Ethan knox - September 2120
Kai looks exhausted. Soot smudges his face, and faint streaks of blood sit under his nose.
He's pushed himself again.
"Kai… are you okay?" I ask, reaching up to cup his face. I want to see him, really see him, but I also want to make sure he knows I'm here.
"Yeah, don't worry about it," he says calmly, eyes meeting mine.
It's calm. Too calm. He's trying to brush it off like nothing happened, like it's all fine, but I know better.
"Tell me what happened," I insist, keeping my voice gentle, but firm enough to nudge him into honesty.
He sighs, and for a second I can see him debating how much to tell me. "Just ran into a bit of trouble, that's all… Christopher's security guard and a few… Special Division Operators."
My stomach drops. Special Division Operators.
I feel my hands fall from his face, and I step back, my mind racing. Why were they there? What if they'd taken him while I wasn't there?
Kai notices my tension immediately and steps forward, taking my hand in his.
"Ethan, it's fine. I'm fine," he says, trying to calm me.
"But-" I start, my voice shaking slightly. "They could've taken you."
He leans forward slightly and pulls me into a hug, pressing his lips to the top of my head. His arms wrap around me like he's trying to anchor us both.
"I wouldn't have let them take me" he murmurs into my hair.
I lean into him, trying to calm my racing thoughts by feeling his heartbeat, but something about it seems off. It's surging, then dropping, then skipping a beat, like it can't decide how to behave.
I've listened to his heart enough times to know when something's wrong.
"Kai" I say, gently pushing off him a little.
"Yeah?" he murmurs softly.
I press my hand to his chest, feeling the uneven rhythm, my worry spiking again.
"Why is your heart doing that?"
He glances away guiltily, rubbing his chest with one hand, like it'll fix itself.
Then it hits me: Christopher's security guard and his electricity power.
"Did he hit you with his powers?" I ask, voice tight.
Kai hesitates. That pause confirms my fear.
"It was just a small zap to the chest… I'm fine, I swear," he protests.
"Right. That's it," I snap, a little sharper than I mean to be. I grab his hand and start pulling him toward the main school building.
"Where are we going?" he asks, confusion clear in his voice.
"We're going to see Sophie," I say, not looking back.
"Ethan, really… I'm fine," he starts.
I ignore him, tugging him along. He doesn't resist and just lets me pull him.
When we reach Sophie's office, I push the door open and march in, still holding Kai's hand.
"Eh… what… what's going on?" Sophie asks, pen in hand, notebook open as she hunches over her old wooden desk in the corner of the room.
"Kai's hurt. He needs a check" I say, voice urgent.
Sophie quickly stands up from her chair, nearly knocking it over, and gestures toward the bed. "Have a seat."
Kai starts to protest, but I guide him firmly onto the bed. He looks between me and Sophie like a lost puppy.
"What… what seems to be the problem?" Sophie asks, adjusting her glasses and opening her notebook as she stands in front of Kai.
He looks down for a moment before speaking. "I got hit in the chest by electricity… but it's not that bad, I swear."
Sophie sets her notebook aside and grabs her stethoscope. She places it on his chest and we all fall silent, listening.
"You've had a disruption to your heart's electrical system," she says calmly, reading the monitor. "Probably from the shock. I can steady it for now, but you'll need to monitor it closely." Her eyes soften when she notices Kai's tense hands. "No exercise… and no powers, for now."
Kai clenches his fists. "You mean… I can't use them?"
"Just for a short time," Sophie replies, tapping the screen. "Every spike, every pause shows how stressed your heart is. One wrong move and you could collapse."
Kai nods quickly. "Okay… I'll be careful."
I reach over and take his hand in mine, giving it a squeeze. "Don't worry, I'll look after you" I say softly, trying to keep my voice light so he doesn't feel guilty.
He offers a small, forced smile.
Sophie directs him to lie down. He obeys, and she moves closer, placing her hand on his chest. A soft green glow emanates from her palm.
"So… what actually happened with the Division operators?" I ask, stepping up beside Kai.
He glances at me for a second, then lowers his gaze back to Sophie's glowing hand.
"They weren't there for me" he says quietly. "They said they where there to watch over Christopher."
My smile fades. "Did they say why?"
Kai hesitates. Just long enough for my chest to tighten.
"They said my father told them to make sure he stayed away from Noah."
My stomach drops and at the same time I catch Sophie tensing at the mention of Dr Langford, like the name alone is enough to poison the air.
"Why?" I ask, keeping my voice gentle.
Kai looks up at me then. There's something sharp in his eyes now, almost cold, focused."I don't know," he says. "But I will find out."
The way he says it sends a chill through me. I fold my arms and let out a slow breath. I don't want Christopher anywhere near Kai. But if this is about Noah, I already know there's nothing I can say that would stop him and I wouldn't try.
After a moment, the glow in Sophie's hand fades and she straightens.
"Okay," she says softly. "How does that feel?"
Kai sits up, pressing a hand to his chest."Much better. Thank you."
Relief warms my chest at the sound of his steady voice.
Sophie nods, uneasy. "Just… remember what I said."
Kai swings his legs off the bed and carefully rolls his shoulder.
Then there's a knock at the door. Ray steps in, wearing his usual easy smile.
"Feeling better, lad?" he asks.
Kai nods.
"Good," Ray says. "Thought you'd want to know, Christopher's awake now."
I glance at Kai, watching him hesitate. He looks between Ray and me, as if almost asking me for permission for him to go.
I look down briefly, then step closer towards him, making my choice for him.
"Alright," I say. "If you're going to talk to him, I'm coming too."
"But-" Kai starts.
I lift a hand, cutting him off gently but firmly."If you're going, I'm going as well."
He exhales, then nods.
And just like that, I'm at his side exactly where I belong.
_____________________
Ray guides us down into the basement of the old school building."Charming place as always" I mutter lightly as we descend the stairs, trying and failing to shake the chill creeping up my spine.
The air down here is colder, heavier. Bare concrete runs the length of the walls, and the room is lit by harsh lighting.
As we walk along the corridor, I notice the old storage rooms which have been turned into makeshift prison cells. With Edmund's brain, Thomas technology and Ray's strength, they've built something disturbingly solid. Thick bars, with electricity humming faintly through them, definitely not somewhere you'd want to misbehave.
I glance into one of the cells as we pass and Bennett lies motionless on the floor, metal restraints clamped around his wrists, power-suppressing tech Thomas stole from the facility. He looks almost peaceful, which somehow makes it worse.
Further down, a voice cuts through the corridor.
"Hey! Let me out! Do you know who I am?!"
Christopher. His voice alone sends a chill down my spine.
We stop outside his cell but I hang back, just a little out of sight. I don't want to see his face, not if I can help it. But there's no universe where I let Kai face him alone.
When Kai and Ray step fully into view, Christopher bursts out laughing.
"You've got to be kidding me," he sneers. "004? Is this some kind of petty revenge from the club?"
Kai says nothing. Just stands there, arms crossed, watching him like he's already bored.
"Let me out!" Christopher snaps. "You're just GeneX's dog. You have no right!"
My jaw tightens at his comment.
Dog?
How dare he call Kai a dog. I want to reach through those bars and slap him. But I stay where I am.
"What do you want with Noah?" Kai asks. His voice is sharp, stripped clean of warmth.
I glance at him and his face gives nothing away.
Christopher hesitates. "Noah? What do you-" Then it clicks. "Oh."
He laughs, and it makes my stomach sink. "Did your father send you? I guess you're still on his leash, then?"
"Answer him," Ray says flatly, fist tightening, "unless you want another nap."
"Fine" Christopher scoffs. "I threatened to tell Noah you were still alive and I guess your father decided to take action"
I catch the way Kai swallows. It's tiny, almost invisible, but I see it.
"Why?" Kai asks.
"Why?" Christopher snaps. "Your whole family drives me insane! Your father thinks he owns everything, your brother thinks he's better than everyone else, and you-"
He comes closer to the bars and leans forward.
"You're a traitor. A disgrace to GeneX. A dog like you should be put down."
That's my breaking point.
"Oh, absolutely not," I snap, stepping into view. "You do not get to talk to him like that."
Kai instinctively reaches out to stop me, but Christopher grins.
"Well, look at that," he says sweetly. "The whore was nearby after all."
I laugh, sharp and humourless. "Wow. You really don't have anything original, do you?"
"You didn't call me unoriginal when I had you bent over-"
"Alright!" I bark, fury flashing hot and fast. "You're officially done talking."
I take a step forward, ready to hit him, when suddenly the shadows explode.
They slam Christopher back into the wall, hard enough to shake the wall. Shadows coil around his throat, lifting him just off the ground as he chokes.
I turn to Kai and his usual calm mask is gone. His eyes are burning.
I move to him immediately, placing a hand flat on his chest, grounding him.
"Hey," I say softly. "Hey, Look at me."
His gaze flickers to mine and softern slightly.
"It's okay," I continue gently. "I know he's a dickhead, but we still need him alive."
Kai hand remains outstretched, using his shadows to hold Christopher in place and for a moment, I think he won't stop.
Then he exhales and the shadows disappear. Christopher collapses to the floor hard and begins to cough violently.
"Right," Ray says briskly, stepping in. "That's my cue. You two head out, I'll handle him."
Kai's eyes linger on Christopher, dangerous and unreadable. It felt like he was going to strike out again.
I slip my fingers through his and tug gently. "Come on. Basement jail visits are over."
He hesitates for a moment and then follows. I catch him slightly rubbing his chest over his heart.
Once we're outside, I let go and start pacing.
"That absolute waste of oxygen," I rant. "I swear, once this mission's done, I'm hitting him. Possibly twice."
Kai watches me quietly as I pace in front of him. I can feel my anxiety rising within me.
"And no," I add, gesturing wildly, "not because of what he called me, I couldn't care less about that. I just-" I stop, breath hitching.
I look at Kai, my stomach dropping.
He's still watching me calm and silent.
Oh no.
"Kai," I say softly, stepping closer. "Please don't take what he said seriously. I-"
I trail off, unsure how to finish. What if Kai thinks I am a whore for sleeping with that man... what if he stops caring for me?
I reach out, then hesitate, but before I can pull back, he takes my hand.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs.
I blink. "What? Why are you apologising?"
He pulls me into a tight hug and my breath catches in my throat.
"I shouldn't have lost control like that," he says quietly.
My chest softens instantly.
"You didn't do anything wrong," I say, hugging him back. "You were protecting me."
I feel his heartbeat, still fast and uneven, but it's real.
"I thought…" I hesitate. "I thought you might be upset with me."
He pulls back just enough to look at me, genuinely confused.
"Why would I ever be upset with you?"
His black eyes look down at me intensly like a lost confused puppy.
That does it.
My chest aches, in the best way.
I lean back into him, shaking my head. "You're unfairly good for me, you know that?"
I lace our fingers together. "Come on. You haven't eaten, and I'm not letting you survive on adrenaline and rage alone."
He follows without a word. As I feel his warm hand within mine, all I can think is...
God.
I love him so much.