Picking Up The Pieces

77. Now

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"Relax; you've got this," I told Stacy as her foot bounced up and down anxiously. She sat across from me at the Compound's entryway, wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a pale blue long sleeve. Her white hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she kept looking at the front doors cautiously as Happy's black car pulled up outside. "They were really understanding when I came out with my identity. I promise they aren't going to hate you."
"It feels like I'm saying goodbye, you know?" Stacy admitted, and it felt like a punch to the gut. "Almost like I'm never going to see them again." I watched as the three girls hopped out of the car, talking amongst themselves as they started to pull the doors open.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "I know exactly what you mean." Betty was the first to spot us, letting out an excited squeal from behind the last door and pointing in our direction. She pulled the door open for her friends, and Faith ran around the corner to us with a massive grin.
"You're alive!" she greeted us as we stood to meet her, pulling us to her with both of her arms for a massive hug. Her hair was still the brownish color she had dyed it before my capture, a few inches longer but still recognizable. "I mean, I knew you both were alive, but it's still good to see you-"
"Oh, my word, your hair!" Betty exclaimed to Stacy, her hand reaching up to touch the end of the white ponytail. "I love this for you!" The Ice Elemental flinched briefly at the contact, her eyes flicking over to me for guidance, and I gave her a comforting smile. The corners of Stacy's mouth turned up slightly, and she pulled the ponytail band out for our friends to see better. "So you have powers now, right? What's that like?"
"I'm surprised you invited us," MJ told me with her usual bluntness, standing next to me as we watched thousands of questions get thrown at Stacy. "You haven't contacted us like... at all. The only person who's seen you is Peter."
"Stacy doesn't exactly have a phone," I tried to explain, "and I wasn't sure if it would be safe to get in touch with you all-"
"Dude, I'm not mad," MJ smirked, raising an eyebrow at me. "Just messing with you. We all knew you weren't avoiding us to be rude or whatever." I gave a relieved smile, and both our heads turned to Stacy, who was showing some of her powers to our friends. "All those kids at that guy's facility... can you save them?"
"They're like that girl who came into the greenhouse, and a person I've been working with said they had a similar scenario happen to them," I answered. I crossed my arms against my chest, sighing to myself. "Technically, the government goes in first, so I'll see what they choose to do in regards to them. If they take the darker route, at least any anger can go to them first." The compound's lights turned red, and an alarm blared throughout the building. All of the chattering stopped as each head looked up and around in a mixture of confusion and fear. "That's not good..."
"Stark!" The group's attention was drawn to Kayla. The girl was dressed in black camo cargo pants and a lightly armored black long sleeve. War paint was smeared over her eyes, fading in a drip format down her tanned face. "Playtime's over. We need a briefing. Now."
"Sorry, who are you?" Faith inquired, but she shrank as the Dragons member looked over her with a glare. I stepped in front of my friend protectively, glancing at Stacy to see if she knew anything. The confused look on her face said it all.
"She's an ally, a good one," I explained to her before averting to Kayla. Scientists ran behind her down the halls, shouting to each other in worry. "What's happening?"
"Hawkes attacked earlier than we anticipated," she told me. "Or, more accurately, his army defended themselves. It's a lot to explain. We need to go." I looked back at my friends, Betty and Faith staring at me with wide eyes while MJ waited for my next move. The red light illuminated their faces, and it dawned on me that I was most likely not going to see them again. As my stare went to Stacy, I could tell that she realized that too.
"Take them to Earl," I ordered her. My voice had a slight shake, and I paused for a moment to force it down my throat. "He'll keep them safe. After that, meet in the briefing room. Got it?"
"Got- got it," Stacy stuttered. She took a deep breath and straightened. "Come on!" The Ice Elemental jerked her head forward and began to walk at a brisk pace, Betty and Faith following while glancing over their shoulders at me with worry. MJ stood there for a moment, her eyes analyzing over me the way she analyzed everyone. Satisfied, she gave a curt nod.
"You got this," she told me, and then she took off to follow her friends. I closed my eyes and took a breath before turning to Kayla, who looked unamused at the situation. Her attitude turned my emotions to stone, and my face hardened.
"Let's get started."