Chapter 2

With a sigh I started to unstrap my knives and other various weapons as I peeled off the jacket and dropped it all on the white platform bed with the mosquito netting. It was raining still when I got back to my refuge. But that was an almost constant state here in the deep jungle where I made my home. I didn't mind it and had set it up here for that purpose I love the rain, it soothed me.

Normally it soothed me. Right now it wasn't doing it's job, but what could I expect when I had purposely left a connection open between myself and my brother. It hurt to feel his pain at having to send me away. To feel the burden of guilt he was trying to put on himself for just everything in general.

Rick, ever the fucking hero, needed to take on the woes of the world. He has even started to form connections with those he is charge of but I don't blame him there. I started to see early on during my time in the service the world ain't always so cut and dry or black and white. Those on that squad might not be angels, but who the fuck is in this world anymore. The lines between good and bad are so fucking blurred it all comes down to what side you are on that determines what the good is.

Unless Rick started to bend the world he now found himself in was going to break him. I pushed aside my bitterness at what I couldn't change and looked around thinking of my next steps.

First would be to prepare for Diablo when he arrives. They would think he was dead and it would be up to him ultimately what he chose to do. I would help where I could but I don't even know all I am capable of yet. It has only been three years and the first year of that I was almost in a state of transformation. I still don't know what happened during that year. Katana wouldn't tell me everything so some of it must have been bad.

Feeling a bit sweltering I peel off my jeans and just keep in the tank top I had on underneath the jacket and my underwear.

I sway with the feeling of regret and sadness and know it is time. His landing isn't graceful and he still looks like he might feel like he is locked in battle. I reach out instantly and block his powers until he can get his bearings.

"Diablo" I call soothingly and his head snaps around to me. It takes several minutes for him to register he is not in battle and safe.

"Em….Ember?" He asks a bit confused. "How am I not.."

I release my hold on him and sigh. "You wouldn't have died anyways Chato. I used that as a chance to help who I could. They will think you are dead though."

He shakes his head and slaps his hand to his neck. "No, they would have popped my head off. How am I not dead from that Ember?"

I hold out my hand and open it. There is the little nanite with the explosives. "I phased it out of your body at the time that you traveled to me. It is deactivated now regardless. But they wouldn't have had time to activate it during the fight." I get quiet as I feel more grief start to consume Rick. I start to sway on my feet and am falling before I am caught by Chato.

"The others?" He demands looking worried at me.

I shake my head "They are fine...June…" I whisper and he carries me over to the couch I have set up in an open air living/dining room. He sets me down and moves to go to the kitchen. I hear water being poured into a glass as I fight against the grief to get a handle of the situation.

"Your brother, did he have to kill her?" He asks as he presses a glass of water into my hand and sits with his own glass.

I nod a bit numbly. My eyes far away as I try to see through his. "He had to in order to stop Enchantress."

He curses in spanish before looking at me worried again. "What do you see Sister?"

I stop the connection the moment Deadeye notices her moving and I sag with relief. "June survived. She survived somehow but now we will need to see what she survived as."

"She lives and that is a start." He said firmly causing me to smile at him.

"It is a start. And maybe a new start for you too Chato. I can try to help you but I can offer you a place here too. I may not be here much going forward though." I frown as I think about Waller and her possible plans. They are all expendable and less than in her eyes even though she is just as fucking bad if not worse.

"Rick wants to protect his family, Ember. What do you plan to do?" I can tell he is torn. He feels the need to absolve himself of the past he regrets every second of his life. He also feels the need to never get within inches of another person to possibly hurt them.

"I plan to not them be so easily used as currency. They are all expendable. They will be sent out time and time again and if they don't return, well they will just find another to fill that spot. They already have someone worked in for Slipknot and you Diablo. My brother won't be bait and the others either. They even have Katana worked into this now. She is supposed to be the good guy in all of this. They don't see her that way. Now she is just as easily replaced as the rest of them." I can begin to feel my fury take over me and my body begins to shake and glow. I work to calm it. I strive to calm it before I burn another damn house down.

The water in my hand is boiling by the time I have funneled it properly. "What are you?"

It isn't asked with disgust but wonder if I am like him. I look into his eyes and smile sadly. "I don't know. I am still trying to figure it out. Sometimes I can do things but then when I try to again the ability isn't there. I can tell you that what happened to June has happened before. To me in fact. But in a different manner and I am still myself. I am not possessed though I think I was when it happened. Whatever it was that possessed me awoke something I already had and there was a battle or something. Rick and Katana said it went on for a year. When it was over, I was changed in both physical appearance and abilities."

I projected an image on the wall of me with my old unit. The me from three years ago was 5*6 on a good day. I was shaped pretty much the same. Curvier than I really would have liked for being a black ops soldier. My hair was a dark brown and my eyes were a hazel green.

Now I am 5*9 and while still curvy it is all longer and more graceful. My skin tone was tanned before and now it looked like cream no matter how much I tried to tan. My hair and eyes were the most drastic change. My hair had become a combination of blondes that almost looked like wheat, honey or even white depending on my mood. My eyes were gold. I could change my appearance back if I wanted to. But there was no point if I were just trying to hide that I hadn't died three years ago.

"It suits you Ember." He shrugs as if looks don't bother him or matter. I guess they don't when you get down to it. "What are your….powers then?"

I sigh and pull my knees to my chest. His eyes widen a bit and then he looks away. I frown but then remember I am in my fucking underwear. I laugh and shake my head. "Would you feel better if I put some shorts or something on."

"Don't matter none." But he smirks a bit and then looks back to me. Avoiding looking down.

I snort. "To answer your question. I can move things with a thought, travel through space to different distances. I can connect to people and pick up needs or strong emotions. I can send things back to them if I need to. I can create things from the atoms in the air. I can affect the elements to some degree but...it isn't always accurate and not so easy controlled. It feels like I get swept up into some great force and it isn't a pleasant feeling. My vision, hearing and sense of smell are enhanced so I am more accurate with weapons. There is more but it is random so I don't know what they are." I shrug with a frown.

"What happens now?" He asks looking into his water.

I sigh "Well. I will get you set up with somewhere to sleep here and you can decide what you want to do. Then I will be doing some reconnaissance work. I have an idea of what I will need to do, but Rick isn't going to like it at fucking all."

He stares at me for a while then sighs. "You are going to join the squad. You going to let them tag you on purpose?"

I chew on my lip. "I can change my appearance at will and I can control my powers. Once I have more information on the meta's in Waller's database I can set myself up as one of the replacements. I won't be Ember Flagg. I might have to manipulate the system and create an identity for myself though. I won't worry about the nanites if that is what you are worried about. It would just reject itself from my body anyways. Or I can make it do that. It is the only way to be close and make sure my brother and the others aren't sent like lambs to a slaughter."

"And if I go back with you?" Chato asks seriously.

"I won't talk you out of it Chato, if that is what you really want. You can stay here though and if I need help I can come back for you." I hold his eyes and let him know I won't think any less. No one should be caged like they have been keeping him and the others.

"I will think about it." I can already tell by the tone of his voice though he will be going back. That will take some work to arrange but it can be done.

With a nod I get up and move to set up a bedroom for him. It takes some energy and time but I am able to materialize something similar to mine. After I get done I stumble back in and mumble it is ready before I collapse onto my bed and pass out

Before I am under I feel the covers being tossed over me. "Don't worry Brother. I got watch on Sister for now." He mumbles and then I let sleep claim me.