Bolts And Feathers

Chapter Seven: Part of the Pack

Brook sat on her bed in her room, staring vacantly at the wall. She was deep in thought, her emotions swirling within her. She felt hurt and humiliated. Her two best friends, Daisy and Toby, had betrayed her. Daisy had chosen Alexis over her, and Toby.... It was hard for her to think about what Toby had done. He had left them. He had run away from her, from her team. And after all they had been through....

Her mind drifted back to the day she and Toby had first met. She had already met Daisy, and they had developed their powers together. They were quite the team, but they had not devoted themselves and their powers to crime fighting yet. Having grown up hearing about the amazing Archer and his beautiful partner Leia, Brook had dreamed about becoming a hero, about finally proving herself. She wanted to show that she was stronger than everyone thought, that she could take care of herself. One day, that chance came.

***

It was a hot summer day in PM City. People were holed up in their air-conditioned houses, trying to stay cool. However, a few crazy people, like Brook and Daisy, decided that it was a perfect day for being outside. The heat wasn't nearly as bad if you could tell all the bugs to keep away from you.

Unfortunately, on this summer day, heat wasn't the only thing on the rise. Even though the heroes were working hard to rid the streets of criminals and villains, crime was as bad as ever in the city. It was that year that Riptide had attacked, threatening the city with his giant tsunamis. The team of heroes had beaten him, and he was safely locked away in prison.

That day, Brook, who was eleven at the time, almost wished that Riptide could escape from prison and drench the city in cold water. That would provide at least temporary relief from the heat. She and Daisy, who was nine, walked along the sidewalk, trying to stay in the shade of the buildings. They had been to the zoo, their favorite place in the city, but it was closed on account of the heat. So, they had decided to take a stroll around the city, exploring new stores and streets. There wasn't much to explore - the two knew this side of the city like the back of their hands - but it was better than anything else they could do.

The heat didn't seem to bother Daisy. She ran from window to window, peering in at the displays. Sometimes she would stop to talk to a rat in an alleyway or wave to a bird flying overhead, but not for long. She would run ahead again or do a cartwheel on the pavement, exerting her never-ending supply of energy.

Brook walked behind her young friend, keeping an eye on her and eyeing strangers suspiciously. She had been taught to trust no one, and she followed that teaching very strictly. Of course, there were some people she could trust, like Daisy and Old Bartholomew. It was he who had given her the advice.

"Never trust anyone," he had told her, "except the few you know you can trust. Trust those few with your life."

"That doesn't make any sense," she had whined. It didn't then, but now it did. She was eleven now; she was older. She understood things.

"But why shouldn't I trust the police?" she had asked Old Bartholomew.

He had chuckled. "The police don't make their own rules; they follow ones that have already been decided. They cannot forgive, they cannot have mercy. The heroes, on the other hand, have their own law. Yes, they work with the police, but they are not necessarily bound by police rules." He patted her head. "You have a gift, Brook. One day, I believe you will join the heroes and help them make the world a better place."

This is why Brook glanced suspiciously at people as she walked with Daisy. Old Bartholomew had passed away two years ago, but she could hear his advice in her head as though he had said it yesterday.