Whatever the weather
We gon' be better together
So what's up baby?
What about us?
'Cos I've been watchin' and waitin'
Why don't you give it or take it?
So what's up baby?
What about us?

Spending my Thursday night leaning up against the wall of a warehouse in the cold is not my idea of a stealthy shakedown. I'm currently waiting for my sister, who is robbing the mayor for the last gem we need to trade with Black Mask.

He has a sorcerer in his employ named Felix Faust. In exchange for the diamonds he will provide us with a potion which heals one of any disease. It sounds shady and unbelievable, but when you're desperate for a miracle and under the impression that your sister has three months to live, you'll try anything.

In the distance I hear slow footsteps. I turn my invisibility on, just in case, but Ellery rounds the corner in her uniform. Maybe I should consider her 'Illusion' instead of Ellery. Spice and Illusion. That's who we are.

As Spice, my uniform consists of long pants, blue with pink lines down the side and an armoured vest-like top. I wear a mask as well. My main weapons are a part of my costume; retractable, sharp blades on the sides of my gloves. It's amazing what you can obtain when your sister's a leading scientist.

Illusion wears a white armoured romper with black vertical lines around it. She has knee-high boots adorned with two Rungu's, or throwing sticks. She's pretty deadly with them as well as her ability to trick the mind.

"Got it," she grins, tossing the red gem in the air. It glistens in the moonlight like all of our hope before she catches it again. "Come on."

She holds her hand out and I take it, making both of us invisible and shifting our densities low enough to walk through walls. We begin doing just that, striding through the warehouse with one destination in mind.

"I'll do the talking," she whispers. It's not necessary to say; I never speak during these things.

This is hard for both of us. Sure, we had to do a lot of unsavoury things back in mother Colombia to survive, but we're not bad people. We're working with Black Mask because we have to.

Or Liv will die.

The warehouses are full of machinery, most likely broken in this dead city. We reach an empty area in one, where we are faced with two door guards leading to a steal-made office. Both are wearing the servile black masks symbolizing their loyalty.

Illusion squeezes my hand and I release my hold on our visibility and density. The big and burly guards look unfazed by our appearance and knock on the door behind them.

It swings open and they move aside for us. We both step over that threshold with all the caution in the world. I'm ready to shift our density if need be and Illusion can cast a-...well, illusion quicker than a bullet leaving a gun.

"Girls," Black Mask begins when he sees us, throwing his hands in the air. The room is small, but only Black Mask, his assistant, Felix Faust and two other guards are present. He's seated in the office chair behind the desk looking extremely out of place. "Thank you for coming."

I say out of place because the working-class set up of the room doesn't quite match Black Mask's Italian leather or macabre style.

"Our pleasure," Ellery says, no emotion in her voice, "We have the next two gems for you."

"I can see. May I?" Black Mask replies, holding his hand out. Illusion gently places them on the table in between us.

Felix reaches out and opens the bag up, looking through the contents for a few seconds, before standing back and nodding to Black Mask.

The boss nods back, leading to Faust taking a slip of paper from his pocket.

"This is the last piece I need," he says in a thick middle-eastern accent, "a gem belonging to one of the richest socialites in the world; Bruce Wayne. If you can get this for me, I will give you the serum."

"Thank you," Illusion says, handing it to me for safe keeping. I take it from her and we both await permission to leave. This is, after all, Black Mask's domain. 

The smile grows deeper on his leather-clad face; sly and sickening.

"Interesting..." he murmurs in that hoarse, gravelly voice that makes it sound like he smokes three packs a day like Abuela used to. Ellery doesn't speak. "I've had many try to steal these for me, but the Bat has foiled them all alongside his brats. How'd you do it?"

Cold tingles shoot up my spine. Not in a Tim is touching me way, but in a he's roping us in to something bigger way.

"Spice's powers make it simple," Ellery says immediately, as if expecting the question.

Black Mask's grin doesn't falter, "I don't think that's it. You're young and they see that. I bet they want to help you... Well, their version of help. Making you join a team of sidekicks the League use as lap dogs."

Ellery nods, "Yes, they've offered."

Black Mask chuckles darkly. "We'll be in touch, kids."

We leave as fast as possible.

◊

◊

I would have loved to spend my Friday as I usually do; a movie marathon with Bambi and Milan to forget the Black Mask meeting the previous night. 

However, I have a date.

I try to hide my discomfort as Cole pulls the ridiculously cliché act of putting his arm around my seat. It makes me want to laugh. Who does he think he is? 

Looking away from the animated film we are watching, I stare down at my hands in the dark, finding that more interesting.

Why in the world did I agree to go on a date with him?

He erupts in laughter, throwing his head back at whatever the main character just did.

Little does he know, I saw this movie two weeks ago with Lucas, Jake and Brett. I tried to tell him before we went in but he went on and on about how his brother had driven him here in some new sports car.

What a meat head.

Maybe I should stop dating rich boys with big brothers who drive sports cars.

"Did you see that!?" He gasps, pointing at the screen. What am I doing here?

I feel my back pocket vibrate. 

"I'll be back in a sec," I say. He nods and I shuffle out of my seat, practically sprinting across the aisle and down the steps.

As soon as I'm out the door, I pull my phone out and video call Bambi.

"Hey!" She grins when she answers. Aiden, Milan and Jake are around her. "How's it going?"

"Hilarious. He is ridiculously cliché awkward," I say. "But it's entertaining."

"I told you. Dude's weird!" I hear Brett yell out. Bambi flips the camera and I see Brett, Tim, Rylie, Perrie, Lucas and McKenzie. I can tell they're at Milan's house.

"Big deal? He's funny," I say back. Lie, more like.

I don't want to let on that Cole is a failure of a date, because I'll never live it down. So instead I'll act totally cool about it.

McKenzie, Tim, Perrie and Rylie are my main concerns. If Perrie and Rylie have anything to say about it I can threaten them with a complete alienation, snatching away their popularity like the Grinch to a christmas present. Tim and McKenzie are a little harder.

{Oh why are we all waiting so long // I'm suffocating}

"So he's boyfriend material?" Mil ask. I scoff in response.

"Oh hell no. I knew that though, I really just wanted to see this movie until the end. When we saw it I had to leave like, halfway through last time." Liar liar liar.

"Who'd you see it with?" Milan asks, sounding a little betrayed. I pretend not to hear her. She'll be too intimidated to bring it up again anyway.

"I've been gone awhile. I'll call you after," I say, hanging up.

Milan gets jealous very easily, especially over Lucas. I had gone to the movies with Lucas, Jake and Brett. She won't be happy but I doubt she'd have the courage to do much about it.

Lucas and I are very good friends. Both our fathers (or, stepfather) are lawyers whom once worked for the same firm. We also go to the Hip Hop Crew at school together. It's run by Ellery. Jake goes too, but of course Milan insists on going to practices to keep an eye on 'her man'.

Never mind. Lucas is has his moments and Milan can be useful despite certain aspects.

I trudge back up to my seat. Cole smiles at me as I sit down, much less willing to put any effort in this date than before.

Maybe seeing Tim made that happen.

I try to immerse myself in the movie but even that can't distract me from thinking of my friends together without me. Perrie, Rylie and McKenzie talk crap all the time. I know I'm bound to be a topic tonight. Bambi will just threaten to tell me with the boys as backup.

And Tim. Tim's there. Will he defend me? Prove their lies false?

When the movie ends and we begin to leave, I don't try to hide my discomfort.

"Are you feeling okay? You look a little down," Cole says as we stop outside the theatre. Oh my God. He thinks I'm sick and not bored.

"I'm fine. I've got to get home- I'll see you later okay?" I smile, folding my jacket in my arms and walking away.

"I- Uh- Bu-...Okay! Bye! I'll-" I had already reached the corner before he could finish talking.

Now it seems Tim has consumed my thoughts. 

'You want to come and sleep over?' Bambi texts me. I reply with a lie.

'Mama says I can't. Sorry :(' 

I'd rather die than endure a night watching Tim and McKenzie together.

Ducking into an alleyway, I turn my invisibility on and shoot up into the sky. It's cold and windy without my uniform, but I don't care. I want to get home bury my issues.

Watcha doin' to my head
Should be here with me instead
What about those words you said
What about us
What about us
Let me take the lead
You know what I need
Put my mind at ease
And tell me what about us
What about us