The Real Ram

Chapter 39

 "Zoe, where are you going?" Flame asks as I walk away from him.

"Where do you think? I'm going to go visit my grandfather," I reply.

"Zoe, wait—" Flame cuts himself off with a silent cry of pain.

I turn around when I feel the sudden pain in him. He's leaning on the wall holding his arm tightly around his torso. "Everything okay?"

"What?" He looks up hiding the pain as best as he can, "Yeah, I'm fine. But listen, you can't confront X about this."

"Why not? I'm tired of all the lies."

"I know," Flame says calmly, "I know. But—"

"But what? You told me my mother's parents died in a car accident. Now you're telling me she lived with her father? That she was meant to grow up and lead this compound?"

"It wasn't just her father that lived here."

I scoff, "My grandmother worked here too? She walked the same halls I do now?"

Flame sighs, "It's a long story as to how and why that happened."

"Please, do tell me then."

He closes his eyes and takes in a breath, "It's not my place to tell you."

"Fine. Then I'll go ask my grandfather." I start to storm off but Flame calls me back.

"Zoe, don't let your emotions dictate your actions."

I shudder. I never expected to hear those words said to me. To me. The kid that was able to analyze everything and observe it all with unbiased eyes and thoughts, yet here I am. Judging.

I guess when people say they are unbiased, they really are being biased. The very conclusion that you are unbiased is a biased judgment you made yourself. That's because every conclusion, every answer, is a choice, a decision, a judgment. 

Why am I finding this out now?

"Zoe?" Flame calls in a stressed voice, bringing me from my thoughts. I look at him and nod.

"You're right, I'm sorry." There's a reason Mr. X kept this from me. Good or bad, there is something. The corruption goes deeper than you realize. Phillip, I guess you were right, but did you know it when this far?

Flame sighs, "There's the girl I know."

"You sure you're okay?" I ask seeing the pain he no longer has the strength to hide.

"Yeah, I just should be resting right now," he leans on the wall and slides down to the floor.

I walk over and sit on his right. I'm eye level with his shoulder, and I can't help but ask, "What happened?"

He sighs and lays a hand on his own shoulder, as if debating to keep the story within the scars he hides or to let someone finally hear. He looks at me, with his red eyes that once held energy that I mistook as power. The eyes that now show me all his baggage of memories that he carries, and the fights he deals with every single day. Both internally and externally. 

I watch Flame, seeing he doesn't know when, where, or how to start. He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. He sighs again and laughs lightly, "I've never told anyone. Even when I was with Willow. She would always find a way to ask that never seemed pressuring but I just..." he sits up a little straighter, "I can't talk about it." He starts fidgeting, feeling more and more uncomfortable with the situation. 

"We can start simple. Why did they want to kidnap you? Why did Raven want you on their team?"

"My father, uh, he was a skilled guy," Flame starts after about a minute of thinking. "He was always on the front lines, dominating the battles. So naturally when the people of strong ability have offspring, every compound wants the kid. Raven was just a little more...forceful."