The Gifted Chronicles: Power

Chapter 16: Coincidence or Strategy

"So, what are we going to do when we get back to the base?" Ash's eyes widen at Scorches mention she makes a shushing noise and waves her hand at her, she leans in over the table, "we don't mention it as the base we say home." Scorch leans back and takes a bite of her ice-cream shrugging her shoulders in a 'I didn't know' way. "anyway, Sparks what kind of trinkets have you been working on?" Sparks takes a sip of her shake, "jewelry mostly." Sparks winks at Pyrah. (Technologically advanced weapons.) Pyrah replies "let me know when you're done."

Ash's eyes widen almost ready to spit out her shake she leans down in the bench, "Oh shit, we might be in trouble, guys Soot the evil woman is here." Freddy notices what Ash notices and turns a little pale. "I see it, just act normal." The team begins to look around, "no don't look, just act normal!" Freddy whisper yells. Two booths down there sat their fiery red menace, Soot, drinking a shake. Sparks leans up from the table to see what she was doing, "she seems to be talking to some...device?" Freddy pushes her down into the booth, "stays cool everyone, stay cool or else we'll be in some deep shit."

Ash begins to pour salt into her hand, "I'm going to simulate the beaches around her, so we can escape." Ash luckily being on the edge of the table slides out, "good thing her back is to us." She mutters low enough for nobody to hear," she keeps her eyes locked onto the evil woman. Ash creates a small metallic looking ball in her hand and thrusts it towards the back of Soot's head it engulfs her head then turns invisible. "please work, please work, please work." Soot looks dismayed but happy? I have never seen any soldier happy. Soot then smiles and begins to laugh like a child. Ash motions for the team to get up and leave, "C'mon let's go." Pyrah stops by Ash, "is it going to hold out?" Ash nods her head, "yeah it's stable."

The team leaves Braum's to head back to the base they pile into the truck as fast as possible. "Well that was a close call." Blaze mentions first in a silent truck. "Yeah, too close though." Freddy replies.

Sparks pipes up, "I wonder what your bubbles look like Ash." Ash picks up a rock off the floorboard, and holds it in her palm showing it to Sparks, "you wanna see?" Sparks puts her hands up in surrender, "maybe another time." Ash puts the rock in her pocket. Sparks sarcastically yell, "Yeah let's just put one of your illusion bubbles around the whole truck! Scorch leans her head-on Blaze's shoulder, "I'm tired now." Blaze leans into Scorch making her more comfortable.

The drive was mostly silent except for Pyrah singing to every pop tune on the radio while occasionally Ash would join into the singing of the song. They make it to the base, "Okay we have some big things to be working on so get some rest." Freddy announces. Sparks opens the truck door awakening Scorch from her car ride nap, "hey sleepy head wake up!" Scorch sits up yawning, "wha- we're here already?" Blaze helps her out of the truck, "She doesn't go to bed late, does she?" The girls shake their head no in unison. As if something straight out of an action spy movie, the entire ground shifts, with forest life growing on top, cracking wide open to reveal a metal door entrance large enough to drive the truck inside. "Hey if you want to hop back in the truck we can drive it in to park it and walk from there." Ash sleepily says. The group looks at each other, "nah. I'm tired little sis." Freddy ruffles Ash's hair.

The team makes it to their room. Scorch slips on a grey tank top with a pair of sweats while Pyrah and sparks brush their teeth. "Hey has anyone noticed that, Blaze has not been acting his annoying self today?" Ash says while brushing her short hair, Sparks and Pyrah turn around, "whoa when did you get in here?" Ash shrugs her shoulders, "I uh, can sleep here as well but I don't exactly sleep well in here so I normally sleep on the leather couch in the lounge. This place was actually the old headquarters until the wire and plastics place closed down." Ash looks over at Scorch to see her already tucked in bed and sleeping.

Pyrah sits at the foot of her bed while brushing her hair while clearly the gears were turning in her head. Her smile fades into a blank stare, "hey, Pyrah are you okay?" Pyrah snaps out of her thoughts, "what? Oh yeah, yeah I'm fine...Just tired is all." Sparks plops down in her bed, "so what happened in Braum's, was that a coincidence or strategy about Soot?" Ash grabs her chin, "I am not really sure but let's go with a coincidence."

Ash slips into the covers and calls Ollie onto the bed to sleep on something that is not hard concrete. The chocolate lab happily jumps up off the cold floor and crawls up by Ash's face.

Ash hugs his head, "you're a good boy." Pyrah scoots over to pet Ollie, "I love Ollie, he is so cute. Makes me think of my dog back home with my parents."

Sparks stares at the ceiling, "yeah my dog too, she is half- lab though so it makes me miss her even more."

Scorch smiles, "yeah every time my family gets a dog it manages to get itself killed." Everyone falls silent, Blaze leans his head on her shoulder, "that's rough."