{ Ace }
I caught her before she hit the ground.
She was too light in my arms, her breathing too shallow.
"Mia? Hey—Mia!" My voice came out sharper than I wanted, but she didn't react.
Not good.
I swallowed hard, adjusting my grip. Her head lolled slightly against my chest, strands of her hair brushing my face. She wasn't waking up.
Damn it.
This wasn't just exhaustion. Something was wrong.
I looked at Cole, who stood frozen, wide-eyed. "Don't just stand there help me!"
Cole blinked rapidly, snapping out of whatever shock he was in. "W-what do we do? Is she—"
"She's alive." I cut him off, not wanting to hear the alternative. "But we need to get out of here. Now."
Cole nodded quickly, still pale, but at least his legs were moving. I adjusted Mia in my arms and kicked off the ground, lifting us into the sky.
Flying was second nature to me—it always had been—but something about this felt… wrong. Off.
Mia's body was warm against mine, but the air around her crackled faintly, like static electricity dancing along my skin.
Her powers.
They weren't just asleep—they were spiraling out of control.
A flicker of gold pulsed along her fingers, fading just as quickly.
I clenched my jaw. Whatever was happening to her, I needed to fix it. Fast.
Cole flew beside me, his breathing uneven. "Where are we taking her?"
"Somewhere safe," I muttered.
Because if Mia woke up like this—if she woke upand couldn't control whatever the hell was happening to her—
We were all in trouble.
While flying Mia's watch buzzed, then, a robotic female voice broke through the air.
" Mia, your blood pressure is very low. Initiating pressure control."
I smiled sadly, "She's always had her powers. She just, never knew."
Looking down at her face I saw a little color bloom on her cheeks.
"You're going to be alright, cupcake." I hugged her tightly.
"Natalie, what's the fastest route to the safehouse."
"Calculating..."
"Hurry up, Nat," I muttered, my grip tightening around Mia as another faint pulse of gold flickered across her skin.
.....
{Mia }
I couldn't see anything, I could only feel someone wrap their arms strongly around me and grip my arms tightly. I winced inwardly.
I tried to speak to tell them to stop but I couldn't move.
Panic clawed at my chest. What was happening to me?
A flicker of warmth pulsed through my veins, like a spark in the darkness. It crackled against my skin, and suddenly, I wasn't floating in nothingness anymore. I was somewhere.
A voice low, steady cut through the haze.
"You're going to be alright, cupcake."
Ace.
His voice anchored me, pulling me from the abyss.
I forced myself to focus on that warmth inside me. It was growing stronger, rushing beneath my skin like a current. My fingers twitched just barely but it was enough.
I tried again. Harder.
With a sudden whoosh, the darkness peeled away.
The first thing I saw was the sky deep, endless, stretching far beneath me.
Wait. Beneath me?
I gasped, my breath hitching as reality slammed into me. I was in Ace's arms. We were flying.
More than that energy crackled around me, golden threads weaving through the air, flickering along my fingertips. It was wild, untamed, alive.
"What—what's happening?" My voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.
Ace glanced down at me, relief flashing across his face before he masked it with a smirk. "Welcome back, cupcake. You gave us a scare."
I swallowed, my head still spinning. "I—I couldn't move. I was stuck in the dark, and then…" I trailed off, looking at the energy still sparking around me.The golden light crackled along my skin, searing hot one second, ice cold the next. It wasn't just around me it was inside me, running through my veins like liquid fire.
My breath came in sharp, uneven gasps. I wanted to pull away from it, but it was part of me.
Control it, I told myself. Contain it.
But the more I tried, the more it fought back, like a wild thing that refused to be caged.
Ace's grip on me tightened. "Yeah. Your powers are waking up. And they're not exactly playing nice."
I barely had time to process his words before a sharp beep cut through the air.
"Safehouse coordinates locked. Estimated arrival: two minutes."
.....
{ Ace }
I was lost in though when a weak voice sounded from beneath me.
"What—what's happening?"
I looked down, relief flashing across my face before I masked it with a smirk. "Welcome back, cupcake. You gave us a scare."
"I—I couldn't move. I was stuck in the dark, and then…" she trailed off, looking at the energy still sparking around her.
My grip on her tightened, anger coursing through my veins. ' why her ?' I shook my head inwardly.' not now.....If I wasn't careful, she'd pick up on it, read it."' I warned myself.
"Yeah. Your powers are waking up. And they're not exactly playing nice."
Then, Natalie's voice rang through the air.Safehouse coordinates locked. Estimated arrival: two minutes."
"Finally, my arms are getting tired,' Cole sighed, gripping my shoulders tightly.
"What about me?" I shot back, amused. "You're killing my back."
Cole snorted, but I didn't miss the way his grip tightened. He was nervous probably more than he wanted to admit. Jokes were his thing, his way of pretending everything was fine. But I could hear the strain in his voice.
He was worried.
....
~ At the safehouse ~
The moment we landed, I set Mia down gently on the worn-out couch in the corner of the safehouse. The place wasn't much steel walls, dim lighting, barely furnished except for a small table and a cot in the corner but it was secure. And right now, that was all that mattered.
Mia stirred, a quiet groan escaping her lips. Her lashes fluttered, but she didn't fully wake. She was still too pale, too weak. But her breathing it was steadier now. That had to be a good sign.
"Cole, get me some water," I said, already unstrapping the device on her wrist.
He muttered something about not being a servant but did it anyway.
Mia stirred, her fingers twitching against the fabric of the couch. Then, without warning, the air around her shook. A pulse of golden light burst from her skin, flickering across the room like an electric charge.
Cole cursed, jumping back. "Okay what the hell was that?"
I barely flinched. I'd been expecting it.
Mia's eyes snapped open, glowing gold for a fraction of a second before she gasped and curled in on herself.
"Easy, cupcake," I said, kneeling beside her. "You're safe."
She was shaking, gripping her arms like she was trying to hold herself together.
"No," she whispered, her voice raw and fragile. "I don't think I'm okay."
My heart ached at the sight of her barely holding on.
"Okay cupcake, just breathe. In.... And out...." I breathed with her .
I watched as she relaxed and her eyes returned to normal.
I breathed a sigh of relief. ' she's getting the hang of it.'
" Alright now look at me cupcake." I watched as her scared eyes met mine.
" You're going to be fine." I patted her head.
" T-thanks." She whispered her voice cracking.
I pulled her into a hug and let her head rest on my shoulder.
This wasn't over not by long shot.