"Can't believe he burned down a church," Zach murmured as he carefully stepped through the charred remains of Trinity Mission Church in downtown Los Angeles. "Isn't that, like, a guaranteed one-way ticket to hell?"

"I don't think that's how Christianity works, Neon," Samantha—a.k.a Tempest—said as she doused a flaming piece of wood with rain from a miniature storm cloud floating above her head.

Shrugging, Zach continued zipping around the scene, his green energy trail illuminating the night.

Stella stood at the front of the destruction, her hazel eyes narrowed as she tried to piece together a picture in her head using the information she gathered during her debrief and a short conversation with the Atlas agent on site.

The entire scene had been zoned off from the public with metal gates and yellow police tape. Bystanders stood beyond the barriers, their cellphones snapping pics of the wreckage. She heard vans pulling up to the sidewalk across the street, likely local newscasters looking to get the inside scoop.

She glanced at Orion. "Mind keeping them back for me? I don't need this breaking out before we get a handle on it."

He nodded curtly at her before flying over to the reporters. Out the corner of her eye, she watched him gently keep them away from the scene. Eventually, they directed their attention and questions to him.

While he was a little unsettling to be around, he sure was helpful.

Elsewhere, a few officers hung about nearby in their cruisers in case Stella and her team had any questions for them. She wasn't sure she would need them. Soon, she'd have all the intel she needed to go after the people who caused the fire in the church.

At around seven that evening, Atlas agents alerted headquarters of an attack in the seedy neighborhood in southern California. The initial operation had been a simple arrest; they had been tipped off that two Primes were seeking refuge inside the church from those in the neighborhood. After the operation went south, Atlas agents called in for backup. Shortly after that, the church caught fire and the suspects escaped.

From the looks of things, the pair of Primes in question weren't anything to scoff at.

Her presence would surely be needed.

After dragging herself out of bed, Stella responded to the call and assembled a small team that consisted of Neon, Tempest, and Orion. She decided to leave Blur, Slugger, and Field behind. She knew how much the boys needed their beauty rest.

Stella and her team arrived in Los Angeles two hours before midnight after receiving the alert. They were met by an Atlas agent who survived the attack on the church. Judging by the ash covering their clothes and the current state of the religious building, she knew exactly who was involved.

Oscar. Otherwise known as Inferno.

The last she had heard any news about him was from a few days ago when a convoy in the same city was attacked. A young pyrokinetic had been rescued from the Atlas caravan—presumably by him.

She wondered how he knew who Atlas was transporting. There was a chance that he didn't. He probably had just gotten lucky. After all, he had been hitting Atlas-owned containment units for the past three years freeing captured Primes.

"You said there was a girl with him?" Stella asked the Atlas agent accompanying her group as they sifted through the rubble for any clues.

The agent nodded while cradling their injured arm. "Affirmative, Starchild. Might've been ten, eleven. Twelve? I dunno. All I know is that she had the same powers he did."

Same powers, huh.

Oscar seemed to have found himself a sidekick in the girl he stole. He hadn't freed her; he kidnapped her. The young girl had been on her way to a secure Atlas facility for further testing and examination. When agents had picked her up in her native El Salvador, she had accidentally burned her parent's home down.

She needed guidance. Control. Training. 24/7 supervision so she didn't accidentally hurt herself or those around her.

But Oscar prevented her from getting any of that.

Now she was on the run with an unhinged, pyromaniac.

Sighing, she slid a hand down her face.

"No one went after them?"

"Er, we were a little busy evacuating the burning building."

"Right, right."

Turning around, she peered at the street adjacent to the church. She squinted at a street sign at the end of the road.

"Highway...." She faced the agent again. "They left town."

"It seems like it."

Of course they did. Why would he stay in the city?

"How long ago would you say they left? An hour? Two hours?"

"Probably closer to two hours," the agent answered. "They left in a car that belonged to one of the nuns here. A red mustang. Real old car. Surprised it still worked, if I'm being honest."

Stella nodded. Her eyes lit up. "Get in touch with the local police department. See if you can track down the car and report back to me with the license plate."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be right back." Spinning around, the agent took off running for one of the police cars.

"Any luck?" Zach said after skidding to a stop beside her. Tempest soon joined him.

Stella see-sawed her hand. "Might have a lead if I can get the plates of the car Oscar left in. Other than that, I've got nothing."

Samantha nodded. "We'll find them."

She smiled at the girl. It was her first real mission. After she got the alert that night, she figured it was the perfect opportunity to take a recruit or two with her to gain some experience. She didn't expect any combat to occur—and if any did, she would be sure to keep the girl protected.

Her first choice had been Susie. The girl had performed excellently during training and always had a brilliant attitude around the facility. But, seeing as the girl was still recovering from her minor shoulder injury, she drew for Samantha instead.

Though, it was seeming like Samantha was the better choice all along. If they did come across Oscar and the other Prime he was with, her weather-based powers might have come in handy. Oscar's fire might have been powerful, but it was nothing a little rain couldn't handle.

"I've got something!" the Atlas agent shouted as they jogged back over to Stella.

Her face brightened. "You did?"

"Yep. WFC-638. That's the plate."

Stella thanked the Atlas before dismissing them and turning back to her team. She called Orion back over, who was still dealing with the growing number of press arriving on the scene. Once she joined them, she filled them in on their next steps.

"A warrant has already been put out on their vehicle," she explained. "If anyone finds it and reports it to the police, we'll get a call. Until then, let's return to the jet and hang out for a bit."

As Samantha and Zach made their way back to their aircraft, which was parked in an empty lot nearby, Orion smiled at her. She blushed under his golden gaze.

"You are quite good at leading."

"Yeah, well, I've had some practice. And the captain before me set a good example."

She might have disagreed with everything Chase and the Exiles currently stood for, but she was enough of an adult to acknowledge his obvious skill and tact when it came to being a leader. He kept their team together before—and during—the whole PRA fiasco.

Her lip quivered.

She needed him. Now more than ever. Something was bubbling beneath the surface at Atlas; she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

In front of her, Orion smiled warmly at her. She returned the gesture, quickly vanquishing the look of despair that threatened to spread across her face.

"I think you and I will make a great...partnership," Orion declared. His tone of voice suggested he meant something else, but she dismissed it. He probably didn't fully understand how his words came across yet.

She couldn't help but blush, though. Averting her gaze, she nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I think we will."

She was grateful for his company. Just being around him gave her a sense of security and assurance that none of the other members of her team could provide. She hadn't felt such a presence since—

Scowling, he forced the thought out of her head.

Her last conversation with Orion still played on her mind. His words chilled her to her core. He might not have been completely human, but it seemed like he was capable of processing human emotions. He could feel the absence of love around him. All he wanted was to fill that void.

She could relate. A lot.

When she was younger, around the time her parents got divorced, she had those same feelings. Her father tried his best, but she could tell he resented her at times. It didn't help that she was the spitting image of her mother; she was a constant reminder of their failed marriage.

She frowned.

Their divorce hit her hard. She knew she had nothing to do with their split, but she couldn't help but blame herself.

Those same feelings resurfaced when she and Chase broke up.

She wanted nothing more for them to stick together. To navigate the tricky waters of their new world hand in hand. If they were together, nothing could hurt them. But he left her on her own, broken and confused. He left her behind to fend for herself.

Her fists clenched.

"Is everything alright, Stella?" Worry was etched into Orion's features.

"Yeah, I'm good." She motioned toward where their jet was parked. "Come on, let's get going. We've got some pyros to catch."

#

Stella and her team took to the skies in their aircraft. They rose just below the clouds, high enough to be mistaken for a private jet but low enough to have a full view of the highway below.

The night was in full flex now. The moon hung overhead like a lamp, spilling its silver light onto the black tarmac below. LAPD had yet to get back to them about the license plate, meaning they were stuck into the air until something came in.

They were a few dozen miles out of the city now. The metropolitan city had emptied into a desert, the towering buildings giving way to a dry wasteland of beige sand, lime green cacti, Joshua trees, and the odd gas station. There weren't many vehicles on the interstate at the moment. Mainly freighters and construction trucks heading into the city for their nightly dropoffs.

"This is boring," Zach whined from the small table in the back of the jet. He was playing a video game with Orion, who was thoroughly beating him. "Also, this android is cheating at the game. He must have hacks downloaded into his motherboard or something."

Orion chuckled as he mashed the buttons on the small controller in his big hands. "I am not an android. I also don't have a motherboard." He lifted his head slightly to smirk at the speedster. "But you are bad at this game, I have to admit."

Groaning exasperatedly, Zach threw his controller across the jet. Before it could hit the ground, he zoomed over to it and caught it. He returned to his seat in the blink of an eye. Faint traces of his energy trail lingered in the air.

Smiling sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that."

"It's just a game, Zach," Samantha told him as she read something on her cellphone. "Just calm down—"

A red light on the aircraft's dashboard blinked once. Then twice.

The jet's onboard cellphone rang shortly after.

Stella sprung into the cockpit, which was being manned by the automated pilot system. She cleared her throat and picked up the phone.

"Starchild here. What have you got for me?"

"Your red mustang rolled through the area about an hour ago. Stopped at a motel off the side of Route 61."

"Are they still there?"

"According to the owner of the motel, yes." The person on the other line paused. "Er, should we send some units out there—"

"No," Stella interjected. "That won't be necessary." After thanking them, she hung up and walked back into the bay of the jet.

Zach was bouncing on his heels, his eyes looking like he just guzzled down a whole 12-pack of soda. "Well?"

"They're at a motel not too far from here. We'll land nearby and plan our assault."

Orion rose from the table. "What is our plan?"

"I'll approach their room," Stella answered.

"I'll come with—"

She shook her head. "You'll only scare them. Oscar knows me. I'm the only one who might be able to speak some sense into him."

Orion pursed his lips. "And if you can't?"

She turned around. "Then we do what we have to do." Before the man could argue any further, she sat back down in her chair as the jet flew them toward the motel. "Everyone okay with that?"

No one spoke. Though, she could feel Orion's golden gaze on her. His intense irises drilled holes into her back. It took all of her willpower not to shiver under his stare. Instead, she occupied herself with her StarBands. The engineers back at The Acropolis had recently given her an upgrade that would allow her to create stronger light projections. They would also supply her with light if there wasn't any present.

With it being the middle of the night, they were going to come in handy should a fight with Oscar break out.

He was no pushover either. In the past, that might have been true, but it wasn't now. His time on the run made him frantic. Paranoid. He was like a cornered animal. And she knew better than to box in one of those. If she wasn't careful, he would take her down.

She couldn't let that happen. He needed to be brought to justice.

Her approach would have to be non-threatening, yet firm. She needed to get him to listen to her. After all, she had his best interests at heart—as well as the Prime he kidnapped. Her goal was to safely bring them back to The Acropolis.

If it was up to General North...

She wasn't sure what he would do if he was in charge of the night's operation. It wouldn't have been nice, though.

As their jet cut through the air on its way to the motel, Stella closed her eyes and honed in on the vibrations running through her body. The floor shuddered beneath her feet as they moved through some turbulence. She released a deep breath.

"Arriving in fifteen minutes," an automated voice announced from the cockpit. "Please, strap in and prepare for landing."

Nodding, Stella absentmindedly rubbed her wrists.

"We will stop them," Orion told her as he settled in the seat beside her. "I'll make sure of it."

Glancing at him, she noticed a dark look flickering in his eyes. A steely expression had consumed his features and his hands were coiled into tight fists. He kept his face pointed toward the airlock across from them.

Stella eyed him warily.

"It won't have to come to that if they come quietly," she said.

She desperately hoped Oscar would see reason and not attack. He was hopelessly outnumbered. If he knew what was best for him, he would surrender as soon as she arrived outside his door.

However, fires were unpredictable. So was Inferno.

Deep down, she knew he wouldn't surrender. He couldn't now; he was too far gone. As she strapped herself into her seat, she mentally prepared herself for another battle with the crafty pyrokinetic.

"Ten minutes until arrival. Landing gear disengaging."

She released a quivering breath.

Every day she regretted how she and the others reacted after he revealed he was the mole inside their camp. The fire at his uncle's apartment that night didn't make things any better. Not only had those wretched flames swallowed what was left of his family whole, but they were beginning to consume him as well. She remembered seeing the rage in his eyes the last time they faced off.

He was too far gone. There was no saving him, as much as she wanted to.

There was only one thing left for her to do now:

Neutralize the threat. By any means necessary.

#

Exhaling, Stella floated down from the obsidian-colored sky above. The clouds above were frozen as if they were nervously watching the scene about to unfold beneath them. While the rest of her team made their way to the motel Oscar and his hostage were holed up in, Stella and Orion took it upon themselves to scout the area before they engaged.

She spotted the red mustang in the underpopulated parking lot. There was only one other car parked among it.

That would make things easier. In case things went left, they wouldn't have to worry about civilian casualties. Inferno wasn't known for his regard for innocent bystanders these days. A fight with him usually meant collateral damage.

And lots of it.

"Everybody know their jobs?" Stella asked with her finger pressed against her minuscule earpiece hiding in her ear.

"I got the street," Zach replied. "If they try to escape, they won't get far."

"I've got the parking lot," Samantha said.

Stella glanced above her. Orion was still hovering in the sky, his head bowed slightly as he glared at the door of Oscar's motel room. While she couldn't see his face, she could feel the intensity radiating off of him. He was locked in.

She had begun to forget he wasn't really a human. He was more machine than anything.

His brain didn't work as hers did. He was built to be methodical and stoic. Unmoving. Without fear. General North said it himself: Orion was the perfect soldier.

Nodding, Stella pressed her earpiece again. "Approaching the door now. If things go bad, move in."

"Copy that," Zach chirped.

The channel went dead. She released a heavy breath that had been sitting on top of her chest. After touching down on the sandy ground, she took careful steps toward the red door of the motel room. The faded, brass numbers nailed into the splintered wood above the door read '666'. She rolled her eyes.

That's a bit on the nose.

With a stern look on her face, she knocked on the door twice and stepped backward. She held her breath as she heard someone moving toward the other side. Luckily, none of the motel doors seemed to have working peepholes on them.

Two voices were speaking behind the door. Both were speaking rapidly in Spanish. She recognized the first to be Oscar's. The second must've been his hostage. Her jaw clenched. While she couldn't understand them, she could hear the panic in their frantic voices.

Her fists clenched at her side. Peace was looking more and more unlikely.

"I told you," Oscar said from behind the door. "We don't need any housekeeping services."

Stella cleared her throat and stepped back up to the door. "Open the door, Oscar."

Without seeing him, she could tell he froze. She kept her eyes peeled for any sign that he might attack. She would have to be ready when he did.

"Stella?" he whispered.

"Open the door," she repeated. "This doesn't have to end in a fight."

A long pause ensued. Shifting her feet, she began fidgeting with her StarBands. She had them primed to their second-highest setting. Something told her she would need to crank them up for what might happen next.

Finally, Oscar spoke again.

"Go away."

"You burned down a church." She put extra emphasis on the last word. "People were hurt, Oscar."

He scoffed. "Atlas agents were hurt. They hardly count as people."

"They're not Jaegers," she countered. "They're just decent men and women doing their jobs."

"You know, we were doing just fine until they showed up."

"Oh really? Is