Seek {Superhero AU} - Ending 1

34: Dead Wrong

A/N: Before important chapters like this, I make a bulleted list of everything that needs to happen. Usually the lists are around 10-15 bullet points. This chapter's list is 39 bullet points long.

So, uh, needless to say, this chapter is important for tying up loose ends of the plot.

NPOV

Track: Another Way Out, Hollywood Undead

Immediately after Will punches the Viper, Hazel loses it again. Sunlight explodes outward, lighting up the room with the sheer unbridled extent of Will's powers in a newcomer's hands. I shut my eyes against the blinding light, but probably not in time to avoid temporary blindness—not that that matters anyway because I currently can't open my eyes against the light anyway.

Panic squeezes my heart as I realize the Viper isn't affected—that stupid mask protects her, and her suit leaves no skin exposed, so except for the rare beam hot enough to burn cloth, the Viper is in no danger. Meaning—

Firm arms grab me by the throat. I swing my fists blindly, wildly, desperate to save my own life. I think one of my punches manages to hit her right below her throat, and the robot makes a sudden sound like it's in pain. My gut tells me to open my eyes to see my attacker, but I can't do that, so instead I fight like a caged animal, clawing at fabric and tearing and doing anything I can to get her off me. The light burns any centimeter of exposed skin, but I manage to block it out, adrenaline numbing the pain and giving me the energy to hit harder than I've ever hit before.

"Hazel," comes the robotic voice, "the prison cells lock automatically. I can keep your brother away from you if you can safely get Will into one of the cells—do not hurt him, do you understand?"

"Got it," Hazel agrees, her voice determined and deadly. She calls back the light—I know because my eyelids stop burning with intense light. When I open my eyes, my vision is still mostly dancing spots of color and silhouettes—I can't quite make out anything around me.

The Viper uses the hand on my throat to yank me forward, and I curse, clawing at her hand, fighting for my life, refusing to give in.

"Hey—!" I hear Will shout. "Let go of me!"

I manage to tear through the Viper's gloves, ripping skin and flesh and I can feel sticky blood under my fingernails but it's not enough, the Viper just gasps in pain and then squeezes my throat more tightly until I can't breathe anymore. I pry at her fingers, but her grip is strong, and then she pulls me by the throat forward. I stumble along—I can't escape her grip, and I also can't see well enough to even know where we're going.

I can hear Will's desperate pleading to be freed getting farther away—I think we turned a corner somewhere in this fight. Will must be in a prison cell right now. How dare they—!

I pull hard on the Viper's right hand, straining, and the Viper cries out—I hear a sick crack as something in her wrist breaks—I keep pulling, and a sob passes through the Viper's robotic voice filter so that it sounds inhuman and wrong.

She's one-handed now. Maybe that will make this easier.

I blink against the spots covering my vision, hoping I might be able to recover at least some of it. I can sort of make out a dark blob in front of me—I swing a punch at it but misjudge the distance. The Viper grabs my wrist and curses at me. "You could have just accepted my deal, Nico. Why do you refuse to leave her alone?"

"I'm trying to save her!" I protest, and I'm getting awfully tired of being accused of villainy recently. I twist my arm in an attempt to break the Viper's grip, but she's strong, so instead I use my other arm to drive my fist straight into the Viper's stomach. Her grip loosens, and I give a sharp tug to free my wrist from her grasp again.