Lisa laid back on her bed with headphones around her head. She needed this break. She still had responsibilities she needed to attend to, but a short escape from her life was something she was long overdue for. She'd spent a year wrapped around Coil's thumb, and hadn't laid in her bed peacefully since the day she robbed the bank with Taylor.

Taylor... Even relaxed, Lisa's mind still wondered towards the things that stressed her out the most. She had never imagined that a stranger would drive her into becoming a Brokton Bay crime lord.

Am I guilty? Tattletale asked herself. She was solely responsible for adding Taylor to the team. She'd ruined Taylor's chance of a bright future by dragging her into the underworld for shits and giggles. Lisa's betrayal of Coil was tightly tied with that fact that she didn't want Taylor to become another statistic like her brother was.

Reggie... Self-doubt clouded her whenever her mind headed towards that direction. It was like weights pulled down at her chest every time the name crossed her mind. She had technically moved on from it, or at least, had learned to stop thinking about it. But Taylor had brought back old insecurities in her that had made her act defiantly. She didn't regret any of the actions she'd done throughout her young lifespan, but she still wished she could've made better choices.

How does Matthew do it? He was open, unafraid to talk or think about touchy subjects. It was like a sort of self-therapy, Lisa realized. He preferred to look into the darkness of his own mind and heart, embrace it, and learn to live with it. He wasn't weighed down by his mistakes like she was. Lisa preferred to pretend her tragedies had never happened.

Unhealthy, she thought blandly to herself. But she'd never tried it before, so she might as well give it a chance.

She closed her eyes. She thought about all of the mistakes and self-doubts she'd ever accumulated throughout her lifetime. Coil. Brian. Rachel. Taylor. Amy. Reggie. Mom and Dad. She recoiled. The thoughts were beginning to pain her, but she was beginning to understand the necessity of it. She closed her eyes again, and began embracing the negative thoughts.

I've hurt people, and I need to live with it. No more pretending it never happened.

Her phone rang. She read the caller ID; Parian. "Yo," Lisa answered.

On the other line, Sabah let out a deep sigh. "Y'know..." She trailed off. "Being a villain... It was never on my to-do list... I had plans. I was going to college, I had career goals." She paused, reminiscing what those days were like. "Villainy, it was never on my list."

"Welcome to the club, sister."

Sabah sighed again, "so... I still have my doubts, y'know? I don't want to stay a villain if I don't have to."

"Wait, are you leaving?"

"No, no. I'm not leaving. I'm just saying..." She was doubtful, and unsure how to pick her words. "If I'm going to be villain, could you at least be professional about? Like, give me an upside on this line of business?"

"Um... Okay?"

Sabah took a deep breathe. "I headed to your office today. I figured I could use some more help with my territory, get some more guards and medics around me. I also wanted to chat with you, break into this 'being an Undersiders' thing. Maybe touch base after Skitter had left..." She paused, thinking more about how she could explain it.

"Sabah," Lisa cut her off. "What. Is. Wrong?"

Lisa could hear the pent up stress release on the other side of the line. "So I went to your command center, and I find one of your guards, high as fuck, singing on top of your desk."

Matthew.

Cannabis Chocolate.

Alec and Aisha.

"Mother-"

XXX

Sabah had hoped to have a more rational conversation with Tattletale, but after five more minutes of Lisa's cursing, Sabah gave up on that and put her on mute. I'm guessing she'll be on her way soon.

The guard sheepishly passed his wine to Lily. Before he let go of it, he paused, and looked at her intensely in the eyes. "When I die, don't wrap me up like a burrito. I don't want to die a burrito."

Lily chuckled, "preach it brother."

"Lily," Sabah said, "Please try to be serious here. We need the Undersiders to respect us. Let's try be sober when Li-, I mean Tattletale gets here." Sabah reached for the wine in her hands, but Lily retracted away.

"Oiy," Lily protested, "I haven't had a drink since I joined the Undersiders, I deserve a break!"

"You're seventeen!"

"That's never stopped me before. Pass me a cup dude!"

"No," Matthew said firmly. "I don't trust teenagers drinking."

"See?" Sabah said

He shot a glare at Parian, "What the hell is wrong with you? I'm fucked up, people shouldn't to listen to me."

Lily held in her laughter,"Can you still pour me a cup?"

"Sure." Matthew answered meekly.

"No." Sabah interrupted. "Tattletale is on her way, we both need to be clear headed when we talk with her."

Lily waved her hands at her, "don't take them too seriously. You have to remember, they're teenagers too."

Matthew pointed a finger at Lily, "Your costume's a lot brighter than I remember." He looked down to his hand. "Oh my God, these are my hands." He pressed his palms against his face.

"Whatever he's on, I want it."

"Now's not the time!"

Lily sighed, "fine. Okay, I'll be serious." She settled the wine bottle on Tattletale's desk, "but I'm taking that home when we're done here."

Matthew let go of his face. "THE UNIVERSE, I GET IT!"