Boom!
The group had barely caught their breath when a deafening explosion thundered through the tunnel.
Mary's expression turned icy. "They've used explosives."
"Let's move!" Miles didn't waste a second. With a simple thought, a snow vehicle materialized before them, drawing astonished gazes from those nearby. Wasting no time, everyone piled into the car.
Vroom!
Isaac slammed on the accelerator, sending the vehicle spinning slightly before it gripped the icy terrain and shot down the mountain.
Miles finally relaxed a little, retrieving the submachine guns back into his mental space. He turned to Isaac. "You good?"
"Thanks to the blast suit, yeah. Without it, even the Hulk would've been blown to bits. But if it comes down to fists, let them send twenty more—I'll handle them," Isaac boasted, clearly reveling in his newfound strength.
Ansel, seated in the back, looked on with open envy. "Man, if I had that kind of power, I'd have wiped the floor with them."
Ryan wiped the sweat from his brow and retorted sharply, "Quit dreaming. Those guys are trained soldiers with armored vehicles. What are you gonna fight them with, your bare hands?"
Silence fell, broken only by the hum of the snow vehicle. Half an hour later, they reached Cloud Heights.
Mary stepped out, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. "This is where you're holed up?"
"What's wrong with it?" Miles asked.
"Nothing." Mary's tone was calm, though her faint smirk betrayed something deeper. "Turns out I have a property here too. D Block, Unit 103. It's been years since anyone's used it."
"Seriously? Neighbors?" Ryan quipped, glancing at Mary's poised, composed demeanor. "Fate's playing tricks—who'd have thought I'd end up neighbors with Mary herself?"
Mary chuckled faintly but offered no further comment.
Miles, however, spoke bluntly. "Let's get this straight: don't stir up trouble. Otherwise—"
"Otherwise, what?" Mary stepped closer, meeting his gaze without a shred of hesitation. Standing just a few inches shorter than him, her presence felt as if it towered over everyone.
"You'll crush me with one of your conjured cars?" she teased, her smile faint but provocative. "I've figured out your ability, Miles. It's mental-based, isn't it? Strong in utility, but lacking in direct offense."
"Try me," Miles replied, his brows furrowing slightly. Despite himself, he found her confidence both irksome and impressive.
"I won't waste my breath threatening you. I'm no fool." Mary tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her tone measured and matter-of-fact. "Espers like you are rare. I'd be insane to make you my enemy. On the contrary, I plan to help you—because your strength ensures my survival."
D Block, Unit 103 – Inside the Villa
Miles surveyed the modest furnishings of Mary's villa. "This is pretty basic. Shouldn't someone like you be in A Block?"
"You think I'm rich?" Mary chuckled as she began clearing out the dust. Turning to her brother, Aaron, she said, "Go upstairs and see if there's anything useful. It's too cold to waste energy moving around. From now on, we'll stay on the first floor."
Aaron glanced nervously at Miles but nodded obediently. "Got it."
Miles smirked. "Was that a dig at me?"
"Hmm?" Mary feigned innocence as she arranged the space.
"I admit, your situation is partly my fault." Miles snapped his fingers, and a pile of fire-starting supplies—charcoal, alcohol, and more—appeared on the floor. "So, here's something to make up for it."
Mary spared the materials a glance before shaking her head. "You're wasting resources. Such extravagance borders on idiocy."
Miles's smirk turned sour. "Well, excuse me for trying to help. If it weren't for the logistics haul, I wouldn't have bothered with you."
Mary ignored his irritation and began sorting the materials with methodical precision. "There are more efficient ways to stay warm, like wind power."
"Do you see wind turbines lying around?" Miles shot back.
"No, but you have them," Mary said with a pointed look. "You took over a trillion's worth of supplies, but I doubt you even know what you have. I do. I know exactly what's in every warehouse at South Logistics."
Miles blinked, momentarily stunned into silence.
"Well? Feeling glad you saved me yet?" Mary's smirk widened. "Without me, you'd spend years sorting through your inventory. How much mental energy can you waste on that?"
She wasn't wrong. While Miles's mental space was vast, its disorganization was a major drawback. He had used countless supplies over the past three months but still didn't fully understand what was available.
"Warehouse A09," Mary continued. "Two large wind turbines, originally ordered by East Energy. The deal fell through, so they were left at South Logistics as collateral."
Miles closed his eyes briefly and scanned his space. Sure enough, tucked into a corner were the turbines.
"Wait." Mary's voice cut in just as he was about to summon them. "Are you seriously planning to bring them out here? Each one weighs at least several tons."
Miles grimaced, halting the action. "Do you even know how to set them up?"
"No, but someone here will," Mary replied, calm as ever. "This community isn't short on skilled people. Put them to work, instead of letting them rot while you hand out rations."
Pointing toward a group of waiting residents, she added, "You were a CEO, weren't you? Start acting like it."
Miles's face darkened. "You—"
"Civilization is on its knees," Mary continued, unfazed. "From what I've gathered, global radiation has wiped out the polar regions and vast swaths of land. Even here in the U.S., entire states are gone. Chicago is one of the few surviving cities."
"And your point?"
Mary fixed him with a steady gaze. "Reconstruction is inevitable, but this chaos presents a unique opportunity. You have resources and power. You could be the one to define the new rules."