The Elementals

Nightmares Come True

We sprint for a while, trying to find a camp place. I stop at a rock formation, next to a lake.

I turn to Coal and Steel. "Thank you." They both shrug. "We need to rest now, but in the morning, we look for Breeze, Terra, Sparky and Maple."

Steel nods, exhausted. I feel the same way. But for some reason I can't get to sleep. I sit by the lake, shoes off, feet in the water. I feel awful for leaving the others. I wouldn't blame them if they hated me. I would hate me.

Coal sits down next to me, radiating heat. After a pause, he says, "Don't ever do that again."

"Do what?"

"You know what."

"I had to make the wall so they couldn't get in and kill you." I say.

"I almost killed myself trying to get out."

"I wasn't going to let them catch you."

"So you offered up yourself."

"Yeah?"

Coal sighs. "Just don't do it again, okay?"

I turn to him, protesting, when I hear rustling from the woods. I jump up, ready to fight. It's Breeze, Terra, Sparky and Maple. I rush forward. "Breeze!"

"They're coming." She gasps. She's obviously been running hard.

"Who?" I ask, though I'm pretty sure I know exactly.

"We-we had to come out of the cave." Terra says, and a fresh wave of guilt rolls over me. "They found us so we left. They kept tracking us and we were spotted so we had to run."

"What's going on?" Steel comes up from behind me.

"No time to explain," I tell him. "You and Coal take them away." I order, gesturing to Breeze, Maple, Terra, and Sparky.

Steel obeys without question. Coal, as expected, argues.

"You didn't kill him when you were looking for me; you're not going to kill him now." I snap, "Go!"

"You're not going to do this again!" he steps in front of me.

"Try and stop me."

Men and women run, shouting, into the clearing. I push Coal behind me and walk forward.

"Hello." I say, dangerously calm. "Can I help you?"

They stop, confused, and a women steps up. "Come with us and no one gets hurt."

I pause.

"Don't you dare do it." Coal says in a low voice. "Don't even think about it."

"Leave and I won't."

"You're thinking about it. I know you are."

"Go. Before I make you."

"No." Coal says and moves next to me. "So make me."

I frown. But there's no time. A trigger clicks and I stop the dart just in time, right in front of Coal's face, with a chunk of ice. "Last chance," I say to Coal.

"I'm staying right here."

The woman finally understands that we're not going to take her up on her oh so generous offer. She says something into her radio and the agents surge forward. I curse. There are a whole lot more than I thought.

I slam the first round of guys with a wave from the lake. They tumble to the ground and start tripping up the rest. Coal spins and flames burst out, keeping the shooters from firing.

"Got a plan, Flippers?" he asks, his entire body on fire. I still can't get used to that.

"Well, I did but then you decided to stay and be a hero."

"Nice to know I'm appreciated around here."

I ignore him and spring at the first person that moves after the flames let up. I kick the gun out of another man's hand and it spins through the air. The amount of agents is so many, I can't even move without hitting someone. A few feet away, I see flashes of light and people reeling back from the heat. I grab a woman's gun and use it to vault myself up above the heads.

Oh dang.

I've been herded away from the lake and there are many, many more agents than I had anticipated. I fall back down to the ground and I try and bring the water to me. Some obeys, but it takes too long and I have to concentrate on defending myself. I use what little water I did get and hose a path to Coal.

He is faring better than me being able to just make fire without needing a source. But the effort of keeping himself untouchably in flames and attacking is too much.

I feel a dart graze my cheek, not deep enough for the drug to work, but it draws blood. Someone lands a blow to my upper back and my leg. I growl, ducking another attack, and kick. A few people trip but it doesn't do much.

I jump up and get a face full of fire. I try to get out of the way, but it's too late. I squeeze my eyes closed from the shear heat. There are spots in them after. My shoulder burns. I gasp at the intensity of the pain. I stumble, and Coal grabs me.

"I-I thought you were-" Coal stutters. Someone hits his side. He just takes the blow, doesn't fight back.

"It's fine." I try to reassure him. "We have to retreat to the woods. Get to shelter."

"You're not fine!" He says, "I-"

"Coal." I grab his wrist. "Forget it, we need to go."

I push him in front of me, blasting a path through with some more of the water. I have to save my energy. I won't tell Coal, but my arm is aching. The skin is raw and red. It hurts something awful every time I jostle it.

They race after us, about thirty feet behind, but gaining. Right inside the woods, I see a thick tree. That should work. I skid to a stop. Coal notices and slows down, but I shove him into the tree.

"Wait, what are you doing?" he shouts at me as I throw the last of the water at him and freeze it, sticking him to the tree.

"I'm sorry!" I say to him as he starts to freak out, yelling obscenities at me.

I turn around and sprint straight at the attackers. I jump and walk over their shoulders. Just an Elementals version of being carried by fans. I hear some unpleasant popping noises. Leaping off the last couple people, I dash to the lake.

"Hey dimwits!" I scream at them. They turn uniformly towards me.

I wait, feeling the power build inside, as they stampede at me. Almost there... Wait for it.... Now.

The entire lake rises, a mountain of water. It's much bigger than the first time. Then again, the first time I hadn't just been cooked alive. The effort makes the burn hurt more. I shove my hands forward. The water surges in a wave, breaking over my head. It smashes to the ground, wiping out all the agents in a huge flood. They thrash around, trying to stand against the currents.

I breathe in and everything slows down. I spin into a crouch, feeling the water lift and rotate outwards, like a reverse whirlpool.

It moves faster and faster. The agents are pushed back. But I can feel my stamina running out.

Here goes nothing.

I jump up and sweep my arms forward with a yell. The water shoots out, throwing the agents far, far away. My vision flickers.

Not again.

It feels different. Worse. Like a big, heavy, black blanket falling down and suffocating me. I'm pretty sure I sink down to my knees. The water puddles spin around. I think I hear Coal's voice but it sounds like he's talking through a mouthful of cotton.

I see flashes, like photos zipping past, only lasting a second or two. Coal, running. Closer. Next to me. Dragging me.

Then nothing. Just darkness. No sound, nothing. My arm hurts so bad. A burning, boiling, raging pain. And then even that is gone, and I sink into the black oblivion.