Scene 29

---

“Shit,” Maren breathed. 

The attack hadn’t been worthless. The entire front half of the demon had been blown aside, but not apart. The skin obstinately clung together, splayed out and around, like a hollow half dome of clay. A three-foot wide hole remained where Maren had sent the geyser. Not even seconds after the steam lessened, the monster’s skin began to shrink back into itself, mending the wounds. 

All the while, Mav struggled to rise. His movements were jerky, lethargic. He stopped completely when he got to his knees. 

He’s used too much fire. Maren’s heart gave a painful thud. He could freeze any moment. 

She wasn’t much better. Just holding and directing that much water nearly dehydrated her again. Another try and – 

Just push past it. 

“Curse you.” Though she smiled at the thought. Her body dried; she held the water back. “I can do one more!” 

“Then follow my lead!” Frost expelled from Mav’s roar. 

The demon’s skin began to morph into its anthropomorphic body. Red fire blasted over Mav, then condensed into his hands. The demon’s tail began to protrude. Another blast of flame, then it condensed into the ball, glowing orange; Mav planted one foot on the ground. The demon’s face solidified. Another blast, then it condensed, the orange glow brighter; Mav stood, hunched over the flame. All that was left of the demon to cure was the hole in its chest, which began to shrink. Another blast, another condensing. 

The flame – warping the surrounding air, beginning to melt nearby metal – glowed white. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With each struggled step he took, each pained breath he made, Mav had eyes only for the blazing light in his palms. 

Still, another image of hands holding fire interrupted his vision. 

I won’t waste the life you gave me. Mav forced his gaze at the beast, taking its first step to him, the hole in its chest growing smaller. I’ll protect them all! 

Transferring the flame to one hand, he charged forward. “Now!” 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maren had to squint as she watched Mav. The little star in his hand expelled the room’s darkness, its constant roar like a jet drowning out the sound of the small blast beneath Mav’s feet that propelled him to the demon’s chest and even Maren’s hammering heart. It drowned out everything. 

Except Mav’s call. 

Maren took in a breath, aimed, then shot the rush of water to the hole in the monster’s back, which was only about a foot wide now. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The monster moved its arms in, as if trying to embrace Mav. He neared the monster’s closing gap and thrusted his hand forward. He saw nothing else due to his fire’s white light, but he didn’t need to. Maren’s water would arrive before the monster’s skin swallowed him, and then – 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mav’s light vanished within the monster for but a moment, then the geyser struck through the demon’s skin. 

Vaporized water blasted the demon apart. Large and small chunks splattered against the wall as searing steam shoved Maren. The platform she stood upon groaned, then gave way. She fell for a moment, her stomach lurching, but gripped the bottom of the shattered wall. 

An ominous orange glow from the floor illuminated the thick steam. 

“Run!” Mav yelled, the orange shining brighter. 

Right. He still had to burn all the pieces. 

“Don’t die!” Maren called. 

Either he didn’t respond or she didn’t hear it. She leaped, her skin drying as she controlled the water from the pipe around her, then guided herself into the room where the Baby Titan had died. It was slightly more visible in here, though still marred by the steam. She wrapped the unconscious scientist in water and charged into the room with the beds. 

“What’s going –” a man said, holding some supplies between a counter on the wall and the cell. 

“Hide!” Maren commanded, throwing the scientist into the room and closing the door. “Get into the cell now!” 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frost shattered as Mav got to his feet. The upper left portion of his suit was completely destroyed. Looked like he’d lost control in that attack. 

Time to lose it again. 

Pieces of the disgusting monster wobbled, little gooey tendrils attempting to link pieces together. If he didn’t move now, then the monster would grow again. 

I defend... even at the cost of his life, he would bear the flame to those in need... the weak... 

Mav focused on the fire still lining the floor. Its heat grew and – strangely – so did Mav’s temperature. The chill was gone, replaced instead by a calm, comfortable warmth. 

Mav commanded Maren to run. This might be his last spark, but it shouldn’t be hers. He couldn’t wait, however. The nearby pieces were already closing in on each other. Titans only knew about the ones which were farther away. 

Mav took a breath, an intense heat sizzling everywhere. 

“Inferno...” 

He spread his arms, gathering his last bits of his strength. Images crowded his memory: the woman at the station walking her cat, the receptionist at the building where they watched the video feed, Evan and his father in the park, Michael at Sacred Skies, those twenty-three emaciated victims in their cell upstairs, and Maren, hopefully in a safer place now. 

Had she said something before she left? Had she commanded him not to die? 

He’d said the same thing to Thomas. 

And with a roar, screaming with every bit of breath in his lungs as it scraped from his throat, all his emotions borne in fires of which the Flame Titans above would be proud, fueled by wrath of his past failures and by greed to never fail one who depended on him again, he cried... 

“... Hellscape!”