Apocalypse Parenting

Still no definite confirmation on these supposed mutated Titans. I’m not sure what to think. Their presence would fit with the escalation we’ve hypothesized, but it still seems a bit early.

--Radio transmission from Voices for Non-Citizens

No, no, no! I moaned. After days with nothing abnormal, I’d almost forgotten about the supposed “mutant Titans.” Pointy had said rumors had continued, but some had been positively attributed to known rabble-rousers. I’d hoped that meant it was all a hoax, but clearly I’d been too optimistic.

“Mom, I can’t get us through that wall. It’s too hot, and it’s not letting me cool it. It’s like someone else is already controlling it.” Micah sounded scared and angry.

“We’ll have to fight, then. The wall’s sticking around for a while.”

Analyze had told me that much. I’d glimpsed something strange as the wall had ignited, a weird jelly-like substance forming a ring about 250 feet in diameter. Fire had licked across its surface near-instantly, but the “near” was enough for my Analyze ability to learn a thing or two: it would burn at its current intense temperature for at least three minutes.

The Titan was still shaking itself and stretching, apparently adjusting to the changes, but I knew that wouldn’t last long.

Spread out! Avoid the flame walls. They’re too hot to pass through and will remain that way for about three minutes. Fire specialists, see if you can do anything to the walls, but don’t waste energy!

I flexed my new Announcement ability, keeping the range tight enough to only affect those within the blazing circle, trying to conserve energy. Then, I realized my mistake, and blasted another Announcement out at maximum power.

Mutant D-Rex near corner of Cobalt and Russet. High temperature barrier surrounding Titan and thirty-seven humans, including eleven children. Abilities unknown. Escape impossible for next three minutes. Requesting aid.

There, I thought. That should be enough to reach the fort, at least.

I didn’t get any reply via Mental Speech, but that was expected. I could receive Announcements, but couldn’t be targeted by mental abilities while my Novelty remained negative, which it would for another two days.

I let my gaze sweep the group, catching small headshakes and grimaces from our fire specialists. We were still grouped up with Micah’s armor-forging buddies, so our group was disproportionately focused on managing heat, moving metal, and enhanced strength. Even so, it didn’t look like anyone could suppress the wall of flame around us.

Priya was sprinting across our impromptu arena, putting herself far from the rest of our group as George and Samar moved the other way, toward Cassie’s cloudcar. I saw Anju accelerating skyward, the only one who could easily escape the encirclement. Not that I thought Anju was escaping, but she was certainly in less danger 500 or 1,000 feet in the air than she would be down here.

Arnav was with Cassie in the cloudcar, along with a four-year-old girl whose name I hadn’t caught. The girl’s mother was sprinting after the car as well. I didn’t know her abilities, but a Shop-purchased mace and shield suggested she was melee-focused. Pointy was driving to the side, separating herself from the body of the group but being sure to move slowly enough for the car’s protectors to keep up.

I thought about following as well, but decided not to. Even if the car broke at the first hit, it should protect its occupants from that one hit, and Cassie could use a Summoned Shell if needed. I could protect her better by staying far from her and distracting the monster if needed.

On that note, actually…

“Gavin and Micah, move away from me! I might have to use Draw Attention. Stay together. Protect each other!”

The boys nodded and began scooting off to my right. With Micah’s ability to control flames and Gavin’s healing prowess, they should be fine. I hoped. I flexed my powers of Telekinesis, lofting a set of iron plates into the air. I split them up, keeping one to cover myself and four to follow the boys, just letting them hover in the air between ourselves and the Titan. With a simple plan like that, moving five different objects independently of each other didn’t even take my full focus. I was sure it would have overwhelmed Normal Meghan, but my processing power had been upgraded as my ability had improved.

Now, to figure out how to take this thing down, I thought.

Everyone in our group over the age of ten had been carrying some kind of loaded firearm, and bullets had begun zinging into the dinosaur seconds after I’d sent out my first Announcement. Everyone knew better than to irritate a D-Rex we were running from, but many people had acted immediately as soon as it had become clear that fighting was necessary.

After weeks and weeks of fighting for our lives, people had become much less likely to hesitate.

Even so, my focus hadn’t returned to our foe a moment too soon. It had taken only seconds to send off the Announcements and shout out my initial orders, but those seconds had clearly given the Titan enough time to adapt to its changed form. It growled and lunged toward a man carrying one of the highest-caliber weapons in our group, a large hunting rifle. Even as it moved toward him, I saw one of the openings on its shoulder flare slightly. An incandescent missile about the size of a softball burst forth, hurtling toward a woman beside me.

If I’d had to wait until I saw the glowing projectile, I would never have blocked it in time, but Analyze had helped me notice the twitch that preceded the shot. The glowing ball splattered against one of my iron plates, a sizzling spray of droplets rebounding onto the ground nearby.

A single droplet hit my right rainboot and I winced at the heat. There were thick layers of rubber, paper, and fabric in between my foot and the flame, but the protection wasn’t sufficient to let me completely ignore the incendiary substance.

I used the bottom of my other foot to scrape the globule to the ground.

The missiles are some kind of jelly. Don’t let yourself be splattered. If your ruler gave you Heat Resistance, use it if you need to! Fire and heat specialists, focus on helping anyone who’s hit!

If they can help. Hopefully these aren't ability-resistant, like the wall trapping us.

More missiles were being fired, at least one every second. Gavin threw himself to the side, just barely dodging an orb I'd been too slow to deflect with my iron plates. He tried to pull his brother out of the way as well, but Micah was caught in the backsplatter as the missile smashed into the ground. My heart caught in my mouth, but the flames on the sizzling jelly quickly went out.

So whatever is preventing Micah from affecting the flames around us doesn’t apply to the monster’s attacks. Good.

I brought my iron plates closer to the D-Rex. I could cover a lot more area if I blocked at point-blank rather than from far away, and the results would be much better. I doubted the burning jelly would harm the monster, but I’d still rather have it splattered all over our opponent than my allies.

Priya activated Draw Attention, pulling the monster away from the man it had almost reached, and I frowned. Who else had Draw Attention in our group? Me and two others.

I used my Hologram to flicker a message in front of each. I’d use my ability to pull the monster off of Priya, then the guy in the green helmet could pull it off of me, then the lady in the red boots could pull it off of him.

A second later, I activated Draw Attention, putting a hologram up in front of Priya to let her know her place in the order.

Shit, I thought. This arena is too small. Even if we spread out perfectly, it can get to us too quickly.

My group was spread out fairly evenly throughout the area, and we hadn’t lost anyone so far… but I didn’t know how much of that was due to ruler-gifted Heat Resistance, a resource that was far from infinite.

The most anyone can have is… what, 20 seconds? I doubt anyone has that much, and many people don’t have any at all.

Worse, there was still more than two minutes before the flame wall trapping us had any chance of dissipating, and we hadn’t inflicted any meaningful harm on our opponent. I had a very good gauge of how much damage various types of gunfire could inflict on a D-Rex, and it was easy to see that this mutant was tougher than the regular version. Hunting rifles were leaving mild abrasions instead of deep gouges, and handguns didn’t seem to be doing anything at all, at least to the monster’s exterior.

Trying to knock the monster over was an option, but I wasn’t sure how useful it would be. The mutant could fire blobs of flaming jelly in almost any direction. Immobilizing it would make it harder for it to chomp people, but it wouldn’t make it unable to do harm.

I dropped two of my iron plates so I could telekinetically pull a pouch out of my backpack and spill some of its contents along the ground to make it just a bit smaller. Then I picked up a plate again and used it to guard the pouch’s approach to the Titan. As soon as I saw the monster fire, I aimed for the just-used opening and stuffed the pouch in.

I’d been prepared to mark the opening, to ask Micah or Samar or another fire mage to set it alight, but I didn’t have a chance: the monster’s residual heat was enough to ignite the pouch of gunpowder immediately, setting off a booming explosion that blackened the monster’s hide and warped the shape of the aperture. A few scales were thrown clear and a gouge was blasted in the monster. Unfortunately, the injury was cauterized as it was formed and didn’t bleed.

Close, I decided. The explosion penetrated an inch through its hide at most. I’ve only got two more pouches. If I just repeat that, it won’t be enough, but-

I threw myself to the side as three napalm orbs zipped toward me, managing to execute a fairly credible roll. I even made it back to my feet, although I immediately had to roll again as the Titan focused fire on me.

Very close, if I’ve made it this angry.

I dodged behind a brick mailbox, then hissed as a splash of gel hit the armor on my right forearm. I ripped the vambrace free with Telekinesis, a wave of force jerking it down over my hand and sending the burning fabric-and-paper construction flying to the side. A glance confirmed that I wasn’t badly injured - the skin on the back of my hand was tight and a little pink, but nothing worse. Unfortunately, my arm was completely bare: the next errant droplet would char skin.

I hadn’t been wholly focused on evasion, however. My mind had been working in the background to catalog the capabilities of the people with me and come up with a plan.

I think I have a way to take this Titan down. Listen closely. We can’t afford to hesitate.