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A loud crash from above.
Nick raised his head, as if in a dream.
The ceiling of the cafeteria cracked, then broke apart, the pieces floating in air as the night sky appeared above them, the stars blinking coldly. Then the stars were blotted out by a figure appearing through the hole in the ceiling.
His costume was the same as it’d been before, black and bulky, the front of his helmet opaque. The large sections of broken ceiling swirled around him as he lowered to the ground. Once his feet hitthe floor, he turned his head slowly toward Nick. And though he couldn’t see his face or eyes, Nick knew he was looking right at him.
“How did you know?” Nick whispered, a tear trickling down his cheek.
TK said, “I’ve been watching. You wanted a lesson? You’ve got one.” He held out his hand toward Nick.
Without hesitating, Nick took what was offered. TK pressed Nick’s hand against the ice.
“Nicky!” he heard his father cry, but it was so far away.
“Focus,” TK whispered, hand on top of Nick’s. “Feel it. It’s there; I know it is. You know it is. Hold tight. It’ll try and break free, overtake you, but it’s part of you and you can control it. It’s yours. And remember: it’s easier to stand together than it is to struggle apart. Nowpush.”
He did. It was easier than he expected it to be. The pressure built, but there was an ebb and flow to it, like waves on a beach. Nick closed his eyes, and there, in the remains of the tangled knot: the spark, burning like the sun. He closed his hand around it gently. It struggled against him, trying to break free, but he held it close, whispering to it that it was safe, thattheywere safe, that it was okay, everything would be all right.
The spark pulsed once. Twice.
In his mind, Nick opened his eyes, and then his hand.
The spark floated above his palm. It rose a few inches above his hand, near his face. It moved forward, brushing against the tip of his nose before it began to vibrate. It shook and trembled, and then it sank down to his hand.
Intohis hand.
Warmth like Nick had never experienced barreled through him, covering every inch of him with a prickly heat. It wasn’t comfortable, but the further it spread, the more it merged with him, the easier it became. His. It was all his. He didn’t need it to be extraordinary, but there it was, all the same.
In the ruins of the cafeteria, he opened his eyes, looking at TK’s gloved hand pressed against his. The ice was cold, water sluicing against his palm.
And then he pushed. He felt when TK did the same, and it felt like music, harmonious and strong. A wave of energy rose through Nick, meeting one that came from TK. It was familiar, synchronous, and for a moment, Nick thought of a lighthouse, the cold, salty air.
The ice shattered. All of it shattered with a mighty crack, the ice wall turning into powder, falling like heavy snow.
And through the remains, Ice and Smoke, standing above Pyro Storm, battered and bloodied.
Still holding TK’s hand, Nick moved forward, ice particles trailing against his face. Smoke’s eyes widened as Nick pushed again. The air around them stuttered before Smoke was knocked off her feet, sliding along the ground. Ice shouted for her but was cut off when Nick stared at him. He jerked his head to the right, and Ice crashed into the ground next to his twin.
Letting go of TK, Nick rushed toward Seth, who was pushing himself up off the ground as he spat out a thick wad of blood.
“Nick,” Seth muttered as Nick helped him up. “You … thank you.”
“We’re getting out of here,” Nick told him, putting an arm around Seth’s waist. “We need to—”
“Lookout!” TK shouted.
A column of smoke burst between them, knocking them away from each other. Seth crumpled to the ground, head bouncing off the floor. Nick landed on his back, blinking up at the hole in the ceiling. The stars looked brighter than he could remember. The metal struts in the ceiling hung uselessly, and as he pushed himself up, his hands slipped in the water on the floor.
Water.
Smoke.
Ice.
Metal.
Fire.
