Fire & Water & Earth & Air

18: Earth

Annabel

           "Behind you!"

           I turn in time to wrap Velocity --as she insisted we call her-- in vines sprouting from the ground. She unravels quickly, then throws marbles at me as she races by. Marbles on their own hurt if thrown with enough force. Marbles thrown at high speed are sure to leave bruises. I take one to the chest, one to the arm, and the third misses my ear by a hair. I feel the ground cry out in pain as nickel and iron are torn from it with a vengeance.

           Metal.

           I hate that guy.

           The one passed out on the floor --Water-- is in need of attention, but no one is available or close enough to put any pressure on his wound. Fire is angry. She's yelling obscenities at Metal and Velocity, saying that today is not the bleeping day to mess with her.

           She obviously didn't say bleeping, though.

           Anyway, she alternates between being fire and just shooting it, and I can tell that Robert is doing all that he can to keep his eyes on the battle, as every time she turn back into a human, her clothes are gone. Metal is turning his tools into knifes and swords, then handing them to Velocity. He's also shooting them, and I keep on having to pull out wooden shields for us.

           I feel a marble slam into my rib and I fall to the floor. With an angry growl, I bend my weeping willow just a bit further down as Velocity shoots by, then wrap the vines around her. Too many branches are holding her, and she's obviously trying her best to be released, but they are too much. I grow some more branches, and wrap them around her, just to be safe. I pull the trunk open, carefully but quickly, as to not kill the tree, then encase her in it.

           With Robert and Fire taking shots at an injured Metal (way to go, Fire!), I run to our injured teammate. I recognize him as a classmate and the stranger from the woods, as well. I get down next to him and grow some healing leaves. After spitting on them a little to get their anti-infection juices flowing, I bundle them carefully and use them to apply pressure on his stab.

           It doesn't look all that bad, and it's likely he passed out from the shock of being stabbed instead of the pain.

           I hear a grunt and turn to see Robert on the floor. Forgetting about the bleeding victim at my knees, I run to Air, inspecting him for injuries. After realizing he's fine (except for the scolding he is going to get for dragging me into this) I slap him awake. "Hello, cousin," he says weakly.

           "Air, get over there," I point to our injured comrade, "and put pressure on the wound." He nods and begins to sit up, when he stops.

           "Annabel," he says, making his voice raspy, for the effect, I guess. "If I don't make it, just know that I...." I wait impatiently for what he needs me to hear. "I think brown is a nasty color, and have no idea why it's your favorite." Then he sprints off to apply some pressure. I roll my eyes just as Fire calls out my name. "Earth! Help!"

           When I turn, Metal is holding her by her flame hair. His arm is coated in metal (tungsten, most likely, because it isn't melting) and she is thrashing and screaming. An earthquake would be risky. A tree wouldn't help much. Neither would vines.

          Sigh.

           I open up the floor below him and the crust reclaims the metal that was taken from her. Grass is also swallowed, and I wince a little. The guy looks up and yells, tries to step away from the cracks. Fire twists on her hair, kicks him in the ribs, and he falls back into he void. I hear, "Oomf!" then make the trench deeper, just so he won't be able to crawl out.