Each day Emerson's legs became more defined.

"Emerson!"

The girl turned around to see Tamara running over towards her.

"Hey!" She beamed, going to give the mocha skin toned girl a hug.

"Emerson, come on! Emergency meeting, remember? I swear, what would you do without me?" Tamara teased, grabbing the girl's hand and dragging her to a hidden bunker in the building.

"What? Since when? Cal didn't--"

"Did I mention it's a secret meeting? As in the board doesn't even know about it?" Tamara smiled mischievously, her green eyes twinkling.

"What--"

"Quiet! It's starting," the blue haired girl whispered before slipping into the room quietly.

The 'hidden' bunker wasn't really special. It was behind some old machine that would spit out chemicalized food when someone fed it money. Emerson really didn't understand why anyone would waste their money on something that was artificial, but nonetheless she scurried into the bunker.

The bunker was like a janitorial closet only nicer looking. It had plexiglass on the walls creating an alchove in the dirt. There were a few candle torches on the walls giving off some light, small dots of bright blue light on the ceiling that looked like a paint splatter, and a map on the floor. 

Anxious chatter filled the silence, until everyone stopped talking all at once like a switch was turned off. Cal walked into the room, a tired look on his face. His brown eyes had speckles of blue fighting to be seen in the poorly lit room, and they went wide when they locked with Emerson's.

She expected him to say something, but he looked over her.

"Thank you all for coming," Cal said evenly, pacing the room. "You must be asking yourself why you've all been asked to come here, what this is all about, why it seems like I'm in charge, and why the board has no idea what we're doing. And I must say I'm impressed by the turnout, and I commend your courage and bravery. You're going to need that. I'd also like to thank those of you who didn't tell the board, and if you did. Well, that'll be besides the point. They probably won't believe you. They didn't believe me. They don't believe most people."

"So what are we all here for then? Cause I'm not skipping my free training session to complain about our order! I have worked really hard to even get acknowledgment for my training, and that is very rare in itself. I don't want that to go all down the drain when I've worked so hard to get where I'm at," a maroon haired girl said stubbornly, her red eyes flickered.

Cal's brown spotted blue eyes seemed to be happy by the question, "I was hoping someone would ask me that! You want acknowledgement?"

The girl hesitated, sizing him up, before nodding.

The dark purple haired boy smiled, "Meet your new crew!"

~~~~

Everyone started yelling and shouting in an uproar of commotion. Emerson was shoved forward and backwards, and she felt her heart race.

Cal's smile faded, and he tried to yell at everyone to calm down.

Emerson closed her eyes, and felt something solid in her palm. She focused on imagining the hard thing becoming softer, until it felt like someone's throat. Very gently, she applied a little pressure.

Her arms shook from the restraint on not collapsing everyone's tracheae. Silence filled the room, and then Emerson released. Silence. 

Red eyed girl was gasping, "Who did that? You could've killed us all!"

Her eyes roamed past every face and her thin lips were in a cruel sneer.

"I-I--" Emerson croaked, she didn't know what to say.

"I did it!" Cal said immediately, saving Emerson from Red eye's glare. "It was me. Now, would you all listen to what I have to say? Our friends have been captured by Mathews' gang. They aren't dead, and the Board is willing to do nothing about it!"

"How are we going to find them? We don't even know where they are?" Finch pointed out quietly.

"Actually we do, Emerson can feel their heart beats," Cal said, a twinkle of pride in his eyes.

Emerson felt her face heat up because of the sudden attention on her.

"What? How can you feel someone's heartbeat? And you expect us to believe her?" Red eyes asked incredulously. 

"Yes, yes we do," A voice demanding authority said sharply. Everyone fell silent and averted their eyes as Fiorenza's heels clacked like gunshots across the floor.

"Fiorenza," Tamara's voice was laced with annoyance and hatred.

Fiorenza's brown yellow eyes flashed to Tamara's. Emerson thought they had a hint of hurt, but it was so fast she summed it up as a figment of her imagination.

"I'm here because you never leave a man behind--Never. And it's a shame people are so scared of loosing numbers to leave others behind and in danger. So I say 'Screw the Cowards', we'll create our own mission, and carry it out. As of now, you all have a part to play. If you're not up for it, walk out now. I don't need to waste my time and breath on a coward!" She said menacingly, challenging someone to walk out.

Everyone looked at each other, itching to do something--say something.

Finch was the one who ended up breaking the silence, "You mean everyone has a role? Everyone? Even--even me?"

The last part was a barely audible whisper, and Fiorenza's eyes of steel softened.

"Yeah, Finch. Even you," she said softly, but she eyed Cal. Emerson saw her mouth 'I told you not to include Finch'!

Cal looked at her and shrugged.

"What are our roles?" Tamara said, not really caring, and glancing past Fiorenza in boredom.

Fiorenza smiled, her eyes sharp and calculating, "Tamara, you're with me--"

"No, that doesn't make sense. I should be with--"

"You're with me Tamara, so just shut up! Most people would be thankful--" Tamara let out a loud snort at that, and Emerson elbowed her. Fiorenza went on talking, "You and I are going to create the distraction with Vera and Helix."

Red eyed girl--Vera--smiled satisfied, and high fived a bright green Mohawk guy--Helix. Helix' body was rippling with muscles, that made Emerson feel nervous.

Cal began to list off a bunch of names of people who were going to be with him, infiltrating the lines.

Emerson and Finch glanced at each other, they were the only ones not called.

"Um, what're we possed to do?" Finch asked, nervously twiddling with his fingers and glasses.

"You and Emerson are on communications!" Fiorenza chirped, trying to make it sound like an honor.

"Basically, we aren't going. We're staying here and doing nothing?" Emerson asked, deflated.

"It depends on how you look on it. You'll be on the intercom with Cal, telling him where to go. He wanted to do it Telepathically, but his ability doesn't always work," the girl shrugged.

"That's not fair. Finch and I should be out there--"

"This was all Cal's decision, not mine," Fiorenza shrugged, putting her hands up in an I-surrender.

Emerson looked over at Cal, who was talking to some orange haired guy. He was in deep conversation, and had a slight smile on his face. He looked over and smiled at Emerson, when he noticed she was watching him.

Cal gave her a slight wave, but Emerson just looked past him, storming out of the room.

Why didn't Cal want her on the mission?

Did he not think she could handle it?

Emerson's thoughts were racing, and she felt tears prickle. Don't be so weak, she scolded herself. It's just one mission, not the rest of her life.

But the more she got to thinking, the more she overanalyzed. What if the reason she was stuck here was because Cal was scared.

What if Cal was scared she'd get hurt?

No, that can't be it. Cal doesn't like anyone, he doesn't care about anyone! She was an idiot to think he'd like her---but she couldn't ignore the fluttering in her stomach. 

She was playing a dangerous game.

A/N: SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN A WHILE!!! Also:

@empire-of-dreams

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THE FANART THINGY!!!! (Here it is in all it's amazing GLORY!)

EMERSON!!!!

TAMARA!!! (Everything's good, just I imagine Tamara with blue hair and more coffee colored but the eyes and stay wild thing are on point!!!)

ANYWAY THIS MADE MY DAY AND I'M SO HAPPY AND JUST UUUUHHHHH!!! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I'M FANGIRLING SO HARD AND I'M CRYING AND IT JUST MAKES ME SO HAPPY!!!!

Anyway, thank you all for reading!

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AND STAY THE BEAUTIFUL AWESOME PEOPLE YOU ALL ARE! ;)

~Tapqueen101