IRON ★ OF PHOENIX ASHES

Chapter 3

With an alarmed shout, Alesha grabbed my arm - and together we ran, the world fading into motion-blur. My hands were clammy, my tongue caught unnaturally on my teeth as I gasped clumsily for breath; even as our makeshift flag came into view, piercing red through the dull of night, the pit of dread inside me swirled and splashed like acid inside. Overhead, two white lights zigzagged through the sky - the silhouette inside gesturing to us frantically heralding our ride home. Yet as I reached up to pull my mask down, a terrible thought reared to the forefront of my mind. 

"They saw - your - face -?" 

"It's fine." The panic in her voice suggested it was not fine. "Later." 

We leapt from building to platform; the hovercraft drew up beside us. Later then, I thought in exhaustion, as I dropped down onto the seat and shut my eyes to the whir of the engine. 

~

In reality, we'd be fine since we got onto Lance's hovercraft, but I still breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief as we stepped off. The invisibility charms around our camp would protect us now. Alesha jumped off with a brief word of thanks and headed straight for Bruin's tent, showing no relief at being back on steady ground again; I took my time, and squeezed my eyes shut as a wave of dizziness swept over me. Flying made me nauseous.

Our driver laughed, sticking his vaguely pointy tongue out from behind his teeth. Pointy would be a good word to describe Lance – pointy face, pointy black hair, as well as pointed awareness of everything that was going on around him at all times. His sharp blue eyes, set deep into his olive–toned skin like sapphires, were friendly enough – and probably capable of piercing steel.

'Feeling burnt out, are we?'

'Oh, very funny, Lance,' I huffed, sticking out my chin as I ground my feet into the earth.

'I know. Class comedian, me.' He hopped off his hovercraft – the 'Bullet', a stolen, broken prototype from the IRON dumping grounds which he had painstakingly repaired – and danced round me in a vaguely celebratory fashion. 'Well done, then! First mission! Not a baby Scout anymore!'

I swatted at him in annoyance, darting across the path - just to burst into Bruin's tent as my partner was handing over the USB.

'Ah, Detria! Not going to let Alesha here take all the credit then?'

Alesha glanced over at me suspiciously. I raised my eyebrows lightly in return.

'Nope. Have you told her about the–'

'No, I was just getting to that part.' Alesha's voice was infuriatingly cold. 'So,' she resumed her story, 'we were just on our way out –'

'When –' I butted in, 'we took a slight detour.'

Bruin raised her eyebrows. 'Detour, eh?'

'I.. wasn't going to mention that part, Detria.'

Ignoring that, I went on to explain the events at the warehouse - and watched as Bruin's face morphed from disapproving to astonished.

'A gravity-defying Able?'

I nodded.

'...You do know what this means?'

Both Alesha and I stayed quiet. I think we already knew whatever we said, we'd be talked over anyway.

'Another rebellion.' There was awe in her voice. 'More people, more groups... awareness is building. And they're on about the same level as us, if what you've said is true.'