A Second Chance

Part 25 - You have a date

Hopefully, Abyss, Venom, and Ripper have disappeared. I don't know where they are, but they won't be able to attack this city or cause havoc in any other city, as long as Emily follows my plan.

Speaking of Emily, she called me.

"Hey," I greeted. "Did you do what I asked you to do?"

"Yeah, I gave it to the Deathstroke," she said. "Nightshade wasn't there, so he was the best option,"

"That's good," I replied.

"I got to say, you're pretty smart," Emily remarked. "I listened to the recording and it's starting to make sense. You're practically framing Abyss, Venom, and Ripper as traitors to The Vipers, since they gave you some pretty confidential information. Deathstroke left almost instantly after I gave him the video,"

"Bingo," I affirmed. "Made by the one and only Jay Walker,"

Emily let out a small laugh.

"The mix of funny and smart, I like it,"

What...did I just get complimented? As in, I got called funny and smart? I've never thought that I'd get a compliment from someone like her. Emily didn't seem like the type of person to compliment someone randomly.

"Why are you so silent?" Emily asked. "We're close now, aren't we? You're my friend now, they do that to each other all the time, right?"

Friend?

So...I have another friend who's not Mark and The Swordsman? And a friend that is the opposite gender? Did I stand out that much that we were friends? Or was she planning to expose me as Power-Punch?

"Hey, come on!" Emily's voice sounded annoyed now. "Is this prank your response to my compliment?"

I always promised myself I wouldn't tell anyone my secret identity; only The Swordsman and Mark knew; maybe Mr. Parker, but he's more of Mark's connection than mine. But Emily has been a great help and she is technically part of the team now. She even talked to Mark; the only thing she doesn't know is our identities.

Why am I even thinking of this?

What do I say?

Why am I having this feeling of wanting to tell her?

"Hey, I have something to tell you," I said with a darker tone.

"What?" Emily asked. "You better be serious, that prank wasn't funny,"

"I'm...Power-Punch,"

Emily was silent.

"Look, I was gonna tell you, but I haven't been called a friend or complimented like for a very long time. I just wanted our relationship to be genuine and for you not to change your views. I don't know if you suspected it before, but...I want to keep the friendship," I rambled. "So please, please don't cut off contact with me or abandon me. Please keep everything the same!"

...

I breathed, my voice gone due to my long rambling. I don't have control over what Emily would do. I pray that she won't ditch me or do anything bad like the ninja did 10 years ago. This was also a very bad decision: I told a spy of The Vipers my identity. Now, she is a spy, but she isn't working with any organization, meaning she could be a fraud.

"You're...Power-Punch," Emily said. "So...I won,"

Wait, is she going to tell the executives about my identity?

No...no...this can't be!

"No..." I muttered. "I trusted you..."

"What do you mean?" Emily asked. "Don't you remember that challenge you made when you first talked to me? First one to figure the other out wins,"