A/N: I want to start with a big thank you to my followers and fans. I never dreamed I'd be so successful especially in a fandom so small. Your consistent support has been magical.

A special shout out to Magusxamus for their kind words and heartwarming reviews and Concolor44 for his unending conversation and ideas for Violet's power usage. The compactor and blade fields utilized by Violet in this/later chapters are directly inspired by him so many many thanks for being behind me in this endeavor. Next chapter will see the return of the action as well as all these gooey emotions. Enjoy the reading and stay tuned!

Chapter 6

My back hurts from sitting hunched over my laptop, watching reel after reel of test footage. I rub my eyes and slide off my bed, needing a walk to stretch my tingling legs. I press my hand to my unruly hair but there is no flattening it. I exit my room and nearly collide with Petra.

"Oh! Violet I was just coming to see you." She squeaks, skittering nervously back and forth.

"What's up? I was just going for a walk. I thought I'd get a good look at that tree."

"I can come back later..." She turns away, sheepish. I roll my eyes and turn her back around.

"Just come with me. Walk and talk."

"Dash and I are going out today." She sounds worried.

"What for?"

"We are going to search for information at local animal shelters and Animal Control."

"I'm a little jealous. I would like to go too." I offer her a genuine smile to soothe her nerves.

"I wish you were coming too." She frowns, biting her lip furiously. "What if they attack us again? Mirage said we can't take our suits."

We have reached the tree. I place my hands on the thick trunk, feeling the warmth of it in my palms.

"You'll be fine. Mirage would have said something if there was going to be danger."

"I guess so."

"I will be on the next mission Petra. I promise." She stays quiet. "Listen would you want to help me with something?"

"Sure."

"Can you make and throw stones?"

"I don't know. I've never tried." Curiosity has replaced fear in her face and I know my job is done well. I tug her hand and lead her to an empty training room. I position her at one end of the room and take my place at the other.

"I want you to hurl a stone up into the air...kinda like a pop fly in baseball." I mime the action for her. She nods and grits her teeth ready to try. A large brace of stone surrounds her fist. The tip of her tongue peeks out as I watch the stone converge into a tightly compact sphere in the palm of her hand. She looks surprised.

"Alright. I'm ready Violet." I nod, showing her I am ready too. She hurls the stone into the air. I crane my neck watching the arc of the stone. I see my moment as the stone orb reaches it's zenith. I jab my hand forward, pointing with two fingers. The orb freezes in place, surrounded by a purple barrier. The forcefield is small, a thin tendril connecting the sphere to my hand. I concentrate shrinking the barrier until the edge touches the surface of the stone inside. I bark with laughter, Petra looking on as I move the ball around trapped in the barrier.

I give the ball a toss, releasing it. I catch it again with ease, the barrier remaining tight to the surface. I wrap my fingers around the anchor line, enjoying the slight tickling that comes with touching my own barriers. With a swift motion, I swing the ball like a flail, smashing the concrete beside Petra who clapped enthusiastically.

"How did you learn to do that?"

"I got the idea from Syndrome." I blush faintly, modest. "He had this technology, zero point energy. He used it on me once and I wondered if I could recreate that with my powers."

"Well it looks like you can!" She fidgets excitedly. "Can we try again?" I nod, pleased with her enthusiasm. We practice the exercise, each gleaning new information about our powers as we go.

"Throw me one more. I want to try one last thing." The idea emerged a few stones ago and I can't wait to try it. Petra launches the stone. I catch it with my orb field, proud that the barrier stayed flush with the stone almost instinctively now.

Instead of throwing the ball, I guide it over to me using the strand connecting to my open palm. The thread wobbles as I shorten the tether until the orb hovers just above my hand. Slowly, concentrating, I close my hand into a fist. The motion is mirrored by the orb, squeezing into the stone until it shatters into dust that tumbles to the floor.

"Whoa." Petra hurries over, looking at the dust pile at my feet. "You...you could really hurt somebody." The realization is heavy. I have the power to harm now...to kill if I had to...if I wanted to. A quiet throat clearing draws our attention. Mirage and Dash are standing at the doorway.

"Come on Petra it's time to go." Dash looks nervous too but there is no time to console him. Petra nods, giving me a bright smile and scurrying over to the pair. Mirage regards me, curious and a bit irritable.

"Let me know what you find out when you get back." I call out to Dash, ignoring Mirage as I retrieve a dummy to practice alone. She leads them away and I look back to my dummy.

Forty five minutes later, I am sitting on the floor, sweat sticking my bangs to my forehead. I drink deeply from a water bottle I found, eyeing the damage to the floor. In addition to the craters caused from the stones, a series of arc shaped scrapes surrounded the point where I had been standing. The clicking of heels draws my attention. It occurs to me suddenly that she and I are alone in the complex.

"You do know what decommissioned means right?" A chuckle accompanies the admonishment. I grin at her, sucking on the water bottle.

"I didn't know I wasn't allowed to train."

"You could reopen your wounds. I don't like stitching you up." She sinks to her knees beside me, tucking her legs underneath her and smoothing the material of her skirt over her thighs. Her gaze falls on the floor, eyes wide in shock. "What have you been doing in here?"

"Playing mostly." I lean back, palms on the concrete floor. "I spent so much time wishing I didn't have powers that I never took the time to see what they can do with them." I look sideways at her. "Do you want to see?"

She makes a show of thinking about it before she nods, enthusiasm shining in her face. I like that I can surprise her; even just a little. I grin and turn to face the ratty dummy I've been messing with. I hold my hands out, extending my fingers towards the dummy, encasing it in a tight barrier.

I change my stance, planting my feet firmly and clenching my hands into fists. I hold my arms in front of my face, bringing them together so my forearms touch. I lift my left foot and pivot. As I turn, the dummy drags along the ground, scraping the stone floor in a sweeping arc. I release the barrier and the dummy falls over from the momentum. Suddenly winded, I slump back to the floor beside her.

"I'd do more but I'm a little tired." I wheeze at her, chest heaving. She chuckles and waves her hand dismissively.

"It's quite alright. I am happy to see you taking initiative." Her eyes linger on my wounded arm. "How is your arm?"

"Holding up well since the last time you stitched it. Thank you."

"May I take a look at it?"

"Uh..well. Um..." I scratch my head when I realize that I'm not wearing anything under my sweatshirt. I hadn't exactly planned on working out today. The sleeves are too thick to push past my bicep.

"Is there a problem?" She asks innocently, making me blush furiously.

"Uh..no just well hang on." I turn my back on her. At the very least I can't see if she's watching as I quickly pull the material over my head and press it gently to my chest. "Okay." I scoot away from her as I turn back to face her, leaning my arm over towards her.

"Come here," she chirps, seizing my arm and pulling. I scoot closer, keeping my hands pressed tight to my chest. There's not much to look at, but still. I keep my head turned away, feeling the heat creep from my face to my neck as her delicate fingers trace the knitting flesh.

"So," I swallow hard. I can't help that our closeness hits me right where it counts. "When will Dash and Petra get back?" I close my eyes, biting back the whimper that threatens me as her fingers trail lower onto my arm than necessary.

I chance a glance at her. She is staring at my arm, her gaze distant, almost clouded by her thoughts. Her lips are slightly parted, her breath shallow. Her fingers continue their careful track of the curve of my shoulder down to the crook of my elbow. It seems she hasn't heard me.

"Tell me about yourself." She whispers, eyes still glassy. "I told you about my first love. What about you?"

"What about it?" I manage to say around a tongue thick with want. This isn't fair. Still she drags her fingers around my arm, her painted nails lightly scratching my skin. I hiss through clenched teeth. The sound doesn't deter her. It's almost like she's in another world.

"Just tell me."

"I don't have some grand romantic story...or even a heart break really." Her fingertips brush the bare skin of my side, just below my shoulder. A half moan dies in my throat at the contact. Her eyes flicker over to mine for the briefest of moments. I stare, losing my train of thought for a moment.

"I fell in love in high school, like most people. It didn't last with Tony."

"Why not?"

"He was too...nice, you know?" I gulp again as her hand trails down my side and back up again. I really want to pull the sweater back over my head but I can't move. "He was so sweet and respectful but at the end of the day I was keeping him from what he wanted. I didn't want to sleep with him...even though I cared about him, had waited and wished all through middle school for him to notice me. It didn't work for me."

She removes her hand quickly, suddenly aware of what she had been doing. I've never seen anyone turn that color red before. She bites her lip hard but there is a subtle sadness in her eyes, a resignation in her shoulders. A quiet sigh slips past her lips and she shakes her head. I barely hear her whisper 'stupid...stupid.' I take the opportunity to pull my sweatshirt back on.

"Anyone else after that?" She asks out of courtesy. I can tell she doesn't want to know. I wonder if it has to do with Tony, that he's a boy. I want to tell her but that's not what she asked.

"No one permanent."

The sentence weighs heavy between us, her unsure of my meaning and me trying to bore my message into her: I want YOU. I reach out for her hand but she scoots away from me, getting to her feet.

"Join me for lunch Violet?" She won't look me in the eye, still flush in the cheeks.

"That's okay. I still have some work to do here." I set my jaw firmly, unwilling to leap into her arms just because she touched me without thinking and invited me to lunch. I didn't expect the hurt that flashes across her face. "Maybe later?" I add hopefully.

"Yes...maybe later." She awkwardly takes her leave of me. I wait until she is out of the room before I make myself invisible. I look down at my clothes hanging in the air and curse. I'll have to be naked if I want to follow her back to her room. Her fading footsteps make the decision for me. I divest myself of my shirt and pants, tucking them away in a hidden corner of the room. Part one of my plan is in motion as I scurry after her, keeping my footsteps soft and my breathing quiet.

. . .

There is something both liberating and terrifying about creeping through empty halls, stark naked. I love doing it for a lot of reasons but the occasion doesn't present itself very often. The hallways are cool against my bare skin. I keep my distance from her so she won't hear my pattering footsteps. I learned a long time ago how to move silently but I don't trust her not to notice.

I watch her as I follow. Her arms are curled tightly around her sides, fingers pressing tightly into the folds of her suit jacket. She hangs her head low, a low mumbling just enough to reach my ears but not enough to understand.

I realize about fifteen minutes in, that she is walking out her frustration. The farther the walks, the more she mumbles until eventually she stops, standing still in a hallway I've never been in before. It's small and out of the way with no discernable doors or branches.

I linger near the hall entrance, watching as she taps lightly on the wall three times. The panel slides back and she disappears into a room I can't quite see. I stay for a few minutes to see if she is going to come back out. I leave when she doesn't, hurrying to retrieve my clothes and work on phase two of The Plan.

I make my way back to my own room, trying to keep my mind off her fingers and on my work. I sit on my bed, eyeing the laptop with some apathy. I move it gently to the floor and stretch out on the bed, tucking my hands behind my head to stop their wandering. My thoughts turn back to the way she touched me, my sudden arousal expanding on the scene. My eyelids flutter closed.

Her fingers trail down my side, nails raking back up and making me hiss with pleasure. Heat lances across my back, following the path of her hand. I feel the gentle pulling at the edge of my sweatshirt, inviting me to let it fall. Insistant hands run over my back.

"I want to see you." Her voice is pleading, needy. I give in to her, letting the shirt fall to reveal my small chest. My breath catches in my lungs at the darkening of her eyes as she takes in my thin frame. Slowly her hands move from my back, cupping my breasts gently as her thumbs brush over my nipples. I gasp, arching into her touch.

Her lips touch my neck, heat blooming from the point of contact, rushing down my spine between my legs. Suddenly her mouth is everywhere: my cheeks, my lips, my collarbone. I slide my hands into her fine silver hair, forcing her lips to mine. She's so soft. I whimper when I feel the tip of her tongue touch me. She deepens the kiss, lowering me to the ground.

Elegant fingers spread across my stomach, dusty tan skin such a contrast to my paleness. I moan, captured by her mouth, as she slides her hand lower, fingertips teasing the waistband of my pants. She pulls away from me, green eyes sparkling, asking permission. I've never wanted anything more in my life.

"Please..." I whimper, practically begging. I lift my hips to meet her questing hand, crying out when she reaches my core. She is inside of me, drawing out my voice with gentle languid strokes.

"Oh," I crane my head to look at her; her bottom lip trapped between white teeth, her hand buried in my pants. "Oh..."

Oh who?

. . .

My eyes fly open, hurting in the sudden brightness. I growl in frustration, loud, my hands clenching the sheets tightly. I sit up, pushing my fingers into my hair. I can't help the surge of guilt that forces a sob from my lungs, eyes prickling with tears.

Fantasy ruined, I scoop up the laptop and click play on the video. Anything to distract me. I can't release myself from the quagmire of my swirling thoughts. How can I possibly love a woman I barely know? Was it only physical? All I can think about is her hands on me.

I get to my feet, slamming the door to my room and heading deeper into the complex. I shove my hands in my pockets, eyes on the floor. I count my steps, starting over at '1' every time my thoughts stray towards Mirage...or whatever her name is. I grumble angrily. How hard is it to just be herself? Why does she have to hide? She's not a super, there's nothing special about her.

I stop dead in my tracks, a cry falling involuntarily from my lips. That hurt; the image of what her face would look like if I had said that out loud. I shake my head violently to dispel it but it won't leave me. I feel like an asshole, my walk turning from frustrated power strides to the shame-laden shuffling of the chastised. Eventually my feet carry me back to my room. I sit on my bed, head in my hands.

I don't even know her.

She's attracted to me too.

I don't know anything about her.

I don't want a fling, a try-on anymore.

She's a lesbian too...

That doesn't mean anything.

We could be compatible. We could be amazing.

I don't know her.

But I can.

I will.