Firebrand brings me to the pier on the boardwalk, and I nearly fall in the water when I make my way over to it. It's still so dark that I can't see, but when he grabs my wrist and pulls me to him, well, I can feel that.
"Okay, two questions," I say quietly. "One, why are you literally dragging me around? Two, whose lives exactly are hanging in the balance?"
"Jesus Christ, you're a persistent one." Firebrand groans. "Okay, okay. I'm dragging you around because I can, and because your life is in this thing we call "danger" - and all of your friend's lives are in this danger as well."
"Okay, you know what, don't talk down to me."
"Well, you didn't seem to get it the first time I tried explaining it." He chuckles. "Or the second time."
"You are such an asshole," I snap.
"You're welcome for saving your damn life!"
I am about to yell at him again when he stops me. He doesn't speak, he just points out toward the horizon. And the fact that I can see it speaks volumes. Red light spills into the sky, and the whole sky starts to lighten. Firebrand curses under his breath. It's a new one I'll have to use sometime.
"They're coming."
"The Collective?"
"Them too."
"Then we gotta run!"
"Running won't save you."
"Then we gotta teleport!"
"Don't ever give up, y/n. You're too special to die."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" I ask.
"I'm not the only one with powers here."
I look back at the black and red sky, the crimson wave of light getting closer.
"Go, now! Back to your home, before it's too late!"
"But I - I don't know how!" I stammer.
"Focus on getting back to your house. Focus on Vinny, on Habit."
Habit.
"Okay, now what?" I ask. "Do I click my heels or something?"
Firebrand glares at me. "You would be there already if you were focusing."
I close my eyes against the brightness of the sky and think about Habit, about his voice, his eyes, his soft hair, thick muscles ... the way his lips feel against mine.
"Y/n?"
I open my eyes, and I'm standing in the living room - only it's Vinny who's right in front of me. I throw my arms around him, and he hugs me back.
"Jesus Christ was I worried about you. Where were you?" he asks me.
"In a different timeline, actually. Firebrand helped me."
"How'd you get here?"
"I don't know. I was at the boardwalk, and Firebrand told me to take myself home, and before I knew it, I was here."
"You can teleport?"
"I guess."
"Well, come on, we've gotta go get Habit back," he says.
"Why, where is he?"
"Chasing Jeff, I believe."
I take Vinny's hand and concentrate on Habit, and then we're gone.
