Ten Years Later…

"Eat them Sadira!"

"I will not, they're disgusting."

I slammed my knife down and stood up; glaring down at her from a height, hoping that she'll back down. Instead she squared her shoulders and looked defiantly up at me. Her straight, light brown hair sat at her collar bones, always falling perfectly into place no matter how she dried it. She was slight, something I now took as a fast metabolism instead of malnutrition and her blue eyes were constantly sparked with high emotion, good or bad. The horrible memories of the past all but wiped from her brain thank god. Though her strong will however was getting on my last nerve. Mixed with the hormones of being thirteen years of age and… well, let's just say this argument over string beans wasn't our first and it won't be our last.

"They're not that bad and I won't have you eating rubbish all the time," I attempted to lower my voice from a shout to seething through my teeth.

"I don't eat that much rubbish thanks to you! Look, there's way too much anyway –"

"Just eat them!"

"Just make me!"

She clapped a hand over her mouth, realising her mistake too late. I raised an eyebrow at her, unable to hide my smile.

"Fine," I shrugged, I could feel my eyes flash as we locked gazes. "Eat your string beans. Now."

She instantly began shovelling the green stalks into her mouth, nearly choking in her attempts to eat them quickly. Once she finished the last mouth full she sat back in her chair, crossed her arms and glowered at me.

"You know I hate it when you do that," she hissed.

"And you know I only do it when provoked. Now are you going to clean up after dinner or am I going to have to use alternative methods."

"I cannot believe you broke me out of a prison cell just to create a new one across the feckin ocean!"

I froze, the air leaving my lungs for a second. Memories resurfaced with her words making me feel ill after our meal. Taking a deep breath I picked up my plate and brought it over to the sink.

"Shit, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry F –"

I held up my hand and forced a smile on my face. I was about to reassure her when a knock echoed around our small apartment. I frowned, no one ever calls here. We don't have many friends and the neighbours kept to themselves. I glanced back at Sadira whose expression told me that she'd had the same thoughts. I walked uneasily to the door and checked the peep hole. Most of the fear left my body as I turned back to Sadira who was peeping around the corner.

"Don't worry," I said with what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "I know him; wait for me in your room unless I call you ok?"

With a nod she disappeared. I stepped outside my front door and shut it behind me. There, slouching against the wall was a young man that I'm sorry to say I knew. He was three years older than me. He had an olive complexion and dark brown hair, half of which hung slightly over his face. Matched with a leather biker jacket and a ruin tattoo up one side of his neck he made a perfect and sexy bad boy.

"Hey Babe," he said with a lob-sided grin. "Long time no see."

"What are you doing here Jackdaw?" I demanded quietly. "I told none of the clad where I lived."

"The Boss likes to keep tabs on everyone. Especially his little protégée." He winked at me. "And as for why I'm here… we have another job for you."

I glared at him, trying to keep my temper in check was difficult when he was around. "I told you and your boss that I was done. I did the minimum jobs required and now I'm finished with you and the clad."

He smiled again; he was nearly angelic looking when he did that. "You didn't think it was that easy did you? Someone with your abilities is too valuable just to 'let go'. You're not an idiot Effie."

"Get out of the building Jay before I make you."

He stood out from the wall and stepped towards deep into my personal space. I pressed back against the door yet could still see nothing around his face. His grey eyes seared into mine making my heart beat faster. "Ah come on Babe, it wasn't all bad working for the clad right?" He brought his hand up to trail lightly across my collar bone. "We sure made the best of it…"

The memories flashed back with his proximity. The heated kisses, the caresses late after the jobs were done. I felt my cheeks flame as I slapped his wrist away. Locking eye contact I spoke clearly into his face.

"Turn around and get out of my apartment block Jay. And when you report back to Slade, tell him he can kiss my ass."

For a second he looked like he was going to turn around. But something – another smile cracked open his lips before he leaned forward and crushed them against my own. I was so shocked I couldn't even push him away as his body pressed intimately against mine. When he pulled back he winked at me.

"Sorry Em, but my answer is going to be no." I stared speechless at his amused expression. "Glad to see these contact lenses the docs created worked. Now are you coming with me or am I going to have to get the boys and threaten the squirt living with you."

At this point my shock had sub-sided, given way to a fury in my stomach. No one threatens Sadira and how dare the clad create technology against my powers. Bastards.

But it didn't look like I had a choice, not with an uninformed thirteen year old her room behind me.

Glaring at Jackdaw I opened the door once more. "Sparks?" I called into the small apartment. A moment later Sadira appeared, approaching us cautiously. I'd used her old nick-name. Something I hadn't done in years. She knew what it meant so when she reached us she took my hand.

As easy as breathing I absorbed her power, enough to keep it for the next few hours. Sadira stood up straight even though I knew it felt like getting a load of sleeping medication when I did this. She was staring at Jackdaw uneasily and it seemed to keep her from keeling over.

"I'll be gone for a few hours, need to help out my friend here. I'll see you later." I turned back to Jay who was watching us curiously. He said nothing though as I locked the door behind me.

"Lead on," I gestured down the stairs below. "And after we're done I will string up Slade's balls for forcing me out of retirement."

Jay stayed silent as we descended the staircase which made me uneasy. Usually, he'd chuckle at my death threats or have some sort of flirty come back – it was part of the reason I was attracted to him a year ago. But nothing came as we exited the back door where I was met with two parked black cars. Dusk was long over and only a single street light gave me the visuals of my surroundings. My stomach was in knots. Something was up; I had never been picked up by two cars to do a job. I looked to Jackdaw who glanced back at me, a sort of apologetic look on his face. He nodded towards the cars and I froze. Jay walked on into the night, not looking back as three figures got out of the first car.

I turned to run back inside only to be hit straight in the spine by a shock ball. I collapsed onto the ground my muscles shaking uncontrollably. Without looking behind me I knew who it was.

Damn. This isn't good.

"Hey B – Bolt," I stammered. "What have I done to deserve this honour?"

"You lied to the clad deary," His nasally British accent floated from behind me. I felt my arms being hauled upwards. My feet dragged against the tarmac as two goons brought me closer to him. In his late thirties 'Bolt' as he liked to be called stood well over six feet off the ground. He was thin and gangly; everything appeared stretched including his facial features. His sharp, filed teeth showed when he gave me a grotesque smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He sighed and with an eye roll clicked his fingers. The goon holding my right arm turned and kneed me in the gut. Air whooshed out of my lungs, a strangled groan escaping my lips as I tried to suck air back in.

"What I'm talking about, is the fact that you don't naturally have the power to control machinery. No, that would be your pretty friend upstairs –" I tried to surge forward at the mention of Sadira but the goons held me back. " – you see, Jackdaw's eye contacts did more than just prevent your mind pushing abilities, through them he could see powers attached to mutants and confirmed what we'd been considering for a while… you weren't born with the ability to push or machine control. Oh no, you're much more powerful than anyone realised, you are going to be Slade's perfect weapon: a –"

Before he could say it I made my move. I'd guessed pretty quickly that they'd all be wearing versions of Jay's contacts, so that left me with only one power. I focused on the two vehicles ahead of me and made them start and surge forward, knocking Bolt forward onto his hands and knees in front of me. With a small smile I kicked him as hard as I could in the face hoping to knock him out. Once that was accomplished I angled my body slightly to the left and kneed the first goon in the crotch. With a howl, he let me go giving me back my left fist to plant it in the other guys face. When he collapsed I glanced up, only to have my heart sink. Eight more goons got out of the cars; I should have locked them as I made them move earlier. There were too many to fight off, not with only Sadira's powers and two machines in range. I could hear Bolt groaning and coming back to consciousness. I'd never make it out of this fight alive.

I was just about to make a break for it when the strangest thing happened. The goons, Bolt, everyone who two seconds before had been ready to throttle me within an inch of my life zeroed in on something behind me, cursed loudly;

And ran away.

I frowned in confusion. A sense of dread was forming deep in the pit of my stomach. What would make this group of big bad assholes run away in fear?

In this city, the answer was always a bigger and worse asshole. I turned around slowly.

The last thing I saw was a shadowy figure, only half lit by the street lamp. His appearance registered immediately. But before I could scream or run he moved. The last thing I felt was the tiny sting as a dart needle pierced the skin just above my collar bone. The last thing I heard was my own voice groaning 'fuck' as my body fell in a heap on the side-walk. The last thing I thought before darkness sucked me under was:

This is what I get for living in Gotham City.