Chapter Thirty One: Different Approach

Inside Amelia's apartment, the tension lingered heavy like a suffocating cloud. Jonah walked back and forth, clearly showing his restlessness in the cramped space. His jaw was firm, fists clenched tightly by his sides, the muscles in his arms twitching with the desire to make a move. Amelia observed him from a distance, feeling a blend of worry and resolve, totally conscious that a fast action was necessary to prevent a rapid escalation.

Jonah suddenly pivoted and headed towards the door. “I can't handle this anymore, Amelia. I have to confront Maxwell," he stated, his voice quiet yet determined, causing a chill to run down her back.

"Jonah, hold on!" Amelia shouted and moved in front of him to stop his progress. Her hand rested on his chest, sensing the quick beat of his heart under his shirt. "This is not the right thing to do. Using violence is not an option in this situation. We need to find a better way to do it.”

Jonah's frustration was evident in his fiery eyes.

“Can we consider a different approach?” Anelia asked Jonah.

“We have tried all possible solutions! Speaking, discussing, steering clear of him. Nothing is effective! He keeps returning repeatedly, becoming increasingly menacing with each visit. We can't stay idle while he destroys our lives!” Jonah retorted.

Before responding, Amelia took a deep breath to center herself. We will not be doing anything. “We simply need to be more clever regarding this. There is always a way to deal with someone like Maxwell without lowering oneself to his level. We simply need to find something powerful enough to make him stop his threats towards us.”

Jonah's lack of patience was evident. "Get to the point, Amelia." What are you trying to say?

She paused, her thoughts moving quickly as she looked for the correct words. "We might... we might consider looking at the street camera," she said deliberatively, her eyes focusing on Jonah's. “There's a video of him rough-handling me from yesterday. If we get that video, we will have strong proof to use against him.”

Jonah suddenly realized, causing his eyes to widen. "That is fantastic. I'll go fetch it immediately. He tried to step around her, but she stood firm, her face begging him to pay attention.”

Jonah, hold on. “We have to be cautious about this . Maxwell could very much still be watching everything we're doing. If he catches us trying to get the footage, he will realize that we are onto something. We cannot afford to hint at him.”

Jonah's intense resolve lessened a bit as he absorbed her words. "You are correct. We have to be smart about this. Taking a deep breath, he ran his hand through his hair. "What is your suggestion for our course of action?"

Amelia's gaze became gentler, totally appreciative of his readiness to listen to her. "At this moment, we must behave in our usual self and overlook things for the next couple of hours. We will hold off until morning when it is less risky to take action.”

Jonah nodded, despite the fact that he still felt some lingering restlessness. "Okay." We will be patient. Once it is no longer dangerous, we will get the video and conclude this situation.

They stood silently in a tense atmosphere, feeling the heaviness of their circumstances weighing on them. Jonah's face suddenly changed, twisting in pain and causing him to wince. With frustration plaguing him, he lifted his hand to his temple, feeling the sharpness of the pain.

“Jonah?” Amelia’s voice was filled with concern as she reached out to steady him. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, his vision blurring for a moment. “I don’t know. Just a sudden headache. It’s nothing.”

But Amelia wasn’t convinced. She guided him to the worn-out couch, making him sit down. “This isn’t just a headache. You’ve been using your powers too much, haven’t you?”

Jonah’s silence was answered enough. Amelia’s heart ached as she knelt beside him, her hand gently brushing against his cheek. “You need to rest. You’ve pushed yourself too far.”

Jonah’s eyes met hers, a mix of pain and resignation in his gaze. “We don’t have time for rest, Amelia. Maxwell is out there, and he’s not going to stop until he’s destroyed everything we care about.”

She shook her head, her voice firm but tender. “We can’t fight him if you’re not at full strength. You need to recharge, regain your energy. We’ll get through this, but only if we’re smart about it.”

Jonah sighed, the fight in him ebbing away as he leaned back against the couch. “Alright. I’ll rest. But first thing tomorrow, we get that footage.”

Amelia nodded, relief flooding through her. “First thing tomorrow,” she agreed, squeezing his hand reassuringly. She stood up, pulling a blanket over him as he closed his eyes, the pain still etched on his face.

As she watched him drift into an uneasy sleep, Amelia’s mind raced with the enormity of the task ahead. Maxwell is their foe, but with the evidence from the street camera, they might finally have a way to stop him. She just hoped that Jonah’s strength would hold out long enough for them to see it through.

While he was asleep, Amelia sat there watching him until he jolted awake again. This time, the pain was more intense which put her in a total state of confusion.

“Jonah,” she called out his name as she held onto him. Trying to understand his current situation.

“Amelia, it hurts.” Jonah stressed.

“Talk to me Jonah, what is wrong?” Amelia asked, she felt bad about not knowing how to help Jonah at the time.

“I feel weak and I also feel intense pain in my head.” Jonah said to Amelia who felt very sorry for him.

“Calm down Jesus nah, we'll figure out a possible solution okay?” She assured him with a very soft tone. She just needed him to know that he will be fine and she's with him.