Super•Villainous

LIX

Gooseflesh crawled up my arms, even with Aegis's deflective shield forming a haven of protection around us to keep the physical threats away. I could see why the Constable wanted them both near. Aegis, a failsafe in case danger ever drew too close, and Flicker, a quick escape should retreat become necessary. My nails dug into the meat of my palm at just the hateful thought of him. Coward.

I spared one last look at what appeared to be a domed tornado rising out of the ground, spherical in shape and completely dark at the center, before sinking into it, not bothering to make sure the others followed. Either they would, or they wouldn't. No matter their choice, my only remaining path stretched forward into the abyss that awaited me, the path to him.

After slipping through that threshold, a barrage of wind nearly swept me off my feet and, based on the surprised grunts behind me, muffled beneath the howling gale, the others suffered a similar experience.

I hoped they wouldn't live to regret following me.

On second thought, I hoped they would live to regret it. At least that meant they'd live.

Ice spheres bigger than grapefruit and several times more dense shattered against Aegis's conjured protection with such frequency that it left us nearly blind, like rain battering a windshield during a heavy midnight storm. I directed myself through the thick haze by instinct, feeling my way closer based on the intensity of the current and the thickness of the dark. It was a black fog rolling over us in some places, and in others writhing tendrils that looked almost alive and ready to lash out. In all, it was a foreboding promise of inevitable despair.

When visibility completely failed us minutes later, Aegis fisted a hand through the back of my shirt and took tight hold of the cuff of Flicker's suit to ensure no one strayed too far. From the outside, the space hadn't seemed so massive, so limitless, but a blank abyss devoid of light and sound had us stumbling around unguided in circles, hoping - and fearing - the moment where we ran into something we couldn't detect. Only the sensation of wind remained inside her shield, not sharp and cutting, as I knew it would be on the other side, but blunt and relentless, like the sweeping arm of a giant threatening to slap our bubble of protection into the atmosphere.

Another blast rocked the shield, stronger than the others. It cracked, then instinctually constricted to protect its wielder before it had the chance to dissolve entirely. Left vulnerable to the next barrage of hurricane-level winds, they knocked me onto my side with the propulsive force of an explosion set off beside my feet. Aegis's grip on my shirt slipped, and my only link to them severed all at once.

I whirled, reaching blindly to reclaim her hold, and came up with nothing besides ice battering my outstretched arm.

Damn. I couldn't spare the time to seek them out. They were on their own - and so was I.

"Atticus!" I called, turning back, despite knowing the futility of the effort. It sounded like yelling beneath the surface of water, as though the air was too thick for sound-waves to travel. "Atticus!"

For the first time entirely vulnerable, razor-sharp slivers cut into my forearms, positioned to protect my face. Ice crystalized on my clothes, then melted from my body heat. Refreezing. Remelting.

I had to be getting close, if the wind's ability to nullify Aegis's shield was anything to go by. I kept pushing forward, digging in my heels to prevent myself from being shoved off course.

Unexpectedly, I broke through, and, in my surprise, nearly lost balance from the lack of wind batting me away, my own strength acting against me. In the eye of the storm, it was... calm. No ice. No floating objects carried along by telekinesis. Though still dark, the inky black shadows were held at bay.