The Breaking Point

Chapter 14

 The ceramic was slowly frying Mark. His arms and legs burned. He felt like he was being dipped into a volcano. He could feel the little girl whimpering into his shirt, her hot tears sticking Mark's shirt to his chest. His fire resistance was gone. He could barely breathe anymore, crushed under the weight of the walls and using his final ounces of energy to lift himself high enough to not crush the little girl.

The whole position was honestly uncomfortable. It was some pushup position, only supported by his arms which were crossed over the small girls back. One of his hands supported her head while the other lagged around uselessly, pointed in the opposite direction.

The pain sliced through Mark's muscles. His adrenalin rush was over and he felt very weak and fragile. He was starting to wonder why he wasn't dead yet. His heart beat was slow and quiet, as if coming on end. He almost felt like giving in. He'd be so relieved to join his mother and best friend but he couldn't. He had his team to think of. He had the rest of his family to find. He had the little girl to protect. He couldn't let them all down.

He freed one arm, tightly holding the girl with the other, and placed his palm on the scorching floor. He pushed as hard as he could. The walls on his back were roping him down and he wasn't really used to one-hand pushups. He was already exhausted. He could barely even think straight. He knew his arm would crack under the pressure but he didn't care. He needed to get  the little girl to safety no matter what it took.

He had pushed and shoved and carried tires for training. He had blocked unstoppable shots. And he could save a little girl from a collapsed building!

A sharp string of golden energy knotted Mark's hand. Then his arm. Then his chest and stomach. Then his other arm. Then his entire body. He felt a surge of energy seep through his arteries to his muscles. He was suddenly covered in a golden hemisphere.

The girl dropped onto the gilded floor and looked up in awe at the glowing soccer player. The walls, once tying Mark down, burst upon impact with the strange golden power. And the hemisphere grew and grew. It broke through the entire wreckage, pushing aside chunks of brick to make way for the shining boy and the little girl.

The cameras flashed all at once, over and over again, as news reporters, spectators, nurses, doctors and even patients rushed to catch the rare moment on their personal devices. The power's glow soon subsided and Mark and the little girl walked down the newly created aisle hand-in-hand.

_

"Are you sure it's him?" Eric asked in disbelief, and Teres replayed the video.

"That's him all right," Bobby confirmed. "No one but our Evans glows like that."

Fideo hopped off the chair's arm, sat on a bed and pulled on his socks and shoes . "Come on, guys. We have to go look for him."

Everyone dispersed at the order, threw on their footwear and pulled on their tracksuits (and Dylan borrowed one of Mark's socks for the trip). They were at the door when it swung open.

"Whoa! What's up?" Hector asked, clearly confused.

Mark grabbed his hand and dragged him out. "No time to explain. Mark needs our help."

Despite barely comprehending, Hector ran pretty fast. After consulting the description in the video and then Google maps, Teres led the way to the hospital.

_

At the end of the aisle, the little girl's hand slipped out of Mark's grasp and she ran off hurriedly. Mark would have chased after her if he wasn't suddenly bombarded by a group of reporters.