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The Mutant Problem (Xana x The Corsair)

“Shit,” Joe breathed at almost the exact moment Bolt muttered “fuck me”. The headlights felt like spotlights, slicing through the fog and highlighting their presence in a stage comprised of the prison yard.

“Can you handle the van?” Joe asked.

“Yeah,” Bolt replied. “Why?”

“Then I’ll evac the ladies,” Joe responded, scooping them both up and slinging them over his shoulders like sacks of grain. “Sorry about this,” he added, breaking into a jog that accelerated into a 60 mile per hour sprint.

“Stop where you are,” a loudspeaker bellowed from the van as armored men with ruifles bundled out. “And place your hands over your head.”

Bolt lifted into the air, crackling with electricity as he stopped concealing his powers. The yard lit up with dancing blue-white radiance, illuminating Joe as he pushed off from the ground, casually leaping up and over the fence. Power gathered in his right hand and exploded outwards, connecting him to the van with a solid arc of electricity. The van sizzled and lightning arced from the metal to the nearby men, crackling and sizzling in time with their screams.

Joe flexed his knees with the impact, trying to cushion the landing as much as possible for his “passengers”. His attention was riveted to the van and the men, all of whom were sprawled on the ground. “Why the fuck did you…” he began angrily as Bolt landed.

“Knock them out?” Bolt replied with a grin. “Because, unless one of them had a pacemaker, they should all just be uncilonsciius.” He blew smoke from an imaginary fingergun. “I’m pretty good with my powers.”

“Oh.” Joe blinked. “Uhm… sorry.”

Bolt eyed him carefully, then nodded. “Accepted. And…” he nodded at the women the suit still had over his shoulders. “You wanna put them down, so we can get out of here?”

Joe started, then hurriedly set them down to the sound of Bolt’s laughter.
 
Lila let out a small laugh, more to steady herself than anything else. Hitting 60 miles per hour in half a second and clearing a 20-foot jump was enough to make anyone's heart pound. But they needed clear heads if they wanted to escape before they were discovered.

Another set of headlights cut through the night. Lila tensed—then exhaled as she recognized the vehicle.

"There's Cypher. Right on time."

Five people cramming into her mid-sized sedan made for a tight fit, but comfort wasn't the priority. Especially not when another pair of headlights swung toward them, closing in fast.

The doors had barely slammed shut when tires shrieked against pavement. Cypher floored it, trying her own version of hitting 60 mph in half a second. But speed wasn't enough right now.

"What are you thinking, more fog?" Cypher asked, glancing at Lila –and their pursuers– in the rear-view mirror.

"No, fog will affect our visibility too," Lila replied, her voice tight with focus. "But I think I can ice the roads with freezing rain."

She closed her eyes, drawing on the moisture already hanging thick in the air. It was a delicate balance—dropping the temperature just enough to create slick ice patches without turning everything into a snowstorm. Her breathing grew ragged as she concentrated, the effort pulling more from her than she'd anticipated. The creeping cold wasn't helping either, seeping into her fingers and down to her core.

"I got you," Talia piped up, drawing on her own gifts to mimic Lila. "You focus on freezing rain, and I'll add in heavy winds, and hail."

Lila didn't have the energy to argue, and the difference was immediate. With Talia's support, icy rain began coating the road behind them, while gusts of wind and sharp bursts of hail battered the pursuing vehicles. Tires screeched, cars spun out, and one even smashed into a guardrail. But some still managed to swerve through the chaos, headlights cutting through the haze of freezing rain.
 
Bolt had claimed shotgun, leaving Joe stuffed into the back seat with Lila and Talia. He really wasn’t built for back seats, not at 6’ 6”. Hell, he really wasn’t built for sedans. All of which meant that he was uncomfortably pressed up against Lila, who had taken the middle seat. A fact that he couldn’t help but notice every time the car switched, or when Lila and Talia began squirming to look out the back window.

The effect of their powers was a distraction, though. Sudden freezing temperatures and freezing rain and hail pounded the area, sending most of the pursuers off the road. Most, but not all. “On it,” he declared.

“What?” Bolt asked.

Flinging the door open, Joe rolled out to bounce and tumble on the slick pavement. It didn’t hurt, not much at least, and not at all by the time he skidded to a stop. The impact merely cranked his power up further. Well, that and ripped up his blood-soaked suit further. Which was a shame, because he’d liked this suit.

Rolling over, he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and launched himself towards the oncoming car. His footsteps cracked the pavement as he accelerated, picking up speed until he hit the front like he was tackling the vehicle. There was a horrendous crunching, crashing sound, and he screamed as he felt his flesh tear and his bones fracture as aluminum and steel crumpled and wrapped around him. His fingers dug into the metal of the hood and the frame, resisting the kinetic energy that threatened to hurl him away.

By the time the broken car skidded to a stop, the pain and the injuries were gone. He stood up, coated with blood and grease, wearing the tatters of a suit, and tore a huge chunk of the engine block free of the wrecked vehicle. Turning his attention, he lobbed it casually at the final pursuer. It struck the fender, shattering metal and digging into the asphalt, causing the car to flip over.

-*-

“Jesus,” Bolt breathed as the suit caught up with Cypher’s car and casually climbed back in. “You… are you all right?” It was a fair question. The suit was a complete mess, and very thing he had just done looked incredibly lethal

“Yeah,” the suit replied with a wry grin. “Not a scratch on me. Not any more.” The grin broadened. “And you should see the other guy.”
 
Joe was fucking hot. And not because –not just because his muscular physique peaked through his precariously torn suit. Pressed against her, cramped in the backseat as they were, heat radiated off him. Probably because of his powers, his ability to adapt to whatever his environment threw at him. Including her own ability to manipulate the weather.

And right now he felt glorious against her, after using her own powers had drained her of her heart. Suppressing a shudder, she leaned into him, resting her head on his strong, firm shoulders. Joe was fucking hot. And not because –not just because his muscular physique peaked through his precariously torn suit. Pressed against her, cramped in the backseat as they were, heat radiated off him. Probably because of his powers, his ability to adapt to whatever his environment threw at him. Including her own

And right now he felt glorious against her, after using her own powers had drained her of her heart. Suppressing a shudder, she leaned into him, resting her head on his strong, firm shoulders. Like this, it was tempting to recall how easily he'd lifted her before, and how nice that had felt. Thoughts that were now warming her up, from within.

"What are you guys doing back there?" Cypher asked, an accusatory glance reflected in her eyes as they met Lila's in the rear view. "All the windows are fogging up."

"Nothing!" Lila insisted, louder than she intended, her cheeks flushing with both the residual warmth and a surge of self-consciousness. She sat up straighter, unaccountably guilty for her own thoughts. "It's just the sudden weather changes, that's all."

The drive passed in silence, for a time, as the glittering lights of Chicago grew closer. But it wasn't long before Talia spoke up, "Thanks, for rescuing me. I don't even know half of you, but, you all risked yourself, for me." She sniffled, a wiped a tear from her eyes, before turning towards Lila, "I'm just your client. I haven't even paid you. I just don't understand." This time, she looked over at Joe, "and you. Aren't you a fed or something? Why?"

"Joe's the one who told me that they planned to move you, to an undisclosed location. Perhaps a black site of sorts, where they could eliminate… any problems." Lila sighed, hating how monstrous even that euphemism sounded. "We came to get footage of you being moved, proof of what the government was doing. Hoped to inspire public outrage"

Talia's eyes widened slightly. "But you rescued me instead?"

"Yeah. Once we saw what those bastards were doing…" Lila shook her head, the intimacy of the previous moment lingering as a bittersweet contrast to the grim reality. "None of us could just stand by and watch."

"So what happens now?" Talia pressed.

Lila exhaled slowly, her earlier warmth now tempered by responsibility. "I don't know…" she admitted.
 
“What happens now,” Bolt said with a grin, “is that we ho back to my place and get dinner delivered. And then we figure out how we disappear.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Joe agreed slowly, acutely aware of the brunette pressed into his side. “But… why your place?”

“It’s got plenty of room,” Bolt answered. “And it’s within delivery range of a bunch of nice restaurants.”

“Hold on,” Cypher interjected. “Why are we disappearing?”

Joe sighed. “Because we had to get flashy. And because there aren’t that many known mutants with electrical powers who are also located within easy travel of Chicago,”

“Bingo,” Bolt replied, snapping his fingers. “Or that could wreck two cars and walk away, I bet.“

Joe nodded. “Bolt and I will be prime suspects, once everything gets sorted out. And every mutant he knows will be a person of interest.”

“Yeah.” Bolt dug out his phone. “I’m thinking Indian? What do the rest of you want?”

-*-

“Welcome, welcome,” Bolt announced, throwing open his door and ushering everyone in. “Big guy… go upstairs, first room on the left. Should be something there to fit you.”

Joe hesitated, eying the smaller mutant. “Really?”

“Yeah. An old girlfriend of mine had me in this poly thing for a while. Her other boyfriend crashed up there, and he was about your size.” Bolt made shooing gestures with his fingers. “Go. And bring those rags back down, so we can toss them.”
 
"Bolt and I will be prime suspects, once everything gets sorted out. And every mutant he knows will be a person of interest."

"Not to mention Talia, who did actually escape prison. And I am the only link between Bolt and her, so that puts a target on me." Lila reasoned out half wondering if she'd just thrown away everything she'd worked in one night. But what choice did she have, really?

Still…

"Your friend Erin is a shapeshifter, right? The one who asked me to take you on as a client?" she posed to Talia.

"Yeah, why?"

"Think she'd be able to help us out?"



It wasn't long after they arrived at Bolt's place –before they had all decided on what food to order, much less had a chance to order it– that the doorbell rang. After a moment's hesitation they opened the door to Erin, hefting a duffel bag over one shoulder.

"Tally! Oh, I am so glad you are safe now." Both women hugged tight for several seconds the relief palpable in the room. "I brought over some stuff. Clothes, a couple pairs of shoes toiletries, 5k in cash. Hopefully that can get you by for a little while."

"Erin…" Talia choked up again burying her head back in her friend's shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

With an arm still wrapped around Talia, Erin turned towards the group, "Alright, is there anything else I can to help?"

"Actually there is," Lila answered. She leaned in closer, passing her own debit card along with one of Bolts' cards, and Joe's travel and expense card. "Erin," she said, "I need you to do more than just show up. Pose as one of us—get caught on camera at key spots in Chicago, make everyday purchases with these cards. Buy a coffee, pick up some groceries, anything that builds our cover. We can't afford any gaps in our digital trail. If they dig, all they'll find are digital ghost, evidence that suggests we never left the city."

Erin laughed, equal parts impressed and nervous, "Yeah, I can handle that. But what are you guys going to do for money?"

"Steal as much bitcoin as we need," Cypher explained. "Crypto wallets have the dumbest forms of security. It's painfully easy even without my powers."

Erin spent a few moments studying each of them, practicing their mannerisms and movements. The plan just needed brief snapshots of them. It wouldn't work longer than a week, at most. It just needed to give them a head start on the road. By the time they'd figured out what they were going to eat for dinner, and had an order put in, Erin felt confident she could put on a convincing act.

"Last thing," Cypher added, standing to join Erin. "Can you drop me off at a car rental? Vivienne Marchand isn't tangled up in this mess yet, so I can at least rent us a car. Thinking a Tahoe, or Expedition. Something big and gas guzzling."

"I would to finally change out of this prison uniform, so we can discard it along with Joe's ruined suit. Can I borrow the shower?" Talia asked, slinging the duffel bag over her own shoulder.
 
Joe came back down the stairs as the doorbell rang, wearing grey sweatpants that were a little short in the legs and a Tupac t-shirt that was just a little tight across his broad chest. “Just about fits”, he said, but I’ll need to get something better soon.” He tensed as he watched Lila open the front door, then relaxed a trifle as they admitted a slender woman with the longest blonde hair he’d ever seen. “And you are?”

“That’s Mimicry,” Bolt called from the bar. “Mimicry, this is…” he snapped his fingers. “What’s your name, again?”

“Oh, for…” Joe muttered, rolling his eyes as they admitted a woman introduced as Mimicry did the same. “It’s Joe,” he said, offering his hand. “And I was introduced to him…”

“No, no,” Bolt cut in from the bar. “Not your birth name. Your real name.”

Mimicry sighed. “He gets like that,” she told Joe, shaking his hand. “Nice to meet you, Joe. I’m Erin.” She hugged Talia again with her free hand, then listened as Lila and Cypher outlined their plan. Joe nodded along, standing and moving as Mimicry - Erin - studied the way he walked. He even managed to hand over his personal and company cards without flinching.

His badge proved harder.

“Here,” he said, pressing it into her hand. “Just…”. He hesitated, then sighed. “I just… damnit.” Another sigh. “I thought that meant something, you know? That… hell, that I was one of the good guys.”

Bolt opened his mouth, then snapped it shut as Erin glared at him. Then, as Cypher discussed final plans with her, Bolt held a bottle in Joe’s direction. “Beer?”

Joe walked over and took it, popping the cap off with his thumb. “Thanks. I don’t drink much, but…”

“Yeah, but.” He took a swig. “So, what is it?”

“Hm?” Joe took a swig as well. “My powers. They neutralize…”

“Naw, no. Not that.” Bolt looked hard at him. “Your name.”

Joe hesitated. His name. It was something he’d thought about since Iraq. Since he’d learned about his powers. A name that sounded like something a kid would come up with. That a kid had come up with while drawing comic book characters on lazy Sunday afternoons.

Maybe he’d known, even then?

“Powerhouse,” he said softly, tensed for the laughter.

Bolt grinned. “That’s what I’m talking about. ACAB. The Feds might have conned Joe Loyd into being a bastard, but…” the grin turned into a smile, and he blinked his bottle against Joe’s. “They never conned Powerhouse, did they?”

Joe breathed out a long, relieved exhalation. “No. No they didn’t.”
 
Lila tried to keep her gaze from lingering on the way Joe's sweatpants sat low on his hips, the sharp lines of his hip bones just visible above the waistband. But as her gaze trailed down, she traced the outline of… oh.

Her jaw clenched, heat pooling in her stomach—not the good kind, but the frustrating, infuriating kind. How the hell could her brain even go there right now? With everything happening, with everything burning, she still had space for that?

Joe sighed, his voice cutting through her spiraling thoughts. "I thought that meant something, you know? That… hell, that I was one of the good guys."

Lila exhaled sharply, shoving it down, shoving it all down. The quiet patter of rain filled the space between them.

"Things were different before. Laws mattered, once. We believed we could bend the long arc of history toward justice. We could hold the powers that be to the promises of the founders."

The rain grew heavier.

"We fought for safety, to be seen as human. We compromised. Made ourselves smaller. Tried to fit within the limits they placed upon us. We fought for piecemeal justice, fought for equality, inch by painstaking inch."

She inhaled sharply, anger rising, drowning out every other sensation.

"Now? Does any of it matter now?"

Bitter words summoned strong winds and a pelting downpour. The storm inside her—years of swallowed rage, of leashed power—crashed against the world outside. Still more, she raised her voice.

"With a fucking felon in the White House, and rapists, abusers, and Nazis in his cabinet? Now they look at us, ready to enact their final solution."

Lightning cracked, rattling the walls. Lila knew she was losing control—knew, but didn't care. She was tired. Tired of swallowing her anger. Tired of pushing down her fear. Tired of pretending to be small, to be palatable, to be less.

Her fingers curled into fists. Her pulse pounded with the storm.

"They're scared of us?" Her voice cut through the thunder. "They should be fucking scared of us. I'm done asking."
 
“Fuck yeah!” Bolt agreed, feeling lightning flashing outside before the thunder crashed. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

Joe drained his bottle and rested it carefully on the bar. “I can’t say that I ever had that kind of experience. Not really.” He grinned, gesturing at himself. “Straight white men raised Baptist in Oklahoma aren’t exactly oppressed minorities, know what I mean?”

Bolt sniggered.

“Yeah,” Joe laughed as well. Then his face grew serious. “At least, not until Iraq. Not until I learned I had powers. Suddenly, I was an outsider. A frightening tool that could be used.” He looked around the room. “And I did everything I could think of to get them to think of me as human again. Didn’t work. I mean, even my parents are on edge around me.”

“That,” Bolt muttered, “is fucking bullshit. Hell, my momma was stoked.” He shrugged. “Course, she ran with La Raza Nation for years. I think she wanted me to shake things up.”

“Then let’s shake things up,” Joe declared. “Just like Lila said. Just like your mom wanted.” Grabbing two more bottles, he thumbed off the caps and handed one to Lila. “They tried to make us small?” He conked his bottle against hers, enjoying the flashing fury in her eyes. “Then let’s show them just how big we are.”

“We should do it in Washington.” It was Talia, coming down the stairs in baggy sweats. “I can’t think of a better place, you know?”
 
Joe didn't just meet her gaze, he saw her. Saw her fury, her righteous anger, her power. He didn't cower. He didn't try to match or diminish her. His words were challenge and invitation all at once, holding space for her. Mirroring his smile with her own, she let her fingers trail over his. Power surged at her touch, torrential rain pounding the roof and violent winds whipping at the walls. Her eyes didn't leave his, not as she knocked back a deep drink of beer.

We should do it in Washington.” It was Talia, coming down the stairs in baggy sweats. “I can’t think of a better place, you know?”

Lila nodded at the formation of a plan. Washington, and with it, intentions. Not a protest that could be cordoned off and ignored. Not a petition that asked nicely and sought permission. Direct action, by any means necessary.

Violence wasn't the answer- until it was.

"Washington," she repeated, reservations washed away by the pounding rain. "We could be there by tomorrow, er..." She glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. "By evening today, if we really wanted to. Or, we could take the scenic route."

Another drink, to allow the swirling notions to crystallize into actionable plans. "Erin -Mimicry- can buy us a week. We take that time to coordinate our powers, develop a plan that leverages our abilities and teamwork. We have one shot to send this message, and if we are successful, we will inspire mutants across the country to rise up. And if we fail?"

Lila frowned, imagined blowback swift and brutal. Lightning crashed, closer than before and the lights flickered in response. So many would be punished. So many would suffer.

"We can't fail. We won't fail."
 
“We can, actually,” Joe replied, looking around the room. He hated to be the proverbial wet blanket here, but this was important. “But we need to succeed. Which is why you’re right about that scenic route.”

He gave Lila a smile and a wink, then took a pull from his bottle and watched her lips purse as she followed suit. “We need to know what we’re capable of.”

“I already know what I can do,” Bolt interjected.

“Good,” Joe answered. “But we all need to know what each of us is capable of - with and without powers.” He glanced at Talia, then back at Lila. “Because we’re going to need to improvise at some point. No matter what plan we come up with, something is going to go wrong.”

“Point,” Bolt allowed. He stood up and stretched and yawned, then drained his beer. “We also need to get some sleep. I can feel the adrenaline crash hitting, and I doubt I’m the only one.” He yawned again. “Ladies, why don’t you take the guest bedroom upstairs? And Powerhouse…?” He thought for a moment.

“I’m fine down here,” Joe assured him. “I’ll just watch TV or something.”

“Hey, no,” Bolt began.

“Seriously. I don’t get tired, at least not physically.” He shrugged. “I haven’t needed more than an hour or so of sleep a night in years.”
 
Despite the temptation to stay in the living room with Joe, Lila resigned herself to head upstairs. Not because she thought Joe would mind– the way his eyes lingered on her made that clear. But she did need the rest, and she really didn't need the distraction.

Her dreams, however, had no such discipline. So she woke up a few hours later, tired and frustrated. Whatever. She could channel that frustration into train, into the mission. This was bigger than her, bigger than any of them.

Cypher arrived in the morning with the Expedition, a couple travel bags and burner cell phones. And, mostly importantly as far as Lila was concerned, coffees for each of them. "Have we decided where we're headed?

"Wayne National Park," Lila suggested, showing off the itinerary she planned out on Bolt's laptop. "Will take about 6 hours to get there, and it's fairly desolate. Between vast swaths of wilderness and abandoned mining camps, I'm sure we will find somewhere train and practice our skills."

The road stretched out ahead of them, winding through the countryside as they left the city behind. It wasn't long before the familiar Chicago skyline faded into the distance, replaced by open fields, clusters of trees, and the occasional rusting grain silo. Lila had taken the passenger seat, sipping her coffee as she flipped through the notes she'd compiled. She wasn't expecting any objections to the plan, but it helped to stay prepared. The others had settled into the rhythm of the drive—Bolt and Talia half-dozing in the back, Cypher alternating between checking their burner phones and watching the road signs, and Joe focused on driving, his hands relaxed but steady on the wheel.

Every so often, the radio crackled with some old classic rock song, filling the silence between conversation. Lila found herself stealing glances at Joe, the glow of the dashboard casting shadows over his face as he watched the road ahead. He caught her looking once, flashing a small, knowing smirk before shifting gears and turning onto a more rural stretch of highway.

By the time they hit Ohio, the scenery had shifted again—rolling hills, dense patches of trees, and the occasional sign warning of deer crossings. The closer they got to Wayne National Forest, the fewer cars they passed, the roads growing narrower, rougher. They stopped once at a gas station off the highway, a rundown place with a flickering sign and a cashier who barely looked up from his phone as they stocked up on water and snacks. As they climbed back into the Expedition, Cypher checked the map on her phone.

"Another hour, maybe less," she muttered. "Then we're officially off-grid."

Lila exhaled, rolling her shoulders. She didn't mind the long drive—if anything, the quiet hum of the road helped her focus. But now that they were getting close, she could feel something else stirring in her, an anticipation buzzing just under her skin. Out here, they could train without looking over their shoulders. Out here, they could push themselves.

She just hoped they were ready for whatever came next.
 
It was slow going, getting out of Chicago. With advice from Bolt, Joe had stopped at several pawn shops and Army surplus stores, converting cash into camping gear. By the time they left the city, the back of the hybrid SUV was loaded with useful gear.

And then the long drive began. Unable to feel fatigue, Joe drove almost without pause, radio on to provide a commercial-filled soundtrack for the journey. Every four hours he would pull over at a gas station or restaurant stop to let everyone stretch their legs and find the bathrooms.

The rest of the time, Lila was pleasant company. The two of them chatted as she worked through her notes and he asked questions and made suggestions. Not that many were needed - the plans were sound, with only a few details that a civilian wouldn’t have thought of. She had a good head on her shoulders.

The rest of her was pretty good, too. Good enough that he kept stealing glances at her during their on-again off-again conversations. Good enough that he found his thoughts wandering. Would she feel as good as she looked? How would she taste, if he kissed her?

Finally, their last market of civilization a half hour in the rear window, he turned off the main road into Wayne National Forest. “Signal’s gone,” Cypher declared, voice shaking a little.

“You all right?” Joe asked, glancing at her in the rear view mirror.

“Yes… no…” she said, gripping the burner phone like a lifeline. “I… can’t hear the net. It’s like I’m blind.”

“Hey,” Bolt declared, voice serious. “We got you. You’ll be all right.”

Asphalt gave way to gravel as Joe followed Lila’s directions, and then gravel gave way to a rutted dirt trail. The SUV bounced and jerked, testing its shock absorbers until Joe finally brought it to a halt. “End of the line,” he declared.

“There’s nothing here,” Bolt objected.

Joe killed the engine and pocketed the key. “Nope. Like Lila said, we hike to our campsite from here.” He grinned as he opened the door. “That way, if the authorities find the car, we have a head start.”

Bolt climbed out, staring at the dense forest around them with distaste. “How far?”

“Ask Lila,” Joe laughed, opening the hatch and hauling out the first of the rucksacks. He grinned and winked at her. “I’m just the muscle.”
 
"Not far," Lila assured the group, strapping a duffel bag across her torso. "Once we get to that grove over there, we will find a place to set up."

Nestled within a tangle of dense underbrush and towering hardwoods, the thicket offered a natural refuge, nearly invisible from the outside. Thick-trunked sycamores and maples formed a canopy overhead, their low-hanging branches draped in ivy and veiling the interior in shadow. A cluster of wild blackberry brambles and tangled undergrowth guarded the approach, discouraging casual wanderers while leaving just enough space for a person to slip through.

"This should work," Lila decided. "Should keep us out of sight if anyone were to wander around here. Wouldn't help much against the elements, but I should be able to keep it temperate anyway." As a group, they began unloading their gear.

"My powers aren't exactly offensive," Cypher explained, pulling out a couple of tents. "Believe me, I've tried to punch people over the internet dozens of times. I figure my role is more logistics, so, for now, I'll start setting up camp."

"So you already knew what you're capable of, right?" Talia asked Bolt, trying to match his energy. "Teach me how to use your powers, then? I want to learn how to fly." She practically pulled Bolt away, with all the enthusiasm of a child with a new toy.

Lila took a moment to pull her hair back into a ponytail, buying time to find the nerve. "Want to, um, join me? I was going to head somewhere wide and flat to practice. Somewhere I won't wreck our campsite, at least."

They found a wide-open field twenty minutes from the campsite, and Lila took her position in the center. "You may want to back up just a little. I can guide or direct the weather, but it's imprecise."

Eyes closed, she sank her perceptions into the air. Cold air churning, warm air rising, low pressure driving downdrafts into a spiral. Updrafts roiling, pulling the gathered wind energy into a rotating column. Gusts whipped at her body, chilling her despite the humidity necessary to create the volatile squall. Still, she concentrated, guiding the movement of air and centering herself. Slowly, unnervingly, her feet left the ground. One inch, then two, her body felt light as the gale carried her into the air.

She was half a foot into the air before she dared to open her eyes, releasing a half-laugh into the blustering howl. Meeting Joe's gaze, she rose higher still, laughing nearly loud enough to hear herself over the cyclone.

Dry lightning cracked nearby, and with it, Lila's control. Debris scattered in every direction, the winds dissipated until Lila fell back to earth, stumbling forward several steps until she realigned with gravity.

"Shit," she managed between heaving breaths. "Thought I had it there for a second."
 
“That,” Joe declared with a noyish excitement, “was great!” He hesitated, ready to catch Lila if she stumbled, then relaxed as she found her footing. “Messy, mind. But great!”

He gestured around at the hip-high grass, bent and blasted by the concentrated tornado she’d imminent. “This could be a real advantage, though. Throw up some chaos as you take off, and it’ll disrupt anyone coming after you.”

Thunder boomed. Again. And then multiple cracks one after the other. “We’ll have to do something about that, though. The distraction, I mean. Not Bolt throwing lightning around.” He grinned at her, watching the euphoria dancing in her eyes. “You had it under control, right up until the lightning.”

He paused in thought. “How good is your control, generally? I’ve seen you call up fog and sleet, but how fast can you change the weather? And how far?”
 
Joe's enthusiasm was infectious, drawing a wide grin and a warm flush over Lila's face. She could still feel the rush of the storm beneath her skin, the electric tingle lingering in her fingertips.

"You had it under control, right up until the lightning."

Lila let out a breathless laugh, running a hand through her wind-tousled hair. "To be honest, I'm not sure if it was my lightning or Bolt's." She flexed her fingers, as if expecting stray sparks to flicker between them. "I can call down lightning too, but not with the same precision as him."

Joe's brows lifted in interest, the spark of curiosity in his eyes unmistakable. He took a slow step closer, his boots crunching against the bent and scattered grass beneath them.

"How good is your control, generally?" He tilted his head slightly, studying her. "I've seen you call up fog and sleet, but how fast can you change the weather? And how far?"

Lila's smile faded. She turned her gaze toward the distant horizon, where the last remnants of her storm had long since dissipated into the gray afternoon sky.

"I don't know," she admitted, her voice quieter now. "I've never really tested it—never really trusted myself enough to test it." Her fingers toyed with a blade of grass, twisting it between her thumb and forefinger before flicking it away. The weight of her own confession settled on her chest, heavier than she expected. She forced herself to brush away the loose grass clinging to her yoga pants, giving her hands something to do. Anything to avoid meeting Joe's eyes.

For a moment, the only sound was the whisper of the wind, rustling through the wild field around them. Then, before doubt could take hold, she squared her shoulders and exhaled sharply.

"But—! That's why we're here." Her voice carried more certainty this time. "To figure out what I'm –What we all are capable of!" She glanced at Joe, determination replacing hesitation. "So, let me try again. Let's see if I can create some distractions."

Again, Lila closed her eyes, feeling the shift in air pressure like a pulse beneath her skin. The wind was already hers to command. This time, the currents bent more easily, drawn into a swirling funnel twenty feet ahead.

It started small—a twisting column of air whipping wildly, tearing grass from the ground. She exhaled, concentrating harder, pushing the vortex forward. It grew. Faster. Stronger. The deafening roar swallowed every lingering doubt.

Lila opened her eyes, and her breath caught. The storm danced at her command, spiraling higher until it rivaled the trees. It pulled at the branches, tore away leaves. Even the trees moved with it, swaying in rhythm with the furious gale.

Then they gave way. Roots wrenched free from the earth, a massive trunk lifting, spinning, devoured by the hungry force of the storm. The hungry force of her rage.

Panic seized her chest. Too much. With a sharp gasp, she threw her will against the vortex, shattering it. The howling winds exploded outward, sending the uprooted tree hurtling into the grove. Wood cracked against wood—a splintering, brutal echo.

Lila staggered back, dizzy and breathless. She barely registered the warmth of Joe behind her before she stumbled into him. "That," she panted, "would be one hell of a distraction."
 
“Jesus,” Joe breathed, watching the tornado dance at Lila’s command. She flowed with it, hair dancing, body moving unconsciously in time with the howling of the wind. Until there was a misstep, and the tornado started to rage out of control. But even as he moved to try to get between her and the uprooted tree spinning in the wind she regained enough control to send it sailing off into a nearby grove.

He wrapped his arms around her as she stumbled back into him, lifting her and spinning to take any shrapnel on his shoulders and back. None came, though. The fragments must have been hurled down range. “That," she panted, "would be one hell of a distraction."

“That it would,” he agreed, wide-eyed. Looking to his left, he could see the shattered trunks and splintered wood where her hurled tree had destroyed the grove. He could replicate that, with enough work. But it would take time and work to power up to ‘throw a tree like a tornado’ levels.

Slowly, he realized that he was still holding Lila. She was leaning back into his chest, and he could feel her chest rise and fall in deep breaths, and her hair - wild and touseled by the wind - was sweet smelling and lightly ticklish against his chin.

Fuck. She felt good.

“Uhm. You all right?” he asked, unsure anout and slightly unwilling to release her.
 
Even as the winds dissipated around them, the storm still pulsed in Lila’s blood. It wasn’t just the rush of power—it was the way the world felt sharper, clearer, brighter. Like the air around her was still charged, her skin tingling with the remnants of something vast and untamed. Like she could call the winds back with a whisper, set the sky spinning with a thought.

Joe posed a warm distraction, with his arms around her waist and his breath against her neck. Maybe he didn't want to let her go. Maybe she didn't want him to want to let her go.

“Uhm. You all right?”

Still catching her breath, Lila hid her shudder in a laugh, "Yeah, more or less. Need a minute, though, before I can go again." Surveying the devastation of her tornado, she allowed herself a grin, "It's exhilarating, really, to actually push myself. To see what I am really capable of."

She leaned into Joe, leaning into the feelings she'd pushed down for days now. Twisting her head to face him, naught but crisp air between them. Then, not even air, as she pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was hesitant at first, chaste. Testing his reaction. Once his mouth opened, she moved with him, twisting in his arms to mold herself to his firm figure. Her own arms went over his broad shoulders, melting into his embrace.

Eventually -once she was out of breath again- they pulled apart, just enough she could meet his eyes. "I, uh, appreciate you inspiring me. To, to really push myself beyond my fears."
 
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