Part 8: The Aftermath

Corona and Penn were alone.

"Penn, why'd you bring me here?"

Penn had his hands over her eyes.

"Oh I just had to show the most beautiful girl I know the most beautiful view in the multiverse." He said, uncovering her eyes.

There was a beautiful pristine waterfall, and flowers everywhere. Corona gasped. It was almost unreal looking.

"Whoa...Penn...this is beautiful!"

"Still not as beautiful as you." he said, his hand under her chin, pulling her face closer, and he was about to kiss her.

But he didn't. Instead he shrieked in pain.

"Penn?"

Corona looked, and saw a sword through Penn's abdomen.

"PENN!"

He fell backwards, and the sword ended up getting plunged further through him with the impact on the ground.

Corona got splattered with blood.

Jane was standing a few feet away, grinning evilly.

"JANE! HOW COULD YOU!" Corona had warm tears running down her face.

"I didn't do it." Jane shrugged it off. "You did. Just look at your hands, covered in the blood of your precious hero." she laughed

Corona looked at her hands, covered in blood. She screamed and ran towards the water fall, tears stinging her eyes, and and sat at the edge of the falls, dipping her hands into the crystal blue water.

It immediately turned red. Corona saw a warped, evil looking version of her reflection, that morphed into Jane's face.

Jane was laughing evilly.

Corona covered her ears, but she could still hear the evil cackling of her sister. She screamed.

~u~

"Corona! Corona, wake up!" Penn shook Corona awake.

Corona woke up, and was breathing heavily. Her face was wet with tears.

"P-penn!" She grabbed his head, and then hugged him close to her.

She had been staying with him, and they shared a bed.

"Y-you're alive, thank god!"

"Did you have another nightmare?"

"Yes." She sobbed on him.

All week since that mission, Corona had been having nightmares about her sister.

Due to Jane being 20 times more dangerous than Rippen could ever hope to be, for the time being, the part-time heroes couldn't go up against her.

They had to have extra, extensive training if they hoped to have any chance of thwarting her. She was too unpredictable.

"Shh, shh, Corona I'm right here, it's okay." He snuggled up to her, and comforted her. He cared nothing more at this moment, than making her feel safe.

"Penn, I don't know what I'm gonna do! I can't sleep as long as she's haunting my sleep!" she cried.

"Don't worry. She can't hurt you in your dreams." He stroked her hair. "And I won't let her hurt you either. I'll die for you."

Corona made a hoarse screaming noise.

"I...I probably shouldn't have mentioned death..." he said, biting his lip. He went back to reassuringly snuggling her.

"Penn...I really love you...and I don't want you to get hurt..." she said

"Don't worry about me Corona."

"I have to. Jane wants to kill you. That's all she wants. That's all she cares about."

"Corona, don't-"

Corona put her finger on his lips to shush him.

"If you died, that wouldn't help me at all. The monster took my parents. I won't let the monster take you either."

"But it's not the same-"

"It's a metaphor."

Penn sighed, and kissed her.

It was gonna be a long night.

~u~

The next day, due to the fact that they couldn't do another mission, Penn, Corona, Sashi, and Boone sat in Penn's backyard.

It was a grey, cloudy day.

"So..." Sashi said awkwardly.

"This is what it's like to be a normal teenager, again, I suppose." said Penn

"This is boring." Boone sighed.

"I know." said Penn, resting his head in his hands. "What are we supposed to do? Phyllis thinks its too dangerous for us to face Jane yet, and until then, what are we gonna do?"

Corona seemed out of it. She was staring off into space.

"Penn, is Corona okay?" asked Sashi

"I...I'm not even sure..." He looked over to Corona. "Angel...are you okay?" he said to her.

Corona shook out of it.

"Haha, you call her angel?" Boone laughed

"Well, she's my girlfriend?" said Penn "At least you haven't heard what she calls me..." He muttered under his breath.

"Yes, my knight in shining armor?" Corona replied

Boone cracked up laughing.

"Oh, come on! It's not that embarassing!" Penn was blushing. "Anyways...Corona, are you okay?"

"I'm fine...I'm okay..." She said.

It was obvious she wasn't okay.

"Is Jane still bothering her?" asked Sashi

Corona shook in fear, just hearing the name Jane.

Penn scooted over to Corona, and hugged her tight. "Corona, it's okay...shhh..." He kissed her forehead. "It's okay, I'm here, don't worry, don't worry. I'm here."

Corona had a lot to deal with.