Bring The Heat

24. Pasts That Never Came

Wren felt energy surge through her veins down her arm. It felt like a nice, cold liquid was flowing through her, but without the sharp icy pain. When it exited her hand, there was a kind of sucking, like when you get blood taken, but again without the pain. It was an... amazingly powerful feeling.

Wren looked up at her target. Placed precisely 50 metres away was a small tower of wooden blocks. So far, Wren had only managed to send her blasts about 30 metres away on a good day...

After a split second, she felt that feeling. It was like the sucking from earlier, but sudden, and a lot stronger. She was training to hold out in spite of it, but time and time again had her body reflexively released the blast earlier. But this time she held strong. Wren's abs clenched like she was being squeezed, and she screwed up her face violently. Holding... holding... release!

Gasping for air, Wren rolled onto the ground and sprawled out, her face red and her midriff aching heavily. It's worth noting that whilst this whole process lasted about a second, it was still incredibly difficult. She was so preoccupied with the pain that she didn't even notice the wooden blocks in the distance, still standing perfectly.

BM and Lewis walked over and stood around the panting mess that was Wren.

"Interesting..." BM said, "so it looks like a physical connection between you and the energy bundle still remains even after it's left your body."

"It seems more like a psychological connection that just strains her muscles on instinct," Lewis chimed in, "which explains how you can tell the location of the energy bundle."

BM was aware of this, but liked to give Lewis some of the small victories.

Whether it was physical or mental, Wren still writhed on the ground sweating heavily and clutching her stomach.

"Even still... you could come let me run a physical on you, if you'd like." Lewis said quickly. BM gave her a look, and Lewis silently rescinded her admittedly self-indulgent offer.

"Y- yeah... ok... I think... I think I'm gonna take 5 though..." Wren groaned.

-(AFTER TAKING 5)-

Wren was still lying on the ground.

-(10 MINUTES LATER)-

"Yo, Wren! You ok?"

Weakly, Wren turned her head to see Dominic approaching. She groaned a response, and he rushed over and sat her up against the wall.

"Do you need me to get Lewis and BM for you?"

"N- no... I just need a second..." Wren croaked, sinking down the wall exasperated. "I'll take some water though..."

Dominic offered her his bottle, which she gladly took, swigging down all that was left.

"Thanks..." Wren panted, "you been training too?"

"Yeah... not making any progress though. You've been pushing yourself too hard though, hm?"

"No. Not hard enough. That's the only reason this hurts so much."

Dominic sighed at sat down next her.

"If you insist."

After a short silence, Wren found herself finally saying the words that had been on her lips for a while now. She didn't know why, but she couldn't bring herself to talk about what life was like before all of this... but it was different with Dominic.

"Sometimes I wish I had a family."

Dominic looked at her surprised, before feeling glad that she felt she could talk to him.

"I get that... I find it helps to pretend everyone here is a big family, if that's not weird?"

"I guess that makes sense, but... I just mean something completely natural, yknow? I love all you guys to death... but only cos I've been friends with you. With family, it's always..."

Dominic laughed.

"Wren, I think you watch too many movies. Family isn't 'always'. They can suck, a lot. And that's when you're really alone. Trust me - friends are better!"

"Oh... sorry. And yeah, I guess... I don't really have much of an idea of how things work, though. I feel like I can't go to anyone about that because there's nobody like me."

Dominic gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Well... I might a bit like you, in that sense."

"How?"

"Well, I didn't live with my father, and my mother was... not the best. She couldn't afford me, and didn't try to make it unclear I was a burden. And then I was kinda just thrown into all of this - and I've got no reason to go back, so I don't. It's all very new to me as well."

Wren silently leaned over and hugged Dominic warmly.

"I'm sorry your mum sucked."

He just smiled.

"I'm not. If she didn't, I don't know that I'd be here right now, and I want to be here right now. Even if I didn't, this is how my life went, and I appreciate that."

"What? You... you don't think something else might be better?"

"Oh, I do. I just feel like... I think what happens to us always would've. Even if that's not true, I wouldn't like to live a life I wasn't supposed to. Bad things have happened to me, that I'd rather hadn't, but this is the hand I was dealt and it's the one I'm gonna play, y'know?"

Wren stared at the ground, thinking about it for a second.

"I don't really get that."

Dominic laughed, and ruffled her hair.

"You don't have to. That's just how I feel about my life, but you might feel entirely different about yours."

"I don't really think about it much. I mean, I don't really have a life."

Dominic mumbled an agreement and nodded. After a short pause, Wren continued:

"I think I feel better now... I gotta go see Lewis for, uh... I just gotta. But hey, I appreciate this. Thanks for getting it, man."

"Any time." Dominic responded warmly, before they parted ways.