Page 42 of Fanning the Flames

“Or what?”

Ice shards tinkled from Mark’s hands. “Or we stop playing nice.”

A shrill cry rose in the distance, long and loud and angry.

Derek and Ricki looked up, then at each other. Then at Joan and Mark.

“Where’s Breeze?” Derek said.

Mark opened his mouth, then hesitated.

“You really thought you could talk your way into getting us to leave?”

“I mean, not really,” Mark said.

Joan gave him a look.

Another one of Squawk’s piercing screams echoed through the air. Sounded like Perry wasn’t faring any better in the convincing department.

“Why did you team up with him?” Joan wanted to know.

Ricki smirked at her. “All part of a bigger plan. You know about big, secret plans.”

She leapt from the concrete barrier. The world spun around Joan. She landed on her ass and was being held in a chokehold. She blinked in surprise. Ricki kicked both legs and sent Mark flying back before kneeling.

“This is your only warning,” she said against Joan’s ear. “Next time,westop playing nice.”

“Go back to the shadows, cowards,” Derek said.

Assholes.Joan shot a fireball that just missed him. Then she twisted and blasted Ricki off her. She didn’t want to fight the Supers’ battles for them, but she was no goddamn coward.

Ricki released an angry growl and lunged at her. Mark sprayed a shot of ice from his prone position that coated the blacktop. She jumped over it, taking Joan to the ground.

She swatted Joan’s eyes, scraping her thick nails across the facemask. Joan raised her forearms to protect her exposed skin. She tried to sit up and push Ricki back but didn’t have the core strength anymore. She flashed bright sparks from her fingers instead. They blinded Ricki enough so Joan could push her off.

The air thickened around them as Mark tussled with Derek. Containing Ricki was the?—

Shit, she’d hopped onto a rooftop. Encasing her in a ring of fire wasn’t an option. Joan shot several fireballs high in the hopes they’d knock her down and not make contact with the warehouse.

The clouds glowed green, and a buzz filled the air.

“Now I see whose side you’re on,” Ricki yelled.

“Go to hell,” Joan yelled back, fire raging through her body.

Ricki slipped from view a second before the hard rain fell. Mark shot ice around to pelt the Villains, only the frozen raindrops hit him and Joan in the face.

Derek shouted something as he retreated that couldn’t be heard over the hum of atmospheric intervention.

“Stop,” Joan told her brother as she covered her head.

“Fuuuuuuuuuck,” Mark ground out, throwing a ball of ice into the river.

The rain cooled Joan’s heat. They hastened from behind the warehouses until they cleared the precipitation. Their suits were waterproof, but their wigs were a sopping wet mess.

“That went well,” Mark said.

“What do you think they’re planning?”

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