Melanie and Lunet sat on top of the Hat on the tail of the crashed airplane. It was the first time that they had had time together in the past few weeks and they didn't want to waste it.
Dementia and Dita were playing with Flug's weapons in the yard safely out of hearing range, but the two sisters enjoyed the silence and break from their current tension for a few minutes before they discussed anything.
For a few more minutes, Melanie and Lunet silently sat and watched the clouds go by. Melanie held her cardigan and knapsack on her lap so her bare shoulders could soak up the sun.
Lunet pulled her large black sun hat over her head to keep the sun out of her eyes. Her black tank top, black slacks, and black boots were soaking up the sunlight, but she didn't mind. The heat felt good on her pallor, ghostly skin.
The emotions were heavy and present, but neither said a word until Lunet finally spoke up.
"The video cameras have been short-circuited," Lunet said. "We can speak now."
"Thank you," Melanie said.
"I can't believe Mom and Dad brought you here," Lunet said.
"Neither can I," Melanie said angrily. "I can't believe they're going to leave me here all summer. I could never leave this prison, Lunet."
Lunet offered a sad smile to comfort her sister and said, "Well, I'm sure Black Hat will let us visit sometimes…"
"That doesn't help, Lunet!" Melanie snapped. "I don't want to be here. Period."
"I don't want you to be here either, but it feels like Mom, Dad, and Black Hat aren't going to give you a choice," Lunet replied patiently.
Melanie leaned onto her sister's shoulder and asked, "What should I do?"
Lunet took a deep breath knowing her response wouldn't be accepted easily and answered, "I suggest you go along with what they say for now."
"What?!" Melanie yelled in surprise. "But I don't want to be evil. I love being a hero!"
"You don't have to change who you are," Lunet said. "You just hide it. Like Queen Elizabeth I said. You don't change who you are inside. You conform on the outside to make them happy."
Melanie curled up into a ball, let her tears fall, and said, "I wish I didn't have to make them happy. I wish they'd just accept me for who I am."
Lunet gave her sister a hug and said, "When you and I are older, we will be able to change everything, but until then, we have to pretend to comply. I'll find your sisters and keep them up to date."
"Really?" Melanie asked. "How?"
Lunet smiled, let go, and replied, "I'm 21 now. I can go out at night without people asking where I've been."
"Thanks, sis," Melanie said. "I will try to be strong, but why can't we both just run away? We can hide with the Nun-jas. Our family doesn't want to be saved. We have to let them go."
Lunet sighed and said, "It wouldn't be that easy."
"Come on," Melanie said. "I know you had some good experience in the Church with France. You're a stronger Reaper than I am. We'd kick butt together."
"Maybe," Lunet said. "But right now isn't the right time."
Melanie was about to protest when...
"LUNET! MELANIE! WATCH OUT!" Dita yelled.
Lunet grabbed Melanie while the latter grabbed her cardigan and her knapsack and flew out of the way before the latter even had time to summon her wings as a rocket flew past where they were sitting and exploded in the sky.
"DITA!" Melanie yelled.
Dementia stood in the yard cheering while Dita awkwardly tossed aside the rocket launcher.
"You see?" Melanie whispered as she summoned her wings and allowed Lunet to let her go. "This is why we should leave. Our family will never accept us unless we're causing wanton destruction and chaos. I don't want to pretend anymore. I want to leave and be a hero!"
"Then you risk never leaving this place," Lunet said.
"I don't care," Melanie spat back.
"You can escape faster by pretending, Melanie," Lunet said sternly. "It is what has helped me survive and it is what will help you survive, too."
Suddenly, they noticed a little black-haired girl wearing purple shorts, a purple- and white-striped tank top, a purple jacket, and purple sandals flying up to them on her broomstick. It was Dita.
"What are you talking about?" Dita asked in her annoying childish curiosity.
A flash of red, green, and dark blue sprung up into the air next to her before plummeting back to the top of Black Hat Manor.
"Yeah!" Dementia yelled landing on the roof and springing herself up again before she fell back on the roof. "What are you talking about?! Dita! Let me grab your broom!"
"No!" Dita yelled as she maneuvered her broom just out of the way of Dementia springing up again. "I told you, Dementia! You're too heavy!"
"Nothing," Lunet said pulling her sun hat back on top of her black hair. "We were just talking about studying abroad and interning in France. Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you go with Dementia and see if Dr. Flug has anything to play with in his lab?"
Dita gasped as her eyes grew wide in excitement before she flew over to Dementia, said something neither of the airborne sisters could hear, dissolved her broom, jumped on Dementia's back, and rode her down the wall and back into the manor.
When they were gone, Lunet and Melanie landed on the roof once more and dissolved their wings.
"That was too close," Lunet said with a sigh.
"Lunet, I will be getting out of this and you should come with me," Melanie said firmly. "My Sensei is gonna come for me. You could escape, too."
"I will one day, but not now," Lunet said. "I'm not ready."
Before the conversation could continue, the window opened and Iliana yelled out, "You two can come inside now!"
"Why?!" Melanie asked.
"Mom and Dad want to talk to you!" Iliana replied.
Melanie rolled her eyes and yelled back, "Fine!"
Melanie summoned her wings and flew down to the window. Lunet followed closely behind her into the office.
Melanie landed on the floor and said, "Before you say anything, the explosion was Dita's fault. Not mine."
"Melanie," Faucheuse began. "Your Father and I have spoken to Black Hat and we've come to a decision."
Praying inside for the strength to face the answer she knew was coming, Melanie replied, "Yes?"
"The villains here will oversee your re-education, but we will be welcome to visit you as you please," Senor Santa Muerte said. "Should you prove to be accelerating in your lesson you will be granted the opportunity to take breaks and visit home."
"This is about the best thing I thought would happen," Melanie said acceptingly. "So, shall we have dinner?"
"Of course," Faucheuse said strutting over as quickly as her black skirt and black heels would allow and hugging Melanie against her white blouse with one arm while holding her phone with the other. "I'm sure you'd like to catch up. On the way, I'll make arrangements for more of Melanie's belongings to be delivered."
"505 said dinner was ready, so all we have to do is find Dita and…" Flug said just before he was interrupted by a loud explosion coming from the lab.
Everyone jumped in surprise.
"What was that?!" Iliana asked.
Flug chuckled nervously before he bolted to the door and yelled, "DEMENTIA!"
Before Flug reached the door, a Hat Bot came rolling in holding up Dementia in one hand and Dita in the other. They were both covered in soot.
"Dita?!" Faucheuse said letting go of Melanie and dashing over to meet the robot halfway. "What did you do?!"
"We played with chemicals!" Dita exclaimed proudly.
"Dita!" Senor Santa Muerte chided grabbing his daughter from the Hat Bot. "That was very dangerous! Chemicals are not like magic! They have set laws! You could have been very hurt!"
"But Dementia was with me," Dita protested. "We were totally safe. The fire didn't even touch me."
Flug screamed in an absolute panic and sprinted out the door before anyone could even blink.
"Lord Black Hat, is there a bathroom we can use?" Senor Santa Muerte asked still holding his daughter up by her shirt.
"Down the hall, third door from the right," Black Hat replied. "Meet us in the dining hall when we're done."
"Gracias," Senor Santa Muerte said as he headed down the hall while the rest of his family headed to the dining room.