Sunday Snippet: Melee

March 9, 2014

Whew. Crazy weather week of back and forth between frigid temps and snow and a lovely little warm-up that didn't last very long. LOL At least I had good television to watch.

As predicted, Arrow's episode fifteen, The Promise, proved to be seriously bad ass. I almost think they crammed too much into the hour—I would have loved to see a little more detail. I'm just not quite down with Slade being so uber-pissed at Oliver over Shado's death. Yes, I'm aware the Mirakuru IS the reason he's not particularly rational. But Ivo's manipulation seemed a little conveniently heavy-handed. Of course, Oliver's guilt doesn't help so there's that. LOL I'm also really interested to see if the rumor mill speculation about who Felicity's father is proves correct.

Bitten is still eating my brain. Seriously, the final episodes of the season should be mega-uncomfortable for the characters. And if Daniel Santos doesn't die a horrible death like he did in the books, I'm gonna lose my mind. J

Only one episode of Banshee left and I'm actively praying Rabbit gets his due. Then I'll probably have to wait for next season to see what the fallout will be from Proctor, but I can deal. Something to look forward to. J

Tonight's post is from Melee, a novella where my characters end up with super powers and have to escape from captivity. Fun times. J

Here's the tagline:

Josie Walls and Parson Parrington gain extraordinary skills when they're captured and experimented on in a remote laboratory in an icy tundra. Longing to be free, they put their newfound abilities to the test, escaping their prison and going on the run.

And a preview snippet…

Josie eyed the guards and glanced toward Parson. "Forget this." She went for broke, taking on the biggest dude in the group.

Parson could kiss her. By providing a major distraction, he could focus his attention and draw the energy he'd need to take out the whole group with one blow. If he failed, they could fall back on Josie's pyro-kinesis ability and burn their way out. Together, they'd clean house and finally get out of the stainless steel nightmare they'd lived in for six months.

He shut out everything, letting his mind go blank then homed in on the electricity humming in the background, finding a spark and backtracking to the main generator on the facility. Inhaling slowly, he absorbed the power from the huge unit, making the lights flicker overhead. He cut the flow, containing the vast surge, gaining control over it so he could direct the output. Seeking sight of Josie, he found her climbing up and over one of the guards, out cold on the floor.

Fighting the urge to unleash the wave, he shouted. "Now, Josie. Find a ground."

Her head shot up and she glanced around. Finding a safe zone, she dropped and rolled onto one of the rubber mats they used for sparring. She crouched low, tucking her head under her arms.

Parson let go, blasting the kinetic energy outward in a wide arc. The half dozen guards left standing flew back away from Parson, slamming into the closest surface behind them. Parson didn't wait to see if anyone remained standing, he staggered in Josie's direction and grabbed her hand, dragging her up and toward the exit. They had to clear the training room before he keeled over from expending too much of himself along with the burst of power.

Josie jerked him close, wrapping one arm around his waist to keep him on his feet. She made a fist with her other hand, ready to form a fire ball if necessary. Parson held on, his legs already moving slower, lethargy setting in.

He glanced back over his shoulder. "Two following, we gotta keep moving, Jose."

She grunted an acknowledgment and managed to keep him upright until they reached the door. Her hand shot out to push the handle and met resistance. They were locked in.

Josie growled. "Shit." She shot him a sideways glance. "Do you have enough left in you to bust through? I can weld it shut when we're clear."

Parson had no clue if he had the reserve to get through the lock, but he nodded. "Let me try." She propped him against the jamb and turned to let two fire balls loose, directing them at the pursuing guards.

Parson focused his attention again, drawing on Josie's rage, letting it fill him with a burst of adrenaline. He drew his arm back then shoved it forward, busting the door open. Josie caught him before he hit the ground, dragged him through the opening, and kicked the heavy steel shut.

Parson collapsed as soon as she let go.

She nudged him with her booted foot. "Get and stay clear." He crawled to the opposite side of the corridor, giving her room to work.

Pressing her hands on the metal door and jamb, Josie closed her eyes and exhaled. She melted and fused the steel into a solid mass. Satisfied, she stepped back, swaying slightly before she righted herself by laying a hand on the concrete wall. A burn mark marred the paint, exposing the poured surface underneath. Josie pushed away from the wall and staggered over to Parson's location, dropping down beside him on the floor.

He let out a harsh breath. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, a little wobbly, but I'm fine."

She didn't need as much time to recover when she used her ability and Parson envied her at the moment. The next part of their escape would be risky and rest heavily on her. Josie would have to lend him a good deal of her energy until they cleared the compound—the one part of their plan Parson didn't like.

But he had an idea, and now seemed the time to test his theory.

He angled his head around. "Jose? You still pissed and angry?"

She snorted. "Damn right I am."

He reached forward. "Good." Hauling her close, he tilted his head and slanted his lips over hers.

Sliding his tongue past her teeth, he thoroughly explored her mouth and she responded in kind. Her hands cupped his face, moving up until her fingers twisted in his hair. His lethargy melted away, replaced by a burst of sexual energy that made his blood hum through his veins. Passion rolled in and Parson tore his mouth from hers, afraid he wouldn't be able to stop if he got too caught up in the heat of her.

Josie blinked and shook her head. "What the hell, Parson?" Realization dawned and she sagged against him. "Dammit. Warn me next time, will you?" She eased away, putting some space between them. "How did you even know that would work?"

Parson shrugged. "I didn't. Not for certain." He slowly got to his feet, happy when his knees stayed steady and didn't buckle. "But I figured it might and couldn’t think of a faster way to get back on my feet." He held out a hand to help her up.

She grasped it and rose, swaying a little.

Parson steadied her. "Shit. I'm sorry. I didn't think the concept all the way through." He cupped her face. "Too much drain on you. I won't be doing that again. I'll find another way to—" Her fingers over his lips stopped his speech.

She pinned him with her gaze. "Stop it. I'm not all shaky because you took too much, okay." She pushed away from the wall and brushed past him, heading toward the next exit.

He caught up with her. "Then why—" He paused when she slid him a sideways glance. "Oh."

She nodded. "Yes, Parse, that kiss had everything to do with me being twitchy." She looked ahead again. "Just not for the reason you thought." She moved forward, stopping at the next junction, easing her head around to make sure they had a clear path across.

Parson followed slowly, mulling her words over in his head. So, the kiss affected her, too.

Josie cleared her throat. "Parse, you coming or what? We've got a schedule to keep here."

He met her gaze. "Yeah, yeah. I'm right behind you."

He'd tuck her response away for later. But if they ever got out of the damned compound, he planned to examine whatever they had between them, up close and personal.

I love writing people with extraordinary powers. It's fun to see what they accomplish… and what limits them. J

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye