Masks are Greater than Sunglasses [ COMPLETE ]

thirty one [part 2]

*Part two! It's a little bit later than I meant for it to be, but I'll still be posting my regular chapter tomorrow!* 

 

- Connor - 

The ceilings of the council chambers soar above, echoing the cacophony of voices back down at me. It's impossible to pick a single thread out as all five of them speak over each other at once.

This is the most outraged I've ever seen them. As soon as Shadow said the Harrington name, my uncle called an emergency Council meeting. Now they're all here, yelling over each other as they try to decide what to do with her.

Shadow was sent out of the room for 'protocol' purposes. Aka they don't trust her. Until they can decide what to do with her she's been stashed away in my uncle's office with a League guard and that guard is, you guessed it, Trey.

A muscle in my jaw twitches as I think of how terrible that has to be going. It's like they wanted to make Trey's life harder with the suspension and now this. As if it's not bad enough that it's his best friend, they have to make him stare her in the face and confront the betrayal.

Next to me Ivette squirms, her voice raised to be heard over the shouting of the Council, "What are we doing?"

"Waiting." I mutter noncommittally. The only reason she's here is as a character reference. She and I have both met Rya so naturally the Council is going to want our opinion. Problem is I can't tell if she's trustworthy or not. I can vouch for the fact that Nick trust her, but he's stupid when it comes to Shadow so that's no surprise.

Frustration lances through me. I told him not to mess with Belladonna, I knew something would happen. A gave him one job, not to do anything stupid, and what does he go and do. Something stupid.

Shocking.

I would be worried if I wasn't so irritated.

A few feet from me Viribus is arguing standing with his arms crossed, anger radiating off him in waves as Raven, Emilia Ortiz, shouts in indignation. Between them Catalina is rolling her eyes, trying to calm Emilia down. The interaction only makes Raven more angry and with each word she rises higher off the floor. A few feet away Uncle Archer and Amber Parekh are pressed into a corner speaking in hushed tones, the polar opposite of the other council members. Red Herring's fingers are tapping a rhythm against her armband, the gem there pulsing with each tap.

Each second they're fighting is a second wasted. Rya's statement wasn't that complicated, Belladonna took Nick. It shouldn't matter how or why or if Rya's actually a criminal - when one of our own is in trouble we go after them.

If it was any other agent they would, but the rest of the council has never trusted Nick, because obviously the 16 year old kid with uncontrollable powers was a sleeper agent for his anti-super family. Eye roll intended.

With a nod at Flair my uncle and Amber step forward. Catalina claps her hands together, releasing a burst of dazzling light that pulses through the entire chamber. Immediately the other Supers fall silent.

Blinking away the white spots dancing before my eyes, I wait for them to speak.

Surveying his fellow council members, Afterthought begins to speak, "I know that there's an abundance of dissent when it comes to Nicholas and his befriending Shadow hasn't helped his case."

I almost bury my face in my hands at that. I should have made Nick arrest her earlier tonight, when I learned her identity. Then maybe Belladonna wouldn't have found him.