FINDING ANSWERS

I took today off from work. For some reason, I felt like today I should be in full super hero mode – in the event of… anything. The funny thing was, I hadn’t left my apartment yet. The last 3 hours has gone by with me on the couch, watching the news.

Yesterday, being at the hospital was such a weird feeling. We’d basically ignored the doctors when we burst through the doors and crowded as much as we could into Tomieka’s room. Ralph, also called The Arrow when he is in the field, did his best to calm the doctors and assure them we were all very close friends and family – and though there were more than twenty of us, we would definitely try not to be in the way.

Barry and I stood right next to Jada, beside the bed. Brice and Blake stood on the opposite side. Jada buried her face into Barry’s massive chest to hide her crying. I wasn’t really sure what to do. It’s one thing to be in a fight and your teammate gets hit and is a little dazed. It’s another thing to see your teammate in a hospital bed and nobody knows what’s wrong.

I didn’t see the need for any small talk. The only thing I knew to do was to try and get some answers. “Do it!” I said. Though I didn’t identify to whom, Brice and Blake knew that I was referring to them.

Brice has this thing he does called zoning. That power allows him to channel in to a persons senses. With deeper concentration he can look into a persons mind – though that particular power requires a lot more than a simple thought.

Blake, however, has a different mental ability. With a touch, he can see your past – all the things in your history - be it five minutes or five years. Blake is good for helping you to remember the things you forgot or, when you can’t explain it, see the things that need to be shown.

It’s a shame the Urban 30 doesn’t have any heroes with true mental abilities. But these guys were all we had and the goal was to find some way to figure out what happened to Tomieka.

As the room fell silent, Blake and Brice went to work. Blake was the first to respond.

“Tomieka lost her powers again last week. This was the longest she’d been without them.” Blake seemed melancholy.

“Why didn’t she tell us?” I asked.

“Dispatch said not to.” Jada spoke before Blake could.

That familiar feeling Leroy gets - wanting to punch Tony’s heart out - came back. Why does Tony feel he can control us the way he does?

We all got quiet again to wait for Brice to speak.

Finally. “I can tell you that she is not in any pain. But I can’t hear her thoughts. This is just a shell. Her mind is trapped somewhere.” Brice said, actually sounding as if he were concerned.

“Then go in deeper. Find her!” I demanded.

“NO!” Brice was defiant.

We all just looked at him. The others more shocked, but I was just angry. Sometimes I didn’t know who I disliked more – Brice or Tony?

“Do it!” I locked eyes with Brice. I didn’t care if I sounded like the commanding officer or a big bully. I just wanted him to help Tomieka.

“NO!” Brice still resisted.

At that moment, I wondered if he sensed just how much I wanted to beat his ass.

“Wait.” Terra said, now next to Brice. “This is all too much for us to handle. Let’s clear everyone out. We can even put someone on guard at the door.” Then she put her hand on Brice’s shoulder. “Let’s let Brice do what he does on his own terms. I believe he knows what’s best when it comes to his powers.”

I lashed out. “You can’t be serious Terra. Our teammate and good friend is almost lifeless and he’s worried about how defenseless his body is when ‘zones’ into her head. Please!” I pointed around the room. “Everyone in here is Urban 30. Brice is the most safe he will ever be at this point. If he can’t do it now, who is to say there will be a later?” As I said that last part, I heard more crying.

“Don’t talk like that, man.” Barry requested. I knew he meant the lifeless reference. He hugged Jada tighter.

“Fine… EVERYBODY OUT, NOW!” I yelled at everyone who was in the room. “I’ll give him privacy…” Doesn’t make any damn sense, I thought.

Perhaps I was a bit too hard on everyone, but I sent them home. They didn’t oppose. Barry insisted on staying to guard the door. Jada of course didn’t leave. Blake and Brice also stayed behind. Brice and I exchanged sneers as Terra and I finally left.

Outside of the hospital, Terra insisted that I start being nicer to Brice. I ignored her. She knew as well as I did that Brice had no valid reason for not doing more. He could have done it when there were 20-something heroes to watch his back. But maybe this was a battle to fight tomorrow.