Set Alight

Chapter 27

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ashton's blood curdling scream is one of fear, not pain, and of a little girl.

"Shut up, baby," I taunt, rolling my eyes even as Vlad recovers the shock of my attack on Ashton.

"What'd..." He glances down at his now glowing hand. "What'd you do?"

I throw up a shield, but it flickers from weakness. I growl at the draining ectoplasm in my body. It's taken a huge hit already and its naturally replenishing power is getting sucked straight from me to him. 

Ashton is still in a strange fascination of his hands, which have a faint whitish green glow.

"ASHTON!" I shout, and he glances up. His surprise brings his eyes to mine, and I nearly gasp. Ashton's gray blue eyes are the same color of Danny's-- a bright neon green. And glowing. Like flashlights. I bite back the comment on it. "Please, focus."

"What can I do?" His tone isn't helpful; it's annoyed.

My shield shatters under Vlad's next attack.

"My ectoplasm is at an all-time low," I explain, using my fire to send a counterattack. When the heat dies down, I continue. "I need you to get everyone out of here and come back."

"To do what?"

"Open your eyes, Ashton!"

"Emma." I glance at him, my hands up protectively, shooting fire. He looks at me sincerely. "What--exactly-- did you do?"

I give a grim smile. "I made you a temporary halfa."

"WHAT?!"

"GOOO!" I shout/whine.

"Going," he returns hollowly.

I continue my fast-paced, heated fire fight, Vlad and I both trying to get fire onto each others' skin, as Ashton stumbles along with his newly acquired flight. Granted, he's picking it up fast, just not fast enough.

There might confusion on how in the heck I've been able to keep up with Vlad, who has forty year's experience (so Danny told me at some point) with the comparatively same fire power.

But there's a difference between him and me that's monumental.

I'm a born halfa.

Danny once mentioned in passing that all halfas, because their human personas grow and change, grow in power. The older and more "lively" you get, the more power. But I was born this way. Danny, of course, was talking about Jack at the time, and I hadn't known it applied to me also.

The most growth occurs from birth to around sixteen to eighteen. Spikes at childhood and puberty. Danny got his powers just before/ right after puberty started, so his powers grew exponentially the first few years of his ghosthood. But Jack and I were born with Danny's power when he conceived us, so it's grown much faster than his ever did.

But it's all just speculation.

The point is, Vlad got his powers a few years after the prime growth time. His powers have steadily increased, but not with the raw speed of the other four halfas (including Ellie, although she is a copy so she was only half strong to begin with--because of incomplete genetic code, I'd assume-- so she's not as strong).

So yes, he's more experienced. Maybe a little more powerful.

But not by enough.

So he underestimates me. The most dangerous of mistakes you can possibly make in a fight.

Plus, you know, thousand year old justice machine hardwired to my soul, feeding me power and experience.

We're duly equal matched.

The heat, however, has started to melt metal and heat whatever's still intact, so Danny, Ellie and Jack are trying desperately to put aside their pain and lift the others into the air. Ashton... HURRY!

I continue the fight, using more and more fire while trying to cut back.

When I spare glance back, Lindsey and Sam are gone. I continue the fight. Next risk I take, Tucker and Ashton's parents are gone.

The third glance I take is my undoing.

Vlad anticipates it. He's been trying to get around me to attack the weaker, but I haven't let him. So he's watching. He waited until two or three more were gone, charging up a powerful ectoblast.

The second I look away...

BAM!

Okay, I'm not hit by a bus, so sorry to disappoint. But I'm harshly blown to the side, my head hitting against the wall painfully. Vlad hits me again, this time in the leg, as I violently throw myself into the air to avoid a direct hit.

Sent spiraling, I crash into a wall, but because it's melting from the heat, I kind of squish into it. The hot metal (thank all heavens above) can't scorch me because my skin is the same temperature, or maybe hotter. I don't know.

But I'm stuck for the time being.

Horribly.

Hot metal is sticky, because it's starting to harden, but my heat keeps it just barely liquid. So I'm stuck in metal jello.

It's fun. You know, not like I have a bloodthirsty Cheerio after me or anything.

Or was it fruitloop?

Meh.

"Cheerio!" I scream at Vlad's receding back as he prepares to go towards where Ashton is now looping Ellie's hand around his shoulder. He turns. "OH MY FIRE I can't believe you ANSWERED!" I shriek again, pulling with my flight out of the wall.

I'm still dripping almost lava though, so... not much of a plus.

"Trouble?" he smirks.

I glance down. "Little bit. But I've decided to be your daughter again. Hug it out?"

He snorts. Ashton takes Ellie and Danny in each arm, with Jack weakly holding to his neck, and zooms jerkily away.

I sigh. That's everyone. Benedict and Jazz were the ones right before them, and I don't think anybody else was ever there.

But that leaves the fact that I'm injured, exhausted, and alone.

Wildfire, my fire strains out.

Still here.

Heat... Heat Wave... Pure heat... Take down the ceiling...

I consent in a heartbeat.

I pull at her, all of her, as Vlad sends another ectoblast. I slam to the floor, but not like a defeated, lonely puppy.

Like a bomb.

His ectoblast releases everything inside me, sending the lab to pieces, him away, melting any remaining metal with the amber colored power.

And like the first time, my fire leaves a hole that only my unconsciousness can fill.

I slip into oblivion.