Lana

Jude and I look at each other. I'm not sure there's a good way to explain what's happened here.

"It's over," is all I say, and Jude doesn't make any comments.

"Good," Taylor says. "We should go. If Jude and I found you from weather reports, it's only a matter of time before they notice and come looking for you too."

"Who's they?" I ask.

Taylor freezes and glances down the road. Jude narrows his eyes at him, and I recognize Jude recognize Taylor's I'm about to either lie or keep you in the dark face.

"Oh, no," I snap. "You lied to us once, you don't get to do it again. Who is they?"

Taylor raises his hands defensively. "I'm not going to lie! I just think I should tell you all at once. We have to find Rani."

"I'm already here!"

We all turn, and Rani closes the door of a car I swear wasn't there before. "I saw something about unnatural windstorms on the news," she explains as she comes toward us. "Figured I'd find out what the hell Lana was doing."

I sheepishly give her a thumbs up. "I'm good now."

Rani raises an eyebrow, obviously confused by our surroundings, but she returns the thumbs up. "What did you say about telling us something?" she asks Taylor.

He gestures to the car. "I will, I will, but we really have to leave."

"Where should we go?" Jude asks, standing up and brushing dust off his knees.

I wait to see if anyone else has a suggestion, but they don't. I clear my throat so they look down at me.

"I know a diner."

_______________

Lana

We're in a diner near Tulsa. I only know of this place because Mom once brought me here while we were on a road trip; not counting recent events, I spent a grand total of three hours in Oklahoma, and all of it was either in her van or in this diner. I was on my way here when I stopped in that poor town and had a mental breakdown.

You'd think that, since I was the first to part from the others, I must've known where I was going, what I was going to do. Nope. I had no clue. Right before Mom's death and my 'accident,' she was under twenty-four-seven care at the hospital, and I was living alone in our apartment. I sure as hell wasn't going to visit that depression-trap, and I didn't want to return to Colorado at all. I chose this diner as my destination after much deliberation, but if Jude hadn't found me, I'm not sure I would've made it here. I would've kept bothering that town, and eventually some cops would catch on. At best, I'd be in jail or on the run, and at worst, I'd have a bullet in my head.

But Jude did find me, and now we're here.

Jude and Taylor are on one side of the booth, and Rani and I are on the other. My foot is propped up in the space between her and me, and a bag of frozen peas chills on my ankle, courtesy of the kind waitress who didn't ask any questions about why Jude and I looked like we went through a tornado in a jungle. I'll be pulling small leaves out of my hair for days.

Taylor slides a shiny business card to the center of the table. "William Hendrix, of the Hendrix Corporation," he says. "They were Jansen's benefactors. Everything he did to us was made possible because of them."

The three of us lean forward. The reflections of our heads muddles the shiny Hendrix logo.

"After our debut as Elementals," Taylor continues, "they were going to manage our team."

Jude raises an eyebrow. "Why would they think we would let them do that?"

"It's not so hard to believe that a superhero team would need management," Rani says, shrugging. "They'd probably frame it as a good, helpful thing, and knowing us...we'd fall for it."

Like we fell for Jansen's lie.

"Exactly." Taylor nods. "But I think we all know that they, even if subtly so, would treat us like shit. We were supposed to be legitimate, save-the-day heroes, and their management wasn't going to change that, but nothing we do under their thumb will ever be only for the greater good."

"A superhero team run by a corporation," I sigh, shaking my head. "Capitalism at its finest."

"But why are you telling us this?" Rani interrupts. "The Elementals never happened, and these people have no one to manage. So what are you here for?"

Taylor flicks a corner of the card, and it spins before it collides with the salt shaker. "Well," he says, "I feel bad that I killed Jansen without giving you guys a chance at revenge. So, I thought that maybe, together..." He looks at each of us, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "We could pay the Hendrix Corporation a little visit."

Rani blinks. "You want us to, what? Destroy a building?"

"Yes." He says it seriously, but he's resting his jaw in his palm and his elbow on the table, looking relaxed in a way that does not match what he's suggesting. "I did some research, tailed a person, and I found out about a place of theirs that needs humbling."

My ankle throbs. I wince and adjust the peas, thankful for the momentary distraction from the awkward silence that follows. The diner's empty aside from us and the employees in the back, and when we stop talking, the entire place is quiet. Only the Coca-Cola vending machine whirs a little.

I wonder if the waitress is listening, and if she thinks we're crazy.

Finally, Taylor shifts in his seat. "I thought this would be a good opportunity," he says quietly. "But you don't have to—"

"Shut up, man," Jude grumbles. He rubs his face, exasperated, and says through his hands, "I'm in."

"Me, too," I pipe up. "As long as we find me a crutch first."

Jude, Taylor, and I turn our heads to Rani. She's leaning against the back of the seat, arms crossed over her chest, and in response to our hopeful faces, she blinks.

"Well, I'm in, obviously," she says. "I've been dreaming about getting back at someone since I saw my file. And besides." She laughs dryly. "It's not like any of us have anything better to do."

"So it's decided," Taylor announces. He picks up the card by the corner, and the logo glints in the sunshine as if it's on fire. "Now. Does anyone know the best way to get to Maine?"