Self Destruction

Jay had decided to spend some time out by the lake, he needed the time to unwind after everything that had gone in Lake Grimstone, however, when he spotted Brianna Reid out by the lake the idea of unwinding went out the window. Well, not entirely, he would just be unwinding in a different way. Jay had no idea why messing with the resident contact brought him joy but it did and so he would mess with her whenever he had the opportunity. Jay quickly shifted in to someone that she would recognize and walked towards her. “I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you, Miss Reid.” Jay as Thomas said with a slight smile on his lips. “If I was trying to do that, you wouldn’t have noticed me.” 

Brianna recognized the voice. She recognized the face. But she couldn’t put her finger on what seemed off about Thomas. There was something about the way he held himself that wasn’t quite right, something in the air of his words. Then there was the fact that he called her ‘Miss Reid’ rather than SA Reid or Agent Reid as Director Patterson normally did. Brianna smiled, the grin friendly and casual but her fingers began to curl towards her palm, her mind already picking through which sense she wanted to control. “You think highly of yourself, Tom.” Brianna purposefully chose a name she knew the Director would not recognize her calling him.

“Ah yes Jay, he always preferred that over his given name.” Laura said shaking her head but the smile on her face was evidence that she didn’t mind it. “Oh could you? That would be great. I am dying to see him and my grand babies.” While she wanted to see Jacob it was the thought of meeting her grand kids that excited her. “I’m Laura, by the way.”

“Of course.” Flynn nodded at the woman and then took out his phone. He scrolled through his contacts until he landed on Jay’s and opened a text message to him.

Flynn: Hey, where are you? I’m here with your mom and she’d like to see you and the kids.

Once he pressed send, Flynn glanced up from the phone and offered the woman a smile. “It’s very nice to meet you, Laura. My name is Flynn.” 

Jay: Do me a solid and keep her entertained for a bit. Jay: I promise to make it up to you. Jay: I can meet you two at the Bar & Grill in thirty minutes.

“Flynn, like Flynn Rider from Tangled?” She asked not meaning to be rude it was just an easy way for her to remember his name.

Laura’s smile turned to a frown and there was confusion written all over her face. “Before the take over?” She asked incredulous to what her son had been up to or what was really going on in Lake Grimstone. “Hmm, seems like this place needs to be better organized.” She said with a shrug. “Oh, I’m Laura, by the way.” She said extending her hand out to shake the young man’s.

“Yes,” Theodore said slowly, realizing now that he probably should not disclose too much of Jay’s personal life. “Well. There have been some organizational changes. Structural changes.” It was almost like a joke–there had been changes to the ruling structure of Lake Grimstone as well as the physical structures. Not that Laura would know that. “Laura, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Theodore. I’m one of the scientists here.” Sort of. It was becoming complicated.

Laura stopped and turned to face the young woman. She let out a laugh and pointed at the the young woman. “I see what you there.” She chuckled. “Unfortunately, my son only has eyes for Blake.” It wasn’t that Laura didn’t like Blake, she just didn’t like how quickly it had gotten so serious between them. “A newbie like me then. I’m Laura and you are?”

“Me? I just simply want to help a mother find her son.” Dahlia said playfully with a tone of innocence but gave a small smile and a bit of laughter. “He’s chosen someone already? How old is he?” She asked wondering if everyone here decided to settle down so young. Or maybe they weren’t that young? “Hi there newbie!” Dahlia held out her hand, though she had no idea how bright her hand suddenly was in the daylight, and said, “Nice to meet you Laura. I’m Dahlia. Dahlia Moore.”

“Other side of the building…got it.” Laura said offering the young woman a smile. “Where are my manners?” She said shaking her head. “I’m Laura and as I said, Jacob, or Jay as he liked to be called, is my baby boy. I haven’t seen him in a few years and I hear that I am now a grandma, do you happen to know my grand kids?” 

Wait Jay? Rosalie thought and smiled wide now connecting the dots as soon as Laura said she was a grandma. “Hi Laura! I’m Rosalie Moore! And actually, I believe I do know who you’re looking for, and I have met your grandchildren only a few times.” The only interaction she had with them had just been a wave or an introduction. But at least now, Rosalie knew where she needed to take her. “I just didn’t recognize the name Jacob since, like you’ve said, many people call him Jay.” Laughing a little she gestured and began to walk to where she had last seen him. “Blake and Jay’s children are special and very lucky to have a family like yours.”

Laura made her way through the crowd talking to no one and everyone at the same time. “Excuse me, Excuse me, I am looking for my son, Jacob Vasquez, Cute kid that looks like he always has the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

Theodore stepped out of the way of the woman, who seemed to be in a hurry. “Jacob–oh. Jay?” He asked, just to clarify. He’d seen the man’s full name on his file before but everyone called him Jay so it had taken him a moment. “No, you know, I haven’t seen him since before the takeover started.” He realized after he spoke that this stranger may not know about Jay’s stance on the issue of TRP. “Uh–that is–um…no. No I have not seen him.”

Laura made her way through the crowd talking to no one and everyone at the same time. “Excuse me, Excuse me, I am looking for my son, Jacob Vasquez, Cute kid that looks like he always has the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

“Cute huh? Maybe I should start looking for him also then…” Dahlia joked outlaid and laughed a little knowing that was probably not the best thing to say to a mother but it wasn’t like Dahlia had a filter anyway. “Sorry ma’am, I’m visiting the first time so I have no idea where anything or anyone is.”

Laura made her way through the crowd talking to no one and everyone at the same time. “Excuse me, Excuse me, I am looking for my son, Jacob Vasquez, Cute kid that looks like he always has the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

Rosalie was scanning the crowd for familiar faces but was caught off guard when a guest was asking around for Jacob. Rosalie smiled softly at her but gave a small shake of her head. “I’m sorry…I haven’t seen him.” Don’t know him too well either, she thought. “But, he might be on the other side of the building? Some of the other guests are on that side also….”

 jayxxvasquez‌:

His family were the reason that Jay was in The Rising Power, he was promised that he would be able to take them home and now that it seemed like they were so close to accomplishing that things were going sideways for him. Jay looked around trying to see if he could spot Ryan, he couldn’t. All that he had to go by was Blake’s power and he had never been more thankful for the power than he was at that moment. “Hey,” he said trying to maintain his cool, they wouldn’t get anywhere if they both lost it, not that he wouldn’t lose it if something happened to his son. “It’s going to be fine, he is our son after all.” He said trying to help her stay calm.

“He’s in trouble. He’s–he’s scared.” His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach when he heard those words and all calmness that he had went out the window.  “Blake, Blake, I need you to concentrate on just Ryan… forget everyone else and just focus on Ryan.” He had no idea what it was that she was feeling, but by the look in her face he knew that it wasn’t anything good. “Come on.” he said pulling her out of the crowd hopping that somehow that would help her concentrate more.

@wonderboy-nieves​

“And that’s another wrong answer”, the man chuckled as he wiped his hands. “I’m starting to think that you’re actually dumb and not just playing”. Ryan coughed and spit whatever was in his mouth, he looked at the floor, was there some red in it? “I told you, I have no idea what Jay is doing. I am the least one informed about him, ask my Mother or my sister, they seem to be aboard the love Jay train”. Maybe if he ran and tried to use his power to change into… there were no people around and the guy probably knew already about who had powers and who didn’t. 

“You know, they are taking quite long. Maybe you’re not the favorite one, have you thought about it?”. Ryan shook his head and sighed, he was clearly done with this guy and he wished he had paid more attention in his training, he could be landing at least one punch in the guy’s smug face. 

When Jay began to pull her away, Blake near about smacked him. They had no time for anything else until they found Ryan. But she let it go because she knew he was trying to help and fighting would just mess with her power. Instead, she let him pull her off to a smaller spot, away from the crowd. It was quieter here, both physically and with her power. Blake took a deep breath in and tried to find that string of Ryan. He was scared and alone; that much she could tell. But where?

She didn’t see another choice, though. She balled her hands into a tight fist and tried to pull him to her. At first, she wasn’t sure anything happened, but then, she felt it. The whoosh of her power bringing her somewhere new. When she landed, it felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She was in a training facility, in an empty room. Alone, and with her power starting to feel drained. Someone called her voice in her mind, and she teleported them into the room with her. Jay, not Ryan like she’d hoped. “Shit,” she grumbled, feeling the affects of over-working her power start to sink in. “I–do you think he’s here somewhere?” she asked.

@jayxxvasquez​

Before he knew it he was teleported and like every time that he was teleported he was dizzy and had to hold on to something, luckily there was a wall nearby. It took him a few seconds to collect himself and to focus on where it was that they were at. Brown eyes searched the area around them and only returned to Blake when she spoke. Jay quickly moved to where she was at and placed his hand on her shoulder. “We are going to find him.” He assured her. “If you were pulled here than he has to be here.” He added. Jay pointed at the door and helped her walk over to it. Once they were out of the room and in the hallway they had to decide which way to head towards, “what side is calling you more?”

jayxxvasquez‌:

He had promised Blake that he would be careful and he had every intention of keeping that promise to her, but there was chaos all around them and it was getting harder and harder for him to not do anything that might get him hurt. Through the chaos of it all he heard her and his heart dropped. “Fuck, Blake” he muttered as he began to look around the crowd for her. She was supposed to stay with the twins somewhere safe which meant that something had to have happened if she was out here.

After pushing through the crowd he finally caught up with her and he grabbed her by the hand. “Why are you out here? Was I not clear?” But the look on her face said it all. “Where is he?” He asked as he felt the color drain from his face, his son could not be out in this chaos, not now that people knew who Jay stood with. 

@wonderboy-nieves

It was hard to keep the man’s pace, but he was dragging Ryan by the arm and he had no choice but to almost run and follow to wherever he was leading. “So, Ryan. Do you know who I am?”, Ryan looked at the man and shook his head, “should I know who you are? Are you famous? Do I want your autograph?”. He felt a blow on his stomach and he coughed before breathing deep breaths, not even in an emergency situation he could stop his smart mouth. “Let’s start again, do you know who your Father is?”. 

Ryan’s brain tried to connect the dots, why was Jay important in all of this? I mean, it wouldn’t be surprising that another bad thing that was happening to him had to do with Jay the best Father Vasquez. “I don’t… he left us before we were born”, another blow in the stomach, Ryan knew he hadn’t given the right answer. “let’s see how much time does it take for Mom and Dad to find you, hopefully you’ll still be in one piece when that happens. Now, let’s continue our pop quiz…”

@blakenieves​

For a stupid, brief moment, all Blake could hear was Jay, and then suddenly he was there, in her way physically. She wasn’t sure if she’d accidentally teleported him to her or whether he was just here. All she knew was that she didn’t want to force herself to say what had happened. Mercifully, he seemed to figure it out on his own. She swallowed her anger about his stupid lecture and tried to focus on finding Ryan. “I–I don’t–it’s too loud here. I mean, in my head, with my power.” She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm. Barely. It was just that this had never happened before. She’d always been able to find him. Always. Anywhere. Any time. She’d never lost him, not like this. 

Something happened and he flared up in her power, just brief enough that she couldn’t hold on to the thread to find him. It hurt, physically. “He’s in trouble. He’s–he’s scared. We have to find him. Oh, god.” She took a deep breath, wondering whether the panic she was feeling was hurting or helping.

“He’s in trouble. He’s–he’s scared.” His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach when he heard those words and all calmness that he had went out the window.  “Blake, Blake, I need you to concentrate on just Ryan… forget everyone else and just focus on Ryan.” He had no idea what it was that she was feeling, but by the look in her face he knew that it wasn’t anything good. “Come on.” he said pulling her out of the crowd hopping that somehow that would help her concentrate more.

The first thing Ryan did when the doors unlocked was run. Where? Not even he knew. He knew his parents were getting back together but seeing them show affection was like a punch in the gut. He felt sick, he felt scared, he was confused, so the only reasonable thing to do was to run, run from his family problems, run from whatever was happening at the island, even if there was nowhere else he could go, he needed to run. 

What he didn’t notice was where, or more importantly, who he was running into. “Woah, there”, a pair of arms grabbed the young man and stopped him from squirming. “Let me go”, Ryan yelled, trying to break free. “Who are you and why are you running?”, Ryan tried to look at the person but his hair was on his face. “Ryan, just a resident”, he managed to say between pants. “Well, Ryan just resident, you and I are going to have a little walk”. 

@jayxxvasquez @blakenieves

The worst part about her power was that she got used to certain things. She could always hear certain people, so she always knew they were okay. It was like being home, and hearing your kids’ voices in another room. But when the town had problems, and everyone was in chaos–she felt like a parent who just lost her child in a crowded arena. They could be anywhere, and she could only pick them out if she looked for them. 

That was why she was so frantic when she felt Ryan’s fear spike up. She balled her hand into a fist, trying to snap herself to him, but finding herself in the middle of a crowd of TRP members instead. “Ryan? Ryan!” she called out, looking around frantically.

After pushing through the crowd he finally caught up with her and he grabbed her by the hand. “Why are you out here? Was I not clear?” But the look on her face said it all. “Where is he?” He asked as he felt the color drain from his face, his son could not be out in this chaos, not now that people knew who Jay stood with. 

He dropped his gaze from hers and he looked down to his hands instead. He could not look her in the eye and tell her what she wanted to hear because that would be a lie. “I have to go out there, Blake.” He said still not able to look up at her. “The leaders… they trusted me with this.” Jay explained.

Blake bit back a lot of things. A scream. Tears. The urge to smack his stupid, beautiful face. She needed to keep her head on her shoulders. “You need to?” she repeated, already seeping frustration out. “You need to go out there because they trust you? And when they send you to solitary, what? Or if you get hurt? Or if you’re out there and Ryan gets hurt? This is insane and you know it.”