Two weeks later after Training, Katara stood in front of me, grinning like a kid with a secret.
"You're ready," she said. "First mission."
My stomach twisted into knots. I clenched my fists to hide the nerves. I was excited… but terrified.
The briefing room buzzed with tension. The air hummed with quiet conversations and flickers of raw energy coming off the more experienced members. I sat between Katara and Sol, trying to focus as the screen projected our target.
A sleek, black facility.
"Three weeks ago," Katara explained, "a private organization known as Cindervault stole a prototype weapon from one of our black sites. It's classified, but let's just say it's something you don't want in enemy hands."
A hologram spun slowly in the air: a glowing cylinder encased in steel armor, cables running along its sides.
"We don't know what it does yet," said Sol, arms crossed. "But if Cindervault is guarding it like this? It's bad."
Katara stepped forward. "This mission is about precision. Not chaos."
I raised an eyebrow. "You sure I'm the right pick, then?"
She smirked. "We'll work around the 'nuclear' thing. Just follow the plan."
The strategy was simple—on paper.
Katara, Sol, and Liz would sneak inside and retrieve the weapon. Tyler and I would stay outside, playing decoy, keeping enemy forces busy.
We prepared in silence. Each member checked their gear with ritual-like calm.
I tightened my gloves, green light faintly pulsing beneath the seams. My eyes, forever glowing, stared back at me from the mirror, unblinking.
I was scared.
Not of dying.
But of losing control.
We boarded a massive stealth plane at sunrise.
No parachutes. Just nerves and raw power.
"You sure about this?" Tyler asked as we buckled into the jump seats. His voice was soft, the kind that tried to act calm but carried a hint of fear.
I nodded. "No. But I'm here anyway."
At 10,000 feet, the back ramp opened. The wind howled like a beast.
Katara was already standing at the edge, hair whipping behind her like fire. She looked back.
"Let's go!"
And then—she jumped.
Sol. Liz. Tyler.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I leapt into the sky.
We landed hard—on purpose. The shockwaves from our powers cracked the pavement and sent alarms screaming across the facility. A distraction well played.
Tyler and I stood in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by smoke and shadows.
From the perimeter, enemies began to emerge. High-tech guards in sleek armor. Laser rifles raised. Drones humming above.
I took a breath and let the fire rise. My hands burned with green light.
"We've got company," Tyler muttered.
"Good," I said.
They rushed us.
The first wave was fast. I was faster.
A soldier lunged. I spun, sending a burst of green flame straight into his chestplate. It didn't kill—just knocked him into the air and unconscious before he hit the ground.
I hated killing. I swore I wouldn't.
Another came at me from behind, but Tyler was already there—his short sword humming with kinetic energy, slicing through the air like a blade of sound.
We moved as one. For the first time, it felt like I belonged.
Then, a voice—mechanical, sharp—cut through the chaos.
"TARGET IDENTIFIED. FIRE."
Gunshots.
Reflex kicked in. I raised both arms, and a wall of swirling green flame rose in front of us. Bullets melted mid-air.
One of the guards shouted. "WHO ARE YOU?!"
I stared him down, stepping through the flame like a ghost.
"Just call me… Nuclear."
I blasted him backward, into the sky, into darkness.
But then… something was off.
Tyler faltered. His stance shifted, eyes darting.
"Tyler?" I called.
No response.
I turned—and saw it.
A guard at his back. About to strike.
"TYLER, DOWN!"
He ducked, and I reacted on instinct. The fire lashed out like a whip, wrapping around the enemy's weapon and yanking it from his hand. One flick, and it was gone—melted into green sparks.
"Thanks," Tyler muttered, catching his breath.
We fought side by side for ten more minutes, holding the line.
And then, Katara's voice crackled over comms.
"Extraction team is clear. Weapon secured. Get to the rendezvous point."
We sprinted through the wreckage toward the evac zone, feet pounding the earth.
Ten minutes passed.
No sign of the others.
Then, from the trees—they came, running hard, Liz holding a case the size of a coffin. Sol was covered in bruises. Katara was grinning like always, but her eyes were deadly serious.
"We got it," she said. "Now destroy the site."
My heart thumped.
"Me?"
She nodded. "You're the only one with enough power to take it out from here. We'll clear out."
"But—there might still be people in there—"
"We don't have time to hesitate, Lena."
I looked at her. Then at the weapon. Then at the ruined building in the distance.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
I raised my arms. The green fire flared to life, swirling into a blinding storm around me. I focused it, pulling every ounce of energy into my core.
My eyes burned. My chest trembled.
I could feel it—the pressure of everything I was about to release.
The forest around me trembled.
And just as I was about to let go—
A flicker.
Movement.
Someone was still inside.