painted upon my eyeballs. Goddamn, how the tables have turned on my life. I slowly peeled my eyes open, because apparently, I had closed them in tension.

A cold liquid dripped down my cheeks from my eyes, slid from my nostrils and filled my mouth. I spit out a gob of blood mixed with my spit as I then realized I was on the floor, slowly I got into a sitting position. My extremities felt like frozen turkey that's been thawed out from a microwave then put in the freezer once more.

The adrenaline that was pumping through my veins slowed to a stop as the ache in my head lessened ever so slightly. I kicked some rubble from under my feet and stood up slowly as I took in my surroundings. The man with the blades was surprisingly sprawled out on the floor as if he'd been knocked out by an invisible attacker, or a teleporting one for instance.

Tearing my eyes away from the man I made my way past Julian's massive wingspan to lay eyes on Jayden. His body was slack, but his jaw was tense. Either post-Morten rigor or he was still alive, a somewhat small, but important detail in this chapter of horror in my life.

"H-help!" Julian yelled out as he spun looking for aid that would not appear.

Everyone else had already evacuated, even the yelling of fights all around the facilities had begun to cease. It was just Jayden, Julian, and I, and the corpses that surrounded us as we stared at the blood that began pooling around Jayden. Reality slapped me in the face like an ex-girlfriend on a sitcom as I sprung into action. Vague memories of health class clouded my mind as I kneeled next to him and began to apply pressure to the gaping wound in his torso.

"C'mon bro," My voice was barely above a whisper as I hoped beyond hope that he would survive.

Another death on my conscious was something was something that I may not ever recover from like I would recover from the travesties of today. Julian began to gag beside me as the Jaydens sticky blood seeped between the spacing of my knuckles and onto my hand.

"Stay with me, think of all the ladies you're gonna miss out if you die," I pleaded as his jaw began to relax.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

He was giving up, and what's the point of saving someone who isn't fighting to survive? I should've been ready, I should've known, and I shouldn't have been such a dick to be out for blood. I removed my palms and stood up and unlike Julian who was struggling not to empty his lunch onto the ground and had his back turned, I watched Jayden. For only a coward would turn his back on a death that rested on your own shoulders. No offense Julian.

But it must've been a Christmas miracle, in July. Jayden's entire body tensed as hard as a rock before his blood began to flow back into his body like watching a video in reverse. I stared in awe as with each second the pool thinned around him as it re-entered his circulation.

"Julian," I called out in awe.

"N-no, I don't want to see," he responded.

Most of the blood was gone now, white bone marrow began to interlock where the bone used to be in his chest.

"Julian!" I yelled as I awkwardly grabbed his wing and tugged for his attention.

"What!" He yelled as Julian this silky soft wing brushed my face as he turned.

Skin began to form over the wound until the last bits of evidence of there ever being a wound there was erased.

"Woah," Julian whispered.

Even the uniform began to re-stitch its self. Like what the hell? I've never heard of that happening, or maybe that was just because I'm not that informed of all types of powers. In my defense, I had other things on my mind, like lifting weights and getting dates.

"What the shit dude!" I yelled out as Jayden's eyelids flew open.

He stared at me then Julian with his eyes wide open, he did not utter a single syllable. Jayden slowly stood up shakily as if every movement cost him something. Julian and I glanced at each other before looking back at Jayden who was as pale as a ghost. Wait, what if he is a ghost back from the dead? I slowly walked up to him and poked his shoulder. My index finger hit the fabric of the suit and his flesh, fortunately.

"Huh," Jayden mumbled as he touched his chest like if you were looking for your keys and couldn't find them.

Before I could respond, Julian pushed passed me and hugged Jayden with more gusto then I would've thought he could muster. Huh, I didn't think they were that close, maybe they became better friends from the time I was unconscious, or maybe it was just the nerves. Whatever it was, it must've been awkward to hug back with those monstrous wings still flapping about excitedly.

"W-wha, there was so much blood..., how did you-" Julian stammer.

Jayden looked down at his body as if seeing it for the first time, there was something different about the way he held himself now. His back was straighter, his shoulders were set back as if he could take on the world. Maybe he could, who knows?

"I don't know, but I feel... different. Like something inside me has changed," He answered.

Well if Jayden doesn't know then how will I? Instead of going in for my own hug I let Julian and Jayden talk I took in my surroundings. Rubble littered the ground, from pebbles do boulders they have strewn around as if a tornado surged through here. But perhaps most disturbing of all were the bodies. The ground was slick with still wet blood, adults and children alike. It was sickening, again bile rose in my throat and I let it all out.

After I was finished I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and avoided eye-contact with...them. It wasn't the time to think about them, not yet, not with people watching. Stepping away from my now smelly vomit I was just about to tell Jayden and Julian to get outta here with me until the hero from before blinked into existence.

I got a better look at him from up close, like a ninja black skin-tight cloth covered his entire body with the only opening was where his eyes were. We stared at each other for a few awkward seconds before the hero broke the silence.

"What did he want" His voice sounded like it got dragged through gravel then ground into bits and blended together, maybe he covered himself because his body was a reflection of his voice and if so I thank him.

Well, we're fine asshole, thanks for asking, but I guess he did save us sooo I guess we're cool. But what does he mean who? I had an inkling of who he was referring to, but if he was playing the pronoun game I wasn't going to know exactly who he was talking about. I didn't want to look like an idiot any more than I really was.

"Who?" I asked tentatively.

I could practically see his eyebrows furrow in annoyance behind the cloth before answering "A man covered in shadows, or if you saw him wearing a tuxedo."

Oh, why didn't he just say that in the first place? Now Julian and Jayden have noticed our conversation and scooted behind me to listen.

"He said something about the serum here and... and I think he found it," I answered slowly.

He grumbled something under his breath before turning around.

"Hey do you mind teleporting us up-" I began before he blinked out of existence.

"To the surface," I finished to nobody in particular.

I took one final glance around me, I would burn this image in my mind. For this is what will happen over and over if I'm not good enough. I had a lot to think about, and a lot of training ahead of me. If I'm going to be a hero I need to work. For my friends, for my family, and for the ladies.

"Let's get outta here," I murmured as I turned and stomped out, not bothering to see if they would follow.