Page 44 of The Divide that Binds Us

The narrow basement halls are empty and damp as we drag her down to a similar, small room with a dim ceiling light and a bulky wooden chair in the center.We sit her down and wait, but she makes no effort to move.

The thought of Malice eats my brain stem, rendering me ill-equipped to process my mindless wanderings.I want to study her because what kind of person is gifted with such incredible talent?Her prowess is intoxicating in all the wrong ways, but I need more of it.

“Yo.”Drake stares at me.“We gonna do this or nah?”

I slowly blink, focusing on Natasha as her head hangs low.

“Y-Yeah.Sorry,” I mumble.“Just the usual routine.”

I hold her down while Drake clamps the chair cuffs around her wrists, followed by her ankles, neck, and waist.He tightens and buckles each clamp until it looks like Natasha’s limbs are turning blue.

“So, that situation the other day,” I begin.Drake’s grin resurfaces.“What’d you make of that?”

He grunts and reaches for the metal helmet sitting on the floor.He plops it right on Natasha’s head and buckles it under her chin.Finally, she’s alert and squirms in the chair.

“What...what’re you doing?”Natasha asks.

“Oh, now she talks,” Drake scoffs.He turns to me and shrugs.“Are you asking about Malice?Pretty badass to stand up to Clyde like that if you ask me.”

Natasha writhes in the chair with a shaky sob.Her face is covered from the helmet, but tears stream down her cheeks and drip from her chin.I want to look away to preserve the humanity I have left, but I just stare.She was probably a great Elite member; now she’ll become a worthy Ultima member.

Even Drake is impressed with Malice and the thought fidgets.My hands tingle as power pools at the tips of my fingers.I can’t get my head out of the grass about that girl.Drake is waiting and Natasha is crying hysterically.

“Wh-what’re...you doing?What’re you d-doing to me?!”

“Don’t worry, your memories outside of Elite will remain intact.We just wanna switch up that loyalty of yours,” I tell her.

I hold the helmet steady in my hands with just the fingertips touching the metal.Drake steps back and leans against the wall.Natasha tries to kick and reach for me with her legs and arms, but she’s strapped tightly into the chair.

Power hums within me as it builds in my chest, and I exhale in time to release it through my fingers.It takes a second but lightning shoots from my hands and onto the helmet.It scatters like vermin down Natasha’s body and contains itself within the chair, cackling and shocking every inch of her.She screams until the lightning engulfs her and veins are popping out of her neck, arms, hands, and legs.

I step away, making sure the lightning can still function without me, and it appears to do so well.It circles, dances, and attacks Natasha and it will do so for at least twenty-four hours.

We slip out and slam the door shut.I look sternly into Drake’s seafoam-green eyes and finally settle some of the agitation I’m feeling.I can’t believe there was a time before me when Ultima manually had to create their own electricity to shock Elite members.It’s effortless now but alsoexhausting.

“Sorry that I keep asking, but she’s fine without a mouthguard, right?”he asks.

There’s a lot of commotion above us upstairs.It must be shift change and people coming and going for new missions assigned.I have so many progress reports to review, and they’re due tomorrow.All I want to do is sit and think about how to capture this Elite member.

“Yes, eventually I want to switch to an injection and get rid of the chair.”

“That would be great.I never was a fan of this method,” Drake grumbles.

“What?Then why do you help me every time we kidnap someone?”

“Because it’s a brilliant use of my power to walk through walls.Why would I ever do that any other time?It’s handy when you don’t know what the other side of the door is like.”He crosses his arms.“Unlike Katarzyna, I for one, actually like to make use of ALL of my powers, ya know?”

“Jerk, you’re just as bad as Clyde,” I chuckle.

“Speaking of, I’m late for another round of chess.Same spot tomorrow?”He doesn’t bother waiting for my response and instead pats my shoulder and jets off down the hall.

Too bad he didn’t wait for me to tell him Clyde won’t be playing chess for a while.

Ibarely blink whentomorrow arrives, and I’m waiting in the same spot for Drake to come downstairs.I haven’t looked at a single report.I brewed mint tea, ate junk, and fell asleep.

Footsteps quickly tap toward me as I look up and meet Katarzyna’s wary gaze.She’s hardly assigned fieldwork and busies herself with administrative “missions” so it’s odd when she wears her black cargo shorts and double-breasted navy vest jacket.

She scratches her neck, fidgets, and looks at the low ceiling.“Um...hey.”

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