Magic Children

Chapter 40 Lyons, Colorado---14 years earlier - Arthur

"Go for it," I shout, holding my arms out to my sides as dozens of electric guns point at  me.

Now, they ought to have hesitated since I said that. Theoretically, there are plenty of more charming ways to die on this hot cursed summer night, than to stand here awaiting the firing squad.

But they don't think of that.

They see a little mutant boy with a shaved head, standing here in the middle of the street, arms out fists clenched.

And they all fire at once.

I focus as the electricity crackles through me. I hold it though. I save it. Sam doesn't have long. I can feel the heat from the fires as the billow up around us. He's burning the town. He's burning the entire town and forest surrounding it. And Sam is getting weaker by the minute.

The more fire, the more powerful he is. He's going to burn as much as he can and warp himself well away from here. I need you to keep him fighting. All I need is a little more time. Please. Trust me Vali.

He can't even think to answer. He's blacking out. I wanted a few more minutes.  But this is all I'm going to get.

With all the energy I have inside me, I force myself inside Angel's mind.

It's so full of rage and drunk with power, it's hard to move, let alone think. All I have to do is find the part of his mind he uses re-channel the energy he gets from the fire. It can't be that hard to find? It's what I'm doing with the electricity. Except---no, I'm converting the electricity to energy for me. He's using the energy as fast as he gets it.

Which is why he won't die from doing this. And I might. I don't know what this will do to my body when I'm sapped from using all the electricity I'm bottling up inside me.

But that's why I couldn't find it. He's just reusing the heat energy. The more burns, the more fire, the stronger he is.

Well, not anymore. I close of that part of his mind, sealing it with my own soul. He doesn't even know it's happening at first. When he does he screams in rage and since I'm in his head it echoes through my head.

I keep myself wrapped around that portion of his mind. He's done. It's over. And more than that, I'm over. I can do no more. Hopefully I stopped him in time to save Sam.

I fall to the ground, and unfortunately feel it hit me as sirens blare in the distance. I struggle for consciousness as long as I can, and eventually lose, still trapping Angel's mind closed.