Lady Iris

Dangerous Suspicions ~ 25

We were all sitting around the big table in the Nova suite, and Mr.Vanguard asked once again what happened. Ivy, since she had the best memory out of all of us, recounted what happened at the intersection.

I couldn't help but watch Ayden. I didn't know if the rest of them knew, but I knew he was hiding something, I just didn't know what. I like to think one of my powers was the ability to see through illusions, but if that were true, I would've never had my radioactive freak-outs while I was younger, and I would've known who Eclipse was as soon as I saw him.

But then why did Ayden look like he had quickly put his suit on, and was in a fight,  if I was thinking that he hadn't actually fought anyone at all? Unless...

I gasped out loud, and the whole table stared at me. "What is it, Iris?" Zaya asked. I froze for a second, thinking what to do. "I... Uh... I was just so amazed by your storytelling, Ivy!" I answered sheepishly.

"I was telling the story right now, so thank you." Inferno said, with a frown. "Pay attention, Iris. This may mean life or death in the future."

I just stared. I couldn't help but wonder, was I looking at our destruction? There was a dark, questioning look in Inferno's eyes, and I could tell that he was wondering if I knew.

I think back to it, and everything makes sense. How he knew everything, what he thought about Equinox, and even his powers.

He was Eclipse. He had to be.

The little features I could see of Eclipse, matched up with Ayden. Ayden already had power over fire, and he was probably hiding his power over ice. It had to be him, everything matched up.

And yet, Eclipse seemed to be younger. But that was probably just another illusion by Eclipse. Though if I was going to accuse Ayden of being Eclipse, I would need more evidence.

"Can I excuse myself?" I asked, and I realized I had cut Donovan off, mid-sentence. Donovan sent me a glare, and Vanguard sent me a suspicious look. "What is it, Miss. Iris?" Vanguard asked.

"I uhh, want to study the scene again." I said, standing up. I wasn't lying, I wanted to study the scene again. But I wanted to study Inferno's stage scene, the hole in the roof. "I think I may have missed something."

Mr.Vanguard slowly nodded, and I walked to the door. "I'll go with her," I heard behind me. I turned to see Ayden following me. Something like chills and heat went through my body at the same time. "No, I'm fine. But thanks." I answered, opening the door.

Ayden held the door open for me to go first. "But you always need another pair of eyes," Ayden said, smiling. I kept my lips in a thin line, and I walked to the elevator. Ayden shut the door, and waited for the elevator to come. "What, no smile? Not even a little one? Is it because of what I said earlier about you and Eclipse? Just to let you know, I was joking, okay? Sometimes it seems like nobody can take a joke."

The elevator opened, and I entered with Inferno following. I pressed the top floor: the 102nd floor. "Not in dire times like these." I answered.

"What are you doing?" Ayden asked.

"I'm going to check out the top floor to make sure everything is safe." I answered quietly. Inferno claimed he escaped out the top and blasted through the roof of the building. If he truly did that, there would be a hole at the top of the elevator shaft that Nova wouldn't have been able to repair yet.

I was a long, awkward ride, and when we reached the top, I stepped out onto a brilliantly sunlit greenhouse. All varieties of plants lived in there, but there seemed to be no way onto the actual roof.