The Real Ram

Chapter 30

 I land on my feet this time. 

But it doesn't feel normal now. I can hear the disrupted quiet outside the door, and it both comforts me yet worries me.

With a sigh I make my way to the door. I turn the handle and become aware of the energy in the air. It's tense and unpleasant. Yep, this is the Omega compound. I step out into the hallway and follow the trail of stress down the hallways. I finally hear a female voice yelling, "You said Thursday! Thursday, Flame."

I stop walking and hear him say irritatedly, "Well it's not my choice. I'm sorry Nix but—"

"You aren't sorry. If you were you'd tell X no. You can't leave right now. He's pushing this too far and too fast," she pauses, "Are you evening listening to me?"

I hear Flame slap what sounds like a half full bag, "The team will leave without me."

"Then let them."

He scoffs, "I promised you," he pauses, "I promised you I would get them back for what they did. Not just to Willow, but to the people who survived to talk about it. Have you heard their stories? Did you hear what the Raven did to them?"

"Look what they're doing to you!" the girl shouts. "Flame, Willow didn't want this for you. She loved you the way you were, not the person you've become."

"I haven't become anything!" Flame argues. "Her death just skinned off the last of my remorse for the Raven."

"You sure?"

"Yes, Nix, I'm sure—"

"You sure that wasn't gone long ago?"

Flame pauses for an unnatural amount of time before saying softly, "I don't care what happened to me back then. I'm gotten over that long ago." I get chills from the tension in his voice. "I don't want Willow's death to mean nothing. I'm trying to do something, what are you doing?"

I hear shuffling and I sneak behind the wall of the intersection and hear Flame's steps walk away. I peek around and see he's holding a duffle bag in his left hand. 

I hear the girl in the room curse and she steps out. It's too late for me to hide again. She spots me and her face grimaces, "Zoe, right?"

I nod.

She runs her fingers through her reddish, dark brown hair that hangs heavily to the right side of her face. The left side is shaved close to her scalp. She fixes her glasses and asks, "If I recall, you're Vision's daughter, yes?" I nod. She steps more out of the room and leans on the wall, "I'm guessing you heard all of that then."

"A little."

She smirks solemnly. "I'm Nix, nice to meet you."

I start to walk up to her, "What's going on with Flame?"

She frowns, "Did he not tell your group about his little trip?"

"He did, but he's supposed to leave Thursday," I don't want her to think I was listening to that much of their conversation.

"Mr. X decided he was going to send them out tonight, and have an extended trip time. They won't be back for two weeks."

I didn't hear that part. "Two weeks?"

"I swear he's crazy."

I look down the hallway Flame went down. "What could they possibly need to talk about for two weeks?"

She sighs, "He told you that?"

"I figure there's more to the story."

"You don't even know kid," she shakes her head and crosses her arms, "You don't even know."