Page 60 of The Not So Super Hero

Stepping inside, he immediately noticed the one peculiar thing about the place; someone had moved the cement slab in the fireplace, revealing a ladder that led down beneath it.

A clock ticked above the fireplace, a reminder of how close he was to being late.

Five minutes. He was five minutes early, but wondered if Antoine would count stepping into the house as On Time or being in the same room as him and Bailey.

Zane moved towards the entrance, looking down to see a dimly lit hall.

Antoine wanted him in a confined space. Not good for Bailey’s safety.

If they could battle it out in a field, that would be wonderful.

Grumbling, Zane looked around once again for any strange movement.

There was nothing and so, with a deep breath, he descended into the dark opening while hoping that when he came out; he had Bailey with him.

A hallway at the bottom led away from the home, walls covered in tiles resembling those in the video.

The hall was silent, but a camera sat in the corner, not hidden either.

He continued on the path, glancing through windows in the doors to find empty rooms. He even came across one that appeared like a surveillance room, finding that a screen had a video of his apartment complex and another of Bailey’s college.

Well, they certainly were making sure Zane knew they had their eyes on both of them for a while.

All the doors were locked. Zane took that as meaning Antoine didn’t wish to meet there. Although the halls were quiet, Leona and Law were undoubtedly nearby. If Zane could save Bailey and escape before that, he’d appreciate it.

It didn’t take much longer for him to stumble upon the one room that lacked any sort of window. The white door had chips of paint missing and wasn’t locked. Fear coursed through his veins when he opened the door, hoping that what laid behind wouldn’t shatter his entire world.

When the door swung open to reveal Antoine standing behind Bailey donning a sinister grin, all Zane wanted to do was to break every bone Antoine had.

The bastard pressed a knife tightly to Bailey’s neck.

Blood trickled from the wound. Zane knew if he took another step, Antoine wouldn’t hesitate, so he stood in the doorway with his eyes locked on Bailey’s shaking green gaze.

Bailey didn’t need to speak for Zane to know what was on his mind. His eyes screamed and body shook, which further pissed Zane off. His blood boiled, the anger building in his chest with such ferocity he wasn’t sure he could contain it.

“Zane, my boy, it’s been a while. I’ve missed you so much,” Antoine laughed, the sound nowhere near that of a concerned father.

Zane hadn’t seen the bastard in years. He hoped to never see him again.

Seeing those blue eyes that they sadly shared made his chest ache.

Whether he wanted to, Zane couldn’t help but to pick up on all the similarities.

Their height, their eyes, the shape of their face, all these little details that he wished they didn’t share. He hated it.

“Bailey and I were having such a friendly chat before you arrived. I might have mentioned a few things about Isaiah,” Antoine said. “Bailey honestly believes you didn’t kill him. You really are just like me, able to brainwash anyone you meet into thinking we’re good people.”

“Shut up!” Zane screamed, his entire body shaking. His hands formed trembling fists, calling forth shadows to dance around his feet.

“Temper, temper.” Antoine pressed the blade against Bailey’s neck. The cool metal pressing deeper into his skin, invoking a hiss from the boy.

Growling, Zane flexed his hands and sighed, allowing the shadows to settle.

“It’s strange seeing you so docile. I thought I taught you what happens when you care so much about someone,” he added.

“Why don’t you stop playing games already?” Zane snapped. “I’m sure backup will be here soon. Once it does, your little scheme will not work anymore. Let Bailey go and we can get on with it.”

“You always have to suck the joy out of everything.”

Zane had enough time to blink before Antoine was in front of him. He reached for Zane’s throw. Zane threw up a shield. And it was then that he was reminded how totally fucked he was when it came to battling Antoine.

His shield shattered from the light Law used against him.

The darkness shriveled and cracked, revealing a hole big enough for Antoine to slip his hand through.

Said hand gripped Zane’s arm, causing searing pain to ripple through his limbs.

A pain he knew too well conjured memories of a youth he wished to forget.

Biting back a scream, Zane dropped to his knees.

His lapse of concentration sent the shadows back into a wisp of smoke.

“Stop it!” Bailey shouted.

Zane’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, fading from black to white.

He couldn’t move, frozen by the fierce grasp Antoine had on his wrist. Antoine’s eyes grew dark, much like Zane’s did when he used his mutation.

His lips twisted into a sickly smile. The veins in his arms darkened.

Zane’s arm twitched, his soft groans echoing in the room before Antoine’s chuckles canceled them out.

“I’ve missed this,” Antoine said, releasing Zane to kick him in the chest. The force sent Zane across the floor, hitting the opposing wall.

Antoine looked better than ever, as if he had achieved new life.

He ran his hands through his hair, eyes closed in a serene breath.

Cracking his neck, Antoine opened his eyes to show them as pure black.

Raising his arm, the darkness followed in a swirling circle, the same way Zane conjured it.

“Let’s see if your training has done you any good,” Antoine said before bringing that darkness down onto Zane. He released an anguished cry, lying motionless on the tiled floor. Blood trickled out of his nose and the corner of his lip.

To say Bailey fell into a panic would be an understatement. His eyes widened in horror, throat tightening from fear and worry, which turned to anger when Antoine prepared to repeat the action.

“You fucking coward!” Bailey hollered, shivering when Antoine’s dark gaze landed on him. Trouble didn’t seem to know when to keep its mouth shut.

Before Antoine retaliated, he was sent hurtling into the wall from the punch Zane delivered in his gut.

Zane pulled his fist back once more, the shadows creating an extension of his arm that he slammed into Antoine.

The walls shook. Dust and dirt fell from the corners.

The fist sent Antoine through the walls.

Zane’s arm shook, clearly still out of it.

The attack stunned Antoine for the moment.

Zane approached Bailey on shaking legs. His eyes couldn’t concentrate, wobbling after every step.

A gruesome bruise spread on his arm where Antoine had grabbed him.

The veins pulsed beneath his skin. Bailey wished to ask what was going on, but he saved that for another day, hopefully one where Zane wasn’t fighting for their lives.

“Are you ok?” Bailey asked, even if he felt stupid.

“I should ask you that.” Zane tore the restraints from his wrists. It felt great to be out of them even if the air stung the abused skin. Zane tore the remaining restraints from Bailey’s ankles.

“I’m fine,” Bailey mumbled, earning himself a disbelieving look. He chose not to say anything more because the last thing they needed was to feel worse. Right now, it was best to only think about getting out of there alive.

Zane hesitated to move Bailey, one of his arms reaching under the boy’s legs.

The slightest pressure forced Bailey to groan, but they couldn’t wait.

He sure as hell couldn’t walk, either. Apologizing, and pressing a kiss to Bailey’s forehead, Zane lifted him out of the chair.

Bailey buried his face in the man’s shirt to quiet his pain.

His entire body ached, and he thought something other than his leg was broken.

The moment Zane had Bailey in his arms, the entire room shook.

A rumbling sound came from the hole Zane had sent Antoine flying through.

More dust fell from the ceiling, signaling that Antoine was awake and probably very pissed off.

Zane swiftly took the path that led him there to begin with.

Rooms collapsed in the distance. Lights flickered.

Those behind them went out, casting the hall in shadow.

Dust plumed out of the rooms to clog their lungs and cast everything in a brown haze.

Antoine was gaining on them. Bailey heard a thumping coming closer, then a gust of debris shot through the hall.

Zane kept running, even if the powerful gust of wind nearly made him trip.

Bailey hissed when Zane’s arm moved, hitting the back of his injured leg.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Antoine’s voice echoed around them.

Even through the dust and his broken glasses, Bailey made out a dark movement in the cloud behind them.

Suddenly, Zane came to a stop. A dark shield encased them.

Then a loud bang rattled against the shield, shaking so ferociously that it cracked.

Zane scowled, looking at Bailey, then at the quickly forming cracks.

Each attack grew stronger than the last, and he swiftly sat Bailey down.

He hissed, his leg resting uselessly at his side.

Zane couldn’t fight Antoine while carrying Bailey, but he couldn’t avoid Antoine either. The man wouldn’t allow it. Though Zane hated the idea, he would have to stay behind.

“Can you crawl?” Zane asked, causing Bailey to give him an incredulous look. “Antoine is going to break through any second. I need you to get away as fast as you can.”

“And what, you stay behind to fight his crazy ass? No way.” Bailey shook his head furiously.

“I can’t fight at my best with you here.”