Everything snapped into focus the moment the trees glowed a searing orange.
Maren had spent her entire time dressing and running toward the Titans inwardly cursing Mav. Venting that frustration on him would have to wait, however. For now, she needed to channel it toward something productive.
Maren dashed along the edge of the clearing, aiming for the fire. The ground shook from another explosion. A man screamed in horrified agony as the Cat Titan pounced on him. The Bird Titan soared high into the air.
All while the fire spread.
Maren’s lungs burned as she neared the flames. She drank from her canteen, coated herself in water, then dashed into the burning trees.
The fire hadn’t spread too far, yet. It may have only covered five or six trees. She wasn’t strong enough to create a massive wave, but enough focused water at the base of each fire should be enough to douse it.
Water swirled about her body, slithering over her arms like a snake. She extended her hands and sent two large streams toward the flames. She bit her lip. As she put out one fire, another tree caught flame. She had to go faster.
More screams sounded, more explosions blasted. Focus, Maren! Her mouth drying further, she ran through the burning trees, dousing them. Her focus consumed her: dancing orange and red were all she could see, their roars alone echoing in her ears.
Then, a pained yowl broke her concentration.
The long-limbed Monkey Titan dropped mere feet from her, holding itself aloft on its hands, and practically hissed.
Maren, with one hand pouring water onto the fire, gripped the Monkey Titan’s foot with her water-covered hand.
“Don’t stop me,” Maren said.
The Monkey Titan froze. Its orb-eyes widened. The fear and pain once burning so brilliantly faded. A dawn of understanding arose within it. It backed away, then returned to hounding the miners.
Smothering the rest of the flames took only another minute, yet the fight hardly deescalated. Three more explosions shook the clearing. In that moment, Maren couldn’t see the Cat Titan nor the Bird Titan. Instead, she witnessed the Monkey Titan controlling roots to twist a woman’s neck, as well as the skinny figure of Julio throwing something at the Monkey Titan.
Maren’s stomach lurched as it arched toward the Monkey. Then, as the object was only inches from the Titan, it exploded.
Mav hadn’t any idea what the Bird Titan wanted. Sure, he knew he was usually slow on the uptake, but now he wasn’t the only one: the Bird Titan itself seemed to have no idea what to do with him.
Mav had spent several minutes soaring over the fight, trying to reason with the Titan. If only his urgency could fade alongside the fire. Mav still needed to get to the ground and help the other Titans – and hopefully stop them from killing anyone else.
But the Bird Titan wouldn’t let him go. Or swoop down to the ground to free him. It simply flew in circles.
Maybe it had felt the Titan in Mav’s soul. Maybe it didn’t want Mav caught up in the fight for fear of him getting hurt. Or maybe it didn’t want him saving the miners’ lives.
Regardless, it clung onto Mav. He didn’t want to burn its talons and hurt it, now that it had calmed down a bit. And, honestly, it would be difficult to survive a fifty-foot drop, even with some well-timed explosions to slow his fall.
All those thoughts fled, however, from another explosion and the gut-punching howl that followed it.
The Monkey Titan was lying on the ground, flown back by the blast. A man started running to it. The Bird Titan craned its neck to meet Mav’s eye. They understood what they needed to do.
The Bird tucked its wings in and plummeted. The man drew nearer to the Monkey Titan. The Bird leveled itself before it hit the ground, then flung Mav forward. A chill expanded from his core.
“Blast Punch!”
Air warping as a bright, white orange enveloped his left arm, Mav descended to his target. The man looked up, his eyes widening. Mav punched, but the man dove out of the way.
Boom!
Mav’s fist connected with the ground. The explosion forced the dodging man all the way to the trees. At least he wasn’t near–
Crack!
Mav’s stomach rose as his body dipped. Plumes of dust surged as the land below began to break apart and fall. The mound of destroyed vehicles started to dip into the recesses of the shattering land. The Monkey Titan was near it, on a section of ground leaning into a hole. It began to slide.
Mav charged toward it, hopping through plumes of dust. The Monkey’s head was almost over the hole. Mav leaped, propelling himself with an explosion, and gripped the Monkey’s hand before it started to fall.
Crack!
The tuft of land Mav stood upon broke away. Mav’s stomach soared again as he dropped into darkness, clutching the Monkey Titan.