Chapter Two

Aisha's PoV

Aisha had always thought that magic, if it did exist, should find a way to co-exist with technology. Even though she had an affinity for water—and thus sometimes she and technology did not mix at all—she did still felt this way.

Perhaps it was because she'd thought when she was young, that she had some magic over water when it came out of the pipes. After all, if one had their hands under something and water ran over them, a child would think it was their limbs that were creating the substance, wouldn't they?

Aisha was having these kinds of thoughts while she was in class right now… as she dreamed that she could actually make something of her life. Aisha wanted to do something both practical and dreamy, so she could always make ends meet, but also not want to die in a career that she hated.

And, of course… it would be when she thought she was maybe finding her answer, about what field she should go into, that one of the rooms nearby would burst into flame, so that she and everyone else would have to swiftly evacuate their classroom!

Aisha did just that, making sure to aid any student who might have fallen in their distress to get out of the building.

It was then that she saw him, as they all got to the designated meeting place the school had set up, in case there was ever a fire there.

He looked to Aisha what a prince might have, in some alternate universe. Because he looked well-put-together, which was what made Aisha think of a royal or nobleman, but he was also rocking dreadlocks and an MP3 player playing loud rock music; and thos parts were what made Aisha think he could have been royal in an alternate universe. Not this one.

He was also certainly attractive. And Aisha was smitten, despite herself.

And the man must have seen that Aisha hadn't quite made it across the street yet, because he linked Aisha's arm with his own and pulled her as far away from the fire as she could be in this meeting location.

And yes, Aisha thought she may have just been falling in love.

Aisha and the man parted ways for a little bit, so Aisha could go to her teacher doing roll call, but he found her again a little while later.

And then somehow and some way, he asked the questions of Aisha's dreams! "Do you want to start a business with me?" And this made Aisha do a double-take, because she probably did... but how would he have guessed that, and why was he singling her out in particular But more importantly: "You ask someone that right after a fire?!"

"I saw you went back to help the others in this disaster. And if that doesn't speak of your character, I don't know what does. So, what do you say? I'm Nabu, by the way."

And, dangit. Nabu was smiling at Aisha now—far too prettily, while he seemed to be thanking her for having a good heart—and there was really only one thing she could say to this, wasn't there?

Since fate had finally seemed to find a way to make her dreams come true, when she was so indecisive.

Aisha stuck her hand out and shook Nabu's, grinning herself now. "Sure. Why not? Let's give it a go!"

Musa's PoV

Musa had always known that music could have a powerful effect on people. She had grown up watching Phantom of the Opera, after all, so such a belief had been instilled in her at a young age. Though she didn't go as far as to think music could necessarily hypnotize someone like that musical said, she did think that music could be one of the most seductive things out there, and so much more.

Like right now, when Musa was working at the grocery store, she knew that the slow jazz being played was to entice buyers to slow down and relax so they'd want to buy more. And while Musa hated that manipulative marketing strategy, she still had to respect that someone had figured that all out...

And that was even the real reason as to why she worked at "Gobble Up Groceries". Aside from the fact she needed the money, she was hoping she could figure out the reverse of that, almost: the type of music one could play in a store, so they wouldn't lose all of their hard-earned cash—but that the companies wouldn't realize was too different from their normal music they played here, and that Musa had played them—but still bought just enough so the shops could stay in business. Because, at the end of the day, Musa was nothing but someone who cared deeply about people.

And it was when she was doing more research on this subject, that she saw the crash site on the TV. It seemed a train had escaped its track, and caught fire! Two people had survived forensics was finding out, but they had disappeared into the ether right afterwards.

And if that wasn't just spooky to Musa. She also had a thing for ghost stories, murder mysteries (though she was praying this wasn't one of those), and anything like that. And there was a part of her that wanted to go to where this disaster had happened—not too far from her home, surprisingly enough—and see if she could figure this all out for herself.

Musa thought that maybe she could commune with the dead via her music, too, and that maybe some phantoms out there might be able to tell her what happened to the two missing survivors, this way.

After all… if ghosts would talk to people over a Ouija board, how much moreso might they be drawn into someone singing for them, since music was the ultimate kind of sublime communication that had been invented by the gods?

"Musa," Brandon, Musa's co-worker, spoke to Musa now, with an accusing lilt in his voice, but it was all in good fun. "You look like you're about to jump into the Mystery Machine and do some investigating, Scooby-Doo style. And if you're going to do that… mind if I go with you? You know I love danger, too, and I want to make sure you stay safe."

And bless Brandon right now. He was trying to fix the bottom tray of her cash register—that held all the money, of course—that had gotten wopperjawed lately.

And it was that, more than anything else—that he was a good friend—that had Musa agreeing with him, since she didn't need his protection or anything like that. "If you want to," Musa beamed at him. "We could probably convince Vanessa to let us go nos, since it's Christmas Eve and I don't think anyone else is coming in tonight."

Sure enough, Vanessa was an angel and did just that—and she made both of them promise to enjoy their Christmas more than they worried about the store these few Holiday days, before she bid them adieu.

Tecna's PoV

Tecna, like her name made her sound (and her parents must have been psychic to call such a thing, she thought now), loved technology more than anything.

At the young age of eight, she'd been able to hack into government databases, just for fun, and had then been recruited by the CIA when she turned eighteen: the states had been willing to let bygones be bygones, as long as she worked for them. And she had, of course, in not seeing another way out then.

Though Tecna had left them a year ago, when she was twenty-one. And there were days that she certainly thought that the agency might try to burn her or kill her, in thinking she was too much of a threat.

But for now… they seemed content to let her be, since she was the best of the best and would freelance for them sometimes, when they really needed her once more.

What Tecna really cared about, though, was Global Warming. And trying to get the world to go green, so they might serve the Earth.

Tecna wished that she could just tell the U.S. to trust her when it came to this, since she had saved their lives numerous times and would with this, too, if they just listened.

But she knew that such a thing would be impossible, of course.

Sometimes, Tecna hated the need for secrecy so very much.

So, even though it wasn't her cup of tea, she was trying to see if she could find a way design more efficient solar-powered windmills, here in her studio.

Tecna was currently on the phone with her boyfriend Timmy, who was telling her what sort of outfit she'd need to wear if she wanted to schmooze at this event with him tonight, to try to make her voice heard.

And… she was somewhat a contradictory person… because while she knew she was pretty and could clean up well—and would look more than fine, in this slinky dark blue dress, bordering on black—sometimes she wished that she… wasn't this smart: that she wasn't who she was, since the world didn't think that "nerdy" and "lovely" went hand-in-hand.

And sometimes, Tecna wondered if she wouldn't have been happier, if she hadn't been born with such a big brain, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Was there?

"Anyway, Timmy," Tecna joked now. "We'd better find a way to save this world, before fairies from the woodlands kill us all for destroying their homes—and for what we've done to the planet as a whole—like I read about in that children's book when I was young."