Lightning rippled down the street, lashing at the door. Kira got thrown backwards, dazed. She was trying to get up when Jason ran to the door and yanked it the rest of the way closed. Total darkness engulfed them. "M-make sure the lock clicks shut," Kira gasped to Jason.

"It did." He knelt by her, his hands trying to find Kira. "How's your heart?"

"My heart?"

Jason grabbed her wrist and turned Kira's hand up, his thumb pressed on her inner wrist. "Your pulse is okay. The shock must have thrown you clear before it did too much damage. Did you get any burns?"

"I don't think so," Kira said as Jason helped her stand up.

"You weren't grounded. You got lucky." She couldn't see him, but could hear the anguish in his voice. "You could have been killed."

"I think that was the idea," Kira said, trying to make light of it. She paused, emboldened by the dark, then quickly hugged Jason. "Thanks."

"Sure." Jason still sounded shaky, but better, and she was recovering. "How long will that hold?" Jason asked.

"It's supposed to hold off an invading army for a little while. They'll need to get some soldiers to get the keys, because the police won't be carrying them. And it's possible the people chasing us can pick that lock, too. We don't have forever." Kira went down the tunnel as fast as she dared, feeling her way.

She found the door on the outer wall by running into it, then Jason ran into her. As soon as they untangled themselves, Kira felt for the lock, pulled out her picks, and went to work by feel and sound.

"What if they're waiting for us out there?" Jason asked, his voice echoing oddly in the tunnel.

"Then you and I are going to go through them like a stampede through a weak fence," Kira said.

"What happened to the Kira who didn't think she could do anything much?"

"Kira doesn't have the luxury of self-doubt at the moment. Hush. I need to listen to the lock."

He fell silent for a few moments, until Kira gave a gasp of satisfaction. "That's it. All we have to do is lift these bars reinforcing the door and pull the door open."

"Before we go out and stampede through whatever is waiting," Jason said, "how was it that lightning just happened to hit that other door? And why did the lightning look like it was traveling along the ground instead of coming down?"