[h3][color=palegoldenrod]Wes/Likho[/color][/h3]
Wes was frozen as he watched the strangers introduce himself and… partner up with him?

[color=palegoldenrod]"Ok, hang on,"[/color] he cut in, annoyance staining his voice. [color=palegoldenrod]"I'm not leading anyone anywhere."[/color] He pulled his hood back and ran a hand through his hair. [color=palegoldenrod]"All that's gonna happen is she,"[/color] he pointed at Aya, [color=palegoldenrod]"is going to tell me everything she knows about the Healer, and then [i]I[/i] am going to deal with him. Alone. If you wanna take it upon yourself to protect her then by all means. Don't let me get in your way."[/color]

He looked back at Aya, surprised to see her finally pushing herself to her feet. She winced a bit at the various scrapes littering her body and Wes felt a twinge of guilt at that. At least it looked like they'd stopped bleeding. When she'd finally reached her full, unimpressive height, Wes waited. Her eyes were glued to the ground, not meeting the gazes of anyone else.

[color=aquamarine]"I,"[/color] she started, only to close her mouth again. Her eyebrows crinkled together as her gaze darted over the ground, as though her answers were hidden there. [color=aquamarine]"My dad died. A few years ago. My mom's not really around. After… I got put in the system and… there's good people, I'm sure. People who do it for the right reasons and care for the kids they take in. I just… didn't meet them."[/color]

We shifted his weight, glancing around at the others. He wondered where Aya was going with this.

[color=aquamarine]"I tried running a few times, but they always found me and brought me back to…"[/color] Her mouth was still open, some unsaid word trying to force its way out of her throat. She clamped her mouth closed again and took a breath before continuing. [color=aquamarine]"I did something. You could call it self defense, but it doesn't…"[/color] Her voice wavered and her eyes started to glisten again. [color=aquamarine]"The Healer found me after. Said he could protect me, take care of me if I just –"[/color] Aya brought hand up to wipe at her eyes. Wes glanced at the others, uncomfortable and frustrated – pissed as hell that the monster would victimize another person like this. Wes needed to end him. He needed Aya to tell him how to do it.

She clamped a hand over her mouth, as though that would halt the emotions threatening to overtake her. Her eyes squeezed shut. Wes stepped forward.

[color=palegoldenrod]"Hey,"[/color] he said quietly, trying not to startle her. Awkward and unsure, Wes slowly raised his free hand. Aya didn't seem to hear him. [color=palegoldenrod]"It's ok. You're ok."[/color] He lowered his hand to rest it lightly on her shoulder.

And then the building they were all standing atop exploded.

[h3][color=aquamarine]Aya/Cosmos[/color][/h3]
Aya watched the different vigilantes talk about what to do, almost seeming to reach some sort of consensus for what to do about the Healer. About her. 

Voices warred in Aya's head, telling her to come clean. Others shouted back that doing so would only get everyone on this roof killed. She couldn't just deny that she was involved anymore though. Likho had her dead to rights, and now it seemed the others had come to the same conclusions. They wouldn't let her leave without answers. But maybe Aya didn't need to give away them all.

And so she began. Her history wasn't something she spoke of often, and it showed with how raw the harsh edges of her life cut at her. 

She clamped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shot when a sob fought to break free. God, this was pitiful. 

Likho, clearly uncomfortable, was stiff and awkward beside her. But he still tried, in his way. Aya felt a hand, warm and heavy beneath the glove, make its way to her shoulder. And then there was chaos.

Something erupted beneath them, and there was an explosion Aya felt more than heard. It rattled her bones as the roof lurched and started to crumble. She was fairly certain she screamed. The hand at her shoulder moved, replaced by a pair of arms wrapping around her. The world was a mess of smoke and ash, the aftershocks still ringing in her ears. When it came back into focus, Aya found herself lying in the rubble, dusty and shaken. New pains arced through her body, but nothing debilitating. Though, she supposed it was hard to tell through the shock. Her eyes found Likho, a short distance away. His body moved in a sluggish, pained manner, but he didn't seem to much worse for wear. Her sense of hearing trickled back to her. Dogs barking, people shouting, car alarms blaring… they slowly formed the backdrop to the chaos.

Aya searched for the other four. Instead she found a tall, cloaked figure standing in the distance. A man made of inky black, darker than the night sky. A short, flat hat rested atop his head. Both gloved hands rested on a long walking cane. In place of a face was only a long, beaked mask, glassy circles in the place of eyes.

The Healer.

She felt her heart stop, fear freezing her veins. The Healer watched for a moment. Then he turned and slowly faded into the night. Aya looked back to the others, watching them all get their bearings. Then she forced herself to her feet as quietly as she could, and disappeared. Aya escaped without anyone being the wiser.