Before heading back to the apartment, Ethan let Raz know that he would be invoking his and Raz’s most closely guarded procedure: the Council of Two.

The Council was created as a way to reach a decision on the most important matters facing the pair. Their first meeting happened when they were eleven years old and was used by Ethan and Raz to settle their first dispute, lasting nearly an entire summer, over whether Ethan and Raz should ride their bikes on a trail down Longs Peak to impress Charles Ainsworth, the richest kid in their middle school.

The rules were simple: the pair solemnly locked themselves in Raz’s room, threw bed sheets over their heads so only their faces were exposed, shut off the lights, and kept their voices down so their plans wouldn’t be overheard. Each side presented their case, Raz arguing that, if they went down the trail on their road bikes, they might die, and Ethan arguing that if they didn’t make any friends out outside of themselves they may as well be dead anyway, and realized they had a problem: with just the two of them, there was no tie breaking vote.

Luckily, Raz, being the smarter of the pair, had a plan for that: as with many of the most important things in Raz’s life, he left it down to a d20 roll: odds they went through with it, evens they scrapped it entirely.

“Odds or evens?” Raz asked him.

Ethan eyed the dice, trying to remember how Raz’s rolls tended to go when they played Dragon Dagger. He took a deep breath.

“Evens,” he said confidently.

Raz nodded, then rolled the dice, coming up with a fourteen. Ethan gave Raz an oddly professional nod for an eleven year old, which Raz returned, then the pair took off their bedsheets, hopped on their bike, and called Charles to come witness their descent.

Naturally, Raz chickened out and Ethan, always pressing forward, snapped his arm when he went over his handlebars. While not ingratiating himself to Charles, the cast and story did earn them enough social cache that they weren’t bullied nearly as hard for the year, so the council was considered a success and stuck with them ever since.

Ethan bypassed Alex making herself something in the kitchen and went straight to Raz’s dual bedroom and office, giving him a nod as he shut the door behind him.

Raz handed Ethan a blanket off the foot of the bed, then pulled the comforter over his head. Ethan locked the door, shut off the lights, and they were able to begin.

“Well?” Raz said. He was tapping his foot aggressively on the hardwood, distracting Ethan. “What did you want to talk about?”

Ethan took a deep breath, locking eyes with Raz. “Okay, you know how I’ve spent the past week almost getting killed by Sola?”

“Yep, it’s, like, the only thing you’re good at well.”

“Right. Well, Raz I’m not going to stop Sola. I’m going to work with her.”

Whatever Raz was expecting Ethan to tell him after he had called the council meeting, it certainly wasn’t that. Ethan realized it sounded like he was throwing away his entire career path, and that’s exactly how Raz responded, nearly erupting like a volcano right before Ethan’s very eyes.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Raz asked urgently. “You have to capture Sola and bring her to Apex. That’s the only way you can become a Protector! You know, the thing you’ve been trying to accomplish for months?”

“I know, I know,” Ethan put his hands out, pleadingly, “I have a…different idea, but I can’t do it without you.”

Ethan thought Raz’s boot was going to tap straight through the floor.

“Well? What is it?”

Ethan took a deep breath. “When we went into the mines, I wasn’t the only one to get powers, Raz. Rainey got them, too.”

“What?” Raz exploded. “So that’s who you fought against in Maybell? You told Alex and me that you didn’t see what happened to her, Ethan!”

“I…lied.”

“Fantastic,” Raz scoffed. “Honestly, is there anything you haven’t lied about in the past three months? Is anything you say true? Can you even teleport?”

Ethan looked through the window and saw a ball. He opened a portal, reached through, grabbed the ball, and dropped it right in front of Raz. He raised his eyebrow, expectantly.

“Okay, so you’re not lying about that.”

Ethan shifted his focus back to their conversation, leaning in closer to Raz. He was sweating underneath the blanket. “Rainey is dangerous, Raz. She hates Apex a lot, hates Alex even more, and she wants to prove to everyone that the Surge is still a threat.”

“And how would she do that?” Raz asked, shaking his head. “The Surge is deep below the ground. She’d practically need to be able to rip the Earth in two to be able to push any Surge energy up to the surface.”

Ethan looked away, sheepishly.

“Oh my God,” Raz emphasized each word. “Perfect. I had almost forgotten what she did to you in Maybell. She’s a geomancer, meaning she can rip the earth open and raise the a breach point anytime she wants.”

“I…haven’t heard anyone call her that, but…yeah, that fits.”

Raz grabbed the bridge of his nose so hard Ethan thought he’d break it. He found himself holding his breath, waiting for Raz to cry out in pain.

“And you’re telling me this now…why?”

“I’m going to stop Rainey, tonight,” Ethan folded his arms, “but I need you to cover for me.”

Raz threw his hands up. Ethan flinched in response.

“Oh, oh,” he shook his head, piecing everything together. His gaze was enough to set Ethan alight, if he had that power. “You’re only telling me this because you have to, aren’t you? Because I’ll know if you don’t stake out the jewelry depot tonight, I’ll know if you get into a fight, and I’ll know that you’re planning to work with Sola!”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“Well…yes,” Ethan sighed. “And because we agreed I wouldn’t lie anymore. Which, I broke that rule, but only a little!”

“Ignoring the fact that you did lie to me again, out of all the stupid things you’ve said over the past three months, this is by far the worst. You want to fight Rainey head on with no backup? You were dead until Alex showed up to save you, and now you don’t even want her out there to help!”

”With Sola’s help!” Ethan protested. “She said she’d help me!”

“You mean you’re relying on the help of the woman who nearly killed you twice and knows for a fact that you’re supposed to be trying to capture her?”

”We reached an understanding!”

”After she kidnapped you?”

”Well, it would’ve been weird if we reached one before,” Ethan pointed out, causing Raz to groan.

”You still haven’t gotten it, have you?”

Ethan instantly recoiled at Raz’s tone, the one reserved exclusively for lectures.

”Gotten what?” He spat.

”This isn’t just about you anymore, Ethan,” Raz whispered urgently. “You wanted powers, and you got them, but you also gave them to Rainey, thereby endangering everyone in this city. What she does with her powers is on you, you realize that, right?”

“My powers are pointless if I’m not also a Protector, and I can’t use them unless we pass Amory’s test and bring Rainey in,” Ethan shot back. “I didn’t risk my life just to be able to teleport. Your leg still isn’t healed and your physical therapy bills cost money, which we won’t have if I’m not a Protector. I’m not bringing Sola in, and I need to stop Rainey to keep Ascension safe, so this is the next best thing!”

“How convenient,” Raz shook his head. Ethan recoiled from the look of disgust on his face.

“Convenient?” Ethan asked.

“Now that you have something to gain from stopping Rainey, you’re going to try to stop her. You could’ve told Alex about her months ago and Alex could’ve put a stop to whatever plan she cooked up, but you didn’t.”

“If Amory knew I created a new Altered that wanted to attack Ascension, she never would’ve let me so much as train with Alex in the first place. I know what she’s after, Raz, and I’m the best person to stop her.”

“Are you the best man for the job, or did you just keep everything to yourself ans deliberately create a crisis until you were the only person for the job?”

Ethan mulled that over. The words stung, but Ethan couldn’t come up with a proper rebuttal that didn’t involve a bunch of four letter words he wouldn’t want repeated later.

Instead, he gestured to the dice.

“Roll it,” Ethan said.

Raz hesitated, with Ethan gesturing more forcefully to the dice. Raz rolled his eyes, then picked it up.

“Odds, you abandon the plan that will lead to your certain death, evens, you go through with it and Rainey kills you.”

Ethan nodded. “Do it.”

Raz rolled the dice, almost wincing at the familiar clack-ing noise of plastic hitting Raz’s desk. Ethan held his breath, then watched as the dice settled on the dreaded one.

Raz let out a deep breath.

“Let’s go tell Alex,” he said.

Ethan stared at the dice, then summoned a small void just in front of the dice, knocking it gently. Raz’s head whipped back as the dice rolled on its side, landing on a twenty.

“Check again,” Ethan told him, pulling the bedsheet off his head. “I’m leaving in ten, and no matter what happens, do not call Alex.”

“You cheated!” Raz told him, ripping the comforter off his head. “You can’t use your powers!”

Ethan shook his head. “That wasn’t agreed upon during the original convention of sixth grade.”

“Nobody had the ability to manipulate reality then!” Raz protested. “How was I supposed to know that’d even be possible?”

”Ethan,” Alex called out from the living room. The two froze. “Could you come out here for a second?”

Ethan gulped. “Do you think she heard?”

Raz rubbed the back of his neck. “I did get a little heated.”

“Same,” Ethan sighed. He held out his hand. “I just need you to keep this from Alex for one night, and watch my back. Everything will be over by midnight and then we’ll start fresh once both of our positions are secure.”

Raz’s shoulders dropped, but he nodded.

”Decided,” he held out his hand, “no matter how stupid your idea is.”

”Decided.”

Raz kept ahold of Ethan’s hand, his pale eyes deathly serious. “Don’t do a single thing without telling me first tonight. I can’t stop you from going, but I might be able to stop you from dying. If not, I can at least yell at you first.”

“Fair enough,” Ethan nodded, then slowly opened the door, walking slowly into the living room with Raz in tow. He stopped what he deemed a safe distance away from the kitchen counter.

Alex was standing in the kitchen behind the island and, for a moment, Ethan thought he may have spilled more coffee that he forgot to clean up, only to remember that he spent the morning kidnapped and hadn’t actually had the time to ruin Alex’s floors further.

In front of Alex was a white box with black ribbon on the outside. The corner bore Apex’s red A stamp, the almost bloody hue drawing Ethan’s attention.

“Is your leg healing up okay?”

Alex hesitated. “It’s…getting there. Apex’s doctor said to picture it like two steel plates trying to merge back together.”

Ethan nodded, the situation kind of making sense to him. Alex’s power was her strength and unbreakable skin; now that it had broken, they were in uncharted territory.

“It’s unfortunate that the Altered we encountered saw my cut, but I have a plan for that, actually.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised Amory even let you leave after she found out there was another person with powers that she didn’t know about operating near Ascension.”

“Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I talked it over with Amory while you slept after the fight. She is not pleased that there might be another person running around with powers that isn’t in Apex’s database. She wants to keep…in house, so to speak.”

“We’re going to work together?” Ethan asked, confused.

“We will! Well, soon, anyway, after you become a full Protector. But, to celebrate, I got you something!” Alex announced, cheerfully. “Well, actually I pulled some strings to have the fabricators on floor six make you something, but I helped design it, so I kind of made it. Go ahead, open it!”

Ethan smiled hesitantly, then opened the white box. He was met by purple fabric, a deep lilac that matched the color of the mountains just before sunset, with a swirling black sphere symbol emblazoned on the chest.

”Is this…” he trailed off, his eyes meeting Alex’s. She was beaming, smiling from ear to ear.

”It’s your own suit,” she told him. “Typically you’re supposed to wear the white until you’re a full Protector, but I know you’re going to find Sola tonight before Amory’s deadline, so why not celebrate a little early?”

”It’s…amazing,” Ethan held it up, close to his face. The pants were the same color as the shirt, with golden, metallic pads running down the sides. “Thank you, Alex, I can’t wait to wear it. I…hope I earn it.”

“You will,” she smiled. “I know it. Then, we’re going to find the Altered who nearly entombed you in Maybell and figure out where all these people are getting powers before things really get out of hand.”

Ethan’s mouth opened, then shut. In that moment, Ethan nearly spilled his guts. He wanted, more than anything, to tell her that Rainey did, in fact, get powers, and that she was going to hurt Alex if Ethan couldn’t stop her, and that he was totally in over his head.

But he didn’t. He couldn’t, because if he did, Alex would find Rainey and potentially put herself in harm’s way to fix a situation Ethan created. And, on top of all that, he wouldn’t be able to become a Protector, and wouldn’t ever be able to wear the suit she had made especially for him.

So, instead, he looked away, his eyes catching the floor panels he stained months ago and had brushed aside instead of cleaning up. He felt nauseous, but said nothing.

“Well, I’m off, then,” Alex grabbed a purse and her keys, then put a black ballcap over her head.

”You’re not patrolling tonight?” Raz asked.

Alex shook her head, beaming. “Amory has a connection and was able to score tickets for the All-Out-Altitude-Brawl at the Foothills Center. She knows how much I love wrestling and had one leftover for me.”

“Going incognito?” Raz asked.

“Trying,” Alex answered with a laugh, “but someone always ends up putting my face on the Jumbotron. We’ll see how long I can watch before they ask me to get in the ring.”

“Try not to break anyone in half,” Ethan said, trying to appear normal.

“Try not to get broken in half, when you find Sola,” Alex told him. “I’m trying to have fun tonight, so do your best not to get captured, okay?”

“You got it,” Ethan smiled weakly. Raz stayed silent behind him.

Alex clapped him on the shoulder then grabbed her bag and headed out the door, leaving Ethan and Raz alone.

Ethan’s eyes were glued to the suit.

”Well?” Raz prodded him. “Are you going to wear it?”

Ethan quickly shut the box, shaking his head. “Not tonight,” he sighed.

“Not until I earn it.”

“Well?” Raz asked him, gesturing to the window. “What are you waiting for?”