31
"You deliberately escaped your protection detail and you made sure your phone was not traceable. You are very much in breach of your contract with us!" Madelyn snapped as I just sat across her desk. I didn't respond. I didn't need to. What was she going to do, break my contract and fire me? She curled her fingers and placed them over her desk. "But you willingly returned with Black Noir when he came to get you. Just in time. So, I will ignore this little unsanctioned field trip you went on today."
Still I did not speak and she sighed heavily and shook her head.
"Ayana, I am not your enemy. I have watched you grow from a little girl into a talented and beautiful woman-"
"Yet you basically imprisoned me here because I can see into all of your enemies… and your allies. Who knows what would happen if I actually did try and escape." I said sharply, my face showing my anger. She leaned back and sighed nodding some.
"Maybe I went overboard with my statements earlier. In no way are you a prisoner here and in no way is any supe or human allowed to ever use violence toward you. You are free to come and go as you please, but your main residence will remain here for your protection." she said. There was so much to unpack in her statements alone.
"I don't need protection. No one knows my abilities unless someone here tells them." I replied. She shook her head.
"It seems you do. Homelander and the others discovered some information at the apartment you led them to from your earlier reading." she said. That guy from the human trafficking case. I shrugged.
"What did they find?" I asked, and she leaned over to her computer and began to type something before turning her screen to me. I leaned forward immediately as I saw photos of myself in different places that I had gone to and I blinked heavily confused.
"There was a flash drive recovered with multiple pictures of future victims. These men were hunting and stalking everyone on said flash drive preparing to abduct them. Apparently a very powerful Iranian drug lord was about to pay major cash to have you in his possession." she said. I could feel the disgust building in my body at her words along with fear. I shivered some leaning back looking down.
"What happened to the man who had the flash drive? Do I need to read him too?" I asked softly. Madelyn shook her head.
"There's not much left of him or the many men who tried to fight against the supes. Black Noir made quite a mess of the place. Had to send a team quick to clean up the pieces." she said almost with a hint of pride in her tone. I looked up at her. So that's why he was covered in blood and shaking uncontrollably at the cemetery. Black Noir doesn't shake not from emotions that involve others. Madelyn leaned back some looking at me with authority.
"Because you are a member of Vought and was personally targeted, I have Black Noir already on a plane to Iran. He is going to handle the situation. But did you notice something from the photos I just showed you?" she asked. I looked up at her and glanced at the back of the computer screen. I did.
"One of the photos are from the eyes wide shut party… someone took it of me there, someone who either worked here-"
"Or the men who broke into Vought on the same night to take you. We can only conclude that is why they were here to try and kidnap you to throw you deep into the human trafficking world." she said.
There was so much to process right now. But one thing is for sure, I knew Billy and whoever he worked with, wasn't involved in human trafficking. But I couldn't tell Madelyn that. She'd question me and I'd have to eventually bring up my run in with Billy and that kiss. He doesn't seem like the guy who would just do something as random as kiss a stranger especially one he believed to be a supe. He didn't hesitate. I needed to figure things out first starting with me.
"Well it seems you have things under control then. I will remain in this building for the rest of the day… but I do not want Homelander anywhere near me unless his job is to keep me safe." I replied standing up. Madelyn seemed pleased with my statement since it involved me staying where she could keep an eye out on me.
"I am sure I can make that change for you." she said and I nodded. Without saying anything else, I left the office. So Black Noir was in Iran handling the human trafficking issue. But it was only for me. He alone wouldn't stop the continuation of it. I entered the closest women's bathroom and already noticing one door shut but with no feet. I stiffened knowing who was behind it. I moved over to the closest sink and leaned over it looking at my reflection. I just stared at it for a moment as I couldn't think well with the extra body in the room.
"I know you are there." I said out loud. There was silence for a moment before suddenly the door bursts back. I couldn't see anything of course but I could feel a body close behind me.
"You're going to tell everyone you lied about what you saw in me." Translucent demanded. I had no time for this. I just continued to glare at space in the mirror behind me.
"You're in a woman's bathroom now. Clearly if I said anything I'd be lying. Besides no one cares about your affinity for girls- Ah!" I cried out suddenly as I felt the back of my neck being gripped hard and I was turned around to face nothing. Suddenly, my body is forced up onto the sink, my head hitting the mirror hard enough to crack. I growl at the pain and I look straight ahead.
"You cunt! That's not the point! You know my age limit is seventeen and up! Nothing below! You started this rumor to fucking ruin my life and even now you're still here!" he snapped. Now I knew only The Seven and Ashley knew of this secret I revealed and none of them really cared to go out of their own ways to tell someone about him. Maybe Annie? I felt my hair being gripped and my scalped burn and I cried out some as I raised my hand to the invisible hand. I was still here? Now it all made sense.
"You! You took pictures of me and gave them to the human traffickers." I said.
"It was an easy plan. Dumb fucks couldn't grab you when you were out in the City. But it doesn't matter now. Black Noir isn't here to protect you." he said and I scoffed.
"So you're going to kill me in the bathroom because you're paranoid that one of The Seven could out you to the public." I said. I heard him scoff, and quickly I could feel my skin crawling as I felt a hand moving over my thigh.
"No I'm going to show you that you're lying." he said viciously and my eyes widened immediately as I knew what he meant. I immediately started to struggle and tried to scream but I suddenly felt a hand strike me in the face. I spin off the sink and my mind is a blur as well as my vision as I hit the wall and fall to the ground. I yelped as I'm grabbed and forced up against the wall and immediately my hands shoot out trying to get a firm grip on his face. It didn't take long to find it.
Thank God. My fingers can easily outline his face and immediately my thumbs connect to his eyes just as his fingers are curling around my neck. I scream as my thumbs press into his eye sockets. He lets out a yell as he suddenly starts shaking some. His hands are still around my neck squeezing my wind pipe.
"Let me go!" I shriek out. Now there is silence and the fingers around me stop and now the hands leave me and I don't let go of his face. Now that I was released, I could feel something coming from him and into me. I blinked now noticing he wasn't saying anything, wasn't trying to pry my hands from him. I blinked more shaking some as I was confused to what was going on. "Sh-show yourself."
And just like that he did and he was just staring at me, even with my fingers on him. I was confused and still afraid as I slowly removed my fingers from his eyes to see he was just staring at me, brown eyes greyed out as if they were lifeless. I looked him over shaking some wondering what the hell did I just do. I still felt that connection of him inside me and I inside him. He was looking through me, not even doing anything. I slowly leaned around him and he didn't move. He just continued to look at the spot I was in. I don't know what I did, but I hurried around him moving to the door to get out of here.
But I suddenly paused and looked down some in thought. He did what I commanded. Like Billy did. Without hesitation. Why was that? I thought about everyone I have ever seen, the people I have been around. They're all drawn to me. For a reason I didn't know, but people are drawn to me. There is something… an energy that once close enough to me changes people. I slowly looked up and over at Translucent. He was still standing there. I had to do something with him though. He attacked me and I knew if I didn't do something he would come for me again. And with his ability I refused to be on my guard forever. I felt my body tighten and my hands clench into tight fists. I looked at myself in the mirror to see my lip was busted and cheek cut from his assault.
My face shook as I saw the blood slowly slide down my cheek. No. The girls he was with faced way more trauma then what I had just experienced. Never again. I didn't know what I was doing, but I was sure he wouldn't be like this forever. I looked at Translucent viciously and then the bathroom stall.
"Stick your head inside the toilet and hold it there until I command you to come up." I stated. The man turned and just calmly began to move toward the stall. Now I watched with a hint of shock, but it faded immediately as he got down on his knees and stuck his head deep into the toilet. I stood there now and just watched as his feel slowly began to kick and his body began to buck some as I watched with almost fascination as this indestructible Supe was drowning himself. I could stop this. I knew he was suffering, I could feel it. But I also could feel the girls fears as they begged him to stop. I just watched calmly and collectively at his body as it continued to buck and shake and convulse. I could feel his life in panic around me. The fear inside him, I could feel and slowly that link was fading away as his hands plopped to the ground as he went from holding the edge of the toilet to now lifeless. I finally let out a breath as I realized what just happened. Now it was quiet in the bathroom.
The door of the bathroom opened and Ashley entered looking at me with a quick smile.
"Hey Ayana." she replied before she finally looked into the stall and she jumped and gasped covering her mouth at the sight before her. "Oh my god. What did you do!" She looked at me dramatically and I just looked at her revealing my bruised face and she gasped softly at me. Slowly she looked at Translucent's dead body and I said nothing else except walk around her and exited the bathroom with a fiercens I had never felt before.