Project Frostbite

Chapter 5

"I know you can control fire as well, Firestorm." I said, feeling a little more confident at the sight of her befuddlement. At this something flickered across her face, but she quickly composed her mask and smirked. It was cold and lifeless, holding no sign of emotion, and I inwardly shuddered, but held my ground. I couldn't afford to look weak at this moment.

"Goodbye Tryston." With that she turned and began to head towards the exit of the alleyway. I thought quickly, and said the first thing that came to my head. "I can pay you." Firestorm halted in her tracks, and turned her head to the head, indicating that she was listening. "Five thousand now, five thousand when I'm safe." I bargained.

"How do I know this isn't a scam." I quickly took a wad of notes from my backpack and chucked them at her to answer her question. Firestorm caught the money with one hand, never taking her eyes off of me. She seemed to be deliberating for a second, and I egged her on, praying she would accept my offer.

"It's no scam." I held up the other wad of promised notes and waved them in the air like a trophy to be won. Finally Firestorm nodded, pocketing the money, and stepped forward. I instinctively stepped back, but she only snatched her knife back, saying:

"Give it back before you cut yourself." My face breaking out into an untamable grin, I restacked the money and ran to catch up with Firestorm's short but quick strides as we exited the alleyway.

"Where are we going?" I asked. Firestorm didn't answer. "How far away is our destination?" I tried. Nothing. "What's your name?" Nada. "Last name?"

"You ask too many questions." Was all I got in response. When I shrugged, Firestorm sighed. "We're going to my apartment. Now shut up and stick close." Cheering mentally at having received an answer, albeit a vague one, I happily obeyed. Firestorm led us through a maze of roads, sidewalks and alleys, so many I was getting a headache from trying to map everything out. I'd never realized Manhattan was so big.

Eventually we reached an apartment building, and Firestorm led us around the back, avoiding the front door, which I expected her to walk through. Instead I followed her through a side door, where she switched on a light, revealing nothing but an abandoned office room. It must have been walled off when they renovated the apartments.

A bookcase sat against the far wall, dust blanketing every book but one, sitting in the top corner, three in from the side. I expected it to open up to some sort of hidden room, but instead Firestorm walked to the opposite side and crouched down, pulling her sleeve over her hand and pulling a dusty book from its place. I was right. The bookcase clicked, and the entire thing swung open to reveal a five-star apartment.

"I keep the dust off the other book so people assume that is the one that opens it up." Firestorm muttered in explanation as I marveled at her ingenuity, and gestured for me to go in. She shut the book case behind me with a small click, and when I turned around, there was nothing but a wall, the only indicator of a door being a small latch at the bottom left corner. Firestorm walked down the hall and turned into the lounge.

"I knew that." I tried to sound smart, but Firestorm chuckled.

"How about we make a deal not to lie to each other Tryston. We'll spend the night here, and then tomorrow I'll call in a few contacts and see about what to do next." I sighed as the hooded girl disappeared into a room two doors up. Looks like I had the couch then. 

Dinner was Chinese takeout, which Firestorm went and got, literally locking me in the apartment where I "couldn't get into any trouble". We ate in silence, and I found myself slurping down as many noodles as I could at once, suddenly feeling all of the hunger from the previous days hit me, leaving my stomach feeling empty and hollow, a thirst that needed to be quenched, a cup to be refilled. Firestorm, who had already finished hers, watched me in approval as I noisily slurped the last of my food down, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and sighing as I fell back against the couch.