My feet hit the ground, jarring my arm – pain shoots up to my shoulder, but it will have to wait. We've teleported into a square courtyard set between the dull, domed building, where a little blue flag flickers innocently by the door of what looks like a small warehouse.

The capsule must be inside. It has to be.

The strength of the hurricane is incredible, unimaginable – our group is instantly blown apart. I fly backwards, my specially-designed boots no match for these winds, and smack into the front of the warehouse. The winds slam against me, trying to force me even further back, but with the warehouse in the way, I've got nowhere to go.

My breath is forced out in wheezing bursts as I'm crushed - I press my hands against the warehouse wall, concentrating as hard as I can.

White-heat flares through my fingers and a crack splinters the concrete. With a crunch, the concrete moulds around my wrist, sealing itself around me, holding me in place.

I look around wildly for Dimitrov. 'Dimi, grab on!'

Dimitrov's had time to learn this trick of mine. The enormous man skids past me, struggling to stay upright; I reach out with my other hand and he grabs hold, clambering over me like I'm a climbing frame and clinging on around my waist.

'God help us, Kass –,'

We're surrounded by Futurist soldiers. Somehow, they're staying upright – and each one points a gun at us. Schneider's body lies lifeless on the ground, rolling over in the wind, blood staining his path, the bodies of his soldiers similarly scattered.

The Futurist commander, recognisable in his lurid blue armour, raises a fist into the air.

'FIRE!'

Sammi steps forwards. And the air explodes.

*

I don't know what the hell is happening. The winds around Sammi are twisting, or constricting, and all of a sudden this huge mass of what looks like thickened air wraps itself around us. Sammi's balaclava has been blown off; her hair streaks freely in wild tendrils, standing on end – the wind its extension, spinning so fast, it makes my eyes water. It seems so solid – I let my concrete grip crumble, and find that I can move again. Inside the wind cocoon, the hurricanes can't touch us.

I stroke the side of the cocoon, and my hand slips through. I withdraw it quick as bullets hit and trickle down the sides; even though it's not really solid, the wind bubble is so dense that the bullets just bounce off like rain.

A hellish rain, but rain nonetheless.

'GO!' Sammi screams as another shower of bullets ricochets off the sides. She glances over her shoulder at us, her expression so fierce, so intense, I'm momentarily stunned. Stunned by her power. 'I don't know how long I can hold them for!'

'Go, go, go.' Paolera, with the true instincts of a captain, springs into action. Dimitrov lets go of me and we all pelt for the warehouse door. Rai reaches it first, and it clanks as he pushes.

'It's locked.'

Dimitrov swears, banging his huge fist against it.

'Oh, move out the way.' Brie shoulders Rai aside and inserts something long and thin into the lock. A spark, then a burst of flame – the inside of the lock blows. Brie kicks the door open with a smirk.

'Get in!' Paolera bellows as Brie and her team hurry inside – but I stay by the door, my fingers tightening around Rai's wrist. He hesitates too.

'But,' I say slowly. 'What about Sammi?'

She's still holding the wind cocoon around us, staggering as bullets hail down on her from all directions. Her knees buckle and she crashes to her knees; but still, the wind bubble holds.

Her cries ring in my ears.

'GO!' she shrieks.

Paolera curses, exchanging the quickest glance with Tanner.

'It's alright, I'll cover her.' Tanner sets his jaw, lifting his fist to his forehead. 'You can count on me, Captain. The rest of you, go.'

'But – Tanner –,'

'GO.' Tanner rushes to Sammi and lifts her up under the armpits. He wraps one of her arms around his neck and squares his shoulders, his back to us.

Paolera gives a short, curt nod. 'Fine. Kass, Rai, inside now, or I'll shoot your kneecaps and drag you in.'

Maybe this is what makes her so good in a crisis. But, I can't be so cold.

I've made my decision. 'I won't leave her.'

'Me either.' Rai shakes his head, then grins. 'We're a team. We stay together.'

'Fine. You asked for it.' Paolera's finger twitches, and then Rai does the weirdest thing – he steps in front of me, his arms spread wide.

'Please, Paolera, just wait!'

'Dude, what the hell?' I try to shove him out the way. I don't need his protection – an idea, something brilliant, has occurred to me. 'Paolera, please. I have an idea. Don't shoot – RAI?'

Paolera's gun goes off and Rai cries out – a white streak darts in front of him. There's a sickening crunch, and Henry crashes into Rai's stomach.

Rai staggers, winded. 'Henry?' He holds up Henry's body, a bullet-hole sizzling through the middle.

'What the hell, Paolera?' I roar. 'Just listen!'

'No. It's my job –,'

'SAMMI? Get here, NOW.'

I duck past Paolera and lunge at Sammi, who turns to me in Tanner's arms, her cheeks streaked with tears.

'Kass? W-what are you d-d-doing?'

'OI' Dimitrov yells. 'Get back here!' His arms seize me from behind, dragging me backwards, my feet scrabbling uselessly against the ground –

'Trust me, Sam! Step back until you reach the door, then I'll use my powers to barricade us in. Trust me, dammit. Please?'

Our eyes meet. She nods.

Dimitrov strikes me over the head and drags me back through the warehouse door. Tanner and Sammi are arguing, shouting, Rai's been forced inside by Paolera and Hughes too –

In all the confusion, Sammi trips. Tanner's trying to restrain her but she fights back, stronger somehow, struggling to reach the door. Somehow, in the scuffle, she topples backwards through the doorway and crashes down the stone steps.

With each thud, the wind cocoon cracks - and starts to collapse.

'IF YOU DON'T LET ME GO, DIMITROV, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE,' I roar.

The hands holding me disappear. Everyone's inside now except Tanner – he dives in as I sprint back up the stairs, just as the wind cocoon dissolved completely and is whipped away into the hurricane.

The Futurists are revealed. Bold and blue. They open fire.

My hands sink into the concrete floor by the doorway.

And the ground explodes upwards, rising and hitting the ceiling with an almighty crash. Dust sprinkles down from the ceiling.

A hundred bullets hit the door.

But we're safe. The doorway sealed shut.

*

'I told you to trust me,' I mutter, as we wander along a dimly-lit corridor. It's cold and I shiver; dull lanterns light up the tunnel, revealing faded tapestries that sprawl the lengths of the walls.

'Well, forgive me for being sceptical after your last performance,' Dimitrov snaps.

'Asshole.'

'Shh,' Paolera hisses. 'We have to tread carefully now. No more stunts, McKenzie – you're lucky that worked. One wrong move, and we could all die. You have to listen to me. Understand?'

'Right,' I mumble, heat rising up the back of my neck. I risk a glance at Brie; she's watching me, eyebrows raised. I raise my own back, and she scowls. Then, nods. Good, I grit my teeth. The plan is still on. We'll be teleporting with Brie any moment now.

But. . . Guilt is starting to churn my stomach. Dimitrov, Paolera, Tanner, Hughes. . . and all the other soldiers risking their lives to protect us. And we're about to stab them in the back?

No. They're risking their lives for the capsule. Not for us.

We're just weapons, remember? Just tools of war.

I stiffen my resolve and follow Paolera in silence, pretending to be fascinated by the tapestries. I can sense Rai's and Sammi's eyes on me, questioning, probably wanting to know if we're still going ahead. . .

But I can't risk trying to signal to them. Dimitrov is watching me too closely. I catch his eye and look down; jeez. The guy's like a scolding school teacher.

The tunnel is quiet. Almost too quiet. Our footsteps echo as we trudge onward, and I'm starting to wonder how much longer we'll have to keep up this charade. Brie seems totally at ease, a small smile playing on her lips as she appraises the tapestries.

'Odd, these, aren't they?' she smirks at us. 'I reckon they're the history of the Nuclear Wars. Look.' She points at a figure held down in chains. It's a particularly grizzly scene; the figure appears to be being tortured. 'I wonder if that's General Polinsky. She led the Slavskanistan army, you know. Lots of gruesome theories about what happened to her.'

'Hmm,' Paolera grunts, rolling her eyes as soon as Brie's back is turned. I get the distinct impression she didn't much like Brie.

I run my fingers along the tunnel walls under the tapestries as we walk. It's funny; before, I never really noticed what stuff is made out of. But now, I feel all the different textures: clay, sand, and all the metals intertwined. They react to me differently, too: the clay and sand almost reach out towards me, with a sort of willingness. The metals are different, harder, more resistant. As though they want nothing to do with me.

There's a crash in the distance. An enormous, invisible weight slams into my back.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

'Ugh!'

Rai stops in his tracks. 'Kass?' He turns and cries out – I'm almost bent double, the weights forcing me down. He rushes over to help, hauling me up by my arms. I pant, trying to shrug him off – but then, my breath catches in my chest.

Seriously? Oh, come on. Wheezing, I take a puff from my inhaler, wincing as I feel the concrete blocking the doorway take another hit. Rai reaches out again but I bat his hand away.

'Rai. Stop it. You're creeping me out,' I croak, wiping my mouth with my sleeve. It comes out snappier than I intend, and I feel a pang of regret as Rai sighs, dropping his hand and going red.

'Sorry.'

'Is the door breaking?' Sammi asks, dark circles shadowing her eyes. She looks exhausted.

I nod. 'I don't think it will hold much longer.' I glare at Brie. When are we teleporting out of here? We should be long gone by now. It's like she's forgotten her own mission.

Eventually, the tapestries end and the passageway narrows; nobody speaks. The soldiers communicate in anxious glances instead. We turn a corner and there, at last, is another door, with one last tapestry draped over it. It's the figure Brie pointed out earlier, Polinsky. Except this time, not being tortured. Here, she's smiling. Paolera takes a breath, her fist tightening on the handle.

'Ready?'

A splinter flutters from the ceiling onto her shoulder. Paolera brushes it off and we stare, watching it gently float to the ground. Together, we look up.

A crack spreads through the ceiling. Then –

It bursts open. Futurists pour down on top of us.

*

Everything's happening so fast. We dive to the ground as bullets rocket from above, flying everywhere, bouncing off the walls. Blood splatters my feet as one of our soldiers collapses.

Rough arms pick me up from behind.

'Dammit, Dimitrov, stop carrying me!'

Dimitrov storms through the Futurists like a bull, scattering them like bowling pins; he hurls me through the door behind the tapestry and I roll over. Rai lands next to me and the door is slammed closed.

'SEAL IT, KASS, SEAL IT!' Paolera screams.

I don't think – there isn't time. Sinking my arms deep into the stone floor, I send another barricade soaring up to the ceiling, trapping us inside. Screams echo from the other side of the door.

I haven't just trapped us inside. With us, is a small group of Futurists. They stare at me for half a second. Then, the fight continues.

Dimitrov attacks like a man possessed: one minute, shooting back to back with Paolera, the next, weaving in and out of the fray, dodging each and every Futurist attack. Brie and Hughes fight too, but the Futurists' armour is so strong; Hughes cries out and hits the floor, two Futurist soldiers bearing down to finish her off.

Next to me, Rai yells. I swivel around in time to see a great sheath of water burst from his hands across the floor, sending the Futurists slipping and sprawling to their knees. Then Brie is on top of them, her dagger slicing through the soft exposed flesh of their necks below their mesh helmets. Bright red blood spews out over the fresh aqua blue of their uniform.

Dimitrov takes up more space than all the soldiers put together, and merely roars with rage when a bullet burrows into his side. He dives at the Futurist responsible, pinning him up against the nearest wall, slamming him against it again, and again, until the soldier flops, limp, in his arms.

Spots start to dance in front of my eyes, and it suddenly occurs to me that I haven't taken a breath – in ages. I try to inhale but it's impossible, like sucking air through a brick wall. I bang my chest, knowing it wont help – oh god – this is worse than being useless, this is helpless. Rai's still beside me but he's not paying attention, he's got a half-empty canister in one hand and is too busy shooting water across the floor.

Behind him, a Futurist soldier staggers to her feet. Her eyes blaze with hatred behind her mesh helmet. She raises her gun, cocks her head, and pulls the trigger.

Henry's lights flash helplessly, his broken body spinning by Rai's feet.

Rai turns, horror dawning in his sapphire eyes.

And as everything starts to fade, I lunge and smack into Rai from the side, forcing him to the floor. The ground rises up to meet me, folding over us like it's tucking us into bed. I flinch as the bullets dance off the stone.

My cheek rests against Rai's chest, and finally, finally, I take a ragged breath.

Before everything dissolves into darkness.

*

It must have only been for a few minutes. Strong arms tug me upright, propping me against a wall; my neck jerks. My lungs are itchy. The breath I tried so hard to suck in is now fighting for a way out. On instinct, I reach for my inhaler, and the belt across my chest slowly starts to relaxed. With every breath, things come back to me.

The ceiling.

The Futurists.

Bullets everywhere – Dimi, horrifyingly fast –

The soldier behind Rai. . .

'Rai?' My voice scratches. Clearing my throat, I bring a shaking hand to my eyes.

What will I do if he's dead?

'Yeah?'

I can hear him. I can even feel him. But I can't look. Just in case. Kitty, my parents, Niven – it's all still too much. Tears prick my eyes. I can't lose you too.

Arms tuck themselves around me. Not rough, jolting arms like Dimi's. Gentle. Safe. I rest my head on his shoulder, letting him hold me, if only for a moment. Then, I pull away. And open my eyes.

As though nothing happened, Rai flops beside me and nudges me with his shoulder. 'Thanks, Kass. You saved my ass.' His cheeks are very pink.

'Nah. Just my own. You got in the way.'

'Not now.' We glance up as Paolera kneels down in front of us. She looks as though she's aged thirty years. Dirt and sweat streak her cheeks, and blood is smeared all across her torso. But it's her eyes that look the worst. She's lost so many troops; I suddenly understood why she acts so hard all the time. It's better than giving in to the ghosts.

'Look around you,' she continues. 'We don't have much time.'

CRAP.

More pieces of the puzzle flood back.

The capsule. Brie's rescue mission.

The screaming from the other side of the door.

'Holy crap,' I whisper. The scene around me. . . Bodies are strewn across the floor. Hughes is kneeling, panting heavily, clutching her bleeding stomach. Brie leans against my concrete barricade covering the doorway, frowning as she flicks blood from her dagger to the floor. Dimitrov hovers behind Paolera, fiddling with his temporary wormhole, shaking it and calling: 'Tanner, Tanner, can you hear me? Hello?'

'Where's Sammi?' My voice comes out strangled. 'Where is she?'

Brie cocks her head at the door. And I realise – I must have shut her out. Shut her on the other side. I let out a moan and sink my head into my hands.

No more noises filter through from outside the door. Perhaps this room is sound-proof? Otherwise, it must mean their fight is over too. And if it is over. . . Then the Futurists must have finished it off. They would have had unlimited backup through that hole in the ceiling. Sammi. I'm so. . . I didn't mean. . .

This room is a prison. It feels small. It isn't; in reality, it's actually quite large, but it has all the claustrophobic traits that make small rooms hostile. The walls close in on you; it's dark, no ventilation, trapping in the musty, stale stench. The air tastes thick, a sharp metallic twang against my tongue. A knot of chunky silver cables run under our feet, making the floor bumpy. They congregate in the centre of the room, coiling around to form a pillar that looks a bit like a tree-stump. No one willing to go anywhere near it.

For inside the mass of coiled cables is a figure.

A person.

'The capsule,' Paolera breathes.

My head spins. Not again. Not again. Unlike the first capsule, this person is awake; they raise their head and open their eyes, staring at us. Demure and silent inside the coil.

It's definitely a she. And not just any she – I recognise her at once. It's the woman from the tapestry, the Slavskani General whose portrait hung over the door. But in real life, her skin is mottled, dark grey visinium having spread through most of her body. Only a few patches of skin are still visible: her left cheekbone, under her right ear. Her hair is long and scraped away from her face, but each strand is stiff, dark and set, a marble statue. The whites of her eyes are grey, her irises, grey.

Deep, dark grey. Blank, unseeing grey.

'No.' I bury my head in my knees. 'It's not fair. It's not fair.'

'Life isn't fair, McKenzie.' Paolera seizes the front of my suit and drags me to my feet. 'You think we wanted to kill those Futurists? Of course, we didn't. This is just what you have to do in war!'

'That can't be true.' Rai drops one of his empty canisters; the clang as it hits the stone floor reverberates around the room, too loud. 'No one has to be a killer. I can't. . . I can't accept that.'

'Exactly,' I say, trying to shove Paolera away. 'This is bullshit.'

'What –? This is the job you came here to do! What on earth were you expecting, a day out at the seaside?' Dimitrov bellows. He snatches me from Paolera, shaking me until my neck snaps.

'Get off.' I struggle uselessly in his arms. Furious, I turn to Brie, still slouched against my barricade picking dirt from underneath her nails. 'What the hell, Brie? We shouldn't even be here!'

'Ah, yes.' Brie's eyebrows stay locked in a frown. But her small, mocking smile is back. Mocking me. 'Your charming little blackmail plan. What did you want again? To tag along with me instead of doing your own mission?'

Dimitrov slams me against the wall, his face contorting with rage.

'What? You – were – what?' Each word an accusation. Punctuated with betrayal.

'Nice try, little boy.' Brie kicks off against the barricade, and a rock crumbles down; she ducks out of its way and walks over to Rai. Her smile grows into a grin as she swings a lazy arm over his shoulder, chuckling as he flinches violently away. 'You really thought I could be blackmailed so easily? Please. I rule the black market. You think I haven't seen every trick in the book?'

'Blackmail? But. . . I thought. . .' Rai peters out and turns to me in confusion, his eyes searching, disbelieving. Dimitrov drops me and I slump down the wall. I can't even look at Rai. Not now. . .

'Obviously I alerted Paolera right away and postponed my mission. So well done, little boy – all you succeeded in doing was delaying the recovery of your fellow misfit. Nice job, good going.'

I glare up at her through hooded eyes. Hate pools in my fists, clouding my thoughts, clouding everything. 'Damn it. . . Damn you. . .'

'Enough.' Paolera clunks the handle of her gun onto Brie's back; Brie yelped and backed away, rubbing her shoulder and muttering.

'Enough,' Paolera repeats, staring down at me sternly. Another chunk of rock broke off my barricade and smashes to the floor. I feel it, as though it's me weakening, as though it's my bones being chipped away. 'You need to destroy the capsule, and you need to do it now. Or none of us will make it out of here alive.'

'No.'

I know Rai thinks I'm in denial. And maybe I am, but it's more than that. The thought of looking someone in the eye and ending their life. . . Even if it's justice. Even if it's revenge. It still scares me in a way I can't even describe.

I guess I'm just weak.

'Can't we at least try to find another way? Surely killing can't be the only answer. Can't we, I dunno, try to cut her out or something –?'

Hughes cries out and slumps to the floor. Dimitrov rushes over to her. 'Dammit, Kass,' he thunders. 'Stop being such a child and let us get out of here!'

'He can't,' Brie snorts, tossing her dagger from hand to hand. 'He can't help it – he's just a pathetic little boy who can't even be a weapon. Well, what about you, Rai?'

Rai looks at me. A muscle tenses in his jaw.

'Don't do it, Rai.' I speak quietly. Our eyes lock. He bites his lip, then slowly shakes his head.

'I can't,' he whispers.

Brie shrugs. 'That's okay. Like a little brat once told me –,' she winks at me. 'I guess I'm more telling, than asking.'

Rai tries to bolt but she's too fast; before I can blink, she's on top of him, wrestling him flat against her body, pinning his arms behind his back. I lunge for her legs but am floored by a kick to the gut – then Dimitrov's fist smashes into my face. I lie on my back, gasping.

'No – get off me –,'

Brie's control of Rai is so well-practised; I wonder just how many people she's threatened, pinned-down. The water canisters on Rai's back are empty and useless; he struggles in her arms, just as useless.

'You'll do whatever I want,' she hisses in his ear.

Pain flashes across his face, and something inside me snaps.

'IF YOU LAY A FINGER ON HIM –,'

Click. The barrel of Paolera's gun locks against my temple. I stared forwards, as Brie forces Rai towards the capsule. Her dagger is wedged against his side; he stumbles, and Brie's wrist flicks – a damp circle appears on his suit. Henry thrashes about on the floor, spinning pointlessly in a circle.

'Well, this turned nasty pretty quick, didn't it,' I spit. 'Didn't take much for you to turn on us.'

'We haven't turned on you, idiot. We're just doing our jobs, and making sure you do yours,' Paolera hisses. I watch, pinned down by Dimitrov, only too aware of the coldness of Paolera's gun against my forehead. Bile rises in my stomach as Brie pushes Rai over the coils at the foot of the pillar.

'So, how do we blow this bitch up, exactly – aaargh!'

She screams and sinks to her knees, dragging Rai down on top of her. He scrambles out of her grasp as she staggers back to her feet, panting.

'Dammit!' She spits, wiping her forehead. Sweat pours down her brow, her breathing laboured. 'What the hell?'

Grabbing Rai by the upper arm, she tries to drag him forwards again but this time, the effect is instantaneous; she gives another shriek of pain as she collapses, shivering violently over of the knot of cables.

'Get back, Brie,' Paolera shouts. 'The capsule will make you sick. Only the Elementalists can get that close, remember? What's wrong with you?'

Brie roars in frustration, but slithers backwards, covering her head with her arms.

'Kass or Rai will do it,' Paolera breaths. 'They have to. We're relying on them. They have to.'

'Or what?' Rai pants, leaning his head against the grey pillar.

'I'll shoot.' Her face sets, and she shoves the gun hard against my temple. 'I'm sorry, Rai, but this is it. Do it, or I will shoot him.'

'So, it really does have to be us,' Rai says softly. His shoulders sags as he lets out a long, weary sigh. 'Fine. I'll do it.'

'No!' I yell, but Dimitrov slams his palm over my mouth; I try to punch him, kick him, anything – but it's pointless, like trying to move a mountain. Another chunk, even bigger than the last, breaks off the barricade.

I bite down hard on Dimitrov's hand, ignoring his scream. 'She's bluffing! They'd never shoot me!'

'It's okay, Kass.' Rai steps back, tilting his head up so he can see the capsule better. 'This person deserves better. She deserves more than living in hell like this.'

'TRAITOR!'

Dimitrov's arms tighten around me as I writhe and thrash, reduced to watching, helpless, as Rai raises his hand up to the capsule.

It blinks, its huge, blind eyes searching for us.

'You're the traitor,' Brie hisses, her voice slicing the tension like her dagger. 'Using Rai's dirty little secrets to blackmail me. Like I care. I'm not in this business to be liked.'

'You – you did what?' Rai spins round, his hand inches from the capsule. The last of the colour drains from his face. He stares at the floor, clenched fists trembling.

'That doesn't matter now!' I scream. 'Rai, don't do this. Remember what you said – you told us you don't want to be used! You don't want to be a pawn anymore!'

'I guess this is just who I am,' he shrugs, his voice dull and lifeless. 'A pawn. A weapon. Maybe there's no escape, no getting past it. I am who I am. What I am.'

Then he looks at me with fire in his eyes.

'And if being a pawn means you don't get shot? Well, so be it – I guess that makes me RESIST's latest pawn.'

He slams his hand down onto the capsule's heart – and all I see next is the blast.