Never Too Late

[Nox]

Nox felt better with his arm. The earbud in his left ear allowed him quick communication with Sage. "Wicked." Nox whispered into the wallet.

The screen flashed.

Where the fuck have you been.

"Later. I need all cameras and power out at my location. Everything, Wicked."

Ashton stood and watched as Nox did push up after push up, straining against his own weight. They weren't this hard before. Now his arms ached, his side and back hurt. Every muscle in his body felt tense. And he was burning up. The fever he'd woken up with was only getting worse the more he moved, but he needed the sedative out of his system.

"Water. And get everyone out of here."

Ashton nodded and unlocked the cage with a big metal key that hung on the far wall. "Does every jailer like to taunt their prisoners." Nox said sitting down on the cold hard floor when Ashton handed him the water bottle.

Nox sipped at it and drank of the cool water. It felt ice cold in his hands. He had to move soon.

Nox closed his eyes and took a deep breath and settled himself into Sukhasana. The power danced in the corner of his eye and he reached through the slick sludge of the horde in the emptiness of his mind and found the darkness. It slipped through his fingers, once, and then twice and with a third dramatic reach Nox grabbed the power and wrestled it into submission. It fought more than usual. It burned and raged like his body and he pulled it through his self and into a weave.

He opened his eyes and flames erupted at the ends of his fingers. The power was intoxicating and the horde revealed in it even though they feared it and knew its wrath. It didn't care right now -- there was revenge to be had.

"You ready Wicked?"

A large thumbs up popped on his screen. A wicked smile drew across his lips as he shot the first bolt of flame at the cage he'd been in. The girls who'd been next to him scrabbled to the door and Nox delved into the iron and found the cracks and shattered it with ease. It crumbled into dust and they wrapped their arms around him. "Kill us too."

The power dropped from his grasp as his arms wrapped around the girls. "No. Why... No."

"We don't want to live like this anymore."

"That's the whole point of this. You won't have to."

"Please." they both begged.

"You have babies inside you... no."

"Monsters."

Ashton interrupted. "You know they can live normal lives. Look at Max."

"I can't. Maybe after the babies are born we can talk, but suicide should not be your first option." Nox turned to Ashton. "Get them out of here, use your gift if you have to but they will not die tonight."

Ashton nodded and frowned. He wasn't happy about it either. But they would not die on his watch. They were victims.

Nox unfurled from their grasp and gently pushed them towards Ashton. "Out of here before the fire starts blazing. Get everyone out Ashton. Even if you promised never to siren them I need them all out. Anyone you trust and feel safe. Now."

He reached for the power and had to fight for control. He had to fight to stay standing. The power raged inside him once again and as the children all ran up the stairs Nox started burning the basement and all that reminded him of the monsters.