Author's note: sorry for the long wait, this chapter took a while. Thanks again to Inu-midoriko for working with me. Hope you enjoy the read and please remember to leave a review!
Arianna eyed both of them, since batman seemed too angry to speak, then turned slightly towards Max. "Fledgling, would you like a bit of privacy?" The Nephilim queen asked calmly. "I won't go far if you wish."
Max nodded. "Yeah if you don't mind. This won't take too long." she replied, taking her eyes off of Batman for a moment.
Arianna frowned. "I'll be within calling distance." She said, opening her wings and diving off the roof to land on the one next door.
"'Fledgling'?" Terry echoed, fighting back rage. "Max what is this about?!"
Max huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Like you care. What are you doing here anyways?" she asked. A light breeze blew by, making the feathers on her wings flutter.
Terry glared at Max. "I came by to check on Arianna. Max... I know your pissed, but why get spliced, especially when you can't take it back?"
Angry now, Max's frown only deepened. "I chose this because for once in my life I want to be needed. I want to be appreciated and by god, I want someone to be there when I come home. I want someone to talk to, who will listen to me." The vulnerability in her eyes was becoming more and more apparent but she refused to show anymore of her distress to him.
"And she does?" Terry snapped back. "What about your family? What about Dana and me?" He half turned to glare at Arianna's back. "You don't know anything about her or what it will really mean now that you've got wings!"
"Yes as a matter of fact she does! She's there for me as I am for her! We have no one but each other now. My family wouldn't care if I ran away to Paris and you know it! As for Dana, it will be different without her but as for you; you made it clear you didn't want me around."
"How do you know that?! You haven't even known her a day! How do you know what she's like? She called you a 'fledgling'! Would a real friend call you that?" Terry snapped while pacing now, and if looks could kill, Arianna would be dead.
"Yes I'm a fledging! Right now, I'm not a friend to her, I'm a newborn Nephilim and am treated as such! Just like when you're at work or at camp. You may be friends with the kids or your co-workers but if you're higher up on the scale, sometimes you have no choice but to show it. You obviously don't understand anything so just go away." she turned her back on him, ready to leave.
Terry grabbed Max's shoulder and frowned at Max's back. "What the hell-! What did that kid do to you?! I'm taking you to the hospital!"
Suddenly, wingbeats could be heard as Arianna landed. "Remove your hand. Now." Arianna snapped in protective fury, striking it away for added measure. "You'll have to kill me first before you take her anywhere." Her mismatched eyes blazed in fury as her stepped between them, her wings spread to their full length in a protective posture. Turning her head slightly, she looked at Max. "Are you all right my fledgling?" She asked in a gentler voice.
"I'll be alright." she replied but the hurt, the betrayal and something not even Max could identify could be seen in her eyes.
Arianna didn't miss the look, and turned her attention back to batman. "I believe it's time you left." She stated coldly, not relaxing at all in case there was a fight.
"I'm not done talking to Max." he replied just as coldly. Anger rose higher and higher and he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to hold it back.
"She needs to rest." Anianna replied. "Fledgling?"
"Yes my Queen?" she asked, glancing at Terry, all the while letting it be known she was pissed off with him by both her look and body language.
"Was I interrupting your conversation? It looked like he was threatening you." Arianna asked Max.
"He wants to 'cure' me." she said with a sneer, the very thought of having her wings taken after just receiving them making her grow even angrier.
The nephilim queen folded her wings with a sharp snap and politely stepped out of Max's way. "I see." Her words were cold. "You may give him your answer while I'm here. I won't leave you again."
Max nodded and turned to Terry. "I'm not going anywhere Batman. I'm staying right here with my Queen, with my wings and with my dignity."
It was at last that Terry lost his temper and took a step forward. "You have no idea what the hell you're doing! If you want to live the rest of your life in exile, in fear of having your wings clipped off then by all means do it. I have no right to stop you. But I will tell you this," he took another step. "I may have been angry at you for quite some time over something you've said but never have I stopped caring for your well being." he hissed. "You go on about how no one cares for you and in my opinion you should just shut it because you know I cared, still care for you. And despite what you want, what you think you want, I will find a cure and you will be human again."
Furious now, Max's back stiffened at his words and she took a step forward to make her point heard. "How dare you try to run my life! You don't know the first thing about what I was feeling. So yes, you care; so yes, you want me back as your friend but it's too late. You are too late. You should have talked to me while you still could."
"You didn't give me much of a choice to say what I wanted Max. Every time I tried to talk you would always fight with me on something or another."
"Just get out of here." she turned her back on him. "I'm done talking to you about this. Until you've accept me for what I am now, don't come knocking at my door."
"You're pathetic."
"At least I don't hide behind a mask." she sniped back.
"You will regret this. One way or another." when she didn't turn around or answer back, he turned his cold stare to Arianna. "I hope you're happy."
Arianna's back felt ramrod straight. "She chose this of her own free will and passed every test I gave her to see if she was worthy, I gave her several chances to back out and she refused them all. My fledgling is my responsibility now, and as such, no harm will come to her while I live batman." Her tone was polite and formal.
Max smiled gratefully at Arianna. "Thank you." she said softly. "As for you Batman, I don't need you. You can leave."
Terry silently vowed that he would get Max back one way or another, whether she wanted him back or not. However, at this moment he needed time to cool down. "Our talk is far from over." was all he said Max before taking off at an angry flight.
After he left, Arianna looked at Max. "Hate him if you must, I won't blame you. Sometimes hate is our only defense." She said this softly. "Believe me, we will be better than the humans." The hate in her eyes turned to compassion. "I am sorry."
"The fact I don't hate him is what bothers me. But do not trouble your mind on him. We have much to do." Max replied.
"You are right." She inspected Max's back. "There's some slight bleeding, but no new tearing." Arianna reported.
"So is it okay to fly?" she asked, still anxious to take flight even after the most recent events.
"I want to give it a week, maybe longer. You'll need to strengthen your muscles first, I also want your feathers to adjust. Right now, they are as fragile as a newborn chick's. Believe me, slow is better unless you want a broken leg or worse." Arianna answered calmly, lightly stroking the other girl's wings.
Max shivered under the sensation of her wings being stroked. They were sensitive to touch and even the lightest caress had shivers run up her spine. "Good idea. I'd rather be able to walk."
"If we lived away from the people, I would allow short flights once you were adjusted to get you used to the idea, but it's too dangerous right now. The first flight is risky at best, but in the current conditions..." Her voice trailed off. "I also need you to learn how to use at least one weapon."
"How do you propose I do that?" she asked. She didn't even know what weapon she would be good with in combat.
"I'm good with a sling, and mother taught me the basics as far as knife fighting, though the latter for me is for last resort. If you choose a bow and arrow or a spear... well, we'll figure something out. Do you know why I need you to learn this Max?" She held out a hand to Max so they could climb down.
"Honestly I have no idea. Wouldn't a gun be sufficient enough?"
"I don't like guns; they are too heavy in flight, assuming you can get one in the first place. If you are being chased, even a little weight can slow you down." She watched Max descend, and followed once Max was safely all the way down. "I want to make sure that we can defend ourselves at all times. Like it or not, if it comes down to them or us, we have to make sure we survive. We need to fight for our existence, and that will mean combat at one point or another." Arianna held open the side door for her fledgling. "The next time batman lays a hand on you, or anyone else for that matter, you put them in the dirt."
Max nodded her understanding. "I understand. So, do you have any weapons in mind for me? I wouldn't know which I'd be good at even if it flung itself into my hands."
"I think a bow and arrow would suit you." The brunette said thoughtfully locking the door behind them and following Max up to her room. "We could try it anyways." She looked very tired. "For now, since we are small in number, we are both going to need to learn things that we don't like. However, we are laying a solid foundation for the future."
"Lets rest for now and start fresh in the morning. No use trying to learn something when you're dead tired,"
"You rest; I need to head off to school." Arianna said. "You'll find it more comfortable to sleep on your stomach too."
Max awoke six hours later, unable to sleep any longer. She sighed as she got out of bed and freshened up as best as she could with the dark brown wings on her back. Once she finished washing up, she looked at herself in the mirror and turned slightly so she could see what it looked like behind her. She grinned, finding she enjoyed the look. Her gaze darkened however when she remembered that Terry hated the look almost as much as he hated Jokers.
Shaking her head to rid herself of thoughts of him she set to work at her computer, hacking into FED files to get recently updated maps and blue prints of the city.
Downstairs, the door slammed shut. "I'm home! You awake?" A loud thumping sound like something heavy falling followed this call. "Ow!"
Max grabbed the maps and blueprints she had just finished printing and came to the top of the stairs and carefully made her way down the stairs. "Hey, you okay?" she asked, wondering what on earth Arianna had done to hurt herself.
Arianna shook her head to clear it, laying on her back in the midst of a pile of books on the floor. "Yes. This just hasn't been my day today." She said, slowly turning over.
"Why? Has something happened?" Her gaze then darkened. "Was it Terry?"
"Yes." The word was spoken though clenched teeth. "Damn batman!" She got to her feet when her crutches were secure and limped over to the couch. When she saw her bag had ripped open, tears filled her eyes. "Oh no! Not my bag!"
"What? Tell me what happened." said Max, a concerned look coming onto her face as she sat down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"What happened was he cornered me and I almost ripped half his face off." Arianna said tightly as she examined her bag. "He was ranting about how I had no right to choose who got wings and who didn't, among other things.
Her fledgling frowned in concern. "Maybe I should go talk to him." she said. "Perhaps if I tried to get him to see that everything is fine then he won't be bothered by it as much."
"No, I don't want you anywhere near him sister." Her eyes hotly burning with rage. "I don't want him to get any ideas."
Max sighed and looked down. "Alright." she desperately wanted to help Arianna escape his rage. She also desperately wanted Terry not to hate her for what she had consented to. Time would only tell just how much Terry cared for Max. Whether or not he was willing to look past her wings to see the true friend he once had.
Arianna buried her head in her hands. "I wanted to kill him Max." She said softly.
"Why are you so angry? What did he say?" she asked.
"He..." She swallowed hard. "He accused me of letting you have wings without the full knowledge of what it meant. He also accused me of using you to get back at him. Batman told him about my title, and he says that this whole Nephlim thing is based on my ego and that anyone who had wings would be brainwashed into serving me." She clenched her hand into a fist. "Before I left, he said I was no better than that fake doctor and that I'd ruined your life forever."
Max's eyes widened. "Why did he say such cruel things to you?" she asked her queen. After all, he knew she did this by her own choice. "I must talk with him, to at least tell him it's not your fault. To tell him I've not been brain washed."
The brunette had calmed down slightly. "He and I have a past." She explained everything to Max, holding nothing back and finishing with. "It doesn't help that I'm the reason Dana dumped Terry in the first place."
"Their relationship was rocky to begin with. It was hardly your fault." she replied and sighed.
"I think Terry's main problem is that it is permanent. There is no turning back once the choice is made." She gripped her hands in her lap. "He doesn't understand why you have to be completely committed to this."
Max sighed. "I bet he'd change his mind about it if he were one of us." she muttered. "He doesn't understand what he hasn't yet experienced."
She shook her head. "No, I don't think so Max. I made him the offer already, and he refused. Besides, I don't think he could make the sacrifice required."
"You never know. I think he'd be an interesting bat." she smiled softly. "Why is it we can't have human contact? Even with our own family?"
"Because in time you will forget you were anything else. Besides, do you really want to have a repeat of batman's reaction?" She raised her eyebrow. "Until we can stand on our own without relying on others, it's best to remain separate."
"I suppose." she replied but quickly grinned. "Anyway, guess what I got for you."
Arianna grinned. "What's up?"
The pink haired teen reached behind her and showed Arianna the papers. "I managed to hack into FED files to get detailed maps and blueprints of the city. Recently updated ones too." she replied with a grin.
Joy made her glow as the queen's face lit up. "You've been busy haven't you?" She murmured in warm approval. Studying the maps, she raised an eyebrow. "Hmm... interesting."
Max grinned. "For five hours or so." she confessed but frowned when she turned her attention to what Arianna found interesting. "What's interesting?" she asked.
"There's a whole portion of the city that looks to be cut off from the rest." She traced the area. "If it's a criminal hive, we can kick them out and take over... maybe." Looking thoughtful, she tapped her finger against the place on the map.
Max's eyes widened. "Are you serious? The two of us? We'd die trying!"
"I never said we had to do it tonight."
"I know but still. If it's infested with criminals we don't stand a chance."
Putting the maps and ripped bag aside, she stood up. "Slow and steady wins the race. The goal might be high, but it's something to keep in mind." Remembering the gift she dropped, Arianna looked down at the books on the floor, an amused smile quirked her lips before she gestured to her sister. "I brought you some books."
Max grinned down at them and whistled. "My, I guess I should get reading." she picked them up and held them to her chest. "Thanks. So, what now?" she asked.
"I'm going to take a shower and a quick nap if that's okay." Arianna replied with a yawn. "I haven't slept since yesterday morning. There's some steak left over if you want any."
"Will do." replied Max and made her way over to the fridge. "Oh, before you go, is there anyone else you're planning on giving wings to? Anyone that catches your interest?"
"Chaos is the top choice at the moment... and I have my eye- literary- on another handful of people, but nothing concrete at the moment."
"Chaos huh? That's a pretty good choice. I assume he knows about you being spliced?"
"Yeah, he knows, and has been breathing down my neck ever since. It might come down to either turning him or killing him."
"I think he'd make a powerful ally if he were serious about this. Was he in class today?"
"No, and that worries me." Arianna yawned again.
"Well you go rest. Things will be fine with me here." she reassured and put the leftover steak in the microwave to heat up.
Arianna stumbled to the bathroom, it was clear she was on her last legs of energy. Which made it all the more meaningful that she'd asked Max if she'd be okay rather than just going straight to bed.
As Max was finishing the last of the steak the door knocked. Frozen for a moment, Max got up and peeked around the curtain, fearing that the person at the door was Terry. She was relieved however, when she saw Chaos. She went to the door and opened it while hiding her wings from the view of others outside if they happened to walk by and look in.
"Max-" he paused with wide eyes when he came in.
Max closed the door behind him and rolled her eyes. "Don't look surprised Chaos, it was bound to happen sooner or later."
"I asked her first." he hissed.
"Look, I don't know the details of your relationship but if I were you I'd chill out. Trust me, your time will come." she replied. "Now, my queen is sleeping, can I take a messege?"
"I was just checking on her. I haven't seen much of her as of late."
"That's sweet." she smiled. "I bet you were going to ask her on a date."
"That's none of your concern."
"Maybe not. But breathing down her neck isn't going to get you anywhere."
"Yeah? And what you do suppose I should do?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Prove yourself to her."
"How?"
Max grinned. "You have to find that out on your own."
Chaos' jaw clenched with frustration. "Tell her I came by and that I request she comes to my home tonight."
"I'll relay the message, however whether or not she shows up is entirely her choice."
"Understood." with that he grabbed a pencil and paper and left directions on how to get to his place then left just as quickly as he came. Max sighed and locked the door after him and went back up to her room to do some more research for Arianna.
Arianna came out of her room a little while later. "I'm up!" She called. "Anything happen while I was dead to the world?"
"Yeah," she called back, then emerged to stand at the top of the stairs. "Chaos came by. Said he wants you to visit him tonight. He left directions for you in the kitchen."
"Shit!" Her queen cursed. "I take it he's not happy?"
"Not in the least. I assume he's going to chew you out, but maybe not. He came by to talk to you so it may be something important." she shrugged.
Arianna sighed. "I wanted to start your training tonight..." She muttered. "How are you doing up there?"
"A lot better than I first thought." she replied. "I've got a copy of every FED file on the criminals that are running businesses either underground or out in the open. I figure that if we're going to get to the bottom of cleaning Gotham we should study our opponents."
"You are really on the ball. I'm proud of you fledgling." The queen praised. "Are you going to be a while? Or are you almost done?"
"I've just got to touch up a few things but other than that I'll be done in about ten minutes." she replied, glowing at the praise she was getting.
Arianna looked really annoyed now. "All right... I'll take a fast shower then I'll show you some easy exercises to do while I see what Chaos wants. I'm sorry fledgling, I know I've left you on your own a lot..."
"Sure thing and don't worry, there's a lot to do so I don't mind, at least I still see you." she reasoned and with a small smile, she went back up to her room to finish what she had started.
Still really pissed, Arianna took the fastest shower of her life. Dressing in her only remaining clean uniform, she mounted the stairs with her wet hair only half braided. Clearly, even though Max had said she didn't mind, her queen felt otherwise…
The dark haired teen sat at the kitchen table to his small apartment, facing the body sized screen door with an impatient expression on his face. He wanted to talk to Arianna more than he first thought. For what reason, he didn't yet know. He told himself repeatedly it was because he wanted to discuss his receiving of the wings but deep down he knew it was something more complicated than that.
Arianna landed and cupped her wings around her like a cloak, a slingshot ready in one hand. She looked nervous and more than a little annoyed as she carefully scanned the area around her before rapping on the frame of the door.
Immediately he was at the door. He grinned slightly at her as he opened the door for her. "Good evening Arianna. Did you rest well?" he asked and once she was in, he closed the door behind him.
"Yes I did." After scanning the room sharply, she dropped her rock in the pouch at the belt of her waist and tucked the slingshot beside it. Since her uniform was a dark brown in color, it looked like she was dressed for battle.
Chaos raised an eyebrow at her outfit but didn't question it now. "Would you like a drink?" he asked and led her further into his apartment until they were both in his kitchen.
"Water, if you please." She replied, still trying to figure out what he wanted.
He nodded and took out a can of root beer for himself and a bottle of water for Arianna and sat down in the chair. "Are you able to sit?" he asked, gesturing to the chair across from him.
She nodded, sitting down in the chair, but leaning forward slightly so that nothing was pressing on her wings. Arianna was being prim and polite, even in private acting like a queen.
"So, Max has wings. When did this occur?" he questioned but kept all hints of the irritation he felt to himself, away from his tone and expression.
"She was 'reborn' last night, hence why I was sleeping when you arrived."
"When did she ask?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in slight annoyance and jealousy.
Arianna narrowed her eyes. "That is a private matter." She answered coldly. "She asked, I tested, she passed."
"You never tested me." he replied. "Or is it that you don't know if I should get the wings because I passed but you still don't trust me."
"It isn't a test if you know you are being tested." Arianna snapped after taking a drink, though privately flinching at his insight.
Chaos stayed silent for a moment before taking a sip of his drink. "So, am I passing? More than you hoped I would?"
The queen didn't answer, just frowned in disapproval. "What do you think?"
"I wouldn't know. I haven't seen you since the dinner we went on. By the way, are you still interested in going to a drive in?"
"Yes, but that will have to wait for a while yet."
Chaos sighed. "Alright, I'm going to take down my barrier and give it to you straight." he said and leaned forward on the table. "I like you. I don't know why and I don't know when it happened but I find you interesting. Give me wings or don't give me wings, it won't make a difference. Now, I know you said now isn't the time for a movie, but everyone has to eat. How about lunch tomorrow?"
She raised her eyebrow. "Chaos I may like you too, but that doesn't change the fact that I have responsibilities. I have a fledgling now who needs my care and protection. Batman is rather pissed at me, and I need to keep my eye on her."
"I never said Max couldn't join us." he replied with a raised eyebrow. As much as he wanted Arianna alone on a date, he knew in order to win her over he would have to be open to anything. And he was. For now.
She smiled but shook her head. "We can wait until she's fledged, there's no sense in insulting her by treating her as if she needs a nursemaid."
"I hardly think going out to lunch is catering but alright, I see your point." he sighed but smiled at her anyway. "What are your plans for her?"
Arianna glared. "Chaos..." She warned
"Alright, alright." he sighed and got up from the table. "I guess you'll want to get back."
She stood up as gracefully as she could, spreading her wings for balance. "Thank you for the water, may I take the bottle with me?"
"Anything you want." he replied and put a hand in his pocket. A split second later he leaned down placed his lips on hers. He lingered for a few seconds before pulling back, satisfied that he finally gave her a kiss.
Arianna sat right back down on her seat in shock. "What was that for?"
Grinning madly he shrugged. "For now, think of it as a goodbye gift until next time."
Taking a deep breath, she got up and left Chaos's apartment more quickly than she had entered, stopping just long enough to rearm herself before taking off again.
Chaos chuckled in amusement as he watched Arianna flee- for that's what it was- his apartment. She always seemed to amuse him whether she tried to or not. That was why every time he thought of her as a queen; he always frowned. It suited her, but at the same time, it didn't. She wasn't like any of the queens he has read about in stories. He guessed that's what made her unique from all the rest. He smiled, finding he liked it anyway. Chaos grinned stupidly as he thought about her. Yes, she was different indeed. She was strong, clearly depended on no one, especially men, but even more important, she took her role seriously. Other queens would brag about their plans but she put her fledglings' needs above everyone else.
Still upset, the Nephilim queen nonetheless flew straight back to the house. It was a risk leaving Max alone while batman was still around, but she'd made sure there had been a baseball bat in her sister's room in case of trouble. She frowned, reminding herself that she needed to talk about having a Nephilim name. Stopping at Max's window, she tapped on the glass.
Max opened the glass as soon as she heard the tap. "The front door isn't good enough anymore?" she asked, amusement clear in her voice.
"I didn't want to give anything away in case of unwelcome company." Arianna answered, tucking her wings in as she climbed inside. "Everything quiet?"
"Yeah, not even the mailman came by today. So, how did it go?"
"He was prying about you and seemed jealous." She shrugged, tossing her braid behind her.
"Really? What did he say? That he should have been first to receive the gift?"
"More or less, yeah."
Max chuckled. "My, my, what a silly little man. Did you tell him off?"
"I told him at it was my choice, so stay out of it."
"Good. Was he angry?"
"He was good at hiding it, but yeah."
Amused, Max narrowed her eyes at Arianna but smirked. "Are you hiding something?"
"He tired to ask me out, and then stole a kiss when I left." Her face turned red.
Max chuckled softly. "Aw, in a sick way that's kind of cute."
Arianna paced. "I don't know what to do about him sister, I really don't. There's no way to test him without his knowing it that I can see."
"Don't be so upset. How do you test us anyways?" she asked.
"Normally, I've follow someone for weeks to see what they are like before I even approach them. If I like someone, I give them the Choice and let them think about it, but keep an eye on them to see what they do. Some refuse to my face, others show their true colors."
"And Chaos?"
"Chaos already knows about me. I told you how we met." She stroked her braid as she paced awkwardly. "He'll suspect I'm following him and will play being the good boy."
"What if he doesn't know it's not you that's following him? What if I follow him?"
"He would know that you report back to me wouldn't he?" Arianna asked.
"Well he might suspect it for a while. But if I hang out with him more as a friend then a spectator then he might think I'm as innocent as I look."
"And can you watch him without letting your personal feelings get in the way?"
"Of course, this is an experiment. Friendship can come later if he passes."
"Very well, but if you catch him stealing again..." Arianna left the sentence hanging, but she was wearing her queen's face, which meant that this was an order that Max had to obey.
Max nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, I'll report back to you and we can find someone else other than Chaos." he confirmed. The pink haired teen smiled at Arianna, admiring that even though she was only five foot tall, she seemed so much taller when she was acting like the queen she was.
Arianna frowned quietly. "Have you decided on a name yet?" She adjusted her wings slightly. "I'm curious, are you good at languages?"
"Actually I've thought of a name." she said and flushed with slight embarrassment. "Don't laugh ok?"
"I would never laugh at your name little sister." Arianna said solemnly.
"SwiftSpy..."
"I think it suits you. As a falcon, I think you'll be the fastest out of all of us, including me. And you do spy on the humans."
"Yeah that's why I chose it." she smiled shyly. "Thanks." she said gratefully and sighed with relief. "I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not."
"Your welcome. Eventually, I'd like for the Nephilim to have their own language..."
"That'd be pretty interesting. How would you go about doing that though? Making up a language would be so hard."
"I'm hoping we can somehow acquire a linguist in our midst, or someone who likes languages." She sighed. "Yes, I'm thinking very far ahead SwiftSpy."
"That's alright. It's better to think far ahead then to not be prepared at all."
"I agree... I had another thought too... but Batman's going to kill us if he finds out what we are up to..."
"What is it?" she asked, curiosity flashing through her dark brown eyes.
"Remember that potion of the city we found on the map that is basically the main viper's nest? Well, what if we turn that viper's nest into our own city once we clean them out? A city within a city. We could invite the humans in my territory to settle there and let everyone have an equal fresh start. True, I'd rather the city as a Nephilim only place, but I'm willing to be flexible as long as they treat us with the proper respect."
"Wow, that's quite the vision." suddenly she grinned wickedly. "I love it. We need to get started straight away. I'll start on Project Chaos ASAP too. That way we have more recruits."
"The sky is the limit, the humans might try to limit us, but we can't limit ourselves too." Arianna replied. "I'll see what I can do about the language project; we'll be needing that soon."
"Why would we need it soon? Shouldn't we get settled and then start on our own language?"
"Humans are nosy, and we don't want batman involved. The sooner we have our own language, the better. If we do it while we are small in number, the easier it will be in the long run."
"Ah, nice thinking." she complimented. "Well, I'm going to see if I can dig up anything good from the low class criminals that will allow the police to arrest them once we dump them on their door step."
"How are your wings feeling SwiftSpy?" Arianna wanted Max to get used to her new name.
Smirking at the name, she replied. "They're feeling pretty good actually. I can't wait to use them."
Arianna frowned as she circled Max. "I wish I still had Snowball..." She muttered as she examined her sister's wings.
"Why do you wish you had Snowball? Other than the obvious reasons?"
"Because I want to make you new clothes that suit your station." Arianna replied, still frowning as her mismatched eyes took on a slightly distant look.
Max's eyes lit in interest. "An outfit? Like what?" she asked. Personally all she saw herself being able to wear was her regular clothes since that's all she ever wore. Ever.
"Like my flying suits for a start, but eventually I'll design a whole wardrobe for you." Arianna replied, absently frowning again at Max's hair.
"I know I know, I need to dye my hair." she sighed, hopping that her queen would have forgotten but it was apparent that she hadn't forgotten.
"I didn't know the color was permanent."
"It's not really a problem. I guess I could dye it. Dark brown?"
"If you wanted to shave it and let it go back to it's natural color, I have no objection." Ari studied the other woman. "Gold and brown..." She was planning Max's wardrobe.
"Good idea." she replied and grinned. "Gold and brown huh? What will it look like?"
Arianna shook herself back to the here and now. "Say what?"
"What do the clothes you're envisioning look like?"
"I'll let you know when I have time to plan it out. The flying outfits will be the same as mine though... Reminds me, I need to make a special formal suit for me..."
"Are you planning on making a visit to the Commissioner's home? To at least tell her to lay off?"
"Yes, I'm tired of the runaround, so I'm going to confront them directly."
"Good. I suppose I'm not allowed to come along for that ride?"
"Are you up to being a bodyguard?" Arianna asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm so up for that!" she exclaimed excitedly and clapped.
Her Queen's lips twitched. "It won't be done tomorrow night; we'll have time for the beginning of your weapon's training. I won't lie SwiftSpy, I'm going to work you until you drop."
That made her back straighten. "Uh...really? Cause that might be within the first five minutes." she laughed nervously. "I'm not good with physical training so this might take a lot of work."
"You'll learn, and you'll turn out better than me since your body completely works." Arianna sounded confident. "Too bad we don't have a gym..."
"Ah, that's where I might come in handy. My parents own a gym a few blocks away from here. It's a private gym of course but my parents never go to it so it should be fine to use."
"Can we get in after hours?"
"It's closed then but I can hack the pass codes so the alarm system won't go off."
The queen smiled her approval. "Well done, we'll pay them back when we can, no sense in being accused of stealing the services."
"We don't need to pay them if I'm allowed to use it for free. If they notice anything out of place, I'll tell them I used it. They won't be any the wiser since I'll have looked toned up by the time they notice."
"All right. As long as they won't get you into trouble for it."
"No I won't get into trouble. Don't worry." she smiled and then added. "So, when do I start my training?"
Now Arianna smirked. "I have all night if you do."
"I'm all yours."
