After last night, he sought refuge in the only place he knew Atlas wouldn't look for him—Trinity Mission Church. It was the perfect hiding place. He would lay low there for a few days, giving him enough time to figure out how to move forward with his...predicament.

Frowning, he turned the faucet on and wet his face. His fingers grazed the light bruise on his cheek. He had made it out of the fight unscathed for the most part; a few bruises and cuts never bothered him much.

While he may not have suffered any injuries, he did gain a new problem.

The little girl's bright eyes flashed through his head.

He had no idea what he was going to do about her. A small part of him was beginning to regret rescuing her. After all, he didn't have the slightest clue as to what he was getting himself into. He very well could have been way in over his head.

He already had a mission to complete. He didn't need to be stuck babysitting some mysterious little girl who wouldn't even talk to him.

His frown deepened as he dried off his face.

She had yet to say anything else to him since he pulled her out of that truck. Not a single word. He wasn't sure what he did to deserve the silent treatment, considering he saved her from Atlas, but it was starting to piss him off. He had half a mind to just leave her with Sister Maria and the other nuns of Trinity Mission.

It wasn't like he had any other options. The only one he did have was already being used.

Sister Maria constantly told him the church was open to him whenever he needed it. Though, he had a feeling that didn't include bringing in a superpowered child to her place of worship. But he needed her help and she was the only person in the city he trusted. Well, she and Armando—his taco guy.

Armando wouldn't be any use to him in this case.

Albeit, he was craving a plate of street tacos.

His stomach rumbled. He hadn't eaten since the previous morning. Battering a squadron of Atlas agents had made him awfully hungry.

Luckily for him, Sister Maria was making him breakfast.

He was forever grateful for that woman. She barely knew him, yet, she was willing to put her own life and freedom on the line for a stranger. The image of nuns he once had was completely changed by Maria. He always thought they were just old, bitter women who slapped children on the wrist with rulers for being bad.

That wasn't the case for Maria. She was kind and nurturing. In many ways, she reminded him of his mother.

Soon, his frown transformed into a deep scowl.

Once he finished washing his face, he left the bathroom and made his way out of the church basement. The girl he rescued had gotten ready well before him and was somewhere upstairs, likely being watched by Sister Maria, or one of the other nuns, in the kitchen.

After he ate, he decided he would determine a course of action regarding her. He couldn't take her along with him. Not only was that dangerous, but he didn't think he was the most qualified to be her caretaker. She would be much better off at the church. He was sure there was an orphanage somewhere in the city as well.

Sure, the system was terrible but it was better than being in Atlas' custody.

The girl should've considered herself lucky to be free from their clutches.

As Oscar made his way up the creaking wooden stairs, he realized he didn't know her name. He had been referring to her as "the girl" since he met her.

Now that he was thinking about it, he didn't know anything about her. Not her name, hr power, or where she came from. He had forgotten to look for her file on the transport unit he found her in—they usually kept one in the driver's compartment. The only thing he knew about her was that she was Latino like him.

She might not have even spoken any English. Fortunately, he was fluent in Spanish as well. It was quite a coincidence, but he wasn't in the mood to question it. Frankly, he didn't really care. He just wanted to be rid of her already.

Though, he was a little curious about why Atlas had been guarding her so heavily. Her convoy had been heading in the direction of LAX, the largest airport in the city. That meant she was being shipped out of the country instead of being taken to one of the relocation centers up north.

She was a mystery; a complex code waiting to be cracked.

Shaking his head, he continued through the church's main room and made his way to the kitchen.

#

He still couldn't get over how much she looked like his sister.

Their faces were nearly identical. Both had roundish features and small, stubby noses. Even their hair color was the same—a dark, almost black, brown. The only thing that distinguished the two of them was the girl's eyes.

He found himself staring directly into them as they sat across from each other at a table in the church's kitchen.

Her irises were the color of warm copper, nearly orange but not quite. They held a light in them that reminded him of fire. Something else hid inside, but he wasn't sure what it was. Fear? Rage? Perhaps even despair?

Honestly, it could've been all three.

They all were warranted in her case.

The girl caught him staring and narrowed her bright gaze. Her lips seemed to be stuck in a perpetual pout.

"So...," he began while twiddling his thumbs, "are you ever going to say anything or are you just going to keep giving us the silent treatment?"

She tilted her head at him, a slight look of confusion on her face.

Oscar nodded slowly as he realized something. "Right...you probably don't speak English, huh?"

She shot him a look that screamed "you think?!".

He repeated his question to her, but this time in Spanish. Just as he thought she was finally going to answer, she replied with a nonchalant shrug before looking away from him. His face twisted into an annoyed expression. Cursing under his breath, he directed his attention to Sister Maria. The woman was currently stood in front of the stove finishing up breakfast.

"What did you say to her, Uriel?" she asked him.

He paused before answering, having nearly forgotten his fake name.

"Er, nothing. Just trying to get her to talk."

"Any luck?"

"Nada."

He glanced at the girl, who was staring at the ground. She had her arms wrapped around herself. Her bottom lip trembled a bit, almost as if she was trying to stop herself from crying. He watched her, eyebrow arched in confusion.

The girl was probably under a ton of stress. Who knew what Atlas had done to her before he got to her. And she probably didn't fully trust him either. After all, why should she? She didn't know him and he didn't know her.

He suddenly had a strong urge to comfort her. He was once an older brother, and the girl was the spitting image of his late sister. His face softened as he watched her.

"Stop staring at her," Sister Maria told him as she walked two bowls of what looked like pozole—his favorite soup growing up—to the table. "She's already uncomfortable. Don't make it any worse."

Grumbling an apology, he diverted his attention to the food before him. He grinned and thanked the nun before digging in.

It had been a while since he had a proper meal. He couldn't live off tacos and scraps forever.

Sister Maria settled beside him and clasped her wiry hands across the white strip of her black gown. As Oscar ate, he noticed her mouth twitching—almost as if she wanted to speak, but didn't know what to say. He arched an eyebrow at her as he slurped soup from his spoon.

"You alright?" he asked with his mouth full.

"Swallow your food before speaking."

He nodded and did as he was told. Then he repeated his question.

Sister Maria's eyes landed on the girl, who was also ravenously devouring her soup. In fact, she had eaten even faster than Oscar did—and he was homeless. Though, who knew if Atlas was feeding her. They weren't exactly known for their care and compassion these days. He wouldn't have been surprised if her guards had been starving her for their own pleasure.

He scowled at the thought of them.

Had he not been so preoccupied extracting the girl, he would've torched them all. They would have deserved it too.

"Where did you find her?" the nun whispered to him.

He opened to answer but immediately caught himself.

What was he going to tell her? That he found the girl in an Atlas-owned convoy that he ambushed? There was no way in hell he was telling her that. Not only would she probably kick him out of the church, but she also might have decided to call the cops on him. He couldn't allow that to happen.

He liked Sister Maria. It would've been a shame if he had to burn down her church.

"Er, you know, on the street," he mumbled. He stuffed a spoonful of chicken and broth into his mouth. "Where else do you find orphans?"

She pursed her lips at him.

He shrugged in reply. "What? I'm telling the truth."

Inside, he desperately hoped she wouldn't keep pressing him. Something about lying to a nun while inside of a church felt extremely terrible. He glanced at the cross hanging above the doorway across from him. The wooden Jesus hanging from the ornament seemed to be staring at him with an air of disappointment. Cheeks burning, he continued eating his pozole.

"Well, we need to do something about her," Sister Maria said. "Maybe she has family in the city."

"Maybe. I was thinking I could just...leave her here..."

"Leave her here? Are you crazy? This is a church, not an orphanage, Uriel."

Sighing, Oscar rubbed the creases forming on his forehead. "I thought churches were supposed to help people."

"I'm helping you, aren't I?"

"Touché."

"I can try talking to her again," she offered. "Maybe she'll finally speak."

Oscar scoffed. "Good luck with that, hermana. You're gonna need it."

She shook her head at him before pulling up a seat at the table. Ignoring her disdainful look, he peered at the girl curiously as she continued to eat.

Both he and Sister Maria sat in silence as they watched the girl down the broth in her soup bowl. After slamming the bowl down like a viking, she hastily wiped her mouth and let out a thunderous belch. Her cheeks immediately turned red as she covered her mouth. Embarrassment spread across her face upon noticing the two pairs of eyes on her.

Oscar couldn't help but be reminded of his sister. That was exactly the kind of thing he had seen her do at their dinner table. Memories of her, his late parents, and his uncle rushed back into his mind. His expression soured as he tried to force them out.

Those memories were of no use to him now. They held him back, made him weak. He was better off without them.

And he had been doing so well. That was until this girl showed up.

"Perdóname," the girl murmured.

Oscar blinked, unsure if his ears were playing tricks on him. He glanced at Sister Maria, who had a similar look of surprise on her face.

"Did she just...?"

"I think she did."

A small smile surfaced on his lips. He turned back to the girl, who had dropped her gaze back to the ground. She seemed to like looking at the boring, cracked tiles that made up the church kitchen floor.

But they had finally managed to get a word out of here.

Perhaps they could get a couple more.

Oscar smiled at the girl. "No need to be embarrassed," he told her in Spanish. "I know what's it like to be hungry." He slurped down the rest of his soup and burped loudly as an act of camaraderie.

He figured if he tried to relate to her, she'd finally open up.

It was worth a shot.

Sister Maria shot him a scathing look. "Where are your manners?" She picked up the two bowls from the table and took them to the sink.

"Sorry, hermana." He arched an eyebrow at her. "Hey, where was all this for her, huh? She did the same thing."

"She's a guest."

"And what am I? Chopped liver?"

Out the corner of his eye, he could see a hint of a smile on the girl's face. His face lit up momentarily.

He seemed to be getting through to her. Or perhaps she just liked seeing him get scolded by the nun. Either way, she wasn't scowling at him anymore. That had to count for something.

He studied her for a moment. She rubbed her wrists. Pain flashed across her features as her fingertips massaged her skin, which was slightly raised and red—likely from the Prime nullifier that had been wrapped around them just a few hours ago.

Just the thought of those things made him want to burn something down.

While the Jaegars and Atlas may have been corrupted bullies, they sure did have some impressive tech on their hands. Primes may have had superpowers, but that meant nothing when those powers could be taken away with a pair of crude-looking handcuffs.

He hated that it was that easy to render him powerless. With those things on him, he would be just like them.

And that sickened him.

Five years ago, he hated what he was. He was a Prime. A freak. A genetic anomaly. But that wasn't the worst of it; he was cursed with a power that only served to remind him of the fire he lost his parents to. A fire he helped create. Eventually, he came to appreciate them.

Back then, he used his fire as a tool—something to help him help people.

Then his last remaining family was murdered.

That was when he started looking at his abilities for what they truly were—a weapon. He realized a lot of things about himself during the three years following his exile from Atlas.

Fire, while destructive, brought about new beginnings. Phoenixes died in an explosion of fire only to be reborn from the ashes. The earth rebuilt itself after being engulfed with flames. For his entire world to be destroyed by fire, not once but twice...

That had to mean something.

So, he rebranded himself. He adopted a new name, a new home, a new persona.

Oscar Jimenez went up in flames, and someone else rose from the ashes.

"Xiomara."

Oscar lifted his head to look at the little girl. "Que?"

Sister Maria rushed over to her and gently grabbed her hands. Excitement was present in her deep, brown eyes. "Ese es tu nombre? Xiomara?"

The girl nodded.

A smile spread across Oscar's face like wildfire. Questions quickly filled his head, but he urged himself to keep them to himself. The girl had revealed her name to them on her own. Whatever secrets she held would come out whenever she felt ready to share them. He couldn't push her. For now, he was content with just knowing her name.

He pressed a hand to his chest. "Me llamo Os..." His eyes widened as he stopped himself. "Uriel... Me llamo es Uriel."

Sister Maria squinted at him. But she didn't say anything.

Oscar wasn't sure whether to be relieved or to panic.

Attempting to act normal, he held his hand out toward Xiomara. "Nice to meet you."

She simply stared at his hand with an unimpressed look on her face. His smile faltered as he retracted it.

Just when I thought he made a breakthrough.

Sister Maria patted him on the shoulder. "I'm going to find Father Vincent. Look at her, yes?"

"You got it, hermana."

Nodding, she passed him and stopped beside Xiomara. She offered the girl a warm smile, which was returned. Oscar frowned.

How come I didn't get a smile?

The nun left the room, leaving Oscar alone with the girl.

A few awkward moments of silence passed over them like a cold wind. Shivering, he rubbed his goosebump covered arms.

"Must be a draft in here," he said, hoping to break the ice. She said nothing. "Great."

Nodding, mostly to himself, he decided to ask her a question. He knew he probably shouldn't have, but he needed to know. He needed to know what he was getting himself into with this stranger.

Atlas had her with a heavy security unit. They only did that with level four Primes and above. And if she was a level three, that meant she was just as strong as he was. But if she was a level four, then she must have had a serious ability.

He blanched as he thought of the final option—level five.

If she was a level five...

He shook his head. There was no way that little girl was a level five Prime. In the five years since Prime started popping up over the globe, no level fives had been recorded. There were a few level fours—including dead Kane, the missing Apex, and vigilant Stella—but no fives.

Not yet, at least.

"How did Atlas get you?" he asked Xiomara.

She never looked at him. He wasn't even sure if she had heard his question. Just as he was about to repeat it, she started speaking.

"Men with armados. Took me from mi casa. Brought me..." She gestured around herself. "Aqui."

Oscar was stunned by her response. The whole time, he had been under the impression that she didn't understand or speak English. That obviously wasn't the case. Still, that didn't make pinpointing her place of origin any easier. Plenty of Spanish-speaking countries taught English to their youths. She truly could've come from anywhere.

"Did you fight them?" he continued. "The men who took you. Did you fight them?"

She nodded. "I try to escape. I run and I run but they find me. Mama and Papa..." Angry tears spilled down her cheeks. She angrily wiped them away, a deep scowl marring her lips. "Dejaron que me llevaran."

Oscar sneered at her words.

Her parents let her be taken. Unfortunately, it seemed to be an ongoing trend among parents with young children who turned out to be Primes. It made him sick to his stomach thinking about all the people being apprehended unfairly by Atlas.

But the public treated them like heroes.

They weren't heroes. They were the villains.

His fingers curled around the edges of the dining table. Smoke off the tips as he felt his hands sinking into the wood. Cursing under his breath, he released his grip and assessed the damage he caused.

Oops.

He'd have to get the nuns a new table.

"Your parents suck," Oscar told Xiomara as he leaned back in his seat. He folded his arms across his chest.

The girl furrowed her brow at him.

"No offense."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Just saying." He held his hands up innocently. "Good parents wouldn't give up their children like that. Even if they did turn out to be...one of us."

Xiomara nodded slowly. She wrung her hands while chewing on her bottom lip. "Los extraño."

He wasn't sure why she missed them. They were her parents, but had he been in her shoes, he would've had nothing but hate for them. But not her. She still seemed to love them. He didn't understand it.

Those who did wrong by them deserved to be engulfed by fire.

No exceptions.

"Well, you're safe now," Oscar told her. After a brief silence, he impulsively said, "I won't let anyone take you again."

She looked up at him with her brilliant eyes and nodded.

After a while, Oscar left the kitchen and headed to the pews to find Sister Maria. He had something to do soon and needed to make sure she'd be okay with watching Xiomara for him. He still wasn't sure what he was going to do with her; keeping her at the church was his safest bet, though.

Just for now until he came up with something better.

Cautiously, he entered