POV: Taylor

I was in a strangely good mood. I say strange because it had been such a long time since I had had a good day that it was a genuinely odd thing to happen. The trio hadn't bothered me for almost a month. My dad actually had dinner with me last night, and I had the most amazing nights sleep. I don't know why and I don't care why, but I had woken up feeling rested, safe and happy. I almost cried at how wonderful it felt.

I walked into school determined to continue this trend. I wanted this whole day to be wonderful! I was so focused on that thought that I missed the smell until I was actually in front of my locker. It smelled like something had crawled into a sauna and died after shitting all over the place. I'm not sure I've ever smelled anything as awful as that.

It says something about my life that I didn't even question if this had something to do with me. I saw Emma and Madison several lockers down, snickering like they'd done something clever. As I opened my locker to see what fresh hell I was going to have to deal with, I realized that I couldn't see Sophia. That made me nervous.

Behind you!

The words whispered through my mind in a voice that was not my own and without even thinking about it I glanced over my shoulder as I pulled the locker door open, Just in time to see Sophia shove me hard straight into the wave of vile stench unleashed by the open locker. I fell forward, into the locker...and then suddenly, I was standing on the other side of the hallway, shuddering in disgust and panic. Strong, slender arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a hug.

I was being held by a pale woman, an inch or two shorter than me wearing a black bodysuit and a blue cloak. Her hood was up and her face mostly hidden in shadow.

"Watch" she said, her voice quiet and calm as she nodded her head back to the locker.

There stood a tall man of maybe 20. He wore worn blue jeans, brown hiking boots and a warm brown leather jacket over a hoodie with the hood raised. His face hidden in shadow as much as the woman holding me. I could make out a strong jaw with a close cropped beard of hair that was either dark brown or black. His eyes seemed to glow with an infinity of colors and his lips pulled back, baring his teeth at Sophia, gripping her wrist.

He loomed over her, leaning down and whispering into her ear words that I shouldn't have been able to hear from so far away, but heard clearly nonetheless.

"You always were a vicious little wraith, but this is beyond the pale even for you. Thankfully I have everything on camera, including your little pre-game huddle with your bimbo and your midget discussing your plan for today's festivities. I think Director Piggot will be quite interested in seeing what you get up to here away from your watchers, such as they are. Attempted Murder and Bio-terrorism are not things I would imagine she wants her Wards indulging in."

He released her and stepped back looking directly into her eyes, his own flaring even brighter erasing any doubt in Taylor's mind that this man was a cape.

"If nothing is done about you after that, well. I'll have my beautiful friend over there teach you who truly rules the shadows. Either way, you will never be given leave to harm anyone again."

He then glanced over at me and again I head a voice in my head.

If you want things to change. To get better. You'll need to take a chance. I've directed attention away from you for the rest of the day. Meet us at the coffee shop on the boardwalk. I have an offer for you.

He looked up and met the eyes of the woman who I was fairly certain had somehow saved me from falling into the locker and then vanished in a surprisingly muted burst of flame. The woman let me go, stepped back and with a small nod and a mischievous smirk, seemed to fall back into a shadow I would have sworn wasn't there a moment ago.

…..

…..

What. The. Actual. Flippity. Fuck. Just. Happened!?

And why was that voice so familiar?

…

Well. I suppose I could do for a coffee. If nothing else, it'll certain kill time while they decontaminate the school because whatever is going on in that locker can't be healthy to be around.

And I had just gotten off the bus dammit!

I get that the exits they chose were very mysterious and dramatic, but couldn't they have offered me a lift?

Fucking capes.

POV: Raven

I watched my bondmate indulge in his theatrics, wondering what exactly I was doing with my life. The girl I held in my arms was still shivering from the adrenalin drop and seemed to be in something of a state of shock. As I watched Gavin very un-subtly threaten a teenage girl, carefully funneling the sound away from onlookers and into the ears of the skinny brunette who was annoyingly tall considering her age, I marveled again at how similar to Jean that Gavin was yet how utterly different. Jean was always calm, collected and utterly earnest about everything she did. She had a strong sense of right and wrong and would not hesitate to tell you if you crossed a line. Gavin was much the same way, but he seemed to really enjoy playing the intimidating thug, though from what he had said before we entered the building, that was mostly to mess with the girl. Sophia Hess. Shadow Stalker.

I know I don't have a great amount of room to talk, being a goth named Raven. But really. If she wasn't careful, she'll cut herself on that edge.

Today had been strange. 24 hours ago, I was in a pitched battle against my Demon Lord father, fighting back to back with a woman I considered a sister, throwing flame and shadow in equal measure, waiting for the end.

Unfortunately, when it came, it came to Jean first. That, right there was nearly the end of me. I very nearly gave up. Then, from the plume of fire that was her grave, a...voice?/Consciousness?/Soul?Entity? called out to me. It was Jean! It was also not Jean. It was male. And old. Older than anything I think I'd ever encountered. Ancient beyond all hope or reason.

Jean had spoken to me of her greater self. Of the Phoenix. I hadn't quite understood until that moment exactly what the phrase "Older than time" actually meant but now I did. It was a heavy thing, literally. I could feel the weight of eons, or eternity bearing down on me just from being in the presence of an echo of a shade of the true being.

I was made an offer. I was given information. Data without words and memories with little context. I could leave this place. This hollow world of demons and ghosts. I could join my friend in her... in his new life. The original consciousness of the Phoenix was finally incarnating and no longer wanted to be alone. I could go to a world where my very soul didn't fight me daily for control over my power and I could be with my friend, if in a new form. I would never have to be alone again.

I wasn't entirely sure about this whole immortality thing but I got a vague sense from the...being? Lets go with being that he had...perks for that? Sure, whatever. I'm just tired of hurting. Tired of losing. I just want to rest. I closed my eyes as Trigon laughed in the distance. The world was dying and there was nothing I could do to save it. I accepted the offer. Jean's Pyre ignited to new heights and I Burned.

AN: Had a little inspiration and turned out one more quick chapter for the night. The next one will definitely be longer because it will involve Taylor meeting Gavin and Raven properly as well as Gavin trying to explain the idea that Taylors universe is fiction in another world without breaking her mind. We also get to hear Gavin's initial plans to kick canon in the teeth and learn how perhaps Gavin isn't so overpowered after all when you look at what he's up against, cause i'm bringing in some other outside elements. Probably won't be posted for a while though. I work the next 17 days straight. Blegh. Fuck car repairs.