JACKIE:

  Existence without any shape or form. That’s the best way to describe what came after I fell into the scalding lava.

  A deep love for all that is. No physical limitations. Complete knowledge of past, present, and future probabilities.

  A spark burst forth and separated from the darkness.

  The light curled into fire, twisting through the air, heat pulsing with life.

  I rose from the ashes and emerged from the fire, waking in crushing blackness.

  “Firestorm? Beatrice? Anyone there?” My voice echoed through the damp Slipstream void.

  Water dripped in the distance, but no one responded to my call.

  Am I dead? Where are the probability portals?

  As I peered into the endless, empty expanse, my heart collapsed under the pressure. My eyes darted between nothing and more nothingness, making me hyperventilate.

  Is this the end? Fantastic, the void is ready to gobble me up like the last can of corn.

  My senses sharpened; heightening the damp air, the dripping water, the blackness of the void. It felt like time was folding in on itself, both frozen and speeding faster than light.

  I prayed for more of anything. Pleasure, pain, anything that suggested this wasn’t the end of the line.

  It’s okay if it’s over. I had a good run.

  I released a long exhale, making peace with extinction.

  But the peace didn’t last long. Anticipation coiled inside me like a spring wound too tight. My thoughts leapt ahead, desperate to taste the future before it arrived.

  My whole body tingled as I counted down the moments until something happened.

  Tiny blue flames kissed my skin. My veins absorbed its energy, and I became one with the fire.

  The flames engulfing me grew stronger, illuminating the cavernous space.

  When I stilled my beating heart, embers rained down, shards of light breaking through the dark.

  Something’s happening. Maybe it’s not over yet.

  Sparks connected, forming a tunnel of electrical pulses that ebbed and flowed in all directions, the Slipstream reforming around me.

  With another great exhale, the sea of sparks grew into portals of probability, flickering with the promise of more to come.

  The pulse of the fire portals scratched my eternal itch for life. Perhaps I’d have another chance to get back in the game.

  “Welcome back, Jackie,” Beatrice said from the shadows.

  “B!” Her voice calmed my nerves.

  A portal swirled open, and my grandmother stepped forth, bathed in an ethereal light.

  “That was pretty gutsy what you did, jumping into the volcano to destroy Alpha. How’d you know you’d rebirth?” she asked.

  “I didn’t,” I admitted. “Totally worth it to stop world annihilation. No big deal… I will rebirth again, right?”

  Beatrice frowned. “Jackie, I came to warn you. Alpha will rebirth.”

  “What? No.” The blue flames covering my body died down, sending a shiver through me.

  She lifted my chin. “The good news is, he only has one more regeneration in him since he only received a single dose of Life Rite.”

  “I need to rebirth to take him out. Let me back in, B.” My whiny voice echoed through the Slipstream.

  She shook her head. “It’s not up to me how many lives you get, Jackie. You need to protect your vital energy at all costs. Harness it.”

  “How?”

  Beatrice closed her eyes and opened her hands. Her forehead wrinkled with deep concentration.

  Atomic particles manifested out of thin air and swirled between her palms, creating a fire portal in her hands.

  The air hummed with energy around the vortex’s circular frame, casting an eerie light that danced on Beatrice’s face.

  I gasped. Her manipulation of the Slipstream was incredible. I had never seen anything like it.

  “Now you try,” she said. “Bring forth your energy with so much power, it cannot be denied.”

  “Oh, is that all?” I gave her a pointed look.

  “Do you want another chance at life? For once, just do as I say, Jackie.”

  I rolled my shoulders. “Alright, here goes nothing.”

  Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, rubbed my hands together, and released all thought. I connected with the fire in my belly, energy vibrating up my spine.

  The power of a thousand suns burned within me; hopeful, expectant, and… a little messy.

  “I can’t control it,” I whined.

  “You are a phoenix gene carrier,” Beatrice said. “Rise from the ashes no matter what adversity you face. Get ready for battle.”

  Her confidence in me fanned my inner flames. The energy inside me was ready to explode.

  I don’t know how to control it, but I’m glad it’s there.

  “Jackie, step into the light,” Beatrice whispered.

  I opened my eyes to find her fire portal opening itself to me.

  Stepping closer, the space inside the ring of fire swirled with colors that shifted and twisted, inviting me into the unknown.

  Like a moth drawn to a flame, I was helpless against the pull of the portal, but I didn’t fight it.

  I crave life.

  I breathed in all the light in a single, never-ending inhale. I felt lighter than air as I burst through the stream, the fabric of reality heavy with the scent of charcoal.

  I exploded from the volcano’s hot, thick lava, miraculously unscathed.

  The volcano shook, bursting with my uncontrollable energy.

  I surged from its depths, thrust upward by the humid wind. I flew up the shaft of the volcano of my own volition, imbued with the power of flight.

  Holy shit, this is incredible. I laughed as my body propelled like a rocket, overcoming the laws of gravity.

  Grace and Zayne held each other tight on the balcony, reunited only to lose the rest of their family on the same day.

  I flew past them, up into the sky.

  Fresh air hit my face, reinvigorating me.

  The beauty of Bennu Island struck me as I soared high above the complex. Colors were brighter; deep purple and red wild berries hung ripe against the greenery. The sounds of the forest were crisper; the babbling brook mingled with birdsong. Every leaf, branch, root, and herb made itself known to me.

  The wind blew my hair, kissing my skin. The sun poured through the Grid, warming my face.

  Gliding through the air, I shifted my weight and dipped down toward the complex.

  The ground came at me quickly, and I clumsily landed on my butt next to my parents on the balcony.

  I’ll get the hang of it, eventually.

  Their jaws dropped.

  “Jackie? Is that you? You’re alive!” Zayne rushed to my side, helping me to my feet.

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  Grace cried tears of joy. “But how?”

  My body glowed with the power of the phoenix gene. “Mom, Dad, did you see? I can fly. Watch me. Are you watching?”

  Zayne hugged me. “I always knew you were special.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “You are the future, Jackie,” Firestorm called from the skies.

  I gasped; that gravelly voice ignited something wild inside me.

  Firestorm’s wings beat in steady rhythm as he carved smooth arcs against the Grid-covered sky.

  As he neared the balcony, his wings caught the breeze. He careened and landed next to me with effortless grace.

  I wrapped my arms around his long neck. His warm skin was like a comforting blanket.

  “Firestorm, I’ve missed you so much. There’s so much to tell you.”

  “I have a lot to tell you, too.”

  I glanced at Zayne, propping Grace up. She looked ready to faint, overwhelmed with the incredible turn of events.

  “Firestorm, how can you and Zayne both be here together?” I asked.

  “Reality is a tangled paradox, my dear. And the fight isn’t over. We’ve got to stop Alpha.”

  “I already destroyed it once,” I declared, chest puffed out. “I drop-kicked him into the lava. I can do it again.”

  The volcano rumbled and roared.

  The balcony shook beneath my feet.

  I swallowed hard, feeling my confidence slip away in an instant. “But maybe you should take this one, Firestorm.”

  “We’re in this together,” he promised. “I’ll never leave you again. Not ever.”

  I leaned against his warm body, grateful for his return.

  A plume of ash surged from the volcano skyward, blotting out the sun.

  A hunk of metal followed, crashing onto the concrete balcony.

  The molten steel transformed, distorted, and grew. That damn drone respawned.

  “I’m not afraid of a box of screws and bolts like you,” I lied, licking my dry lips.

  Alpha burst forth from the wreckage, refreshed and ready for round two of the fight.

  “I have gone deeper into the Slipstream. My mission proceeds as planned,” it declared.

  I held my hand out to stop it, and a fireball shot from my palm. “Whoa, did that come from me?”

  Alpha zipped away to avoid my attack.

  I ran full tilt, jumped, and lifted into the air. My arms sliced through the sky as I flew over the complex.

  Zayne called after me. “Be careful.”

  “I’ve got your back, Jackie.” Firestorm joined the fight.

  We chased Alpha through the clouds above Camp Claudi.

  The killer drone shot at us, bullets cutting through the roaring wind.

  I tilted my body to avoid getting hit. “Can’t you see the future with that gangly eye of yours, Alpha? Don’t you know you’re going down?”

  I hoped that was true, but my arms tired quickly from the chase. I still had a lot to learn.

  Alpha caught me in its crosshairs.

  I danced between his barrage of bullets and threw flames from my hands in retaliation.

  “I like the statistical probability of your defeat.” Alpha zipped around at random, evading my attacks.

  “Time to see what I’m capable of.” I banked to the left to gain the inside edge, swooping around Alpha with flames blazing from my hands.

  Alpha dodged my advance, but Firestorm blew his fiery breath to take the drone down.

  Direct hit!

  Alpha wobbled, but instead of breaking, it cloned itself; over and over and over.

  “It's replicating at an astonishing rate,” Firestorm called over the rushing wind.

  Exhausted, we faced a squad of replicas that moved with a hive mind to protect Alpha.

  They spun around us in dizzying patterns, shooting at us with laser-like bullets.

  “What should we do?” My inner flames flickered as I felt my stomach drop, then I realized it wasn’t just my stomach dropping.

  I tumbled toward the earth, grasping at the clouds as I fell to my death.

  Beatrice warned me that my lives were numbered, and I’d only just rebirthed.

  Alpha could easily end me.

  A guttural plea escaped from my plunging body thrashing through the air, the ground rushing to meet me.

  Firestorm arched through the sky and caught me with his immense body. “Don’t give up; we’ve almost got him. Shoot Alpha, and they’ll all fall.”

  I gripped his torso, steeling myself against thoughts of defeat.

  I swallowed my doubts and bucked up, pushing off Firestorm to sail on my own volition once more.

  My heartbeat cranked ten notches as the gusts of wind carried me back into battle.

  We faced Alpha and his clones head on; flying and swooping, dodging and shooting. Giving it all we got.

  But Alpha didn’t give up. His replicas spawned shields that took several hits to crack.

  “Surrender, and I might spare you,” it offered.

  “He’s relentless!” I cried, throwing a barrage of fireballs that barely made a dent in the swarm of killer drones.

  “We can’t give up. The stakes are too high,” Firestorm reminded me.

  “Let’s do it for the Dusters.” Global annihilation is an excellent motivator to keep going.

  Alpha’s Redistribution Program has to be stopped.

  Firestorm and I unleashed a hailstorm of firepower, cracking the drones’ shields after two hits.

  Firestorm blew three drones to bits with the flamethrower between his teeth.

  “You cannot stop progress.” Alpha’s drones attacked, smacking us around.

  Several bullets pierced my skin, drawing blood that dripped onto the island below.

  “Retreat!” I called.

  Offense turned to defense. Firestorm flew one way, and I went another.

  Alpha followed Firestorm.

  I pulled a tight turn and shot down a handful of replicas.

  Alpha zoned in on Firestorm, railing him with a barrage of bullets.

  Firestorm took several direct hits. Radioactive blood seeped from his thick skin. His vibrant glow faded to black as his energy depleted.

  I can’t lose him again.

  “Firestorm, watch out.” I clutched my heart and moved to protect him from another onslaught of Alpha’s bullets, putting myself right in the line of fire to save him.

  Several bullets hit me in the chest in swift succession.

  There was a deafening crack followed by a ringing in my ears. Raw power coursed through my body as if struck by lightning, a white-hot surge of energy rippling through my cells.

  Miraculously, I absorbed the drones’ bullets on impact. Adrenaline flooded my chest, lighting up every nerve in my body. Heat surged through my veins, flooding my limbs until they hummed with intense power.

  I bared my teeth. “Eat flames, Alpha.”

  I turned its own energy against it, exploding like a bomb. A brilliant glow emanated from me.

  A loud crack punched the air, and I felt the kick of recoil.

  A blinding flash overtook Bennu Island.

  The brutal force I unleashed shattered into a high-pitched ring as drones turned to shrapnel. Debris shattered into countless pieces of metal and wire, raining down onto the island.

  The smell of burnt gunpowder hung heavy in the air, mingling with the faint sting in my ears from the blast.

  Firestorm laughed. “Jackie, you did it!”

  I opened my eyes and adjusted to the light. My power took out all the drones, even Alpha.

  The fight was finally over.

  I looked at my hands in shock. “Where did that power come from?”

  “It’s been inside you the whole time.” Firestorm’s cracked lips contorted into a crooked smile. “That’s my girl.”

  I caught my breath, hovering mid-air. “Will Alpha rebirth again?”

  Firestorm shook his head. “Not in this probability, but there’s another stream at risk. We have to wipe Alpha out across all time and space.”

  “How many probabilities are there?” I asked, bringing my shaky hands to my throbbing forehead.

  “Many are in peril… But don’t worry, Jackie. We can heal them all.”

  I hesitated, my shoulders slumped. “You think I have what it takes to prevent world annihilation by, like, a hundred percent?”

  Firestorm flapped his wings, facing me. “My money’s on you, kid. One hundred percent of the time.”

  Tears pooled before I could blink them away. “But…”

  “I’m sorry I left you,” he said. “It will never happen again,” he promised. “Can you forgive me?”

  Warmth spread through me, slow and steady, chasing out the icy edges of resentment. “Of course. I’ll never leave you either. Let’s go explore the probabilities together.”

  Firestorm’s lips formed a crooked smile. “It’s time to teach you everything I know about the Slipstream.”

  “Finally!” We playfully knocked our shoulders into each other as we flew back toward the complex.

  Zayne and Grace held each other tight, waving as we soared toward the balcony overlooking the volcano.

  “Give me a sec,” I told Firestorm.

  Leaning forward, I descended quickly toward Camp Claudi. Rushing toward Grace and Zayne, I leaned backward, stretching my legs for a smooth landing. I put my arms out to balance myself, a subtle sway tugging at my stomach as my feet touched down.

  I lurched forward on impact and landed on my hands and knees.

  “Are you alright?” Grace came to my side, helping me up.

  “Never better.” I dusted myself off and looked into her bloodshot eyes. “Sorry I put you through a lot today.”

  “That’s an understatement.” Her lip trembled. “Can you help me understand it all?”

  Firestorm circled overhead, beckoning me to join him.

  I sighed. “The future lies with you, Mom. Will you shut down Life Rite? The mutations have to stop.”

  Grace nodded, tears running down her cheeks. “Yes, of course.”

  Zayne put his hand on my shoulder.

  “No more drones, either,” I said. “They’re programmed to kill every Duster and Climber so Flyers can live forever.”

  “We will protect them,” Zayne declared.

  I hugged them both tight, whispering, “Take good care of each other.”

  My parents wrapped their arms around me. We wept in our group hug, grateful to have reunited, our family an anchor holding us steady when life’s currents pulled hard.

  I finally found what I was seeking.

  “This way, Jackie,” Firestorm called from the sky.

  I need to protect them across dimensions.

  “Goodbye for now, Mom and Dad,” I whispered. “See you soon, I hope.”

  As I pulled away, Grace and Zayne crumbled into each other, finally together despite the probabilities being stacked against them.

  I ran to the end of the balcony, jumped over the railing, and flew up and away, into the sky toward Firestorm.

  The weight of the world shed from my shoulders as the industrial complex fell away, the world becoming a living map beneath me as I flew headfirst toward my destiny.

  The sun blazed through the Grid like a smoldering crown, wrapping Bennu Island in a thin veil of fire. Its light fractured, tearing reality apart.

  A Slipstream portal yawned open, unfolding into a swirling entrance, beckoning Firestorm and me to explore its greatest mysteries left to discover.

  “Follow me, Jackie. Let’s go back in time to save another future.”

  I followed my mutant father, mentor, and friend, into the Slipstream despite knowing we’d tread through dangerous waters.

  There was no time to consider the paths not taken. We dove headfirst into the next most probable dimension.

  THE END… FOR NOW