Sky Steals the Stage

Sky teleports into the rafters over the lights in the hangar. He’s seen hangars before; they all got rafters up above the lights. He doesn’t know exactly where the beams and hanging chains are, but he’s always been lucky, so why not throw them bones?

When he appears, no one sees him. Hitomi, his bodyguard Rock, and the young Reader in school uniform are directly below Sky. The three Iron Guards are off to Sky’s right.

The Reader joggles Hitomi’s elbow. Hitomi’s eyebrow goes up; he stares into the Reader’s eyes. They have a moment.

Sky doesn’t have precognification or somehow whichwhy like that, but he gets an uneasy feeling about all this. The young Reader breaks off and runs for a telephone on the wall, while Hitomi Travels to the Iron Guards.

Hitomi grabs all three Iron Guards, embracing them as widely as he can, shouting in Japanese.

For a moment, no one is guarding Ronald Richter. He looks up and sees Sky silhouetted against the rafters.

Sky needs to do about three things at once. But he can’t.

+++

Meanwhile, Kaze has acquired Van Cortlandt’s Healer power. She Heals Christine’s feet, then Nick’s side, which is all burned up.

Victoria, the New York Massive, is still glowing red-hot. Healers have to touch their patients, which is problematic if the patient is at 800 degrees. Fortunately, Nick can cool her skin until it’s safe to touch her. When Kaze heals her, Victoria heaves a huge breath of air; her temperature has been burning up all the oxygen before it reached her, but being a Massive, it was taking her forever to asphyxiate.

“Bastard,” she says when she can talk. “How did he turn Lauren against us?”

“He’s got many mysterious powers,” says Nick seriously, playing along.

Kaze Heals Tojiro, then has to catch her breath. Healing is an unfamiliar strain.

“How are you holding up?” Nick wants to know.