blizzard [ᴅɪsᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ]

[.05]

COLD EXPOSURE

The couch groaned as Cassie flung herself on it, pulling me with her. Cassie had a large smile on her face, eager to hear the story of my life.

Is this one of the steps on the 'Making A Friend List'?

"You were saying?" Cassie eagerly said, faintly bouncing up and down on the faded green fabric of the sofa. "In case you forgot, you were saying 'it all started sixteen years ago'."

"Ah, yes." I said cautiously. I had just met Cassie, but for some reason I felt at ease with her. I trusted her.

"I was dropped off as a baby on the doorstep of Cadmus Labs." I began. Cassie's eyebrows creased and her face became one full of pity.

"Please. It's okay. Don't look at me like that. Like I never had a family. I did. A scientist there at Cadmus, Dr. Paul Canning, took me in and adopted me as his daughter." I felt my lips curve up into a smile as memories flooded my mind.

"I grew up there at Cadmus. Around the chemicals. The experiments gone wrong." My face darkened at the mention of thing a gone wrong. I squeezed the couch fabric in between my fingers, and I felt the fabric go stiff with ice.

"What's wrong?" Cassie asked innocently.

"Nothing." I said, plastering a fake smile on my face. "Then, two years ago, my dad was murdered by his own experiment. Then Cadmus began experimenting on humans. They started experimenting on me, because..." I debated whether to tell her about the abilities. My breathing suddenly hitched.

What if they experiment on me? What if they want to take tests? They can't know.

"Because of no reason at all. They did everything horrid you could think of." I lied, my voice shaking. Cassie's hand reached up and squeezed my shoulder.

"So, one day I escaped, and made it far."

Because of my powers.

"Security sucks there." I lied. Cassie nodded understandingly. "Then I passed out. That's when you guys found me.

And now I'm here." I stood up and walked out of the room into the dark hallway.

"India?" Cassie's voice echoed. I turned around and looked at her. For someone who was younger than me, she comforted me very maturely. "Thank you. For you know, telling me your story. I'm sorry Cadmus did what they did to you."

I felt bad for not telling Cassie the whole truth. But I didn't directly lie, and it was for my safety. But then again, a lie of omission is still a lie.

I walk to the 'Main Room' as I now call it, where the whole Team is standing.

"Just in time, India. Team, this is India Canning. India," he said, gesturing to the Team. "The Team."

A girl who looked like a feminine version of Batman walked up to me. "Batgirl." Another secret identity keeper.

A boy with furry green arms and a tail leaped at me and shook my hand. His smile was so bright. "I'm Beast Boy. Or Garfield Logan. Its nice to meet you." I laughed and answered that it was nice to meet him as well.

A woman with skin as dark as Mal's walked up to me. "Bumblebee. Karen." She says before waking up to Mal and placing a kiss on his cheek. I look towards Mal and raise my eyebrows, looking between him and Bumblebee. He nods.

"Robin." A boy about fourteen shakes my hand. He looks behind me, and I follow his gaze to Cassie.

"Enough introductions." Nightwing said, pulling up the images Batman had shown me on the Watchtower. "India," he turned to me. "You were present at the shipment of the Cobra-Venom, correct?"

I nod. I really didn't like where this was going, though. I clenched my hands and my side and feel my palms go ice-cold.

"We tested your blood while you were unconscious. There were chemicals in your blood. Do you know what these chemicals are?"

Yes. I do.

"We couldn't identify these chemicals, but we can only assume it's Cobra-Venom."

What?

"No! Do I look like I've been taking this...Cobra-Venom?" I cried, shaking my head violently.

The Team's faces are mixed with confusion, distress, and amusement.

"A lot has changed in the past few years. Cobra-Venom is now designed not to have any effect on your appearance." Batgirl said calmly, but firmly.

"That's correct." A new voice says. Batman walked out of the shadows.

"I don't have any of that stuff in my blood!" I yelled.

"Are you saying you don't have any chemicals in your blood?"

I feel nervousness in every part of me, and my anxiety causes me to stomp the floor.

The floor turns to pure ice, and several members of the Team slip and fall.

The Team's faces are full of fear and concern. And shock. Batman narrows his eyes at me.

Running out of the room, I feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes.

I messed up.

(approx. 1000 words)