IGNIS FATUUS- V. Hargreeves ¹

036. THE TROJAN HORSE.

Nadine noticed he wasn't quite meeting her eyes, but she didn't have time to speculate. Instead, she took Allison by the arm, determination swelling through her. "Come on. We can still save her."

The pair climbed the stairs, their hearts in their throats, and then made their way into the theatre. As soon as they pressed through doors, Nadine started feeling horribly underdressed. Perhaps that was an irrational thought, given how close she was to the end of the world, but old habits died hard. Everyone sitting in the audience was dressed to the nines in tuxedos or fanciful dresses, draped in pearls, and here Nadine was in the outfit she'd scrounged together after her shower—a knee-length polka-dotted sundress paired with the bowling shoes. Fortunately, though, these thoughts didn't remain for long. Not when Nadine's eyes locked on a certain figure on-stage.

Vanya was wearing a tuxedo, black as night, and—Nadine couldn't help but admit this—she looked damned good in it. Her hand glided over the violin like it was an extension of her arm, her brow creased slightly in concentration as she pumped out the melody that had the audience so enthralled. All would've seemed normal, like just an ordinary concert, if not for the matter of Vanya's eyes. For instead of the warm brown Nadine had grown used to, they had now turned a vivid, electric blue.

Nadine and Allison halted in front of the stage like the music had put them under a spell, and for a moment, they just listened, trying to prepare for whatever might come next. And that was when Vanya's eyes found them, locking onto each in turn.

She didn't lash out, as Luther had expected. Instead, Vanya smiled, a beautiful thing that made Nadine's stomach warm. Nadine beamed back. She'd known all along that Luther had been wrong about Vanya, but believing it and seeing it herself were two different things. Now, she had proof that Vanya wasn't some homicidal maniac; she was the same woman that Nadine had met that first day. The same woman who she'd started to open her heart to.

Nadine could've sworn the moment she spent with her eyes connected to Vanya's lasted forever. But then, of course, Luther had to ruin it.

A movement flickered in her peripherals, and before Nadine had time to fully focus on it, Luther and Diego had already made it halfway across the stage, attempting to get to Vanya. Before they could even get into her proximity, however, Vanya struck out with her bow, sending out a beam of energy that blasted both men off of the stage.

The two of them went flying, crash landing in the audience. The concert spectators, who'd witnessed the entire thing, rose to their feet, screams tearing loose from their lips. They began to flood the theatre, no longer the dignified group they'd been when Nadine and Allison had walked in, and Vanya continued to stand in the center of the stage, her electric eyes investigating the scene.

Nadine stumbled back, limbs seizing up in shock. Her own eyes were still glued on the stage, on Vanya, which was why she saw the orchestra attempt to escape next. Before they could, however, Vanya turned back to them, sending another burst of energy towards them with her violin bow. It rattled over the performers, and they sank back into their chairs, continuing to play the haunting melody that had welcomed Nadine inside. This time, however, the music was accompanied by a chorus of screams.

When Nadine's mind had finally caught up with everything that had happened in the last thirty seconds, she realized she couldn't continue to stand in the aisle, gaping like a fish. So instead, she made her way over to Luther and Diego, who hadn't yet stood up yet. The two of them were groaning, obviously in pain, but Nadine wasn't thinking of any of that when she slammed a kick into Number One's shoulder.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she shouted, her rage spilling over like water in a pot. "Why did you do that? Allison and I were taking care of everything!"