Weeks Later
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Marlize DeVoe
Clifford sat in his chair staring at the screen. He must have been so deep in thought that he hadn't heard me enter the space.
"Clifford?" I called and the chair I had built him levitated towards me.
"This shouldn't have happened." He emotionlessly stated. "She wasn't supposed to be on that bus!"
"Who my love?" I wondered.
"My own student. Willow Blake." He mused. "One of my first miscalculations was her emotions. She was supposed to be more hung up on the fact that she was held, hostage. The first and last time I will try and calculate for emotion!"
"Emotions can be complexed things," I informed.
"They are a human error!" He yelled looking into my eyes, "I will ensure it will disappear after the enlightenment."
I gulped and looked down, "Surely our affection is not an error?"
He stared at me with conflicted eyes and sighed, "No. it is not."
I smiled and walked up to him, "I am sure your plan will work out even though the girl has powers. We'll keep an eye on her."
"She could mess up the whole plan," Clifford stated.
"You could take her powers if she intervenes," I reassured.
"Or I could do away with her now." The screen focused on Willow walking through the streets of Central City.
"We do not kill unless necessary." I reminded, "this is not necessary yet." I said pointing to the screen. "She probably doesn't even know of her abilities."
"We don't even know of her powers!" He stated. "She is a variable! An unknown!"
"You shall see her Clifford, she is your student, you will see her in mere hours!" I informed loudly. I hated the idea of killing a seemingly innocent person whose fate hasn't been set yet.
"I will have to recalculate everything to account for her!"
"I have faith in your abilities, Clifford. I am sure you will think of something."
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Willow
I pranced throughout the streets of downtown making my way to my friend Izzy's gig. We had met at the hospital and had a seemingly instant connection... for we both had discovered that we were in fact meta-humans. I had helped her escape unnoticed and in return, she offered me a 'thanks you' coffee, and after that, I realized we could be good friends.
I kinda felt bad about me and Iris's relationship, I had blocked her but it wasn't because she had lied to me, it was because I felt that she still was and the so-called truth she had told me was only a piece of what she was hiding. When she said it I could tell it was only the surface of her secret life. I wanted to find out more about her, what was Iris hiding?
Sadly the only solution that popped up was to go back to Ralph Dibny, and I wasn't going to do that. It seemed that time after time he would never change, heck, the last time I saw him he was still the same as how I left him, maybe even worse.
I hated how everyone I cared for let me down in one way or another.
I sighed and opened the door to The Busted Saddle. The last couple nights Izzy's music career took off and she started playing here, one of the best country joints in the city.
The music filled my ears and vibrated off the walls inside of the building.
"Izzy!" I shouted letting her know of my arrival. Her practice music stopped as I strolled into the room with the stage.
She put down her violin and rushed down the steps and engulfed me in a hug. "Willow!" She smiled releasing me.
"Hey, how's the gig going?" I asked looking around the place.
"Great, they've booked me for another 3 months!"
With the joyful news, I smiled. "I'm so happy for you," I complemented touching her arm. "Do you want to get drinks to celebrate?"
"Oh! another plus side to this place... Drinks!" She said walking over to a table and picking up 2 glasses.
"Wow. They're free?"
"100%" She responded. We laughed and took a sip.
"I have a show in about half hour if you want to stick around." She invited.
"Ya, of course, I'd love to."
"I have got to say, ever since I got these powers my music has gone from here-" She put her hands near her waist, "-To here," she lifted them to her head. "I've felt closer to my music than ever before!"
"That's amazing Izzy!" I cheered, "I'm still learning to control mine."
"Me too, I never know when the surge could come." She admitted.
I lifted my drink signalling cheers, "To being stuck with unimaginable abilities!"
"Here, here!" We clinked glasses and laughed a little.
"I wish my powers helped me with my studies." I sighed.
"Willow, if I had your powers I would go around giving girls beards." She laughed and I giggled and hit her shoulder.
"Iz! that's so mean!"
"I know, but wouldn't that be hilarious!"
I smiled and agreed "It would, but I'm not that evil."
"Come on Willow! If I could make anything I imagined became real I would make some messed up shit."
"It's not real, it's like an illusion." I corrected.
"Still... there would be boys in bikinis everywhere," I laughed at her comment and almost spilt my drink.
"How is that useful for class?" I joked.
"Oh! I got one. Change what the teacher is writing on the board!"
"That's not helpful! All I can do is make mischief!"
People started filling the room and I whispered to Izzy, "We'll continue this later." She nodded and went backstage preparing for her performance.
She came on and cheers erupted from the crowd, I was squished to the back of the room, this was one of her largest turnouts so far.
Through the cheers of the crowd, she sang Something In The Water and her music just felt so, so alive.
When she finished everyone clapped and praised her, some even tossing her some money. She was right, there was something about her music that changed after her powers. I wonder is someday mine will bless me with some fortune. Izzy came down to me pushing through the crowd of cheering fans.
"Wow! I see what you mean!" I yelled over the noise.
"I know! It's.." She paused looking around, "Extraordinary."
We sat and celebrated her big night for a couple hours, drinking and laughing. When I got home there was a letter beside my door. I picked it up and brought it inside, I knew I had a little too much to drink tonight and I felt a headache coming on.
I sighed, "I'll read this later." I threw the paper on the table. I changed into my PJ's and slipped into my bed, and I was out like a light.