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

Chapter Twenty-One- Lines and Impossibility

March 22, 2016. 08:16
Gotham Streets
~~Emma~~

I tapped my pen on the table irritatedly. Waiting. Growing more like Wally every second. I was craving chicken whizzies and I wanted to be finished with this meeting so I could get some and then go find Willow.

"Miss Grayson?" The agent asked. I probably had been too impatient to actually be paying attention to what she was saying. I was too impatient to be patient.

I looked back at the agent, who was sliding an important-looking form towards me.

"If you sign here, the building is yours."

I was so excited, I almost forgot what Bruce had taught me: To read carefully before you sign. After a painful minute of reading the fine black-and-white print, I finally signed at the bottom and handed the paper back to the agent.

She gave me an equally painful smile and wished me a nice day as she showed me out.

I looked at the keys in my hand, folded in my own copies of the papers I'd signed. 

Was this real? It felt like an impossible dream that I'd wake up from any moment, so I knicked my thumb with the key to test that theory.

It was proven wrong.

I smiled, barely holding back from bursting into a jog to get to the zeta-tubes as I headed down the streets.

"I can't wait until Willow sees this!" I couldn't wait to tell her my plan. She'd probably be reluctant at first, but if I knew Willow Lance, and I'm pretty sure I do, she'd be beyond ecstatic to do this together.

I tossed my typical ponytail over my shoulder in accordance with the unusual breeze blowing at me, and turned the corner to the alleyway, empty except for the abandoned phone booth. Willow admitted that she likes to think of going in the phone booth as going to the ministry, like in Harry Potter! It is pretty fun to think of it like that.

"Nightingale; B00."

The first thing that should have tipped me off was the obvious lack of enthusiasm in the team members as I entered the cave.

"Hey guys!" I chirped, setting my bags against the wall.

No one said "Hey" back, even though nearly the whole team was gathered here.

I stared at everyone, giving a puzzled look to each in turn. Batgirl finally walked up to me, and put both hands on my shoulders.

"Emma, you need to pay attention."

"Babs, what's going on?" I whispered.

Barbra choked on the words, unable to comprehend what she needed to say.

It was just like when Artemis died.

At the end of the hall, I heard Wolf howl.

The medic wing.

Rachel burst into tears as my legs, with a mind of their own, took off towards the lonely, despairing howl.

The door was carelessly left open, and I saw why.

No.

No.

No.

"Willow!" I screamed. It was an unearthly scream. A lion's roar mixed with the screech of some fiendish demon.

This can't be happening. Willow can't die, she's too powerful, too strong, too, well, Willow to die.

But then again, so was Artemis.

She was laid out on the table, spread-eagle, with blood pouring out on her chest. Roy, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and even Alfred were there, operating on her.

I blinked once, and saw a dim orange glow surrounding Willow. It was glowing, but fading fast.

"Willow!" I screamed again. No one reacted to me, too focused on saving my best friend's life.

Someone grabbed me from behind, dragging me backwards. I fought against them as Barbra closed the door to the operating room.

"Let me go! Let me go!" I screamed.

"Emma! Emma calm down!"

I stopped at the sound of my little brother's voice. Looking into his sapphire-blue orbs, I could feel the tears welling up in my matching eyes. As his strong arms gripped me tight, I sobbed into his chest.

Barbra and M'gann rubbed my back gently, and as my sobs died down, I saw who else was in the area.

Wally stood unmoving, staring through the window into the operating room. His lips moved, but no sound came out, repeating a silent prayer over and over again.

Connor stood to him, his fists balled up against the window. His fists had left hairline cracks in the glass, but he'd managed to keep his temper in check.

I sniffed rather loudly, and Wally turned around, holding his arms out wide for a hug. I ran for the comfort.

"Sorry the reunion isn't under better circumstances." He whispered into my hair, holding me as tight as Richard had, if not tighter.

"What...what happened?" I asked through my dying sobs.

"Luthor 'happened'." Connor snapped angrily.

He turned to face us, the expression on his face livid. "Red Arrow told me. His original woke up and wanted revenge. Luthor gave Speedy a robotic arm to replace the one Cadmus took from him if he'd spare Luthor's life. Willow was suspicious, and took it to S.T.A.R. labs to be examined. There was bomb inside it, and it went off while she was studying the arm, and she got a piece of shrapnel to the heart."

M'gann looked a little more green after that, and to say Barbra was angry was an understatement, by how purple her face was getting. Only Richard's hand on her shoulder kept her from marching out of there and going after Luthor herself.

I knew how she felt.

No one- No. One. -hurts my team. Least of all Lex Luthor.

"Nightingale?" A small voice asked, accompanied by a few sniffles. Blur, Finch, and Beast Girl came from around the corner, all of them a little red-faced.

"Wildfire will be alright...right?" Bridget asked.

I opened my mouth to answer. Of course she was. Willow Scarlett Lance was one tough cookie, and she wouldn't die without having something  say about it.

"No!" Connor shouted suddenly, making us all jump.

An alarm, faint at first, but louder once you recognized the sound, sounded from the operating room. Alfred was frantic, Green Arrow even more so. Black Canary just stood there, frozen in shock while Red Arrow tried to snap her out of it.

Then I saw what had shocked Dinah.

The flat line.

No, no it was impossible.

But wasn't the impossible what I dealt with every day?

I watched Dinah burst into tears as Oliver held her, and a second later, I did the same.