Powerhouse: Legend of the Archwave

Chapter 19 (Act II): The Truth Gets Out

We last read Chapter 18, in which the Spraywatch gang assists the heroes James Markovsky a.k.a. Powerhouse and Isabela Acosta a.k.a. Archwave escape the forces of the FBI, who are chasing after the pair a second time in the hopes of bringing Archwave into custody for deportation.....despite their superior, Special Agent Warren Schaefer, explicitly stating that he wants Archwave dead and not alive. Against all odds, with the aid of the Spraywatch gang's paintball guns and vehicles—and Archwave's immaculate aim—the scuffle only results in one of the FBI SUVs surviving destruction, instead being forced to drive away after Archwave frees some heavy pipes from their straps with one of her arrows and makes them roll after the dark vehicle.

The leader of the Spraywatch gang—Monarch McIntosh—checks in on Powerhouse and Archwave one more time to see if they're okay, alongside vandals Valentina Valdez and her best friend Tyrone Hoover. After Powerhouse clarifies that he and Archwave are all right, McIntosh, Valentina, and Tyrone all retreat back to the Spraywatch Hub with their fellow vandals, leaving Powerhouse and Archwave alone in the ruined construction site with their tricked-out convertible.

Archwave is initially raring to go, but Powerhouse stares at her suspiciously, much to her unsettlement. He declares that they need to talk, and they promptly go to an apartment building rooftop to do so while parking the tricked-out convertible on the curb below.

There, James grills Isabela on the fact that they were chased by the FBI twice when he initially believed their only "enemies"—if you could even call them that—would be the Spraywatch gang. Isabela again tries to deflect, blaming the FBI's actions on internal corruption.....but by this point, James isn't having any of it, threatening to abandon her as a partner and a potential Paragon if she doesn't reveal everything this instant.

Then, the chapter ended with Isabela—already in tears—finally revealing that she's an illegal immigrant.

This time, James and Isabela have a major falling out, which leaves their partnership in jeopardy.....

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"What?!" James Markovsky a.k.a. Powerhouse exclaimed upon coming to the revelation of his companion Isabela Acosta a.k.a. Archwave's status as an illegal. "You're here against the law?!"

"Yes! Yes, I am!" Isabela cried, completely laying everything out on the metaphorical table at long last. "I fled the Dominican Republic to come here."

"Why?"

She sniffled, deciding to let another secret slip. "Because I wanted to get away from my family's drug empire!"

"'Family'? 'Drug empire'.....what the hell?" Then, James put two and two together. ".....You were supposed to be its successor, weren't you?"

"Yes! I was meant to become the next leader whenever my father's time came!"

"Ugh.....so that's why you alluded to a sheltered life.....and were able to afford such expensive things....." the prosthetic-armed boy recalled. "It's all dirty money, isn't it? Completely dishonest work?"

Isabela nodded. "All of it is. And the fact that we were profiting off of people so close on the heels of the Decimation disgusted me."

James's breathing intensified; he couldn't believe that Isabela had kept all of this from him until now. "All right. So when exactly were you going to tell me about all of this?!"

"Honestly? Never," Isabela answered sincerely, deciding that she was done keeping the truth from him. "I was perfectly willing to serve as your partner without you ever being the wiser. But.....I suppose the jig is up."