A/N: Chapter 20 will be posted later tonight (in about 6-8hrs), and the Epilogue sometime tomorrow. Thanks for sticking with this, and for all the reviews, faves, and follows! :)
Chapter Nineteen
It was half-past noon, and Kate closed her shop, leaving a sign stating she would be back soon. She knew all the unannounced closings lately was bad for business, but figured it probably wouldn't matter much longer.
Her phone buzzed with a text from Rick. "Meeting was moved up last night, so I'm already out of town. Hope to see you soon. Stay safe."
She knew last night that he'd lost control for a moment and that this ruse was his way of protecting her, but he really didn't know. At all. And this, this message from him, told her that he had moved his time of attack up and she needed to be ready.
"Okay, be careful." she sent in reply, then added, "I'll see you sooner than you'd think."
Kate put her phone away and scanned what she could see of the sky, looking for any signs of... anything. She didn't know where he would start, only knew the sites he had marked on the paper.
So, she wandered the streets, making her way toward Rick's building, hoping she may run into him, talk him out of his plans - tell him everything - when she saw what could only be him as he shot through the clouds.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head toward the sky. A slight jump lifted her into the air, and as she floated higher, Kate disappeared into flame and only HeatWave remained.
It didn't take long to find Rick's - Maelstrom's - trail. She could see him in the distance, ready to cause more destruction. There was only one way to stop him, and it twisted her insides. After hours of lost sleep, trying to think of another way, she found there was no way out of it.
She flew high above the city, taking in the cool air amongst the thin clouds. She centered on Maelstrom and dove, gaining speed as she closed in on him, eager to finish this final confrontation.