Bully for You

seven || trouble for you

"Why? It's not important."

"There's no need to be ashamed."

"That's easy for you to say," I refuse to meet his eyes. Rome would never do anything to seriously hurt my feelings. I know that now. But showing him my back feels more like exposing myself than standing in front of him naked. "Anyways, it's almost time to go. Can you please give me my shirt back?"

Rome puts his hand out and my shirt flies into his open palm. Rome could have easily given the shirt to me, but I know he likes redressing me as much as he likes doing the opposite. I straighten the fabric over my stomach and we exit the house.

We step outside and into an undercover neighborhood. Dedicated to operations against supervillains, we've gathered a crew here to fight against Christian and Grease. At this time of the night, nobody is around. Still, it feels awkward creeping out of the house with Rome. It's almost as if we're a pair of high schoolers slipping outside of a janitor's closet and trying not to get caught by one of the professors.

Rome and I walk past rows of pastel-colored houses. Black and white waves crash against the cliffside, reflecting drops of starlight. Pebbles crunch under our feet. If it weren't for the fact that we were about to go on a stealth mission, I would have considered this a peaceful night.

We find Elliot and Nick by the private airport, sitting on the grass besides a stripe of concrete and gravel. As usual, they have a set of papers between them.

"Still studying?" Rome asks. "I had thought you would have memorized everything by now."

"It doesn't hurt to go over the details," Elliot says, leaning over to gather the documents. The ring on his finger flashes in the moonlight as he picks them up. "You should get into the uniforms. I heard back from Monarch - they'll be here any minute."

I take out my collar and snap it around my neck. The velvet sits snugly against my skin, allowing my clothes to transform into my super uniform. It They clings to my muscles and curves, darkening until I become a shadow that blends into the midnight sky. I pull my hood above my face so it protects against the cold.

"Have you discovered any new information about Ground Three?"

After endless days of searching old communication records, Nick, Elliot and Rome managed to locate potential areas where Christian may have chosen to hide away. Ground Three is the name of a base that they discovered yesterday. It contains high sources of Super energy and high heat signatures.

"No signs of Christian, but we won't be able to figure out any more information until we land on the ground," Elliot says. "By the level of energy radiation, we're bound to come across some supers."

"Villains?"

"Most probably." 

The footage Rome showed me replays in my head. A woman with sewn-on wings blasting into a building. Christian's escape. They're out there somewhere. I might even see them today. 

Then, rumbling comes from the distance. Nick, who has super hearing like mine, tilts his head to the right to hear better. "It's two minutes away." 

And sure enough, the plane appears. Slim, silent and smooth, it glides through the sky until landing on the airstrip.  The force of its landing blows ripples of wind through the grass and onto our faces. I squint as it comes to a controlled stop besides us. We get to our feet. 

When the door opens, it reveals a familiar woman on the other end. Jacqueline Yang, a Super with the power to turn into a phoenix, smirks down at us. 

"Check it out," She points to Nick, then to me, and finally to herself. "Shapeshifter gang."

We raise our hands in solidarity. The stairs lower with a whir. I suck in a deep breath and start climbing. Elliot and Jackie exchange a formal nod, whereas Nick fist bumps her on his way inside. Rome pauses at the entrance.