Hi guys, I'm sorry for not updating this for a while, but I've been busy with end of the school year stuff. Anyways, here's another chapter and please tell me what you guys think.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Flash or X-Men the movie. Also, I don't own the lyrics to the song Incorruptible nor do I own Danny Phantom, who will be mentioned throughout this story. Enjoy!
"So are you going to see him again?" Bri asked curiously and I shrugged in response. "What kinda response is that?"
"I don't know. I told him I'd be at the Hideout. If he wants to see me again, he can find me where everybody else finds me," I replied.
"Hey that's a good sign. It means he likes you!" Bri squealed giddily and I rolled my in exasperation.
"You know I'm not looking for a boyfriend, especially after me and Danny broke up," I reminded her. I instantly felt guilty after watching her excited face fall, but I didn't want to get her hopes up over something that might end up going nowhere.
"I know that you really loved Danny, Lani, but you have to move on at some point in your life." Bri told me softly and I stood up with a shake of my head. She stood up as well taking my hands in delicate ones and squeezed them reassuringly.
"Love...doesn't even begin to cover how I feel about him," I answered feeling the familiar ache in my heart. My appetite suddenly gone, I told her to save me some pasta while I went downstairs to the basement.
That's where all my sparring and training equipment is for both me and Bri to train with, but I'm the only one who really uses it. The basement is the largest room in the house since it was built several meters underground. It's large enough to hold a barbel with a few varying weights beside the bench, a treadmill, a large yoga ball, a rather large sparring mat, a pull-up bar, a stationary bicycle, and (my personal favorite) a large punching bag.
"...do you want me to spar with you?" Bri asked hesitantly and I smiled weakly. She's not a big fan of sparring with me.
I shook my head, and I couldn't help a small chuckle at her sigh of relief. "No offense, but when we spar together I fear for my life."
"I am my father's daughter." I huffed and she grinned. My dad is the Wolverine from the X-Men. What? You thought I was a normal, klutzy bookworm? Never judge a book by its cover.
"There's my big, brave bookworm!" I laughed feeling my spirits lift from my abyss of sadness. After that she went back upstairs to eat dinner, and I wrapped my calloused hands in boxing tape. My dad used to be a street fighter, and me being daddy's little girl, begged him to teach me some fighting techniques. After years of begging, he eventually consented to teaching me the art of self defense. He taught me boxing, taiko do and many other forms of martial arts, and I was a fast learner. I'm daddy's best student.
Looking at the mirror beside my punching bag, I couldn't help smiling.
I have my mother's heart-shaped face and her honey brown highlights. The most striking feature that I inherited from her are my mother's sparkling arctic blue eyes with thick dark eyelashes. Most people would say I didn't inherit much in the looks department from my dad, but if you look closely enough you can see hints of him in me. I have his thick dark brown hair and his tanned skin tone.
Stepping away from the mirror, I turned on my iPhone to choose a song to play while using the punching bag. Whenever I use the punching bag I like to box to a specific rhythm that helps me stay focused and ignore the world around me. I pressed play once I found the perfect song and put up the volume on top of the bench press. As the beat and the drums started up I got into a defensive stance in front of the punching bag.
Nothing can slow me down,
Cause I ain't got no time to spare,
Nothing can stop me now,
And I'm breathing like I'm already there,
Incorruptible,
For this life I live,
Incorruptible,
I'm only in it to win it,
"Lani! Come eat your damn food before you over work yourself!" Bri shouted from upstairs and I snapped out of my boxing trance wiping away stray tears from my eyes. Sometimes I get so caught up in the sound of my fists pummeling the punching bag to the beat of the song that I need someone to pull me back into the real world. I get so caught up in the past that I forget to live in the present and my future doesn't seem so clear. One moment I knew exactly what the rest of my life would be like, then everything wasn't so clear. The future isn't set in stone.
"Coming, mother!" I exclaimed with a small grin as I unraveled the white tape from my bruised hands.
"Who are you calling 'mother'? We're the same age!" I burst out laughing, throwing the tape onto the workbench before dashing up the stairs. I'm learning to just roll with it.
The Next Day...
The Hideout started out as an old antique store whose owners were more than happy to get rid of. They weren't getting a lot of customers anymore and the old couple who owned the store just wanted to retire in peace, and because they were falling behind on paying the store's bills as a result of it's few customers. After moving to Central City, I decided to run a bookstore to get my mind off of my last job. Let's just say that my last job isn't very...popular nowadays. I was on medical leave and needed a fresh start away from all the craziness back home.
Ding ding!
I looked up to see Barry Allen and a pretty, no gorgeous, African American woman talking amiably walk into the store and I couldn't help feeling a little bit jealous. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not the type of girl who doesn't think she's beautiful. Plenty of guys have given me lots of compliments on my looks.
She's a head shorter than Barry, but that's understandable since he's like a really tall bean pole and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Her hair is black, long and naturally curly at the end, she's got some really nice curves, high cheekbones, and her eyes are a rich chocolate color that sparkle.
"Hey, Lani," Barry greeted with a grin and the girl looked between us confusedly. Probably wondering who her boyfriend's new friend is.
"Hi Barry, it's nice to see you again," I said with a small smile.
"This is my best friend, Iris West. Iris, this Lani the girl I told you about," Barry introduced us to each other. Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.
"Hi, and can I just say that this place is absolutely amazing!" Iris exclaimed excitedly and I couldn't help feeling a burst of pride blossom inside. It took me and my family months to get this place up and running, and it took ages just to get the store decorated the way it is.
My store is decorated almost like a cross between a tree house and a pirate's cove on the inside. The store's interior design is set up with the more modern and popular novels near the front of the store in large, dark mahogany bookcases that reach up to 10 ft in height. Books by famous literature authors such as Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, and Edgar Ellen Poe were more towards the back. Decorations include tropical flowers, some fake and some real (courtesy of Bri), grew in small, colorful vases on the top shelves of bookcases along with some vines dangling over the edge. There were candles scattered throughout the first floor to give the store a mysterious look. There were a couple of tropical and pirate themed paintings around the store, some tropical birds hung from the ceiling, barrels full of books, and we even had a little water-rock fountain beside the counter. Colorful paper lanterns glowed dimly as they were strung across the ceiling with ropes. A spiral staircase lead up to a second floor designed for relaxation and reading. Mahogany couches with dark green and red cushioning, chairs and tables with Kindles and computers for research purposes. The best part is the huge bay window that lets in waves of sunlight and displays a perfect view of the downtown area of the city.
"Thanks, it took a while to get this place up and running," I explained as she looked around the store in awe. "Is there anything I can do for you two?" I asked politely and Iris's attention returned back to me.
"Barry says you're new here to Central City, so I thought it'd be nice if we could show you around," Iris beamed.
"Um...I don't know," I trailed uncertainly and her eyes were filled with hurt as her smile fell. "I have to-"
"She would love to," Bri stated with an ear splitting grin and they jumped back in surprise. I wasn't all that phased by this since Bri has a habit of appearing out of nowhere from just about anywhere.
"This is Bri, my foster sister, best friend, and partner in crime fighting," I replied with an exasperated smile, shaking my head as she made her amber eyes go cross eyed. Barry and Iris chuckled in amusement.
"It's not everyday that I get to meet some of little Lani's friends," Bri said as she pinched my cheek and I bit her hand. She cried out, clutching her hand in pain and I couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt. I have a tendency of playing rough with others, which usually ends with Bri getting hurt.
"Stop giving people the impression that I'm the baby of the family," I snapped irritatedly and in retaliation she stuck out her tongue at me, "someone has to keep an eye on the store." I reminded her pointedly.
Grinning from ear to ear like a child on Christmas Day, she exclaimed, "I'll run the store for you while you're gone." I stared at her blankly.
I raised an eyebrow skeptically,"You'll watch the store while I'm gone?" She displayed her best puppy dog pout. I don't trust her when she has that little glint in her eyes. You can tell because her ember eyes become a tad bit brighter.
Bri nodded vigorously and I bit my lip in hesitation. "Don't you trust me?" That did it. I threw my hands up in exasperation and Bri cheered.
"The store better not be reduced to rubble by the time I get back, ya hear?" She feigned indifference as she shoved us out of the store with half hearted farewells. I did a double take upon noticing how dark it was outside. Sometimes I lose track of time while working at the Hideout.
"She seemed...nice?" Barry trailed hesitantly and I smirked.
"If you lived with her for most of your life you wouldn't say that," I replied sarcastically and they stared at me confusedly. "I know she can be a bit much, but she always means well. People who said they were my friends had a habit of walking out on me for someone else. She never did." I explained with a sad smile.
"Well, I think you and Bri seem like great people. Strange, but good people," Iris stated with a warm smile and I looked down with a bashful smile.
"So where are we going first?" I asked hastily, trying to change the subject.
"To the movies!" Iris and Barry cheered with goofy grins and I couldn't help smiling an amused grin.
"What kind of movie are we watching?"
"A horror movie," Barry explained with an excited grin and I smirked.
"There's not a single horror movie that can scare me," I stated confidently and they both looked at me surprised as we walked down the lit streets of Central City.
"You're not afraid of any horror movie?" Iris asks in disbelief and I shook my head.
"I don't believe you," Barry exclaims in disbelief and I shrugged casually.
"Wanna bet your money on that?" I asked with an eyebrow raised in amusement.
"If you make even the slightest sound or face of fear, then you have to pay me 20 bucks," Barry replied with an easygoing smile.
"And if I win, you have to pay me $20. Deal?" I said with a smile and I extended my hand out for him to shake.
He took my small, calloused hand in his longer and smooth hand with a determined grin. "Deal."
A spark passed through our hands as we touched. It wasn't a painful jolt, but it couldn't have gone unnoticed by Barry. Weird.
