blew me off," Jetta growls, her hands fisting at her sides. "And his dad actually threatened me! Can you believe it?"
"He's Blackjack," Jenna says. "He's an A class super. It's not like you can do anything about it."
"I can complain to Marigold!"
Jenna takes a moment to stare at her sister in shock. "You would seriously go to the East Branch head just because--never mind, of course you would. You always were Mom's favorite."
"What does that mean?" Jetta asks.
"What do you think it means?" Jenna snaps back. "Who's the one out here in the middle of nowhere, not being trained? Just because I'm a C class--"
"Jenna, you're a D class, we just didn't want to tell you," Jetta says, patting her on the arm. Jenna jerks away, glaring at her sister darkly.
"I am not!"
"We did the tests. You're a D. I mean, sure you can blow a little hot air, but do you really think you're up for playing in the big leagues? Forget about being a hero, settle down with some muscular norm with no brains. Nobody will say a thing."
"You--you're such a--" Jenna jumps to her feet. "Spy on the creepy kid on your own, I'm done here," she snaps.
"Jenna--" Jetta starts out. It's not very enthusiastic, and she shrugs as her little sister storms off. "She's the idiot that didn't figure it out a year ago," she mutters, waving it off. But her sister had been right about one thing. She couldn't see anything inside. It just look s like an empty canyon to her.
She moves forward, her finger sticking out. There must be some sort of force field or something, right?
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Jetta almost jumps, twisting to see who's behind her. "A--Ace?" she says.
"Hey," Ace says, sticking his hands in his pockets. "It's dangerous," he adds a bit lamely, motioning to the area in front of her.
"Your eyes, they're back to normal," she says. "So you have your powers back?"
"Yeah," Ace says with a little grin. "I do."
***
"Hold it like this, aim, and pull the trigger," Zoe says, making me glance at her as she adjusts my hold.
"Have you always been good at this sort of stuff?"
"Nope. I spent a while blowing up everything electrical that I touch," she says, grinning slightly. "Dad started taking me out to the junkyard with Jack lately, though, so I've been learning how to put things together."
"Plus her late night lessons in designing machines," Max says from where he's fighting his way out of a net that sparks randomly. "Carla, next time you need to look down the barrel before pulling the trigger," he says in an irritated tone.
"Sorry Max," Carla says, looking down guiltily. There's an awkward silence where there should be laughter, I notice. The groups that Adanna had mentioned are watching each other extremely carefully. I can almost hear fists slowly tightening, as if they all expect someone else to attack.
"So... um... like this?" I ask, aiming at an empty area and pulling the trigger. The silence is broken as a canister shoots from my gun, landing several feet away and starting to spin.
"Oh crap," Zoe says as gas starts coming out. "EVERYONE RUN!" she bellows, racing away. It's too late for the rest of us, though, because the gas hits us full on, including Max.
I blink as the world starts to warp in front of me. I sway slightly, looking around curiously. Everyone that I thought was standing there looks like someone different. Longer noses, large eyes, ever shifting features.
"What just happened?" I ask, but it comes out funny. I start laughing, just because I feel like it. I try and take a step forward, only to trip and fall flat on my face.
"Compensating for gas," I hear from my arm cuff. Something changes and I take a deep breath as the world goes back into focus. I seem to be the only one that's fixed, though, because most of the kids around me are either on their back or their face, sound asleep or giggling like idiots. Even Max is lying on the
"He's Blackjack," Jenna says. "He's an A class super. It's not like you can do anything about it."
"I can complain to Marigold!"
Jenna takes a moment to stare at her sister in shock. "You would seriously go to the East Branch head just because--never mind, of course you would. You always were Mom's favorite."
"What does that mean?" Jetta asks.
"What do you think it means?" Jenna snaps back. "Who's the one out here in the middle of nowhere, not being trained? Just because I'm a C class--"
"Jenna, you're a D class, we just didn't want to tell you," Jetta says, patting her on the arm. Jenna jerks away, glaring at her sister darkly.
"I am not!"
"We did the tests. You're a D. I mean, sure you can blow a little hot air, but do you really think you're up for playing in the big leagues? Forget about being a hero, settle down with some muscular norm with no brains. Nobody will say a thing."
"You--you're such a--" Jenna jumps to her feet. "Spy on the creepy kid on your own, I'm done here," she snaps.
"Jenna--" Jetta starts out. It's not very enthusiastic, and she shrugs as her little sister storms off. "She's the idiot that didn't figure it out a year ago," she mutters, waving it off. But her sister had been right about one thing. She couldn't see anything inside. It just look s like an empty canyon to her.
She moves forward, her finger sticking out. There must be some sort of force field or something, right?
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Jetta almost jumps, twisting to see who's behind her. "A--Ace?" she says.
"Hey," Ace says, sticking his hands in his pockets. "It's dangerous," he adds a bit lamely, motioning to the area in front of her.
"Your eyes, they're back to normal," she says. "So you have your powers back?"
"Yeah," Ace says with a little grin. "I do."
***
"Hold it like this, aim, and pull the trigger," Zoe says, making me glance at her as she adjusts my hold.
"Have you always been good at this sort of stuff?"
"Nope. I spent a while blowing up everything electrical that I touch," she says, grinning slightly. "Dad started taking me out to the junkyard with Jack lately, though, so I've been learning how to put things together."
"Plus her late night lessons in designing machines," Max says from where he's fighting his way out of a net that sparks randomly. "Carla, next time you need to look down the barrel before pulling the trigger," he says in an irritated tone.
"Sorry Max," Carla says, looking down guiltily. There's an awkward silence where there should be laughter, I notice. The groups that Adanna had mentioned are watching each other extremely carefully. I can almost hear fists slowly tightening, as if they all expect someone else to attack.
"So... um... like this?" I ask, aiming at an empty area and pulling the trigger. The silence is broken as a canister shoots from my gun, landing several feet away and starting to spin.
"Oh crap," Zoe says as gas starts coming out. "EVERYONE RUN!" she bellows, racing away. It's too late for the rest of us, though, because the gas hits us full on, including Max.
I blink as the world starts to warp in front of me. I sway slightly, looking around curiously. Everyone that I thought was standing there looks like someone different. Longer noses, large eyes, ever shifting features.
"What just happened?" I ask, but it comes out funny. I start laughing, just because I feel like it. I try and take a step forward, only to trip and fall flat on my face.
"Compensating for gas," I hear from my arm cuff. Something changes and I take a deep breath as the world goes back into focus. I seem to be the only one that's fixed, though, because most of the kids around me are either on their back or their face, sound asleep or giggling like idiots. Even Max is lying on the
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