Michael set his gun on the ground and shook out his fists. “If you want to have any chance of taking her, dog, you’re going to need to take me on first. I wanted to test myself against you anyway.”
“CJ, don’t!” Kendra shouted. “Just run. I couldn’t even hit Helen with a gun. You don’t have a chance.”
Helen’s gaze flicked between Michael and CJ. A hint of displeasure marred her face, but she remained quiet.
Michael grinned. “I’ll even give you a handicap. You can use a gun.” He inclined his head toward Helen. “I don’t have the same ability if you’re wondering, but I will kill you.”
CJ snatched a gun and pointed it at Michael. “You think you can win against me when I have a gun, and you don’t, you cocky, soon-to-be-dead son of a bitch?”
Michael sauntered forward, grinning. “I know I can win. Let me make this easy for you and give you a little motivation. If you don’t kill me, we’re going to take that pretty little Vestal of yours and make her into a NextGen. I’ll tell you what, even if she survives, she’ll die, and then we’ll track down the rest of you miserable mutts and finish you of—”
CJ’s loud gunshot resounded, but Michael’s head seemed like it was moving before the hybrid had even pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed by, and Michael charged.
Two more follow-up shots missed due to millisecond-perfect dodging. Michael closed the distance and knocked the gun out of CJ’s hand.
CJ swung. Michael ducked. Punch after punch failed to land. Michael bobbed and weaved, his grin growing with each miss. He jabbed at CJ, landing a few solid blows and forcing the hybrid back.
“This is the great super-soldier?” Michael laughed, jumping back with perfect timing to avoid a kick. “Vestals are wasted on you dogs.”
CJ grunted and backed away, keeping his fists up. Super-agility? Some sort of limited precognition? Without knowing the exact mechanics of Michael’s ability, it’d be hard to counter.
Michael rushed forward again. He threw strong punches, but now more accustomed to his attacks, CJ was able to block them without much trouble. The man had good training and decent size, but he wasn’t as strong as a hybrid. All CJ needed to do was get past the strange ability and connect with one solid punch.
The dance continued, Michael getting in the occasional jab or kick to CJ’s side or legs, but CJ missing every time. Sweat beaded down Michael’s face, but he kept his smug smile.
“Please, CJ!” Kendra called out. “Just run. You can’t win against these people. Don’t die for me.”
Defeating Michael didn’t guarantee anything. Kendra still had a gun to her head and was surrounded by guards. Helen obviously had some sort of shield power. CJ’s heart pounded harder. It was like the bastards were taunting him and his Vestal.
A loud gunshot rang out. The guard holding a gun on Kendra slumped to the ground. More shots followed, guards screaming and falling, clutching new bullet wounds in their chests. Michael jerked his head in that direction.
Julius had sneaked in through a back door. CJ had no idea where Julius got the gun, but he didn’t care. His partner had backed him up.
CJ didn’t waste time with taunts. Instead, he rushed the distracted Michael and smashed his fist into the side of the man’s head. Michael’s head snapped back, and the man groaned and dropped to his knees. A few more savage punches sent him to the ground, his face battered, and his nose broken.
Helen knelt and picked up a gun. “This is unfortunate.”
Julius jogged closer, aiming his gun at Helen. “Looks like I got here right in time.”
“Earlier would have been better,” CJ replied. “Guns don’t work on her.”
With the guards all dead or unconscious, Kendra ran toward CJ, moving behind him. She flipped off Helen. “You’re such a bitch.”
Helen edged toward a door. “You’re interfering with the progress of humanity for your own selfish reasons.”
“I don’t care about humanity,” CJ said. “I care about protecting my woman.”
Helen backed away. “I won’t allow you to capture me.”
“I don’t care.” CJ shrugged. “We and the government will get what we need from Mikey-Boy. We’ll be seeing you soon.”
“Not likely.” Helen sneered. She shot Michael three times in the head and tossed her gun on the ground. “I never liked him.”
Julius fired at her, but the bullet stopped in front of her just like Kendra’s. He tried firing at her legs to no greater success. “That’s annoying.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Kendra said.
CJ circled around the downed men heading toward Helen’s side. Julius wiped his gun with his shirt before dropping it to the ground and then jogged to flank Helen on the opposite side.
“I’m guessing your power has limits,” CJ said, glaring at her. “All we need to do is get close to you and knock you out.”
Helen lifted her hand. “I think you’re going to be busy.”
Kendra gasped and clawed at her throat. It was like an invisible hand was choking her. She kicked her feet as her body left the ground, lifted into the air by the same unseen force.
Julius stared at Kendra. “Shit.”
“Let her go!” CJ bellowed.
“Oh, I intend to… when she’s high enough,” Helen replied.
Kendra kept floating higher and higher until she was near the ceiling. Tears ran down her throat, and she flailed trying to break away from the NextGen’s power.
Helen cut through the air with her hand. Kendra jerked to the other side of the gym and fell. CJ and Julius both sprinted toward her.
CJ’s heart thundered. He was fast, but she was now on the other side of the room, rushing toward the hard wood. There was no way he could get there in time.
His entire body grew hot. It looked like Kendra’s fall had slowed, but he could see Julius out of the corner of his eye, his running almost in slow motion. Either CJ had sped up, both body and mind, or the entire world had
