"Alright, time to go," says Daniel, ushering Diana towards the back door.

I spot a tall man, dressed in that strange blue suit from my vision and a mask covering his face, getting out of the driver's side of the van, and he starts to make his way towards us. I freeze, glancing back at the orphanage and Kalen, and then looking at all the children playing in the yard, unaware of the danger they are in. We can't just leave, not when so many of them could get hurt or worse.

Kalen, who also spots the man making his way closer and closer to us, curses and balls his hands into fists, letting them be surrounded in flames.

"Bri, did this happen in your vision?" he asks, and I flinch, watching as Diana whirls around in confusion and anger.

"Bri?" she starts, but I ignore her look of betrayal and focus on the task at hand.

I look at Kalen and shake my head, watching the masked man as he makes his way over the grassy hill.

"No, it's changed. Our being here has modified the future. It should be Dominic in the garden with her, but that man he---" I look at Rose, who is staring at us in fear, starting to round up the children.

"Well he does something far worse in my vision."

I don't think Diana can handle any more surprises for the day, because her eyes go wide at the mention of her uncle's name.

"Dominic, as in Dominic Khan? What are you talking about?" she yells, so I nod at Daniel, who pulls the confused girl into the orphanage. Her safety is our top priority, but we also need to make sure none of these kids get hurt. Or Rose for that matter.

"Rose!" I call, turning to face the woman, who has gone alarmingly still.

"Take the kids inside, lock all the doors save for this one. Don't come out until we've left and you are sure that van is gone."

Rose nods, her instincts as a caregiver kicking in, as she guides all the children inside the house. When the man sees what we are doing he picks up his pace, until he ends up running down the hill, heading straight for us. Kalen looks at me before rushing to meet him halfway, ignited fists coming up to swing at the masked man's face.

His attacker doesn't even falter as he dodges his flames, but he does slow down slightly.

Kalen jumps at him, spinning mid-air to land a kick on his head. The man staggers, which gives Kalen the chance to hit his attacker right on his arm, and I hear him cry out as the flames come in contact with his skin. He headbutts Kalen, who's head snaps back so fast I'm scared he's injured his neck. The man lets go and Kalen falls to the floor, keeping a hand on his forehead and then, so fast that I barely have time to blink, the earth starts to rumble at his feet.

Kalen stares at it in shock, looking back up at the man, who has his hands placed face down on the ground. He is an earth manipulator, another elemental like Kalen. This spurs me into action, and I start running towards the two.

It doesn't take my friend long to realize what's happening, because the next instant he springs into action, launching flame after flame as he tries to distract the man and stop him from using his Gift. The rumbling stops, but only as the man dodges Kalen's attacks. The balls of fire do little to stop him however, and I know Kalen can't keep up this trick for long.

As I run I search my mission pack, trying to find something I can use to help, and I dig out the pistol I had taken from Khan's bodyguard. I clench my teeth, not liking the idea of using a firearm but having no other choice. I take aim, shooting at the kneeling man, but before the bullet manages to hit him a wall of stone and dirt forms in front of him, shielding him from the bullet. And Kalen.

"Look out!" I shout as a chunk of earth as big as my head slams into Kalen's chest.

He flies backward, landing on the ground and rolling before coming to a stop a few feet away from me. He groans, trying to get onto his stomach to push himself up again. But his movements are stiff and slow, no doubt because of the pain, and before he has a chance to defend himself the ground around him starts to shift. It wraps around him, effectively pinning him down, as it swallows up his arms and legs.

I rush to my friend, watching him struggle to free himself, only managing to get a hand out from under the dirt.

"Stay back!" he shouts, not wanting me to get caught as well.

I can see the pain shining in his eyes, and yet he still manages to conjure up enough strength to create a wall of fire that erupts from his fingertips. He makes a pushing motion with his hand, making the wall of flames head straight for the masked man. The man cries out, falling to the ground, his control on the earth momentarily forgotten. Kalen leaps up out of the ground, ready to finish the man off, when I spot another figure getting closer. The masked man has rolled away from the flames, but he isn't the one that worries me anymore.

"Kalen!" I yell, watching in horror as Dominic gets closer and closer to my friend.

I stop, still a good ways away from Kalen and the two men.

"Kalen run!"

My friend senses my distress and turns around, spotting Dominic approaching, and doesn't waste a second as he turns away and starts running towards me. He practically flies down the hill, away from the masked man and Dominic, taking my hand and forcing me to run with him. I look over my shoulder, seeing Dominic helping the masked man to his feet. He smiles when he catches me watching.

"Leaving so soon?" he calls, a weird sort of sing-song quality to his voice.

We can't take him down on our own, especially not here, where we put so many lives at risk. And so even though I'm kicking myself inside I turn around and run, run as hard as I can, trying to keep pace with Kalen. But as we get closer and closer to the house I spot a figure moving in the window, and I somehow push myself even harder as I watch Diana emerge from the French doors.

"Diana!" I call, changing my trajectory, barreling towards the stupid girl.

Dominic laughs, a high-pitched thing that makes me wince.

"Uncle?" She asks, spotting him on the hill, raising her voice to be heard. "Is that you?"

Dominic claps.

"Diana, my lovely niece! You have no idea how much I've missed you!"

Diana looks like she just saw a ghost, but before she takes another step Kalen and I reach her, and I take her by the arm, pushing her into the orphanage with us.

"What are you doing?" she says, struggling to get out of my hold. "That's my uncle! We have to go back, he's alive!"

I ignore her requests and keep running, but even before we make it to the entrance I feel the brick walls start to rumble and shift. I scream as a large piece of wall comes crashing towards us, and we manage to dodge it at the last second. I turn around, and run back towards the French doors, ignoring Kalen's calls and holding up the pistol. This time my aim flies true, hitting my target dead center.

The man in the mask clutches his shoulder, where Kalen had burned him and now where I have managed to shoot him, and I spot the blood that starts to trickle in between his fingers. He falls to his knees in pain, which causes Dominic to falter, turning to look at his fallen comrade. He turns back to me, an annoyed look on his face.

"It looks like I will have to look for you elsewhere my dear." he calls, directing himself to his stunned niece, as he bends down and helps the man to his feet, slinging his uninjured arm over his shoulders.

Together they turn around and start their trek back up the hill, towards the van. But I don't trust Dominic as far as I can throw him, and so I use this time to make a quick escape. I run back inside the orphanage, spotting Kalen dragging Diana towards our van. Daniel is waiting for us in the driver's seat, and I don't even scold him for letting Diana get away from him, instead climbing into the back and telling him to punch it.

"What happened?" he asks, taking in the way Kalen is clutching his abdomen and Diana's haunted expression.

"Dominic," I say, and that's all the explanation he needs.

He starts the engine, not even waiting for us to be fully seated before tearing away from the orphanage, and I twist around in my seat to make sure Dominic isn't following us.

"They're just standing there, watching us," I tell Daniel when I spot Dominic and the masked man watching us drive away from their own van.

"Yeah, well they won't be watching us for much longer," he says, speeding up and driving in the direction of the Mar.

I turn to Kalen, who has his eyes screwed shut and is holding his stomach.

"Let me see," I urge gently, trying to pry his hand away from his abdomen, and he opens his eyes to watch me.

He takes away his hand and I carefully lift his shirt, hissing at the sight before me. I knew it would look ugly, he did get pretty banged up during the fight, but I wasn't expecting it to be quite this bad.

His entire abdomen looks like it's been painted in different hues of purple, black and yellow. I touch it gently, but the slightest pressure causes Kalen to gasp, flinching. It's a miracle he didn't break a rib, which he hasn't I conclude, as I press gently on every bone, making sure nothing is fractured. He groans when I touch a particularly sensitive spot, and I take my hand away immediately.

"Sorry," I mumble, but I turn around to dig out something from my mission pack.

"It's a good thing we come prepared for situations like these," I tell him, placing the cool pack on his bruised stomach.

He winces at the cold, but eventually seems to relax enough to take a proper breath without looking like every intake causes him agony.

"Thanks," he sighs, looking at me gratefully, and I smile, placing a hand on his cheek.

He leans into the touch, closing his eyes.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" exclaims Diana, who looks about ready to murder someone. I sigh.

"It's a very long story."