What if I can't save the world?

18. Cece - Asset secured...

Kadima got up and turned around. Sonic Death did not look happy. Her outfit still steamed from when I fried her. "Okay, you're not a nice little girl after all," Sonic Death said like she went full blown nutso. Her eyes twitched, and she was smiling like a serial killer looking at her next victims. Oh wait. That's exactly what it's like.

"But do you know what happens to naughty little girls?" she asked before answering her own question. "They get punished." The way she said punished made my skin crawl.

Sonic screamed, and Georgia and Izzy immediately clamped their hand over their ears. I immediately slid to Georgia's side. Kadima too tried to dam the noise from entering her ear, but her efforts were futile. She raised one hand and a magenta orb of energy flew from her fingertip  and into Sonic Death's face.

She did scream but in pain this time. A human shriek of pain as she curled up away from them holding her melting face. Izzy shot Kadima a thankful to see her eyes burning with a pink light and arms glowing magenta, more than usual.

"You okay?" I asked, observing the same. Kadima looked down her self and shook her head no. She pointed to the vault. "Safety," was all she said opening a portal. The elevator doors chimed open again to reveal Sonic's reinforcements.

"Now." Izzy took unconscious Georgia from me and stepped through. The three of us re-emerged in a neon blue lit, grey sterile vault with no other entrances than the vault door. There wasn't even an air vent. Izzy tilted her head. In the centre of the room on a grey pedestal was a big silver, box.I waved my hand and the lights in the room turned green. I then walked over to the crate and lowered it to the ground where it transformed into a regular looking silver suitcase.

That's when it began. There was heavy pounding and even a few shrieks outside the door. I looked at Izzy. "This room is sound proof," I said uncertainly. "Do you think we should go and help her?"

"That's not her in trouble," Izzy said punctuated by another pound against the door. "She's kind of famous, in this corner of the galaxy. If anything, I'm worried for us," Izzy said that last part slipping out before she realised what she said. "That's not what I meant," Izzy quickly corrected herself.

Then the portal opened, and Kadima stepped out carrying Sonic Death under her hand like a she was no lighter than a paper bag. "Augh!" I jumped back. Sonic Death's already ugly black mask had melted, and the fibres fused with the right side of her face which now also looked like a cheese pizza special.

"Got the thing?" Kadima asked. She was already back to normal. Showing no signs of the previous five minutes. I nodded. Kadima stepped aside so that I could step in first. Then went in Izzy and Georgia. And Kadima finally.

Izzy walked out in a big brightly lit bedroom. It was black with realistic stars painted on the walls. At least that's what Izzy thought until a comet raced past the family portrait above the head board of the huge extravagant bed. In the family portrait was a little girl in box braids and glasses, her short-haired pregnant mother, her bearded father and a tall mixed-ethnic adult.

I answered Izzy's question before she even asked it. "Welcome to my home."

Honestly I cannot count the number of times I wanted to burn the picture, throw it into the Hudson or toss it off the roof and into the street. But it's like dad said: you can't let tragedy stand in your way. You can either sit and stare at the hurdle or you can make up your mind to get over it.

"That's my family. Me, mom, Jacob, daddy and Georgia."

Izzy looked at me with, for the first time not pity but understanding. "My mom, my sister, my father, my best friend," she said choking up. "It's worse when you just don't know." Then Izzy straightened up and recomposed herself.

"Umm, as touching as this really is, not to be insensitive but I kind of have," she gestured to Sonic Death. "Under my arm so..."

"Oh. Follow me."