Black Mirror

Chapter 22 - Kind Of Woman

***FIONNA***

It takes almost three full seconds, I think, before Penner realizes I'm burning him. It's like he's that one character from one of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo sequels who's unable to feel pain.

Three seconds. Then he finally gives a remotely normal reaction. He screams. Then he roars. Then he erupts in a wave of solid light that knocks down everyone standing. Now we're all on the floor just like Park's broken corpse. Kensi cries out as she falls - thankfully not on her arm again, not this time, but she's still getting jostled more than I'd care to see.

I crawl over to her and whisper, "Stay back."

She opens her mouth to protest, but swallows her words and listens to me, scooting away and taking refuge behind the desk. As I stand up, I see her grab the phone receiver, then slowly press the buttons one by one.

Then I turn to Penner just in time to see him getting ready to launch another wide-bore wind shot. (Which sounds a hell of a lot dirtier than it really is, I know.) He won't get that chance, not as long as we're all here to take him on.

He begins to say "Rook" again, but I take it upon myself to direct my next fireball right at his mouth. Now it's his turn to duck, and instead of "Rook," he winds up saying something like "Rrrrrrrgh!" as he nearly faceplants to get away from my attack.

As my flames start to singe the ends of my sleeves (I hate wearing long sleeves for precisely this reason - they're impractical when it comes to using my elemental), I whirl around and glare at my friends. Funnily enough, despite not having known Ariel very long - and being unsure if he's trustworthy, because who the hell knows where his true allegiance lies? - I'm counting him as one of those friends. "Enemy of my enemy" and all that.

"Hey assbutts!" I throw my flaming hands in the air, and I think I accidentally-on-purpose launch another fireball in a high arc that may or may not impact the already weakened ceiling. "I could use some help here!"

Gabe, naturally, is the first to jump to my side. What a sweet boy. Well, he's not exactly at my side, but he's fighting against Penner with me. Specifically, by pulling the water still piping into the busted fountain. "I'm so bad at this," he says, forming an Avatar-style water whip and coiling it, snakelike, around Penner's waist. "I've gotten used to playing with ice."

"It's better suited for combat, I agree. But combined with my attacks" - I send flames at the water whip and make it evaporate, cloaking Penner in blinding steam for a moment - "it wouldn't do much good, would it?"

Penner waves the steam out of his face - dammit, Gabe and I had a perfect opportunity to knock him down really good, and we wasted it chatting. Isn't that the villain's job, to monologue their way into defeat? But hey, Ariel's got us covered. During the short time Penner's distracted, he sneaks around behind him and lays down a good-sized patch of dark energy on the floor. Then he waits for me and Gabe to attack again, which we do together - more fire, more water until Penner steps back and his feet hit the dark patch. It may not be as sticky as the warlock variety Harris was known for, but it still acts like enough of an oil slick to compromise Penner's footing. He goes down again, and stays down for at least ten seconds. And doesn't get up.

Knockout.

I let out a bark of laughter at the ludicrous sight.

As for Jay, he's stayed back, curled in a fetal position and rocking back and forth. It's probably because of how close he came to being Park's killer.

Gabe regards him with a concerned eye too. Alex does that sometimes. Even his thoughts come out as a whisper. When he's freaked.

I know. The day we met Elijah's other victims, he did that when...when they said their killer had his eyes.