Chapter 16 - Emma

Feeling a buzz on my wrist always meant something was happening. Nobody ever messaged me because they wanted to check in or see how I was doing. It was always Hannah telling me about some new update with her investigation or Basic letting me know the same thing in a much less optimistic light. Sitting in class while the two kept sending the messages was very difficult. I had to check them without making a big deal out of it.

I didn't want to show off the communicator watch since there were others in the room that certainly aspired to be heroes. Sometimes privilege can be an awkward thing to have, like a rich kid walking through a poorer part of town and feeling guilty for all the things he has that they don't. They would feel that way, right?

Finally, I got a message that actually meant something. It was what Hannah and I referred to as the Mom-com. It was a message asking me to come to the hospital as quickly as possible. She abbreviated as much as possible, which meant I had no details.

"Get to hospital ASAP. Needed elsewhere. Watch your sister."

And how was I supposed to watch my sister? Was she not out and about with her investigation? She would probably be messaging me soon about her most recent idea of where to search.

I silently collected my things and held up my hand in a fist. That was my form of letting my teacher I was leaving, since I didn't want to fully interrupt class and often couldn't move slowly.

Getting to the hospital wasn't hard, since it was pretty centrally located for this part of Sol City. I unlocked my bike from the rack and pushed myself to go as fast as I could the entire way there.

As soon as I had locked up my bike and stepped through the doors, the receptionist gave me a room number and told me to head there. I hadn't been back here since Kaitlynn had walked on her own two feet, but it was already starting to feel familiar and I knew my way around. I began wondering just what had happened to Hannah?

What I was also surprised by was the lack of messages from Basic about this. I could infer that she got hurt by now. It was the hospital. It had to be that she was hurt, and maybe Basic was too if he wasn't messaging me.

Once I found my sister's room, I could see why I was supposed to look after her. She had a bandage wrapped around her forehead, and only a tiny spot of brownish red marked it. She reminded me of Kaitlynn for a moment until she sat up a little.

"Hey Sis," she groaned, "if you keep standing in the door all dumbstruck you'll embarrass me."

I shook off the stupor that my sister's condition had brought on and went to sit in one of the chairs in the room.

"So, looks like you had a great time."

"Yep."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"Are you going to anyway?"

"Fine. I got in a fight with somebody stronger than me."

"Really, what kinda supervillain did Void Star have waiting for you?" I was honestly curious what kind of villain my sister, the fabulous Metallette, considered to be stronger than her.

"Basic, the one I was looking for anyways. I didn't think he would actually be that powerful. I think if he had a little more skill he might be Mom's equal. Still nothing compared to High Solis."

Of course that was our scale. Mom is powerful, Natalie Brynn is the most powerful. As Hannah explained her searching parameters and how the encounter started, I began to wonder what kind of information she didn't have. She thought the basic gang members had signaled Basic. It made sense, Basic and the gangs working together. I thought it was the case at first too. She didn't know he was tailing her for safety purposes.

It had to wait until I could talk to Silas, or maybe Kaitlynn, to get the full story about how it happened. Maybe even Mom could help fill in some details.

"And I'm not sure what happened after that," Hannah finished. "I was down for the count, probably wouldn't have survived if I hadn't been brought back to the hospital. Thank goodness for Sol City's guardian angel, our mother."

"Yeah, thank goodness for that." I wasn't sure from Hannah's side of the story, but if I had to guess I would say the group that Hannah had found was either connected to the group that hurt Kaitlynn or had the same supplier.

"Hannah, did you get a chance to talk with Mom at all?" I asked, mostly just thinking out loud.

"No. What are you thinking?"

"Nothing, it just doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't? I know you have a soft spot for the Basic guy, but you still have to recognize he's a villain, right?"

"A villain with a just cause," I countered, "But that isn't my point. The timing doesn't work out."

"What timing?" I could see the confusion that came with not having all the information she needed to come to the same conclusion.

"The time you sent your last message and the time Mom sent hers were too far apart. I think something else happened between Basic giving you that injury and Mom helping you."

"Then why didn't he finish me off? By your count, he had plenty of time."

"He isn't like that." I didn't mean to bring up the now constant point of debate between us, but it happened naturally enough.

"The two men were dead when Mom arrived. He is like that."

"How? Did they show any signs of him hurting them?"

"No, but that's irrelevant. He can make shields out of thin air. I think he can make an internal kill."

"Again," I sighed, "Not his style. That's Void Star's. I think he was there too."

"Really, and you think I'm still alive how?"

"I don't know. I need more information."

"Don't say it." She tensed suddenly, like bracing for a blow. "I know what you are thinking, and don't you dare say it, much less do it."

"I need to talk to Basic. It's the best way to know what happened."

She looked ready to tell me I was crazy, when a knock came from the door. It pushed open and in walked the two best people to settle the argument.

"I told you you were being an idiot, Hannah." Kaitlynn grinned and took the other seat, leaving Silas to stand. "I just wish you would listen to me for once."