Broken Sync

The rain fell lightly over the city streets, as Astra crouched on top of a high-rise building. She exhaled, steadying herself as she scanned the scene below. An attempted armored truck heist in progress. Six criminals. Two hostages. Limited visibility.

"Alright, we go in clean," Astra murmured into her earpiece. "Lucas, hold position until I disable their weapons. We don't need another wrecked street."

"No faith in my delicate touch?" Lucas's voice came through with forced light-heartedness. He stayed put, his muscles coiled, waiting for the signal.

Astra ignored the joke, focusing on the movement below. She had studied Nathan's approach for months, and learned how he always found the small, overlooked details. What would he notice right now?

Her eyes locked onto a seventh figure inside the truck, barely visible through the rain-streaked windshield. A getaway driver, or worse, backup.

She didn't hesitate. Violet energy formed at her fingertips, before she fired off a concentrated blast at the trick's tires. The rubber exploded, sending the vehicle tilting sideways. The driver cursed loudly as the engine sputtered and died. One less escape route.

"Go," she ordered.

Lucas sprinted forward with insane speed. Crashing into the nearest thug before the man even had a chance to raise his weapon. The impact sent the criminal flying backward. He slammed right into the armored truck. 

Astra hit the ground a second later, rolling beneath a hail of bullets. She extended a palm, sending a shockwave outward, knocking one gunman off his feet.

One of the criminals had recovered faster than expected and lunged at her from behind. Astra barely managed to duck under a swinging baton, twisting in time to catch him in the ribs with a precise energy blast. He staggered, but not before grabbing one of the hostages and putting a gun to his temple.

"Stay back!" he screamed, desperation making his voice crack. "I'll blow his head off!"

Lucas caught sight of the hostage situation. He froze for half a second. His heart skipped a beat as memories of a past failure flashed before his eyes. Too long. The leader of the crew took advantage of the moment's hesitation and fired. The bullet tore through the side mirror of the truck, inches from Lucas's head.

Astra didn't hesitate. She focused on the gun, using her telekinesis to forcefully snatch the gun out his hands. At the same time, she launched herself forward, slamming into him before he could recover.

She pinned him down, breathing hard as she turned to Lucas, who had just knocked out the last remaining thug with an uppercut that lifted him clean off his feat.

"Not bad, Captain Astra," he said with a big grin.

She smirked but didn't reply. The plan had worked, but there had been gaps. She was learning, but Nathan's absence was still felt in every choice.

Lucas leaned against the side of the patrol van, rubbing the back of his neck as he watched Astra debrief the officers. The rain had finally stopped, but the chill in the air remained. It felt different now.

He was used to charging in, taking the lead, breaking through obstacles while Nathan guided from behind. Now, Astra was the one calling the shots, setting the pace, and reading the field. And he was playing catch-up.

Lucas wasn't used to holding back. He was used to leading with his fists, but now he had to listen, adjust. Astra's approach was methodical, calculated. Nothing like Nathan's instinct-driven strategies, but effective in its own way.

But it still irritated him.

"Next time, call it faster," he said as Astra wrapped up with the police.

She raised an eyebrow and turned around. "Call what faster?"

"The hostage grab. You hesitated. If you had taken the shot sooner, I wouldn't have had to react late."

Astra's expression hardened. "I took the shot when it was safest. You hesitated, Lucas."

He scoffed, crossing his arms defensively. "That's not what happened."

"Then maybe you weren't paying any attention," she shot back.

A tense silence followed. Lucas exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Whatever. We got the job done."

"Yeah. We did," Astra replied, her voice cool. "But if we don't start trusting each other. It's going to cost us, sooner or later."

Lucas didn't have an answer. Astra turned back to finish the debrief. He had to start finding his place in this new dynamic, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

Nathan gritted his teeth, as he struggled to push himself up from the couch, his ribs screamed in protest to the movement. His physical therapy sessions were barely yielding results. And even simple movements left him exhausted and bitter. He had faced villains, survived multiple battles, but now even standing felt like a fight in itself.

The television played in the background, news anchors discussing Astra and Lucas's latest mission. He watched them move on screen. They were getting better, in near-perfect sync, Astra coordinating the approach while Lucas delivered the finishing blow. They were adjusting, evolving. Without him.

A knock at the door pulled him from his spiraling thoughts. Astra stepped inside. She shook the rain from her jacket as she looked around his small apartment.

"Hey," she said, setting a takeout bag on the table, the smell of his favorite food filling the space. "Brought food. How's the rehab going?"

Nathan forced a smirk. "Like getting punched in slow motion." He tried to laugh, but it turned into a wince as pain cut through his side.

Astra let out a small chuckle, sitting on the armrest of the couch. Her eyes were soft with concern as she looked at him. "That bad?"

"Worse." Nathan's voice dropped, a rare moment of vulnerability. "But I'm managing." The lie tasted sour on his tongue.

A beat of silence stretched between them, heavy with all the things they couldn't say. 

Finally, Nathan nodded toward the TV. "You and Lucas are getting better. Feels like you're settling into a rhythm." He tried to keep his voice neutral, but jealousy crept in despite his best efforts.

Astra sighed, rubbing her temples. "Yeah, we are. I mean, kind of. It's different. We're figuring it out, but…" She hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the zipper of her jacket before finally looking at him. "It's just not the same."

Nathan arched a brow. "What do you mean?"

She exhaled. Staring down at her hands. "Lucas is great, and I know I can rely on him in a fight, but…" She shook her head. "I keep second-guessing myself. Every time I make a call, I wonder if you'd see something I don't."

Nathan swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat. "You're doing fine. Probably better than I would right now." He glanced down at his broken body.

She shook her head. Reached out to place her hand on his arm. "It's not about better or worse. It's just different." Her eyes met his. "And I really hate it."

Nathan didn't have an answer. He just sat there, staring at the screen as another replay of Astra and Lucas's mission played. They were out there, and he was stuck here.