That thought brought Sarah up short. Someone capable of making capes of that level of power? With the Endbringers, potentially, being early failed experiments and Sirin being a runaway success? Somehow, the thought felt dangerous.
'No. If it was them, I think Sirin would probably know,' the girl shook her head. 'But still… Okay, shelving that particular question for later...'
Sighing, the blonde closed the browser and got up from her seat. Sirin was probably done with her fight against the Empire's members, and while the girl would definitely win, that didn't mean that Sarah couldn't worry.
'I could swing by the shelter? See how the people are doing?'
As soon as the thought entered her mind, the blonde winced, suddenly guilty.
'Should I grab some gifts? Something nice for everyone, maybe. Yeah, that sounds better,' Sarah reasoned, walking towards the doors, her hands shoved in her pockets.
It would be the first time she'd be out by herself for this long, and the first time she'd be back at the shelter since Alan had adopted them. She'd promised herself that she'd visit at least once every week, yet the comfort of her new, safe home had made her forget about the people that accepted her when she was at her lowest. She'd be damned if she wouldn't make it up to them.
Looking down at her phone as she waited for the bus, Sarah wondered if she should call Sirin, just to check up on her. Then again, maybe it was for the best to give the tiny terror a bit of room to calm down after dealing with the nazis. Luckily, there weren't too many people out on the streets, and the ones that were here either didn't pay her any mind, or were too busy talking to notice her, so, at least there was that.
The bus arrived quickly and she took her seat, trying her best not to glance around. Par the course, she looked around anyway.
'It's fine. Nobody is paying any attention to you, so relax. You're fine,' she reassured herself, taking in a deep breath.
It was, perhaps, a bit strange, how a few minutes on a bus was more terrifying than a fight between parahumans or an Endbringer. Maybe it was the fact that, in a fight, there was an objective, a goal, something to focus on. Here, she was just a passenger on public transportation, waiting to get off.
'Relax. Everything is fine. Just... keep breathing. Keep calm. Nobody is looking at you, and even if they do, nobody will remember. Don't make eye contact. Keep calm, and everything will be fine.'
The bus finally arrived at her destination, and Sarah practically jumped off, rushing through the doors and into the street.
'Okay, okay. I can do this,' the blonde told herself, glancing around, and, once again, seeing nobody paying her any mind.
'Right. Let's see...'
There were a few shops that looked interesting, and Sarah was more than a little tempted to go inside and take a look, however, she was here with a mission. She'd get a gift for everyone she knew in the shelter, and that was it. Nothing else.
'They should have the food, so what... toys for the kids? Tabletop games? Books, maybe?' The blonde thought, looking around, until her eyes caught on the small store across the street.
'A hobby shop? Hmm, yeah, that could work,' she nodded, walking across the street.
The bell above the door rang as Sarah stepped into the building, the smell of paper and wood hitting her immediately.
"Hello, how can I help you?" the older man, with greying hair and a friendly smile asked, his eyes glancing over her, before moving away.
Thinks you remind him of his deceased daughter. Wonders if-
'Nope. Not doing that,' the girl thought, forcing her power away from her thoughts.
"Hi," the blonde smiled, her tone friendly. "I'm looking for a few things. Could you help me?"
"Of course. What do you need?" the owner asked, the same smile still on his face.
"I'm looking for some late Christmas gifts for friends of mine. Some small toys, books, maybe a game or two? I'm not sure what would work, so could you help me?"
"Of course! Do you have a budget?" the man nodded.
"Well... let's say, a hundred?" Sarah said, almost asking the number..
"A hundred dollars," the owner whistled, and the girl had the sudden urge to ask him if it was too little, or, worse, too much. Then the man nodded and beckoned her past the counter into the store, pointing to various shelves.
"Here, we have board games, and over there are card games, and, if you're interested, I also have a small selection of miniatures..."
As he talked, the girl did her best to take in what he was saying, hoping she'd be able to remember everything he was showing her.
"What about those?" Sarah asked, pointing to a row of boxes with colorful images on them.
"Oh, that's a model kit," the man smiled, before picking one of the boxes and handing it to her.
"You build and then paint them, like in the pictures. They make great decorations, and a lot of people use them as collectables. I have a small selection of paints in the back if you want to see," he said, giving the girl a smile. "A good way to spend time, for both adults and children, I'd say. A bonding experience, even."
"I'll think about it," the blonde considered. "Do you have a bathroom, by any chance? Need to wash my hands."
"Sure. It's in the back, past the paints, turn left. There's a sign," the man pointed, and Sarah nodded, making her way there.
The restrooms were, luckily, empty, and the blonde let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
'Why is this so stressful?' the blonde muttered, looking at herself in the mirror. 'I don't get it. Am I really that much of a wreck?'
Letting out a sigh, the blonde turned on the faucet and splashed water on her face, drying it with her sleeve.
'I guess I am, huh. But... It's fine. As long as I keep going, it's fine.'
Making her way back into the main room, Sarah's eyes were drawn to the wall of model kits, and the box with the image of a dragon in the corner.
'Why not?'
Grabbing it, the girl approached the counter.
"I'd like this, please."
"Great choice! This is the Tiamat kit. Quite a challenge, but you're free to give it a try," the owner smiled, taking the box and putting it into a bag, before placing it on the counter.
"Will this be all?"
"I... also have a question, actually," Sarah spoke, digging through her pockets and pulling out the list she'd made earlier, before sliding it to the man.
"Could you tell me, if there's anything here I can get with the money I have? Like, could you give me some suggestions, or..."
"Ah, that's a common request," the man nodded, grabbing the piece of paper and giving it a once-over. "I have a few ideas. Would you like me to get a selection for you?"
"That would be nice, if it's not a problem," Sarah nodded, doing her best not to say something that might accidentally annoy the nice old man.
"Of course! Do you have a moment or two?" he asked, and the girl nodded.
"Sure. I'll wait here."
"Great, I'll just be a minute then," the man nodded, disappearing through the back door.
Left alone with her thoughts, Sarah leaned on the counter, taking a few deep breaths.
'Why is this so hard?'
In truth, this trip had been somewhat of a trial run, something for the girl to test the waters. So far, she'd managed to do a few things by herself, and the trip was relatively uneventful, but the idea of going somewhere further than a couple blocks away scared her, and not without reason.
'I have to keep going. It's a small step, but I have to keep going, no matter what,' the girl nodded, closing her eyes and focusing on her breathing.
"Alright, that should be everything," she heard the owner's voice, and snapped her eyes open, straightening. A small pile of boxes had made their way onto the counter, and her eyes widened at the selection. It was almost like- no, she cut the thought off before it could take root.
"Thank you very much. I appreciate your help," the blonde nodded, smiling as she reached for the bag, before pausing.
"How much do I owe you?"
"It's 109.58 dollars," the man answered, and Sarah paused, frowning, before reaching for her wallet and opening it.
"I can do, umm, 100, 105, and a 5," the blonde mumbled, taking out the notes and coins and handing them to the man.
"Thank you very much, miss. Have a good day," the owner smiled.
"You too, thanks!" Sarah replied, grabbing her bags and making her way out of the shop.
'Okay, this isn't that bad,' the girl thought, glancing around, and seeing a few people on the streets, none of them paying her any attention.
'Now, just go to the shelter and get back home. I can do this,' she assured herself, nodding. 'Just one more hour. Come on, Sarah. Home stretch.'
The first thing that Sarah had noticed as the shelter came into view was that there were significantly more people around than usual, the place bustling with activity.
'What the hell?'
Taking in a deep breath, the blonde started moving forward, weaving her way through the crowd.
"Excuse me, sorry. Coming through. Excuse me. Sorry."
She'd never seen the place so crowded, and the fact that the sheer amount of people was making her slightly anxious wasn't helping the matter.
'It's fine. They're not paying attention to you, they're just going about their day. Just keep going.'
It didn't take her long to notice someone she recognized, and she immediately made her way towards them.
"Hey, Mary!" the blonde waved, catching the attention of a red-headed woman in a blue sweater.
"Sarah, hey! How are you?" the woman greeted, warmly. "You should've called, I would've met you at the bus stop."
It made sense, in a way. Mary was the one who'd found her back then. The one who brought her here and gave her food. It might've been Alan's shelter, but the one who'd helped her first was Mary. And she hadn't seen the woman for weeks.
"Sorry, it was kind of a last-minute decision," Sarah shrugged, doing her best not to look too guilty. "How are you doing?"
"Well, it's definitely a hectic day," the redhead sighed, smiling at her, "but I'll live. What brings you here? Did Alan finally tell you about our little project?"
"No, I'm just here to visit. To see everyone, I guess," the blonde muttered, looking at the crowd.
"That man, sometimes...," the red-haired woman sighed, her smile fading to a gentler thing. "You shouldn't feel obliged to come here, Sarah. I'm sure the others understand, especially after Alan-"
"No, no," Sarah shook her head, speaking with a firmness that surprised her. "I wanted to come, Mary. I should be visiting more often, things have just been really busy."
"I feel like that might be an understatement, given everything you and Sirin have done in the last week," the red-haired woman murmured. But she smiled, nonetheless. "I know I'm happy to see you, but please don't push yourself, okay?"
"I'll be okay," the girl reassured her, smiling gently. It was nice, really, even though the care felt strange. She waved her free hand around the packed shelter, her other still tightly holding the bag of gifts she'd brought. "So, is all this going to be a regular thing now?"
Mary gave her a gently reproving look, clearly aware of the attempt to change subjects. But she nodded, speaking animatedly. "Hopefully. After…well," she hushed her next word, "Madison, we got a huge number of donations. We've been wanting to expand the shelter for years, so we combined the insurance money with all the donations. This is the result"
"There've been a lot of new faces, and we've had some teething issues getting them settled, but they're all good people in the end." Mary's eyes lingered warmly on Sarah. "We just give them a place where they can find that again."
Sarah felt her cheeks heating, the feeling intensifying in response to the woman's chuckle. Though she did wonder for a moment where the extra money could have come from, until she remembered what Sirin and her had done. They'd asked for any thanks to Miracle Star be directed to supporting the shelter.
Looking around, it was clear that both girls had severely underestimated how much gratitude there would be.
"We're in talks to buy the building next door, too," Mary added. There was, Sarah noted, a fire in the woman's eyes that was far stronger than any she'd seen before. "Might allow us to properly separate the living areas, which Alan mentioned could get us access to some support from the Department of Health."
The redhead shook her head suddenly. "I'm sorry. Here you are visiting and I'm talking your ear off about work. How are you doing? Everything okay with you and Sirin?"
Sarah considered that question for a figurative eternity, before nodding slowly. "I think so, yeah." She wasn't sure if she should say anything about Alan's time in hospital, and it seemed like it would only unfairly dampen Mary's mood. Better not to, she decided.
"You alright, Sarah?" Mary asked, the redhead's tone shifting towards concern. The blonde girl shook her head.
"Sorry, a bit lost in thought," she apologized. She hefted the bag she'd been carrying in both hands, holding it out. "I…I got some gifts for the kids. Could I leave them with you?"
"Oh, of course! Just drop them in the office, and I'll make sure they get to the right people," the woman nodded. "You could come meet some of them if you'd like. I'm sure the older residents would love to see you, and the new ones are lovely.
"I…" Sarah stumbled on the word. She wanted to say yes, she really did. But right now, with all these people. Mary pulled her to one side, out of the swirling crowds. A small oasis of slightly-less-noisy, at least.
"It's alright, Sarah," the redhead told her gently. "I'm sure they'll love what you've brought, and you shouldn't feel pressured. It's only if you feel up to it, and if you don't, that's okay."
The blonde blinked her eyes several times, feeling moisture on her eyelashes. When she did speak, it was very quietly. "You're sure it'll be okay? I don't…don't want them to think I've abandoned them, abandoned here."
Mary's expression softened, and she reached up carefully, offering a hand. When Sarah didn't object, she gathered the young girl into a small hug. The blonde didn't return it, almost unsure if she should, but Mary didn't seem to mind.
"They won't," the woman reassured her. "They're good kids, just like you. Just like Sirin. I'll let them know you send your best, alright? And remember, without you and Sirin? None of this would be possible right now. I know the news is all over recognising Miracle Star, but the message asking for any thanks to come here was just a little too well written for a girl like Sirin."
Sarah mumbled something into Mary's chest, wordless but piercing in their intensity. The arm around her shoulders tightened for a moment, then pulled back slowly. It bought the girl enough time to scrub at her eyes with the corner of her jacket.
The smile on her face when she pulled it away, though. had far less stress in it.
"That's better," Mary nodded, eyes smiling at the girl. "Will you be okay getting back to the bus stop, or would you like me to go with you?"
"I think…" Sarah paused to properly consider the question. "I think I'll be okay, Mary. And this place seems like it needs you. Thank you, though. Really."
"Just drop by again sometime," the redhead replied. "Maybe next time all this won't be so chaotic." Sarah wasn't sure that the woman believed that, but it was the thought that counted, right? And at least it was happening for good reasons, to make lives better for lots of people.
"Right. I will." Sarah said. She handed the bag to Mary, who took it carefully. "Thanks, Mary. And I'll see you later,"
"Goodbye, Sarah."
Stepping out of the shelter, the blonde found that even though it was still terribly crowded, there was a little spring to her step. She really would have to try to make sure she came back here, even if it wasn't as often as she'd promised at first. It had been good to see Mary, and probably would be just as good to see some of the people who'd at least tried to be friends.
But…later. For now, home.
The road back didn't feel nearly as stressful, perhaps because of the knowledge that safe haven awaited her at the end. A place where she could relax and not use her powers in bursts to check if someone was looking at her with less than pure intentions.
The bus was crowded, but Sarah managed to snag a seat next to the window, and gazed out at the city, the snow painted in colours by street lamps and cheery Christmas lighting.
'It's almost evening. Sirin should be done with the Empire by now... Maybe we could grab something for dinner. Pizza?' the blonde thought, staring at the buildings passing her by. 'Or Chinese? Something with shrimp, maybe?'
The girl felt her phone vibrate. Taking it out, she found a text waiting from Vicky.
[Are u and Sirin home? Nd t tlk!]
"Huh," the girl muttered, quickly typing out a reply.
[Omw back. Is it urgnt?]
[Can we meet tmrw? Kinda imprtnt.]
Sarah stared at the screen for a few moments, incredibly tempted to let her power run wild and figure out what it was about, but managed to resist.
'I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be an eventful day.'
With that, the girl sent a confirmation back in reply and leaned back, waiting for the bus to arrive.
She arrived home in the early evening, finding Sirin in the kitchen, a box of pizza and a plate full of chocolate cookies next to her, the tiny terror munching on one of the latter.
"Hey, Sirin. What's uh... what's up with the door? Did something happen?" the blonde asked, gesturing back towards the house's entrance. The door was barely attached to its hinges, mostly held up by the two lances Sirin had used to prop it up. Though it had made getting inside a little bit of a challenge.
"Victoria happened," Sirin grumbled around another bite of cookie. It seemed like she was still moody from what happened when she showed up at the library. Sarah grimaced. Her not-sister needed to understand the importance of PR, preferably sooner than later, but…maybe not the way it had happened.
"Okay," Sarah nodded, letting the topic drop. Besides, she'd get to grill Vicky about everything tomorrow, with the added benefit of making the older blonde squirm.
Right now, though, she had a much more important topic to discuss. There was a theory that had been in the back of her mind for a while now, one that would explain a lot about the utter failure of her search. It had seemed impossible before…but that had been before. Madison had changed a great deal.
"Sirin, there's something that I'd like to ask you?"
The purple-haired girl nodded, picking up another cookie and biting into it in a spray of crumbs, only just caught by her plate. Sarah swallowed, then just forced the words out, tension making them come out in a rush.
"You're not from Earth Bet, are you?"
"You're not from Earth Bet, are you?"
Sirin froze mid-bite, staring at her friend with wide, golden eyes.
'What do I say?' the purple-haired girl wondered, chewing on the cookie as she struggled to come up with an answer. 'This... this was bound to happen, sooner or later. But... Why even ask? What does it matter?'
"Why do you think that?" the girl asked, keeping her tone carefully neutral.
"Because I'm too curious for my own good," Sarah admitted, sitting down next to her at the table, fidgeting. "And the more I looked into it, the less sense it made. I know you've told the truth about your Trigger, it's not something people lie about, but... When you escaped, you said you killed them, right? Do you... do you remember how many of them were there?"
'How many people have I killed?'
She couldn't see any fear in her friend's eyes, which surprised Sirin. Instead, there was only worry mixed with something else. Not the kind of worry where she was afraid for her own life, but...
Was she…worried about her? The purple-haired girl's eyes widened fractionally. How? Why wasn't she afraid?
"Why do you care?" Sirin asked, her voice soft. "Does it matter how many? They were murderers. All of them."
Sarah looked conflicted, and for a moment the blonde said nothing, her eyes flickering closed as she thought of the best way to continue.
"Just humour me? Please?" she asked. "Do you remember how many? Even approximately? I need it to prove a point."
The Herrscher frowned, staring at her friend as she considered her words. "Lost count. Hundreds, I think. Why?"
Sarah took a deep breath, nodding.
"I thought that Gesellschaft was responsible for your Trigger, but there's no way there wouldn't be rumours if they took that big of a hit. So, the question became... What if it wasn't Gesellschaft? Hence, my genius deduction of you probably being from another Earth. Well, that and your powers being pure bullshit helped," she explained. "So... Was I right?"
Sirin's eyes didn't leave those of her friend as she slowly processed the words. Was there a point in denying it anymore? She had her freedom, so did she really need to hide this?
Not from Sarah.
"Would you like a cookie?" the purple-haired girl offered, gesturing towards the plate. The blonde blinked, seemingly confused by the question, before nodding.
"Yes, please."
"So," Sirin began, after sliding the plate towards her friend, "let's say, for the sake of argument, that you're right. What difference does it make?"
"Well, for starters, I can brag about living with an alien," the blonde shrugged, grinning. Sirin blinked, taken aback by the statement, and Sarah's smile turned a bit bashful. "I'm just joking. Sorry. It's just... a lot to take in." She paused, taking a bite of her cookie, her eyes closing.
"Oh, these are good," the girl murmured, nodding. "Really, really good."
"You know," Sirin began, tilting her head as she stared at her friend, "this is a bit weird, but you're really not... bothered?"
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, licking her fingers.
"By the fact that I'm 'an alien'?" the purple-haired girl explained.
"Well, you're not actually an alien," the blonde pointed out. "I'm pretty sure you'd only count as an alien if you're from outside the solar system, and I'm pretty sure you're from Earth. Just not this one."
"Yeah, I guess," Sirin muttered, frowning. "Just, I kind of expected that you would freak out."
Sarah stared at her with an incredulous look, a bit of a grin on her face. "Did you forget that we're basically superheroes now? You're a flying magical girl that can bend space into a pretzel, and I'm a girl with the power of the internet and Sherlock Holmes, if he was an asshole. Compared to that, having a not-from-Earth Bet friend doesn't seem too strange, does it?"
"You've got a point," the Herrscher conceded, picking up another cookie and biting into it with a sigh. "So... yeah. I'm from another world."
"Another Earth, you mean," Sarah corrected her.
"Yeah, but they're the same thing," Sirin argued, glaring at the blonde.
"They're really not. Different... universes? Timelines? I'm not actually sure. But just because us and Aleph are kind of synched up, doesn't mean other worlds are. What year was it before you got here?" the blonde inquired, leaning forward slightly.
"2000. Well, a couple months until it would have been 2001, I think," Sirin replied.
"So it's more... timelines? Our worlds are 9 years apart, and there are probably a bunch more differences. How many parahumans did you have active? Did you have Endbringers?" Sarah asked, the questions coming out rapid-fire.
Sirin hesitated, not entirely sure how to answer the question. "No. We've had natural disasters, but nothing like that... thing," the purplette finally replied, thinking back to the emotionless, perfect face made of what seemed like marble.
"Huh," the girl muttered. "So are they a local only thing? And if it's natural disasters in your world, then what about Aleph?"
Sirin tuned out her friend's mumblings as she returned to the cookies in front of her, focusing on the sweets instead. Now that she'd calmed down a bit, perhaps her method of dealing with Nazis wasn't the best one. She really didn't care about their lives, but now that she was at home, the realization that using the same method she'd used on Alan out of reflex could backfire on people other than her was not a pleasant one.
"-hinking about?" Sarah asked, and the girl's attention snapped back to her.
"Sorry, what?" the purple-haired Herrscher inquired.
"What's got you so worried?" the blonde rephrased the question.
"Oh," Sirin sighed, leaning against the sofa. "Just thinking about the people in the Empire. I might have... overreacted a bit."
Sarah's eyebrows raised.
"What did you do?" the blonde asked, her voice carefully neutral.
"We needed to test if it was my power that caused your and Alan's... problems anyway, right? They were of some use in that regard."
Judging by her slowly palling expression, it clearly took Sarah a few moments to figure out what exactly she'd meant.
"Wait... you mean- No, no, no," the girl mumbled, her fingers curling up in her hair. "You can't have-"
"Relax, Sarah," Sirin cut her off. "No one's dead. Yet."
"That's not making me feel better, you absolute dolt!" her friend hissed out, jumping out of the chair and heading to the kitchen windows and looking out. "You could've targeted one of their parahumans, and it would've been enough! Who do you think they'll blame if suddenly a bunch of normals drop dead from some kind of magical radiation?"
"I... didn't think of that at the moment. And it's kind of your fault for me even being there. I'd dealt with Lung, they could've handled the 'normals' themselves."
"My fault!?" Sarah turned towards her, glaring. "How the hell is this my fault? You were the one who decided to be a hero and go out on patrols with New Wave. Then you got a reputation after saving people from Simurgh, and not showing up to a big nazi fight doesn't look good."
"Сan we not talk about it? What's done is done. If they die, that's that. I'll know that it was my power for sure," the purple-haired girl replied, shrugging. She wasn't entirely sure why her friend was so upset at her. "If they don't, then no harm, no foul, right?"
The blonde sighed. "Look, Sirin, I know you're kind of... detached from this, but you need to understand that your actions have consequences. And while you might not care about it, or think about it, others will."
"I just... I just wanted to get away from all that, you know?" the Herrscher muttered. "Why do I have to worry about that? About them? They're all murderers."
"They might be, but the law doesn't care. People won't care. Heroes live and die by PR, and yours might take a bit of a hit if they think you've suddenly decided to murder people en masse," Sarah explained. "So can you please think something like this through next time?"
"Fine," the purple-haired girl grumbled, leaning back in her chair and glaring at the ceiling.
"Thank you. I appreciate it," the blonde said, letting out a sigh. "And I'm sorry for snapping at you. That was harsh of me. I'm still trying to figure out how I should feel about what happened."
"It's fine," Sirin waved her off. "I probably deserved it."
"Still, I'm sorry," Sarah told her, looking over her shoulder from her place near the windows. "It was mean of me."
"Apology accepted," the girl replied, then glanced up at her friend. "Are you alright?"
"No," the blonde shook her head. "Not really. Power is being weird, Alan's condition isn't getting better and now I have to worry about the PRT knocking down our door because of you, which is honestly not what I want to be dealing with."
"Oh... Okay," Sirin mumbled, averting her gaze.
"What? No, that's not-! I just... This has been stressful, you know? Just... come here," the girl gestured at her, and the Herrscher hesitantly stepped forward. Sarah gathered her into a hug, the purple-haired girl carefully wrapping her arms around the taller girl.
"This is nice," Sirin muttered quietly, feeling the other girl nod.
"Yeah," the blonde agreed, squeezing her tighter. "Just... don't scare me like that again, okay? I'm already worried about enough things."
"I'll try," the girl promised. "Though, I can't make any promises."
Sarah let out a groan.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just... You're really lucky I like you," the blonde said, patting her head.
"Yeah. I am," Sirin agreed, smiling slightly.
The next few hours had been quiet, and for a while the Herrscher was content with sitting on the couch and reading through her new books, while Sarah sat next to her, fiddling with her laptop and writing something.
It was only when her friend looked up, closing her laptop and putting it aside that the purple-haired girl decided to break the silence.
"What's on your mind?"
"Huh?"
"Something's bothering you," Sirin told her, turning a page. "I'm pretty sure it's not me this time, but it's obvious."
Sarah paused, then leaned against the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling.
"I've been trying to figure out what's going on with Alan," the blonde said, her eyes flicking briefly towards the Herrscher. "You've said that you were experimenting on you for the "valkyries", right? Meaning this Schicksal knows about the disease. Do you think they'd have the cure?"
It took Sirin a minute to fully process what Sarah was saying, and another minute to prevent herself from tearing the book in half or throwing it in Sarah's face.
'It's not her fault. Calm down,' the girl reminded herself. 'Listen to what she has to say.'
"They've been researching it, meaning no," the purplette ground out, her tone clipped. "And you've said it yourself, they do not exist in this world. Nothing in your world has encountered Honkai before. Why even ask-"
"But you came to Earth Bet using your own power. Who's to say we can't go back? If anyone knows about the cure, it would be them, right?" the blonde's eyes glinted. "Think about it."
"Even if I could, I would never ask those people for help. I'm not sure I'd be able to hold it together and not murder whoever's there on sight," Sirin's eyes glowed as she felt the world around her give way to power. She didn't need to call on her constructs, the thought of Schicksal alone creating lances ready to terminate the enemy.
"I'm not asking you to go there by yourself and talk to them. I'm asking if you can go back. And if you can?" The grin on Sarah's face resembled that of a fox that got the chicken and successfully framed the dog for it. "There's nothing bad about stealing from the bad guys."
Sirin was restless.
For the better part of a day, the purple-haired girl had tried to keep busy. Tidied up the house, practiced her sewing, and read through several books. But none of it was enough to distract her from the conversation she'd had with her friend the previous day.
All caused by the fact that a single, idiotic idea from her best friend would not leave her head, like some kind of annoying fly that wouldn't stop buzzing and kept flying into her ears. No matter how many times she tried to focus on the book in her hands, or tried to push the stupidity out of her head, it just wouldn't budge, the idea stubbornly sticking in her brain.
"Ugh," the girl groaned, putting the book down and rubbing her forehead. The whole idea was just ridiculous. She truly hoped that Victoria would show up sometimes soon, as at this point, Sirin was starting to run out of things to distract herself with.
Unfortunately, the universe seemed to be conspiring against her, and there was no sign of the older blonde.
Sarah had said that Victoria was going to come around this morning, the purple-haired girl thought, staring at her phone. Maybe the older girl had meant later in the morning, or she'd been held up? Sarah had suggested that she'd probably have some questions about the way she'd dealt with Lung. And if Vicky did, then the PRT definitely would too. Would they want to send someone with Victoria? Give her a list of questions to ask?
Recognising that further attempts at reading would be completely fruitless, the girl had put the book down and stood up, stretching her arms above the head, and then began to walk towards the door. Maybe a change of scenery would be enough to get the stupid idea out of her head.
The sun was rising, the sky painted orange, with streaks of dark purple and deep reds. The clouds were lit up brilliantly, their edges seeming to catch fire and burn brightly in the dying light.
Sirin let out a soft sigh, feeling the cold pinch at her cheeks as she sat down on the step. The crisp, chilly air felt nice, and the girl closed her eyes, taking a moment to enjoy it. It was moments like these that she enjoyed the most, the silence and the quiet sounds of the city around her, the cold and the freshness of it all. It reminded her a little of home.
'4 days till New Year, huh...' the girl mused, glancing back at the house. She wondered if she could try and make sweaters for everyone.
The image of her, Sarah and Alan all wearing matching Christmas sweaters appeared in her head, and the Sirin couldn't help but giggle, her laughter carrying through the morning air. The idea was ridiculous, but the longer she thought about it, the more appealing it became.
The problem was that she wasn't sure how to knit sweaters. Probably not the best idea then, she considered, tapping her chin with a finger. Scarves, perhaps? That seemed more doable. She could definitely make a few scarves, or perhaps a set of hats? Or maybe-
She was getting carried away, she realised, shaking her head. It would be a lot of work for four days, but at the same… Why not? It wasn't like she had anything better to do, and they were free of tutoring through the New Year. It would be a good way to keep herself busy. And hopefully distracted.
Unfortunately, that very thought pulled her mind back to her not-sister's proposition, and she grimaced as it soured her mood again. Not only did she not want to see anything related to Schicksal or its Valkyries ever again, she had no idea on how to do so. She hadn't been thinking about coming to this place, on this earth, when she'd come here. She'd just been exhausted, scared, and just coming off of the high of beating the Valkyrie that had confronted her at the reactor. What guided her was God's voice, one that urged that she leave before something more dangerous arrived. A simple wish to escape that had been granted.
"How the hell do I go back?" the purple-haired girl mumbled, her shoulders slumped. She didn't like this idea, and the more she thought about it, the worse the feeling got. But she also couldn't escape it, now that Sarah had put it in her head.
"Sirin?"
The girl blinked and looked up, eyes focusing on the figure standing a few feet in front of her. Victoria Dallon hovered there, a gentle worry in her eyes.
"Oh. Hello," the girl greeted, forcing a smile onto her face. "Was just waiting for you."
"Yeah. I could tell," the taller girl nodded, her lips curling upwards. "Got something on your mind?"
Sirin's smile faltered for a moment. It wasn't that she didn't trust Victoria, she'd known the girl for almost as long as Sarah. But they hadn't shared as much, and that made it hard for her to fully relax and confide in her.
"Just a bit tired," the girl replied, deciding that half-truths were the better option.
"Makes sense," the blonde nodded sagely. "The whole thing yesterday was exhausting, wasn't it?"
Exhausting wasn't the word Sirin would've used. Still, though, she nodded. "It was," she replied. She reached out to shake Victoria's hand, only to find herself pulled up into a hug instead.
"Thank you," the older girl, her friend, whispered. "For saving me yesterday."
Sirin was a little stunned by the sudden display of emotion. Some part of her wanted to simply phase out of the hug and keep some distance. But the other part, the part that saw the blonde heroine as a friend, was content to return the gesture. It felt kind of nice, if a bit odd because of the weirdness surrounding the blonde's body, and the Herrscher closed her eyes, enjoying the contact.
"You're welcome," she murmured finally, and Victoria nodded.
"So, are you going to invite me inside? Kind of chilly out here," the blonde asked. Sirin blinked, then stepped back from the hug.
"Oh, yeah, right. Sorry. Sarah's at home, by the way," the purple-haired girl told her as the two walked towards the house.
"Oh? What's she up to?" Victoria asked, wincing as she saw the two lances stabbed down into the door, holding the thing up after its last encounter with the blonde. "Ah, um. Were you not able to get that fixed?"
"Sleeping, probably. We had a... discussion yesterday," the Herrscher explained, opening the door and heading inside. "And no. Do we need to? I'm not sure who to talk to, Alan would usually handle this but…"
Vicky slumped a little in the air, before nodding quickly. "I'll talk with my mom. It'll come out of my allowance probably, but it's the least I can do as a hero"
Oh. That was nice of her. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," the blonde replied brightly, mood already bouncing back. "What did you talk with Sarah about?"
"Nothing important," Sirin lied, smiling slightly. "Just talking about stuff. We had pizza and cookies. It was nice"
"Alright, alright, I can take a hint," the blonde chuckled, raising her hands defensively. "So, any plans for the day? Amy's spending time with mom, and Dean's at th- at his part-time job, so I'm kind of stuck with nothing to do," the girl finished, her tone sheepish.
'And you definitely didn't come over because of the PRT, right,' Sirin thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
"We'll figure something out," the girl finally replied.
Sarah did not look well.
From what Sirin could tell, her not-sister's sleep was restless. Her hair was mussed and her face was pale. She was sweating and the occasional whimpers escaped her lips. She took a couple of quick steps over to the girl, and shook her gently. Bad dreams were never a good place to stay.
"Sarah?" she asked, a little sharply. It wasn't cruelty, but this didn't seem like a good sleep. "Sarah, wake up."
The sleeping blonde jerked in place for a moment, and then the whimpers stopped, transitioning into a groan. Her friend clutched at the duvet and tried to turn away to face the wall next to her bed.
"Don't wanna..." the girl muttered.
"Victoria's downstairs," Sirin continued.
Sarah's eyes shot open, lurching around inside her rolled-up duvet to stare at her. "Wh- What time is it?"
"It's almost 10. You also look horrible. There's some coffee in the kitchen, if you want."
"Mhm, thank you," Sarah muttered, slowly sitting up. Her eyes were starting to look more focused by the minute, even if they were a bit bloodshot. "Can you wait a moment? Need to freshen up a bit. Just... give me a moment, okay?"
Humming in response, Siring decided to cut the time it'd take her to go down the stairs and simply fell through the floor, ignoring the startled yelp from her guest as she landed a few feet away from her, grinning at the startled look on the face of the New Wave heroine that almost jumped off of the sofa.
"Jesus, give me a heart attack, why don't you," Victoria breathed out, placing a hand over her chest.
"Sorry," the Herrscher said, not feeling particularly apologetic.
"Yeah, yeah. Do you always do that, by the way? At home, I mean?"
"Yes?" Sirin tilted her head slightly. "Why?"
"And Alan doesn't mind? I'm kind of jealous, to be honest. Mom's always on my a- butt for flying around the house," the blonde frowned, crossing her arms. There'd been a slight pause before the "butt" part, which was amusing.
"Alan doesn't care. Sarah is... indifferent," Sinr said, leaning against the back of the sofa with a small smile. It she couldn't deny that it was nice to be able to use her powers so openly.
"Lucky. So, while we're waiting for Sarah, I've been asked to, well, ask you about a few things," Victoria sighed, and the girl straightened.
'That was quick,' the Herrscher thought, her brows furrowing.
"Go on," she prompted, keeping her voice calm and collected.
"Firstly, the PRT wanted to talk to you. A few reasons I can think of, but it's mostly going to be about Lung. He's kind of a big deal, and having him stand trial would be a big PR boon," Victoria explained, and the Herrscher blinked, her expression going blank.
After a few seconds of thought, Sirin had to admit that it did kind of make sense, especially considering the fact of who Lung was. He hadn't just been a monster or a villain. For someone that strong to be arrested and jailed publically would probably improve the heroes' reputation in the city. But did she truly care about it?
She had a feeling that she did not.
"Is that all?" the girl asked, her tone even.
"Well, that's all they've asked me, yes. Well, asked mom who asked me to ask you, I guess," Victoria admitted, her shoulders slumping.
There was a pause as the Herrscher considered the question. There was almost certainly more to it than she understood, but did it matter? What could the PRT do? If they tried to arrest her, she could leave, and there would be no way for them to follow.
"Fine," the purple-haired girl shrugged. "When?"
"As soon as possible, probably. Mom mentioned that the sooner you talk to the Director, the better. And, uh, mom wanted to know if anyone came by to talk to you and Sarah? From the CPS or Youth Guard? They're not exactly fond of the whole "minors living alone" thing, considering Alan's in the hospital."
'So that's what they're worried about. Figures. I should probably have expected this,' Sirin nodded. "No. Nobody's come by yet, at least."
"Ah, okay. Good. So, uh, yeah. That's pretty much all they wanted to know. Oh, and the Wards are really curious about you, actually. Vista especially, she's now convinced that there's a conspiracy between the PRT and Protectorate to prevent her from seeing you. The others are, well, mostly just curious," the blonde finished, grinning.
"Hey, Vicky," Sarah said, walking into the room from the hall. She'd clearly gone to the kitchen first, given the mug of coffee cradled in her hands, after pulling on a simple purple sweater and white pants with black socks. "What did I miss?"
"Ah, not much, actually. I've just been telling Sirin here about some of the response from yesterday," the older girl explained. Sarah hummed as she reached one of the room's armchairs and climbed into it, making herself comfortable. If someone was to look into their living room at their very moment, they never would've been able to tell that Sarah had woken up less than ten minutes ago, which, in Sirin's own opinion, was an incredible feat.
Sarah's hair was done in a quick, loose braid, and her eyes still had bags under them, but her complexion had gotten better. Sirin noted that the girl's cheeks had regained color, and there was a small smile on her lips.
"I think the faster we'll deal with it, the better," her best friend said. "Not that it's a good idea to go there without any adult to back us up, but-"
"Oh, I think aunt Sarah can help with that," Vicky offered. "She wanted to check in with them to arrange some more joint patrols, too, so it would be a twofer. Give me a moment to call her!"
The older heroine jumped off of the sofa and pulled out her phone as she headed out of the living room.
"That's convenient," Sarah raised an eyebrow, looking at Sirin who had a similar expression on her face. "So… Do you think we can go there and come back before lunch?"
The trip to the PRT building took them all of fifteen minutes.
Sirin would've been perfectly happy teleporting the three of them there, but Victoria insisted on flying over somewhat slowly, to give Lady Photon the time to actually get there to meet them. Sarah had seemed a bit uncomfortable with the idea, and had voiced her discomfort with heights, but eventually agreed when her friend offered to carry her.
Which left Sirin in the rather unusual position of having to fly while carrying the taller girl in a bridal carry. The blonde was surprisingly light, though Sirin wasn't even sure if that was because she was a lot stronger than a twelve year old should be or something else. It didn't matter, of course, and the flight was relatively short. But it was enough for the purplette to note how different the experience was from flying without anything or anyone in her hands.
With nothing holding her, her body felt light, the wind blowing against her face. Without a need to hold anyone, she could simply fly, moving in whichever way she wished. It was freeing.
This time, though? There was an added weight, and not just a physical one. There was the weight of her responsibility towards her best friend, and the need to make sure she was safe, as well as the knowledge that any mishap or mistake would be on her. The need to pay attention to her friend, too.
Fortunately, though, Sarah seemed to be fine. She made the entire flight with her eyes closed and a smile on her face, trusting the girl carrying her completely. Sirin smiled a little at that, and tightened her grip.
Director Emily Piggot was just as intense as Sirin had remembered her being. She wasn't afraid of the woman, but something in her eyes made Sirin feel strange. A mix of determination, frustration and something else produced an impressive glare, one that most people would probably flinch under. Sirin didn't, but she couldn't just ignore the woman's gaze either. Sarah, on the other hand, seemed more nervous, even with the black carnival mask covering her face.
Sirin didn't like it, and neither did Lady Photon, it seemed.
'The sooner we leave, the better,' Sirin thought, her fingers drumming on the metal surface of the table.
"You can't hold onto him forever, Miracle Star," the Director steepled her fingers, leaning forward in her chair. "Lung needs to be released to the Protectorate, so that he can be properly punished."
Sirin considered the statement, the fifth repetition so far, with a sigh. "I can't release Lung to you, or to anyone," the girl repeated, her expression blank. "Not because I don't want to, but because I quite literally can't.
"Why not?"
Surprisingly, the question didn't come from the Director, but from Miss Militia instead. It was the first thing she'd said since the beginning of the meeting. The woman's tone was even, with no hint of anger or accusation.
"Because he's not in her custody," Sarah said simply. Director Piggot raised an eyebrow at the words, and Sirin felt her friend tense beneath the shifted expression.
"How can that be?" she asked, her lips settling onto a disbelieving moue. "We have extensive footage of the climax of the engagement with Lung. You pinned him with your lances, and then shoved him through one of your portals. The current working theory is that you trapped him in a pocket dimension. Is that not the case?"
The woman's tone was surprisingly even, considering that they'd given the PRT less than half an hour to prepare for their arrival. Sarah had expected the woman to be more frustrated, which had been part of the plan, apparently. That sort of situation would have played into her power, and made it easier to figure out the Director's plans. Instead, they had this. How troublesome.
"Sirin?" Lady Photon asked gently. The girl shook her head clear of the thoughts, realising that she'd been woolgathering. "Are you saying that you don't know where Lung is?
"I.." the purplette grumbled for a moment, frowning. "It's hard to explain. Power stuff. But I didn't drop him into a pocket dimension, I don't have one of those. Instead I dropped him in-between places."
There was a moment of silence, then Armsmaster leaned forward slightly. "Can you elaborate on that at all, Miracle Star?" he asked. "I understand that unforeseen power interactions can be difficult to explain, but any information on Lung's whereabouts-"
"It's not like he's going to pop back out somewhere," Sirin snapped. "I threw him somewhere in nowhere. I've no idea where to even start looking for him."
"Somewhere in nowhere," Armsmaster repeated.
"That's the closest approximation I can give, yes," she replied.
Her words were followed by another, slightly longer silence, as everyone in the room took a moment to absorb the information. Miss Militia and Armsmaster shared a glance that she didn't understand, though she wondered how that worked, given the full mask on the armoured hero. She hoped Sarah would be understanding more of that than her. Though both seemed frustrated.
The Director, meanwhile, had a hard to read expression on her face. She didn't look upset or angry, but there was calculation moving behind those hard, tired eyes. Lady Photon looked surprisingly similar, though any distaste flickering through her expression was focused on the opposite side of the table.
Sarah, meanwhile, was looking slowly between all parties, as if tracing something that none of the rest of the room could see. The action was largely hidden by her mask, but Sirin could feel her friend's eyes roving over the room. Looking for everything and anything.
"What are the chances of him coming back?" the Director asked at last.
"No clue. Zero, probably, unless he stumbles onto the portal somewhere else," Sirin replied shortly. She cocked her head, considering, then added. "Or someone else somehow makes a way for him.
"That's not exactly reassuring," Piggot said. Sirin shrugged.
"It wasn't supposed to be," she said. "But I've better things to do with my days than look around for an angry dragon who'd just get carted off to prison." Assuming they could even hold him. The villain's continued presence on the streets had certainly not been a confidence booster on that front. "Or sit here trying to explain exactly what I did."
"I see," the Director sighed. "There are some more questions we'd like to ask, especially about what happened at Waymouth Shopping Centre. But," the woman raised a hand. "I recognise that we've already taken up quite a bit of your day, and that was after you came in on your own. That courtesy is recognised.
"If it would be acceptable, we can hand over a list of our queries about how you resolved that situation. Obviously we'd prefer if you answered it all in full, but," she looked over at Lady Photon, who smiled sweetly. "The PRT understands that there are limits on what independent or affiliated heroes wish to or can share."
"That sounds agreeable," Lady Photon said. "Sirin?"
"Fine with me," the girl said. She got to her feet, joined shortly by Sarah. Lady Photon rose a bit more sedately, and took the offered binder of questions from Armsmaster. It wasn't all that big, but Sirin could guess how little of it she was going to really want to answer.
"If there's any confusion with them, I've included a number that you can call if you need any of the terms explained more clearly," the leader of the local Protectorate said. "Once you're done, send it back here. Please."
"Understood," Lady Photon agreed smoothly. "If there's no further questions for now, though, we'll be leaving. Any call can be made through agreed channels."
"Very well," Director Piggot leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers. "Miss Militia?
See them out, please."
"Armsmaster, your opinion?" Emily Piggot asked, not bothering to turn to look at the Protectorate's hero.
"We're not in a position to do anything against her," her subordinate replied after a moment. "Any one of her powers would make her incredibly dangerous. All of them together?" he shook his head. "You've seen the same threat analysis as me."
She had. Nines across almost every rating. And that didn't even touch on Miracle Star's current position publicly. Her actions at Madison had placed her on the same level as the Triumvirate in the minds of many, and her handling of Lung had only built on that. The girl had made two incredibly powerful statements in less than a week. And there was only so much the PRT could do about that.
"Studying and comparing her power to Vista's might yield some ways to counter her ability," Armsmaster continued. "We've got a lot of observational data on her abilities, especially with how much focus is on every Endbringer fight. But even then, I can't promise anything actionable."
"Start pursuing the avenue regardless. I'll request a special budgetary dispensation for this matter, so you won't need to cut into your maintenance fund." That was going to be a lot of paperwork, but what else could she do. "If a master gets hold of her, or she loses it because of some other reason, we need a way to at least slow her down."
"Agreed, ma'am," Armsmaster nodded. "I can get started now."
"Thank you, Armsmaster." She turned to face him, nodding once. "I'll see you at the city planning briefing this evening. Hopefully we can salvage something from this mess. Dismissed."
Armsmaster nodded, then left for his lab. At least she could trust his work ethic on that score. If there was a way for the Tinker to find an answer, he'd get there eventually. She just hoped it would be sooner than later. The door closed behind him, leaving her alone in the small meeting room, and her shoulders slumped.
If something went wrong, the only thing that they could do was to try and minimize the damage. Miracle Star had shown herself to be far too dangerous to be left unchecked, but also too powerful, paranoid and supported to force under their thumb.
The Director of PRT ENE sighed heavily and, not for the first time in the last week, found herself truly regretting her inability to imbibe alcohol. She could really use a drink right now. It could tide her over at least, for whatever was going to go wrong next.