Always Something There to Remind Me (A Black Lightning Jen X Khalil Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-Two- Two Half Truths and a Lie

Chapter Twenty-Two- Two Half Truths and a Lie

Khalil's POV

Almost absentmindedly, Khalil squatted until he was level with the burnt-out keypad as the ear-splitting alarm reverberated through the air. He wrinkled his nose as the arid smell of burning plastic enveloped him, examining Jen's handiwork. All the buttons were blackened, almost like a finger filthy with coal had swept across it. Without much effort, Khalil yanked the entire keypad out of the wall, screws, and all. Even the wiring was cooked. His esteem of Jen went up a notch.

"Looks like she lied to your face, PK," he said out loud, a wry smile on his face as he felt Painkiller bristle angrily inside his head.

She's right, you know. You gotta ask those computer dorks some serious ass questions.

Sighing, Khalil jogged up the stairs to arm the alarm again. He stepped out of the side door and glanced down the alley as though Jen might be lurking there. It was empty, and he shifted uncomfortably on the balls of his feet as he felt his heart sink. It wasn't like him to feel so strongly about someone he barely knew, especially someone who had blown into his life and flipped it upside down.

I knew yo ass had a crush on her!

Steadfastly ignoring Painkiller's triumphant crowing, Khalil locked up and went back downstairs, deep in thought. Jen was right. Donald and Philky- maybe even TC- had been keeping some important things from him and it was time for some honesty around here.

The doors to the lab opened to admit him, and in his peripheral vision he caught sight of Philky, a laptop raised over his head and a scared look in his eyes. Dead ahead, Donald stood solidly in the middle of the room, a taser pointed at Khalil's chest. Khalil groaned in exasperation, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Sure, Painkiller was dangerous, but this was their defense? Khalil himself could dispatch the two easily if he wanted to with no assist from Painkiller.

"It's me, guys. Painkiller's back in his cage," he said lightly, taking a casual step forward.

Steadily, the hand holding the taser not flagging, Donald asked, "What's your father's name?"

"Kito," Khalil drawled, and saw Philky lower the laptop, relief flashing across his face. Donald let the taser drop to his side as Khalil added, "But you know PK knows everything I know, so this coulda ended very differently for y'all."

Philky slumped into his chair, pushing strands of sweaty hair out of his eyes. "Don't scare us like that, man," he groused, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "You don't know how weird it is, seeing Painkiller look through your eyes."

"Relax," Khalil said, placing the gutted keypad onto the slick surface of the counter. "Painkiller and I, we cool. Us, on the other hand?" He moved his finger from Donald to Philky, and back again. "We got some shit to talk about."

Philky rolled over to look closely at the hunk of plastic and steel Khalil had deposited onto the table. His brow creased with sudden recognition. "Is that-?" he started.

"The keypad for the hallway door?" Khalil nodded, sitting sideways on the counter so that he had both Donald and Philky in his line of sight. "Yup. Jen fried it."

A poignant look flashed between Donald and Philky, something that Khalil couldn't read. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. There they went, keeping things from him again.

Philky prodded it and sighed. "Great. Now I have to replace it. I mean, they're not crazy expensive, but it's the principal of it, you know?"

He turned to his laptop and started looking up replacements on Amazon while Donald fixed Khalil with a meaningful stare.