Starting Sparks: Glow in the Dark

 So I hope you all want to hear more about Rayne and the weird idea. Because I couldn't think of anything else for this prompt.






I crouch at the corner of an alleyway. The guards pace in front of the entrance. Okay, quick and fast.

Just as my footsteps alert the first guard, my fist meets his nose. I snatch his gun before he can and shoot the second guard. The first guard also falls to the ground. I duck quickly into the doorway. Sixteen seconds. Not bad, but not my best.

The building has a quiet, cold emptiness. I keep the gun out before me, but it's only a possum gun. You'd think an organization that calls themselves The Powers would arm their guards better.

It seems too quiet. What is going on? Did they already spy me coming? This has to be an ambush. Energy crawls under my skin. To run, to fight, to do something. I walk steady and quiet. Unless someone is hiding in the elevator shaft, there is no one here. Nowhere for anyone to hide for an ambush.

Tech! It's the wrong building, isn't it? Or perhaps the wrong level?

The elevator shaft is empty. It scales up into pitch black. There aren't even cables left for an elevator. Someone would have to climb the walls to ascend or descend. Were the guards a decoy? Where would The Powers take Mikel?

I sigh and frown. But I don't lower the gun. On the floor there's a shadow, or--

What's this? A metal ring. I pull the trap door open. It doesn't even squeak. Which means it's probably been well oiled for the purpose of being silent. Which means I'm in the right place after all.

The stairs are awkward. Nearly vertical. Something smacks my jaw. I shoot at the shape in the dark. It, he is on the opposite side of the railing and slumps to the floor. So the dark side of the stairs isn't  a wall? I feel over the railing and have to stretch far out to finally meet the wall.

Footsteps.

Uh, oh. I swing my legs over the rail and find the floor. I blindfold the guard with his belt. Not particularly effective, but it is dark in here so that should help. He won't be able to speak or move until the stun of the possum gun fades. But it'd be nice if he doesn't get a good enough look at my face. I drag him to the far corner under the stairs.

Voices now accompany the footsteps. I crouch under the staircase as the footfalls thud over my head.

"Fin says he's coming to."

"Do you think he'll sing?"

A harsh laugh. "He will whether he wants to or not. The question is does he have anything worth singing-- I told you to close the hatch!"

"I did close it!"

"Sure, you did. Just like you closed the refrigerator door?"

"Hey, now! That's just--"

I duck out from under the staircase as the footsteps retreat. I just glimpse their shapes disappear at what must be the base of the stairs.

Carefully, I follow the floor down as it slopes. My eyes strain in the darkness, but near the bottom there's another dark form. Has it seen me? As I approach it looks smaller. It moves toward me. I aim my gun.

Wait.

The cat rubs against my leg. The Powers have a resident cat?

Light shines from various nooks and corners where people must be working or living. Stacks and stacks of crates. A light slips under one door along with the smell of garlic and. . . cayenne, I think. A few computer hackers argue about coding. Others are huddled in a small area with maps and papers. A girl in the group hovers over the ground with her legs crossed. A man charges some device with his finger.

I tuck the gun in my jacket and try to keep to the shadows. Keep my head down. Blend in.

There's a fffft sound. My hair and coat flies up as the force zooms past. Papers are left fluttering. Among other protests, someone yells, "Seriously, Antone!?"

Great. A speedster.

As long as there aren't any telepaths around, I'm good.

I pass one door. The light is fainter. It could just be a maintenance closet. But it opens into a huge room. Some guards behind pillars give me a quizzical look. I take one out with the possum gun, then dodge the aim of the second's. I shoot him before he calls to the others.

In the center of the room a light shines. A table. Some very unpleasant looking tools. Jared, a leader within The Powers stands over a chair wherein Mikel is tied up. Sitting down though, Mikel is nearly as tall as Jared standing.

"So, the rebels tried to kill you," Jared says.

"Really?" Mikel's voice is chipper and good-natured as normal. "I couldn't tell."

In the dark, I quietly move from guard to guard. I catch them before they hit the ground so the thud doesn't alert the others. I'm not sure what kind of powers these guys have and if they don't see me coming they don't have a chance to try anything.

"We are very interested in their plans."

"I'm sure. Aren't you, like, mortal enemies?"

"Indeed, but you see," Jared pauses. I knew he was a dramatic, "Now it seems you're on our side."

"Why? Just because I'm not 'of pure blood'?"

Four guards down. 

"You know who we are, and you're one of us now."

"Tech, I just glow in the dark! So what?"

"Well, they tried to kill you for it. We're on the same side now. I thought I would interest you in a bit of revenge?"

"Only if it comes with a side of fries. I'm hungry."

Tech, why did he have to mention food?

"We can protect you from the Rebels."

"Can you feed me?"

"We just want information."

"I don't deal information."

I finally let a seventh guard slip to the ground. How paranoid is Jared? Hopefully, that's the last one though. Jared is only a healer, which is good for me. I don't have to contest against something like super strength or teleportation. But that also means, I can't hurt him.

"You think that 'human,'" Jared says it with disdain, "friend of yours is coming to save you? She's one of them, you know. Rebels, humans. All the same. Powerless."

Jared is only a healer, good and bad. I won't have to contest against anything like super strength or teleportation. But if I try to hurt him, he'll heal immediately.

"You're awful human too, czar," Mikel mutters.

"If she comes, she'd come to betray you, little light bulb."

I sneak around to a pillar behind Jared.

"Light bulb? Even I could do better than that."

I count to three.

"I bet she's at the door right now."

Mikel smiles at him. "I know she is."

I run out, leap onto Jared, and throw my arm around his throat in a choker hold. One. Two. . . in five seconds he goes limp. I lower him to the floor. We have about ten seconds before he revives.

"You ding-a-ling!" I untie Mikel's hands. "How many times do I have to save you?"

"Well, good day to you too."

"What were you thinking, telling him your power? They would've killed you if you weren't useful."

"They would've killed me anyways." Mikel shakes the ropes loose.

"Yeah, but you could have dragged it out longer."

"You could've come sooner." Mikel stands. "I'm hungry."

"Don't even start." I search Jared. A real gun. A knife.

The door bursts open. The air smells odd now. One of them must be able to generate smoke or poison.

"What I wouldn't give for some fries." I toss Mikel the knife.

"I have a coupon for Gwen's."

"Well, why didn't you list that among our assets?"

"This is why we're friends."

"Because we storm castles together?"

Jared stirs. 

"Precisely. Shall we?" He gestures to a latch in the ceiling.

"And here I thought we'd have to fight our way out."

He boosts me up to open the trap door. "Nah. How about Gwen's instead?"

"Sure. You pay."

"What?!"

"I've saved your life twice in three days. Get me fries and we'll call it even." I pull him to the trap door edge. A faint white light halos the whole of him in the darkness. "You should do something about that."

"It's not my fault I glow in the dark, okay?" 

_________________________________

Say 'hi' to Mikel.

Now I want some curly fries. . .