At that moment, a massive explosion rocked the area. I smashed into the pavement and skidded, my ears ringing, spots dancing before my eyes. Skin tore from my wrists. Rune landed on top of me, and all the soldiers toppled despite their armor.

The world lurched in sickening heaves. Through the haze of disorientation, I was dimly aware of shouting and flames, utter chaos. Behind me, Cage stumbled to his feet and caught the nearest soldier, yelling about something—keeping his attention here, I assumed, because this had to be Mia and Alexei’s version of a distraction. It was distracting, all right. I twisted, still not trusting myself to stand, and found a wall of flames not five feet in front of me. On the other side of the shimmering heat, a steady stream of teenagers scrambled over the ship and leaped for freedom.

I wasn’t the only one to notice. Shouts rose around me as the soldiers took aim. I threw myself at the nearest armored goon, knocking their arm aside and sending their shot careening wildly into the barrier surrounding the landing platform. It absorbed the bullet’s energy, leaving the bullet to ping to the ground, harmless. I got a gun hilt to the face for my trouble. Pain ricocheted through my skull, and the back of my head smacked the pavement.

The kids scattered, bolting through the Mars landscape toward the neighboring city, trusting in their powers or their own willpower to get them through the few seconds of vacuum separating the bubbles. The flames blocked the soldiers’ pursuit. Some of them made to charge after the escaping prisoners, but their commander called a retreat. “Let them go!” he bellowed. “Make sure no one else is on that damn ship! We’ll put out an APB. They can’t leave the city, and they won’t last long with a reward on their heads.”

My heart sank. There was nowhere else to go, not without a passport or a Mars Mining pass. But the city was big and had a reputation for hosting a healthy horde of criminals as well as Mars Mining citizens. With luck the commander overestimated the city’s love for his corporation.

I had my own problems to deal with, as the commander approached the three of us, tilting his faceplate back. He was older than his voice had led me to believe, with a grizzly white beard and flashing dark eyes. “I suppose you think you’re clever,” he snarled. The ringing in my ears was fading, but I still struggled to catch his words. Instinctively, I stepped between him and Rune, and Cage drew up beside me. Rune sighed heavily behind us, and I winced, remembering how she’d complained about Cage treating her like a child. Now I was doing it. Before I could apologize, though, the man continued. “How many murderous maniacs did you just turn loose in my city?”