Escalation

Judging I was far enough hidden from sight, I risked activating my omni tool, finally, and was greeted by several pinging messages that only I could hear.

The time was 22:24. It was getting late. I swore quietly in my head.

Thankfully the messages turned out not to be anything serious. My moms trusted me not to get into too much trouble. Maybe they shouldn't, but... Well, here we are.

So it was just a couple of online friends asking if I was up for some week-night gaming, and activity in one of the group chats, the one for my group project in Psych class.

The thought of school felt so distant to me right now. I sent another message to mom, assuring her I was working on said group project, and might not be home until after they went to bed. Then turned the tool off again, as soon as it sent.

No reason to tempt fate and get discovered now.

***

Clacking of heels. Normal, no aura. Hogarth's voice again, talking to the other one.

I was making steady progress on absorbing Kevin's power. We were probably about equal in strength now.

The more practical shoes left down the hallway towards the outside.

And then Hogarth started negotiating with Kevin. I couldn't hear exactly, but I caught enough. She needed his help for something, and she was going to unleash that son of a bitch to get it.

Well, shit. Metal grinding against metal again.

I was half-way to the door, just about to do something reckless when hurried footsteps accompanied Jessica's aura approaching and I quickly ducked down.

She'd found his parents. They entered after her. Hogarth hadn't had time to let Kevin free, and acted like nothing was wrong.

What should I do? I-

More footsteps, quieter. A clicking sound. "Hands above your head!"

Oh fuck. "I see you got my evidence."

"Oh yeah," The cop responded, "You've convinced me you are one sick lady. Now open that cell."

"Sure thing..." Jessica responded, somehow still calm, "Just one sec. Trish!"

The cocking of another gun. A moment of silence. I guessed that was the unknown girl.

"Are you insane?" Hogarth hissed. "Now why don't you just cuff me, right now? Because I'm about to call 911."

By the sounds of that, they'd neutralized the cop. I didn't know what to do, but I guess that was better. Less armed people in the room.

"Well then I guess I'll tell them that you're an accomplice to ****." Jessica silenced her in return, and took control of the room. She told someone to watch closely, because his testimony was going to put Kevin away. The cop.

Metal grinding against metal in the following silence, the doors to the cell opening again. Soft voices, until Kevin started laughing maniacally.

"You might as well ask who fed me when I was ten! Or fourteen. Or twenty-five." He shouted. "You never cared then."

A confrontation with his parents. Fuck. This was so fucked up, on so many levels. He was shouting now, out of control, and even with his diminished power it made me nervous.

Somehow, from what I could tell, his mother calmed him. Her husband was shouting about not forgetting what he did, but then it got silent again. Nothing really incriminating. He hadn't used his power.

The cop tried to interrupt, saying he'd overlook this if Jessica let everyone go, but she wasn't having it.

"I'm so sorry." Older woman's voice. Trembling. His mother.

"Aaaaargh!" Kevin. Shouting in pain.

"Get them out now!" The cop.

Calm as can be, Kevin told his mother to pick up the scissors, and his dad to stay in place and take note.

I was moving slowly towards the door. The tension was boiling.

"Get them out, NOW!" Hogarth.

"For every year that you left me alone, stab yourself." Kevin's voice was cold.

"Got him." Jessica muttered, and there was a slam against something. Then another. Hurriedly, that noise over and over again. An electrical discharge, something frying out, but no screaming.

It clicked in my mind.

The electricity. It wasn't working. She couldn't stop it.