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

Chapter Thirty-Eight- Finding Answers

May 27, 2016. 06:04.
The Warworld.
~~Emma~~

"Where are they?"

"Nightingale-"

"I said-" I grabbed Captain Atom by the collar of his protective suit.

"Where. Are. They. Captain!?!? What happened to my team!?"

Mara. Tim. Cassie. Everyone. Gone.

They were all safe, we had just won! We were going to bring them home!

But it had been hours with no contact, when we finally got a distress call from Jaime. He had no idea how to pilot the bioship, and everyone else was gone.

"Nightingale, please." Blue Beetle begged. "Don't blame him, it's all my fault."

"That statement is inaccurate." Green Beetle patted a lonely Jaime's back as I let go of Captain Atom, completely ignoring Nightwing behind me.

Cap sighed, massaging his neck, "Just tell them what you told us."

Jaime took a deep, but shakey breath. "We had won. We were all here in this bay, and Wonder Girl had Mongul hog-tied. Then suddenly, a boom tube opened up right beneath us!" His voice increased with volume as he dropped the plot twist in all this.
"I flew up and out, it was instinct, you know? But before I could do anything..." his voice cracked. "The boom tube closed, and the others were gone."

"Definitely reading traces of boom tube activity." I didn't give Nightwing the satisfaction of having looked at him.

"We think Mongul may have opened the boom tube as a means of escape, gaining the team as captives in the bargain." Captain Atom explained. "The team...and worse."

"Blur had the crystal key." Jaime informed us.

"So the priority is making sure no one uses it to reactivate  The Warworld. Captain Marvel and Rocket are already guarding the key chamber." Captain Atom assured Nightwing, as allergic to looking at me as I was to looking at my brother. "The Justice League will continue guarding it in shifts, until the key is found and the threat is ended."

Ended. So it wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot. There wouldn't be any mercy for Mongul when this was done, none!

"It's all my fault." Blue Beetle whispered, almost inaudibly

"Stop." Nightwing said sternly. "You didn't do anything wrong. We'll figure this out. But, for now..."

I turned to Green Beetle, "Will you see to it that he gets home?"

The Martian-Reach hybrid nodded.

Jaime paled. "What am I gonna tell Brass Beetle's parents? Our friends..."

"Sarah's parents knew what she was signing up for when they agreed to it." I sighed, "I'll make sure all the team's family members know what's happened. Don't worry about them."

Doctor Fate opened a new portal to take Jaime and Green Beetle back to Earth when he started to protest.

"N-no! I wanna stay, I wanna help!" He pleaded

For a second, I almost agreed, not wanting to be left alone with Nightwing. But the slump in Blue's step told me Jaime was far from being able to help.

"Later. For now, you need to rest." Nightwing read my mind. "Go." He urges the two Beetles.

Jaime sighs, "I'm sorry." He repeats.

"No," I clenched my fists, Whoever did this, they're the ones who'll be sorry."

Jaime and Green Beetle finally disappeared into the portal, and Nightwing urged Doctor Fate and Captain Atom to follow.