Heroes Not Wanted

Chapter 10: Dream and Confusion

After Ivy told Diana what fate awaited her, Diana fled from the cell, running back to her dorm and taking cover under her blankets. For some reason, fear was jolting through her like currents of electricity. Silence snored a little, the only indication that she hadn't woken up while Diana had been gone.

Was Ivy telling the truth? Was Guardian really the monster Ivy believed him to be? But he couldn't be. Art and Storm trusted him, and Diana knew they weren't stupid and they were trustworthy. But what if even they had been duped ...?

At some point during the night, Diana actually succeeded in falling asleep, only to be plagued by freaky dreams. She could no longer determine what was a vision and what was her own overworked imagination. It was only then that her mind completely shut down and she saw it ...

. . . . . . . . . .

Ivy stood in the security room of Haven, her hands chained behind her, identical manacles attached to her ankles. The room was empty, and it was only then that the girl let her tears fall. For too long, she had concealed her fear at her fate, and it would hide no longer. With her head bowed, she sniffled, still fighting against the tears that streamed down her cheeks. The only sound belonged to Ivy, crying, alone, with no one there to save her.

A boom made her jump. She turned, taking a shaky breath and straightening her shoulders. The doors started to slide open, water spilling through, a raging torrent. Ivy had time for one scream only as the water enveloped her. It dragged her from the entrance and out into the ocean. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't pull herself to the surface. Screaming in frustration, no matter how hard she fought, she sank.

Then, abruptly, her muffled screams below the water stopped, and the girl went limp, her body slowly falling to the bottom of the ocean, her eyes open but unseeing.

. . . . . . . . . .

Diana sat bolt upright, crying out. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, feeling like it was going to burst right out. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and she felt physically ill. She gasped for breath, a hand against her chest.

"D-Delphi?" Silence had sat up as well, her pixie-cut rumpled on one side. She had a dazed expression on her face. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

Diana focused on breathing in and out. Bile rose in her throat, but with some effort, she forced it down. She would not get ill. Still, she pressed her hands against her face, terrified. Why was she so scared? It hadn't been any different than the other horrible visions she always saw!

Silence wrapped her arms around Diana comfortingly. "Hey, hey, it's okay, don't cry," she said soothingly. Diana hadn't even realized that she was crying, but now that Silence said it, she could feel the moisture of tears on her cheeks. "It's alright, you're safe here."

Finally, after what felt like ages, Diana was able to gain control of her tears. However, try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from trembling. Why had what she'd seen spooked her so much? It wasn't like it was any different than what she normally saw.

But it was—she realized it almost immediately. It was different because she knew Ivy. She had spoken to the girl and even understood her. The punishment for her seemed so extreme, too extreme. The feeling of drowning seemed to have assailed Diana, overwhelming her ... and she couldn't lose the memory of Ivy's startling green eyes, open but unseeing.

The door opened, and Diana heard Brick's voice, normally deep, go shrill. "Silence? What's going on?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you!" Silence snapped, her voice matching his pitch. "Get somebody!"

"Who?!" Brick was close to panicking. Diana couldn't stop trembling.

"Art." Diana hadn't even realized Hal was there until he spoke. It was like she had somehow shut off her powers. "We should get Art and Storm. They'll know what to do. Go, Brick! Go get them. Silence, you too."