Hairline fractures painted the ceiling from me to the Squat. With one last anguished cry, a steel and concrete mountain collapsed on us.

Time slowed as armageddon rained down. I needed to save Iseult and myself. A steel bar ripped through my outstretched left arm. I teleported us to the 50th floor’s edge in front of the elevator.

A thick dust cloud shot in our direction. I teleported high volumes of clean air behind me so our lungs wouldn’t shrivel. As the dust settled, a clean circle denoted the threshold between us and destruction. A hundred meters ahead, a debris ridge blocked the hall with steel bars poking through like the ribs of an ancient beast. All lights had shattered so we sat in pitch darkness.

My arm burned with constant heavy pressure. The steel bar had punctured all the way through, blood trickling to pool on the ground. Better leave the bar there.

I held an unconscious Iseult in my arms. A rock must have smacked him in the face because his nose bled profusely. Anger flowed through me once again. I had told him we needed to leave but no, he had to fight. Whatever evidence of his partner he wanted was now buried under a hundred thousand tons of rubble.

“Hey, you okay?”

No response. I didn’t want to shake him in case he’d injured his spine.

“Look at this.”

I lifted my left arm to display the bar.

“Now I’m a priest.”

That joke still sucked. I needed to get another routine. Maybe a golf pun? Hole-in-one? Nope, terrible.

“My left arm will be out of commission for a while. Good thing I’m all right.”

I jiggled the limb. Oof, that hurt. I should stop. Iseult groaned.

“Stop fucking talking. My ears are ringing.”

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”

He groaned again. Right, quiet. Got it. I peered through the ruins to assess the damage. 20 floors had collapsed. The wreckage left a pyramid-shaped hole through the underground floors. Thank the engineers, the whole building didn’t collapse.

The death toll still rang high. Every time I spotted a body, I had to look away. Happy thoughts. The few people trapped under concrete alive, I teleported into the streets. Live free, don’t die.

Soon, my gaze reached the bottom floor. After that mayhem, all scientists had perished. This was my fault. I should’ve moved them above ground. And as if to mock me, the Squat survived.

It tunneled through concrete in our direction. I was done playing. This show should have ended long ago. I searched through the rooms with my gaze. The Squat had revealed its weakness earlier. If I could find unbroken chemical flasks, I could knock it out.

Jackpot. I stumbled upon several intact methyl mercury vials. When I had thrown it at the guard earlier, it had incapacitated him. Hopefully, 5mL would put the Squat out of business.

I waited, and the Squat didn’t disappoint. Its head tore through the ruins, roaring once it reached open air. The monster unhinged its jaws and screamed. The daggers in its eyes made it appear demented.

“It hurts…. Stop hurting… me.”

Sorry, bud. Rules are rules. I popped the methyl mercury vial into its mouth. Reflexively, it bit down, crushing the tiny glass container into shards. Silver liquid spilled down its throat.

Methyl mercury hit like a truck. The Squat thrashed. Tentacles tore through concrete and carved a small cavern around it. In three minutes, the Squat collapsed into a twitching heap. It was just knocked out, right? I had only given it 5mL. Iseult stirred.

“I am alright now. What is the situation? I heard the beast.”

“It’s sleeping. I gave it a random chemical.”

He nodded and opened his eyes. When Iseult noticed he was in my arms, he sprung away. The quick movement must have hurt him as he clutched his head and groaned.

“Are we safe? I remember the ceiling caved in, then… nothing.”

“Yeah, I teleported you away, but you took a hit to your head.”

“Fuck, this shit hurts like hell.”

I came beside him and patted his shoulder.

“You probably got a concussion. See a doctor for it.”

“People like me do not see doctors.”

To each their own. I teleported before the Squat, and it twitched. Quite a restless sleeper. I poked its nose, but my finger slid off. It was slimy, too? Gross. Iseult joined me with a flashlight and groped it. Kinky.

“The fucker is dead.”

My chest tightened.

“No, I knocked it out. See.”

I moved its mouth and spoke in falsetto.

“I’m totally fine, Iseult. Don’t wake me.”

“You are playing with a corpse.”

I dropped the Squat’s mouth. Was it really dead? I killed it? But there was so little methyl mercury. Why would they keep such a dangerous chemical here?

If the Squat had died, that guard…. I couldn’t look. If the guard had died too, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. Iseult leaned against my back. His breath brushed my ear and neck.

“It is okay. The bitch would have killed a fuckload more if you did not end it.”

His muscular body covered mine and he slipped down my arms to hold my hands. A shiver traveled from my head to my toes. Oh, lordy. That was a way to cheer me up.