《After the Rise (A Superhero Story)》


 Prologue-The Light Below

    Of all the ways Ethan could die, he truly never thought he¡¯d drown.


    Stillrock was over a thousand miles from the nearest ocean, and the rivers and lakes found throughout the Lavender Mountains were far too cold to swim. In fact, the only time Ethan ever entered a body of water larger than his bathtub was when a friend would invite him to their pool, and even that had been a rarity after high school since everyone with any sense had either gone to college or taken a job in the city.


    Ethan, of course, had done neither of those things, and that was just one of the many reasons he found himself slowly sinking underneath a frozen lakebed.


    He could regret those decisions later, if he lived. With what little breath he had, he allowed himself a moment to assess his limited options. The way he saw it, he only had two.


    He could try to swim up, back to the surface, and hope Hailstone had stayed around long enough to help pull him up. That part wasn¡¯t likely, but if he made it to the surface and flailed around enough, Raz might be able to see him and call Alex for help. She would be here in a second if she knew Ethan was in trouble.


    Above him was dark, the unnatural ice forming a shadowed mosaic of the lake¡¯s surface, blocking the light save for the hole he crashed through, allowing a beam of dull sunlight to filter through. His eyes followed the light down, and he saw what he had driven up to Basin Lake for in the first place.


    Below him was the breach, a jagged fissure scarring the lakebed. Beautiful, multicolored light poured out of the breach, crackling and popping as it came into contact with the water, washing away with the gentle undercurrent. It called to him, like a siren to a sailor, beckoning him to forsake the shadows above and just sink a little further and slip into its light.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    It was everything he had hoped for, just a fifteen foot swim down.


    If he didn¡¯t drown first, that is.


    The summer heat had yet to fully wane, and the water wasn¡¯t as cold as he expected, but it was still frigid, forcing his muscles to contract painfully, but not immobilizing them just yet. Given he was forced under the ice, he didn¡¯t have time to take a deep breath before it broke, and he knew he only had a few moments before his muscles tensed up and moving became impossible. He had enough breath to make a push to the surface, or to sink to the breach, but he knew he didn¡¯t have enough time for both.


    After being told time and again by Alex that they did not exist, Ethan had found one, a breach point, nearly within his grasp. If he really wanted powers, to become a Protector and leave his old life in the nowhere town of Stillrock behind, it was now or never. There was no telling if he¡¯d ever get this opportunity again, an opportunity he had already missed out on once.


    For the first time, his future was finally within his control, within his grasp, and all he had to do was sink.


    Instead of pushing up, towards the sunlight and the fresh air his chest was screaming for, Ethan¡¯s eyes drifted downwards.


    It was now or never, and Ethan was choosing now.


    No matter what it might cost him.

 Chapter 1-The Mines

    ¡°Do you know what today is?¡±


    As Ethan¡¯s rusted truck came to a slow halt in the potholed, gravel parking lot, he shut his eyes, breathing out slowly so as to not start screaming. Ethan had known what day it was from the moment he had woken up, and he¡¯d been avoiding Raz all day in hopes of avoiding this exact conversation, no easy task given how small their shared apartment is.


    Unfortunately for Ethan, Raz didn¡¯t have a car, so he couldn¡¯t avoid being in such close proximity to Raz for the half-hour drive from their apartment to their job in the Stillrock Silver Mine.


    ¡±Please don¡¯t say it,¡± Ethan pleaded.


    ¡±There¡¯s nothing wrong with-¡±


    Ethan shot him a dark look. After a moment, Raz shrugged, grabbing his bag and hopped out of the car, leaving Ethan alone.


    Ethan sighed in frustration, letting his forehead fall on the steering wheel, making a mental note to apologize for that later. After all, it wasn¡¯t Raz¡¯s fault Ethan was in a bad mood. Raz wasn¡¯t the reason Ethan still worked in the mine, he wasn¡¯t the reason Ethan hadn¡¯t put together a plan to get out, and he certainly wasn¡¯t trying to rub Ethan¡¯s face in it, unlike the weather.


    The warm sun filtering through the trees warmed Ethan¡¯s face through the car¡¯s windshield, practically calling out for him to come outside. It was the end of a gorgeous summer evening on the Slope, the kind of day where even the sun seemed to want to hang in the sky as long as it could. The lasting sunshine made the afternoon perfect for enjoying a game at the Ace¡¯s stadium or finishing off a long hike in the mountains away from civilization, watching the sun disappear behind the mountains.


    Ethan pulled his head up, then immediately wished he hadn¡¯t. The Stillrock mine, built up on a hill on the eastern edge of Stillrock, had one of the town¡¯s best views of Ascension¡¯s skyline. Though there was a sliver of light left in the mountains, Ascension was already plunged into night, and every bar and music venue had their own sets of twinkling, colored lights, competing for attention in the crowded city.


    There were a million people in Ascension and it felt like seemingly everyone was rushing out to enjoy everything the city had to offer, with the exception of Ethan. Instead, he was reporting for his tenth straight night of work, staring down another twelve hour shift in the mines. Twelve straight hours spent in the dark, dusty, claustrophobia-including tunnels, breaking down every large piece of blasted rock with his pickaxe. With any luck, the rocks they broke up and placed into the mine cart might just have an ounce of silver. If the tandem could produce enough silver, the mine could sell the silver and pay Raz and Ethan a little more than their meager salary, which was just enough to pay for an apartment close to Stillrock and enough food to keep them upright.


    It was also, apparently, enough to pay for Raz¡¯s phone, since he had shoved it through Ethan¡¯s open truck window.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Raz said, holding out his phone, ¡°did you see this?¡±


    Ethan glanced over at the phone, seeing a news site streaming live footage, seemingly shot from a helicopter, in what looked like the heart of downtown Ascension. Hailstone, one of the Altered still willing to operate against the Protectors in Ascension, was skating down air she was freezing in front of herself, throwing daggers made of ice behind her at another woman flying in pursuit. The daggers were shattering harmlessly off her bronze armor, a purple cape funneled behind her.


    Even though the fight would¡¯ve been visible from where Ethan was seated, he slid out of the car, turning his back on the city. He shook his head. ¡°You know I try to avoid the Protector stuff, Raz.¡±


    ¡°Even when it¡¯s Alex?¡± Raz asked, incredulously. He shook his head. ¡°Sorry, Titan.¡±


    ¡°Especially when it¡¯s her,¡± Ethan snapped, sliding out of his truck, his boots crunching on the gravel.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯d be mad too if my sister suddenly became the most powerful person in Ascension. It¡¯s normal to be a little jealous.¡±


    ¡°It might be, but I am not,¡± Ethan sighed, walking to the check in trailer. ¡°At least¡­not about that.¡±


    Raz, noticing Ethan forgot his bag, or didn¡¯t care to grab it, picked it up out of the bed of the truck and jogged to catch up with Ethan.


    ¡°Hailstone is pretty tough,¡± Raz said, handing Ethan his book bag. Ethan nodded his thanks, another thing to apologize for later, as they walked over to the locker room. ¡°She might be a lot for Alex to handle.¡±


    ¡±Alex is invincible,¡± Ethan reminded him. He tried to stretch his tight back, sore from the previous few nights of work, then grunted and grabbed his assigned hard hat and vest, throwing his jacket in his locker. He nodded at Oscar, the site supervisor, and waited in front of the service elevator.


    ¡°Yeah, but she can still get hurt, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ethan agreed, ¡°but that¡¯s what you sign up for when you become lead Protector.¡±


    The rickety elevator¡¯s doors opened to take them down to the tunnels. Ethan sighed, stepping inside, and turning to face the doors. While the service elevator doors crawled to a close, Ethan¡¯s eyes caught a blast of cerulean, frosted light shooting up through the clouds over Ascension, then someone bursting through the clouds after them. Ethan could practically hear the roar of the city, which was soon washed out by the mechanical whir of the doors shutting in front of them.


    ¡°Man, can you imagine that life?¡± Raz asked, shaking his head. The elevator began descending, Ascension''s bright lights replaced with a dusty dim glow. ¡°Having the power to launch yourself into the sky anytime you wanted?¡±


    ¡°I used to, all the time,¡± Ethan sighed. The elevator crawled the hundred feet down to the tunnels below. ¡°But I stopped.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Raz asked.


    ¡°Because, every time I opened my eyes¡­¡±


    When the doors opened he heaved his pickaxe over his shoulder, the familiar stale air and dust attaching itself to the back of his throat.


    ¡°I was right back here.¡±


    Ethan stalked down the tunnel with Raz in tow. The tunnels were just wide enough for Raz and Ethan to stand next to each other, and shallow enough that Ethan, the taller of the two, had to duck slightly or risked clanking his helmet on the jagged ceiling, illuminated poorly by dusty lanterns hung irregularly on the walls. The tunnels themselves were supported by rotted wooden support beams, no doubt placed decades ago and desperately past current OSHA standards.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Wordlessly, he set out to work, slamming his pickaxe down on the newly unearthed ore and breaking them into smaller, more manageable bits that Raz threw into the minecart left half full for them by the earlier crew. Each swing reminded him of the blisters on his hands, hardly tempered by the gloves, and the twinge of pain in his back that had come decades too early. He tried to ignore his aches, wiping his dusty brow on the back of his gloves.


    An hour into the backbreaking labor, Ethan pulled off his helmet, pushing back his black hair, and reached into his bag for his water, leaning against the uneven stone wall. He was panting hard, taking gulps of his water when Raz decided, unprompted, to pick up their conversation from before. Raz reached into his back, then held something cylindrical out to Ethan.


    ¡°So, you cut me off earlier¡­but I brought hot dogs.¡±


    Ethan, caught off guard by the gesture, narrowed his gaze at Raz, who was holding out two aluminum foil wrapped hot dogs.


    ¡°Why, exactly, did you bring those?¡±


    ¡°Well, I looked it up and traditionally miners eat pasties, but we don¡¯t exactly have a working oven at the moment, so the best I could do was boil a few hot dogs in the microwave and wrap them in foil. They¡¯re not exactly the same, but the thought was there. Anyway, happy work anniversary!¡± Raz told him excitedly, taking a bite out of the lukewarm hot dog.


    Ethan waved him off. ¡°I told you not to bring that up,¡± he muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be reminded how much of my life I¡¯ve wasted down here.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Ethan,¡± Raz shook his head, disappointed. ¡°We¡¯ve survived three whole years working down here. We¡¯ve made a living for ourselves, albeit not a glamorous one, like Alex¡¯s, but we have a roof over our heads and clothes on our back!¡±


    ¡±That shouldn¡¯t just be enough, Raz,¡± Ethan sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t you want more?¡±


    Raz shrugged. ¡°Opportunities will come, I¡¯m sure. We just have to give it time.¡±


    Ethan laughed, humorlessly. ¡°What opportunities?¡± he asked, throwing his hands up. ¡°Six months ago, three hundred people in Ascension gained superhuman abilities while we were working down here. We already missed our opportunity, Raz!¡±


    ¡°Do you want to be the one Hailstone was trying to kill this evening?¡± Raz shook his head.  ¡°I¡¯d much rather be doing something thrilling like fighting for my life than wasting it down here!¡± Ethan shouted back.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a waste,¡± Raz protested. ¡°We¡¯re saving money. We¡¯ll move to Ascension soon.¡±


    Ethan gripped his pickaxe tightly, spying a boulder near the wall. He brought the pickaxe over his head, swinging down hard.


    ¡±Three years,¡± he grunted, taking a chunk out of the stone. The anger in his voice echoed off the tunnels. ¡°I¡¯ve waited three years when we were supposed to move to Ascension after one!¡±


    ¡°Ethan, you need to be careful,¡± Raz warned him. ¡°You¡¯re close to-¡±


    ¡±Three years of my life,¡± Ethan swung again, nearly cracking the stone in two. It cracked, but held together. ¡°Wasted. And for what?¡±


    ¡±Ethan,¡± Raz took a step with his hand out, pleading. ¡°You¡¯re going to-¡±


    ¡±For nothing!¡± Ethan roared, swinging the pickaxe down as hard as he could. Swinging wildly, his aim was off. Instead of shattering the stone in front of him, he missed the side of the rock and clipped the wooden support beam, cleaving it in two.


    The old wooden beams overhead groaned in protest, splintering against the sudden increase in weight, hundreds of tons of stone suddenly shifting for the first time in decades. The ¡°T¡± shaped beams above them bent, and the rock split, causing Ethan and Raz to shrink towards the ground, for all the good it would do them, as dust and bits of rock rained down on top of them.


    Ethan instinctively held his breath out of fear that any sudden change could result in a cave in, but after a moment the stone settled and the beams seemed to acclimate to the weight.


    ¡°I¡­I think we¡¯re okay,¡± Ethan sighed in relief.


    Raz punched him in the shoulder, causing Ethan to wince.


    ¡°You moron!¡± he yelled. ¡°All I wanted to do was eat hot dogs, and you tried to kill us!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ethan said quietly. ¡°For being rude in the car, for not grabbing my bag, and for almost killing us both. I¡¯m¡­not myself today. Our work anniversary¡­just reminds me of how long we¡¯ve been doing this.¡±


    Raz sighed curtly, but nodded. ¡°I know you want to get out of here, Ethan. And we will. We just have to be patient.¡±


    Ethan nodded, then hesitated before he spoke. His eyes had become accustomed to the particularly dim, gray light inside the tunnel, but now he was picking up something else, a glimmer above them. He squinted, confused. They were twenty stories below the surface of the Earth, he thought, so where would a burst of light possibly be coming from?


    ¡°Well,¡± Raz grabbed Ethan¡¯s shoulder, causing him to jump. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, before-¡±


    Raz¡¯s voice was cut off by the thunderous sound of thousands of pounds of rocks suddenly rushing to fill a vacuum, and before Ethan had a chance to interrogate the light source any further, it vanished as the roof twenty feet in front of them collapsed, huge stones bursting through the ceiling and crashing into the floor.


    Ethan wondered, in the brief moment he had before he ran, if even Alex could find them under this much stone. He grabbed Raz and pushed him forward while the ceiling collapsed perilously close to the pair, running as fast as he could behind him.


    Raz, nearly a foot shorter than Ethan, was not fast enough. A rock clipped his shoulder, knocking him to the ground.


    ¡°Raz!¡± Ethan shouted, skidding to a stop and nearly falling himself. ¡°Get up!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± Raz yelled back, scrambling to his feet. Before he could get fully upright, a chunk of stone the size of a soccer ball landed directly on his right knee, then rolled off.


    Raz screamed in pain, grasping for his leg. Ethan swooped in under him, grabbing his arms and pulling backwards, dragging him over the fallen rock, grunting with exertion and gritting his teeth. He pulled with all his strength, just able to tow him underneath a more stable intersection of tunnels before the entrance they had just used collapsed entirely in front of them, sealing shut any chance Ethan had of investigating the strange lights further.


    Several other miners had run over now, screaming for help through the commotion and grabbing the gurney kept for emergencies. They lifted Raz, as gently as they could, and started to head for the shaft¡¯s elevator.


    Ethan took one last look at the tunnel they collapsed, looking for any hint of the strange light he had seen swirling within.


    ¡°Ethan!¡± Raz called out. ¡°Coming?¡±


    He pulled his eyes away from the stone wall, feeling suspiciously like he had just missed out on something important. He turned, jogging to catch up with Raz.

 Chapter 2-After

    Ethan shoved his old, faded Ace¡¯s jersey carelessly into his backpack, jamming it down to make everything fit. With a hard pull, he managed to wrench the zipper just enough to seal his overstuffed bag, then lugged it on the counter, spilling his entire cup of black coffee onto the tan hardwood floor.


    ¡°Not again,¡± he hissed. He wiped the coffee up with a paper towel, but noticed the dark liquid rapidly staining into the floorboards, his mistake like a dark shadow spreading over the light hardwood. He groaned quietly, a familiar panic spreading sweat across his brow.


    I have no idea how to fix that, he thought, watching the wood floor greedily drink the coffee he so desperately needed after another late night turned into an early morning. Panicking, he spied a white dish towel hanging in front of Alex¡¯s rarely used stove. He threw the towel over the stain to hide the majority of it, wiped the thick, panicked sweat off his brow with the back of his hand, and tried to act casual as he walked, for probably the last time, to the balcony overlooking the battered city of Ascension.


    Following the natural disaster blended with a scientific phenomenon known simply as the Surge, Ascension had become a worldwide fascination. For three months after the Surge, Ascension had become a theater for spectacularly destructive battles fought between the Altered, people who gained powers from the Surge but chose to use them for destructive purposes, and the Protectors, a group of people with abilities that the Apex Corporation curated to fight against the Altered and defend Ascension.


    Ascension became a modern day Colosseum, with the Protectors taking on the role of the gladiators. Chief among the Protectors is Alex, Ethan¡¯s sister, donning the title of Titan. Alex is both the first and strongest Protector, proving herself time and time again against the worst Ascension has to offer, including the malicious Maelstrom, personally responsible for the worst disaster Ascension had ever seen: a full-blown category five hurricane brewed on the northern outskirts of the city and directed right at its center. Maelstrom intended to level Ascension entirely, but Alex managed to blow through the eye of the storm and shut Maelstrom down, leading to his detainment and permanent detention in a top secret facility that Apex built just for him.


    Since losing the strongest member of their ranks, the Altered have been in a state of disarray. Rival gangs of Altered led by people with terrible powers had sprung up all over the city, but they were currently more interested in fighting each other to claim supremacy rather than the Protectors in their Sector, unable to agree on any sort of coherent hierarchy that could make them a dangerous threat to the city again.


    Ethan glanced out at the Lavender Mountain range that ringed the city, noticing the peaks still blanketed with pure white snow. In this early morning the clouds were piling behind the mountains, a wall of white, rotating shadows not quite able to ascend over the peaks and rush out towards the city. Alex, in Ethan¡¯s mind, did the same for Ascension, acting as the bulwark that Altered broke themselves on. Without Alex¡¯s strength, it would¡¯ve been easy for the Protectors to fall into a similar state of chaos as the Altered, unable to unify and coalesce.


    In recognition of her efforts, Apex gifted Alex the penthouse floor of the tallest residential building in Ascension, located on the western edge overlooking the entire city. It was gorgeous, far out of Ethan¡¯s budget, though now worth slightly less thanks to Ethan¡¯s clumsiness.


    Despite his own stressful battle with his coffee cup, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but look in awe at the stunning morning view, the sun just breaking over the eastern plain, drenching the city in an orange glow that reflected off the skyscrapers, but also one that illuminated the scars the city had recently gained: buildings with broken windows, bent frames, and cracked streets with jagged concrete jutting into the air still shut down from Maelstrom and Detonator¡¯s attacks. The sounds of construction and constant rebuilding had overtaken the usual symphony of life in a city that housed so many, car horns exchanged for jackhammers and conversation twisted into barked commands.


    Despite the carnage, Ethan always wondered what it¡¯d be like to have Alex¡¯s powers, to fly through the city and know you could do something about the chaos the Altered brought, putting your life on the line to save others. Plus, Ethan thought, glancing at the fully furnished apartment, the perks weren¡¯t too bad, either.


    Then again, it was easier to imagine fighting against the Altered when you were seemingly invincible, changed by the Surge and turned into an unbreakable, immensely powerful super being straight out of mythology like Alex.


    Ethan, who wasn¡¯t in Ascension on the night the Surge blanketed the city with a radiant dusting of energy from somewhere buried deep underground, was still just Ethan.


    At least, that is, for now. He may have missed his chance at powers a year ago, but he was convinced that wasn¡¯t the only way to get them, and he wasn¡¯t alone. Silently hoping, he checked his phone, sighing quietly at the lack of notifications.


    Soon, Ethan reassured himself, it¡¯ll be soon. It has to be.


    Though only a tiny fraction of people were changed and received any abilities at all, Ethan always wondered what might¡¯ve happened to him if he wasn¡¯t at work in the tunnels when the Surge hit and was, instead, in Ascension like he¡¯d always wanted to be, living a full life in the city instead of spending his nights in dark tunnels breaking rocks for twelve hours at a time.


    He sighed as a passing cloud darkened the morning sun, leaving Ethan with just his own reflection in the glass. His black hair had grown far too long these last few months, and he had to constantly push it back to keep it from covering his almond eyes. On the plus side, he was the tannest he¡¯d been in years, having had three straight summer months off work, and he hadn¡¯t lost much, if any, of the lean muscle he cultivated working in the mines for the three years.


    But the bronzed color to his skin would begin to fade tomorrow. The mines, after a three month closure that, depending on who you ask, may have been Ethan¡¯s fault, would reopen, and Ethan would be expected to report back for his night shift toiling underground while Alex gently brushed the clouds and felt the warm sun on her back.


    ¡°I hate it here,¡± Ethan muttered suddenly. From behind him, sprawled on the green velvet couch, Raz scoffed.


    ¡°Beats our place,¡± he replied, not looking up from the book he was reading. ¡°By, like, a lot.¡±


    Ethan sighed. ¡°What doesn¡¯t? We could find shacks in the north side of the city where Maelstrom¡¯s hurricane made landfall better equipped than our apartment.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Raz laughed. ¡°Still more expensive, though.¡±


    Ethan nodded glumly. While Alex had taken the first chance she¡¯d gotten and moved to Ascension permanently after attending community college in Stillrock to take a job teaching wrestling at the Metro College, Ethan and Raz had spent their whole lives in the small mountain town, jumping from odd job to odder job until landing in the mines and sticking there. It was fortunate that they had been best friends since they were kids because despite still living in Stillrock, neither one of them made enough to live on their own.


    ¡°Speaking of, are you packed? We¡¯ll leave once Alex gets back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m packed. Are you going to tell her you spilled coffee on her floor again?¡±


    Ethan grimaced. His rushed cleanup job wasn¡¯t as inconspicuous as he hoped it would¡¯ve been. ¡°No, and you¡¯re not going to tell her, either.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    With his shorts, the scar from Raz¡¯s knee surgery was clearly visible, angry and red. Ethan¡¯s shoulders dropped. ¡°I¡¯ll carry your bag to the car.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯d have to do that anyway,¡± Raz chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not quite all the way healed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you the next book in that series, then?¡±


    Raz raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°But you really have to keep your mouth shut,¡± Ethan continued, pointing a finger at him. ¡°Alex got so mad at me for the last time that she nearly snapped the marble kitchen island and I don¡¯t want her to do that to my head.¡±


    ¡°Deal. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut, but if she notices, I¡¯m not taking the blame.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Ethan protested, ¡°she¡¯s always liked you more than me, plus she can¡¯t hit you.¡±


    ¡°Because she likes me?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re already hurt. Apex has rules against that kind of thing, I think It might be like¡­a war crime?.¡±


    ¡°With the amount of damage you¡¯ve caused here that you¡¯ve blamed me for, I doubt I¡¯m still her favorite,¡± Raz shook his head. ¡°She must think I¡¯m the clumsiest person on Earth. I still don¡¯t understand how you knocked her dresser over, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I was sleepwalking.¡± Raz rolled his eyes, and Ethan changed the subject.


    ¡°When does she normally come back, anyway?¡± he asked.


    Raz checked his watch. ¡°Usually about now, unless she¡¯s in a tough fight. Which you¡¯d know, if you didn¡¯t keep disappearing every morning,¡± Raz said pointedly. ¡°You know, for someone out of a job, you¡¯ve been very busy lately.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been¡­exploring,¡± Ethan offered. ¡°Offroading a little bit.¡±


    Raz arched an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re seriously not going to tell me where you¡¯ve been going?¡±


    Ethan opened his mouth, then squinted, tracking an object moving fast, level with his eyeline. Glinting in the sun, Ethan caught Alex¡¯s bronze armor and purple cape and sighed with relief as she pushed open the balcony door, her long curly hair windswept behind her.


    ¡°How was it out there?¡± Ethan asked.


    Alex plopped on the couch, taking off her boots with a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Busy,¡± she nodded, keeping her eyes on the city. Alex had always been an intense person, but the past few months had made her much more so. ¡°Still too busy.¡±


    Ethan grimaced. From what Alex had told him and Raz, Apex¡¯s strategy was simple: cover Ascension in a net of Protectors, dividing the city up into zones and staggering the Protector¡¯s schedules to ensure consistent coverage and responses to any Altered attack.


    While there were still occasional Altered attacks on banks or jewelry stores, the Protectors mostly had things under control, or, at least, it looked like they did, which was possibly even more important. The Protectors were doing their best to keep the tentative peace that had spread after Maelstrom was incarcerated, but without projecting strength, the Altered would sense a vulnerability and strike.


    But with so many Altered wielding powers that could easily be used for widespread destruction, it was nearly impossible to contain every single one of them, which constantly kept the Protectors, and the people of Ascension, on their toes.


    ¡°Anyone new?¡± Ethan asked, trying to act casually. ¡°I heard that can happen, you know. People gaining powers months after the Surge, something to do with the residual energy in the air.¡±


    He checked his phone again, frowning at the screen. Still nothing.


    Alex saw through Ethan immediately, her eyes narrowing. He shifted his gaze to Raz¡¯s book.


    ¡°That¡¯s a myth,¡± She spat immediately. ¡°Apex has cataloged everyone who received powers after the Surge, and they haven¡¯t seen anyone new in six months, thank God. We¡¯ve been over this.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ethan nodded for too long, glancing out at Ascension. ¡°But, you never know. It happened once, after all.¡±


    ¡°And that was it,¡± Alex said definitively. ¡°We were told, by Apex, that there was zero chance of anyone getting powers again. It¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness for that,¡± Raz muttered. ¡°I was having enough trouble staying alive in the regular world. There¡¯s too many people who can kill me with their eyes now and I don¡¯t need anymore to watch out for.¡±


    ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t let that happen to you,¡± Alex told him. Raz rolled his eyes playfully. She pointed at Ethan. ¡°You, on the other hand¡­¡±


    ¡°I could take them,¡± Ethan muttered. ¡°If I got powers.¡±


    Alex let out a curt sigh, noticing Raz¡¯s bag sitting by her door.


    ¡°You guys heading back to Stillrock?¡±


    Ethan nodded. ¡°The mines reopen tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve mentioned that,¡± Alex snuck a peak at Raz¡¯s leg. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Raz shrugged, ¡°but if I¡¯m not down there, someone else will be, and Ethan can¡¯t pay the rent by himself.¡±


    ¡°I guess not,¡± Alex sighed, leaning back. She tapped her fingers on the back of the couch, Ethan already grimacing, knowing exactly what she was going to say. ¡°You two could always stay here you know, at least until Raz is healed. I¡¯m hardly around, and it¡¯s nice to have company when I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it, but you know we can¡¯t stay here forever,¡± Ethan said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. ¡°Raz has a crippling fantasy novel addiction and he¡¯s nearly broke.¡±


    Raz tapped the cover of his book. ¡°It¡¯s true. There¡¯s, like, six more of these, and Ethan¡¯s on the hook to buy me the next one.¡±


    Alex rolled her eyes playfully. She stood, hugging Ethan so hard he felt his chest nearly crack, then gingerly wrapping her arms around Raz.


    ¡°Be safe down there,¡± she said to both of them.


    ¡°Be safe up there,¡± Ethan replied, smiling sadly, a twinge of jealousy rippling through him. He opened the door, letting Raz shuffle through first and following close behind when Alex¡¯s voice stopped him in his tracks.


    ¡°Wait¡± Alex called out, poking her head through the doorway, ¡°why does Ethan owe you a book? What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Run,¡± Ethan took off for the elevator, flying by Raz.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t!¡± Raz yelled, shuffling laboriously down the hall.


    The door flew open and Alex walked out holding a familiar white dish towel now stained with brown.


    ¡°You spilled coffee on my floor again?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, glaring at Ethan as he pulled Raz inside and slammed the button to close the doors, grateful that he was able to escape.


    Ethan breathed a sigh of relief, then laughed.


    ¡°Man,¡± Raz shook his head, ¡°crazy to think that she could just rip these doors open if she really wanted to. Having all that power, flying wherever you want, it must be incredible.¡±


    ¡°It would be,¡± Ethan agreed, sighing.


    I¡¯d do anything to find out how that feels, he thought, his eyes glancing upwards toward the clear morning sky. His phone vibrated, and his eyes lit up when he saw the notification:


    New location: Basin Lake.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he grunted, pumping his fist.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Raz asked. ¡°You¡¯ve been checking your phone obsessively all morning.¡±


    ¡°You up for a field trip?¡± he asked Raz.


    ¡°Where to?¡± Raz checked his watch. ¡°I probably need to rest up before work tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, we won¡¯t be going to work tomorrow.¡±


    Raz raised an eyebrow, gingery easing himself into Ethan¡¯s truck. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Apex has everyone convinced you can¡¯t get powers. That the Surge was a one-time deal. Even Alex believes them.¡± He grinned, throwing Raz¡¯s bag in the back of his truck, then slapped the hood of his truck before hopping in the driver''s seat next to Raz.


    ¡°They¡¯re the experts,¡± Raz shrugged.


    ¡°For now,¡± Ethan agreed, cranking his truck¡¯s engine. ¡°But in a few hours, we¡¯re going to prove them all wrong.¡±

 Chapter 3-Frozen Shore

    The world may have changed, but not for Ethan Havoc.


    At least, not yet.


    Ethan¡¯s old truck bounced back and forth as he drove up the rocky, unpaved road marking the last part of his trip to Basin Lake. He winced as the metal groaned with strain, praying nothing else would break before he reached the parking lot. Despite the calendar shifting to fall, the oppressive summer heat had yet to fully wane, and even at this high altitude Ethan needed AC to keep cool.


    Which he¡¯d certainly put on, if his truck had any. As was typical for his luck, his truck¡¯s AC broke on the first summer day to hit ninety degrees and the quote to get it fixed nearly made his eyes pop. It certainly didn¡¯t help that he had been out of work for the past three months after the shutdown at the mine and never had much savings to begin with, but all that would change as soon as his plan worked.


    If it worked.


    Instead, all Ethan could do was try to ignore the sweat running down his back and hope his truck could reach the top of the trail so he could find what he spent the past three months searching for. If he was successful in his hunt, he¡¯d have his life forever changed, just like the Protectors that safeguarded Ascension. Problems like ¡®lack of money¡¯ and ¡®terrible car¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be problems anymore, at least not for him, once he had a Protector¡¯s salary and all the financially fruitful endorsements that came with the title.


    Well, there were a few more steps to his plan before he got to all those riches, and no shortage of extremely dangerous pitfalls should he ultimately succeed, but that would be a later problem.


    If he survived, that was.


    Of course, Ethan was acutely aware of how stupid and dangerous his plan to gain powers was, and he did not need anyone to tell him just how unlikely he was to succeed.


    Unfortunately for Ethan, if he didn¡¯t want that exact situation to occur, he shouldn¡¯t have told Raz what he was attempting in the first place.


    ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± Raz was trying to keep a straight face, but his tone betrayed a thinly concealed smile, a hole in a dam wall held back by bubble gum. ¡°While I¡¯ve been recuperating, you¡¯ve spent the past three months trying to find a hole in the ground that¡¯s going to give you superpowers, like Alex has?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re called breach points,¡± Ethan pointed out, more matter of factly than someone saying something insane deserved to sound. ¡°There¡¯s a person online who thinks they can track where the Surge came from and predict where breach points might pop up along the path it may have taken before it burst from underground in Ascension.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly are these mythical breach points supposed to be?¡± Raz asked.


    ¡°Vestiges of the Surge, disturbed pockets of energy that act as vents from the Earth, like bubbles of lava bursting in a pool of magma.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I apologize for not knowing the lingo of your crazy online community,¡± Raz laughed. ¡°Speaking of, you all follow this leader. They post coordinates, and you drive out there to find them, no matter how far.¡±


    ¡°Well, I only chase ones that are within an hour or two of Ascension,¡± Ethan offered. ¡°And sometimes, like today, they¡¯re places that I wanted to go to anyway, so at least I¡¯m getting some value out of my trips, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Raz said slowly. ¡°Kind of like how intentionally falling down a hole gives you a really good look at the bottom of the hole?¡±


    Ethan rolled his eyes, and Raz was silent for a moment. Ethan secretly hoped that was the end of their discussion, until Raz started laughing.


    ¡°What?¡± Ethan asked pointedly.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t get over the fact that you¡¯ve spent the past three months driving all over the state on directions given to you by a stranger, willing and ready to stick your hand into what I can only assume is a glowing hole that may or may not disintegrate you entirely on contact.¡±


    Ethan had to admit: when Raz really sounded the plan out, it sounded not only crazy, but also dangerous.


    Then again, Ethan thought, trying not to glance down at Raz¡¯s leg, so is life in the mines.


    Despite the obvious danger in actually finding one, Ethan had been chasing down rumors of breach points nearly once a week on his own while Raz healed. So far, he¡¯d gone the entire time without so much as seeing a moose. The lack of success was disheartening, but if he didn¡¯t go, and someone else did and was changed, he knew he¡¯d never be able to live with himself. So every time he got a notification, he drove out to the spot, trying not to let himself hope too much that his life really could change in the blink of an eye.


    He¡¯d wasted nearly three months chasing down leads, and now, with the mines reopening tomorrow, he had just one last day to find a breach point before he started working again and was far too exhausted to drive to the Four Corners on a whim. It was now or never, and Ethan had long made peace with how dangerous the breach points might be.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s say this works,¡± Raz continued. ¡°Then, let¡¯s say this benevolent stranger is right, and we drive up to Basin Lake, walk out, and there¡¯s a pool of glowing energy right in front of you. You then, presumably with a triumphant scream, slam your hand inside this unquantified radiation and, instead of losing your arm and suddenly coming down with every form of cancer known to man, you gain powers.¡±


    ¡°Well, nobody¡¯s had cancer yet, and-¡°


    ¡°And, assuming you don¡¯t disintegrate into a pile of goo, you¡¯re hoping that out of an infinite number of abilities, the vast majority of which aren¡¯t strong enough or practical enough to go head to head with a toddler, you¡¯ll gain one of the few abilities useful enough to get you into Apex¡¯s incredibly selective Protectorate program?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Ethan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m already strong enough to fight a toddler. I don¡¯t need enhanced strength for that, I need it to go toe-to-toe with the Showman, with Weaver, actual threats to the city, Raz. The good people of Ascension love watching Protectors battle Altered, and if I want to get us out of the mines, I need enough power to put on a show and, hopefully, not get killed in the process, Raz.¡±


    ¡°You just want to be as strong as Alex so you can supplant her as the top Protector in Ascension. Then you can spill coffee on her floor with impunity.¡±


    Ethan scoffed. ¡°This has nothing to do with her floors, or how massively popular and beloved she is.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Raz said dramatically. Out of everything Ethan said, he could tell that was the one thing Raz wasn¡¯t buying.


    Ignoring the urge to push his denial further, Ethan pulled into the gravel parking lot and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of just one other car. He shut his truck off, then turned to face his friend, his face grim.


    ¡°Raz,¡± Ethan said seriously, ¡°this is about us. I¡¯m trying to get us out of the mines, out of Stillrock and the same apartment we¡¯ve had for years. Unless either of us can get in a time machine and buy a signed first edition copy of Dragon Daggee, gaining powers is the fastest way we¡¯re going to escape.¡±


    ¡°More likely it¡¯s the fastest way you¡¯re going to get yourself killed,¡± Raz muttered. ¡°Or did you forget what Protectors actually do? They don¡¯t just sit around and book tv interviews, Ethan, they fight Altered. You could die!¡±


    ¡°We almost already did,¡± Ethan pointed out. ¡°Or, more accurately, you almost did, because of me. What if I¡¯m not fast enough next time to pull us out when something breaks? They¡¯re not spending any money to fix the rest of the tunnels, Raz, especially after being shut down for so long. The mine¡¯s a hundred years old and things are only going to get worse down there.¡±


    ¡°That was an accident,¡± Raz corrected him, instinctively tracing the scar on his thigh, ¡°and I¡¯m fine. We¡¯ll keep working in the mines, earn enough money to get an apartment and finally move to Ascension. We¡¯ll find new jobs there, ones where we don¡¯t work entirely in the dark. We don¡¯t need a shortcut, Ethan.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a shortcut, Raz. This isn¡¯t just enough money for one month¡¯s rent which, by the way, we don¡¯t have. Gaining powers is winning the whole jackpot. I¡¯m doing this for us, whether you believe it can be done or not.¡±


    ¡°How selfless,¡± Raz scoffed.


    Escaping the awkward silence that fell over them, Ethan shot him a look and hopped out of the car, breathing in the crisp mountain air rushing off the rock face in front of them. Fall had come early to the Lilac Mountains, and there was little remaining color to the mountaintop as the summer had given way to shorter days, sapping the grass of its life and leaving the typically verdant trees clinging on to their last remaining leaves, shaking in the unabated wind.


    There was one beautiful, untamed element remaining: the glass surface of the frozen Lake Basin sparkled in the dying sun, dazzling against the brown and gray landscape. The sight left Ethan¡¯s jaw agape, but not for its beauty.


    ¡°Frozen?¡±


    Raz caught up to him, laughing. ¡°Well, at least I won¡¯t have to watch you die horribly today.¡± He studied the lake further, frowning. ¡°Though, I have to admit, this is odd¡­¡±


    ¡°How could it be frozen?¡± Ethan yelled to whoever was in charge for this unfortunate deviation in his plans. ¡°It was eighty yesterday! We were supposed to have until mid November before it even starts to freeze!¡±


    Ethan dropped his shoulders, wishing he could bury himself beneath the ice.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he kicked a rock hard, the echo bouncing off the mountains in front of them. ¡°The post I received said the breach point was in the lake. I was going to swim down to the bottom, but I can¡¯t drill down through the ice. We drove up here for nothing. Three straight months of nothing.¡±


    Raz walked over and put his hand on Ethan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know you¡¯re disappointed, but this is for the best. I¡¯d rather have you alive and poor than have to explain to Alex that I let you turn into a pile of goo.¡±


    ¡°Goo doesn¡¯t have immense feelings of inadequacy,¡± Ethan sighed, his head low. ¡°What a miserable waste of time.¡±


    Raz ignored him, narrowing his eyes, focusing on a point across the lake. ¡°Speaking of miserable¡­¡±


    Ethan followed his gaze and spied a girl standing on the other side of the lake, yelling and waving her arms in an obvious fit of anger. She kept pointing at the frozen lake, as if the person she was speaking to was somehow responsible for it freezing over. Her anger made her seemingly indifferent to the blusterous wind ripping across the surface of the frozen lake that was blowing her chin length raven hair in all directions. She was wearing a dark gray jacket and black jeans that matched her hair.


    Does she know something about the breach? Ethan wondered. And¡­who is she yelling at?


    Moving his eyes to the right, Ethan gasped. Speeding towards her with skates under her boots was a woman Ethan recognized as Hailstone, one of the Altered that switched sides and joined the Protectors after it had become obvious Alex¡¯s side was going to overwhelm the Altered. She had a reputation for being one of the more brutal Protectors and was appropriately assigned to cover sector five, the mostly abandoned, northern industrial sector of Ascension where violent, brilliant clashes between Protectors and Altered would impact the least amount of civilians.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Raz said, seeing the same thing Ethan had. ¡°What is she doing here? Protectors don¡¯t typically work outside of their sectors, and never outside of the city.¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± Ethan said, gesturing to Hailstone, ¡°but I think it¡¯s obvious who froze the lake.¡±


    Raz furrowed his brow. ¡°Why would Hailstone do that?¡±


    Ethan shrugged, but he had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with the breach point. In the three months he had spent tracking down supposed breaches, there had never been so much as a downed log conspicuously put in place to block his path. If Apex had felt the need to send someone all the way out to Basin Lake, two hours from the city, then Ethan must have been in the right place.


    ¡°Oh, man,¡± Raz sighed, watching the woman do her best to rush at Hailstone, ¡°she must not know who she¡¯s dealing with.¡±


    Or, Ethan thought, shifting uncomfortably, she¡¯s desperate.


    Hailstone reached the woman, her blades digging into the ice to stop just in front of her, spraying snow at the woman¡¯s jeans. Ethan had a hard time making out what they were saying, but he could tell it was a heated argument. With an unnatural crackle, Hailstone manipulated the air in front of her and crafted a large, jagged mallet made of ice, glimmering in the sun. The woman in front of her just laughed derisively, stunning Ethan.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Raz sighed. ¡°She needs to leave Hailstone alone before things get worse. Much worse.¡±


    Ethan groaned. The breach point is supposed to be here, he thought, and maybe she¡¯s here for the same reason. I can¡¯t leave without exhausting every option, not when I might be so close.


    ¡°I¡±m going to help her,¡± Ethan said, more confidently than he felt. He started to walk, then run, towards the lake¡¯s rocky shore.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°Stay here, I¡¯ll talk Hailstone down,¡± Ethan yelled, not quite sure if he believed himself, but very sure he didn¡¯t have any other options if he wanted to find the breach point.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Raz yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to call Alex to save you if something goes wrong.¡±


    Ethan rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out when I get there,¡± he yelled. His eyes were drawn to the mallet Hailstone was now spinning in her hands, a malicious smile spreading across her face.


    I better, he thought, or else neither of us is making it to the breach point.

 Chapter 4-Under the Ice

    In the early days just after the Surge, Apex recorded multiple instances of people who gained abilities also undergoing physical transformations in addition to gaining new abilities, but most of those changes were mild. Some people reported a change in hair color or eye color, a difference in food tastes, or, in a change Ethan strongly desired, an incredible increase in muscle mass.


    While those differences were undoubtedly alarming, they were, for the most part, relatively minor cosmetic changes. Hailstone, however, was an extreme case.


    Once a brunette, Hailstone¡¯s sienna colored skin had completely drained. Ethan had never seen someone with such pale skin, the color of a winter¡¯s first snow, coupled with raven black hair, accentuated by her gray vest that left her shoulders and arms exposed, apparently immune to the cold, and the icy blue hammer symbol emblazoned across her chest.


    That must¡¯ve been her favorite weapon, Ethan thought, because that was exactly what she was pointing towards the woman in front of her.


    Ethan scrambled over the ice, slipping his way towards the pair arguing in the center. He could finally make out their conversation, with the woman yelling in Hailstone¡¯s face despite the obvious threat.


    ¡°You have no right to block access to the lake,¡± she said pointedly, an argument Ethan knew might be legally correct, but functionally useless given Hailstone could freeze them both solid way before they could get a lawyer on the phone.


    Assuming she could afford one, because Ethan knew he absolutely could not.


    Hailstone agreed with the absurdity of the situation, laughing like a giant staring down a barking chihuahua. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try and stop me, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll like the results.¡±


    The woman took a small step forward, keeping some distance but still close enough to appear defiant. She was either overly confident and entirely oblivious to the danger, and Ethan didn¡¯t know which was worse.


    ¡°Do you plan on crushing me with that hammer just for asking questions? Is that all Protectors are good for now?¡±


    Hailstone¡¯s eyes narrowed. She twirled the hammer¡¯s icy handle in her hands. ¡°You must not know much about me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Ethan slid to a stop between the two and put his hands out, trying to diffuse the situation. ¡°What¡¯s going on out here?¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Hailstone asked, pointing at him with the jagged end of her hammer. He saw a warped version of his face in the uneven ice, but it didn¡¯t take a perfect reflection for him to realize he looked terrified.


    ¡°Ethan,¡± he kept his hands up, trying to exude more confidence, slowing his breathing. He gestured to the woman in front of him. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Rainey,¡± answered the mystery woman, ¡°also, very pissed that someone unilaterally decided to close my favorite lake on one of the last warm days of the year.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a lot more to be pissed about if you don¡¯t get out of here,¡± Hailstone threatened her.


    So she was trying to get to the bottom, Ethan thought. He put on a shaky smile. He needed more information, and Hailstone was the perfect person to get it from.


    Among other abilities, Hailstone had the ability to construct simple weapons out of ice. Out of every weapon she could choose, the hammer Hailstone was twirling was her favorite for a reason: it was a blunt and brutal, yet effective, weapon of choice for someone who blazed into every situation. While often successful, the hammer lacks the finesse of a dagger. Ethan took a breath, realizing he could play this to his advantage.


    ¡°Look, Rainey, Hailstone¡¯s a professional. She¡¯s great at her job! Look how well frozen this lake is!¡±


    Rainey shifted her glare from Hailstone to Ethan, folding her arms. ¡°Why would anyone freeze the lake?¡±


    ¡°To protect us! And what a great job she¡¯s done!¡±


    Hailstone¡¯s grip on her hammer softened. She nodded, glancing at the ice below them. ¡°Finally, a little respect around here. Do you know how long it took to freeze the entire lake?¡±


    ¡°Hours, for sure, but you¡¯re dedicated,¡± Ethan emphasized, smiling. ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t do all that work for nothing! You¡¯re a busy person!¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of hobbies outside ice skating,¡± Hailstone agreed. ¡°I was actually supposed to go to my Pilates class this morning before Apex called and redirected me over here.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure they had a good reason to freeze this lake over, right?¡±


    She shrugged, idly swinging her weapon. ¡°Apex business, or whatever. I¡¯m supposed to keep people out of here, by whatever means necessary.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Ethan feigned concern. ¡°If they sent you over here, there must be something really dangerous down there, right?¡±


    As if the thought hadn¡¯t actually occurred to her, Hailstone glanced down at the ice, her face approximating what Ethan assumed was the most inquisitive she could be.


    ¡°Well, a peek won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    She waved a hand and the ice in front of them crackled and receded just enough for them to peer into the water.


    It could¡¯ve been a trick of the light, but Ethan could¡¯ve sworn he saw something glow at the bottom of the lake nearly forty feet down. He was instantly transported back to the last time he was in the mines, the glow in his memory from the ceiling matching the light twinkling at the bottom of the lake. For confirmation, he short his gaze to Rainey. Her eyes went wide, confirming she saw something, too.


    It¡¯s down there, he thought, his breath catching in his chest. Just outside of my reach.


    Hailstone, however, just sighed.


    ¡°Must be poisoned or something,¡± she said, closing the hole back over. ¡°Chemicals from that wasteland called Stillrock, probably.¡±


    Rainey nearly jumped to dive through the ice, then stopped herself. Hailstone¡¯s eyes darted to her, eyeing her suspiciously.


    ¡°Maybe you could open up a small section, just for me?¡± Rainey asked, trying to act casual. ¡°I came all the way from Ascension.¡±


    ¡°Oh, absolutely,¡± Hailstone scoffed. ¡°I was ordered to freeze the lake, but of course Apex said if any rando wants to come and swim I should let them.¡±


    Rainey glared at Hailstone, and before she could open her mouth to say something else inflammatory, Ethan cut in.


    ¡°Rainey, I also came up here to swim.¡±


    Her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Did you now?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°And¡­I think I know a better place. I could show you, if you wanted.¡±


    ¡°Better than¡­here?¡± she asked.


    Ethan thought for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Less crowded, at least, but it doesn¡¯t have a lifeguard. I could use someone to watch my back.¡±


    If the breach point ends up being as dangerous as I think, it¡¯s not going to hurt to have someone to call for help, if it comes to that.


    ¡°You can¡¯t swim?¡± Hailstone asked him, laughing derisively. ¡°What, you never learned?¡±


    ¡°I can swim,¡± Ethan said defensively. ¡°I went to the pool a lot as a kid during the summer.¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­bragging?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ethan put his hands out. Rainey shot Ethan a confused glance, then held out her hand.


    ¡°Give me your phone.¡±


    Ethan handed it to her, happy for the distraction. She put in her number, then texted herself.


    ¡°Now that we have a plan, maybe we should get out of here,¡± Ethan gestured back to the shore. ¡°Let Hailstone get back to her skating and careful guarding of the lake.¡±


    Hailstone sighed, twirling her hammer. ¡°I kind of wanted this to end in a fight,¡± she admitted, her shoulders slumping. She put the head of her mallet on the ice, leaning over it petulantly. Ethan sighed with relief that the blunt object hadn¡¯t ended up cracking either of them in the head. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Hailstone pressed a button on her heels and blades popped out of her boots. ¡°Killing people isn¡¯t nearly as fun when they don¡¯t have powers.¡±


    ¡°You just wait,¡± Rainey growled.


    Or not.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Hailstone said.


    That malicious grin grew on Hailstone¡¯s face, and Ethan froze, wincing.


    ¡°You heard me,¡± Rainey turned, standing her ground. ¡°On zero legal authority, you shut down a public area and threatened anyone who called you out about it. Is this really the best thing you can think of to do with your abilities?¡±


    ¡°I can think of a thing or two I¡¯d rather be doing, and if you take one more step, you just might get a chance to find out what.¡±


    Ethan tried to step in, anxiously rubbing his hand through his long brown hair, the wind blowing it in front of his eyes. ¡°Okay, okay, there seems to be a misunderstanding here¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a hero,¡± Rainey pressed. ¡°You protect nothing, just like the rest of them. You¡¯re nothing more than a hired thug who needs someone strong enough to put you in your place.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing,¡± Hailstone said, frost crackling and swirling around her hands, the hammer glimmering beautifully in the sunlight. ¡°I¡¯m not a hero.¡±


    Hailstone threw the hammer over her head and pounded the ice, sending a wave of crackling force that shattered the ice in front of Ethan and Rainey with a deafening crack. Without thinking, Ethan pushed Rainey out of the way just before suddenly finding his feet losing the surface. Faster than he could react his mouth filled with water as he slipped beneath the ice, the cold water sending paralyzing shockwaves up his spine and rendering him nearly immobile.


    Ethan should¡¯ve been panicking, sinking slowly towards the bottom of the lake. Instead, he found himself conflicted.


    The water wasn¡¯t as cold as he expected, but it was still frigid, forcing his muscles to contract painfully, but not immobilizing them just yet. He didn¡¯t take a deep breath before the ice broke, and he knew he only had a few moments before his muscles tensed up and moving became impossible. He had enough breath and energy to make a push to the surface, or sink to the light, but he knew he didn¡¯t have enough time for both.


    Instead of pushing up, towards the sun, Ethan¡¯s eyes drifted downwards.


    Beneath him, just a mere twenty feet down, was a crack in the lakebed, shimmering light pouring out. The jagged scar was no wider than his palm, hopefully keeping the amount of radiation Ethan would absorb to a tolerable minimum.


    Ethan had found one, a breach point. If he really wanted powers, there was no telling if he¡¯d ever get an opportunity again. His future was finally within his control, within his grasp, and all he had to do was sink.


    But if he did reach the breach point, there was no guarantee he would be able to come back up, unless he miraculously received a power that could enable him to.


    Ethan knew he couldn¡¯t let this chance pass; he may never have one again. He began swimming down, down towards the breach point and a life out of the mines, down a path where he was in control.


    Not a moment later, everything went wrong, and Ethan began to drown. His limbs froze, no longer responding to his commands, and he felt like a steel band was constricting his chest, forcing his store of air from his lungs. All he could hear was Raz¡¯s voice in his head, laughing at him.


    Yeah, man, Ethan agreed with him, his last bubble of air floating past him, this was a stupid idea.


    ~~~~~~


    Ethan outstretched his hand, feeling a slight tingle in his fingertips. His chest contracted as the last of his air left his lungs, his eyes growing wide as the edges of his vision blackened, color draining from his world.


    Except for the breach. All he could see was the breach, and Ethan knew that in a second he¡¯d either have powers, or he¡¯d be dead.


    The world was silent under the lake¡¯s surface, beautifully lit by the breach point beneath him.


    Unbeknownst to him, there was a third option. A crash above him sent adrenaline flying through his veins, and his head whipped up to light above him. Suddenly, arms wrapped around his chest, and Alex rocketed them to the surface, punching through the ice and depositing them on the shore where he coughed up frigid water, gasping for fresh air.


    ¡°Ethan,¡± Alex yelled, pushing her wet hair out of her face. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    When he gained the ability to speak, he found himself looking for Rainey, only to come up empty.


    She must¡¯ve bolted in the chaos, he thought, coughing. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t have my back if things went wrong after all.


    ¡°A little cold,¡± he shivered. The sun had dipped behind a wall of clouds, also abandoning him.


    Hailstone sheepishly approached, missing the mallet she carried earlier.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Alex demanded to know, her eyes darting between Ethan and Hailstone.


    ¡°Those two ambushed me,¡± Hailstone said, pointing at Ethan. ¡°The one ran off after I had to take precautionary measures to immobilize the combatant.¡±


    ¡°Combatant? This is my brother,¡± Alex yelled. Hailstone shrunk, stammering.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say that,¡± she muttered.


    Alex took a few deep breaths to calm herself, taking in the scene. She glanced at the lake, confused.


    ¡°You froze the whole lake?¡±


    ¡°On Amory¡¯s orders,¡± Hailstone protested.


    ¡°Was nearly killing my brother also on Amory¡¯s orders?¡±


    ¡°Indirectly?¡± Hailstone tried. Alex¡¯s stern look shut her down.


    ¡°No. But she wanted the lake sealed. Then these two were snooping around, and I figured I¡¯d scare them, get them to leave.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t leave if you drown him,¡± Alex growled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he wouldn¡¯t try to come back up!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be talking to Amory about your technique. Get back to doing¡­whatever it is you were doing before I decide to throw you back to Ascension myself.¡±


    Hailstone shot Ethan an icy glare and muttered a few curses, but ultimately stalked off back to the ice, leaving Alex crouched next to Ethan.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think she likes you,¡± Alex said.


    ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡± Ethan laid his head down on the grass, grateful the sun hadn¡¯t quite dipped behind the mountains, warming his wet clothes. ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡±


    ¡°Raz called me,¡± Alex said. ¡°What were you thinking provoking Hailstone?¡±


    ¡°She was already provoked. A woman had come up here to swim and was pissed the lake was frozen. I was trying to defuse the situation before Hailstone went off on us.¡± Ethan sat up, wrapping his arms around his knees. He did his best to keep his tone casual, hiding his interest. ¡°Speaking of, why was she out here in the first place?¡±


    Alex shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Amory typically keeps me up to date on everything, especially special assignments, but placing Hailstone all the way out here is¡­strange.¡±


    ¡°Who is Amory?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the leader of the Protectorate Division at Apex. We created the division together, down to each sector¡¯s assignments, balancing the rosters so each has a heavy hitter, support, and leader. Pulling someone without telling me is¡­atypical, to say the least.¡±


    Ethan nodded, quiet. Amory sounds exactly like the kind of person who would know where a breach point was, and since she¡¯s keeping Alex in the dark about their existence, she couldn¡¯t tell her why Hailstone had been sent here in the first place


    ¡°Now, what were you doing up here?¡± Alex demanded to know. ¡°And don¡¯t say hiking, I know Raz¡¯s leg isn¡¯t healed enough for that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our last day off before the mines open up tomorrow,¡± Ethan lied, ¡°I was just trying to use our last break and get out of town.¡±


    Alex¡¯s eyebrow shot up. ¡°Oh, really? So it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with finding a breach point?¡±


    Ethan sighed. ¡°Damn it, Raz.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame him,¡± Alex laughed. ¡°If those existed, Ethan, I would have heard about them by now. You¡¯re chasing a fantasy. Don¡¯t waste your time.¡±


    ¡°Seems like there¡¯s a few things you don¡¯t know happening at Apex,¡± Ethan countered.


    Alex glared at him, and Ethan suddenly felt like he was under the water again, his veins turning to ice.


    ¡°If the breach points existed, and I¡¯m not saying they do, you should stay as far away from them as possible,¡± Alex warned. ¡°If you even managed to survive a more concentrated version of what we went through during the Surge, you¡¯d end up having people like Hailstone trying to take you down just for being my brother.¡±


    ¡°Hailstone¡¯s a brute, I could take her if I had powers like yours,¡± he said.


    ¡°Nobody has powers like mine,¡± Alex retorted. ¡°And she¡¯s just the tip of the iceberg. There¡¯s plenty of Altered out there that would gladly kill you to hurt me, not to mention what Apex would do to any new person who suddenly manifested powers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay out of trouble,¡± Ethan promised.


    ¡°I know that¡¯s a lie, but do try,¡± Alex pulled Ethan to his feet, effortlessly. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get back on patrol. Can you make your way home?¡±


    ¡°Not like you can,¡± Ethan laughed. Alex smiled, then launched herself into the sky, flying off back home to Ascension.


    ¡°At least,¡± Ethan took one last look at the lake, ¡°not yet.¡±

 Chapter 5-Homestuck

    Ethan always thought of Stillrock as a black hole, a place that fed on the ambition of everyone who lived there and kept them stuck in place, leaving everything around it cold, dark, and empty. It was merciless, unquenchable in its desire to drain life force, and, worst of all, it was also the only place he could afford to call home.


    Located an hour and a half west of the much larger metropolitan of Ascension, Stillrock is a tiny mountain town nearly perfectly situated between the ridiculously expensive city of Ascension and all the amenities it offers to the east, and the much too expensive ski resorts to the west. The town was almost entire bereft of any sort of amenities, which made sense given few there have any disposable income. Without producing much and lacking any universities or colleges, there were two main jobs Stillrock had to offer its adult workforce: working in the physically demanding silver mines, or working in one of the mind numbingly dull gas stations that lined the town¡¯s unofficial main street in between the on and off ramps for the highway.


    Normally, driving back into town from Alex¡¯s luxurious apartment in Ascension gave Ethan a deep seated feeling of dread, his stomach forming a tight knot whenever he saw the Stillrock exit sign. It marked a continuance of the norm, his failure to break out of Stillrock and get himself somewhere else, anywhere better than here.


    But on this particular trip, Ethan practically ran inside his outdated townhome apartment, ignoring Raz and leaving him to slowly amble out of the car alone. Still dripping wet and tracking mud and lake water onto their outdated beige carpet, he threw his bag on the couch and locked the door to his room, preparing to disappoint himself with a familiar ritual. He locked the door behind him, then took a deep breath and set his sights in front of him.


    Despite having lived in the same apartment with Raz for years, Ethan¡¯s room was nearly bare. No art on the walls, just one framed old photo of him and Alex she got for him as a present years ago, and as little furniture as he needed: a bed underneath the open window to supplant the barely functioning air conditioner, a dresser up against the wall on the right, and a sparse closet with a few shirts and jackets he wore whenever he wasn¡¯t at work, minus the clothes he¡¯d brought to Alex¡¯s while Raz healed.


    His room was meant to be a temporary space until Ethan was free of the mines and on to starting his life in Ascension, but that plan had taken longer to come together than Ethan had cared to admit. Still, in the years that he¡¯d lived there, Ethan had never bothered to take the time to put down roots, convinced he was on the cusp of moving on to something better. His room was barely a living space, dimly lit be a lamp next to his bed, and more of a spartan bunk, barely functional, and almost entirely devoid of attachments that most people would consider essential. The sheer amount of empty space, however, made it perfect for Ethan¡¯s tests.


    Only a small fraction of Ascension¡¯s population was affected by the Surge, with some estimates putting the number at less than a thousand. While only Apex knew for sure, it was thought that people showing any abilities at all were slim, numbering less than two hundred, and the number of people who manifested dangerous abilities (including Protectors like Alex) was somewhere around fifty. It was, in short, exceedingly rare to gain abilities in the first place, and even rarer still to gain anything that could be considered either useful or destructive, depending on how you wanted to make a living in Ascenscion.


    After changing into a dry pair of jeans and white t-shirt, Ethan eyed his dresser. It was as tall as he was and a few inches wider, far too heavy for him to pick straight up on his own, making it a perfect test dummy.


    As far as Ethan knew, no set of siblings had both been affected by the Surge, but it stood to reason that people with similar genetic makeups could experience similar changes from the Surge. It was possible that, like Alex, he could see his strength increase, and it made the most sense to him to start there. If anything, Ethan was feeling weaker after spending too long at the bottom of a frozen lake, but he still had to try, to see if just being near a breach point had been enough to give him powers, like Alex¡¯s.


    He wrapped his arms around the dresser gingerly, just in case he was as strong as Alex now, so as to not snap the wood. Or, preferably, stronger, so he could show her up the next time they met.


    ¡°Hopefully I don¡¯t throw this through the roof.¡± Groaning with strain, he tried and failed to do anything more than rock the dresser back and forth, the wood scraping the wall behind it.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe for now,¡± he said with a sigh, patting the dresser and then rubbing a muscle strain in his shoulder, releasing the unmoved dresser. ¡°Unlike Alex¡¯s dresser, which I accidentally knocked over and could not pick back up.¡±


    Strength was out, which was almost a relief for Ethan. Being a brawler like Alex meant getting hit, and no matter how invulnerable she claimed to be, getting whacked with a steel beam by the Showman more likely than not still hurt like hell. Besides, Alex was fiercely competitive, and having the same power as her would only invite comparisons from the media. Being known for a different power was undoubtedly a better way for him to carve out his own identity, he just had to find one first.


    Not giving up, and spying the aspen tree outside his window, Ethan focused his vision.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be eye lasers,¡± he whispered, narrowing his eyes and straining his head. Whatever he thought would happen next¡­didn¡¯t. The tree stayed standing, un-lasered, mocking him in its silent defiance.


    ¡°Thank God,¡± he whispered, his shoulders dropping as his tension disappated. ¡°Those would be gross anyway. And¡­hazardous. I can¡¯t afford to get a new TV every time I get mad watching the Aces play. Plenty of better, more appealing options left that won¡¯t end up making my life a nightmare.¡±


    After jumping a measly three inches off the ground, flight was out, which was a major disappointment. Driving in the city took forever, so that would¡¯ve been useful.


    He wasn¡¯t able to heat or freeze an old glass of water he left on his nightstand, nor could he turn his fists into katanas, another power he was grateful not to have, but had heard about online. An attempt to move his book bag with his mind just left him with a headache from the effort, and unable to figure out a way to test if he could or could not control gravity, Ethan slammed his hand down onto his carpet.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he snapped. His mind went back to the breach point just a few feet away from his hand. He could feel the radiation caressing his fingertips, but that wasn¡¯t enough. He¡¯d need a full embrace, at least, if he wanted powers, it seemed.


    That, he knew, was going to be more dangerous. Staying on the edges of a breach point, while probably not healthy, at least didn¡¯t kill him. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Throwing himself into one, on the other hand, probably would. But, Ethan thought, he hadn¡¯t come this far to back out now.


    ¡°Gotta keep going,¡± he whispered to himself, his head banging against his door. ¡°There has to be a way out of this.¡±


    ¡°Get anything good?¡± Raz interrupted, his voice clear through Ethan¡¯s door.


    ¡°Damn thin walls,¡± Ethan cursed. Turning, he opened his door and saw Raz leaning against his doorframe, arms folded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I would¡¯ve thought that almost drowning might¡¯ve knocked some sense into you¡­but apparently not. You can¡¯t stop, can you?.¡±


    ¡°I have to keep trying,¡± Ethan said, more harshly than he meant to. Raz recoiled at the tenor of Ethan¡¯s voice. ¡°Look around, Raz! We¡¯ve been in this same apartment for three years, and now we can¡¯t even afford it!¡±


    ¡°We start back at work tomorrow,¡± Raz told him calmly. Ethan always hated when he used that voice. ¡°We¡¯ll pick up a few extra shifts and we¡¯ll catch back up, little by little.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not even healed!¡± Ethan gestured to Raz¡¯s leg. Raz annoyedly pulled his shorts leg down, hiding his scar. ¡°You could barely walk at Alex¡¯s, and you¡¯re telling me you can work for twelve hours straight down in the tunnels loading the carts?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Raz waved him off.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look fine,¡± Ethan countered. ¡°What if something happens again?¡±


    ¡°You mean, what if you do something again?¡±


    Ethan¡¯s shoulders dropped with his voice. ¡°You know that was an accident.¡±


    ¡°You got frustrated,¡± Raz said pointedly, ¡°and you weren¡¯t thinking. Once is an accident, but you¡¯re still not thinking, and that¡¯s how you ended up prodding Hailstone and nearly drowning at the bottom of a lake.¡±


    ¡°I made it out fine,¡± Ethan shrugged him off. ¡°She overreacted.¡±


    ¡°All I know,¡± Raz said slowly, ¡°is that we barely made it out of the mines with our lives and you barely made it out of the lake alive. We are lucky to still be here, and yet you continue to treat every day of your life like it is a curse.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Ethan asked, throwing his arms up. Angry, his voice was louder than he anticipated, but he couldn¡¯t keep it down any longer, now that he had gotten started. ¡°When your sister is living the life of your dreams flying through Ascension and you spend every night breaking rocks in a dark tunnel for a job that doesn¡¯t even pay you enough to keep an apartment that should¡¯ve been demolished in the seventies, what exactly would you call that, Raz?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your life, Ethan!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be!¡± Ethan¡¯s voice was stern, his face serious. ¡°It won¡¯t be, not after I get powers. I¡¯ll become a Protector, we¡¯ll move into an apartment in Ascension, and you¡¯ll never step foot in the mines again, I promise.¡±


    Raz shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not doing this for me, and I¡¯m not going to let you hurt yourself just because you feel bad that you kind-of-sort-of broke my leg.¡±


    ¡°And saved you from dying,¡± Ethan muttered.


    ¡°But now you¡¯re trying to ¡®make it up to me¡¯ by throwing yourself into something dangerous, almost like¡­¡± Raz eyed the water on Ethan¡¯s nightstand. He ambled over, then knocked the cup to the floor spilling the water.


    ¡°Hey, I was using that,¡± Ethan said. ¡°Why are you making a mess?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not getting our deposit back, anyway. I¡¯m pretty sure the landlord died a year ago considering he never raised our rent. Now, if I poured a quart of motor oil over the water, does that fix the carpet?¡±


    Ethan sighed. ¡°No, it just makes a bigger mess.¡±


    ¡°A worse mess,¡± Raz pointed out. ¡°And that¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re trying to do. You think getting powers is going to solve everything that¡¯s ¡®wrong¡¯ in your life, but really you¡¯re just creating a bigger mess, never addressing the first one. Youve never invested in being happy, Ethan, and getting powers isn¡¯t going to magically fix that.¡±


    ¡°Pour what you want on the floor,¡± Ethan spat, ¡°I don¡¯t care, because the Protector¡¯s apartments in Ascenscion are hardwood.¡±


    ¡°You already ruined Alex¡¯s,¡± Raz pointed out.


    Ethan glared at him when, suddenly, his phone buzzed on his dresser, drawing his attention. He walked over and glanced down at the text, excitement buzzing in his stomach.


    It read simply: Where?


    His heart rate spiked. Suddenly, Ethan realized he was faced with two choices: spend the night in his room hoping Raz didn¡¯t want to keep arguing, or at least try to gain powers and find a way to make it up to Raz later.


    Without a second thought, he threw a jacket on and waited for Raz to move.


    ¡°Do you have nothing better to do than stand in doorways?¡± Ethan snarled.


    Raz held up his keys. ¡°If you¡¯re going somewhere, I¡¯m coming with you. You¡¯re not hearing what I¡¯m saying and I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to get hurt even worse than this afternoon. Someone needs to be there to call Alex again when you end up jumping headfirst into a sinkhole.¡±


    Ethan rolled his eyes, then tried to snatch the keys out of Raz¡¯s hand, only for him to pull them away.


    ¡°My leg¡¯s broken, not my arm,¡± Raz chided him.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Ethan growled, holding his hand out for Raz, who handed him the keys. ¡°But you¡¯re not calling Alex. I already got an earful from both of you, any more emergency calls and she¡¯s going to start charging me.¡±


    ¡°No promises,¡± Raz said, ¡°unless you promise not to do anything stupid again.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s truck roared to life, a smile spreading across his lips.


    ¡°No promises.¡±


    He texted Rainey back.


    Stillrock mines. 20 minutes.


    Without waiting for a reply, he hit the gas, leaving his apartment behind.

 Chapter 6-Descent

    Ethan brought the car to a gentle halt, killing the lights. The sun had slowly set behind the mountains, the last rays of light fading just as Ethan pulled into the Stillrock mine¡¯s gravel parking lot. The overhead lights shot to life, bathing the lot in a gloomy yellow.


    Ethan slid out of his truck, pausing to give Raz a moment to catch up. His heart pounded in his chest as his eyes gazed forward, settling on the entrance to the mine¡®s elevator. The cold metal void outlined by three rickety wooden beams, barely visible, lit solely by two old gas lamps installed a century ago that were in desperate need of replacement, somehow seemed even more eerie without the typical amount of miners and maintenance workers walking about.


    Tonight, Ethan¡¯s truck was the only car in the lot, save for a black motorcycle parked right up next to green shipping container that guarded the mine¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°See,¡± Raz gestured to the bike, ¡°that¡¯s the kind of recklessness that I expect from someone who wants to find a breach point. You drive that thing on the highway and you¡¯re just asking for an accident. You, on the other hand, drive a sensible, safe truck.¡±


    Ethan glanced at his cracked windshield, which he hadn¡¯t fixed since Raz¡¯s dad sold it to him ten years ago, then just shook his head. He ignored Raz, heading towards the shipping container.


    The metal, like the rest of the mine, was a far cry from what it once was, now chipped and weathered. It comprised the office where the miners checked in with the Super prior to heading through the entry and down the elevator.


    The last time Ethan was here, he and Raz nearly died. Just the sight of the dark entryway made his skin crawl, the sounds of the rocks crashing down all around him reverberating in his head. They barely made it out with their lives, and now Ethan was dragging them back down there on a hope that he might be able to beat the odds and gain powers.


    If he was lucky, this would be the last time he¡¯d ever have to go down to the mines. Rainey wanted this just as badly as Ethan, so she¡¯d be keen to help him stay on the path he mentally charted out on the ride over, one that would hopefully lead them under Basin Lake. They would navigate the winding tunnels to reach the breach point where he¡¯d plunge his hand into it and be changed forever, leaving the mines behind and ascending to something more than he ever dreamed.


    Or he¡¯d be killed. Dramatically and painfully. Ethan wasn¡¯t sure which option was more likely, but, despite Raz¡¯s insistence that there was another way, Ethan knew better. It was now or never, and Ethan wasn¡¯t going to stare down a life of never.


    ¡°Alright, I can take a hint,¡± Raz said, folding his arms. He¡¯d been silent almost the entire car ride over, a rarity. ¡°You¡¯re set on seeing this through, and I¡¯m done trying to stop you. Now, you had thirty minutes driving here to think, so tell me you have a plan.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Ethan nodded, pointing to the car, ¡°first, you¡¯re going to need to take my car and drive it full speed directly into the trailer, only to bail out at the last second.¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be what you really planned-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after I become a Protector I can buy a new one. Then, I sneak past Oscar, because you¡¯ve got him in a chokehold, not sure if I mentioned that, and then I-¡±


    Ethan was rudely interrupted by the sound of the trailer door being kicked wide open, the rusted out door nearly flying off its hinging and slamming against the metal wall with an echoing ka-chung that startled Raz and Ethan. They held their breath as they watched one black boot after another step out onto the grated landing.


    Out stepped Rainey, already looking annoyed. Come to think of it, Ethan hadn¡¯t actually seen her look any other way.


    ¡°Finally,¡± she exhaled, leaning casually over the railing, her helmet banging against the bars, ¡°took you two long enough. I¡¯ve been waiting here for an hour, and there¡¯s nothing to do in this trailer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little hampered right now,¡± Raz admitted.


    ¡°Should¡¯ve stayed home, then, instead of wasting my time,¡± Rainey muttered, shaking her head. ¡°Is he going to be like this the whole time?¡±


    Ethan interjected, taking a tentative step towards the trailer. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m sorry, where is Oscar?¡± he asked, hesitation in his voice.


    ¡°Who is Oscar?¡± she asked, a light breeze blowing her bangs across her forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t work here.¡±


    ¡°I already knew that,¡± Ethan muttered. He cleared his throat. ¡°He¡¯s a big guy? Bald? Works in the trailer you¡¯re currently standing in?¡±


    She threw a glance over her shoulder, her eyes connecting with a nameplate on the desk. ¡°Oh! Him. Unfortunately, he forgot to turn his stove off when he left his house. Thankfully, I let him know that the fire department was there and they needed him to decide which of his cats he wanted them to save.¡±


    ¡°I know she sounds insane, but, frankly, I always wanted to do that to Oscar,¡± Ethan whispered to Raz, who elbowed him in the ribs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Rainey continued, waving them off. She walked down the metal stairs, each boot clanging with a head thud. ¡°He¡¯ll find out he was tricked eventually, but his¡­absence gives us the perfect opportunity to head right inside without having to explain to someone that we need to head down into the mine and find something that officially does not exist.¡±


    Without waiting for a response from the dumbfounded pair, she spun around the railing and headed straight for the mine¡¯s entrance, striding casually while humming a tune as if walking into a store instead of a maze of tunnels that run a mile deep underground.


    ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t just go marching in there,¡± Ethan said, setting off to follow Rainey in front of him with Raz close behind.


    ¡°None of us can!¡± Raz exclaimed. ¡°We have no safety gear!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Ethan yelled, catching up and grabbing Rainey¡¯s arm. She spun and shrugged him off, glaring at him. They stopped just short of entering the mine, Ethan already tasting the dust heavy in the air, gritty on his tongue. He pushed back a wave of fear.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Raz asked.


    ¡°Rainey,¡± she replied, her eyes jumping from Ethan to Raz. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Raz,¡± he replied, folding his arms. ¡°Also, the only person here not stupid enough to think any of this is worth pursuing.¡±


    Rainey glanced down at Raz¡¯s knee, practically sneering at the vertical scar extending over the whole of his knee.


    ¡°Why did you bring him, then?¡± Rainey asked Ethan directly. ¡°If this goes south, and there is a great chance it will, you probably want to be able to run.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Raz brushed her off. ¡°Tell her, Ethan. I can get around just fine.¡±


    Ethan hesitated. Raz was here because Ethan was here. That was how things had always been, ever since kindergarten. But, Rainey¡¯s question did prompt Ethan to reflect, suddenly growing worried about Raz¡¯s ability to flee if there was another cave in. He sighed. ¡°Are you?¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Raz suddenly looked hurt, prompting Rainey to roll her eyes. ¡°Decide. Quickly,¡± she ordered. ¡°Fake house fires are great distractions, but they don¡¯t last forever you know.¡±


    As if on cue, Ethan and Rainey¡¯s heads jerked to the left at the sound of approaching sirens. Raz frowned, shifting uncomfortably. ¡°Could you give us a second?¡±


    Rainey rolled her eyes, but walked towards the entrance, giving them some space.


    ¡°Ethan, we don¡¯t need her,¡± Raz said quietly but urgently. ¡°We can go down there and find the breach point ourselves.¡±


    The thought of being alone in the tunnels with someone with one just one good leg to help carry him out in case of an emergency was, in Ethan¡¯s professional opinion, not the best idea he had all day, which, given the situation he found himself in, was really saying something.


    He furrowed his brow. ¡°Raz, the last time you went down there, you almost died. I can¡¯t let you go down there again.¡±


    ¡°That was an accident, as I¡¯ve had to remind you so many times,¡± Raz retorted. ¡°And you don¡¯t need to go down there to make it up to me.¡±


    Rainey snorted, her eyes darting to Ethan. Instantly, he knew he wouldn¡¯t like what she had to say next. In her most condescending tone, she asked him, ¡°Is that what you¡¯re going with?¡±


    Ethan¡¯s eyes darted to hers. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Hey, whatever helps you sleep at night.¡± She held her hands up. ¡°So, is everyone going?¡±


    ¡°Why should we take you?¡± Raz demanded to know. Ethan was getting antsy and desperately wanted to go, but Raz¡¯s questions had led to too many forming in Ethan¡¯s own mind. ¡°We already know the tunnels, and don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but you seem a little¡­.unhinged.¡±


    Anger flared hot across Rainey¡¯s face, but after a brief indulgence she held back the tide.


    ¡°Two reasons,¡± she said, holding up two fingers. ¡°One, because I have more experiences with the breach than you do, and two, because I have something that you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°How do you have experiences with a breach?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°They aren¡¯t even supposed to exist.¡±


    ¡°And what do you have?¡± Raz folded his arms.


    ¡°You don¡¯t search for something like this unless you know it really exists,¡± she told them.


    Ethan gave a small nod. After what he had seen during his and Raz¡¯s accident in the tunnels months ago, he was absolutely certain that breaches existed. Rainey seemed to have a similar experience, which Ethan knew he¡¯d have to interrogate later.


    ¡°As for what I have¡­Did you two consider how you were going to break through the rocks to actually get into the breach, or were you just planning on staring at it?¡±


    Ethan shuffled uncomfortably. His eyes spotted a pickaxe laying against Oscar¡¯s trailer, and he retrieved it after a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll hack my way through,¡± Ethan said.


    Raz took a short step back, sinking Ethan¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Right,¡± Ethan said quietly. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s not the best idea.¡±


    ¡°Well, luckily for you, I have a better one.¡±


    Rainey slung her book bag over her shoulder and dropped it to the dirt. She unzipped it just enough for Raz and Ethan to see a power drill fit snugly inside, its edges pushing the limits of the bookbag¡¯s elasticity.


    ¡°Diamond drill bit,¡± she said, pulling out a long, silver colored drill bit that managed to gleam even in the low light of the tunnel. ¡°It¡¯ll bore through anything. All I need is someone to get me down there. Then, we can poke a hole in the blockade and hopefully leak just enough energy for us to both get powers, and keep our lives. Instead of causing a cavein, which you already did, we make a pinhole. Safe, controlled. Until it isn¡¯t, of course.¡±


    It made sense to Ethan, but Raz had already proven how little that meant, so he waited for Raz to issue an opinion. After a moment, Raz nodded slowly.


    ¡°You know, despite how you come off, Rainey, that¡­isn¡¯t a bad plan. If you were going to do this,¡± he paused, furrowing his brow. Ultimately, he shrugged. ¡°That¡­does seem like the safest way.¡±


    Ethan was momentarily relieved that Raz might actually approve the plan, but eyed him suspiciously anyway. He thought it was too good to be true and, not a moment later, was proven correct.


    Raz turned to Ethan, his face stern, the corners of his lips taut. ¡°But I still can¡¯t let you go, Ethan. You¡¯re my best friend, and I can¡¯t let you go down there with someone we just met and potentially vaporize yourself just because you feel bad about an accident that wasn¡¯t even your fault.¡±


    Ethan paused, then took two steps to join Rainey¡¯s side, turning to face Raz.


    He knew it¡¯d come to this eventually. Raz was too practical to take a chance; too content with life to search for something better. It wasn¡¯t bad, of course, but it wasn¡¯t a way Ethan could continue on.


    He shook his head, his voice steadier than he imagined it would be when he rehearsed this speech on the way over.


    ¡°You¡¯re my best friend too, Raz. I¡¯m going to move us to Ascension and get us out of here, but I can¡¯t do it with you. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    Ethan gritted his teeth and shoved Raz away from the entrance as hard as he could, sending Raz spiraling to the ground just as the first of the police cars swung around the bend. Raz cursed in surprise, tumbling on the dirt, and coming to a stop a few feet away from Ethan.


    Rainey raised an eyebrow in surprise, but said nothing. She eyed the cars slamming on their brakes, sliding to a stop, then let out a curt breath.


    ¡°Now or never.¡±


    ¡°Ethan,¡± Raz pleaded, reaching his hand out, blood smeared on his palm, ¡°don¡¯t do this. Don¡¯t go down there. You¡¯ll get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Better me than you,¡± Ethan smiled sadly. ¡°I can¡¯t live like this anymore, Raz. And when I¡¯m back, we won¡¯t have to.¡±


    Ethan raised the pickaxe over his head, turning to one of the wooden support beams.


    ¡°Ethan, don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°See you later, Raz.¡±


    Ethan brought the pickaxe down with all the force he could muster, splintering the wooden beam into a thousand pieces. The other beam gave away, fracturing and sending a cascade of rocks barely held in place over the past hundred years shooting down in front of the entrance, blocking it out entirely, leaving nothing but a loud echo ringing off the walls and a choking dust that Ethan tried furiously to wave away. When the last echoes of the crashing rocks finally abated, Ethan and Rainey were left standing in silence, their ears ringing. With the dust settling and the air clearing, Ethan took a curt breath, let it out, and tried to regain his composure.


    Rainey spoke first.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s going to try to find somebody to stop us,¡± she pointed out. ¡°Any chance Titan is busier tonight than this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s always busy, but she¡¯ll drop a lot if she thinks I¡¯m in trouble. If we¡¯re lucky, I¡¯m going to guess we have about ten minutes to make a thirty minute journey.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Rainey said, throwing her bag over her shoulder. Her face was already streaked with dirt. ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°We already came this far,¡± Ethan told her, ¡°and we can¡¯t back out now. We get to the breach point as fast as possible and hope the confusing maze of tunnels slows down anyone who might come after us. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Rainey said, pushing her auburn hair out of her face, ¡°if I had someone to show me the way¡­¡±


    Ethan threw one last look over his shoulder, half expecting to still see Raz, covered in dirt, begging him not to leave. He grunted, shutting his eyes tight to block out the memory, then exhaled loudly. He tapped his helmet, turning on the light, and set off down the tunnel.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± he directed Rainey. Despite the situation, he found an eager anticipation bubbling inside him, ¡°before I realize what I¡¯ve just done.¡±

 Chapter 7-The Obsidian Tower

    Alex bristled as her phone buzzed urgently, desperately trying to ignore the emergency call currently echoing through her apartment.


    A fight with Arxis earlier in the day had left her drained and she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep on her couch watching old wrestling reruns. Annoyed, she grabbed her phone and tried to pass the emergency bulletin to Velo, only for Amory herself to redirect the notice back to Alex, a rarity since the Protectors had quelled the Altered uprising six months ago. She opened the message.


    ¡°Apex Tower. Emergency. Now.¡±


    Amory wasn¡¯t exactly descriptive at the best of times, but her urgency did alarm Alex. Reluctantly, and still in her suit, she leapt from her balcony and flew over to Apex Tower, zipping a familiar path through the city, her cape rippling behind her. Instantly, Alex could see why Amory had demanded she come ASAP.


    Her concern grew as a sea of employees poured out of the obsidian building in a disorganized tide. Apex, Alex knew, did not want to show their hand on anything unless they were forced, and this chaotic stampede belied Apex¡¯s air of total control. Thankfully, despite the large crowd, no one appeared to be hurt, but there was an alarm blaring and red lights flashing across the building, which was usually Alex¡¯s clue that she was in the right place.


    ¡°Titan,¡± Amory¡¯s voice cut in over her comms. Normally calm in times of chaos, her voice was urgent. Whatever was going on, Apex itself must have been at risk. ¡°Are you here yet?¡±


    ¡°Hovering over the front entrance,¡± Alex replied, slowly lowering herself in between groups of people running in the opposite direction. ¡°I¡¯ll head in and-¡±


    ¡°No time for elevators,¡± Amory told her. ¡°We need you to fly to the roof and down through the metal tubing looping around the building as quickly as you can. It¡¯ll take you underground, right to us.¡±


    ¡°The tube of death?¡± Alex asked, incredulously. Not its official name, of course, but she had heard more than one employee speculate that moving through the insides of the tube would be akin to bathing in a nuclear reactor. ¡°The tube where all the Surge radiation came out of? Is that safe?¡±


    ¡°The very same,¡± Amory answered. ¡°No time for caution now, you¡¯ll be fine. Kingston is¡­relatively sure.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, if Kingston¡¯s kinda sure¡­¡±


    There was a pause as Alex eyed the metal tunnel looping around the building, pushed off the pavement and leapt into the sky, a boom near her as the air exploded around her. She spun around on her way up the ten story obsidian tower, her cape flowing behind her in a bold white spiral. She located the entrance into the tube at the top of the tower, like a metal slide, then hesitated before she busted through.


    ¡°Hey, Amory, is this thing...clean?¡±


    ¡°Not...particularly,¡± Amory answered after a moment, leading to a frustrated sigh from Alex. ¡°There¡¯s some residual radiation leftover from the incident a year ago. We had money to build the release valve, but not enough to repair it.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Alex said, shaking her head, ¡°we like to think I¡¯m invulnerable to everything, but one of these days we¡¯re going to be proven wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s pray that¡¯s not today,¡± Amory said. ¡°Get here, now.¡±


    ¡°Just hop in the tube, Alex,¡± she whispered, rolling her eyes. ¡°Might be toxic, but you¡¯re tough, Alex.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure why, but she thought she should hold her breath. Taking a deep inhale, she then tucked her arms as she dove inside the sprawling metal tunnel, twisting and turning down the waterslide-like tube that, just six months earlier, spewed radioactive energy all across the city. The trip was a dizzying ride down the ten story building that seemed to last forever, made even more uncomfortable by an uncomfortable itch permeating her skin. She pushed herself to fly faster, circling downward far longer than it should have taken her to descend ten stories, her skin on fire the entire time, ultimately bursting through a pair of metal gates that led right into what appeared to be an underground laboratory.


    She brought herself down to the tile floor, taking a moment to glance down at her skin. The skin on her exposed arms were irritated, blotchy in spots, but remained unbroken. She wiped at her arms in an effort to get rid of the burning sensation, which was receding each moment she was away from the tunnel. Satisfied as the burning waned, she tapped her comms.


    ¡°Amory,¡± she said, ¡°Where the hell am I?¡±


    ¡°Look up,¡± Amory answered.


    As she did, Alex realized she was on the ground floor of a two level lab. As someone who was virtually invincible, not a lot scared Alex. After all, she had been hit with any weapon you could name, some things she couldn¡¯t, and some things she¡¯d rather just not remember. But there was a collective panic in the room above that let her know that if whatever was happening in here couldn¡¯t be fixed, it wasn¡¯t just her who was going to be hurt.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Titan exclaimed as she looked around. Above her, lab technicians stood on metal grating comprising the base of what she assumed to be an observation deck, which was shielded by thick glass and a thin, nearly translucent layer of metal that Titan couldn¡¯t identify. In front of the glass was a team of scientists each wearing a different color lab coat, around ten in all, ignoring monitors and equipment that, as best Titan could tell, were all beeping in a very fancy way of telling them that something was deeply wrong.


    ¡°What is all this?¡± Titan asked, bewildered. ¡°How is this even down here? There¡¯s no way you guys got the permits to build this.¡±


    Ignoring her, Amory gestured towards the glass, speaking quickly as they joined the other scientists gathered around the observation deck. For the first time since she got her powers, Titan was completely ignored as the other scientists all murmured quietly amongst themselves, pointing occasionally and grimacing every time they threw a glance at a monitor. She would¡¯ve enjoyed the moment, but the collective dread was almost palpable in the air, and she knew she was going to have to act soon to stop something big.


    ¡°We do not have a lot of time, so I¡¯m going to make this as simple as possible,¡± Amory said. ¡°Five years ago, a team of geologists from Apex drilling for oil around the state discovered an anomaly nearly a mile beneath the ground in the base of the Maroon Range. There was an energy pulsing deep beneath the soil that we didn¡¯t understand and could not quantify. However, what we could discover¡­was disastrous. Testing showed that the energy was surging, vaporizing everything in its path as it marched towards Ascension. Our best scientists tracked the energy¡¯s path for months and ultimately determined that this would culminate in a massive explosion of energy right beneath our feet in the very spot you now stand.¡±


    Alex suddenly became very conscious of where she was standing. She took a few steps to the right, for all the good that would do her.


    ¡°And, ultimately, that¡¯s what caused the Surge?¡± Alex asked.


    Amory nodded. ¡°Unfortunately that¡¯s still pretty much all we know about it. So, Apex built their headquarters right on top of where we knew the energy would breach and built this massive fortress of a skyscraper in order to disperse it rather than let it burst in the center of Ascension and destroy the city entirely.¡±


    ¡°Conveniently giving Apex total access to...whatever¡¯s down here, without having to alert anyone else,¡± Titan spat.


    ¡°Well...yes,¡± Amory admitted, ¡°but it¡¯s a bit late to relitigate all that.¡±


    Alex shot her a look, but Amory ignored her and continued.


    ¡°We had no idea that the Surge would alter DNA, or that it would lead to people like your or Maelstrom. Worst of all, however, we didn¡¯t know that it wasn¡¯t over.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Alex asked. ¡°Are you saying the Surge could happen again?¡±


    The alarm that had faded into background noise freshly blared overhead, creating a new sense of urgency at another threshold crossed. The team of scientists suddenly gasped and rushed to a monitor on the far left, watching as a line on the monitor spiked up into the orange, held there for a moment, then fell back into the yellow, similar, Titan thought, to a heartbeat.


    But that wasn¡¯t all that happened. When the energy surged, Alex noticed a beam of light shooting out from behind her hat instantly disintegrated a scale model of Apex Tower, leaving nothing but ash as it retreated back behind the metal shielding. She jumped to the side, avoiding the beam but poking her head up a moment later.


    ¡°What...was that?¡± Alex said, both curious and terrified.


    ¡°That...is what we need you to fix,¡± a scientist answered over the comms.


    ¡°Alex, meet Kingston Roy.¡±


    ¡°Radiation specialist, huge fan, incredibly scared,¡± Kingston told her in rapid succession.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Alex said, shaking her head. She gave Kingston a warm smile. ¡°We¡¯re going to fix this, okay?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Kingston nodded, unsure, but hopeful. With the team of scientists all still huddled around the monitors, typing furiously and taking notes, Kingston stood to the side, glancing down at Titan.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Alex pointed to the metal shielding behind her.


    ¡°That,¡± Kingston pointed down, where the light had shot out from a moment ago, ¡°is the Junction. It¡¯s easiest to think of the deep underground radiation vein as a river, okay? It¡¯s constantly flowing, changing directions as it runs into, or through, different obstacles. It can¡¯t be stopped from moving forward, but we can, much like scientific beavers, dam it, slowing its flow and pushing it back where it came from. However, if anything disturbs the energy on the backend, we¡¯ll suffer the effects here.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°Once the initial Surge event was over, we built that-¡± he pointed down, towards the shielding covering the Junction, a several inch thick piece of light blue metal. ¡°Our containment shielding. We don¡¯t know where the Surge starts, but this is where it terminates.¡±


    ¡°Right in the middle of the city? Whose idea was that?¡±


    ¡°This is where the distance between the surface and the Surge was the shallowest,¡± Amory cut in. ¡°You may be able to fly, but do you know how much it costs to bore underground? Attract top talent to the middle of the woods?¡±


    Alex grumbled, but didn¡¯t protest further.


    In the middle, however, was a slight crack with multicolored light shining through, illuminating the observation deck. Alex noticed, for the first time, a scale model of Apex¡¯s Tower sitting on a table directly in front of the Junction. The model was smoking, with a hole cut through the middle of it.


    ¡°We designed this place so that the ground floor would be completely dark if all was well. The brighter it gets, the more trouble we¡¯re in, basically. We had a model of the building leftover from the original build, but...¡±


    ¡°So, if that metal continues to split like it has, what happened to the scale model of the building will happen to the real thing?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Kingston answered, grimacing. ¡°And, also, to most of the city.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alex popped up, stretching her neck. ¡°What do I need to do?¡±


    Kingston pointed to a thin layer of metal shielding that was placed in front of the glass, lying next to the Junction.


    ¡°We put the contaminant shielding on after the Surge. I had them make extra, just in case something like this happened and we needed to patch it.¡±


    ¡°It was astronomically expensive,¡± Amory pointed out, ¡°and when Kingston asked for more, I had to beg the board to approve the expense, but we got it. This piece is all that¡¯s left.¡±


    ¡°Of what, exactly?¡± Alex knelt down, running her head over the blue metal.


    ¡°This metal is an alloy of the five most dense metals on Earth, and, as far as we know, it¡¯s the only combination of metals that can block the radiation from leaking out into this room and, eventually, the entire city. It¡¯s called-¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you named this after yourself, please-¡±


    ¡°King¡¯s Alloy.¡±


    Alex shut her eyes and shook her head.


    ¡°Now, I typically weld distressed areas, fixing the typical wear and tear, but our problem is that the King¡¯s Alloy is so dense that we had to get several cranes just to lift one section of the shielding and weld it all together offsite. It¡¯s too heavy for us to break a piece off and we can¡¯t exactly send, well, me down there to weld it back to full strength in case the energy surges again or else I¡¯ll end up like the model, only we can¡¯t rebuild my insides.¡±


    ¡°I see where this is going,¡± Titan said, already eyeing the crack in the shielding, no more than a few centimeters wide, but more than enough to let a blast of radiation through that, if left uncontained, could eat its way through the entire building.


    ¡°If you can, break off a piece of the shielding and weld it onto the containment unit. We¡¯re up here, monitoring the radiation levels on all of our sensors across the state. If there¡¯s another surge coming, I¡¯ll tell you so you can get out of the way.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Break the dense thing, hold the heavy thing up, weld it, save everyone¡¯s lives. I can do that.¡± Alex eyed the size of the crack, no more than a foot long, and picked up the spare piece of metal beside them. Kingston¡¯s eyes grew wide as Alex put her boot on the edge of the metal then wrenched upwards, tearing off a gnarled, but effectively sized, piece of the alloy.


    ¡°Ready?¡± she asked.


    Kingston smiled, nodding. Alex put the piece of metal up to the shielding, grabbing a welder off a nearby bench.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kingston¡¯s voice was shaky and quiet. ¡°You¡¯re going to want to avoid the surges, because...well, I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen to you. If you see the lights swirling around inside, get out of the way, and we¡¯ll try again.¡±


    Alex nodded, ready to begin. Up close, she noticed that there was almost scarring around the shielding, like something had been eating away at the it for a long time now. She pushed the piece of metal up to the crack, blocking the light.


    ¡°How many times have you had to fix the shielding?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°More than I¡¯d like,¡± Kingston admitted quietly. ¡°It¡¯s held together well. But now, it¡¯s almost like a dam broke, somewhere out in the mountains. It¡¯s sending the energy towards us like waves battering a shore.¡±


    That¡¯s a scary thought, Alex grimaced. She placed a hand in the center of the metal, using the other to weld.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alex exhaled. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can leave being a Protector behind to become a welder instead. Sounds safer, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I will never let that happen,¡± Amory chimed in.


    ¡°Worth a shot anyway,¡± Alex muttered. The sparks flew over her shoulder as she was able to weld for a minute straight without incident, then another. Alex¡¯s thick skin prevented her from being burned by the sparks, and though she wasn¡¯t terribly smooth, she was getting the job done, forcing the metal scrap into place. However, as Alex was working on welding the third corner, alarms began ringing upstairs.


    ¡°Impending Surge,¡± Kingston translated. ¡°We¡¯ve got maybe thirty seconds before it hits.¡±


    ¡°Is that enough time to get this finished?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°If you go quickly, maybe,¡± Kingston answered urgently. Alex was working to weld the bottom of the patch together, her last phase, when Alex noticed the light swirling from underneath. ¡°But be careful.¡±


    ¡°Not really my thing,¡± Alex murmured, working fast to seal the bottom edge back onto the containment unit. The light shone brighter and brighter and Alex felt beads of sweat dripping down her face until finally she was able to weld the final section, darkening the room once more.


    Alex breathed a sigh of relief as she put the finishing touches on the last bit of welding, taking a step back to admire her work.


    ¡°Just in time. How¡¯s it look up there?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Amateur,¡± Kingston nodded, examining the work. ¡°But it should hold. Except¡­wait-¡±


    In her haste, Alex didn¡¯t realize that she had glided over a spot, unable to fully repair the entire patch. With a large crack the surge energy burst through, sending a beam no bigger than a dime shooting out. On reflex, Alex jumped in front of the energy, which vaporized her sleeve and scorched her arm. The energy dissipated a moment later, but there was still enough light for Alex to observe that her arm was alarmingly red.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± She cursed. It felt like her skin was on the verge of boiling, but her powers were just strong enough to keep everything together. The pain was brutal, far worse than what she felt going down the tubing.


    ¡°Alex, are you okay?¡± Amory called down, concerned.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she answered slowly, grimacing at the splotchy red patch that now covered half of her forearm. ¡°I think so.¡±


    She rubbed her arm tenderly, hissing as it stung, then turned back to the Junction, ignoring the pain. She resealed the area, put the welding gun back on the table, then worked her way back upstairs, keeping her hand over her arm.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kingston exclaimed, holding out his hand for Alex to shake. She uncovered her arm as she reached out, and she could¡¯ve sworn, just for a second, that Kingston¡¯s eyes lit up as they darted to catch the condition of her exposed skin. She pushed the thought from her mind, blaming the adrenaline of the situation.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t have done that without you.¡±


    ¡°Glad I could help,¡± she told him. ¡°Do we know where this burst of energy came from?¡±


    Kingston hopped over to his monitor, pulling up a map. Alex saw what she assumed to be probing stations flashing red leading down to Ascension.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Kingston muttered to himself. ¡°I¡¯m approximating here, but it looks like¡­Stillrock?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alex snapped, rushing to his side, practically bowling him over. He steadied himself on the table next to them. ¡°Stillrock?¡±


    This couldn¡¯t have anything to do with Ethan, could it? He kept saying he was going to find a breach point. Did he actually do it?


    ¡°I think, anyway,¡± Kingston shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s always some interference in the measurements.¡±


    Alex pulled out her phone, gasping when she saw how many missed calls she had from Raz.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go, now,¡± she said, starting to move out in the hall.


    ¡°Alex, wait,¡± Amory called out. Alex whipped her head around impatiently, but paused at the concerned expression on Amory¡¯s face. She felt he heat radiating from her skin, but did her best to ignore it.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your arm. It¡¯s practically on fire. We have no idea what kind of damage that burst could¡¯ve done to you.¡±


    Alex glanced down, but remembering Kingston¡¯s apparent interest, kept her expression neutral.


    Amory took Alex by the shoulder, speaking quietly. ¡°Do you want someone to look at your arm?¡±


    Alex shook her off, then leapt over the railing and landed in front of the Junction, preparing herself to dive through the tubing and back out into the night sky. She glanced over her shoulder, tossing them a confident smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had worse. I¡¯ll let you know if I find anything in Stillrock.¡±


    Kingston watched as Alex shot back through the tube. He was quiet for a moment, then turned to Amory.


    ¡°I assume we need to keep that secret?¡± he asked.


    Amory nodded, but her attention was clearly elsewhere. Kingston couldn¡¯t blame her.


    He glanced down at the shielding.


    We rely on two things to keep Ascension safe: Titan, and this few inches of metal. At this rate¡­I wonder what breaks down first, he wondered morbidly.

 Chapter 8-Wrong Turn

    The Stillrock Silver Mine was among the oldest active mines in the country, having been in continuous operations since the town¡¯s founding in 1889. Over the decades there had been numerous cave-ins due to poor planning, shifting management groups, and a lack of cohesive mapping. The caveins were often so disastrous they could even be tracked through the city¡¯s birth rates which rose in stable years and dropped during years with particularly wet weather. As a consequence, tunnels had collapsed, been dug back out, and collapsed all over again for nearly a century until the country attempted to install oversight on the mining industry in the 1980s.


    After hitting their first dead end, Ethan had quickly realized that the map he had sketched was not entirely aware of the mine¡¯s chaotic history, and in fact was more of a suggestion than a precise set of directions to follow. Before long, Ethan had already dragged Rainey into tunnels he hadn¡¯t known existed in the three years he worked down in the mines, and finding new ones with seemingly every turn, the air stale and hot, clinging to the back of his throat. Instead of being able to properly follow the tunnels down to the breach point, Ethan was instead attempting to head in the general direction his map pointed them towards, which roughly equated to going southwest on a compass, but trying to do so while falling down a staircase in the dark.


    Their journey had taken them to many new tunnels, but with every dead end they hit, Ethan could hear Rainey¡¯s sighs growing more curt. Ethan¡¯s desperation was so palatable that Rainey could probably feel it, too. Her face was growing increasingly gaunt the longer they went on, and it wasn¡¯t lost on her that the farther they went, they became increasingly lost and put themselves farther from help.


    But because they also put themselves farther from anyone who could stop them, that was a risk she was willing to take.


    ¡°Would you say we¡¯re¡­getting close?¡± Rainey asked. She used the back of her sleeve to wipe the sweat off her forehead, staining it grey. Ethan noticed, for the first time, that she was rubbing her thumb on her necklace, a dull grey stone hanging on the end of a gold chain.


    Ethan tried to speak, but his parched throat reminded him that Raz was the one who always carried the bookbag with their water, and he desperately needed goggles to keep the silica dust from cutting his eyes. Given they were still in his car, Ethan had to settle for squinting against the palpable dust in the air, the grit nagging away at him. Instead of replying, all Ethan could offer was a pained expression, which was more than enough for Rainey to read into. She sighed curtly.


    ¡°Personally, I thought you¡¯d be better at this,¡± Rainey said plainly. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you do all day?¡±


    Ethan swallowed hard, trying to clear the silica from his throat. He gestured frustratedly to the tunnels around them. ¡°Everywhere we go down here looks exactly the same, and my map isn¡¯t exactly pinpoint accurate.¡±


    ¡°And how was I supposed to know that before you slammed the entrance shut and forced us down here?¡±


    Ethan¡¯s eyes narrowed while Rainey folded her arms. After running through a number of responses, most of them containing one or more obscenities, he relented, pulling the map back out and attempting to remember every tunnel they¡¯d already gone down.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for over half an hour,¡± he said, his finger tracing the tunnels, moving back and forth down the map, trying to invent a path in between where they were and where they needed to go. ¡°We have to be getting close.¡±


    ¡°Considering you told me this would only take thirty minutes, I¡¯d certainly hope so. Titan has to be on our tail, too. I keep expecting her to burst through the rocks above us like she broke through the ice to save you.¡±


    Ethan rolled his eyes, then wondered if it was too dark for Rainey to see.


    ¡°Saw that,¡± she said offhandedly.


    His shoulders sank. He pushed himself off the rock he was using as a seat, and reached a hand out for Rainey, pulling her up. Wordlessly, he started off down a new direction, praying it was the right one.


    ¡°Maybe we could talk about something else to take our minds off of the fact that we¡¯re almost certainly going to die?¡± Ethan suggested.


    Rainey shrugged, gesturing for him to get it over with.


    ¡°Well, if this works, and we don''t get instantly disintegrated, what are you going to do if you get powers?¡±


    Rainey mulled the question over, then pulled her book bag back over her shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going. You first.¡±


    Ethan pushed himself down the tunnel, careful to avoid hitting his head on any of the jagged rocks jutting down from the ceiling. The tunnel was narrowing as they went.


    We¡¯re going down, he thought, which is a positive sign.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go to college,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Stillrock doesn¡¯t exactly offer the clearest path out. That¡¯s¡­almost by design, really. If there was a community college, or higher paying jobs that didn¡¯t involve commuting two hours a day, then no one would stay here, and nobody would certainly be stupid enough to work in the mines.¡±


    ¡°But you still chose to work down here, instead of moving to Ascension,¡± Rainey countered. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just leave?¡±


    ¡°Not without money, which I thought the mine would¡¯ve provided. Despite the obvious danger, the mine is the steadiest place for you to work if you don¡¯t want to drive a few hours to teach snowboarding during the winters at a resort you can¡¯t afford to visit. But once you get down here, you start working twelve hours, and when you¡¯re done, you¡¯re too exhausted to do anything else, to find anything better. This place just sucks you in and never lets you leave and, before you know it, you blink and three years have gone by and you¡¯re exactly where you started, only you¡¯re starting to wonder if your hairline is receding and you¡¯re so pale the moon could give you a sunburn.¡±


    Rainey nodded quietly.


    ¡°And the worst part is that being so high up in the mountainside, we have a nearly unblocked view of Ascension. Raz and I,¡± Ethan¡¯s voice caught in his throat, his last memory of Raz¡¯s hurt face staring up at him from the dirt, ¡°back before I¡­probably ruined that friendship, we would climb up to the top of the water tower at night and stare out at the city, making plans for the future. Where we¡¯d live, how much we¡¯d drink at the Aces games, which bars we¡¯d visit¡­mostly drinking-adjacent goals, but we were in high school then, and that was our top priority.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°It¡¯s still mine, other than getting powers,¡± Rainey admitted.


    Ethan laughed for the first time since starting their journey down, but it was short lived.


    ¡°Then¡­then the years started going by, and the dreams we had started to fade. By the third year of us working together we barely even talked about them anymore, we just settled into this routine where we had just enough to get by but not enough to get ahead, like we were keeping our noses just above water and if we opened our mouths we¡¯d drown. Then people in Ascension got powers, and I just felt like I missed it. I missed my shot to get out. The night after I found out, I stared in the mirror until we had to leave for work, and when we got there¡­I got so angry.¡±


    ¡°At?¡± Rainey asked.


    ¡°Myself,¡± Ethan admitted. ¡°About the dreams. About feeling embarrassed any time I tried to bring them up, and wasting so much time that I could¡¯ve spent living them.¡±


    ¡°And then you lost control,¡± Rainey said quietly. Ethan sighed, nodding.


    ¡°When we went into the tunnels for our night shift, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I lost it, started slamming my pickaxe wildly and it nearly got Raz killed. One errant swing and this whole tunnel started collapsing on top of us. I was barely able to outrun it before it swarmed us entirely, and I couldn¡¯t pull Raz out fast enough before one rock slammed onto his knee, shattering the bone. And after my outburst, all I felt was guilt. I thought that, if I got powers, I could become a Protector, work in Ascension and do something with my life instead of just feeling like all my future was going to be was¡­¡±


    Ethan sighed as they walked around the bend only to come face to face with a wall of stone blocking their path.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Rainey sighed. ¡°Well, on the plus side, you¡¯re not going to have to deal with that guilt for long, because we¡¯re definitely going to die down here.¡±


    Ethan took one more look at his map. He had hastily drawn new tunnels, connected them to old ones. ¡°No,¡± he muttered. ¡°This should be¡­¡±


    Ethan worked his hand down the jagged rock wall, his fingers moving in between the creases. He held them there, feeling. Working down slowly, he ignored Rainey¡¯s stream of complaints, noticing something in the cracks between, something cold, fresh. His face lit up, exhaling in relief.


    ¡°Ethan, we don¡¯t have much time left. Titan has to be coming after us soon. We need to get moving and I think you should sacrifice yourself and stay behind while I-¡±


    ¡°Actually¡± he said, turning, ¡°Rainey, I think we¡¯re here.¡± She gave him a curious look, noting the smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯d miss it if you didn¡¯t know what to look for, but there¡¯s a faint air flow between the rocks. Feel this.¡±


    Rainey cautiously put her hand where Ethan directed, nearly recoiling at the cool air gently lapping her palm.


    ¡°The breach,¡± Rainey whispered, her hand recoiling to her necklace. ¡°It¡¯s gotta be just behind these rocks.¡±


    Rainey wore a large smile, already swinging her bag over her shoulder, setting it roughly on the ground.


    ¡°This is it,¡± Ethan said, letting out a slow breath to steady himself. ¡°Either we get powers¡­¡±


    ¡°Or we get disintegrated,¡± Rainey finished, setting up the drill. ¡°Let me get this together, and then I won¡¯t make us wait a second longer to find out.¡±


    Ethan watched her for a moment, then paused.


    ¡°So, what about you?¡± Ethan asked. His eyes were focused on Rainey¡¯s hands, watching her deftly assemble the drill. She has a lot of experience with power tools. ¡°Assuming we live that long, what would you do with your powers?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, casually, ¡°bring Apex to its knees.¡±


    ¡°A bit more ambitious than my goal,¡± Ethan admitted quietly, clearing his throat. ¡°What did Apex do to you?¡±


    Rainey snapped the drill to the battery pack, the noise echoing and making Ethan jump. ¡°My sister and I¡­We were on a hike for her birthday. We had just reached the summit and, at that exact moment, the earth ripped open, throwing us both back. I walked away fine, she had to relearn how to walk.¡±


    Ethan let out a shaky breath, and knelt next to Rainey. ¡°I¡¯m¡­so sorry that happened,¡± he said, ¡°but that wasn¡¯t your fault. Nobody could¡¯ve predicted that.¡±


    Rainey¡¯s face was stern. ¡°Apex knew,¡± she spat. ¡°They knew it was coming.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Ethan asked quietly.


    ¡°Right after the surge blasted us in opposite directions, I watched it race towards Ascension and shoot straight through their tower, as if they had some sort of magnet attracting the energy, pulling it away from the city. They wouldn¡¯t have built Apex Tower that way if they didn¡¯t know it was coming! They chose who to save, and it sure as hell wasn¡¯t us.¡±


    Ethan felt nausea rising in him. ¡°Even if they knew the surge was coming, that doesn¡¯t mean they could¡¯ve stopped it.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rainey agreed, ¡°but they could¡¯ve told us. They hid the surge then, just like they¡¯re hiding the breach points now. Apex can¡¯t appear like they don¡¯t have the situation under control, and since they won¡¯t tell anyone what¡¯s really going on, I¡¯m going to use the breach point they refuse to fix to get powers, become strong, and force them to tell the city what¡¯s really happening, and what¡¯s coming next.¡±


    Ethan was growing uneasy, watching as Rainey grew closer to completing the drill. His heart was beating too fast, and he was sweating more than before. He was terrified to ask, but knew he had to.


    ¡°How are you going to do that?¡±


    She aimed the drill rock in front of the wall of stone, lining up her drill bit.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hurt a corporation. Litigation takes years, if you¡¯re lucky. Reporting falls by the wayside, Nothing more than a raindrop in the sea of content pumped out specifically so negative stories fall out of the news cycle as rapidly as possible. I couldn¡¯t even make a scratch. But Apex does have one vulnerability, one thing I can take.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ethan asked, too quickly. ¡°What can you take?¡±


    Ethan¡¯s eyes went wide right as Rainey plunged the drill into the rock, eating away at the stone bit by bit. A quick scan told him they had maybe thirty seconds before the drill breached the other side of the rock wall and the surge broke through, either bringing powers or death.


    ¡°Apex thinks they¡¯re invincible. So does Titan.. Since I need to prove that Apex isn¡¯t invincible¡­¡±


    Rainey plunged the drill into the rock, white light spilling into the tunnel, nearly blinding him. When he was able to see again, he caught Rainey¡¯s near maniacal smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill Titan.¡±

 Chapter 9-Descent

    Stuck below the surface of the earth with someone he just now found out was an absolute lunatic, Ethan grimly considered his options out of the haunting scenario he had put himself in.


    The energy coming from the breach point was a total wildcard, incalculable until it hit them. The energy that blanketed Ascension on the night of the Surge was dispersed through Apex¡¯s machinery. The one they were about to break into was pure, direct, meaning Ethan thought it was all or nothing.


    They¡¯d live and receive some sort of power, or die and get nothing at all. Right now, Ethan wasn¡¯t sure which would be better.


    If neither of them survived, then Rainey and her plot to kill Alex wouldn¡¯t be a problem moving forward. Alex would undoubtedly be sad, but she¡¯d have one less person trying to Jill her in the future, so this counted as a net win for her. However, it was a total loss for Ethan, so he¡¯d have to avoid that option, if he could.


    If they both survived, and if Rainey received powers dangerous enough to potentially take on Alex, then Ethan would be making Alex a target. He¡¯d have gotten everything he wanted: superhuman abilities, a chance at becoming a Protector, and a life in Ascension away from the mines. However, it¡¯d come at the potential cost of Alex¡¯s life.


    But Alex was supposed to be invincible, right? She could take whatever Rainey threw at her without so much as a scratch.


    Probably. But if she couldn¡¯t¡­.


    Ethan had already ruined his friendship with Raz, and he wasn¡¯t willing to let this evening also put Alex¡¯s life in jeopardy. It was time to fight or flight, and Ethan¡¯s hand quivered when he realized he couldn¡¯t turn back now.


    With Rainey crouched on one knee in front of him, operating the drill, Ethan ran through a few scenarios of how best to knock her out the way, leaving him time to disable the drill. Awkwardly, he dipped his shoulder, reaching his hands out and pulling them back in, trying to best ascertain how to tackle Rainey out of the way in a manner that would hurt her the least.


    Alex had practiced her wrestling moves on him plenty of times while they were growing up, but she never meant to hurt him, even if she often did. And, despite what all the 80s movies he and Raz watched had prepared them for, nobody in their small town ever found a reason to pick a fight with them. This lack of experience meant that Ethan was woefully unprepared to stop someone from plunging a drill into a rapidly destabilizing mine tunnel.


    But he was still going to have to try.


    He found himself wishing that he¡¯d gotten into a fight in school, at least one, just so he¡¯d know what it felt like to throw a punch, to get hit. But more than that, Ethan really wished he wasn¡¯t going to have his first ever fight be against a girl.


    On top of all that, she didn¡¯t even know they were about to fight, but that was soon to change.


    Before he could back out, Ethan threw caution to the wind and simply ran forward and slammed his shoulder into Rainey¡¯s back, knocking her away from the drill.


    ¡°Ah!¡± she yelled, rolling on the dusty tunnel floor. She pushed herself back to standing, wiping off her face. She glared at Ethan.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Ethan yelled instinctively, his squeaky wail bouncing off the tunnel walls. His heart was already pounding from stress. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to do!¡±


    Rainey growled, shoving Ethan as hard as she could. She lunged for the drill, but was beaten to the punch by Ethan, who started pulling it back, away from the breach.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she yelled, digging her fingers into his bicep, trying to get him to let go of the handle. He held on, despite the sharp pain.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you get powers if you¡¯re going to kill someone!¡±


    Especially if that someone is my sister, he wanted to scream.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late!¡± Rainey yelled back, pointing at the drill. Ethan¡¯s head snapped to the hole she had bored through the outer layer of rocks, his stomach sinking at the light blue light starting to filter through, exactly the same hue he saw earlier buried underneath Basin Lake. ¡°We¡¯ve already broken through, all you¡¯re doing is making it more dangerous!¡±


    That gave Ethan an idea, less of a lightbulb going off in his brain and more of a bomb. He couldn¡¯t hurt Rainey anymore than he already had, not without actually doing something like throwing a punch, which he refused to do, but he could hold her off by making things too unstable for them to stay in the mines, forcing her to flee.


    He shoved Rainey away from him, her nails dragging across his arm, drawing more blood. He ignored the burning pain and gripped the drill, then pointed it down, towards the stone wall¡¯s base. He turned to Rainey, deathly serious.


    ¡°Run.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she lunged at Ethan, but before she could grab him, he plunged the drill downward to destabilize the base of the rock wall, the bit screaming against the stone.


    Rainey tried to grab him, and wrap herself around his shoulders, but three years of working in the mine had given Ethan considerable strength. Nothing like Alex, of course, but more than enough to handle a woman barely two thirds his size.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡±I¡¯m sorry!¡± he yelled as he shrugged her off, sending her tumbling away. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta get out of here!¡±


    Groaning with effort, he put all of his body weight onto the drill handle and forced it downward, the diamond bit biting and starting to eat away at the stone. Pebbles, like little warning signs came tumbling down the wall, signaling the incoming cave in. The rest of the wall would follow suit soon judging by the groans of the shifting stones.


    Rainey, who did not have Ethan¡¯s experience with cave ins, was unmoved despite the chaos and obvious warning signs signaling around them.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come all the way down here for nothing!¡± Rainey yelled, her desperation echoing off the tight tunnel walls. She drew her hand back and punched Ethan square in the cheek, sending him sprawling onto the floor with a thud and forcing him to lose his grip on the drill handle.


    So that¡¯s what it feels like, Ethan thought, rubbing the welt already forming just under his eye. He stood, shaking his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late,¡± Ethan he called out to Rainey, pointing to the rock wall. The base was shifting in front of them, rocks the size of Ethan¡¯s chest cracking under the weight. Perhaps even more dangerous, more and more light was beginning to pour through the cracks and out of the breach. ¡°The tunnel is coming down now, we¡¯ve gotta get out of here before the whole thing collapses!¡±


    Rainey¡¯s eyes narrowed in determination. She folded her arms, planting her boots in the ground. To prove her resolve, she waited a moment for the rocks to stop shifting before speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting powers, or I¡¯m not leaving here at all.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be this way,¡± Ethan protested, carefully reaching a hand out to Rainey. ¡°I know you feel responsible for hurting your sister, but you¡¯re not. You never could¡¯ve predicted that, and you won¡¯t hurt Apex by hurting yourself. All we can do is try to move on and be better, for them.¡±


    Which is what I¡¯ll do if I make it out of here, Raz, I promise.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late for that!¡± Rainey slammed her fist beside the crumbling rocks, sending another one crashing to the ground loudly in front of them, making Ethan¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°The only way I can make Apex feel the hurt I do is by getting powers, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything if you¡¯re dead,¡± Ethan countered.


    ¡°Well then,¡± Rainey spat. She grabbed the drill, the energy from the breach bathing her face in a dark, swirling glow, ¡°I better make sure I get powers before that happens.¡±


    Rainey shoved the drill into the center into the rock. wave, crumbling it entirely. The wall came crashing down as a wave of blue light rushed through the newly created pathway, Surge energy pouring through the breach.


    Ethan hadn¡¯t given much thought as to what it would feel like to be hit by the Surge. After all, he knew the chances were slim he¡¯d ever find one, and he was mostly concerned about what came after. Nobody wanted to get eye beams, but in his darkest moments even Ethan would take them if it meant getting out of the mine. But in the few moments he had considered what it¡¯d feel like to have a portion of your DNA rewritten, he imagined it much like someone slapping your sunburn, or something close to taking a shot of cheap whiskey: a flash burn that subsided just as fast as it came.


    In actuality, the pain was indescribably worse than he ever could¡¯ve imagined.


    Ethan wasn¡¯t sure if there had even been a noise. He and Rainey were met with a wall of overwhelming force that shot them back and sent their nerves into overdrive, every inch of them feeling like it had just caught fire and been struck by lightning simultaneously. For all Ethan knew, maybe he had; his eyes were shut tight, every thought he had dedicated to wishing the pain would stop.


    After he hit the ground, he realized he could barely hear himself screaming, drowned out by the rocks raining down on them from the top of the tunnel. One planted itself into the ground next to him, barely missing his head, and Ethan popped an eye open slightly, giving him just enough of a view to realize he had precious few moments before they all came crashing down on him from the top of the tunnel. For just a brief moment, with jagged rocks racing towards his head, he saw clear through to the night sky, and he could¡¯ve sworn he could still see the lights from Ascension dancing above him.


    Ethan knew it was futile, but he found himself wishing that he was up there to feel the mountain breeze he suddenly found himself missing flowing by his face, cooling the burning sensation enveloping him. More importantly, he wished that he could get a chance to apologize to Raz for shoving him to the ground earlier, to try and repair the friendship he threw away. He probably owed Alex a few apologies, too, but Raz came first, especially since Ethan hadn¡¯t ever bothered to learn how to use the dishwasher in their apartment.


    With the rocks crashing all around him, everything in Ethan wished he was up, towards the lights, away from the chaos of the collapsing tunnel, away from the death raining from above. Suddenly, his vision was overtaken by a flash of purple light, then Ethan felt something slam into his entire body, cold and solid, knocking the breath out of him, forcing him to open his eyes wide. Confused, Ethan thought he must¡¯ve been hallucinating: he could¡¯ve sworn he was staring at trees.


    The sudden chill of the cold air snapped him out of his daze, and he realized he was, in fact, out of the tunnel, somehow, safe, lying in a field of grass, barely illuminated by the moon. He scrambled to the edge of the hole that they had ripped in the earth, noticing a glowing, purple portal in the bottom of the tunnel below.


    I must¡¯ve come through that, somehow, Ethan thought, his mind racing. But Rainey isn¡¯t here with me. She¡¯s still down there, but there might be time for her to escape, too!


    He wiped the dust from his eyes, barely able to notice that the portal¡¯s light was starting to fade.


    ¡°Rainey!¡± he yelled down. ¡°Jump through!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she yelled up, her voice faint but even angrier than before. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! Not until I get mine!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to go, now!¡± He yelled down. ¡°You won¡¯t get another chance!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Rainey screamed. ¡°It¡¯s now or-¡°


    The earth finally gave way, the rocks holding up the tunnel walls collapsing in on themselves, unleashing a horrible screech as the earth reoriented itself.


    The noise was so loud, so intense, that it forced Ethan¡¯s eyes shut, and he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. Just as his body shut down from the pain and exhaustion, he heard a voice ring out softly and sadly over his broken body, sounding equal parts disappointed and concerned. He recognized it instantly.


    ¡°Oh Ethan,¡± Alex said, reaching her hands under Ethan¡¯s back and pulling his limp body into the air. She surveyed the scene in front of her: a massive, flaming hole where the mine used to be, rocks tumbling into the sinkhole forming right before her eyes.


    ¡°What have you done?¡±

 Chapter 10-Powers

    Ethan shot awake from a space somewhere in between fitful sleeping and a nightmare, gasping for air. His first frantic inhale sent shockwaves of pain through his tender ribs. He yelped, the noise distorted by his parched throat, more of a cry than he meant it to be.


    ¡°Whoa, hey,¡± Alex said softly, taking a glass of water and bringing it to Ethan¡¯s lips. He drank it, slowly at first, then drained the whole cup.


    ¡°More?¡± she asked. Ethan shook his head, slowly, trying to take short, shallow breaths to avoid setting off his assuredly broken ribs. Alex, normally the picture of health, looked like she hadn¡¯t slept in days: dark circles under her eyes, her curly hair messily thrown into a bun, coffee stains littering her gray shirt. Ethan realized her appearance meant he had probably been out for a few days at least, but of the thousands of questions that forced their way to the forefront of his mind, he stammered for a few moments before settling on the most obvious one.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± he asked, his voice not much louder than a whisper.


    ¡°AU Hospital downtown,¡± Alex answered. ¡°This is where Apex sends Protectors when they¡¯re hurt. Glass is bulletproof, walls are thick as a redwood, and the doctors are specially trained to deal with intensive trauma cases, like yours.¡±


    ¡°Like me?¡± he asked. ¡°What¡­happened?¡±


    ¡°Ethan, don¡¯t you remember? You went down in the mines, only something went¡­wrong. I found you in the field next to the collapsed mine.¡±


    For a moment, Ethan couldn¡¯t separate the dreams he had over the past few days from his memories, both blending together like waves washing away the shore, eroding any sense of reality. He pushed through a headache and focused hard, finally latching onto a memory: a flash of light blinding him, the feeling of his insides nearly boiling, almost driving him to throw up. Then, he realized, painfully, the next question he needed answered.


    ¡°Was I¡­alone? When you found me?¡±


    Alex paused for a moment. ¡°Raz said there was someone else, but I couldn¡¯t find anyone.¡±


    Maybe she was able to escape? Ethan thought. Or, maybe, I left her down there to die by herself.


    Ethan tried to push himself onto his elbows, stitches pulling in his shoulder where he fell. He groaned, collapsing back onto the hospital bed, sweating.


    ¡°Relax,¡± Alex cautioned him, putting her hand on his shoulder. ¡°Relax, you just absorbed enough radiation to kill an elephant, and had a tunnel collapse on you. You shouldn¡¯t even be awake yet.¡±


    ¡°Too many nightmares,¡± he murmured. Then he had a sobering thought: They¡¯re only bad dreams if they aren¡¯t real.


    He tried harder to push himself up, ignoring the pain and managing to get himself onto his elbows. Progress. It was only now that Ethan¡¯s eyes adjusted to the light that he was able to notice the dirt smeared on Alex¡¯s face, and the frayed ends of her hair. She looked as if she had been dragged through the earth, much like Ethan was the night before.


    ¡°Did you go down there?¡± Ethan asked her. ¡°The tunnels?¡±


    Alex nodded. ¡°After I dropped you off here, I called Raz. He told me what happened, so I went right back to Stillrock. I found you near an active breach, but before I scooped you up and flew off I saw the rest of the tunnel collapse in on itself, enough to stop the radiation leak. I thought whoever you were with might still be down there, but I didn¡¯t find anyone. Is it possible they¡­escaped with you?¡±


    Ethan shrugged, sighing. ¡°Hell, I don¡¯t even know how I got out of there.¡±


    Alex was serious, grabbing Ethan¡¯s hand. ¡°You surviving was pure luck.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel like it right now,¡± Ethan groaned, giving hers a squeeze. ¡°Thank you for saving me. I wouldn¡¯t be here without you.¡±


    Alex rolled her eyes, standing. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have needed to be saved in the first place. I told you the breaches were dangerous, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Yes, and Rainey and I found out the hard way. But if Alex didn¡¯t find her, she could still be out there. I¡¯ve got to find her.


    ¡°I know, and I hear everything you just said¡­but I¡¯ve got to go back.¡±


    Alex stared at him, shaking her head. ¡°Ethan, you nearly died. We have no idea what the effects of that much Surge radiation could be on a person. Just because you¡¯re alive now doesn¡¯t mean you will be if you start to push yourself too much too soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure things out later,¡± he assured her. Taking his time, he silently moved his legs to the edge of the bed, then stood, unsteadily, gripping the plastic edge until his head stopped swimming. Shakily, and finding new pains in every step, he walked over to the mirror, recoiling when he saw his face. The bruises were one thing; he expected a few of those, but the sight of his irises stopped him in his tracks. He rubbed his eyes lightly, his heart rate increasing when they stayed the same shade.


    ¡°Uh, you didn¡¯t think to mention that my eyes were purple?¡±


    ¡°I¡­was going to bring that up when I thought you were ready,¡± Alex said, following closely behind Ethan to catch him in case he fainted.


    ¡°Do we think this is¡­permanent?¡± Ethan asked, pointing to his suddenly violet irises. ¡°I mean, I wasn¡¯t in love with brown, but purple is¡­probably not my second choice for eye color.¡±


    ¡°Well, the eye color change is not unheard of when people gain powers that tap into a certain aspect of the Surge,¡± Alex explained. ¡°Aegis¡¯ eyes actually used to be brown like yours, and Syphon¡¯s eyes change with the type of light she absorbs.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Ethan said, unsure of how to feel about his physical change. ¡°I hope I got plasma powers. Maybe I blasted myself out of the tunnel before you found me?¡±


    ¡°That, I don¡¯t know. I found you lying in the field on top of the mines, bruised, but alive. I didn¡¯t actually see how you escaped the rubble.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s only one way to find out, but I won¡¯t know until I get out of here and have time to go through my extremely scientific process to test for my power,¡± Ethan said urgently.


    ¡°The one you do in your apartment?¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Raz,¡± Ethan whispered, embarrassed. ¡°I thought that was a secret.¡±


    As if responding to his desire to leave, his right hand began to almost vibrate, becoming awash in a purple glow.


    ¡°Oh, whoa,¡± Ethan said, holding his hand up, but still a cautious distance away from his face. His face lit up, a smile spreading across his face, the horrors of the mine temporarily forgotten. ¡°What do we think this does?¡±


    Without warning, his left hand also began to vibrate, as if in response to his right, until both of them were awash in purple glow, making a rumble so deep it was more felt than heard. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Oh, sick,¡± he whispered. ¡°The purple is a whole thing.¡±


    ¡°Ethan,¡± Alex said cautiously, taking a slight step back. ¡°Can you¡­stop that?¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± Ethan replied nervously, shaking out his hands. They maintained their glow, the rumble steady in his ears. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think I know how.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d suggest you learn, fast, especially if it¡¯s plasma that¡¯s going to come shooting out of your hands. I chose a bad day not to wear my armor. I only have this one shirt, and even though its stained I don¡¯t want it destroyed. I¡¯m not flying home in a hospital gown because you can¡¯t control your abilities.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s face balled into worry, but before he had the chance to try anything, the color faded from his hands, the hospital room dimming once more, back to its normal, oppressive white. Ethan breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing his tense shoulders.


    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll figure out what those do when I get home,¡± Ethan said. He looked around the room, as if he misplaced something. ¡°Speaking of, where¡¯s Raz?¡±


    ¡°He, uh, couldn¡¯t make it.¡± Alex said quickly.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t?¡± Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I¡­kind of destroyed our workplace, so I don¡¯t know what other obligation he possibly could¡¯ve had today.¡±


    Alex frowned. ¡°Maybe that was part of the problem.¡± Ethan sighed, nodding.


    I probably deserve that. And more.


    ¡°Oh! He did text me a message for you, though.¡±


    Ethan perked up. ¡°Really? What¡¯s it say?¡±


    ¡°If you woke up, Raz wanted me to let you know that¡­¡± Alex checked her phone, pulling up the text. She cleared her throat. ¡°Ah, that he ¡®didn¡¯t care if you lived or died but really hoped you died, painfully if possible¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ethan said quietly, folding his arms. ¡°¡±No, uh, ¡®haha¡¯¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Not¡­in this message, but he did send one after I texted him that you hadn¡¯t woken up yet.¡±


    ¡°Well then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alex dragged the word out, as if trying to stall for time, trying to find something to say. She couldn¡¯t find anything.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­different than I expected.¡±


    ¡°I guess you guys had a falling out yesterday, huh?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Ethan said. His eyes drifted out the hospital window, towards Tyson Peak and Stillrock, towards the mine he collapsed and the lives he ruined. He wondered what would happen once the owners found the state the mine was in. It had already been closed for the past three months, and he didn¡¯t see them reopening it now, or anytime soon.


    While Ethan certainly didn¡¯t miss working down in the mine, the realization that his old life was, essentially, shuttered washed over him like a storm cloud on an otherwise sunny day. Looking down at his bruised arms, Ethan found himself wishing he could be there, back in their run down apartment, back to yesterday before Ethan pushed Raz out of his life, siding with Rainey and pursuing his powers over everything else. But with Rainey missing and Raz not speaking to Ethan except to do the opposite of wishing him well, Ethan wondered if any of this was worth it. His body hurt from head to toe, he was wracked with guilt over Rainey¡¯s disappearance, and he wasn¡¯t even sure what his powers were supposed to be. All he wanted was to be back home, in his own bed, trying to pretend none of this had ever happened.


    His left hand glowed again, but this time a black, stretched oval shape as tall as Ethan and, oddly, just wide enough for him to step through appeared in front of him, conjured seemingly from nothing. It hung in the air in front of him, silently, like a specter waiting for direction.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Ethan asked loudly, taking a step back.


    ¡°You made it,¡± Alex pointed out, pushing herself out of her chair, accidentally too hard, sending it careening against the wall. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°Why did this have to be complicated?¡± Ethan asked, exasperated. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I just have gotten plasma powers like I wanted. Those are simple!¡±


    He turned away from the portal, only for it to swing silently in front of him.


    ¡°Great,¡± he scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve made a new friend.¡±


    ¡°Maybe whatever that is can replace Raz as your best friend?¡± Alex suggested, eliciting a frown from Ethan.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, turning to face the window. The void followed his eyes, discomforting him. ¡°As much as I wanted powers, I really didn¡¯t know that ¡®creating spooky floating voids¡¯ was an option. How do we think we make this¡­go away?¡±


    ¡°I could try punching it,¡± Alex offered, shrugging.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve guessed you¡¯d say that. Do we think that would¡­hurt me?¡±


    Alex shrugged, already rearing back her fist. ¡°Only one way to find out!¡±


    Alex fired her fist forward, slamming into the void in front of Ethan. To both of their surprise, her fist simply bounced off after delivering enough force to shatter a concrete wall.


    ¡°Well that was¡­surprising,¡± Alex admitted, shaking out her right hand. She examined the void further. ¡°Unlike you, it isn¡¯t even scratched!¡±


    Ethan glanced down at his hand, noting that only his left hand was glowing. ¡°Look,¡± he told Alex, raising his right hand. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Alex looked to Ethan¡¯s hand, then to the void. ¡°I¡¯ve seen something like this before. Aegis only has enough power to create one half of her shields with each of her hands. Like hers, your power must work in tandem. This is¡­half of what you can do. However, conjuring a seemingly unbreakable wall is not a bad start.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no plasma,¡± Ethan muttered. Both of their eyes darted to the void as it disappeared instantaneously, their view of the window coming unblocked.


    ¡°Man,¡± Ethan said, ¡°I really wish I knew what that was, but I guess I can find out more when I get home.¡±


    ¡°You should really stay here for the night,¡± Alex cautioned him. ¡°You took a direct hit from the Surge and as far as we know, nobody¡¯s done that before. The results could be disastrous.¡±


    Ethan gestured to his bruised body. ¡°They already were.¡±


    ¡°And they could get worse, if you aren¡¯t monitored.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Alex,¡± Ethan groaned. ¡°If I was going to die, I think I would¡¯ve done it when I had a literal ton of rock dropped on me.¡±


    Alex cut Ethan off, blocking the doorway and folding her arms.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked. In response, she raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯t just survived a mine collapse, you still couldn¡¯t get past me,¡± she pointed out. ¡°So why don¡¯t you go lay back down and mess around with your glowing hands some more in the safety of this nearly indestructible hospital room?¡±


    Ethan glared at her. He turned to look out the window, Stillrock nothing more than a collection of faint lights in the evening from this distance, a few hours drive home. Closer to him, and catching his eye, though, was the Ascension Ace¡¯s stadium a few blocks away, lit up for their evening home game. The stadium¡¯s most notable feature was its scoreboard, shaped like an A that had a platform at its peak. The sight of the stadium filled Ethan with a deep regret. He and Raz always planned to go to a game once they moved to Ascension together, but Ethan doubted Raz would be lining up to come to a game with him now, after how he treated him yesterday.


    Distraught, Ethan suddenly found another void next to him, hovering silently, awaiting further instructions. This time, however, Ethan found his right hand glowing as well, and instead of appearing solid black, the void¡¯s appearance shifted, taking on the appearance of the darkening sky a few streets away, the cool wind from the outside washing over his face and blowing back his black hair. It shifted with his thoughts, and came to a stop just in front of the Ace¡¯s scoreboard, the platform at the top just a step away.


    Well, Ethan thought, if Raz doesn¡¯t want to go with me¡­Gingerly, he reached out to the scoreboard, his fingers brushing the cool metal. Maybe I¡¯ll just go by myself.


    ¡°Ethan,¡± Alex said urgently. She took slow, pointed steps towards him. ¡°Whatever that is¡­don¡¯t touch it.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s¡­a portal,¡± he said decisively, a touch of awe in his voice. ¡°This must be how I got out of the tunnel, and now I opened it to the stadium. It reacted to me, moving where I wanted it to.¡±


    ¡°Do not go through that,¡± Alex said. ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen to you when you do.¡±


    Ethan threw her a mischievous smile, his face illuminated by the swirling purple light.


    ¡°And you thought I couldn¡¯t get out of here.¡±

 Chapter 11-Escape

    As it turned out, Ethan, once again, should¡¯ve listened to Alex.


    Before Alex had the chance to grab him, Ethan jumped through the portal, hoping to land on top of the Ace¡¯s scoreboard and continue on to Stillrock, as smoothly as taking a walk. As usual, Ethan did not consider what would happen when he jumped, instead just hoping that he¡¯d teleport to the scoreboard, landing gracefully on top, and would continue on his way to Stillrock to investigate the mines.


    Instead, as he stepped through the portal, he quickly realized that he had stepped out onto nothing but air, the stadium¡¯s metal platform a foot away from him. He screamed, throwing his arms out in front of him and managing, just barely, to wrap his fingers around the edge of the platform, his body crashing into the steel beams. That was nearly enough to make him let go, but even though Protectors were notably stronger and more durable than the average person, Ethan didn¡¯t think he¡¯d survive a forty foot drop, especially given the state he was in.


    ¡±How does this work?¡± Ethan asked himself, straining to hang on. The game below hadn¡¯t stopped just yet, but even a few blocks away, with the wind rushing by his ears, he was able to hear a boom as the supposedly impenetrable glass to his hospital room window shattered when Alex threw herself through it. She darted up into the sky, above Apex Tower, clocked Ethan dangling a half mile away, turned, and headed straight for him.


    ¡±If she catches me, I won¡¯t make it to the mines,¡± Ethan told himself. He sighed, eyeing the drop. The grass did look soft, but it was at least four stories away, and he doubted that would help him much. With his fingers starting to slip, he snarled, out of time, shaking his head. ¡°I have to find out if Rainey escaped. No matter what the answer is, I have to know. Time for something drastic.¡±


    Instead of waiting for Alex to catch him, Ethan let himself drop, then tried to open another portal, trusting that his powers wouldn¡¯t let him crash into the outfield below. His lack of experience, however, reared its head: instead of glowing purple, his hands stayed their normal hue, and Ethan dropped like a stone, screaming as he flailed.


    Alex, thankfully, pushed herself, growling with effort, and swooped down, diving towards the grass. She managed to wrap her arms around Ethan just before he slammed into the earth, tearing up the manicured outfield until she came to a stop just in front of the center fielder. She shot Ethan a look so angry it made him gulp, dusted off the grass staining her cape, and pulled Ethan to a stand, holding his arm up and smiling to thunderous applause.


    ¡°Take it all in,¡± she growled, waving politely, ¡°this is the last moment anyone¡¯s going to see you alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the second time I¡¯ve had that thought recently.¡± Ethan played it up, faux-wiping his brow and bowing to Alex, trying to buy his way out of a near-certain execution the second they left. Alex fake laughed, a chilling sound to Ethan.


    He went to pull his palm up, only for Alex to intercept him, pulling it down.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She hissed. ¡°You¡¯re not even supposed to exist. At least¡­not with that.¡±


    ¡°How was I supposed to know that?¡± Ethan asked. Instead of answering, Alex grabbed him under his shoulders and took off, landing on a skyscraper near the western edge of town.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Alex demanded to know, her face an inch from Ethan¡¯s. ¡°You could¡¯ve died!¡±


    ¡°I had to know!¡± Ethan shot back. ¡°I have to go back, to see if she made it out. To see if I¡­¡± he trailed off, sighing.


    ¡°Killed her?¡± Alex finished.


    Nausea overpowered Ethan, who suddenly became dizzy. He dropped to a knee, putting his head in his hands. His breathing quickened, but he felt more and more like he couldn¡¯t get any air.


    ¡°Slow down,¡± Alex told him softly, putting her hand on his back. ¡°Deep breaths. In, hold, out. In, hold out.¡±


    Ethan, unable to do anything else, complied. A few minutes later, his breathing was back to normal, but the nausea remained.


    ¡°Can you take me there?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Apex has the area cordoned off,¡± she told him. ¡°But we can get close. Do you think that¡¯s a good idea, though?¡±


    Ethan nodded, rising to his feet. ¡°I have to know.¡±


    Alex hesitated, then shrugged. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ethan shut his eyes tight as they took off, keeping them shut and shivering against the cold as Alex flew at half speed to Stillrock and, then, to the collapsed mine. She landed gently on a mesa overlooking the area, setting Ethan down.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± she told him.


    For a moment, Ethan thought about how easy it would be to keep his eyes shut, to ask Alex to take him back to the city and pretend none of this ever happened. But it did happen, he had caused this mess, and he only had.


    Slowly, he opened his eyes, the devastation in the valley below him fully in view thanks to the bright light of the high noon sun.


    The collapse ripped the earth, leaving a jagged scar the length of a football field and nearly fifty feet at its widest in a serpentine pattern. The collapse had mostly filled itself in with earth and stone, but the length was still uneven, deeper in some spots and overflowing with others.


    What really caught Ethan¡¯s eye, though, was the grass: a hundred feet in every direction, the grass was gray and crisp, like a fire had spread but, instead of burning, had leeched the life from the vegetation all the way up to the tree line.


    Apex had thrown up a security fence surrounding the site establishing a perimeter, bright yellow caution tape lining the way to a single point of access with a hastily constructed guard tower stationed on either side of the gate.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Man,¡± Alex shook her head, ¡°you must¡¯ve really hated working here.¡±


    ¡°What is all this?¡± Ethan gestured to the valley below them. Apex must¡¯ve had thirty people in forensic suits scouring the site from end to end, he thought, all of them carrying devices that looked like metal detectors.


    ¡°Remember when I said that you weren¡¯t supposed to exist?¡±


    Ethan nodded, his eyes glued to the scientists waving their instruments over the edges of the collapse, listening to the shrill whine from the ones closest to them.


    ¡°Apex told everyone that a Surge would never happen again, and that they had everything all under control. When you collapsed the tunnel, you proved them wrong, and now they have a lot of damage control to perform, and to make sure nobody else who wanders up here could get powers and disrupt the balance we¡¯ve struck in the city.¡±


    ¡°Balance?¡± Ethan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s something Amory always talks about. Right now, despite our best efforts, we¡¯re barely holding a stalemate with the Altered. They know that we¡¯ve got enough firepower to stop any large scale plans, but they know we don¡¯t have enough coverage to fully stop every single robbery or scheme they can come up with. Adding a Protector might make them desperate, but it also gives us an opportunity to turn the tide if you ever learn to control your powers.¡±


    Ethan felt insulted. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve had them for, like, two hours.¡±


    ¡°I was flying after one,¡± Alex told him.


    Ethan rolled his eyes, then walked over to the edge of the mesa. Down below, something caught his eye.


    There was a glint from the sun in front of him, nearly concealed by overturned stone. It was easily missed, looking like nothing more than a large piece of mica fused in the limestone, but it had a strange, blue hue to it. Ethan¡¯s breath caught in his throat as he realized what it was:


    Below him, nearly hidden from sight, was Rainey¡¯s necklace, the chain ripped, but otherwise intact. Most importantly, it was lying there, on the surface. Ethan wanted to scream in joy: Rainey had made it out, somehow. She was alive!


    His relief, however, was short lived, at the realization of some of the last words Rainey had spoken to him: a threat against Alex that she didn¡¯t even know was coming. He caused that problem, and she was out there, plotting and planning. She could strike at any time.


    ¡°Did you¡­find what you needed?¡± Alex asked.


    Ethan nodded, trying to contain his relief. ¡°I think I did,¡± he answered.


    Alex put her hand on Ethan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t want to talk about this, but¡­you both knew the risks.¡±


    Ethan nodded, keeping his eyes low.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t your fault. Well¡­not entirely.¡±


    Ethan let out a shaky breath.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said quietly. He brought his eyes to Alex¡¯s. ¡°But I can¡¯t let this be for nothing. I have these powers now, not that I can control them quite yet, but when I figure that out, I want to use them to make a difference. I want you to train me to become a Protector.¡±


    For the first time all afternoon, Alex smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what I was hoping you¡¯d say.¡±


    ¡°So, what do I do next?¡±


    Alex¡¯s grin was quickly replaced with a grimace. She rubbed her tired eyes, then caught a look at Apex¡¯s operation below. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you thought your life would go after gaining powers, but things¡­aren¡¯t going to be easy. Amory isn¡¯t exactly a soft hearted person, and she won¡¯t like that you¡¯re proof that they failed to contain the Surge, Ethan. That they¡¯ve lied to everyone in Ascension.¡±


    He winced. His whole life was contingent on becoming a Protector, and, now, he didn¡¯t have many other options. ¡°Are you saying that Apex won¡¯t let me become a Protector?¡±


    ¡°This hasn¡¯t ever happened before,¡± she sighed. ¡°So I can¡¯t say for certain, but you can bet they won¡¯t make it easy for you. Plus, training lasts three months, and every Altered still operating in the city is going to love seeing a rookie. It¡¯s been six months since we last initiated a new Protector, and they Altered will test you every chance they get. Your actions have consequences now.¡±


    Ethan faced the mines. ¡°Haven¡¯t they already?¡±


    Alex sighed curtly. ¡°I guess so. Which brings me to my next point: if I take you under my wing and train you, you¡¯re going to have to do exactly what I say. Everything is going to have to be by Apex¡¯s book and you can¡¯t give Amory any more reasons to deny you from becoming a Protector, understand?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, letting out a curt sigh. His voice was picking up confidence. ¡°I¡¯m too far in now to quit. I¡¯ve lost everything. I didn¡¯t exactly have much to start with, but it¡¯s all gone now, and I can¡¯t get it back. The only path for me is forward, to becoming a Protector.¡±


    Alex sighed. ¡°Alright, but just know: I can¡¯t always protect you. You almost died three times already, and two of those were before you ever had powers.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ethan said softly. ¡°But I guess it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ll have the strongest Protector in Ascension looking after me.¡±


    ¡°After the pitiful display you put on this afternoon, we have a lot of work to do,¡± Alex laughed.


    Ethan chuckled lightly. ¡°So, where do we start?¡±


    Alex tapped her finger against the rock. ¡°Well, firstly, you should pick an identity.¡±


    ¡°Like¡­a new name?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you know, like an alter ego. It took me a few iterations to finally land on Titan, so I don¡¯t expect you to have one immediately, but it¡¯d be good to start thinking of one.¡±


    Ethan paused. ¡°Who am I now,¡± he told her, ¡°is¡­who I¡¯ve always wanted to be. I don¡¯t think anything¡¯s changed, really. I¡­I think I¡¯m still just Ethan.¡±


    ¡°Good enough for me,¡± Alex told him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ethan laughed, relieved. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡±Well, I don¡¯t have to patrol for a few more hours, and there¡¯s no pressing emergencies I have to attend to, and you seem to love jumping head first without thinking, so¡­how about¡­¡±


    Alex flew a few feet off the ground, then spun herself around Ethan, and put her arm around his shoulders.


    ¡°Right now,¡± she said, and with an effortless wave of her arm, she knocked Ethan right off the edge, sending him tumbling and screaming down the cliffside below.

 Chapter 12-Slate

    Kingston braced himself as he gently pulled his car off the road and onto a grassy area, killing the lights and putting it in park. Carefully, he stepped out, shutting the door as silently as he could. Despite the need for stealth, he still took a moment to stretch out his aching back, letting out a quiet groan.


    The scenic drive from Ascension to Maybell was well over four hours, and there was no guarantee the results would be worth the trip. Calling his plan a long shot would¡¯ve been putting it politely. Insane was more like it, dangerous was also quite apt.


    However, considering he lied to his wife and said he¡¯d have to work late, he was only going to get one shot at this. There was no backing down now.


    If I¡¯m lucky, I can catch the final period of Jill¡¯s game, he thought, spurring him to set off. If I¡¯m not killed, anyway.


    Alone on the far western edge of the town, hidden by a setting sun and evergreens that lined the long, winding concrete driveway, Kingston crouched, exacerbating his sore lower back, and stalked towards the multi-million dollar mountain home in front of him. The home stood in stark contrast to the rest of the mostly impoverished town, lined with walls of grass and a thin blanket of white snow over what he guessed would¡¯ve been a perfectly manicured yard, a rarity in a place where it hardly rained. There were no cars in the driveway, but as he moved closer Kingston noticed there was one lone light in the upstairs, which sent his heart rate spiking.


    Maybe I didn¡¯t make the trip for nothing, he thought, hope rising in his chest. Continuing forward, Kingston crept around the back of the home, peeking over the well-maintained wooden fence.


    The home, situated on a slope, opened up to the wide, dry valley below, the odd sight bringing a wide smile to Kingston¡¯s face. Where there should¡¯ve been fresh snow, there was, instead, dozens of boulders dotting the landscape.


    ¡°Found you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Did you now?¡± a woman¡¯s voice rang out. Kingston whipped around, his heart racing. Wearing a green, oversized Lavender Mountain hoodie and black, ripped jeans, the woman stood in front of him, arms folded tight across her chest. He tried to project confidence, but suddenly Kingston felt vulnerable, acutely aware of how isolated they were, miles away from the next house far down the road.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not the owner,¡± she said, ¡°or else you would¡¯ve parked in the driveway instead of poking around the backyard.¡±


    ¡°Astute,¡± Kingston confirmed, nodding. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re the one who redecorated that valley?¡±


    She was silent, but clenched her jaw tightly. Kingston smiled. Found her.


    ¡°You kill any cows with those things? What are there, something like ten times as many cows as people here? I¡¯d imagine you¡¯d have to have hit one by now, right?¡±


    ¡°Careful,¡± she warned him, looking entirely unamused. ¡°There¡¯s been rockslides in the area lately.¡±


    Kingston gestured with his arms out. ¡°On top of this hill, with the mountains miles away? It hasn¡¯t rained in a month.¡±


    She tilted her head, taking a few slow, confident steps towards Kingston, who suddenly felt like a mouse watching a viper close in. ¡°All these boulders came from somewhere, and I just wonder what would happen if one of them ended up on top of your car,¡± she told him, her voice even. She stopped, pausing to watch the sun set, letting the silence of the vale below set in. Kingston swallowed hard. ¡°It¡¯s getting awfully dark out, and I¡¯ve found there¡¯s very little in the way of people all the way out here. How would you get home? Wouldn¡¯t your family wonder what you¡¯re doing all the way out here, alone?¡±


    The smile fell from Kingston''s face as he shifted uncomfortably as the evening slowly descended into blue dusk. He shivered, gesturing towards the house. ¡°Right to it, then. Okay. Think we can take this inside? Sun¡¯s going down, and I didn¡¯t bring any gloves.¡±


    He was met with silence. Sighing, he gestured for her to ask away.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Kingston Roy, Amory¡¯s right hand and fixer of Apex¡¯s many mistakes.¡±


    ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    He smiled widely. ¡°Using the old Roy family special: a little bit of ingenuity mixed with a little bit of luck.¡±


    ¡°Is now really the time to get cute?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. After the Surge, Apex was required to place seismometers along the path the Surge was thought to have traveled on its way to Ascension. About a month ago, while I was on watch in the lab, I noticed a few patches of activity near Maybell, small enough to not set off any alarms, but large enough to register. Normally, this wouldn¡¯t be anything we¡¯d pick up on, but the concentration of the activity¡­surprised me. I would¡¯ve brushed it off, but after a few weeks of activity in the same exact area, I realized¡­it couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. Plus, over time, the readings began to increase in size and severity. "You,¡± he pointed to her now, ¡°were very close to ringing a bell that would¡¯ve brought the entirety of Apex¡¯s field team, plus a low-level Protector or two, all the way out here to find what was causing this.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    Now it was her turn to shift uncomfortably.


    Kingston, momentarily, wondered what she might¡¯ve done in the face of Apex¡¯s overwhelming force bearing down on her hideout. Who, exactly, was he dealing with here? He couldn¡¯t use a Protector for his plan, and he needed a wildcard.


    ¡°No one drives four hours out of their way to do someone a favor without asking something in return,¡± she told him. ¡°So, what do you want with me?¡±


    Kingston clicked his tongue, pacing as he remembered.


    ¡°I want,¡± he told her, ¡°what you want.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow, regarding him coolly. ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°The Protectors Ascension has, the ones Amory employs, have no vision. They are content to keep the status quo, content to follow orders, have a flashy battle, and then go home. The biggest problem facing Ascension? Despite what Amory tells everyone, it¡¯s not the Altered. Those guys couldn¡¯t organize their way out of wet paper bag if you gave them knife powers, which one of them literally has!¡±


    ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    Kingston narrowed his gaze, training it on the woman in front of him. ¡°Right now, the city needs someone better, but Protectors are¡­in limited supply. So, I tried to make my own.¡±


    ¡°It was you, then?¡± she asked, surprised, taking a tentative step forward. ¡°You¡¯re the one who sent out the breach point locations?¡±


    ¡°Guilty,¡± he smiled. ¡°Some were guesses based on data that wasn¡¯t too promising, but I knew I just needed one success. The people that stuck with it, the people that kept searching, those people would have drive, initiative. You, I believe, are the success this city needs if it wants to survive.¡±


    ¡°And why do you think that¡¯s me?¡±


    Kingston gestured to the valley, covered with evidence of her practice and growing control. ¡°Usually, when people get powers, they run straight to Apex, trying to establish themselves as a Protector. We only let the strongest in, mostly to ensure we can control them, and cut the weaker ones loose. Failing that, people try to strike out with one of the roving bands of Altered who play outlaws, hoping to¡­rob a bank, or whatever it is they do all day. You, though, are different. You stayed away, training yourself, and you clammed up the moment I mentioned Apex. You¡¯re not like them, you do not want them, and you¡¯re strong, powerful enough to help me fix what¡¯s wrong with Ascension.¡±


    She scoffed. Her eyes locked in on the mountains in the distance. Holding her palm up, her face narrowed in concentration. She flicked her wrist and ripped a boulder from the mountain, tossed it into the sky. Kingston gasped as it landed on top of another boulder, cracking it in two.


    ¡°Amazing,¡± he breathed.


    ¡°It¡¯s still not enough,¡± her gaze shifted to the snow in front of her. ¡°I should¡¯ve known. I put myself through the pain of gaining powers, but mine aren¡¯t like hers. Titan. Nobody¡¯s are. It never will be enough. She can¡¯t be hurt, not even by me.¡±


    Kingston couldn¡¯t help but grin. She narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You know, after the Surge, I was devouring the news, like everyone else was. But, nearly lost in the shuffle of people gaining powers, I caught a story: two women were hiking on the night of the Surge. When it hit, the mountain underneath them ruptured, throwing them both off the side. I believe that was you and-¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± she growled, thunder again rolling in the distance.


    Kingston took a careful step back, his hands up. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with family in Ascension. For the past year, I¡¯ve woken up almost every morning wondering if today was the day that the dam breaks and the radiation comes flooding through the city, washing over everything in its path, devouring it. But what if we could save our families instead? What if we knew exactly when the dam would break, because we set the dynamite.¡±


    ¡°Titan would never allow it,¡± she shook her head dismissively.


    The smile returned to Kingston¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d drive all the way out here, and miss my daughter¡¯s hockey game, without having a plan for that?¡±


    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you know?¡±


    ¡°She can be hurt,¡± Kingston told her, folding his arms. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    ¡°Anyone can be hurt,¡± she spat. ¡°That isn¡¯t enough to knock her out of my way. I need something more permanent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few ideas,¡± Kingston gave her a sly grin. ¡°And, if you promise to see this through, I¡¯ll share them with you.¡±


    She shook her head dismissively. ¡°It won¡¯t be enough. No one is strong enough, not even me.¡±


    ¡°Strength is one thing no one can beat her at. But she has weaknesses, ones she doesn¡¯t even know about. With your strength combined with my knowledge, we¡¯re going to strike at her in a way she won¡¯t see coming. All her strength won¡¯t be enough to stop us. So, what do you say?¡±


    Starting imperceptibly, the rumble behind him deepened and grew. Kingston spun around as one of the boulders shattered entirely, then another, rupturing into dust. He nodded, impressed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes. First things first, you¡¯re going to need some help. You can¡¯t just take Titan on by yourself.¡±


    Annoyed, she rolled her eyes, but nodded, relenting. Kingston smiled.


    ¡°Call me when you¡¯re ready to begin. I¡¯ll walk you through my plan.¡± He smiled, starting to walk back to his car, then stopped just as he reached her. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot to ask. What should I call you?¡±


    ¡°My name is Rainey.¡±


    Kingston laughed. ¡°Rainey, nobody uses their real name after they get powers. Do you think people would respect Titan nearly as much if she was called, like, Margaret?¡±


    Rainey hated to admit it, but she did agree. Out in front of her, the sun settled firmly behind the mountains, casting the massive, jagged range of peaks in a blue-grey light that dominated the landscape. She smiled.


    ¡°Call me Slate.¡±


    Kingston nodded. ¡°Better. I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±

 Chapter 13-Last Day on the Job

    Ethan should¡¯ve been absolutely miserable.


    The ordinarily dazzling night sky of Ascension was almost entirely dark as heavy gray clouds blanketed the night sky, dumping heaps of thick snow on the usually bustling city. Even this deep into the night there should¡¯ve been a symphony of life blaring in Ethan¡¯s ears. Instead, it felt like everyone had collectively decided to head inside and wait out the storm, leaving him feeling even more alone in the unusually quiet city.


    Despite not yet being a Protector, Alex had been able to snag one of their specially designed heavy jackets from Apex¡¯s headquarters for him, and, after some testing, he had found out that, luckily, his powers still worked even through the snowboarding gloves protecting his fingers from frostbite. But even with the hood pulled over his black snowboarding helmet, complete with glasses that were typically used to block the glare of the sun off the snow, Ethan kept having to wipe the snowflakes off his lenses with a gloved hand to keep from blocking his vision.


    The wind was blowing them hard directly into his line of sight, temporarily preventing him from keeping watch over the Ascension Sports Museum, a glass, two story building in the shape of a football directly across the street from the four story mall Ethan was currently perched on top of. He hadn¡¯t slept more than four hours a night since the stakeout had started a week ago and this was the second blizzard he had to fight through without a shelter to utilize.


    Instead of being miserable, he wore the same smile that¡¯d been practically plastered on his face for the past three months. Since gaining powers, Ethan had never felt more alive.


    Despite the storm raging around him Ethan was still practically giddy to be above ground, in the open air where almost anything could happen. Nothing had yet, of course, but still. Something could happen at any moment, and that was more than enough to excite him.


    While she patrolled her home turf in Sector One and assisted with any vehicles stuck in the snow, Titan had ordered Ethan to surveil the Ascension Sports History Museum for any signs of an Altered known by the name of Vider who could turn himself invisible at will.


    Her orders called to mind a time in high school where Ethan¡¯s baseball coach asked him to go find the mound digger in the tool shed while they were getting ready for the first game of their season. Ethan had run halfway there before he stopped and turned back, his face red. You couldn¡¯t dig a mound, and, he figured, you couldn¡¯t really watch for an invisible man, but after protesting that Alex must¡¯ve been playing a joke on him, Alex showed him proof that Vider was not only real, but had been a plague in Sector Two for well over six months now, stealing priceless object after object, evading capture each time.


    Aegis, the prime Protector of Sector Two, set a trap she didn¡¯t think Vider could resist: Apex purchased and displayed an autographed baseball from the Ace¡¯s lone World Series win in 1924, exactly one century ago, in the Ascension¡¯s Sports Museum. By Ethan¡¯s reckoning, the ball was the most expensive and least secured item in the entire city, with little more than a locked glass display case over the top.


    Ethan was keeping a close eye on the display case. Or, at least, as close as he could, given the storm. If Vider took the bait, Ethan was supposed to call Alex and have her take care of things from there, keeping himself out of sight per Amory¡¯s orders until he could take his evaluation.


    He was basically a home alarm system, but for a baseball.


    Ethan winced as the communicator in his ear beeped twice, another thing he wasn¡¯t quite used to yet after gaining powers. He tapped it, opening the line


    ¡°Can you see anything through all that snow?¡± Alex asked with more than just a hint of a smile. Ethan rolled his eyes, wiping his lenses again to clear them.


    ¡°I¡¯m managing,¡± he told her.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve tried to get fire powers,¡± Alex told him. ¡°If I could do it all again, I¡¯d try for that instead. Just think warm thoughts while running for my life.¡±


    Ethan laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll try to remember that if I ever find another breach point.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bring that up,¡± Alex chided him. ¡°I¡¯m in enough trouble for that as is, thanks to you.¡±


    Ethan winced. He waved a glowing palm in front of his face, grinning to himself. ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, don¡¯t even bother.¡±


    The wind picked up, blowing a pile of snow directly into his face. He sputtered, wiping his goggles off.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working,¡± he told her, sighing. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything from here. I¡¯ve got to get closer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to stay clear of anyone who might see you,¡± Alex chided him. ¡°Even letting you operate in the city is a huge risk.¡±


    ¡°What are we so afraid of, exactly?¡± Ethan asked, frustration building. He and Alex had trained almost exclusively in the mountains an hour or two away from Ascension, often in heavily secluded, snow-covered valleys that only they could reach. He was thankful she had spent so much time with him and helped him grow control of his abilities, but if he was ever going to become a Protector, he needed to start gaining real world experience as well, and that inevitably meant being seen by Altered, something Amory wasn¡¯t keen on letting happen.


    ¡°I told you already,¡± Alex sighed, ¡°you¡¯re new, and that¡¯s not supposed to happen anymore. Everyone with powers got them from the Surge. If we debut a new Protector, everyone¡¯s going to wonder how you got powers and, more importantly, how they can get powers themselves. You¡¯ll set off a new gold rush, essentially, and we¡¯re barely holding ground as it is.¡±


    Ethan grumbled, but didn¡¯t protest. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let you know if I see anything.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Thank you, and try not to freeze to death,¡± Alex joked as she hung up.


    ¡°Easier said than done,¡± Ethan muttered.


    He understood what Alex was saying, but, at the same time, wasn¡¯t capturing Vider more important than potentially being seen? He¡¯d hate to have Aegis¡¯ plan completely go to waste, and for Apex to have spent all that money on the ball only for it to be stolen.


    ¡°It would be nice to get out of this storm, too¡­¡±


    Ethan pulled back his hood and took off his goggles, the cold air stinging his eyes. He stood, then picked a comfortable spot where he could hide just behind a bronze, life sized statue of one of Ascension¡¯s Hall of Fame players right where the ball was displayed. He opened a portal in front of him and stepped through, the warmth immediately permeating his frozen bones. He shook the snow off his hood, sighing contentedly, and settled onto one knee behind the statue.


    While he was enjoying the building¡¯s heat blasting through the vents, his eyes grew wide as the baseball lifted into the air, seemingly floating, then disappeared entirely. He tapped his communicator, whispering quietly.


    ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± he said to Alex softly.


    ¡°Good catch. Stay on that building and I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Ethan cursed quietly. He didn¡¯t want to disappoint Alex, especially not on their first joint mission together. Quietly, he opened a portal in front of him, but found he couldn¡¯t see the building corner he previously perched himself on, blinding snow blocking his line of sight. He grit his teeth together. Until Vider left, he was stuck.


    Vider tossed the ball in the air and smiled to himself, turning to walk away.


    ¡°Easiest job yet,¡± he laughed quietly to himself. He took one step towards the door, then paused as his shoe dipped into something wet.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± he whispered, pulling his shoe up to take a closer look. The water dripped off his boot and down into a puddle, splashing on the tile floor.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Ethan muttered to himself, looking down. The snow he tracked in had melted off him, leaking out onto the floor. Vider tracked the water, which was running towards the center of the room, back to the statue Ethan was hiding behind. Vider walked over and knocked the statue to the ground, but Ethan had already opened a portal to the opposite end of the room.


    Vider muttered to himself, then made for the staircase, pushing open the door. With him out of the way, Ethan rushed to the window and carefully opened a portal in front of him, then another one as far back on the roof as he could see just to ensure he wouldn¡¯t accidentally open a portal that would drop him ten stories down onto the street below. He dipped a toe through the portal, felt the snowy gravel of the rooftop crunch beneath his boot, and stepped through, whipping himself back towards the Museum.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± he muttered, his breath fogging up his lenses. He wiped them, futilely, then ripped them off entirely, his eyes stinging against the cold. Once he regained his vision, he scanned the rooftop, looking for any sign of Vider, anything out of place. Frustrated, he growled under his breath.


    ¡°You were wrong, Alex, you can¡¯t watch for an invisible man!¡±


    Cursing his lack of progress, a new thought occurred to him: maybe he couldn¡¯t see Vider, but, with how quiet the city was in the midst of this storm, he might be able to hear him.


    Instead of trying to spot the invisible man, Ethan shut his eyes. He tuned out the wind, tuned out the car alarm blaring faintly a number of blocks away, and listened, faintly hearing the sound of boots on fresh snow. He tried to identify where the crunching noise was coming from, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint it exactly. He snapped his eyes open, aware of what to look for now and, on the rooftop in front of him, nearing the fire escape, he saw footprints appearing out of thin air. Ethan¡¯s eyes widened, his heart pounding in his chest.


    Vider was just a few steps away from the ladder that would¡¯ve given him his escape when Ethan threw up a void right in front of him. Vider slammed into the void with a grunt, falling backward and turning visible once more. Ethan opened the portal in front of him and hopped out in front of Vider, careful not to slip. Alex landed on the rooftop behind them, slipping with a curse as she rushed towards them.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Vider yelled, trying to scramble to his feet but slipping in the snow. ¡°I won,¡± he exclaimed. ¡°This isn¡¯t how things are done here!¡±


    ¡°Appears not,¡± Alex replied, grabbing him by the back of his collar and wrapping an arm around his chest to keep him tight.


    Vider struggled briefly, then returned his fiery gaze to Ethan.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here,¡± he growled.


    Ethan scoffed. ¡°Neither are you!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. This isn¡¯t your territory,¡± he said, distressingly phasing in and out of view as his anger grew and waned. ¡°Aegis. Curar. Kestrel.¡±


    Ethan narrowed his eyes. He recognized the names, but wasn¡¯t sure of their significance. ¡°Sector Two¡¯s Protectors? What does this have to do with them?¡±


    ¡°This is their territory. If I choose to do something, and I beat them, I win. I stay in my territory, and they stay in theirs. You are not supposed to be a part of this equation, and you brought Titan along? Slow night, huh?¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Alex gripped him tighter, ¡°are not entitled to anything. You tried to steal, and we caught you, end of story.¡±


    Vider stopped struggling, seemingly almost at peace. ¡°It won¡¯t be me, but there will be a response. You are new, and you should¡¯ve stayed hidden. Where did you come from?¡±


    If there was one thing that Alex had imprinted into Ethan¡¯s mind, it was specifically to not answer that question. He was, in all situations, to provide, with as blank a face as possible, the following scripted response:


    He shrugged.


    Alex sighed heavily, checking her watch. ¡°It¡¯s late, or, early, I guess. I¡¯ve called in transport for Vider. Why don¡¯t you get out of here before you break any more rules Amory set for you?¡±


    Ethan winced. ¡°Sorry for¡­this,¡± he gestured to the still-wriggling Vider, then opened a portal to a rooftop a few streets away, then another out of sight of the Museum, trying not to let the sense of unease permeate too deep. Vider¡¯s response validated everything Amory had said, and that left Ethan worried.


    With his work done for the night, Ethan sighed curtly, his breath steaming out in front of him. Now, with the snow mercifully lightening, came the part he hated most.


    He had to find a place to sleep.

 Chapter 14- Sola

    2 Months Later


    After the chaos that the Surge brought to Ascension, Apex divided the Ascension into five sectors so they could adequately staff Protectors to patrol each area of the city. Whereas Sector one consisted primarily of Ascension¡¯s bustling downtown and the swanky Governor¡¯s mansion, demanding the most attention and strongest Protectors, Sector five was largely comprised of manufacturing facilities and run down strip malls that were unfit for anything except demolition. Each night, the Sector was left nearly empty after the last of the warehouse floor workers flooded into their cars and headed West back home, leaving only a slow trickle of janitorial staff to take their places in the dark. This meant that there was hardly ever any foot traffic in Sector five past dark, and tonight was a particularly freezing night with nothing but the gloomy streetlights to illuminate the sidewalk outside, which made it a pretty safe bet that Penny wouldn¡¯t be seeing any more customers come through the doors.


    Luckily, that meant she could spend the last two hours of her shift at Jim¡¯s Jewelry store getting ahead on inventory orders and cleaning the cases, ensuring her handoff to Beck would go smoothly tomorrow morning for the store¡¯s opening. Beck had spent her past few shifts leaving passive aggressive notes to Penny about the cloudy spots on the jewelry cases, going so far as to circle in dry erase markers the spots she thought Penny missed, so she devoted extra time to cleaning each and every spot her eyes caught, unwittingly staying half an hour past the store¡¯s closing cleaning the glass cases and hunting down every last imperfection.


    Penny finally threw her heavy jacket on and shut the lights off for the night. As she stepped through the door, she noticed a dark figure standing against a car on the opposite side of the street, hood covering their face, a few storefronts down from Jim¡¯s. She felt herself tense. She hadn¡¯t seen anyone come down the road for hours, and with the weather there shouldn¡¯t have been anyone out on the street at all, much less standing there and waiting for¡­something.


    Penny, wasn¡¯t exactly sure what that person intended to do once she was gone, but Jim¡¯s was the only store on the street that would be worth breaking in to; all the others were thrift stores or manufacturing parts meant to service the warehouses, neither of which were exactly worth enough to entice an Altered to break in. She pulled out her phone, searched for the line to report a potential Altered to Apex, and saved the number. She had seen plenty of fights between Protectors and Altered on the internet, but hadn¡¯t ever actually encountered an Altered herself, and she was hoping to keep that streak going tonight. She took a deep breath, stepped out the door, locked it behind her, and started a brisk walk in the opposite direction. When she was certain she wasn¡¯t the target, she picked up her phone, dialing Apex¡¯s response line.


    A few moments later, Penny had gotten a hold of someone and appraised them of the potential situation, feeling relieved at a promise that Apex would send someone right over. She sighed in relief, then groaned loudly at the realization that, if someone were to break in, all that extra time spent cleaning the glass cases was probably going to be for nothing.


    ¡ª


    With eyes like a hungry lion, Sola watched the overly attentive store clerk finally disappear behind a corner. She had been standing on the street for the past half hour, well past the store¡¯s closing, waiting impatiently for the woman to finally shut the lights off for the night and head out. Now that the woman was gone, and the store finally empty of anyone she¡¯d have to force out of her way, Sola rolled her neck, stretching her tight joints against the cold air, and pushed herself off the beaten sedan she¡¯d used the hood of for a seat. She straightened out her black jacket and casually made her way across the silent street, stopping just short of the storefront.


    This wasn¡¯t what Sola imagined she¡¯d be doing when she gained her abilities. Her dreams were bigger than breaking into a run-down jewelry store on the edge of town, but beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers. She couldn¡¯t have gotten her powers without help, and now it was time to pay that help back, even if it was doing something she considered beneath her. After all, she didn¡¯t really want her first time using her powers in Ascension to be in service of something so¡­small.


    All she had to do was break into an unmanned jewelry store. Not a bank vault. Not pull off a multi-layered art heist in Italy. Just a small store with little to no security and barely any payoff.


    ¡°God,¡± she said, disgusted with herself. She put her hands on her hips, shaking her head as the white neon sign lit up from the bottom to the top, illuminating a diamond twice the size of her head. ¡°This is so cliche.¡±


    She raised a hand, purple energy gathering in her palm, and loosed it, sending a stream of plasma that slammed into the store¡¯s door handle and shot it back into the store, clattering against the shelves. The door swung open and Sola, wordlessly, took a step towards it, only to be stopped by a wall of black metal bars that slammed into the ground, blocking her path.


    She sighed. ¡°Cute.¡±


    Raising both hands, bright purple energy gathered and swirled around her fists, crackling with unnatural heat in the fall air and drawing her like a magnet. She grunted with exertion, then let out a stream of plasma that cut through the bars, dropping them to the ground with a clang loud enough to alert the entire street to what she was up to, if anyone cared to check. But if Sola was feeling the pressure of potentially drawing attention, she didn¡¯t show it: she strolled into the store, casually eyeing the jewelry safely tucked away behind the glass case as if she was an aristocrat on vacation in Vienna.


    She spent a few minutes perusing, her eyes glancing from piece to piece, sapphires and emeralds placed in rings, opal earrings dotting the green felt-lined cases. Then, without warning, like a hawk suddenly diving down towards its prey, she stopped, then slammed a plasma-covered hand through the glass, turning it into a sizzling liquid. She let the pieces fall into the case, then pulled out the largest diamond the store had to offer, a sparkling sphere of clear crystal roughly the size of a dime.


    ¡°Damn,¡± she growled, turning the jewels over in her fingers, ¡°still not enough, but at least I¡¯m getting closer.¡±


    Leaving the other cases of silver jewelry untouched, Sola stepped out of the store and back onto the street, keeping her eyes on the diamond. She grimaced, then slipped it into her coat pocket, annoyed that this trip wouldn¡¯t be the last one she¡¯d have to make that week. She finally lifted her eyes, only to then notice a couple standing next to her on the sidewalk, wide and terrified eyes staring back at her.


    ¡°Want something?¡± She asked, gesturing to the broken entrance. She was met with silence until another metal bar, previously hanging by a thread, gave way and crashed onto the rest. The man put his arm around his wife, stepped in front of her, and pulled her urgently back down the street, the pair sprinting away from Sola once they thought they were out of range.


    ¡°I was just trying to be nice!¡± She yelled, shaking her head. She huffed, her breath visible in the frigid air. ¡°Everyone acts like I¡¯m a monster.¡±


    ¡°If you want to improve your image,¡± a woman¡¯s voice rang out from behind her, younger than Sola¡¯s own, ¡°maybe you should try not attacking the only valuable shop in this entire district.¡±


    Sola turned to find herself staring at the woman, a head shorter and at least a decade younger than her. Barely visible under the streetlight, Sola could just make out that she was dressed in a yellow leather jacket with black gloves and black pants to match, with padding in the shoulders and thighs. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sola said, faux-apologetically, ¡°there¡¯s just so many no-name Protectors running around. Which one are you?¡±


    She held out her right hand, and the street light next to Sola began to flicker violently before shattering entirely, raining glass over her head. Sola cursed and ducked, moving out of the way, then watched as a stream of light flowed lazily from the lamp to the woman¡¯s hand. Wordlessly, she put her closed hands together, then spread them apart, creating a staff of pure light.


    ¡°I¡¯m Syphon,¡± she answered, flexing her hand over the staff. ¡°And you must be the reason I got dragged out into the cold.¡±


    ¡°Guilty,¡± Sola answered, bowing her head deferentially. ¡°But in my defense I didn¡¯t expect Apex to send a child out past her bedtime.¡±


    Syphon laughed, spinning her staff. ¡°Got a name?¡±


    ¡°Sola.¡± Her eyes narrowed at Syphon¡¯s weapon, created from seemingly nothing. ¡°I must admit, that¡¯s an awfully neat trick.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Syphon said. She tapped the ground with her staff, sparks flying off paired with a solid sound emanating from the bottom that made Sola wince. ¡°Hard light. Hurts like hell when you get hit with it. I¡¯ve been told it feels like getting smacked with a lightning bolt.¡±


    ¡±I don¡¯t doubt it,¡± Sola laughed, ¡°which is exactly why I¡¯m proposing we avoid this whole situation.¡±


    Syphon raised an eyebrow, but her muscles stayed tensed, ready for anything Sola might throw at her. To Syphon¡¯s surprise, instead of attacking, Sola sighed heavily and spoke.


    ¡°Syphon, I¡¯m a pragmatic person and, truth be told, I don¡¯t really want to be here tonight. It¡¯s too cold, I didn¡¯t get what I came for, and I¡¯m not exactly happy. Unlike a lot of my¡­colleagues, I didn¡¯t get into this line of work for the violence. In fact, I¡¯d say you and I are closer aligned than I am to someone like Duclaw.¡±


    ¡°That so?¡± she called back. Sola nodded.


    ¡°So, what do you say that I walk down this way to the nearest bar, and you get back to¡­whatever it is Protector¡¯s do when they¡¯re not harassing someone. Probably looking for someone else to harass.¡±


    Syphon considered her proposal for a second, tilting her head back and forth as she weighed her response. ¡°Sure,¡± she said, ¡°so long as you return what you took.¡±


    Sola offered her an apologetic glance, grimacing. ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Syphon asked. ¡°You just said it wasn¡¯t what you wanted.¡±


    ¡±True,¡± Sola admitted, ¡°but that¡¯s because I was hoping for more. And if I put these diamonds back, I¡¯ll just have to get more the next time.¡± Sola¡¯s left hand started to glow a deep purple. ¡°And maybe next time, I run into someone who tries to stop me, someone I can¡¯t reason with. Someone who doesn¡¯t realize who they¡¯re standing in front of, or what I¡¯m capable of.¡± Syphon held Sola¡¯s intense stare, her heartbeat quickening. The purple energy around Sola¡¯s hand grew brighter, illuminating her hardset jaw.


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve gotten yourself into. But maybe you¡¯re starting to realize, and you¡¯re thinking about how easy it¡¯d be to just walk away. You should do that.¡±


    Syphon¡¯s eyes were glued to Sola¡¯s hands, tightening her grip on her staff.


    ¡°Or,¡± Sola drew the word out, the plasma radiating from her palm. She threw her fingers open, blasting a window and shattering the glass. ¡°You can try to stop me from leaving, and I¡¯ll put a hole in your chest.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Syphon said, drawing the light from the neon sign in front of the jewelry store, forming into a white sphere the size of a tennis ball of orange light rotating swiftly in her palm. Sola narrowed her eyes, watching intently. ¡°They don¡¯t pay me to walk away.¡±


    Syphon launched the sphere of white light right in front of Sola, the ball exploding in a blinding flash that sent Sola reeling backwards, nearly tripping over the curb. She coughed in the face of acrid smoke, waving her hand in front of her mouth and shuffling backwards to find a patch of clear air. Just as she was able to open her eyes, she caught the glint of light Syphon¡¯s brilliant yellow staff breaking through the cloud of grey smoke and coming down straight for her head, forcing her to dart out of the way.


    Syphon followed up her attack with a wide swing, aiming to catch Sola in the ribs, but came up empty when Sola jumped back and launched a blast of plasma right in front of Syphon¡¯s foot, throwing her off balance as the rubble exploded around her, giving Sola a bit of breathing room and a chance to catch her breath.


    The moment was short lived.


    Syphon feinted left, and Sola fired off a blast of plasma that crackled right past Syphon¡¯s ear as she then brought her staff back right and caught Sola right on the thigh, sending her to one knee with a roar of pain. Syphon took her staff and put it in front of Sola¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Now¡¯s a real good time to let me take you in,¡± Syphon said, wearing a cocky smile that set off a fresh wave of rage in Sola. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, it really is getting close to my bedtime, and I¡¯d love to wrap this up and get home to feed my birds.¡±


    ¡°Your birds are going to have to wait,¡± Sola growled, both hands swirling with purple energy. ¡°Unless you back off right now. Come on. Don¡¯t make me hurt you.¡±


    She laughed derisively, catching her breath. ¡°Honestly,¡± Syphon said, ¡°if this is the best you can do, I don¡¯t think I have anything to worry about.¡±


    Syphon launched into another overhead attack, her staff glittering in the yellow streetlight, but this time Sola took a much more subtle move to the left. When Syphon came up empty, her staff cutting through the air and bouncing off the street, Sola was only a foot away. She threw her fist right into Syphon¡¯s stomach, doubling her over and forcing her to drop her staff. Sola placed her hand around it, then yelped when she was shocked by the staff, the pain like touching a live wire. Sola reared back to strike as Syphon snatched her staff and rolled away from Sola, putting ten feet in between them, both standing dead center in the road.


    ¡°Always love when Altered find that out,¡± Syphon laughed, tapping the end of her staff. ¡°Hurts even more when you get hit in the face.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡± Sola asked, putting her arms out to her side. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    Syphon took a few running steps, raising her staff high.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t try,¡± Sola muttered.


    She brought both of her hands up, aimed them at Syphon¡¯s chest, thought better of it, and let out a long burst of plasma that burrowed into Syphon¡¯s left thigh, hoping the padding would eat most of the blast.


    Judging by the scream of pain Syphon let out, Sola didn¡¯t think that was the case.


    Syphon¡¯s staff flew out of her hand and clattered on the street while Syphon went down awkwardly, landing hard on her shoulder. She rolled, settling on her side and immediately began clutching her leg. Sola walked over to her staff and let out two plasma blasts, disintegrating it and scorching the street. She set her sights on Syphon, her skin exposed from the burn in her pant leg, already blistered and an angry red.


    Sola kneeled next to Syphon, then let out a long whistle.


    ¡°I think¡­think it¡¯s broken,¡± Syphon managed to get out between clenched teeth. ¡°I landed on it¡­in my fall.¡±


    ¡°That looks painful,¡± Sola said. ¡°But it¡¯ll heal. My advice? Stay down. Don¡¯t make it worse.¡±


    Syphon, in a last ditch attempt to sway the fight her way, weakly reached her hand out to the streetlight overhead. Barely able to lift her arm, Sola was able to easily pin it back to the street. Sola brought her other hand, radiating purple energy, over Syphon¡¯s face, who did her best not to let out a shrill whimper. Sola held it there a moment, the heat alone nearly overwhelming Syphon, then said:


    ¡°Be grateful I¡¯m leaving you with just a broken leg.¡±


    Her voice was full of venom, but glancing down at Syphon¡¯s pained face, her body shivering violently, Sola couldn¡¯t help herself. She stood to walk away, then hesitated, finally rolling her eyes, annoyed with herself, and angrily took off her jacket, draping it over Syphon.


    ¡°You¡¯re going into shock,¡± she said, ¡°this will keep you warm until your support team gets here. Also, I am going to want this back, so please don¡¯t throw up on it.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll¡­send someone else,¡± Syphon managed out, clutching the jacket. ¡°To find you. To stop you.¡±


    Sola shrugged. ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope they take me up on my drink offer. Because if the next Protector Apex sends also wants to waste my time¡­¡±


    With the sound of sirens fastly approaching, Sola glanced down the street, red and blue lights reflecting off the glass windows. She picked an alley and started towards it, darting into the shadows. She spoke loud enough for Syphon to hear her, her voice echoing off the stone walls.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to end up with a lot worse than a broken arm.¡±

 Chapter 15-Less than Super

    Growing up, Ethan always wanted to be an astronaut.


    Of course, very few people ever actually become astronauts, so when people picture themselves becoming astronauts, nobody pictures themselves going through the rigorous training process to endure the rigors of outer space.  People never think about how hard they have to diet, train, and study throughout the decade-long process of going to outer space, let alone consider the risks involved.


    Similarly, whenever Ethan was down in the mine and he passed the time by imagining getting powers, he usually, if unwittingly, skipped over the part where he¡¯d have to learn to control something nobody else on the planet could do.   Luckily, Alex had some experience in the matter of learning to control superhuman abilities, and after she had finished her patrols throughout Ascension she spent nearly all of the free time she had over the past three months getting Ethan in shape to become a Protector, running him through a series of training sessions to help him gain a sense of control over his teleportation abilities.


    Ethan had spent nearly every night in the past three months either training with Alex in the forests surrounding Ascension as fall gave way to the brisk winter nights or, when he was lucky, shadowing her from a distance as she patrolled the city, watching as she occasionally responded to incidents where Altered were either desperate enough or misfortunate enough to cross her path.  Normally, those encounters fell into two categories: either an Altered was trying to steal something valuable, like Vider, or a couple of Altered would occasionally target each other, making a power play for territory in a different sector of the city than they typically operated in.


    As Alex explained it to him, the Altered largely knew by now what Protectors controlled each sector and they would fight against each other for territory in a weaker Protector¡¯s sector, potentially allowing for more successful operations.  The stronger Protectors, like Titan, guarded sectors of the city that had more population or more valuable targets, like the state house or sports stadiums, and the lower powered Altered mostly avoided those wealthier, higher traffic areas.


    As Ethan trained with Alex, he realized it paid to be in Sector Two, the same one he watched over last night: it was close enough to Sector One that the Altered largely steered clear, instead targeting the lesser defended sectors four and five.  Lately, he hoped to be placed in Sector two, guarding the Ace¡¯s stadium and, conveniently, allowing him to watch all of their games, as mediocre as they may be.  He pissed off Vider, who threatened retribution, but Ethan figured he could handle them, even if he had to call Alex for help.  After all, she¡¯d only be a few streets away if he was given a role in protecting sector two.


    But, of course, that was just a dream until he actually passed his evaluation, and his training had been rocky to say the least.  Ethan hadn¡¯t teleported himself directly into a mountain as he had feared he would, but he also hadn¡¯t managed to land a single punch on Alex on the nights they¡¯d sparred.  Not that he necessarily wanted to, of course, considering he watched Duclaw nearly shatter his forearm trying, but even a tap would¡¯ve been nice after three whole months of trying.


    What also would¡¯ve been nice, as the sun rose above the eastern plain just a few hours after his all-night stakeout and encounter with Vider, was a few more hours of sleep before his evaluation later that morning.


    But as a shrill voice rang out through the chilly morning air, Ethan realized that wasn¡¯t happening, either.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not supposed to be here!¡±


    Why can¡¯t anything ever be easy, Ethan groaned.  He slowly opened one eye towards the direction of the woman¡¯s voice, assessing if she was serious enough to necessitate opening his other eye, or if he could mercifully fall back asleep.  With one partially open eye, he noticed the woman, wearing the tell-tale black jacket, matching pants and utility belt of a security guard.  Ethan could just make out through his blurry vision a name badge that read Amber.  She strode over to him angrily, boots stomping on the tile, confusion plain on her face.


    ¡°What are you doing up here?¡± She demanded to know first, then: ¡°And how did you even get up here?¡±


    Ethan understood the confusion; it probably wasn¡¯t every day that she found someone sleeping on the rooftop deck of the Ascent hotel, commandeering a few of the lounge chairs and turning them into a makeshift bed, complete with a mess of pool towels as a very poor substitute for blankets.  It was probably even rarer to find someone up here in January, when the deck had been locked and the pool closed for the winter season.  There was no access from the inside of the hotel, but luckily for Ethan he didn¡¯t exactly need to use the front door to get where he wanted.


    ¡°One question at a time,¡± Ethan groaned, pleadingly, ¡°I¡¯ve had three straight months of rough nights and I was just about to fall asleep, okay?¡±  He yawned loudly, stretching out on the pool chair and pushing himself onto his elbows.  He brushed some snow off his towel blanket, then motioned for her to proceed.


    ¡°What are you doing up here?¡± She asked again, more urgently this time.


    ¡°Sleeping,¡± he answered, gesturing towards his arrangements.  ¡°Or at least I was trying to until you showed up.¡±


    ¡°Why on Earth would you be sleeping up here?  It¡¯s January!¡±


    Ethan suddenly shivered, confirming that it was, in fact, a freezing winter morning, further evidenced by the sheet of lily white snow reflecting the early morning sun off the Lavender Mountains in the distance.  His newly buzzed haircut wasn¡¯t helping to keep him warm, and his white Apex trainee suit was thinner than he¡¯d like it to be.  Ethan would¡¯ve been lying if he said he didn¡¯t miss the warmth of his bed, but the truth was he didn¡¯t quite feel welcome home and, not having any friends aside from Raz, he had been staying on the hotel¡¯s roof deck for the better part of a month without incident.


    His current situation was, in a word, miserable, but at least he didn¡¯t have to go home.


    ¡°Do you want the long answer or the short answer?¡± Ethan asked.


    ¡°I want you to leave!¡± She retorted.


    ¡°Short answer it is.  My name is Ethan Havoc, you may have seen it in the news lately.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± Amber took a step back, reaching for what Ethan hoped was only a taser clipped on her belt.  The suit, Alex assured him, was not bulletproof, and he had no intentions of proving her wrong.  ¡°You¡¯re the person who blew up that mine in Stillrock!¡±


    ¡°I did not blow it up,¡± Ethan corrected her pointedly, ¡°I only collapsed one tunnel.  It exploded on its own due to reasons that are highly classified but also not my fault.¡±


    Apex had, to the best of their ability, covered up the accident that gave Ethan his abilities, but Ethan suspected that Oscar the superintendent had leaked his name to the press as retribution for Rainey telling him his house had caught fire, allowing them to sneak into the mine.  Apex quarantined the site, but they couldn¡¯t stop the news from reporting that Ethan had, in fact, been in the mines when it collapsed and that he may or may not have played a role.  Which, of course he had, but he didn¡¯t like Amber¡¯s tone about it.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She sputtered, her grip tightening on the black handle.  He rolled his eyes, sighing heavily.  He, of course, was leaving out a few key details, mainly why the tunnel collapsed in the first place, but she did opt for the short answers.


    ¡°So you¡¯re wanted?¡± Amber asked.  ¡°Is that why you¡¯re sleeping out here?¡±


    ¡°No.  At least, probably not.¡±


    Exactly what Apex thought of Ethan was, even after three months, unclear.  Alex never told him directly what Amory Webster, the creator and leader of Apex¡¯s Protector program truly thought of him, but despite demanding he stay out of the spotlight, she at least tolerated his existence and hadn¡¯t outright tried to kill him.  For now, anyway, though with his evaluation looming, that was subject to change by the end of the day.


    Amber pulled up the walkie off her belt, presumably about to call for backup with real weapons, something Ethan would love to avoid.  Realizing that was the wrong answer, Ethan pivoted.  ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of Titan?  Legendary Protector of Ascension, the reason we¡¯re all still alive?¡±


    Amber¡¯s eyes widened, her grip easing.  She nodded.


    ¡°She¡¯s been training me for the past three months, and I¡¯m about to take my evaluation to become a Protector of Ascension, joining the illustrious group she started a little more than a year ago.  Should I survive the grueling gauntlet they¡¯re undoubtedly planning to throw at me, I¡¯ll be patrolling one of the sectors of the city, making sure vagabonds like me aren¡¯t sleeping on your hotel¡¯s roof.  Or, you know, preventing real crimes.¡±


    Amber eyed him suspiciously.  ¡°Trespassing is a real crime,¡± she spat.


    Ethan rolled his eyes.  ¡°You know what I mean.  Protectors only get involved in Altered-related incidents, not the day to day misdemeanors like miscreants sleeping on your roof.  That¡¯s where people like you come in.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re a big-shot Protector, why are you sleeping outside on the roof of a hotel you do not have a reservation for?¡±


    Ethan sighed, falling back into the lounge chair.  He motioned for Amber to take the chair next to him.  When she remained standing, he shrugged.


    ¡°Blowing up that tunnel¡­also blew up my personal life,¡± he explained.  ¡°Apex provides all Protectors with apartments in the city, but I¡¯m not exactly a Protector yet, just one in training.  That also means I¡¯m not exactly getting paid yet, either.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re kind of doing like¡­an internship?¡±


    ¡°Sort of, except I get beat up a lot.  And they still might deny me employment at the end.  Does that make sense?¡±


    Amber shook her head.  ¡°No.  Why would anyone sign up for that?¡±


    Ethan grimaced.  ¡°Well, as it was explained to me by Titan, Apex is in charge of evaluating anyone affected by the Surge.  If you have powers, they need to know about it, even if its as simple as being able to change the television channel when you blink.¡±


    ¡°Nobody watches TV anymore,¡±  Amber pointed out.


    ¡°Fair enough.  So, if you want to become a Protector and actually get paid, you have to train for three months with a mentor and mine just so happens to be Titan.¡±


    ¡°And what happens if you fail?¡±


    Ethan shivered again.  He hadn¡¯t really had time to think about what happened if this didn¡¯t work.  He couldn¡¯t have gotten powers for nothing, and he Apex¡¯s permission to continue using his powers so he could pursue Rainey, assuming she still planned to kill Alex.  Which, she seemed pretty hell-bent on last time he asked.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll find a different hotel roof to sleep on,¡± he answered quietly.


    Amber shook her head.  ¡°Why, exactly, are you up here in the first place if you have such a big-shot mentor?¡±


    Ethan sighed.  ¡°Well, since I don¡¯t have any money, me and my best friend, Raz, aren¡¯t exactly seeing eye to eye right now, and we¡¯re living together with my sister in her apartment.  He¡¯s supposed to be my PAL, my Protector-Assigned-Logisticator, but right now he¡¯s less of a pal and more of a colleague who hates my guts and won¡¯t stop leaving me passive aggressive sticky notes all over the room we share.  I¡¯m trying to give him space to cool off, so he takes the bedroom, and I take¡­mostly this hotel¡¯s rooftop.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you do to him?¡± Amber asked, her tone more softer now compared to her other questions.


    Ethan paused, then shook his head.  ¡°You can break anyone¡¯s trust, if you try hard enough.  So now I sleep out here.¡±


    ¡°Why here?¡±


    Ethan shivered violently against the wind, realizing how cold he truly was.  ¡°I¡¯m going to do something,¡± he cautioned Amber, ¡°and I¡¯d really rather you didn¡¯t shoot me with anything, okay?¡±


    ¡°Does this have anything to do with your eyes being purple?¡¯


    ¡°This has everything to do with my eyes being purple.¡±


    Amber hesitated, then nodded.  Ethan smiled, pushing himself out of the chair, stretching briefly and noting the stiffness in his neck from an ill-timed dodge that ended up with Alex¡¯s steel hand whacking him right in the neck.  He pulled up his right hand and opened his palm, summoning a floating void at shoulder height, extending to the ground.  The void was oval in nature and had the color of shimmering purple, specks of black and silver catching the sun, glittering in front of them.  It was eerily quiet on the deck as Amber silently took a step back, her mouth agape.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± she demanded to know, her voice shaking.


    ¡°Truly, no one knows.  But it¡¯s the first step into how I summon the portals that I can use.  I¡¯ve come to think of it as using a mirror in the dark.  See, it¡¯s there, but it¡¯s blank, almost useless until¡­¡±


    Peering over the pool, Ethan spied Alex¡¯s apartment just across the street on the same level as the deck, curtains and closet door left purposefully opened.  As if he was standing right in front of the closet, he summoned a portal, connecting to the one in front of him.  Now, the first portal reflected the position of the second.


    ¡°The second portal turns on the lights, so to speak, and now I can use the first portal to reach through the second.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s closet was plain in front of him and, reaching his left arm through, he grabbed his thickest black coat and a new, freshly washed training shirt provided by Apex, then pulled it back through the first portal.  He shut his fists, closing the portals with a pop, pulling the new white, mesh shirt over his head and pulling on his jacket, zipping it up to his chin.


    ¡°This rooftop is close enough to home,¡± he answered, burying himself into his jacket, ¡°without me ever having to actually go home.¡±


    ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± Amber said, folding her arms and who, judging by her body language, had finally deemed Ethan less of a threat and more of a loser.  She was speaking faster now.  ¡°You can teleport?¡±


    ¡°Anywhere I can see,¡± Ethan nodded.  ¡°I¡¯ve visited a ton of mountain peaks.  They all suck, by the way, so don¡¯t bother going.  Way too cold and windy.  One time I got headbutted by a frightened bighorn too.¡±


    ¡°So you could go anywhere in this city, hell, the state, and this hotel rooftop is where you choose to take yourself?  Shouldn¡¯t you be doing something¡­better?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± Ethan bristled.  ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Amber.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re trying to me,¡± she shook her head, ¡°given you¡¯re hiding on this roof by yourself instead of trying to repair your relationships.¡±


    Ethan walked dramatically to the edge, glancing out towards the Lavender Mountain Range.  ¡°If you find someone sleeping on your roof, don¡¯t call me.¡±


    Amber shrugged.  ¡°I don¡¯t really think anyone else would be sad enough to do this.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s shoulders dropped.  Wordlessly, he opened a portal in front of him and set off away from Ascension, out towards the mountains.

 Chapter 16-Constricted

    Despite being emotionally eviscerated by a security guard, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but smile as he saw the purple glow fading from his hands, his last jump propelling him high into the clear skies above Ascension. He had risked everything to gain powers, and now that he had them, he used them every chance he got, crisscrossing Ascension and the dense neighborhoods ringing the city at a breakneck pace that rivaled Alex¡¯s flying speed, albeit with much less control.


    Teleporting great distances, he had learned, was much like riding a rollercoaster, except one without any safety features or brakes, and no one to sue when things went horribly wrong.


    When traveling across town or to the mountains like he was doing now, Ethan would start by aiming a portal up as far as he could see into the ordinary cloudless pale blue sky. Then, he¡¯d open a portal in front of himself, connecting it to the one floating thousands of feet above him. He¡¯d take a running start and launch himself through the portal in front of him, grinning wildly as the surety of the earth left his feet and and gravity immediately forced its will on him like a bird folding in its wings, diving through the air with nothing but his own ability to save him. Then, while falling, he had to aim another portal up, further away in the distance he was traveling, and another right underneath him, sending him screaming through the sky once more.


    Recently, through agility training with Alex using aspen trees as makeshift slaloms, he had learned to open the portals more quickly than ever before, reducing the time he spent falling in between jumps. Now, he was better able to control his fall speed which not only allowed him to cover more distance laterally rather than vertically, but also gave him far more time to correct any sort of errors he might make before falling to his death.


    It was an exhilarating, but also incredibly dangerous way to travel, one that would¡¯ve been downright lethal to master had Alex not been around to catch him on the many occasions he had frozen after plummeting from great height and had been unable to open a new portal. Even under Alex¡¯s watchful eye he had, in the early weeks of training, taken more than a few nasty falls. But, he had gotten back up every time, and now travel was largely second nature to him. Opening portals was becoming less of an involved process and more instinctual, trusting that he¡¯d catch himself rather than worrying about how.


    With barely a thought, Ethan opened one last portal and gently placed himself down on top of a green mesa overlooking a valley below.


    It took two months until Apex had deemed the site safe, but the area surrounding the mine he and Rainey had collapsed was still cordoned off by yellow caution tape extending twenty feet out from the singged, scarred trees that ringed the blast radius from the Stillrock Mine explosion. Despite having a lot on his plate, Ethan returned here often, seemingly waiting for Rainey to pop back out and to tell him that she was kidding, that she wouldn¡¯t harm Alex and the whole thing was just a bad dream. The thought of Rainey popping up in the city while Ethan was supposed to be on duty as a Protector was terrifying, fear acting as a steel band wrapping itself around his chest, uncomfortably tight around his ribs.


    Ethan went to take a deep breath, but found himself suddenly struggling for air, gasping. Glancing down, he found he wasn¡¯t just imagining it: there really was a pair of arms, cloaked in black long sleeves, wrapped around his chest, preventing him from expanding for anything other than short, wheezy breaths. Someone had snuck up on him without him hearing, and now he was already playing from behind.


    Stupid, he thought, Alex is right, I need to pay more attention.


    ¡°Get off!¡± Ethan yelled. He tried to lean all his weight onto his toes and force him and his attacker to fall forward off the edge of the mesa, only to be held in place, anchored back as if the assailant was made of concrete. Whoever was behind him was powerful, strong enough not to budge as he futilely tried to fling himself forward, deadly silent despite his protests.


    Grunting in exertion and quickly running out of air, Ethan thought of a new move: since he was being clutched, he pulled his feet up to his chest then used his free hands to open a portal underneath his feet.


    ¡°Gotcha,¡± he wheezed with a smile.


    Now, when he threw himself downward, the shock of seeing the ground suddenly being replaced with sky allowed Ethan knock his attacker off balance and drag them with him a mile into the air, sending them tumbling through the clouds.


    Ethan was briefly grateful for his jacket: it was freezing so high up, the water vapor of the clouds stung his eyes as they plummeted through them, leaving trails floating lazily behind the as they plummeted towards the mountains below. Of course, he may have created another issue if his attacker couldn¡¯t fly, but he could worry about saving them after he saved himself, if he was feeling generous.


    While their position shifted, Ethan¡¯s predicament did not. He was now falling, but still couldn¡¯t free his arms, and he knew he didn¡¯t have much time before this idea turned out to be his last.


    In fact, he had timed this exact situation before. Ethan always tried to pick a spot just above the clouds to teleport to when traveling long distances, which gave him slightly over eighteen seconds to formulate a plan to save themself. He wasted four of them struggling against the superior strength of his attacker, and he spent another two trying to get a good look at them over his shoulder. Despite being unable to see any identifying details, he could hear something flapping behind him, and he knew only a few Altered had a strength level this high. Even after throwing several elbows into their face, undoubtedly bruising himself in the process, they didn¡¯t let go or even make so much as a grunt.


    Brute force was never his strong suit, and it wasn¡¯t going to save him here. With just four seconds left, he desperately formulated a new plan.


    Opening a portal big enough for the two of them didn¡¯t work, but opening one just large enough for himself to fit through might. He hadn¡¯t tried something like this before, but having just a few more seconds until they both slammed into the ground, he had zero margin for error and only three seconds to either save himself or end up splattered on the rocks beneath them.


    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± he whispered to himself. He opened a portal to the nearest patch of free sky he could see and another one underneath himself that was just wide enough for him to fit through, forcing his attackers arm¡¯s up as his momentum carried him through the portal, leaving him unrestrained, several miles away, and around a mile in the air.


    He gulped down several huge breaths as he fell, a white comet in the morning sky, free but not out of the woods yet. The frigid high-altitude air was making him cough, blurring his vision, but he managed to pick a clearing amongst the trees to land, hopefully providing him some cover and allowing him to catch his breath. He opened several ascending portals to stop his momentum, much like rolling a basketball up a hill and grabbing it just before gravity forced it back down.mmJust as he felt his momentum stalling out, he opened a portal just above the ground in between the trees, gently depositing himself gently onto a shaded, verdant patch. Before he had a chance to make another move to escape, a tree next to him exploded into splinters as someone crashed straight through it and bound him again tighter this time. Suddenly, there was a woman¡¯s voice, oddly mirthful for someone in the middle of combat, whispering in his ear.


    ¡°Dead.¡±


    Ethan recognized Alex¡¯s voice instantly, groaning and shoving her aside as she let him go, laughing. She abandoned her usual white and bronze Titan suit for a more simple black sweater and green joggers, yet she kept the royal purple cape tied neatly through the hood.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve killed me,¡± he spat, nearly tripping over a downed pine tree. He cursed, steadying himself. His heart was pounding and his eyes were blurry with irritation from the speed he traveled, but he was alive and out of danger, leaving him more angry and embarrassed than hurt. Alex had caught him unaware again, which did not bode well for his evaluation.


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°I had you the whole time. You weren¡¯t going to get hurt unless you did something really dumb which, actually, you almost did. What kind of strategy is torpedoing yourself into the ground?¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°It¡¯s a game of chicken,¡± he explained, ¡°only¡­I lost.¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have come to that,¡± she chastised him. ¡°You¡¯ve trained for three months to become a Protector and I know we¡¯ve been over situational awareness. If you were paying attention like you should¡¯ve been, you would¡¯ve seen me coming. I even kept the cape on and this thing is super loud when I fly. You really should¡¯ve heard it.¡±


    Ethan shook his head in annoyance. He took a seat on a stump, stretching out his legs and trying to slow his breathing. The fight, though simulated by Alex, had been very real to him and he was still shaky. ¡°How¡¯d you find me?¡±


    ¡°I had Raz track your suit, which you¡¯d know if you two were speaking.¡±


    ¡°I speak sometimes,¡± Ethan said, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°He just doesn¡¯t always speak back.¡±


    Alex rolled her eyes. She picked up the thirty foot tall tree she accidentally knocked down as if she was lifting a toothpick and gently tossed it off the trail it was blocking. It landed fifty yards away with a thunderous crash. She winced, then turned back to Ethan. ¡°Well, you two need to patch things up. If everything goes well, you¡¯ll be a Protector by the end of the day, and you need your PAL before Apex cuts you loose.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ethan muttered, his face flush. He sighed, changing the subject. ¡°Um, about me taking my evaluation¡­what exactly happens if I fail?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Alex dragged out the word, looking anywhere except at Ethan. ¡°So, you¡¯d be banned from using your powers in the city and labeled an Altered if you did, at which point I¡¯d be forced to hunt you down if I saw you teleporting around town again.¡±


    ¡°I could take you if I had to,¡± Ethan muttered.


    ¡°All prior evidence to the contrary,¡± Alex laughed. ¡°But, Apex does keep a few powerful people around for off-book missions or activities that a normal Protector wouldn¡¯t be used for, including combat in evaluations. You could always do that.¡±


    Ethan sighed, throwing a splinter of wood in front of him. ¡°Combat isn¡¯t really my strong suit.¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to worry about any of that because I trained you and you won¡¯t fail.¡±


    Ethan had one more question, something that¡¯d been weighing on him for a few months. His voice was soft, barely audible over the whisper of the wind through the otherwise silent forest around them.


    ¡°Is there a chance that Amory just says¡­no?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s been¡­discussions,¡± Alex gestured vaguely to the forest around them, not leaving Ethan with a ton of confidence. His gaze became transfixed on a tree in front of him.


    ¡°And¡­what exactly has been said in those discussions?¡±


    Alex inhaled sharply, but before she could say more, her phone went off, buzzing urgently.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do to make sure she allows me to become a Protector-¡±


    ¡°Hold that thought,¡± Alex said before answering. After a few moments that felt like an eternity, she walked back to Ethan, her face grim. Ethan stood, feeling his hands twitch at his side, ready to move if he had to.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°A Protector was attacked last night over in sector five. She was pretty badly hurt.¡±


    Ethan remembered from the learning material Apex provided all potential Protectors that sector five was located at the north end of the city, also known as Stack Town due to all the smoke stacks. Prior to the routinization of air travel, Ascension, situated pretty much as far away from either coast as possible, had all their materials and food railed in. After the expansion of the airport, most of those industrial sites became mostly obsolete, but a few remained active. The sector wasn¡¯t known for having anything obviously valuable that would be worth a fight, especially not one that would put a Protector in a hospital. That would naturally draw a ton of attention, which all but the most powerful Altered typically didn¡¯t want.


    ¡°Are they okay?¡±


    ¡°She has a broken leg and a few broken ribs. She¡¯s hospitalized and probably out for the next six weeks, more if they can¡¯t find a way to help her heal correctly. She was hit with something we¡­haven¡¯t really seen before.¡±


    Ethan winced. If he wasn¡¯t careful or paying attention while on patrol, that could easily be him. ¡°Do we know who did it? Or why?¡±


    Alex shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t have any footage, but whoever it was that attacked Syphon robbed a jewelry store, so they¡¯re after valuables. Weaver and Aegis are covering the Museum in Ascension for now, but I have to head over there and investigate, see if there¡¯s anything I can do.¡±


    Ethan took an eager step towards Alex. ¡°Anything I can do?¡±


    Meaning, anything I can do to help my status with Amory?


    Alex shook her head and Ethan¡¯s shoulders dropped slightly. ¡°You need to go home and get some rest before the evaluation. I¡¯ve tried to stay impartial, but I know Amory is going to throw someone tough at you and you need better rest than you can get on a hotel rooftop. Just do your best and make it so that she can¡¯t say no. I¡¯ll be out in Sector Five, but call me after, okay?¡±


    Ethan bristled at the lack of commitment, but tried to shake it off. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll call you after I pass my eval.¡±


    With a hug for good luck, Alex gave Ethan a confident smile then started floating in the air above him. Despite being able to teleport himself, he always found that to be an incredible site.


    He waved Alex off, then teleported himself back to the mesa overlooking all of Stillrock, sitting on the edge and dangling his legs off to give himself space to think. The morning sun had risen above the mountain, providing a welcome respite of warmth against the mountain winds. Despite the improving conditions, Ethan cursed.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he said, banging his boot against the edge and knocking some dirt down. ¡°Even Titan herself can¡¯t get Amory to commit to letting me have a position and there¡¯s no time for me to change that. I put myself in danger and ruined my friendship with Raz to get these powers for nothing. I¡¯m going to have to start a business teleporting rich people for money, except I can¡¯t operate anywhere in the state since Ascension would send a Protector to stop me. And I¡¯ll probably get sued after someone throws up; I¡¯m not the best at using these powers yet.¡±


    He sighed heavly, hanging his head. He glanced out at the town of Stillrock beneath him, the few, spaced out buildings still empty before the town opened after breakfast.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to end up right back here,¡± he muttered sadly, ¡°right back where I started.¡±


    He stood to leave, readying his first in a series of portals back to the city, but a flash of purple light on the north end of the town caught his eye. He whipped his head around, staring intently. To his knowledge, there were no active Protectors stationed outside of Ascension, as Apex¡¯s main focus was protecting the city.


    ¡°Could¡¯ve been nothing,¡± he muttered nervously, shutting his portal. He was proven wrong a moment later after another blinding flash, followed by the distinctive sound of a window being shattered echoed through the town. His heart leapt up to his throat.


    ¡°That¡­is definitely something,¡± he exhaled, pulling out his phone to call Alex. Before he dialed her number, he paused.


    Staking out the entrance is one thing, but if I can show that I can take on whoever is in there, maybe Amory would have no choice but to let me become a Protector if I pass my evaluation. And if I get in over my head, I can always call Alex for backup, right? I can at least see who¡¯s in there first, and then make a decision on calling Alex if they look too dangerous for me to handle.


    Ignoring his pounding heart and better judgment, Ethan opened two portals and found himself crouched underneath the Stillrock Museum of Natural History. He narrowed his eyes, confused at what could possibly be worth stealing from inside there. As stealthily as he could be, he crouched beneath the window away from the street of the old brick museum building. He was trying to peeking through the jagged, broken glass to catch a glimpse of the action inside when something caught his eye: on the glass itself was a thick, purple material.


    One of the first things Alex had Ethan do, before they ever started throwing punches, was memorize a list of all known Altered, compiled by Apex. This included everyone a Protector had fought in Ascension, as well as the few Protectors who turned their backs on the program. Instinctively, his mind began working down the list, trying to figure out who could be attacking him while also trying to listen for any signs of advancement by his foe. In the moment of silence, he took a glance at the thickening purple liquid sizzling as it slowly dripped down the wall.


    Doesn¡¯t look like pure energy considering it didn¡¯t dissipate on contact like Oscil¡¯s blasts, definitely not fire like Ember¡¯s, but also not as solid as Weaver¡¯s constructs. Did I just not pay enough attention, or am I missing someone?


    Already on edge, the sound of a woman¡¯s voice to his right nearly made him jump out of his skin.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said quietly, gesturing to the museum. ¡°Are you going to do something about that?¡±

 Chapter 17-Fight!

    The list of things Ethan didn¡¯t know, which was already long and vast, had just grown by two.


    Firstly, the Stillrock History Museum was being ransacked by a woman with powers that he didn¡¯t recognize. This was, at best, an oversight on the studying Alex had asked him to do and, at worse, a horrible harbinger of things to come. He wasn¡¯t sure which yet.


    Secondly, he had no idea why a different woman was crouched next to him under the window sill, seemingly demanding action about said breakin at the museum.


    Ethan needed answers, and starting with the woman who wasn¡¯t currently trying to kill him seemed like the best option.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Ethan whispered urgently.


    ¡°I¡¯m Quinn,¡± she said, reaching out her hand for Ethan. She had a surprisingly firm grip, and Ethan was momentarily taken back by her hazel eyes speckled with flecks of emerald. Her voice brought him back in the moment.


    ¡°Full disclosure, I was going to break into this museum, but whoever is in there beat me to it.¡±


    ¡°Why on Earth did two separate people want to break in here, of all places?¡± Ethan demanded to know.


    The museum itself was relatively bare and fully unimpressive, and Ethan distinctly remembered being bored there even on his elementary school field trip. Despite being one of the oldest towns in the state, Stillrock just wasn¡¯t known for much outside of mining. Consequently, most of the items on display were mining tools from the 1800s, and a few pieces of silver and gold ore from back when the mine was actually producing. Unlike Ascension¡¯s museum, it shouldn¡¯t have held any objects of great value, but maybe there was more here than he knew, given the sudden interest two people displayed in getting inside before it opened.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain, but I¡¯d bet we¡¯re here for the same reason.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°Did you hear about the mine that collapsed not too far from here?¡±


    Ethan froze. ¡°Oh,¡± he stammered ¡°a little bit.¡±


    If Quinn noticed the color drain from his face, she didn¡¯t mention it. ¡°I work for Apex,¡± she explained, pulling out a yellow, pocket sized device. ¡°Apex has been using this museum as a storage facility for radioactive material they excavated from the collapsed mine site. I found out through a friend in logistics that Apex rents a room in the back where they keep all of the material they haven¡¯t been able to ship back to Ascension. In my free time, I¡¯ve been working to find objects that have been imbued with the same radiation signature that the Surge gave off. It¡¯s not the most exciting hobby, but it could help me prove a theory at work.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s exciting,¡± Ethan admitted, ¡°I did something similar until recently.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Quinn smiled, ¡°what were you searching for?¡±


    Ethan suddenly realized his mistake, then stammered, searching for an answer that didn¡¯t give away the secrets he specifically told Apex he wouldn¡¯t share.


    A crashing sound inside mercifully drew both of their attention back to the museum. Poking his head over, Ehtan noted that it was empty, save for one person frantically stalking through the museum, searching for something and turning over the glass display cases.


    Immediately, having a moment to observe the person inside the museum, Ethan realized something was off about this person. Altered were largely known for two things: their penchant for taking things that weren''t theirs, and their commitment to style.


    The person currently stalking through the museum frantically searching for something may have had the first part down, but looked less like a professional thief with a brand than someone who had stopped at a thrift store on their way over: wearing a black motorcycle helmet, a plain, tight purple turtleneck and black padded motorcycle pants, they lacked the typical panache of an Altered looking to make a name for themselves and more like a common burglar who took a very wrong turn looking for something valuable.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Quinn said quietly, ¡°I think Apex brought something in there that holds the same radiation signature that is given off when Protectors or Altered use their powers¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± Ethan nodded, suddenly wishing Raz was there to ask the right questions. Luckily, Quinn went on.


    ¡°So, if you found one and broke it open, you would potentially be able to unleash a bite-sized amount of Surge energy that could be enough to give someone powers.¡±


    Ethan could definitely understand why someone would want this, and had already seen first-hand what it looked like when someone who shouldn¡¯t have powers got them, so he nodded, understanding the urgency.


    ¡°What would it look like?¡± he asked.


    ¡°More than likely it¡¯d be a deep, intense blue stone,¡± Quinn explained. ¡°Unnaturally blue, like raspberry candy. You¡¯d know it when you saw it.¡±


    When he saw it. So, she certainly expected him to go in. He had already let Raz down, but this person was new. If he took this chance, he could form a better opinion of himself than Raz or even Alex had of him.


    ¡±Go in, find the weird rock, stop the Altered from taking it.¡± Smiling, Ethan nodded. ¡°Be right back.¡±


    He hoped that was true. Gulping, Ethan opened a portal and stepped inside the museum, bypassing the broken glass and depositing himself right in the middle of the main hallway.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m still new to this,¡± Ethan called out, smiling innocently. The person whipped their head around, hands balled into fists at their side. In his mind, there was still a small chance this was all a misunderstanding.


    ¡°Are you one of the good guys?¡±


    ¡°Depends on who¡¯s asking,¡± she answered, fingers tapping aggressively against her palms. ¡°Would you steal a few rocks if it meant you could save an entire town?¡±


    Ethan grimaced. So, Quinn was right. Whoever this was, they were looking for the irradiated stones. ¡°Heavy. Maybe we should start with names?¡±


    ¡°Sola,¡± she answered confidently. ¡°And you are?¡±


    Oh man, I really should¡¯ve practiced this.


    ¡°Uh¡­Ethan?¡±


    She cocked her head, Ethan¡¯s uncertain face reflected in her dark visor.


    ¡°Well, Ethan, are you here to help me find what I came here to take, or stop me?¡±


    ¡°Depends,¡± Ethan answered. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be willing to just walk out of here?¡±


    He was answered by a grunt and a blast of something superheated that crackled as it flew by his right ear, nearly clipping him. He rolled out of the way, staying low and pressing his back against the front desk for cover.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± he whispered, touching his ear gently to make sure it was still there. His thoughts were interrupted by another blast shot just above his head that splattered against the wall in front of him, sending droplets of boiling, jelly-like material everywhere.


    Whoever this is, they¡¯re much more powerful than I thought, Ethan realized, his heart racing. He took short, deliberate breaths, just like Alex taught him, trying to calm himself. I need to figure out how to stop her. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± Sola called out.


    ¡°Could¡¯ve fooled me,¡± Ethan muttered to himself. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a fighter,¡± he shouted back from behind the desk, ¡°and I¡¯m not exactly supposed to be in here, so why don¡¯t we both walk away and pretend you never broke in here and tried to kill me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± Sola called out, difficult to make out through the motorcycle helmet, ¡°you could just let me take what I want, and I¡¯ll leave without putting a hole in your chest.¡±


    Ethan furrowed his brow. She needs this stone bad, that much is obvious, but why?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what it is, you want,¡± Ethan shot back, ¡°and if I don¡¯t think it¡¯s all that important, I¡¯ll just let you take it? I¡¯m sure they can get more dinosaur pins, for example!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for these games,¡± Ethan heard an explosion to his right as another window shattered. ¡°The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can go home.¡±


    More explosions of power to his left and right forced Ethan to cower further, grimacing. Man, he thought, I really hope Quinn isn¡¯t watching this.


    Carefully, he poked his head out behind the left side of the desk, where he teleported in from. Quinn gave him a shaky thumbs up. He sighed, slinking back to cover.


    Ethan needed a way to stop Sola fast, without getting close enough to get hit by her powers. He poked his head gingerly over the desk, noticing a skeleton of a large, flying dinosaur overhead. A lightbulb practically went off above his head. That could work.


    Alex had taught Ethan that powers were not limitless sources of energy and needed time to recharge, if overused. Judging by the amount of destroyed displays and shattered glass, Ethan figured Sola would need a break any minute before she could try to put that aforementioned hole in his chest, giving him an opening.


    Ethan listened intently, waiting for the Sola to momentarily pause her attacks and catch their breath, then rolled out to his left. Spying the fake dinosaur bones displaying a Pterosaur skeleton almost directly overhead of where she was standing. Acting quickly before she had the chance to go on the attack, he opened a portal in front of him, then another around the wire holding the body of the skeleton up, then shut both quickly, severing the rope keeping the skeleton suspended.


    As he hoped, the bones came tumbling down on top of Sola, knocking her to the ground. He pumped a fist, then awkwardly put it down.


    Wow, he thought, admiring his work as Sola groaned and tried in vain to push the dense fiberglass and metal structures that comprised the bones off of them. Maybe all that training I did with Alex paid off after all.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re caught,¡± he said, smiling wider than he meant to. He cleared his throat, dropping it. ¡°Would you believe I¡¯ve never gotten this far? I¡¯ll have to consult my handbook, but I think I¡¯m supposed to call Apex for Altered Transport.¡±


    Ethan was close enough now to take in a few more details, and realized, on Sola¡¯s exposed forearm, she had a tattoo: an outline of a cow with a bell around its neck. He narrowed his eyes, trying to remember where he had seen that logo before Sola caught him off guard, laughing more maliciously than Ethan would¡¯ve expected for someone he thought was trapped.


    ¡°You¡¯re nowhere,¡± she spat. Lifting a hand, she blasted a stream of purple energy at the ceiling behind Ethan. Suddenly, he was knocked to the ground as a model of a second pterosaur collapsed on top of him, trapping him.


    ¡°Why were there so many dinosaurs in Stillrock,¡± Ethan groaned, unable to muster the energy to push them off.


    Sola burned through the pile of bones on top of her, reducing them to sizzling puddles on the marble floor. With Ethan subdued, she took her time, searching the museum until a door in the back caught her eye. She tilted her head, then melted the maglock, the door swinging wide open, revealing a glass case with an almost blindingly blue stone inside.


    Ethan¡¯s heart jumped at the sight of it. That must be what Quinn was talking about, he thought, and Sola¡¯s going to take it right in front of me. This is not going to make the impression I hoped for.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re new, but you¡¯re not very good at this,¡± she laughed. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t plan on making this a career.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of my only plan,¡± he muttered, trying to push against the bones, only to find that they had interlocked on the way down, creating a heavy cage that he couldn¡¯t slip a portal through. Sola was moments away from taking the jewel for herself, initiating a plan Ethan knew nothing about. He felt powerless, cursing silently that he hadn¡¯t gotten strength like he wanted.


    But just because he couldn¡¯t find a way to get himself out didn¡¯t mean he was totally defenseless.


    When Sola was just a step away from reaching the case, Ethan summoned a portal in the doorway, a shimmering void suddenly appearing in front of Sola, who froze.


    She jumped back, waiting for something to happen, then slowly turned to put an eye on Ethan. Noticing he was the one controlling her newest obstacle, she cursed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ethan laughed, ¡°I think I¡¯ve got a few tricks.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± she yelled, pointing.


    ¡°Best not to think about it,¡± he answered honestly, ¡°but it¡¯s unbreakable. If Titan can¡¯t break through it, I doubt you could, either.¡±


    She roared, blasting a stream of plasma at the void, only to watch as her blast dropped harmlessly to the floor and had no effect on his void.


    ¡°Drop it, now,¡± she growled, turning her powers to Ethan.


    Ethan sighed. ¡°No can do.¡±


    ¡°I bet if I hurt you enough you¡¯d drop it.¡± Sola took a few steps toward Ethan. ¡°Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Ethan gulped, ¡°nobody¡¯s really tried¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± a voice called out from behind them. Ethan used what little movement he could to spy Quinn, who had rushed inside at seeing Ethan trapped.


    ¡°Out,¡± Sola held up a hand with glowing purple energy, ¡°or you both will leave in a tub.¡±


    ¡°Quinn,¡± Ethan called out, ¡°did you call Titan like I asked?¡±


    ¡°The second you burst in,¡± she lied, nodding.


    Smart girl, Ethan thought, I may need to keep her around, especially if Raz isn¡¯t talking to me.


    Sola flinched at the mention of Apex¡¯s top Protector. Ethan silently wished he¡¯d have that effect on people one day.


    ¡°Per Apex protocol for any new Protector, I have a direct line to her, and I had Quinn call her before I came in here to tell her I was engaging with an Altered driving a motorcycle. The way I see it, you have two options: keep trying, fruitlessly, to break through my¡­whatever this is until Titan shows up, or get out of here and try your luck at a different children¡¯s museum.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing,¡± she said, her tone suddenly urgent, her eyes locked on Ethan. ¡°A whole town is at stake!¡±


    ¡°Tell me where,¡± Ethan said, directly, his void silently floating in the doorway, ¡°and I can help you.¡±


    Sola growled, lifting a hand towards Ethan. For a moment he wondered if he chose wrong, only for Sola to blast the wall with both hands, creating an exit and leaving Ethan alone, trapped, and exhausted.


    He exhaled, laying under the pile of bones and feeling oddly safe.


    Who the hell was that? Ethan wondered. He couldn¡¯t remember seeing anyone with powers like hers on Apex¡¯s list.


    Ethan felt a deep sense of dread at the thought that he might not be the only new person with powers running around Ascension. If they really were new, could they have heard how he got his powers, and tried something similar? Was he somehow responsible for this new person and their destructive abilities?


    It had to be related, he thought. There hadn¡¯t been a person with new powers cataloged since the Surge six months ago. Now, there might be two people, and who knows how many others?


    Three, counting Rainey, of course.


    Assuming she survived. She had to have.


    Quinn rushed over to him, noting the smoking hole in his shirt and the hair missing above his ear. She grimaced.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Not awesome,¡± he groaned, feeling like a spider that had been smashed by a shoe. Quinn moved a few of the bones out of the way, enough for Ethan to shimmy through a portal and stand next to her.


    ¡°Thanks for the assist,¡± he said. ¡°Apex would be scraping me off the floor if not for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Quinn smiled, ¡°I¡¯m happy she bought our lie.¡±


    ¡°We make a good team,¡± Ethan laughed. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll have to team up again.¡±


    ¡°We just might,¡± Quinn smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll call Apex for a retrieval team.¡°


    Ethan nodded, happy to have this off his hands. Then, a pressing question burst into his mind.


    ¡°Could you give me a ride home?¡±

 Chapter 18-Showtime

    There were many things Quinn hadn¡¯t known about her job at Apex Laboratories prior to starting. Most of them were inane, like the working hours, or who her coworkers would be, but there were three things in particular that stood out to her.


    For one, she didn¡¯t know the lab was secretly underground. She was used to working in buildings that had windows with sunlight, something she didn¡¯t realize how badly she¡¯d miss as her months in the lab wore on. Additionally, the job posting also failed to mention that she¡¯d be working with a team of scientists to help the city of Ascension stave off total oblivion from a previously unquantifiable source of radiation that burst from the ground eighteen months ago and hadn¡¯t reappeared since. If she had known that, she probably wouldn¡¯t have taken the job, keeping her boring but steady lab job in Virginia and instead leaving that tall task to someone else.


    But despite the weight of those two negatives, the worst part of her job, and the thing that no amount of research could have prepared her for were the floors inside Apex Tower, which were incredibly well cleaned, to the point of feeling like she was walking on ice. Quinn thought it had to be a defense mechanism in case of superpowered attack: anyone who raced inside Apex¡¯s Tower would immediately end up on their backs, which Quinn very nearly found out the hard way. On her first day, she took her first steps inside the lobby and gasped when her sneaker slid out from under her.


    After taking a pit stop to her apartment to get her backpack with all of her notes and lunch, Ethan dropped them both right in front of the front door to Apex Tower.


    ¡°That was incredible,¡± she breathed out, pushing back her long blonde hair. ¡°You do that every day?¡±


    ¡°Every day I can,¡± he smiled. ¡°Thanks for coming with me. Sometimes it can get a little lonely being above everyone. I kind of miss sitting in a car with someone, just listening to the radio and being stuck in traffic.¡±


    ¡°I never would,¡± Quinn shook her head, holding the door open for Ethan. He took a deep breath, then stepped through. ¡°I have way too much work to get done.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I asked, what is it you do, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Radiation scientist,¡± she told him, hoping that was as vague as she meant it to be. Ethan nodded as if he understood. ¡°What are you here for?¡±


    ¡±An interview, of sorts,¡± he told her. ¡°It¡¯s¡­pretty important. Either I ace this or I have to find something else to do.¡±


    Quinn furrowed her brow. She was about to ask Ethan to clarify until she caught the sight of a man sitting in the receptionist area taking frequent, impatient glances at his watch and shaking his head. He was about the same age as Ethan and herself, wearing what Quinn had to assume was his nicest button down shirt and tie with khaki pants to match his brown shoes. He was as grumpy as Quinn had ever seen someone, nostrils flaring, breathing out like a bull ready to charge. She looked at him curiously, wondering what could be infuriating him so early in the morning before the rest of the world even had a chance to wake up.


    It only took a moment before she got her answer. When the man¡¯s eyes locked onto Ethan, he shot out of his chair, making a beeline straight for them.


    ¡°Uh, do you know him?¡±


    Ethan gulped, nodding. ¡°That¡¯s my boss .¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Quinn patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Need me to save your life again?¡±


    ¡±More likely than not, yes,¡± he answered as Raz stopped, his nose practically touching Ethan¡¯s.


    ¡°It should be impossible for you to be late, Ethan,¡± Raz whispered angrily, throwing his hands up. He was trying, and failing, to keep his voice down, which brought a smile small to Quinn¡¯s face. ¡°Are you trying to blow this?¡±


    ¡°If I wanted to blow this, I wouldn¡¯t have shown up at all,¡± Ethan replied, calmer than Raz, but with an edge to his voice. ¡°Besides, I thought you didn¡¯t even want to be here.


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Raz hissed, ¡°but I also don¡¯t have a choice, thanks to you.¡± Ethan¡¯s face dropped, and Raz rolled his eyes. He gestured to the elevators behind him, his tone softer. ¡°Come on, we need to go so we¡¯re not any later than we already are.¡±


    While the two reset, Quinn noticed, for the first time, the deep bags underneath Ethan¡¯s eyes. She cut in, stepping halfway in front of Ethan.


    ¡°You must be Raz,¡± she said, holding out her hand. Raz looked at her in surprise, as if he somehow hadn¡¯t noticed her. He took her hand, just a small hint of a smile in his blue eyes as he answered.


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be too hard on Ethan,¡± she told him. ¡°He¡¯s late because he was saving my life this morning.¡±


    Raz¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He looked at Ethan.


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°She may have saved mine, but¡­yeah, it¡¯s true.¡±


    Some tension left Raz¡¯s shoulders as his stance softened. ¡°Hmph. Maybe you had a good reason to be late for once.¡±


    ¡±Regardless, I¡¯m still sorry to keep you waiting.¡± He turned to Quinn. ¡°Great to meet you this morning, Quinn. Maybe I¡¯ll see you around.¡±


    ¡°I certainly hope so,¡± she replied, smiling.


    Ethan tried to stop himself from blushing. He was grateful that Raz grabbed his shoulder, pulling him towards the elevator.


    ¡°I swear,¡± Raz shook his head, speaking quietly as they walked, ¡°the only person you actually listen to is Rainey.¡±


    At the mention of the name, Quinn snapped her head to Raz, losing her balance on the slippery floor. She crashed down with a loud thud. Ethan whipped back to Quinn.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she told him, pushing herself to a stand. ¡°I played a lot of soccer, I¡¯m used to falling. Good luck with your interview!¡±


    ¡±Thanks,¡± he smiled, shaking his head as the pair entered the elevator. ¡°And be careful, Quinn. I hear they polish these floors with a special material in case of Altered attack.¡±


    She smiled uneasily until the elevator doors shut in front of her, then took a deep breath to gather herself and headed over to her own elevator on the opposite side of theirs.


    They didn¡¯t say Rainey, had they?


    Quinn dismissed the thoughts from her mind as the elevator opened out into an inauspicious hallway, completely sterile and white, save for a black door at the far end of the hall. She reached the end of the hallway, the solid black door stood stoically in front of her, blocking her access to what she expected to be the lab. She fumbled with her badge when the door flew open, nearly crashing into Quinn, who jumped back at the noise.


    In front of her was Kingston, staring absentmindedly at his tablet. She waved a hand in front of him, grabbing his attention.


    ¡°Quinn,¡± he greeted her, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s your lucky day. I was just looking for you. We¡¯re needed upstairs.¡±


    ¡±Upstairs?¡± She asked. Kingston nodded, motioning for her to follow him into the elevator. She paused, then shrugged, taking her place next to him. Her eyes traced a spiderweb full of burn scars on his arm, some fresher than others. He had gotten quite a few in last year maintaining the Junction.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I had to double check with Amory, but we are administering the first evaluation in nearly a year.¡±


    ¡°Evaluation?¡± Quinn asked.


    ¡°Another idiot wants to become a Protector so they can get paid until they get killed out in the field.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Quinn said. Kingston put in a code Quinn didn¡¯t recognize and she felt the elevator begin to descend.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know we could go any deeper,¡± she told him. He laughed darkly.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±


    Quinn mulled that over, then shifted uncomfortably. She decided to change the subject. ¡°How do we¡­evaluate them?¡±


    ¡°By doing the only part of this job I actually enjoy.¡± The elevator opened to an observation deck overlooking a large, sand filled pit, not unlike a miniature version of the Colosseum. Quinn immediately felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, already guessing the answer. Kingston turned to her, smiling widely.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to try to kill them first.¡±


    ------


    ¡°Will you please stop that?¡±


    Standing in a dark tunnel, waiting for the moment the gate would rise to open the path to his metaphorical stage, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but open his left fist, creating a swirling portal just above his hand, then shutting his palm, closing it with a small whoosh.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ethan said, closing his fist, extinguishing the purple light swirling above his hand. ¡°It¡¯s just that sometimes, I get worried it¡¯ll¡­go away.¡±


    Raz scoffed, and though Ethan could barely see, he could almost feel Raz roll his eyes. ¡°That¡¯ll never happen.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Ethan asked. Raz swirled to meet Ethan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Because, Ethan, I¡¯m being punished for enabling you. I should¡¯ve stopped you from going down into the mines, but I didn¡¯t. If you lost your powers, I¡¯d finally be free of you, and I¡¯ll never be that lucky.¡±


    They stood in silence, Ethan shuffling uncomfortably, until he couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°Raz, I-I know this wasn¡¯t exactly your dream, but I was just tired of measuring my life in tv show episodes watched or games played or overtime worked. I needed something else. Something better. Something I could be proud of.¡±


    Raz snorted in derision. ¡°And now you run out every night and get your ass kicked while I stay home and stare at a computer, tracking your location and trying to make sure you don¡¯t die at least until I can find a way to kill you myself and make it look like an accident. Is that what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°Look, Raz, I¡¯m sorry and I-¡±


    ¡°Not now,¡± Raz cut him off, his eyes falling to the floor. The gate in front of them shuddered and groaned as the chains pulled it open, slowly releasing a bright white light into the darkened tunnel. He shook his head, then brought his eyes up to meet Ethan¡¯s. ¡°After. For now, let¡¯s just make the best of this situation. Don¡¯t blow this, because if we end up in Sector Five as Hyp-quatic¡¯s sidekick I¡¯ll be furious.¡±


    ¡°Getting stuck with the ability to control water in a landlocked state would make me a jerk, too,¡± Ethan chuckled. ¡°Thanks for all the help, Raz.¡±


    Raz gave him a nod. ¡°You know the deal, right?¡±


    ¡°Go out there, wow them with my intellect, then beat up whoever they tell me to,¡± Ethan said. ¡°All without getting killed in the process.¡±


    ¡°Close enough.¡± Raz walked out in front of Ethan, onto the pit and up into the stands, seated behind plexiglass a foot thick, leaving Ethan alone in the tunnel, the sepia-toned light of the pit awaiting him.


    Ethan took a deep breath, pushing down a wave of nausea forcing its way to the surface, then whispered to himself.


    ¡°Showtime.¡±


    He took a tentative step out into the pit, surprised when his boot sunk in the sand. The ¡®pit¡¯, as it was known amongst the Protectors, was the closest a lot of Protectors would ever get to being in a sports stadium. Deep in the belly of Apex¡¯s Tower, it was four stories high and complete with rounded seating a few rows higher than the pit to watch the action and giving the potential Protectors plenty of room to maneuver. When it wasn¡¯t used for evaluations, Protectors often used it for sparring, honing their skills away from the public eye.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    After what felt like an agonizingly long walk, Ethan took his place on the raised, black metal platform centered in the pit. He gave a wary glance towards the darkness behind the black metal bars that housed whatever Apex was preparing to throw at him, then, following the metal structure up, his eyes took in the observation deck ten feet above the ground where two complete strangers were to decide if he passed or failed.


    At least, they were supposed to be complete strangers.


    ¡±Uh, is it a problem if I know that guy?¡± Quinn asked. Kingston swiveled his chair to face her. ¡°Normally, it would be, but I think we know how this one¡¯s going to go, so why don¡¯t we just pretend you don¡¯t, alright?¡±


    Quinn nodded, taking in the enormous scope of the pit. The observation booth featured numerous camera angles and a control panel, including a number of safety measures like a fire extinguisher kit, a blast shield over the glass, and a kill switch for the lights. Kingston clapped his hands together, startling her.


    ¡°Okay, Quinn! Welcome to your first, and probably only Protector evaluation.¡±


    ¡°Only?¡± she asked, glancing down at the sand below. Kingston nodded, pulling up his calendar from last May. Evaluation appointments filled nearly every one of his days, save some breaks for ¡®catastrophes¡¯ that Quinn was certain she didn¡¯t want to know anything about.


    ¡°Eighteen months ago, in the early days when Apex¡¯s Protectorate program was in its infancy, we had to screen every single candidate and, when possible, provide them a sector to operate in. When word got out how much Apex was paying its Protectors, everyone with powers lined up for a job. Anyone with a power that could be used offensively in the slightest was contracted to become a Protector. Apex then chopped the city up into five sectors, with a few satellite sectors extending beyond Ascension¡¯s immediate area, and started paying people, while also providing training and uniforms, to fight against people with powers who wanted to do harm in the city, also known as the Altered.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a smart way to score some easy PR,¡± Quinn chuckled.


    Kingston shrugged. ¡°Also an easy way to know exactly where the people you accidentally mutated will be at any given time, and paying them enough money to want for nothing prevents bribes given by people who want everything. So, a bit of a win-win. Apex throws a lot of money to fix a problem they caused, and they get a whole new brand of people to merchandise out of the deal.¡±


    ¡°Also true,¡± Quinn said, nodding. ¡°So, everyone ran to join the goldrush and now the veins are all dried up?¡±


    ¡°We brought in an army of meteorologists, sociologists, and nuclear fallout specialists to estimate the percent of people that would¡¯ve been affected by the Junction¡¯s blast. That ran about five percent of Ascension¡¯s population, given the blast occurred shortly after midnight on a Tuesday during the frozen wastes this city calls March, and of that five percent, only one percent of people were affected at all. Which is a fancy mathematical way of saying that a very small percentage of people ever gained powers in the first place, and even a smaller percentage of that portion were useful or dangerous depending on what side of things you¡¯re on.¡±


    ¡°So Apex contracted every powerful person they could find to fight who they couldn¡¯t bring onboard to their Protectorate program?¡±


    ¡°Bingo,¡± Kingston said, pointing at Quinn. ¡°After we filled all the spots for each sector, we pretty much stopped running evaluations unless we somehow missed someone with extraordinary powers that we¡¯d feel more comfortable having on payroll. Which is why I was surprised to see someone on the docket today, but I guess we¡¯ll find out why Amory thought this guy was so important. Now that we¡¯ve got all that out of the way, let¡¯s start off with something simple.¡±


    Ethan wanted to take a moment and collect his thoughts while it was still quiet, but he didn¡¯t have long to let his thoughts settle before a booming voice echoed over the intercom.


    ¡°Please state your name for the record.¡±


    Kingston¡¯s voice reverberating throughout the pit made Ethan jump, and he spoke far louder than he needed to.


    ¡°Ethan! Uh, Havoc!¡±


    ¡°Um, using your¡­inside speaking voice is fine, thank you. I know you¡¯re about a story down from us, but we can hear you just fine up here.¡±


    Ethan nodded, wondering if his face blushing in embarrassment was visible from that far away.


    ¡°Wow this guy¡¯s super nervous,¡± Kingston laughed.


    ¡°Are you¡­supposed to still be holding the intercom down?¡±


    Kingston glanced down, sighed, and shook his head. Ethan shifted uncomfortably and Raz rubbed his temples. ¡°Sorry. That was¡­unprofessional.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Ethan muttered, folding his arms. Behind him, he heard Raz laugh.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s continue. Please describe to us your ability.¡±


    ¡°Teleportation.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re great at running away,¡± Kingston joked. He took his finger off the intercom button. ¡°That time was intentional.¡± She rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Gets funnier every time,¡± Ethan grumbled quietly, stretching his arms and neck.


    Kingston turned to Quinn, typing on his computer. ¡°Okay, now we need a demonstration. We used to just take people at their word, but you would not believe how many people we injured early on. Oh, man, I remember this one guy said he could catch swords. Weirdly specific, right? So, anyway, we took him at his word and just started launching swords at him and, wouldn¡¯t you know it-¡±


    Without warning, a swirling purple portal opened behind them, and Quinn jumped out of her rolling chair as Ethan poked his head through.


    ¡°Oh, hey, Quinn!¡± Ethan smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were in charge of evaluations!¡±


    ¡±I¡¯m¡­ordinarily not.¡±


    ¡°Well, I bet you¡¯ll be great at it. Sorry to scare you, but I¡¯m starting to get tight, and I¡¯m not sure if I should go through my stretching routine again. Are we doing this or what?¡±


    Quinn looked at Ethan, then glanced down where he was standing from the pit.


    ¡°Go¡­back down there,¡± Kingston instructed him after he had caught his breath, then gestured at Ethan¡¯s portal. ¡°Or just¡­fix this. We have a few more questions to ask.¡± Ethan shrugged, closing his fist and shutting the portal.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± Quinn whispered. ¡°Did you notice, Kingston, that the color of his powers were the exact same combination that we saw earlier when the Junction was flaring three months ago? Are all the Protector''s powers like that?¡±


    Kingston thought for a moment. ¡°Now that you mention it, while his powers did resemble the color the shielding lit up¡­most of them don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Quinn replied, nodding, her brain working quickly. ¡°Maybe Ethan has somehow become attuned to the energy released by the Junction and can use it to connect a pathway between the energy in front of him and the energy where he wants to go, like a portable subway system.¡±


    Kingston shrugged. ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t really care how it works, I just wish he couldn¡¯t do it. Speaking of¡­¡± he turned his attention back to Ethan. ¡°Scope of ability?¡±


    ¡°I can teleport anything, myself included, anywhere I can see,¡± Ethan answered confidently, ¡°so long as there¡¯s space for me. And, before you even ask, no, I can¡¯t close portals and cut off body parts, or anything else that might cause a hitch in my eventual TV-licensing deals. It¡¯s a lot like how you can¡¯t bite off your own finger if you think about it-¡±


    ¡°Weaknesses?¡± Kingston interrupted.


    ¡°Women with nice arms.¡±


    While Quinn nodded knowingly, Raz simply shook his head.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ethan continued, ¡°and obstructed vision. Darkness, both moral and physical. I don¡¯t think I could make a portal if I couldn¡¯t use my hands but maybe I could use my mouth if-¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kingston said to Quinn, ignoring Ethan as he rambled on, ¡°normally there¡¯s a few more questions, but I wouldn¡¯t mind watching this guy get bashed around, so let¡¯s get to the fun stuff. Now, the point of the evaluation is to make sure the candidate not only has powers, but also to make sure they can control them, at least enough to prove they aren¡¯t a danger to themselves or, more importantly, others. At Apex, we¡¯re in charge of elevating in-training candidates to the level of Protector,¡± Kingston said, pointing to the scarlet A embroidered on his own shirt, ¡°so we have to make sure they won¡¯t run out there and kill themselves on the first day.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Quinn said, nodding. ¡°Then we¡¯d have fewer Protectors to keep the city safe.¡±


    ¡°Well, really it¡¯s just bad for business. If Apex says someone¡¯s competent, and he gets blown up by Detonator on his first day, we look pretty bad. Now, to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen, let¡¯s try to kill this guy so he doesn¡¯t die right after we put him on TV.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d help him if something went wrong, right?¡± Quinn asked slowly.


    ¡°Not really sure what I could do considering I don¡¯t have powers, but it normally doesn¡¯t come to that. Except a few times.¡± Kingston leaned forward, holding down the intercom. ¡°Alright, Ethan, are you ready?¡±


    Ethan gulped, hoping his voice wouldn¡¯t betray him. ¡°Absolutely,¡± he said, his voice totally betraying him.


    Kingston smirked, with joy permeating his voice. In front of Ethan, the sand parted and a shallow pool of water about the size of a tub rose, complete with a red LED light installed in the bottom.


    ¡°Now, despite what you¡¯ve previously heard about the evaluation process, this one is going to be a little different.¡±


    Kingston mashed the giant red button on his tablet, and Quinn suddenly heard a whirring noise from above. She squinted upward, confused at a mass tangled in rope or wire dropping slowly from an open panel in the ceiling.


    ¡°Wait,¡± she said, the figure slowly coming into view, ¡°is that a person?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a mannequin. We couldn¡¯t get legal to sign off on dangling an actual person above a pool of lava, unsurprisingly.¡± Kingston cleared his throat. ¡°Okay, Ethan, here¡¯s the situation: an evil Altered has kidnapped this fine citizen of Ascension and is threatening to kill them unless we meet their demands. You have two minutes to defeat the Altered before your friend here gets dunked in the pool of lava. If you save the citizen and defeat the Altered, you pass. If he takes a dip, he burns in an endlessly hungry pool of lava until his very bones are nothing. Oh, and you fail and have to go back to¡­whatever it is you were doing prior to this. Understand?¡±


    Ethan nodded. ¡°Morbid,¡± he whispered to himself, glancing up. ¡°But going back isn¡¯t an option.¡± He cleared his throat, speaking loudly. ¡°Alright, who do I have to go through to get to save this plastic man¡¯s life?¡±


    Kingston pulled the lever to his left, and Quinn felt the whir of a motor underneath them, the metal gates in front of Ethan pulling up slowly. Out walked a woman, a head shorter than Ethan with sharply cut black hair falling just below her chin. She was wearing a forest green leather jacket with a black shirt tucked into her black jeans.


    ¡°Meet Bramble,¡± Kingston said. ¡°Her¡­temperament didn¡¯t make her an ideal Protector, but her power set allows her to pick up all kinds of jobs around Ascension, including evaluating new Protectors when we''re in a pinch. Get through her, save the mannequin from certain death, and you¡¯re in.¡±


    Ethan narrowed his eyes at Bramble. She was obviously in shape, but not physically imposing enough to draw his attention. She also didn¡¯t have any sort of obvious means of attack that would¡¯ve intimidated him. In fact, she almost seemed entirely disinterested in the process, which Ethan was hoping to use to his advantage.


    ¡°Piece of cake,¡± he said, trying to project confidence. Bramble silently raised an eyebrow, and Ethan gulped quietly in response.


    Kingston set his timer for two minutes, then started it. ¡°And¡­begin!¡±


    Ethan feigned a step to the left, then pivoted to his right, trying to gauge what powers Bramble had. To his surprise, she still didn¡¯t move at all, her expression mildly disinterested, leaving him feeling like he had performed an awkward dance move at the wrong time.


    ¡°What is she doing?¡± Quinn asked urgently.


    ¡°Just wait,¡± Kingston chuckled.


    Ethan gave it another moment, his anxiety giving way to curiosity. Regardless of whatever power she had, Ethan was hoping he could grab the mannequin before Bramble had the chance to unleash it. With it safely on the ground, Ethan could go to work on finding a way to defeat Bramble. In fact, if he was fast enough, he might be able to grab the mannequin before Bramble had a chance to strike.


    The mannequin is moving too slowly for me to just open a portal beneath it and teleport it to safety, Ethan thought. No doubt Bramble would attack before then with¡­whatever it is she can do. I need to get up there, untie it, and open a portal for it to land safely on the sand.


    It sounded simple in his head, but with the quiet confidence currently radiating from Bramble, he didn¡¯t expect it to stay that way.


    Without moving his head, he clocked the mannequin¡¯s position, accounted for a few second¡¯s worth of slow descent, and opened a portal right where he expected it to be, roughly three stories in the air. He tossed the still unmoving Bramble a wary glance, then connected the portal in front of him. Waiting a half-second until the mannequin¡¯s head had passed below the portal, Ethan leapt through, grabbing the rope and swinging back and forth until it stabilized.


    ¡°Ethan, do you know who that is?¡± Raz spoke to him through their communicator.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen her before,¡± Ethan admitted. Reaching down, he clung to the rope with his right hand, straining to hold his weight, and went to work on the bindings with his left. ¡°But so far, she doesn¡¯t seem to be much of a threat.¡±


    ¡°Bramble is a huge threat,¡± Raz said quickly, trying to communicate the urgency of the situation. ¡°She¡¯s immensely dangerous, and she¡¯s not afraid to hurt people. She was kicked out of the Protector program for being too violent against Altered.¡±


    ¡°I better move quickly, then unless I want to end up like them,¡± Ethan replied, grunting with exertion. ¡°I¡¯m going to free this guy first, then deal with Bramble after.¡±


    Ethan had managed to free the mannequin¡¯s left hand, leaving it dangling by his right, which he was hard at work moving to get it free.


    ¡°Halfway done,¡± Ethan said, panting. ¡°So, what can she do? Can she even reach me all the way up here?¡±


    Before Raz had the chance to answer, Ethan let out a pained cry as thorns suddenly bit into his ankle. He jerked his head down and found a green whip extending from Bramble¡¯s hand thirty feet below wrapped around his leg, a wry smile on Bramble¡¯s face. Without warning, she pulled her whip down to the sand with extraordinary strength, ripping Ethan¡¯s grip from the rope and sending him flying off, leaving the mannequin swaying wildly above the pit.


    Thinking quickly, Ethan opened a portal pointed away from Bramble just above the base of the pit, then one in front of him, sending him tumbling over the sand rather than slamming into it, kicking up a dust cloud until he came to a stop lying on his back. Pushing himself onto his elbows with a pained groan, he wiped the dust from his face and locked eyes with the now-smiling Bramble.


    ¡°Still think this¡¯ll be a piece of cake?¡± She asked.


    Ethan groaned, slowly coming to a stand. His eyes caught the mannequin, and he realized he had a new problem: it was was barely hanging on, swinging from left to right, threatening to slip through its last restraint.


    ¡°Ethan!¡± Raz yelled. ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    In the observation deck above, Quinn grabbed Kingston¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Do you have a plan for stopping Bramble if she gets too violent?¡±


    Kingston rubbed his chin. ¡°Now that you mention it,¡± he said quietly, ¡°I¡­probably should¡¯ve made one.¡±


    Quinn scoffed. ¡°So it¡¯s really all on Ethan to save himself?¡±


    Kingston shrugged. ¡°Bramble might help?¡±


    Down below, Bramble laughed as she wrapped another vine around Ethan¡¯s wrist and dragged him to the ground.


    ¡°Or not.¡±

 Chapter 19-Brambles and Thorns

    Ethan pushed himself onto his knees, coughing and trying to get the sand out of his mouth. As he crunched down on yet more grit, he realized it was a lost cause, and instead focused on rubbing his wrists, trying to gain purchase underneath the thorns digging into his skin. Each time Ethan teleported up to cut the mannequin loose, Bramble immediately wrapped a vine around one of his limbs and ripped him down to the ground. He wasn¡¯t sure how many more times he could land face-first in the sand without breaking a rib, but given how sore his midsection already was, it really felt like zero. With his hostage citizen just twenty feet above the pool and descending faster than Ethan liked, Ethan was stuck on his knees, vines holding him down, running out of time.


    Bramble, however, looked like she had all the time in the world, her movements almost leisurely compared to Ethan¡¯s frantic attempts to get away.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think,¡± Ethan said, his voice strained, ¡°that you¡¯re secretly enjoying this.¡±


    ¡°I was like you, once, months ago,¡± she said, a wide smile spread across her lips. She dug her heels into the sand, sighing contentedly. ¡°You think you were changed for a reason. You come in here with such big dreams, to become a Protector and help battle the Altered all across Ascension. To become a hero, someone people look up to, someone you think you can be. But this? Right now?¡±


    Ethan tried, once more, to open a portal to the mannequin, now just fifteen feet above the green. Bramble pulled the vines tighter, her smile growing more malicious as Ethan cried out when he was jerked back to the sand.


    ¡°This is when you realize you¡¯re not cut out for this world, when the ambition and dreams you came in with are pulled back down to the earth. And when you walk out of here, with your head down, you¡¯ll dry the blood from your wrists see the deep cuts, and know that I was the one who broke you.¡±


    She wrapped the vines around her palms, then pulled the vines back, tightening them around Ethan¡¯s wrist as he screamed, the sharp thorns drawing hot blood that started to run in a neat line down the inside of his sleeves, staining his white training suit a deep, blotted purple.


    Ethan breathed in slowly, fighting the pain to think. I know I¡¯m not cut out for this, he thought. I gave up on becoming a hero the moment I thought I left Rainey to die in the mines. You can¡¯t cause that much pain and expect to get labeled a hero. Ethan glanced up, locked eyes with Bramble: confident, cool, in control. Maybe Bramble sees that in me, and she knows that I¡¯d quit being a Protector the first time things got difficult.


    Time was almost out, and quitting was starting to sound awfully good, especially compared to having Bramble cut him any deeper than she already had. Fully ready to throw in the towel, Ethan sighed curtly, but took a moment to glance back at Raz in the stands. Instantly, his stomach sank. Raz wasn¡¯t worried, or angry. Instead, Ethan clocked his expression, one he had seen too many times over the years:


    Raz was disappointed. Disappointed that Ethan had dragged him all this way for nothing, upended both of their lives so Ethan could live out his fantasy, only to quit the second things got difficult. If even Ethan¡¯s best friend, the person who had known him longer than anyone except for Alex, expected him to quit, then why shouldn¡¯t he? Lying in the dirt, bleeding from each arm and leg, he realized Bramble was right: this was who he truly was. If gaining powers didn¡¯t change that, then nothing would.


    He could teleport out of here anytime he chose. The observation deck undoubtedly led to an exit. But, of course, he¡¯d have to walk by Quinn, which would be incredibly embarrassing. What would she even say to him?


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he moving?¡± Quinn asked, leaning forward closer to the glass.


    Kingston¡¯s voice was softer than it had been all morning. ¡°Quinn, I¡¯ve done fifty of these evaluations, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen someone take the beating he has. If he isn¡¯t thinking about giving up yet, I¡¯d seriously recommend he start soon¡±


    Quinn, without thinking, grabbed the intercom from Kingston.


    ¡°Cheering them on isn¡¯t exactly allowed-¡°


    ¡°Ethan!¡± Quinn yelled, cutting him off. Ethan¡¯s eyes shot up, and Bramble momentarily relaxed her grip, her head turning to the sound coming from the intercom system. ¡°I know we don¡¯t know each other well, but in a moment where you had every reason to walk away, you chose to help me. I haven¡¯t met any Protectors yet, but if I had, I¡¯d want them to be like you.¡±


    A sudden acknowledgement stuck out in Ethan¡¯s mind: Raz knew exactly who Ethan was. Maybe even better than Ethan knew himself. But Quinn didn¡¯t know the first thing about Ethan, other than the fact that he helped out in the museum this morning. The mistakes he made in the past didn¡¯t exist with her, the stains that marked the thread that comprised his and Raz¡¯s relationships were entirely nonexistent on the bond he could craft with her. But if he quit now, and gave up on his evaluation, that chance would be gone, cut short, and he wouldn¡¯t have a second one to show her, or anyone in Ascension, a different version of himself, one that he actually liked.


    Bramble already thought she knew who Ethan was, and her confident expression told him exactly what she thought of him.


    But maybe I can use that to my advantage.


    Ethan knew what he was about to do was going to hurt, and badly, but failing Raz and blowing his chance with Quinn would hurt far worse. Besides, he already broke thirty bones just getting powers, and despite being unconscious for most of that time, this couldn¡¯t possibly hurt worse than anything he experienced then.


    ¡°She¡¯s wrong,¡± Bramble shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re nothing, and in a few seconds, that¡¯s all you¡¯re ever going to be.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been talking a lot,¡± Ethan shot back, forcing himself back to his feet, one hard step at a time. He let out a terse breath, trying his best to ignore the pain flashing from his wrists. ¡°But you¡¯ve yet to actually hurt me. So, I need to know: got anything tougher than these play-doh vines?¡±


    Hot anger flashed across Bramble¡¯s face, leading to a moment of panic: either his plan was going to work, or he was about to find out how powerful Bramble really was.


    Bramble brought her arms up over her head, ready to slam them into the ground and nearly cut Ethan¡¯s wrists off in the process. But instead of fighting back, Ethan ran with it, darting towards Bramble, running with the tension and using it to open a portal high above him, near the top of the pit¡¯s dome. He completed the portal, diving through and dragging Bramble with him, who suddenly appeared behind him three stories above the ground. Just as nearly everyone who found themselves suddenly above the ground, Bramble panicked and pulled her vines back, just as Ethan hoped, freeing his wrists. Ethan opened another portal just above the mannequin, grabbing the rope, slipping down slightly as his blood-slickened palm struggled to grab purchase.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°This again?¡± Raz asked, exasperated.


    ¡°Not quite again,¡± Ethan answered, hoping he sounded confident. Bramble flicked her wrists and sent two thick sets of vines down to the pit, reeling them in and slowing her fall. She turned, clocking Ethan¡¯s position, and grunted angrily.


    ¡°Need I remind you we only have a few more seconds before the mannequin goes into the lava and you fail your evaluation?¡± Raz shouted.


    ¡°You do not,¡± Ethan shot back, tensing as Bramble reared back to fire another whip in his direction. ¡°Good thing this isn¡¯t a real person, because this next part is going to hurt.¡±


    Ethan timed his plan perfectly and leapt off the rope before Bramble¡¯s vine had a chance to reach him. Instead of connecting with Ethan, the vine cut straight through the nylon and sent his mannequin into a free fall. Ethan sprung into action, opening a portal underneath it and then one more just above the sand, transporting him safely away from the lava pool.


    While Bramble¡¯s eyes were on the tumbling mannequin, Ethan opened a portal as high above him as he could, opened one beneath him, sending himself falling from the top of the dome. He maneuvered himself into a dive, gaining speed as he plummeted towards the sand, then opened a portal just behind Bramble and sent himself through it, slamming into her like a wrecking ball.


    He immediately felt a burning pain in his shoulder, but ignored it as his weight drove her forward, sending her tumbling into the pool with a splash.


    Ethan skidded to a stop a few feet away to her left, panting and almost entirely certain his shoulder was now completely out of place. He spied his mannequin, lying in the sand a few feet away, dusty but otherwise unharmed. Walking slowly and wincing with every step, he grabbed his mannequin, then walked back to the metal platform in the center of the pit. He pulled both their arms up, sweat matting his hair, facing the observation deck.


    ¡°Ta-da!¡± He said weakly.


    Bramble clumsily pulled herself out of the pool, black hair dripping wet, and threw her soaked jacket to the dirt. In a dramatic show, she tore into the pool with her vines, letting out a frustrated roar and ripping the plastic kiddie pool to pieces, sending water spilling all over the sand. When she was done, she retracted her vines and stomped through the mud, stalked over to Ethan, who was too tired to do anything other than watch, dismay on his face. She eyed his displaced shoulder, smiled maliciously, and popped it back into place as Ethan screamed in pain, grabbing at the white-hot burn that was consuming his shoulder. Bramble pulled him in close, whispering.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky there¡¯s people watching,¡± Bramble growled. ¡°You better hope you don¡¯t get assigned sector three, because if you do¡­¡±


    Bramble wrapped a thin, spiked vine around the back of Ethan¡¯s neck, where no one else could see, drawing just a prick of blood that made him gasp.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tear you apart.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite enough, Bramble,¡± Kingston¡¯s voice boomed through the pit. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed. Stop at the front desk to get your check.¡±


    Ethan released a breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding in as Bramble slammed the door shut. So, that¡¯s two sectors I need to steer clear of. Only 3 left!


    ¡°God, she was terrifying,¡± Raz said, shaking his head, dust falling from his black hair. ¡°Great save, by the way. I really thought you were going to-¡±


    ¡°Quit?¡± Ethan cut him off, giving him a small smile. ¡°Thought about it. But¡­that¡¯s not who I want to be. At least not anymore.¡±


    Raz nodded, a faint, pleased smile spreading across his face, the first genuine hint of happiness Ethan had seen from him since the accident. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we find out what you are going to be?¡± he asked.


    Ethan nodded, clearing his throat.


    ¡°So?¡± he yelled up to the observation deck. ¡°How¡¯d I do?¡±


    Quinn jumped as a woman¡¯s voice broke the silence in the observation deck.


    ¡°He¡¯s not bad,¡± Amory said, nodding. Quinn wasn¡¯t sure when she had come in. She eyed Ethan cooly. ¡°Not as strong as Titan, of course, but smarter than she gives him credit for.¡±


    ¡°Agreed¡± Kingston said. Quinn noticed he was suddenly sitting up straighter. She did the same. ¡°But¡­he did bang up his hostage, and technically he incinerated the Altered. Publicly, we don¡¯t exactly condone murder, especially when other Protectors could¡¯ve stopped the Altered more easily. He¡¯s¡­interesting, if unconventional.¡±


    Amory gave Kingston a thoughtful nod. She gestured towards Ethan. ¡°What are you suggesting?¡±


    ¡°That was the sloppiest evaluation I¡¯ve ever seen, and I¡¯ve seen a lot. It certainly left a lot to be desired, and he feels like a liability. For Apex¡¯s Protectorate brand, one we worked so hard over the months to cultivate, it might be safest to just cut him loose.¡±


    ¡°Cut him loose?¡± Quinn asked. With Ethan out of the picture, Quinn wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out what, if any, connection he had to her sister. She had to think fast.


    ¡°Ethan has the power to teleport anywhere. He¡¯s immensely powerful, and you¡¯re just going to let him roam free?¡±


    Kingston shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s got Sector One ability, to be sure, but more sector five talent. He¡¯s¡­not easy to place.¡±


    ¡°Well, can¡¯t you just put him there?¡± Quinn¡¯s eyes drifted over to Amory, noticing a thin smile spreading across her face.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Ethan said. ¡°Do I need to teleport up there again? I can¡¯t exactly see where you all are, and I¡¯m very tired so I might accidentally teleport into something which Raz said I really need to avoid due to the energy released during a molecular displacement equating to that of a hydrogen bomb going off but I told him he¡¯s not a scientist but then he told me to go f-¡±


    Amory pushed a button on the control board, cutting Ethan off.


    ¡°Thank goodness, now I can hear myself think.¡±


    ¡°We do have an opening in Sector Five after Syphon was injured the other night,¡± Kingston pointed out. ¡°If you want to keep him, there is an opportunity there, on the edge of the city where there shouldn¡¯t be a ton of eyes on him. And if you don¡¯t want to keep him, well¡­with his lack of combat skills, there¡¯s a chance this works itself out, if you know what I mean.¡±


    Quinn grimaced, hoping Amory wouldn¡¯t notice. Luckily, her eyes were trained on the somehow still-speaking Ethan. She folded her arms.


    ¡°Not a word of this to Titan,¡± she said sternly, and Quinn felt herself straighten up. ¡°Ethan is going to receive a special assignment. Send him up, Kingston, I¡¯d like to deliver the news myself.¡±


    Kingston nodded as Amory left the deck, typing up a few notes on his tablet.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Kingston said to Quinn, ¡°and I thought I was trying to get him killed.¡±


    Quinn frowned. ¡°What do you mean? What did I just get him into?¡±


    ¡°Technically, you¡¯re giving him what he wanted,¡± Kingston pointed out. ¡°But, knowing Amory, I think he¡¯s going to find out pretty quickly he should¡¯ve wanted something else.¡±

 Chapter 20-Probation

    ¡°So,¡± Amory said, gesturing to her office once Ethan sat down, ¡°what do you think?¡±


    Ethan wasn¡¯t sure if he had a concussion from either of the two fights he had gotten into so far, or if Amory¡¯s office was really just that ugly.


    After getting bandaged up and given a change of clothes by the medical staff, Ethan wore an oversized black shirt and grey sweatpants. Amory was eagerly awaiting his opinion, seated on the opposite side of a walnut desk, her intense blue eyes trained on Ethan, hands folded politely.


    If he was being honest, the inside of Amory¡¯s office was pretty much the exact opposite of how Ethan expected a high ranking Apex executive¡¯s office to look like. While the rest of Apex¡¯s hallways were painted aggressively white with black and white art depicting various scenes around the city, devoid of almost any pops of color outside of Apex¡¯s scarlet A branded in various places throughout their hallways, Amory¡¯s office looked like someone had spun a color wheel and painted each wall based on where it landed. He had never seen a teal and pink office before, and frankly he wasn¡¯t sure he ever wanted to again.


    But with the future of his employment resting in Amory¡¯s hands, Ethan decided to put a little more tact on his answer.


    ¡°It feels like a fairy exploded in here,¡± Ethan offered, ¡°and then you just, like, picked up its corpse and smeared it all over the wall.¡± Amory gave him a knowing smile in reply, maybe appreciating his honest tone.


    ¡°Everyone I bring up here gets so¡­nervous,¡± Amory gave him a conspiratorial smile, ¡°having an office this¡­gaudy serves an important purpose. It¡¯s hideous, right?¡±


    ¡°Undoubtedly,¡± Ethan said, not sure where this was going. ¡°I¡¯ve literally never seen an uglier color scheme.¡±


    Amory laughed. ¡°I always ask and, wouldn¡¯t you know it, almost everyone I ask is suddenly a huge fan of teal and pink walls. That tells me exactly what I can expect out of someone when I need to really know something. The good news, Ethan, is that you seem honest, which I appreciate.¡±


    Ethan mulled that over. Barely three months ago he led Rainey down a mineshaft and dropped it on her, so he didn¡¯t exactly feel like he was an honest person, but that characteristic seemed important to Amory, so he let it slide.


    ¡°Also, when you spend over twenty years in the military being told where every single strand of hair needs to be, you tend to dream about the day where you can do whatever you want.¡±


    Ethan nodded. ¡°So you got your chance and ran with it.¡±


    ¡°Not unlike you,¡± Amory snapped and narrowed her eyes at him, and Ethan felt his heart jump into his throat. The silence hung heavy in the air, and Ethan suddenly felt like he was in freefall, waiting for one of his portals to open.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never lacked initiative,¡± Ethan tried.


    ¡°No,¡± Amory shook her head, ¡°pressing down into a long-abandoned mine shaft in hopes of gaining powers is a lot of things, but it¡¯s certainly not timid.¡±


    Ethan sighed. ¡°So you heard about that.¡±


    ¡°Titan told me everything,¡± Amory said. ¡°You were honest with me, Ethan, so I¡¯d like to be honest with you. You¡¯re¡­an odd case.¡±


    ¡°Heard that before.¡±


    ¡°On the one hand, you went after what you wanted, and you got it. You took your future into your own hands,¡± she gestured down to his scarred hands, a spiderweb of pink lines criss-crossing his skin, ¡°no matter what it cost you.¡±


    She¡­knows a lot more about me than I¡¯d like, Ethan thought. Ethan furrowed his brow, suddenly fantasizing about using his aforementioned powers to teleport himself out of Amory¡¯s office


    Why is that always my first instinct? He wondered. Ethan refocused.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my brightest idea, but I didn¡¯t feel like I had any other options. Speaking of¡­¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Amory nodded, ¡°you¡¯d probably like to know what I plan to do with you. Well, Ethan, that brings us to the other hand: you¡¯ve put me in a very¡­tenuous situation.¡±


    Amory turned her monitor so Ethan could see it. After a few clicks, a chart appeared on screen.


    ¡°In the days after the Surge, Apex assembled a team of data scientists, radiation scientists, meteorologists, and sociologists to map where and how the Surge might¡¯ve affected people inside Ascension. We built a model of its dispersal and, with some dubiously legal facial recognition technology, we were able to identify the vast majority of people affected by the Surge. Our chart starts with almost twenty newly powered people identified each day in the week following the Surge, which slowly dipped down, stabilizing to zero a month after the Surge.¡±


    Ethan nodded, following. ¡°You found everyone with powers, you mean.¡±


    ¡°Correct, and paid a boatload of money to do it.¡± She scrolled all the way to the right, stopping on September 14th. Ethan winced. ¡°Or, so we thought.¡± She pointed to the chart, which, for the first time in seven months, was just a hair above zero, a blip just above the baseline.


    ¡°That is you.¡±


    Ethan suddenly felt an odd sense of insignificance, staring at the screen. He had spent three months hunting down leads to find a way to get powers, was almost killed by Ember, and nearly ruined his relationship with Raz to get powers, all to be just a blip on Apex¡¯s radar and a nuisance to Amory.


    ¡°Three months after Titan defeated Maelstrom and brought a definitive end to the Skirmishes, three months after I assured Corporate back in Texas that everything was perfectly under control. They appreciated how I handled the Surge and told me I could continue to run the division provided there were no more surprises. We had a quiet run of almost a year, and then¡­you show up in an Ascension hospital, covered in bruises and scars, hands awash in a purple glow. We had to pay them off to keep everything quiet.¡±


    ¡°Surprise?¡± Ethan said, his stomach sinking when his joke didn¡¯t land the way he hoped.


    Amory ignored him. ¡°You¡¯ve put me in an untenable position here, Ethan. Technically, what you did shouldn¡¯t have been possible. The radiation the Surge releases, in any form except the extremely diluted blanket that washed over Ascension on the night of the Surge after it was dispersed through the atmosphere, is deadly. It nearly vaporizes everything it touches.¡±


    Ethan thought back to the grey ring of death around the collapsed mine, the once verdant valley now looking like a picture taken in black and white, completely lifeless.


    ¡°You should be dead. Not only are you somehow alive, but you gained powers in the process.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making that sound like a bad thing,¡± Ethan muttered.


    ¡°Am I?¡± Amory said sharply. She continued. ¡°Worst of all¡­you¡¯ve made me a liar. If Corporate found out that anyone who stumbles into the reportedly unreachable underground radiation can roll the dice and potentially gain powers equivalent to Maelstrom, or, if we¡¯re all severely unlucky, Titan herself, they will come in here and seize everything I have and then kick me out and put me under so many Congressional investigations I¡¯ll need to start studying law because no lawyer in their right mind would touch me.¡±


    ¡°Not feeling a lot of confidence here.¡±


    ¡°Did your performance today inspire it?¡± she asked.


    Ethan wasn¡¯t sure what to say. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry?¡±


    ¡°You should be. Your decision to gain powers has the potential to cause a ripple effect through the city. Do you understand what the point of the Protectors are, exactly?¡±


    Ethan hesitated, then shook his head.


    ¡°To¡­stop all the Altered in the Ascension?¡± he answered, unsurely.


    Amory shook her head. I didn¡¯t think there¡¯d be a quiz portion of my evaluation, he thought.


    ¡°You can¡¯t ever stop crime, not entirely. When the Surge blanketed Ascension with a mutagenic energy that, in a cruel twist of fate I¡¯ll never quite understand, granted people superhuman abilities, it changed what was possible to do in this city. In that way, the Surge was really an amplifier: we didn¡¯t create criminals, but we did enhance them.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Ethan nodded. ¡°Where does that leave the Protectors, then?¡±


    ¡°Our Protectors are a floodlight. They shine a light on Altered activity and act as preventative measures. Altered need to know that if they choose to act in this city, their actions will have consequences, and taking a swing from Titan is certainly a consequence. This, however, only works because we are balanced.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, balanced?¡±


    Amory pulled out a remote and clicked a button. A motor whirred to life behind Ethan. He spun his chair around and watched as a project screen descended from the ceiling. She clicked another button and an image burst onto the screen: studying it, Ethan realized it was a map of the city, divided into the five sectors. Each sector had not only a list of Protectors, but names Ethan recognized as Altered who, he guessed, were also active in each area.


    ¡°Knowing everyone who has powers and is active in the city allows us to understand the whole board. Once you know the board, and can see all the pieces, you can now change the game. Your sister¡¯s power is unmatched, which allows us to selectively pull pieces off the board. There were a few Altered who didn¡¯t play by the rules. Maelstrom brought a hurricane into the city. When we were ready, we had Titan hit him hard.¡±


    She leaned back in her chair, a satisfied smile spreading across her lips. Ethan gathered that out of everything she had done, commanding this unit was the thing she was the most proud of, which was probably why adding him into the mix was so difficult for her. He didn¡¯t just threaten her position, if Amory was right, he might threaten the entire city. While he was weighing that, she continued.


    ¡°The Altered came at us with swords. We hit them with the equivalent of an atomic bomb and then took away the pieces they could use to make one. However, if I let you loose into the city, I¡¯d be willingly showing the Altered that they too can change the game. The Altered currently don¡¯t have the power to rival us. Anyone willing to risk instant death can go out and try to gain new powers, destructive capabilities that could rival Titan¡¯s own, tipping the balance of power back to the Altered and potentially throwing the city back into chaos. That is a risk I simply cannot take.¡±


    ¡°But¡­you¡¯re already imbalanced,¡± Ethan pointed out.


    Amory narrowed her eyes. ¡°How so?¡±


    Ethan walked over to the screen, blocking out Syphon¡¯s name.


    ¡°Sola put Syphon in the hospital. You¡¯re down a Protector right now.¡±


    ¡°How do you know about Sola?¡±


    ¡°Because I fought her,¡± Ethan told her, leaning forward. ¡°This morning. Much like my evaluation, it wasn¡¯t exactly pretty, but I made it out alive.¡± Mostly thanks to Quinn, but she doesn¡¯t need to know that.


    ¡°What, exactly, are you proposing?¡±


    Ethan walked over slowly, then sat back down in his chair. He only had one shot at this.


    ¡°Sola is already active in Ascension, but nobody knows where her powers came from. That¡¯s a liability for you. Let me go after her, and let me find out where she gained her powers.¡±


    ¡°Which would mean no one else would learn where she got her powers from. An interesting proposition, and a convenient intersection of our needs,¡± Amory admitted. She looked impressed, but Ethan¡¯s heart was still pounding. He decided to press on.


    ¡°Does Apex know what she¡¯s after?¡±


    ¡°After some initial small-value robberies, testing her limits or, possibly, our response times in different sectors, she¡¯s been on a shopping spree, robbing five stores in three days. A clear escalation in her pattern.¡±


    ¡°Why is she hitting so many jewelry stores now?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°If she needs money, that¡¯s not the quickest way to get it. She still has to sell what she steals.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s where it gets interesting: she hasn¡¯t sold anything, as far as we can tell. She¡¯s kept everything she¡¯s stolen.¡±


    ¡°So¡­she needs what she¡¯s stolen.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Amory agreed. ¡°But, we don¡¯t yet know why she needs so many diamonds. All we have to go on is audio from Syphon¡¯s suit; Sola told Syphon that she wasn¡¯t finished, so we¡¯re anticipating more attacks.¡±


    ¡°More attacks means more opportunities for her to come into contact with people who might start asking questions that you don¡¯t want them to have the answers to,¡± Ethan countered. Amory, almost appearing impressed, nodded. She sighed, retraining her focus on him.


    ¡°Against my better judgment, and despite your paltry performance in your evaluation, I¡¯m going to do right by Titan and rely on you to take care of this problem, Ethan.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for,¡± Ethan said, hope starting to rise. With his elbows on the desk, he leaned across to Amory. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything. I need this.¡±


    The silence while he waited for Amory¡¯s response was killing him. He wanted to practically scream, what are you waiting for? As she sat there quietly, holding Ethan¡¯s entire future in her hands.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Amory finally said. Ethan¡¯s eyes went wide, barely holding himself together. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal: Syphon will be back in a week, so I¡¯m giving you seven days. Bring Sola in, and I¡¯ll find a permanent spot for you in our Protectorate program. May not be glamorous, I know intimately that most positions in this world aren¡¯t, but it¡¯ll undoubtedly be better than whatever you were going to do.¡±


    Ethan nodded vigorously. ¡°One week?¡±


    ¡°One week,¡± Amory repeated. ¡°Our best guess puts her next target as the Ascension History Museum. It has the largest diamond in the city on display.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start there,¡± Ethan smiled.


    Amory nodded. ¡°We need to wrap this up quickly before any other Altered decides to test our defenses.¡±


    Ethan pushed himself to stand, holding out his hand. ¡°Consider it done.¡±


    Amory took it, her face stern. ¡°For both of our sakes, let¡¯s hope so. Clock¡¯s ticking, Ethan.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ethan came bounding out of the elevator and entered the lobby, grinning despite the constraints Amory put on his employment. The lobby was nearly empty save for Quinn who stood, sheepishly, by the front entrance. She smiled when she saw him, but it felt hollow. Ethan¡¯s smile sank.


    ¡°Hey Quinn,¡± he said, glancing around. He realized what was missing. ¡°Where¡¯s Raz?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh,¡± Quinn stammered. ¡°He said he had something important to get back to.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ethan said quietly. Despite getting the opportunity he had dreamt of for more than a year, there were still plenty of things he had to fix. For now, though, he was on a time crunch to find Sola, and until he apologized to Raz, he was going to have to find her on his own.


    One thing at a time.


    ¡°You guys, uh, aren¡¯t on the best of terms, huh?¡±


    ¡°We¡­had a disagreement,¡± Ethan told her, staying as vague as possible. ¡°But, now that I¡¯m going to be a Protector, I think I can finally find some time to fix it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m sure you guys can mend everything,¡± Quinn told him. Ethan barely heard her: as she stood in front of him in the soft light filtering through Apex¡¯s windows, he, finally had a quiet moment between them to take in her blonde hair, closer to saffron than gold, tucked neatly in a bun, and the freckles that dotted her cheeks.


    ¡°Right?¡± she said, waiting. Ethan snapped back to the conversation.


    ¡°Anything you say.¡±


    She laughed, dismissing him. ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy I caught you. I wanted to make sure you were okay. Bramble looked like she was ready to take a chunk out of you.¡±


    ¡°She certainly tried, but I¡¯m a bit tougher than I look.¡± Not much tougher, but a little bit, anyway.


    Quinn looked relieved. ¡°Glad to hear that,¡± she said. Ethan stammered, fighting to break the silence. When he found his footing, his words all ran together like a crash in a bicycle race.


    ¡°And I just wanted to say thanks for, uh, what you said in the pit. That¡­really helped.¡± Ethan ran his hand through his black hair. ¡°I, uh, like who I am when I¡¯m with you.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Quinn smiled, gesturing down the road, ¡°it wasn¡¯t any fun watching you get your ass kicked without being able to do something about it.¡±


    ¡°Kingston certainly sounded like he was having a blast,¡± Ethan muttered.


    ¡°He¡¯s always cranky. But, it does kind of look like I saved your life twice in one day. I hate to bring it up, but now it looks like you owe me.¡±


    More than you know, Ethan thought.


    ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯re right,¡± Ethan nodded. ¡°Maybe we could get dinner, spend some time together without anyone trying to kill me, or you, or both?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± she nodded. Ethan felt like his heart was going to explode, but he tried to keep it together.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got until next Friday to finish a task for Amory. If it goes well, I should be in the mood to celebrate. Maybe we¡¯ll shoot for then?¡±


    Quinn smiled. ¡°Friday it is. I¡¯ll let you pick the place.¡±


    ¡°Done,¡± Ethan grinned, opening a portal.


    ¡°Keep yourself safe,¡± Quinn said, ¡°I won¡¯t always be around to help you out, you know.¡±


    ¡°If only,¡± Ethan responded.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, her face turning more serious, ¡°and if I figure out what the stone does that Sola nearly stole, I¡¯ll let you know, okay?¡±


    Right. As nice as this conversation is, there¡¯s a billion things that I need to be doing, he sighed. ¡°Let me know if I can help in any way. That¡¯s¡­kind of what Amory has me taking care of, so I¡¯ll drop anything to come see you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be my first call,¡± Quinn told him. Ethan gave her a smile and stepped through a portal into the Ascension sky, somehow forgetting all the wounds Bramble had just given him. Quinn watched him go, amazed at his power to simply disappear.


    Not unlike her sister.


    Quinn pulled out a picture of her phone, frowning when she saw she had no new texts or missed calls. Rainey had grown distant ever since their accident on the night of the Surge that landed both of them in the hospital, and she had been outright missing for the last three months; Quinn hadn¡¯t even received so much as a text from her letting her know that she was still alive. Quinn had practically given up on ever finding out what happened to Rainey until just this morning, when a complete stranger uttered her name within earshot.


    If her sister was still alive, staying close to Ethan Havoc was her best shot at finding her. To do that, Quinn needed to find out why an Altered drove an hour and a half out of the city to try and steal a stone nobody was supposed to know existed from a facility nobody would visit without explicit knowledge of what was inside.


    Quinn rubbed her temples as she made her way, carefully, back to the elevator. There were too many pieces in play right now and not enough time to figure out how they all fit, but she had to start somewhere.


    Idly, as the elevators closed in front of her, she wondered how many of the pieces Ethan held.


    End Part Two.

 Chapter 21-Fourth First Day on the Job

    The sunrise used to bring Ethan a reprieve from the darkness of the mines. It was like the sun was waiting for him, night after night, to greet him after twelve backbreaking hours spent below the surface toiling away in anonymity until his shift ended. Now, watching it blaze a path over the eastern plains, it only served to inspire a new kind of anxiety inside him, its rise marking another missed opportunity for him to find Sola and take her to Apex.


    Just after his evaluation, Ethan had been brimming with confidence, ready to take on the entire city if he had to in order to find Sola. Alex, after he broke the news of Amory¡¯s decision to her, had a different perspective, one he brushed off initially, but was now starting to fear


    she had, as always, been correct about.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± she told him after he had broken the news of his probation to her. Ethan started to thank her until her words sunk in. He felt like someone had ripped a hole in his sail, halting his momentum into a standstill. She wasn¡¯t finished yet, though, and continued to rain on his parade.


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­literally never heard of anyone going on probation,¡± she had told him over dinner, dumbfounded, ¡°and Amory and I quite literally wrote the book on Protector processes.¡±


    Ethan opened his mouth, then shut it again, unable to find the right way to convince her to be as excited as he was.


    ¡°I thought this was¡­good?¡± he said slowly, unable to take another bite of his noodles. ¡°I¡¯m almost a Protector.¡±


    ¡°But you passed your evaluation,¡± Alex pointed out, spearing another piece of steak from her plate. ¡°You should¡¯ve been a full Protector from that moment on. Amory¡¯s still stringing you along.¡±


    Ethan idly moved a pea around his pasta. ¡°Well, just for another week,¡± he countered.


    Alex finished chewing, then shrugged. ¡°Frankly, I thought she was going to kick you to the curb anyway, so I guess this is better than nothing.¡±


    Ethan smiled, confidence returning like a tide on a full moon, holding up his glass to hers. ¡°I¡¯ll cheers to not nothing.¡±


    Alex laughed. ¡°Well, you had a great mentor and Sola seems desperate to rob Ascension of every diamond within city limits. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find her easily.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, Ethan nodded. ¡°After all, I already ran into her once without even trying. She might even be seeking revenge against me, for all we know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be bad,¡± Alex shook her head, pausing at Ethan¡¯s wide, oblivious smile. ¡°You do understand that¡¯d be bad?¡±


    ¡°No, right,¡± he agreed, wiping his mouth with his napkin. ¡°But I bet I won¡¯t even have to look for her. She¡¯ll probably head straight for me instead!¡±


    When their dinner was over, Ethan headed out into the city to stake out the Ascension History Museum just like Amory had suggested, entirely convinced that he would find Sola, take her in, and become a Protector in no time.


    That was four days ago. The sunrise currently blinding him meant he had just three days left until his dreams of becoming a Protector vanished like the morning shadow, and after the silence of the past few nights it was looking increasingly likely that he wouldn¡¯t make his deadline with Amory, putting him right back at square one.


    Except, now, Raz hated him, a problem he hadn¡¯t found time to fix quite yet. Also, he promised to take Quinn on a date. And Rainey, presumably, still wanted to kill Alex.


    ¡°One thing at a time,¡± he whispered to himself, shaking his head free of the intrusive thoughts nagging away at his tired mind. He rolled his neck, stretching after another long night of contorting himself to crouch, unseen, behind a concrete rooftop wall overlooking the museum. He closed the portal he had left open all night inside the museum near one of the vents, acting like a makeshift space heater during his long, cold night of staking out the museum, and draped his arms over the frozen stone wall, sighing heavily.


    Like each of the past few mornings, the city was quiet, slow to wake in the pale sunlight. He was practically alone on one of Ascension¡¯s busiest streets, unsure of exactly what he should do next.


    ¡°Another night wasted,¡± he groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. ¡°I¡¯m running out of time, and I¡¯m out of ideas. I need someone smarter than me to tell me what to do.¡±


    As he had the past four mornings, the cafe he frequented each morning just down the street that looked open in the chilly early morning, and he was practically salivating at the thought of having a coffee to warm his hands. He opened a portal and deposited himself onto the sidewalk in front of the colorful storefront, his hand gripping the metal handle when someone called out to him. Ethan wheeled around to see a tall, shirtless man standing a few storefronts away from him, arms folded.


    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± the man¡¯s gruff voice immediately sent Ethan¡¯s blood racing through his body. He immediately recognized the brute as the Altered, Duclaw, a known mercenary who took jobs all throughout Ascension, regardless of Sector.


    Aside from being nearly a foot taller than Ethan and twice as wide, his most defining feature was, of course, his razor sharp claws jutting out of his forearms. They were the full length of Ethan¡¯s forearms, blood red, and deadly if Ethan let him get in too close.


    ¡°Just who I was looking for.


    Now would have been a really good time to call for help, if he and Raz were speaking. But they weren¡¯t, so this was solely Ethan¡¯s problem to deal with. He gulped, flexing his palms.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met,¡± Ethan told him politely, letting go of the door slowly and squaring up to Duclaw, his hands ready to summon a portal at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t, but we¡¯re about to get real personal.¡±


    Ethan gestured to the coffee shop. ¡°Any chance I can get my americano first?¡±


    Duclaw took off for Ethan as if shot out of a cannon, causing Ethan¡¯s heart rate to spike. He felt his legs tense to run, but instead he forced himself to think. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Alex, knowing Ethan had the type of personality that would inevitably make him more than a few enemies, trained him for this exact situation, and he thankfully remembered the trick they came up. This particular move didn¡¯t work on anyone who could fly, but he was fairly positive that wasn¡¯t the case with Duclaw, so now was the perfect time to test it out.


    Either it¡¯d work, or he¡¯d spend the next few days in the hospital with severe lacerations, effectively ending his chance to find Sola.


    Not an option, he told himself.


    As Duclaw was sprinting recklessly towards him, Ethan flicked his palm and summoned a small, solid void just in front of Duclaw¡¯s shin, forcing him to stumble. Duclaw was knocked off his feet, flying towards the pavement with a surprised grunt. Before he could hit the street, Ethan opened a portal onto a nearby rooftop and connected it to the void in front of Duclaw, sending him through the portal and slamming, face first, into the rooftop across the street.


    Ethan closed the portal with a chuckle, his problem momentarily solved, then headed into the store. After he bought his coffee (which, surprisingly, was free for getting rid of Duclaw), he came back out and opened a portal to the adjacent rooftop well out of Duclaw¡¯s range.


    Duclaw, never quite known for his intelligence, was looking over the edge of the roof, probably trying to figure out if he could make the jump down to the street below without breaking a few bones in the process. Most people affected by the Surge gained an increase in durability, but a four story jump wasn¡¯t something anyone wanted to do, increased bone density or not.


    Ethan chuckled, then called out to him. ¡°Enjoying the view?¡±


    Duclaw wheeled towards him, then stalked to the edge of the rooftop. His claws were glimmering in the sunlight as he gestured wildly with his arms. ¡°What the hell, man?¡±


    Ethan was taken aback by Duclaw¡¯s sudden indignant attitude. He stammered until Duclaw continued yelling, his voice echoing.


    ¡°Why would you do this to me, man? How am I supposed to go get down?¡±


    Ethan scoffed, throwing his hands up. ¡°You were going to try and kill me!¡±


    ¡°Come on! I¡¯m not a killer, I was just going to rough you up! You know, make you think twice about coming back to sector two.¡±


    ¡°Sector Two? Who even cares about¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Did Vider put you up to this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but he didn¡¯t tell me you were such a menace. I never would have agreed to face off with you if I knew this is what you were going to do! I have to drop my kid off at school soon!¡±


    ¡°Should¡¯ve thought about that before you tried to attack me in front of my favorite coffee shop. Now you¡¯re stuck on a roof and your kid¡¯s going to be truant. Double whammy.¡±


    Duclaw dropped his arms dramatically. ¡°Come on, man, what¡¯s it going to take? I can¡¯t stay up here!¡±


    Ethan casually sipped his coffee, thinking, then smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you down,¡± Ethan told him, ¡°but I need some information first.¡±


    Duclaw looked up to the sky, muttering to himself, then retrained his intense gaze on Ethan.


    ¡°How about you get me down now and I don¡¯t cut you to ribbons?¡± Duclaw countered. He clashed his claws together, menacingly. At least, it would¡¯ve been if he wasn¡¯t ten feet away and completely trapped. Ethan decided to change tactics.


    ¡°Right now,¡± Ethan told him, slowly so Duclaw could understand the impact of his words, ¡°someone might see you up here. It¡¯s early and Ascension is a bustling city, after all. Maybe you could even call one of your Altered friends to come bail you out. But¡­did you see how easily I put you up here?¡± Ethan summoned a void just in front of him.


    Duclaw was quiet, nodding, his eyes transfixed on the swirling void.


    Ethan pointed to the top of Quandry peak several hours by car away from them. Heavy gray clouds were gathering around it, signaling another snowstorm later that evening.


    ¡°Do you snowboard?¡± Ethan asked. Duclaw shook his head, pointing to one of his claws. That would make things difficult, Ethan thought.


    ¡°The mountains get over twenty feet of snow a year. If you go off the edge of a run, you can bury yourself in snow. I can open a portal anywhere I can see. What if I drop you out there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll climb out,¡± he told Ethan, his confidence wavering.¡± Ethan cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°Maybe, but who is going to find you once you pull yourself out of the snowbank? The only person who is going to know where you are is me. The only person who could reach you before you freeze to death is me, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be in the mood to help you if you don¡¯t help me, you understand?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Duclaw put his hands out, pleading. ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    Ethan smiled, pleased. ¡°There¡¯s a new Altered running through Ascension. So far she¡¯s stolen a number of diamonds, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s her end goal. I need to know what she¡¯s really after.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s after,¡± Duclaw shook his head. Ethan sighed, then opened another portal way out in the mountains. Frigid wind suddenly roared through the air and slammed into Duclaw, forcing him off balance. He sputtered, wiping his face, and yelled to be heard.


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± he begged, ¡°I don¡¯t know what she wants, but I do know where she¡¯s targeting.¡±


    Ethan slowly shut the portal. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It might just be a rumor, but I heard through the grapevine that after the Surge, jewelry stores invested in a moving depot to store their inventory somewhere in Sector Three.¡±


    ¡°Where in Sector Three?¡± he asked.


    Duclaw shook his head rapidly. ¡°Nobody knows. Ever since the Surge the owners move it constantly out of fear of attack, using different warehouses every few months.¡±


    Makes sense, Ethan nodded, if you have to house that much jewelry at one time, you¡¯re better off moving it so Altered can¡¯t plan to attack it. Of course, Apex would need to know where it was so they could organize protection for it. And I just so happen to know a guy who works at Apex. He hates me, but¡­I¡¯ve been meaning to fix that, anyway, and this is my best shot.


    ¡°Alright. Good enough,¡± Ethan said to the visibly relieved Duclaw. Ethan summoned a void in front of Duclaw, then a portal onto the street below, gesturing for him to go through. Duclaw eyed it suspiciously, then tentatively put his foot forward, pulling it back after he touched the asphalt. He gave Ethan one last look before he stepped through the portal.


    ¡°You¡¯re a real freak, you know that?¡±


    Ethan scoffed as Duclaw disappeared into the morning crowd. With Duclaw gone, his eyes drew not to the new hotel rooftop he had made his home the past few nights, but back to his apartment. Ethan was going home, and he had little time to waste, but there was just enough time to make a stop at the nearest grocery store. Mending this relationship would be difficult at best, but there was one thing he could do to make it a little easier.

 Chapter 22-Something Long Overdue

    Fifteen minutes and one eyebrow-raising grocery store stop later, Ethan stood in front of the pristine exterior that marked Alex¡¯s apartment. All that was standing between Ethan and a nice bath were two conversations. One of them would be embarrassing and the other one awkward, but he wasn¡¯t sure which would be which.


    Or, he could go back to the hotel rooftop and hope Amber wasn¡¯t there, but he really didn¡¯t want to have to explain to her that he still wasn¡¯t a Protector. She already had a much lower opinion of him than Ethan would like, and his current corpse-like appearance was not going to improve his standing with her, so back to his place it was.


    Ethan took a deep breath to steady himself before walking into the lobby. He began to sweat when he reached the elevator, ascending the thirty-five stories to Alex¡¯s penthouse. He hadn¡¯t been face to face with Raz for more than five minutes since the day he and Rainey went down into the mines, successfully managing to avoid him every day for the past three months, which was no easy task considering their rooms were across the hall from each other.


    In the early days of his training, before he found that hotel rooftops were not particularly well guarded, Ethan would even go so far as to take showers right when he got home in the early hours of the morning before Raz was up, sleep during the day, and then leave with Alex for training just after Raz went to sleep at night, purposefully putting him on an opposite schedule of his former best friend.


    At best, he owed Raz an apology, one Ethan hoped he¡¯d reluctantly accept. At worst, Raz had every excuse to cut him out of his life completely, and then Ethan really would need Quinn to act as his PAL. Ethan felt like it was probably a little early to ask her to leave his job and join up with him, so he was going to have to make things work with Raz.


    As if his conversation with Raz wasn¡¯t going to be bad enough, Ethan also had to tell Alex he had been trying to find Sola on his own, without Raz¡¯s help, and that he had wasted four days so far. He wasn¡¯t sure which conversation was going to be worse, but at least Raz didn¡¯t have the power to throw him into the sun if he got angry. Alex had become extremely well trained in exercising restraint with her immense strength, but everyone was prone to incidents.


    The elevator doors opened, putting him face to face with Alex¡¯s door. ¡°Time to rip the bandaid off,¡± he muttered. He pushed Alex¡¯s apartment door open and called out to them both.


    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±


    Alex was fixing herself breakfast in the kitchen, but froze when she heard the door open. Realizing it was only the lowly Ethan, she dropped the knife back onto the plate and rushed over to greet him, her amber eyes instantly communicating her concern for Ethan¡¯s disheveled state. This, in his mind, was a good sign.


    ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡± she asked, making a beeline for Ethan and looking him over with the same concern of a lioness looking over her cub.


    ¡°I kind of haven¡¯t slept in four days,¡± Ethan told her. ¡°I¡¯ve been staking out the museum looking out for Sola. Oh, and Duclaw attacked me this morning.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call?¡± Alex said, incredulously. ¡°I would¡¯ve helped you!¡±


    ¡°It happened so fast,¡± Ethan shook his head, ¡°but I took care of him and made it out without a scratch.¡±


    ¡°If I see Duclaw out in the city, I¡¯m going to-¡±


    Alex accidentally crushed the metal travel mug she was drinking out of, displaying her disagreement and spilling coffee all over her floor.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± she growled, ¡°I just had these replaced!¡±


    Raz finally made an appearance, walking slowly out from his room. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Did you know about this?¡± Alex pointed at Ethan, specifically gesturing towards the burns visible on his arms.


    Raz shrugged. ¡°His heart rate was elevated, but it never stopped, so I assumed he was fine.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me what was going on?¡±


    All Raz could do was hesitate, then shrug again, which was not enough of an answer for Alex. She pointed a finger angrily at Ethan, who flinched, then at Raz, whose shoulders slumped.


    ¡°You¡¯re wasting time not talking to your PAL, and you¡¯re only willing to speak up if he dies just because you two aren¡¯t friendly?¡± Alex shook her head dismissively. She stormed over to the balcony.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ethan asked, taking a step to follow her. Alex immediately shot him a threatening glance that stopped him in his tracks.


    ¡°Out,¡± she spat.


    ¡°Uh, right. Let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do while you¡¯re gone,¡± Ethan nodded quietly, not wanting to draw any more of Alex¡¯s ire than he already had.


    ¡°Since you asked, fix this,¡± Alex gestured at the two of them. Raz¡¯s eyes dropped to the floor. ¡°Ethan, I don¡¯t have a way to keep you here, but if you leave without resolving this, I will fly you back here and hold you both two inches away from each other by the collars of your shirts until you do. You two are going to work this out, now.¡±


    She took a hard look at the two of them, pointing to the spilled coffee, then again at Ethan.


    ¡°And clean that up!¡±


    Launching herself off the balcony, Alex took off towards Apex Tower, leaving Ethan, Raz, and an immediately awkward silence that filled the room.


    Ethan wiped the coffee up, grimacing at his lackluster job. He never learned to clean hardwood, despite his earlier mistakes. He scrubbed and scrubbed, but the stain never seemed to lessen.


    Letting out a curt sigh, he felt like a balloon about to burst, unable to stand the silence any longer. He left the stain as it was, then pulled the six pack out of the grocery bag he had brought in, popped the top off a beer, and silently offered it to Raz who glanced at the clock, shrugged, and accepted. Ethan opened his own, sitting on the couch next to Raz and feeling, for the first time, all the bruises on his shoulders and chest from where the bones landed on top of him. He groaned in discomfort, shifting weight off his right shoulder.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Raz asked. ¡°You look like hell.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent four nights staring at a closed museum in the cold watching my future slip away from me. Then, this morning, I got into a fight, but resolved that before it started, really. Oh, and I had a dinosaur skeleton dropped on me a few days ago and even though the doctor said my shoulder isn¡¯t dislocated, I still think it is.¡±


    Raz grimaced, taking a long sip, then laughed quietly. ¡°Remember when you wanted to be a paleontologist?¡±


    Ethan laughed. ¡°Now I hate those guys. Like, you were all proud you found those bones in the mountains, so you put them on the ceiling, and what¡¯d they do? Fall on top of me. You¡¯re a danger, sir, and so is your work.¡±


    ¡°You know what¡¯s weird? There¡¯s not a lot of other jobs where, if you¡¯re successful, your work ends up on a ceiling¡± Raz pointed out. ¡°Michaelangelo, sure, he rocked it. I get it. But, like, accountants don¡¯t put their spreadsheets on the ceiling, you know?¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°True, but there are a lot of jobs where, if your work ends up on the ceiling, it¡¯s a real issue. Like, things have gone catastrophically wrong.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Raz nodded, ¡°chefs, for sure. Can¡¯t have that happen and expect to still be employed.¡±


    ¡°No doubt. Pilots, too, can¡¯t have passengers end up on the ceiling.¡±


    ¡°This is why I don¡¯t fly,¡± Raz shook his head. ¡°That kind of stuff can just happen.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that why?¡± Ethan laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not the whole ¡®having no money to your name¡¯ thing?¡±


    ¡°Rich coming from someone who was so broke he threw himself down a hole in the ground.¡±


    Ethan tilted his beer. ¡°Touch¨¦. Man, I missed this,¡± he said quietly, his tone serious. ¡°These last three months have been so¡­lonely. Alex yells at me all the time.¡±


    ¡°As she should,¡± Raz pointed out, ¡°if she¡¯s too soft on you, you¡¯ll die on your first day as a Protector.¡±


    ¡°I almost died today, and I¡¯m not even a Protector,¡± Ethan laughed. ¡°I got lucky that Duclaw happens to be a moron.¡±


    ¡°Luckily, you must¡¯ve gotten better at controlling your powers. Alex has been updating me. In the beginning, she was so worried you were going to slam into a mountain.¡±


    ¡°The snowpack saved my life more than once,¡± he shook his head, shivering involuntarily. There was simply no amount of jackets that could keep you warm after being buried under several feet of snow. ¡°Now, speaking about my powers¡­¡± Ethan gestured at his beer, and Raz opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°If you miss, she¡¯s going to kill you. She just got her floors redone, and if she has to get a new couch I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll live to see it.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Ethan laughed, ¡°I stopped Sola and recovered a powerful object Apex purposefully put away for safekeeping. I¡¯ve got some rope, right?¡±


    Raz shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s your hanging. That said¡­try it.¡±


    Ethan took a deep breath, then opened a portal just beneath the ceiling and another just underneath his beer. He turned his head upward, opening his mouth and slowly poured his beer into the first portal. He completely misjudged the distance, spilling beer all over the back of the couch, laughing as he dismissed both portals.


    ¡°I see why Sola was able to beat you up so easily,¡± Raz joked, ¡°you can barely connect your portals.¡±


    Ethan jumped up, getting a roll of paper towels and doing his best to clear the spots. When they didn¡¯t come out, he sighed, then shrugged.


    ¡°Well, if she notices the couch is messed up, maybe she won¡¯t care about the floors, right?¡±


    Raz sighed, his disappointment in Ethan evident. ¡°Is making a second, worse mistake better than just fixing the first one?¡± Raz asked.


    Ethan froze. Is that all I¡¯m doing? He asked himself, glancing back at Alex¡¯s warped floorboards. The couch was beginning to stain.


    Can¡¯t do anything about the floor, but I can fix this before things get worse if I move quickly.


    Ethan rushed over to Alex¡¯s sink and pulled out her stain cleaner, flooded the wet stains on the couch, and blotted them. When he was satisfied they wouldn¡¯t do any permanent damage, he walked over to the balcony, choosing his words carefully.


    Just three months ago he stood in the exact same spot, promising himself powers, a way out of the mines. Now he had them, and, as Amber had reminded him, he could go anywhere. His hand vibrated gently, power waiting to be unleashed at his command.


    This time, however, he knew he had to stay put. He shook his hand out, turned to face Raz, his face glum.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have pushed you, before I went down in the mines.¡±


    ¡°No, you should not have,¡± Raz replied. ¡°But you did.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry. But I couldn¡¯t risk having you down there in the tunnels with me. We had no idea what was going to happen if we found a breach point.¡±


    ¡°I could¡¯ve helped,¡± Raz said earnestly, folding his arms. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be friends. No matter what happens, I should be there, to help you, just like when you saved me.¡±


    Ethan shook his head. ¡°We both know that I only had to save you because I caused that accident, Raz. And I¡¯ll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you, but I had to get us out of Stillrock. I couldn¡¯t stay there anymore.¡±


    ¡°Well, I shouldn¡¯t have let you almost die today even though I knew something was wrong, so we can call it even,¡± Raz told him.


    Ethan laughed. ¡°That was pretty messed up, but I handled it. Now, going forward¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the last time I¡¯m going to find myself fighting for my life, so I need your help if I want to survive.¡±


    Raz clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m in. How¡¯s the probation going?¡±


    ¡°Not well,¡± Ethan admitted, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m running out of time to find Sola, but I have a lead, courtesy of Duclaw. Is there any way you could potentially find out about a roving jewelry depot? Apparently the big stores in town all use it to house their excess inventory until they¡¯re ready to transfer it to the regional stores. If I¡¯m right, they probably send Apex its location just in case someone finds out where they are and attacks them.¡±


    Raz nodded, walking over to the kitchen table and opening his laptop. ¡°If it¡¯s in Apex¡¯s databases, I¡¯ll find it, but it might take me some time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re quickly running out of time, so bribe who you need to bribe,¡± Ethan told him.


    ¡°With what money?¡± Raz laughed. ¡°Oh,¡± he said, more serious, ¡°I was looking into Apex¡¯s Protector and Altered database. Sola¡­isn¡¯t in there at all. They have a searchable database that is supposed to include everyone who got powers since the Surge.¡±


    Well, Ethan thought, rubbing the back of his neck, not exactly everyone.


    Ethan clicked his tongue. ¡°Well, knowing what Amory and I talked about, I would guess that they¡¯re keeping her out of the database because¡­she¡¯s new.¡±


    ¡°New?¡± Raz asked, his voice confused.


    Ethan nodded. ¡°So, you know how nobody new got powers for over a year?¡±


    ¡°How could I forget? You single handedly shut down the Stillrock mines and threw Apex into a tizzy. They just released new guidance on Protectors dealing with breach points, thanks to you. ¡±


    ¡°Right, glad to draw attention to this important issue,¡± Ethan said slowly, only mostly paying attention. ¡°Well¡­what if I wasn¡¯t the only one to gain powers after the Surge?¡±


    Raz resumed tapping his knuckles on the table. Ethan was too nervous to be annoyed. ¡°Then it¡¯s possible that you not only cracked the code on getting powers for yourself, but¡­others, too. Like Sola. This is¡­oh, this could be awful.¡±


    ¡°I hate it when somebody smarter than me confirms my worst fears.¡±


    Raz stood up, pacing around the living room carpet. ¡°If there¡¯s someone out there that can help people get powers, then they could, in theory, give enough people powers to overwhelm the Protectors and throw Ascension back into chaos. You¡¯ve gotta find Sola,¡± Raz told him, his voice urgent. ¡°If you accidentally released a ¡®how-to¡¯ manual about getting powers, that kind of information getting out could throw this city right back into chaos.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what Amroy was afraid of,¡± Ethan muttered, sighing. He laid down on the couch, shutting his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m on it, but, first, I really need a nap.¡±


    Raz rolled his eyes, but before he had the chance to tell Ethan to get up, his phone rang. After a few murmurs of agreement, he turned to Ethan.


    ¡°Well, your nap is going to have to wait. A scientist at Apex named Quinn called over for you. She said it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    ¡°Urgent?¡± Ethan¡¯s heart fluttered as he shot up. This must have something to do with the stone we stopped Sola from stealing, he thought.


    Raz noted the increase in his heart rate on his monitor on his laptop. He laughed, shaking his head.


    ¡°Damn heart monitor,¡± Ethan grumbled, glancing down at his Apex provided fitness watch. He darted down the hall and rushed into the bathroom to freshen up, dismayed by the dust on his face and in his hair.


    ¡°One mention of Quinn and your heart rate spikes like you just got thrown off a building. And I mean that literally, I have the data from last month when Alex threw you off the High Rise.¡±


    Ignoring Raz, Ethan wiped his face off, threw on a fresh white mesh shirt, and tried to comb his fingers through his hair, molding it into something presentable. He sighed, dismayed, then walked back down the hall. It¡¯ll have to do.


    ¡°Let me guess: blonde, roughly your height, way smarter than you?¡±


    ¡°Later,¡± Ethan growled, heading to the balcony.


    Raz chuckled. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡±Tell them I¡¯ll be there,¡± Ethan said, trying not to sound too eager. He had never actually been to Apex Tower, the obsidian monolith located on the western edge of town. Smiling with relief, and practically giddy over the thought of sleeping in a real bed, he stepped through his portal and out towards the shadowed Apex Tower.

 Chapter 23-Titan of Ascension

    Nearly two years ago, Alexandria Aetos had been given what almost anyone would describe as an incredible gift.


    Her skin had become nearly as dense as diamond, and she had the strength to punch and rip holes through steel. Most amazingly to her, she had gained the ability to fly, allowing her to zip around the gridlocked city at high speeds during rush hour and avoid public transit entirely (after she learned how to control her abilities, of course).


    But she hadn¡¯t been the only person in Ascension to change, far from it, in fact, and not everyone was as satisfied as she was to use their newfound abilities to simply beat traffic or finally be able to open any jar in her kitchen on the first try. Altered, anyone changed by the Surge who Apex deemed a threat to the city, began pillaging the city, taking anything they wanted with no one to stop them. The entirety of Ascension was thrown into chaos, the streets coming under siege with no end in sight.


    Then Alex stepped in.


    As a former all-state highschool wrestler who was unafraid to take a hit, Alex immediately leapt into the fray, pitting herself against people looking to use their powers against those without them in order to take what they wanted, or destroy what they couldn¡¯t have. While she was inexperienced in hand-to-hand combat, she soon discovered she was stronger, immensely so, than everyone else she came across, a fact she would have to re-learn almost daily after fighting Detonator and Maelstrom and every other themed villain who popped up in the ensuing summer months after the Surge, looking to make a name for themselves.


    The early days were difficult. Flying had taken her some time to get used to. She had no visible means of propulsion, no wings to flap or (luckily) no jet engines to activate. None of it made any sense to her, but, then again, the Surge had re-written what was possible, and everyone around here was also playing catch up. Luckily, there was one thing she was good at, and it was suddenly a skill in demand.


    Fighting helped her learn to control her burgeoning strength and gave her a purpose she never felt before. In the span of just a few months, Alex had traded in her teaching duties for a local community college and workouts in poorly lit gyms with deteriorated wrestling mats for flights in the morning sun and real fights that helped people instead of (somewhat) entertaining them. It wasn¡¯t long before Amory Webber, leader of Apex¡¯s newly formed Protectorate Program, approached Alex at her day job and plucked her from the streets as an amateur hero, gave her a uniform, and turned her into a professional.


    Practically overnight Alex went from a normal, very breakable amateur wrestler to the leader of a group of Protectors working to take their city back. It was a whirlwind year that constantly challenged what she thought possible and now, somehow, nearly a year later, it was Ethan who was rewriting what was possible. Amory had swore to her that Apex had everyone cataloged, anyone who could so much as make their pinky finger glow went immediately into Apex¡¯s database of people affected by the Surge. Additionally, in the eighteen or so months since the Surge, Amory assured Alex that nobody could gain new abilities. The Surge was a one-time deal, never to be repeated or replicated.


    And yet, here Ethan was, not recorded in Apex¡¯s database and teleporting all over town, getting himself into fights that he had no business being in.


    Alex smiled at the last part. She remembered how many times she was in over her head in the early days, watching as someone¡¯s hands lit up a new color and pointed it directly at her: a brilliant amber, a sickly yellow, the color of an angry storm. But she was invincible, and Ethan was not.


    That last part worried her, but this was the path Ethan had chosen. He had made himself known to the Altered and intervened. Amory would want a report on what Ethan had done and, as his mentor, Alex would have to give it to her, but she wasn¡¯t ready for that, not quite yet. Pushing herself through the cloudy afternoon sky she allowed herself just a few moments to herself, floating gently a few hundred feet above the city she had called home for almost her entire life.


    Looking down from above, Ascension¡¯s skyline could¡¯ve been confused for any other major city¡¯s skyline across the country. Blue and gray hued steel skyscrapers dominated its bustling, rebuilding downtown, with large windows reflecting the brutal summer sun down onto the streets. The majority of the office buildings downtown looked cloned from one another, with a few of the more modern skyscrapers jutting out with a contemporary angularity, demanding to be seen and differentiated from their older, more brutalist counterparts.


    But, Alexandria knew, there was one building that seemingly did not wish to be seen. Drifting west, she spied Apex¡¯s headquarters, located on the very edge of Ascenscion¡¯s borders in one of the last remaining neighborhoods not revitalized by the sudden influx of money from the city¡¯s recent population boom. The secretive energy company had built an obsidian tower, a sleek monolith that felt very much out of time and out of place in the sea of blues and grays, crescending into a piercing spire adding to the tower¡¯s threatening aura. The building was also a few stories shorter than any other skyscraper in the city, hidden as discreetly as a building of its design and size could be, while the jet-black color of the building, and its lack of windows or outside lighting, meant it became almost invisible each time the sun set behind the mountains and brought the cover of night.


    The building felt almost like it was dropped by an unseen hand onto the western edge of the city. Nestled as closely as it could be against the mountains, Apex¡¯s tower was nearly hidden from the east by anyone looking through the maze of skyscrapers downtown, and almost impossible to see through the forests to the west. The building could, however, be seen from the top of Quandry Peak, one of the more difficult hikes in the Maroon Mountain Range, and that top-down view provided a look at one of the more intriguing aspects of the building: a segmented, slate-gray metal tube that started somewhere inside the building¡¯s base, possibly underground, and snaked itself all the way around its outside, hooking back inside just before the spire.


    Alex dove, launching herself through the tubing like a swimmer through a waterslide and deposited herself in the Apex¡¯s underground laboratory, her eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden darkness, and a sharp noise pierced her ears. It took her a moment to shake off her disorientation, but she realized an alarm was blaring overhead.


    ¡°We have a front door, you know!¡± Kingston yelled down, struggling to be heard over the blaring alarm.


    Alex¡¯s eyes immediately darted to the Junction. The shielding was the same cool blue color as when she left it, with no holes bursting with Surge radiation. Whatever the alarm was for, it at least wasn¡¯t an imminent breach.


    ¡°Kingston,¡± she called out, leaping up and over the railing to come face to face with him on the second floor, away from the Junction and right in the middle of all the monitoring equipment. ¡°How¡¯s the shielding holding up?


    Kingston held out a palm, waving it with a grimace. Alex noted the sweat forming on his brow. ¡°We¡¯ll live a bit longer.¡±


    Alex gestured to the speakers above them. ¡°And what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Kingston waved her off. ¡°False alarm.¡±


    He tapped a few more keys and the alarm, mercifully, silenced. He stood, sighing. ¡°One of the sensors thinks it¡¯s got something, the engineering equivalent of a dog digging in the wrong place for a bone.¡±


    ¡°Well, did it?¡±


    He shook his head, but didn¡¯t elaborate further.


    ¡°Where was the sensor tripped?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°Oh, some podunk town way out west,¡± Kingston shrugged, providing a nonanswer. Alex narrowed her eyes, but Kingston changed the subject. ¡°Got a meeting with Amory?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not exactly, but I¡¯d bet she¡¯s expecting me.¡±


    ¡°I was,¡± Amory said as she walked through the lab¡¯s door, wearing an olive colored blazer with matching pants and a white button down that probably cost more than Alex¡¯s whole wardrobe. She had maintained her trained physique since leaving the Army, and sometimes Alex wondered if Amory could take on a few Altered by herself. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Alex.¡±


    Despite the two ostensibly being partners, Alex always felt more than a little intimidated by her presence. She stood up a little straighter, then cleared her throat. Amory stopped just short of the railing, her piercing blue eyes glaring down on Alex. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    In the early days after the Surge, when they were trying to piece together exactly what the Protectorate division was supposed to be, Alex and Amory talked every day, multiple times a day. Now, with tensions falling between the Protectors and Altered, Amory spent more time managing budgets than crises, something Alex did not envy. The pair hadn¡¯t caught up since Ethan fought Sola, and Alex was keen to get more information on what she wanted and where she came from.


    ¡°So, do I have you to thank for Ethan becoming the latest pain in my side?¡±


    Alex rolled her eyes. ¡°I told you this would happen. You kept dangling an evaluation in front of him, but wouldn¡¯t commit to letting him take one. He was going to try and prove himself eventually, as soon as he had the chance.¡±


    ¡°So you gave him the opportunity, leaving him alone?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Sola would be there, but I certainly hoped,¡± Alex admitted. ¡°We put enough resources into Ascension, Stillrock was completely undefended, and anyone who knew that Apex recently had an excavation site near there would¡¯ve figured out something valuable might be nearby. She certainly seemed desperate enough to strike, and with just Ethan standing in her way, that gave her the best opportunity she was going to get.¡±


    Amory raised an eyebrow. ¡°It sounds like you engineered an opportunity for Sola to steal an object that Apex planned to retrieve.¡±


    Alex paused, holding Amory¡¯s gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t know we had anything in Stillrock worth stealing.¡±


    ¡°Nobody was supposed to know that we did,¡± Amory told her quietly.


    Raising an eyebrow, Alex went to interrogate her further until Amory subtly waved her off. Amory turned to Kingston.


    ¡°Kingston, why don¡¯t you grab lunch?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, uh, 9am, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Breakfast, then. There¡¯s bagels in the breakroom.¡±


    Kingston ducked his head, pulling out his phone and ignoring Alex before heading out the door, leaving Amory and Alex alone in the lab. Behind Alex, the Surge wall she repaired remained, for now, mercifully dark, but she well knew that could change in a heartbeat


    Amory met Alex on the first level of the lab, sitting in a chair as far away form the Junction as she could. Alex spoke first.


    ¡°What did we have in Stillrock?¡±


    ¡°Quinn can answer that a lot more eloquently than I can,¡± Amory shook her head, ¡°but that¡¯s not the real issue.¡±


    Alex nodded in agreement, her fists tightening at her sides. ¡°Someone sold us out.¡±


    ¡°It would appear so.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Amory shook her head, dismissively. ¡°There were a hundred Apex employees working on clearing the Stillrock site. Any of them could¡¯ve noticed our team bagging items and marking them for transport. I don¡¯t expect to know anything further until we figure out what the value was in this stone.¡±


    ¡°Let me know if I can help,¡± Alex told her. Amory nodded her thanks.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re even more lucky that Ethan intervened, then, aren¡¯t we? To keep it out of Sola¡¯s hands?¡±


    ¡°Apex is grateful that Ethan was able to intervene,¡± Amory said, her voice strained. ¡°However, you know my issue is not with his talent, which he proved this morning, but with his¡­creation.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to take that one up with our parents,¡± Alex said. Amory glared at her.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Amory pushed herself out of the chair, walking to Alex. Amory¡¯s voice turned to ice, matching her eye color, and Alex¡¯s blood did the same.


    ¡°You¡¯re a field general. You want wins.¡±


    ¡°Damn straight,¡± Alex nodded. ¡°This war is simple. We win by fighting until they quit fighting.¡±


    Amory laughed like someone listening to a child explain their version of the universe. Alex felt a hint of embarrassment rising in her, but pushed it down before her face flushed.


    ¡°But,¡± Amory stopped just in front of Alex, ¡°during the skirmishes, we didn¡¯t take Ascension back by letting every Protector run around as they saw fit, right?¡±


    Alex shook her head. She remembered the long nights looking over their roster of Protectors, identifying what Altered were generally attacking where, and moving different Protectors to different Sectors, like pieces on a chessboard, only their opponent was so chaotic they didn¡¯t even realize there was a board.


    Which, looking back, is probably why Apex won.


    And, of course, that was Amory''s point exactly.


    ¡°We won through organization,¡± Amory continued, her passion bleeding through, ¡°by building a seawall to hold back the tide rushing against this city, deliberately and purposefully, brick by brick.¡±


    Alex was one of those bricks. A foundational piece, to be sure, but still just one of many. She wondered where Ethan might fit into Amory¡¯s carefully crafted wall, if he fit anywhere at all.


    ¡°Most importantly,¡± Amory continued, ¡°it worked. Now, I can¡¯t let new, unquantified variables enter the field because, at the end of the day, I am responsible for this city¡¯s safety, and anything that happens here is on my shoulders.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both responsible for Ascension,¡± Alex said, taking a step towards Amory, ¡°and you know I vouch for Ethan. He put in the work to get powers already.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what worries me,¡± Amory sighed.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alex asked. Amory shook her head.


    ¡°For the past year, we¡¯ve maintained a peaceful city, you and I. But things are shifting again. New variables are entering the field that are past our control. First Ethan, even if we didn¡¯t know it, then Sola, and now this stone. What else might be out there that we don¡¯t know about?¡±


    Alex was silent for a moment, unable to think of a suitable answer. Instead, she changed the subject.


    ¡°Do we have any leads on why someone might want it?¡±


    ¡°Quinn called, just before you arrived. She wants to use Ethan for an experiment that she thinks might que us into what someone would want the stone for. Can you get him here?¡±


    ¡°She was right about what Sola was after, we should follow her instincts,¡± Alex agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll get Ethan here.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s hope you all can illuminate one factor that we¡¯re in the dark on.¡±


    ¡°The sooner we figure this out, the sooner I know who to fight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to look at it.¡± Amory smiled curtly then headed up the stairs.


    ¡°Oh, Amory,¡± Alex called after her, walking to the stairs. Amory turned, waiting. ¡°Have you been getting a lot of alarms lately? Sensors being set off by bursts of radiation?¡±


    ¡°Alarms?¡± Her expression turned quizzical. ¡°No. We¡¯ve been clear since you nearly burnt your arm to a crisp. Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, just checking,¡± she smiled politely as Amory walked up the stairs, leaving Alex alone in the lab.


    She checked her watch. She¡¯d been gone for almost half an hour, which should¡¯ve been more than enough time for Ethan and Raz to patch their rift. She called Raz, asking for Ethan to show.


    ¡°Tell him I have some news for him,¡± Alex instructed, hanging up.


    And something I need to check out, she thought, leaping up to the computer Kingston was using when she walked in. On the screen was a map of the Western Slope overlaid with sets of green pins, which Alex assumed were the sensors that Apex had set up all across the Lavender Mountain Range. Of the fifty or so sets, only one was blinking yellow: a set near Maybell.


    ¡°Maybell?¡± she whispered. The town name was vaguely familiar, and she thought she remembered it as a place really rich people went to get away from the city. ¡°What could be all the way out there?¡±


    Just as she went to investigate further, the door swung open, and Kingston walked back inside. If he was surprised to see her at his station, he didn¡¯t show it.


    ¡°Quinn will be down in a minute. Would you mind going up to grab Ethan?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Alex told him, walking out of the lab and towards the elevator door. Despite being much stronger than Kingston, her heart was pounding at nearly being discovered.


    Why isn¡¯t he elevating the alarms to Amory? Alex wondered. Are they really not worth her time? Or does he not want to know that there¡¯s something else going on?


    She sighed, stepping into the elevator. Then again, he didn¡¯t seem to care when he saw me looking at his computer. If he¡¯s hiding something, Alex thought as the doors shut, he¡¯s doing a damn good job of it.

 Chapter 24-Firestones

    Ethan was certain he was going to puke.


    Not from his teleporting, even though that had been more erratic than usual and had almost landed him squarely into the face of Apex Tower before he course-corrected, but from the anxiety currently overwhelming his every thought.


    He had to figure out where Sola was and only had three days to do it. Additionally, Raz had confirmed his worst fears: if Sola had gotten powers after him, then why couldn¡¯t a hundred more people do the same? Where would Ascension be then, with the limited number of Protectors facing off against twice as many superpowered Altered scattered throughout the city?


    Worst of all, it might all be his fault. If people knew that the breach points were not only real, but could possibly give you abilities if you found one, how could Apex stop everyone in the city from trying and, eventually, succeeding in finding them?


    Sometimes he wished he never went down the mine. The world would be a simpler place if he hadn¡¯t.


    Worse, for Ethan, but probably better for everyone else.


    He paused, his hand holding the front door handle to steady himself. Doing his best to push the fear of failure out of his mind, he shook his head clear and headed inside, chuckling in surprise as soon as he stepped through the door.


    Alex was still in full Titan uniform, standing casually by the front desk, her cape sweeping the floor as she fidgeted impatiently. Hearing Ethan laugh, she turned, glaring.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± She demanded to know.


    ¡°You¡¯re like the world¡¯s most intimidating secretary,¡± he told her. ¡°And also the most insanely dressed. I think they typically wear sweaters instead of capes.¡±


    Alex rolled her eyes, gesturing for him to follow her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I have somewhere else to be.¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem in the city? I didn¡¯t see anything when I came over.¡±


    ¡°Not¡­exactly.¡± Alex told him vaguely. Ethan narrowed his eyes, but kept his questions to himself. Alex was in charge of protecting all of Ascension. If there was something she didn¡¯t want to tell him, she probably had a very good reason for it.


    As they entered the elevator, Ethan found himself too nervous to ask Alex what Amory had said about his actions this morning. Instead, he let his thoughts turn to Quinn. On the plus side of things, after just meeting her this morning, he hadn¡¯t expected to see Quinn again so soon, but she said she had a theory that required his presence to test, which he gladly agreed to help with. On the downside, Alex did not seem interested in trying to boost his waning confidence.


    ¡°Why does this scientist want to see you, exactly?¡± Alex demanded to know, folding her arms.


    Ethan bristled, giving himself an inconspicuous glance in the reflective mirror door panels. His hair was still messed up from his fight with Duclaw, but if he tried to fix it now, Alex would certainly tease him for it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    ¡±Nothing, mostly,¡± Alex answered, tilting her head back in forth, thinking. ¡°Well, besides for your general carelessness, inability to take accountability for your actions, and your hair is a mess.¡±


    Ethan grumbled, running his hand through his hair. There really wasn¡¯t any saving it. As the elevator hummed, Alex continued.


    ¡°Really, what I meant is that there¡¯s, like, ten Protectors in this obscene, gothic tower at any given time. She could¡¯ve asked any of them for help.¡±


    ¡±Oh,¡± Ethan said quietly, suddenly sweating. He hoped his suddenly flush cheeks weren¡¯t visibly red. ¡°I, uh, didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡±Yeah, so I don¡¯t see the point in bringing you down here to the lab when there¡¯s plenty of better trained Protectors with nothing to do but-¡±


    The elevator doors opened and, right in the center of the sterile hallway stood


    Quinn, waiting, a large smile plastered over her face, eyes staring directly at Ethan.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Alex whispered, ¡°that¡¯s why. Rare that someone doesn¡¯t notice me first.¡±


    Quinn spied Alex when she spoke, her eyes flaring up in surprise. Her face adopted a cooler, more professional demeanor as she held out her hand for Alex. ¡°Titan, amazing to finally meet you.¡±


    ¡°Call me Alex,¡± she said, gingerly gripping Quinn¡¯s hand. ¡°I believe you¡¯ve met my brother, Ethan, already.¡±


    Quinn nodded. ¡°He saved my life, actually.¡±


    Ethan laughed. ¡°I convinced her to leave, but you really sold my bluff.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll call that one a tie.¡±


    ¡°Can you show us to the lab?¡± Alex interjected.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she smiled, turning and gesturing for them to follow her.


    ¡°I can see why you got so brave all of a sudden,¡± Alex said quietly.


    Ethan blushed the color of the crimson A embroidered on his trainee suit, following along with Alex.


    ¡°Hey, not knocking it,¡± Alex put her hands up defensively. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m glad to see you take some initiative!¡±


    ¡°Knock it off,¡± Ethan glared at her.


    Quinn stopped, unlocked the door to the lab, then ushered them inside, keeping her eyes low.


    Ethan gasped when he stepped onto the observation deck, the meager doorway belying the massive, two story laboratory filled with at least twenty people all monitoring different monitors. They looked to Ethan like heartbeat readings, rising and falling.


    ¡°What is all this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°To keep things simple, this lab is where we make sure the Surge doesn¡¯t happen again,¡± Quinn explained, gesturing to the equipment around them. ¡°After the Surge, Apex set up probes all over the Lavender Mountains and all around Ascension to monitor seismic activity in the mountains and any radiation spikes near the city. Amory has people staffed here twenty-four-seven making sure the radiation readings don¡¯t fluctuate outside of normal tolerances. Myself, along with Kingston, keep track of these readings and try to chart out any potential waves of radiation that might be headed for the city.¡±


    Ethan walked over to Kingston and introduced himself. Kingston looked to be approaching forty with his hair shaved short and burn marks all over his arms, a thick mask sitting on his desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not a chef,¡± Ethan joked.


    ¡°Welder,¡± Kingston answered, unamused. ¡°I¡¯ve maintained the Junction for the past eighteen months.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ethan asked.


    Kingston grinned. ¡°The only thing standing between this city and catastrophe. Quinn will walk you through it, I¡¯ve got a report to write.¡±


    Ethan nodded, a little put off by Kingston¡¯s brusque nature, then rejoined Alex and Quinn at the top of the stairs.


    ¡°I¡¯ve met Kingston,¡± Alex told them, ¡°but I haven¡¯t run into you yet, Quinn. How long have you been here?¡±


    ¡°Just over two months,¡± she told them, donning a pair of thick gloves she pulled off her desk. ¡°I actually was going to start earlier, but I had an¡­accident that delayed my start.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ethan asked, concerned.


    ¡°Hiking accident,¡± Quinn said, ¡°along with my sister, R-¡°


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s riveting, but I have somewhere to be,¡± Alex interrupted. ¡°Can we speed this up?¡±


    Quinn smiled politely, masking her frustration. ¡°Of course. Follow me.¡±


    Quinn led them down the steps, taking each one slowly and deliberately, holding onto the railing tightly.


    ¡°So, how¡¯d you get out here?¡± Ethan asked as they walked.


    ¡°I received my doctorate in chemistry with a focus on radiological sciences back in Virginia,¡± she told them, ¡°and where better to apply my studies than a city currently facing annihilation at any time from a source of radiation that doesn¡¯t exist anywhere else in the world?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re a doctor,¡± Alex emphasised to Ethan, impressed. Ethan rolled his eyes.


    They stopped just short of a twenty foot wall in front of them, scarred metal hiding a surprisingly soft blue glow coming from the edges. Quinn gestured to the Junction, her smile growing wide.


    ¡°Welcome to the most dangerous point in all of Ascension.¡±


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Ethan exclaimed. ¡°What is this thing?¡±


    He reached his hand out gently, brushing the metal, then pulling his hand back as if he had just touched a hot stove. Alex giggled next to him.


    ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t think you¡¯d touch that,¡± Quinn admitted. Ethan shifted uncomfortably, desperately searching for any windows he could teleport himself out of. He sighed quietly. ¡°That is the Junction. When the Surge hit, it exhausted a wave of energy that had been spurred on by shifting seismic forces way out in the mountains that forced the normally dormant, contained energy flow right towards Ascension. Luckily, Apex had measured changes in the subterranean landscape a few months prior thanks to their own excavations, and they were able to funnel the surge here,¡± she gestured to the tubing that Alex had previously flown down.


    Ethan grimaced. So, Rainey was right, he thought glumly. Apex really did know the surge was coming and declined to tell anyone about it.


    ¡°When the initial threat was over, Kingston, was able to put together shielding to stop the wave train, aftershocks from the Surge, from breaking through and tearing this whole building apart and, more than likely, taking a chunk out of the city with it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m familiar,¡± Alex told her. Her forearm had healed quickly, but she still remembered the pain of the Surge energy eating through skin.


    ¡°Right, of course,¡± Quinn nodded. ¡°As usual, we wouldn¡¯t be here without Titan.¡±


    ¡°No need to inflate her ego any further,¡± Ethan told them, his eyes following the scarring on the metal, noting the hasty welding and bubbling paint. ¡°And will this¡­hold?¡±


    Kingston let out a bark of laughter from above, his answer not much to Ethan¡¯s liking.


    Quinn paused, then looked away. ¡°We¡¯ve had bursts break against the shielding, but nothing as powerful as the initial Surge from last year. If another wave like that one hit, this shielding would be ripped apart like a knife through a wet paper bag, and the tubing Apex affixed to the side of the Tower was nearly melted by the last Surge. We don¡¯t believe it would hold again, meaning wherever the next breach formed, it would likely eat through everything in its path. This shielding is really all we have to keep us safe, for now.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Ethan said slowly. One Surge was bad enough, but he was slowly realizing that, despite the chaos it unleashed, Ascension got off lucky. If anything remotely the same size as the previous Surge hit again, the city wouldn¡¯t have a way to divert the energy.


    ¡°But,¡± Quinn continued, her demeanor growing more confident as she spoke, ¡°we have bigger problems to worry about today, namely why someone would want this stone so badly they nearly killed two Protectors to get it.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, um,¡± he stammered, ¡°I¡¯m¡­not actually a Protector, yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Quinn said, confused. ¡°Right, you just took your evaluation. I meant to ask, if you received powers during the Surge, why did you wait until just now to become a Protector?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­a late bloomer,¡± Alex jumped in. Ethan regretted her choice of words, but rolled with it, nodding. ¡°His powers took longer to control than we thought, but we¡¯re hoping he can join the family business soon.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°They only took so long to control because I¡¯m really strong,¡± Ethan added, folding his arms over his chest and hoping it made him look more muscular than he really was. ¡°Stronger than Alex, in a lot of ways.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves,¡± Alex smiled. ¡°Now, Quinn, do we know what that stone is, exactly?¡±


    From a nearby freezer Quinn pulled out a glass case with a blue stone inside of it, pulsing with streaks of crimson rippling through the surface. She set it down on the table in front of them, then pulled it out with a gloved hand, holding it away from herself.


    ¡°I call it a firestone.¡±


    ¡°How did it get like that?¡± Ethan asked, peering at the stone. It was strikingly beautiful, like someone had reached inside the topaz itself and pulled cherry red paint through the stone.


    ¡°Humans can, normally, absorb a small amount of radiation before you start to feel any deleterious effects. Everyone living in a city is hit with a low level every single day and they¡¯re not worse off for it. Certain stones, on the other hand, can absorb a lot of radiation before experiencing any degradation. We even irradiate gems to change their color.¡± She held up the firestone, shimmering in the light. ¡°This is a topaz, found fairly commonly in the Lavender Range. Normally, it would¡¯ve been a pale blue. Instead, it¡¯s electric, practically glowing.¡±


    ¡°So, you think this stone was hit by Surge energy underground?¡±


    Quinn nodded.


    ¡°One of the excavation teams found it while trying to clear the Stillrock site. We still don¡¯t know exactly what happened out there but I¡¯m worried it''s the start of further meltdowns in the dense layers of rock that contain the Surge. If my theory is correct, this would be the first confirmed case of Surge energy breaching the surface since the Surge nearly two years ago.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s blood froze at the mention of his hometown. And that, of course, would be my fault, he thought.


    ¡°My theory is that when the Surge energy was disturbed and unleashed near that mine, the topaz was blasted by radiation and, instead of being eaten away like a lot of the other organic materials in the ground, it absorbed the radiation instead, turning it into a firestone.¡±


    ¡°And why wasn¡¯t this taken to the lab immediately?¡± Alex asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone else really knew what it was, or saw the importance of it,¡± Quinn shook her head. ¡°I had my eye on it the second I saw it logged on our team¡¯s findings report, but someone went over my head and decided to intern the item at the museum until they could figure out how to transport it safely. When I read that memo, I knew I had to go out there and see it for myself. Then I ran into you,¡± she pointed at Ethan, ¡°and, unfortunately, Sola.¡±


    ¡°Strange how that kind of thing keeps happening,¡± Alex muttered, her eyes lasering in on Kingston, who was seated at his desk, looking away from the group.


    Quinn pointed to Ethan. ¡°Well, regardless, it¡¯s here now, and, with your help, we¡¯re going to find out what she might¡¯ve wanted to use it for.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Ethan smiled, shaking out his hands. ¡°Just tell me what to do.¡±


    ¡°Okay, follow me here,¡± Quinn started. ¡°When a Protector or Altered uses their powers, they leave behind a residual, barely measurable trace of radiation, not unlike someone using a cellphone. So, when Detonator charges up an object to explode, or when Ethan opens a portal, they should leave behind a similar energy signature, which we can read with this nifty little device, which reads radioactive decay.¡± Quinn walked over to the table and pulled out a small, yellow rectangular device that, to Ethan, looked like a modified geiger counter. She put the probe on her arm, and the scale stayed at zero. But when she hovered it over the Junction, the meter immediately whined shrilly, jumping to a seven on the ten point scale.


    ¡°Now, watch this.¡± Quinn put the probe over the firestone. Instead of rising to a seven, it jumped to a nine. Alex furrowed her brow.


    ¡°If the firestone was affected by Surge energy, then shouldn¡¯t it read the same as the Junction?¡±


    ¡°It should,¡± Quinn confirmed, lighting up, ¡°but for some reason the energy that was imbued in the firestone is less decayed than the energy from Junction. This suggests that it was hit more recently and, if that¡¯s true, then it could help explain what happened in Stillrock.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ethan said quietly. Which would be a problem for Apex, because breaches technically aren¡¯t supposed to exist. Ethan was starting to realize why Amory wanted him to lay low; nearly every single interaction he had with Quinn was just uncovering more and more questions he wasn¡¯t supposed to answer.


    ¡°Now,¡± Quinn continued, ¡°I can¡¯t get close to Detonator, at least not without great personal risk, to measure the radiation levels she gives off, so it¡¯s easier to ask Ethan to open a portal for us so I can get a reading of his abilities instead.¡±


    ¡°You think they¡¯ll match the readings from the Junction,¡± Ethan said slowly, realizing that, if he was following, Quinn had accidentally found a way to prove that Ethan hadn¡¯t, in fact, gotten his powers from the night of the Surge like every other Protector. His energy reading would, in all likelihood, match the reading from the firestone.


    Amory wanted Ethan to lay low, which he hadn¡¯t, and now he was moments away from accidentally letting one of her scientists discover that he wasn¡¯t like the other Protectors, which he was certain she would not approve of.


    This second meeting with Quinn was not going the way he hoped and, now, he was going to have to lie to her. Not only that, but he was going to have to ruin her theory to do it, one that she was, as far as he could tell, absolutely correct in. This was not a great way to start off their relationship, but he didn¡¯t see any other options: he had to find a way out of this.


    Alex, apparently reaching the same conclusion, cleared her throat. She took a long look around the lab. ¡°His powers are¡­unstable. He means well, but he doesn¡¯t have the training I do. Don¡¯t you want me to just¡­lift something really heavy? I¡¯m good at that kind of thing, you know.¡±


    Quinn laughed. ¡°You, of course, are an exception, as are other physical power users like Showman or Duclaw. You were changed by the Surge, but you don¡¯t pull and transform energy when you use your powers. That¡¯s where you come in, Ethan.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense to me,¡± he lied. I hope that me only understanding about ten percent of what she says doesn¡¯t become a hindrance for us moving forward. I probably can¡¯t play that off forever.


    Alex tossed Ethan a cautious glance.


    Not seeing a way out that didn¡¯t involve him suddenly faking an intensely embarrassing stomach flu, he played along.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, ¡°what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°I need you to open a portal for me. Just one, as small as you can.¡±


    That would¡¯ve been an entirely reasonable request, if it wouldn¡¯t immediately throw him further down the hole he had dug with Amory, who was adamant that people did not learn where Ethan got his powers from or, more importantly, how. Thinking quickly, he looked around the room, his eyes settling on the Junction.


    If I can pull energy from the Junction, it could cover my reading, he thought. I think, anyway, I¡¯m still not understanding most of what she¡¯s saying, but she looks really good saying it.


    He glanced down at his hand, then slowly opened a portal in front of him, the void rotating just in front of his face.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Quinn was nodding now. She set the firestone back in the case on the table in front of them. ¡°Connect your portal, just like you did in the museum.¡±


    Ethan gave a subtle nod to Alex, then opened a portal in front of the Junction, positioning it just in front of the blue light leaking out from behind the metal, hoping it would pull in radiation from the Surge lying in wait behind the shielding. He flexed his fingers, the void growing wider until it was the size of a basketball, holding it in place, the purple swirl at the edge of his portal lighting up the downstairs lab and diluting the blue glow from the Junction.


    Quinn put the probe over the firestone, noting measurements down on a piece of paper, then ran over and measured the portal in front of Ethan, staring intently at the meter.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­odd,¡± she said, double checking her device. Ethan¡¯s heart sank and Alex let out a curt sigh.


    Well, I thought it was a good plan. Amory will never let me become a Protector now.


    ¡°What¡¯s odd?¡± Alex asked urgently.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­jumping, all over the place. I can¡¯t get a true read,¡± Quinn sighed, putting the meter back on the table next to the case.


    Ethan exhaled a breath he didn¡¯t realize he was holding, Alex giving him a relieved look.


    ¡°Well, thanks for coming down. I¡¯m sorry nothing happened, but-¡±


    Quinn was interrupted by the meter suddenly jumping to ten, the whining so shrill it hurt Ethan¡¯s ears. The group¡¯s attention all shot to the case, eyes wide as the Firestone rattling and jumping against the edges of the case.


    ¡°Is that supposed to happen?¡± Ethan asked urgently.


    Alex pointed to Ethan¡¯s portal, which was seemingly drawing in energy from the Junction, the faint glowing blue light flowing from the Junction, to his portal, and being absorbed by the firstone. It started to glow brightly, turning a blinding white.


    ¡°Shut it down,¡± Alex yelled to him, ¡°shut the portal before-¡±


    The topaz vibrated violently, then shattered, spreading what looked like pieces of superheated blue rock in all directions. Ethan opened a void just in time to stop the rock from shredding him and Quinn, bits of jagged stone plinking off his void shield until they all bounced to the floor.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± she exhaled. ¡°Thank you for saving me. I uh, didn¡¯t know that would happen.¡±


    Ethan smiled. ¡°Guess we¡¯re even.¡±


    ¡°Guess so,¡± she laughed. ¡°But, I still feel like I owe you. Maybe we could go-¡±


    ¡°What,¡± Alex yelled, wiping pieces of the firestone off her suit, ¡°was that?¡±


    Ethan dropped the void, pieces of the smoldering firestone dropped to the floor, then helped Quinn to stand. She shrugged, shaking her head.


    ¡°It seems like the firestone was overloaded with energy from the Junction.¡±


    ¡°Did Sola know the firestones could do that?¡± Alex asked, pulling a piece of the firestone out of her curly hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely, but we can¡¯t rule it out,¡± Quinn answered. She ran the metal probe over a piece of the broken, still smoldering firestone. The meter jumped straight to ten, causing Quinn to grimace. She concentrated for a moment, thinking, then pulled the probe above the pieces, into the air. The device whirred and she backed away, grimacing. ¡°These pieces still have a ton of energy radiating off of them. That¡¯s¡­interesting.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ethan said slowly, ¡°so why did Sola fight so hard to get it?¡±


    Quinn hesitated. ¡°The energy in this stone is almost a more concentrated version of what¡¯s hidden behind the shielding, but it only gives off a small burst of radiation.¡±


    ¡°And what could that do?¡± Alex asked. Ethan was grateful he wasn¡¯t the only one struggling to follow.


    ¡°It could certainly hurt someone, but probably not more than an Altered using their abilities as most Altered have much stronger powers. Right now, its applications just seem¡­limited. I think if we really want to know what Sola is planning, we¡¯ll just have to ask her.¡±


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Alex sighed, ¡°there¡¯s something here that we¡¯re missing. There¡¯s a piece we don¡¯t have.¡±


    I bet I know who holds it, Ethan thought grimly. ¡°We¡¯ve got to find her,¡± he said urgently.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Alex said. Ethan froze, realizing he didn¡¯t specify which her he was talking about.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not going to find her in here,¡± Alex told him. Ethan sighed.


    ¡°Man, I wish I slept better last night,¡± he said, yawning. ¡°This day is turning into a long one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for sleeping on hotel roofs,¡± Alex said, causing Ethan to wince at her volume.


    ¡°She¡¯s joking,¡± Ethan lied to Quinn. ¡°I sleep in an apartment. You know, like you probably do.¡±


    Quinn gave him a confused look, then shrugged. Ethan sighed quietly, his eyes sinking to the floor.


    ¡°Speaking of,¡± Alex changed the subject, ¡°did you and Raz patch things up?¡±


    Ethan nodded, not trusting his voice to not betray him. Minus the part where I didn¡¯t tell him everything I knew, which may come back to bite me unless I can stop Rainey before she gets to you.


    ¡°Good. Get back to the apartment and get some sleep; I¡¯ll keep an eye out for Sola while you rest up. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let you have her if I see her.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ethan nodded. Alex pointed at him.


    ¡°Also, do not spill anything in there while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    Ethan stammered in protest as Alex rolled her eyes.


    ¡°If you¡¯re interested in him,¡± Alex said to Quinn, turning to leave, ¡°make sure you own a mop.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s joking again,¡± Ethan laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t spill things that often. Just, like¡­a normal amount.¡±


    Before Quinn could respond, Ethan noticed Alex, out of the corner of his eye, take an awkward step on the stairs, her knee buckling. She gripped her right thigh, grimacing. Her eyes instantly shot up to Kingston¡¯s desk. His eyes darted away from hers. She let out an angry exhale, trying to hold it together.


    Ethan took a few quick steps to get by her side and narrowed his eyes, putting his hand on her shoulder. He kept his voice low. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She waved him off, keeping her hand on her leg. ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene.¡±


    Hearing the urgency in her voice, he nodded, taking his hand off her shoulder.


    ¡°How fast can you get me out of here?¡±


    His eyes wide, Ethan stammered. He was, as far as he understood it, several stories underground, but there was the tubing behind him that led to the outside sky. If he forced a portal up and through the tubing, he could get them out of there, fast, but there were a few problems with that plan.


    ¡°What about finding Sola?¡± he asked, really meaning, what about my job?


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with her later. Can you get me out of here or do I have to rip a hole through seventeen floors to get out myself?¡±


    Ethan hesitated, then snapped into action, rushing to the tubing and gesturing for Alex to follow him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Quinn asked, concerned, following closely behind him. Ethan gave her a faint smile, hoping to mask his own concern.


    ¡°Change of plan, just routine Protector business,¡± he told her, opening a portal in front of him and Alex, the dark void hanging in the air. He hadn¡¯t tried anything like this yet with his powers, but he visualized it in his head and figured it could work. He opened another portal just inside the tubing, connecting them, then watched through the first portal as he manipulated the second, winding it slowly up the spire attached to the outside edge of the tower. When they first saw daylight, Alex stopped him.


    ¡°That¡¯s good there,¡± she said, leaping through the portal and tearing straight through the tubing like it was tissue paper. Ethan nearly closed the portals in surprise, then gave Quinn an apologetic shrug and rushed to follow after her.


    Well, he thought as he leapt, there goes my day job.


    Alone in the lab, Quinn shook her head, confused.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad I didn¡¯t get any powers,¡± she muttered. She went to leave up the stairs to get her lunch, but a thought sprung into her mind. She looked back over her shoulder at the yellow radiation meter, then picked it up and held it just in front of the tubing where Ethan opened his portal. Her eyes narrowed as it jumped to nine, the exact same reading as the firestones gave off just a moment ago.


    Her eyes flashed for a moment. She placed the meter back down on the table and walked slowly to the stairs.


    ¡°Ethan,¡± she shook her head, ¡°what else are you hiding?¡±

 Chapter 25-Maybell, Mayday

    When Ethan emerged from the portal, he was standing on a gravel rooftop near Apex Tower. After a quick scan of the skies, he saw Alex¡¯s purple cape fluttering in the wind a few roofs over. He teleported to her, her eyes immediately snapping to this intrusion in her space. She was on one knee, wrapping a piece of her bright purple cape tightly around her thigh.


    ¡°What happened back there?¡± he asked, eyeing her leg. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, but I can¡¯t be seen right now,¡± she said, finishing what to Ethan looked an awful lot like bandaging a wound.


    ¡°Did you get¡­hurt?¡± he asked, looking closer, as if he could see through the bright purple fabric. Alex paused, then sighed.


    ¡°There¡¯s a piece of a firestone embedded in my leg,¡± she confessed, her voice quiet. ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice until I tried to leave, but¡­it cut right through my skin.¡±


    Ethan gasped, shaking his head. ¡°That¡¯s¡­not supposed to be possible. Detonator threw an oil tanker at you on River Street that nearly leveled a warehouse and you walked away without a scratch, minus a few incinerated strands of hair. How could a tiny firestone burst hurt you?¡±


    Alex¡¯s eyes wandered over to Apex Tower. ¡°There¡¯s something about the radiation the Surge energy gives off that makes it able to hurt me. I don¡¯t know what it is, but when I last fixed the shielding surrounding the Junction, it burned my skin pretty badly. It took two months to heal.¡±


    Ethan nearly shuddered. Alex, or Titan, was the glue holding the Protectors together. If any of the Altered thought she had a vulnerability, they would exploit it until they got rid of her and then the entirety of Apex¡¯s Protectorate program was at risk of falling apart. Ascension would be thrown back into chaos, only this time there wouldn¡¯t be a clear leader to stop the Altered.


    ¡°Should we call Amory?¡± Ethan asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Alex said definitively, shaking her head. ¡°I can¡¯t have anyone know about this, okay? Something isn¡¯t right at Apex right now.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen their Tower? Of course something isn¡¯t right there, the whole building looks evil!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­more than that, Ethan. I think Kingston is working against us.¡±


    ¡°Kingston?¡± Ethan thought back to their brief interaction. He didn¡¯t pick up on any sort of evil vibes but, then again, he wasn¡¯t exactly looking. ¡°What would he want?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but I¡¯m almost confident he¡¯s the one who¡¯s been leaking information. When I went to visit Amory this morning, he was responding to potential breach activity in Maybell, but he never reported it.¡±


    Ethan scoffed. ¡°Could it just have been¡­noise? Those probes probably aren¡¯t accurate all the time.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Alex shrugged, ¡°but I want to be certain. You¡¯re faster than me over long distances. I need you to go to Maybell and investigate before he¡¯s able to tell anyone we¡¯re coming. I¡¯ll be right behind you after I get my leg taken care of, okay?¡±


    He nodded, stretching out his neck and arms. ¡°What am I looking for?¡±


    ¡°Circle the town, look for any signs of breach points. You¡¯d know better than anyone what the signs are given you actually found one.¡±


    ¡°They are my specialty,¡± Ethan joked. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep in touch with Raz if I find anything.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ethan. I know it¡¯s hard to keep secrets, but I need this to stay between us.¡±


    I¡¯m getting pretty good at keeping my mouth shut, Ethan thought. Glad it¡¯s finally coming in handy.


    Ethan opened a portal in front of him, then another one on the least snowy peak he could see nearly sixty miles away from him, the farthest point away he could safely teleport to. ¡°Consider it done,¡± he told her, pulling out his phone and putting directions in for Maybell. Satisfied he knew the general direction, he gave Alex a nod and then stepped through, nearly losing his balance as an unfettered wind gust pushed him down the icy cliffside.


    ¡°Or not,¡± he said, his words taken by the wind as he regained his footing in a dry patch of the cliffside, instantly shivering. His eyes were watering, blurring his vision.


    ¡°Not my smartest move,¡± he said through chattering teeth, opening a portal high into the sky to give himself a better vantage point.


    Maybell, he knew was about four hours away by car to the northwest. He hadn¡¯t travelled farther west than Stillrock, so he carefully picked the greenest, least snow packed peaks to teleport to, jumping through the Lavender Mountain Range.


    He took a moment to appreciate the fact that he was standing on peaks he had only ever seen from thousands of feet below, peaks that no other human had ever stood on. Of course, he didn''t have to use any climbing gear, making his summits less impressive, but it was still a cool feeling that kept him warm until the mountains smoothed out to a lower, warmer altitude. In just a few minutes he reached the town of Maybell, opening a portal onto the water tower overlooking the town center, panting with exertion as he stepped out onto the metal grating circling the tower. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    From above, the town looked like any other ¡°Historic Old West¡± town he had taken a field trip to in Elementary school. There was a general store, a feed store, a sheriff¡¯s office, and not much else. The main street was nearly empty save for one pedestrian, and Ethan¡¯s eyes followed the road west until he saw a few homes sporadically lining the sides of the street. A few miles further than that, however, a house caught his eye, standing out as the most modern looking home of the bunch. If someone wanted to hide out without being noticed, they certainly couldn¡¯t do much better than this.


    Ethan tapped his communicator twice.


    ¡°Raz, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Loud and clear. How was your date?¡±


    ¡°Eventful, but not in a good way,¡± Ethan sighed.


    ¡°Uh-oh. Did you spill something on her?¡±


    ¡°No, but a rock, also called a firestone, kind of spilled some stuff on us.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. Look, I¡¯m in Maybell, and I¡¯m on the hunt for any sort of seismic activity that may be caused by breach points. Alex is backing me up but I¡¯m flying solo for the moment. Are you able to log in to Apex¡¯s system and see if there¡¯s been any seismic alerts triggered?¡±


    ¡°On it,¡± Raz repiled, the sound of typing clear through the communicator. ¡°Hm,¡± Raz said after a moment. ¡°That¡¯s¡­strange. There¡¯s nothing. Why did Alex think there was anything in Maybell, exactly?¡±


    ¡°She thinks someone in Apex has been clearing the seismic logs, specifically in Maybell.¡±


    ¡°Why would they be doing that?¡±


    Ethan wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face hot despite the chill. ¡°Not clear. Is there anything else you can try?¡±


    Raz thought for a moment. ¡°Actually, yes,¡± he said, much to Ethan¡¯s relief. ¡°I can check the sensors to the north and south. If they were in a rush to manipulate Maybell¡¯s data, it¡¯s possible they didn¡¯t get a chance to delete any others.¡±


    ¡°How was I ever going to do this without you?¡± Ethan laughed.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t,¡± Raz told him plainly. ¡°Hm¡­there isn¡¯t a sensor to the south, but there is one near Sunbeam towards the north end of town. And¡­there you go, that one registered a whole heap of activity about a month ago, then again today.¡±


    Could that have been when Sola got powers? Ethan wondered. It took him weeks to fully recover, not that Alex let him have any training days off. She also didn¡¯t seem entirely familiar with her powers when they fought given that she lost to Ethan, but maybe he was just a better fighter than he thought.


    ¡°Heading there now.¡±


    The Lavender Range made a crescent shape as it yawned its way up towards Canada, and way out in Maybell the mountains seemed to accelerate their northward shift, blocking the town off to the north and creating a grassy valley to the east. Ethan picked a smooth, rocky vantage point about halfway up the mountains that allowed him to take in the entire valley below. The field was nearly monochromatic in the winter, entirely brown and dead, save for one odd, disturbed patch of land not too far from the edge of the town. Ethan opened a portal over the area, then widened it out so he could get a closer look without having to actually go down there himself. He exhaled slowly at the sight.


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­something here.¡±


    ¡°A breach point?¡± Raz asked.


    ¡°Has to be,¡± Ethan grimaced. There was a massive, jagged scar in the earth, just like the one he opened in Stillrock. He shivered involuntarily at the memory of a thousand tons of stone dropping on top of him until he magically escaped. Rainey had, apparently, escaped too, though Ethan still couldn¡¯t quite understand how, especially looking down at the breach point now. This one, however, had one new wrinkle to it: Ethan could still feel the faintest tingle of radiation leaking from the breach point. Whoever opened the breach point was hasty and hadn¡¯t quite closed it, which worried Ethan.


    Could whoever did this plan to use it again soon to give someone else powers?


    ¡°Tell Alex we found the source of that seismic activity. I¡¯m going to head back to Ascension.¡± Ethan told Raz, opening a portal. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stick around in case anyone just got powers and was waiting for a practice dummy.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Raz instructed.


    ¡°Exact opposite of what I just said I want to be doing,¡± Ethan muttered, holding his portal open.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ethan asked, his heart suddenly racing. He peered around his portal, then behind him, looking for any signs of motion, but all was still.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gone further back and Sunbeam has been registering activity for months. It started small, but the readings have grown. Whatever¡¯s been causing these disturbances has gotten bigger.¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± Ethan offered, a sense of unease growing in his stomach, ¡°more practiced. When I first started using my powers, Alex only let me open portals as wide as I could close. We began with teleporting a marble, then moved onto a tennis ball, and so on until I got experienced enough to be able to teleport myself. What if that¡¯s what¡¯s happening here?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­worryingly possible. The weird part, though, is I just looked it up, and nobody in their database has tetrakinetic abilities.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Ethan sighed heavily. ¡°I think I know someone.¡±


    ¡°What? And you¡¯re just telling me this now?¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. We¡¯ll talk after,¡± Ethan brushed him off.


    ¡°No, we should-wait, there¡¯s more seismic readings coming right now. They¡¯re¡­nearly on top of you.¡±


    Ethan perked up, putting himself in a combat stance and shifting his gaze all over the valley. ¡°Can you locate where they¡¯re coming from?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Raz exhaled. ¡°But they shouldn¡¯t be too far north of where you are now. Do you see anything else?¡±


    Ethan closed his portal and turned back north, the setting sun behind him still illuminating the valley below. From below, he saw a massive boulder rise from the ground, levitate, then rush his way faster than any object its size ought to be able to move. Ethan gasped, opened a portal to a higher up point in the mountain above him, and watched the boulder crash into the side of the cliff, shaking the ground he was standing on. He tapped his communicator, his breathing quickened.


    ¡°Good news: I found the source of the seismic activity.¡±


    ¡°And the bad news?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s trying to kill me, and coming pretty damn close.¡±

 Chapter 26-Exposed

    Ethan suddenly found himself in flight or fight mode and, on this particularly warm winter day in Maybell, with nobody around to watch him, he chose flight.


    He opened a portal to dodge out of the way, then opened another to the absolute peak of the mountain range behind him, putting himself a full twenty miles away from the town of Maybell and, hopefully, from whoever just attacked him.


    He laid himself down on the rocky soil, his skin and clothing warmed by the sun¡¯s rays, trying to force himself to stop hyperventilating.  His heart was pounding in his chest as he thought back to the night he and Rainey went down the mines, the night he set them both on this collision course.  Confirming she was alive brought a strange mix of relief and guilt, neither emotion able to quite overpower the other, feelings swirling inside of him like opaque, brackish river water.


    Not only is she truly alive, she¡¯s powerful, he thought.  Way more powerful than me.


    ¡°Ethan?¡± Raz¡¯s concerned voice brought him back to the present.  ¡°What the hell just happened?  Your heart rate spiked and then you jumped a million miles away.¡±


    ¡°That about sums it up,¡± Ethan told him, ¡°except you¡¯re missing the part where I also almost got squished by a boulder.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it was a boulder?¡±


    ¡°It came so close to me I could smell the cow manure on it, Raz, so I¡¯d say I¡¯m pretty certain.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Ethan could practically see Raz putting his hands out to calm him down.  He let out a quiet chuckle despite himself at the image.  ¡°Talk to me, what¡¯s happening out there?¡±


    ¡°I saw the breach point, then got attacked so I teleported to safety.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just fight Sola?  You didn¡¯t run away then, right?¡±


    ¡°That was different,¡± Ethan told him pointedly.  ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice then.¡±


    ¡°Because Quinn was there?¡±


    ¡°That, and because I had no space to run away.  But¡­yeah, mainly the Quinn thing.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can flee now if you¡¯d like.  Alex is coming, so you can bail once she gets there.  She can clean up whatever¡¯s going on out there and you can come back here and tell me what¡¯s really happening.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Ethan groaned, adrenaline suddenly surging throughout his body, his eyes widening.  He pushed himself to his feet, then opened a portal to go right back where he came from, hugging Maybell¡¯s northern border.  The light from his portal must¡¯ve been like a beacon against the shadowed mountain range because he saw three more large, angular rocks rise out of the earth like they were being pulled by an invisible string.  ¡°I can¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    ¡°What, am I that bad?¡±


    Despite the fear overwhelming him, he focused not on the rocks, but on searching for Rainey.


    If Alex comes out here and Rainey somehow sees her cut, she¡¯s going to know she¡¯s not invincible.  I need to get this situation under control and convince Alex to stay away, but I can¡¯t do that if I¡¯m running away.  He took a deep breath to steady himself, then readied a portal back to Maybell.  He had to act fast if he wanted to wrap this up before Alex got here.


    ¡°Do you have access to Alex¡¯s comms?¡± He asked Raz, taking a running start and launching himself off the side of the cliff.  He resisted the urge to scream while falling through the air, then through his portal and onto a relatively flat peak near Maybell.


    ¡°I can open a channel¡­why?  Do you need her to hurry up?¡±


    ¡°Tell Alex to cancel!¡± Ethan screamed into his comms.  He didn¡¯t have time to hide the fear in his voice.  The first of the boulders launched itself at incredible speed towards him.  ¡°Cancel, cancel, cancel!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Raz asked, incredulous.  ¡°This isn¡¯t a food order, Ethan, she¡¯s almost there to back you up against this maniac.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Ethan yelled, grunting with pain as the boulder exploded into the mountainside beside him, throwing dust and debris in his face.  He spit out as much dirt as he could, wiping the rest off his tongue.  ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound fine,¡± Raz told him.  ¡°You sound like someone just smacked the side of your head.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this-¡± he was cut off by a small, razor sharp stone embedding itself just above his head.  He opened a void in front of him to shield himself, then another way up in the sky, far away from Rainey.


    ¡°-completely under control!¡±


    Despite the words coming out of his mouth, Ethan wasn¡¯t sure how much longer he could keep running.  Opening so many portals in such quick succession was starting to wear on him.  Rainey¡¯s last two projectiles nearly took his head off, and he wasn¡¯t getting any closer to handling this situation.  Despite everything in his brain screaming about how dangerous this move was, he needed to confront her, head on.


    First, he had to find her.


    As he fell from the sky, he used his limited aerial advantage to scan the valley below, but came up empty, nothing resembling a murderous woman hiding in the grass.


    Not there, but she still has to be able to see me, so she has to be here somewhere.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Ignoring the valley, he turned his head towards the town and was able to spot a figure standing on a roof of a modern, two story home that, from the looks of it, probably cost more money than he¡¯d ever see in his life, even if he did survive this attack and become a Protector, both outcomes that were seemingly becoming more unlikely by the second.


    Gotta be her.  He opened a portal just above the house, facing the sky, then underneath him.  He sailed through it, his momentum suddenly slowing as he arced back into the air, only to open another portal below him at his Apex and deposit himself gracefully onto the other side of the roof just ten feet away from Rainey.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to come all the way out here just for me,¡± she said, her faux-impressed tone instantly putting Ethan on edge.


    ¡°Rainey,¡± he said, an edge to his voice.  ¡°Any chance you can stop trying to kill me long enough for me to ask you why you¡¯re all the way out here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Slate now,¡± she told him, folding her arms.


    Damn, I never came up with a new name for myself.  I¡¯ve been too busy.   ¡°Slate, then.  What are you doing out here?¡± He demanded to know.  ¡°Did you create that breach point?¡±


    Rainey smiled.  ¡°An interesting use of my powers, no?  You could probably do the same, you know.  Just reach down into the earth and let the energy Surge through.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re too dangerous,¡± Ethan shook his head.  ¡°You and I both know that.  We leveled a mine.¡±


    ¡°You leveled the mine,¡± she corrected him, earth shaking under his feet.  His eyes shot down as he struggled to keep his balance.  ¡°I was perfectly fine gaining powers and leaving until you thought it¡¯d be a better move to drop the entirety of the tunnel on my head.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s heart dropped.  He may have had what he thought was a good reason to do it, but she was right.  ¡°That was wrong of me, and I¡¯m sorry,¡± he told her.  ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have taken either of us down there in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t apologize.  Not now.  Not when I¡¯m so close.¡±


    I don¡¯t think I even want to know what she has planned, but I know it won¡¯t be good for Alex or Ascension.


    ¡°Slate, listen to me.  All you¡¯ve done so far is ask someone to steal a few diamonds for you.  If you were willing to give Apex some information about Sola, I bet they¡¯d be willing to look the other way.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think so?  Would they just¡­let me go?¡±


    ¡°Yes!  Probably.  Well, maybe.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you want to know what I needed them for in the first place?¡±


    Ethan tensed.  He suddenly had the sinking feeling that he had sensed her trap too late.


    She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out what Ethan thought was a diamond, but one that looked wrong.  It was the size of her fist and looked like it had been melted and put back together.


    She smiled, her eyes glued to his.  Slate held the diamond in her palm, then waved her left hand over it.   Ethan watched, amazed, as the diamond stretched like taffy until it was about three feet long and no wider than a pencil sharpened at the edge to a point that glimmered in the sunlight.  Whatever awkwardness was in the diamond mass was completely transformed into a spear that, to Ethan, would be completely unbreakable and incredibly deadly.


    ¡°One last question,¡± she told him, twirling the spear in front of him.


    ¡°How badly would I have to hurt you to get Titan to come all the way out here?¡±


    Ethan threw his hand out in front of him to open a portal back towards the city, but all at once the ground beneath his feet suddenly sunk, pulling his boots underground.  The soil cemented over him before he even had time to register what happened.


    ¡°Slate, stop!¡± He yelled.  Stone shot up from the earth and wrapped itself around his arms, pulling him to his knees, pain shooting through his legs.  He struggled against his rough bindings only to find that he was completely stuck, the world silent except for the sound of Slate¡¯s laughter.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get to use this so soon,¡± she said, putting the spear to his neck and lifting up his chin, bringing his eyes to hers.  The tip sunk into his neck with no resistance, leaving a thin trail of blood as she moved it up under his chin.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­not too late,¡± Ethan growled through gritted teeth, trying to ignore the trickle of blood running down his chest.  ¡°You got what you wanted.  Powers.  You can do something good with them!¡±


    Slate laughed maliciously in his face.  ¡°That¡¯s what you don¡¯t see, Ethan.  I already am.¡±


    She grabbed her spear with both hands, raising it high above her head where it nearly disappeared in the sunlight.  Ethan, arms pinned, tried his hardest to break free, but the stone wouldn¡¯t budge.  He shut his eyes, turning his head away as the spear came rocketing down towards his chest.


    He heard a noise that sounded like a cannonball explosion, feeling a shockwave slam into his chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs.  While he gasped for air, he finally forced his eyes open to see that Alex had leapt in front of the spear.  Arriving late, it was all she could do to block Slate¡¯s attack with her leg.


    The first thing Ethan noticed was that he wasn¡¯t dead, which led to an elation like he¡¯d never experienced that was, unfortunately, cut short by the second thing he noticed.  Slate¡¯s spear had evidently shattered, given Rainey was now holding a much smaller, jagged piece than before, but it had been more than sharp enough to cut into Titan¡¯s pant leg, ripping the fabric wide open.


    Alex, though she had yet to notice, was unnerved.  She was used to people rushing at her, testing to see if she was truly invincible.  When she followed Slate¡¯s eyes down, she saw her exposed thigh bore the gash she had sustained early.  She had managed to remove the piece of rock, but couldn¡¯t fully hide the gash it left in her thigh.


    Slate didn¡¯t need to rush at Alex to find out if she was invincible.  She already knew she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°The mighty Titan,¡± Slate drawled out, smiling tightly, ¡°how many people know you¡¯re not quite as invincible as you claim?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she spat back at Slate.  ¡°Do you really think this changes anything?  A scratch?  You can come at me with everything you¡¯ve got and you¡¯re still going to lose.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to testing that theory,¡± Slate smiled.  Without warning, the ground around Alex rumbled loudly as Slate threw up a thick wall of stone that encased itself around Titan, trapping her in total darkness.  ¡°But not today.¡±


    ¡°Coward!¡± Alex yelled, her voice echoing around her.  For most people, this would represent a nearly impossible prison to escape from; for Alex, it took just three punches to break through the foot thick stone wall, her fist bursting through.  She whipped her arm up, allowing her to see out, then kicked a hole through the bottom, collapsing her makeshift cage entirely.


    She shook off the stone and ran over to Ethan, kneeling next to him.


    ¡°Hey, sorry I was late.  Are you okay?¡±


    For once In his life, Ethan genuinely had no idea what to say.  He led Alex right into the biggest threat against her life and against stability in Ascension.  Slate knew she could hurt Alex, and it was just a matter of time until she found out how.


    ¡°No,¡± his voice squeaked.  ¡°Not at all.¡±