#thatkindofdevotion

For the next two weeks, Marcia found herself texting Lotus every waking moment. During breaks, during dinner, any free time she had was spent laughing at her jokes or smiling at a picture she sent. She got to find out she loved ducks (through the several pictures she sent of the ones at the nearby park- Marcia didn't mind though) to her favorite song (Boss Bitch by Doja Cat, a song Marcia had found herself listening to nonstop lately). If she was lucky, Lotus would even call her after her patrol, and the two would talk for hours. They mostly talked about their day and the investigation, but sometimes Marcia would slip in a story about her growing up, or Lotus would tell her a story about Sasha. The two had grown much closer in the past two weeks, getting along like a house on fire.

Even now, she was sitting on the couch texting Lotus. She giggled at a text the other girl had sent before she was drawn out of her thoughts by someone nudging her leg. "I need to sit down too, you know." Luxx rolled her eyes as she sat down, handing Marcia her food. "Put your phone down and eat, you've been glued to that thing lately. It's your one day off and you've ignored me the whole morning!"

Marcia takes the food from her, "I'm sorry! It's just so...exciting! We've pretty much gone from talking a few times a month to every day, it's hard not to be so engrossed."

"Aww, she's down bad." Luxx teased her.

"No, I'm not down bad. I'm a lover."

"Marsh, that's the same thing."

"It's totally not! Well...maybe a little. Whatever..." She flushed in embarrassment, rolling her eyes. Luxx chuckled at her,  "Isn't that sweet, you know I haven't seen you this excited over a girl since that one in college...what was her name again?" Marcia cringed at the memory, she had to admit she may have the tendency to fall for people quite easily, but Lotus wasn't the same.

"That's not the same thing. Lotus is different."

Luxx raised her eyebrow, so she continued, "She shows genuine interest in me. She cares about my theatre stuff and how my day is. She texts me pictures of cute dogs she sees because she knows I'll love them. She's...thoughtful. Also, she didn't forget my name after one date, so she's already leagues ahead of Caitlin."

Luxx laughed, "Oh my god, I forgot about that! What did she call you again? Maria?"

"Miriam. She said she knew it was some old lady's name."

"Oh my god, she was awful. I'm so glad that lasted like, two weeks."

"You and me both. Anyways, what were you thinking of doing?"

"Well, since we're all getting together after your show tomorrow, I figured we could just lie low today. We could go to that coffee shop you like and people-watch."

Marcia was sold. "You know me so well, Luxx."

"Of course I do. We've been friends for like 10 years, it'd be sad if I didn't. Now let's go, I want to get a good spot before it gets busy."

-

They arrived at the small shop, setting their items down on the counter facing the biggest window. Marcia took a seat, taking out her drawing supplies as Luxx went to grab their drinks. It had been a while since they had been able to do this- they used to do it all the time in college, watching the people pass by and wonder about their lives while they worked on essays or assignments. They would wonder about their own lives, and what the future would be like. Marcia likes to think her younger self would be proud of where she is now. It makes her smile.

"One tea with honey for you...and an espresso for me!" Luxx hums as she sits the drinks down, sliding onto the seat beside Marcia. She brings out her own drawing materials, peering out the window.

"I missed this. Feels like it's been forever since we've done this."

"I know, it feels like we barely have time anymore. I guess that's what it means to be an adult."

Luxx nodded, her pencil sketching across the page. "Such is capitalism. Ugh, I'm so antsy to get this collection done. We're almost ready to go into production, so my stress is mostly over."

"Oh, I'm excited to see the collection! You're taking me to see the show, right?"

"Who else is going to be my plus one?" She laughs, taking a sip of her drink. "Oh yeah, that's good. Fuck, I've missed good coffee. The office coffee is so shitty, Marsh. Oh my god, it's horrible."

Marcia smiled, opening her own sketchbook as she began sketching some of the people outside. "For a luxury brand, you would think they could afford a better coffee machine." She laughed, scribbling in a woman's dark coat. "Maybe they'll get you a new one for Christmas."

Luxx rolled her eyes, "Please, don't give me hope. Irene keeps saying she's going to fix it and improve it herself but we've been so swamped she hasn't had time yet." She looked up for her next target before selecting a man with a dog. "Look at that dog- isn't it cute? Ugh, I wish I was better at animals. It looks like a rat."

Marcia leaned over to look at the sketch, rolling her eyes. "It looks great, you're being dramatic. That is a cute dog though, what a baby." She cooed, snapping a picture of it before she sent it to Lotus. "How is the collection going anyway? Weren't you guys almost done like, a month ago?"

"Well, we were going through final revisions, but they decided to scrap some of the looks so we had to come up with some new ones. I'm hoping this will be the final round though. I've got some of the early concepts for designs in here though." She answers, flipping through her sketchbook to show Marcia some of the designs. 

She always admired the other girls' aesthetic, Luxx's usual grungy and dark designs had seemed to translate perfectly to spring fashion. Desaturated colors and skirts with purposeful rips and tears turned a skirt into the shape of a flower, an impressive feat. Marcia had seen Luxx make gorgeous designs that weren't her aesthetic, but these ones were special. She always loved it when Luxx could show her passion through her designs.

"Dark forest...what a theme, right?" She softly chuckles, flipping back to the sketch she was working on. "I like it though. I think it'll be our best collection yet."

Marcia proudly smiles, returning to her own sketch of some scenery. They sketched in comfortable silence for some time, Marcia having stopped sketching the people outside and started sketching Lotus. She didn't mean to, it was just sort of a habit at this point.

"That's really good, is that Lotus?" Luxx asks, leaning over. Marcia nods, her face tinged red. "Is she coming to your performance tomorrow?"

"No, but she's coming for my first night as Elle. I'm really excited, I hope she'll like my performance- I've been working so hard on it. God, I hope it goes well, what if I choke?"

"You won't choke. You were like, born for this. You're gonna kill it."

Marcia smiles at her, "Thanks, Luxx."

-

Luxx volunteered for dinner duty that night, allowing Marcia a moment to herself. To debrief, to prepare herself for tomorrow. She felt the nerves creeping up, like they did for every show she had done. She had to remind herself that it was going to go well, that she was going to do well. She focused on the warm water of the shower that was beginning to turn cold- maybe she had been in there longer than she thought.

She stepped out of the shower, wrapping her hair in a soft pink towel before beginning to dry herself off. It was nice, and for a moment she felt calm as she blow-dried her hair, the muffled music of Ariana Grande playing in the background. 7 rings was interrupted by the ringing of her phone, Marcia clicked off the hair dryer as she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, doll." Lotus' voice came from the other end. "Are you able to talk?"

Marcia hummed, "For a little bit- Luxx will kill me if I miss dinner." She wrapped her soft pink robe around her as she left the bathroom and entered her bedroom across the hall. "I thought you're usually on patrol around this time of day?"

"I am, but it's always a slow start. Thought I'd talk to you until I get a call."

She softly smiled, "Well, I won't complain about that. How's your day been?"

"Pretty standard. I'm hanging out with my coworker soon, but other than that nothing of note. But enough about me- you're gonna be on Broadway tomorrow! How are you feeling?"

"Nervous. Excited. I can't tell- I think it's both." She chuckled, "I know I'll probably do well, but it's just those pre-show nerves, you know?"

"Nah, I know you're gonna crush it."

"But how do you know? What if I...I don't know, trip and break my arm or something."

"I think you'd still perform, even if you had to be in a cast. Don't worry. Besides, isn't the saying break a leg?"

Marcia softly sighed, a smile creeping onto her face as she rummaged through her dresser for her pajamas. "Yeah, it is...and you're probably right. I'm way too excited about this. I just can't believe it's finally happening!"

She heard a faint buzzing on the other line, vaguely recognizing it as the sound of a call.

"Do you have to go?"

Lotus sighed, "Yeah. I do. I'm sorry. Hey- break a leg tomorrow. You're gonna kill it."

Marcia smiled. "Thanks, I will."

She heard Lotus laugh, she could practically see the other girls smile in her head.

"Atta girl."

-

The next morning was a blur. She remembered waking up to a 'break a leg ;)' text from Lotus and eating breakfast with Luxx, but time seemed to fly by after that. Her usual subway ride seemed to take five minutes, and their rehearsal that morning felt like it had happened in a second.

Now, she was in the dressing room with her castmates, all giddy and excited for the show. She applied the last of her blush and made sure her costume was perfect, waiting in the wings with the rest of the ensemble for the first number to start. Many were excitedly whispering to each other, the air in the theatre felt electric.

"Who's here for you tonight, Marcia?" One of her castmates and friends, Plasma, asked her.

"My friends and one of my cousins- we're going out afterward. What about you?"

"Some of my friends- and my mom, she flew in from Texas to be here. I can't believe it's opening night!" She excitedly shook Marcia's arm, causing her to smile.

"I know. Oh! There's the house lights, we're going!" She excitedly whispered, taking her place in preparation. She felt the anxiety returning to her chest, taking a deep breath as the curtains drew open.

They began their first number, which went as perfectly as it could. Marcia hit all the right steps, all the right notes, and stayed in character the entire time. She felt the anxiety in her chest dissipate after the first number, it turning into a feeling of joy. She felt good going into the second number, which turned into feeling great for the entire first act. During intermission, she and Plasma celebrated their success, which meant excitedly talking about the show while they made costume and makeup adjustments for the second act.

The second act also went spectacularly. She could tell the entire cast was bringing their all, and the audience could too. Every time the audience laughed or cheered her drive became stronger, causing her to perform even better. By the time curtain call came, she was exhausted- but proud. As she bowed with the rest of the ensemble, she could hear Luxx's cheers above the rest. She couldn't see her group because of the house lights, but that was enough to put a smile on her face. 

She's able to get out of her costume and makeup fairly quickly, only delayed by her and Plasma geeking out about the show- releasing the remainder of the energy they had for the night. Eventually, she gathered her things and left, signing some things for a few fans at the stage door before spotting her friends.

"MARSHALL!" Luxx squealed, tightly hugging the other girl. Marcia giggled as her friends swarmed her, excitement filling the air. Jan raved on and on about her vocals and dance moves, her cousin was a fellow theatre nerd and they often spent their childhood watching different musicals (and poorly reenacting them). Robin, although less experienced in the theatre world, complimented her performance and gave her a bouquet- which Amethyst almost crushed as she pulled the group in to take a photo.

Marcia feels elated as the group returns to her apartment, giving her time to change into a sparkly mini-dress. She quickly shot a text to Lotus before coming back out, rejoining the girls who had also changed. They took a quick shot of some tequila they had lying around the house before heading to the nearest gay bar.

-

"My girlfriend said she and her friend are a few minutes away," Robin yelled above the noise, trying to keep Amethyst from getting swallowed up by the crowd. "I'm making them get us drinks- what does everyone want?"

The girls shouted out their various drink orders to Robin, drowned out by the club's music. The lights strobed and Marcia could feel her body vibrating from the bass. She danced with Luxx and Amethyst, letting herself go and focusing on having fun- she deserved it, after all. She felt her legs growing sore, but it didn't bother her. She would regret it in the morning, however it wasn't anything she couldn't deal with.

They only stopped dancing when Robin squealed, throwing herself into the arms of a girl who had just walked up. "That's Aura," Amethyst shouted so they could hear, the other girls nodding along. "Who's that beside her?" Marcia asked, referring to the girl who had appeared beside Aura.

She was wearing a short red dress and a leather jacket, and her long light-colored hair was straight and worn down, with some bobby pins to keep her bangs back. She looked like she had some darker streaks in her hair, but she couldn't be too sure with the blaring club lights. From what Marcia could see, she had a pretty athletic build and a scar over her left eye. She felt like she knew the girl, but she couldn't place her finger on why.

"I guess her friend," Amethyst whispered in her ear, "She's hot, right? Is she glaring at us though?" Marcia turned her attention back to the other woman, Amethyst was right- she did seem to be glaring, but she couldn't even clearly see the girl because of the flashing lights.

"Can't tell."

Aura and Robin finally broke apart, allowing Aura to shift her attention to the other girl.

"Oh! This is one of my friends, Anetra!" The other girl nodded her head in greeting. "She doesn't bite, she just has chronic RBF." Aura laughed, Anetra rolled her eyes and playfully elbowed her. Amethyst introduced herself first before Marcia did- she noticed the girl's eyes widen a bit before returning to normal. That was strange, did she recognize her too?

She was going to talk to her more when Aura pulled her away to go get the group's drinks, putting a pin in her plan. That was fine, she'd just talk to her when she returned. However, Anetra didn't return. Aura came back alone, balancing the drinks in her arms.

"Where'd Anetra go?" Luxx asked, taking her drink from Aura.

"She got a call while we were waiting at the bar- came back and said there was an emergency and dashed out. She seemed stressed about it."

"I hope she's okay..." Marcia worried, "Poor girl just got here."

"I'll check up on her later, she's a tough cookie so I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Where are we going again?"

"Some bar my girlfriend and her friends are at." Aura called back, her eyes glued to the directions on her phone.

"Right. What's the occasion again?"

"Uhm...I think a promotion or something."

Anetra chuckled as they paused on the corner of the street, Aura looking intently at the two directions before them. She hesitated for a moment before leading them left.

"Are you sure you don't want me to do it?"

Aura waved her off. "No, no, it's okay- I got it. We're not gonna get lost like last time."

They did in fact get lost. Just like last time.

Anetra ended up taking the phone from Aura and correctly guiding them in the right direction. It may have taken an extra thirty minutes, but they finally arrived. Aura led them inside the club, weaving through the groups of people until her eyes lit up as she spotted a group. Her girlfriend practically lit up when she spotted the two, tossing herself into Aura's arms.

Anetra had to admit, they were cute. Aura had been going on and on about Robin for the past few weeks, so it was nice to put a face to a name. Her thoughts were interrupted when Aura introduced her to the others, elbowing the other girl at her comment. Was her resting bitch face really that bad?

She drew her attention to the other girls. She didn't recognize the one with curly blonde hair, but the other two seemed familiar. She couldn't place her finger on where until the club lights flashed, illuminating the girl with the straight blonde hair.

Marcia.

She felt panic flair up in her chest before she calmed herself down, panicking would only attract more attention to herself- maybe Marcia didn't even recognize her.

Marcia looked as if she was about to speak to say something to Anetra, but before that Aura pulled her away to grab drinks for the group. Aura, her saving grace. Temporarily, but that was better than nothing. They got to the bar, Aura repeated the drink orders to the bartender before turning her attention back to Anetra. They talked for a moment before her phone started to ring, she told Aura she'd be right back before heading out back to answer the call.

"Hello?" She answered, leaning back on the brick wall.

"Lotus, it's an emergency." Detective Barnes' voice echoed over the phone. "There's a fire at a store on 12th, it's believed to be linked to the perp."

"I'm on my way."

Anetra had to pretend to be calm as she made her way back inside, telling Aura there was an emergency and she had to leave. She rushed through the club, making her way to an empty alleyway before she jetted off to her apartment to change.

-

Now in her hero costume, she whipped through the air faster than she had ever flown before. The pit in her stomach only grew as she got closer, she began to see the smoke wafting up from the buildings. She quickly touched down onto the street- the fire was burning bright, engulfing almost the whole building. This was like nothing she had ever seen.

"Well, Lotus, it's nice to finally meet you in person." A voice giggled from above. Anetra lifted her head to see a figure standing in the sky. She had big, curly blonde hair and a red and black suit, a long cape flowing behind her. She could make out a red devil mask covering her eyes.

"You!" She spat out, readying herself to kick off before a noise interrupted her.

A weak call for help came from the burning building. Anetra's eyes widened at the realization.

"Make your choice, Lotus."

But Anetra didn't even hear the end of her sentence, already kicking out the glass in the window and making her way into the inferno.

The building was hot, even for her. Because of her fire powers, her body temperature was higher than regular people's, allowing her to better deal with high temperatures. But she could feel herself starting to sweat, which meant the person stuck here must be burning up.

"Where are you?" She called out as she began to search the premises, quickly clearing out all the rooms on the first floor. She heard a bump from upstairs, rushing up the burning stairs. She spotted a figure curled up in the corner of the room, hurriedly making her way over.

It was an old man, Anetra could tell he was still breathing but he was definitely in a fragile state. She kicked out the closest window, clearing the glass around the frame before picking up the old man. She cleared the window, careful not to cut the man with the glass before touching down on the other side of the street, gently laying him down on the ground.

She heard sirens approaching in the distance, looking up towards the sky- the woman was gone, Anetra cursed beneath her breath as she turned her attention back to the old man. She had some small bandages stored on her, getting to work on patching up his smaller cuts. He was starting to come back to consciousness, so Anetra helped him sit up as the ambulance rounded the corner.

"Are you okay, sir?"

"Y-yes ma'am, thank you."

Anetra helped the medics load the man into the ambulance, filling them in on the situation before they headed to the hospital. The fire department had extinguished the building by that point and was currently looking around inside for any evidence. She spotted Detective Barnes waving her over.

"Nice job, Lotus."

She sighed, running her hand through her hair. "I don't know. She got away."

Anetra felt a pang of guilt as she looked back at the charred building. Maybe if she had been quick enough, she could've caught up with the perp. Oh well- there was no use dwelling on it now. She and Barnes briefed each other on their accounts, Anetra describing the villain to him and Barnes explaining he believed the call came from her. That puzzled Anetra, why would she call in her own crime?

"Why would she do that? Did she...want to be caught?"

Barnes shook his head, "I don't think so. I think it might be an ego thing."

"Like she's taunting us?"

"Exactly that. She called from a burner phone, we found the smashed remains a few feet away from the building."

Anetra sighed, "She's smart, I'll give her that."

Another officer approached sheepishly, handing a note to Anetra. She groaned, already knowing what it was. The other officer beckoned Barnes to follow him, leaving Anetra alone. That was certainly odd, but whatever. She didn't think this one would be much different from the others.

She unfolded the paper, her eyes scanning over the words. She froze, a lump forming in her throat. That couldn't be right. She re-read the letter again and again, her heartbeat increasing each time.

There, in pretty cursive handwriting, was Anetra's full name and address.

-

She spent the next three hours patrolling, her mind racing and in full panic mode. Had her files been breached? It wasn't impossible, she knew it'd happened before, but who would risk their job over such a low-ranking hero? The more likely scenario in her mind was that she had been sloppy, that this villain had been keeping track of her moves and used it to find out where she lived. She cursed herself for being so careless.

Her phone ringing jolted her out of her trance, Sasha's photo lighting up her screen.

"Hello?" She croaked out. God, she hadn't realized how tired she was.

"Stop patrolling and go to bed. You sound awful."

She sighed, touching down on top of a building. She stumbled a bit as she sat, her body exhausted. She knew Sasha was right, her body was screaming for her to rest, but she couldn't.

"I can't, Sash."

"What happened?"

Anetra took a deep breath before spitting everything out- the fire, actually seeing the villain, and the note. She felt chills run up her body as she recounted it to Sasha, her voice tired and weak. Sasha, as patient as ever, listened to her rambling that she was certain didn't make sense. She couldn't stop kicking herself for not only putting herself but also Sasha in the path of danger.

"Neech, baby. Listen to me. I'm okay and so are you. She might have the address, but there's no way she's getting into that building. It's one of the most secure in the city. So please, go home and get some rest. I'll be back in three days, okay?"

"But-"

"No buts. She hasn't even tried to fight you, she knows you're stronger than her. You'd beat her ass in an instant. There's no way she's coming close to the building."

Anetra took a shaky breath. "Yeah. Yeah...you're right."

"Of course I am. I love you, Neech. We'll be okay. I'll get extra security if that'll reassure you."

"It would. Thank you, Sash. I love you too."

Sasha stayed on the phone with her as she made her way back to the apartment, her eyes scanning the area for the blonde villain. She was on high alert, only letting her guard down once she had searched every corner of the apartment for a bug or wiretap. Once she was sure, she passed out, clinging onto Mr. Quack.

She had that dream again. That nightmare. Sasha's screams and Marcia's blood-stained body. She woke with a start, finding it nearly impossible to get the image out of her mind. It took her a while to drift back off again, but her sleep remained restless. She tossed and turned, still feeling exhausted when she woke up.

She tried to focus on things she enjoyed, she took a walk in the park and watched the ducks, and she went to the gym to work some of the stress off, but none of it seemed to help. She found it hard to find joy in any of the activities, instead, she was constantly watching her back. Her mind was an anxious swirl of dark thoughts and dread, she could feel herself becoming overwhelmed by the emotions.

-

It only worsened the day after, the ring of her cell phone interrupting the first decent sleep she had been able to have. She groggily sat up, her eyes narrowing on the unknown number. She reasoned it might be a client, so she sighed as she clicked the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Anetra, how are you?"

That voice. It was her- the villain. She bolted to attention, already texting Barnes about the situation. If they could track the call, they may be able to find her and capture her.

"Who are you?"

"Right to business, hm? People have no manners these days." She hears the girl cackle over the phone, "You don't need to know who I am. Not yet."

"What do you want?"

"Just wanted to talk. Figured you were probably quite stressed after last night." Anetra scowled as the girl giggled.

"You could have killed that man, you know."

"Please, I figured you'd save him. But if you didn't...well, I wouldn't have been too upset."

"You're disgusting."

"Careful there. You may have been able to save this one, but you may not be so lucky in the future."

"Is that a threat?"

"Perhaps...maybe you should keep an eye on that blonde girl...what's her name again?"

Anetra felt her blood run cold and a pit building up in her stomach. She stayed silent as she listened to the woman on the other line humming.

"Oh, that's right- Marcia."

Anetra felt her fear turn into rage, her fists clenched around the bed sheets.

"Leave her alone." She spat.

"Strikes a nerve, does it? Good to know..."

"Fuck with me all you want, but leave her out of this. She doesn't know anything."

"Are you sure about that? Well, I have to run anyway. Nice try, but I know you sent your little police officers after me. Ta-ta, Anetra."

The phone clicked off, leaving Anetra there with her thoughts. If she wasn't stressed out before, she was now. The idea that some villain might be stalking Marcia, that she might hurt her, scared Anetra to no end. She tossed her phone aside, staring up at the ceiling in an attempt to calm herself down.

-

Sasha came home two days later and immediately noticed something was wrong.

"Have you been eating?"

Anetra avoided her gaze as Sasha dropped her bags down beside the couch. She had tried to fix her appearance so as not to worry her, but it was obvious that hadn't worked. Ever since the call from that morning, Anetra had spent most of her free time patrolling. She hadn't exactly been taking care of herself, but she didn't think Sasha would have picked up on it that easily.

"Neech...what happened?"

Anetra took a shaky breath, "I got another call...she...she brought up Marcia."

Sasha took a seat beside her, rubbing her back soothingly. "Oh, baby...so you've been working yourself to death, hm?"

Anetra nodded, practically collapsing into Sasha's arms.

"I'm so mad at myself. She doesn't deserve this. Fuck, how could I be so careless?"

"It's not like this is a common occurrence. This is pretty unheard of, even for more famous heroes." Sasha comforted her, rubbing circles into her back. "Have you told Marcia?"

It hadn't even crossed her mind. She felt guilty about it, of course, but she was also worried. She was worried that Marcia wouldn't trust her anymore. She wouldn't blame her- she didn't deserve to be stalked because Anetra liked her. It's why she hadn't talked to her in three days.

"Is that a no?"

Anetra nodded, groaning. "I haven't talked to her since...all that happened. I'm scared, Sasha."

"I understand, but you need to tell her."

"I know...I'm just...scared she'll hate me."

"Neech, she's not going to hate you. But still, for her safety, you need to tell her. Ignoring her won't make her safer."

"Fuck...you're right. God, how am I going to tell her?"

"You should be honest. You'd do anything to keep her safe, right?"

"Of course."

"Then tell her that too. She trusts you a lot, I promise it'll go better than you think."

Anetra nods, sniffling. She opens up her phone, her screen filled with missed texts and calls from Marcia. She opens up the text thread, her eyes landing on the last message sent that morning.

Marcia🎀 is everything okay? you haven't answered me in a while...

She felt a pang of guilt as she read the message. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she typed out a response.

I'm sorry. Can I talk to you tonight?

Marcia🎀 of course.

Anetra felt a slight sense of relief flow through her. She just hoped Marcia would understand.

-

She spent the rest of the day with Sasha who helped snap her out of her funk. She was grateful, she felt less anxious than she had the past few days. She still felt a bit shaky, but it was an improvement nonetheless.

As their meeting time drew closer, Anetra began to rehearse what she would say to Marcia. She ran through all of the scenarios that might happen, preparing herself for all of them. Finally, it came time to leave. She nervously suited up, taking a deep breath in to try and calm herself.

She flew a bit slower than she usually did, her nerves spiking as she grew closer. Eventually, she reached Marcia's apartment. She hesitated for a moment, glancing around before gently knocking three times on Marcia's window. She heard some pacing in the room before the pink curtain drew back, Marcia now in front of her. She gently pushed the window open, looking up at her.

"Hi."

"Come in."

Anetra's heart stung at the words, so dull compared to Marcia's usual cheer. She gently swung herself into the room, closing the window behind her. Marcia was sat on the bed, looking at her expectantly. She hesitated, sitting on the windowsill.

"You can sit on the bed, you know."

Anetra shakily got up, taking a seat a few feet away from Marcia. Marcia frowned when she sat down before looking back up toward her. Anetra opened her mouth to speak, feeling her words catching in her mouth.

"I-"

She grimaced as she felt her throat go dry, unable to speak. Marcia noticed, speaking up instead.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"What? No, no, of course not."

Marcia's words took Anetra by surprise, she looked up towards the girl. She felt a pang of guilt go through her as she looked at Marcia's face, a mix of hurt and confusion.

"Then what is it, Lotus? You've been ignoring me for three days..."

"It's not your fault...it's...it's..."

She tried to spit out what she had rehearsed. But in that moment, all the words she had put so much thought into had disappeared. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. She tried to steady her breathing as Marcia put a concerned hand on her shoulder. She then burst into tears.

That wasn't what she had planned.

She felt Marcia envelop her in a hug, Anetra burying her head in the blonde's neck as she sobbed. The stress had broken her. She felt embarrassed, she was supposed to be a hero- she wasn't supposed to cry. She was supposed to smile and put on a brave face, to beat the villain. But she couldn't.

"Lotus...talk to me, what's going on?" Marcia held her gently, as if she might break. Anetra gently raised her head, Marcia wiping away a stray tear making its way down her left cheek.

"I-I got a call from that villain..." she choked out, her voice hoarse.

"The one from that big case?" Marcia handed her a bottle of water. Anetra nodded, taking the water with shaky hands.

"Y-yeah...she called me and...well...she threatened you." She finally said, her gaze avoiding Marcia.

"Threatened me how?" Marcia's voice was softer than she expected, she had expected her to be angry with her.

"She...she just insinuated that I might not be able to save you. That she might...hurt you."

"What? How'd she even call you in the first place?"

"She left a note with my name and address. I'm assuming she found my phone number too."

"Lotus..." Marcia spoke softly, running a hand through Anetra's hair.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. You shouldn't be dealing with any of this."

She sighed, "I wish you would have told me sooner instead of ignoring me."

"I thought if I ignored you...I thought she might leave you alone. I'm sorry, I just...haven't been thinking straight lately."

"I'm not angry," Marcia guided Anetra's head to look up at her, "I know you're worried about me. But just...talk to me about it, okay?"

Anetra nodded, "I will. And I'll do everything I can to protect you. I promise. I'm not going to let her hurt you."

"I know you won't."

"Just...stay extra vigilant until this whole thing blows over, please? You should be with someone at all times, especially at night." Anetra worried, taking Marcia's hands into her own and squeezing them.

"I will. I know you'll catch her." Marcia moved one of her hands up to cup Anetra's face, giving her a soft smile before kissing her cheek.

It had been two weeks since Anetra had seen Marcia, two weeks since their moment on the bridge, and two weeks of Anetra not being able to get the blonde out of her mind. Both of their busy schedules had kept them from seeing each other, something that frustrated Anetra to no end.

"You should just give her your number already, I can't keep playing messenger pigeon," Sasha spoke up, it was uncanny how she seemed to be able to read Anetra's mind.

She sighed, playing with her hands, "I don't know. What if-"

"What if she's a secret supervillain lying in wait? Neech, it's been like a month and you two have been alone together how many times? If she was evil, I think she would've done something by now."

She softly chuckled, "How are you so good at this? Knowing what I'm going to say?"

"I'm your best friend, I just know you well." She shrugs, chuckling as she sipped on her coffee. "Plus, we've had this conversation about a hundred times."

"I just- I don't know."

"Neech, you're into her, right?" Anetra blushes at the statement, answering Sasha's question for her. "You should just give her your number. She doesn't even know your real name. You have literally no social media accounts, I really don't think this can backfire."

Anetra bit her lip, considering her words.

"I'll think about it."

Suddenly, a call from her communicator interrupts them. She excuses herself to her bedroom to answer the call.

"Lotus speaking."

"Hey Lotus, it's Detective Barnes here. Listen, I know it's your night off, but-"

"There's another crime scene?" She interrupted.

"Yeah. The jewelry store on Plymouth Street."

Jesus. It seemed like the past two weeks had been filled with nothing but crime scenes and more vaguely ominous notes. While it had once been scary, now Anetra was just sick of it.

Anetra sighed, "I'll be there in ten."

-

"Lotus!" Detective Barnes waves her over as she touches down, another hero standing by his side. "This is Babydoll, she was able to catch a glimpse of the perp." Anetra shook her hand, "Nice to meet you, I appreciate the help. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Sure. I was doing my nightly patrol when I heard this shrill sound. It was really high-pitched, so I came close to check it out. As I came closer, I saw all of the shattered glass, and then I saw a figure dart off in the other direction."

Anetra pursed her brow, "Do you know what they looked like?"

Babydoll shrugged, "Admittedly, it's not much. They were blonde and they had on a red suit with a cape. That's all I could make out from that far away."

Anetra nodded, taking a mental note of the information. "That's very helpful, thank you. We appreciate any help we can get." She smiles, making her way back over to Detective Barnes.

"Where's the note?"

Detective Barnes chuckled, pulling out an evidence bag and handing it over to her.

"Dear Lotus, blah blah blah vague threat, blah blah blah I hate you, blah blah blah." She rolls her eyes as she reads the note, handing it back to Barnes. "This is so annoying. I'm getting repetitive threats from someone who keeps breaking into jewelry stores? That's so lame." She scoffed,  "Why can't we just fight already? I want this to be over with." She groans, earning a chuckle from Barnes.

"I know. But, we've got a description now. That's progress. We'll send out an alert tomorrow asking people to keep their eyes open."

Anetra sighed, running her hands through her hair. She nodded towards Barnes, she supposed some progress was better than nothing at all. The only thing they were fairly sure of was that the perpetrator had the ability to either create or manipulate high frequencies that they used to shatter the glass and take out security cameras in the area.

She thanked Barnes and returned home, trying to enjoy the rest of her night.

-

"Woah!" Anetra barely ducks out of the way as a fist flies towards her face. She counters back with some of her own fire, eliminating the double. "Just give it up already!" She yells as she sends another blast of fire towards the original, who is just barely able to dodge out of the way.

It had been two days since the last note, and Anetra was back to her usual patrol when she had gotten a disturbance call. A woman with the power to duplicate herself was destroying the street- nothing too serious though, Anetra could tell she wasn't well-trained in her power. One good hit should get her down.

She sees her opportunity as the other woman taunts her, Anetra lunges towards her and readies a fake-out attack. The woman takes the bait and begins to block her upper body, just as Anetra ducks low and kicks the woman's feet out from under her, maneuvering herself to pin her down.

The civilians cheered as she secured the perp, Anetra blushing from the attention. She quickly wrapped up her statement with the police and handed the woman over to them. She turned to leave but was interrupted by a microphone being shoved in her face.

"Lotus! This is Channel Ten news, can we have an interview?"

Anetra's mind blanked for a moment, "Oh, uh, sure." She's never done an interview with the news channel before, she doesn't show it but she's nervous.

"You've been the lead hero working on the string of jewelry store robberies, is there any advice you can give to concerned citizens?"

"Well, rest assured the perpetrator isn't interested in harming anyone. If you encounter them, always prioritize your own safety. They don't seem to be violent, pretty much just robbing places and taking off as soon as they see a hero, but it's much better to be safe than sorry."

The reporter nodded, "I see. Do you have any information about the perpetrator?"

"What we've been able to gather so far is that they are blonde and wear a red suit with a cape. We also believe they have the power to either create or manipulate high frequencies. I recommend retreating if you encounter them, as their power can cause hearing damage."

"So, you've been a hero for about two years, is this the biggest case you've worked on?"

Anetra nodded, "Yeah. I'm not exactly a seasoned pro like a lot of heroes, realistically I'm still pretty new to the scene. I mostly stop petty crimes, this is my first ongoing case."

"Do you have any words in case the criminal is watching?"

Anetra lowly chuckled, "I see all the little notes you're leaving. They aren't cute, so quit hiding behind them and come face me yourself."

"Well, we're all wishing you luck with the case, thank you for your time! This has been Channel Ten news with Lotus, signing off." Anetra smiled at her as the camera cut, briefly chatting with some of the nearby civilians before she took back off into the sky toward her next call.

-

Anetra trudges through the door, kicking her shoes off and dumping her hoodie on the nearest counter. She saw Sasha lean backward on the couch from the living room, giving her a wave.

"Neech, you're on tv! I recorded it for 'ya!"

Anetra made her way into the living room, looking up at the television. It was her interview from earlier. She raised her eyebrows in slight surprise. "Huh. Didn't think I'd actually make it to air." She murmured, her eyes glued to the TV. The interview was short, cutting back to the newsroom shortly after.

"Look at you, making the news!" Sasha chuckled, "Looks like your case is getting more popular."

Anetra groaned, "I wish it wasn't. I hope it doesn't encourage them to be more frequent. I mean, it's not even that interesting. It's just a string of break-ins! Plus, I don't think I can be called out at 3 am again."

Sasha nodded, "That was a rough night, you looked like you were about to kill someone when you came back."

"I was. I literally came back and then had to go to work." She grumbled, running a hand through her hair. She stretched, groaning as the spandex suit stretched against her. "Okay. I'm changing into comfier clothes, I can't stay in these." 

She made her way back to her room, quickly putting on a tank top and some sweatpants. She made her way back to the living room, slumping onto the couch next to Sasha. "We should get pizza..." she suggested, her eyes shifting towards Sasha and smirking, "and get high."

Sasha chuckled, "You read my mind."

-

So there they were an hour later, a pizza box on the table in front of them and a joint in hand. Some movie they had haphazardly picked playing on the TV, one of the Friday the 13th movies, or something like that. Anetra took the joint from Sasha's hand, taking a puff before handing it back to her.

They talked about nothing in particular, like they always did. Sasha told her about planning her upcoming business trip to LA, the complicated details of it all flew over Anetra's head, but she nodded along anyway. She thought about how nice it'd be to go to the beach- but alas, she was stuck here. Stuck with some annoying villain. Stuck with Marcia. Well, on second thought maybe it wasn't so bad being stuck here.

"You know, Marcia messaged me earlier..." Sasha took a puff from the joint, "she wants to see you soon."

Anetra sighs, "I know. Fuck, I wish it was easier to work this out. I mean, I haven't seen her since August. I feel awful."

"You could always-"

"I can't Sasha. You know I can't."

Sasha sighed, handing the joint back to Anetra. "Why not? You told me about your identity pretty quickly, so you gotta stop using that excuse. Is this about what happened in Vegas?"

Anetra felt her breath hitch, her throat closing up at the mention of Vegas. She quickly took a hit, her fingers shaking as she lowered the joint.

"I...maybe, I mean..." she paused for a moment, groaning. "I think so. I don't- I don't know Sasha, all I know is that I feel...weird. Like, I like spending time with her and flirting with her, and I feel so good. But I can feel a part of myself holding back. And I don't want to. But- but I can't, you know?"

She took another hit, slowly exhaling the smoke. "I just...I don't want all...that...to happen again."

Sasha didn't speak for a moment, studying her carefully.

"Anetra, I think you need to let go."

Anetra stayed silent, her gaze glued to the ground.

"I understand it sounds scary but...Marcia isn't her. You know that. There's no reason why you both should have to suffer."

Anetra felt her shoulders fall, sighing as her body melted into the couch.

"It's been two years. You can't keep letting her control your life. You deserve to be happy."

Anetra sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Just...think about it at least, okay? You deserve to be happy, without feeling the need to withdraw. Like I said, maybe think about giving her your number. Something small."

Anetra took another hit, "Yeah...maybe. I'll think about it."

Sasha smiled softly, taking the joint back from her.

"So, when should I tell her you're available?"

-

Anetra lay in her bed, staring up at her ceiling. The room around her was dark, the only light coming from the buildings across the street. She should sleep- she needed to sleep. But Sasha's words echoed in her mind. She was right, Anetra shouldn't let someone get in the way of her happiness. It wasn't fair to her.

Why couldn't she let it go? She wanted to.

She thought back to Vegas, feeling the anxiety building up in her stomach. God, it had been two years and she still couldn't think about that place without wanting to throw up.

It would be her luck that her first girlfriend would cheat on her.

Senior year of college. She and Olivia had been dating for three years, and Anetra thought their relationship was going well. Maybe not perfect, but good. They were planning on moving somewhere together after they graduated, a nice little apartment in Vegas. For once in her life, Anetra really felt like everything was going to be okay.

That was until she came home early one day.

Her class for that afternoon had been canceled, meaning she got to go back to the dorms an hour early. She hummed as she unlocked the door to their dorm, slinging her backpack off her shoulder.

"Hey Liv, I'm ba-"

She froze as her eyes registered the sight before her. Her girlfriend, topless and frozen in shock, was on top of some other girl. The other girl quickly dressed herself, practically bolting out the door as Anetra stood there, dumbfounded.

"Olivia, what the fuck?"

Anetra balled up her fist, her confusion quickly being replaced with anger.

"A-Anetra, it's not what it looks like-"

"Then what the fuck is it? Because I don't get how it could be anything else."

 Olivia put her shirt back on, "Uh..."

"How long has this been going on for?"

Olivia shifted her eyes away from Anetra, "...about a year."

"A year? Are you fucking kidding me?" Anetra ran her hand through her hair, "Are you serious? We've been dating for three fucking years and you...you just cheat on me?"

Olivia glared at her, seemingly flipping a switch in her mind and turning to anger. "Maybe I wouldn't need to find someone else if you weren't so fucking sad all the time. Constantly crying about how your mom abandoned you and how you miss your siblings, I'm fucking sick of it Anetra. Goddamn, you're so fucking needy."

Anetra's face shifted from one of anger to one of hurt.

"Don't give me that look. That's exactly what I'm talking about. I can't deal with your fucking mommy issues anymore, I can't keep reassuring you about every little thing."

"That's bullshit Olivia. I was there for you every time you were going through something, every time you didn't feel like you were enough. And I never complained. I never minded. Do you know why? Because I love you, and I hated seeing you feel down about yourself. Because I care about you and your well-being."

"Maybe I never really loved you then."

Anetra didn't cry often. She tried not to, at least. But she felt her eyes began to well up.

"Fuck you, Olivia." She spat out, taking her bag and slamming the door shut.

She stayed at her dad's house that night, and she cried. It had been a long time since she had cried, it felt almost overwhelming. She spent most of that night in her father's arms, choking back sobs as he comforted her.

"I don't think I can go back, Dad." She sniffled, burying her face in his chest.

"I know, baby, but it's only another month. You're strong, you can do it." He replied, rubbing circles into her back to calm her down.

"I don't...I don't think I can stay here anymore." She choked out, her voice weak from crying. "I-" She broke down again.

"Shh, it's okay. You don't have to. I understand." He hugged her tighter. "My poor girl."

She weakly wrapped her arms around him, tears still pouring out of her eyes. They stayed like that for a while before Anetra eventually fell asleep in his arms.

She spent the weekend there with him, dreading returning to their shared dorm. She hadn't heard from Olivia at all over the weekend, something she couldn't tell if she was thankful for or mad about. But, she had to return.

It was awkward, to say the least. The air was tense, and the two refused to talk to each other. A week since the incident had passed and Anetra spent most of her time looking for jobs across the country. She found a position in New York that looked promising, but she was hesitant about it. New York was expensive, and she wasn't sure if she could afford it.

"I don't know, Dad." She sighed into the phone, finally having the room to herself for once. "The job seems perfect, but I don't know if I can afford New York."

"Why don't you just become a superhero?" Anetra chuckled at his suggestion. "I'm being serious! You know how to fight and there's lots of crime in New York, why not put your powers to use? It won't hurt to have some extra cash in your pocket."

"You're just saying that because you've always wanted me to be a superhero."

"Sue me, I want to see my daughter kick ass. But I'm serious, just consider it, okay?"

And so, here she was two years later. Her dad was right, New York was the right fit for her. She missed him, of course, but she had finally felt free from the burden of Vegas. She shook the memories from her mind, falling asleep.

-

It's two days later, and Anetra is exhausted from her patrol. She had to deal with an arsonist, a petty thief, and a group of kids who were all determined to make her evening a living hell. She was getting called out more frequently now that she was getting more popular, she guessed that the TV interview reached more people than she thought. 

She checks the time- 9:09 pm, almost ten minutes late from when she told Marcia she would meet her. She groaned in frustration, the more cases she got called out on the busier she seemed. She picked up a pink rose from a florist nearby and quickly rushed over to Marcia's building.

She quietly touched down behind her, watching the blonde girl carefully. She was drawing something, her pencil quickly moved across the page. She leaned over her, finally able to get a good look at the page. Her eyes widened as she realized that the drawing was of her. There she was, her costume sketched in perfect detail. She felt a smile creep onto her face.

"I didn't know I was such a muse."

Marcia jumped in surprise, causing Anetra to laugh.

"Oh my God, you scared me!" 

"Sorry princess, bad habit. And I'm sorry about being late- but, I got you this."

She held out the pink rose, Marcia gasping and taking it from her.

"Lotus, it's beautiful...thank you, you didn't have to do that."

"But I wanted to. Now, can I see what you're drawing?"

Marcia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, blushing as Anetra took a seat next to her. She shifted slightly, allowing her a better look at her sketchbook.

"I saw you on TV, I uh, thought you looked really pretty so I wanted to sketch you."

Anetra blushed, her face lighting up. "That's really sweet, Marcia."

"Oh, it's nothing special. I don't even think it's that good..."

"It's quite literally the best thing I've ever seen. Here, you wanna see bad?"

Marcia giggled, handing Anetra her sketchpad and pencil.

"Okay, strike a pose."

Marcia held up a peace sign as Anetra started sketching. She carefully studied Marcia's features as she tried to translate them to the page. She quickly finished, adding some hearts around her. She looked at her work- it was bad, she had never claimed to be a good drawer, but it was probably her best work.

"Can I see now?" Marcia giggled, looking at the drawing as Anetra proudly handed over the sketchbook. She watched as she tried to stifle a laugh, taking the sketchbook in her hands.

"It's beautiful, Lotus."

"Don't lie, I just watched you try to not laugh at it."

Marcia laughed, "I'm sorry! I still really like it though, I mean that little bunny next to me is really cute!"

"That's your hand! You're supposed to be doing a peace sign!"

The two laughed as Marcia closed her sketchbook, "Well, I still like it."

Anetra shifted closer to her, "So, how's Broadway? Did your uh...tech week! That's it! How'd that go?"

"It went really well actually! We're set to open in two weeks, I'm really excited. Everyone's been putting in so much work, I can't wait to see it all come together."

"I can't wait to come see you, when do you think I should come?"

"Well, I'd recommend waiting until I get to play Elle. Uh, if you want to see me as her, that is. I start playing her in late October, I get to play Elle every Monday."

"I'll be there, then." Anetra smiled at her, watching as Marcia's face grew red.

"How's your case going? Is it keeping you busy?"

"God is it ever." Anetra groaned, "It's just annoying at this point. They scatter before anyone gets there and just seem dead set on being a thorn in my side. I mean, 10 stores and they don't even leave any evidence?"

Marcia frowned, scooting closer to Anetra, laying her hand over the other girls. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll get a break in the case soon, though. I just hope they aren't too dangerous."

"Aww, you're worried about me." Anetra laughed, taking Marcia's hand into hers. "But I'll be okay, I'm sure I can take 'em down."

Marcia softly smiled, "I can't help it. I don't get to talk to you often, so every time I hear about a hero getting injured I worry about you. It's stupid, I know, but I...care about you, so I have to worry."

Anetra was stunned for a moment, "I-uh, thank you." She stuttered out, a smile forming on her face.

Marcia glanced at her phone, checking the time. "Ugh, I should probably go to bed. Sorry, early morning tomorrow."

'Ask for her phone number.' Anetra's mind yelled at her. She wanted to, so badly. She wanted to talk with Marcia. Wanted to send her silly photos. She wanted more. But that anxious feeling came back, the pit in her stomach growing more intense as she tried to reply.

"Oh! Y-yeah, gotta rest up."

'Godamnit.'

She mentally yelled at herself as she bid Marcia farewell, watching the other girl disappear downstairs. She took off into the air, her head in her hands as she cursed herself for not asking. She could always go back and ask. Or would that be weird?

She paused in the air, Sasha's words echoing through her mind. She deserved to be happy.

"Fuck...fuck...okay." She muttered, turning back around.

-

She lightly knocked on the window that she prayed belonged to Marcia. Musical posters and pink trinkets covered the room, so she figured it was a solid guess. The window slowly slid open and there she was. Clad in her pajamas, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Anetra thought she was the cutest thing on the planet.

"Lotus? What are you doing here?"

"Can I have your number?" She blurted out, internally cringing at how desperate she sounded.

Marcia looked at her confused for a moment before the words registered. "Oh! Oh, of course! Here, come in."

Anetra flew into Marcia's room, gently touching down. The room was perfectly Marcia- posters for musicals, Ariana Grande records neatly displayed, and a sewing machine.

"I didn't know you sew," Anetra murmured, examining her machine, "I do too!"

"Oh, really? You'll have to show me some of your sometime- I mostly just make my theatre costumes." Marcia made her way over to her, handing Anetra her phone. Anetra inputted her number, handing it back to her.

"Some other time- I should let you get back to sleep."

Anetra sat on Marcia's windowsill, her legs dangling out the side.

"I'll text you in the morning." Marcia yawned, gently holding onto Anetra's hand.

"Good." She tugged on Marcia's hand, bringing her closer. She leaned forward, cupping Marcia's cheek with her other hand and gently kissing her cheek.

"So, long story short she broke up with me because I forgot to text her for like, 26 hours! That's not even that long!"

"Amethyst, that's like a whole ass day. It was also the 3rd time that week."

Amethyst rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at Robin. "So what! I said I was a bad texter! Everyone knows that!" She retorted, gathering the four mugs from the kitchen and carefully balancing them in her arms. She made her way to the living room, setting the mugs in front of the other three girls gathered in the living room.

"I don't know, I think I'm on Robin's side. If a girl didn't text me for 26 hours, I'd think she's ghosting me." Luxx added in, Amethyst rolling her eyes at the other girl dramatically.

"That's because you're on your phone all the time! Come on Marcia, you get what I'm saying, right?"

Marcia gave her a pity smile, sending the other two girls into a fit of laughter, Amethyst faked hurt as she dramatically collapsed onto the chair. "No one understands me!" She whined, "She still has my glitter pen...I miss it."

"You know, for someone whose job is to answer phones all day, you kind of suck at answering yours." Robin hummed, sipping on her drink. "But that was a month ago, you gotta move on girl. What about that bass player from Peacock's? Didn't you say she was hot?"

Robin worked as a designer alongside Luxx, the two first meeting when they interned for the brand together back in college. Her black curly hair was tied into a ponytail with two thin braids framing her face, dressed in a white, long-sleeve crop top and baggy cargo pants. Robin was the most put-together of the friend group, she was ambitious and knew what she wanted, something Marcia found very admirable about her.

"Yeah, she was hot, but she's fucking my ex, so like..." Amethyst shrugged in response.

Amethyst was another one of Luxx's coworkers, an aspiring popstar who worked as a secretary for the brand in the meantime. She and Robin had been friends since high school, so when Luxx and Robin bonded on their internships, the group of four seemed to naturally come together and have been inseparable since. Her curly blonde hair fell just past her shoulder, and her bright and eccentric Y2K style was evident from the apartment decor and her clothes- today, a bright orange sweater and a pair of cow print pants.

"That hasn't stopped you before." Luxx cut in, causing Amethyst to groan. "Seriously girl, you need to get laid."

"Oh please, you're one to talk." Amethyst retorted back, Luxx raising her eyebrow in confusion. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! Robin and I agree you and Irene need to get it over with and just hate fuck already! Like oh my god!"

Marcia watched as Luxx's face changed from one of confusion to one of disgust in a near instant. She almost choked on her drink from surprise. "WHAT? You can't be serious. Irene?" She looked between the two girls, her tone dripping with disgust. "Robin, you can't be serious. I'd expect this from Amy, but not you!"

Robin shrugged as Luxx's eyes bore into her, "I think it would help your relationship. You two argue all the time, and I, for one, would like some peace and quiet around the office." She turned away from Luxx, who was rendered speechless from shock, to address Marcia, "Marsh, how much have you heard about Irene?"

Marcia paused for a moment, recounting all the times she'd heard of Irene. "Well, now that you mention it, Luxx you do talk about her almost every day-"

"MARSHALL!" Luxx interrupted, "I'm hurt! We argue all the time because she's insufferable, she's always making these little comments to rile me up!" Luxx briefly paused before she continued, "Let me be clear. I would not fuck her if she were the last person on this Earth. If she offered me a million dollars I wouldn't." Luxx flipped her hair behind her, crossing her arms as she huffed. Marcia giggled, ignoring the glare Luxx sent her.

"She told me she teases you because she likes to get a rise out of you," Amethyst chimed in, "I told her the same thing I told you, and she might have rolled her eyes at me, but she didn't say no!"

Luxx rolled her eyes and sighed, "Whatever, it's not happening in ten million years. Why are we so focused on me all of a sudden? What about you Robin? You have any exciting escapades lately?"

"Well," Robin hummed, sipping her drink, "I've met a very nice woman. But we're taking it slow, some nice classy dates, I wanna give it some time before we make it official."

Amethyst rolled her eyes, "She's lying. She's fucking whipped for Aura."

Luxx and Marcia both ooohed at the name drop, looking back towards Robin.

"How do you know her name? And I am not whipped, that's such a lie."

"Well, I met her when I was in the kitchen having a snack, it was midnight and you kicked the poor girl out. The second time it happened, I thought I should at least know her name if this was going to be a regular occurrence. Plus, you were baking her cupcakes a few days ago- you're down bad for her, you can't lie to me!"

Robin blushed, "Oh. Well, maybe we weren't as sneaky as I thought..."

"Aura's great though," Amethyst continued, "super strong, by the way. Like I think she's a bodybuilder or something. I made her move my giant mirror, you guys know the one, so she gets a pass in my book."

Marcia smiled, "Well that's great Robin! I'm happy for you, she sounds super sweet! We'll have to meet her sometime, preferably when Amy isn't using her for manual labor."

"Yeah, she sounds great, but..." Luxx smirked, "I have to ask...is she better than Amethyst?"

Amethyst and Robin both groaned, drowning out Luxx's cackling. "Oh my god, we dated for like two weeks when we were 14!" Amethyst huffed, playfully swatting at Luxx. "You'll never let us live that down, are you? I should have never told you." Robin rolled her eyes, sighing.

"Oh, come on Luxx- we've all had questionable crushes before!" Marcia laughed, growing a bit more nervous when Luxx shot her a mischievous smile.

"Oh, like the one you have on your 'one true soulmate', Lotus?"

Marcia's face burned bright red as Amy and Robin whipped their attention towards her. There was only a moment of silence before the other girls began to bombard her with questions, Luxx laughing the entire time. The girls continued to bombard her with questions, which caused her to blush more, which only amped up their energy.

"Guys, guys! Give her a chance to speak! She can't tell you about this mystery woman if you guys keep bombarding her."

Marcia sighed with relief as the two backed off, looking at her expectantly. She composed herself before she spoke, "Well, Luxx is being dramatic...I didn't say she was my 'one true soulmate', but-"

"Marshall that is such bullshit, you literally burst through the apartment telling me you had found the love of your life."

Marcia's face grew red, followed by laughter from Amethyst and Robin. "Okay, maybe I did. In my defense, I had a lot of adrenaline! But anyways, Lotus is this local superhero, she's super strong and sweet...she's also really hot."

"So how'd you guys meet? Come on, spill!" Amethyst prompted, bouncing her leg in excitement.

Marcia recounted the story to the two girls in front of her, from her attempted kidnapping to Lotus (literally) sweeping her off of her feet. Robin leaned back in her chair, "So you don't know her identity?" Marcia shook her head, "No...not yet at least. But we didn't meet that long ago, so it doesn't feel too important right now." Robin nodded.

"So how do you even talk to her? Do you send up, like, the bat signal when you want to talk to her?" Amethyst asked, Marcia rolled her eyes and laughed. "No, no, it's nothing like that. I have to message her friend whenever I want to see her. And yes, I already stalked through her entire social media and haven't seen anyone that looks like her."

Amethyst hummed, "I don't know, I need to see her. Getting involved with a superhero can be dangerous, if you're putting your life on the line she better be smoking hot." Robin nodded along, "I agree, especially if she's the "love of your life"." Marcia groaned but obliged, scrolling through her phone to find the one decent picture she had of Lotus.

She passed it over to the girls, "So, this is from a few years ago, she looks a bit different...maybe I can take a photo with her." She suggested, watching in anticipation as Robin and Amethyst scanned the photo. Amethyst slowly nodded, "Alright...she's hot, I mean look at those muscles." Marcia blushed, "Well, I'm glad I have your approval. I think you guys would really like her."

"Just try not to get caught up in too much trouble, promise?"

"I promise, Robin."

-

A few days later, Marcia trudged into the apartment much like she had the past few days. Exhausted, she collapsed onto the couch. Luxx leaned over the couch, "Rough rehearsal?" Marcia groaned in reply, "Yeah...it was a really choreography-heavy rehearsal...my legs are so sore." Luxx hummed in understanding, "Well lucky for you, your best friend in the whole entire world made you pasta. So come on, get up!" She patted Marcia's shoulder, the blonde slowly rising.

Once they had sat down at the counter, Marcia recounted the trials and tribulations of her day to Luxx, who in turn did the same. "Have you seen Lotus recently?" Luxx casually threw in, making Marcia stop mid-pasta bite. She paused, her brain groggily trying to remember the last time she spoke to Lotus. "Oh god...no, I haven't spoken to her in like...a week. I've been so busy with rehearsal." Her mind raced- does Lotus think she doesn't like her anymore? She chided herself for her ignorance, burying her face in her hands.

"Why don't you just ask to meet her and explain what happened?" Luxx suggested, "I'm sure she'd understand. I mean, Broadway is a big deal after all." Marcia nodded, temporarily reassured. After she had cleared the dishes, she shot Sasha a text asking to meet with Lotus. By the time she was about to go to sleep, she still hadn't gotten a text back.

She lay surrounded by the darkness, staring up at the ceiling. What if Lotus hated her? Didn't want to see her anymore? She tossed and turned, trying to rid her mind of these thoughts. She huffed, trying to push the thoughts to the back of her mind. She knew she was worrying too much, Luxx would tell her as much- but she couldn't stop overthinking. Soon enough though, exhaustion took over and whisked her off to sleep.

-

The blaring of her alarm jolted Marcia out of her sleep, fumbling with her phone to turn it off. She tried to stifle a yawn as she looked at her notifications, one in particular sticking out to her.

'Sasha Colby: Lotus said she'll be there ;)'

She felt relief instantly flood through her body, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. With that, she could go about her day a little easier. She found her day seemed to pass by faster as she waited for that evening. Even rehearsal seemed to be a bit easier- although she still found herself exhausted after.

She soon found herself back at her apartment, fussing over her hair as she put the finishing touches on her outfit. She glanced at the clock, quickly shrugging on her jacket and lacing up her shoes as she headed for the door. She gave a quick goodbye to Luxx before heading out onto the bustling street.

Marcia arrived at their meeting spot, the building beside the alleyway she was almost kind of kidnapped in. She had mixed feelings about it, to say the least- they should probably meet somewhere else, but she pushed those thoughts to the side. She fiddled with her headband as she eagerly waited and watched for the girl.

"Hi, doll."

Marcia jumped as Lotus' voice appeared behind her, "Why do you always do that?! Gosh, you're going to give me a heart attack one of these days!" Lotus laughed as Marcia pouted at her, "I'm serious!"

"Oh c'mon, don't make that face! I think it's only fair considering you've been ignoring me." Lotus teased, leaning against the wall. 

Marcia flushed, "I'm sorry about that- I've been so busy with rehearsals, I just lost track of time. I swear I meant to talk to you earlier."

"Don't apologize, I figured it was something like that. I just wanted to tease you, you're cute when you're flustered."

Marcia felt her face go red as she struggled to form a reply, all while Lotus giggled at her reaction. Lotus spoke up instead, "Why don't you tell me all about rehearsals? You're doing that one show, the one about the blonde girl, right? Is it Mean Girls?"

"Legally Blonde, but you were close! Are you sure you don't mind? I can go kind of," Marcia paused, "well, kind of overboard when it comes to theatre."

"No, I don't mind at all! I want to hear about the things you're passionate about."

Marcia couldn't hide the smile creeping onto her face as she launched into the show's details- how rehearsal was going, trying on costumes, and the dreaded upcoming tech week. Lotus sat intently listening the whole time, nodding her head along and smiling at Marcia's grand gestures. She was talking about the new blocking they had received for the next number when Lotus interrupted.

"Wait, why do you have to learn two versions?"

"Because I'm Elle's, the lead, understudy. I basically have to learn her choreography and the ensembles just in case our Elle can't go on."

Lotus was silent for a moment, processing what Marcia had just told her.

"So you have to like...learn double of everything?"

Marcia nodded.

"That's fucking impressive. Seriously, I mean...wow."

Marcia beamed brightly at the compliment, "Thanks! You should come see the show, uh, if you want to that is."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, doll."

The butterflies in her stomach erupted, leaving her speechless and her face bright red. Lotus smirked at her state, which Marcia rolled her eyes at.

"Oh!" Lotus gasped as if she just remembered something, "I want to show you something. Um, if you want to. You don't have to, I get it-"

"Are you kidding? I'd love to!"

Lotus grinned and lifted Marcia into her arms before taking off into the sky. She wrapped her arms around Lotus' neck, cheering as they took off through the sky. They weren't in the sky for long, as they touched down on top of the Manhattan bridge. Lotus held Marcia steady as she set her feet down, laughing nervously at the height.

The wind whipped her hair as she looked down, the cars looking like tiny dots passing below them. She clutched onto Lotus without even thinking about it, who wrapped her arm around her waist.

"This...this is pretty cool." Marcia exhaled, laughing again in disbelief.

"That's not even the best part- look."

Lotus guided Marcia's face with her hand to look towards the sky- a beautiful pink and orange as the sun began to set. Marcia's eyes shone as she took it all in, gasping at its beauty. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she had seen a sunset, or at least one with such a beautiful view like this.

They stood there, together, until the sun had set and the sky was purple.

"Pretty cool, right?"

Marcia nodded, "You know how to impress a girl."

Lotus smirked, very proud of herself. "I used to hang out here and watch the sunset all the time before my shifts. Gave me time to clear my head and focus on the positive. I'm glad I got to share it with you."

Marcia softened, leaning closer into Lotus. "I'm glad you did too."

Lotus rested her head on top of Marcia's, staying like that for a minute before she spoke again.

"I should get you back, I have to go on patrol soon..."

"Do you have to?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Quit pouting, you're gonna make me feel worse!" She laughed, playfully squeezing Marcia who giggled in return.

"Wait! We should take a photo to remember this!" She suggested, eagerly pulling out her phone.

"You're just trying to rope me into spending more time with you!" Lotus teased, yet she still leaned into Marcia and posed for the photo, throwing up a pair of bunny ears behind Marcia's hair.

The camera flashed, capturing this small moment in time. Marcia sighed as she took in the tranquility of it all. She wished the moment could last forever, just the two of them. But it couldn't, not for the moment anyway.

"Will you bring me back sometime?"

"I will. I promise."

-