Hidden Enemies | The Prime Archives #2 ✓

four

Emily hated the butterflies she got inside her stomach right before a debriefing. She should've been used to it by now. It had been almost two years since she got her powers. Two years since her life changed forever, courtesy of Kane and Kismet.

She had been a part of Atlas' special task force for about a year. Before every mission, there was a debriefing with Director Shaw and a senior Atlas agent—usually Agent Strong, the team's designated overseer.

She had been in that mission room countless times. Still, it turned her blood to ice and caused goosebumps to rise against her pale skin.

Gritting her teeth, she pulled up the torso of her black and violet suit while Kai sat on her bed behind her.

"You know," the Hawaii-native began, "I'm really enjoying this view."

Emily shot her an unimpressed glare. "Cut it out."

"What? I'm just admiring you."

"There's nothing to admire." She walked into her spacious closet. After grabbing her bow and empty quiver, she joined Kai on the edge of her mattress.

Kai patted Emily's thigh and flashed the girl her warm smile. It was one of Emily's favorite things about the girl. Though, she seemed to have a lot of things she liked about Kai.

"Stop saying that stuff," the girl scolded. "You're cute. Even when you're being an idiot."

Emily snorted. She appreciated the confidence boost, but that didn't make it feel any less awkward. Awkward was the perfect word for their relationship. Kai wasn't shy about her sexuality in the slightest. From the time they found her controlling waves in Hawaii, she had been the image of confidence and beauty.

Perhaps that was what drew Emily to her.

Meanwhile, she was still finding herself. Though, Kai was helping. But she still had a long way to go. She was still learning. Still searching.

It wasn't easy; especially when everyone else continuously slapped labels onto her face any chance they got. She supposed she should've been used to it by now. After all, she'd been getting labeled by her peers since middle school.

But it was different now. The whole world was watching her every move, listening to every word she spoke. They saw how she and Kai interacted. Many had their theories, and many of those theories were publicized.

Emily Yumiko: the world's first lesbian superhero?

To some, she was an icon. To others, she was just searching for attention. And to a small, but vocal minority, she was an abomination. Not only could she shoot sonic rings from her mouth, but she also liked girls.

Oh, the horror.

In truth, Kai was a blessing, despite how Emily acted toward her sometimes. The girl was kind, thoughtful, and patient—all things Emily wasn't but needed.

It also helped that Kai was extremely beautiful.

She couldn't fathom why a girl like her would be interested in someone like herself. She was nothing special—apart from her superhuman abilities and genetic makeup. Other than that, she wasn't too noteworthy. Not her eyes, at least. She wasn't drop-dead gorgeous like Stella. She wasn't funny like Oscar or Theo. And she wasn't as strong or charming as Chase.

She was just Emily—volatile and anti-social Emily.

A sigh escaped her lips.

Beside her, Kai stood up from the bed and offered her hand. "You ready to go?"

Nodding, Emily took her hand. She let herself smile a bit. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Kai returned the gesture. Hand in hand, the two girls left the room and made their way to the mission debriefing room.