Sienna’s POV
“I swear on the skies above our heads, no harm will come to either one of them.” Sienna assured her, relieved Opal was coming along willingly. “Can you give me instructions so I can take you home, please?” She smiled warmly at Opal.
Winston’s POV
Winston was pretty much in shock at the moment, a little too much going on for him to process. He trailed after Ae-Ri keeping pace with her and casting light on their path ahead, trying to calm himself down.
Opals POV
"Uh, yeah sure." Opal said slowly. "It's (random address here). Just a couple of streets down." She wondered to herself, why she gave address to Pasithea. Then she heard and responded to Ae-Ri. Umm… We're going down Beaker street now, I think. She looked around and saw the street signs. Yep, definitely Beaker street, BUT now I've also given her my address…
Ae-Ri’s POV
A jolt of fear shot through Ae-Ri as she tore down the street with Winston in tow. Nope. Nope, nope, nope. You’re crashing at my place tonight and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Finally, she caught sight of the pair up ahead. Without a moment’s hesitation, she slid a throwing knife from its sheath and whipped it towards Pasithea. The curved knive turned in the air just as it snagged a piece of the criminal’s shirt and imbedded itself in the wall, thus trapping her.
Sienna’s POV
Sienna stifled a surprised yell as a knife tore at her toga. “This is unfortunate.” She hissed softly. She reached for Opal’s hand, ready to defend the small hero if necessary.
Winston’s POV
Winston’s glow grew brighter, casting Pasithea in a harsh yellow-gold. He was a bit panicked about facing Pasithea, but she was admittedly less scary compared to Remedy and his malformed creatures.
Ae-Ri's POV
"Get away from her!" Enraged, Ae-Ri hurled her second knife, spearing Pasithea's sleeve to the wall. Immediately, she set to work with her powers, twisting the criminal's mind until all she could see was a thick fog rolling out over the city. Pain burst through her temples, but she promptly ignored it, pushing the villain back from her friend and reaching for her handcuffs.
Sienna’s POV
Sienna withheld another yelp of pain as her arm hit the wall. Fog clouded her vision almost instantly afterwards, but she stayed perfectly still, refusing to show any sign that her feathers had been ruffled. “You’re making a mistake, sweetheart.” She breathed gently, shutting her eyes. “For your sake, keep your distance.”
Winston’s POV
Winston let go of Ae-Ri’s hand as she used her powers, watching Pasithea carefully. Something about the situation had a warning alarm blaring in the back of his skull. His skin lied scattered with goosebumps that outnumbered the starry freckles dotting his cheeks.
Ae-Ri's POV
She cursed beneath my breath—she'd left the cuffs behind at the bank. "I think you're the one making a mistake, Pasithea," Ae-Ri snapped in response, but a jarring pain in her temples prevented her from creating another illusion. "What the hell were you doing with Broadcast?"
Sienna’s POV
“I was taking Opal home.” Sienna replied calmly, facing the direction she heard the voice from. “You seem to be neglecting her, letting her wander the streets alone. If you know my name, you know I am a deity of the lost.” She spoke with clarity, distinct and almost dangerously quiet.
Ae-Ri's POV
"I know your name," Ae-Ri spat, pulling one of her knifes from the wall and grabbing hold of Pasithea's wrist. "And I know you work for the Phantom Alliance. Don't give me that bullshit. You're coming with me and Firefly—I really hope you have a thing for prison cells." With her free hand, she pressed the button on the side of her helmet. "Mirage to Mission Control. Firefly and I are fine. The bank manager is with the police, money has been recovered. The rogue criminal escaped, but I've got Pasithea."
Sienna’s POV
She rolled her eyes at Ae-Ri’s emboldened, and rather annoying, voice. The girl had made the mistake of grabbing ahold of Sienna’s wrist. She wasn’t in the mood to knock her fully unconscious, but she would if she had too. Slowly she started to let her powers feed into Ae-Ri, willing exhaustion to make the hero grow sloppy.
Opals POV
Opal could barely keep up with the situations. When she heard Pasithea hit the wall, she nearly asked if she was okay, but before she could say anything Ae-Ri had already had a grip on her. She didn't want Pasithea to end up in jail.
After Ae-Ri had called to Mission control for back up, Opal reached over to her shoulder. "She didn't hurt me, so you don't have to be rough with her, and she hasn't hurt anybody else. Only that crazy guy at the bank hurt you guys, and the money's recovered." Opal hoped that pleading Pasithea's case would loosen Ae-Ri's grip, but she still didn't know why she was helping her.
Opal only knew that she was drawn to her, and her mind. But that was when Ae-ri had started to slump.
Ae-Ri's POV
Ae-Ri cursed loudly, yanking her hand away from Pasithea's the moment she felt waves of exhaustion roll over her. "No," she spat, unsure who she was talking to. "She's hurt plenty of people, Opal. Pull yourself together and help me—shit—" The criminal's hold on her only strengthened, bringing black spots to her eyes.
Sienna’s POV
“Watch yourself.” Sienna’s eyes were a blazing golden. Her gaze shifted to Opal. “Could you help with the knives, darling? I’d like to get out of here without any trouble.”
Ae-Ri's POV
"Don't you dare," Ae-Ri hissed at both girls, straightening her back and fumbling around her belt until her fingers found what they were looking for; a dart gun. She raised her arm, pointed it at Pasithea, but she was too woozy to properly aim. "Firefly!"
Opal's POV
Opal was stunned. She didn't know what to do, and by reflex, contacted her mentally. I, I don't know. I want to, but if I do… Her mind drifted to Winston and Ae-Ri. She wasn't sure if she could every look at them again if she betrayed them. Then she heard Ae-Ri tell her not to, and with her voice, barely a whisper, said, "I'm sorry, I can't."
Sienna’s POV
“I should’ve assumed your heart was just as big as your mind.” She forced a sad smile onto her face, disguising her frustration. She was not going to be caught here by a bunch of amateur heroes.
Winston’s POV
Winnie shambled over as his name was called, nervously eyeing the dart gun. “You sure about this? We got her pinned an’ all.” He mumbled quietly to Ae-Ri, distressed at seeing her unstable. He looked over at Opal, projecting his thoughts towards her the best he could. Do I fire?
Opals POV
Opal truly didn't know what to do, but she steeled herself and made a choice.Winston, it's up to you!
Ae-Ri's POV
"She's going to put us all to sleep if we don't," she hissed, and pulled the trigger. But in the same instant Ae-Ri fired, Pasithea's powers finally got the best of her. She crumpled to the floor, her shot going wide and missing entirely.
The last thing she saw before passing out was the stricken face of Winston.
Winston’s POV
Winnie yelped as Ae-Ri collapsed, quickly kneeling by her side, his eyes wide with worry. “Mirage! Wake up, come on.” He shook her gently, but when that didn’t work, he looked to Opal for help.
“She’ll be fine. She’s just asleep. Give her some time to rest, and I promise she’ll be as angry as ever tomorrow morning.” Pasithea, soothed him gently, the gold fading from her eyes as she looked to Opal again. “I’ll need you to let me go, please.”
Opals POV
"Uh, yeah, sure." Opal said hesitantly, letting go of her almost reluctantly. The girl flashed a smile at her and as the girl slipped away, Opal had to stifle a, 'be safe' escaping her lips. Sending a mental message, was something else entirely though.
Sienna’s POV
The criminal was honestly a bit surprised as the gentle message was projected into her mind. You as well. She projected back, unsure if it would work outside the dreamscape. Sienna slipped through the shadows soon after, vanishing fully into the night.
Anthony's POV
While the heroes and criminals squabbled uselessly among each other, I returned to the closest thing I had to a home; the abandoned butcher shop on the intersection of Langley Street and Prince Edward Road. Naturally, this was only a temporary place to stay, just like all the others, but it was the nicest shelter I'd been able to find in a while….. I'd miss having actual plumbing and a working toilet. Currently, my only way to access false identification was completing this mission for the Phantom Alliance, so it would be fantastic if the Guard would just hurry up and hire me. We all knew how desperate they were getting, and they definitely were not above hiring a mercenary with several body counts.
"Samuel, come here," I barked, pushing past the grotesque dog I'd accidentally acquired on my first week away from home. My little brother minion shuffled forward, ready to do whatever I pleased. Swallowing a rush of guilt, I dug around in my pocket, removed a small, paper-wrapped caramel, and tossed it to him. "Good boy."
Winston’s POV
The night had gone by in a blur and sooner than he knew it, he was being woken up by his mother on the floor of his apartment. After the busy night, he’d taken them home for safety, giving Ae-Ri is bed and giving Opal the couch. There wasn’t any room to spare in the cramped apartment, but he certainly didn’t mind the company if it meant safety.
“Help me make breakfast, Bunny. Before the girls wake up.” Winnie’s mother, a younger woman who had just barely turned fourty kneeled next to her son, gently squeezing his cheek. Winston got to his feet, careful avoid the squeaky floorboards and the metal bucket collecting water that dripped from the ceiling.
“On it, Ma.” Winston yawned lazily, wearing fuzzy pajama pants and a loose t-shirt as he began to make pancakes in the kitchen.
Ae-Ri’s POV
A soft yawn parted Ae-Ri’s lips as she stirred, extracting herself slowly from the grip of sleep. “Ngh….” she mumbled dazedly reaching up to rub her eyes——and everything came crashing back.
Pasithea. The rogue criminal. Remedy.
Ae-Ri sat bolt upright, pushing her messy red hair from her eyes. “Opal? Winston? Where—“
Winston’s POV
Winston heard Ae-Ri’s call and quickly responded. “In here, A! Please don’t kick down my door!” He teased, relaxed and calm within his own home. He hummed gently as he cooked, not wanting to wake up Opal with actual singing.