Owen stood motionless, his fist still raised, smoke curling from his knuckles. On the ground behind him, Olivia weakly lifted her head. Through the blur of pain, she stared at his back in disbelief. "Owen?"

  Then, with a crouch, he launched forward in a burst of yellow speed.

  Grace appeared at Olivia’s side, kneeling swiftly. She gently cradled Olivia’s head and lifted her wounded arm. "We’re friends of Owen’s. We’re here to get you out of here."

  Olivia blinked at her, heart thumping with relief. "So it really is him."

  Jason approached from the side, crouching beside Grace. "I’ll get her to the car." Carefully, he lifted Olivia in his arms. She winced, but didn’t resist.

  Katherine folded her arms, her eyes scanning Olivia’s blood-soaked clothes. "She’s a mess," Her gaze moved to the far end of the storage hall. "Hopefully Owen can handle this one."

  Zipping across the hall like a blur, Owen zoomed towards Amy. She was embedded into the far wall like a broken doll.

  He struck again. His fist crashed into her abdomen, cracking the thick metal wall behind her. The wall groaned under the pressure, deep webbed fractures blooming from the point of impact.

  Owen pulled his fist back and clenched it tight. His voice was low and cold. "You’ll regret what you did to my sister."

  Amy’s eyes snapped open. Her lips curved into a smile. "So, this is what your embodiment does."

  Owen’s brows furrowed.

  Amy chuckled. "But to keep me from moving, this ability must cost you a lot of essence, doesn’t it?" She tilted her head. "So I just have to out-muscle my way out of it."

  She flared her essence. Pink light erupted around her like a detonation. Owen responded instantly, thrusting his fist forward, but Amy caught it.

  Her hand closed around his knuckles with incredible strength. Muscles bulged down her arm like coiled cables as she pushed against him. Owen’s boots scraped against the floor, pushed back inch by inch.

  But then his body shimmered as he surged more essence from his soul, yellow light pulsing through him. The two clashing auras collided in a storm of pressure.

  Then, in a flash, Owen pulled his fist back and twisted. With his other hand, he launched a powerful hook that cracked against Amy’s cheek, sending her flying sideways through the air. He didn’t give her time to breathe.

  Owen leapt, appearing ahead of her path. He twisted his body, turned midair, and unleashed another punch that met her mid flight, slamming her into another direction.

  As she flew, Owen appeared above her. He dropped a fist aimed at her head, but this time it phased straight through her.

  A wicked grin spread across Amy’s face and she thrust her hand into Owen’s chest, her fingers phasing into him. Then, like a claw, she dragged it downwards.

  Blood exploded from his chest. Owen grunted and kicked her violently, sending her crashing into the ground.

  He hovered midair, blood gushing from the long claw mark now running from his sternum to his stomach. Below, Amy stood up as if she’d just taken a light shove. Blood coated her hand like a glove.

  "Shame," she said, licking the blood from her thumb. "If I went a little deeper, I might’ve dragged out your intestines."

  Owen dropped to the ground a short distance away, his eyes never leaving her.

  Amy tilted her head. "I’ve heard being in embodiment drains an insignia user of their essence rapidly, doesn’t it? And you’re just an intermediate essence user, while I’m an advanced one. My reserves are on a whole other level. I’ll outlast you."

  Owen glared at her, fists clenched. "I already beat an advanced essence user."

  Amy laughed, genuinely amused. "You mean those sad little wardens at the facility?" She scoffed. "That’s funny."

  She held her hands out in front of her, then pulled them apart. "There’s a massive difference even within a rank, you know. Peacekeeper squad leaders like me? We’ve been injected with pure aether since we were children. We were built to be superior to others."

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  As Owen grit his teeth and stepped forward, he suddenly heard gunfire erupt from behind him. He turned sharply. Across the storage hall, the hover-car was under siege. A wide circle of peacekeepers had surrounded it. Katherine stood atop the car, her arms raised as whirlwinds burst from her, blowing away rows of attackers.

  Owen’s heart pounded. He turned back to Amy. She was watching him, smirking.

  He raised his fists. "I’ll have to beat you quickly."

  Amy spread her arms. "I’m right here."

  Over by the hover-car, Kath narrowed her eyes and raised a hand. A dense wall of air surged up just in time to block a hail of bullets. Without lowering her hand, she pointed her finger at a peacekeeper.

  A blast of lightning arced out and slammed into him. The peacekeeper flew back, but rolled on impact and sprang up again, firing.

  Kath scowled. "Why aren’t they going down?"

  Near the front of the car, Grace stood firm, snapping out chains that lashed across, binding and throwing back advancing peacekeepers. Jason hopped out from cover and charged forward.

  He bulldozed through a duo of peacekeepers, then grabbed one by the chest and hurled him into another like a cannonball.

  Inside the hover-car, Will peaked out. "We can help!"

  Kath turned sharply and barked, "Stay inside! We’re leaving soon."

  She clicked her tongue in frustration and turned to Grace. "Protect the car. I’m going to get Owen."

  Then she leapt into the air, wind swirling around her and carrying her high above. Scanning the chaos below, she finally spotted Owen.

  He was a whirlwind of motion, engaged in a brutal melee with Amy. Every movement he made, blood spilled out of his many wounds. His fists occasionally landed, but more often than not, they phased through Amy.

  Kath’s eyes widened. "He’s losing too much blood…"

  She swooped down and raised a hand. A bolt of lightning lanced towards Amy.

  Amy’s eyes snapped towards her, and in a blink, she vanished. She appeared above Kath, midair, with her leg drawn back. Kath barely got her arm up in time.

  Agonizing pain shot through her arm as it snapped. She was launched sideways but caught herself with a blast of air, landing roughly on the ground.

  Clutching her broken arm, she hissed in pain. Owen appeared beside her, panting heavily.

  "She broke it," Kath growled. "So easily."

  "She’s strong." Owen replied, barely standing.

  Kath turned to him. "Let’s leave—"

  Amy approached slowly. "Leaving so soon?" she taunted with a smirk.

  Owen’s jaw tightened, and he rushed forward. Kath frowned. She rose, voice clear.

  "I am the sky, embodiment."

  She was engulfed in a burst of light. When it faded, her form shimmered. Her clothes had transformed into drifting clouds, her hair now streaked with radiant silver. She shot forward.

  Ahead of her, Owen cupped his hands and unleashed a cone of fire. The metal floor melted under its heat. But Amy ran straight through it, phasing effortlessly.

  She passed right through Owen, reappearing in front of Kath.

  "Why me?" Kath yelled, twisting.

  Amy smiled. "You’re a new toy."

  She struck with a punch, but Kath dissolved into wind, reappearing behind her and launching a bolt of lightning.

  It struck Amy, burning parts of her outfit, but she barely flinched as she turned and lunged again. Owen rejoined Kath. Together, they fought, striking in tandem, dodging, weaving, blocking.

  But Amy was too fast. And too experienced. She flowed through their attacks and retaliated with frightening blows.

  A slash tore off part of Owen’s cheek. Kath tried to blast Amy with a hurricane-force wind, but Amy phased through it again.

  The fight dragged on. Owen’s breath grew ragged. His essence flickered.

  Amy saw it and her eyes glinted. She knocked Kath back and rushed Owen.

  With her hand like a blade, she carved a deep gouge across his torso. As Owen staggered, Amy followed with a flurry of slashes.

  Blood drenched the ground.

  Kath cursed. She raised her good hand and summoned a flock of glowing birds, sending them swirling around Amy in a radiant storm.

  She dashed around, grabbed Owen, and dragged him back. They stumbled and collapsed to the ground.

  Owen’s robe shimmered, and then disappeared. He lay in a pool of blood, barely breathing. Kath stood again over him, her body tense.

  Amy walked through the glowing birds with her hands calmly behind her back. She stopped a short distance away.

  "Alright, you can leave." she said, almost kindly.

  Kath blinked. "What?"

  Amy tilted her head. "I’m satisfied for now. No need to ruin the fun so soon."

  She brought two fingers to her lips and whistled.

  Back at the car, the peacekeepers suddenly stopped firing and turned away. Jason dropped to a knee, blood streaming from bullet wounds. He exhaled in exhausted relief.

  Amy walked forward, crouching in front of Owen.

  She rested her chin on her hand and looked at him. "At the prison holding all your families, there are other squad captains there guarding the place. And they are just as strong as me."

  She smirked. "I’m letting you leave because it’ll be hilarious watching you try and fail."

  Owen’s fist clenched weakly.

  Amy looked up at Kath. "Go on. Get out of here."

  Kath hesitated, but she eventually knelt, grabbed Owen’s limp form, and slung his arm over her shoulders.

  As she passed Amy, she scowled and spat a curse under her breath. Behind them, Amy just smiled.

  Kath untransformed mid walk, sweat rolling down her temple.

  Owen whispered, "Nothing’s changed… I’m… still too weak…"

  Kath glanced at him and said nothing.

  The others stood at the open hover-car doors, eyes wide as Kath and Owen approached, staggering and soaked in blood.

  Kath dropped Owen into the seat and climbed in after him. Jason, at the front, took the controls and lifted the vehicle into the air. As they rose, they looked down.

  Amy stood far below, smiling, waving goodbye.

  No one said a word as the hover-car flew upwards, past the storage hall, past the mall, and through the broken glass ceiling.

  Inside, Owen sat up, clutching his side. Next to him, Olivia reached out, grabbing his head and pulling it close.

  "Good to see you again," she whispered, closing her eyes. "After all these months."

  Then she smiled faintly. "Next… we free Dad and Jack."

  Owen smiled too, quietly. "Right."

  The others shared soft, relieved smiles as the hover-car soared higher into the sky.