Sparks Fly [Book Two in the "Fire And Lighting" Series]

Chapter Seventeen- Ultimatium

March 19, 2016. 11:42
Cape Canaveral
~~Emma~~

I sighed loudly from my position next to Wildfire, "Nightwing? are you really so sure that anything is gonna attack this rocket?" I asked over the mindlink.

"Yeah, all this waiting is making me nervous." Willow agreed, adjusting the view on her goggles.

"Don't worry girls," Richard thought in his typical, casual attitude, "Besides, it pays to be prepared."

We were protecting a rocket being prepped to launch by Ferris Aircraft. It would carry the first Earth-Mars satellite into space, and some people weren't exactly so eager for contact with aliens after the Kroloteans abducted so many people. The Light, apparently, sided with these "people," even if they were the ones inviting the aliens to Earth in the first place!

"In any case, it's good to be working with you guys again," I smiled at Artemis's voice inside my head, and she grinned back. For some strange reason, Richard had asked Arty to join us for this mission. Not that I objected, but I felt very suspicious of this whole thing. But I can't deny that I liked working with my big sister.

Willow grinned, creating a small rabbit out of fire that began to loop in and out of the towers surrounding the rocket and ran around our feet, "I agree."

"How's Wally?" I asked. Sure, we had seen him just last week, but anything can happen in a week!

"He's...Wally." She stated slowly.

The three of us and Nightwing chuckled at that

"How are classes going?" Willow asked, turning the rabbit into a deer that watched me curiously.

Artemis sighed in an aggravated manner, "Wally always wants to copy off my Vietnamese lit paper."

"Sounds like Wally," I sighed too.

"Typical Wally," Willow agreed. She gestured to her fire deer prancing around "Hey, any requests? I can do all sorts of things now."

I could almost feel Artemis thinking in the back of my mind, "A tiger!" She said at last.

Willow closed her eyes and the deer disappeared. A moment later, a bright orange tiger with dark stripes leaped from her palm.

I applauded as I spread my wings, "Do a Dragon!" I begged like a two-year-old.

In an instant, a dragon about the size of my head appeared next to the tiger, and the two fire creatures began to play with one another.

"Watch this!" Willow said, a bright smile beaming on her face. In a small tornado of plasma and wind, a beautiful, fiery bird seeming to burn with all colors of the rainbow appeared above the tiger and the dragon. A phoenix.

Artemis and I both gasped in delight, watching the three animals interact. Nightwing stood a little farther off, content to enjoy the show from a distance.

"Don't push yourself, Will, I don't want you to get hurt," I smirked at Superboy's comment as he flew overhead with Miss Martian in the camouflaged bioship. Chew on that M'gann!

Willow's face turned a hue of bright red, and I don't think it came from the fire, "I'll be fine, don't worry! I'm just playing! "

"Wait one second," Artemis asked, I could sense her confusion, "Are they...?"

I gave a short laugh, "Doi!"

"And you didn't tell me?! Or Wally??" Oh now she was infuriated. She was giving Nightwing one of her looks of death.