Ignite [Book Three In The "Fire And Lightning" Series]

Chapter Twenty-One- Friends

May 20 2018. 19:07
Chicago.
~~Emma~~

"Emma, can I talk to you?"

I sighed, but shut off the my glove computer. In doing so, I shut off the only light provided in the cargo hold in the back of the bioship, dousing me in darkness.

"Rick, is now really the time?" I asked. His back was to the light at the front of the bioship, where half the team was waiting.

"Whether the time is right or not, we do need to talk." He said, walking over to me.

"I'd really not talk about it right before this mission." I told my twin agitatedly. "If what you say is true, we can't be distracted."

"You're distracted already, Em. C'mon, tell me. you'll feel better if you tell me.

I sat down with my back against a particularly large crate of rebreathers. Connor didn't take any chances after La'gaan's careless mistake. "I...I really don't want to talk about it..." I whispered.

"Please, Emma, tell me." He begged with a hand on my shoulder. "We have two more hours until we reach Chicago. We do have time." So I couldn't use the excuse that he used on me.

I nodded, and looked up at him, secretly jealous that my little brother was taller than me. "Promise you won't be mad?"

He moved his arm around my shoulders and grinned promisingly. "I promise."

"Just remember, you promised." I procrastinated.

"Emma, just tell me." He urged.

I looked at the floor, at the wall, at the boxes of emergency supplies stashed in the cargo hold, until I finally gathered the courage to look up at Rick.

"Well...I went to see Willow."

His eyebrows went up so high, they hidden by his bangs

"Yup, back in November." I bit my lip. "We- Kaldur, Artemis, M'gann, Connor, and I -said we'd leave her alone, I didn't mean to run into her, I just wanted to make sure she was alright. Then her boyfriend's mom spotted me, and there was no going back when she invited me, and..." I moaned.

"Emma, what did you do?" Rick asked in mock-seriousness.

"Quiet, you." I slapped his chest and shoved his arm back over my head, but he laughed it off. Then his face grew serious as he saw my unamused expression.

"Emma, what did you do?" The mocking was all gone from his voice.

I pulled my legs closer to me, trying to hide my tears.

"I may or may not have revealed her secret superhero identiy to the Graces."

Nightwing backed up to get a good look at me, just to make sure I was serious. He didn't question who the Graces were. He knew full well, like I did, the name of Scarlett's childhood friend.

"I know, I know," I apologized futiley before he could scold me. "But she'd been there a year and a half! I thought she would have told them by now!"

Nightwing played with his ekirima stick in his lap. "Not everyone wants to be super, Emma."

"I know, I know." I repeated, staring at the dark ceiling of the cargo hold. "That's what Willow told me, right before she told me to get out and reminded me just how much she hated me."

"No, Emma, no!" Rick assured me, placing his arm around my shoulders again. "That was Pyro, remember?"

I shook my head, wiping away my tears with my suit sleeve. "Not this time."