Freya's POV:

I push aside the fallen pipes to the side, making it easier for the four of us to walk through the destroyed access tunnel. "It's been a long time since I've been here so it's sort of difficult to tell which way is what."

"I thought you knew this place at the back of your hand?" Sylvester questioned as the staff in his hands lit up a bit brighter for us to see where we would step.

"I mean, most of the tunnels have collapsed." Yolanda explained as she walked beside me. "There are only a few rooms left."

"So pardon me for not recognizing the halls that are now destroyed." I remark, glancing around at the cracks that were engraved into the walls.

"Even fixed, I still wouldn't have this place memorized." Rick muttered.

As Sylvester and Rick walked a bit faster than us, I feel Yolanda nudge my side. "You've been on edge since you got to Courtney's." She whispered so only I would hear. "What happened today?"

"I don't think you'll believe me."

She glances ahead of us before interlacing her hand with mine with a stern look. "Try me."

"Remember when Sylvester attacked The Crocks and I? Well before I knew it was him, I was worried it was the murderer and since there were other shoppers in the building, I got them and one of the shoppers I befriended to safety. Then when we found out what happened to Sylvester, I bumped into the same woman again at the hospital where coincidentally enough, she's a nurse. I got to know her a little bit more and then I saw her again today at the diner when I went to pick up our milkshakes."

Yolanda furrowed her brows in confusion. "So...a random shopper you befriended is the reason why you weren't answering your phone? What's her name?"

"Inza Cramer. And she was complimenting me for sort of saving her life and going back inside the store to save Lawrence and Paula." I explained before I shake my head. "But after a while, we were going on this long talk about stories of our friends, families, love life, all of the basics about how much each person means a lot to us."

"Aw, so is that why you took so long? What did you say about me?" She asked with a teasing smile and playfully nudged my side. "That you...adore me."

"More like how much you're a pain in my ass."

"But you love it."

"Hey, guys?" Yolanda quickly rips her hand from mine and we turn to the hallway, seeing as it was only Rick. "We think we found one of the rooms. You coming or what?"

"Right, sorry! Freya thought she saw a hidden door." Yolanda called out as we quickly walked the rest of the hallway. "Next time, at least text me to let me know you're running late so that I won't be so worried. I mean...unless there was something else?"

There has to be a better explanation of Inza's photo. There's no point to dump my worries and add that to the list of problems. Especially since we're already stressing over the murders.

"Nope, that's all. I lost track of time." I quietly answer before the four of us slowly went down the steps.

"What is this place?" Rick questioned, carefully stepping around one of the fallen beams.

"Whoa. We've never been down here before." Yolanda whispered in awe.

Once I reached the last steps, my eyes slightly widen in recognition of the room. "I know where we are." I speak up, causing the three of them to turn to me. "This is where the ISA held their meetings."

"Someone's been working here." Sylvester whispered in disbelief, eyeing the science equipment all over the room. Tables that contained either microscopes, test tubes, dozens of mini-colored liquid containers, and crumpled papers scattered all over a desk.

It was clear that we had just missed whoever had been here since the bunsen burner was left on, cooking a test tube filled with a blue liquid.

But what caught my attention were the splintered chairs piled in the corner of the room. The same ones I destroyed when I thought Jordan and Henry Sr. told me the truth about my parents.

"What's all this stuff for?" Yolanda's voice broke me out of my thoughts, watching as she walked closer to one of the workstations.

"It's gotta be Dragon King's, right?" Rick suggested.

"He was the chemist in the group." I mutter, grabbing one of the crumpled pieces of paper and unfolding it, seeing several equations of a chemistry formula that were scribbled across. "It looks like his work."

"Sylvester, what do you think?"

He doesn't answer which causes me to look away from the paper, seeing that he was facing the large mural of the ISA hung on the wall.

My eyes slightly widen in surprise at the newly added portrait of myself that stood in between Lawrence and Paula wearing my Injustice Society ninja suit with my ring daggers in my hands.

I wince. That's...new. Maybe Jordan or Dragon King put this one up right after I left with Paula that night as a surprise or something.

"I thought the Shade went after the Gambler out of pettiness and the Crocks 'cause of blackmail. But..." Sylvester trailed, slowly turning to face us. "someone's made an awful lot of effort to cover their tracks and almost killed me for getting on them."

My stomach churns in discomfort, watching as he faced the mural and tightened his grip on the cosmic staff.

"This thread we're pulling, I think it's gonna lead us somewhere big...and I don't like it. Look at them." He nodded his head forward to the mural. "The ISA mocking me! Even dead, they're mocking me!"

He aims his staff at the mural, letting out a scream as he blasts a surge of energy at the mural. Due to the bright energy it exerted, I quickly lift my cape and make sure to block Yolanda, Rick, and I from being blinded.

Once I hear the blast finish, I lower my cape but immediately meet Sylvester's rage-filled eyes as he took a step toward us.

"Whoever did this," He yelled out and immediately Yolanda grabbed onto my arm as she took a step back. "whoever attacked me, Dragon King or not, we are gonna find them, and they are gonna pay!"

My gaze lands on the mural once more, seeing that the scorched mark went across not only my face but Jordan's as well.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. *✭

"This better be good. I have an English test next period and I want to get there early to review my notes." I say as I shove my calculus textbook into my locker, using my other hand to hold my phone against my ear.

"Well, it's sort of an update." Paula answered.

"Yeah, we've been taking a page out of Dugan's do-gooder handbook." Lawrence chimed in with a laugh.

I sigh, digging into my bag to look for my English assignment. "If you're about to ask me to help bake another dessert, I'm busy."

Lawrence scoffed. "Of course not!"

"We're doing our own investigation into Stephen Sharpe's murder." Paula added. scoffed. "We started by interrogating everyone he owed money to."

"That's a whole lot of people with motive to whack him. We dangled them off of a tall building to get answers." Lawrence cockily explained with a laugh.

I pause. "You did what?"

"But hey, get this. We're not the only ones that putz paid back before he died. I mean, he paid them all back."

"We thought it was impossible for a degenerate like Sharpe to truly change, but we're thinking maybe he did." Paula explained.

"Okay, while it's nice that you're looking for evidence, try not to make more enemies, please." I sigh, taking my folder out from my bag and placing it into my locker, skimming through some of the pages. "Stop investigating."

"No, no, no. We're not done. We're gonna help you solve this thing, kiddo." Lawrence insisted.

"Shouldn't you be focused on running Ripped City and doing whatever you talk about in Rotary club?" I raise a brow. "Or at least a check-up with your parole officers?"

"Not when there's a murderer roaming the streets." Paula countered. "For all we know, they could be coming after us next. Better to get the jump first instead of whoever it is."

"Freya, you want to hear a weird bonus to being heroes for once?" Lawrence questioned with a laugh along with Paula giggling in the background.

"Not really--"

"It's kind of supercharged our lives in the bedroom if you know what I mean." He said and I already imagined the smirk from his tone, along with Paula trilling in excitement. "Heyo!"

I cover my mouth in disgust and gag. "You know, as much as I enjoyed this lovely conversation, I have to get going before I might accidentally puke next period."

"Alrighty kiddo, talk to you--"

I immediately hang up the call with a groan, leaning my head against my locker. I'm gonna hurl.

My eyes land on the photo Inza accidentally left with me at the diner, causing my stomach to churn in discomfort.

"Hey, Nelson." I hear Cindy greet. "Someone looks like they're having a good day."

I open my eyes, seeing her amused expression as she leaned against the locker beside me. "Don't push it today, Burman. I'm not in the mood."

"Are you ever?" She chuckled and leaned closer to my locker. "What's with the old photo?"

"History project." She raised a brow but before I could put the photo away, she easily snatches it from my grasp. "Hey--!"

"You may be a skilled fighter but lying is not one of your strongest suits, Freya Nelson." Cindy tutted. "Seeing how much you don't want me to see this photo, how much do we want to bet that the others don't know about this as well?" I stay quiet but attempt to reach for the photo again but she swiftly moves it to the side. "Ooh, something the JSA doesn't know about. How exciting. I wonder...maybe they would love to hear about this at lunch--"

"Okay, fine! If I tell you, don't say anything to the others, okay?" I slightly raise my voice in annoyance. 

She innocently slid her fingers across her chest, making an 'x'. "Cross my heart."

"Can't cross what's not there." I remark, snatching the photo from her hand before letting out a sigh. "There's this older woman that I met a couple of days ago that I sort of befriended and she might be my mom."

Cindy's infamous smirk faltered into confusion until she crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, you might need to elaborate on that. I thought she died. Isn't that why you had that meltdown in the ISA meeting room?"

I wince. "How did you even hear about that? Didn't your dad lock you up?"

She scoffed. "I overheard my father and Brainwave talking just before he hooked him up to the machine. It makes sense why they seemed too confident you wouldn't defy their trust again. They easily manipulated you at your worst point."

"Thanks for the reminder. Anyway, I ran into the woman again at the diner, and in one of our talks we brought up our family. From her explanation, I guess her daughter and husband were tragically taken away from her." I hold the photo for her to see and point to the man in the picture. "He might be my father."

"Okay...but have you thought that maybe it could be a similar situation to new girl's?"

I point to the stuffed bunny in the photo that the toddler held. "See the stuffed bunny plushy? I had the same one when I was a kid. It's clear that they took it everywhere with the amount of re-sewing in the arm."

She shrugged. "Any kid in the world can have one."

"I thought that too. So to make sure I wasn't going crazy, I did a detour before I came to school." I explain, placing the photo back into my locker. I unzip my bag and pull out the stuffed bunny toy for her to see, showing the same stitchings in the arm from the photo.

"Okay...now I can see why you would think the woman could be your mom." She awkwardly cleared her throat which causes me to groan, shoving the stuffed animal into my locker. "But at the same time, you should be smart about this. Who knows, what are the odds of this...what's her name again?"

"Inza Cramer, but my mom's name was Kaitlyn Nelson."

"Right, whatever. What are the chances of this lady purposefully making you piece this together so that you move your focus away from the murder? Maybe it's a ruse."

I slowly nod. She did have a point. "Surprisingly you might be right, Burman, but I still want to pry some information out of her. Also, what's even more surprising is that you wanted to know about my problems instead of worrying about yourself. You've been ditching out on us at lunch."

"Yeah well, new girl practically begged for me to start talking to you guys again and said she was sorry for not including me in the JSA meetings." She casually shrugged. "Groveling looked good on her."

I raise a brow. "Okay, so now what's the real reason?"

She crossed her arms over her chest with a huff. "In our chemistry class, I had a little...semi-heartfelt conversation with new girl about something she asked. Thought it wouldn't hurt to try talking to the others again." She grumbled. "And besides new girl, you're one of the members that actually tolerates me instead of Beth who looks to the others for help in fear."

"There it is." I dryly chuckle. "But I'm surprised. Did Courtney say where she was yesterday? We were trying to get ahold of her yesterday."

"New girl not confiding with her so-called best friends first? I wonder who else is holding back a secret?" Cindy sarcastically covered her mouth. "I'm shocked. Usually, I'm the last to find out."

"Burman."

She dismissively waved her hand. "I shouldn't expose her business. You should talk about it with her."

"Has someone ever told you that you can be seriously aggravating?" I fake a smile.

"No, but it's entertaining to mess with you. For me, at least."

"Hi." Cindy and I turn, meeting the nervous looks on Mike and Jakeem's faces.

"Yeah, hi. Hi, Freya." Jakeem greeted again with a shaky wave. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Jakeem."

"Hi..." I trail off and share a confused look with Cindy. "And yeah, I remember. How could I forget the kid who controls Thunderbolt?"

"We have a preposition for you. Specifically, Cindy." Mike spoke up and I wince, knowing that the proper word he meant to use was proposition.

And Cindy noticed it too. "Okay, that's not what you mean, but go ahead." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"All right, look, let's face it. Courtney and the others are not your biggest fans, necessarily," Mike nervously laughed. "and a woman with your skills needs to be a-appreciated."

"Even worshipped." Jakeem added with a grin, causing Mike to send him a look that practically said 'stop talking.'

"Um... and that appreciation is just not coming from the JSA. So what do you say you ditch those ingrates--"

"That doesn't include you, Freya, don't worry." Jakeem immediately interrupted with a laugh.

"—and you join us? The Young All-Stars." Mike winked.

In a matter of seconds, Cindy lets out a laugh before she amusedly shakes her head. "Oh, well, that is adorable."

"Is that a yes? It sounds like a yes." Jakeem excitedly asked.

"No, no, I mean...it's never gonna happen. Like, ever. And I mean that in the nicest way, okay?" Cindy emphasized with a sincere smile before she turned to me. "I'll catch you later, Freya."

I nod, turning back to my locker as she walked passed Mike and Jakeem without another word. "But we haven't told you the perks! Hey, there's perks!"

I chuckle and close my locker. "Nice job on the ask, boys. I don't think she's into the name."

"Since she said no, Freya, you're more than welcome to join our team." Jakeem added. "You can change the name to whatever you want."

"What—no she won't!" Mike scolded.

"You know what, I have to get to class but if you workshop the name, I'll consider giving you an answer." I snap my fingers at them and continue to walk down the hall to my next class.