Chapter One Hundred Eighty Seven

...

Airborne had completed basic first aid at Sky High but it wasn't anything he'd really paid attention to because that's what doctors and hospitals were for. As he pulled Shifter's bleeding guinea pig form out of his suit, Airborne realised he had no clue what to do.

"I'm a doctor; I can help. If I'm allowed to?" a citizen called out, looking between the robbers and Airborne nervously.

"I'll deal with them; you help Shifter," Airborne said authoritatively; this he could do.

He left Shifter lying on one of the bank's benches, and flew forward without waiting or looking back. He grabbed the first robber by the collar, throwing them into the next robber, both of them collapsing in a heap. The other two robbers realised they were next, and one started to shoot at Airborne while the other tried to run with the duffel bag of money.

Bullets were annoying, Airborne decided. They hit him without breaking the skin, so he was perfectly fine, but his suit would be riddled with bullet holes, and he was sure he'd have to replace it. Well, it didn't matter now that he was getting paid, he reasoned, grabbing the hot-barreled gun out of the robber's hands, shaping it into a V, and throwing it at the back of the running robber. He hit his mark and the person crumpled to the floor just short of the door. Airborne turned on the last remaining robber, drew a fist back, and punched.

He took a moment to tie up the five robbers together, and after a split second of indecision, grabbed the duffel bag of money as his trophy.

A cry of pain had him remembering Shifter, and Airborne flew over to check what was happening. She'd shifted back to her human form, and the doctor had cut away part of her suit, blood oozing from a bullet wound in her right shoulder.

"Has anyone called an ambulance? This is a basic treatment but she'll need a hospital soon," the doctor said.

"They're on the way. So are the police. The cameras caught the action," another citizen said, nodding out to the newly installed cameras around Westville.

It wasn't their first time being a hostage in a robbery, but it was the first time they'd actually been saved by a Hero. The only difference was the noise and mess, and the robbers got caught early rather than involving hostage negotiations. At least last time they'd had free pizza and a day off work.

Airborne stood up straighter and ensured his chest emphasised his strength and muscles. "Thank you for your assistance, good citizens."

Neither one responded with the doctor focused on Shifter and the other citizen starting to guide the other former hostages out onto the street to wait for ambulances, tea, and blankets for the shock.

"Will Shifter be okay?" Airborne asked.

The doctor was taking forever and he knew the journalists would be arriving soon for his post-fight interview.

"She'll be fine. Her power's already trying to heal the wound. I need to concentrate and get the bullet out before then. Can you go see where the ambulance is?" the doctor asked; she was used to patient's loved ones asking questions after the surgery, not during the damned thing.

Airborne nodded and as he flew out of the bank, the doctor finally extracted the bullet from Shifter's shoulder.

"There you go, Shifter. Your first bullet. You still with me?" she asked, tucking the bloodied bullet into Shifter's hand.

Too traumatised to answer - the surgery hurt more than being shot, especially without painkillers - Magenta just gave a brief nod.

"Answer verbally, if you can. I need to make sure you're alert and alive," she prompted.

"I'm 'lert an' alive," Magenta breathed out, her eyes watering in pain.

"That's a girl. Here's the ambulance for you," the doctor said, squeezing her hand before going to the EMTs to explain what she'd done.

Shifter looked up at the bank's square grid popcorn ceiling, and tried to breathe through the pain. She refused to let the cameras focus on her screaming, especially when she knew kids watched the news.

The EMTs led her through a series of questions as they strapped her to a stretcher, set her up with a green whistle and the super strong drugs, and rolled her out of the bank and over to the ambulance.

" - defeated the villains and saved the hostages; how do you feel?"

"I feel great! It was awesome and I'm sure you'll see the whole thing on video later," Airborne said eagerly.

"Shifter, Shifter! How do you feel?" one of the reporters asked, a gaggle rushing over with voice recorders and microphones outstretched.

"I feel good," she said with a dopey smile.

"We need to leave, clear the way," one of the EMTs said, rolling the stretcher into the back of the ambulance and clipping it into place.

Airborne flew over the reporters heads to land in the space that had just been cleared. "Thank you for your time. We'll be accepting get well messages at the Maxville Memorial Hospital."

"Westville Private Hospital; you're in Westville, Airborne," the EMT called. "Get in or meet us there."

"I'll meet you there," he said with a firm nod, the duffel bag of money still slung around his torso.

The EMT and several reporters didn't look impressed, but then the ambulance doors were closed and he didn't get a chance to change his mind.

The other ambulance workers brought out the robbers he'd defeated, and Airborne stood with his hands on his hips to watch with a Disapproving Stare so the robbers would really feel guilty while waiting to be imprisoned. Two of the robbers were rolled out in body bags, and it took Airborne a moment to realise what that meant. When he did, he flew up into the air before he could be questioned by the reporters. He hadn't meant to kill anyone, just stop them from hurting others like they'd hurt his sidekick!

Taking a moment to cool off in a dewy cloud, Airborne reasoned with himself that the robbers had known what they were doing when they robbed the bank. They only had themselves to blame.

He looked at Westville from the sky. Where was the hospital? Just as importantly, where was a flat roof so he could open his post-fight trophy?

...

Layla took Warren's hand in her own, leaving their friends in varying stages of sleep on the training arena's floor mats. They'd all worked and argued until they had three plans that could save not only Grant but any number of people from the building in Montana, and keep the Super Bureau busy with the Maxville Super Penitentiary prisoners. There were a few additional favours Honey had promised to call in the next morning, but Layla felt far more confident than she had earlier that day.

She knew it was late - bordering on early - but she hoped to talk to Warren about his father before they went to sleep. Leading him to their room, Layla shut the vine curtain door behind them securely, and squeezed his hand gently.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Your father," Layla prompted, seeing that Warren was distracted and likely had no idea what her own thought processes were.

"I'd almost forgotten about that. Shit," Warren groaned, sitting on the bed and putting his head in his hands.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is now not a good time? I haven't stopped worrying and thinking about it all night."

Warren looked at the vine tattoo on his wrist. "I thought you were just worried about Grant."

"I am, but I'm more worried about you right now," Layla admitted, sitting beside him and taking Warren's hand.

"I'm fine, hippie. I figured he'd get out of prison one day; I just thought it'd be after his third life sentence when I'd be dead and wouldn't have to care about it."

"And now? It's still his first life sentence and you're very much alive for it."

Warren snorted. "Better yet, I'm helping break him out." He looked at their hands and sighed. "I don't like it. Like, at all. Every part of me wants to keep him imprisoned and rotting in there, but... he can cause the most damage and distract the Commander and Jetstream for far longer than any other villain in that place. We need that more than I need to see him stuck in a power-repressing cell for the next three life sentences."

"We can still kill him; we don't have to let him go for long. The distraction only needs to last an hour or two, and even in Montana, I can cause a heart attack with my seed."

Warren smiled, brief and grim, and shook his head. "I want to see that in person and make sure he's really dead, but thank you for offering." He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "If the bullshit he spouted every year is true, then he's been thinking about how to get his revenge for a long time. He'll be able to keep the Commander out of the way, and even if Jetstream rounds up every other villain, she doesn't have the strength or enough rope or cuffs to hold them all. Someone will get away and cause chaos."

Layla nodded firmly. "Jester's agreed to set the rest of the Suite Quartet loose on Westville, so that will keep Airborne and Earthstone occupied, too."

"Mmm, Jester's complaints about that booking form were valid; I hope Honey fixes it before anyone else tries to book in."

"I swear the Maxville one doesn't do that; I think the Westville Mayor or one of the many receptionists attempted to change something and fucked it all up instead," she said with a grin.

Warren shook his head and pulled Layla onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Thanks for checking in with me, hippie. I'm all right. I don't like it, but I'm sure he'll be caught by Jetstream and the Commander and put back behind bars with another life sentence. If he's not, then we can kill him together, yeah?"

"Of course. If he does escape, I hope he goes somewhere tropical. We could do with a holiday after all of this," Layla said.

Warren laughed and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Now, how are you feeling about everything else? I know the buses are a big part of the plan, but Pat's promised it will work."

"I'm actually pretty confident about that part. I'm more worried about what happens after we get into the building. Will there be more wardens or is it all citizen scientists or are there supers involved too? Honey's got people on the inside but they can't even confirm what we could be up against because they don't have access to everything or know everyone."

"So we'll have to prepare for everything and everyone."

"We've got a short timeframe for everything and everyone, hippie."

"Yeah, I know. Not much of an alternative though, is there?" Layla murmured, curving around his body for a full hug.

"No, not really." Warren sighed into her hair, turning his head to kiss her neck. He grinned and shifted to hold Layla's hips, his thumbs stroking beneath the ruched hem of her dress. "Want to wake everyone up?"

She laughed incredulously, then shook her head. "How about we leave the orgasms for the morning? I want to enjoy it more than I would now. Even if I know an orgasm will help relieve my stress, I'm kinda wiped."

Warren moved to hug Layla, kissing her lightly. "No problem. So do I get to wake you up with an orgasm or should I wait 'til you're awake?"

"Ooh, we haven't tried that yet. Hmm... maybe go down on me while I'm asleep? I'm not sure how I feel about penetrative sex while asleep. It's a little too Sleeping Beauty and the King for me."

"Okay, eating you for breakfast it is. On the flip side, feel free to ride me anytime."

"Ride you? Hmm, that could be fun. What about pegging?" she teased, moving to stand so she could undress. They hadn't brought pyjamas but sleeping semi-naked was better than fully clothed.

"You think you can get the strap-on ready before I wake up?" Warren asked, grinning.

"Good point. Okay, what about my fingers then? Or one of our toys?"

"Super Jesus, I'm gonna need a cold shower soon, hippie. But sure, if there's enough lube, you can go ahead. If I don't like it, we'll talk, yeah?" he asked, shucking off his jeans and stripping off his shirt.

"Always, hottie," Layla promised, pressing a kiss over his heart before climbing around him to get to her side of the bed.

Warren settled in beside her, wrapping an arm around Layla's body. They were silent for a long moment, settling down to sleep, and then Warren frowned. "Hippie?"

"Hmm?"

"I thought Sleeping Beauty was kissed by a Prince?"

"In the Disney version. In the original tale, however, it was a King who impregnated her while she was sleeping. She apparently gave birth to twins while asleep, though I don't know how she slept through childbirth. It was probably written by a man."

"Super fucking Jesus," Warren cursed, shuddering.

"Yeah, but that's not even the worst of it."

"How can it get worse?"

"The Queen - who's jealous of her husband's new mistress - tries to get the kids killed and cooked, and then tries the same with the princess. Outsmarted by the cook, the Queen gets killed instead. She's presumably cooked, actually, but it's one of several versions. None of them end well for the Queen. It wasn't her fault the King was an adulterous bastard, but she could have handled it better."

Warren let out a soft snort of laughter. "If I turned up one day with some other woman and two kids in tow, you'd be fine with it?"

"Absolutely not. I probably wouldn't kill and cook them, though."

"Of course not; you're vegetarian."

Layla laughed brightly and pulled him close for a kiss. "So I can just kill them then?"

"Mmm, much better response," he said, grinning against her lips.

Layla grinned and slowly settled down in his embrace. "Good night, Warren."

"Good night, Layla."

...

"You both suck!" Adam's voice was a tired and frustrated sound, tinged with annoyance and followed by the threat of their phones not working for the rest of the day.

Warren grinned and continued to lick and suck at Layla, her body lax beneath his and her mind starting to stir awake.

"Ohh, Warren," she groaned in greeting, a hand curling tight in his hair.

He greeted her with a hum in response, her legs curving over his shoulders, and his hands squeezing her hips. Warren slid his hands along Layla's inner thighs to stroke her labia, sweeping the pad of his thumb along her clit. He repeated the motion on each side over and over until she writhed and came alive beneath him.

"Warren, stop teasing! Please!" Layla begged, her thighs squeezing and hand curling tightly to keep him in place.

Warren grinned against her, licked the mix of sweat and juices, then moved to fuck his tongue into her. His thumb caressed her clit slowly as he plunged his tongue inside of her, trying to get deeper each time. Warren shifted so he could angle his mouth better, his hands slipping away so he could focus.

"No, I need my clit. Warren!" Layla cried out, clenching around his tongue tightly.

Warren pulled away, licking once more before sliding a finger in and returning his thumb to her clit. "Better?"

"More. Please!"

Warren slid a second finger in with little resistance, pressing kisses along her thigh and calf. He curved a finger to find the smooth spot within her, stroking her G-spot in time with his thumb's movements.

Layla's orgasm was echoed by several others outside of their room, but neither Warren nor Layla noticed.

"It was just a quickie to relieve tension. How are you feeling, hippie?"

"Very not tense," she said with a satisfied smile, curling around him for a full hug. "Do you need to relieve tension, too?"

"Yeah, but I'll do it in the shower later."

"You sure? I can reciprocate."

"Rain check; I'd like my phone to have reception sometime this week," he said wryly.

"Mmm, good point. Will the shower be far enough away from the others?"

Warren sighed. "Probably not. I'll have a cold shower, then."

"Aww, you're so good, giving me an orgasm and not having one yourself," Layla said with a grin, kissing him fully.

Warren pulled away with a soft groan. "Not going to be good for long if you keep that up, hippie."

Layla stayed where she was, tapping her chin as though thinking about his words. "We're aiming to be villains, aren't we?"

He frowned. "Yeah, but what's that got to do with anything?"

"We're not good," she said, grinning broadly. "They'll live, and you shouldn't deny yourself, especially when it comes to relieving stress before a big mission like this."

"Mmm, all right, I'm convinced," Warren said with a broad and warm grin, Layla laughing as she reached for him.

...

"Jesus, they weren't kidding about the multiple orgasms."

Buddy was focused on pressing kisses to Kid's shoulder, echoing the marks left by Alice earlier that week, and didn't respond.

...

"Thank you for the early morning call, darling."

"I think it's still early enough to be a booty call, even if it was via video. I can feel it from here," Victor groaned.

"Your brand is still new; it shouldn't be as strong with distance and more time. The proximity for me this morning is far closer than it has been in some time."

Victor made a distracted noise of agreement, licking his lips and sitting straighter. "Oh, Jesus, are they going for another one?"

Connor inhaled and exhaled on a shaky breath. "Yes, darling, I believe they are."

...

"Fuck, fuck, fuck. We almost didn't make it out of there."

Wendy laughed at Donny's reddened cheeks. "You didn't get a cuff, poor baby. They must be driving you wild."

Donny swallowed hard and forced himself to focus only on his girlfriend as she rode him. "You are, Wendy. Only you."

She grinned and leaned down for a kiss. "Good."

...

"I'm wearing a reverse power cuff every time I go to bed; I don't care if it breaks my wrist. What the fuck was that?" Milo groaned.

"Pretty sure it was a third orgasm," Remi called from a room down. "So... who's Jo?"

"Oh, my god. Shut up or I'll bring up Ayumu and Lyr," Milo threatened; he had no illusions about his crush on Joanna being reciprocated, but it didn't stop his reaction or thoughts.

Remi snorted. "This is so weird."

Milo paused in cleaning himself up. "Yeah."

...

"Oh, my Super God. Look at this mess!"

Super God help him, Terrence looked. Adam was actually ranting about the state of the training arena now that everyone had fled on the heels of the second orgasm, but he had an obvious erection and he was right in Terrence's line of sight, and... Fuck.

Terrence fled without looking back as another orgasm started to build.

"Was it something I said?" Adam asked Honey, the last person in the room besides Zero who hadn't been branded and apparently could sleep through over twenty people bolting from a room like the Commander and Jetstream were after them.

"I'm not answering that; I'll help you clean up after I've had a shower, okay?"

"Thanks, Honey. Don't forget about those calls you need to make!"

Honey made a noise of agreement and continued through to the showers for some privacy.

Adam groaned and went to have a cold shower for himself.

...

"They didn't need to do this, that's all I'm saying!" Jewel snapped.

Beau looked up at her. "I can stop?"

"I'm not saying that, Beau baby. Craig, are you okay, babe?"

"No. This sucks. What if Grant's out there feeling all of this, too? He'll think we're not looking for him."

"He knows we're looking, babe," Beau promised firmly, reaching out to hold Craig's hand.

"Just gotta have orgasms first, right?" Craig sniffled. "I'm too upset to even orgasm again. The first one just felt weird without Grant."

"You could have a cold shower instead?" Jewel offered.

"Yeah. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Love you, babe," Jewel and Beau chorused as Craig headed to their room's shower.

...

Ryuu had run as far as he could in the opposite direction as his father. He'd made it to one of the lesser-explored rooms with only Ethan's wallplates to guide him, though the bed was made and there were basic necessities. Unfortunately lube wasn't one of them, though he made a mental note to get that included in every damn room if Layla and Warren planned on doing this to them in the Hive again.

He hadn't had time to think, let alone process, his heart already at an alarming rate even as his orgasm crested over him. Still, Ryuu managed to picture someone and Alex's shy smile and rainbow mohawk were a prominent feature in his next orgasm as well.

Alex had told him that he didn't have time for a relationship, nor did he seem to want one with him, and there was no point in lusting over someone who didn't even want to give him the time of day.

Why did he have to fall for him? More importantly, when had he fallen for Alex in the first place?!

...

Ethan had grabbed Zach's hand as soon as the initial stirrings started, leaving without a word as the others were still in gradual stages of waking up and determining what was happening. Ethan led Zach down the hallway to their room and closed the vine curtains, guiding his boyfriend to their bed.

"Wha's goin' on?" Zach asked with a yawn.

"Layla and/or Warren are about to orgasm. We're at a far closer proximity than usual, so it will be far more intense; what do you need from me?"

Zach rubbed his eyes and yawned again. "Cuddles. I'm too sleepy for anything else. D'you need anything?"

"I'm more than happy to be held by you. I would like to rub against you, if you don't mind? I don't think it will be long, but I doubt it will only be one, so I'd prefer to finish sooner rather than later."

Zach nodded and held his arms open for a hug. Ethan kissed him gently and climbed into his lap, Zach giving a soft and content sigh as they hugged and Ethan started to rock against him. "Go on, I've got you."

...

Corvin really, really, really wished he was with Finnley and Phineas right about now. Phineas would tease and get that look in his eyes before he pounced and started licking places that Corvin had never thought were erogenous before. Finnley would smile sweetly before kissing him, and he'd feel the warmth of her hands before her nails would score lines along his back and he would cum because of them this time.

Or maybe Phineas and Finn would be shifted? He'd feel Phineas' soft tail brushing along his skin, and Finn would be staring at him intensely with her albino red eyes, watching for every shift and change in emotion, waiting for the moment where she could run along his body and make it as pleasurable as possible.

Or maybe they'd both be relentless and ruthless? Corvin could handle that right now; not an ounce of kindness as they stripped him raw instead of his own hand, biting marks along his body, and claiming him as theirs for the world to see.

Or maybe...

...

Heidi was so glad she hadn't put her hearing aids in yet. She'd seen more tented pyjamas and boxer briefs in the last ten minutes than she ever wanted to see in her life and while she felt stirrings of her own, there wasn't anything she wanted to act on.

Heading to the bathroom in the training arena, Heidi planned on having a shower. While in there, she would think of how to word a very stern letter to Layla and Warren for not wearing the cuffs like they were supposed to.

...

"Subject 809; power is repression of others' powers. Identifying marks: star birthmark on right hip; several freckles along cheeks and upper torso; vine and flower tattoo on left shoulder. The latter can be removed if required."

Momentarily distracted by a third orgasm, Grant forced himself not to look over at his shoulder to see the brand for himself. The orgasm was faint enough that it didn't make him have an uncomfortable time being processed while fully naked, thankfully, but he was still aware of it. Fuck, he hoped Jewel, Beau, and Craig were enjoying it for him.

"Why am I 809? The last person was 312," Grant said, frowning over at the woman who could manipulate sand and back to the dead-eyed expression of the person processing him.

"No questions at this time."

"Oh, so there's a Q&A session as to where the fuck we are, then?" the man who had a power over metal called sarcastically, wriggling and resisting against the cuffs as well as the two Super Bureau agents.

The person processing Grant ignored his remark. "Subject 809, turn around."

"Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming 'round," Grant sang under his breath, a quiet hysterical giggle escaping even as he forced himself to turn around before someone did it for him.

The drugs that had been pumped into the van hadn't kept him under for long and the lack of sleep, food, and water, combined with an abundance of adrenaline and stress and worry, certainly hadn't helped. Grant was almost looking forward to getting to wherever he'd be kept just so he could sleep.

"No identifying marks on back of Subject 809. Turn around."

"Every now and then I fall apart," he sang again as he turned again, his giggle not as quiet this time.

"Why are you laughing?" G snapped.

Grant bit his tongue to keep his response - or more of the song - contained. The Super Bureau agent glaring at him clearly wasn't as unemotional as his partner, and Grant didn't know what that meant.

"Has the processing finished? Eleven and Twelve are anxious for their newest subject," Scientist Thirteen said, their eyes glancing over Grant's naked form with no interest or reaction.

"Subject 312 and 809 are finalised; there's one more to be processed."

Thirteen looked between the two, then saw the semi-murderous expression Agent G was directing towards Subject 809. They didn't know if Eleven and Twelve would be better or worse than a Super Bureau agent, honestly. "Subject 809, put on your gown and follow me."

"Do I get underwear?" Grant asked, taking the generic paper hospital gown from the small pile and slipping his arms through the holes.

He'd kept a careful map of the room they'd arrived in, but the agents, guards, cameras, and power-repressing cuffs on each wrist made it obvious he wouldn't get far. The cuffs didn't just repress power if the blinking red light on each one was any indication, and Grant planned on having a stern talk with Honey about whatever the hell her R&D department were developing when he got out of here.

He followed Scientist Thirteen despite not receiving an answer about the underwear, and focused on trying to add to the mental map he was creating. Grant stopped abruptly as Thirteen opened a door that shouldn't have existed; his mental map had a blank wall there, not a door! He hadn't blinked, and knew he hadn't missed something as glaringly obvious as a door that led into a white operating theatre, and that door should not fucking exist!

"What the fuck?!"

Thirteen glanced over and saw his expression. "The rooms change according to a timed sequence. You'll get used to it."

"Wait, what? How is that even possible? It's an architectural structure, not a... a fucking Rubik's cube!"

Thirteen snorted a laugh. "That's actually a good analogy. Now, breathe in deeply, breathe out slowly. It's been a big and bad day, I know, but it's about to get bigger and badder. Try to keep your wits and don't - "

"Ah, you're our newest subject! I can't wait to see what you can do! Oh, that's a lovely tattoo," Eleven said, tugging Grant's gown aside to look at it fully.

Grant tried not to flinch back at being touched without permission or by a complete damned stranger, but obviously failed because Eleven just smiled and tapped the flowery tattoo with a sharp nail.

"I bet that hurt; it looks recent, too. Ooh, can we borrow Subject 734 from Scientists Seven and Eight?"

"That's a good idea, Eleven," Twelve said, sounding gruff in his rare approval.

Eleven smiled again, bright and cruel. "Thank you! You'll organise that, won't you, Thirteen?"

"I can request it from Scientist Fifteen, she'll - "

"Great! Now, let's get you inside and set up, and get those pesky cuffs off, shall we?" Eleven said, guiding Grant into the room without waiting for a response.

Thirteen sent the request to Fifteen, adding their own note regarding Subject 809's identifying marks to ensure the request would be approved by Scientists Seven and Eight. They might agree to Eleven's request, but they'd likely want to see the tests and conduct some for themselves. Thirteen hoped that Fifteen wouldn't see the request for a few more days, but knew how efficient Fifteen was at their job. Subject 809 had no idea what was in store for him, and no one in their right mind wanted four scientists conducting tests on a subject.

...

"Rita?"

Rita glanced over as she was putting her Maths for Sidekicks textbook in her locker with exactly as much force as it deserved, and frowned at the older teen. "Who are you?"

"Oh. I'm Ritchie. I'm a senior Hero. You're Rita; you can make others fly, right?"

Rita wondered why a senior Hero was talking to her; she was a sidekick, and if she remembered from Save the Citizen, Ritchie had telekinesis. Why would he want to talk to her when he had a more advanced level of her power?!

"Yes. Why do you want to know? Ugh, sorry, that sounded paranoid. What can I do for you?" Rita asked, hoping her smile came across as kind and approachable rather than tired and paranoid.

"I know someone who could use your powers. You'll be paid for each fight."

Rita blinked, his response completely unexpected. "Who is it?"

"I can't say right now," Ritchie said, and that was paranoia if Rita had ever seen it.

"Uh huh."

"Here, meet me there. After school, I'll take you to where you need to go," Ritchie said, scribbling in his notebook and ripping the piece of paper out to offer to her. He glanced over his shoulder and moved slightly, blocking her from the camera's angle.

Rita frowned at the movement. "Why're you paranoid? Who's after you?"

"I'll explain later. I promise," Ritchie said.

Curiosity overcame common sense and Rita took the piece of paper.

...

Magenta's eyelids felt like bricks and she wasn't super strong like Will. She struggled and fought to open her eyes, and when she did, hospital-green walls faced her. She could hear her mother crying and Cyan roaring at someone, and Will's voice joined in the cacophony, but then Magenta lost the fight against her eyelids and fell asleep again.

She woke up what could have been hours or days later. The sun was setting outside of her hospital room and there were several machines beeping around her. Magenta frowned and blinked, trying to comprehend what the numbers and lines meant without any success. Licking her dry lips, she looked around her room properly. She'd been put up in a private room, it seemed, and had a balloon and get well card from Cerulean, with a stuffed lion plushie sitting on the table beside her bed. The visitor's chair was occupied by her mother, who was snoring and clutching Magenta's leg like she was afraid she'd disappear if she let go.

"Mama? Mami, wake up."

Mrs. Yolanda jolted in the chair at Magenta's prompt, and looked at her daughter with red puffy eyes from crying. "You're awake? Oh, querida, I was so worried I couldn't sleep!"

"You had a nap, at least; you were snoring," Magenta added.

"I don't snore; it's not ladylike," she said with a sniff.

Magenta smiled briefly at the familiar response and looked around the room and out to the empty corridor. "Where's Will? Or Cyan? I think I heard him earlier, was he here?"

Mrs. Yolanda winced. "They were escorted out of the hospital for fighting. They can come back tomorrow to see you at separate times."

"They fought?! Why?"

"Don't worry about that, querida. You focus on resting and getting better. We'll go home tomorrow and look for a nice safe job for you in an office, hmm?"

Magenta looked at her mother so fast her neck cracked. "What? Mama, I'm not giving up my job! Unless... did Will fire me? Is that why Cyan fought him?" she asked, one of the machines beeping far more than necessary when she was the one on the verge of a panic attack.

"No. He didn't fire you, querida. He should have been more worried over you than the stupid bag of money; the mono inútil came here covered in colours from the little... powder bag!"

"He's not a useless monkey, Mama, don't insult my boyfriend like that," Magenta said defensively.

She didn't know what had happened for Will to be covered in a dye pack before arriving at the hospital to check on his recently-shot girlfriend, considering he hadn't had any dyes or powders on him when she'd been loaded into the ambulance. Magenta vaguely remembered a black duffel bag slung around his chest, the colour stark against his regular red, white, and blue. Surely he wouldn't have prioritised money - his trophy - over her?!

Mrs. Yolanda pursed her lips, obviously not wanting to argue while Magenta was hospitalised. "I'll find you a better job, hmm? It will pay more and - "

"Mama, I'm not doing this for the money," Magenta said, only partly lying, which meant it wasn't really a lie and she didn't need to confess.

In fact, Magenta was pretty sure she was no longer allowed in the church, so she didn't have to confess either way.

"Then the money doesn't matter elsewhere? Your cousin has a - "

"I'm not going to work for my cousin; I already have a job!"

"You were shot, querida. I am looking for your safety!"

"No, you're not! You - "

"Excuse me? Can you please lower your voices?" a nurse asked, stepping into the room with a slight frown.

Mortified at being told to be quiet, Mrs. Yolanda suddenly made a fuss about needing coffee, and left the room.

Magenta couldn't cross her arms so just watched the nurse as he pressed several buttons, but none that dealt with the incessant and overwhelming beeping. "What is that beeping noise, anyway?" she groused.

"Your heart rate. You need to calm yourself before you have a full-blown panic attack," he replied calmly. "Inhale, exhale, and press this button to get more super-strength morphine. It's on a timer; you'll only be able to access it until midnight. Your powers will return once the morphine's worn off and the damage to your shoulder has been repaired."

Magenta's eyes widened as she realised she was wearing power-repressing cuffs. How had she missed that?!

"Hey, breathe. In and out, in and out. Good, there you go."

Mrs. Yolanda returned to the room after another minute with coffee in hand, looking apprehensive of the nurse still in the room. "I need to go. Cerulean needs dinner."

"Papa and Cyan can't feed him?" Magenta asked, trying not to sound petulant.

"No. They don't know how to cut his vegetables the right way. We'll finish talking about your new job in the morning, hmm?"

"Mama, I already told you - "

Mrs. Yolanda pressed a firm kiss to her daughter's cheek, licking her thumb to clean the smear of lipstick she'd left behind, Magenta spluttering over the act and treatment. "Ciao, querida. Be good!" she said firmly, then left without letting Magenta respond.

"Bye, Mama," Magenta said with a sigh.

She tried to ignore the nurse's pitying expression and settled in to wait for Will. He'd visit her soon, she was sure of it.

...

End of the hundred and eighty-seventh chapter.

Thanks for reading!