Hidden Enemies | The Prime Archives #2 ✓

fifteen

Emily wasn't a huge fan of museums.

All they did was highlight the shitty things white dudes did hundreds of years ago. Most exhibits were populated by history pieces on the various wars throughout the centuries, inventions stolen from people whose names who had been forgotten, and the mistreatment of minorities everywhere.

Frankly, they were depressing.

If she had the option to visit the famous Smithsonian museum in Washington D.C., she would've declined wholeheartedly. She'd rather spend her valuable time cuddled up with Kai in the common room back in The Acropolis.

Unfortunately, she didn't have the option.

A new presentation detailing the rise of Primes across the world had been in the works ever since the Battle of Adak Island. After a year and a half, it was finally done, and the creators had invited Atlas' young Primes for the unveiling.

Emily originally had no plans on attending. Unlike Stella, she wasn't one for the spotlight. The entire thing seemed like a waste of time anyway. But Director Shaw insisted the team make an appearance. He said it'd be good for their image.

What a joke.

No matter what they did, some people would always hate them. That wasn't going to change, and she knew that. Going to some stupid museum expo wasn't going to make things any better.

But, after much convincing from Kai, she figured she'd play the part. It would only be for a few hours.

So, there she stood on a stage in front of a massive crowd of people with phones in their hands and smiles on their faces. Some of them wore Atlas t-shirts and sweaters (which were being sold at the front door).

Emily glanced over her shoulder and peered at the slideshow playing on the wall behind her. A highlight reel of all her team's best moments flashed before her eyes. She recognized the time when Theo successfully thwarted a runaway armored truck full of stolen cash. Then there was the time when Andre shielded a group of bystanders from a terrorist attack in France.

The one that drew the most reaction from the crowd was the mission where Stella and Chase defeated a Prime in Greece. The couple had successfully defeated a man who nearly flooded an entire island with his weather-manipulating abilities.

The audience cheered and hollered as they saw Sentinel and Starchild working in tandem against the villainous Prime known as Tempest.

In truth, the man hadn't been a villain at all. He had just been driven to the brink of madness due to various mental illnesses and lack of attention from his community. But the public didn't know that. They just saw the flying superhuman who was dousing an entire island in torrents of unforgiving rain.

The public didn't know a lot of things. They saw everything in black and white. Good versus evil. Heroes against villains.

Emily had seen enough to know that was rarely the case.

"Everyone give it up for the world's first-ever superheroes!" Katherine Marbury, their host and head director of the exhibit, announced.

Emily faced the crowd. She froze as she watched as they gave her and her fellow superhumans a round of applause. She didn't know whether to smile or frown, so she ended up doing a bit of both.

"What's with the weird look on your voice?" Kai whispered in her ear.

"I don't know," she replied through gritted teeth.

Once the crowd stopped, Katherine resumed her introduction of the event.

"In honor of these brave individuals who protect us from danger with their extraordinary abilities, we have created a wonderful experience where you can learn more about them and how they came to be."