Ron climbed the stairs, his footsteps heavy. In the dim light, he found Ava hunched over a desk, scribbling intently. He drifted behind her, catching a fleeting glimpse of the ink on the page before moving to the front sofa. Ava glanced up, her eyes lingering on him for a second before she returned to her work.
Silence filled the room for nearly half an hour. When Ava finally stood up to get a drink, she stopped in her tracks. Ron hadn't moved. He sat perfectly still, spine straight as a soldier's, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance.
"Do you want some water?" Ava asked softly.
Her voice acted like a tether, pulling Ron back to the present. He blinked, looked at her, and gave a stiff nod. A minute later, she returned and handed him a glass. He drained it in silence.
As he handed the glass back, Ava caught the exhaustion etched into his features. She set the glass on the dining table but didn't return to her papers. Instead, she watched him as he pulled out his phone.
"Ron," she said.
He looked up. In the light of the room, she saw it clearly: a bone-deep tiredness.
"When I was telling Carter about the power," she began, her gaze turning calculating, "you interrupted me on purpose."
Ron forced a small smile, though a bead of sweat broke across his forehead. "Why would you think that?"
Ava didn't blink. She simply waited.
Ron let out a long, ragged sigh, his shoulders finally slumping. "Okay. You're right."
"Why?"
"Before I answer that," Ron said, "tell me something. When you started healing Carter... did you see any message windows?"
Ava's expression shifted to one of surprise. She nodded. "Yes."
"I knew it," Ron whispered.
"Ron, why does that matter?" she pressed. "Why keep it from him?"
"I don't know. It just... felt wrong," Ron admitted, looking away. "Like it wasn't something meant for everyone to see."
Ava sighed, her gaze softening. "You're as much of a mystery as your words, Ron. But you can be yourself with me."
He looked at her, a genuine smile finally touching his lips. "I'm just drained. That fight with the Shuriken man took everything I had."
"Then go," she said with a nod toward the hallway. "Rest."
In the quiet of his room, Ron collapsed onto the bed. He stared at the ceiling, his mind racing back to the heat of the battle. When I fought Edward... I felt it. Something strange. A surge. He raised his palm, watching the faint tremors in his fingers, wondering just how much he was changing.
Meanwhile, across town, Carter lay sprawled on his sofa. He was attempting to meditate, trying to settle the restless energy in his limbs, when his phone buzzed. It was a message from Rocky.
Rocky: I heard you made it back from the brink of death.
Carter: Yeah. Ron and DA pulled a miracle.
Rocky: Wish I'd been on your team. The Commander has me stuck on other missions.
Carter: Focus on your work. We'll catch up.
Carter set the phone aside and stared at the ceiling. The fight was over, but they were back to square one. His research—the papers he had poured his life into—was gone. I still remember the core theories, he thought grimly. I'll be paying those guys a visit soon.
His mind drifted to DA's words. Lia's house. I need to go there next.
As the first light of dawn began to bleed through the curtains, Carter watched the sunrise with heavy eyes. We still don't know where Locki is. Exhaustion finally won, and he drifted into a fitful sleep.
The sterile scent of antiseptic and the rhythmic hum of monitors greeted Finian as he opened his eyes.
"So... I survived," he murmured, his voice a dry rasp.
He turned his head slowly to the left. Liora was there, slumped in a chair by his bed, fast asleep. Did she bring me here? How did she even find me? He closed his eyes, trying to recall the moment he blacked out. He remembered the cold ground and the sound of footsteps just as the world went dark. A smirk played on his lips. "Doesn't matter. A win is a win. And I have the material now."
Liora stirred, her eyes snapping open. Seeing him awake, she let out a breath she seemed to have been holding for hours. "If I hadn't come for you, you would've died."
"Who told you where I was?" Finian asked, his brow furrowed.
Liora frowned. "Weren't you the one? I got a text from your number with the exact coordinates."
Finian went still. He hadn't sent any text. After a moment, he simply nodded. "Anyway... thanks. I can't die yet. Not until I save Locki."
Liora looked down, her voice small. "Tell me how I can help."
"Where's my bag?" Finian asked urgently.
"I found it near the debris of that building," she replied. "It's safe at the house."
Finian gave her a weak thumbs up, then winced as the movement sent a jolt of pain through his side. "I've gathered enough material to track Locki. It's all in there."
Liora nodded, her expression hardening with resolve. "Can I call a friend to help? Aex?"
Finian looked at his sister for a long moment, then gave a sharp nod. "Do it."