Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen
...
"Hey, hippie. How was work?" Warren asked, kissing her as she reached his car.
"Tiring. The Mayor has seven meetings in the next two days and needs summaries on the previous minutes for them because he forgot what happened. I read all of them for a good two hours. Booking AAA for road maintenance was actually fun in comparison," she said with a grin as she climbed into the passenger seat.
"Sounds like it. Home or the Hive?"
"Home; it's easier to catch the bus to school there," Layla said after a moment's consideration.
"And because everyone else is at the Hive so we have the house to ourselves?" Warren asked hopefully.
Layla laughed brightly. "Just drive. We'll see how I feel when we're there," she said, yawning widely as Warren drove out of the parking lot and towards Frieda's house.
She must have dozed off because the next thing Layla knew, she was opening her eyes and they were parked in Frieda's driveway.
"Not that you snoring isn't adorable, but I'd like to go inside sometime tonight."
"No car sex then?" Layla teased as she got out of the car, Warren spluttering behind her.
"I didn't say that!" Warren said as he followed her up to the porch, Layla kissing his protest away before turning to open the front door.
Noise greeted them, Honey poking her head out of the kitchen doorway and waving with a spoon. Her smile only widened when she saw their expressions. "Oh, don't look at me like that. The sooner you eat and we talk, the sooner you get to go back to doing... all that," she said, indicating at them with her spoon.
"What do we have to talk about?"
"What are you cooking?"
Honey went back into the kitchen, Warren and Layla following, one part curious and one part reluctant.
"Vegetarian spaghetti. Zach made the spaghetti himself, poor kid's freaking out about MFW," Honey admitted.
"What's Maxville Fashion Week got to do with him? I thought Jewel was showcasing stuff, not Zach?" Warren asked, distracted by the way Layla yawned and stretched, her arms above her head and shirt stretched across her chest.
"Bright Designs has been invited to show his designs on the runway. Gemstone's offered to model for him, and since Jewel wants to showcase the Cara collection of jewellery, it'll be a good opportunity for both of them," Honey said, plating the spaghetti and sauce onto three plates.
"I keep forgetting he owns a company. How is a seventeen year old going to run a fashion show?" Layla asked curiously.
Honey waved with her spoon again, wincing when sauce splattered on the bench. "I have plenty of stand-ins available. Actors are willing to fill multiple roles, including fashion designer. Zach will go along with them as their intern or protégé, something where he can suggest ideas. Hmm, not Goldman then; he doesn't take direction well," she mused, writing on a notepad by the saucepan.
Layla finished organising their drinks, setting the glasses by the plates on the breakfast bench as Warren set out the cutlery.
"Thank you for cooking, Honey. It smells delicious," Layla said, kissing her cheek.
Honey smiled happily. "It was no problem. Now, onto what I'm here to talk to you about: Eth is organising another barbecue and you need to invite Will and Magenta."
"I get we're trying to ruin them, but that doesn't explain why we have to invite them to the barbecue. Those are for us," Warren added, frustrated and annoyed.
The barbecues were meant to be relaxing and for building closer relationships with his friends and the permanent markers. It seemed counterproductive to invite Will and Magenta along; what if they wanted to talk about plans or ideas? They couldn't do that in front of two heroes.
"It will be the only time, I promise. Will needs to come because it gives Ry a chance to publicly reject him so the parents will know what's going on. Magenta needs to come because she'll invite Malik and he'll invite his cousin, Geir," Honey explained.
"Who are Malik and Geir?" Layla asked, looking as annoyed as Warren felt.
"Friends."
"Permanent?" Layla asked.
"Of course. They'll be more gradual though, sort of like Connor."
"What are their powers?" Warren asked.
Honey shook her head. "That's for them to tell, not me. You need to invite Will and Magenta now, if you're going to."
Warren sighed and grabbed his phone to text Will, while beside him, Layla was already texting Magenta.
Hey Magenta. I'm having a BBQ this weekend to relax after the first two weeks at school. Do you want to come? Invite your friends :)
With that done, Layla picked up her fork and finally started to eat. Warren muttered under his breath and started to eat as well, his annoyance and tension leaking from his shoulders as he ate. Relieved to see that they were both enjoying the food she'd cooked, Honey started to eat her own.
A few minutes after their messages had been sent, Magenta replied to state she'd be there and was bringing along a few guests.
"Where are we actually hosting it? We can't have them at the Hive."
Honey grinned. "Curtis' deck is finally finished; we'll have it there. Act surprised when he tells you. Oh, and help Adam clean up afterwards."
"Clean up what?" Warren asked, eyes narrowed.
"It should just be the usual party mess, but it depends whether Will has a tantrum over Ry in front of everyone or not," Honey mused.
Warren's phone chimed with an incoming text alert, and he looked at his phone.
Sure! Will Ry be there? Or anyone else from school? Magenta says we can invite people? I can invite Ry if no one has yet.
"He's going to have a tantrum," Warren muttered, replying that a bunch of people would be there, including Ryuu.
...
"Why'd you invite Malik for?" Will asked Magenta once his tutor had finally left.
"He seems lonely, so it could be a good way to make friends. Plus, we never see him outside of tutoring. It'll be nice to see Malik in a casual way," Magenta said with an innocent expression.
"I doubt he's lonely or friendless, since he lives with his cousin," Will muttered. "And he's a tutor, we're not meant to see him casually. Geez, Magenta, I want to relax on the weekend and now I'll see him and think of studying!"
"I'm sorry. I can revoke my invitation. You've got his number, don't you?" she asked eagerly.
Will shook his head. His mother had given it to him on a slip of paper, which he'd thrown out without bothering to put the number on his phone. When he'd done it, he had never thought about contacting his tutor for anything. Malik wasn't Mandy or Ry, after all.
Magenta looked disappointed that he didn't have Malik's number but smiled after a moment. "We were on the news today, we fought villains, and Malik said we were improving in Mad Science. Isn't it great?"
"Improving is better," Will admitted, thinking of how he could confidently talk to Ry about freeze rays now. "But the fights are being super criticised. You saw the news."
"Your parents said not to watch the news, remember?" Magenta said. "They're just citizens who are jealous because they don't have our powers," she added, quoting Jetstream.
Will thought of Mr. Bowie's advice about criticism and learning from his fights. His parents were world-renowned heroes who had been active longer than he'd been alive, and Mr. Bowie was a teacher. Will didn't even think Mr. Bowie had a power, so what did he really know about being a super?
"Yeah, you're right. We did great," Will said firmly, kissing Magenta and sliding his hands under her shirt. "Let's celebrate."
Magenta smiled briefly and closed her eyes, imagining someone with a solid build and blonde hair.
...
Layla and Warren waved goodbye as Honey left, watching as she drove out of the driveway and down the street before closing the door.
Warren kissed Layla, his hot hands slipping under her shirt.
"Not tonight, Warren. I'm tired and want to go to sleep early," she said, trying to hide her utter exhaustion.
Warren sighed reluctantly and pulled his hands away. "I'll probably need a cold shower, then."
"I never said I didn't want to watch," Layla said with a grin.
"Fuck me, hippie."
"Maybe next time," she said, taking Warren's hand and leading him upstairs to her room.
He stripped his shirt off when they were in the room, and Layla kissed him gently before pushing him towards the bathroom door.
"I'll get dressed and be right in. You can get ready for me to watch."
Warren licked his lips, chasing her taste, and shucked his pants and briefs off as he headed to the bathroom. Using a vine to pick up his discarded clothes, Warren turned the taps on to warm the water, then stepped under the spray. He stroked his dick a few times, almost painfully hard with anticipation, and waited impatiently for Layla to join him.
When she hadn't arrived almost five minutes later, Warren frowned and reached out for his fire brand on her wrist. He sighed on realising that she'd fallen asleep on the bed. Wanking quickly gave him release, but it wasn't as good as it could have been, the thought of Layla's lust-dark eyes watching him making him wish she'd stayed awake. Cleaning his body and washing off the tiles of his mess, Warren stepped out of the shower and headed to Layla's bed naked, his body drying before he stepped on the carpet.
Finding a pair of his briefs in a drawer, Warren tugged them on, and joined Layla on the bed, wrapping a warm arm around her torso as she snored lightly in his embrace.
There would be other nights when they could have sex. Tonight, just being by her side was enough.
...
"How are you, Eliza?" Victor asked his opposition pleasantly.
They'd gone to law school together and once he'd gotten to know her, Victor found that Eliza was great company and good for banter. Even if her banter skewed towards black comedy rather than lighthearted jokes most of the time, she could still make him laugh.
Eliza went to respond snarkily as she usually did, but stopped when she saw the lightning web scars on Victor's neck. "What happened to you?"
Victor pressed a hand against his neck where the scars still showed. "Unhappy client."
"Seriously? Who was it? I'll throw them in a vat of - "
"I'm fine, Eliza," Victor interrupted.
Eliza didn't look like she believed him, but Judge Murray walked in and they both went to their respective sides, Victor smiling at his client briefly as the bailiff announced the Honourable Judge's presence.
Victor's opening statement was well received, a soft purple colour on most of the jurors, the colour disappearing when he blinked fiercely. Eliza was doing her best to discredit his client, as she usually did, but there was a tinge of brown worry over her heart that only became clearer each time she looked over to him.
Evidence was stacked against his client, but Victor knew they were innocent. He'd taken their case pro-bono because he had felt so sure of their innocence when he'd heard their story. Now, as he queried his client, he saw the truth colouring every word: pure blue and emphatic.
Several clients turned a deeper purple, convinced by their answers as well, the colour not disappearing even when he blinked and shook his head.
Eliza's brown worry deepened at his movement.
Victor continued his questions, swaying eight of the twelve jury members, and returned to his seat, his hands shaking and his breathing laboured.
"I call for a recess," Eliza said suddenly, her mind swirling with bright green intelligence and her heart full of brown worry.
"No. Eliza, I'm fine," Victor hissed at her softly.
"You're not, I recognise the signs," Eliza muttered in return, steadfast and waiting for the judge's response.
Judge Murray looked between them, taking in Eliza's determination and Victor's pale expression, then nodded and banged the gavel on the sound block. "Recess granted. We will return to court at 1pm after lunch. No arguments," she added with a glare at Victor when he went to protest.
Victor's client was led away, the jurors leaving by the side exit, everyone confused but not protesting the free lunch. Witnesses and attendees left as well, Eliza and Victor the only two remaining after a few minutes.
"Eliza, what the - "
"Shut up and drink this. You're shaking so bad that I'm getting motion sickness," Eliza said, her voice sharp but not unkind as she offered a bottle of water to him.
Victor opened the bottle, his shaking hand splashing water before he could drink, drops landing on his shirt. He winced when he realised that Eliza was right and knew that she wouldn't let him forget it.
"Not even checking the seal? You're too trusting, Victor. Now, tell me what really happened. There's no way you would end up being electrically tortured by a client. You only represent innocents," Eliza said, green intelligence warring with brown worry and some weird puce colour of determination.
"Puce, that's not good with teenagers," Victor muttered, drinking down the last of the water and setting the bottle down with non-shaking hands.
"What?"
"Your determination is puce. I know way too many teens thanks to Craig; I'll be seeing puce for weeks."
"Victor, sweetie, you're making sense but you're also really not. Translate for me?" Eliza asked, green fading as brown took over.
"Cara wanted custody of the kids," Victor said, touching a hand to his bicep. "I didn't give it to her."
"Super fucking Jesus. Where's my phone? I'll sue her for... I don't know, everything! I'll make it stick, too. Plant evidence, if I have to. Though anyone would look at you and convict her in a heartbeat."
Victor watched in a mix of amusement and concern as she hunted through her briefcase for her phone. "That's... oddly kind of you, Eliza. A little worrying, but that's besides the point. You can't do anything to her - "
"The hell I can't! I'll bury her, even my sister would - "
"Eliza, stop. Enough, please. You can't do anything to Cara because she's dead. Don't ask for details, I can't give them," he added truthfully when Eliza stopped looking for her phone and looked at him.
"You mean it? She's really dead, as in six feet under? Four feet if it's shallow?" Eliza asked, smirking when Victor laughed.
"She's dead and not coming back. Well, maybe as jewellery, it's all a bit fuzzy, don't look at me like that," he added defensively.
Eliza held her hands up in a gesture of peace. "What's a little insanity between friends? Now, what was the puce thing about?" she asked, coral curious.
"The... torture," Victor said, the word leaving a foul taste in his mouth, "did something to me. I can see people's emotions as colours."
Eliza turned teal thoughtful, a swirl of coral curiosity as she looked at him.
"Hey, I'm not a science experiment; calm down."
Victor watched Eliza as she scrutinised him, colours playing over her features in varying shades of green.
"This is going to give you an unfair advantage in the courtroom, Vic," Eliza said after a moment. "Lucky for you, I like a challenge," she said with a broad grin. "Ooh, I want to get in your brain and see it working; it would be so exciting! Even a dye would be enough, really! Can you come to the lab and - "
"No. Eliza, no. Again, I'm not an experiment."
Eliza sighed heavily and gave an exaggerated pout. "Fine. But you're letting me test this over lunch; hurry up or you're paying," she said, grabbing her case and heading to the door.
Coral curiosity and yellow excitement, Victor thought as he followed after her.
...
Will woke up abruptly as he heard a shrill sound coming from the nightstand. His hair a mess, his mind heavy with sleep, he yawned widely as he answered the ringing phone. "'Lo?"
"Good evening, Airborne. There's trouble downtown. Are you ready to fight?"
"Layla?" he asked stupidly.
"Yes, Airborne. There's a villain challenging your parents; should I call them or are you awake and willing to fight in their stead?"
"Why're you awake?"
"It's my job. I can call Robot Warrior if you need to sleep?" Layla offered.
Will sat up straight and shook his head. "I'm awake. Where are they?"
"100th Street, bordering Westville and Maxville. They're another nocturnal villain. Don't forget your Hero Support, Airborne."
Will had completely forgotten about Magenta and he winced at the realisation. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," Layla said with a smile, ending the call.
Setting the phone aside, Will turned on his lamp, Magenta sitting up abruptly at the sudden change in her environment.
"What's going on?" Magenta asked, even as Will started to change into his super suit. "A villain? Really? It's almost midnight."
"Evil waits for no man," Will said, though he felt as annoyed as Magenta looked.
She groaned and got out of bed, hunting among their discarded clothes for her underwear and super suit. Finding them, she changed quickly and hunted for her hair ties. Doing her hair up in the usual buns on either side of her head, Magenta rubbed her eyes and slapped her cheeks lightly in lieu of makeup.
"Are you ready, Shift- ahh," Airborne asked, ending her name with a wide yawn.
"Are you?" she asked in concern, her eyebrow raised. She flushed when Airborne scowled. "All right, I'm ready. Don't drop me," Shifter said, shifting to her guinea pig form.
Considering leaving her behind for her comment, Airborne grabbed his phone and then scooped Shifter up, tucking her into his suit before flying out of the window. A smash of glass alerted him to the fact he hadn't actually opened the window first. Cursing under his breath, Airborne brushed the glass off his body and kept flying.
No one would get into his room on the second storey. Besides, it was midnight and he couldn't call a glass repairer until morning. He had a villain to fight, and defending justice - and the family name - was more important than some stupid window.
Arriving at 100th Street between Maxville and Westville, Airborne looked around for the villain. Not seeing anyone, he flew down towards the ground and landed on the deserted road. There was no one around.
Had he been given the right address?
Just as he was reaching for his phone, a loud cackle filled his ears, and Airborne spun around abruptly to face the villain. Hands on his hips, he struck an Imposing Figure, and waited for the villain to stop laughing. The cackle turned into a somewhat hysterical laugh and Airborne frowned at the sound.
"You're... you... super suit... inside out," the villain wheezed between gasps of laughter.
Airborne looked down at himself, frowning when he saw that his suit was fine. He looked up again and the villain was a mere inch away from his face.
Crying out at the villain's sudden and silent approach - as well as the fact that they were so close and not respecting his personal space - Airborne tried to step backwards. Discovering that he couldn't, his eyes widened in surprise, which set off the villain's laughter again.
The villain stepped back so Airborne could see what had happened, and he looked down at his feet to find them encased in shadows.
"What the fuck?"
"Language, Airborne. What would your dear Mummy and Daddy think?" the villain tutted.
Airborne glared. "What do you want with me?"
"Nothing! I'm here for your parents, not you," the villain sneered. "You're my hostage, Airborne."
"Yeah, right!" Shifter squeaked, launching herself out of Airborne's super suit, shifting, and punching the villain in the face with her suit-enhanced arm all in the space of two seconds.
The villain dropped to the ground and Airborne's jaw followed. It took him a good five seconds to realise that the shadows had disappeared from his feet and he could move again.
"Thank you for your assistance, Shifter."
"Assistance? Are you kidding me? I just kicked the villain's ass!" Shifter said, grinning gleefully. Looking over to the camera she waved, just as Jetstream had taught her.
Calling the police to pick up the villain, Airborne tied them to a lamp post, the bright light ensuring there were no shadows to manipulate. The police arrived, shook Airborne and Shifter's hands, and carted the villain away. Both hero and hero support were glad for their speedy response since they were exhausted and the adrenaline was starting to wear off.
"Do you think it'll be on the morning news?" Magenta asked as Will picked her up and started to fly back home.
"Probably," Airborne said, feeling sick to his stomach at the thought.
If his mother had been unhappy about his fight against Sandsapien, then what would she think of this?! Shifter was his hero support, though, it was her job to protect him. That was the whole point of having her by his side, he reasoned. Anyway, it was only the element of surprise and her super suit that had helped her to defeat the villain. Shifter wouldn't have been able to do a thing without the suit his mother had paid for.
His reasoning made his stomach stop churning, and satisfied with the argument, he flew even faster to get home. Will knew exactly how he could thank Magenta for assisting him with the villain.
Will was a few blocks away from his house when he heard the red phone ringing, loud and shrill. Airborne stopped abruptly, Shifter squeaking in protest, and answered the phone reluctantly. He could even see his house from here.
"There's another villain, Airborne. This one is in downtown Maxville. Are you ready to fight or should I call another hero?" Layla asked.
Will sighed. "Fine. Where is he?"
"She is waiting at Brick Street. Impatiently, I might add."
"We'll be right there," Airborne said as he flew towards downtown Maxville.
...
"This morning's headline news: five villains were defeated by Airborne and his Hero Support Shifter last night. Anyone heading to work on the I-90 might want to look at a different route," Brian Anderson said with a broad smile, an image of smoke rising from the bridge on the screen behind him.
"Surprisingly, it was Shifter who defeated the first villain of the night. The villain had caught Airborne in shadows, and his Hero Support did a fantastic job of supporting her Hero."
On the screen, Magenta was shown jumping forward and knocking the villain clean out, her face twisted into something between a snarl and smile, hair done up in two buns on either side of her head.
"On that note, it seems that Shifter is getting her very own doll... uh, action figure," Brian Anderson corrected quickly, "and it will be in stores by the end of the month. It's a great addition to the Airborne figure already released. Cape sold separately."
Josie paused the news app, hands clenched in the soft fluffy bathrobe she was wearing. She had paid good money to get Airborne's action figure on shelves (not eye-level, but one beneath herself and the Commander; it was close enough), and now Shifter was getting one after hitting one pathetic villain?!
"Steve! Pack your things, we're heading home."
"We have another day of panels at the conference though," Steve said from where he was reading the newspaper and sipping on his coffee.
"Magenta has an action figure coming out," Josie said emphatically.
"Oh. Well, that's good, isn't it? She'll be a Stronghold eventually, so it will only add to our name."
Josie considered her husband's words. She'd thought about Will getting married, of course, every parent had imagined their child's wedding. Josie hadn't thought he would marry Magenta though, even though the girl was pretty enough and going above and beyond to ensure she and Steve liked her as well. It could be enough that she would take the Stronghold name one day, and then they could get back paid on all of her merchandise at their higher rate than Magenta's name and current contract.
Relaxing back onto the big hotel pillows, Josie looked at the image of Shifter on her screen again. "She wasted the hair stylist I paid for," she muttered.
"It was the middle of the night, dear, I - ow!"
Josie rolled her eyes. She'd told Steve not to drink his coffee while naked.
...
"Can you believe they're releasing an action figure of Shifter?" Magenta asked, unable to stop smiling.
"It's unbelievable. Have you seen a prototype yet?" Layla asked curiously.
Magenta shook her head. "I've only seen a picture, not the actual figure. Do you think it'll sell well?"
"I hope it will. I'm going to buy one," Layla added, Magenta looking to her in surprise.
"You don't even have the Airborne action figure though!"
"I know. I want to support you; besides, the more sales you make, the more companies will see that women, especially women Hero Support, are just as important to everyday citizens as heroes."
"Awesome. I think my parents are going to buy one as well, so with yours, that's at least two sales," she said with a grin.
"Can I see the picture or is it a surprise?" Layla asked.
Magenta hadn't shown her parents, wanting to surprise them in the store itself, but she so desperately wanted someone to see her very own - and possibly first of many - action figure. Grabbing a piece of paper from her study desk, Magenta held it out to Layla.
"Oh wow, they went with the buns. You'll have to be careful wearing your hair out like that now; you'll be recognised easily," Layla mused.
"It's based on my shift when I saved Will from the villain. I shouldn't have put my hair up like that, but I was so tired, it was an automatic thing."
"It looks nice; they suit you," she replied warmly, handing the picture back. "I'll be the first one in line to buy your action figure. I might even buy two."
"Really?"
"She will be second in line. First is for family," Mrs. Yolanda said from the doorway. "Your boyfriend is here."
"Will?" Magenta asked in surprise; he told her he was sleeping all day and trying to recover from their fights.
"No, Warren. He is a pretty boy," Mrs. Yolanda said with a grin.
"Warren's here? Oh, I'll be right down. I had no idea he was coming over," Layla said, grabbing her bag and following Mrs. Yolanda downstairs.
Magenta hurried after them, curious as to what might be wrong for Warren to drop in unannounced.
"Warren, are you okay?"
Warren hugged Layla warmly. "I'm good, hippie. I've got a few boxes of cookies, so thought I'd drop some off for you and Magenta."
"Oh, that's so nice! What kind of cookies?" Layla asked, taking his hand as they went outside, the two Yolanda women following curiously.
"I honestly don't remember them all. They're labelled though. I think Zach's going to break the oven."
"Zach made cookies?" Magenta asked in surprise. "I didn't think guys cooked."
"I cook in a restaurant for a living," Warren reminded her, Magenta turning an embarrassed shade of purple. Warren rolled his eyes and turned to grab a box.
"You weren't kidding about the boxes," Layla said, eyes wide when she saw that the boot of his car was full, as was the back seat.
"Yeah. I feel like a cookie dealer."
"You mean a Girl Scout?" Mrs. Yolanda asked, grinning.
Warren laughed. "That, too. I might sell whatever you don't want; I can donate the money to the Hive," he mused.
"You wouldn't keep it?" Magenta asked, surprised again. She knew that if their positions were reversed, she would have kept all of the money for herself.
"I'd rather put it towards a good cause. Layla's business needs come before what I want."
"El quiere a la chica," Mrs. Yolanda said to Magenta in a low mutter. (He wants the girl. Spanish)
"Si, siempre," Warren replied smoothly in Spanish, Mrs. Yolanda blushing and taking an offered box. (Yes, always.)
Carrying a box each, they headed inside. For the next hour and a half, Magenta and Mrs. Yolanda tried every variation of cookie, providing feedback and putting in their order.
"Thank you for helping with this," Layla said, smiling at Magenta and her mother who were both sitting at the table and stuffed full of cookies.
"No problem. The cookies were amazing," Magenta said, managing a weak smile and wishing her stomach didn't hurt quite so much.
"Some were better than others," Mrs. Yolanda corrected.
"Mama!" Magenta hissed, embarrassed.
"Criticism is good; it helps us improve. I'll pass it on to Zach," Warren said, folding up the paper that he'd written Mrs. Yolanda's comments on.
She'd started in English, then changed to Spanish that became far more rapid with each passing cookie and increase in sugar. Warren hoped Adam had recorded the conversation because he still wasn't sure what she'd said about the last two cookies.
"I'll help Warren carry the rest of the boxes back to the car; I should probably head off after that. Sorry our time was taken up by so many cookies," Layla said.
Magenta waved her off. "No problem. I'd offer to help you carry the boxes, but I can't move."
"Don't worry, both of you. There's only a few left," Layla said with a smile.
Warren grabbed the last three boxes and headed out. "Bye; have a good afternoon! See you at the barbecue tomorrow, Magenta," he called over his shoulder.
Mrs. Yolanda and Magenta both replied, Layla saying goodbye as well and following her boyfriend. Mrs. Yolanda muttered something about her dress being too tight as Layla closed the front door behind her.
"Hey, hippie. You look like you're on a sugar high, too," Warren said.
He'd had three cookies for himself, Layla had eaten seven, and there had been at least twenty varieties that the Yolanda women had eaten.
"Probably. Do you think it's too obvious to have a villain challenge Airborne and Shifter now? Her action figure would be changed to one puking its guts out," she said with a sugar-induced giggle.
"Probably too obvious. Is there anyone left to fight, anyway?" Warren asked, heading towards the Hive.
"I doubt it. Gemstone's scared off more of them than Airborne, and Jetstream and the Commander are due back today, so I don't think anyone will risk it. I'm glad they didn't go all out and Adam's messages got through to them online."
"I think Ry helped him word it in a way that spoke to people's honour and pride. Otherwise they would've kidnapped banks full of people. Or hospitals."
"Sandsapien is so nice; Ida was saying her hospital wants to employ them to help their patients rest properly between medication and specialists. It could speed up recovery if they actually sleep well."
"That's a good point. You're starting to sound like a squirrel, hippie. Try meditating to calm down. You promised Ry to work on it," he added.
"I know. If I sound like a squirrel, what does Magenta sound like right now?"
"A guinea pig."
Layla burst out into uncontrollable giggles. Warren shook his head fondly and concentrated on driving. Layla settled down and attempted to meditate, her silence broken by giggles every so often.
...
End of the hundred and nineteenth chapter.
