p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe way my heart screamed in my ears stood unmatched by any other moment spurred purely by adrenaline. I wasn't quite sure how my life had reached the point where I'd been placed in a position to run from bullets fired at me multiple times, but I guess nothing really ever goes according to plan. The best I could do was attempt to run right behind Five, in a vain attempt to keep him from getting shot, and steer the two of us behind anything that could shield us from the momentary hellfire. Klaus, Allison, Diego, and Luther were in the same position as the two of us, frantically scrambling to protect themselves from harm. Snow from the storm Harlan created crunched beneath our feet, causing us to slip on a few occasions. Everything combined made it feel like the brick red tractor only a few hundred feet in front of us feel as though it rested on the other side of a mountain./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We're not gonna make it!" I screamed, my brain officially beginning to shut itself down. The world around me began to close into tunnels, the white-hot sensation I hadn't felt since my youth overtaking my limbs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI barely registered as Five set a hand on one of my arms, crying out in pain as we jumped just in front of our intended hiding place. Unable to completely process what just happened, my stomach lurched, threatening to spill over the little bits of food I'd been able to consume earlier in the day. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Five, I think I'm gonna puke," I declared, swallowing down the rising burning sensation./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No time," he snapped, stumbling a little over his own feet. The two of us managed to get behind the tractor, burying ourselves in the groove of one of the hub caps. Every time a bullet came too close, we flinched, trying our best to formulate some semblance of a plan. "What now?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We blink into the house!" I made it sound like it was the obvious move, but in the flurry of panic, it was difficult to even keep one thought straight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Okay."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI kept my eyes on the approaching waves of soldiers as Five set his hands on my knees and my shoulders. I heard the familiar 'whoosh' of energy, but when I blinked, I found myself still staring at the same sight as before. The threat kept growing closer, but with every try, Five and I remained stuck in place. Concerned, I tore my gaze away from the blue suits and stared at my brother, who appeared equally as terrified./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm out of fuel," he gasped, "and you're burning my hands."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSure enough, when Five extended his palms out, I noticed the bright red marks on them. Those would no doubt leave a scar on him. Despite my best attempts to rationalize everything, my mind had almost completely shut itself down, leading to unconscious charges in electricity; it was getting out of control at this point, and I feared what would happen if Five was around for the impact. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Go!" I urged. "I'll… I'll cover for you." Five glared at me with wide eyes, as though unsure if he'd heard what I'd said correctly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina, what are you—" Before Five could protest any further, I stood up and pushed myself away from our hiding space, suddenly unafraid of what could happen to me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAlthough I could already feel the electricity overwhelming my being, I wanted more of a charge; there was no way in hell that I could take out all of them, but a pretty sizable crowd was enough for me. Trouble was, I couldn't exactly move well in the snow or on grass, not to mention the bullets growing ever-closer. I was just about to take what I had and hope that it worked out, when the projectiles heading straight for me suddenly bent in midair and slowed, as though there was a shield around my person. Wrapped in confusion, I turned on my heel, my jaw dropping as I stared at Diego. He'd emerged from his hiding place and had his arms stuck out in front of him, directing bullets away from me in midair. I hadn't realized he could control the trajectory of objects he emhadn't /emthrown, but here I was, standing wildly corrected./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina!" he snapped, bringing me back to reality. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRealizing I didn't have much time, I started to move in careful circles, taking care not to misstep and fall on my ass. Every part of me burned, overwhelmed with an intense fire as I noticed the glow of electricity intensifying out of my peripheral vision. I wasn't exactly sure what qualified as 'ready', given I'd only done this once before, and it was on accident, but at some random point, I made the decision to stop. Taking only a split second to catch myself, I took a leap into the air and slammed myself back down onto the cold, muddy ground. As the wet grass beneath me splattered and squelched between my fingers, a large wave of electricity shot out in front of me, causing a good quarter of the group to cry out and fry before collapsing to the ground. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI didn't have time to celebrate my victory, however, because the bullets just kept coming, forcing me to duck right back down behind the tractor as Diego threw the suspended projectiles to his right, causing a generator to explode. I flinched and stared at the fire until Diego ducked down beside me, unsure of how to react to what had just happened. Immediately, I flashed him a big, cheesy grin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Since when have you been able to do that?" I laughed, somehow jovial despite the circumstances. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I took a wild guess," he admitted, throwing his hands over his head as the next wave of bullets came right at us. "What about you? I didn't know you could make shockwaves."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I did it once, when we were seventeen," I informed him. "It was on accident that time, and I totally forgot about it until recently. I didn't know how to do it, so you could say I took a wild guess." Through the panic and fear, he flashed me a smile as I tossed his words back at him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI turned myself around for a moment, peering over the edge of the massive tire. I wasn't entirely sure what I expected to see, but it sure as hell wasn't any better than the scene we'd started with. In the moment, I'd thought I'd done a pretty substantial amount of damage, but looking at the group now completely squashed that thought. My brothers and sisters and I wouldn't be able to do anything about this, especially because most of us couldn't do any damage from where we sat; Vanya was likely still wrapped up with Harlan, meaning we were shit out of luck at the moment—a fact only further cemented when a surge of energy boomed from the barn, followed by the sounds of woods and boards crashing. No doubt that knocked her down for a while. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What do we do know?" I shouted over the endless sputtering of bullets released from their weapons, trying to think of anything myself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I can try and direct some of those bullets back at them, but I'll need a couple minutes." Only now did I notice Diego's tanned skin had taken on a slightly more pallid appearance. That really must have wiped him out. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanA sudden wave of dizziness came over me—a delayed reaction to that shockwave. It had been a long while since any use of my abilities had worn me out, but I supposed that was the consequence of something so big; that probably would have wiped out Luther if he tried to use it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We're running out of options," I observed, though that wasn't really necessary. Even the densest among us could have figured that out. "Someone's got to do something and emfast/em, because some of us can't go out there without getting shot!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRight as the words left my mouth, I heard a high-pitched tone resonating from the barn. What had previously been a source of unease now filled me with overwhelming determination. The best solution was being handed right to us, so long as Vanya could work up enough energy. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy jaw dropped slightly when Vanya emfloated /emout of the goddamn barn like some sort of ethereal balloon, draped in an aura of sound energy. The tone she played only grew louder as she stared down the army, which somehow had failed to notice her yet. Light flooded straight into the orb resting against her chest, causing it to grow in a matter of milliseconds. I'd been so caught up in the awe of it all that I completely neglected to process the fact she was about to blow, until Diego grabbed onto me and pulled on my shoulders, forcing me to duck down. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe impact of the energy wave she sent out went completely over our heads, but it did no less to completely jar me. I jumped as the 'boom' she sent out echoed in my headspace, bouncing off all the corners of my skull, but she didn't do any more damage to the rest of us. Instead, everything was concentrated on the mob of Commission field agents, who were sent tumbling and crashing together in the air, before landing definitively on the grass, unmoving; no chests moved with desperate breaths, no fingers unconsciously twitched. They weren't an issue anymore./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe damage done, Diego and I cautiously peered out from behind our hiding spot, noticing only the dead bodies at first and thus, deeming it safe to come out. We reveled in our triumph for just a moment, until our eyes dared to wander past the fall line, and we caught a blue glow eerily similar to that still emanating from our sister. Curiously, it enshrouded Lila and her mother, completely protecting them from Vanya's wrath. Admittedly, somewhere buried deep down, there was a part of me that was relieved Lila hadn't been hurt, but the horror of the scene in front of us completely overtook any of that. Nothing like emthis /emhad ever come up in our late-night conversations, but then again, what did I expect? The life she'd presented to me had been a lie, what's one more?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBefore I had time to question anything, Lila completely mimicked Vanya's prior actions, right down to the whole show of rising in the air. I felt frozen in my spot, caught off-guard and unsure of what to do, and it wasn't until Diego shoved me away that I managed to bring my mind back to me. Lila fired of her own energy, sending the tractor and other transport systems into the air, as well as the rest of us. Luther managed to get launched all the way through Sissy's roof, while the rest of us were simply sent right onto the ground. Thankfully, Klaus managed to summon two ghosts to catch him before he made impact, while I was just forced to take it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe intense pain surging through my chest paled in comparison to the terror that washed over me when I looked up. Lila had lowered herself back onto the ground, her eyes scanning over the rest of my downed siblings before she turned to me, specifically. Her smirk made something within me turn to ice, wary of what she'd do next./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe tables had turned, and I wasn't so sure I liked the direction they now faced./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We're not gonna make it!" I screamed, my brain officially beginning to shut itself down. The world around me began to close into tunnels, the white-hot sensation I hadn't felt since my youth overtaking my limbs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI barely registered as Five set a hand on one of my arms, crying out in pain as we jumped just in front of our intended hiding place. Unable to completely process what just happened, my stomach lurched, threatening to spill over the little bits of food I'd been able to consume earlier in the day. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Five, I think I'm gonna puke," I declared, swallowing down the rising burning sensation./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No time," he snapped, stumbling a little over his own feet. The two of us managed to get behind the tractor, burying ourselves in the groove of one of the hub caps. Every time a bullet came too close, we flinched, trying our best to formulate some semblance of a plan. "What now?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We blink into the house!" I made it sound like it was the obvious move, but in the flurry of panic, it was difficult to even keep one thought straight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Okay."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI kept my eyes on the approaching waves of soldiers as Five set his hands on my knees and my shoulders. I heard the familiar 'whoosh' of energy, but when I blinked, I found myself still staring at the same sight as before. The threat kept growing closer, but with every try, Five and I remained stuck in place. Concerned, I tore my gaze away from the blue suits and stared at my brother, who appeared equally as terrified./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm out of fuel," he gasped, "and you're burning my hands."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSure enough, when Five extended his palms out, I noticed the bright red marks on them. Those would no doubt leave a scar on him. Despite my best attempts to rationalize everything, my mind had almost completely shut itself down, leading to unconscious charges in electricity; it was getting out of control at this point, and I feared what would happen if Five was around for the impact. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Go!" I urged. "I'll… I'll cover for you." Five glared at me with wide eyes, as though unsure if he'd heard what I'd said correctly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina, what are you—" Before Five could protest any further, I stood up and pushed myself away from our hiding space, suddenly unafraid of what could happen to me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAlthough I could already feel the electricity overwhelming my being, I wanted more of a charge; there was no way in hell that I could take out all of them, but a pretty sizable crowd was enough for me. Trouble was, I couldn't exactly move well in the snow or on grass, not to mention the bullets growing ever-closer. I was just about to take what I had and hope that it worked out, when the projectiles heading straight for me suddenly bent in midair and slowed, as though there was a shield around my person. Wrapped in confusion, I turned on my heel, my jaw dropping as I stared at Diego. He'd emerged from his hiding place and had his arms stuck out in front of him, directing bullets away from me in midair. I hadn't realized he could control the trajectory of objects he emhadn't /emthrown, but here I was, standing wildly corrected./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina!" he snapped, bringing me back to reality. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRealizing I didn't have much time, I started to move in careful circles, taking care not to misstep and fall on my ass. Every part of me burned, overwhelmed with an intense fire as I noticed the glow of electricity intensifying out of my peripheral vision. I wasn't exactly sure what qualified as 'ready', given I'd only done this once before, and it was on accident, but at some random point, I made the decision to stop. Taking only a split second to catch myself, I took a leap into the air and slammed myself back down onto the cold, muddy ground. As the wet grass beneath me splattered and squelched between my fingers, a large wave of electricity shot out in front of me, causing a good quarter of the group to cry out and fry before collapsing to the ground. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI didn't have time to celebrate my victory, however, because the bullets just kept coming, forcing me to duck right back down behind the tractor as Diego threw the suspended projectiles to his right, causing a generator to explode. I flinched and stared at the fire until Diego ducked down beside me, unsure of how to react to what had just happened. Immediately, I flashed him a big, cheesy grin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Since when have you been able to do that?" I laughed, somehow jovial despite the circumstances. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I took a wild guess," he admitted, throwing his hands over his head as the next wave of bullets came right at us. "What about you? I didn't know you could make shockwaves."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I did it once, when we were seventeen," I informed him. "It was on accident that time, and I totally forgot about it until recently. I didn't know how to do it, so you could say I took a wild guess." Through the panic and fear, he flashed me a smile as I tossed his words back at him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI turned myself around for a moment, peering over the edge of the massive tire. I wasn't entirely sure what I expected to see, but it sure as hell wasn't any better than the scene we'd started with. In the moment, I'd thought I'd done a pretty substantial amount of damage, but looking at the group now completely squashed that thought. My brothers and sisters and I wouldn't be able to do anything about this, especially because most of us couldn't do any damage from where we sat; Vanya was likely still wrapped up with Harlan, meaning we were shit out of luck at the moment—a fact only further cemented when a surge of energy boomed from the barn, followed by the sounds of woods and boards crashing. No doubt that knocked her down for a while. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What do we do know?" I shouted over the endless sputtering of bullets released from their weapons, trying to think of anything myself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I can try and direct some of those bullets back at them, but I'll need a couple minutes." Only now did I notice Diego's tanned skin had taken on a slightly more pallid appearance. That really must have wiped him out. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanA sudden wave of dizziness came over me—a delayed reaction to that shockwave. It had been a long while since any use of my abilities had worn me out, but I supposed that was the consequence of something so big; that probably would have wiped out Luther if he tried to use it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We're running out of options," I observed, though that wasn't really necessary. Even the densest among us could have figured that out. "Someone's got to do something and emfast/em, because some of us can't go out there without getting shot!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRight as the words left my mouth, I heard a high-pitched tone resonating from the barn. What had previously been a source of unease now filled me with overwhelming determination. The best solution was being handed right to us, so long as Vanya could work up enough energy. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy jaw dropped slightly when Vanya emfloated /emout of the goddamn barn like some sort of ethereal balloon, draped in an aura of sound energy. The tone she played only grew louder as she stared down the army, which somehow had failed to notice her yet. Light flooded straight into the orb resting against her chest, causing it to grow in a matter of milliseconds. I'd been so caught up in the awe of it all that I completely neglected to process the fact she was about to blow, until Diego grabbed onto me and pulled on my shoulders, forcing me to duck down. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe impact of the energy wave she sent out went completely over our heads, but it did no less to completely jar me. I jumped as the 'boom' she sent out echoed in my headspace, bouncing off all the corners of my skull, but she didn't do any more damage to the rest of us. Instead, everything was concentrated on the mob of Commission field agents, who were sent tumbling and crashing together in the air, before landing definitively on the grass, unmoving; no chests moved with desperate breaths, no fingers unconsciously twitched. They weren't an issue anymore./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe damage done, Diego and I cautiously peered out from behind our hiding spot, noticing only the dead bodies at first and thus, deeming it safe to come out. We reveled in our triumph for just a moment, until our eyes dared to wander past the fall line, and we caught a blue glow eerily similar to that still emanating from our sister. Curiously, it enshrouded Lila and her mother, completely protecting them from Vanya's wrath. Admittedly, somewhere buried deep down, there was a part of me that was relieved Lila hadn't been hurt, but the horror of the scene in front of us completely overtook any of that. Nothing like emthis /emhad ever come up in our late-night conversations, but then again, what did I expect? The life she'd presented to me had been a lie, what's one more?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBefore I had time to question anything, Lila completely mimicked Vanya's prior actions, right down to the whole show of rising in the air. I felt frozen in my spot, caught off-guard and unsure of what to do, and it wasn't until Diego shoved me away that I managed to bring my mind back to me. Lila fired of her own energy, sending the tractor and other transport systems into the air, as well as the rest of us. Luther managed to get launched all the way through Sissy's roof, while the rest of us were simply sent right onto the ground. Thankfully, Klaus managed to summon two ghosts to catch him before he made impact, while I was just forced to take it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe intense pain surging through my chest paled in comparison to the terror that washed over me when I looked up. Lila had lowered herself back onto the ground, her eyes scanning over the rest of my downed siblings before she turned to me, specifically. Her smirk made something within me turn to ice, wary of what she'd do next./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in right 6.5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe tables had turned, and I wasn't so sure I liked the direction they now faced./span/p
