Black Equation - The Gifted Ones

Number Thirty-One

“Arashi! Help! I can’t get her out! She's nullifying my Gift!”

Stiffly, he moved to help Ivan remove her from under the massive rock. He felt like all the blood rose to his head. This couldn’t be happening. Not again.

It was the scene four years ago, all over again. Her, unconscious and broken. Half-alive. Barely breathing.

How many times had he seen her in the cusp of life and death? One time had scarred him. Two was pushing it to his limits.

This was worse. A lot worse.

“Dee?” he softly called out. “Say something. Can you hear me?”

You don’t deserve this. Why does it have to be you always experiencing this? Why is Fate so cruel to you?

"Dee. . .?"

Ivan jumped away to wake the still unconscious Rael. They knew he was still weak from overexertion. After all, healers were rare and they were in demand in the frontlines. And healing was time and energy consuming.

But they needed him now. Needed him badly.

Arashi didn’t want to touch Abcidee, afraid that it would cause more harm than comfort. But she was losing blood, and there were fractures he had to consider.

“Use your power on her.”

“What?” he snapped at the young mind reader kneeling beside him. Atom had red-rimmed eyes, and he was holding Abcidee’s hand like a lifeline.

“Your Gift. Use it.”

Arashi must have heard him wrong. He couldn’t be asking him to light Dee up like a human torch.

“You heard me. Use your fire on her.”

He pressed his lips into a thin line.

The boy merely smirked. “Based from your facial expression, you’re thinking that I’ve gone bonkers, haven’t you?” He squeezed Abcidee’s hands. “Her Subtractive Gift will negate Rael’s power to heal. We need to take that load off him by feeding her an equal amount of yours. Like what Kreuz Creed did all those years ago. Though, your Gift is not enough. Ivan has to join as well.”

Arashi had already heard this from the Master that time. He understood what the kid meant.

Atom continued, “You have to listen carefully to my instructions. Once I’m able to hear her thoughts, I’ll give you a signal. That means you have to keep the level of power you’re using at that particular level. No more, no less. More will kill her, less will stop her from healing.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ivan said behind. He knelt on the opposite side of Arashi and held out his hands on top of her. “You heard that, right Rael?”

The Filipino nodded weakly after getting over his shock at the sight of her body. He went to attend to her leg.

With a deep breath, he said, “Give me your best shot, guys.”

Atom stepped away to give them space. “Don’t overexert yourself, yes? You’re of no use to us dead.”

Rael chuckled, his thoughts a welcome relief to the doom and gloom that the two other men possessed. “Krad is a real bad influence on you.” And then he pressed his palms over Abcidee’s broken skin and bones. “Let’s start.”

One can never learn from their mistakes if they don’t remember them.

That was the one thing she hoped she didn’t have to learn the hard way. She had been a coward, and that only made things much worse for everyone around her. She had been selfish. She had been young and naïve.