Elemental
Chapter 20: Monster

Sebastian was dumb. Sebastian was an idiot. Sebastian had not thought this through at all before he did it and now he was sincerely regretting it. He was in the air vents; he had gotten there with the help of a shove from a water wave. Except now he couldn’t move.

Because vents are noisy and every time Sebastian moved even a little bit it echoed and that would get him found out.

Everything was about to get worse, much worse. Because while Sebastian sat half bent over in the vent. He heard two different sounds, and neither of them were good.

The first was raw and painful screaming. The kind that would shred your voice for days afterwards. My-soul-is-in-pain screaming, I’m-dying-much-to-slowly screaming. It made the hairs on the back of Sebastian’s neck stand straight up.

The second sound was the sound of rumbling water, filling the vents. What Sebastian had mistaken for air vents were in fact meant to be filled with water. To muffle the screaming, so that the humans outside wouldn’t hear it and think something was wrong.

Sound doesn’t cut through water very well. So the vents were filling up and the flaps like the one Sebastian had entered from were shutting. Any human in Sebastian’s situation would most likely drown.

Sebastian was an Elemental, with the power of water woven like silk into his very DNA. Yes, he needed to breathe as humans do. But he could hold his breath much longer and his eyesight was unhindered by being underwater.

Sebastian took a big gulp of air as the water reached his neck, if the Peacemakers had known he was inside the vents they would never have filled them. It was like feeding a fire. Or in this case giving Sebastian exactly what he needed.

He ran his hands over the shiny metal of the vents and closed his eyes as the coolness of the water went over his head. The vents were now completely filled. The water hummed in Sebastian’s mind, it was happy to see him. It felt like meeting an old friend after a long time.

Through the water, Sebastian could also see and hear what was going on in the building. He followed the sound of the screaming, it might lead him to his uncle. Sebastian refused to consider that it might be his uncle. He couldn’t think of it because that might make it true.

Sebastian’s mind reached the part of the vents where the screaming was loudest. A tiny crack in the metal was enough for Sebastian to see through to the room below. It was the same dark room that Sebastian had seen in his vision.

Dark brown almost black carpet and walls smeared with what Sebastian hoped was not blood. Movement to the left of him, the figure in black wielding something that was so bright Sebastian couldn’t make out what it was.

The screaming started again and Sebastian saw his uncle writhing on the bed where he was chained. Blood ran down his face from a head wound and his eyes were glazed with pain. The figure in black was jabbing Daniel in his bad knee with the bright thing.

Suddenly Sebastian wasn’t water inside the vents, instead he was back in his body and he was falling into the dark room. He hit the floor and felt his limbs bruise from the ungraceful landing. How did I… Get here? That’s never happened before…

“I told you he would come charging in Daniel, and he didn’t even figure out that I could sense the electrical activity of his mind in the water…” time seemed to freeze as Sebastian stared at the figure in black.

That voice… It was… It couldn’t be… Not her, oh Please not her. Not the one person he trusted as much as his uncle. Who understood him and stood by his side, lighting up the darkness. Sebastian almost heard his own heart breaking again. Right in the same place that had started to heal after his parent’s death.

She pulled off her hood, and it was her. He knew those golden eyes as well as his own. How could she do this to him? he loved her, he taught her everything! He opened up his stone cold heart to her and she… She betrayed him!

“Light… Please… Why?” his brain couldn’t even process what he was seeing. He saw her but he couldn’t comprehend that the person who had kidnapped his uncle was Gabrielle.

There was an explosion to Sebastian’s left and he turned to see one of the walls had caved in. Out of the hole came Shaft. Specks of dust littered her black jumper and jeans. It clung to her purple hair as she deflected a blast of lightning from Gabrielle.

“I’m here to spring you Boss! Sorry I’m a bit late!” Shaft was busy unchaining Daniel who must have called her to come and help him. Sebastian felt his anger rise and the sizzle of his power running through his veins. When he looked down at his arm he saw his veins glowing blue.

“You… Betrayed… Me! You used me! How could you do this?!” Sebastian had the water from the vents at his disposal but he was worried about hurting his uncle or Shaft. If he let go, and let his power do whatever it wanted they might be harmed.

“Sebastian! Come with us! If you lose control you may never get it back!” uncle was calling for him. He knew he should go, but…

He felt the beat of his power humming to be used. He wanted revenge and so it knew. It was begging him like a toddler who desperately wanted a toy.

“LEAVE!” Sebastian created a bubble of water and pushed his uncle and Shaft into it. Once they were safely enclosed he sent them out of the building and away. He didn’t care where they went as long as it was away. He needed them to be safe from what he was about to do.

Sebastian took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Last time he lost control it had been painful. Because he had resisted it in a vain attempt to keep his power in check. Now he acknowledged the fierce power of tidal waves and deadly seas. He sank into the blue fizzing pool and let it take over.

Sebastian was no longer completely conscious. Nor was he able to see himself, but his uncle injured though he was had not left. He was watching. Shaft supported him as he stood outside the building and observed the flashes of blue and white clashing together.

“I didn’t want to do this… But even if Sebastian defeats Gabrielle which is unlikely, we’ll need help to bring him back to himself… I think it’s time we let Ying and Yang out to stretch their legs” Shaft gasped and stared at Daniel, but Daniel was certain. Though he would protect this particular secret with his life it was needed now.

“Are you sure Boss? I mean they aren’t exactly ready…” he held up his hand to stop Shaft in her tracks. They would be fine; Daniel had invested a lot of time into preparing them. They were strong enough for this, stronger even than Sebastian.

“No more arguing, we need to fetch them quickly” Daniel was in no state to fight, his head was pounding and he could feel himself trembling. He didn’t want Sebastian to be consumed by his power, this was the only option they had left.

“Tell them that under no circumstances may they harm my nephew, but they may do whatever is necessary to contain him” Sebastian would not want to give up, if Gabrielle escaped he would want to tear the city apart to find her. If she died, he would seek out the rest of the Peacemakers.

The scariest thing about monsters, is not what they can do or the fact that they are monsters. It’s that anyone can become one. Daniel had stood by and let it happen to Eric. He would not make the same mistake again.

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