Ember

Ember -4- (Story of an ex-Superhero)

-present day-

Ember was having a bad day. It was the type of day that was when Ember was at the low point of her existence. You could say it was like a PMS, but this was a bit different. It happened at random, most of the time when she was in the middle of something. Ember worked hard, trying to control herself, but sometimes fire cannot be controlled at all. It has a wild nature.

When Ember had days like these, she had to be confined in a small room with fireproof walls until she could regain her composure. The government watched her through the one way mirror that covered one wall of the cell. They could see her, but she couldn't see them.

Today, that is where Ember sat, huddled in a small corner, beads of sweat trailing down her flushed cheeks and off the tip of her nose. She was shaking from the energy building up inside her. That's what happened during these days. Her powers went nuts from energy build up inside her. She was like a time bomb, when the energy built up too much, she would burst into gigantic flames. This uncontrolled outburst could cause collateral damage by frying humans to a pile of ashes and even burning down stone buildings. The government of San Marino didn't want these uncontrollable bouts of energy and power to be the cause of someone suing Ember or themselves. They didn't want that kind of burden on their shoulders. So, they kept her in the cell until she could control herself.

However, Ember hated being locked in isolation. It didn't help her. It made her more anxious, causing more adrenaline to fuel her flames. It was hard to let out all the energy building up inside her in such a small room. Almost impossible.

Ember needed to get out somewhere where she could let everything go and she was sure she would be better faster.

Sweat poured down her back, making her red fireproof t-shirt stick to her back. She shook from heat that was festering in her chest. It grew larger and larger, spreading out in her body all the way to the tip of her pinky finger.

She bounced up and screamed as flames consumed her. Flames didn't hurt her but this completely raw power did. She ran in circles around the room, restless.

She pounded on the glass, "Let me out! I need to get out!" she screamed, tears fell dribbled out of her eyes but were evaporated from the heat before they could reach her cheekbones.

On the other side of the glass, the head of the Hero Inc., watched as Ember screamed as her power took over her.

"How long do you think this will last," Mr. Bones asked the man who kept watch on Ember through the glass.

"Probably a few more hours. It usually lasts about five hours,"

Mr. Bones nodded, watching the girl bounce off the walls of the cell. This girl had such a huge value to him. They raked in millions of dollars each year from merchandise with her name on, plus she cleaned up the city for them and that was a plus. But there was something about these days that made Mr. Bones uneasy. They were demonstrations of how far her power could go. She could easily shake up a city if one of these days came up on her when they weren't expected.

There had been much debate when she first took up the job as Hero of the city. Scientists wanted to experiment on her, try to copy her genes so they could use them to make an army of super marines. Mr. Bones would've been up for it if some Human Rights group hadn't got in the way.

Ember pounded on the glass more. Mr. Bones watched her pretty face morph into something monsterous and wild.

Ember couldn't be controlled no matter what anyone said. She was a monster.

----

A day later, Ember was back out on the streets. She flew through the sky like a lit arrow, watching the street below her as the people hurried around, trying to get their errands done before the schools let out.

It was an off day today. Crimes didn't usually happen on Fridays. Everyone, even the criminals, is tired from the long week. Most of the days, crime happens on Saturday nights.

But you never know.

She heard sirens.

Ember did a ariel dive down to the the street. She came upon the Star of San Marino. Cop cars closed off the street, but a crowd of people were gathered outside, taking pictures and watching intently.

"What's the deal?" Ember asked a cop as she set down on the street.

"This guy's holding Christina Delangio for ransom of $1,000,000" Christina Delangio is the presidents daughter. She was rumored to stay here but no one was really sure. Ember wondered how the hell did a stupid criminal get past the guards?

"Okay, don't bring the ransom, I got it,"

"No Ember, I've been told you aren't allowed to intervene. We have a valuable person in there!"

"Well we can't just sit around! I'm going to go get her!" She jumped off one of the cop cars and took off into the air.

They had evacuated the hotel, only the captive and the criminal were inside. Ember set down on the balcony of the suite. She opened the sliding glass door and stepped inside.

The suite covered the whole top floor. It was like a mansion in a hotel. Ember entered through the living room balcony.

The whole room was silent, except for the wind that flew in through the opened balcony door.

Ember walked silently across the wooden floor, listening, watching. On the white couch sat a coach purse with its belongings thrown all over the floor. A lamp had been tipped over and the screen of the plasma flat screen was cracked. The chairs from the dining table were all thrown over. A fight had gone down here.

Ember made her way to the bedroom door. It was opened.

It was silent as death.

A man jumped out from the door frame and shot his pistol. Ember jumped up at the sound of the gun, flipping out of the way of the bullet in mid air. Ember was quick enough to dodge a bullet.

The man's eyes grew wide under his ski mask and he darted back into the room. Ember took off after him.

He held Christina Delangio by the neck, a gun held against her temple.

"I told them to bring the ransom," he growled through clenched teeth, "You've just broken the deal Ember,"

"Drop the gun," Ember move in slowly from the door.

"Nope," the criminal laughed, "You see, I wasn't going to kill the girl if they brought the ransom but now I'm going to have to,"

Christina Delangio's coffee colored eyes grew wide and she started to whimper.

"You're not going to hurt her, because if you do, I'll burn you till you're nothing but ashes,"

"Go ahead. You'll just get blamed for her death even if you kill me,"

Ember paused. This scum of the streets had her by the neck. If she tried to snatch the girl, he would shoot her. If she withdrew, he would still shoot her. Ember swore to herself.

"Say goodbye," the criminal whispered to Christina Delangio and he pulled the trigger.

Christina Delangio let out a scream as the trigger clicked. She was going to die. All because of Ember. Ember turned away, waiting for the gun shot.

It never came.

She turned around and saw Christina Delangio on the ground, very much alive and the gun pointed at the criminals head.

Except no one was holding it there.

"Things like this are so much easier when you think them through Ember," a male's voice told her from behind.

Ember whipped around to see a teenage boy, around her age, standing in the doorway. His navy blue eyes peered out at her from under a shock of white blond hair.

He smiled deadly and with a flick of his fingers the trigger was pulled on the criminals head.