by K. T. Hanna
“Get him over.” Blocker commanded.
My eyes desperately searched the hill beyond us, even as I nodded and began to pull the laboring Orion with me. The nervous energy gathering in my chest fueled my abilities allowing me to put one foot in front of the other. My best friend had just been shot. Orion wasn’t allowed to die. I’d fucking make sure of that.
I did my best to try and tear my eyes away from the five figures approaching slowly, with their guns clearly illuminated in the moonlight. The light reflected off the dark grey metal, and the people holding those weapons looked like shadows given true form. With the moonlight behind them, it blocked out their features, leaving them dark and menacing, their movements stilted and controlled.
Like machines.
My back hit the brick, and I breathed in deep, grounding myself so I didn’t lose control.
“It’s okay.” Orion sounded breathless. “I can get us over.”
How the hell was ice going to get us over? I had no idea what he was talking about, because his ability definitely seemed to be water, ice, and fire something. “Sure?”
“Brace yourself. Or...” he grinned lopsidedly. “Brace both of us would probably be more accurate.”
I barely had time to do so, because I had no idea what he was talking about. But I understood the term brace. We did it when we got in the starting blocks before a sprinting race. We did it on the blocks before swimming lessons or competition. Bracing I could do. Crouching slightly, I bet my knees, taking on as much of Orion’s weight as I could while focusing on the eight-foot-high brick wall. Alone I could have scaled it, but I was wiry, not strong in that brute force way. Right now, I couldn’t afford to give in and use too much of my power. I was barely maintaining control as it was.
“It’s okay. Just guide us down. I can’t do that,” he said breathlessly, and I didn’t want to think about the blood I was sure he was losing. So, I concentrated on landing and hoped it wouldn’t break something my coach would kill me for.
But when I stepped off, all ready to brace myself and Orion’s weight, I wobbled, but didn’t fall. What the hell? I looked down but there was no step beneath me, nothing truly visible, just a wavering of the air. Like a gust had caught us and was lowering us down.
“Guide us, down.” Orion repeated, and I could tell his breathing was labored. Apparently he had air as an ability too, who knew.
It reminded me eerily of riding on a cloud. We could fall through the center and be gone. At least then I’d know what happened. Orion clung to me, but I could already feel the strength sapping away from him.
The air didn’t quite dissipate as I guided us down. Instead it provided intervals of updraft that helped us land safely.
Once my feet were on the ground, I stumbled, Orion’s weight shifting me awkwardly. My surroundings came back into focus, and I once again heard the sirens, smelled the char on the wind, and heard the gunshots like death in the night. The leaves of the trees tickled my face as I sat Orion down briefly. I had to go back and help the Blocker.
“No. You have to stay here. We need to get to safety.” Orion’s tone was commanding despite the pain obvious in his expression.
I paused, hands on my hips, this form of petulance all mine. “Oh, sure, let’s leave all the men behind, shall we?”
Orion shook his head. “Not like that. He’s a Blocker for a reason. It’s what he does. Earth is a defensive ability, and he’s got it in abundance.”
Hands appeared at the top of the wall, fingers bloody and gleaming in the sliver of moonlight that managed to reach between the leaves. Fuck. Had he been shot, too? “No, we have to help him.”
But another shot rang out. The fingers went limp and disappeared from view, followed by a loud thud.
In the next second, a shudder in the earth beneath my feet made me stumble. I steadied Orion while I turned to look at the origin, only to find the Blocker at the top of the wall about to tumble down to this side.
I dove to try and catch him, but a cloud of air whooshed at just the right time and allowed him to land safely. It was amazing how quickly I could forget that I was surrounded by people with super powers.
I’d used a lot of my power to fry the electricity, yet I could feel its indignation in how quickly it fed off my mood to replenish its reserves. The guards were going to have to scale the wall too, because those gates weren’t going to work for a long time.
“Car,” the Blocker gasped out, pointing in the opposite direction from which I’d approached the meeting point.
I nodded, looping my arms under each of them. Damn my wiry frame. Sometimes I felt impossibly tiny. “This might hurt, or might hinder, I’m not sure.”
Technically, if the human body was like a motherboard—and I wasn’t saying that was the best analogy, but it was what I had—then all I had to do was ignite the adrenaline, and the rest of it should mostly take care of itself. I allowed a trickle of power to pass into them through the hands I had touching their backs. My reserves had been blown, but I still conducted energy.
As soon as I felt the tendrils gently reaching through me and to them, I began to move again, hoping that touch was all I needed to keep the transfer up. I was definitely winging it.
Error.
Warning. Unidentified use of ability. May be dangerous. Use cautiously.
I tried not to smirk. Learned something new every day.
“Shit!” Orion gasped, coughing suddenly.
The Blocker probably would have said something if he hadn’t been busy coughing up blood.
“Move with me.” I urged them to do so, willing them to energize, hoping that my ability could be shared. We had no time to spare. I hadn’t had a choice. I’d deal with the repercussions later.
Their movements were slower than I’d have liked, but much faster than without my help. I managed to allow a trickle to continually flow into them as I moved up my own travel speed too.
It wasn’t much, but it did allow us to get away from that spot before the guards reached the wall and could jump over it. The car was about half a mile down the road, and while I could have run that in mere minutes, it took us almost double that, even with my electric speed shocks.
I had no idea how the guards weren’t coming after us. I’d ask Orion later, along with all the other questions I had mounting in my brain.
By the time we got him bundled into the back seat of the car, Blocker was looking pretty green around the edges. Orion slipped into the driver’s seat, his face so pale that the black hair made him ghostlike.
“Idiot.” I nudged him to get over into the passenger seat. Blocker was bleeding on the upholstery, but since he was still alive, I was sure he wouldn’t care. If we got him to Dr. Caroline in time, things should be okay.
The fact that Orion moved was a testament to how bad he felt right then. Usually he would have fought me. With good reason, too. While I could technically drive and had my license, I wasn’t what I would call a confident or good driver. There wasn’t time for doubt right now.
I started the car, surprised to hear the engine was almost silent, and directed thoughts at the system immediately.
Notify Dr. Caroline we are on our way. Also, guide me there.
I’m not a GPS.
No, you’re more sophisticated than that. Do it. I don’t want this Blocker to die.
And I didn’t. While I might not know the guy, it was me who’d fucked up on more than one occasion in that mission. I blew the power. I fried the electrical system inside. It was my fault he was hurt.
SC guided me along streets to the highway without another comment. I was grateful to avoid the one-way streets I knew lurked in all the wrong places. SC slickly maneuvered me through highway traffic, and then to the streets in order to avoid road work. Our path took us on a route where the lights turned green as we approached. Across the river and to the Hospital
of the University of Pennsylvania, we didn’t hit one red light. I was fairly certain that hadn’t been a coincidence, but chalked it up to another thing I’d have to look into later.
The hospital felt familiar now, like it was a second home. It might well have been, considering the amount of time I was likely to be spending there.
A nurse in blue scrubs with a short brown pixie cut was waiting for us when we pulled up. I dragged Orion out of the car to talk to her, and then got about getting the big guy out of the car. By the time I had, my best friend was in a wheel chair, and an orderly had brought a gurney for the Blocker.
I sighed with relief, and then the nurse spoke to me.
“The doctor said to park the car and then come in. I’ll wait for you.” She nodded toward the parking garage, and I didn’t need a second hint.
Once inside, she hurried me down a corridor marked Staff Only to a grey, unmarked door. Questions battered my mind, but I wasn’t about to ask them. I simply followed her through to a brightly-lit office adjacent to an exam room, where I waited like the nurse told me to.
I waited nervously in the room and refused to allow myself to panic. None of this was how I’d envisioned this task. I hadn’t expected Orion to be there. Nor had I expected to fuck up so badly.
It took a lot of effort to remain standing and not just sink down to my knees and bury my head in my hands. I was tired, running on the energy leant to me by my ability. So worn out. But the doctor would be here shortly with, hopefully, some answers for me. The room was mostly barren. Just a cupboard here and there, and the usual examination table. No seats.
Your most recent assignment has been marked: Completed, with casualties.
The cost of treatment will be subtracted from your earnings. Payment will be delayed because of this. However, the experience gained from this encounter has pushed you into the next level. Congratulations on attaining the next rank.
You have moved from Novice Rank to Apprentice Rank.
You have unlocked digital access to our library.
The words rolled across my vision. These rankings took forever to increase. I couldn’t pretend having access to more information wasn’t downright convenient.
Accessing my interface, I pulled up my training tab, hoping that the restricted sections had been unlocked. No such luck. Sure, one was available now, but I was fairly certain that was due to my having ranked up.
Correct.
Shut up.
No need to be nasty.
It actually sounded offended. Fantastic. I’d managed to offend a program.
A soft creak sounded behind me, and I whirled around, realizing it must have been the door’s hinges. Dr. Caroline stood there, frowning at the clipboard in her hand as she flipped a couple of pages back and forth.
Finally, she looked up and gave me a tight smile. “Dare. Perfect. Just the person I wanted to see.”
That didn’t sound enticing. Why did she want to see me? I swallowed my nervousness and forced my own smile.
“Good to see you again.” I cringed. Perfect thing not to say.
She didn’t seem to hold it against me though. Putting the clipboard down on one of the countertops, she motioned for me to jump up on the examination bed. Since it looked all innocent like an examination bed should, I did as she asked. I tried to ignore the rampant suspicion that now tainted my ability as it floated through my body making me hyper aware of how we were one, but also weren’t.
She did a full check. Blood pressure, listened to my chest, looked in my nose, ears, and mouth, and tested my reflexes. Then she pulled out the octopus gadget and let its tendrils of light brush over my body.
“Remarkable,” she muttered, more to herself than to me, shaking the device and frowning at it. Flicking her thumb over the top of the device, she ran it over my body again, her expression slowly softening.
I wasn’t sure whether I should be scared or excited.
“Tell me, how did you come up with the idea?” Her expression expected me to know what she was asking, and I had no clue.
“Idea?” I wished I was a mind reader. It would have been so cool to answer the vague question.
“Of pushing their energy levels with a trickle of your own.”
Well, I’d wanted to boost their energy. I’d guessed that was what the error and warning notifications were for, now I knew. I only hoped I could recreate it.
“I mean, I wanted to, so I sort of applied what I do for myself and let it flow through to them, you know? I just figured we run on electricity, like a motherboard. Feeding power into the motherboard causes the system to activate and make the computer run. I thought if I trickled power into them, it might sort of reboot their systems and help us get to the car faster. That’s all.”
She didn’t look disappointed, although she did purse her lips. “Fascinating. Just so you know, you probably saved Adam’s life. That trickle of power you used helped boost his own body’s functions, including healing, temporarily and slowed the bleeding down enough that he made it into surgery. The prognosis is good. Well done.”
Dr. Caroline marked something off the clipboard she’d picked back up.
Correction: treatment costs will not be deducted from your payment. You’ll receive full compensation.
That was a nice bonus. Whatever she’d ticked, the system seemed appeased. I also needed to make a note of the Blocker’s name. He was Adam. But he wasn’t the most prevalent in my mind.
I took a deep breath and cut to the chase. “Is Orion going to be okay?”
Orion sat up in bed, moving his bandaged arm slowly. The grimace on his face told me just how much it hurt, but he seemed to be taking the pain in stride. Around him the machines beeped out a melancholy song. The dissonance of the notes played off each other, clashing in a cascade of life.
A physical therapy aide jotted down notes in a book, frowning as he did so. I wanted to grab that notebook and read everything, to figure out a way to help.
“He’s okay.” Dr. Caroline’s eyes didn’t leave Orion as she spoke to me.
We watched from behind glass, looking in on the room in what I suspected was secret. “It nicked a muscle and went clean through. It’s not as dire as the bleeding made it out to be. However, it’ll take a couple of days before he can undertake any new assignments.”
“Couple of days?” Sure, it might not have been a fatal wound, but he needed to replenish his blood and heal.
“Thanks to your gift to him earlier, it’s possible even without our… technology.” A smile tugged at her lips, like she wished she could replicate me. Given the types of instruments she’d already used on me and my previous torturous stay, I didn’t feel safe at the thought.
“Sure. That gift and stuff.” I was trying to figure out if I’d be able to duplicate what I’d done. The situation had been dire, and we’d needed to get to that car. All I’d done was tried to give them a bit of fuel injected speed to make it so we didn’t all die. But instead of it just giving them a boost, it gave their whole system a boost. So how exactly did that translate?
I glanced at my hand turning it one way and back, watching as sparks like fireflies flickered beneath my skin. It was quiet, no pressure exuded from inside my body. Almost like the power was asleep after such a workout. I wanted to understand it, needed to.
“You can wait for him if you like.” She slid the pen into a slot above the clipboard that appeared to be made just for it. “Or you can go in and visit. Adam will be out of surgery in a couple of hours. Thank you again, Dare. We always seem to lose our eels before I fully understand them. We appreciate you being here.”
I nodded, because I was only half paying attention. The rest of it was caught by the languid movements in my hand. Almost hypnotic.
Her feet clopped down the hall with less noise than I’d have thought given the echoey nature of corridors. It left m
e standing in the dimly lit hall where the walls of white could slowly close in on me.
Hospitals, where people come to die. Or not. Often they came to get better, but it never felt that way to me. There was always the faint scent of bleach underlying everything, like a crime scene trying to hide. Lemon tried to mask the stench but rarely succeeded. No place should be this white. Ever.
Letting myself into Orion’s room, I turned to look at my best friend, only to see him staring at me with a goofy grin on his face. Definitely not in character for him, maybe he was hopped up on—
“He’s on a heavy sedative while his arm heals.” The nurse wound gauze around Orion’s bicep wound. It didn’t look like any type of gauze I’d seen before, but more metallic yet pliable in nature. “Might not even have a scar, thanks to you.”
She grinned at me. A dimple in her right cheek made her whole face light up. Dark hair was pulled up into a tight bun, and her dark blue scrubs cast a sharp contrast to the rest of the room.
“Thanks for taking care of him.” I couldn’t take my eyes off how pale Orion was. He was naturally pale, but this—it was ghostlike.
“You did a pretty amazing thing out there, kid.” The nurse made me feel like a child, and I suppose, in comparison to most I’d met so far, I was. She nodded at me again, packed up a cart of equipment she’d been using, and ducked out of the door, leaving me alone with Orion and my thoughts.
What if I couldn’t replicate what I’d done? They were all acting like I’d discovered some portion of power that I could share with others. What I’d done, could only have been done by myself or another electrical user. Or maybe a pair of jumper cables.
“Stop thinking all those thoughts.” Orion grinned at the ceiling when he spoke, his eyes half lidded. “Very loud. Very wrong.”
I laughed softly. It was odd to see the usually completely in control of himself Orion, being goofy and hyper.
“Sorry you got shot.” I said the words softly, hoping he wouldn’t hear. His eyes wavered from where they watched a black spot on the ceiling and then wandered over to me.