Chapter 47：Never tease a lion

"It's been forty nine years, 11 months, and six day ... yet your still no closer to finding the cure to my immortality!" called James. "Most of my friends have died of old age, those that are left are too weak to fight, and yet I grow strong by the second! These chains will wear away at some point and then you'll have an immortal and basically invulnerable god to deal with!" The chains that strung him up rattled slightly. In the a dark, damp cave underneath Rikers island, James, wearing an orange jumpsuit, was strung up by two great chains that were both heavily bolted to the walls while his lower body was clasped tightly by woven pieces of Zamerium - a new element found by a German scientist while investigating the reversal of the power emitted by the omni-crystal shards. The new element soaked up an energy being radiated by any source and converted it a liquid substance now used as fuel for advanced flight and travel.

In the forty nine years of the group being in prison, a lot happened. Liam and Ben had become an official couple after twelve years and married (although not officially) two years after. However, Gaia, Rawley, practically everyone in the prison except Abigail, Max, Matilda, James, William, Edward, Ben, Liam, and a few secret children of inmates had either perished or been sent to death. Those that remained were all at least over thirty years old and had no memory or even idea of what the outside world looked. Stories started going around saying that flying cars and trains had been invented, world hunger and thirst had been eradicated, and a true peace had been achieved across the planet and others. Sarah, against the advice of the others that worked at the prison, started a talk session for people to come to. It didn't take long for prisoners to come from all ends of the complex to start joining in and talking to each other about what their lives were like prior to imprisonment and what they dream to achieve if they ever get out. That of course, was very unlikely to happen ... but not impossible.

Twenty three years after the 'last' free ability user was imprisoned, the order was given by the president to bring all imprisoned ability users to Rikers island for a final eradication of the race. Planes full of prisoners flew in from Russia to Indonesia and in total, four thousand and sixty seven inmates became accumulated at the prison. A controlled atom bomb was to be dropped on the complex and modern technology allowed for the explosion to be contained and removed using Zamerium shields. The area left would be flat and perfect for another use like residential or storage. All staff of Rikers island were ordered to leave the island and could stay at the safe point on the bridge if they wanted to watch the fireworks. Cooks and soldiers rushed to leave the building leaving behind all the prisoners and ... Sarah?

*This isn't supposed to happen. She's supposed to leave, feel guilty for abandoning them, and then be killed by the government for betrayal. Oh, turn off speech to text Danie-*

Sarah ran down the stairs and turned the corner into the cave which held James. She looked to her right and dashed towards the control room where she was met with quite a few buttons. She read some of the labels underneath each before finding one that read 'Zamerium release'. She pressed it and two buttons appeared on a screen:

Are you sure?:

She thrust her finger to the yes button and James jolted suddenly. He yanked on his chains and they were ripped from their places in the walls. He activated blitz and metal encasing him exploded away lodging chunks in the wall near to where Sarah was while trying to get away unnoticed. James stepped forward and quickly appeared face to face with Sarah who's face drained in colour so quickly it was visible.

"P-please, I've done n-nothing wrong. Don't k-kill me, please!" pleaded Sarah. James raised his hand and placed it on Sarah's head.

"I'm not really one to forgive." said James. Sarah winced but a couple short pats on her head slightly calmed her and she opened her eyes. "But I know you've done nothing wrong so I don't need to forgive you. Now hang on tight."

James picked Sarah up and started carrying her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him neck and James crouched down onto one knee. Streaks of fire whirled around James' aura and formed a barrier above him. James jumped and the barrier protected the two of them until they reached the roof. Blitz dissipated and James set Sarah down to view the outside world. Or at least what was left of it. All of the buildings surrounding Rikers island were just rubble now and a dusty mist prevented any sight beyond half a mile and the blue sky was now a dark and murky grey. A distant whistle broke James' focus and he looked up at the falling bomb. It was going to land right on top of him.

Sarah saw the bomb as well and began to run along the roof but James didn't move. He waited for the bomb to be merely a metre above him yet didn't move. It reached his head and scarcely brushed against his eyebrows yet he didn't move ... nor did the bomb. There was moment of calm as if time had stopped while the bomb floated motionless.

"Kinetic rebound." spoke James in an annoyed voice and the bomb rocketed back up into the sky. James spun on the spot towards Sarah and as he took a step the bomb exploded in the sky. Once at the edge of the roof, James put his hands together and rubbed them vigorously in excitement. He snapped his fingers and the doors of the prison flew off their hinges, releasing thousands of prisoners into the open air. Once out they stopped in their tracks and looked out at the wasteland ahead.

"What happened?! This can't be right?!" cried one woman. A man comforted her and many did the same to others.

"Friends and family! Everything has changed since our capture. People we know may have died and children may now be parents. For now, I know a place where we can be safe from recapture and try to live the rest of the life we've missed so much of. I'm sorry, but this is out life now." said James. He cracked his knuckles and did some stretches quickly. "It's been a while but running over the sea carrying a group of people shouldn't be too hard right?"

There was a sonic boom and before people could register what had happened they were outside a large and slightly worn down warehouse. Sarah looked at James to ask what had happened but James was too occupied with looking at the building with smoking shoes to notice her.

The doors opened and a woman exited to building followed by a man; both wearing old and ripped clothes. Matilda, now in her seventies, hobbled over to the two adults and hugged them with shaky arms and many tears.

"Sophie. Kyle. You've grown up so much!" she cried. Sophie and Kyle hugged her back. Many people on the crowd started to applaud the happy reunion but James kept fixated on a man in a window who looked back with equal determination before putting a finger to his ear and saying something.

Suddenly, a rain of bullets was released on the crowd as concealed troops opened fire. They fired from trees and bushes around the area and some even opened fire from the windows of the building. Their bullets stopped in midair at certain points around the group forming a bullet dome. The gunfire stopped and James clenched his fists while breathing heavily trying to keep calm. William touched his shoulder to try and calm him down but it was all that was needed to set James off in a furious rage. His eyes ignited in red fire and one by one the soldiers piled up unconscious around James as he became blurrier from the speed at which he was going. The last soldier appeared in James' grasp being slowly choked.

"How did you find this place!? WHO SENT YOU!?" demanded James. His voice was loud and deep as if someone else was speaking for him. The soldier gagged and uttered three words before passing out:

"The new general..."

"Jack's with them!" called Kyle. The bullets fell to the ground and when people looked back at James he was gone.