Prologue #2
Like a demon that had been summoned, Alex stomped through settled ashes with wrath on her face. Her long black ponytail was singed at the ends, and dark circles hung under her eyes. For someone who dwelled in daydreams, Alex never slept well. Backlash was a bitch.
“Were you trying to kill me, or what?!” she snapped.
Leo tucked his shoulders back, and I tensed at the standoff.
“If you need to take a nap, do it somewhere else,” he snarled. “I’m not getting paid to babysit.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t see anyone here signing up to be a firefighter, either. Guess we’re both shitty, then.” Alex grinned as her blue eyes narrowed.
Leo’s fists lit up as his dark eyes glowed red.
My legs buzzed with urgency as heat wafted in the air, and no one dared to attempt a de-escalation.
The instructors were useless when it came to Leo’s flames.
It had been a long standing rule to clear out when he went off, and wait for the fire to die out.
“Alex…” I gave her a warning look.
She didn’t bother to turn my way. Her chin lifted, refusing to back down even as Leo towered over her. Alex had never been the type to let people intimidate her, but she rarely initiated a fight. Leo was a special exemption.
Leo leaned forward. “At least I can actually get something done. You take out one opponent, and head to bed. Not very efficient, if you ask me.”
Blue sparks rained down from two small horns on Alex’s head. The attachments were meant to stabilize her ability and focus her power, but Variant abilities were unpredictable with heightened emotions. Sometimes, equipment wasn’t enough.
“You know what? I’m sick and tired of your bullshit attitude. No one wants to be around you; no one wants to train with you. Shouldn’t that be a wake-up call to stop being an asshole?” A shimmering haze formed behind Alex as an illusion started to manifest.
The edges of waves began to creep up, welling together to create a small tsunami.
Leo balked, and my eyes went wide. Alex’s ability was versatile; she could pull her opponents into her daydreams, and if she was pissed off enough, those daydreams could shift into the real world.
They couldn’t cause damage, but sometimes the mirage was so real that even I held my breath.
I blinked, and her false ocean rushed forward.
Leo doesn’t know.
Fear choked me, and my body screamed to move. He’d never seen her illusions before, and right on cue, Leo’s entire body lit up with flames. Up against water abilities, he’d turn everything to steam and mist. This time, Alex was the only thing he’d actually hit.
“It’s not real!” I shouted, but the sound of water crashing against buildings drowned me out.
Leo reached out a hand.
Lightning shot through my legs.
Bright orange and yellow exploded around us only a second after I launched forward. When we enrolled at the academy, our abilities were assessed, and we were each assigned codenames for our eventual graduation. They gave me the name ‘Hopper’ for good reason.
Leo wasn’t even done pouring out his wrath when Alex and I appeared behind him in the safe zone. She was light in my arms, and I let out a breath of relief.
Crisis averted. Nice job, Hopper. What a badass Hero you’ll be.
The flames dissipated, and the groan of industrial fans began to whir as heat and smoke wafted up.
“You can’t pull that shit on him, Alex,” I groaned. “He’s going to defend himself if he thinks he’s in—”
Alex cradled her arm against her chest as she let out ragged breaths.
Black and red, leather-like skin ran from her fingertips to her elbow, so burned that even blisters couldn’t form.
A low whine came from the back of her throat and her lips trembled.
Something in my chest snapped, a heartstring that had been plucked so hard it broke.
I wasn’t fast enough.
“Yeah,” she wheezed. “My bad, lost my temper there.”
Her body shook, and the shock was unmistakable as her pale skin turned clammy.
“It wasn’t real?” Leo murmured before turning around, his flames simmering into embers that sizzled across his uniform. “Shit, I didn’t mean—”
“Don’t,” my voice was laced with violence, and Leo clamped his mouth shut.
Documents flew in the air as I appeared in the medical unit, Alex groaning and trembling against my chest. Healers in white didn’t flinch at our arrival.
They rushed around us, stealing her from my arms as they went to work on her injuries.
Mock battles were always dangerous, and Variants with healing abilities were fully staffed at all times.
Healers were exceptional, but they weren’t perfect.
Someone whispered about the possibility of lasting scars, and my shrieking resulted in banishment. I paced in front of the unit doors, chewing at my cheek and not bothering to smile at those who passed by.
I should have been faster. I should have gotten to her in time. I shouldn’t have hesitated.
Why did I hesitate? I knew Leo would blow, I knew the argument was reaching a boiling point. I didn’t move.
I trusted him.
“Joon,” a graveled voice made me pause.
My nose scrunched before I let out a long breath. “She won’t lose the arm, but she might have scars.”
Leo leaned against the wall, arms crossed and eyes shadowed by shaggy blond hair. He hadn’t changed out of his uniform yet, and his head hung low. There was a different energy to him; pure regret.
“You know I didn’t mean to—”
“I know,” I snapped, and had to swallow more air to calm my nerves. “You never mean to hurt anyone. I know that. Alex didn’t mean to make those waves either, but they wouldn’t have hurt you. Your temper will hurt people. It does hurt people.”
Leo didn’t respond, and we stood in silence until I couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Your temper is worse with her,” I sighed. “Why?”
“She irritates me,” he ground out.
Thanks for the clarifying revelation, jackass, I thought.
“Do me a favor.” I shoved my hands in my pockets; desperate to fidget, to run, to do anything but say the words that were bubbling up inside.
Control and restriction was what the VIA did. Making assumptions about Variants, deciding they were dangerous, had always done more harm than good. A coil of shame buried inside me, and still, I couldn’t stop myself.
Leo glanced up, and I could have sworn his eyes glistened. “Anything.”
I cleared my throat, and the words felt wrong. “Stay away from Alex. Until you can control your ability, or until you can control your temper. I know… I know you’re not a bad guy. But right now, the most dangerous thing she could face in the field is you.”
Something flashed across his face before it melted back into steel again. “No problem.”