GLASS || The Catalysts Series, #1

IX || How To Fly

"You can change forms with that, yeah?" Lena nods to Casper's playing hands, where he absently controls his metal rods which were earrings seconds ago.

Casper raises an eyebrow. As if to prove his point, the metal rods shrink back to his ear piercings again. "Sure can."

"Then, well..." Lena shifts, uncomfortable. Is she even worthy?

"Woah, woah. This is getting crazy." Fai grips his head. "Too much information."

"Um," Lena begins, uncertain. "That was quick." You read minds too fast, way ahead of time.

"Ah, I can't help it, remember?"

Casper rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Bad control."

A nerve pops in Fai's forehead as his headache seems to worsen. "Hey, it's called having high range and high capacity."

"Okay," Neesha interrupts, crossing her arms. "What's on your mind, Lena? I'm not Fai; you'll have to speak up."

Lena's previous confidence is no where to be found as she bites her lip, starting to regret this. It's all stupid. My abilities are so darn insignificant; I can't do anything like everyone is capable of, so what rights do I have?

"Well, I—"

"It's insane, but a plan all the same," Fai says. He looks in her eyes, and she finds his pale face stern and unwavering. "Don't doubt yourself."

That's right, a part of her chides. There's no time to worry. She thought she's been able to hide her little dumb abilities to herself — again, why did Arcana choose her, anyway? — thinking they won't find out. Unfortunately, judging by the speed at which Fai found out about her plan and how he manages to read minds so conveniently, he may have entered her world completely already. With that look he gave her, she's more than certain.

Lena shakes her head and the thoughts away. Don't doubt yourself. Fai is encouraging her. This is a dire situation. Whatever it takes — she can't wallow in this hole forever.

Finally, taking a deep breath, she tells them what she has in mind. Her confidence grows as she speaks. When she's finished, she allows them time and room to think.

"It might work," Casper says after a long silence post hearing Lena's explanation and logic, "but it's sure as Hell a long way up." After squinting his eyes upwards, he looks back down and particularly at Reyes with an irritated look. "Great, I get to work with him."

Reyes beams. Lena begins to doubt if he understands Casper's obvious annoyance regarding him.

Lena can feel the anxiety and tension among the group, but she can also feel that they are agitated enough to be willing to try for anything at all.

Neesha breathes deeply. "Okay. Let's try it." She turns to Casper and narrows her eyes. "You'd better do it right."

Instead of retorting, Casper huffs and turns, crossing his arms. Lena feels relieved that he is trying to restrain himself from another fight. If they are going to get out of here, it's going to take teamwork and effort. Despite whatever that is going on between them, they know that they should rather focus on the problem at hand. They do, after all, have the same goal.

Lena decides to ask about the details later, regarding their mutual hate relationship, the things about Aquila or something.

She takes a look up. Now that they are in a clearing, a large wide circular space that shapes suspiciously like a battleground or some sort, Lena finds the sky right above them. Before, the sky was hardly visible but a little slit high above, and they were rather trapped in the darkness of the looming earthen walls that run so high all over them. She hardly even noticed the light dawning on them as they were busy worrying for the shifting earth.