A/N: I know, its not typical for my to leave author's notes, but I thought it would be fun :) For my previous two fanfics in the series I was all organized with plot diagrams and pretty much the whole thing written out...I'm winging it this time, so this will be an adventure! It's going to be a bumpy ride...so hold on tight...
Prologue
"Ha! Sorry boys, looks like I win again." The victor smugly laid down her cards for the other players' viewing pleasure. "Two aces and three queens. That's a full house."
A crowd of inmates was gathered around the rectangular table to watch the game. One spectator let out a whistle as Ember added the pot to her large pile of winnings and she winked in its general direction. Because there was very little worth bartering in Jump City's maximum security prison, her collection consisted mostly of food items (some half-eaten), hygienic products like toothpaste and deodorant, the rare magazine or newspaper clipping, and other odds and ends such as a rubber bouncy ball, a My Little Pony keychain, and a pack of bacon-flavored chewing gum. In fact, her accumulation was so large she would probably have had a troublesome time transferring it all from the mess hall to her cell across the prison. If all went according to plan, however, she would not have to.
"You're cheating!" an opponent accused.
She smirked. "Of course I am. Aren't you?"
The other villains at the table nodded, either looking sheepish or grinning mischievously. Several amused chuckles rose from the audience. Her accuser, a mountainous, muscled villain named Boulder, stood up abruptly.
"I want my stuff back!" he boomed, gripping the edges of the table.
Ember rose slowly, presenting the M.L.P. keychain. "Oh, you mean this?" she asked with a mocking smirk. "Come and get it, tough guy. Or should I say brony?"
Boulder overturned the table, sending cards (and a few unfortunate villains) flying. He charged at her with speed that seemed almost superhuman, but Ember evaded the attack with ease. The crowd of spectators parted as Boulder hurtled past. He tried to stop, but the momentum of his enormous bulk prevented him from altering his course, and he collided head-on with a guard standing nearby. That was when all hell broke loose.
The mess hall became a roiling sea of orange jumpsuits. Ember ducked and weaved quickly through the surging mass. The brawl would not last long; soon more guards would arrive, and it was unlikely that the villains would hold out with only their bare fists against the guards' clubs and guns.
"Let's go!" she called to a man standing next to the door, which had been left temporarily unguarded in the heat of the battle. They dashed into the halls.
The man was her only ally, an infamous hacker named Drake. As a part of their deal he had disabled the metal wristbands that were used to inhibit her power within the confines of the prison. In exchange, Ember was to help him escape with her.
Their breakout was proceeding well; the rebellion in the mess hall was causing enough of a distraction that they encountered few guards, and Ember's flames readily dispatched the few they did encounter. The problem occurred when they reached the front gates and were greeted with gunfire.
"I just have to get the gates open, and then we'll make a break for it," she said between breaths, as they cowered behind one of the waist-high stone walls that lined the walkway
"How are you going to do that?" Drake demanded, looking up at the looming iron gates (the first part of the prison rebuilt after last year's earthquakes devastated the city).
"It'll be a snap!" Ember responded with a grin. She illustrated the task's simplicity with a snap of her fingers, creating a colossal explosion that ripped a gaping hole in the obstacle.
"Come on!" she barked as she bolted for the exit, taking advantage of the guards' momentary confusion. She was just past the gates when she heard the gunshots resume and Drake's shouts. Almost there! Don't look back!
Were she not in such a rush, Ember would have relished the fresh breeze as a welcome change from the stuffy, human stench of the prison (she made a mental note to do lots of relishing later...if she made it out). Ember was at the side of the road. She could hear sounds of pursuit. She stopped briefly, not knowing which direction to flee. Suddenly, a car screeched to a halt in front of her. It was one of those nondescript, white kidnapper vans that parents always tell their children to avoid. A door on the side slid open and a woman with strange pink hair leaned out.
"Get in!"