Winston’s POV
Holy shit. Holy shit. H o l y s h i t. HOLY SHIT. HOLY— Winston’s eyes were as wide as saucers as his poor vision zeroed in on whatever creatures had been standing behind the boy in front of them. Winnie was frozen. Unable to think or breathe. Just paralyzed with fear, until he couldn’t even feel the sharp pains from his arm anymore. White as a sheet, his skin was rapidly growing brighter.
Anthony’s POV
Anthony barely held back a harsh laugh at the horrified expression on the boy’s face. The girl beside him wore a helmet that blocked her features from view, and her voice was surprisingly flat and emotionless when she spoke up, but he could tell by the subtle shaking off her hands that the sight of his grotesques sickened her as well.
“There was an attack,” she told him carefully, reaching for the wickedly sharp knife strapped to her thigh. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Remedy,” Anthony replied simply, assuming that she knew the name. And she did, evidently, because as soon as he’d spoken, her entire posture changed.
Opal's POV
Opal turned and looked around, watching the scene unfold, they all seemed to be ignoring her. Winston was practically a beacon though. If she wanted to she could probably run, but she couldn't leave Winston, or Ae-Ri. She quietly(even though no one could have heard her) reached out to their minds and messaged Whats happening? Who is that guy?
Alec's POV
Alec lied back on his bed and turned on the t.v. He wondered if he should take a shower, but before he could he drifted into a restless sleep.
Winston’s POV
Remedy. Winston knew the name. He was a terrifying legend, standing right in front of them. His mind raced. Did Remedy want a glow in the dark freak to add to his collection? Was that why he was here? Winnie gripped onto Ae-Ri tighter, quietly hyperventilating. His teeth clenched in pain from his blistered arm.
Anthony’s POV
The boy was falling apart before Anthony’s eyes——not much of a hero, was he? The girl, on the other hand (who I now recognized as Mirage, one of the newer heroes), was clearly a fighter. “What do you want, Remedy?” she asked him coldly, her grip tightening on the blubbering boy.
The healer arched an eyebrow, despite the fact that neither of them could see it. “You’re wounded. I’m a healer. Do you need me to spell it out for you?” Beside him, Samuel shifted, shambling cautiously closer to sniff the pair.
Opal's POV
Opal realized she probably wasn't helpful in this situation, but she could at least try to help if something went wrong. She slowly pulled out her small taser.
Alec's POV
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Winston’s POV
To heal into one of his twisted creatures? The worst of Winston’s nightmares seemed to be coming true. He broke his silence as Samuel started to sniff at him, a soft whimper of fear escaping his plump lips. Winnie was struggling to avoid crying, but failed miserably as tears poured down his cheeks. Opal, please.
Sienna’s POV
She had been watching the situation progress from a distance, but only decided to interviene once she saw a hero’s taser crackle to life. Hero. The word was almost funny. Hero wasn’t the right word anymore, but what did it matter? “I’m going to need you to drop that, sweetheart.” She whispered gently, gliding silently behind Opal.
Opals POV
Opal stiffened as the voice behind her spoke. She felt the presence of that dreamlike mind again. She jammed her fingernail into her palm and twisted around to tried to shove the taser at her. Suddenly her arm was twisted away from her and she dropped the taser, but surprisingly she wasn't hurt. She was being held against the mystery girl, with the taser just out of reach.
Ae-Ri’s POV
“Hey, hey.” My voice softened to a whisper as I turned to Winston, reaching out a gloved hand to brush the tears from his red cheeks. “It’s okay, you’re okay.”
I forced it to go flat again when I addressed remedy, my lips pursing into a thin line. “Thanks, but no thanks. We don’t need your help.”
But then, the famed mercenary did the last thing I would have expected. He removed his mask—an awful, beaked thing—and uncovered his face. Sandy hair fell in waves across his forehead. He was surprisingly handsome, and young, too. No older than nineteen. But his expression, which was frosty and detached, ruined the look, as did his eyes, (which were a shockingly bright shade of hazel) which looked me up and down without emotion, as if studying a mildly disinteresting object.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he sighed after a moment, rolling his eyes. “Look, you’re armed and I’m I’m not. Relax. Let me heal you.”
Sienna’s POV
A captive was the last thing Sienna wanted. She quickly released her grip on the girl. “Stay with me, don’t fall asleep just yet.” She instructed calmly, bending down to pick up the taser. “You need to go home. I’ll walk you. Come on now.” Sienna wrapped her arm around the hero’s waist, prompting her to walk.
Winston
Winston was in full panic mode, too hysterical to focus on the words being exchanged between Remedy and Ae-Ri. I’m not cut out for this… Winnie wanted nothing more than to go home and hide away in his mother’s cramped apartment. What would she say if she knew that he was about to face a fate worse than death? She wouldn’t ever even know. He would just vanish. Another minion to causing chaos in the streets with.
Anthony’s POV
“Jesus Christ,” Anthony muttered, raising his eyes to the heavens as if praying to the Lord for patience. “Would you stop his blubbering?”
Grumbling to himself, he slapped a calloused hand over the boy’s injured arm and closed his eyes, probing the wounds with his mind. A few moments passed, and electricity crackled in the air around the unlikely trio before dissipating, having been successfully removed from the halfwit’s arm. “See? You’re healed,” he snarked dryly, turning to the girl. “Your turn.”
Opals POV
Opal listened to the girl and obeyed her instructions, but reached out to Winnie mentally.Hey, one of the villains is… walking me home, or somewhere at least. She turned her eyes downcast.Winston, Ae-Ri, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be able to help. She felt shame that she was unable to even help Winston and Ae-Ri against one person.
Sienna’s POV
The Phantom Alliance would be happy to hear about this. The World Guard sending untrained kids to fight half their battles. It was a clear sign of desperation. Something that couldn’t be ignored. But at the same time, Sienna wasn’t going to fight anyone when the battle wasn’t fair or necessary. “Are you injured?” She asked the girl softly, keeping her voice airy and light.
Winston’s POV
Winnie gasped as the pain from his arm was alleviated, leaving him perfectly intact. He stared at Remedy, his mouth opened in shock, unable to register this. Why? Why was he helping? The message he got from Opal made things even more confusing. “Are… Are y’all kidnappin’ us?” He croaked, choking back another sob.
Anthony’s POV
I nearly burst out laughing at how absolutely pathetic this blubbering creature was. Barely withholding an unnecessarily cruel smirk, I reached for the girl, only to have her slap my hand away.
I arched an eyebrow. “I’m a mercenary, not part of the Phantom Alliance. I’m not going to murder you in cold blood or turn you into a grotesque, I’ve got enough of those.” As if to prove my point, Samuel, who travelled primarily on all fours, butted his head against the pair’s legs.
The girl—Mirage—sucked in a sharp breath, but when I reached forward this time, she allowed me to slowly tease the electricity and pain from her system.
Opals POV
Opal looked at the girl and shook her head softly. "No, I'm not." she said even softer. "What's going to happen to us?" She felt her fear well up in her throat, but she shoved it down. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to die crying. "Are you going to kill us?"
Sienna’s POV
Sienna looked at the girl she was guiding along, almost caught off guard by her fretting. “Not all monsters do monstrous things.” She replied quietly, her voice as gentle as the warble of a songbird.
Winston’s POV
Winnie held fast onto Ae-Ri confused and still afraid, although slightly less so now. It appeared the creature— grotesque as Anthony had called it, wanted attention, sort of like a dog. So closing his eyes and gulping nervously, Winnie leaned down to stroke Samuel on the head, his hand shaking like a leaf tossed up to the autumn winds.
Ae-Ri’s POV
I watched as the sickening creature nudged its head against Winston’s hand, observing it with a nauseated curiosity. It seemed so….humanoid….that it just looked wrong for it to be acting this way. Like a dog. No, like a twisted sort of monster.
“Thank you,” I told Remedy cautiously, glancing anxiously in the direction Opal had gone. “For your help. But I think we have to go now.”
Opal POV
Opal was taken aback at how serious the girl seemed, and how honest she was. She looked through the girls memories, but didn't probe. All she wanted was a name, and she had found it. Or at least a version of it, Pasithea.
Sienna’s POV
“What should I call you?” Sienna spoke up again, hoping for a full name. She liked to keep in touch with those she’d met, even if it was just by checking in on their dreams from time to time.
Winston’s POV
Winnie withdrew his hand quickly, slowly starting to calm. His glow dimmed to a manageable amount as he silently nodded in agreement to Ae-Ri, very afraid of Remedy still.
Ae-Ri’s POV
Remedy only lifted his shoulders in a careless but strangely precise shrug, replacing the mask over his hardened features. Before he could say anything in response, I grabbed Winston’s hand and pulled him away, over in the direction that Opal had gone in.
Opal?? Where are you?
Opals POV
Opal was tempted to say that her name was 'Broadcast', like she told everyone else. But the truth slipped from her lips before she even realized it. "My name is Opal." She was shocked at her own answer, but despite how they met, she felt like she could trust her. I'm with Pasithea, I'm okay. She responded to Ae-Ri.
Sienna’s POV
“Opal is a beautiful name.” Sienna responded softly. “My name is Pasithea. Where should I take you? Do you have a home to go to?” She asked, making sure they were far away from Remedy and the others.
Winston’s POV
Winston let himself be dragged away from Remedy, trusting Ae-Ri to guide him along as his glow dulled. “Where’s Opal? Is she being kidnapped?” He asked, still sniffling.
Ae-Ri’s POV
Her eyes widened in shock. Opal, what the hell?? Pasithea’s with the Phantom Alliance, why the fuck does that seem okay to you??
Grabbing hold of Winston’s hand, I dragged him away from the bank, away from the nightmarish creatures and their sickening master. Where. Are. You?
Opals POV
"Yes," Opal replied, "But whats going to happen to my friends?" She heard heard Ae-Ri in her head, asking her a question. Cuz shes pretty, Opal wanted to answer, but instead replied. I don't know, I just trust her… and may have accidentally given her my name.
Ae-Ri’s POV
Opal, I’m sorry, but that may just be the most idiotic thing you’ve ever said to me. Ae-Ri gritted her teeth, scanning the street.
Now, where are you??