𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 ~ 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴

~ 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙏𝙬𝙤: 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 ~

"Go, Astrid! Faster!" Sloane looked to the side mirror as the kugelblitz loomed closer. "I'm pushing her as much as I can, Slo!" Astrid strained as she pushed the gas even harder, making sharp turns every so often as they continued their journey back to the Hotel. "Do you even know how to drive?" Five gripped onto the back of her seat, his seatbelt barely doing any good. "In a high-speed chase? No! What is this, Fast and Furious?" Astrid sounded both panicked and agitated. As she kept her eyes on the road, she could feel Sloane's hand stroking her leg, silently telling her it would all be okay.

This calmed Astrid a little, but the Kugelblitz was still on its deadly rampage. Finally, after what felt like hours, they were back in front of the Hotel Obsidian and ran inside back to safety. "Is Ben okay?" Luther asked as Sloane and Astrid laid him on one of the couches. "I think so. He's still breathing," Sloane nodded, checking Ben's pulse. Shortly after that, Ben's eyes fluttered open, and as he sat up, his hand went behind his head. "What happened?" He grogged. "Benny, you're in the Hotel Obsidian, we're safe," Sloane hugged him.

The gravity girl helped him stand up, but as Ben looked around him, he couldn't help but notice two people were missing. "Where... where are Fei and Chris?" He questioned. Sloane's face fell at the mention of their names. Even though it all happened so fast during their escape, it didn't make the pain hurt any less. "They're gone, Ben. They're gone," Astrid tried to place a hand on his shoulder, but he pulled away from her. Ben never wanted to expose his emotions, so his face remained blank and empty like a white canvas. But Sloane and Astrid knew he just needed some time to process. And maybe just maybe, he'd be willing to accept some comfort.

Hours and hours went by as the Umbrellas waited upstairs in the lobby. For what they were waiting for, they didn't know. But eventually, as the night continued, Astrid and Sloane decided to retire and went up to one of the rooms. The women lay on the bed together, holding each other close as they tried to take their minds off the bad and focus on the good. "I may not get to see the world, but at least I'm with you," Sloane whispered, nestling her head against Astrid's shoulder. "Me too. And we've got however many days left that we get to spend together," Astrid stroked Sloane's knuckles, her fingers colliding with the engagement ring.

"I just wish I could give you the dream wedding you deserve..." The blonde sighed, looking towards the window, watching the orange and debris-filled sky. Suddenly, Sloane got an idea, and as she sat up with a look of excitement, Astrid returned her gaze to her. "Maybe we still can!" Sloane grinned. "We've got somewhere to hold the ceremony, all of our family is here. It's the perfect place, don't you think?" Astrid processed that thought, and she had to admit Sloane had a point. It may not have been the typical wedding they were thinking about having, but it was better than no wedding at all.

"Why not? Let's do it," Astrid smiled. Sloane quietly squealed and embraced her fiancée, already envisioning what their special day would be like. "So, how do you think we should break the news to our siblings?" Astrid questioned. "We'll wait until they've all calmed down from what happened, and then we'll tell them about our wedding. I was thinking we could give them crafty invites!" Sloane suggested. Astrid's eyebrows raised, wondering what her fiancée meant by crafty. The gravity girl got out of bed and excused herself before returning a few moments later with bags of string confetti and tiny jars from a closet down the hallway.

Suddenly, it all clicked with Astrid what Sloane was envisioning, and the two got right to work. They stayed up the whole night preparing every invitation, filling the jars and writing the words, "You're invited to the wedding of Astrid and Sloane, tonight at 6 pm," A wave of giddiness passed over the shadow girl as she couldn't wait until that special hour. She could already picture it and wanted it to be absolutely perfect. Not only for herself but also for her beloved.