Chase's P.O.V.
Oh, God. Amina was right. I jolted up from my seat in a panic, just as a fierce rattle went through the academy. With my super-hearing, I could make out the sound of a support beam above us shattering. I stumbled forward a few feet, falling right into Amina's arms. I froze on contact, my heart stopping. Despite what my siblings said, I wasn't as small as I used to be. She struggled to hold me up, but we somehow managed to stay in a position where we were both balanced in each other's arms, safe from falling over.

Usually I'd be stuttering apologies for running into her like that- accidental or not- but I could hardly speak. I have never held a conversation with an attractive girl for so long, let alone actually touch one. I admit, when she was yelling at me earlier, I was a little starstruck. I mean, girls have yelled at me before- my sister being one- but at the academy, it was totally different circumstances that at school.

I was mentoring these kids. They looked up to me. And maybe I was a little harsh sometimes, and that scared most girls off- but Amina didn't seem scared of me at all. Actually, she seemed a little pissed.

The shuddering calmed for a second, but Amina tensed in my arms. I followed her gaze to the ceiling and swallowed. A flickering light was dangling precariously not a foot above our heads. The ceiling had begun to crumble, falling down in thick chunks around us, blocking any escape route we had. Bare wires stuck out all around the light, the disconnected circuit sparking blue and yellow. If the light fell on us...we'd more than likely be electrocuted- not to mention crushed.

Seconds felt like eons as we waited in silence for the next rumble. We flinched at every spin of the dangling light, our breathing heavy. "What are we going to do?" Amina whispered, just as momentum took over another chunk of the ceiling, causing it to shatter on the ground.

My mind went into Mission Leader mode as I tried to process all the variables of the situation. I was doubtful that we'd get out of here safely, but we had to try. I looked up at the ceiling and squinted my eyes, trying to see past the wires. I tried to ignore how comfortable I felt, holding Amina in my arms. She was shorter than me- which was rare- by a few inches, and while she was certainly muscular, she was still quite petite.
I let out a breath through my nose, frustrated with myself. I couldn't afford to get distracted.

"A support beam must have been damaged by the kid's blast wave," I told Amina quietly. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, breathing hard. She was pale, and shivering. Concerned, I pressed my finger lightly into her wrist, testing her heartbeat. It was fast. She must be having a panic attack. "Are you okay?" I asked her. She swallowed again, and let out a breathy sob. "No. The shaking...it made me nauseous."

Very carefully I moved us so she could have room to breath, and I ran my fingers soothingly over her soft golden-brown hair. Now that she wasn't yelling at me, she was kind of sweet. "I can't help with the nausea, but try some controlled breathing," I said softly. "Just like you did in Bree's class when you got winded."

Amina lifted her head, her cheeks flushed pink against her porcelain skin. "How did you know about that?" She asked, confused. I smiled lightly, and brushed my thumb softly along her temple. Her face went even redder. I think mine was red too. When did I get so bold?
"Even Bree got winded when we first started training," I explained. Her eyebrows pinched together, but she nodded, ducking her head down again.

Another short rumble went through the room, and the archway above the door began to collapse. I had to think fast. I pulled up a blueprint of the academy from my internal hard drive, hoping to God I was wrong.

My stomach sank. The training room-where Bree, Mr. Davenport, Adam and the blast wave-boy were- was right above us. And I was right about the support beam. One more big shake, and the ceiling would come crashing down on us. I couldn't do anything to stop that, but I could lower the chances of both of us- Amina and I- getting hurt. I felt bad that I couldn't help anyone else the the building, but I had to save this girl first.

I had a plan to activate my force field around us when the ceiling came down, but the timing had to be perfect. If I wavered for even a second, one of us could be severely hurt. I didn't need that on my conscience as well. Amina shuddered in my arms as the light above us crashed down another five inches. If I lifted my hand up an inch above my head, my fingertips would just graze the light bulb. I'd have moved us earlier, but parts of the ceiling were still raining down around us.

For a super-safe, consequence-free academy, it sure was shoddily built. The walls shuddered, and I could hear screaming above us. More specifically, Mr. Davenport's screaming. I could recognize that anywhere. The kid's blast wave was out of control.

I couldn't help but feel a little responsible for this. I could have helped Adam. I should have helped him, despite our 'petty disagreement'. It didn't matter that I was tired of being treated like dirt by my brother. I certainly didn't matter to me now.Other things were more important.
I was a mentor, a leader and a hero, and my students should always come first. I was petty earlier, and I fully admit it. I was sorry for it.

I looked down at Amina, and she stared up at me with big, innocent brown eyes."I'm sorry," I mouthed to her. Her tears were staining my shirt, but I didn't give a damn. Her eyes flickered up, and her mouth opened in a shriek as the ceiling came crashing down.