Hello everyone, Aleah here! I just remembered that I'm going away for the weekend. So here's the next chapter a day early! Thanks to everyone who liked/followed/reviewed! Love you guys! Or girls...xD

JadeAnneHanforth-More sweetness to come! Um, no. I tried NaNo last year and couldn't remember to keep up! I didn't even think of Camp NaNo until you mentioned it.

On with the chapter!

Chapter 9

Some of the unspoken rules of being a hero; 1, never reveal your secret identity to anyone. 2, never trust a child to keep a secret. If he/she knows you have powers, or are a hero, you're in trouble and have to lay low for a bit. 3, never get DNA work done in "hero form." People could figure out who you are that way. The only people you can really trust are your teammates and leaders. And the police, but that's not the point. I broke all three of those rules that day.

It had been two weeks after we had defeated the Joker when we heard that some kid at a hospital had 'powers'. They had been trying to reach either us or the League for a long time, and sounded so relieved when we got in touch with them. The letter was passed around, and I couldn't help but remember how Karana had tried again and again to no avail to reach the League, or anyone who might be able to help. She was smart about it too, and traced all the leads and rabbit trails until there were no more.

Anyways, the letter looked something like this:

"Justice League (or Team),

We've tried so hard and looked so long for answers, and I don't even know if this was a good lead, or a real one. Hopefully we've reached either the Justice League or the Team. We need your help. It would appear that we've found a...well a metahuman. We've been trying to contact you for years to tell you about him. He needs help.

It's a little boy, about nine years old and we've had him since he was five. His name is Ethan. I've been with him since it was suspected that he was sick. At first strange things happened occasionally, and that was it. Now he has a cancer that just keeps spreading. Just a short time ago he moved to stage four. It's everywhere.

He has powers, that I am sure of. Only a few of us know, and we haven't told a soul. It looks like-like levitation? He can make things float, and he practices all the time. He needs help beyond what we can give. I don't know how I want you to help. I don't even know if you can. But please...please at least come see him.

The Hope Hospital Staff."

I had stood up and pleaded with Dick. "We have to go!" I held up the letter. "He needs help!"

"This could be a scam. How could they have known how to find us? It doesn't make sense."

"It's no different from all the letters my sister sent. She searched and searched, and must've sent a dozen letters. Karana tried to find help, but no one responded. Where was the League then? They need us, now."

"I don't know...we might be able to slip in unnoticed…"

"Please talk to them. If anything, just talk to them."

"I've been typing for the past five minutes."

"Oh."

In the end, it was decided that I would be the one to go. I was to gather information, make no promises, and come straight back. I did all but one of those things...sort of. I slipped in through a window several floors up-super stealth mode!-and waited quietly for the nurse, Janet, to come in. I had a lot of time to think.

What would have happened if Karana had gotten the League's attention? Where would I be now? What would I be? I'm sure I would've been happier, and maybe some things that shouldn't have happened wouldn't have. Maybe I would've been with the Team in its earlier stages. After being trained for a long time of course…

My head turned sharply as the door opened.

"Hello? Element, right?"

I stood up. "Yes."

"I'm Janet. Thank you so much for coming. You don't know what this means to us."

"I have a good guess…" I said, mostly to myself.

"I know you must be very busy, but this won't take long. Follow me please."

"Sure." I followed her into another room.

"I've got some copies of all his medical folders, and some notes I wrote up myself. I'll have you meet him, and then we'll talk and send you on your way."

She sounded very professional. "Thanks. I'm surprised you were able to contact us."

"I was too. I didn't think it would work, but we had to try."

"My sister was the same way when we were younger. She tried to find someone to help me." I said quietly. I figured since I would never see her again it would be alright to let a few things slide. Besides, it wasn't exactly a secret.

"She sounds wonderful. You must know what it's like then? It's difficult for him...having to keep a secret like this. That's why he can't have many friends. I trust little Ethan, but I'm not sure about the other kids." Janet lowered her voice.

"Ethan? That's his name, right?"

"Yes, his parents abandoned him when he was three, when they discovered that he had medical issues. He stayed in an orphanage until he was five, and he's been in different hospitals ever since." She opened the door. "Ethan? You have a visitor." The little boy, Ethan, sat up a bit.

"Wow..." He breathed. He looked so small... I stood at the foot of his bed.

"Hi." I wasn't sure what to say. Fortunately, he did.

"I don't think I know your name. Are you new?"

"It's Element. And yes."

"What powers do you have?" He asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Ice. And fire. Want to see?" Ethan nodded, his smile seemed to light up the whole room.

Janet smiled. "I'll leave you two alone for a bit."

I nodded then turned back to Ethan. I l turned over my hand and let snow fall from it. Then I made little mini figures on the nightstand, a little ice rink and snowmen. Ethan laughed when one of them fell over. I held fire in my hands, afraid to do anything else with it for fear I might burn the hospital down.

"Oh, cool!" I melted the snow and sat down on the bed.

"So, Ethan, they wanted me to see what you can do."

Ethan nodded. "I didn't think anyone would come." He said as he casually made a vase float. My mouth fell open. "I'm kind of surprised you chose to believe us. No one thought you would." He placed it down and looked at me again. "What do you want me to lift?"

"Uh...um, the-the chair." I stuttered. He lifted it.

"I only use them for my amusement." He said. "It gets pretty boring in here."

"You'll make some friends soon." I said awkwardly.

"You don't have to say that." He smiled sadly. "I know it's not true."

"I used to think that way too...but you'll find someone."

"I'm dying. Did you know that? I don't have time to look for friends. It wouldn't be fair to them."

"Why?"

"I would die. I would die and leave them."

I had to take a deep breath. This was hitting too close to home…

"I know who my parents are...I see them on the news and on their website and whatnot. They left me when I was three. They don't seem to care much. Saying they had a daughter once, and that she died."

"Ethan...my parents left me too. Never came back, and I was much older than you. And if I can recover from it, so can you. It took a long time...but I'm okay. Okay?"

Ethan just nodded.

Janet poked her head in the door. "Time for your checkup, Ethan. Element, thank you for coming."

I waved bye to Ethan. As soon as the door closed I turned to Janet. "Could I speak with you for a minute?" We stepped out into the hall. "Ethan seems...what's his last name?"

"Anderson. Ethan Anderson."

My heart nearly stopped. Not possible. Not possible.

"Why do you ask?"

"That-that's my last name." I whispered. It just slipped out.

Her eyes grew wide. "Okay. Don't worry, I'm good at keeping secrets. Do you want some DNA work done?" I nodded, unable to speak. Janet lead me into another room. "This won't take long."

"Well?" I rose from my chair, nearly knocking it over.

"It's a boy." Janet said, amazed that we are related. "He is your brother." I sank back down. Made sense. Irresponsible parents, orphanage, powers. Yeah. He could be my brother. No, he is.

"There are a few things you need to know about him." Janet said. "He has been in several hospitals fighting this slow cancer for over three years now. We keep operating, thinking that we finally got it, when it pops up again. He's been here for three years, Element."

"Please, Kori." The words just slipped out again. "My name is Kori."

"Oh...okay..." Janet obviously hadn't been expecting that. "Well then...Kori, um, Ethan has been here a long time, and I don't think he'll be here for much longer. I'm sure he thinks so as well, although we haven't told him. We can't operate on him now, his body isn't strong enough anymore. It won't be long."

"So we shouldn't tell him we're related."

"Oh no, on the contrary, I think you should. And please come as often as you can. I know he'd love it if you did. You should tell him."

"Could you tell him? I don't know what I would say."

Janet smiled. "Of course." I was about to leave, when Janet stopped me. "Just remember, you don't have much time left with him. Only a few months. Expect the worst, and you'll be pleasantly surprised how long you two had together."

I nodded, and walked out of the hospital.

I MISS ALL MY REVIEWERS WHERE DID YOU GO.

In all seriousness though, feedback is definitely welcome. Guesses on what will happen next...Ideas (even though it's already been written doesn't mean I can't change things)...anything. xD

So until next week, hit that like button and review, Aleah out!