"How did they discover you were here?"
Anastasia asked Phoenix as they ran through an abandoned tunnel, alarms screaming behind them.
"It's gonna make you laugh when I tell you."
"I could use one about now. It's not like I turn my back on everything I was ever taught growing up everyday."
"I know, but it's too dangerous for you to stay here now. Anyway, they found me by dumb luck; I sneezed as I was passing Agent Frank."
Anastasia stopped running.
"A sneeze! A sneeze caused all of this! I don't believe it."
Phoenix turned, quickly picking her up just as a red beam of light hit the spot she had stopped at.
"That was a bit too close for comfort. Hold on tight, you're about to see one of the ways I enter and exit this building."
Anastasia absentmindedly held onto Phoenix's waist tightly while still mumbling.
"A sneeze, all of this because of a sneeze..."
The tunnel began to fracture wildly. Its colors shifting out of their proper placements. Phoenix ran harder as the world seemed to stretch away from them in all directions. Anastasia snapped out of her bewilderment gripping Phoenix tighter, yelling, fear in her voice.
"What in the hell is going on!?!"
"Don't worry; we'll be out of it in a second or two."
"Out of what!?"
"Too much to explain; just know that it deals with quantum mechanics."
The world snapped back into place around them as Phoenix slowed to a stop. Instead of being in an abandoned tunnel miles underground, they now stood in front of a looming high rise. Anastasia gazed up the side of the high rise in aw.
"It looks like it touches the sky."
"Not yet, but it comes close."
Phoenix opened his large majestic wings pushing them towards the ground with a sense of carefree ease. The ground rushed away as he carried them high up the side of the building to the balcony at the top. Wings flaring out, he landed softly on the balcony where they were met by a normal sized woman with long auburn hair. She looked at Phoenix then to Anastasia clearing her throat.
Realizing that she was still tightly holding onto Phoenix, Anastasia blushed loosening her grip and slipping down beside him.
"Couldn't sleep, Rachael?"
"No. I couldn't. I was up all night worrying. About you. You said you'd only be gone for an hour or two."
"I know, but complications arose that I couldn't avoid."
Rachael, sternly appraising Anastasia, then replied.
"I bet they did."
Phoenix not used to having to explain his actions decided he'd have to this time since he did bring Anastasia back with him.
"It wasn't Anastasia's fault that I took so long getting back. I sneezed while passing Agent Frank."
"Let me get this straight Phoenix, you brought the next in line for hunting you back, here? What were you thinking?"
"Trust me on this Rachael; I know what I'm doing here. She's not going to be hunting me, now or anytime in the future. And I brought her back because..."
"Because she has a pretty face and you felt sorry for her."
Rachael interrupted Phoenix.
"...No because they already discovered that she has had two contacts with me in her quarters already."
"So you're telling me you brought her back, here, because you wanted to protect her?"
Anastasia stepped behind Phoenix in an attempt to hide from Rachael's threatening look.
"Of course I did what other reason would I have?"
"I don't know Phoenix..."
Rachael paused looking at Phoenix's left arm.
"Is that blood on your arm?"
Phoenix looked down at his arm, and was dumbfounded seeing that he was bleeding. Looking annoyed, Rachael grabbed Phoenix's right arm and pulled him inside.
"Come on; let me see what you've done to yourself this time and why it isn't healing."
"I haven't the faintest idea how or when that happened."
Phoenix followed Rachael. Not much of a choice since she had him by the arm. Anastasia stood on the balcony not sure what to do.
"Come on in, Anastasia."
Phoenix said cheerfully to her. Rachael turned quickly, resentment in her voice.
"Oh no, you don't. This is my home and as far as I'm concerned you are not welcomed in it."
Anastasia, head down, turned away looking out over the balcony. Shooting Rachael a harsh look, Phoenix stopped walking.
"What? Oh Fine, Come in Anastasia. Just know I'll have my eye on you."
Rachael said grudgingly.
Anastasia warily walked in from the balcony. Rachael sat Phoenix down on the bed while pulling out an old wooden box that at one point of time had been covered with leather. Opening the box, she took out some old brown glass bottles and several white cloths. Anastasia watched intently as Rachael turned on a light by the bed and held a magnifier to the wound.
"Hmm, looks like they tried to bug you. How did you get out of there this time?"
"A portal."
"Teraphorm?"
"No, Mechron."
"Ah, that's what did it. You fried the circuitry in the bug and it exploded in your arm. Now, why it won't heal is the strange part."
"Think they had a chemical mixed in with the bug?"
"Shouldn't matter, not with your genetic coding. More then likely, you've lost a feather, again."
"I can't wait for my next rising, it should be fixed then so it wouldn't matter how many feathers I lose."
Anastasia not knowing what they were talking about perked up when she heard 'feather' in her back pocket was the missing one.
"Um, I can help there."
Rachael looked at Anastasia, doubt on her face.
"No, really I have it right here."
Anastasia took the feather out of her pocket showing them.
"Alright, good job Anastasia."
Phoenix joyfully chimed.
"I'll take that, thank you."
Rachael got up snatching the feather from Anastasia's hand.
Sitting back down by Phoenix, Rachael took out an empty glass bottle. She placed the feather in it pouring liquid from one of the brown bottles into it. After shaking the bottle, she passed it to Phoenix.
"Alright, drink this down now."
"All of it?"
"You want it to heal or not?"
A look of disgust on his face, Phoenix drank the mixture in the bottle. Squinting his eyes and sticking his tongue out he handed it back to Rachael.
"Got something to take the taste out of my mouth?"
"Really you can be so childish at times, Phoenix."
Rachael reached for a lollipop from the box,
"What's it to be this time, cherry or lime?"
"Cherry."
Phoenix replied with a big grin on his face, Anastasia couldn't help but giggle.
A cherry lollipop now in his mouth, Rachael wrapped his wound with the white bandages. Anastasia yawned, tired from the days events. Phoenix took the lollipop out gesturing toward Anastasia.
"I guess we should find a place for you to sleep tonight. I know you can sleep in my bed..."
Rachael pulled tightly on the bandage.
"Ow! Careful. Anyway, and I'll sleep on the sofa in the living room."
"Sorry,"
Rachael loosened the knot and wiped off the blood. Anastasia surveyed his room.
"I don't want to kick you out of your own bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."
Rachael mumbled under her breath.
"She can sleep outside for all I care."
Phoenix hit Rachael with his lollipop on her forehead.
♪thock♪
"Behave, I'll sleep on the sofa, she'll sleep in my bed and that's final."
With-holding any further objections, Rachel wet one of the cloths and preceded to wipe the stickiness from her forehead; making a mental note to restock with smaller Safety Pops. Placing the lollipop back in its wrapper Phoenix spoke again.
"Will you be needing some clothes for the night, or have they taught you how to use fire to manifest them?"
"No, I've only learned how to use it to fix my hair up when I'm in a rush."
"That won't do at all."
Thinking for a moment he spoke again.
"You know, you do look about Rachael's size,"
Rachael's mouth dropped. Measuring her reaction he continued.
"Or I could lend you one of my shirts to wear."
Rachael bit the bottom of her lip, remembering the lollipop incident. Phoenix exploded into laughter.
"I'm only joking Rachael, I'll create something for her to wear for the night."
Rachel visibly bit her tongue.
"I'm thinking flannel."
Phoenix concluded. Rachael slugged him in the arm.
Standing up from the bed, Phoenix walked over to Anastasia; looking her up and down, rubbing his chin. She watched him, unsure of what he was doing.
"Now the wings will be the tricky part. Do you usually sleep with them in or out?"
She looked at him confused.
"In or out?"
Before he could reply, Rachael spoke up.
"Yes, do you sleep with your wings folded into your back or not?"
"They can go into my back?"
Anastasia mused. Phoenix shot a look at Rachael, then answered Anastasia.
"Yes like this."
He unbuttoned his shirt tossing it onto the bed. Anastasia blushed lightly. His wings stretched then collapsed into his back, leaving it bare. Normal looking. Shock on her face, Anastasia realized, not only had she not seen that happen before, it was yet another ability not listed in his file. Her voice quavered as she responded.
"No...I can't do that... I don't... think anybody there... can do that."
"Agent Frank can."
Phoenix assured her.
"Anyway, I'll just have to make you something with slits in the back for your wings."