The sound of wind roared past Urban as she fell. It smacked her in the face, making it difficult to breathe. Her heart pounded wildly at the approaching cars and bridge below. In her peripheral she saw a Flyer, but it wasn’t Ash. She twisted her head and saw Ash and the Super still fighting above.

At that moment, strong arms grabbed her and jerked her upward.

Urban looked up and found herself staring into the masked face of a Flyer.

The same Flyer who saved her at the motorcycle race and followed her the first day on campus.

“You have to help Ash!” she screamed at him. She craned her neck to try and spot Ash. “Ash!”

“As your protector, I must get you to safety first,” the masked Flyer replied calmly. His voice had a foreign accent.

“What?” Urban faltered. “My protector?”

“I’m Trig.”

Details that had baffled her started clicking into place. Not only was her bodyguard a Camo but also a Flyer. That’s why he was nearly impossible to shake off. He must be from the Western Federation, where having two enhancements wasn’t that uncommon. That’s why he had an accent.

Urban turned her attention back to the skies. Was Ash okay? She spotted him in the distance with flashes of red and blue surrounding him. “Ash!” she screamed. She tugged at her rescuer. “We have to help him!”

“I have to get you to safety.”

“No! Go back,” Urban insisted.

But Trig only continued his descent.

Frustration bubbled up in Urban. Why wasn’t he listening? She was tempted to fight Trig but knew that would probably end poorly. If she won, she’d only succeed in plummeting to her death.

Her gazed returned to the two tiny figures fighting far in the sky. Ash had sacrificed so much for her. How could she just leave him?

Trig hauled her back to the side of the Reservoir she and Ash had just flown over. A navy car idled on the side of the road.

A door opened, and Lillian waved from within the vehicle. “Get in!”

Trig touched down gracefully onto the pier, and they both sprinted to the car. No sooner was the door closed behind them than the car skidded away onto the bridge.

“I’m so glad Trig got to you.” Lillian’s face was ashen. “I saw that Super up there and then you were falling and . . .” Lillian’s voice trailed off.

Urban wanted to ask Lillian about how she’d found Trig for hire, then remembered something. Trig had been there her first day of class. But that was before Lillian had hired him. So why had he been there?

Urban hesitated, questions burning, but decided Ash was the current priority. “We have to help my friend Ash! He risked his life for me and is still battling that psycho.”

“There’s not much we can do,” Lillian said apologetically. “But I think your friend can take care of himself. The attacker isn’t targeting him, after all.”

Urban wasn’t so sure, but she knew that tone. Lillian wouldn’t budge. Not to mention, since her sister was the one who had called the vehicle, she had access over it and could override any of Urban’s commands to stop the car or try and get out.

In the silence, Trig retracted his mask. Urban took in his features for the first time. He was impeccably dressed and looked like he belonged at a fashion show, not invisibly trailing people.

“Surprised?” Trig asked as if reading her thoughts. “I’m from the African Federation. It’s a lottery system there, and I was the lucky winner of two main gene-pool enhancements.”

Urban had a million questions but decided to focus on the most pressing issue at hand. “Do you guys know who’s following me? The guy has Camo, Super, and Flyer abilities and maybe even Inventor enhancements. That’s four! I thought that was genetically impossible.”

Trig patted his voluptuous hair smooth. “Apparently not.”

Lillian grimly dislodged her daggers and spun them deftly in her hands.

“Roll down the windows,” Lillian commanded the car.

But the windows remained closed.

Lillian frowned. “I said roll down the windows.”

Still nothing. Lillian glanced around the interior of the car. “Anyone have a bag in case I need to throw up?”

Urban was about to respond when a rumbling boom shook the car.

The car trembled so violently Trig hit his head on the ceiling.

Urban tumbled to the floor. She peered out the window and let out a choked scream. “The bridge. It’s—it’s gone!” How was it possible that the road in front of them simply disappeared into water? Horror filled her. Had their attacker blown up the bridge to try and drown them?

“Stop the car,” Lillian ordered.

Nothing happened.

“There’s something wrong with the car.” Lillian’s eyes feverishly darted about in QuanNao. “I don’t have access.”

Urban yanked at the door handle. “It’s locked!”

“Whoever is attacking us must have your SCA PIN,” Lillian grimaced and clutched her stomach. “That’s how he hacked you before, in the motorcycle race. It also means he has control of our car right now.”

“But how?” Urban asked, horrified.

“We’re almost to the end of the bridge,” Trig said, the first trace of concern in his voice. “We need to get out now.”

“I’m trying to do a manual override,” Lillian said tensely.

Urban watched as their car zoomed toward the gaping hole in the bridge. “Hurry!”

“It’s not working.” Lillian punched the car door in frustration.

“We’re not going to make it.” Trig’s voice was tight.

Urban’s throat went dry. Water. Trapped underwater. Anything but this. Images of her breath running out as Lucas dragged her to the bottom of their pool swirled in her head.

“Plan B it is,” Lillian continued grimly. “Strap in, guys.”

Urban’s face was ashen. “We’ll drown.”

“Do it,” her sister ordered.

Urban obliged.

With a lurch, the car sailed off the pavement. Time seemed to slow as they plummeted toward the dark green liquid mass.

“Hug your knees,” Lillian commanded.

As they neared the water’s surface, a blue orb popped up around the three of them as Lillian released a force field.

Then they slammed into the water. The impact knocked the wind out of Urban, momentarily stunning her.

The car began sinking. With it went Urban’s last shred of hope.

Dots clouded her vision as growing amounts of water lapped against them. The pulsing blue force field kept a bubble of air protectively encompassing the three of them even as they slipped further into the icy depths.

“What now?” Urban asked, voice quavering as she tried desperately to rein in her panic.

“We wait,” Lillian said simply. “I’ve run a few different calculations. We have forty-three minutes before we run out of air.” She gave Urban a knowing look. “That’s only if we breath normally.”

Urban closed her eyes in an effort to stop hyperventilating. It’s fine. We have enough air. It’s fine.

“So, we wait for our attacker to assume we’re dead?” Trig remarked.

Lillian nodded. “I should be able to get us out of the car by then.”

With a bump, the car settled at the bottom of the Reservoir.

Trig stretched and leaned back. He kicked his feet up on the seat in front of him and stared at the fish swimming past his window.

Urban tried to focus on her breathing and not the fact they were deep underwater. Trapped. We’re going to make it out alive. I can breathe, she consoled herself. But why is someone trying to kill me? Are they gone now?

As if in answer, something thumped against the car, throwing Urban off balance. “What was that?” She looked out the window.

“Interesting. He’s also an Aqua,” Trig observed.

“Five enhancements?” Urban could hardly believe it. “That’s basically a human weapon.”

Lillian’s eyes darkened. “Yes. It is”

Sure enough, while they couldn’t see anyone, bubbles and water currents streaked past them in the wake of the Super as he swam away. If Ash hadn’t beat the Super, that could only mean . . .

No.

Urban refused to allow that possibility in. Ash was okay. He had to be.

The Aqua slapped a device onto the trunk of the car. It began rapidly beeping.

“Cover your head!” Lillian ordered.

Boom!

Everything flashed red, then went dark.

When Urban’s ears stopped ringing and her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed the blue force field still held but had shrunk.

“All right, new plan.” Lillian unbuckled her seatbelt. “Get to the surface as fast as possible. Underwater is our attacker’s home turf.”

“So is the ground,” Urban pointed out as she wriggled away from her seatbelt. “And the air.”

“We have to take the fight to land where we at least stand a chance,” Lillian said.

Another explosion detonated, throwing Urban forward onto the floor. The force field flickered but held firm, though it decreased in size again.

Outside of the protective blue force field bubble, Urban saw the car breaking into several pieces. The roof fell away, along with one of the doors.

“Tiana,” Lillian exclaimed. “Looks like he has an underwater NBI.”

“A what?” Urban balked.

“An NBI. Neutral-beam injector.” Lillian switched several settings on her metal arrow. “Never mind. Just hold on to me.”

Urban eyed the device. “What are you doing?”

“Blasting us out of here.”

“Will that work?” Urban grabbed on tight to her sister.

“I’ve been working on this underwater upgrade for a while, but it’s just a prototype,” Lillian confessed.

Trig wrapped his long arms around Urban and Lillian, encompassing them with his wings.

“Hurry, I think he’s coming back,” Urban urged.

Lillian dialed the setting to high, then fired the weapon down at the ground. The force of it propelled them in the opposite direction, upward.

They were halfway to the surface when an invisible body hit them so hard Urban’s teeth rattled. The force field shrunk so it barely encased the tips of Trig’s wings.

Their momentum no longer carried them. They slowed to a stop in the middle of the Reservoir—twenty feet from the surface.

Lillian looked up. “Looks like my prototype needs a bit more work.” She checked several settings. “And my force field can’t take many more hits.”

Another body slam sent them spinning in circles.

“What if Trig pulls us out?” Urban offered, desperate to find a way. “Could you shoot your arrow thing up to him, and he could fly us out of here?”

“Nothing like a good experiment to find out.” Lillian unstrapped her goggles from her suit and handed them to Trig. “Take these.”

The invisible attacker battered into them again. The force field was now so small, it was hard to breathe.

Urban squeezed her eyes shut to keep from panicking. Each breath came labored. She wasn’t sure if it was the oncoming panic or an actual lack of oxygen. She could only hope it wasn’t her asthma.

“We have enough energy for just one shot, so don’t miss it,” Lillian warned. “Now go!”

Trig launched himself out of the force field and swam upward. Lillian waited one second, then two. Movement in the water alerted them to their attacker’s presence, heading toward Trig.

“Close your eyes,” Lillian instructed Urban.

A bright light filled the water, and the Aqua roared.

When Urban opened her eyes, Trig was gone. Relief filled her. Hopefully that meant Trig had made it safely to the surface. But it also meant Lillian and Urban were alone in the water with their attacker.

With the last propulsion of her weapon, Lillian launched her arrow skyward, and it disappeared out of the water and into the air.

Nothing happened. Then they started sinking.

Panic clawed at Urban. They were so close to the surface and yet so far away.

Urban gripped the chain alongside Lillian. She needed something to hold on to. The chain tightened.

“He got it!” Lillian declared in triumph.

With the chain pulling them, they shot quickly to the surface and broke through to fresh air. They glided on top of the water as Trig dragged them toward shore. Lillian released her now-miniature force field, and they all collapsed on the cold, muddy beach, gasping for breath.

“Where did he go?” Trig panted.

“Don’t know.” Lillian sat up and looked around. “I ordered a car be dropped and requested a protector-bot. They won’t be here for another fifteen minutes though. In the meantime, Trig, scout the perimeter. I’ll protect Urban. Let’s meet at the road.”

Lillian spoke with more authority than Urban had ever heard from her. Trig launched himself into the air and shimmered out of sight.

Lillian threw up her one remaining force field, then they made their way toward the road.

The city and its accompanying sounds were long gone. The bridge and the main road were far away, and they were in a sparse forest, silent except for the wind howling through the dead trees. They stuck to an overgrown trail as they headed up a hill.

They were entering through a small clearing when Urban felt it—the whoosh of air. It seemed so out of place in the quiet, it took Urban a second to place it.

“Incoming!” Trig warned from somewhere above.

There was a sizzling sound as if something were being charged or booted up, and then, a scarlet streak of electricity shot out toward them from the sky. With a loud pop, Lillian’s force field disappeared.

“Stupid NBIs,” Lillian muttered.

The sisters sprinted toward tree cover. Lillian pushed Urban behind her and scanned the sky. Her laser daggers pulsed blue at the ready.

Urban detached her stun shield and activated it. How she was supposed to use it on an invisible attacker, she wasn’t sure, but she had to try.

The overcast clouds were no help either. Urban glanced up, hoping to spot a break of sunshine. All we need is his shadow. But the gray clouds were thick and heavy, and Urban knew they couldn’t wait around in such a vulnerable position.

A swishing noise grew nearer.

One second, Lillian was standing in front of Urban, the next, she was hurtled into a tree several meters off.

“Lillian!” Urban screamed, watching her sister slump to the ground.

Lillian moaned. Swaying from the impact, she slowly got back to her feet.

Urban scanned her surroundings.

Thud.

The force of the Super landing nearby caused the earth to tremble. She felt the vibration of each giant step coming toward her.

She still couldn’t see anything when thick hands grabbed her from the front. He put her in a choke hold. Something hit her stun shield, deactivating it.

Urban’s body froze in terror. She was now defenseless—just like always. I have to do something.

Clunk.

One of Lillian’s metallic arrows struck the attacker, the force of it knocking the wind out of Urban and jolting her out of her panic. Her attacker must be wearing heavy armor, because he merely grunted at the arrow lodged in his protective exoskeleton.

Lillian pulled on her chain, attempting to reel the attacker in. Instead, she was jerked off her feet. The attacker pulled her toward him with one hand, while keeping a firm grip on Urban with the other.

Urban seized the opportunity and twisted to escape, but it felt like a block of cement was sitting on her.

She wracked her brain for a jiujitsu escape technique, but all those scenarios on the ground hadn’t prepared her for a choke from behind. She tried throwing her elbows at his head.

The attacker tightened his grip, which imprisoned her.

Lillian was also having difficulty. The Super continued reeling her in like a fish as she struggled wildly. A tide of dirt accumulated before her feet as she forced her heels into the ground. When she was only a meter away, the attacker turned and swung his hand ax at her.

Lillian quickly rolled out of the way just in time.

The attacker leaped into the air, squeezing Urban all the more. As they got further away from the safety of ground, she felt sick with dread.

“Save Urban!” Trig yelled as he slammed into the attacker.

The impact set Urban’s teeth on edge but caused the attacker to let go. The force of it also dissolved both Flyers’ Camo abilities, so they were clearly visible as they plummeted.

Urban fell with them but out of reach.

“Peppa, Dede, do your thing!” Lillian released her two hoverdrones, and they flew toward Urban.

Everything was a blur of motion.

Right as the bots reached her, ropes shot out of them like webbing from a spider. They wrapped around her like snakes constricting their prey. The wind whistled through her ears as she fell. Netting sliced her skin, and she stopped falling abruptly.

To her surprise, she found she was dangling from a net in a tree.

“Maybe her hoverdrones are a little bit more advanced than most,” Urban muttered to herself as she examined the ropes holding her upside down. From her vantage point, she watched as Trig and the Super crash to the ground. As the dust settled, the Super vanished.

All was silent.

“Trig!” Lillian screamed and sprinted toward him.

Trig tried to sit up but collapsed.

A tickling sensation crept up her throat. A wave of dread washed over her. With every barrage on her lungs, her asthma would flare up again. She recalled the extra steroid shot Lillian had given her. Where was it? Her pocket?

Lillian was almost to Trig’s side when she was intercepted by an invisible force. She landed hard on her back.

Something launched itself on top of her, leaving indents where its weight pressed against her stomach. Lillian grappled with the invisible attacker, executing a flawless jiujitsu flip. But with her attacker mostly invisible, she wasn’t able to protect herself from the uppercut that caught her in the jaw.

I have to get out of here and help her. Urban frantically surveyed the trap she was in. The drop down was about ten meters, and the netting had no obvious release mechanism. Then she realized she was still holding her deactivated stun shield.

If she activated the shield now, with her arm wedged between the netting and her side, she’d slice herself open. Coughing again, she began wriggling to move her arm out from under her.

Lillian’s face turned red as the Super strangled her.

Come on, come on. I have to help protect Lillian!

Triumphantly, she finally freed her hand.

Lillian lifted her arm at the attacker. A spray of metal pellets shot his shoulder. Blood dripped from the faintly visible wound.

With lighting speed, he picked her up by her other arm, and threw her against a tree trunk. Lillian’s limp body slid down into a crumbled heap.

“No!” Urban screamed hoarsely.

She activated her stun shield and fried the ropes holding her captive. With a thud, she landed hard on her side.

Wheezing slightly, Urban could see part of the attacker’s torso as he turned and approached her. But her focus was on Lillian. Why wasn’t she getting up?

One of the Super’s eyes narrowed, and he suddenly dropped to the ground. A laser polearm whizzed over his head.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve used up at least two of your nine lives,” she heard a familiar voice say, and Ash swooped down from the sky.

“Ash!” Urban cried out as relief filled her. It was oblivious he had taken a beating. His left arm was bleeding, and his suit was burned in multiple places.

She was about to speak more, but it was hard to draw enough breath. Wheezing, she remembered the extra steroid shot and reached into the folds of her XR suit.

Empty.

Where could her extra shot have gone? She put it in her XR pocket every day. Did it fall out while she was flying? Or maybe when she was in the net? She searched the ground in panic, but there were no signs of it. We have to escape before I can’t breathe at all.

She looked up to see Ash diving out of the way as the Super thrust his hand ax at him.

Ash’s speckled wings beat hard as he rose with the Super in close pursuit. “Get to the safety of the road!”

“I’m not leaving my sister!” Urban gathered enough breath to yell.

Ash suddenly tucked his wings and twirled about so that he faced his attacker. He sliced the air with his polearm before continuing his spin and dropping out of reach.

The slice struck the Super in a weak point in his armor. A shrill scream of pain erupted, and the Super crashed to the ground.

Urban reached Lillian’s side and tried to listen for breathing but was interrupted by her own coughing. She anxiously felt for a pulse while keeping tabs on Ash out of the corner of her eye.

The Super became visible again, lifting himself shakily. Ash dove at him.

Dodging at the last second, the Super barely missed the polearm but was hit hard by Ash’s knee and thrown into a tree.

Urban found a faint pulse and let out a shaky breath. Carefully, and with great effort, she picked her sister up and began half dragging, half carrying her toward the road. The effort of it taxed her breathing, and she strained for air.

Meanwhile, Ash pierced the Super’s wing to the trunk. Crimson scaled wings thrashed, and blood streamed from the wound.

Ash punched the Super in the face.

But the Super somehow slipped away, and Ash’s next punch hit the trunk instead.

With a gasp, Urban realized the Super had left his wing behind, still lodged in the tree. He shimmered and again became transparent, except for the blood dripping from his chest and his bruised and swollen eyes.

Urban ignored her limbs screaming with exhaustion. The effort of toting Lillian continued to cause her chest to constrict. She was light-headed from the lack of air. I have to get Lillian to the road. Surely the car will be there by now.

“Stupid lizard enhancements,” Ash swore as he tried to dislodge his polearm from the fluttering wing stuck in the tree.

A dart flew through the air and hit Ash in the back. With a flash of brilliant light, spider webs of electricity spread across his broad shoulders.

Ash fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

Not Ash too!

He went still.

“No!” Urban screamed, but with that she began coughing violently, and her vision swam. When she could look up again, she saw the Super coming toward her. With most of his body still transparent, it looked like a lone eyeball and torso floating her way. His glowing amber eye had a scar running through it that made her shudder.

He approached her with the hand ax spinning and confidence in his movements.

She was on her own.