The Black Bolt

By Amy Ashuntae

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Black Lightning and Sonar

Black Lightning stepped out of the phone booth in Gotham City with a sigh. She had had a long and trying day even before meeting the team. She looked out at Gotham with a regretful look. Sonar... She shook her head, almost viciously. No. She wouldn't think about that. It just made her feel guilty. She still felt like it was her fault. Gah! Didn't she just say she wasn't going to think about that? She groaned in frustration and reached into her bag, pulling out her iPod. She glanced around, popping an earbud into her ear. She glanced down and went through her songs to find something worth listening to when she spotted one that made her smile. It was Storm Warning by Hunter Hayes. She grinned at the irony. She pressed play and exited the abandoned ally, heading towards her apartment. She lived alone, considering she didn't have much of a choice. Her father wanted to...experiment on her because of the unique circumstances which had given her her powers. Sonar had gotten her hooked on the song and now she listened to it on her way to her apartment. She switched it to Ignorance by Paramore when she got there so she couldn't hear her neighbors who were convinced she was a druggie.

She rolled in from the west

In a summer sun dress

Hotter than the heat in July

With her wind blown hair

It just wasn't fair

The way she was blowin' my mind

Have you ever noticed

Every hurricane gets its name from a girl like this?

She's a cat, five kind Keeps you up at night

Hangin' on to the edge of a kiss

Black Lightning mouthed along as she headed 'home'.

She's a beautiful mess

The kind you love to love

But what happens next?

I got a feeling when the sun comes up

I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

I'm gonna wish I had a sign

I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up,

Little lee-way, little more time

Some kind of radar system

Locked in on love I got a feeling by the time the night finds the morning

I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

Ain't it funny how it feels

When you're burning your wheels

Somewhere between goin' and gone

You get so lost that you can't turn it off

You give in and you just turn it on

She's a heart full of rain

Red lips like a flame

She's the girl from your favorite song

What a beautiful mess

One part angel, one part perfect, one part brick

The kind of flood you'll never forget

I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

I'm gonna wish I had a sign

I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up,

Little lee-way, little more time

Some kind of radar system

Locked in on love

I got a feeling by the time the night finds the morning

I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

Ooo, Yeah I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

I'm gonna wish I had a sign

I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up,

Little lee-way, little more time

Some kind of radar system

Locked in on love!

I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

I'm gonna wish I had a sign

I'm gonna wish I had a little heads up,

Little lee-way, little more time

Some kind of radar system

Locked in on love

I got a feeling by the time the night finds the morning

I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

I'm gonna wish I had a storm warning

I'm gonna wish I had a sign

I'm gonna wish I had a sign

Or a storm warning

Black Lightning appeared at the entrance to her apartment complex just as the song ended. She unlocked the door when she heard a familiar voice call her name. "Ashlee? Ashlee Gilly? Is that you?" Black Lightning flinched at the mention of her real name and turned to see Artemis Crock approaching her. She grinned immediately. "Hey Arty. I didn't realize you lived around here." she lied. Artemis burst out laughing. "Yea right! I haven't moved! But you probably already knew that. Is your family here with you?" Artemis replied, but immediately regretted opening her mouth when she saw the look on her friends face. "Oh, sorry, I just kinda...forgot..." she said. Black Lightning shook her head. "It's ok. You wanna come in?" she asked. "Na, I gotta go. My mom. Why don't you give me your number and I'll text you later?" Artemis replied. "Ok." Black Lightning quickly scribbled her number down on a loose piece of paper and gave it to Artemis. "Talk to you later Arty!" she called, entering her apartment complex and entering the elevator. She quickly switched songs so she was listening to Ignorance by Paramore. The elevator doors opened on the fourth floor and she quickly made a dash for her apartment.

I'm a bad person, you don't like me, well guess I'll make my own way

It's a circle, a mean cycle

I can't excite you anymore.

The last thing she needed was her neighbors seeing her and letting her have it again. She reached her door, 14, and fumbled around for her keys.

Where's your gavel? Your jury? What's my offense this time?

You're not a judge, but if you're gonna judge me, well sentence me to another life.

"Isn't that the truth." Black Lightning, or Ashlee Gilly, muttered under her breath. She heard someone yelling something or other at her as she managed to unlock her door. She quickly slipped inside, escaping the onslaught of insults.

Don't wanna hear your sad songs
I don't wanna feel your pain
When you swear it's all my fault
Cause you know we're not the same (no)
We're not the same (no)
Oh we're not the same
Yeah the friends who stuck together
We wrote our names in blood
But I guess you can't accept that the change is good (hey)
It's good (hey)
It's good

She sighed. Every time. "It happens every time. No matter what. No matter what I say, no matter what I do, they still think I'm on drugs. It's ridiculous!"

Well you treat me just like another stranger
Well it's nice to meet you sir
I guess I'll go
I best be on my way out
You treat me just like another stranger
Well it's nice to meet you sir
I guess I'll go
I best be on my way out

She walked into her kitchen, depositing her bag on the counter

Ignorance is your new best friend
Ignorance is your new best friend

She opened the fridge, looking for something to eat for dinner. Ashlee glanced at her counter and groaned when she realized she had forgotten her mail. Now she had to make a dash for her mailbox, grab it, and dash back to her room, all without a confrontation with her neighbors.

This is the best thing that could've happened
Any longer and I wouldn't have made it
It's not a war no, it's not a rapture
I'm just a person but you can't take it
The same tricks that, that once fooled me
They won't get you anywhere
I'm not the same kid from your memory
Well now I can fend for myself

She breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator doors closed. So far so good. She'd managed to get by without alerting them.

Don't wanna hear your sad songs
I don't wanna feel your pain
When you swear it's all my fault
Cause you know we're not the same (no)
We're not the same (no)
Oh we're not the same
Yeah we used to stick together
We wrote our names in blood
But I guess you can't accept that the change is good (hey)
It's good (hey)
It's good

Ashlee opened her mailbox to find one piece of mail. "One thing...from Gotham Academy?" she muttered in surprise. "The Wayne Foundation Scholarship? Are you?...Oh come on! Really Batman? Really?" She grumbled, reentering the elevator. She felt her phone go off and pulled it out to find that she'd gotten a text. She opened it as the doors did. Hey Ash. It's Artemis. What's up?

Well you treat me just like another stranger
Well it's nice to meet you sir
I guess I'll go
I best be on my way out
You treat me just like another stranger
Well it's nice to meet you sir
I guess I'll go
I best be on my way out

Ashlee grinned and slipped into her apartment. Hey Arty. Nothing much, just got my mail. Looks like I got a scholarship to Gotham Academy. What about you? Ignorance is your new best friend

Ignorance is your new best friend
Ignorance is your new best friend
Ignorance is your new best friend

Artemis blinked in surprise at her phone. The Wayne Foundation Scholarship? Yea, why? Ashlee relpied

Well you treat me just like another stranger
Well it's nice to meet you sir
I guess I'll go
I best be on my way out
You treat me just like another stranger
Well it's nice to meet you sir
I guess I'll go
I best be on my way out

I got the same scholarship. Ashlee grinned. Awesome! I'll see you at school tomorrow, I gotta get some sleep. Night Arty! She replied. Night Ash. See you tomorrow! Artemis said

So, what do you guys think? Personally, I think the last chapter was better. It took me a while, sorry. See you next time! Press the blue button! You know you want to!