Origin of Power

Chapter 18

Shifter hit the ground hard enough to bounce, skimming across the road like a stone on water. As her momentum slowed, she whipped out her arms, digging her claws into the road for grip. The dug deeply, tearing up the asphalt and ripping a line through it as she slid to a stop.

Only now could I see the damage. Her chest had caved in from the blow. Blood trickled from her mouth, spluttering onto the road as she coughed. She slouched to the side, only held up by her nails embedded in the ground. Her breathing was ragged, like she wasn't getting any air in.

I started forward, unable to leave her like that. Binder grabbed my wrist and I glanced at him, face unreadable beneath his helmet.

"We need to help her," I growled.

"Look closer," Binder said calmly, not taking his eyes away from the web of police and vehicles. His vines constantly moving to keep them trapped within.

I tore my wrist from his grip but did as he said. In only a few seconds I realised what he meant. Shifter's body was transforming. It always looked wolf-like when she used her power, but I could recognise her. Now she there was hardly any humanity left to her. She was more like a Hellraiser.

Thick white mist breathed out of her mouth and nose and rose from beneath her fur. More hair sprouted across her body until it covered her entirely. She was twice the size as she was before, as large as Dusk had been.

I cringed as her chest snapped as it popped back in place, like dented plastic being pushed back in place. Her collapsed chest popped out like dented plastic and her breathing returned to normal. That was not a healing rate normal to Titans. All Titans were stronger and tougher than humans. I could heal a broken bone in a week. But there was no recovering from a blow like that. It would have killed me, and pretty much every other Titan. Only the most resilient could survive it.

There was no way Minute Wonder knew that. He had just tried to kill her. The man was wide eyed, gazing between his bloodied fist and Shifter's rapidly morphing body. Across his chest was a deep gash. Shifter had actually managed to injure him.

I was useless in the back of the van, and no matter what Binder said, she needed help. I clambered over the boxes and into the front passenger seat beside Mia.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Distracting. If I stay here she's going to get killed."

I moved my orb over to the front of the bonnet and swapped. Crouching beneath it and being extra careful to stay out of Mindbreaker's vision.

I noticed Minute Wonder's lips move, too quiet for me to make out the words. Then he spoke again, this time louder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

I frowned. Was he talking to Shifter?

"It's you," Mindbreaker shouted.

I whirled to look at her, the same sinister smile plastered across her face. The fact the HA let a person like her work for them showed how right I had been not to join them. They didn't care about peace, they cared about power and order. Through whatever means necessary.

Shifter scrambled away from her, retreating up against the wall of a building where Snapshot watched over the battle. Lodestone waited a couple of buildings across from him, the signs of their battle visible all along the walls, as brick and rubble collecting on the road.

I moved my orb overhead, getting within reach of Shifter for when the heroes made their move. I bit my lip as black smoke raged off of Mindbreaker in my sense, throwing off my ability. It seeped into the blue world, filling me with dread. Was this part of her power? Perhaps some sort of psychic manifestation of her emotions?