Damsel[ed] Rescue Required

a

torm, in his thick black trench, his tie peeking out from the folds of his collar. I"ve never seen him without his glasses before. I never realized how gray his eyes were. Junipe

got. The rest are plaids and button-ups. I stuff my hands in my pockets, trying to smile. It"s a shaky attempt at best. My brain hurt

me by the arm and pulls me under her umbrella, splashing me in puddle water that sloshes in the toes of my mud-streaked sneakers. If Angel saw me like this even a week ago, he"d laug

me into a hug. Storm offers me an awkward pat on the shoulde

e curled in a corner with my face pressed against the wall, rocking slowly with my hands cupped around my knees. And I was. And all I can see when I shut my eyes is

llapsed. More than the splatter of warm blood, more than knowing I ended someone"s existence, though the guilt crush

a mon

any people, and you ended what would"ve been a l

p wells up in my throat

the downpour under the folds of the umbrella. Then S

u," he asks, "di

in my fingertips as I fumble with the door handle. I nod at them with an awkward laugh that b

in their reflections o

arts, the rain thumping the street behind her, "y

d around my knees, back snug against the seats. The cat ears flick flat and pin.Little

are

words gurgle together, my head pounding, pounding, pounding with the type of pain that"s brai

ugh it"s twitchy and a littl

my car. June takes up the passenger side and Storm takes up the wheel

out the

s all the time. No o

" is Fallout"s line and whatever it is that faces me in

ven Juniper is twitchy. She had the crap kicked out of her a little over a day ago. Her blood ran the steps of the capitol buildi

alists. I force a smile. If I look happy, then I am happy, if I look okay, then I am okay. I repeat this to myself as rain pelts the glass, wishing I had Angel on my left and Hev on my right, wis

right, Gats, these folks don"t take kindly to c

frown. I lean my weight against the door and exit into darkness. The orange lights on the ceiling and supports hum and snap, beetles and moths buzzing around them. Otherwi

f a superhero origin story when I see them. Now that I have parents, even nearly indestructible

ollowing us. Under the low, hissing glow of the artificial lights, I c

etimes you just c

you," says a woman with a raspy voice. He

der. "Get in the restaurant,

u know

remember is how it felt to be shoved in a van, shoved in a cage, shot in the face, starved. I clear the parking garage in a few quick bounds. I"m outside, gasping in the pouring rain, t

zed from the essence of gold itself. This restaurant has a name, I"m sure, but there"s no sign with it. Not even above its door. It"s one of those places, like its own secr

music playing softly in the background, ceilings that vault up like a cathedral"s. The hostess sizes me up from behind her podium, drumming her fingers on th

." With a smirk, I lean back against the podium. It feels good slippi

ough she"s smiling. "Yo

wink. "You might as

ould use some work. May I ask

give my eyelashes a flutter. "What

t, and the two intertwine hands with gracious smiles. They look so perfect together

more lavish than the foyer. The walls are all mirrors, and the chandelier light shimmering on the floor is reflected from a thousand different places.

is is a terrible time.

s. There"s a long pink scar under my eye, splitting my cheek into even parts. The cat ears are perked. I wish I could say I look as handsome as before, but I don"t know

e of his nose. "And I understand that he"s in danger. My wife and I woul

loth, taking in the characters at the tables around us. They

r hardly seems to hear. She"s too involved in making exaggerated

own at his drink. "Ar

k down even lower. In the mirror, the ears pin. I clutch t

e phone from him, holds it up to her ear, and her expressio

Tomorrow morning. But th

the bruises on her skin. The waiter comes to serve us,

he quickly returns. The patrons are watching me. All of them. Juniper seems to notice a

trembling in my pockets. The night is young. I want to be with H

as that

s so big it looks plasticky. Storm doesn"t even try. He stares off

e says. "Looks like you and Angel

*

late and it shouldn"