The Sankari Legends Book One: The Scars We Hide
Chapter Twenty: Megan

“Get Zig tothe lower level infirmary, and go check on your team’s rooms now!” Layneswiftly handed out commands, already turning towards where the crash hadsounded.

I kneltdown to grab one of Zig’s arms but Alec beat me to it.

“We’ll gethim to the infirmary and then I’m right behind you.”

Beforegrabbing Zig’s other arm, KC pushed two guns and a knife holstered to a beltinto my hands.

“You’llneed these,” she said.

With Zigbetween them, KC and Alec started moving towards the doorway that would leadthem to the lower level infirmary, where hopefully, there was no battlehappening. A loud crash sounded behind us but I flew towards the stairs, takingthem two at a time, briefly muttering a prayer of thanks for all those early morningtraining sessions I’d been put through.

My feetleft the last stair and I sprinted down the hall, cursing silently when I heardsomething shatter around the corner. As soon as I rounded it I had to drop andslide on the tiled floors when a vine shot directly where my head had been halfa second ago. I let my momentum take me into a roll, hissing in pain as I cameup on my knees with a gun in my good hand I quickly saw that Nicki and Tylerwere at the other end of the hall, fully engaged with Daphne and two other guysthat I recognized from their working with Brittany. The vine that had flown atmy head hadn’t been intended for me, but had just almost been a really reallyunlucky hit. I rolled my eyes. That was just my luck. But I wasn’t planning on dyingfrom a vine through my head. Not today or any other day.

I rolled uponto my toes, and if Nicki and Tyler saw me as I stalked down the hall theydidn’t show it. I was a few doors away from them when I heard a voice hiss myname. My head whipped around, a gun aimed in the direction of the voice beforeI saw it was Sabin. He lifted a hand to his lips and beckoned me into the roomand down to the floor where he was slumped against the wall. More crashessounded a few feet away as I crouched beside him.

“What areyou still doing here?” I kept my voice low.

“Trying tostay out of the way,” he winced as something clattered into the room. He heldup the gun in his hand, “I ran out of bullets, and this damn thing,” hemotioned towards his bullet wound, “is keeping me from shifting.”

“Okay sofor the first problem, here,” I shoved one of my guns into his hand, “Andsecond, can you walk?”

“Do youthink I would be sitting here if I could walk,” His eyes flashed infrustration, but my gaze was already raking across the room, looking for anyway to get him out of here. I stood and strode over to the window and lookeddown, only to be greeted with the sight of a giant Peter striding past withAlia in his hand. I banged my fist on the window but he didn’t turn towards me.

“Dammit.”

Then I saw,sitting folded up behind the door, a decrepit looking wheelchair. I ran overand yanked it out, snapping it open.

“Oh hellno.” Sabin said.

“Oh hellyes.” I replied.

I bent overand grabbed one of his arms to sling over my shoulder but he didn’t budge.

“If I goout in the hallway in that thing I’ll have to use both hands to move and won’tbe able to use the gun.”

“Well thenit’s a good thing I’ll be covering you.” I grunted as he stood, putting all hisweight on me, and I lowered him as gently as I could into the wheelchair.

“Crap!Nicki!”

Tyler’svoice bellowed, and Sabin’s panic filled eyes met mine as he shoved an armagainst my shoulder.

“Go.” Hisvoice was terse.

I spun onmy heel and stepped into the hall, reaching to pull off the sling slung over myshoulder. I knew I was probably going to regret this decision, but if I wasabout to get into a fight, I was going to need both arms. I gripped gun in myright hand as I pulled out the knife with my left.

As soon ashe saw me the bigger of the guys came barreling to me, fists raised. I duckedunder his first swing and sent an elbow into his back, but if he felt the jabit didn’t show. He whirled back around with a feint to my right and thenslammed upwards with his left hand. I jerked my head to the right, but his blowstill caught my ear and a starburst of pain exploded across my vision as Istaggered to the side. I caught a quick glimpse of Tyler swinging hisprosthetic arm at the girl’s head, a curse issuing with every blow to her. Ifelt more than saw Nicki behind me, doing her best to keep up with the otherguy, but the lines of cuts dripping blood onto the floor said otherwise. Igritted my teeth as I brought my dagger in a back handed sweep aiming straightfor the big guy’s face. Which I missed as he dodged and sent a kick towards mystomach that wouldn’t knocked me straight out the window if I hadn’t jumpedback in time.

My mindraced as I went on the defensive. There had to be a way to take these guysdown. A blocking bag would be nice, Ithought

Just as Ithought it, a blocking bag the appeared on my arm. Without thinking, I held itin front of me to protect against the blow coming for my gut.

Megan, where the hell did you get that? Tyler’s voice sounded in my head. I mean, I heard you think that having a blocking bag would be nice, butthen you suddenly have one…

I don’t know! I saidfrantically, blocking another hit. Itjust… appeared.

Therealization of what had just happened almost knocked the wind out of me moreforcefully than any of the big guy’s punches. I had made the blocking bag appear. I had created it from my mind.

Crap. I thought. This couldn’t behappening. The others wouldn’t understand, but I knew what this meant…

Megan duck! Nicki’svoice broke through my thoughts and I dropped into a crouch as the skinny guy’sknife sped through the air where my head had been. I lashed out my leg to hook behindhis knees, but he was already gone.

Formation Delta 7. Now. A calmvoice spoke into my mind. Sabin was taking charge. I instinctively spun to facethe walls, Tyler and Nicki doing the same and our shoulders touched.

60° Rotation. Megan you’re with Lettner now.

Somehow, Iunderstood Lettner to be the runner with the knife.

Thecommands were coming quick now, and we reacted in time with them. As weadjusted and faced the enemy I gritted my teeth and thought,

You are supposed to be getting your sorry ass out of here. What areyou doing?

My job. Sabin’s reply was quick andfollowed by,

Megan bring up projections around Lettner.

I felt mypowers shifting and rolling in my mind, primed in response to Sabin’s command.How he had a name for what I had just discovered I could do I had no idea, butwe could worry about that later. I pulled my power together before I flung itout and conjured an image of a brick wall in front of myself, which Lettnerpromptly smacked into.

One wall isn’t enough Megan.

I grittedmy teeth and blinked rapidly as sweat trickled into my eyes.

Sabin, you don’t know what you’re asking. Nicki’s voice was filled with concern. This could be too much for her.

No, I can do this. I said. Just keep fighting.

With athought and a shout, a box appeared around Lettner, completely encasing him.For the moment at least.

That’s not going to last long. Ithrew the thought to the others as I turned, dropping to a knee and raising mygun. Three shots in rapid succession, each missing as the big guy dropped androlled, incredibly fast, to avoid the shots.

In two seconds shoot at Daphne’s right side.

I swung myarm around, and sure enough, just as Daphne shot an arm out to wrap a vinearound Tyler’s (non-prosthetic) arm, her right side was exposed. I squeezed thetrigger and knew I’d hit her as a piercing yell filled the hall. I was alreadyon my feet, building the power in my mind into a wave, a swelling ocean ofpower, roiling and building until I thought my head was about to burst, andwith a shove my power released in a flood, slamming steel boxes around Daphneand the big guy... Cayne, I was able to name him from the combined memoriesaround me. I knew my steel boxes weren’t a permanent solution, but I could feelmy power, more alive than it had ever been, simmering, but for the moment Iwilled it to remain strong and steady.

Tylerhunched over putting his hand on his knee, letting his battered prosthetic armfall to the ground.

“Why thehell didn’t you do that sooner?” His voice was rough and came out in raggedgasps as he caught his breath.

I shot hima withering glare, but kept my focus on the containment boxes. “I can’t holdthese for long.”

“On it,”Tyler said, eyes closing as he sought out the minds of the others.

Sabinrolled out into the hall, eyes taking in the three steel boxes surrounding thekonna.

Poundingcame from Cayne’s box, and with each punch that indented the metal wall I letmy power flow over it and form a new one. But it was costing me.

“Alec is onhis way up, but the others are busy.” Tyler’s voice strained on the last wordand a concerned look crossed his face.

“What kindof busy?” I asked worried by what he meant.

Tyler heldup a finger, closing his eyes. Then a vision of Alia standing braced for combatand shouting at empty space.

“Alia isfighting Odyssa.” Sabin’s voice was a mix of astonishment and admiration.

I didn’tknow what to say about that. I had faith in Alia’s ability, but against anopponent like Odyssa? Another jolt from Cayne’s box made me stumble. I couldfeel the edges of my power starting to fray. The regeneration of the boxes slowlywithering with every attack the konnainsideof them threw at it. Took make matters worse, I could feel the stitches of mygunshot wound pulling out and blood slowly starting to seep through thebandages.

Behind me Iheard pounding footsteps in the stairwell.

“Iseveryone okay?” Alec asked as he ran down the hall towards us.

Nicki spokeup from her spot on the floor against the wall,

“Just fine,but we need a plan for once Megan drops these walls.”

Alec camearound to stand in front of me, putting his hand on my good shoulder , eyesboring into mine.

“How muchlonger can you hold these?”

My handsstarted shaking at my sides, and I gripped my gun and dagger tighter to stopthem.

“A fewminutes, max.” My voice was tight and quiet. Even the energy it took to saythat was taxing.

He gave mea clipped nod and then turned to face Tyler.

“Tell AliaI need her up here, now.”

“She’s inthe middle of fighting Odyssa, man,” Tyler said.

Alec’s eyeswidened slightly but that was the only reaction he gave to the mention of hissister fighting Odyssa. With only slight hesitation, he said:

“We havemore important things to worry about here. Get KC to grab her.”

A secondlater KC ported in with Alia, and then was gone a second later, leaving Aliastanding by Daphne’s box. She stepped away when she heard a muffled yell andpounding come from inside of it.

Alia lookedpretty worse for wear, with cuts all over her skin—from jumping out of a windowmaybe? She also held her hand that wasn’t in a cast to her abdomen, with thefaintest trace of a pained expression on her face.

“Okay sowhat’s the plan?” She looked at Alec, whose brows were drawn in tight. Theireyes locked and everyone watch with rapt attention as they had what seemed tobe a silent conversation before Alec broke it with:

“You knowthat might not work, right?”

“Ahem, forthose of us not included in the conversation, what exactly is it we’re talkingabout?” Nicki huffed, crossing her arms.

Alecstarted, “It’s a move we’ve only practiced a few times, and we haven’t eventried in the last year, but every time it’s ended with-”

“-withvarying results.” Alia finished. She shrugged a little too optimistically. “Buthey, who knows, it might work this time!”

Alec wincedas Sabin exasperatedly said, “You mean whatever you’re about to do has neverworked before?”

Thetrembling had now worked its way up my arms and the edges of my vision weregrowing blurry.

“Hurry thehell up,” I gritted out, “Or we’re all about to have another fight on ourhands.”

“Okay,everyone, get back,” Alia said, casually twirling her finger, and smirking asSabin’s wheelchair took off down the hall, Tyler and Nicki chasing after him.

The bangingand shouting was still coming from inside the boxes, and with a wince I feltCayne punch the wall of his unit, and this time it didn’t repair itself. Idropped my weapons as it became too much to hold onto them.

Alec sawand grabbed my hand.

“Just a fewmore seconds, Meg.” Then he looked over at Alia, whose face had morphed intoone of concentration, all traces of joking gone.

“Let downthe barriers on my mark.” Alec’s voice was quiet, but I felt his hand squeezemine tighter.

“Five.”

I felt myselfswaying where I stood.

“Four.”

Cayne’sfist was hitting rapid fire in the same spot, so close to breaking through.

“Three.”

My visionturned into a tunnel of black.

“Two.”

The yellingand pounding from inside the boxes stopped.

“One.”

I felt theblackness swirling inside of the prisons I’d created. Something was wrong.

“Now!”

The boxeswere empty as I dropped them, but the dark energy that had filled them a momentbefore was on the edges of my mind, pulling me under, begging me to let it in.

I collapsedbackwards, barely feeling someone’s strong grip catching me as I did. I faintlyheard people speaking above me, but I couldn’t focus on that. I think I had myeyes closed, but I wasn’t sure. The world was completely dark now, a kind ofdarkness that burned in my chest and made it difficult to breath.

Oh no, this is what happened to Zig, isn’t it? I thought. I’m not as strongas him. I can’t fight this.

No, another, brighter part of my mindsaid. You can fight this. You are strong.

I realizedthat was the truth of it. I couldn’t just roll over and let the darknessconsume me. I had to push back.

With thelittle power left in me I imagined a ball of light. I pushed it outwards, tothe very recesses of my mind where the darkness was probing, and drove it outwith the light. I could vaguely hear someone yelling my name, but as thedarkness left me, I felt myself slipping down, not into the dark energy, butinto the lightless abyss of exhaustion, my powers drained and my energy gone. Ifelt a small smile ghost my lips as I fell down.

I was safe.

Thedarkness would not claim me yet.

“When doyou think she’ll wake up?”

Voices werequiet around me as they spoke.

“It couldbe anytime now. She’ll wake up when she’s ready.”

“And you’resure that she’s going to be alright?”

“Yes I’msure Alec, she’s going to be fine. Now shut up. Pestering me to death about itisn’t helping you or her.” I could barely recognize the voice. It was female…and young. Nicki maybe?

Someonehuffed in resignation and I felt the air stir as they moved beside me.

A femalevoice, Alia I recognized, said, “Alec, standing there staring at her isn’tgoing to make her wake up any faster.”

“And it’skind of creepy,” another voice, Tyler, chimed it.

With monumentaleffort I struggled to crack open my eyes. When I did I immediately slammed themshut, practically blinded by the bright lights.

“Guys!” Icould hear the barely restrained excitement in Alec’s voice, “I think she’swaking up!”

“That’swhat you said the past seven times!” Alia teased.

A groanescaped my lips as I forced my eyes into a squint.

“Hey lookwho decided to grace us with her presence!” Tyler laughed across the room.

“Shut up,”I said.

I rolled myhead over to look at Alec, who was seated in a chair by my head. I let out ahalf grin, and he returned with a full smile, eyes showing his concern andrelief.

I swept mygaze around the room. My whole team, along with Tyler and Nicki, were here, invarying states of injury, but alive. (Sabin was still in his wheelchair, whichI could imagine he was not happy about at all). But the fact that they were allthere in more or less one piece flooded me with relief. Zig was laying in thebed next to me, an IV in his arm and eyes closed. KC was sitting on one sideand Peter on the other. I didn’t see Layne, and was about to ask where she waswhen Alia spoke up.

“Okay wellnow that everyone, well almost everyone, is present, I have something I’d liketo say.” She rose from her chair at the foot of my bed, hissing in a breath asshe grabbed the end rail for balance.

“Megan,”She met my gaze and held it. “I want to formally apologize for being an ass toyou earlier. You know, before all of this,” she waved her hand around the room,gesturing to all of our bandaged friends, “happened.” I opened my mouth to tellher it was fine, but she held up a finger. “I’m sorry and I… I overreacted, andit was uncalled for.”

A quickglance around the room showed everyone’s faces in various states of shock. Alianever admitted she was wrong, andrarely apologized for anything.

“Anyways,”she continued, as if realizing that she had an audience and not wanting toappear like she was going soft. “I’m only going to say this once, but I thinkyou’re powers are amazing, and I wish you would’ve told us about them sooner.I’ve already thought of like twenty different ways to incorporate them into ourtraining!”

Aleccleared his throat and stopped Alia, “Maybe we should all focus on healingbefore we start thinking about training.”

Aliahuffed, lowering herself back to her seat, “Yeah sure, whatever, but we’restill trying out my ideas when we get better!”

Anindescribable emotion swelled up in me, and my thoughts from earlier resurfaced.I had been so worried about not being accepted and being hated by me team thatI hadn’t even taken a second to entertain a future where they did accept me.Tears filled my eyes against my will, and with blurry vision I locked eyes withAlia.

Thank you, I whispered.

Sheshrugged her shoulders and gave me a genuine grin in return.

Don’t mention it, she mouthedback.

There wasso much more I wanted to say to her. I wanted to thank her for

I let myhead fall back against my pillow, not caring if everyone in the room saw thetear sliding down my cheeks. Not caring if they all thought it was because Iwas in pain, because they couldn’t see the feelings blossoming inside of me.

I feltAlec’s warm, calloused hand enveloped mine as the room settled into comfortablesilence. As the tears slid down my cheeks I let my eyes slide closed. And forthe first time in my life, in this room full of friends, with Alec’s hand inmine, I felt something that I’d longed for my whole life. Something I neverthought I’d get. Acceptance. But more than that. Support.

Love.

And as I felt myselfdrifting back to sleep, I let the warmth was over my body, wishing with everyfiber, every ounce of my being, that this feeling would never go away.