The Storm of Elements

After the Battle

"Where were you?" I ask Obsidian. 

We're back at the hotel, all gathered in the same conference room as earlier. We had received some strange looks when we walked back through the lobby, possibly because most of us were dirty and dusty and bleeding from random cuts. But they didn't seem to notice when we snuck into the business room, still empty and overlooked as ever.

At the moment, we're all either sitting or standing in the room. Jake and Lenae are bandaging my ribs, which Myria and Obsidian have confirmed that at least two are fractured. The others are cleaning up and bandaging themselves. For the most part, everyone's injuries are small and not life-threatening. I think Alex might've gotten a minor concussion, and Peter has a large gash on his forehead, but we'll be okay, at least. 

I lean sitting against the wall as Jake and Lenae are kneeling around me, collaborating on how to wrap the bandages. Obsidian is standing a few feet away, looking very perplexed. I wonder if it's because he's wondering how an enemy like Gray exists, or its because of how terrible we look. I mean, I'd be perplexed about the last one, too, if I was our bodyguard. 

I look up at him and he answers, "Right where I told you I would be. I went out to scout the area and determine if any Rave agents were in the surrounding streets. I heard peculiar loud noises when I was coming  back, so I hid behind the house. I looked in one of the windows and saw you all fighting that strange youth Rave has, I hurried back and got the van. I pulled up a second after the house exploded." He looks at me solemnly. "I'm sorry about that, by the way."

I shrug. "Don't be. Nothing but bad memories there, anyway." 

Lenae lifts her head and looks at me. She knows it's not really that small a deal to me. I don't know if she's using her mind-reading powers or if she can just tell when I'm lying. 

She's right, though. I secretly feel like a small piece of my heart was gone along with the house. I mean, that was my childhood home. I may not have had the best experiences there, but home is home. It was an irreplaceable piece of my past. I grew up there. But now it's gone. Destroyed. Forever. 

I may act like I'm fine on the outside, but that doesn't mean I am on the inside. 

"But anyway," I say, mostly so Lenae will stop staring at me, "you should've been there sooner. There was a big fight. This new kid, Gray, is a powerful adversary. We could've been killed!" 

"Then you are fortunate you weren't," he says, annoyingly calmly. 

"But we nearly were! Just look at us; we're a mess. Something WAY worse would've happened to us if we had stayed there any longer. You should've just stuck around with us. I thought you were our bodyguard. Doesn't that mean you're supposed to protect us?" I see how silent and still he's being, but at the moment, I don't care. I need someone to blame. All the stress and pain I'd been feeling lately just burst and anger flowed out.

"Jamie, you're not being fair," Jake says quietly. "No need to get worked up about it." 

"But why SHOULDN'T I let off a little steam?" I demand. "This whole thing never should have happened. We were supposed to be prepared for whatever happens. And look what that did. Caught completely off-guard, our powers not doing what they're supposed to, and then we're nearly KILLED by a FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD. How does this happen?" 

"Jamie, calm down," he tries again. 

"Listen, guys, I am not perfect. I wish everyone would stop thinking that. I really shouldn't lead this team if all I ever do is lead us towards disaster." I stand up and wince at the pain in my ribs, and when Jake tries to help me, I hold up my hand. "I'm fine, I'm fine." I walk out of the room, the rest of the Elementals stunned into silence.