Convergence - The Last Science #2.2 - Heroes and Villains

B2: Chapter 29 - The Battle of Lakewood - I

  "Why train for combat, she asks? Ah, my Ruby, if only I could view the world through as bright and pure a lens as your own."

  ~Cinza, the Rallsburg Diaries

  Hailey twisted into a hard roll, banking across the low cloud layer as they swooped down. She was pouring all her effort into flying. Every wing beat was accompanied by raw magical thrust backward, while a wedge of force in front of her pushed aside any air resistance to help them go even faster.

  Jeremy heaved, his hands clamped to his mouth. She wrapped her arms tighter around his chest, feeding magic through her arms to keep her muscles strong. Even so, the strain of carrying a man twice her weight was hell on her triceps. Jessica was doing her best to share her own magic, keeping the flow open while clinging to Hailey like a backpack.

  The odd trio dove in fast and hard over the interstate, right at the entrance to Tacoma. The road was surprisingly clear, even for the middle of the night on a Friday. Between the arcs of the street lights lining the main road, Hailey spotted the bright yellow-orange flashes, hurled forward from the driver-side window of the little car. The truck in front weaved through traffic with skill as it dodged each bolt.

  "What do we do?" shouted Hailey.

  "Get me... in... a fuckin'... car!" Jeremy grunted, barely audible over the screaming wind.

  "Which one?"

  "Neither!" He pointed wildly toward a few cars that had pulled off the side far ahead of the chase, warned by the police to clear the road. "I'll take one of theirs!"

  Hailey dove before asking any questions, trusting Jeremy knew what he was doing. They touched down on the pavement to a gawking crowd motorists. Jeremy stumbled as he landed, but recovered quick enough, to her relief. She stuck around just a moment while he commandeered a vehicle, then took off again with Jessica still clinging to her back.

  Beating her wings hard, she got some altitude, trying to find the two cars again. What the hell is this? A car chase? What's going on?

  Hailey still had no ideas—but if someone awakened was involved, no matter what, it couldn't be good. She decided to go after them first, to try and get some answers. After all, she knew practically everybody. Whomever it was, Hailey was confident she could talk them out of this insanity.

  She rolled again, building up speed and straightening out her trajectory. Her wings folded in and she dropped into a dive, hurtling straight for the two cars. Hailey stayed high enough to avoid any stray gunfire, while Jessica switched to an invisible shield of force surrounding them. In theory it could block a bullet or two—so long as Jessica's energy and supply of gemstones held out. They'd never tested it, thank god, but the magic should work.

  Still, Hailey wasn't about to try their luck.

  She swooped around wide, and dropped down almost to the street level well behind the second car. Hailey had flown this fast before, but never like this—three feet off the asphalt, drafting behind a car, with gunfire pounding back at her. A bullet clanged off the side of the car, but none followed. Hailey took that as a reload, and seized the opportunity.

  With a huge burst of air thrusting her forward, Hailey swung around the passenger side and grabbed desperately for the door handle with her mind. It took a second, and the door flew open, though the wind pressure was already forcing it back.