"This is nothing!" Theo yelled out. Forcing Thalia to turn back and pay attention to the army of men wearing black and red riot gear. She turns around to see her brother encircled by the guards equipped with electric-rodded spears.
Theo swatted at them as they inched in, moving closer with the tip of their spears. Tyler was kneeling, struggling to catch his breath, barely fending off the attackers who weren't focused on Theo.
The boys did a good job holding on this long. There were at least 50 guards, all wearing reinforced armor and equipped with electric and stun-based weapons. The boys had reduced their numbers by half already, but it was too much; sheer numbers were overtaking them.
Thalia felt powerless in this situation. She was cut off from the sky, meaning her powers were effectively useless. She could use her storm fan, but its destructive power would not only destroy a portion of this underground city, but it could also cause the foundations to collapse, burying them alive. It was the only reason she had not already entered the battle.
Thalia had been charging up electricity internally since the guards initially surrounded them. However, her body could only store and conduct so much without access to the sky. Even if she were to throw all of the lightning she had managed to charge up, it would only be enough to incapacitate 5 of them and kill maybe one.
"Your little stun guns are nothing compared to my sister's electricity. I can deal with this all day."
Theo yelled out bravely.
He said that, but Thalia could hear a subtle hint of desperation in his voice. Theo started to unwrap both his left and right arm. Thalia wasn't sure exactly what those wraps were supposed to do. However, from what she could tell from earlier, the captain strictly forbade taking them off. He must be desperate to consider disregarding an order.
"Wait, Theo, don't move."
Theo stops unraveling the bandages and looks over at Thalia, confused. Her sudden outburst, however, didn't stop the guards' advance.
"Whatever you have planned, hurry up. I have no interest in being electrocuted to death."
A light bulb went off in Thalia's head. She smacked herself on the forehead hard enough to leave a red mark.
Thalia slapped her forehead with a groan. "I am so stupid it hurts…"
Tyler glanced over his shoulder. One of the guards lunged with a spear, but Tyler was charging an arrow—momentarily invulnerable. He loosed it point-blank, sending the attacker sailing across the room.
"Sorry in advance if this doesn't work!" Thalia called out.
Tyler winced. "Saying that out loud doesn't exactly inspire confidence!"
Thalia shut her eyes and inhaled deeply, forcing herself to calm down. Her thoughts were racing again. That was always her biggest weakness—focus. Her powers demanded clarity, but her mind was like a hurricane.
She could almost hear Vice Captain Alexander scolding her. "Your power is only as precise as your mind, Thalia. You're not weak. You're scattered."
He was right. He'd always been right. She remembered the endless drills—hours spent just learning how to breathe, to center herself. Her aunt had even suggested she might have ADHD. It wasn't a curse, just something that made maintaining focus difficult.
And now, more than ever, she needed to focus.
"Here goes nothing! Theo—close your eyes!"
He hesitated for a moment, then obeyed. Might as well die with his eyes shut.
Thalia raised her hand, channeling every volt of power she had left into her palm. The air crackled. The hairs on her arms stood up.
"ELECTRIC BOLT!" she cried.
A searing streak of blue lightning shot across the chamber, striking one of the guards on the perimeter of the circle. He screamed as the current surged through him, his spear exploding in a burst of sparks and molten metal.
"Now comes the hard part…" Thalia whispered, squeezing her eyes shut and reaching out with her mind.
She could feel the current—see it with her mind's eye. Her temples throbbed with effort as she directed the electricity to the next guard, and then the next. One by one, like dominoes, the current leapt from conductor to conductor, amplifying as it fed on the electric weapons they carried.
Each leap strengthened it.
What began as a bolt evolved into a monstrous, writhing shape—a serpentine current of pure energy, manifesting the shape of a dragon.
Thalia opened her eyes. They glowed with a radiant blue aura.
"CHAIN LIGHTNING!" she screamed, thrusting her arms outward.
The electric dragon roared, erupting into a flurry of branching bolts. Tendrils of lightning arced across the battlefield, frying circuits, exploding weapons, and electrocuting every remaining guard. Bodies dropped like rag dolls.
The silence afterward was deafening.
Thalia smiled faintly.
Then collapsed.
Tyler rushed forward and caught her just before she hit the ground, using his bow as a makeshift crutch to support them both. Theo finally dared to open his eyes—and gasped.
The battlefield was scorched. Dozens of guards lay scattered, their armor smoking, weapons destroyed. The air was thick with ozone, blood, and the smell of burning flesh.
Theo tiptoed over the wreckage, careful to avoid pools of blood and charred metal. He reached Thalia and took her from Tyler, helping her to her feet.
"You waited this whole time to do that?" he asked, incredulous. "If you could solo the entire squad, why did I get shocked so many times?!"
Thalia chuckled weakly. "Honestly? I didn't know I could do that…"
She looked pale, drained. Tyler looked just as bad—ashen and shaky.
But before they could catch their breath, a movement behind them drew their attention.
The fog cleared.
Vice Captain Alexander stood on the other side of the marketplace, perfectly fine, waving at them casually. The battlefield behind him was scorched black. Vendor carts lay in ruin, and ash hung in the air like snow.
"Hey," Theo said, pointing. "I think the captain might need backup."
They turned and saw what looked like carts being flung through the air. Explosions echoed like fireworks.
"Leave him be," came a melodic, almost angelic voice behind them.
They spun around to see Valerie, calmly pinning Heinrich to the ground with her stiletto heel pressed firmly against his neck. He flailed and cursed like a madman.
Tyler burst into laughter.
"Bro," he said to Heinrich, "I'd stop struggling if I were you. That woman is freakishly strong. I once saw her kick a heel-sized hole through a six-inch reinforced steel door… by accident."
He gave a sympathetic wince.
"I'd hate to see what that same heel would do to your face."