CHAPTER THREE

You make me feel out of my element
Like I'm driftin' out to the sea
Like the tide's pullin' me in deeper
Makin' it harder to breathe

Chemicals React by Aly and AJ

Three weeks of spider-training on top of a forty-hour workweek should really do more to dampen her mood but Cassandra is thriving. Early morning jogs-er swings, to get used to her newfound means of travel, followed by work and afterward, patrol. The whole ordeal has her smiling like she's on top of the world. Not even Andrew's constant advances can dim her sunny mood.

"C'mon Cassie, just one dinner. You'll love it, I promise.

"After all we've been through? You don't wanna eat one meal with me?"

Can't you see how rich I am?"

He's persistent, but she continues to roll her eyes at his retreating back and exchange funny faces with Varian as he displays his pomp and arrogance.

The only thing better than spider-duty, (They've yet to think of a proper name for her new vigilante persona, but they're working on it!) is her morning deliveries to Sundrop. After the disastrous power outage incident, Cassandra had been nervous about being around her freckled drop of sunlight, but the following week she arrived with a carton of usuals and was greeted by sunlight and stars when Raps opened her office door.

"Cass! I'm so glad I caught you!"

"I'm sorry about last week."

"I love talking to you."

She's on her way to the media outlet for another early morning delivery on a chilly Monday in November, and traffic is terrible. She considers hiding her bike and taking the rooftops, but decides against it as the light at 14th and Summerset turns green. Sparkling green eyes glitter and gleam behind her eyes and she hums along to the low drum of music in her helmet. Thank you, Varian.

"Mornin' Cassandra!" Lance greets her with a smile and a wave, passing her temporary badge under the plexiglass of his security booth. "How have you been?"

They don't usually talk, but she shrugs with a laugh as she pins the purple badge to her coat. "Can't complain too much."

"I hear ya!" His boisterous laughter follows her up the hallway and into the elevator as she continues to hum along with the song she'd just been listening to.

Monday mornings were the most hectic for the small periodical, deadlines were up and projects were due. Cassandra offers a sympathetic smile to a few of her other regulars but makes a beeline for Rapunzel's office. The door is ajar, and the staccato of the blonde's keyboard fills the air. A soft knock draws emerald eyes away from her computer screen to steely gray.

"Cass." It's breathy, almost relieved, as she lays eyes on the smirking barista. "My hero." Cassandra chuckles, offering the steaming coffee to the frazzled woman.

"Not a hero, just a coffee delivery woman, at your service." As Rapunzel takes the cup, Cass offers a light bow with an easy flourish.

Her response is a giggle, soft like a song in the distance that Cass can't help but hum along to. "My coffee delivery hero. You saved my morning, as usual." She reaches out cautiously to slide sunkissed fingers into Cassandra's still warm palm. "What would I do without you?"

With her heart stuttering into a heavy drumline in her chest, Cass looks into pools of honest green, and for once, everything feels right. The stars have aligned, the clouds have parted, and the sun beams against her skin, warmth wrapped in the sky's blessing. "Probably the same thing, just a little slower." She mumbles, feeling too close and too far away from the smiling woman. "But if you were up to it, maybe we could grab dinner- or lunch… Sometime?"

Rapunzel's eyes widen, but before Cassandra can backpedal she smiles. "I'd love that."

"Yeah?" She's sure it's impossible to feel half as happy as she does. Her chest swells with joy, warm and sunny like the first signs of summer on a beach. "How about this weekend? Friday night?" She was off early on Fridays and there was an excuse if Raps wasn't having a good time since they both worked that morning.

Another tightness fills her chest as Raps squeezes her hand softly, "I'm free."

Fumbling with her phone, Cass offers the device to Rapunzel with a sheepish smile. "Here, I can pick you up? Or-uh, yeah! I can pick you up!" She'll have to talk to Varian about her scooter, maybe they could make it more presentable before Friday comes around. Rapunzel smiles like Cassandra hangs the stars at night and the dark-haired woman nearly shutters at the heat behind those forest green eyes.

"I can't wait." As she hands the battered device back to Cassandra, Rapunzel presses a soft kiss to a pale cheekbone, and Cassandra's breath catches in her throat. "Hopefully I can hear from you this time." She giggles as she leans back against her desk, and Cassandra can feel her newly acquired bioelectricity tickling her fingertips.

"Me either." She answers honestly, whispering the statement as she steps out of the office. She bumps into a brunette woman who scoffs and growls as she shoves past, but Raps laughs, and Cass offers one in return. "I should get going- uh- have a good day!" As she scurries into the elevator, Cass looks down at her phone. In her phone is a new contact, Raps, and it's already favorited.

Back at the coffee shop, she gushes to Varian, reflecting the smile Rapunzel offered her as she left her office. The teen is smiling, kicking his legs from his seat on the counter.

"She said she'd love to, Var! Love! I think I have a real chance!" She's breathless, still wearing her dark blue hoodie from her delivery.

"So no training Friday then?" He hops off the counter as their headsets beep and greets the customer with a cheerful tone. "Moon-drop cafe, what can I get started for you?" The speaker buzzes to life and their customer gruffs out an order that Cass starts to make with a hum.

"I think we stick to training in the morning for a few days, but I did have a little, teeny-tiny, minuscule, favor for you." Varian rolls his eyes as he tells the gentleman at the drive-through window his total.

The window shuts with a click, he calculates the change in his head and reaches for the already made coffee from his friend. The customer thanks him with a light huff and drives off, obviously irritated by something other than the small coffee shop. "What would that be, oh spider warrior?"

"Can you help me make my moped a little more presentable?" She smiles a little bashfully, cautious of asking the teen for more after all he's done for her.

"Yeah, I can help." He replies with a smile, "But you have to help me with something too."

"You got it, kid, anything.

Anything turned out to be a little more than she wanted to pursue. Varian's request was simple in theory; one of the kids that bullied him before he graduated stole something from him, something important, and he wanted her to get it back. What was stolen wasn't anything irreplaceable, but it was a gift from the teen's late mother when he was a child, and the memories attached to it were far more valuable than the device itself.

Scaling the side of the designated apartment building, Cassandra is dressed in her makeshift hero costume; a pair of tights over long socks and a thermal shirt under a blue hoodie to keep herself warm in the cooling weather. When she reaches the window she tugs down her balaclava mask and sneaks through the unlocked window. Slowly, she sneaks across the ceiling. It's late enough that everyone is asleep, and as long as she keeps quiet her task should be an easy one.

It doesn't take long to locate the bully's room, tacky and covered in his high school sports team's flags and posters. The kid is still awake, sitting on his computer with headphones on, playing some video game. She leans back on her heels, still stuck to the ceiling, and looks around. The device doesn't immediately stand out, and after a second and third look, she's still unable to locate it. That's when the flash of light from the kid's computer reflects across the room. Using her webs, Cass lowers herself to the floor and inspects the open backpack shoved near an overflowing closet.

Among various unopened school books and very smelly socks, she locates the handheld gaming device. It's a handheld game, very outdated for the time, but across the back of the small teal gadget reads Varian in sloppy black permanent marker. She tucks it into her hoodie pocket and pulls herself back to the ceiling. As she moves there's a tingle in the back of her mind, something dull but loud. A soft cracking noise catches her attention, but before she can respond to anything a piece of the ceiling crumbles and releases her webbing, sending her plummeting to the ground.

She stifles a yelp, but the teen still hears the sound of her body hitting the carpet in a low thump. He stands and whirls around, headphones flying off as his computer chair falls backward. He stands there in shock, watching the intruder closely. The world seems to stop and Cassandra can see her future clearly. He'd call the police and she'd be arrested. Her father would see her in cuffs again, and he would again be disappointed in her. She'd have to explain to him why she was there, and it wouldn't even matter. Worst of all, she'd probably be experimented on, since she had clearly been hanging from the ceiling.

She remembers her planned date with Rapunzel. She'd have to cancel, of course, inmates couldn't leave jail for a date. Well- not normally. The conversation floods her senses; Raps would be disappointed, but not about the date, no she'd be disappointed in Cassandra. The prospect fills her with an icy cold dread like her heart was pumping ice into her veins. No. Not like this.

The teen steps forward, mouth opening to yell, but nothing happens. He looks from side to side, lunging for his lamp beside his desk. His breathing is quick and frantic as he looks around.

"Show yourself!" He shouts as his eyes glance over Cassandra. What? She holds a hand up and startles when she can't see the limb. She whirls around and rushes into the hallway and out the window, not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Once out of the building she feels her adrenalin drain from her body. Her arms fall slack at her sides, holding herself against the outside of the building with her feet and back. "What the fuck was that?" She can see her hands now, but her body feels sluggish and tired. With a quick check, she locates Varian's game still safe in her pocket and sighs. At least she got what she came for, and didn't get arrested while doing so.

"I'm going to need a fanny-pack to get this thing home safe." She grumbles as she maneuvers back to the ground. She tugs her balaclava off and tucks it into her pocket. Behind a dumpster down the street, she withdraws a small backpack that contains her shoes and phone. She texts Varian that she's picked up the groceries and is now on her way to his place. She debates swinging there, but her energy is drained, and she can feel the chill of the night seeping through her clothes. I'm taking the train.

"That's at least three favors nerd," Cass growls as she dumps the backpack onto Varian's coffee table. He scrambles forward to catch the bag and opens it to withdraw the device.

With a sigh, he holds it close to his chest and smiles up at his friend. "I'll make it up to you Cass. Really." She can see how much the present means to him and waves him off awkwardly.

"Yeah, no problem squirt." Silence stretches between them and Cass fidgets uncomfortably. "There's uhhh… Another thing." She rubs the back of her neck cautiously, "I may have gone invisible while in that kid's place.

"You what?"