Override (Glitch)

sorry. Of course it’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have accused you.”
    I kissed his lips, but they were hard and unyielding. After a second he relaxed into me, but then he pulled away again just as quickly. “I’ve gotta go to training.” He paused before leaving. “Will you be in classes today? Even if you don’t feel up for training, you could at least come to lunch. Everyone would really like to see you.”
    I swallowed hard, but nodded. He’d pulled away so quickly. I wasn’t sure he’d quite forgiven me yet. I’d assumed the worst of him and hadn’t even given him a chance to explain. I didn’t deserve his forgiveness. But he was right. I had to get out of bed. I had to keep moving forward somehow, in spite of all that had happened.
    *   *   *
    When I walked into the Caf, talk quieted and countless pairs of eyes watched me. Some of the Rez fighters immediately looked away again, their faces hard. Others, like the younger glitchers on the other task force watched me with wide eyes. Were they impressed with what they’d heard I’d done or disappointed that I didn’t do more? I was supposed to be able to save people, but four Rez fighters and one ex-Reg had died, not to mention the Chancellor’s glitchers. One of the Rez fighters put down his spoon as I passed by and outright glared at me. Okay, so disappointment it was.
    I looked down and headed toward the serving line. My legs were a little stiff, but otherwise my body felt healed. I tried to forget the eyes following my every move. I piled the colorless goop into a bowl and went to the table, sitting between Adrien and Xona. Rand was gesturing wildly when I sat down.
    “—and when the weapons dropped from the ceiling, bam, I unleashed the Rand on them before they could get a single round off.”
    Xona sat across from him and rubbed her temple. “It’s been a week already. Is there any way we’ll stop hearing this story by next century?”
    “Wait,” I said, “I actually want to hear it. I never heard everything that happened with your group.”
    Rand grinned and settled back in his chair. “So we get into the open chamber at the end of the hall, and all of a sudden none of us can hear anything. That’s when I saw the weapons dropping.”
    He lifted his hands up dramatically like he was reenacting the moment. “And a millisecond later, I’m on it. I’ve been working on melting stuff without touching it, but usually it’s just things within a few feet of me. These weapons were over ten feet high, but I knew if I didn’t take them out, we’d all die.”
    City turned from the other table and looked at Rand. “Oh please. If you hadn’t been there I could have easily electrified them.”
    Rand made a face and waved a hand dismissively. “I didn’t see you taking care of it.”
    She stood and put her hands on her hips. “Probably because I was busy with the other attackers rushing in. Which I didn’t see you doing anything about.”
    “How many were there?” I asked.
    “Five came through the door at us.” City dropped down to sit beside Rand. “I don’t know if they were all glitchers, some of them had weapons. They got a couple of shots off before I dropped them. And they only managed that because there was this glitcher who could inflict pain.”
    Rand nodded, looking almost solemn. “It was like a spike straight through my head. All of us were on the ground. I was screaming but couldn’t even hear my own voice ‘cause of the whole silence thing.”
    “So what happened?”
    City smiled and pointed her forefinger. “I fried him.”
    “You killed him?” Ginni choked on the mouthful she’d taken.
    “Of course I did. He was attacking us.”
    “It’s too bad, though. The General was disappointed we didn’t capture him alive,” Rand said. “But we do have the orb girl. City’s electricity wasn’t anything against her.”
    “I can’t believe they brought her back with us,” City said.
    “You’re just bent out of shape because you couldn’t take her out,” Rand said.
    “Well, maybe I’ll get another chance.” City glowered. “Either way, she’s not rooming with me, that’s for shuntin’ sure.”
    “She’s here?” I asked, stunned. “She’s staying in the dorms?”
    “Don’t look at me,” Rand said. “Adrien’s the one who had a vision that she needed to be saved.”
    I looked over at Adrien. His eyes had widened.
    “You told them your visions?” I felt a pang of hurt. After