Chapter Four:

Highly Explosive

I skidded to a halt on the outskirts of Laredo, Texas, and took my time to walk into the town. It was dark out by now, but there was still the odd person in a cowboy hat walking around. The bar, of course, was lively.

I followed the coordinates that Lance had put into my phone and found a run-down shack that no one'd notice. Seen, but unseen, as the saying went. I took out my nodachi and slowly entered the shack. There was no light, and I wasn't willing to let my fire guide me, so I trusted my gut.

Thank God for that.

I raised my nodachi just in time to block a strike to my head, and then lashed out with my leg and struck a body. One more person attacked me, their weapon strangely familiar, but I used my speed to get around them and thrust my pommel into their face. I couldn't see a damn thing!

And so I didn't notice the first character as his weapon slammed into my head. I struggled for a moment on my feet before my vision became normal again, and the room stopped spinning.

"Still not down," the second person said in a semi-raspy voice.

The first person punched me in the gut before I could react. I stubbornly held my ground and glared at them.

"Then kill 'er," the first one said. "She won't be useful if she's this stubborn."

"Fine. But Command isn't gonna like it."

"Screw them. Just get it done."

The second person seemed to be glaring at the first. "I'm not under your orders. Don't forget that."

While they were arguing, I brought my nodachi around and struck at them. The second person got his weapon up just in time to block, but the first wasn't so lucky. My nodachi skimmed his arm as he jumped away, drawing blood. He clapped his hand around the wound and grunted in pain.

"Dammit! Just get 'er!" he cried to his friend.

"You're too dangerous to let live, Conduit," the second told me as he pointed his weapon at me. "It's time you were terminated."

I smirked. "Terminated? Like the movie? How 'bout we just let it slide for today?"

He tilted his head. "… Huh…?"

"I'll leave you guys with, 'I'll be back'." I smiled as he ran at me.

It seemed that he was familiar with the weapon he was using, yet unfamiliar. Like he knew how to use it, but his body wasn't reacting to his commands. It was easy to overpower him like that. Soon, I'd gotten his weapon out of his hands, and it smashed into the wall. Now I knew where I'd seen it before.

"The… AMP…?" I looked at the men I was facing. It didn't take long for me to put two-and-two together. "C-Cole…? Alec…?"

Lightning jumped up his arms and illuminated the shack. It was Cole, but he was wearing that weird black clothing with the white star on his chest. The same went for Alec, but both somehow looked more… sinister.

"Well, now you're gonna tell me who gave you that get-up. It really doesn't suit you guys…"

Alec came at me, swinging his sniper rifle at me while Cole shot bolts of lightning from his hands. I dodged and ducked, but one of Cole's bolts hit me square in the chest. I back-flipped and slid my nodachi back into its scabbard on my back, then let my fire come out.

"Bring it!" I roared. My flames, at least, would make it hard for Alec to find a shadow to use. "C'mon! I haven't fought in three years! Let's see how outta shape you guys are!"

Alec was the first to attack. He brought up his sniper rifle and shot at me. I just barely got out of the way, and managed to block Cole's incoming fists. I had to watch Alec from the corner of my eye while Cole shot lightning at me and tried to distract me. I rolled forwards and smashed my fist right into Cole's face, using a bit of my fire to send him flying backwards. Alec shot at me again, so I side-stepped and punched through his sniper rifle, my fist smashing into his chest. I twirled, and used my momentum to kick Cole in the gut, catapulting him into Alec.

I suddenly heard a helicopter overhead. The boys jumped to their feet and looked at each other, as if they knew they were in trouble. The door suddenly smashed open, and I had to leap out of the way so I wouldn't get hit by it. Connor and his two friends walked into the shack. They cast a glance at me, and then turned to Alec and Cole.

"We have them," Connor told them. "All three, and a few Human prisoners. Get the fourth alive."

I jumped to my feet and activated my fire. Cole glared at me. "But the fourth is so… aggressive. She's a fighter."

"Then I'll help you with your mission, Twelve." Connor turned to me. "Conduit, stand down. We do not have to shed blood this day."

"Who do you have?" I snapped. "Who?"

Connor frowned. "None of your business. I'll say it again; stand down."

I shot a fireball at him, which was blocked by one of his friends. The man smiled. "That all you got, girl?"

"I'm just getting started," I told him, and shot another, much more powerful fireball at him. He blasted backwards into his friend, Connor having gotten out of the way. "I demand that you let Alec and Cole go!"

Connor looked at my two friends. "Do you know this girl, Twelve? Eleven?"

They shook their heads. "Never seen 'er before," Alec said.

"Then you won't mind what I do to her." Connor, in the blink of an eye, was behind me, and slammed his fists over my head.

I stumbled forward, and was caught by his two pals. I upped my flames and roared, burning them and increasing the heat in the shack. I noticed that it'd started on fire, and so I added to it quickly.

"She's gonna kill us!" one of Connor's friends exclaimed.

"Three! Five! I want you to get Eleven and Twelve out of here!" Connor ordered his friends.

"But sir—!" Three tried to say.

"None of that! Now!"

As they escaped, I faced Connor, my eyes narrowing in anger. "Connor, who'd you take? Who was it?"

He rolled up his sleeves. "Prepare to lose, Conduit."

I attacked him, my fists furiously trying to get an opening. When I finally found one, I took it. I punched the side of his face just as his own fist buried itself in my guts. I couldn't help but cough out blood as we both found ourselves on the ground. The air around us was getting tighter. I knew I was a lit match, but even matches need air.

Connor knew he was running out of time as well. "Conduit, why are you fighting us? We're trying to help!"

"You're taking innocent people! Cole and Alec are my friends! I'm not going to forgive this!" I stood up shakily, and took the largest breath I could. "I'm going to fight! I'll find out what's going on!"

Connor stood up. "You are ignorant."

"And you're an asshole!" I shot back.

I suddenly heard a high-pitched whistling. I ducked just in time as a missile exploded through the shack. But even ducking didn't help me. Connor and I were thrown outside into a lagoon as the shack burned. The difference between us was that Connor had been expecting it, and was already on the rope ladder of the helicopter. I gritted my teeth as they chattered, my entire body soaking and wet, and too weak to chase after them. I pounded a fist into the water in fury, and then managed to climb out of the lagoon, after scaring away a few crocodiles first.

I panted and stared at the smoky sky, trying to piece together anything I could. Beside me, I felt the hot metal of Cole's AMP. I grasped it and slid it onto my back with my nodachi.

As soon as I get Cole back to normal, I'll give this back to him, I decided. And I will get Cole back to normal.

I flexed my hands and stood up, then activated my flames quickly to dry off. I decided to find a hotel to stay in, since I figured Laredo was my best bet for finding anything that Alec and Cole had found. They'd probably stashed some documents away…

I texted Lance to let him know what had happened, and then told him about my plans to stay in Laredo. I knew he'd understand. Whatever the fight was going to give me, it was going to be in Texas.