John picked up the story. "Jessie and Miriam were training in the woods when Gwyneth arrived with a man. The man shot Miriam in the back of the head, then shot me and Jessie. Miriam died instantly, and Gwyneth took her powers. It was all part of the deal; there was a twenty-million-dollar reward for Jessie's death, Gwyneth was going to split it with the men who would do the killing so she didn't have to. The man didn't want to share, though; while Gwyneth was absorbing her power, he shot her too, then he came to finish me off."

"I felt their powers slam into me and heal me,...