Sorry for the five day wait, guys! I was on this crappy retreat for my school with absolutely no wifi and no cell service 😭. I'm currently on the bus ride back and I managed to get some cell service so I could update!

Bethany's POV:

Ash

Full name: Ashley Norwood.

Also known as Kick-Ash.

Bitch-Ash.

The true child of the Devil. She was an evil little fungus that used to haunt my dreams. She used to be the root of all my fears and problems in life. She was my prosecutor, my humiliator, and torturer. I almost killed myself because of this girl. This girl.

She was my step sister.

My vision turned red and angry and my heart started to pick up speed. I was shaking so much from the anguish I felt. How long had I dreamed of the moment where I would finally have the upper hand? How long had I wished that I could kick her butt into next week and still get away with it? Without Peter and Grace Norwood coming down on me like the fist of Hades? Now, the time had finally come.

Oh she was SO gonna get it. I'm gonna pummel my big ass fist into her big fat -

"Sorry about that." Dick curtly nodded and bent down to help Ash up from the concrete, obscuring my vision of her. I wanted to spin kick him in the head. Don't help that dumb piece of-

"Oh, thank you." A dangerously sweet voice floated into my ears. I hadn't heard that voice in exactly two years. And I already wanted to grab my ears and burn them so I didn't have to hear her voice anymore. Dick moved back to stand next to me, freeing my view of Ash.

Long shiny beach waves tumbled down her incredibly slim and tall body. Her hair had different shades of blonde blending together to create the most beautiful shade of exotic golden colored hair. She had curves in all the right places and she was almost a half head taller than me, just reaching Dick's eyebrows. Her skin was flawlessly pale and it almost seemed like she was glowing against the bright pavement. Her slim nose and perfectly arched eyebrows and red heart shaped lips made her look like a Victoria's Secret angel model. She had a lot of makeup on, but it didn't matter because she was so beautiful anyways. She was wearing super short cut off shorts and a revealing tank top with fashionable sneakers. Even in casual clothes, she looked utterly flawless. She had everything I didn't have.

Which made me hate her even more.

She was gorgeous. But she was dangerous.

Everything was picture perfect beauty, causing you to fall right into her claws. But I knew better. Regardless of her stunning body and beautiful hair, her eyes were the iciest shade of light blue. They were cold and dangerous. I had grown up seeing those startling eyes in my nightmares.

A pang of fear struck me in my heart, causing me to be short of breath. If she recognizes me... well, let's just hope she doesn't. Two years ago, I ran away from my step family and my mom-ster and then, using the Motherbox I had found, I fell into a whole new dimension. The police had been after me and I'm pretty sure everyone knew about my sudden disappearance. If she recognized me, then I would be in HUGE trouble when she called the cops saying that her long lost step sister that mysteriously disappeared has been found. I had grown a lot since the last time she'd seen me and I was wearing makeup, my hair was curled and it had naturally turned lighter, and I was wearing clothes I never imagined I would be in two years ago. Hopefully, it would mask who I was.

Ash gaped at Dick for a split second and then caught herself. She batted her long thick eyelashes up at Dick and said, "Oh, it was my fault. I should have also watched where I was going. Are you okay?" She morphed her face into something like a sweet baby angel and batted her eyelashes back up at Dick.

Dick didn't even blink. He was totally unfazed. I could kiss him again just for that.

"We're fine. Sorry, excuse us." Dick replied curtly, totally oblivious to who this girl was, and grabbed my hand, trying to guide me around her. When Ash saw him grab my hand, her eyes went wide and she looked at me for the first time, as if only just now noticing I was standing right there.

Instead of letting us pass, she side stepped us and stood in front of me, separating my hand from Dick's. She now stood in between us, hands on her incredibly slim hips. I took a large weary step backwards, out of habit. My heart started to trip over itself from nervousness and I felt like I couldn't feel my limbs because they we're numb.

She looked me up and down as if trying to size up what I possibly had that she didn't. When she was done, she settled on my face. And then I saw a flicker of confusion in those icy blue eyes. Oh no! I think she recognized me!

"Do I know you?" She said slowly. Her perfectly plucked eyebrows slammed down in confusion, but even then she was still beautiful.

I swallowed nervously and stood up straighter, cocking a hip and crossing my arms. I slipped back into my undercover self, "How would a successful businesswoman like me know someone like you?" I drawled dryly. I nodded at her tank top and short shorts. Oh, how I've always wanted to talk to her like this; It felt so good.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dick's questioning look. He was probably wondering why I was being rude to her.

"Ahem, excuse me?!" She shrieked and her eyebrows scrunched. "Who do you think you are? Do you even know my dad?!" She stepped towards me, threateningly.

At that last comment, I almost threw up and poured it all over her face. "You'd be surprised how much I know your father." I snarled at her. Just reminding me of my stepfather made me want to rip apart her throat.

She narrowed her icy blue eyes at me and continued to threaten me, "I come from a very well known family and I have guards that I can summon in an instant."

Oh. Well that was new. I didn't let the surprise show on my face. I guess my super rich step-father hired guards after I left, thinking I'd come back for revenge on them.

She took a step towards me, crossing her arms, "If my dad were here, you'd have been shot."

I scoffed, "If your dad were here, I'd have shot myself."

She leaned a little forward and started looking into my eyes and searching my face, looking for something that she would recognize. This wasn't good. I think she was starting to realize who I was.

"Excuse me, I have better things to attend to. I can already feel my brain cell count deteriorating from being in the same facinity as you. Or were those words too big for you?" I asked innocently, batting my eyes. Then I shoved past her, making sure to flip a strand of my hair into her face. Damn it felt so good.

I grabbed Dick's hand and marched down the street away from a gaping Ash, and away from that glimmering building of history.

Without talking, Dick and I automatically walked an extra block, turned the corner and headed back up the next street. Commons tactics to make sure no one followed us. We walked in silence, just in case someone from the corners would hear our conversation.

While we walked, I felt like I couldn't breathe. I almost fell at one point because I felt like there was this band around my chest. Dick actually had to hold onto my waist to keep me standing upright. He probably thought it was the shoes or something, but I seriously felt like I was being closed in on by walls. I couldn't think properly. Why were we walking further again? Wait, where were we going?

Finally, Dick dragged me around a corner into the alleyway that we were supposed to meet the others in.

Right when we entered the alleyway, I leaned against the wall and held my chest like it hurt. My head started to clear after we got out of public. It felt like a murky thick cloud lifted off of my brain. Oh wow. That was too close. My heart was pounding so much and I gasped for breath. Something was wrong with me after I saw Ash. I don't know... Maybe I was just so nervous and it was just pent up in me for the entire day and it was finally coming out.

Barbara, Bruce, and Tim all stood waiting for us.

"What's wrong?" Barbara got up from sitting on the ground and almost kicked her computer when she ran towards me. She put her hand on my forehead, which was beaded with sweat.

I waved her away and said, "I don't know. It's probably my nerves."

"Geez! What took you so long?" Tim got up from a crate he was sitting on and readjusted his baseball cap. "I have a video game marathon with Wally in two minutes!"

"M'gann's waiting for me to go shopping right now, but I can cancel if you're sick. Do you want me to stay with you?" Barbara asked, worry creased her forehead. She was in simple street clothing and her eyes were concealed behind sunglasses.

"No it's fine, I'm fine, really!" I stood a little straighter. It was true, I was feeling better. Whatever it was had passed. Batman was as stoic as a dark statue in the corner.

"Sorry, we got... held up." Dick said, looking at me with a you-have-a-lot-of-explaining-to-do look.

"Okay, I'll go first, Bethany bring up the rear." Bruce said, as he looked around to make sure no civilians were nearby. Then he pulled out the Motherbox and opened up a Boom Tube and stepped in, the light engulfing him completely. Next was Barbara, then Tim, and then Dick.

I took a deep breath and then stepped through, only glancing behind me once. But in that glance, I saw a flash of blonde hair around the corner and a perfectly manicured hand wrapping around the corner of the alleyway. Before I could yell out to who it was, I was already engulfed in a flame of blinding white light

Thanks for the patience! Love you all! Get the word out that the book is out! Some people don't know the second book has already been released! Okay stay traught. 😏