Line of Fire

2x11; aftershocks

Two weeks after Antoine Triplett's death and things had yet to come back to normal. As far as Mara was concerned, there never would be a normal again. Trip was one of her best friends - probably was her best friend on the base - and now that he was gone, Mara was feeling more alone than ever. Sharing an SO for a time meant she'd known him since he graduated the Academy. He was like a little brother to her. No one else at the Playground could make her smile the way he could or lift her up when she was having a bad day.

And lately, every day had been a bad day.

Just moments ago, she'd been in the lounge, having yet another meal alone, when she began to feel it. The skin of her cheeks flushed and sweat started to prickle at her hairline. Hot flashes weren't uncommon for most people, but Mara knew she wasn't most people. Her hot flashes weren't due to poor air conditioning or wearing too many layers or getting sick. But they were due to a virus.

Mara ran out of the room and booked it towards the lab, her food left forgotten on the table. She tore through the research and development rooms, frantically looking through the room's endless drawers. Many of the scientists said nothing, but watched her with a nervous eye.

I must look mad, Mara thought, though she had a hard time bringing herself to care about it. They would all be looking at her nervously for an entirely different reason if she didn't find what she was there for and fast. And it was beginning to look like she wasn't going to find what she was looking for. She was barely keeping it together, fire burning just behind her eyes. If she could just make it to her room - she always kept a spare in her bedside table.

The trip from the lab to their living quarters normally took several minutes, but Mara made it there in less than one. She slammed the door behind herself a little too hard, plaster cracking around the frame.

If Mara could barely control her strength, then she knew it was going to be bad. Quickly, she tore off her shirt, letting it dangle from her hips. Her pants would be safe because her suit provided a layer of fireproofing, but she wasn't sure about her shirt. She took a deep breath in and on the exhale, she let the fire consume her.

Across the room, a terrifying vision stared back at Mara from the mirror. The figure looked just like her, but the woman's eyes glowed the same color as a lit ember. Her veins glowed too, lighting up a spiderweb of tracks under her exposed skin. Then there was a deep glow from inside her chest, highlighting all of her bones. That wasn't Mara in the mirror. It was Crossfire.

Mara shut her eyes tight and tried to clear herself of those thoughts. What she needed to do now was fix this. Mara's first step was to grab her medication from her bedside table and fill the syringe with a sizable dose. Normally Mara would've procrastinated administering it for as long as possible, but right now she didn't have time to waste.

The needle entered the juncture of her elbow and she winced as she pushed the plunger. Instantly, Mara began to feel relief spread through her body. It traveled from the injection site, up her arm and to her chest. Breathing became easier and the burning started to subside. As Mara watched the glow fade from her skin, a knock at the door made her jump.

"Busy!" Mara shouted back, willing her voice back to normal. "Don't come in!"

Usually that was enough to fend off most people, but the door handle clicked open and Mara began to panic. She attempted to hastily pack her medication and button her shirt back up, but it was too late. The door was already open.

"Are you really just standing around in your room with the lights off?"

Mara breathed a sigh of relief as the figure on the other side of the door flicked the light switch. "Oh, Agent May," She shook her head, putting on a small smile. "I was worried it would be someone else."