Warning: Brief mention of violence.

I immediately let out a nose scream. Not only was my plan ruined, but Cara and Leo were gonna be worried when I’m not able to check-in at the usual spot. Not only that, but the rebellion has me. Dickwads.

James blinked back, this time carrying another person. His suit was smoldering, and I could see smoke rolling off the other person, who yanked off their helmet.

I was right. Fireball was a girl, with close-cropped blonde hair and a sooty face.

“Took you long enough, James,” she said, messing with her hair. Ash fell out and to the ground, leaving a white-gray pile at her feet.

“I was trying to convince tier one to help, but she said she doesn’t have anything short of healing herself,” James replied, shooting me a dirty look.

I heard a buzzing sound, and then the speedy guy showed up next to me. “Way said she was active though.”

“I remember hearing that as well. Do you think you’re too good to help us not die, Ms. Bane?” Fireball asked, shaking off more ash so that it blew into my face.

I held my breath until it had passed, and let her comment wash over me. “The only useful power I have is healing myself.”

“You’re a tier one though! You can do mind control, weave time, create tsunamis, things like that! And you’re telling me the only thing you can fucking do is heal yourself?” Fireball said, getting increasingly louder until her last few words were a shout.

I nodded.

Fireball conjured fire and threw it at a nearby tree. “Utterly useless! Way said he wouldn’t say what you could do, because that would mean ‘betraying the only hope for uniting the POPs.’ Bullshit! How could you do anything worth anything?”

James and Speedy took a step back.

I sighed and stood up. “We should probably leave before the guards become smart enough to check the woods.”

Fireball whirled on me. “What makes you think you can tell us what to do?”

Lifting my hands, I relaxed, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. “I’m not telling, I’m simply suggesting. It was not my intent to undermine your authority.”

“Gallswallower!” She yelled, drawing in a large breath. Her eyes flashed red, and simultaneously I heard James and Speedy say, “Sara, don’t!”

She released a whirlwind of fire from her mouth, which burned me down to the bone.