—+*+—
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
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WASHINGTON D.C, 2003.
THE HOUSE WAS QUIET and lonely throughout the day, like always. Emersyn's dull eyes stared at the clock, wishing time would speed up so her parents could come home quicker. Her days were spent doing chores, exercising, and playing video games while she was left to herself. The walls became dreary and boring when she was confined to the suffocating barriers of her house. She could only take out her frustrations on the punching bag so much, or run on the treadmill for so long. She was incredibly fit but never had the chance to use her talents outside of her home. Emersyn was itching to leave and find excitement in the outdoors, but her parents refused her to leave the house without their permission. She had grown accustomed to the routine of boredom in her room, where hours passed in a blur of time. Most days she did not know what the date was, and had little care for whether she woke up at 1 pm or stayed awake until 4 am. Summer was a time when girls her age should be out partying, hanging out with friends, and enjoying the nice weather. For fifteen-year-old Emersyn, her energetic mind was trapped inside her prison of a home.
Her parents were gone from 8 am to 8 pm on most days, but the time of their return fluctuated so often that Emersyn was always surprised when they came home. However, the rule was that whenever her parents were gone, she was not permitted to leave the house. Some nights she would be itching with frustration when her parents didn't show up until bedtime, and others she would find herself awkwardly making excuses when they came home hours early. For the first weeks of summer, Emersyn obeyed this rule, but gradually, the growing impatience and eager desire to escape consumed her. She learned to hide herself from the cameras, and plan perfectly for when to leave and return. Her daily adventures became the new routine, and she would leave for hours at a time, getting rides from friends, running freely to do as she pleased, and partying her days away. The ever-present desire for excitement and thrill always won. Emersyn could not be kept isolated from the enjoyment of life, and her rebellious mind would always find a way to find new stimulation.
One evening at around 7:30 PM, Emersyn was running home from a pool party, half-drenched and barefoot. Her chest was heaving and her feet ached from the hard concrete, but the thrill of the night boosted her strides. A smile was still shining on her face as she breathed in the crisp air and felt the last warmth of the setting sun. She was worried that she was cutting it too close, and her parents might catch her being out of the house. They typically came home from 8 to 9 PM, but as she approached the house, Emersyn noticed with relief that their car was not there. She pulled out her phone and hacked into the camera system that her parents installed. After countless hours of trial and error, her witty brain figured out how to turn the cameras on and off from her phone instead of her parent's control. Emersyn disabled the cameras and entered her house, hair still dripping wet. She made her way up the stairs and threw herself quickly in the shower. In case her parents questioned why her hair was wet, Emersyn would have a valid reason this time. There was a list of chores she was supposed to have completed, but the pool party ran longer than she expected, so she finished her shower in a rush and ran down the stairs in a robe.
When she heard the garage door opening, Emersyn busied herself with the dishes, acting like she had been working on them for a while instead of just rushing to do them. Her music from her earbuds was distant as it dangled precariously on her ear. Emersyn had hastily put them on in an attempt to appear casual. Her father's voice rang loudly through the empty halls. "Hello, Em!"
"Hi!" She called back, taking one earbud out so she could hear.
Her father came around the corner with twinkling eyes at the sight of his daughter. He had a worn, tired face, but the light in his eyes never faded. He had a crooked jaw which he said he received from teenage shenanigans, and would often come home filled with grime. Dirt, scrapes, and sometimes bruises appeared on his skin after a day's work. Whenever Emersyn would ask about it, he would answer that the car shop always left him filthy. She thought this odd considering he was a salesman, not a mechanic but never questioned it further. Her father smiled at her and asked, "Got your chores done?"
"Almost," Emersyn replied casually with her back to him, not bothering to look at her dad.
"You know how Mom is," her father warned her.
"All I have to do is finish the dishes and vacuum the living room," Emersyn told him with a sigh. After a pause, she realized her mother did not come home with her dad like usual. "Where is Mom?"
"Oh, she got caught up at work and has to stay later tonight," her father explained with a slow, tired voice.
"Oh, okay," Emersyn replied.
There were several moments of silence as her father stood with his hands in his pockets and gazed at his daughter with conflicting thoughts. She hadn't even spared him a glance since he walked through the door, and now he stood watching her, realized how grown she had become, and a hundred thoughts were swarming through his head. Emersyn was busy at work with the dishes, not noticing the pain in her father's eyes.
"How are you doing, cocoa puff?" He asked in a soft voice.
Emersyn laughed and flashed him an amused glance. "You really still call me that?"
"Yeah!" Her dad chuckled, brightening when he saw her playful eyes again. "You're still my little cocoa puff who ate the same cereal every morning."
"You know.." Emersyn said. "My favorite was actually Lucky Charms."
"Well," her dad chuckled, staring at her wistfully. "You're my lucky charm, too."
Emersyn snorted in amusement as she scrubbed silverware and let her carefree mind continue jamming to the music blaring in her ear. Her dad opened his mouth to speak but thought for a moment and decided otherwise. He pivoted and turned away, sighing deeply. Then his brows narrowed, and his fists clenched tight with anxiety.
"Em?" He called out hopefully, turning to face her again.
Emersyn had put both earbuds in now and was not responsive to her father's voice. The heavy wrinkles in his face fell with disappointment as he realized she was not paying attention, but he tightened his jaw and remembered the words he had been told countless times: she cannot know until the mission is complete.
Despite the conflicting desires inside him which wanted to scream out the truth, he remembered the consequences if he would fail. Not even his daughter was worth more than the mission. But still, this deep, choking feeling in his conscience was nagging at him intensely. He felt so torn every time he looked at Emersyn because he was reminded of the truth and all the secrets he hid from her. It pained him to see her so carefree and blinded from all the deadly work her parents faced. He wished he could tell her, invite her into their lives, but for all fifteen years he had known her, he and her mother had led her to believe an entirely different reality. She, a nurse, and he a car salesman. They were a normal family in the other reality, but no matter how hard he tried to convince himself of it, the truth always lingered. It was present in every lie he told, every excuse for his disheveled appearance, every time he got home later than usual with bleeding knuckles and blackened eyes, and when he gazed at her, seeing his creation and feeling immense guilt for not being a better parent to her. His broad shoulders were hunched as he walked away and felt a growing pressure of anxiety churn in his stomach.
Emersyn finished her dishes and had gone to retrieve the vacuum for the living room, but was surprised that she could not find it anywhere. She went upstairs into her Dad's office and stood outside his closed door, knocking. There was a shuffling of papers before his voice answered, "Come in."
Emersyn entered to see him sitting casually at his desk, peering over a computer. She paused a moment and scanned the room, looking curiously at the drawers. They seemed to have been hastily shoved away because some papers still stuck out and it hadn't fully closed. The computer tab was blank, only showing the Google search. Emersyn thought it was odd but shrugged the thoughts away and knew there were hundreds of explanations for this, and she was probably overthinking. Besides, her father looked perfectly casual and gazed at her kindly. "Do you know where the vacuum is?" Emersyn asked.
"Oh, I already did it." He smiled.
"What?" She questioned, confused.
"I vacuumed." Her dad said simply.
Her face lifted into a surprised expression and Emersyn peered at him curiously. "Oh!" She hesitated at this unusual behavior. "Thanks..."
Her dad nodded and continued smiling, eyes twinkling with a peculiar sentiment. Emersyn recognized his weird gaze and looked around awkwardly, unsure of what to do. She flashed him a smile before turning to leave.
"Wait-"
She turned around and looked at him apprehensively.
"Emersyn..." her dad began, choosing his words carefully. "There's a... a lot of.. stress at the dealership, right now..and uh..." he trailed off as he searched for the right thing to say.
Emersyn narrowed her brows at his unusual manner.
"There's a big sale coming up which is really important, and it might take up more of my time... so I just wanted you to know that I'm really busy but if it works it's going to be a huge, life-changing success for everyone..." his voice was genuinely excited, but also tentative. "but I'm pretty nervous about it and don't know what'll happen."
Her dad never was unsure of himself while speaking to her, so Emersyn quirked a brow and said, "Dad... you're a car salesman. It's not life and death."
His face fell at the words and he sighed deeply, disappointed that Emersyn did not have the comforting reaction he hoped for. Her father's crinkled eyes closed for a moment before he brought a smile to his face again. "You're right.." her dad's voice was soft as he imagined he was speaking to Emersyn as a young child, and remembering her innocence and naivety. She had no idea of the horrors her parents faced, so he couldn't expect her to understand. "Everything's going to work out... and we'll all be fine."
Giving him a weird look, Emersyn scoffed. "Okay, Dad..." she turned away, plugging her earbuds back in and letting the words of her father fade into an unimportant memory, not to be remembered until eleven years later.
—+*+—
WASHINGTON D.C, July 22nd, 2003.
THE FLASHING LIGHTS danced across the walls in quick, bold rays of color. Emersyn stood in a center of a circle of teenagers, leading them in the Macarena. The music blasted over all other sounds, and the group screamed to make their voices heard as they sang the lyrics. Emersyn's face was bright with excitement and a wide grin was stuck to her lips. Then the crowd stopped singing and turned to Emersyn. She grabbed the microphone and said the lyrics, "Now, come on, what was I supposed to do?" Her contagious energy seemed to spread to all the others in the room. She flashed her cheeky smile and continued, "He was out of town and his two friends were soooo finee."
The crowd cheered wildly and Emersyn flipped her hair, pulling the microphone stand with her. She was a natural star with the best charisma that dragged everyone else into her excitement. Her hips swayed back and forth effortlessly as she continued the dance, and the crowd raised their voices to the point that she thought the house might break. When the song ended, her wild hair fell down her shoulders in tumbling waves, and she playfully did a mic drop to conclude the dance. The teenagers whooped and hollered to end the party with a bang. The lights began to dim and the streamers fell to the ground, but Emersyn's smile remained as bright as ever.
She got many compliments from her friends as she walked out of their dance circle to grab some water. The teenagers scattered around the house, moving on to individual activities. Emersyn leaned against the kitchen counter and chugged her drink, still dazed from all the action.
Several girls walked up to her, grinning and breathing heavily. One stepped forward, looking bewildered, and said, "That was so fetch. You're literally the sweetest dancer."
Emersyn chuckled but another girl interrupted with an annoyed hiss. "Don't say fetch, Ashley."
"What?" Ashley protested, looking hurt. "I really think it's gonna catch on..."
Emersyn raised her glass to them to change the topic, "You guys were a great crowd."
"Same time next week?" Another girl asked excitedly.
"Sure," Emersyn shrugged. "As long as Lexi's parents don't ground her again."
A girl sighed loudly and complained, "Why can't you host the parties? You're obviously the reason all the guys come here."
Emersyn scoffed with a smirk. "My parents don't let me leave the house, remember?"
The girl gasped and touched her arm with bright pink nails. Her voice was slow and dramatic. "I'm so sorry you have to live like that. That sucks."
"Thanks, Jessica," Emersyn rolled her eyes. As the girls walked away, she felt her gaze drifting over to the clock. Her eyes immediately widened as she read the time and her cup was slammed into the trash can next to her. Emersyn dashed across the room, pushing people aside until she found a blonde in sparkling pink at the back.
"Lexi," she babbled anxiously. "I thought the party was supposed to end at eight!"
The girl gave her a blank stare and answered as if it were obvious, "No... it changed to ten on the group chat.. didn't you see it?"
Emersyn groaned and turned around, muttering under her breath. She ran back into the crowd of people and found a brown-haired boy sitting on a chair, snoring. "Justin!" She hissed in his ear. When he didn't stir, she slapped him. He awoke with a jerk and brought a hand up to his red face. "Ow...!" He exclaimed.
Emersyn stood over him angrily. "Drive me home!"
"Wh- what?" Justin blinked several times to recognize who was talking to him.
"You said you'd drive me home, so do it!" Emersyn pressed, fixing him with an intense glare.
Justin narrowed his eyes. "I said.. my mom would drive us home, not me."
Emersyn clenched her teeth together and spat, "I need a ride home, right now. So go get in your car and drive me."
"I can't legally-" he protested.
"I don't care if you don't have your license yet, you're good enough, so drive!!" Emersyn raised her voice as she hauled him up from the couch and pushed him towards the door.
"Okay, okay!" Justin muttered. "I still don't think this is a good idea..."
Emersyn followed behind him with a hand on his back. "You told me you could drive me home, didn't you?" She changed her voice to be soft and cute.
Justin looked back at her with a dumbfounded expression. "Yeah.."
Emersyn pushed him harder and immediately returned her voice to her normal one. "Good. I've got your word, so you better keep it. Come on."
Justin hastily got into the car, feeling like this was more of a hostage situation than a courtesy. Emersyn snapped at him to drive faster as they skidded down neighborhood streets, and her legs were bouncing with impatience the longer the night progressed.
"Why are you so angry?" Justin asked nervously.
"Because it's past 10 PM and I was supposed to be home two hours ago," Emersyn hissed.
"Yikes," Justin muttered.
The car ride was deathly quiet because of Justin's fear of triggering Emersyn, and because Emersyn was wracking her brain to find a believable excuse to tell her parents. When they finally made it to her neighborhood, she was on the edge of her seat with anticipation and was urging Justin on.
"Why don't you drive if you're so impatient?" Justin muttered in frustration.
"What?" Emersyn asked loudly.
"Nothing." He blurted sheepishly and directed his eyes back on the road.
"I don't have my permit, stupid, I can't even back out of the garage," Emersyn explained, her voice sharp with irritation. She was so focused on her impatience that she kept her head low and did not notice the flashing blue and red lights that were shining through the darkness.
"Uhm... Emersyn?" Justin asked warily.
"What?" She snapped, jerking to look at him.
His eyes were glued ahead of him, staring at the bold yellow barrier tape that was surrounding a house, and the many police cars parked outside. Emersyn followed his eyes and felt her stomach drop. As their car inched closer, she gulped and asked with a quiet voice, "What street is this, Justin?"
Despite her recognizing the surrounding houses, Emersyn was desperate to hear a different street name come from Justin's voice. Instead, she felt her stomach begin to squirm with anxiety as she heard him reply, "Yours."
The car screeched to a halt at the side of the road, and Emersyn jumped out with shallow breaths, slamming the door behind her. She ran toward the police cars, ignoring the blinding lights that made her squint and ducking past the crime scene tape stretched around her yard. Immediately, several men dressed in all black came charging toward her, exclaiming, "Hey! You're not authorized to be here."
Emersyn stood, gaping, at the scene before her, frozen to the ground in shock. Trashed plants were scattered throughout the front yard, having been trampled by many feet, and the front door swung wide open, allowing her a glimpse of the chaos inside. She saw tables overturned, furniture destroyed and several bullet sized holes in the walls. Two officers came toward her and asked her to leave.
"Th-this... is my house," she croaked.
The men looked at each other and gently prompted her, "What's your name?"
She pulled her wide eyes away from the destruction and looked up at the officers. "Emersyn Sharp."
One of the men put a hand on her shoulder and led her forward silently. Her mouth felt so dry she couldn't move her tongue, and she allowed her feet to drag against the concrete without care. She felt like she was floating while her thoughts crashed against the walls of her head with a hundred questions. The officers stopped in front of a tall, dark man in a flowing jacket. "Sir.." they addressed him. "We think we have the Sharp's daughter here."
The man turned around to face them and met Emersyn's gaze with one eye. She looked back, confused and frightened, waiting for an explanation. The man was dressed in all black, with a black eyepatch across his face and an intimidating, strong stature. He continued to stare at her silently for several moments before he ordered, "I'll take her."
The two other officers left, and Emersyn felt a chill run up her spine once the man's warm hand slipped from her shoulder. She suddenly felt very alone.
"What happened?" She asked quietly.
The one-eyed man gestured for her to sit on the pavement, facing the other side of the street where the only thing awaiting her was darkness. Emersyn obeyed and felt the cool concrete reach through her clothes to chill her. The man sat down beside her, a respectful distance away, and asked in a deep voice, "What's your name?"
"Em-Emersyn Sharp." She replied quickly, intimidated by his commanding tone.
"You live here?" He asked again.
"Mhm." She forced herself to answer.
"Nick Fury." He stated loudly.
"What?" Emersyn murmured.
"My name." The man said blankly. "Nick Fury."
"Oh." Emersyn stared at the concrete beneath her. The silence between them was extremely heavy, and she could tell that this man was searching to find the words to say.
"There was an accident, tonight," he told her slowly. "A drunk gunman broke into your house. You count yourself lucky you weren't there."
Emersyn felt the worry begin to become nauseating in her stomach. "What happened.." she asked firmly, wanting an answer no matter how blunt.
Nick Fury stared at her curiously, and she met his eyes with intense, narrowed ones. Behind them was the stubbornness and strength of this young girl, and he understood she wanted to know the truth. "Your parents are dead."
A/N
I wanted to use this chapter as a flashback to put aside the drama of the original storyline and flesh out Emersyn's character more. She was a crazy teenager and really let her expressive, outgoing side rule. There hasn't been a ton of moments for her to just have fun in the book so far, so here's some of her teenage antics that also tie into themes later on!
I picked these two specific memories because they come back into the main storyline, and also to show Emersyn's talents from a young age. She is very observant, witty and... sharp. Haha... hence her last name. Also stubborn and determined. And of course the memories of what happened to her parents are important because of what Zola partly revealed, and what is to come! Stay tuned :)