"Remind me again why we have to come to a disgustingly white, squeakily clean and stinking of weird medicine smell hospital full of sick people?" A small green boy asked sulkily for perhaps the hundredth time that day. His lower lip came up in a pout and he glared at his friend standing beside him, giving a very distinctive impression of a child that had just been denied his sweets.
The person he directed it to sighed and ran a hand through his spiky hair, and then slapping the hand onto his side he replied in a controlled manner, but it was plain that he was feeling very annoyed. "Because we have to interview this girl about the cause of the fire that happened a few days ago."
"And why can't the police do it? Isn't this supposed to be their job?" The Green boy growled out sulkily. He crossed his arms and glared at the floor through small eyelids. "I bet their fat butts are just sitting in their headquarters drinking coffee and eating donuts…"
He continued to mutter under his breath, his voice became too soft and fast for one to understand what he was saying. His friend ran a hand through his hair again. A vein at the side of his head throbbed and his foot tapped impatiently. Glaring through his mask at the slow numbers that showed what floor the lift was, he muttered a curse and swore never to bring Beast Boy to interview someone at a hospital ever again.
Turning to the sulky Beast Boy, he replied once again trying very hard not to lose his temper. "Because certain things about her implies that we may be better suited for the job." Pausing a while, he asked a questing of his own. "Why do you not like a hospital so much?"
Beast Boy uncrossed his arms and leaned against the lift's walls and replied with a sigh. "Simply because Robin, I don't like hospitals. They give me the creeps."
Robin sighed at his friend's tart answer. And was relieved when the small 'dink' announced that they had arrived at their designated floor. Taking swift steps out of the small lift, he strode to the counter right in front of him. Flashing a charming smile at the nurse seated there, he said politely, with all signs of impatience gone: "I'm here to interview that girl that had survived the fire a few days ago."
The blonde nurse's smile suddenly vanished. She frowned slightly, "Are you sure you want to see her?"
"Yes." Robin replied. He had noticed the sudden change in her facial expression and was puzzled by it but he said nothing. "Can you tell me where to find her?"
"I… Yes, she's at the ward following this…"
She never got to finish as she was interrupted by hurried footsteps. Both of them turned to look and saw a very flustered nurse dash out of the way that the blonde nurse had just pointed out to Robin.
"Janet! She's gone!"
"Gone? Who?" Janet asked quizzically.
"You know… Her…"
Janet paled. She picked up a phone lying on her desk and started to dial then though better of it and put it down. Looking at her friend, she asked. "Liz, are you sure?"
Liz nodded frantically. "Yes, yes. I searched all the wards near her. I only left her for ten minutes, she can't have gong far."
"I-"
"Wait can someone please explain what's happening?" Robin cut in, his voice calm and patient but still quite commanding. "Who is her?"
"I- We- She- She's the girl that you want to interview." Janet replied. Trying to regain her calm composure.
"And why are you so frantic that she's disappeared?"
"She's… not normal… She could hurt someone."
Robin raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
Looking at Liz, Janet sighed before asking. "I'll tell you everything about her."
Phoenix sighed contently, letting the sea breeze run through her ebony hair. You can't get this kind of thing in a hospital. She thought, sitting at the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Waves crashed onto the rocks below her, the sound of water slamming forcefully onto the rocks brought a feeling of serenity to her. For the first time that she could remember, she felt glad that she was alive. After all, you can't experience this kind of thing if you're dead.
Lying down onto the overgrown bed of grass, she giggled as the grass and all sorts of little creatures tickled her. She opened her eyes and saw the white fluffy clouds floating across the light blue sky after a heavy downpour. Everything was so-
"Perfect isn't it? This feeling of joy, beauty and… freedom." Someone said nearby.
Phoenix sat straight up and turned around and saw a man clad in metal armour. His face covered by a mask was facing upwards. He looked down at her and she saw that he had only one eye. His voice sounded strangely familiar although she couldn't quite place it. She stood up and faced him, but her eyes remained on the ground.
"Very much like you, isn't it?" Phoenix's head snapped up and she blinked at the stranger. "Yes, much like you. A flame that must be given the freedom to be able to let its light shine forth."
"Flame? What are you talking about?" Phoenix asked. She trembled slightly.
"I know everything." The stranger said and took a step forward. "I know it's hard, not to be accepted. Not to be able to do anything with your wonderful gift in fear of what would happen. Fearing just… everything."
Phoenix took a step back, "and how will I be able to use my so called 'gift' that you speak of? It's dangerous, it kills."
The stranger seemed to smile and chuckle. "You can help me to accomplish something that I must do."
"You say you know what it's like for me. How would you know?" Phoenix challenged.
The stranger watched her through his one eye, which seemed to shine with mirth and interest. Bringing up a hand, he gave it a swish and it burst into flames. He held it and did some complicated looking circles with his hand. Then leaping into the air, he landed in front of the girl and held out something in his hand.
A flaming rose.
"Who-… who are you?" Phoenix asked. She shook more violently now, but from excitement or fear she did not know. Reaching out, she touched the rose which tickled her with it's gentle probing warmth but then it slowly fell apart and onto the ground burning small bits of grass.
"I'm Slade. And who are you?" Slade asked gently.
"I'm… I'm Ash." The girl said, finally looking at Slade right in the eye. She expected him to shrink away, but he his gaze bore into hers and never wavered.
"Ash? Or you mean Ashley?"
"No, just… Ash." Ash said.
"Well… Ash, will you help me and let me teach you how to use you gift?" Slade asked, holding out a hand to the girl. "Let me show you the world."
Ash looked at him, there's no other way. No other place I can go.
"I… I… … Yes. Teach me."
Slade's eyes gave a triumphant glint but a sudden bark made him snap around to look behind. Ash's eyes widened as her eyes met the sight of a green dog racing towards them, it growled and leapt, headed straight for Slade. It grew as it got higher into the air and it morphed, coming down as a tiger, flashing sharp teeth revealed themselves as it roared out. Claws extended from its huge paws.
If it got Slade it would rip him to pieces, then it would come and eat… me. Ash took an involuntary step back and stared at Slade's still back. He did not move at all. Glancing back at her, he said softly that it was meant for her ears only. "Here's your first lesson: Watch and Learn."
Ash blinked and when she opened her eyes, a metal rod had flashed out of Slade's hands and he leapt up to meet the green tiger in the air. Slamming at the tiger's side with inhuman strength, he smashed it into the ground. The tiger gave an involuntary roar of pain, it struggled up, but as Slade neared it Ash saw in its eyes that it knew that it was beaten.
Suddenly, something gleamed in the air and Slade's rod was knocked out of his hand. Slade reared around and caught sight of a masked boy with a cape. "Slade." He hissed out brashly.
"Hello Robin." Slade said simply.
"Give that girl to us." Robin shouted as he ran towards Slade, whipping out a metal rod of his own as he did so. He did not seem to expect Slade to do his request at all.
"Why would I? Besides, does she even want to go with you?" Slade challenged back. He blocked Robin's oncoming blow and swung the rod low so as if to trip the Boy Wonder but he leapt back and caused Slade to miss. They both exchanged blow after blow, both seemed to be evenly matched but when they both stopped for a while, Ash could see that Robin was panting hard, but Slade did not look at all tired.
"You've grown weaker since you left me Robin. That is such a disappointment." Slade laughed out huskily, shaking his head. "But no matter, I have found someone better."
Robin gritted his teeth in response to this and leapt forward once more. They started to exchange blows once again, neither was gaining the advantage but Robin was tiring quickly.
"Hey!"
Ash spun round and say a green boy. Looking frantically around, she noticed that the green tiger was missing. She turned back to the green boy, "Where's the ti-?"
Wait. Green Boy? Green tiger?
Ash stepped back; fear crept into her and spread through her like wild fire. She was just slightly aware that fire had formed a protective shield around her due to her fear. "Get… get away from me."
She lashed out at the air in between them and a small spurt of flame sprang out from her fingers. It clawed towards the boy, trying to scare it away from the girl. But the boy suddenly grew bigger and an elephant appeared. It reared and trumpeted, trying to get away from the fire surrounding it. The girl grew more afraid as the elephant charged towards her, she turned away and the fire around her took charge. From either side of her, they formed a protective barrier, barring the elephant's way from reaching her. The animal threw up its head and it changed again, this time into a tyrannosaurus rex. The girl's eyes widened even more. "Go away. Go away. Go away." She chanted softly but with each word, the flames grew fiercer. The great reptile thrashed around even more as flames clawed at its sides, burning it.
The dinosaur cried out in fear, trying desperately to get away from the element that was trying its hardest to destroy its very existence. With every stamp onto the ground, the soil beneath it grew lose and soon, it found that the ground it stood on was separating from the ground beside it. It froze, a new panic registered into its mind as it found itself falling in midair. A growl of fear sprang from its mouth as its heavy weight and gravity worked together to bring it crashing down into the sharp rocks below.
Change!
Something in its mind overrode the outright fear from its animal instincts. Suppressing all the fear, it tried to think. The human part of it took over and soon, the creature found wings by its sides. The winged creature now tried to flap its wings, the muscles worked but they were all tired when the creature had tried to escape from the clutches of the flames. And it was badly burnt.
The bird gave a hopeless cry. It just knew it was going to die. Falling down into the jagged rocks and thrashing waves below that were going to tear it to pieces.
Something crashed into it, forcing a cry of pain as someone held it close, cradling the hurt bird gently, but he still touched a few of the creature's burns causing it to cry out in protest. The masked youth whispered softly. "It's okay, I've got you."
Slade glided through the air. His gliders caught an updraft of wind bringing him higher up. He stared down at the unconscious girl in his arms and smiled. Yes, she'll do quite well. All I have to do now is control her and everything will be done soon enough.
It's been four months.. umm, yay that I'm finally updating? In case you haven't noticed, there's been a change of name. From Phoenix to Ash, so yeah. See you when I next update!