Elements of Earth: The Element Trials

Synchronous 7; An exploration of subcutaneous memories: Blackout Trial Part 2

The lights pop sequentially outward from where I stood. Stood because I'm already running. Glass rains down around me. from the growing darkness I chase the receding light. In the perfect dark, I take the corner from memory. I arc electricity in my hands. At this moment, I see everything. Dak is down. 3 is on her knees, blood pooling around her. injuries that would take another weeks and medical attention to heal would only take her minutes under the right conditions. But she would need to survive long enough to do so. Strobing light, frame by frame, reveals Aluminum. He's raised his clawed hand above her. I'm just barely too far away to stop him. I am not Zeus, I can't throw lightning.

But I don't need to. I call out. "Conduit!" 3 twitches in response to the familiar codeword, but still goes all in on my gambit. She twists and bends, stretching her left hand to me. She resolutely ignores the death flying towards her throat. I grasp the hand she held out behind her just as she clamps her other hand on Aluminum's leg, completing the circuit.

Through her I channel the energy I have left, hoping it's both enough and not too much. 3 jerks and spasms. She can block pain if she's prepared, and it's to save her life. We've planned for contingencies like this but I'm horrified to actually have to do it. I tear my gaze away from her never stopping my stride. I redirect all my focus on Aluminum, my target. His body is rigid from the shock. His eyes follow the movement of my fist with the kind of hate that only a person not in control of their body could have. Then his eyes were closed, and he was on the ground. I followed up with a quick beating he would feel for months. A reminder to stay away from me and my ten.

Dak was down but I don't remember seeing any blood, so I rushed to 3 in the dark. A sound from around the corner. "Juniper!" It was 4. He used the codeword we'd decided on in case we got separated in the dark. That didn't mean he wasn't going to come in smashing.

"Lark!" I reply with the codeword's partner.

"5? Is that you? I can't see a damn thing."

"It's me. I need help. 6 and 3 are down. Where's 1 and 2?"

"We're here." 1 called from around the corner.

"I wouldn't let them follow until I knew this was clear. Any more contacts?" 4 asked.

"I don't think so." I mustered just enough electricity to light his path to Dak and for me to examine 3's wounds. "It was just Aluminum's commander. I don't know where the rest of his ten are."

"My intel says Aluminum is their commander in name only. They probably ditched him. 6 is out but still breathing. How's 3?"

4 had mentioned that but to think a ten would abandon their commander. "She's breathing too. The cut in her stomach is closing up, but slowly. We can't move them and we can't abandon them here to continue forward... What do we do?"

"Your acting commander," 1 said. "What do you think we should do?" From the flashes of my light, I thought I saw 4 give his brother a disapproving glance. Just thrust upon me I could lose my command to 4, so I take the initiative.

"4, 2 and 1, take care of the others." Before they could reply, I extinguish the crackling light and took the map and night scope from Dak's unconscious body. "I'm going to get the flag."

I navigate around the other elements easily in the dark. The night scope is heavy. Even with its magnification on the lowest setting, I lose my peripheral vision. Well, I would lose it if I wasn't already in the dark. I have to keep my head on a swivel, constantly looking everywhere. I must have forgotten to look down because I nearly bump into a girl crawling around in the dark. She's from Phosphorus, I think. I work my way around her as she slides her hands across the ground as if she's looking for something. "You know I can hear you right?"