5 Chapter 5 - Emma

I hadn't expected to see Basic again after he saved my life, but when the doctor opened the door to that girl's room, I was face to face with the dark-helmed villain again. His words began to echo through my head again like they had over the past week.

Not only his words, but I remembered how he fought in that alley. Hannah might have been a hero for two years now, but I doubted she had ever fought someone like him. His power almost felt like it was only limited by his imagination. I was worried about how this might end.

My sister's friend seemed entertained at first, but that quickly faded. My sister, the fabulous Metallette, had decided to get into a fight with Basic, and I knew how it would end. I knew Basic's abilities, but she didn't, and it even looked like he had an upgrade to his suit.

I shouldn't have been so distracted by the plate armor that Basic was wearing, because I might have actually been able to warn Hannah of the impending shield slam. I should have at least gotten out of the way myself.

As soon as the doctor had gotten by to help Conductor, as my sister had called her, he attacked. Both of us Railon sisters hit the wall hard, but I was the one who groaned with the pain of it. Why did Hannah have to show off like that, Ms. I'm-such-a-cool-hero? Glancing back at where Basic had stood, I could see he was gone, vanished into the chaos of medical staff, visitors, and onlookers that stopped when they recognized the daughters of White Angel.

Hannah was busy talking to her old friend, and I was stuck rubbing my sore arms.

We had only dropped by to say hi to Hannah's old school friend, but this had ended quite differently. It had ended with Basic's ideals bouncing their way through my head once again. His idea that so many of the people that I would have called heroes were actually bad people. I had seen what he meant, but I hadn't really wanted to admit it. How can some people that High Solis employed not have character flaws? I got the feeling that wasn't what he meant.

"Hey, Emma! Emma, can you hear me?" Hannah asked, waving a hand in front of my face. I had spaced out thinking about Basic.

"Yeah, what did Kaitlynn say again?" Hannah had originally gone to ask her friend, who she now identified by her actual name, and she was back to tell me the result.

"Turns out he knew who she was, and was asking her questions about Void Star," Hannah told me. Why would he go asking a minor Evolved who was completely paralyzed about the city's resident supervillain?

I just had to ask, "Why would he do that?" Hannah didn't answer but rather walked away. I decided I would get the answer for myself right from the source. I pushed past a group of nurses that were muttering in hushed whispers and opened the door to Conductor's room. Kaitlynn sat there on her bed, with only the slightest motion of her head, she glanced at me.

I snapped a quick picture and let my wristband do its thing. Checking her picture against the Sol City census photos would take my watch some time,

She asked, "You wanna tell me who you are?"

"Nope," I shot back, "How about you tell me who Basic is?"

"You know his name? How?" she inquired. It was with that all my suspicions were confirmed. She knew who Basic was, and it was likely that she wouldn't be letting me know just who.

"Why does he care about you?" I asked, ignoring her question. "When my sister was confronting him, he waited for the doctor to get to you before he attacked, and he was here in the first place." I didn't honestly expect her to answer, but I have been known to be wrong. It happened pretty often lately.

"I'll answer your question," she offered, "if you answer mine first." I actually took a minute to think about what she was offering. I would have to tell the details of how, rather than fighting while my flare was in the air, we had been talking. I decided it was worth it, and started telling the story from when I arrived at the alley to when he strode away after putting on his helmet. Then she told me to lean closer.

"You know, he trusts you too now," she whispered when my ear was barely separated from her lips. "I believe in him, and what he stands for, and he cares about me because we are best friends." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My sister had thought that Basic had been here to question her, but that was just downright wrong. He had been here checking in on his friend. Then I remembered her face as he talked to my sister and myself.

"Then tell me," I asked, drawing away, "Is he just your best friend?" I could tell I had hit a nerve when she stayed silent just staring at me. She did her best to avoid my gaze, but it must have been hard when she could only move her head. I would have continued questioning her, but a nurse entered the room with a tray of what looked like it was to be the girl's lunch.

I turned to go when Kaitlynn called, "Find Silas Tylers, a basic that lives in the east district. He'll tell you the rest of the story behind our mutual friend." I turned and smiled as I closed the door. I had gotten one step closer to what I had been looking for, an answer to my burning question. Who was Basic?

But first, who was Conductor?

I checked my watch's results and Kaitlynn Mendez's story began to finally make sense. Her mother was Alina Drike, maiden name Mendez. Conductor was not just any simple, paralyzed girl. She was The stepdaughter of Void Star.