It is the way of evolution,” Elias says, his words getting lost in the roar of the wind. “Two species of human cannot coexist. To believe so is to be naïve.

The coldness coats my senses. I envision it turning into a stone wall as thick as the depths of their lies. I picture it towering before me, barring the portion of my brain which controls emotions.

I conjure a small box and plant it in front of the stone wall of my mind. I open it and imagine three words fluttering into it like tufts of cotton on a gentle breeze. As my eyes burrow into the depths of her own, I seal the box and send it floating to a place where her subconscious will find it.

Ohhhh! What do we have here? That don’t sound like no man cry, ’less the rats gone and brung some boys to fight.”

He takes slow, lewd steps toward me, his eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth curled. His tongue strokes his upper lip as he bends over me and extends a hand. I try to stop another squeal from forcing its way through my closed mouth, but I can’t.

“Ahhhh yes!”

He crouches over me. A few inches lower and he would be sitting on my chest. I can smell his burnt flesh, but it’s nothing compared to his odor. My nose and throat burn from his stench. I would gag if I could.

He extends a battered hand and taps the glass of my goggles with his fingertips then rips them off my face. The strap yanks strands of hair from the back of my head. I try to scream from the pain, and my lungs feel like they’re bursting instead. He plants the goggles on my chest and laces his fingers, tracing his tongue across his lips. He winks at me, and I understand utter disgust.

My fingers flex as I extend my palms toward the creatures and the light. Energy pulses through me as the core of this dead land calls to me. More metal surrounds me, and I can feel it surging through me: the machine beast, the netting, even the faces of these creatures all consist of metal.

The creature snaps its head back at me and lunges, aiming its weapon at me. I jump to the side in terror, raising my hands to protect me from the blow. The creature flies backward, landing on the ground with a thud.

“What the hell is she doin’?”

“Jab her!”

I feel the energy rising within me. Or fear. Or both.
Voices yell. Feet trample the ground. They run toward me. A grunt rises in my chest as my arms thrust forward, acting on their own. I watch it like a dream as my hands clench, and my fingers retract into claws.
A thunderous shrill of ripping metal pierces the air. The iron fist rips in two. The creatures shout words as the two massive pieces of metal hover in the air. My arms cross then swing outward, sending the pieces hurtling beyond the lights and into the darkness.

Several of them dash toward me. I scream. My fingers aim at the creatures and curl. As my arms drop to my sides, I watch in terror as the creatures fall to the ground by their bronze faces.

My eyes burn from the stinging air. I feel like I am in a nightmare. I cannot control this power within me, and it terrifies me.

Master Red is who I am. You best be gettin’ used to that. Otherwise, when the time come to fly outta this hell, I just might shove you off the side of yo big bird friend and laugh when you hit the ground.

My chest and throat burn from my wheezing breath booming in my ears. But my hands—they’re ice cold. My shoulders heave as my fingers dig into my palms. They’re desperate for Max’s signal, but it doesn’t come.

My breath grows louder and high pitched as I scan the green darkness for Fuges. What I see instead makes me almost choke on the rotten air. It’s not the Fuges. It’s soldiers. Seven of them lower their weapons, obviously as confused as we are.