April 3rd, 2018 - 12:00 AM - The Nook. NYC
Most of the patrons of the bar, which had now been unwillingly involved in this whole situation had left by midnight. The white-haired vigilante had also left a note with a number for Ana and the one man that had been part of the three in one package had lingered for a bit, he hadn't said or done much but Ana, cautious as she was, had kept her eyes on the dark haired male. Despite the whole situation that had unfolded Meghan chose to keep the bar open just a little longer. Not a single soul made it's way into the establishment and eventually the blonde decided to call it a night. Ana locked the doors upon Meghan's request and turned the 'open' sign off. Returning to the bar she noticed Meg looking at the stools that had been
thrown around. The blonde sighed noticing that one of the legs had been bent and crumpled.
Biting her bottom lip Anastasia looked away and exhaled softly through her nose.
"Sorry." She whispered.
Standing up Meg looked at the brunette and shrugged with a small smile.
"It's okay." The blonde responded.
"We have a whole bunch downstairs." Meg stepped closer to Ana and met her gaze.
"It happens, I get it. You don't have to apologize, it's justifiable. Things got a little intense for a moment, you were only acting naturally." Her smile although still soft, was genuine.
"I'll just bring a new one up then we can finish cleaning and get out of here. This whole ordeal has been draining and reminiscent of things I was honestly trying to forget." She chuckled.
"I'll be back." Meg spoke simply and took hold of the stool as she made her way to the basement.
12:08 AM
Flicking the light on Meghan made her way down the stairs. Upon reaching the ground she clenched her jaw and halted at the sight of the cracks that ran across the concrete. She hoped that no one was hurt down here while they were doing
whatever they had been doing. Exhaling heavily as she swallowed back she placed the ruined stool next to the stairwell and made her way to the office. Turning on the computer she started all the
'end of day' paperwork to finalize closing the store. Reaching for her phone once she was done she made sure to gather her belongings along with Ana's and grabbed a new stool before making her way back up. One more glance at the damaged floor and she flicked the lights off before stepping back into the main bar area.
Ana had managed to get the bar cleaned up and the taps sealed rather quickly, Charles had taken a seat at the corner of the bar with a beer as he watched Ana clean in silence, she seemed off but the man chose not to comment and just focus on his drink and the screen on the wall. She had been sweeping when she heard the basement door close, her eyes flicking towards Meghan as she came into the main area. Placing the stool down by the bar Meg walked to the fridge and grabbed two bottles of beer before taking a seat on the new stool next to Charles. Opening the two bottles she held one out for Ana who was coming by with the last bit of swept up dirt and dust. Smiling softly Anastasia nodded in thanks before taking the bottle and a sip. Placing it back on the bar she carried on with her sweeping.
"How are you doing Charles? You okay?" Meghan asked as she looked at the cook.
The man nodded.
"I'm okay, yeah. It was weird to see something from the past like that again." He chuckled.
"Thankfully it didn't end the same way." Charles responded and took another sip from his beer.
"Glad you're okay." Meg smiled gently.
Finishing with her sweep Ana tossed the dirt and dust away and pulled out all the garbage bag to be thrown out once they left. Taking a seat next to Meghan and pulling her beer close Anastasia glanced up towards the screen, staying in silence as she stared blankly. Her brain wasn't processing the images flashing before her, she was simply lost in thought. The events that unfolded today. What would happen next? What had they all been dragged into?
Why had this
Myst character chosen all those specific people? What was the purpose of all this? She never liked questions and she
hated not having answers. She didn't even know
where or
how to begin attempting to figure this out. Sighing she dropped her head and shook it. The only leads they could've had were lost, because of
her. Because she had been distracted by conversations, by focusing on
Meg. Clenching her jaw she flared her nostrils and scoffed before taking a swig of her beer.
There was a subtle buzzing that caught the brunette's attention. Turning to look towards Meg's purse she glanced at her friend.
"Your phone's ringing Meg." She spoke simply and was met by a raised brow as the blonde dug through her purse to find the mobile device.
Pulling the phone out Meghan scoffed as she just missed the call. Narrowing her eyes and furrowing her brows she scrolled through the plethora of notification on her screen.
"What the hell?" She muttered. Her question was enough to warrant Ana's attention, voicing her question of
'what's wrong?' with a raised brow Anastasia waited for a response. Cloudy green irises met browns.
"The home alarm was triggered." She spoke as she returned to her phone. Pressing something she placed the phone by her ear. Ana listened, Charles watching the two of them.
You have one new message, ten-oh-six pm.
'Miss O'Neill, we've been informed that your system was breached. We are calling to ensure that you are safe and to notify you that the authorities have been contacted and dispatched to your location.'
Meg looked at Ana with worry. Hanging up she put the phone in her purse.
"The alarm—"
"I heard." Ana interrupted as she got off the stool.
"That was two hours ago. We should go." Her words were urgent.
Meg turned to look at Charles.
"Are you okay to lock up?" She asked as she got off the stool.
The man nodded.
"Yes, it's no problem, go make sure everything is okay. I'll see you tomorrow." The cook was quick in his response.
12:26 AM
Getting in the driver's seat Ana was quick to pull out of the spot they had parked in in the back of the restaurant. Tearing off down the street she intended to make it back home as quickly as possible.
"Relax Ana, slow down. Careful. For all we know it could be the stupidest thing and the police might be gone by now." Meghan spoke as she gripped the armrest on the door. Their eyes locked as the brunette continued to rip down the streets until they got closer to home.
April 3rd - 2018 - 12:41 AM - 136 Bank St. New York - Meghan's Home
The flashing lights from the parked emergency vehicle's could be seen from far enough that the worry in both women began to rise. Slowing down as they got closer, both Ana and Meg tried to see what was going on. The street had been taped off, a small lift crane parked right on the edge of the property. The fire department was also present. Parking the car the two women got out and approached the scene, an officer halting them from coming any closer.
"I'll have to ask you to step back please. This is dangerous and currently a scene we're investigating." The officer spoke calmly and simply.
"This is my home." Meghan stated as the two women moved closer.
Ana's eyes grew wide as she looked upon a sight that wasn't necessarily shocking considering her past but
somehow still was. Perhaps it was the idea that this was where she lived and that's why she was so shocked at the sight of a car dangling off the top corner of her home. Shattered glass, broken aluminum, splintered wood and crumbled bricks littered around the area.
"What the fuck..." She muttered as Meghan moved closer to her and gripped the back of her shirt tightly.
"How the hell did this happen?" Ana asked, her gaze vicious as she looked towards the cop.
"We're not sure m'am. There were several calls from the area reporting this incident along with some more damages a little further out. The reports link up with metahuman activity, we haven't been able to investigate exactly how this was caused. We've been focusing on getting the car unstuck and off the property to find any possible links to the method used to do this." The officer explained.
"Unfortunately I cannot let you onto the property. Perhaps you can contact your insurance providers and figure out something until we can safely remove the vehicle from the building." The man nodded.
Meghan's grip grew even tighter on Ana's shirt. The brunette finally looking down at the blonde before pulling her in closer.
"We can't afford to fix this." Meg whispered as their eyes locked.
Ana swallowed back and exhaled through her nose as her eyes never left Meg's.
"We'll figure it out. They'll find whoever did this and they'll pay for it. Don't worry." She embraced the blonde tightly.
"You make sure to get that car out with as little structural damage as possible, or else the city will be paying for it." Ana spoke in frustration as her eyes shifted from the cop to the man operating the small crane. The sound of groaning metal causing her stomach to knot.
The cop seemed offended as he clenched his jaw.
"I understand your concerns and worries m'am but I would appreciate it if you spoke to me with a little more respect, we are doing the best we can here and we will make sure that we remove the vehicle and pursue the case to find the culprit. For now I recommend that you find a place to stay the night and perhaps check back tomorrow, we will be working on this overnight to get it resolved as soon as possible." The man almost huffed as he placed his hands on his hips.
Taking a deep breath Ana remained silent as she led Meg back to the car. Getting in she slammed the back of her head against the seat and groaned. Looking over at a paled and visibly distraught Meghan, Ana frowned.
"Hey." She turned to face her.
"It's gonna be okay. We'll figure it out, don't worry. For now we'll just stay at one of the units above the bar and play it by ear. We'll be fine, I promise." She spoke sincerely as she fastened her seat-belt. Starting the car Ana turned them around and drove back to The Nook in a painfully heavy silence. Meg's attention had been on the passing scenery until they came to a stop and parked. Anastasia had been lost in her thoughts, thinking about the situation, what she could do to help, who she could call...who she knew and what favours were owed where. She'd figure this out one way or another, she had to. Meghan was important to her, more than the she knew. Ana could easily say that she owed her life to Meg, and that was an understatement.
April 3rd - 2018 - 12:53 AM - Apartment above 'The Nook', NYC
The two women entered the upstairs unit from the back door. Meghan taking the lead as she had the keys. It was a small one bedroom unit, still furnished as Meg typically rented it out on short term leases for a little bit of extra cash. It wasn't anything extravagant but it also wasn't a dump. Just simple and plain. Ana sighed as they walked in, shutting the door behind them. Keys clattered across the section of the counter that served as a breakfast bar as well. Meg placing her purse and Ana's bag on the same section. Stress and sadness scrawled across her features and seeped off her body language. She watched with a frown as she swallowed back.
"I'll uh— I'll take the couch. It's a pull-out right?" She asked quietly. Meghan glanced at her and nodded before approaching the couch. Rushing around the piece of furniture Ana stopped the blonde.
"You go get comfortable in the bed and rest up. I can handle a pull-out couch Meg, don't worry. Maybe sleep will help you." Greens met ambers. The frown was deep, eyes glistening. Ana's shoulders dropped at the sight as she frowned more.
"Come here." She pulled the blonde in and held her tightly against her chest.
Her sobs had been quiet, the tears quick to overflow as she pushed herself against her friend.
Why? What had she done in life that was so wrong that she deserved
more misfortune? She had never done anything out of spite, or revenge, she had never hurt anyone, she had always been kind, tried to help. So
what was the reason for this?
Why was she being punished? Her home almost ruined, her past coming back to haunt her which also had a new added layer of danger to
many not just a few. She didn't understand and it wasn't fair. Holding on to Ana just a little longer Meg sighed shakily before pulling away and looking up into the woman's eyes for just a second.
"I'm gonna go bring some pillows and blankets." She sniffled and walked off.
Watching with a clenched jaw Ana sighed. Turning around she pulled the small coffee table aside and unfolded the double mattress out from the couch. Meghan appeared a few moments after, pillows and blankets in hand as her head was tilted to the side to see where she was going. Plopping them on the bed she put her hands on her hips and looked at the bed.
"Do you mind if I uh, lay down here for a bit to watch some TV. I don't wanna sleep yet." She met Ana's gaze.
The brunette smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, no problem." She spoke simply as she turned to reach for the remote and handed it to Meg. Getting the sheets, pillows and blankets situated she sat on the edge of the right side of the bed as she pulled her jeans off and let them fall off to the side. Taking her t-shirt off to reveal the tight fitting tank top underneath, she tossed the shirt onto the coffee table that was off to the side and slid under the blankets. Glancing over at Meg, Ana's brows came up as she muttered an
'oh' and turned away, not realizing that Meghan too was getting comfortable in the living room, catching an eyeful of the blonde's rear as she had bent forward to get her jeans off. Clearing her throat and swallowing back as her cheeks burned and her heart raced Ana waited until she felt the mattress shift, springs groaning before she turned to face Meg who was pulling her arms out from under the blanket.
"Anything you wanna watch?" Meghan asked as she flipped through the channels in an attempt to distract her mind from the thoughts racing through it.
Ana's response was a shake of her head as she didn't necessarily care about what would be playing in the background. She was formulating a plan in her head, so other than the partially undressed woman next to her she wasn't really distracted or straying from those thoughts. She had noticed the trouble that the city workers were having with the vehicle stuck to the corner of their home. She highly doubted that they would work through the night to get it out, and if they so happened to
actually keep their word and do so, they were sure to take a break. Ana would take advantage of whatever decision they made and get that car off the property. The sooner they were done and out, the sooner Meg and herself could figure out how they would fix this problem. Ana had some favours owed to her just as she owed some favours to others, she intended to work out a deal with some people from her past to get this situation dealt with. It was the least she could do for Meg and she would.
"Make sure to call the insurance people tomorrow so we can figure all this out. Better sooner than later." She spoke rather monotonously as she turned on her side to face Meghan. The blonde remained silent and nodded as she watched the television.
Ana would have to wait for Meghan to fall asleep before setting anything in motion. Closing her eyes with a sigh Ana
hoped to get some rest, even if just for a couple hours.
04:33 AM
She had been restless in the small amount of time she had managed to doze off. Coming to with a sigh Ana opened her eyes to Meg having fallen asleep next to her. Not that she was complaining about the situation but she had wished it hadn't happened this way. Getting up in bed Ana kept her attention on Meg who took a deep breath and rolled over to the other side with a small mutter of nonsense. Taking advantage of the movement Ana was quick to get off the bed and start pulling her pants on. Grabbing her shoes and walking on her toes in an attempt to remain as quiet as possible, Anastasia found herself in the bedroom as she slid her black zip-up hoodie on. Leaving the bedroom door open just a crack.
Taking a deep breath she opened the window and clenched her jaw she focused for a moment. It had been a while since she had done
this. Dropping out from the window she managed to kick into flight just before hitting the ground. An exhale of relief escaped her as she rose into the sky slowly. Pushing forward through the air with a barrier shattering
boom she managed to get to their home swiftly.
April 3rd- 2018 - 04:32 AM - Meghan's home, NYC
Remaining a safe distance from the ground she watched the small crew below still attempt to remove the car. Pulling her hood up in hopes that it would conceal her identity
just enough, she continued to watch.
The officer she had spoken to stepped into his cruiser; the few city workers operating the machinery moved towards the flatbed truck that Ana assumed they had arrived on location with, and stood around chatting. She didn't listen in on any conversations. Instead she quickly made her way to the damaged area of the building and approached the teetering vehicle. moving to the right side of the car she analyzed the dented and scratched scrap of metal. Checking the left as well she grunted as she couldn't find exactly where the car was stuck. Jumping back into the air she hovered around the vehicle in an attempt to spot what was causing the issue. Lowering herself she studied and analyzed whatever she could see. Finally spotting the wrought iron bar that had pierced the wheel well she hovered towards the vehicle. Reaching for the piece of metal she halted as she heard a voice.
"Move away from the vehicle!" The officer called out.
Groaning with a roll of her eyes she didn't move.
"I said move away from the vehicle!" He called out again.
Snapping the metal bar right where it had bent, the car shifted. Her left hand shooting forward and pressing into the damaged grill.
"I won't ask again. Get away from the car!"
"If I move, this thing is going to fall and cause more damage than it already has!" Ana called out in an evidently irritated tone.
"I have permission to shoot, so this is the last time I'm asking. Move.Away!"
Moving her right hand to get a better grip on the Nissan she moved up as the full weight of the vehicle was taken in her grasp. Her hands tightened against protesting metal. Before she could move any faster to get the car out of the way she heard the distant
click. The ricochet of the bullet was loud enough to make her ear ring for a moment. If her intentions had been evil or bad this cop wouldn't have even had a chance to fire at her, let alone see her, he would've been dead already. Bearing her teeth in annoyance she continued to push up, the car finally coming loose from the building. Another shot was fired, the impact against her shoulder was a nuisance as she turned her head to reveal a snarl towards the officer.
This was the reason she had stopped helping, stopped trying. Terrified humans that would rather shoot than talk, she wasn't a wild animal that would kill on site. She could be spoken to just like any other human being, but most seemed to prefer killing a potential threat than reasoning with another person. Anastasia was thankful her hood was still mostly in place the last thing she needed was to get arrested for trying to help.
Flying towards the officer with the car in her grasp, the trigger happy cop didn't seem to learn from his experience and continued firing at her. Dropping the car a safe distance from the man, it slammed against the pavement loudly, pieces coming off and falling to the ground around the car. Landing in front of the cop Ana walked towards him. He stumbled back like a terrified animal, weapon still aimed at her.
"Standard issue?" She questioned. The officer swallowed back with a nod.
"No point in trying, you're empty." She spoke with confidence and stopped walking once the man backed into his cruiser.
"I came to help, relax." Ana spoke simply.
"I'm not a bad guy but," she stuck her finger in one of the holes in her hoodie and pulled the fabric up slightly
"you ruined my sweater. I can look passed that officer" she glanced at the name tag on the man's vest.
"Dunham. Next time just take a second before pulling that trigger. We're not all bad and we're not all bulletproof." Ana stated before leaping into the air, an explosive sound following her action before she was out of sight.
April 3rd - 2018 - 5:36 AM - Apartment above 'The Nook', NYC
Re-entering the apartment via the same window Anastasia was quick to take her hoodie and pants off. Sneaking into the bathroom she tore the sweater up into tiny pieces before disposing of the remnants. Stepping back into the main living area she checked to see if Meg was still asleep. Thankful that she was Ana crawled in next to her and closed her eyes, a small smile spread across her lips.
9:45 AM
The sound of sizzling was loud, obnoxiously so. The smell of eggs and bacon was quick to follow and the familiar voice of Meghan soon joined the odd symphony of sounds that began to swell in Ana's ears. Her conversation seemed distant and in her half asleep mind the brunette was confused, few key words followed and Anastasia eventually managed to gather an idea of what was being spoken about. Sitting up slowly with a groan that melded into a yawn she sighed and stretched out. Her body felt oddly energized, the opposite of what she expected after not having used her abilities in what felt like a very
very long time.
Turning around to face the blonde Ana leaned against the back of the couch, the smile pulling at her lips hidden by her arms. Amber eyes explored, travelled, wondered and lingered.
"Whatchu making?" She finally spoke in a groggy tone.
Meghan glanced towards Anastasia as she placed her phone on the counter, a soft smile coming across her lips.
"Nothing special" she responded
"just some eggs and bacon." Her attention returned to the food.
"I know yesterday was hectic, chaotic and frustrating. I didn't want to wake you so I was trying to let you sleep in." Meg looked back at Ana.
"I didn't think sizzling bacon would be loud enough to get you up. Sorry." She frowned slightly, her tone sincere.
Anastasia chuckled and sat up a little more straight.
"It's okay. We have to open the store anyway."
Meg clenched her jaw as she placed the food on plates for them.
"That's something we need to talk about." She swallowed back and filled two mugs with coffee as well.
Ana didn't like the sound of what Meg was saying. Had she
done something wrong?
Said something wrong? Had she been
too harsh towards the customers last night? Worry about things like that didn't often affect her, but right now it was, and it was only
because of Meghan. Her heart began to beat faster as she watched the blonde bring the food and coffee over to the bed. Clenching her jaw Ana swallowed back.
"What is there to talk about?" She asked taking the plate from Meghan.
The blonde returned to the kitchen to grab her own food and coffee before heading back to the pull-out to sit with her friend. Taking a sip of her coffee and a small bite of her food Meg sighed as she remained silent before glancing up at Ana.
"I can get Terri to cover your shifts for you or I can hire someone for extra help."
"I don't understand why you're telling me this. Did I do something wrong?" The brunette's worry continued to grow.
"No, no, not at all Ana." Meghan spoke as she chewed on some food. Scooting closer she placed her hand on her thigh.
"It's the opposite of that." She put her plate down and moved as close as she possibly could. Both hands resting on Ana's thighs before she took hold of her hands and looked down for a moment.
"Last night was a reminder to me," she took a breath and looked up at the woman opposite her
"it brought back thoughts and memories I had forced myself to push away. I was trying to look passed things, trying to carry on with life as if everything was normal, that there wasn't anything different, that nothing had changed since that day I met you." She swallowed back and looked off to the side.
"The truth is that it's not. It hasn't been. But don't get me wrong, things have been good for the most part. There's been hiccups here and there but due to things that are out of our control." She stopped for a moment.
"What I'm trying to say here Ana, is that you are capable of helping people in ways most can't. You can do things that are unreal. Things that some of us can only fantasize about." Meg sighed.
"I don't want you to stress about trying to fit in and be normal. You can help and I want you to help, I will support you with everything I have." Their eyes met intensely.
"Just do the right thing, help the right people, the ones that need it."
She took a moment to let her words sink in. Her feelings were genuine. She
did want this and she would help her however she could. Ana had saved her life and helping her save
other lives was only a fraction of what she could do in assistance. Her debt could never be repaid but she could keep the positivity flowing and she would. As the dragging seconds carried on, Meg kept her gaze upon the other woman. She grew worried, the silence growing heavy.
"You want me to be a Hero?" Ana finally broke the silence.
Meg grinned and nodded towards her.
Clenching her jaw Anastasia shook her head.
"No, I can't." She looked away and sighed heavily.
"It has been made a difficult thing to do now days Meg. I...I just can't. Besides, there's so many other things that I need to be worrying about and helping you with that I don't have time to be flying around in spandex trying to help people that are most likely going to turn on me before they even let me help." Ana clenched her jaw and looked at Meg with a hint of sadness and frustration. She wasn't sure if she could ever go back to being a hero and she hated to disappoint Meghan, but it was the truth.
The blonde stared for a moment before getting on her knees and pushing forward a bit. Sitting on her heels she blinked a couple times before clearing her throat.
"You can fly?" She asked.
Anastasia's eyes grew wide at the realization of the information she may have given Meg unwillingly.
"I uh—" She chuckled nervously and tried to brush the comment off
"What? No, I can't fly it was just an example Meg." Ana took a moment, eyes shifting away from the blonde as she cleared her throat.
"You called the insurance company this morning? From what I heard." Would changing the subject help? Would she be able to get Meghan off this weird,
'save people and be a hero' kick? Ana truthfully didn't think so, but it was worth a shot.
"No no, the subject isn't changing Ana. You said 'I don't have time to be flying around in spandex'. Is it possible that it was an example? Sure, but I truly think otherwise." Pulling away Meg folded her arms across her chest with a sigh. She had already seen Ana do some extraordinary things, was flight
impossible for her? Was it
shocking? Not necessarily. Her friend had been very open about things and she had also been very secretive about things. Meghan liked to say that she knew who Ana was, but even saying that with confidence felt like a lie, like all Meg had been able to learn and memorize about her was the tiniest fraction of a much larger canvas. Shooting a glance towards Ana she took hold of her plate and sat facing the TV. Turning it on she started to flick through the channels.
No response had Ana also turning away with a clenched jaw, eyes remaining on her food as she picked at it while sipping her coffee. She couldn't help but peek at Meg every now and then. She hadn't meant to upset her. She just wanted to keep her safe and away from all the nonsense that came with being involved in that sort of
lifestyle. The danger was a daily issue, or at least had been when more people were active in the
field of vigilante justice, if it could even be called a
'field of work.' There was no income, you would almost never know what you were dealing with day to day, one day could've been a mugging the next a rampaging metahuman in the core of downtown knocking over buildings. There was absolutely
no reward for anything you did. If the Police knew who you were, you got a bill sent to you describing your damages and when to pay it by.
Most people simply complained about meta's that would try to help. Praise had been a rare feat and for some that praise every now and then was enough to keep them going. Unfortunately for Ana it hadn't been. She had been treated poorly infinite amounts of times, and she had been treated nicely very rarely. At some-point people had begun to simply expect her to show up and help, it had become the norm for citizens. Their attitudes only got worse and when she finally
stopped, all of New York thought they had the right to complain. Just remembering all of it irritated her, how ungrateful people were, hypocrites and straight up assholes.
Finishing her food and chugging back her coffee Ana finally got up off the bed and made her way to the kitchen to wash her dish and mug. Her frustration and irritation was evident, it oozed off her. Brows knitted as she scrubbed the plate. Meghan didn't
know, she didn't understand and perhaps that's why she thought she had the right to be upset about Ana
not wanting to pursue that path
again. She didn't know that Ana had been there and already done all that. Better that she hadn't told her and better that she
didn't decide to tell her.
"I thought we didn't have secrets Ana. My mistake for assuming that surviving a life or death situation together would've been more impactful." Meg's words were rather flat, monotonous.
"Then again...it was never life or death for you." Her mutter was near silent, but the blonde was well aware that Ana could hear her.
Ceramic cracked and fell into pieces against the sink. Closing her eyes and flaring her nostrils Anastasia exhaled sharply as she dropped the sponge and slammed the tap off. Stomping into the bathroom she slammed the door shut and locked it. Gripping the sink she lowered her head and tightly shut her eyes.
Why? Out of nowhere...why was Meg acting like
this? Why was she saying these
things? What was she
trying to achieve? Was she trying to get under her skin? Was she trying to get a certain reaction out of her? She didn't understand and she didn't know if she wanted to understand.
Looking up into her reflection Ana just stared at herself, her breaths grew heavy. The surrounding sounds beginning to swell in her ears. The TV, the city, cars, buses, voices, conversations, sirens, radio static. She could feel her heart punching against her chest, she could hear Meghan's heart, her breathing. The two explosive knocks startled Ana as she almost jumped where she stood, her body growing tense for just a moment. Exhaling and relaxing herself she approached the door and unlocked it. Opening it she went to move passed the blonde but was stopped by a palm pressing against her stomach. Silence consumed the two women as they simply stared at eachother.
"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for..." Meg finally broke the deafening silence weighing down on them.
"I'm sure you have serious, justifiable reasons for choosing what to do and what not to do in your life. I've been on both sides and I'm bitter towards certain things and also terrified." She looked up at Ana.
"I know that I can't help people in the way that you can. If I could I would, believe me, but that's who I am. You are obviously your own person and you do things a certain way. I have no right to judge that or tell you what to do." She sighed.
"But I can give my thoughts and I can ask you for favours. Ana, please" her hands slid up the brunettes body as she cupped her face.
"Help those people that were in the bar last night. I know there were meta's there and I know that most of them did what they did for the better. To get answers. You have information that can help them and you are more than capable of standing on the front lines with them. Two people are already dead because of this Myst person. There were civilians in the bar last night, people that don't stand a chance even against a low level enhanced human being." Meg clenched her jaw as she interlocked her fingers behind Ana's neck.
"You don't want to do the big hero thing and that's fine, but do this, for me, for us. We've already been unwillingly involved in it. Help settle it."
Ana's jaw was tense as she looked into the green eyes opposite hers.
"I'm no hero Meg." She spoke quietly and sighed before looking away.
Not anymore she told herself.
"For you. That's my reason for agreeing to this. To keep you safe. To make sure you're okay. I don't like the idea of innocent people dying, but you are my priority, remember that." Ana sighed again.
"What happened with the insurance people?" She finally asked as she took hold of Meg's wrists and looked at the blonde.
"They said they'll be looking into it. Nothing they can do right now other than provide us with a place to stay. Once the damage is assessed and the culprit is found they'll be able to figure out everything." Meg closed her eyes and exhaled heavily.
"Don't worry about the bar and the house right now Ana. Try to stop this psychopath before things get worse." She looked into amber irises again.
"Please." She urged.
Ana nodded.
"Okay." She swallowed back.
"I will." Her smile was small and soft.
"Finish your food, I have a phone call to make." Meg nodded in response and held Ana's hand as she led them back into the living room.
10:48 AM
Rummaging through her bag with occasional glances towards Meghan Ana eventually found what she was looking for. She still didn't like this idea. She wasn't sure if she was ready to return to something like this. What if she was recognized? What if resurfacing brought things back from the past that were dangerous? She grunted and shook her head. There were several questions she couldn't answer and thus Ana decided that she would stop asking. There was no point in overthinking and lingering on things that were
maybe's, it was only a waste of time, which in turn allowed Myst to advance. Finding the piece of paper that the white-haired man had given her the previous night, she pulled her phone out and dialed. As it rang she waited and chewed at the little dead pieces of skin on her bottom lip. She had no idea what would come of this.
10:53 AM
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INTERACTIONS:
ANASTASIA
- Astroblaze - Spectre
MENTIONS:
LuckycoolHawk9 - Warren Tanner