The Starlight Sentinels: The Amusing Story of a Struggling Superhero Team

Chapter 3: Mary Misfortune

Olivia crawled out from under her sheets. Noticing it was already past eleven, she quickly got dressed in a pair of black jeans and a matching shirt from her suitcase, put in her contacts, ran a brush through her hair a couple of times, then unlocked her door and wandered downstairs into the living room. There she found Sam exercising on the floor in front of the television, clad only in a sports bra and pink running shorts.

"Hi Sam," yawned Olivia.

"Olivia," she answered while doing a push-up.

"Watching the news?" she asked.

"Not really. I just leave it on as background noise." Sam flipped onto her back and started doing sit-ups. "This way I pick up just enough bits to know what's going on while tuning out most of the bullshit." Sam started groaning in pain as she struggled to finish another sit-up.

"Your side still bothering you?" asked Olivia as she noticed the bruise on Sam's toned midsection.

"I'm fine," muttered Sam through clenched teeth.

"You should take it easy. Give yourself some time to heal."

"It's been almost a month. Ahh!" Sam crumpled onto the floor, clutching her side.

"I—"

"Don't say I told you so," grumbled Sam as she slowly stood up.

"I was just going to say, you could at least skip sit ups for the time being." Sam sat down next to Olivia.

"I guess I'll have to. I'm apparently too frail to do a simple workout at the moment," moaned Sam.

"Angela might be able to help."

"I'm not too fond of letting a demon paw me. Besides, it doesn't look like she did much good for your busted nose." Olivia turned to Sam, clearly surprised by her comment. "Oh shit, just... forget I said that."

"Is it really that noticeable?" asked a startled Olivia.

"No, it's not," reassured Sam. "I'm just in a bitchy mood. Daryl has been giving me that 'time off to get better' line every time I ask about going back on patrol and then you said it and... it's not an excuse—sorry. Being cooped up here for so long is making me feel like I'm being punished for screwing up so bad," confessed Sam.

"How did you screw up?"

"I had that Irongate freak right in front of me and he laid me out in a single kick. Kid did better than that at half my size with none of the tools. Just pitiful."

"At least you saved Mr. Tetra."

"You say that like it was a good thing," smirked Sam.

"I was useless. It took me forever to build up the nerve to break into the room and all I did was hold him for a few seconds, then he broke my nose."

"About that, how is it you can charge right through a damn wall unhurt, but a single headbutt wrecks your face?"

"I don't know. I was told my curse protects me from my own strength. I don't know how it's supposed to work though. I don't think the people who examined me did either."

"But you're still super strong. Couldn't you have knocked Irongate on his ass?"

"The Order warned me about using excessive force. They told me the whole knocking people unconscious thing is only for movies. Apparently, if you hit someone hard enough to knock them out for more than a few seconds, you probably gave them brain damage... or killed them."

"You were worried about killing Irongate?"

"No, well... I don't want to kill anyone if..." Olivia trailed off.

"No offense, but I think you might've been right when you said you're not cut out for this superhero stuff."

"I know." Olivia sank into her seat, a glum expression forming on her face.

"Why did you become a superhero anyway?"

"I don't know. I always wanted to help people, I just didn't think I'd do it like this. I didn't even know I had superpowers until some drunk ran me and my sister off the road."

"Why then?"

"Because he ran us off an overpass. We wound up teetering on the edge of the freeway. I climbed out through the back seat when the whole thing began to nosedive off the bridge. I got out of the car and saw it was about to fall with my sister still inside and... I don't know why but I grabbed the bumper. The car started dragging me with it but all I could think of was my sister, so I just kept pulling and before I realized it, I had hauled the car back onto the road."

"For real? That's crazy."

"I know. I didn't even think about it until the paramedics pointed out I had left fingerprints on the fender."

"And then you decided to become a superhero?"

"No, I was just glad it was all over. But a week later this guy calling himself the Investor came to my house. He said he was from the Order of Olympus and that they wanted to teach me how to be a superhero. He also said they could tell me more about my curse." Olivia sighed. "I guess I just kinda fell into this."

"Wait, you got invited to the Order?"

"Yeah, apparently that was this guy's job, interviewing people with superpowers. Why, did you have to audition or something?"

"Or something. I only heard about this superhero stuff because my roommate from college wanted to be one. He'd been working with these people in Southern California who would dress up in costumes and help homeless people or stop drunks. But then he found out about the Order and really wanted to try out.

"He found, like, hidden clues on how to join in some weird recruitment poster or some shit and ended up running into me after he flew in through McCarran. After we got caught up he invited me to go with him on his little adventure and I decided, why the hell not? Plus, I was driving the cab he was in, so I was going where he was going anyway.

"Our trip ended with us stuck in some old ghost town getting shot at by something we had never seen before. Then some guy in armor tells us I qualified to try out to be a superhero but my friend didn't."

"That sucks."

"He didn't really mind. He was scared shitless the whole time we were ducking for cover. Still, he was thrilled about me. Even helped me get ready for my big test and came up with the name G.I. Genocide."

"Still, I can't believe you had to go through all that when I got asked personally to join the Order. I'm like half the hero you are."

"I guess I can add powerless superhero to the list of things that make my life harder, right after being black and being a woman. And being Mexican too I guess, but most people say I don't look Mexican, so I don't really know how much that affects me."

"You're Mexican?"

"My dad is but I look more like my mom, so I guess that's a whole world of discrimination I got to miss out on." Sam stood up. "Enough feeling sorry for ourselves. If I can't work, then I'll help you with yours."

"What?"

"You're super strong but afraid to take a swing at someone because you might take their whole head off. Right?"

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Right, so what's the best use of strength that doesn't break someone in half?" Olivia shrugged. "Submission fighting." Olivia just stared at Sam. "Wrestling?" Olivia looked on in confusion. "Holds, grapples, locks, hooks? Come on!"

"Oh, I think I get what you're saying."

"Get up. I want to show you some moves you can use." Olivia stood up and faced Sam. "Come in close. I'm gonna show you a guillotine choke. It's good for when someone is trying to tackle you or lowering their head for whatever reason. Make like you're gonna charge me." Olivia reluctantly leaned forward and stretched her arms out towards Sam. "You wrap your arm around the person's neck and grab your wrist with you other hand."

Sam quickly but gently swung her arms around Olivia's head and encircled her neck. "Now once you've got someone in a headlock like this, you arch backwards and move your arm up into their throat." Sam very slowly demonstrated, taking care not to hurt Olivia. "Done properly, you can cut off enough air and blood to the head to knock someone out for a short time.

"Okay, try it on me now." Sam leaned forward with her arms out. "Hands like this." Sam arranged Olivia's hands around her own head. "Now arch backwards and push your arm up into my neck, very gently. I don't want you crushing my throat." Olivia slowly pulled Sam upwards.

"No, no. Don't try to stand, I'll just stand with you. Lean backwards from that position, like you're planning to fall. Use your hips and back, but don't extend your legs. This will let you push your arm up into my throat." Olivia leaned backwards as instructed.

"Okay, okay. Ease up." Olivia returned to her original position while keeping Sam in a headlock. "That's not bad. Remember, this hold leaves your opponent's arms free." Sam quickly moved her hands towards Olivia's face, who let go of Sam in a panic.

"There's another little tip. Someone gets you in a headlock but you've still got your hands, go for the eyes. Just the threat of an eye gouging is enough to scare most people to let go." Sam rubbed her throat.

"Did I hurt you?" asked Olivia.

"No, I'm okay. It's just freaky how strong you are. Now that I think about it, you probably have a killer bear hug."

"Bear hug?"

"Come here." Sam threw her arms around the girl and lifted her off the floor. "Lock your arms around someone and squeeze as necessary," laughed Sam as she dropped Olivia. "Simple. Can do it from the front or back. Just make sure you get your arms around theirs. Wanna give it a try?"

"Sure." Sam turned around and allowed Olivia to grab hold of her. "Got a good grip?"

"Yeah."

"Good, because I'm gonna break free." Sam tried to drop but Olivia held her upright, leaving Sam to struggle in vain against the girl's iron grip.

"God you're strong. Feels like I'm being hugged by a trash compactor."

"You want me to stop?"

"Not yet, there's something I wanna try. If I could just bend over a little, I could—" Sam was cut off by the sound of a man clearing his throat. She looked up to see Nick and Hernán standing at the door.

"Do continue. I hate to think I'm interrupting anything."

Sam tried to break away from Olivia, only to be held in place. "Let go!" Olivia released Sam, who quickly distanced herself. "Hey. I was... uh... teaching Olivia some moves."

"I'm sure you were," smirked Nick as he entered the living room.

"Why are you here?" asked Sam. "You finally work up the courage to crawl out your hidey-hole?"

"If by courage, you mean a tailor who makes bulletproof suits, then yes," informed Nick. "And I'm here on business, as usual."

"Well Daryl's at church right now and the kid is in school."

"Doesn't matter, this is mostly about you two." Nick motioned for Sam and Olivia to join him at the table. "We need to square away a few minor details about you joining the team before we can put you on the payroll."

"So we're finally getting paid?" asked Sam.

"Yep. Just need you to sign a few things." Hernán set a pair of boxes on the table, then reached for the briefcase that was sitting on top of them.

"Sign what? I thought I took care of all that when I got licensed?"

"That was to be a superhero. These are to cover a few small but crucial aspects of my company's involvement with you and your role on the team." Hernán started pulling stacks of papers out of his briefcase.

"What is all this?" asked Sam.

"An application for our records, a contract stipulating the terms of your monthly allowance, nondisclosure agreement for experimental technology, and an agreement regarding merchandising rights and the use of your image by TetraStan," explained Hernán as he handed out pens.

"I don't sign anything without reading it first." Sam flipped through the papers while Olivia started filling out the application.

"Do you read those fifty-page terms of agreement every time you update your computer?" quipped Nick.

"I've never owned a computer."

"Really? Have you been living with the Amish or something?"

"No."

"Then I guess you better start reading, because you don't get paid until you sign everything," explained Nick.

"Oh come on, you're a billionaire. I've been working here a month now with no pay. I desperately need some essentials. Can't you cut me a break?"

"Okay, several things. One, you don't work for me. My company donates money to your group and until you sign a contract with my company, I'm not obligated to make donations to you.

"Two, according to Daryl, you've mostly been here on sick leave for the last few weeks and not doing a whole lot.

"Three, I'm already doing you a big favor by coming here in person with payment in hand, asking for nothing but a little cooperation.

"Four, please tell me you consider more clothes essential. You look like a bodybuilder who's about to lose at strip poker."

"I'm doing my laundry today!" barked Sam. "And I've been stuck here because I took a bullet for you. Remember that?"

"I try not to live in the past," shrugged Nick.

"I saved your life!"

"So? Isn't that part of your job description? Saving lives?"

"If it would put your mind at ease, I can review the contracts with you," suggested Hernán.

"I think I'd rather have a lawyer," said Sam.

"Hernán is a lawyer, and an uncharacteristically helpful one at that. Since he volunteered his valuable time, and I want to get this over with, you can borrow him for the day." Nick placed a cigarette in his mouth, then turned to Olivia. "What about you? You wanna give me a headache too?"

"Um, I think I'll just sign them."

"Good." Nick motioned to Hernán, who sat down next to Olivia.

"I'll need you to sign here, here, here and here. Initial here and here," explained Hernán as Olivia signed the papers. "Thank you." Hernán placed the documents back in his case, then handed Olivia a sealed envelope.

"I put your first month's salary, so to speak, on a pay card. I didn't know if either of you banked locally so I figured this was most practical. Once you're on file I can arrange future payments more to your preferences."

"Didn't I say he's helpful?" smirked Nick. "Speaking of helpful, I asked my newly acquired collection of engineering marvels to design you guys a couple of toys." Nick opened one of the boxes sitting on the table.

"Apparently the chief of police finally signed off on the team using emergency lights so I had my people cobble these together." Nick revealed a pair of blue and red square lights wired to a small control unit.

"Nothing fancy. They wired a quality siren and some emergency lights together so one remote will control them both. You're the one with the car, right?" Nick asked Olivia.

"Yeah."

"Happy holidays." Nick pushed the siren over to Olivia. "There're also a smaller set for Daryl's motorcycle. Now let's get to something a little more exciting." Nick grabbed the other box and started opening it.

"Daryl mentioned there were some communication problems during that whole Die Hard thing you were doing at my office, so I got you these." Nick opened the box.

"Cell phones?" asked Olivia.

"These are heavily modified versions of my company's Cybil brand of phones." Olivia picked one out of the box and was surprised by how heavy it felt. It was a large metallic silver phone with a tall screen and a small numeric keypad tucked underneath. The underside slid out and formed a miniature keyboard.

"What's so special about them?" asked Sam.

"Quite a lot. We opted to use my company's more vanilla brand to keep things simple but Asymmetric Applications' people have made a lot of major adjustments.

"They replaced the casing and glass with some highly durable materials they've been tinkering with and loaded a custom version of my company's Canny OS to make them function more like multichannel two-way radios instead of traditional phones."

"Seriously?" asked Sam. "Because I've been telling Daryl we need to use radios instead of cell phones since I got here. Constantly calling each other just to report that nothing's happening is a first-rate pain in the ass."

"These give you the best of both worlds. Asymmetric Applications stuck an RF Transceiver in there so you can listen to police broadcasts while the phone antenna lets you talk to each other on a separate channel at the same time, that way you can stay in constant contact without cluttering up the police's frequency. And you can talk back to the police with just the push of a button if you need to. Simple and elegant," boasted Nick.

"What about this?" asked Olivia as she removed what looked like a belt clip decorated with small thin cylinders.

"Those harvest kinetic energy from your movement, so they charge your phone as long as it remains in the clip. Not a lot, but enough to keep the thing going through the night. And there's some headsets in there so you can talk handsfree."

"And whatta they do? Scan our minds or something?" quipped Sam.

"I wanted long range resonant inductive couplings so they could be charged wirelessly, but they said they'd need more than two weeks for that, so they threw in some off-the-shelf wired headsets. But you can probably run the wire under your shirt."

"Still sounds like huge improvements over the crappy prepaid cell Daryl got me." Sam reached for a phone only for Nick to swat her hand away.

"None for you until you sign that NDA," scolded Nick. "You're good though." Olivia took the belt clip and headset Nick had laid out.

"By the way, these are expensive and custom made devices. Try not to break them and especially don't lose them." Olivia turned the phone on and secured it to her belt with the case.

"I'm also expecting feedback. Anything goes wrong or doesn't work as advertised, I want to know." Nick stood up, stretched his back, then headed for the door. "Manuals are in the box. Hernán, I expect you back at the office when you're finished."

"Yes sir." Hernán turned back to Sam. "So, would you like to start with the contract regarding your agreement with the company?"

"Whatever gets me my paycheck faster," sighed Sam.

"Sam, if you want, I can pick up whatever you need. I was going to go out anyway and you can just pay me back later," suggested Olivia.

"It's nice of you to offer, but I'll be okay," smiled Sam. "Besides, Daryl always wants at least one of us to stay here during the off hours, in case of an emergency, so I was going to be stuck here anyway."

"Okay, well I'll see you later." Olivia walked back upstairs to her room and collected her keys and glasses. She headed back towards the stairs, but stopped outside of Angela's door.

"Hello?" Olivia slowly pushed the door open. "Angela?"

"Yes?" Olivia found Angela kneeling in the middle of the room.

"I was going to check out this nearby mall. Did you want me to pick you up anything?"

"No. I require nothing."

Olivia looked around the room. It was bare except for the futon Angela was kneeling on. "You're sure?"

"Please, don't trouble yourself."

"Angela, don't you ever get bored, just staying here every day?"

"No, I usually have good dreams when I sleep here. My master told me those were my reward for not sinning; nightmares are punishment," spoke Angela in a hushed voice.

"Okay, but what about when you're awake? Aren't there things you want to do?"

"It's not my place to complain."

"If there's something you want, just ask for it."

Angela looked away from Olivia. "I'm not deserving of anything I don't already have."

"Why would you say that?"

"I am a beast. Sinful. My life is not mine to live."

"That's nonsense." Olivia put her hand on Angela's shoulder. "Come with me."

"Come with you?"

"To go shopping. It'll be fun."

"No. I'm not supposed to leave the firehouse."

"It'll just be for a couple of hours and we'll come right back."

"If people see me—"

"Nobody will see you."

"I... I don't know. The world outside these walls... it frightens me."

"I'll be with you the entire time." Angela turned back to Olivia, who smiled at her.

"If it is what you want, I will accompany you."

"Come on, you're going to have a great time." Olivia led Angela back to her room, where she gave her gloves, shoes and socks to go with her cloak. After getting dressed, the pair quietly made their way to the garage, passing by Sam and Hernán as they discussed merchandising rights. Climbing into Olivia's car, Angela drew her cowl down to cover her face.

"You ready?" asked Olivia.

"I think so."

Olivia reached over to where Angela was sitting. "Relax. Everything's going to be fine." Olivia buckled Angela's seatbelt.

"I will try." Olivia switched on the radio, the car's engine roared to life, and the pair were away. Angela looked out the window, quietly observing the passing city while music blared from the radio. The buildings glinting in the sun and strange signs she didn't understand posted everywhere felt overwhelming to the nervous demoness. And the odd chorus of car engines occasionally accented with a loud horn just left Angela unsettled.

Slowing to a stop at a traffic light, Angela's gaze turned towards the sidewalk. She was intrigued by a group of people standing on the corner. Their colorful clothing and oddly shaped hair were such a fascinating sight that she couldn't help staring. As she examined them, one met eyes with her, causing Angela to hastily turn away. She started tugging on the hood of her cloak, terrified someone had seen her face.

"Where are you taking me?" asked a nervous Angela.

"The mall," answered Olivia.

"What is Mall?"

"It's a place with a lot of stores."

"Like a market?"

"Yeah, so, you've never seen a city like this before?"

"My master took me to Gura Humorului once; it was nothing like this."

"Who is the master you keep talking about? Why did he tell you that you're less than a person?"

"He is my mentor and my teacher. It is he whom my life belongs to."

"Why's that?"

"He generously spared me as a newborn."

"Spared? He was going to kill you? When you were a baby?"

"I am just a demon; unnatural and sinful."

"Stop saying things like that. You may not be human but you're still a person. Your master sounds like the monster to me." Olivia watched as Angela lowered her head in shame.

"I apologize for upsetting you," spoke Angela in a meek voice.

"Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. It just bothers me how little you think of yourself. Were you really happy at this monastery?"

"My happiness is not important."

"So no?"

"Well, sometimes Mama Nica would permit me to use my gift to heal sickly visitors at the monastery. Although it pained me to do so, their relief was very satisfying to behold."

"You like helping people."

"Yes, I suppose I do."

Olivia turned into a parking garage, drove up a few levels and pulled into the first open space she saw. "Come on. You're going to have a good time." Olivia got out of the car and helped Angela to her feet.

"This is the mall?" asked Angela as she examined the gray concrete structure stuffed with cars. "It look likes a cave someone built."

"This is just where we park. Come on, there's supposed to be a tunnel that leads to the mall." Olivia took Angela by the hand and led her through the garage. They passed through an enclosed walkway lined with windows. Looking through the glass, Angela saw the walkway passed right over another street full of noisy cars.

Exiting the tunnel, Angela found herself marveling at the brightly lit multilayered complex she was standing in. The demoness eyed the stores built into the walls that wrapped around the entire area, encircling a lower area full of even more shops anointed with colorful lettering and intricate symbols she didn't recognize.

"It's... it's like a cathedral of commerce," she realized.

"You could say that. I was thinking we could do some..." Olivia noticed Angela was staring at something in the distance. "Angela? You okay?"

"I'm sorry." Angela turned back to Olivia. "I've never seen clothes as fine as these." Olivia looked to see the demon was admiring the front of a store selling formal attire. "They look like something out of a mural."

"England's Elegant Attire? I was just thinking about getting some extra jeans and socks. But if you want to check this place out that's cool."

"I wouldn't want to impede your errands." Olivia looked at Angela for a moment, then smiled. She grabbed Angela's hand and pulled her into the shop.

"Wow." Angela awed at the racks upon racks of lavish clothing stretched out before her. She was so taken by the sight she didn't even notice the sales clerk approaching her.

"Can I help you?" he asked. "Are you here to replace this unsightly... whatever it is you're wearing?" Angela pulled on her cowl as she shied away from the man.

"She's... agoraphobic," said Olivia. "The cloak helps her cope with being in public."

"How tragic," spoke the man without a trace of sincerity. "If you need anything, I'll be right here." The man returned to his seat behind the counter while Angela browsed the selection of glamorous dresses and gowns.

"There's so many of them. And they're so beautiful," she whispered.

"Would you like to try some on?" asked Olivia.

"No. I couldn't possibly."

"Sure you can. If you find one you like I'll even buy it for you."

"You... you would do that for me?"

"Of course."

"I... I can't."

"Don't tell me you can't accept a gift. If I want to buy you something, I'm going to buy you something. Understand?" said Olivia in a sweet voice.

"I understand," spoke Angela with a slight smile. The eager demoness carefully sifted through the assorted outfits, admiring them each and all. Flipping through the rack, Angela stopped on a black dress hanging in the back.

Examining it carefully, Angela noticed the dress stopped short in the front like a skirt while the back flowed to the ground, almost like a cape from the waist down. By contrast, the top was backless but appeared modest from the front, completely covering the chest and arms. The material even seemed to shimmer in the light.

"You wanna try it on?" asked Olivia.

"May I?" Olivia took the dress and led Angela to one of the changing rooms. Once inside she removed her cloak and carefully put the dress on. Looking in the mirror, the demoness almost didn't recognize herself.

"This seems so unfitting on something as lowly as me," she admitted in a conflicted tone. "I'm a demon, more of an animal than a person."

"You're not an animal," said Olivia. "In fact, other than the horns, tail and claws, you look just like any other woman."

"Except for my dark red skin and orange eyes," added Angela.

"Well yeah, them too."

"And my wings."

"So those black things sticking out of your back are wings?" said Olivia, studying the appendages draped over Angela's shoulders. "They always look more like a cape to me."

"It's easier for me to just keep them folded."

"Does that mean you can unfold them?"

"I could."

"Could you do it right now?"

"You want me to unfold them?"

"Yeah, I'm curious to what they look like." Angela took a step back from Olivia, who watched the demon's wings slowly rise off her shoulders and extend outward from her body. They resembled a huge pair of bat wings and were so large they banged against the sides of the dressing room and twisted up towards the ceiling.

"Wow," awed Olivia. "So, can you fly?"

"No, my master regularly cuts holes in them so I can't fly."

Looking closer, Olivia noticed large gashes methodically placed across the entire length of Angela's wingspan. "He... he mutilates you?" asked an appalled Olivia.

"It's just a precaution, so I can't fly away," assured Angela. "My wings mend with time."

"But doesn't it hurt?"

"I've grown accustomed to it." Olivia grimaced as she examined the cuts in Angela's wings before the demoness folded them closer to her body. "Like I said, I'm—"

"Don't say you're just a demon again," said Olivia. "You're a woman too, and a beautiful one."

"You... you think I'm beautiful?" asked a stunned Angela.

"Definitely, and the dress just makes it easier to see." Examining the price tag on the back of the dress, Olivia realized it would cost almost her entire first paycheck. "Although, you'd probably look just as good in another dress. It doesn't have to be this one."

"This one is perfect," assured Angela as she studied herself in the mirror. "The shorter front means I won't step on it while running. And the open back doesn't constrict my wings."

"Okay, but there are other—"

"And I really like the way it looks on me. It makes me feel... human." Olivia sighed, then forced a smile on her face for her friend, knowing she couldn't possibly turn her down now.

"This one it is." Angela changed back into her cloak and Olivia took the dress to the checkout counter.

"Are you not getting anything for yourself?" asked Angela.

"Dresses really aren't my style," answered Olivia. "And I can't afford to buy anything else from here," she mumbled under her breath. "What other clothing stores are in this mall? Preferably cheaper," Olivia asked the man behind the counter.

"There might be a Victoria's Secret on the first floor."

"That's it?"

"I'm afraid so. There's a Macy's a block north of here."

"That's okay." The clerk wrapped up the dress and the pair left the store. The two strolled along for a few minutes before Olivia stopped at an information kiosk.

"There really aren't any other clothing stores here. This place is kind of dead." Searching the surrounding area, Olivia was surprised to find no one else in eyeshot. "I picked a pretty dull mall."

"I like it here. It's peaceful," said Angela.

"You do?" asked Olivia. "Well then, do you want to go to the food court? Get something to eat?"

"I would be delighted." The pair turned towards the escalators, only to turn back when they heard a distant shouting.

"Hey!" yelled someone. "Stop her! She didn't pay!" Searching for the source of the outburst, Olivia spotted a short young woman running away from what she assumed was an angry shopkeeper.

"So much for peaceful." Olivia handed the dress to Angela. "Hold this." Olivia shot out her arm and grabbed the girl before she could run past them, tugging her backwards by the wrist.

"Hey!" Examining the girl, Olivia saw she had black hair with a purple streak, dark brown eyes, and was likely in her late teens. "Watch the nails! I just had them done!" ordered the girl as she desperately tried to pull free from Olivia's iron grip.

"And you just finished not paying for them as well," mocked Olivia.

"Dammit! Let me go!" The girl swung her free hand at Olivia, who caught it with ease. "What are you, mall security?"

"Something like that, but let's talk about you and who you're running from."

"Hey, I paid, I swear. That guy is just crazy." Olivia looked at the girl, utterly unconvinced. "Just let me go! It's not healthy to be this close to me."

"Why's that?"

"Because." The girl leaned in close to Olivia. "I'm bad luck." She lunged forward and kissed Olivia on the lips, who quickly shoved the girl away, groaning in disgust. The girl snatched the dress Angela was holding and took off with surprising speed, giggling hysterically.

"Son of a bitch!" Olivia ran after the thief, who was currently rounding a corner. She sprinted after her and spotted the girl standing in an elevator, waving goodbye. Olivia charged forward and slammed into the elevator just as the doors closed, leaving a sizable dent in them. Quickly she forced her fingers in between the doors and pried them apart, only to find the lift moving down a level.

"Dammit!"

"Are you all right?" asked Angela as she neared Olivia.

"Come on!" Olivia grabbed Angela's hand and barreled down the nearest escalator, frantically surveying the area as she ran down the moving stairs.

"There!" Olivia spotted the girl racing towards the front entrance and started chasing after her. But with each step, Olivia became more aware she wasn't going to catch the thief in time. Looking aside, Olivia noticed Angela keeping pace beside her, and with much ease it seemed.

"Angela, go after her!" Angela nodded in understanding and raced ahead of Olivia. She quickly closed the gap between the thief and darted in front of the girl, who skidded into Angela. The pair tumbled onto the ground, each trying to get back to their feet in a hurry. The thief tried to pick up the dress she had dropped, but Angela snatched it away in a flash.

"Hey!" Angela instinctively scurried backwards as the thief reached for the dress. She missed and grabbed the top of Angela's cloak, accidentally pulling it off as Angela backed away.

"Oh my God!" The thief's jaw dropped as she saw the demoness for the first time. Angela threw the dress aside in a panic and hastily took her cloak back with both hands. The thief however scooped the dress off the ground and darted through the doors while Angela dressed herself.

Olivia rushed past Angela, barged through the double doors and arrived on the street outside just in time to see the thief hitching a ride on the back of a delivery truck, swinging the dress in the air like a trophy as she was swiftly carried out of sight.

"Really?" asked Olivia as she stared off in disbelief.

"Can we leave?" spoke a nervous Angela as she approached Olivia.

"Yeah, we should probably go. And we probably shouldn't tell Daryl about any of this either." Olivia led Angela back to the mall entrance, but stopped briefly to look out on the road one last time. "That was money well spent."

The pair returned to Olivia's car and drove home without a word between them. Olivia occasionally glanced over at Angela only to see her feverishly clenching her cloak's hood. After what seemed like an exceptionally long drive, Olivia pulled into the firehouse's garage.

"Angela, I'm sorry for putting you through all that. I never should have told you to go after that girl. That wasn't your responsibility, it was mine. If I hadn't let her go when I did, you'd still have your dress."

"I think I simply do not belong in this world," spoke Angela in a quiet voice. "But thank you for inviting me on your trip. I enjoyed spending time with you, and I'll cherish the kindness you showed in giving me such a wonderful gift, even if I possessed it for only a short time." Olivia smiled at Angela, who smiled in return.

"Maybe we can do this again sometime?" suggested a hopeful Olivia. "I know today was kind of a mess, but still, you shouldn't think that you don't belong in this world. I mean, none of what happened was your fault. It was the damn girl."

"I was wondering. Why did she kiss you?"

"I have no idea. Maybe it was just to get me to let go of her. I don't—" A loud creaking suddenly sounded from the edge of the garage.

"I thought you were back." Sam stepped into the room. "Who were you talking to?" Olivia looked over to see Angela had instinctively ducked out of sight when Sam entered.

"No one," lied Olivia. "Just, thinking out loud."

"Oh. Well now that you're back can you take over monitor duty? I finished with all that stupid paperwork and would really like to grab a few things before we go on patrol."

"Sure."

"Great, thanks." Sam exited the garage.

"You can come out now." Angela slowly peaked out from behind the dashboard. "You've done that before, haven't you?" Angela nodded. The pair left the car and headed back into the firehouse. Angela quietly returned to her room while Olivia flopped onto the couch, letting out a small sigh as she settled into place.

*   *   *

"Nice of you to finally join us," commented Daryl as Eric charged into the firehouse's living room.

"I got detention, again," griped Eric as he tossed his backpack aside.

"What'd you do this time?"

"Nothing."

"Eric." Daryl looked the boy directly in his eyes.

"It was nothing. My science teacher said I was sleeping in class when I was just resting. Like it's a crime to put my head down."

"So you weren't paying attention in class?"

"Maybe for a minute. I've seen drug dealers get more leniency from cops than I get from Mrs. Moore. I should of figured you'd take her side."

"Should have."

"What?"

"You said should of instead of should have, and I'm not taking sides."

"Yeah right, when are we leaving?"

"Soon. Oh, before I forget." Daryl handed Eric a cellphone. "Mr. Tetra dropped these off for the whole team."

"Oh come on, this is all he managed to dig up for us? It doesn't even have a touch screen."

"So?" said Sam as she came downstairs. "It's a phone, what the hell does it need a touch screen for?"

"I just figured the head of a cellphone company could give us something better than last's year cheapest model."

"They're expensive custom made devices actually," informed Olivia. "At least, that's what he said."

"Nick says lots of things." Eric hooked the phone to his belt.

"All right, if everyone is ready we should get started. Sam are you sure you want to go back on active duty?"

"For the hundredth time—yes! I've been going stir crazy staying here all day. Feels like I'm on disability or something."

"Okay, you'll come with me. Olivia, take Eric with you and follow the route I laid out earlier." The group split into pairs and headed for the garage. Daryl and Sam mounted the motorcycle while Olivia pulled onto the road with Eric.

"Testing. Can everyone hear me?" asked Daryl as he pressed the talk button on his headset.

"I can hear you," answered Olivia over the radio.

"Same here," said Eric.

"And I read you both. Over," said Sam.

"Great. Let's get started." Daryl put his helmet on, revved up his motorcycle, and drove out of the firehouse.

"Why do we have to use these instead of our phones?" asked Eric.

"Because they're better than normal phones. Over," said Sam.

"Why do you keep saying over?"

"Old habit. Plus, it lets everyone know I've finished speaking and they can start speaking. Over."

"So we don't talk over each other," realized Olivia. "Uh... over."

"Great, now you're doing it," scoffed Eric. "I just can't believe we're sponsored by a cellphone company and Nick gives us the type of phones he sells to old people who don't know how cellphones work."

"Really? That sounds exactly like something Tetra would do," said Sam.

"We'll talk about it later," said Daryl. "For now, keep this channel clear."

"Why?"

"All units, please respond. Ten-eighty at Edmund's Jewelry at Sixteenth and Fifth. Over," spoke a woman's voice.

"Never mind," said Eric.

"Dispatch," said Sam. "Starlight Sentinels copy and are en route. Over."

"Copy that." Daryl flicked his newly installed sirens on and watched the other cars pull to the side to make room. He raced ahead, quickly zooming through the intersection and traffic with relative ease.

In short time, the pair found their destination looming ahead; a small brick and mortar jewelry store sandwiched between a couple of other shops. Daryl killed the siren and brought the bike to a quick stop. The first thing he noticed about the jewelry store was the large broken front window.

"Hell, they're probably long gone," realized Sam.

"Just the same, we should check it out. Watch the front, I'll cover the back of the building." Daryl floated up into the air while Sam moved in closer to the busted window. She noticed that even though the window had been broken, most of the jewelry on display hadn't been disturbed. She leaned in to get a better look when shattering glass cut through the air. Looking inside, Sam spotted someone moving through the shop.

"Daryl, someone is still here. I'm going in, watch the exits from the air in case they get past me. Over," she whispered into her headset.

"Copy that." Sam carefully crept past the broken glass and through the opening. Slowly she approached someone in black who was leaning over a broken display case. Sam pulled her taser and took careful aim.

"Freeze!" The person froze in place, hunched over a set of expensive necklaces. "Put your hands on your head and turn around, slowly." The woman did as instructed and revealed herself to Sam. She was a teenager with brown eyes and dark hair with a purple streak. She was also wearing a black dress and a gold necklace.

"Don't move." The girl immediately leapt over the counter and ran for the back door. Sam fired her taser and struck the girl in the back. She let out a small yelp but kept running for the exit. Baffled, Sam examined her taser and noticed one of the prongs was still stuck in the cartridge.

"Dammit!" Sam ejected the spent cartridge and leapt over the counter. She raced towards the door the girl used but slipped on something and banged her head against the floor. Sitting up, Sam saw a few rings scattered on the ground.

"You gotta be kidding me," mumbled Sam as she reached for her headset. "Daryl, the thief is heading out the back. Stop her!"

"Copy that." Watching from above, Daryl saw the girl flee out the back of the shop. He swooped down and landed beside her just as she slammed the door shut.

"You're under arrest!" announced Daryl as he grabbed the girl's wrists.

"Get off of me!" The girl tried to pull herself free of Daryl's grip.

"You have the right to—ahh!" The door to the shop swung open and hit Daryl in the back of the head. The man collapsed onto the ground in pain, allowing the girl to escape.

"Boss, what happened?" Daryl mumbled something inaudible to Sam as he pointed at the door.

"Oh, shit."

"Go after her," grumbled Daryl as he pointed to a nearby alley.

"Right, sorry about your head." Sam took off running. She burst out of the alley and spotted the girl just ahead on the sidewalk.

"Stop!" Sam lunged forward and grabbed one of the girl's wrists, yanking her backwards with a quick tug. "I got you now, you—" The girl elbowed Sam, managing to hit her bruised rib. "Dammit!" Sam clutched her chest as the girl raced out across the street, trying to weave through the traffic. As Sam prepared to chase after her, a car swerved to avoid hitting the thief, skidding off the road and onto the sidewalk. Sam rolled out of the car's path just in time for it to collide with a fire hydrant.

"Jesus!" exclaimed Sam.

"Are you all right?" crackled Daryl's voice over the radio.

"Think so." Sam looked around for the thief. "I think I lost the bitch though. Over."

"I haven't." Sam spotted Daryl flying overhead. "Check with the crash victims and call for police backup. I'll go after the thief. Over." Daryl flew after the girl, pursuing her into a wooded suburbia.

"What are you guys doing exactly?" asked Eric over the radio. "I mean, you do know we can hear everything you're saying?"

"We're chasing a robber," answered Daryl as he closed in on the girl.

"You need any help?"

"I've got it under con—ahh!" Daryl suddenly felt the collar of his cape pull against his throat like a noose. His concentration lost, Daryl fell a short distance only to be caught by his cape. Now hanging by his neck, Daryl focused and lifted himself into the air to create some slack. Looking up, he saw his cape had become caught on a tree branch.

"Daryl? What happened?" asked Eric.

"Nothing, I'm fine." Daryl tugged on his cape a few times, tearing it free. "Wonderful," he mumbled as he examined the damage. Now free, Daryl ascended higher and searched the area for the thief, but saw no sign of her.

"I've lost her," reported Daryl.

"Who?" asked Eric.

"The thief. She's a teenage girl, white, dark hair, about five-six, wearing a black dress."

"Black dress?" asked Olivia.

"Yeah. I last saw her near Hillsdale Street. She couldn't have gone far."

"Right, me and Olivia are heading back your way." Eric motioned to Olivia, who looked for a spot to turn her car around. "Anything else we should know about this chick? Is she armed?"

"I don't believe so," said Daryl.

"What she'd take?" asked Olivia.

"A necklace and some rings from the looks of her," reported Sam. "Her outfit didn't look like it had any pockets and she wasn't carrying a bag, so I don't think she made off with too much. Over."

"So, she's a dumb kid who ripped off some jewelry?" asked Eric. "Why couldn't you two catch her?"

"Well, I did have her in grasp momentarily, but Sam knocked me over when she swung the door to the shop open," explained Daryl.

"I said I was sorry," said Sam.

"And since you couldn't catch her—"

"I did catch her!" insisted Sam. "Lucky bitch elbowed me right in my busted rib. How'd you lose her after that? Don't you fly faster than we run?"

"I was... entangled, by an obstacle."

"Your cape got caught on something, didn't it?" The radio went silent for a moment before Daryl answered Eric's question.

"Yes..."

"Told ya. This is why I never wear one."

"Look, just be careful if you see this girl. She may not be armed, but she's still dangerous," insisted Sam. "Crazy bitch ran through a busy intersection and caused an accident that nearly killed me and two other people. You see her, you take her down pronto. Copy?"

"Yeah, I gotcha." Eric let go of his earpiece. "Sounds like they screwed up." Olivia didn't respond and just focused on the road. "Are you okay? You look kinda nervous."

"I'm fine," insisted Olivia in a quiet voice.

"Relax, they just messed up and let some petty hood get by them." Olivia slowed her car to a stop as she approached an active railroad crossing. "Besides, I doubt we're going to find her anyway."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Olivia put her car in park and waited patiently for the train to come. As she waited, she watched someone hop the crossing guards and stop right in front of her vehicle. It was a young woman with dark hair in a black dress.

"No way." The girl turned her head towards the outburst and met eyes with Olivia. "It's her." The girl froze for a moment, then hastily fled back over the guard rails.

"Her who?" asked Eric.

"The thief!" Olivia put her car in drive only for the train to speed by just as the girl cleared the tracks. Olivia looked on in disbelief, again. "God dammit!" Olivia looked to Eric, only to find he wasn't in the car. "Eric?"

"Yeah?" Olivia found Eric standing in front of the railroad crossing sign.

"What are you doing?" Eric pulled his goggles down over his eyes.

"Going after her. Catch up as soon as you can." Eric sprinted forward, leapt through the air, kicked off the top of the crossing signal, sailed cleanly over the moving train, and tumbled onto the road on the other side. Dusting himself off, Eric spotted the girl in the distance, walking alongside the train.

"Hey you!" he called. "Don't move!" The girl started running. "They always run." Looking over her shoulder, the thief noticed the boy superhero quickly closing the gap between them and veered towards one of the many trees bordering the railroad tracks. She leapt up and grabbed one of the branches, but struggled to pull herself up.

"Give it up already." The girl looked up and found Eric planting himself on the branch. "You're not getting away from me." Eric grabbed one of the girl's arms just as she moved her other arm towards the collar of his shirt. The sudden shift of weight dragged Eric face first into the branch. The hard knock caused Eric to fall off the branch, releasing the thief in the process.

The thief immediately took off running again while Eric tried to regain his balance. She watched as the last train car passed by, allowing her to cross over the tracks. The thief charged through an opening in the trees and into what looked like a construction yard. Just as she thought she had gotten away, something grabbed the girl's arms and pulled her backwards.

"Enough!" Eric slipped a twist tie over the girl's hands and pulled it tight, binding them behind her back. "You're under arrest. You've got the right to remain silent, a lawyer, and anything you say will be used against you!" barked the boy. "Got it?"

"How many of you costumed schmucks are in this town?"

Eric ignored the girl and reached for his headset. "Olivia, I got the thief. Can you pick us up?"

"Where are you?" she asked.

"Looks like a construction yard, somewhere with dump trucks and a bulldozer. I think we passed it on the way here. Backtrack and look for a place that has a dusty backlot with some heavy machinery." The girl started tugging against Eric's grip. "You're not going anywhere, so knock it off."

"That's what you think, but I'll just get away again in a few minutes." The girl thrashed against the boy's grip for a few seconds, only to realize it wasn't doing any good. "Come on blondie, let me go and I'll make it worth your while," spoke the girl in a sweet voice while batting her eyelashes and edging closer to Eric. He responded by shoving her away while still keeping a firm grip on the girl's arm.

"Save it. You're not going anywhere." A loud crash suddenly sounded in the distance. Eric searched the area for the source while keeping one hand on the thief.

"Sounds like something you need to check out," she teased.

"Be quiet," ordered Eric.

"Somebody help!" yelled a voice in the distance.

"Well hero? You going to help him, or wait here with—" Eric shoved the girl onto the ground. "Ow! You dick! This is a new dress." Eric quickly wrapped a twist tie around the girl's ankles, then sprinted after the call for help. "So, I guess I'll just wait here."

Eric raced across the yard and quickly spotted a couple of men struggling against a massive piece of concrete pipe rolling down a ramp attached to a truck. Arriving on the scene, Eric found a third man on the ground, moaning in pain from having his foot crushed under the concrete pipe.

He started screaming out in agony as the pipe slowly rolled over his leg. Eric threw himself against the pipe segment. With the other two men's help, Eric managed to push the pipe a few inches up the ramp, but not enough for the injured man to free himself. Eric struggled with all his might, but couldn't move the pipe any further. Instead, the weight of the pipe seemed to be pushing him back down the ramp.

"Get out of here kid! Go get help!" grumbled one of the men.

"I am the help!" One of the men started yelling for help again while Eric planted his feet on the ground. He tried in vain to summon the strength to halt the rolling piece of cement, but it kept creeping forward. Eric felt powerless as the bulk of the pipe bore down on his weakened body.

Without warning, Eric lost his footing and fell forward. He braced himself for the inevitable, but nothing happened. Looking up, the boy saw the men that were holding the pipe back were now just looking up the ramp in awe.

Standing up, Eric saw Olivia carefully pushing the concrete tubing back onto the truck. A final mighty shove sent the piece rolling back into place on the truck bed. The two construction workers just looked at the short girl in disbelief as she hopped back on the ground and dusted off her hands.

"She... works... out," Eric said in between deep breaths. The two men came to their senses and hurried to their wounded coworker's side.

"Are you okay?" asked Olivia as she approached an exhausted Eric.

"Yeah... just... just give me a minute," he said as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Where's the thief?"

"Shit, I need to get back to her." Eric started running again and Olivia followed after him. They moved across the yard towards where he had left the girl, but found no one.

"Well?" asked Olivia.

"I left her tied up right here. I know it!" Eric noticed a pair of cut twist ties lying on the ground. Kneeling down, he spotted a piece of jagged metal sitting next to them. "No way." Footprints in the dirt led Eric to the road. The boy searched in every direction, but found no other signs of the girl.

"Dammit!" he shouted.

"She's gone?" asked Olivia.

"What does it look like!" Eric's outburst startled Olivia, who seemed afraid of the boy now. "I... I'm sorry. I just can't believe this."

"Eric?"

Eric groaned as he reached for his headset. "What Daryl?"

"How's it coming with that thief?"

"It's not."

"I didn't get that, what'd you say?"

"She got away. Managed to cut off her ties while I wasn't looking."

"Wasn't looking? Why weren't you paying attention?"

"Because I was busy being crushed by a giant slab of concrete!"

"What does that mean?"

"There was an accident at this construction yard," said Olivia. "Eric was trying to stop a cement pipe section from crushing someone who had gotten his leg stuck. He managed to hold it off long enough for me to move it."

"Well that's good, but I really wish you hadn't lost the thief. Washington called and the chief isn't happy with us. She wants us to come to the station and now we have nothing to show for our effort."

"Well, you talk to her. Me and Olivia will look for the thief."

"Olivia and I. And she wants to see all of us."

Eric groaned and turned to Olivia. "Where'd you park?"

*   *   *

"Come on, let's get this over with." Olivia stepped out of her car and Eric led her into the police station. Walking past the parked police cruisers, through the main entrance and around the dozens of officers working in the station made Olivia feel nervous, but not Eric, who found all this routine.

"So, are we in trouble?" asked Olivia.

"I don't know, maybe. The police chief here has always had it out for me though. Ever since I hooked up with Daryl, she's been calling us in like once a week to yell at us for something. I wouldn't worry, just nod along with whatever she says and we can get out of here faster." Eric pushed open a door and stepped into a small meeting room where Daryl, Sam, and Captain Washington were all seated.

"Is she ever going to trust us?" Daryl asked Washington. "After how we handled ourselves during that hostage situation I was hoping she'd be a little less hostile towards us."

"You mean when you went behind her back and took on a delicate situation without her knowing it?" asked Washington.

"You were the one who told us to do that!" Washington motioned for Sam to be quiet.

"Yeah, I know; more the reason not to bring it up. Besides, she'd just blame you for that Irongate guy escaping." Washington noticed Eric and Olivia standing at the door. "Good, you're all here."

"Hey Jack, what'd we do this time?" asked Eric as he took a seat.

"You guys responded to a break-in and then a minute later we're getting a call about a traffic collision and a dangerous thief who escaped custody, twice," explained Washington.

"She's only dangerous because she's reckless. She ran into the road and caused a car to jump the curb. We all walked away," said Sam.

"And she only got away from me through dumb luck. I tied her up, but she just happened to land next to something sharp while I had to handle another emergency," added Eric.

"I hear you, but you know what Izuna is like. So look sorry, say you'll do better, and I'll downplay anything she gets snippy about."

A second police officer entered the room and approached Washington. "The chief wants to talk to you, right now," he said.

"Be right back." Washington followed the officer out, leaving the team by themselves.

"What happened to you?" asked Eric, motioning to the ice pack Daryl was holding to his head.

"That was the door. What about you?" Daryl pointed to the dirt on Eric's shirt and face.

"That was the giant cement pipe I was telling you about." The room went quiet while the group awaited Washington's return. After a few awkward seconds of silence, Sam sighed loudly and turned to Daryl.

"So, do we get called to the principal's office every time something goes wrong or only when we screw up bad?" she asked as she rubbed her side.

"It's pretty much every time." More awkward silence fell over the room.

"We're pathetic."

"Eric..."

"We are. I mean, look at us." Eric gestured to the team's reflection in the massive mirror on the wall. "We got our asses kicked by some dumb girl. We'd be screwed if we ever went up against a real super villain."

"Super criminal," corrected Daryl. "And we'll be all right, we just... had a string of bad luck today. That's all."

The group looked at the door as Captain Washington reentered the room.

"She ready for us?" asked Eric.

"Uh, she's changed her mind. Izuna is not coming," said Washington, sounding distressed as he spoke. "She just wants you to finish your reports, then go home, because she's removing you from active duty."

"What!" exclaimed Eric.

"She's canning us because of a minor car collision?" asked Daryl.

"It's not that."

"Then what?" Washington moved towards a television mounted in the corner of the room, turned it on and frantically flipped through the channels, stopping on a local news station playing an interview.

"I heard someone shout," spoke a young man on the TV. "Then I look over and I see someone in an old-timey kinda wizard cloak tearing after some chick running towards the door. They start fighting and the one chick pulls off that cloak, and there's this weird naked devil thing under it." The image changed to a security video of the two people fighting each other.

"That's the girl we were chasing earlier." The video showed the girl ripping the cloak off her attacker.

"Angela!" exclaimed Daryl. "When did this happen? How did she get out!" The footage continued to show Olivia running past Angela and after the girl as she fled the scene.

"Certainly a strange sight to behold," spoke one of the news anchors.

"Indeed," said the other. "I can't help thinking this is just some crazy publicity stunt, like it's one of those alternate reality games you see the movie companies do. In other news—" Washington turned off the television while Daryl spun around and glared at a very guilty Olivia.

"You..." he seethed.

"I can explain," hastily insisted a nervous Olivia.

"You took Angela out into the city without my permission and..." Daryl turned to Sam. "Did you know about this?"

"No."

Daryl turned to Eric, who just shrugged in confusion. "What were you thinking! Why!" shouted Daryl.

"I'm sorry," she pleaded. "She just looked so miserable and I thought—"

"Thought what? She'd like a tour of the city?"

"Well, you've got a lot to talk about, I'll just let myself out." Washington headed for the door.

"Wait," called Daryl. "Give us a chance to explain what happened to Chief Izuna."

"Yeah, she's not gonna listen, trust me," assured Washington, a hint of annoyance lingering in his voice.

"There has to be something you can say to her."

"No, there's not. She suspended me, effective immediately."

"Suspended?" asked Eric.

"Yeah, I never mentioned that whole demon ordeal to her because you said your organization was taking custody of her," explained a frustrated Washington. "Figured she was already gone and Izuna would be happier not knowing. But when she saw that report she started demanding answers and Frost was all too happy to oblige her.

"Why exactly is it still in the city?" Daryl just looked at Washington, unable to summon any words to explain. "You know what, it doesn't matter at this point. Izuna said she'll send some people by to take care of her in the morning."

"Take care of her? What does that mean?" Washington just shrugged at Olivia and headed for the door. "See ya round... or I guess not actually." Washington took his leave.

"You've got some explaining to do," dictated Daryl in a stern tone.

"Was that girl in the video the same one we were just chasing after?" asked Eric.

"Yeah, I... I'm pretty sure she was," stuttered Olivia.

"Why were you chasing after her?" asked Daryl.

"She stole this dress I had gotten for Angela and I was trying to get it back..." Olivia's voice trailed off.

"You took a demon dress shopping?" asked Sam in disbelief.

"She stole something from you? You were robbed? And you didn't tell anyone?" Olivia just shifted in her seat, unable to look Daryl in the eye. "Because then someone would know you took Angela out, is that why you didn't report it?"

"Please don't take it out on her, it's my fault," insisted Olivia.

"You're damn right this is your fault. You have any idea what you did? Do you realize you may have cost all of us and Washington our jobs because of your bad judgment? I don't know how I'm going to explain this to Mr. Tetra. Why on earth—"

"Daryl..." Turning to Eric, Daryl saw the concern on the boy's face, then noticed Olivia was on the verge of tears.

"Sam?" said Daryl.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"Take my bike and drive Eric home. Then go back to the firehouse." Daryl handed the keys to his motorcycle to Sam.

"What about you two?" asked Eric.

"Olivia will stay here with me and help me fill out reports until we've covered everything that's happened today, including her incident earlier with Angela. Then we're going to have a long talk and come home ourselves."

The room became silent. After a tense few seconds of quiet, Sam slowly stood up and pushed her chair under the table. She took a few steps towards the door, then motioned for Eric to follow. Reluctantly the boy rose from the table and followed Sam towards the exit. Eric briefly glanced back at Olivia with a look of disappointment, then left without saying a word.

*   *   *

Angela sat patiently in her room, anxiously watching the area outside her door. She had briefly spoken with Sam when she returned hours ago. She had told her Olivia would be returning very late and not to wait up for her, but Angela waited and watched for her return anyway.

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the approach of a noisy engine. She listened carefully as the engine became quiet and footsteps approached. Anxiously she looked out into the hall as someone drew closer.

Daryl passed by her door without a word, and Angela lowered her head, disappointed that it wasn't Olivia she heard. She had missed her company and didn't understand why Sam wouldn't say why Olivia would be so late. Tired of waiting, Angela lay down on her futon, thinking it best to sleep.

"Angela?" spoke a familiar voice. "You up?" Angela sat up to find Olivia standing in front of the door.

"Olivia," spoke the demoness, excited to see her friend again. "I'm glad you're back." Olivia stepped into her room and sat down next to Angela

"Yeah..." muttered Olivia. "Angela, you remember when we went out this morning?"

"Yes."

"Well, Daryl and some others found out." Angela's face immediately sank upon hearing that news. "So, tomorrow, some people will probably be here to ask you some questions."

"I understand," she answered in a pained voice. "I must be punished for my disobedience."

"No, Angela, you didn't do anything wrong. This was all my idea, I'll be the one to accept the consequences."

"Does that mean I won't see you again?"

Olivia sighed, trying to think of an answer. "I might be leaving soon," said Olivia. "But not until I know you're safe."

"I see. Thank you Olivia." Angela smiled, which prodded a weak grin out of Olivia. Exhausted, the young woman left the demoness to rest and shuffled back to her room. She hastily kicked off her shoes and collapsed on her bed, eager to forget her troubles for a few short hours.

*   *   *

Slowly Olivia opened her eyes as she awoke from her slumber. Lying in bed for a few seconds, she felt a sudden urge to check the time. Collecting her phone from the nightstand, Olivia discovered it was still early in the morning.

Setting her phone down, Olivia carefully crawled out of bed. She quietly tiptoed to Angela's door and cracked it open. Inside she found Angela, still asleep. Olivia breathed a sigh of relief, then carefully pulled the door shut.

Her hand still gripping the doorknob, Olivia briefly entertained the thought of waking Angela and asking her to run away with her. Maybe she could return her to her master, or just take her back home. But then Olivia realized she had no idea where Angela's master was or how to explain a demon to her family. Olivia sighed again and moved back to her bedroom, only to stop abruptly when she heard Daryl shouting from downstairs.

"Are you kidding!" Olivia tiptoed downstairs and found Daryl sitting with a familiar bespectacled officer. "We're being blamed for this? After she told us to stay out?" asked Daryl as he studied a tablet computer.

"That was what I said when I checked my news alerts," said Washington.

"What's going on?" asked Olivia. "Is he here for Angela?" Washington looked at Olivia, then turned back to Daryl.

"Angela?" he asked.

"The demon girl," answered Daryl. "And no, we've got another problem, apparently." Daryl handed Olivia the tablet. She read the headline: 'Mary Misfortune Wreaks Havoc For Police: City's Superheroes Nowhere To Be Found'. Beneath the headline was a picture of the thief sporting a wicked grin while posing in front of a pair of wrecked police cars.

"It's the press, they play these things up. I talked to one of my friends in dispatch and it wasn't havoc. More like a big ruckus with a few petty thefts... and two crashed police cruisers," said Washington as he rubbed his forehead. "I wouldn't worry about it."

"Don't worry about it! We're being accused of allowing a dangerous criminal to run free!" retorted Daryl.

"Again, that's the press, they don't have the full story. That's why the mayor called me for answers when he read it," explained Washington.

"The mayor? You talked to the mayor this morning?" asked Daryl.

"Yeah, he calls me at five in the morning demanding to know where the city's superhero team was." The middle-aged officer took a moment to rub his temples, as if he had to massage his brain into recalling the event.

"And? What did you say?"

"I told him the truth. You were removed from duty earlier the same night by the chief herself. So he gets her on conference call and things get kind of crazy from there. She tells him she's got everything under control, but he doesn't buy that. She says your team is unprofessional, he says she's the one who's unprofessional.

"This goes on for a while until the mayor demands to know why you were benched. She explains the whole Miss Demon on the news slip up and the mayor just loses it. He blows up on Izuna and tells her he doesn't care if you keep Bengal tigers, he doesn't want the city's best line of defense against dangerous nutjobs removed from duty without him even knowing about it."

"Really?" asked Daryl.

"Yeah. It gets ugly from there. He calls Izuna incompetent, threatens to have the DA's office investigate her for everything from obstructing justice to gross criminal misconduct, then he says some pretty disparaging things about how she became a police chief that I'd rather not repeat."

"Geez."

"Yeah, never see that side of him when he's out campaigning. Anyways, conversation ends with Izuna apologizing for not informing the mayor's office about her decision and says we're not only back on duty, we're now in charge of apprehending this Mary Misfortune person."

"We're in charge?" asked Daryl.

"Technically I am, but I'll want your input on this. What are we up against exactly?" asked Washington.

"What do you mean?" asked Daryl.

"This, girl, is she really some kind of super villain like the news says?"

"That's ridiculous. Why would you think that?" asked Daryl.

"Last night, she actually did get caught and cuffed after breaking into a department store, but apparently escaped from the back of a police car after only two blocks. Combine this with the fact she's gotten by your entire team already—"

"She didn't get by us. Eric even caught her, he just happened to leave her by something sharp enough to cut through her restraints, and she managed to hit Sam's one busted rib. She just got lucky, that's all."

"Lucky," repeated Olivia.

"Something to add?" asked Washington.

"I just remembered when I saw her at the mall. When I was holding onto her, she told me it wasn't healthy to be around her," said Olivia.

"Why's that?" asked Washington.

"She said she's bad luck." A tense silence followed that revelation. "How did she get away from the police?"

"Um, let me check. I had someone forward the details to my phone." Washington dug his phone out of his pocket. "Initial investigation suggests suspect's handcuffs may have been defective. Suspect was able to remove restraints without damaging them.

"Suspect then proceeded to bang on back seat divider, distracting the driver, who collided with a second police cruiser that had been sent to the scene as backup. The collision possibly damaged rear driver side door in a way that allowed for it to be opened from within." Washington sighed. "Doesn't get any better after that; the chase that followed caused a six-car pileup and no arrest."

"If it weren't for her pulling off Angela's cloak, we would have never been suspended in the first place," realized Olivia.

"And if she hadn't stopped for this photo op, Izuna wouldn't have the mayor threatening to fire her," added Washington. "This cat in black has brought terrible luck for everyone's path she's crossed."

"Where did this photo even come from?" asked Daryl.

"Oh, that's a funny story. The guy who took that isn't even a professional photographer, he's just some dumbass who happened to be at the scene. Apparently he was just snapping pictures of what happened with his phone and Mary decided to photobomb one. Then he even talks to her for a minute before the officers in the cars finally come after her. Apparently that's where the name Mary comes from as well," explained Washington.

"Still, how did the press get it so fast?"

"This same jackass just happened to be friends with someone at the local news station. Apparently told him everything while the police were going after her. They already had the story up on their website before they even did their morning broadcast. Izuna had them both hauled in for questioning before the mayor called." Washington removed a cigarette from his pocket. "So are we dealing with someone like you? Someone with special powers?"

"That doesn't matter," asserted Daryl.

"How do you figure?"

"Because, careless crook or bad luck witch, our job is the same. Bring her to justice," insisted Daryl.

"But if she is superhuman, can we even stop her? Every time we've tried it's ended in disaster. If we throw everything we have at her, who knows how much damage she'll do," reasoned Washington.

"If we do nothing it's guaranteed to end in disaster. It's petty theft now, but what next? Maybe she'll start thinking there's nothing stopping her from taking anything she wants, or getting rid of anyone she doesn't like."

"Point taken." Washington stood up. "I'll go back to the station and get the other district captains together. We've already got an APB out on her. I'll also issue an additional warning that she may be a superhuman threat."

"I'll get the team together then meet you there. I'll also call the Order, see if they can—" Daryl's phone started ringing. The man grimaced as he looked at the screen. "Oh God, it's Nick. He must have seen the story. I'll get with you after I deal with him." Daryl pressed a button on the phone.

"What the hell happened!" bellowed Nick's voice from the phone's tiny speaker.

"Mr. Tetra, I have this under control..." assured Daryl as he moved away from Washington and Olivia.

"I've got a lot of work ahead of me," Washington said to Olivia. "Still, I was wondering something. That demon person who's staying here, she listens to you guys, right?"

"Yeah. The only reason she was out yesterday is because I asked her to come with me," explained Olivia.

"Really? So, can you ask her to help us with this then?"

"What?"

"That video on the news showed she practically lapped this girl when she went after her. If you tell her to catch this person, she would do it, right?"

"But, what happens if someone sees her again? Last time that nearly got us all fired."

"I'm not too worried about that. Izuna has already moved on to taking her anger out on the media. If someone did see her we could say she's part of your team and she's just wearing a costume with makeup. What I'm worried about is if we fail to stop this woman again." Washington finally placed the cigarette in his mouth.

"Why's that?" asked Olivia.

"Because the mayor already railed the chief over this, and she passed the buck onto us. If we blow this then Izuna, the mayor, and the press will all be lining up to tear us apart." Washington lit his cigarette and took a long drag off it. Looking at the wrinkles around the man's eyes, Olivia could tell he was worried. "Tell Daryl I'd feel a lot better if we used every advantage we have, including your speedy red friend." Washington headed for the door and left Olivia alone.

The young woman briefly looked over at Daryl, who was still trying to console a furious Nick over the phone, then headed upstairs. She entered Angela's room and found the demoness still asleep on her futon. Olivia was about to leave her be when she noticed Angela stirring.

"Angela?" Angela turned over and looked up at Olivia.

"Yes?"

Olivia looked at the demoness and tried to find the words. "You said you like it when you help people, right?"

*   *   *

"Typical. We run into this crazy bitch left and right yesterday, and now she's nowhere to be found. Over," grumbled Sam over the radio.

"I told you guys, she's going to lay low until nightfall. But did any of you listen? No," groused Eric. "By the time we actually find her we'll be worn out from working all day."

"She wasn't shy about committing multiple burglaries in broad daylight before," reminded Daryl.

"She didn't have a pissed off superhero team and nearly the entire police force looking for her either then," added Washington. "My guess is she probably skipped town already."

Olivia sighed as she approached another stoplight. She watched the sun sink out of sight behind the nearby buildings, yawning as the orange evening glow that had washed over the city began to dim. Looking at her phone, she saw it was past six now. She had been on patrol for nearly ten hours and it was just now getting dark. Olivia turned to Angela, who was resting in the passenger seat.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," answered Angela.

"Sorry I dragged you into this. You shouldn't have to do this."

"You and your friends have been kind to me. I am happy to help."

"All units. Silent alarm at sixty-one, thirty-one, Stewart Avenue. Please advise," reported a woman over the radio.

"Copy that. Sam and I are on our way," reported Daryl.

"You think it's her?" asked Eric. "Or just another minor crime?"

"We'll keep you informed. Stay alert. Over and out," answered Sam.

"Olivia," said Angela. "Is this what you wanted me for?"

"I hope not," said Olivia. "But you remember what I told you?"

"If I see that girl, you want me to catch her."

*   *   *

Daryl pulled his motorcycle to an abrupt stop in front of a car dealership. He briefly examined the rows of pristine sports cars surrounding a building covered in plate glass windows before dismounting his bike. There were plenty of places for someone to hide, and only two people to search for them.

"Survey the building. I'll do a fly over," instructed Daryl.

"No cape tonight?" asked Sam as she pulled her taser.

"Already cost me once, I'm not taking any chances this time. You see anything—"

"Report in immediately. I read ya Boss." Sam ran over to the main office. After confirming the front door was locked, she moved swiftly along the building, coming to a sudden stop at the sight of a broken window.

"Daryl, I found an opening. Looks like someone's busted their way in through the front of the building. I'm going in."

"Copy. I'll be right there." Sam turned on her flashlight and stepped inside. She quickly moved past the cars littering the dimly lit showroom and into an office in the back. The steadfast soldier kept a tight grip on her taser as she swung around to the backside of the desk.

There was nothing under it, but the drawers had been pulled out and their contents emptied onto the ground. Sam knelt down to get a better look when she heard the sound of an engine coming to life. She rushed back into the showroom to the sight of a car crashing through the plate glass exterior.

"Daryl—"

"I see her!" Daryl flew after the fleeing vehicle. He watched it crash past his parked motorcycle, jump the curb and spin recklessly into the road. "We've found her!" reported Daryl as he soared through the air after the car. "She's fleeing the scene in a stolen car."

Mary noticed Daryl in the rearview mirror. She smiled and slammed her foot against the gas pedal. "I can't keep up with her in the air. I'll need help with the pursuit." Daryl watched as Mary carelessly swerved onto a freeway ramp.

"She messed up your motorcycle pretty bad. Not sure if I can get it started. Where is she?" asked Sam over the radio.

"She just turned onto what I think is Interstate Seventy-one. She's driving a white convertible, dealer license plates, heading south."

"That leads to the state line," realized Washington. "All available units converge on Seventy-one south, immediately." Washington engaged his siren and raced towards the nearest onramp, charging down the road with incredible speed.

"There!" Eric pointed to a white car swerving about in the distance.

"I see it," said Washington as they closed in on the runaway vehicle.

"That's got to be her," commented Eric as he watched the car skid across several lanes of traffic.

"Really wish we had some backup," grumbled Washington. "We've got some open road ahead. Hold on, I'll try a PIT maneuver." Washington pulled his car to the right, colliding with the convertible's left rear end. He sharply turned inward and sent the vehicle into a tailspin. Washington hit his brakes and pulled back to avoid colliding with the other car. The white convertible spun out for a few seconds before straightening out and speeding away.

"Was that supposed to happen?" asked Eric.

"Ideally they run into the wall or wind up facing the wrong way," said Washington as he drove after Mary. "Sometimes it takes more than one."

"Guys," called Olivia over the radio. "We're right behind you."

Eric spotted a familiar black convertible with flashing lights in the rearview mirror. "Can you do another one of those spins?" asked Eric.

"Not right now, too many other cars on the road," said Washington.

Eric groaned. "Get alongside her," he ordered.

"What for?"

"Just do it."

Washington did his best to match speed with Mary's car, trying to keep his vehicle close to hers.

"Olivia, be ready for a sudden stop. I'm gonna try something," said Eric as he rolled down the window. "Whatever you do," Eric told Washington. "Don't tell my dad about this." With a single sudden leap, Eric flew into the back seat of Mary's car. He scurried into the front seat and put his hand on the steering wheel.

"Stop the car!" demanded Eric.

"Make me!" Eric wrapped his free arm around Mary's neck and slammed his foot down on the brake pedal. "Let go!" Mary tried to pull the wheel away from Eric, but he kept a tight grip on it. As the vehicle began to skid to a halt, Mary stopped trying to pull the wheel away from Eric and instead swerved towards him, causing the car to veer into a wall.

The collision launched Eric from the car, sending him rolling across the freeway. Olivia skidded her car to a stop, piled out and ran to the scene. She rushed to a crumpled up Eric lying in the road. His shirt was torn and his sleeves stained with flecks of blood.

"Eric!"

"Get her!" ordered Eric as he glared at the white convertible. Mary freed herself from the airbag and stumbled out of her wrecked vehicle. Olivia sprinted towards her while Mary clumsily marched ahead. She only got a few steps before she found Washington's car ahead of her. With nowhere to go, Mary climbed onto a wall bordering the edge of the overpass.

"Don't move!" yelled Washington as he pulled his gun.

"Give it up!" commanded Olivia.

Mary flashed a wicked smile at Olivia and leapt off the overpass. She and Washington peered over the ledge and saw Mary riding on top of a semi truck trailer.

"No God damn way."

Angela hurled herself off the freeway and landed on the back of the same truck. The demoness could briefly hear Olivia calling her name as she dug her claws into the metal. Angela looked to Mary, who was standing near the front of the truck, trying to keep her balance. As Angela rose to a stand, the wind blew her hood back, revealing her face.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" asked Mary.

"Please, stop this!" begged Angela.

"Please?" Mary started laughing. "What kind of pathetic monster are you?" Angela noticed they were fast approaching an underpass with a road sign attached to it, one of which hung low enough to hit Mary's head.

"You must listen!"

"I don't have to do shit anymore," laughed Mary, sounding jovial now. "Nobody can even touch—" Mary's head connected with the bottom of the road sign. She was knocked off her feet, tumbled off the side of the truck and onto the ground.

Angela leapt off the truck and rushed towards where Mary had fallen. She was screaming in agony, and seeing Angela approach prompted Mary to flee. The girl attempted to stand but collapsed face first onto the pavement, crying out in pain while rubbing her right leg.

Angela knelt down and carefully pulled Mary out of the road, taking great care not to injure her further. Tears were running down Mary's bloodied face as she moaned in pain. Angela looked into the girl's eyes and could see the terror and suffering welling up inside of her.

"What are you going to do me?" she asked in a whimper.

"What I can." Angela examined Mary's leg, noticing a very slight bulge pushing against the skin on Mary's shin. "I'll have to set the broken bone first."

"What? What are you doing?" Angela placed her hands on the bone and forced it back into the correct position with a sudden jerk, which sent Mary shrieking. "Stop it!" Mary tried in vain to push Angela away while the demoness placed her hand over the bloody patch of hair on Mary's head.

"It'll be over soon," she assured.

"What'll be over?" Mary felt a sudden throbbing sensation in her leg, as if all of her blood were rushing into an open wound there. The feeling spread to her head next and she tried to pry free from Angela's grip, but couldn't. The pain suddenly became unbearable and Mary forced her way out of the demoness's grip.

She backed away while Angela quietly collapsed onto the ground. Mary watched as the demoness just lay there, seemingly exhausted now. After sitting there in confusion for a few seconds, Mary realized her leg wasn't bothering her anymore.

Examining it, her leg appeared undamaged now. Mary flinched as she tried to stand, but her leg seemed to be able to support her weight. It was incredibly sore, but she could stand on it again. She even took a few steps to be sure. Feeling almost like celebrating, Mary let out a nervous laugh. Turning towards Angela, Mary found the demoness still lying motionless on the ground. She stared at her for a moment, wondering if she was still alive, then realized she should probably leave while she still had the chance.

Mary turned back towards the road, and was instantly grappled by Olivia. Before she could even react, Olivia wrapped her arms around Mary's neck and applied pressure to her throat. Mary flailed against Olivia for a few seconds before passing out from the chokehold and crumpling onto the pavement. Olivia knelt down to confirm Mary was still breathing, then hurried to Angela's side.

"Angela?" asked Olivia as she turned her friend over. "Angela? Say something," pleaded Olivia as she braced the back of the demoness's head. Her face was covered with what looked like small bruises and dark veins, and her breathing sounded shallow.

"Olivia?" she asked without opening her eyes.

"Yeah, are you okay? What happened?"

"I'll be fine. I just need rest," she muttered.

"Why? What happened?"

"I had to help her."

"Her? Mary? You helped her? Why?"

"Because she was suffering."

Mary started groaning as she regained consciousness. Olivia carefully set Angela down and moved back to the cocky thief. She grabbed hold of Mary's arms and prepared to bind her hands when she noticed Mary was still wearing the dress she had stolen.

"What's happening?" mumbled a confused Mary as Olivia pulled her arms out of the sleeves of her dress.

"I'm taking back everything you stole." With her arms free of the dress, Olivia slipped a twist tie over Mary's wrists. She gave it a pull, tightening it as much as she could.

"Ow! That shit hurts!" Olivia secured a second tie above Mary's elbows, then pulled the gold rings off her fingers. "Wait, let's talk about this." Olivia removed Mary's necklace and earrings. "Maybe we can—hey!" Olivia pulled Mary's dress down. "You pervert! Whatta ya think you're doing!"

Olivia ignored Mary's comment and pushed her over. She removed the dress and Mary's shoes with ease. "You sicko! You can't leave me like this!" Olivia removed her hoodie and slipped it on Mary. "What, you think this makes up for what you just did! I'm going to get a lawyer and—" Olivia forcefully grasped Mary's cheeks between her thumb and index finger.

"Shut. Up." Olivia let go of Mary's face and grabbed her arm, forcibly pulling her over to where Angela was lying. "Angela, I got something for you."

Angela opened her eyes and saw Olivia holding it. "My dress."

Olivia handed it back to the weary demoness. "Sorry if it's a little messed up." Angela sat up and gently ran her hand across the garment. "You should put it on. You've definitely earned it by now." Angela removed her cloak, carefully setting it aside. She put her legs into the dress and slowly pulled it up to her chest.

"Thank you," she said in a weak voice.

"Oh, this is sickeningly sweet," mocked Mary.

"Shut up." Olivia reached for her headset. "I've got her. I'm at—" Mary suddenly darted away. "Hey!" Olivia lunged for Mary only to pull back the hoodie she had just given her. The still bound thief stumbled into the next lane, nearly running head first into a large van that skidded out of the way.

She ran past the van only for some woman on a motorcycle to swerve to a sudden stop in front of her. She turned back to the other side of the road and found a police cruiser approaching. Before she could take another step a man in black seemingly fell out of the sky right in front of her.

"You're under arrest!" announced Daryl as he grabbed Mary.

"And you've got the right to remain silent," growled Sam.

"And an attorney," said Washington as he added a pair of handcuffs to Mary's restraints.

"And you better believe everything you say is gonna be used against you in court!" growled Eric as he limped over to the group.

"Understand?" asked Olivia as she bagged Mary with her hoodie again.

"Tell me you got all that." The group turned to find a cameraman and a woman with a microphone standing in front of the van that nearly hit Mary. "This is great. Local superhero team and police bag menace. Oh, do any of you want to make a statement?" asked the reporter as she thrust her microphone towards the group.

"No." Daryl quickly escorted Mary into Washington's car.

"Wait, officer, how did this Mary Misfortune woman previously escape custody? What kind of measures are the police taking to prevent it from happening again?" asked the reporter.

"No comment." Washington climbed into the driver's seat while Eric elected to ride in the back with Mary.

"You, um, Commodore something," she said to Daryl. "Why did it take four superheroes to capture one criminal?"

"I'm not taking questions at this time." Daryl and Sam mounted the motorcycle and drove off, following behind Washington's car.

"Damn," cursed the woman. She started moving back towards her van, but then she spotted Olivia perched over Angela near the underpass. The reporter smiled and motioned for her cameraman to follow.

"You, superhero," she said to Olivia. "What was your role in all of this? How do you explain this alleged super criminal's surprising ability to elude authorities? Can we be certain she simply won't escape again later?"

"Please, it's been a very long day and I just want to get back to my car, which is on an overpass," said Olivia as she helped Angela off the ground.

"What about..." The reporter caught sight of Angela's face. "What is that?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

"Umm..." Olivia searched for an answer, but one did not come.

"Is this another super criminal that's been kept from the general public?"

"No. She's not a criminal," assured Olivia.

"Is there some supernatural presence in the city that you're hiding from us? Is this creature part of some occult ritual your group performs?"

"No! It's nothing like that."

"Then what? What is this, and why is it wearing a designer dress?"

"Well, it's like..." Olivia suddenly remembered something Washington told her earlier. "She's the Starlight Sentinels' newest member?"