Chapter 135

Brennan lunged towards Shell of Team Chaos, trying to pin her down. She was good - the way she was able to dodge and deflect made him wonder if he was getting rusty. It obviously didn't help that she could grow shields out of her arms, making her difficult to grab and harder to get a solid hit in on. 

Achilles had decided to take on Paris, and no one seemed like they'd get between those two. It was strange - almost like those two had been bound by destiny. To be friends, then become what they were now...

Brennan wasn't sure how Achilles was taking it, but he seemed okay. The only thing the others around him could do was watch over him carefully, hoping that they could intervene if necessary. 

Shell blocked fireballs once in a while with those weird arms of hers, but Brennan trusted that Hot Rod wouldn't actually hit any of his allies, even if it came close. He also heard Lightning come by, so he figured every member of Team Chaos would be handled. 

That was his mistake. He'd let himself believe that his teammates had everything handled and zeroed in on Shell, like he was back in the ring. He'd forgotten that there were other enemies around, ones who would come in from his blind spot with no hesitation. 

He spun around when he heard a solid hit come from behind him, then took a hurried step back as he tried to keep Shell in his peripheral. Lightning was standing in front of him in street clothes, towering over a now unconscious Corrosion. 

Brennan had been careless. Only now did he see the transparent liquid eating away at his shoe. He quickly moved away from the spot, throwing off the shoe as he did so. Lightning caught it and wiped it off on Corrosion's sleeve. 

There wasn't time to put it back on, though. Shell was coming at him again, grim determination in her face. Brennan barely caught the shoe Lightning threw to him before she'd moved behind Shell with her speed and knocked her out too. 

"Okay, that's enough playtime, kids." Ferry appeared between the two of them, grabbed Shell and Corrosion by the wrists and was gone again, just in time to avoid Lightning's next hit. 

She reappeared several feet away a few seconds later, now without Shell or Corrosion. Brennan could easily see the displeasure on Lightning's face as she stared Ferry down. 

"My, what a scary face, Miss Military." Ferry's face twisted in surprise as she disappeared again, barely avoiding Lightning's next strike. 

Next, Ferry was sitting up on a window. 

"I would love to arrest you right here," Lightning said coldly. "You just won't stop causing trouble." 

"Trouble's fun," Ferry replied with a chuckle. 

"Someone died today." Lightning motioned towards the ugly corpse on the ground, her gaze unyielding. She was madder than he'd ever seen her. 

"So? Corrosion does good work." Ferry stuck out her tongue. At this point, she had to be goading them, right? 

Lightning seemed to realize it as well. She growled, then turned her attention to Cold Snap and Hot Rod. 

"Whoa, hold it! I'm not done talking to you!" Ferry babbled the words in a panic, teleporting behind Cold Snap to grab her, then disappearing again just as Hot Rod's fireball went over where they'd been. 

"You really need to get a better handle on your people, Achilles," Paris said mockingly, stepping back from his opponent, who was now having a coughing fit. 

Before anyone could react, Ferry had appeared behind him and vanished again. Team Chaos had gotten away again. 

"Dammit," Lightning growled, punching the air as hard as she could. Brennan shuddered at the thought of what that hit would do to a building - or a person. 

"What's the big idea, Lightning?" Hot Rod spat, stomping over to them. "I had Cold Snap and you just had to mess it up for me!" 

"As if," Lightning sighed, rolling her eyes. "Ferry was watching. She'd have made sure to get them out just before things went awry for them. And now, if you don't mind me asking, why exactly did I have to cart a civilian to the hospital who sported severe burns along one half of her body?" She glared at Hot Rod, and he glared right back. 

"Hell if I know. I can't help it if some idiot gets in my way when I'm in a fight." 

"You need more situational awareness," Lightning snapped. "If this keeps up, someday you'll kill someone. Hell, I don't even know if that girl's going to survive. The doctors said it didn't look good for her." 

"How'd you even get to the hospital and back? We haven't been here that long," Hot Rod asked, rolling his eyes. 

"I had some help," Lightning replied. "I can't say more." 

"Why so cagey? Aren't we on the same side?" Hot Rod took a step forward, sneering at her. Achilles had stabilized and was walking towards them, an exhausted look on his face. 

"I promised to keep quiet about this, even from the Legion. I'm sorry." Lightning didn't seem like she'd move on this, and Hot Rod was getting a bit aggressive, so Brennan spoke up. 

"Look, we're all on the same side, so let's cool our heads. If we fight among ourselves, we'll be giving Team Chaos exactly what they want." Lightning nodded, not a hint of emotion on her face. Hot Rod looked annoyed, but shrugged and started walking again. 

"Then I'll keep patrolling. Achilles, let's go." 

Didn't even stop to ask if Achilles was feeling okay? Brennan held back a sigh as he looked at Lightning. She was perhaps the best of them, and yet...

He felt bad that the Legion would soon expel her. 

Why me? 

Aila had been on her way to work, same as usual. Start at 8:00 p.m., finish at 2:00 a.m. Part time, but it paid well because of the unusual hours. With only so many hours in a day, she had to be efficient with how she spent them. 

Then she'd got caught in the middle of some Legion spat. She knew, of course, that the city was more dangerous these days. Mama had even told her to be more careful than usual. But Aila had never thought she'd end up stuck in the middle of something. 

First, a wall of ice had sprung up around her. Everyone around her panicked, and people were shoving around. Aila with her small frame couldn't stand her ground and eventually ended up on her rear, while one or two people stepped on her legs. 

Then, the ice had melted with the arrival of the Legion. Aila had felt some relief that they were saved, but as she tried to get up, the people around her kept shoving her down and back. By the time she was able to move, Paris had grabbed her and shoved poison down her throat. 

It burned her lungs, and she fell down again. Achilles told him to let her go. 

Save me, she'd silently begged. I can't die here. I have people to take care of. 

But no one had heard her. Paris shoved her aside like a pile of waste, and then Cold Snap froze her arm. The ice snaked onto her torso, burning everywhere it touched. Before she even had time to gather her thoughts, the other side of her was burning too. Not a cold burn. Like the time she'd accidentally burned her hand when her soup started boiling over. 

The pain stole away her consciousness. She could remember vague sounds and static images, but nothing made sense. 

Someone carrying her. 

Voices above her, saying that they were going to lose her. 

I can't die, she cried. She could barely open her eyes, and everything hurt, but her thoughts echoed sadly in her own head where no one could hear them. 

Please. I can't die. I need to work. I need to make enough... 

In the dark haze of her consciousness, she found herself staring at someone she'd never seen before. No, perhaps someone wasn't the right word. It was a yellow figure she couldn't quite make out. 

"Aila," he said gently. 

Who are you? 

"I am here to help. There are too many Miracles. You see what it's doing to your people. So I need you to help me. I can't interfere directly. The laws prohibit it." 

What can I do? 

"Take my Miracle. Use it. Please. I need someone like you." 

Like me? 

"Yes. Someone practical. Take the Miracles. Erase them. Restore peace. Please." 

But...I'm dying...

"No. You will not die here, Aila. You will live. And I hope you will take my Miracle and do what I cannot." 

I will. 

That was the last thing she remembered before she woke up in an intensive care unit for severe burns and severe frostbite.