With Serena’s help, Eli manipulates the police so he can continue his work unchallenged. Meanwhile, Eli works with Sydney’s sister, Serena, whose EO ability is charming people to do what she says. Victor and Sydney team up to get revenge on Eli. Eli tried to kill her as part of his crusade against EOs. On his way to the city named in the article, Victor passes Sydney, wounded and trudging along the highway. A newspaper article includes Eli’s picture and labels him a hero for stopping a bank robbery. In the present, Victor is released from prison after 10 years with the single goal to get back at Eli for ruining his life. He believes God saved him and bestowed powers upon him so he could rid the world of all other EOs, and he travels from place to place removing EOs from existence. Eli spends the next 10 years coming to terms with his abilities. Shaken by his girlfriend’s death, Eli reports Victor as a dangerous EO and Victor is imprisoned. Victor accidentally kills Eli’s girlfriend with his new power. This time, Victor succeeds, gaining the power to manipulate pain in both himself and others.

When Eli refuses to help Victor try again, Victor enlists Eli’s girlfriend to strap him to a table and deliver electric shocks. Later, Eli makes an attempt and returns to life with the ability to heal himself.

Victor attempts a traumatic death but does not become an EO. Their research suggests EOs are created by a traumatic death experience from which the individual comes back to life, coupled with a strong will to live. Jealous and insecure about his own thesis, Victor influences Eli to bring his thesis from theory to practice. Eli’s senior thesis is on the theoretical creation of EOs. In the past, friends Victor and Eli become ExtraOrdinary individuals (EOs). In the present, Vale and Sydney Clark dig up a grave. The opening chapters of Vicious alternate between story present and events from 10 years ago.

Vicious and vengeful