Ignite [Book Three In The "Fire And Lightning" Series]

Chapter Thirty-Seven- Scars

Just remembered, I forgot to post a picture of Wally's new uniform. It's in the media now; not my art, I found it on Deviantart

Also in the media: This chapter's theme song

June 4, 2018. 00:21
Apokalips.
~~Emma~~

Something told me that we were gonna be stuck on Apokalips for much longer than we'd expected.

It might just be the general atmosphere, that most of the team felt that way, it might be that they'd already set up a base out of rubble on the plains fifteen miles from Darkseid's palace, or it might be that Wally had taken Mother Box and we'd left the bioship back on Earth.

Willow was recuperating inside the tent, getting a blood donation from M'gann and being force-fed Oreos by Terra and Rachel. I could hear her babbling inside. She thought that Bart was Wally, and wanted to have a science party.

I stayed outside, watching the team's shadows cast by the glowsticks placed in the center of the tent. Aside from Willow, there wasn't much talking. Everyone was too miserable.

But no one more so than me.

I had a Pyro, a demon- two of them! -living inside me. They had taken over me. They had made me fight my best friend nearly to the death.

I'd been Willow's best friend for years. I trained with her, talked with her, listened to her, but now I could finally understand her.

I knew why she felt the way she did, why she blamed herself. 

I knew what it was like to make a terrible decision that suddenly affected everyone that you loved or cared about.

When I had realized what they were, I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want them to worry. I thought I could handle it. I thought I was stronger, but my demons were right. I was weak.

I looked away from the tent entrance, walking around to the side. Miss Martian and the Beast Twins, our camouflage experts, had made our makeshift base look like any other hill on the Apokaliptian plain, and the doorway faced away from the torture pits, the gladiator ring, Darkseid's palace, and Desaad's lab. 

I sat down on the side facing towards the Apokaliptian hubub, watching smoke rise from the top of Desaad's laboratory.

What had he done to Wally?

I held my head on my hands, banging my forehead against my knees as I brought them closer. Salty tears stung my eyes, and Joker's laughter filled my head.

I watched Wally be absorbed by the chrysalis.

I saw Tula's life-forced drain as she sacrificed herself to stop Tiamat.

I found Jason's beaten and bloody body.

I re-lived the night of my parent's death.

I heaved a deep breath, staring back up at the blood-red sky. I couldn't lose another person I cared about, and I couldn't be the reason that I lost them.

I stood up, bringing out my wings. It was a stupid idea, one that would almost certainly get me killed, but Willow was right. I hadn't done anything to stop Wally from disappearing, but that didn't mean I couldn't do anything to get him back.

I was about to take off when a strong but gentle hand grabbed my shoulder.

"Emma? What's wrong?"

terrified, I turned around to face Kaldur. The demons in my mind reared up, about to strike. "No!" I screamed, grabbing my head. I backed up from Kaldur, shaking my head. "Go away, they'll get you too!" I waved at him, trying to get him to leave.