Helga G Pataki: Hillwood's New Superhero

by KlutzyMaiden123

As if my life wasn't already difficult. I already had to watch the love of my life making goo–goo eyes at little Ms. Perfect while completely ignoring me. Now, I also have to juggle school, keep my feelings for him a secret and fight evil while dressed in nothing but a skimpy bathing suit, all while hiding my new lifestyle as a superhero from my nosey classmates.

27. Birds of a Feather

Dah-duh! Surprised? I managed to get a chapter out before the year ended! Even better, just before we hit the one month mark!

Those of you who follow me on tumblr will know that this is because I loved writing the next chapter. Seriously, I had so much fun writing it, that it took only four days to not only write it, but also, complete three drafts! I'm so excited to post it, but alas, I cannot until I complete chapter 29. Until then, enjoy this chapter!

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The response took a while to arrive.

There was still so much adrenaline in our veins. It gathered and pumped through my body like it were on a mission to overwhelm my senses. It sent my heart throttling in my throat, hard enough to draw blood. Everything was spinning even though nothing was moving. Everyone was speaking too fast even though no one was talking. Dominos were falling but nothing was crashing. Silence collected then dropped like a weight that had the room caving in on itself then fastening itself back to Phoebe.

When I had turned around, I had expected her to be a mirage. A mixture of exhaustion and delirium sewing itself together into the form of a girl. But then, the silence went on and I realised that this delusion was real. I peeked at the girls from the corner of my eye, at their wide expressions. They hadn't been expecting it either.

Lark still had her hand against the beam, elbow pressed into the wood, but her eyes were drawn to the figure across from us. Raven had dropped her hand from my direction, eyebrows raising as her jaw slackened. Their reactions told me for certain: Phoebe was here.

And I didn't know how to react to that.

The silence seemed to stretch on for longer than what Phoebe was comfortable with. She shuffled. The tension had shifted itself into an uncomfortable arrow that pointed at her. She dropped her gaze and wrung her hands. I didn't move. My throat had closed and become heavy. Words wouldn't fit through. I didn't even know the words that I was feeling. Gazes were turning in my direction but I couldn't look away from her.

"Phoebe," was what I went with. Just that. Because that was all that I could manage. Her name.

But that seemed to be all that was needed. The tension became heavier until it pulled and twisted the room like it was fabric. The seams were torn, and everything was ripped away until we were standing back on the roof.

The air had been warm and the skies, a romantic haze dripping into sweet, cool shades that moved across our faces. The walls softened until they vanished, and a beating pressed into my ears. Phoebe was staring at me, like she had been before. It suddenly became hot, like velvet had been pressed against my nose. No one else was here, but us. But there was still so much distance, like a river was rushing to keep us separated.

She pressed her lips together and forced a grin. Her fingers unlaced themselves from each other and she held up her hand in an awkward wave.

"Hi," was what she went with.

Her voice was a dart that shattered the memories around me. The light opened back up until it filled the room and it no longer was just us. Sounds crept up my collar and settled back into my ears. The pounding in my ears turned into a warmth that gushed down my temples and into my throat. I didn't move in fear that the air would turn to shards. So, I kept my hands by my sides, locked my knees.

"Wha—what're you doing here?"

She hesitated.

"It . . . it had been hours and . . . you weren't answering my calls," she answered, still looking unsure of herself. "I knew you were coming—well, here. I knew what you—all of you—I knew what it was you were doing. But I just—I got worried when you weren't getting back to your phone so I . . . I jumped on a bike and got here as soon as I could because you . . . you weren't answering your phone."

"You peddled here?" Raven asked, seemingly unbothered with Phoebe's rambling.

When she didn't get a response, she stepped forward, arms crossed, and raised her eyebrows. The motion succeeded in getting Phoebe's attention, who blinked, like she just realised Raven was even here. Or maybe, she was realising that Raven was Rhonda. Couldn't exactly blame her for needing some time to wrap her head around that one. But Raven's actions also forced the world to continue spinning again, as time pressed forward from its frigid state. I sighed, shifting my shoulders, but the action didn't loosen the tension that was in my chest. I crossed my arms, feeling like something had snapped, and ducked my face to shake my head.

"Yeah," Phoebe nodded.

Raven cracked a smirk. "Impressive, Heyerdahl."

That made Phoebe blink, surprised.

Hell, I was also surprised.

"Really?" Phoebe asked.

Lark crossed her arms.

"Duh," Raven waved a hand like it were obvious. "You biked yourself all the way over here in time to stop us getting pummelled. Obviously, I'm impressed."

Phoebe ducked her face to hide her smile, but through the peeks in her hair, I could see that her cheeks had turned pink. Her hands had closed into fists before she tucked them behind her back and took a small step forward. Raven's comment seemed to have partially melted the tension and from the corner of my eye, I caught a hint of a grin from Nel.

The sight made an ache spread in my chest. I looked between them, the words I wanted to say feeling like a weight lodged in my throat. It made my mood burn and before I knew it, I was moving forward.

"So what?" I dug my nails into my arms. "You think you can just come back? Pick up where we left off?"

It succeeded in shattering whatever had been warming the room. It was like I had taken a baseball bat and swung it for a window. The glass would shatter and as everyone whirled around in my direction, it felt like the shards were being forced into my skin.

Still, I stayed focused on Phoebe.

Nel frowned, noticing my expression. "Helga, what're yo—"

"She ran away, Nel," I snapped, nodding in Phoebe's direction as I turned my glare onto the cat. "How do we know that she won't do it again? When we actually need her?"

Phoebe grimaced but she moved forward, fingers tapping into her palm.

"I—I wasn't ready but now . . . now I am," she insisted. "I can do this, Helga."

"Oh, well, that just changes things," I laughed and flung my hand in her direction. "Well, I'm glad that you've come to that conclusion, Phoebe, I really am. Wish I could've had the time to think about it before I was offered this gig!"

A hand came down onto my shoulder before I could continue. I was whirled around so that I was staring up at Raven, who looked less then pleased with my conviction.

"The hell, Pataki?" she snapped. "This isn't about you."

That made me stare at her. It hadn't been that long ago since she had been telling me exactly what she thought of me—that I cared too much. That I was exactly like my hero counterpart because we cared and protected people. I bit my lip. She didn't look like she believed that right now.

Her eyes were hard and pressed into mine like rocks. Her lips tipped downwards at the ends, and from how her face tilted, I knew that she was disappointed.

Good, I told myself. She knew who I really was, so I didn't have to force myself to be something that I wasn't.

I sneered. "You—"

But Nel cleared her throat. "Helga—side bar."

I turned my scowl onto her. "But I—"

"Side. Bar."

I wanted to tell her to sod off. Actually, I wanted to tell her a lot considering that this was all happening because of her. We were all standing here, arguing, because she still thought that Phoebe deserved another chance. Rather than being smart about it and taking her decision for what it was—a rejection. But I also wanted to ask Nel, when had this even happened? Why were you allowing it? Did my feelings mean nothing to you? And what about Rhonda, where had this loyalty to Phoebe even come from? When was the last time that the two had even shared a conversation? But Nel had already turned around before I could ask. She was walking in the opposite direction, into a corner, and I knew I wasn't going to gain anything from standing there.

So, I clamped my mouth shut and followed. I had a lot to say.

The shadows shuffled as we moved across the room. The silence swelled until it felt like we were the only two people in the room, the only one's capable of movement. It made a ringing press into my chest. I cleared my throat and pressed a hand to my pin. This was becoming too much. I had so much to say but I wanted to be Helga as I said it.

So, I willed Blue Jay away.

It was a sensation that had once been so strange but now, it was as natural as lifting my hand. I focused on the space between my brows. It allowed me to tap deeper into the magic that swept through my body. It was a deep surge that made the air bend around me. It swirled deep in my throat, like candlelight, and danced like stars across my skin. I released a breath, then forced the magic away. It was a ghostly feeling, something cold yet firm, like forcing a friend out the door. The warmth that rolled down my skin in a soft pulse rapidly cooled. I watched as lights danced across the roof. Iridescence streamed from my pin and down my arms. It beat in my chest and wrapped around the back of my head. I could feel my hair flapping in a cool tide. The walls stretched higher. The air softened. The smells dulled. And then, the seraphic feeling was no more, and shadows were pressing back into me as my skirt flapped around my knees.

And when Nel turned back around, it was to Helga.

"What was that?" she hissed.

My senses had turned sluggish, but I could still hear as Raven moved towards Phoebe. With this new distance between us, her voice was hushed, but I could make out her voice asking whether Phoebe was alright. It made anger shoot hot and sharp, like an arrow.

"What was that? What is this?" I wildly made a gesture. "Phoebe made her choice—she ran away and now all of a sudden, we're just taking her back with open arms?"

"She saved us."

"She threw a stone."

Nel's ears folded back against her head, like they always did when she was about to yell. But then, her eyes caught onto something over my shoulder. Her expression lightened into a relieved smile.

"Ah, Lila, excellent. Can you believe this?" She said and when I looked over my shoulder, Lila had stopped to stand beside me. She had an incomprehensible look on her face. "Helga simply will not separate her feelings from our chance of survival. Really, Helga. I would have expected this from you when we first met, but now?" She sighed. "Lila, please explain to her that this will turn out to be a good thing."

Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms. And here came the lecture.

"Actually, Nel, I . . ." she hesitated. "I came over here to say that I . . . I agree."

That took us by surprise.

"What?!"

Our screams were loud enough to rouse Phoebe and Raven, who paused in their conversation to peek in our direction.

"With Helga," Lark added, somewhat lamely.

Nel's jaw dropped while I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"

"I mean, yeah," Lark shrugged, looking between us. "I'm sure that you did sense something in her, Nel, but . . . Helga's right. She left us. She gave us her answer. She looked us in the eye before running away . . . of course we don't feel comfortable having her on the team. How are we supposed to trust that something like that won't happen again? At an even more consequential time?" She shook her face. "I'm sorry but I . . . I can't accept her either."

Silently, I stared at her.

I wasn't self conscious about my reaction, nor how I felt about this whole thing. Phoebe had run away and left us with very little reason to trust her. But still, I had become used to being told that I was wrong. Or even if I was right, it was under a specific set of circumstances that were so delicate that it didn't really matter. It was weirdly validating to have someone—especially Lila—on my side.

Lark noticed my staring. "What?"

"Wow," I blinked.

Nel also stared at her. "I am very disappointed in you."

That made us both turn to her.

"You're disappointed in me?" Lark raised her eyebrows.

"Both of you," Nel glanced between us. "I understand that you are both still hurt from the . . . incident, especially you, Helga. But I am afraid that you're going to have to turn a blind eye to it—" we both glared at her. "—temporarily at least. Because if you haven't noticed, we are stuck between a rock and a hard place."

She then paused to allow us the chance to interject if we wanted. But we remained silent, settling for shrugs.

"I mean, Lila, you were struck with lightning. Of course, I know that it will not stop you, but it will certainly slow you down. And there must be dozens of Mutants out there, not to mention that man. You are all very tough, but there is too much to fight. With Phoebe, we at least have a chance of getting out of here," her eyes sharpened into a glint. "Besides, even if you all did manage to get out of here, what then? Do we continue finding another Guardian? We haven't the time anymore. There is another henchman that wants to eliminate us. And you haven't even met Acantha yet. The fate of the world is still in our hands and we are out of time to find someone else. We no longer have the luxury to remain choosey about recruitments. Not anymore. She is all we have."

She gestured in Phoebe's direction and without thinking, I followed the motion.

Phoebe had her arms wrapped around her middle. She was watching Raven as the brunette prattled on about something that no doubt meant very little. But her eyes jerked to the corner of her vision and in that moment, I knew that she was aware that we were all watching her.

"A hard lesson one must understand when one is a Guardian," Nel continued and when I looked, her eyes were already on mine, "is that things exist outside of ourselves."

I curled my lips to the side and looked to my shoes. I could feel Lark watching me.

"It is a painful sacrifice, but one sometimes must sustain how they feel personally about something when it may guarantee the safety of other people," Nel explained. Her voice had softened, almost into a whisper. "I hate to continue hammering this into you girls as you have already sacrificed so much already but this is the requirement of Guardians. We must sacrifice comfort for security."

Her eyes were boring into the side of my face. I chewed the inside of my cheek. I could feel the words of protest moving in my chest and reaching into my throat, but I bit down on them. Because I knew—whether I liked it or not—that Nel was right. Being a Guardian was a sacrifice, not just of normalcy but selfhood. It was ironic, we had all the power in the world. And yet, I had never felt more restrained. Sometimes, it was like we had to lack our own agency to keep everyone else safe.

"Do you understand?" Nel pressed.

I sighed, chest heavy. "Yes."

I didn't expect to receive much more than a dismissive nod but instead, I could feel her eyes still on me. The silence stretched until I could feel my pulse curdling in my throat as she finally spoke.

"Do you remember what I told you, that first night that we met?"

Slowly, I rose my face and met her gaze. Her eyes were arrows, forcing their way into mine. They had softened so they resembled a cold light, rather than a metal. But they didn't glance away. It made the air around my face turn cold and spill like ice across my cheeks. Her words—the ones she hadn't said yet—they layered into me like weapons. They had moved so deep into my heart that I expected if someone were to touch it, my chest would cave.

Still, I forced myself to speak. "I—"

When something banged against the doors.

It shuddered through the room and my heart jumped into my mouth like it had been kicked. Phoebe cried out, startled, and Raven spun on her heels to whip her arm in front of her. Lark's hand had found my wrist while I pressed my fingers into the back of Nel's neck. The noises continued, echoing, as animalistic noises pressed from behind the doors. Too much weight was being thrown against them. There wasn't much time until—

Nel moved quick, scampering towards the others, while Lark and I turned to each other.

Recognising the look on my face, she nodded.

And then, seconds later, as light burst and then shrunk from the corners of the room, Blue Jay stood, tall and proud, next to Lark.

The air sharpened like it had grown a heartbeat. I could suddenly hear sounds, and smell scents, that had disappeared minutes ago. I could feel everyone's pulses pressing into my skin like they were my own. Trails of smoke and sweat pounded from behind the doors. The air shifted, warmer now, and something rolled down my skin. It folded between my fingers and when I curled them into fists, something exploded behind my eyes.

"We can fight them!" I insisted, swinging around to Nel.

She was stood next to Phoebe and Raven now.

Lights sprawled from my fingers and splashed onto the ground. It hit their faces and reflected in sequined fractals from their teeth. Phoebe became silent as she watched the pale waves spin from my wrists and reflected from the flat surfaces.

She stepped forward.

"No, we—we have to leave!" she stammered and continued even as I glowered at her. "O–Out the back door, it can take us to the spinning top! The area—it's wider, there'll be more space." Everyone turned in her direction. "If we have any hope of getting out of this, we're going to need much more space than what we can get here. A–And the floor can likely be played to our advantage!"

I twisted my lips to the side, wanting to bite back and remind her that I was the leader. I was the one who had been here since day one. Phoebe was smart, but I was the Guardian. Blue Jay was what she was for a reason. But when I glanced around, everyone seemed to agree.

Even Lark.

"Wait, no, we don't need any of that!" I exclaimed and swung my hands down as they looked at me. "We can settle matters here, like we always do! Lark, I know that you're still—"

"Helga," Lark interrupted and when she fixed me with a stare, I became quiet. "She's right."

I stared. "What?"

"The doors are about to get knocked down, there's dozens of Mutants on the other side and a man that we know nothing about," she explained calmly, rationally. Like we weren't where we were. "I'm sorry but if we want to make it out of here, we have to listen to what Phoebe is saying."

"But—"

"Please put your ego away for two seconds," she said. That made me frown because what a ridiculous notion. But then, I became aware of the faces around me, nodding their agreement. "I know a lot is happening right now, but you need to listen to someone else for a change."

"Wha—ego? I don't have a—"

"Yes, you do," Nel and Raven both interrupted.

I balked. "But I—"

"No. Listen, Helga, I'm injured. I'll be alright but for now, I'm injured and I won't be as useful as I normally am, alright? Now you and Rhonda were barely able to hold your own. We cannot get out of here if we keep acting like . . . this," she gestured between us. "Nel's right. We need to think bigger than this—than us. We need to think about the world, it's fate. We need to work together."

I remained silent.

Her eyes flickered down for a moment and darted across my face. Her features softened at my expression, but she stood her ground.

"I understand that you're angry. I am as well. But you have to set that aside—we all do. You say that you're the leader and you need to start acting like it," she said. "And stop shouldering all the pressure. Put some god damn faith in us—all of us. We can get out of this, I believe in it. I mean, look at us, we're badass!"

The sound of Raven chuckling shattered the tension that had been building. And despite myself, I could feel my mouth twitching.

Lark chanced a step forward and placed her hands onto my shoulders. "But only if we work together."

I didn't speak.

The silence stretched but I chose not to say anything. Instead, I looked at her—really looked at Lark—and searched her expression. Her eyes were direct. They pushed into mine. Her mouth had closed, but I knew what she was telling me. That I wasn't the only one angry. She was as well. But like Nel said, this problem was greater than us. And we needed to understand that. But I was not alone. I was never alone. She wasn't allowing me the space to overthink myself into a corner. She kept her hands on my shoulders and squeezed with reassurance.

The warmth that settled between us painted the room in soft, smoky shades.

Lila was still angry. She wasn't lying. It hadn't just been me that Phoebe had rejected that day. And Lila had been the one who had to clean up her mess. She still held resentment over that. I hadn't realised until today that Lila might not feel so forgiving towards Phoebe. I had assumed, because Lila was always preaching about kindness and forgiveness, that she had forgiven Phoebe and expected me to as well. But looking at her now, I knew for certain that I had misunderstood. We hadn't spoken about Phoebe since that day, but not because Lila wanted me to get over my anger. But because she was still angry as well.

I couldn't help the warmth that surged through me. I wasn't alone. Lila had my back. We had had fights and disagreements, but the cord between us was still strong. She wasn't leaving me, like Phoebe had.

But she knew when she had to be Lark instead of Lila. And while Lila was still mad, Lark was injured. And Lark was a Guardian. We all were. And we needed our fourth member. It was like Nel had said, we had run out of time.

I sighed, chest still tight.

"You heard her Nel," I said without looking away.

I could feel Nel nodding before she drew symbols in the air. The action made everything soften as light filled the room. But I didn't watch. I didn't need to. I had seen this all before. I kept my eyes on Lark. She had her lips pressed together and a muscle twitched in her jaw. But her expression remained strong as she silently asked whether I was alright.

I shrugged. I didn't like lying to her but also, there wasn't much that could be done.

There was a flash from my side and I looked before I could stop myself.

Shapes materialised into a crackling fever that turned the atmosphere into rippling heat waves. It beamed from Phoebe's eyes. I couldn't help looking in her direction. Her stance had changed; before she had been folding in on herself, like she always did when she was overwhelmed. But right now, her arms were dropping to her sides as she slowly turned so she was facing the light. Her lips parted, eyebrows pushing together. It was like she had forgotten everything but those shapes. And in that moment, I knew—she could hear them.

The whispers.

But then, the door rumbled again.

My heart jammed into my throat. Lark's hands moved away as we each spun around. The air became frigid and buzzed uncomfortably into our skin. The were shings! that filled the room as Raven, Lark and I each whipped out our weapons.

"A little faster, Nel," Raven said, eyeing the doorknob that jiggled.

"Do you, Phoebe, accept the—"

"Oh, knock it off, Nel, you noob!" I snapped and put my knife back into my boot. Jesus, had it taken this long with me as well? I spun on my heel and raced for the back door.

"Yeah, seriously!" Raven's voice followed me as she remained hot on my heels. "Crap or get off the pot!"

I felt Nel's outrage like it were a gun. "Well!"

I merely rolled my eyes—that cat could be so dramatic—then grasped the door handle. But it wouldn't budge.

"Shit, it's locked," I hissed, turning to Raven. Her knives had disappeared back into her wrists as she crouched down to examine it, expression tight. "How're we—"

Her hand suddenly disappeared and shifted like smoke to sink into the door. She stepped closer so her arm disappeared and her shoulder was pressed into the wood. Her face remained hard until there was a click from the other side. And pulling away, she presented her work as she pushed the door wide open.

I stared, feeling stupid. "Oh."

"Yeah, nice one, genius."

Then, light shot past us, and we turned around.

Immediately, we were blinded.

Squinting, I raised a hand to my face. The banging echoed from the doors but beneath that, I could hear a shuffling across the floor. I didn't move though. I couldn't see anything but I knew that those noises didn't belong to the Mutants. I waited until the light thinned so that we could lower our hands.

And when we did, we gasped.

Phoebe—she was beautiful.

Her figure was long and reminded me of the women you saw on Vogue covers, wearing something sharp but elegant. But her uniform was dark and tight; the purple bodice stretched into a halter neckline then dipped beneath the swell of her shoulders, leaving them bare. The fabric twisted down her arms into sleeves that ran into her vambraces.

There was a big, bulky belt around her waist, and attached to that belt, were six shapes. Knives. They were small and black, but sharp. Her pants were black and plunged into matching boots. And her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that trailed down her neck in soft curls. Bangs hung from the side of her face like curtains. But over her eyes, she wore a mask.

The light glistened, sultry and rich, and clawed out from her back like they were wings. The trails stretched into the corners of the room and made the mirrors blush. Something thudded in my stomach. I stood at my full height. The light turned sparse before fading completely.

"Whoa, Pheebs."

I didn't even realised that I'd spoken until her eyes met mine.

Her stare was like embers. They were still dark, a pale shade of coal, but right now, they had turned hot. They were hot and smoky and they had latched onto mine.

She paused, unsure how to act in this new body, before her lips stretched into a small smile. Her fingers wrapped around her arm and she suddenly looked awkward. I couldn't help smiling. Some things never changed.

But then, time crashed back into us. Lark was rushing from behind Phoebe, Nel bouncing up and down in her arms.

"Time to go!" she sung as Nel hissed at her to let her go. But Lark ignored her and dashed out the door behind Raven and I.

We exchanged looks.

Then, she shrugged. "Well, you heard her!"

Raven then followed after Lark.

It left Phoebe and I alone.

I turned to her and nodded in their direction. "You go first, I've got this."

She hesitated. "Are you sure?"

My mouth twitched.

"Yeah," my voice was warm. "I—"

Then, there was a resounding bang! from the entrance. It launched so hard against the doors that they were swung open. Sounds cracked as wooden splinters broke from the boards. Some were larger than others, shooting into the mannequins like bullets and knocking them down. The booming footsteps then filled the room. Wet, husky groans released from the Mutants' mouths. Lips pulled back to reveal their sharp, soaked teeth. Their eyes went to us and immediately, they pounced.

"Go!" I screamed, moving backwards to heave open the door. "Go, go, go!"

Dazed, Phoebe's gaze touched mine. There was a line between her brows that made her mask crease. Her lips had parted, but her eyes trembled. The look on her face was enough to make something hot and protective flare in my chest. I latched onto her wrist and forced her out the door. She moved immediately, like she needed me to remember how her feet worked.

I quickly released her so she could continue. I jumped through the doorway then spun around to slam it shut. The lock had barely clicked before I had spun around again and began running.

It was like I had been transported into a cartoon, or a horror movie. The hallway was wide and painted like a kaleidoscope so that when you moved, it appeared like the walls were spiralling around you. Red and white fought and swirled into tunnels. Normally, this wouldn't have had an effect on me. But we had been fighting non-stop for what felt like hours and right now, I still had so much adrenaline and stress racing through my body. It made the nausea rise in my chest, twisting until bile was tickling the back of my throat.

I placed a hand to my forehead as I ran. Now was not the time for this. We may have had four members, but Lark was injured and Phoebe had quite literally only transformed minutes ago. This fight would mainly be reliant on Raven and I.

I looked ahead, where Raven and Lark were racing. Nel was still bouncing in Larks' arms, although she didn't seem to be fighting against it anymore. I looked past their heads to the end of the hallway at the door that would get us out of here.

I hissed. If only.

And just in the nick of time, there was another cracking noise from behind. I almost ignored it, wanting to continue and hopefully just out–run it. But Phoebe was close. I couldn't chance it. I looked over my shoulder to find that the door had been thrown from its hinges.

Mutants were gathering, speeding through the tiny entrance.

"Shit!"

"Keep going!" I shouted at Phoebe. She forced her eyes ahead. "We can make it—"

Something clamped onto my shoulder and I was violently swung around.

"Blue Jay!" Phoebe swerved to a halt.

"I've got this!" I barely had even gotten a glimpse of its face before I slammed my foot into its knee. There was a sickening crack! as the creature howled and dropped to the ground. I held out my hand for merely a second before the knife went straight through the Mutant's shoulder. It happened so quickly that it barely registered in my brain that I had swung back around and began running.

Phoebe had been watching me and caught my eye immediately. My stomach dropped and I opened my mouth to tell her to keep going when something slammed into the side of my head. The weight was crushing and sent me flying until a pressure slammed into my eyes. The ground then lunged up and swung into my side, knocking the wind from my chest.

I was too stunned to feel the pain.

But I could feel as the earth rocked back and forth. Bile rose until it was threatening to burst between my lips. The nausea had exploded until everything inside me had turned to mush. But there was a heartbeat between my fingers. I used it as a cord, something that my mind could grab onto and reel back to earth. I was digging my fingers into the ground, sliding onto my hands and knees and trying to crawl away. Spots were denting my vision. They were spinning and dazzling and pushing me back down. I was holding my breath to fight them off when a shadow fell over me.

I barely had a second to look before the Mutant was already launching for me. I screamed but energy collected between my fingers. There was a jerking sensation in my throat before I reached upwards and wrapped my hands around the fist. The force almost sent me back to the ground, but the attack remained inches from my face.

The Mutant's eyes jerked open. It hadn't been expecting that. It glanced from my hands to the magic wrapped around them. It was a cool tide that had wound around my fingers. It coursed forward and pushed a space between us. My instincts flared, telling me to throw this monster backwards like I were Superman. Like I always did. But everything was still twisting itself into a knot. The air was rolling against the walls and turned everything sloppy so that it folded back like sodden fabric.

Shit, I pressed my teeth together. How am—

But then, the weight disappeared from my hands.

I blinked.

The Mutant was yanked backwards before it could strike me again. I shook my face. It was wrestling something—wielding its hands around like it were wrapped in an invisible fight. I frowned, genuinely thinking that it had lost its mind. But when it turned, I realised that Phoebe had jumped onto its back. The Mutant was fast, so she looked like a dark shape with a pale face attached. But she had her arms wrapped tight around the Mutant like ropes.

She then held out her hand and brandished a long knife.

Her eyes caught mine.

"Go!" she said. "I've got this!"

"But—"

"Go!"

There were so many reasons why I should've stayed and continued fighting her on this. For one, Phoebe had just become a Guardian. She didn't know her strength yet. She wasn't aware of her weaknesses. Had she even gotten used to how different the world appeared? This was an entirely new reality that would be hard for anyone to catch up. Let alone her, where she had been thrown straight into the deep end. Another reason—I was the leader. I understood this world more than anyone on the team. I had been taking down Mutants the longest and I had been training the longest. And lastly, you were never to leave another Guardian behind.

But for whatever reason, I listened. I obeyed. I didn't know why or what made me listen. Maybe it was how serious her expression had been. Maybe it had been the fact that I knew—deep down—Phoebe could handle herself. She had an extensive history with martial arts. Or maybe, I wanted her to handle it. Maybe I was so tired that I didn't care, and these were just excuses I was using to make myself feel better.

But the next thing that I knew, I was clambering back to my feet. Well, I was attempting. I slammed my palms into the ground and heaved. My knees rocked as I pressed my feet into the ground. My wrists were wiggling.

And then, I was running.

The back of my neck burned—it flared. I was running away, going against my instincts to protect her, to protect my sisters. But I didn't. I ignored everything that had gathered and swarmed to call me a coward, to berate me, and continued running until I had reached the door.

Raven held it open for me. Her eyes followed me. I think she asked me something when I had made it through, but I didn't hear it though. There was too much happening, too much spinning, too much noise. There was a buzzing in my ears. A flush that pushed through my blood, that made everything pump harder. It washed over me and pushed Raven's voice to the back of my mind. I wiped the sweat beading across my forehead, leaning over my knees to pant, when I noticed how she was looking at me.

She must had asked whether I was alright.

"Where's Phoebe?!" Lark demanded.

I gestured out the door with my face. "She's—"

But I stopped.

I could feel the girls' frowns. They were wondering what had happened to make me freeze like that before they lifted their gazes and followed my sight.

It was Phoebe—she had kicked off from the wall so she could swing her body around and wrap her thighs around the back of the Mutant's neck. The Mutant tried knocking her off. But she clenched her thighs harder and didn't move an inch. Her knife gleamed before she sent it into the Mutant's neck. The creature roared but before it could do anything, she squeezed her thighs, tucking her body into a roll, and rocked her weight forward so that the Mutant was flipped onto the ground.

It came down with a massive thud! It was forced onto its back, but Phoebe had managed to roll away, landing in a crouched position. She was on her feet in seconds and racing for the door.

Everyone moved out of her way as she entered then slammed the door shut before the explosion could knock against the walls.

It became silent, the only sound was her panting. She slumped against the door, ducking her head, as she hurried to catch her breath. She then moved her hand from the door to her chest and shoved the hair from her eyes.

But when she turned around, her set expression had melted into surprise when she noticed that we had all been staring at her.

"What?" she asked, self–conscious.

Everyone remained quiet for a moment—speechless—until Raven broke into a wide grin.

"You are . . ." she clapped her hands together. ". . . so badass!"

Phoebe blinked when we all nodded our agreement.

She then blushed. "Oh—um, thank you."

"C'mon!" Lark was the first to snap out of it. Her expression had hardened, eyes glazing past me as she turned around. She let Nel jump down from her arms as she led us into the room.

We hurried after her and moved into what I assumed was the middle of this space. But the lights were off so there wasn't much to make out. But somehow, I could still picture it so clearly. I could imagine the wide walls that encircled the space like it were a barrel. I could feel the air conditioner thrumming, although it would do nothing to defeat my sweatiness. I could hear the screams and laughter as kids lost their balance and fell. The floors painted in psychedelic patterns that beamed like frantic moonbeams.

I sucked in a breath. I could still taste how the air spiralled, like it too wanted to pull and twist me until I lost my balance.

The spinning top—the main event—was a wide stretch in the middle of the room. It wasn't painted like the other floors but instead, it appeared like crystalline. Kids used to drag their parents here because when the switches were flipped, lights would fan out from the tiles in a multicoloured whirl. And then the floor would spin so that it appeared like you were riding a velvet–toned rainbow.

It was the main attraction for kids, but adults preferred to stay behind the bars. They would chat amongst themselves as their kids reigned havoc, then grab their kids when they were ready to leave.

Ironic that the next time the four of us would be here, we would almost be adults and ready to kick some ass.

"Careful guys," I announced and moved so that I was at the front and leading them through the entrance. "We don't have much time until they—"

I came to a halt.

Raven released a noise, having almost knocked straight into me. There was a moment of surprise before she placed her hands on her hips and looked ready to berate me. But she stopped. Her words disappeared before they could arrive. Because she had looked and found exactly what had made me stop so abruptly.

The shadows—they were moving. They lapped, twisting and sprawling, then pulled apart as bodies moved forward. Growls were filling the room.

Mutants.

They were already here.

The air became heavier and pressed into my chest like it had an actual weight. The Mutants were moving out from the corners, pressing in on us from all angles until we were surrounded.

Blood rushed in my knees. I stepped backwards. I whipped my face around and tried counting. But then, a weight pressed into my back. I looked over my shoulder and realised that we had all been moving without realising it.

So now, we had our backs pressed against each other.

The four of us.

I glanced at the floor. The spinning top shuddered from the weight as the Mutants stepped onto it.

Clicks resounded from around me. I recognised it as the sounds of the girls pulling their weapons out. I couldn't see their faces, but I could feel their resolve. There was a tightening in their muscles, a toughening in their spirits.

They were ready.

I pressed my lips together and unsheathed my knife.

So was I.

"Get ready, ladies," Lark sang.

The creatures pressed further. Their claws made clacking noises against the tiles. Their nails made the railings that circled the floor rattle. Some ventured onto the spinning top, where we were stood. Their weight made everything shake. But we stayed still.

The way that their eyes—every pair in the room—rolled in our direction and made us their explicit target, it made something in my chest drop. The air became heavier like it was trying to choke me.

I pressed my lips together, swallowing.

My heart was racing in protest. But I raised my gaze upwards, meeting the Mutants that surrounded us, and smirked.

"Let the games begin," I announced.

I swung my fist into the air.

There was a hazy glow that swung out and expanded into a screen. It burst in all directions and slammed into the Mutants, knocking them backwards into the walls. There was a relieved breath—I wasn't sure if it came from Raven or Phoebe. I pointed in a random direction and shot out a wire, kicking off so that I was swinging through the air.

I could feel eyes on me, watching my moves, when my attention settled on a larger form. It was a Mutant, standing far taller than the others around it. I clacked my teeth together then swooped, knocking my feet into its nose. The force sent the monster to the ground, stumbling onto its elbows, before I sent my knife between its brows. It barely could even release a noise before I had kicked back into the air.

I soared and as I did, my pulse rushed in my throat. There was a shakiness that rattled in my bones. But the adrenaline that pushed through me shoved that sensation to the back of my brain. I flipped my body then landed on my feet. There was a pounding against the ground and when I looked over my shoulder, a Mutant was advancing.

I curled my lips to the side then dropped to my knees, swooping beneath its fist. The momentum slid me across the ground, and then looking ahead, I shot out my wire. It punctured another Mutant that had been charging at me.

I tugged hard on the wire, sending the Mutant stumbling, and twisted to the side, out of the way, as it flew into the other Mutant.

The two collapsed onto the ground and, spinning on the balls of my feet, I was swinging my knife again. I heard rather than saw it nailing its targets. So swinging around, I raced in a random direction until Lark was back in my sights.

She was focused on taking on a Mutant twice her size. Her face was scrunched with concentration. Her eyes didn't flicker away. So she didn't see that another Mutant was advancing from behind.

I gritted my teeth then leapt, slamming my foot into its face before it could do anything. The knife that I'd been twirling between my fingers was launched into its flesh.

My wrist tingled and a light burst out so that when I twisted my hand, the light flared from the Mutant's throat down to its abdomen. I swung my wrist and the barrier hurtled across the room and sent the Mutant into the wall before it exploded into dust.

I released a sigh then leaned over my knees.

"How're you holding up?" I managed to get through my panting.

Lark, whaddya know, didn't seem to notice what had happened mere feet from her. She was still taken with the Mutant that she was currently fighting. She slammed her foot into its chest and sent it backwards. There was a moment where she paused, her expression crumbling as she took in a breath, and then she swept her bangs back and addressed me over her shoulder.

"Decently," she said it like we were hanging out at the mall. "All things considered."

How's that for gratitude?

"Duck." Was all that I said.

Her eyes went to mine. But she obeyed and swinging on my heels, I hurtled my knife where her head had been. The blade plunged into the eye of an approaching Mutant. The creature roared and was thrown backwards. The explosion sent dust spiralling like small fiery wisps, but none were able to touch Lark. The forcefield around us beamed, buzzing whenever the debris made contact with it.

Lark popped back up with a smile. "Thanks."

"No worries," I said then caught the knife between my fingers. The pressure that had compressed my head disappeared when the forcefield faded. But there was still something that squeezed the bridge of my nose. "But remember if you feel—"

"I know, I know," she rolled her eyes, but she was grinning.

A beat passed before her expression hardened. She slid to the side as a Mutant advanced from behind. Her teeth slammed together. She swivelled out of the way then grabbed the back of its neck. The Mutant grasped, choking. I threw my foot out to trip it and when it collapsed, Lark swiped her staff from her side and sent it through the Mutant's shoulder.

"You're beginning to sound like Nel," she quipped.

At first I ignored her, holding out my hands so that a forcefield would materialise around the Mutant. She pulled her staff from its body. I twisted my wrists so that the forcefield rose away from us. But when the Mutant exploded, it sent a ringing into my ears. The sensation was harrowing and travelled in waves down to my knees. The walls twisted like they were melting, and the ground lurched like it were calling for my knees to slam into it.

I resisted, pressing my toes into the ground.

The air was hot and slippery as it slithered down my face. I gritted my teeth, sucking in a breath, and then counting without paying attention before I responded.

"Ouch," was all that I said. Pretending that I wasn't reaching my limits.

Lark chuckled, her eyes on where the Mutant had exploded before she whirled around. Her eyes hooked onto something on my face and then, her smile froze.

I looked away, afraid of what she had seen.

"Look out!" I heard over my shoulder.

I didn't have time to look in its direction. Lark had already reached out and grabbed onto my shoulder, jerking me out of the way. The Mutant shot past where I had been standing. But it slammed into the control panel, mere feet from us, and crashed against the lever. It released a mechanical protest—like it hadn't been used in years—before the impact forced the stick backwards and a low groan filled the room.

Lark still had her hand on my shoulder when the floor suddenly and violently jerked forward. Her hands vanished as we held out our arms to steady our balance. The floor then gave another jerk before it began to spin, releasing noises that indicated, like the lever, that it hadn't been used in years. But it was only moving at a snail's pace as the tiles suddenly lit with colours.

They were sharp shooting, bolts that sliced open the darkness in their psychedelic beams. They spread from beams into pools against the walls, swelling in green that melded into yellow then purple then blue and then orange. It was a beautiful sight, truly. Had we been in different circumstances, I would've taken the time to have marvelled at it.

But then, the groans came to a stop when a song blared from the speakers.

Fuck sorry, fuck please, will you so kindly start again?

"Ooh," Recognising the tune, I straightened. "Nice pick!"

Lark shot me a look.

"Little help here!" Raven shouted from her position in the corner. Light and shadow battled for dominance, so it was hard to make out much other than the figures she was squaring up against.

Now put your money where your mouth is

"Go help Phoebe," Lark told me before racing in Raven's direction.

"Right," I nodded then raced to the other side of the wheel.

Put your money where your mouth is

Phoebe seemed to blend in even better with the darkness then Raven. Her form was shorter than the four Mutants surrounding her. Releasing a noise, I punched the air and sent a forcefield spiralling until it had wrapped around Phoebe.

You see height is time, time is money, never apologise

(These are the rules, sports)

She paused, looking up and immediately finding me. The lights twisted over her face and sprawled her shadow against the wall. Her mouth dropped like she had made a realisation, but then she closed it again. She seemed to think better of it—whatever she wanted to say—and instead, went with a nod, thankful.

Height is time, time is money, never apologise

(These are the rules, sports)

I made a gesture. The forcefield followed my actions and swung outwards until it had slammed into the Mutants that surrounded her. Their claws screeched across the floor before they were thrown backwards. My hands went back to my sides before I sent my knife flying. The blade caught onto one of them and when the creature exploded, I shot forward.

Height is time, time is money, never apologise

(These are the rules, sports, these are the rules)

The other Mutants were still disoriented, picking themselves up from the ground, but one looked up in time. It made a move to hit me but, spinning on the balls of my feet, I slipped beneath its fist then sent my own into its side. The Mutant folded, grabbing onto its abdomen. I slammed my foot into another Mutant's neck then, holding out my hand as it fell backwards, I felt my knife appear between my fingers. I swung it to the side where the last Mutant had tried sneaking up on me.

I've got ice water in my veins

Throwing a swift curveball (Damn)

My instincts were fire in my ears. I held out my hands like I were on stage and waiting for an applause, when a forcefield appeared in time to protect me from the Mutant exploding. It shot out into showers of sparks and ash, tangling with the light, and turning the bulbs a swelling pink before they went back to a blue.

I released a breath.

Too much talk, this ain't a run, it's marathon (Run, run, run, run)

"I just cannot believe—" I suddenly heard. Frowning, I looked over my shoulder, where Phoebe was beaming at me. Her eyes shone and she held her hands to her chin. "—that this entire time I've been admiring and analysing Blue Jay and it was actually you all along!"

I couldn't explain my reaction to that.

It was a simple comment. I was grateful she had never put the clues together. It had been my hope, that no one would make that connection. And yet hearing this, it made something jerk in my throat. I knew that it wasn't sadness because it didn't sink in my chest like sadness tended to do. Instead, it flared. It was piping hot and sent surges through my body that made me want to hit something.

Put your eye on the ball when it's in your court (Null points)

I pulled my eyes away from hers and throwing out a wire, I threw myself back into the air.

Dropping balls, missing goals

Do you even play this sport?

The blood was pumping in my ears. It made everything sharpen into razor edges as a ringing swished through me. The world twisted and turned and yet, it became a rhythm that I easily understood. I was on my feet and throwing my knife before the vision had caught up with me. I felt rather than saw when the Mutant slapped away the weapon. I growled and shot out a wire, but the Mutant twisted to the side, avoiding the pierce, and wrapped a hand around the wire.

And then pulled.

Now put your money where your mouth is

Put your money where your mouth is

I screamed, suddenly hurtling in its direction. The force was too strong and too quick, I didn't have the reflexes to fight against it. The sensation made my stomach drop until it had reached my toes. My vision was overcome with shapes that I couldn't separate until a fist had slammed into my face, and stars filled my vision. The world spun and as it did, my lunch hit the back of my throat. Nausea rolled from my chest into my stomach. It was hot and sloppy and felt like oil. Heat cracked against my ribs and shifted beneath my skin, like it wanted to burst.

Put your money where your mouth is

Don't choke

I released a noise and threw a hand behind me.

You see height is time, time is money, never apologise

(These are the rules, sports)

A light burned so bright that it overtook the flashiness from the floors and suddenly, it was like I had collided with the stars. Time stopped as the force that had propelled me, ceased. I slowed, gentle enough that it didn't feel like my stomach was punching my teeth. Instead, it sunk, and my vision settled back into recognisable shapes. I twisted my body so that my feet were flat against the forcefield. Blood rushed back to warm the rest of my body as a thrumming beat between my eyes. Clenching my teeth, I kicked off from the barrier so that I was flying back in the direction of the Mutant.

Height is time, time is money, never apologise

(These are the rules, sports, these are the rules)

It had been turning—its eyes now set on Phoebe, who had her back turned—when it heard me. It whirled its head around in my direction, but it was too late.

My hand—pulsing and glowing—came up and hit the Mutant so hard, that it went flying backwards—

CRACK!

Height is time, time is money, never apologise

(These are the rules, sports)

Sparks hurdled across the ground. Magic pushed and pulled, buzzing like it were a second heartbeat. The rush in my blood felt like molten. It pounded hard and fast, and when I blinked, my vision had begun to lean again.

Serve it, smash it, win it, own it

Serve it, smash it, win it, own it

I sucked in a breath, brushing my hand against my thighs, as if it were dirty. The lights simmered before dying and when they did, I was overcome with a chilliness. It sank through my body like it were a metal and burned me until my skin was prickling with sweat. I tucked my hair behind my ears. When had my throat become so dry? I pinched my nose in hopes that it would ground me. The floor was still spinning beneath my feet though. And then, a shiver ran down my spine. I ducked to the side to avoid the incoming fist.

Serve it, smash it, win it, own it

Serve it, smash it, win it, own it

Fuck!

A Mutant loomed over me—shadowed and large. The lights from the floor fanned out to twist with its body and run up its spikes. The creature bared its teeth and released a growl before lunging.

A noise ripped from my throat and I jerked backwards so quick that I lost my balance and stumbled. I was sent crashing until something had whacked against my waist. Instinctively, I held onto it to keep my balance and when I looked, I realised that it was the control panel.

I frowned, having not realised how much I'd been moving.

The Mutant then attacked, and I screamed, crossing my wrists over my face.

It made light burst out from my skin and spread into a glimmering wall. The Mutant's hand slammed into it before it could finish developing. The barrier flew from the impact, slamming back into my face, and I was forced down at an awkward angle. Bent against the control panel, my head slammed into the metal and left a hot ringing in my ears. My face burned from the impact. I couldn't move my arms without giving into the Mutant's strength. I still had my arms crossed over my face, but the barrier was the only thing keeping that fist away from my face. Had I lowered them, then I probably would have lost my teeth. So, I was stuck like this, arms inches from my nose and my legs pinned against the panel. I shook my face, to will away the shadows that crept into my vision. I was stuck, I realised. I couldn't get out of this. Not with the way everything was spinning.

Put your money where your mouth is

Put your money where your mouth is

"Can someone turn on a light?!" I heard beneath the ringing. I didn't see who it was, and I couldn't recognise them.

But something flew over me. It was fast, had we been in any other situation, I would have assumed that it was a bat. But I saw the green and red as it continued to swing around the room, Mutant flying after it, and knew that the shape was Lark.

Her words caught up.

A light—fuck, yeah. That would probably help.

I looked around but the weight against my chest made it hard to do much else. The muscles in my neck strained. I clashed my teeth together. There was a smaller panel on the wall next to me. I bit down on my tongue. Had this been another situation, I would've thrown the Mutant off from me and turned the lights on. But exhaustion was seeping through my muscles like fog. It burned where bruises were already forming and swelled at the back of my neck. It was getting harder to conjure and control my forcefields, let alone hold it up against a creature twice my height and three times my weight. There wasn't much time before the barrier would disappear.

But the panel . . . it was above my head.

Swallowing, I stretched my arm. The forcefield stayed alive and glued to my spare hand like it were a knight's shield. But the air was blistering in my chest. There was a rushing that pounded in my ears, travelling until it felt like someone was punching my throat. Sweat swelled beneath my neck. I clenched my teeth and spread out my fingers to cover the distance. But the Mutant pressed more of its weight into me. It made the air swat dazzlingly between my eyes as the barrier began to flicker.

"Asshole!" I barked, turning to glare at the stupid creature.

It released a noise that almost sounded like a cackle.

I wanted to bang my head into the machine from frustration.

"Chill, B.J.," I suddenly heard and when I looked, Raven was watching me.

She was leaned against the wall, her hand hovering over the switch. But though I was in this position, she didn't seem stressed or panicked. In fact, she looked amused. She had her arms folded over her chest, eyes light like she was struggling not to laugh, and her mouth was lifted into a tiny smirk.

"I got this one," was all she said before flipping the switch.

Lights blistered the air like they were welts. They pushed back against the neon flashes, forcing them back into the ground. It turned the Mutants into explicit shapes rather than shadowed blobs. From the corner of my eye, I caught Phoebe freezing. She looked up from her fight and in our direction, where she had heard the switch being flipped. Her eyes jumped to mine and even from here, I could see how panic flashed across her face that she had been caught. She shook her face and forced her attention back onto the Mutant she was fighting.

"Great," I said through gritted my teeth, then tuned back to Raven. "Now fucking help me!"

Raven held up her hands.

"Aye, okay, okay," she said and approached the Mutant.

It didn't seem to have noticed as, letting out another growl, the Mutant pushed back against me. The last thing that I saw was a flash from Raven's knife before I was faced back and my skull smashed into the board. The ringing rushed and turned the roof into a watery puddle. I clamped my teeth together. There was a pounding that echoed in my muscles. It made it hard to continue holding everything up.

But then, beneath the growling and ringing, there was a watery sound before the Mutant released a guttural noise and was launched backwards. The pressure disappeared from my chest and I hacked and hacked and hacked. Heat pummelled my chest. My mouth was dry and my throat hot. I couldn't get enough saliva to coat that parchness. Hands flopped to my sides as I sucked in long, deep breaths. Heat crawled up behind my eyes and pushed down my cheeks as a wetness.

The forcefield had disappeared but I was unable to move from its efforts. It was like everything had clapped back into me. The energy that I'd been forcing out in waves was snapping back into my brain like it were a rubber band. I moved my hands down to my torso and tried getting air back into my chest. But the sensation left me in too much shock, I couldn't control my lungs anymore.

And then, there was the sound of someone clearing their throat.

I looked up to Raven's eyes. The monster was now gone and she was swishing her blades back into her wrists. She wasn't facing me. Her gaze had found mine over her shoulder. But even though she didn't face me, I knew that she wasn't stressed. Her shoulders were too wide, too smooth, for that. She was a far cry from where she had begun, and I marvelled at that. In the beginning, she had to practically be forced into fighting the bad guys. But now, here she was, standing in the middle of a battle, looking like she belonged there.

She had a mischievous glint in her eyes. It made me understand what I had always known about Rhonda: her gaze was a gun. It was steely and challenging and forced its way into your mind. It didn't matter what her face looked like; her eyes would always remain the same because they were windows to her soul. And her soul was fire. Passionate, daring and searing. You could never tell Rhonda what to do; force her into a cage and she would melt the bars.

She turned, lips softening into a smile, and offered her hand.

I accepted and she gently pulled me to my feet. But the air was still pushing against me, so I had to lean against her as I caught my breath. Normally, it was out of the question to show this side of myself to her: weak. Needing someone else. But I was too tired and she knew that. Her hands went to my forearms, ready to catch me if I lost my balance. The air hurtled across my face, hot and sticky. I swiped my hair from my temples, suddenly feeling that it was too thick.

She didn't say anything the entire time. She just waited for me to find my breath. I appreciated it. It was what I needed—quiet. Support. And as I stood there, in her arms, I understood. We were each other's arms. We were each other's strength. It didn't matter how we felt about each other in our day to day because that all changed when we were on the battlefield. Everything was pulled and stretched into loose threads that threatened to tear everything apart. When you were on the battlefield, everything was washed out into black and white, and dimensions became so thin that they could snap from a stray hair. All while, everything rapidly turned red. We were each other's salvations. We were each other's sisters.

"Shit," I murmured and massaged my temples.

"You're welcome."

I wasn't focused at first. I was concerned with keeping the nausea at bay. I had managed to get a sandwich down today—Lila had forced me to eat it. It made another warmth swell in my chest. Where would I be without her? Without everyone? That was why we needed each other. We needed each other to catch one another before we fell. We needed to know when to catch each other before we fell. Becoming allies had transformed our relationships. It wasn't as simple as friendship anymore because we were required to completely know each other. To completely understand each other. We couldn't let things slip through the cracks. We had to catch every moment, even the tiny ones. Especially the tiny ones. When you were Guardians, you needed to get what the other was thinking just from one look across the battlefield. You needed to learn each other's expressions, learn each other's habits, and learn each other's weaknesses. Fill in for each other's weaknesses. When you were a Guardian, you were no longer friends—you were family. You were the arms that kept each other from falling. You were each other's responsibilities. You were each other's guardians.

I frowned. Maybe Phoebe . . .

Wait.

Raven's words hit me and suddenly, I shot up.

"I didn't say thank you!"

Raven, who seemed to have anticipated that reaction, merely leaned back against the control panel. "Yeah, well, I—"

"Guys!" Lark's voice found us and when we looked, she was on the other side of the room. Her hair was a mess as she ducked beneath the Mutant. "Not the time!"

Right.

I met her eyes.

The space between us was wide but I could sense her You got this? from across the room. I curled my lips to the side, nodding. I was tired—more than that, I was exhausted. But the harder that we pushed, the quicker that we could get out of this. Lark seemed to understand my logic. She slighted a nod then turned and slammed her foot back into the Mutant's chest.

There was a noise from behind and when I looked, Raven was wielding her blades from her wrists. She had pushed off from the control panel, taking a few steps forward as her eyes cut across the room.

Wordlessly, I pointed my wrist and shot out a wire. I was heaved into the air where my heart was thrown back against my ribcage. The air sharpened into my knives and slashed my hair backwards. My feet slammed into a Mutant. I couldn't see its' face but I could hear the growl as they were knocked backwards. I twisted my body into a backflip before landing back on my feet. The room spun and I held out my hands to balance myself. But then, my gaze landed on the Mutant that I had knocked to the ground.

There was a curling in my throat. A shifting sensation crept up into my chest and made me feel like I was on a rollercoaster. But I swallowed that nausea before it could take a nastier grip. Fire burned beneath my skin. I wiped a hand across my face, swiping away the sweat, then moved into a defensive pose.

The Mutant lunged at a surprising speed that took me off guard. My stomach hopped into my throat as I twisted around its fist. Electricity hopped over my knuckles. The Mutant had a second before lights sheared into its eyes. The collusion made everything blister, lights blaring before bursting out and sending the Mutant across the room.

I glanced at my hand, stunned at the power behind that knock. But I shook my face. I didn't have the time to linger on that. Shaking my fist so that the lights fluttered out, I twisted my wrist until the knife had appeared back in my hand. There was a hammering in my chest as I held it over my shoulder.

But then, a noise shot from my right side.

The hairs on my neck were suddenly pin straight and when I spun around—

"Shit!"

—a fist swung for my face.

The knife almost fell from my hands as I scrambled backwards. The Mutant lunged again. But the darkness was spinning, crumbling my voice into a tight little ball in my throat. I blocked the elbow from smashing into my nose but only just. The thud! almost sent me to my knees. Immediately, my muscles tensed. My bones strained against the elbow. The air turned warm between my brows. And when I opened my eyes—I hadn't even realised that they'd shut—a soft light spilled across my knuckles and fell across the ground.

Shadows peeled away from us and as they did, the strain burned a lot less. Strength climbed my spine and curled into my flesh. It soaked and collected beneath my skin until it felt like my muscles had become swollen with starlight. Suddenly, I could press my fists deeper into the Mutant's arms. I could hear its straining from its skin. The deep growl that it released. I pressed my feet into the ground and a glow illuminated from my boots. Sweat slipped down my temples but as I released a breath, I raised my eyes to the Mutant.

The strength that washed over me was ethereal. It began from my soul then unfurled in my chest and spread into my stomach, locking in my knees. It was a congregation of stars that swept everything into a morphing mosaic that turned the world into silk. Nothing spun. In fact, everything felt softer. Or maybe, I had gotten harder. I dug my fingers and then pushed back. I watched with surprise as the creature disappeared, flying backwards into the darkness. But just as it vanished, the forcefield suddenly disappeared from around my feet and with it, the weight that had been holding me up.

I found myself falling.

My heart plummeted and I watched as the sparks billowed and then disappeared. I managed to catch myself before my face could hit the ground. I pressed my fingers into the floor, finding myself on my knees once again. My braid wrapped around my neck like a noose. My chest had become tight and breathing didn't seem to be fixing anything. And once again, the world had become slippery and unstable. I blinked against the darkness, feeling weaker than ever. My hands were shaking. Those short few seconds, I felt like I could've lifted the skies and torn rooms apart. Now, I barely felt strong enough to hold myself up.

I looked around, realising that at some point, I had dropped my knife.

I reached out and swiped it from where it had landed. The metal was cold, despite being used so much tonight. I allowed for that to be the sensation that grounded me. And then, I pushed against the ground and moved back to my knees.

I went to throw it—

"Blue Jay!"

I looked up in time to see the Mutant lunging for me. The attack connected with my stomach and the force shattered all the way down to my knees. Every muscle seized until I could barely breathe. I caved forward. Dark shapes battled for dominance across my vision. I blinked—tried to see past them. Hands wrapped around the back of my neck. I was dragged down until my nose went klok! and a pain slammed into my throat. The ache was white and wet, stars burnt my eyes. I wanted to collapse. Sweat and something heavier erupted from my skull and when my fingers clutched my face, blood soaked my nails. I wanted to puke.

But from the top of my vision, I could see shadows lingering above me.

Swallowing, I raised my eyes.

Mutants.

They crept closer to continue the job. Through the blurriness, I spotted the blood running down one Mutant's leg. I wanted to cry. It was red, not green. Mine. Exhaustion heaved over me like a weight.

But then, sounds slammed through. The doors. I looked in their direction to see that the entrance had been burst open. The noise had made everything shake. Lightning contorted and speared the fluorescence, battling and winning for domination over the room.

Everyone stopped and ducked to cover their faces and protect themselves from the lightning. It spiralled and as it did, the air sharpened until it felt like glass. Explosions filled the air but I didn't drag my face away from the entrance. I recognised the figure standing in the opening.

"Shit!"

Sparks.

The Mutant stood imposingly in the doorway. It didn't move for a moment, taking that time to soak in the terror that its presence bred. And then, it pointed one long finger at the roof. Lights flickered. There was a roaring in my ears. And then, the electricity shattered the bulbs into tiny pieces that rained across the ground. The girls all screamed, holding onto the back of their necks and ducking their faces to shield themselves.

But I stilled, finding Lark.

She had a hand above her face, shielding her eyes from the shards. Without meaning to, all I could imagine were her injuries. She had transformed again since, so her shirt was repaired, but I knew that her back was far from healed. I had moved my eyes away as if to protect myself, but I had caught a glance at the injuries. I had inhaled their burning taste, felt it punch me straight in the throat. I had seen as her skin had turned pink, swelling to a size like it couldn't contain itself. I wanted to throw up, even just thinking about it. Guardians, we could heal faster than normal. But did that include everything? A burn like that . . .

I suddenly felt something set in my throat. I couldn't let that happen to them—any of the girls—again. Nel had never told us about limits. I trusted her to let us know if we had any. But regardless, that never should have happened and I would be damned if it happened again.

Lark's gaze hooked onto Phoebe. Something flickered in her expression. Phoebe had her face bent, protecting herself from the shards. Lark set her mouth in a hard line and stepped toward her when the Mutant suddenly snapped its attention in her direction. My heart stopped. Lark froze, stepping backwards, and without realising, placed her hand on her abdomen. Her lips parted, eyes frozen wide. The creature pointed in her direction and a light stirred from its finger.

My chest dropped.

Electricity gathered and snapped like glass from its finger. It was there one moment, buzzing from its nail, and then gone in a vicious snap. It stung the air like it were salt. It all happened so fast that barely anyone had time to react. One moment, it was there, buzzing from the Mutant's nail, and then the next, it was hurtling in Lark's direction.

The air dropped like it no longer could carry itself. Everything tightened and grew so silent that you could hear a pin drop. The lightning blasted in a vicious snap, illuminating the shock across the girls' faces. The blood in my temples turned cold.

But before I could watch the violent collusion and hear the sharp crunch that would've been Lark's head against the wall, it all stopped.

Just like that.

Lark frowned, stepping backwards.

She hadn't been hit. Her feet never left the ground. Her head hadn't banged into the wall. She was fine. Lark frowned. The lightning had stopped, like it had hit something—hard.

The air in front of her softened. It suddenly seemed to bend and melt like it were the surface of a lake. It was molten, smudged and broken. And then, she saw it—the shimmers. The way that the air had begun to glow, a familiar sapphire. She turned and her eyes found mine. She saw that my hand had spread out and immediately knew that she was alive because I was protecting her.

The collusion sent white sparks skittering across the ground. The ripples spread across the forcefield, but it held, didn't break from the pressure. I clamped my mouth shut, trying to keep the scream that was bubbling in my throat. I hadn't realised that I had moved. It was like something had shut off in my brain. The images, the smell, they were in my brain, white hot flashes. I didn't think, I just acted. And Lark was still standing because of it.

The Mutant turned its attention to me. My hands were still out, but they were shaking. The ache lit flashes behind my eyes. It crushed my vision and turned everything violent. My sight softened but the air hardened and I suddenly found it hard to keep standing.

I curled my lips to the side but focused on the forcefield. Tried to pull it closer and direct it towards the entrance.

"Blue Jay . . ." someone uttered. I didn't know who.

Something dropped down my face. Fire burned beneath my skin. It sent bolts flashing every time that I blinked. My heart pounded in my throat. My insides were sinking. I wanted to stop, I wanted to rest. I couldn't keep doing this. But I bit down on my tongue, hard enough to draw blood, but at least, it kept me quiet. I wouldn't look away. I couldn't look away. I knew that if I did, I would see those burns again. Not just on Lila, but all of them. I couldn't let that happen. It took all my concentration to direct it. I could feel it pour like miasma. But then, there was a movement from the corner of my eye.

I looked before I could stop myself.

It was the Mutant.

It opened its arms again, expression scrunched tight. I swallowed, knees locking. And from its chest, a light burned.

I froze.

The light burned, spreading like water across the ground. Sparks formed, snapping into the air. I was already moving. I pushed out my arms and the forcefield shot towards the entrance. Light had been collecting into a spinning globe when the barrier bashed into the Mutant. The creature flew backwards with such a force that the doors were smashed open. The Mutant was thrown outside just as the shimmering masses exploded in a rupture that was enough to slam reality sideways.

The lights flickered. The girls screamed. And then, the spinning top jerked violently beneath our feet. Raven and Phoebe tumbled over each other. Mutants that hadn't prepared themselves, they were thrown backwards. Lark stumbled backwards, but grabbed onto the bar next to her before she could fall. Her eyes then found mine. The air closed in on us, like it was trying to squeeze the life from us.

"Blue Jay!" she yelled. "Wait, you—"

But I was already flying through the entrance. The cord around my wrist was tight, yanking through the air at a speed that made everything sharp. The air shot through my nose like they were knives. It sent lights spreading across my vision. Adrenaline pumped hard and fast, I couldn't feel the pain right now. But I knew that once I calmed down, all I would know was my crushed nose.

Everything moved fast, I couldn't see details. But everything went from light to dark as I rushed outside. Hair went past my face. Showers of sparks and clouds of ash billowed. I shot right through it. It sank into my stomach like ice. I tried to land, but everything still felt like it was pushing into me. I slipped then tumbled onto my knees. I slammed out my palms to steady myself. I wanted to scream. Gravel bit and then cut into my hands. The ground spun. The air softened. It no longer was keeping me up. My head was pounding. I looked around, but nausea sank down my chest. I sank my nails into the ground. I could feel something running down my hands and between my fingers. I shook my face. I was still adjusting to the night out here.

It was hard to make anything out. Not just because it had gotten so dark compared to the inside. But because there was still so much smoke left behind from Sparks' attack. It spun and stuffed itself down my throat. My heart spiralled in my chest before I hacked. I hacked so hard that it felt like I was spitting blood. I realised how tired I was. It wore down on my body like bruises. I wanted so badly for this night to be over.

There was a noise.

I whipped my head around, looking for the Mutant.

But it wasn't here.

I frowned. Scorch marks were left behind from the lightning. They were spread out across the doors like arms had stretched out from inside to pull itself out. But the Mutant was no longer here. I continued looking round, because there was no way that it just disappeared. It was hiding. Waiting for its chance. But I froze when I noticed something: shapes were moving. Pouring out from the shadows. I realised what they were and groaned.

Mutants fanned out from the shadows—I counted. Four. They weren't as powerful as the ones before. They looked far smaller. But still, they were strong while I was still struggling to hold myself upright.

I spun my knife. "Do these guys ever stop?"

They were already running towards me before I had even finished my question. The stampede made dirt skid. Heavy and uneven footsteps travelled for my direction. I snapped my teeth together. Counted. Then ran. The air turned warm around my forehead. There was a shakiness to my limbs. But I was ready. I had fought like this plenty of times. I hadn't been worried then, I refused to be worried now.

The blade was still swinging between my fingers when my eyes landed on a Mutant—the closest one—and then they stopped. I pulled the blade over my shoulder so that it was ready to launch when one of them suddenly threw something at me. I didn't see what it was. It was too quick. But my reflexes were quicker. I fell forward, knees sliding across the ground as my momentum continued pressing me forward, and snapped my head back.

Cold air fanned across my face. The breath in my throat lurched. My heart tumbled until it was squished in my throat. And above me, were stars. I released a breath that went down to my stomach. I hadn't realised until now but the sky—it was clear tonight. Clear and beautiful. The sky was marble, a blackness that never moved, never needed to move, because it was content. I was drawn to it, more then the stars. They were a chorus, blooming like they were heaven bound, but it was the skies behind them that I couldn't look away from—contentment. Was that something I had ever felt? The simple pleasure of sinking into a moment, not wanting to change or chase, because I was so comfortable in what it was. Would I ever experience that feeling? We spent so much time on the battlefield, rather than where kids normally were—doing their homework, arguing with friends, organising plans for the weekends. Were we ever destined to earn a time of relaxation and peace? Or was this a tune on a record player, one that would repeat itself over and over again until it burned itself out?

My body seized when the weapon flew across me—a knife, I realised. I knew because one moment, I was looking at the sky and then the next, my own stare was reflected back at me. I blinked. The blade swung over me and suddenly, I was looking at myself. I could see how worn I was. I could see the hair that had fallen from my braid. The sweat that soaked my skin. There were cuts along my face that I hadn't yet noticed. Adrenaline pumped me blind. But it was my eyes that I stopped at: they were wet. Wide. But . . . tired. They were tinged red and, in the blade's, steeled coolness, her weariness was reflected back at her.

Back at me.

And then, it was gone.

The knife dashed across my face and missed its mark. It disappeared, but I didn't get up right away. I stared at the skies, strangely winded even though nothing had touched me.

And then, it was over. Footfalls were getting closer. Time then slammed into me, no longer frozen. I stood upright when they lunged for me. They jabbed and I swung back. But everything was still spinning. One side of my face felt warmer than the other. I lost my footing and collapsed backwards onto my elbows. There were cries from around me. I looked up to claws lashing down. I swung my leg up so that the claws caught on my shin. The collusion didn't hurt because armour protected my skin. But it was hard enough that sparks flew. The Mutant's eyes went to mine. It pressed down. I smashed my teeth together. Pressed my elbows into the ground as I fought back. A tightness formed in my abdomen. And then I stomped my other foot into its face. The Mutant cried out, face snapping backwards, and with the pressure no longer on me, I slammed my calf into the side of its face.

It made a crack! that slammed the Mutant backwards. I swung to the side when another Mutant charged. I launched my knife into its throat. And then, I swung backwards, landing on my feet, and called my knife back into my grasp. I punched the air and a barrier swept against the Mutant before it could explode.

But then, another Mutant came at my side. I swung beneath its blades, spinning on the balls of my feet, then crushed my foot into its nose. There was a crunch beneath my boot. It made my stomach curl. I clamped down on my tongue. But the force was enough to send it backwards. And spinning, I sent my knife in its direction. I felt rather than heard the blade sink into its flesh. But I released a breath and when it exploded, the thudding in my chest grew louder.

Right, okay. Three down, one to—

"Shit!"

Something then knocked into my face. Pain erupted beneath my eye and stars dazzled my sight. The hot swelling exploded, turning into a wetness that splattered across my lips. I knew that it was blood without tasting it. The ground became watery as I stumbled backwards. My braid had almost completely unfastened, I could feel hair slapping my jaw.

I blinked against the burning sensations. Raised my eyes then looked to the left.

The attack had come from the Mutant that I had first attacked, only it had seemed to find a weapon. In its hands was a large metal sign. It was diamond-shaped and looking at it made my cheek burn even more. The Mutant struggled to carry it, I spied its knees shaking from the weight. I didn't know whether to laugh or panic; it was a funny sight, but given how big the Mutant was, it struggling to carry this sign made its weight even more confronting. I had already taken so many hits, I couldn't afford to take another. The creature let out a growl then lifted the sign up so it could deliver another blow.

My pulse became fire. The burning had become a sinking sensation beneath my eye. The blood was slipping between my teeth. And my stomach shifted, like it didn't know whether to sink or throw up its contents. I clamped down on my tongue then moved.

The Mutant struck, slamming the sign down—

BANG!

I caught the sign in my fingers.

I choked back a scream. The impact cracked against my skin. It sent a burning wave down my arms. Every muscle seized. My joints had become singed points. I could feel my knees wiggling. But I pressed my toes into the dirt to keep myself from tumbling over. I raised my eyes, meeting the Mutant's, then pushed back. It barely even made it move and in fact, the creature pressed down harder. It made my toes shake. But electricity ricocheted in my stomach and flared from my wrists. It climbed up my limbs and collected in my palms. It soothed my skin but burned my ears. The aches in my muscles disappeared and I pushed back against the Mutant.

The pressure lightened, but not enough that I could stand properly. It had my heart racing in my ears. It pumped, twisting everything to the side like it were a paste. But beneath it, I could hear the Mutant's confusion. I ducked, sweeping my leg beneath its feet.

The Mutant toppled over. It released the sign which almost made me fall from the sudden increase in weight. But I squared my feet and adjusted my balance. Sucked in a breath that sank its way to my knees. It suddenly felt so hot, the air around my face and the beating echoed through my body. There was a shape that moved from my right. I barred my teeth then heaved and swung the sign like it were a frisbee. It no longer felt like a lumbering weight and instead, seemed as if it were no more then a beach ball. So, the sign spun, hard and fast, and knocked into the Mutant that had been attempted to sneak up on me, slamming the creature into the ground.

The magic dissolved from around my hands and when I swung back around, I sent my knife into the Mutant's shoulder. I barely heard its cry before I was spinning around again and twisting my wrist. The knife obeyed, immediately slamming into the last Mutant's throat. There was a gurgling noise. I placed my hands out, ready to muster up another forcefield, when a light suddenly flared from behind me.

Frowning, I looked over my shoulder when sunlight slammed into my body. It made a noise blare and crackle in my ears. It became so loud, that that was all that I could feel. And then, heat flooded my senses as the ground lurched beneath my feet. I was flying before I even realised it, and then something slammed into my face. The impact was an explosion. Something warm splashed across my face. Black spots covered my eyes. Then, the ground was back against my face and my ribs were burning.

The ringing drilled a hole into my head. It stirred my surroundings until everything was a gooey and nauseating mess. Sounds swelled. My stomach turned to mush and floated into my lungs. I clamped down on my tongue to hold myself back from throwing up. The headache behind my eyes dug deeper until it was pounding down into my back. I wanted to stay there, pressed into the ground. At least until the world stopped spinning. But then, there was the pounding. It clapped against my ears. I could feel my throat lurch. I knew what it was without looking, but I forced myself to glance anyway.

Sparks was back.

Shadows stretched, but I found it easily. It was stood at the other end of the square, walking out from around one of the stalls. Light ran down its arms and legs, lurching when it caught onto its biceps. Its eyes pierced and glowed in the dark, hot on my face. It didn't glance away for a second. But its hands had curled into fists. Then, light spun, and suddenly bolts were sizzling from behind its shoulders, spreading out like wings. Its tunic lapped around its knees. Hair swelled like it were a balloon, spinning like velvet, and glowed like a cold fire.

The sight made nausea creep up my throat. There was a beating that pounded beneath my hands. It made the world turn smooth, like everything wanted to collapse. My head was swimming. I cleared my throat. Pushed the hair from my eyes. But it was useless, the braid had come undone.

Discreetly, I rolled my eyes. What was the point in a braid if it was going to come loose all the time?

I focused on steadying myself then attempted to push myself up. I dug my nails into the ground. Heaved my weight into my hands then forced myself onto my feet. But it was difficult. There was still a ringing in my ears. Something was slipping down my face. I wiped the blood away and cleared my throat, like that was going to pull me back to earth. But the world still danced, like my eyes were being stretched from my skull.

The air had become tight, I realised. I just needed to breathe. Lila was always telling me that. Stop, breathe and then—

I stopped.

Sparks had raised its hands. I could see sparks shooting from its fingers—

Adrenaline shot through me and before I realised, I was running. Dashing in the Mutant's direction and spinning out my wrists. I slammed out my hand and the barrier swung into Sparks' face. But as the creature fell backwards, the blast that it had been firing shot into my direction. My tongue slammed into my throat. I jerked out of the way.

Swinging around, I landed in a crouch. It made everything lurch forward before being forced back into place. I blinked back the exhaustion then punched the air. The force sent another barrier hurtling into the Mutant. It had already been struggling to its feet when the forcefield slammed into it.

The second that Sparks was back on the ground, I swung out my wires so that they fired in its directions. I heard as they hooked into its arm. The cry barely reached my ears before I squeezed my fists. The action made the wires snap tight then jerk forward. The Mutant was tugged along and whizzing in my direction.

I smirked, calling for my knife, ready to end this mess tonight.

But Sparks roared and released bolts that swirled. The lightning sprang from its skin and climbed down the wire.

My eyes widened.

Light slammed into me.

The collusion pushed stars into my ears. Light and sound ballooned until they had become the same. The hit was boiling. It eradicated everything. I couldn't feel the floor beneath my feet. I couldn't hear anything. There was a snapping sound as my wires disappeared and after that, everything became silence. Reality turned into everything at once—a mixture between black and red. There was nothing but also, there was agony. There was twisting and flipping and there was heat. It rushed over my eyes, pushing me down, down, down until the ground had shot up to slam into my head. I choked on the saliva that swelled at the back of my throat. I didn't know what was happening, only that pieces of me were being bashed. Slammed. Fractured. My arms were dead weights by the time that it had finished. I assumed that it finished. The crashing stopped, but the air still screamed.

I couldn't hear anything. I knew that I was seeing something, but I couldn't make anything out anymore. Everything became that ringing. It obliterated everything else. Pushing my reality away and forcing it into darkness. I tried to resist that darkness. Climb away from it. But my arms were like rubber bands that had stretched for too long. I wanted to move, but everything made my stomach rock back into my throat. I blinked, suddenly aware that my eyes had become wet. What was I going to do?

But then, hands had me. They were on my face. They had my neck. It made my pulse roar. I couldn't see the face, but I tried fighting it anyway. The ground still shuddered. My knees were anchors. I couldn't stand. But I could still fight.

But then the hands, they grasped my shoulders. They were shaking me, I realised. It wasn't in a way that was threatening. It was desperate. My head was banging against something—a wall? It was solid like bricks. I blinked a couple of times. The water needed to go back so I could see what was standing in front of me.

Slowly, though the world was still spinning, the light began settling into shapes.

My mouth dropped.

Phoebe's panicked face loomed inches from mine. She was saying something. Her mouth was moving. The wedge between her brows grew deeper and deeper. But I couldn't hear her. Everything had become a murmured blur. The swelling had pushed over and overtook my senses. It was like I was under water, there were muffled sounds, but I couldn't make anything out that was distinct. I watched as she continued to tell me something but when I opened my mouth, she was already moving me.

The dizziness made everything ooze around me. It was hot and thick. A blur that pushed against me like I was condemned. My vision blurred and slipped out of focus. My face was pressed into someone's shoulder. I became aware of the hands wrapped around me. They were holding onto my back and wait, basically carrying me since I couldn't support myself. I blinked again to gain dominance over the shadows but they were fighting for my vision. They were heavy and rushed to cover my eyes like a blindfold. The ringing blotched everything. I hadn't even realised that we had stopped until something had slammed into my neck.

My senses sloshed back into focus. I wedged my eyes open. I still couldn't hear anything, but I could make out some of my surroundings. I had been propped against a wall and wedged into the ground. Phoebe had crouched down in front of me. Her hands were back on my shoulders. She was still saying something. I blinked. The action was slower than it should be. I still was so disoriented. The beating in my chest was steadier but it felt like my heart was fighting against the wall that was behind me.

I glanced down at my hands. They were trembling. The air had sharpened, but it felt relieving. Mercy. My skin still felt like it was on fire. I knew that I was supposed to be cold in this weather—and maybe I was—but right now, it was ice to burnt skin. My sight darted for a second, recognising that we weren't where we once were. The Mutant was no longer here. But there wasn't much else that I could make out other than the wall that lingered ahead of us.

But then, the weight on my shoulders had disappeared and when I looked, Phoebe had vanished.

I frowned. How out was I?

I tried pushing against the wall to get back to my feet, but the ground was still churning. I was back on the floor before I could suck a breath in. It knocked the wind from my stomach. I let out a choking noise, wanting to puke. The dizziness was too heavy. It pressed into me like I were Atlas. I twisted my mouth to the side and rolled onto my knees, but even that had me toppling over. I blinked down at my hands, which were spread against the dirt. The ground moved in waves. It made nausea curl and burn in my side. I couldn't believe this, nothing seemed real. It was like I had slipped backwards into my dreams where the rules changed every movement that I made.

I frowned. The darkness was a crushing weight. I was too exhausted to push against it. I needed to keep going. Endure. Survive. I pressed my nails into the ground so I wouldn't tumble again and crawled on my stomach. It was mortifying but the dizziness was at last manageable when I was like this.

I slid across the gravel and reached out to grip the edge of the wall. Pulling my weight, I peered around to see what was happening.

And froze.

Somehow, Phoebe was fighting the Mutant.

It was massive with giant limbs and the ability to fire bolts in seconds. But there she was, holding her own. She was fast, pulling moves that were too quick for the Mutant to react to. She spun on her the balls of her feet, jabbed her fists out then dashed beneath its flailing arms as it spun around to attack her. My hearing was beginning to come back. I could hear some of the thuds from when her attacks landed. But I mostly felt them through the ground, a shuddering following the echoes.

Snarling, Sparks slammed her backwards.

It knocked the wind from Phoebe's chest. Even from here, I could see the surprise on her face. She blinked, shaking her head, but stopped when lights flared. She squinted. They blared from Sparks' hands, firing in razor sharp jolts that collected at their feet. Her eyes widened. She slammed her palms into the stall behind her. She rolled her weight backwards then heaved her legs into the air. The Mutant's eyes widened before she had captured its neck within her legs. She swung so that she was sat on its shoulders and hooked her elbow beneath its jaw. And then, swinging her weight again, she slammed them both into the ground.

But Phoebe, prepared, landed on her hands and knee. Her eyes were sharp as she glanced upwards. Hair swelled beneath her jaw. The Mutant jutted out its hand and a bolt fired in her direction. I squeezed my eyes shut when I heard a structure shattering from the impact. It made my heart drop and my voice sink until I wasn't sure that it was even there anymore.

I opened my eyes, gasping.

The lightning had struck the stall that had been behind Phoebe. The collusion sent wooden boards barrelling, shooting through the air until their crashes echoed further into the night. Shadows folded as the entire structure came down and dust was sent into the air.

But Phoebe was nowhere to be seen.

I looked—left to right—but the area was absent of her presence.

Three things happened when I made that realisation: Time restarted. The darkness lifted. And I got stronger. I wasn't sure which one had come first but suddenly, I was moving.

"Hey, asshole!" the sound of my voice startled the Mutant. But when it looked in my direction, I already had my knife out. "That was my best friend you just attacked!"

And then, it was gone. The weapon was no longer between my fingers. Instead, it shot straight across the space that remained between us. But even as it flew, I didn't stop. I was running. Adrenaline roared in my chest like fire. It shot down my spine and into my muscles. It wasn't a fire that burned, nor did it hurt. It brought control back into my body. It made the floor vibrate, but no longer swerve. I could feel my fingers twitching. I wanted to hit something. Badly. I wasn't even mad when the Mutant managed to evade the knife, because I knew that I was about to get my wish.

But then, light flared from its palm again and I screeched to a halt.

Shit, fuck—

The cackling lights rushed towards me. I crossed my arms over my chest, prepared to take the hit. But then, something rung in my ears. It was a weird noise, something between a howl and a dialling tone. But it made the world sweep back in violent waves. Hands hooked beneath my armpits. The world then collapsed like it were water. Ripples flared out into darkness for a moment until I could feel the ground pressing against me.

I blinked.

"What the—"

I was suddenly back where I had started: hiding behind the wall.

But—I looked around—nothing was holding me. The hands, which I had been so sure had been holding me, had disappeared.

The air had turned heavy, I realised. It pressed to my face like it were wet and twisted between my fingers. Curled into a nauseous pool in my stomach. I swallowed then shook my face. There was a shifting in my chest that clawed and climbed into my throat. I ignored it to crawl so I could peer around the wall.

Dust swept out from the explosion as pieces of lightning streaked the night. There was a noise as the doors to the spinning top burst open and through the cloudy air, I could see Raven, Lark and Nel pouring out from the hall. Their eyes were wide as they searched the space, but then they came to a halt when they noticed the Mutant. Sparks were still fizzling from its fingertips and it looked over its shoulder to immediately found the girls.

My heart went into my throat and I curled my hand into a fist. I didn't know what had just happened, but I wasn't about to—

Phoebe suddenly appeared.

Not metaphorically. She literally appeared. I frowned. There was a weird sensation happening around her hands. I squinted, pressing my vision further, and realised that the air was folding. It was bunching up and then fanning out into ripples. And then, I gave it a second longer and realised that those ripples were waves—violet waves. She had appeared in the air right above the Mutant, which still hadn't noticed her. It still had its back to her, raising its fingers to attack the girls. Phoebe clashed her teeth together. She no longer showed an ounce of fear. She held out her arms where the ripples cast out into surges that swelled and twisted until they had formed into shapes.

I blinked.

Knives. They were knives. The knives that had been around her waist, which now was bare. The ripples fanned out from the knives before the blades were shot in the Mutant's direction.

There was a loud and horrific scream as the knives made their target.

And a split second before the Mutant's knees hit the ground. Knives stood out from its back like broken wings. And then, the explosion burst from its skin and shuddered the ground. The air turned to hot, rich waves that barrelled across the space. The girls screamed and Lark pulled Nel into her arms when the blasts reached them.

But I was focused on Phoebe. The air was searing and shooting for her. I could see her hair was already whipping around her face. Sparks and clouds fanned out. I gripped the wall, ready to dash for her. But before the blast could pummel her body, she spun out her wires. Her eyes sharpened, nose crinkled in concentration. And then, the wires snapped tight and she was pulled from danger. She moved fast, it was hard to make her out amongst the dust. But then, she was sailing in my direction. I let loose a breath. But she didn't seem to have noticed how close the ground had gotten and her knees skidded into the dirt. The wires snapped back into her wrists and she was rolling. She came to a stop a few feet away from me. Dirt fly over her in chunks and she hacked her lungs out.

I hadn't even realised that I was running until I was holding onto her shoulders. Tears soaked my vision from how the wind had slashed my face. I blinked them away and patted on Phoebe's back.

"Holy shit," I heard myself say. She stopped and raised her eyes to mine. "Your powers, they're—"

"Teleportation." She touched her neck. Her expression was open and wide with a shock that she couldn't contain. "I know, I can . . . I can teleport."

The air stirred like everything hitting me at once. That this wasn't just another soldier or fellow comrade who had taken down that monster. This was my best friend. The girl who used to do my homework. The girl who sat through those wrestling matches even though violence had never interested her. The girl who secretly loved *NSYNC and still owned all of their CD's. The girl who always had her nose in a book. The girl always running around, trying to complete a formula from her classes. The girl always hanging over my shoulder to remind me that patience was a virtue and that I didn't always have to act right away.

This was the Phoebe that stared back at me.

"That was . . ." I cleared my throat. Phoebe closed her mouth. "That was . . ."

"Epic!"

The voice dragged our attention back to the group, where Raven already had her fists pumped in the air. She led the group who were crawling behind her, as they crossed the space to make their way towards us.

"That was awesome!" Raven said with a wide grin. Her eyes were like stars. The group stopped and when they did, I saw the look in Nel's eyes. She seemed no less impressed than the rest of us. I noted that fact; she hadn't known about Phoebe's powers either. "How'd you know?"

Raven's voice broke through and I found myself looking down to Phoebe. Despite everything that had happened, the girl still seemed uncomfortable under everyone's attention. She ducked her face and rubbed her neck.

I moved my hands to my sides despite wanting to comfort her.

"Uh, I don't quite know," she answered slowly then stood to her feet. I followed her actions, pressing my lips into a tight line. "I guess that it was m–mostly instinct. One minute, I was running after H–Blue Jay and then the next, I was—"

"Careful girls," Nel suddenly warned. She dropped from Lark's arms to the ground, but her eyes had sharpened. "It appears that we are not alone."

Her gaze moved past us.

The air stirred and I suddenly felt as if something were pressing into the back of my neck.

I glanced over my shoulder.

It was the man from before—he was watching us.

He was stood in front of the merry go round; the breeze pushed the horses slightly so they moved at a snails pace. The evening pressed into him, outlining him in white as the starlight threw his shadow to the ground. He didn't stand far from us but he wasn't nervous. Rather, he looked relaxed. He leaned back against the fence like he was observing an attraction locked behind glass.

His presence made everyone tense.

Panic shot up my throat and soon, we were moving so that we were all stood next to each other. There was a resounding shing! as everyone pulled out their weapons. Raven stood close on my left, I could feel her body heat sliding down her shoulder. But I moved so that I was positioned slightly in front of Phoebe, disrupting the line that we had formed. But she didn't have her weapons. She had teleported them when she had been fighting, her belt was now bare. Her presence jumped slightly. I could feel her looking at me. But I kept my eyes ahead. I wanted to guard her as much as possible. And I could feel his gaze move over us. It unnerved me. There was something about him, it didn't just make me feel like an attraction behind glass, but that I was also made from glass. He looked at me and suddenly he seemed to know more about me then I did myself.

Time slowed as his gaze crept over us. I could feel Raven rustle when his eyes passed over her. Lark stayed immobile, holding his gaze without letting it bother her. But then, his eyes rested on Phoebe and something in me flared. I stepped to the side so that I was completely shielding her. Silently daring him to make an assessment about her.

It made him pause, like he hadn't seen me. His eyes went from my face and down to my shoes and as he slowly raked his attention up my body and back to my face, I could feel my heartbeat in my temples. I wanted to speak and dare him to do something.

But then, he smirked.

And somehow, I knew that I had messed up.

"Finally," he spoke. And something about his voice, how low and relaxed it sounded, had horror twisting in my chest. The man held out his hands. "A worthy opponent."

The wind cracked down onto us and began howling like we were in a horror movie. It pushed against us so that we clattered into each other like bowling pins. Hair whipped into my eyes. I tried latching the wisps from my face when Raven slammed into me. Her hand went to my shoulder to steady us. I blinked against the tears to see Nel leaping into Lark's awaiting arms. Dirt peeled from the ground and sprinkled into our faces. Trees creaked. Boards picked up from the ground and hurtled across the space. I yanked Phoebe back before one could slam into her. The collusion released a sound that felt too close for comfort. Raven was fast and held onto Phoebe's wrist, pulling the girl so that she was in her chest. I went to cover my face when I heard a cracking noise.

I glanced upwards to find that the man had disappeared.

And just like that, the wind came to a crashing stop. It stirred into a dissonance before dropping back onto us like it were a cloth, or a child slamming their arms down after throwing a tantrum. But with it, the dirt which had been lifted from the winds, followed and flopped onto us.

The action made us all scream.

"My eye!" I cried, rubbing as tears ran down my face. "It got into my eye!"

"I'm pretty sure that I ate it!" Lark stuck out her tongue. Nel almost fell as the Guardian dropped her arms to whip out her tongue to examine her claims. Nel acted quick and landed on her feet anyway. But she was scowling as she did it.

"Well—oh, yeah?!" Raven suddenly cried. Dust flopped from her braids and shoulders as she moved forward to point at the merry go round. Phoebe was too busy shaking her head to be concerned that she had been abandoned. "Well, let that be a lesson to you! We won't go so easy on ya next time, buster!"

Despite everything, I stared at her.

Raven frowned, wheeling around to prop her hands onto her hips. "What?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Who was that, Nel?" I asked instead, choosing to ignore Raven for the time being, which of course made her shout in exasperation.

"I haven't the faintest," Nel answered. She was looking down at her fur where the dirt had layered on her. She heaved a sigh before sitting back down. She looked ready to begin licking her paws clean when she caught the sceptic look that I was giving her, and quickly added, "Honest!"

I sighed.

"Well, whoever he is, he's gone now," I bent down to slide my knife back into my boot. Then wiped the blood that was still dripping down my face. I cringed. I would hate to see what nightmare I looked like right now.

"Apparently," Lark stepped forward, eyeing the attraction. She still had dirt caking her face, but she seemed to have given up with trying to get it all off.

"Good riddance," Raven huffed. "He was totally ruining my vibes."

"Oh, god no, not your vibes," I shuddered. "Anything but those."

"Oh, shut up."

"Right after you, princess."

"Age before beauty, meathead."

"You're older than me!"

"Well, excuse m—"

"Girls," Nel snapped and we all turned in her direction. "I think that it's best if we vacated the premises. Immediately."

We exchanged glances.

"Where should we go?" Lark asked, crossing her arms.

But Phoebe grinned. "Oh, I think I know a place."

---

The belch that I let out had everyone reacting variously. Lila—the angel that she is—thought that it was funny and seemed to be battling a responsive belch of her own. But a glance at Rhonda and Nel had her clamping her mouth shut, battling her laughter as she stared down at her hands. Everyone else looked at me like I was a child.

So, for extra emphasis, I patted my chest with pride. "Excuse me."

I went to dig back into my sundae when Rhonda, placing her chin in her hands, asked me, "Must you continue to be yourself?"

I scowled. "Must you always have a stick up your ass?"

"I dunno, must you always have the table etiquette of a barnyard animal?"

"Big words for a—"

"Don't start," Nel glared between us.

The words were still on the tip of my tongue, but we dropped our stares into a scowl, aimed at the triple large banana split ice cream that was shared between the four of us.

Three scoops—strawberry, chocolate and vanilla—with sauce drizzled over them, then whipped up with some cream and cherries. More whipped cream was wrapped around the scoops like fluffy, white shawls, and the banana was drizzled in hot chocolate sauce.

But Rhonda lived to make me miserable so she had been fighting me for the chocolate scoop while Lila and Phoebe settled primarily for the strawberry.

It was deep into the night by the time that we had reached the Sundae Saloon. Nighttime was pushing through the windows in such a rich silkiness, that it almost seemed a blessing that there weren't any stars here. But the fluorescence buried us deep in shades of denim blue and bubblegum pink. They made the night seem warmer than it was. But I kept my blazer wrapped tight around me. Shivers still ran down my spine and made my legs shake. Occasionally, I would bump into Lila, who was sat next to me, but she hardly seemed to notice.

"Anyway, as I was saying," she said, turning her phone off and placing it screen-down onto the table. She had been scrolling through Instagram. It had made me frown, because was now really the time to be looking at random selfies? But then I noticed the name that she had been tapping onto frequently—Savannah's—and had sent a smirk towards Rhonda.

Lila was such a sap.

The redhead had crossed her arms, leaning back in her seat. She fixed Rhonda and I a look before continuing, turning back to Nel. "Who do you think he was, Nel?"

"Haven't the faintest," Nel admitted with a defeated shrug. There weren't many people in the Saloon tonight, but still, we were in a public setting. She was careful to dip her face and murmur her words rather than speaking how she normally would. "I've tried to remember, but I cannot say that I have seen him before."

I was turning the ice cream over on my tongue as they spoke, content to listen for now.

Lila sighed, placing her chin in her palms. "But it's safe to say that he's working with Serec."

"That is almost certain."

"Could he be a Guardian?" Phoebe asked. She was holding onto her chin, arms crossed in thought. "Like Serec. Could he be like us?"

"Ugh, don't compare him to us please," Rhonda groaned.

"That's what you have a problem with?" I asked then shook my head. I didn't care. I addressed the group. "And technically, we don't even know if Serec is a Guardian. He could be something else."

Rhonda raised her eyebrow. "Like what?"

"I dunno, something else."

She rolled her eyes.

"Well, either way, he must be powerful," Phoebe concluded. She moved her hand to her elbow and leaned forward. "Otherwise, he wouldn't be so calm."

"What a funny way to say arrogant," Rhonda murmured then scooped some more ice cream. "But yeah, you're right. Not to toot our own horn, but we were totally badass tonight—seriously, we coulda given the Avengers a run for their money. But he didn't seem to care. He actually seemed kinda . . ."

"Bored," I finished.

Rhonda nodded then popped the ice cream into her mouth.

"Which suggests that he's seen fighting of a much higher skill," Lila tapped her chin. "That he's been in many more fights more strenuous than that one, and that he has some level of prowess, or—"

"His powers are strong enough to protect him," Phoebe finished for her. "Not just against one but all four of us—united."

A silence hung over us.

I wanted to say something to relieve the tension, but I could feel my voice rolling back until it was pressed to the back of my throat. I instead looked across the table and watched the alarm silently growing across everyone's faces. It was a scary thought because it wasn't a far-fetched conclusion to jump to. If anything, denying it seemed more far-fetched.

"Well, on the bright side," Placing her elbows on the table, Lila leaned in a little further and grinned. "We have our fourth and final member. A teleporter at that."

Suddenly, all eyes turned back to Phoebe. The girl blushed and ducked her face, but I peeked the smile that tugged at her lips.

"Yeah, I say cheers to that," Rhonda patted Phoebe on the back then held up her glass. But she paused when she realised that hers—and looking around—all our glasses were empty. "Oh . . ."

"I can grab another round," I decided and stood from my seat.

"You sure?" Rhonda asked with a frown. "I can—"

"Yeah, you paid for the last round and the banana split," I shoved my hands into my pockets. "It's no biggie. I'll be back."

I was on my way to the counter before anyone else could say anything. The guy behind the counter had a splotchy face and eyes that were glazed from boredom. He barely even registered when I had approached him.

I quickly made an order and when he turned around to make the milkshakes, I leaned against the counters.

The girls had hunched their heads together as they continued throwing theories out. Raven had her curved finger pressed to her mouth, nodding like she was Sherlock Holmes, as Nel informed them about something. Lila took it all in until her phone rattled. She sent them an apologetic look—although no one but Rhonda seemed to really notice—then peeked at the screen. Light beamed across her face as she opened the device to the app. But her smile was brighter when she realised what had been sent to her.

Her eyes raised to mine and her smile grew wider.

I didn't know what to think of that, so I just settled for sticking my tongue out, then moving my attention to the wall. I wanted to tease her for how obviously dorky she was, but my mind kept wandering to that guy. The one who had attacked us. Who had he been?

The girls were right: it was good that we were a team. Phoebe's powers would undoubtedly become a massive advantage. She could teleport her knives wherever she wanted. But even when her abilities had been revealed, he hardly seemed worried. Hell, he barely seemed to even see her. Maybe for a second, when he had glanced at her. But then his attention had quickly slid over to . . .

I stilled.

Me.

And then, suddenly I could see him again.

He was a ghost, a cloud that wouldn't dissipate. The space between us was even shorter as he stared at me. He was like how he had been before, hands in his pockets, and hardly disturbed. And his eyes were like ropes. Something that entrapped me. I wanted to move but they pressed into me. They pinned me in my distress. His eyes were a void and yet, they were also silk. Even. Polished. There wasn't a fracture in his expression. He never moved. Didn't twitch. He was calm. And the longer that I stared, the more broken that I became. Because he was still like water, whereas I was the wind and unable to contain myself.

I pressed my palm to my forehead, suddenly feeling a headache behind my eyes. God, I could never contain myself. I was always stirring in my emotions. I was a slave to whatever danced in my chest. One moment, I was quiet and then the next, I was rushing forward and tearing everything apart.

The pain in my head squeezed until it became a task to keep my eyes lifted. I dropped my gaze down to my shoes. The screams were curdling in my throat. I pressed my lips together.

I could still see his face, still feel his eyes. They had been a knife turning over in my skin. But his smile, it had been small and sharp. It didn't convey happiness, but accomplishment. Like he had already won at something . . . something that we weren't even aware of—

He knew who I was, I decided. Or at least, he knew something about me. He didn't know Helga, but he knew Blue Jay. He had looked at me like he knew me. No, he looked at me like he saw me. He had figured something out. Something that I didn't know.

But what?

"Rought night, huh?"

I looked up, his eyes clearing like they were smoke. I hadn't even realised but while I had been pondering, Phoebe had stood to join me. She had a small, uneven smile on her face as she shoved her hands into her pockets. But when she didn't receive a response, she titled her face. Her eyes ran from my face down to my arms. I tightened my hands into fists. They were shaking, I hadn't even noticed.

"Why did you do it?" I asked her. And I meant it. I wasn't just trying to throw her off. This had been gnawing at me ever since she had appeared.

Her eyes jumped back to mine and her expression shifted. She didn't have to ask to know what it was that I was referring to.

"I mean, the last time that I saw you, you seemed pretty set in your decision," I continued and leaned my weight back against the counter. "So, what happened? Why'd you change your mind?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she twisted her lips to the side. But her eyes had that look, the one where I knew that she was really thinking over her words. I didn't say anything to disrupt the silence. Instead, I looked over her shoulder to the girls at the table. Now, Lila was sharing her phone with Rhonda, pointing at something on her screen that made them both smile. It wouldn't have bothered me if I didn't immediately recognise those smiles.

They were up to something.

"I don't know," Phoebe finally admitted. I almost didn't hear her. I looked back to find her wringing her hands. "I don't know, I—I didn't want to, you're right. I wanted nothing to do with it because I . . . she had to have gotten it wrong, right? Nel, I mean. She must be mistaken or maybe this was a delusion I was having. But I . . . there was undeniably a part of me that felt . . . drawn to it."

She paused to peek at my reaction.

I didn't say anything for a few moments. I turned the information over in my head. I wanted to hate her, berate her. But truthfully, I got it. I knew what she was talking about when she said that she felt drawn to it. It was a scary decision, an unbelievable ask with so much that was going against it. And yet, when you were offered the chance, there was a part of you that wanted to accept it. The circumstances weren't pretty and the nights, they were no longer quiet and safe. But there was still something about the call; it was like you had been lost at sea for years and now, someone was throwing you a rope to drag you back to safety. The call was a song that only our hearts could hear. It opened our chests like boxes and unfurled the fire within our souls. It wasn't as simple as stepping into the light to save the day and then soak up the glory. It was falling back into a role that seemed designed to fit you. It was accepting something that your soul had been reaching out for, for a long time.

I couldn't blame her because no matter how often I wanted to walk away from this life, I kept coming back because of that call.

"It doesn't surprise me," I eventually admitted. I watched as she released a small sigh, shoulders slumping in relief. "You were always interested in superheroes."

Her lips stretched into a small smile.

"And then, you mentioned finding another member and that's when it all clicked," she stepped forward. "I want this. This wasn't a mistake: it was something that I wanted to accept. If not for myself, then surely for the rest of the world. The odds are certainly against us. So, we're going to need all the luck that we can get."

"How encouraging," I murmured. "But . . . I'm glad that you accepted."

Her expression softened.

But then an awkward silence followed.

The tenseness still hadn't dissipated between us. So much had happened on that roof and becoming a Guardian didn't make that go away. I wanted to feel guilty because I knew that much of the tension was on my end. But I was tired. It felt like my heart had been so worn out that a hole had burned straight through it. There was too much stress, too much exhaustion, too much wandering. I couldn't afford anymore guilt.

"But . . . I've . . ." she hesitated, looking downwards. "I've noticed something about your fighting style."

"Oh?"

"If you don't mind me saying."

I shrugged. "Be my guest."

"I, um, I think that you use your fists too much," Phoebe explained. "You see, I've been examining you—ever since I found out you were . . . well, you know. And you're too reliant on your fists. And it isn't like Rhonda, where a substantial amount of power comes from her hands. You limit yourself by doing that, which is bewildering because you don't have to."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your shields, they—they radiate from all around you," she came to stand beside me, leaning against the counter. Her nerves were beginning to fade as she began her classic Phoebe ramble. "Not just from your hands. They're not just domes that you conjure over your hands or feet, but you. You could use them in anyway if you possess the mental strength along with the creativity."

I glanced at my hands.

"I've also noticed that, along with your habit of fighting prominently with your hands—" Phoebe then glanced at the boy still making our milkshakes. She cringed, worried that he had been too loud, but he didn't seem interested in anything but staring at the wall as he worked on the third shake. She continued when she realised that she was safe. "Um, it limits your accessibility to your knife. You don't seem to move your knife while keeping up a forcefield."

"It is a strain," I admitted, rubbing my forehead.

The movement wasn't lost on Phoebe. "It hurts, doesn't it?"

"A little."

"Um, I don't have any aspirin with me, but maybe R—"

"No, it's alright," I waved my hand at her. "This happens all the time. I've gotten used to it. I just need to sleep it off."

She frowned at that, looking like she wanted to say something about it.

"So, how would you fix this then?" I asked her with a gesture. "All of this, I mean. I can't use my knife while I'm using a forcefield. It makes things last longer then necessary. So, how can I do better?"

"You learn to emit your forcefields from your whole body, not just your hands," she answered, although she still seemed unsure with the information that I had shared. "Hell, you need to learn more about your forcefields in general, Helga. Did you spend much time learning more about them, or was it all just the fighting?"

"Fighting," I shrugged. "It's not like I have anyone else that I can learn from example. I'm kinda on my own in this one."

"That just makes you more valuable," she insisted, pressing her fingers into the counter as she leaned forward. "You're the only one with powers like that. It's a harder hill to climb but it's still a worthy hill to climb. You need to expand your understanding of them. Stop relying on your hands and start using your body weight. Rhonda's strong, Helga—like, wickedly strong—but you . . . with your abilities, you could become unstoppable."

She looked like she wanted to continue but stopped when she saw the look on my face.

"Helga, have you . . . have you not yet realised how malleable your powers are?" she asked. I didn't answer but shifted my eyes away from her face. That was all the answer she needed. "Helga, I'd wager that you have more potential than all of us."

I snorted. "And to reach that potential, I just have to . . . reteach myself the basics of fighting. No biggie."

"Well, considering it's you who we're talking about, no, I don't think that it will be," Phoebe responded. And she said it so sincerely that I couldn't hold myself back from looking at her.

She was already watching me, with eyes that were soft and hooked onto mine. Her theories were requiring a lot, but she meant what she said. It wasn't something that could be learned in a day. But she seemed to have faith that I would do it, regardless.

It warmed my heart.

The cashier then appeared with our milkshakes, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles rather than the singular cherry. They were balanced on two trays which Phoebe and I both took, slowly heading back to our table.

"Oh, and Helga?" Phoebe stopped to look at me. I waited. "I, um . . . will we be okay?"

I paused, glancing at the table and then sighed.

"Eventually," I told her with a forced smile. "My best friend's fighting by my side. Sucky circumstances but at the same time, I'm glad that you're here, Pheebs."

That made her smile.

"Um, hello!" Rhonda suddenly exclaimed and when we looked, she was waving her hand around. "Still waiting for our drinks over here!"

If my hands weren't full, I would've flipped her off.

So, I settled for sticking my tongue out at her. The action made Nel and Lila roll their eyes at our childishness. But Rhonda responded by actually flipping me the bird.

"Sorry!" Phoebe's smile became sheepish as we both headed back to the table. Everyone was handed their milkshakes—Rhonda had stars in her eyes—before we settled back into our seats.

I was about to take a sip of my chocolate milkshake when I caught the look on Lila's face. Her attention was focused on her phone again. She had barely looked up to murmur her thanks when Phoebe had handed her milkshake. And now, her lips were stretched into a wide grin as she typed furiously her response back.

"I suppose all is going well in paradise," I couldn't resist saying.

She paused, eyes reaching mine for a second, before she returned her attention back to her screen.

She shrugged, "I suppose."

I wanted to pout. That was nothing to go off of.

"Tell Savannah I said hi," I added, stirring my milkshake with my straw.

The mention of her name made Lila glance up. I had to bite down on my lips to stop myself from laughing at the pink look she gave me.

Gotcha.

"I . . . I'm not—"

"She's not talking to Savannah," Rhonda added and when I glanced at her, she was barely holding back a grin herself.

I frowned, wondering how on earth she was barging into this conversation, when her words hit me. The bricks in my chest dropped to my stomach and suddenly, I felt very, very unsafe.

"No," was all I said.

She smirked. "Yes."

I turned to Lila, in utter outrage. "You're not!"

My tone made her pull her phone close to her chest, as if to protect the thing. She had an apologetic smile on her face, but her eyes had that mischievous spark. She didn't regret what she was doing.

"Arnold says hi," was all that she said.

That name made Phoebe glance up. Her eyes scanned, going from Rhonda—who had begun cackling—to Lila and then to me—where my jaw had dropped to the ground at the betrayal.

"I cannot believe you!"

"You guys were meant to be!" was her excuse. A pathetic one, if you ask me.

"What's happening?" Phoebe asked.

"Lila is playing matchmaker," Rhonda said, eyes twinkling. But Lila didn't even glance her way as she seemed more then amused at my wailing. "Apparently, Mr. Shortman noticed that she was absent on the bus this afternoon and wanted to make sure that she was okay."

Phoebe frowned. "Why didn't he just text her?"

"He can't," Rhonda answered with the hint of a frown. Directed at me, of course.

"You should really accept his request, Helga," Lila added.

I peeked through my hands. "Oh, bugger off."

"Oh, come on, Helga!" Lila reached forward to grab onto my fingers, gently dragging them away from my face. The action, however, just revealed that I was at glowering her. "You have to admit, it's sweet that he seems so concerned about your safety. That has to mean something."

"Sure," I frowned, crossing my arms over my chest. "That he's a good person, worried about the whereabouts of his classmate."

"Oh, come off it, Helga!"

"I literally could throttle you right now, meathead!"

"Actually," Phoebe suddenly piped up and when we all looked at her, she had her chin pinched between her thumb and index finger. "Arnold has been mentioning you quite a bit lately."

Now, that information made the table practically burst into flames. Rhonda's jaw dropped and she pointed at me like she had just won a victory. And Lila began drumming on the table, her mouth wide as she released triumphant noises. And Nel, she sat there, her ears ducking from the noise that they both made.

"Guys, stop!" I pleaded. The air had become hot and I realised that it was because I was flustered red. "Look, you're making Nel uncomfortable!"

"You are uncomfortable, Helga. I am apathetic."

"Oh, shut up!" I barked and when I noticed that the girls were laughing—although, Phoebe at least was trying to hold it back—I turned my glare onto them. "This means nothing!"

"Do you think," Rhonda cupped her mouth in Lila's direction but spoke at normal volume, "that we should have the birds and bees talk with her yet?"

Lila giggled, seeing the look on my face, and played along. "We're nearing the time where it can no longer be avoided, I fear."

"She might need pictures," Phoebe added. "Helga tends to lose focus rather easily whenever Arnold's name is mentioned."

Her comment brought on a surprised but nonetheless amused reaction from the table. I just sat there, arms crossed, and waited for the laughter to pass.

"You know," I scowled, watching as Rhonda reached for her drink. "I really missed the days when you were worried about all that sugar going down to your hips."

"Oh, shuddup," Rhonda snapped then plastered a beam onto her face as she held up her drink. "A toast to our fourth member. The search is finally over!"

That made Phoebe giggle.

And despite the utterly ridiculousness that had passed mere seconds ago, I couldn't resist joining as everyone clinked their glasses together. The smile was hard to contain even as we sipped on our drinks.

Lila was the first to break the silence. She leaned back in her seat with a relieved smile.

"Finally," she said. "We're a full team. It's alllll over."

Rhonda rose her face with a triumphant grin, as if this was something that she had personally accomplished. But instead of snapping at her, I clamped my mouth to prevent myself from falling over in my chair with laughter. She seemed to really like her milkshake cause now she had froth lining the top of her lip.

Phoebe blinked, noticing it. She went to say something when I kicked her beneath the table. Her face crumbled in pain and she sent me a sharp look when I shook my face. I wanted to see how long it would be before Rhonda realised (or Nel spoiled the fun and snitched).

"Actually Lila," Nel spoke up. "I believe that it's only just begun."

I frowned for a moment, unsure what she was talking about, and then rolled my eyes when I realised that she was responding to Lila's comment. There she goes again, being the life of the party.

I placed my chin in my palm and glanced out the window. I hadn't even realised that it had begun raining sometime while we'd been inside. The water was choppy and fell from the sky in a way that reminded me of static. It poured down the windows and hit the roof like it were an applause. Everyone continued to chat—saying something about school—but as I stared, the music from the speakers suddenly felt louder.

Baby, let the games begin

And my eyes caught onto a dark shape that was across the road.

Baby, let the games begin

Let the games begin

Let the games begin

The shape was hard to make out, the rain had gotten too thick. But the longer that I looked, the more that I began to make out. It was a man, for certain. A tall man. But I couldn't identify who it was.

Baby, let the games begin

Let the games begin

Let the games begin

The shape—the man—then turned. It made my heart crash. They had been watching us. I knew that for certain. But it was like they knew that they had been caught, because now, they were slinking into the shadows. Out of sight. I pressed my lips together. I was sure they had been watching us.

Are you ready for it?

---

So, what did we think? I suspect that not many of you will be happy with Nel, which is fine, but I also wanna stress that she isn't saying this to Helga because she doesn't understand or even think that she's wrong. But that to be a Guardian, you unfortunately, have to seperate yourself from your personal feelings, because our role is to protect people. She can continue to hold onto her resentment and hurt and betrayal as Helga, but as Blue Jay, she unfortunately doesn't have that luxury.

But yeah, so now, Phoebe is offiically apart of the team and now, the team is actually formed. Finally, this half of the fic is done and now I can begin moving onto the hijinks that will ensue now that the team has been formed.

AnimeMangaLover23: Thank you so much for your kind words! There's still tension in the group which has to be settled, but once that has happened, this fic is going to officially enter it's Sailor Scout era (which we've certainly had our moments, but this will become a lot more permanent now). Hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter!

Song(s) mentioned: Sports! by Dream Wife and Ready for It by Taylor Swift