"I-I can't just go home, especially right now! If Seraph is as bad as everyone says he is, there's no way I cou- I can just let him go!" Chad had said, typically.
Pandora rolled her eyes and made sure to squash whatever liking she had taken to that idiot. Stupid. Stupid, Pandora.
He doesn't even know what he's fighting for. But he's willing to die for it. How many times have I seen morons like him? Had he been born at the very end of the 19th century, he would have made great cannon fodder in the first World War. Nothing an NCO loves more than a brave idiot willing to take a bullet for a cause he doesn't understand. Pandora thought bitterly, tuning out whatever else The Bullet had to say.
"Whatever. Just don't come crying to me when-" Pandora began, her cynicism beginning to rise up inside her like a kettle of water over flame. However she was cut off when there was a strange noise, a flash of light, and a woman appearing in the middle of her flower shop.
"Ms...Pandora?" The young woman said, tears in her eyes. So, this was what HERO had to offer her? Perhaps Grace's feeling of inferiority came from Pandora's orange, withering glare, like a terrible teacher glaring at a pupil they despise. She began to tap the wooden cashier counter, rhythmically with her fingers.
"I'm sorry for the intrusion, I hope I'm not bothering you...I'm Grace Mok, or Bypass...Patti and Eliza, I mean, Murmur and Aria, are coming through in a moment. I'm not sure if you've seen the news, but blah blah blah we're terrible and bad at everything we need your help immediately. Pwetty pwease?" Grace asked with a stupid look on her face. Or something like that.
"Again, sorry for barging in, but teleporting onto the street would've been suspicious, and the Wings might've picked it up," Grace continued.
Pandora squinted at her and nodded along in a way that wasn't reassuring. Two more girls burst in, following shortly after Bypass. Patriciaa and Eliza were there names.
“I’m- I’m Patricaria. Whatever.” One of them said. Strange name. The two girls that followed Grace in looked like literal children. Though even after all this time, unmalnourished children was still a sight the ex-child labourer had to get used too.
There was a knock at the door.
"...Miss Pandora...this is Alpha aka K Nine...member of Hero One now officially with CPD SWAT...please let me in...we need to talk…” A strange, hesitant, monotone voice came from the door. A super cop. This terrified Patricia, who had been falsely accused of murder, apparently. Pandora believed she was a good judge of character. Patricia was probably capable of killing all of those people- by accident- and then promptly throwing herself guilt ridden off the nearest bridge. But on purpose, and then lying like this? Probably not. At the very least she had Bypass' approval.
Who cares? Who actually cares if she's innocent? You don't, Pandora. I know you don't. Pandora blinked. It had been a while since she had talked to herself in such a way. Such a long time in which she had forced herself to act in such direct conflict with her nature, that that nature manifested itself in her consciousness as a chastising voice she could hear in her head.
Pandora closed her eyes and bit on her lower lip, smiling. She laughed quietly. Shook her head. She opened her eyes and made steely eye contact with Grace.
"Go upstairs. Now." She whispered harshly, the smile gone as fast as it had came.
"You too." She pointed at Chad, without looking.
"Coming, officer!" She shouted to the door in a cheery voice.
"I'll see what the nice police man wants." She said quietly, to everyone. She smiled with too many teeth at the people inside her flower shop.
The way to the upstairs could be seen behind the group at the back of the flower shop. There was a wooden door, slightly ajar. Using the lighting, one could infer the existence of a staircase. Upstairs was Pandora's home, full of warm carpets, rugs, odd antiquities and outdated technology. The TV was playing, the very same channel Grace, Patricia, and Eliza had watched not moments ago in Patricia's home. Pandora's living space was strange. The kitchen seemed entirely empty, the bathroom was dusty like it had never been used. Other than that, it looked like an old crazy grandma lived there. Which, of course, one did.
Pandora wondered if this officer knew who she was. Given that he had already shown up at her shop with no other reason too, she assumed he did. Given that the only ones who knew about her identity was HERO, she assumed one of them had told her. Given that Powers seemed to actually respect her and was dead or missing, that meant that fucking bitch Christina must have told this cop who she was.
Why are you going to the door? Just tell him they're in your home and be done with all this. This was over before it even began. And by 'this' I mean your life. Haha. Pandora opened the door partially so that Alpha could only see her body and face. She leaned up against the doorframe and smiled.
"Hello, officer. How may I help you?" After she said this, she considered redeploying her strategy. Playing dumb probably wouldn't work.
"I'm assuming you must be here about all this nasty EAGLES business I saw on the telly?" Pandora asked, the cheeriness leaving her voice. There were layers to her deception, both in lying to the officer and in lying to herself. Revealing one truth- that Pandora wasn't just an innocent, dumb florist- might gain Alpha's trust and allow her to keep the real secret. If he asked about the fugitives, she may be able to play it off as if they simply hadn't come here for her help, and that she would let him know when they did. This was Pandora's strategy. If she could keep him from entering her shop at all, that would be ideal.
The final, deepest, and most important lie was the one Pandora told herself: that she would be able to keep this heroic act up. One last time.
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