Les Femmes Fatales [2]

▪ Twenty-Four

"The Defenders had a rather nasty fight with Psion last night which didn't necessarily result in their win. From the footage in the cameras, we catch sight of at least three of them being hit by the objects Psion threw their way. Before the fight could end properly, one by one the Defenders seemed to disappear and our question for you, George, is this; how did the Defenders disappear?"

"Hello, Mary. It was indeed an intense fight and as for your question, I think it's safe to say the reason they managed to disappear like that wasn't because of an object but a person. We all know him, he was the fear of the rich two years ago. Of course, I'm talking about Flux."

Ian let out a deep sigh as he hid his face in his hands, but he kept listening to the journalists.

"Flux?" Mary exclaimed, acting surprised. "What makes you say that?"

"Nefertiti's, Circe's and Arvinda's decision to let the world know he helped them find the hostages and put an end to his own team. I believe he's come to help them in their time of need once more."

"Does that mean Flux is now a hero?"

"I don't know for sure, Mary. What I certainly know though is that seeing Flux and Psion fight will be most certainly interesting. Think about it, a villain fighting with an ex-villain. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?"

Ian could hear no more as he turned the television off and leaned back in the couch with yet another deep sigh. As he felt the couch beside him dip, he spoke up. "I expected you to be asleep for a while longer."

"I don't sleep much."

Ian let his hands fall from his face and turned to face her, taking in the features of her face before speaking up. "Did I wake you up?"

"No," Karina shook her head, "are you alright?"

"I'll always be viewed as an ex-villain, probably," he mumbled, "and did you listen to him? Talking as if me fighting someone as dangerous as Psion would be a sight for the rest of the world to see. They see me as a source of entertainment."

"Not all of them."

He only shook his head before glancing back at the closed television. "How are you?"

"Better than last night," she admitted as she peered up at him. "How is Branka?"

"She has nothing at all, just a bruising on her back," he said, a tone of surprise in his voice. "These suits you wear are truly like armour or something."

"Branka made them, I don't know how. But they're great, you're right."

"The suits I used to wear were hardly any different than clothes," he chuckled as he leaned his head back on the couch, closing his eyes slowly. Karina glanced at the clock on the wall. It was ten o'clock.

"Did you sleep at all?"

"Hardly," he murmured, eyes remaining closed.

"Qara told me you and Stella had a fight."

"Anything else Qara told you?"

"To not trust you and that she believes Psion has a politician in mind to take over once he gets control of the city."

His eyes opened and he turned to face her. "I thought she told you not to trust me."

"Well, I'm not always doing what I'm told," she smirked over at him before shifting in her position to face him. "She said Psion needs someone the people will see as their ruler, someone who could possibly rule. He's not that person. He's only acting, he's the ruler's instrument. Qara believes he is selling drugs so that less people will resist him and also because he needs the money to bribe a politician into getting control once he kills the president."