The overall gathering had only lasted for a few hours, and Anna was tired of being here and putting on a happy face.

It had been ages since she’d last had to act like this, and her face had gotten used to a resting frown in the meantime. She was too old for this crap by now, and she longed to actually get to the spa later that evening to let it all wind down.

People were leaving in droves, Evan ‘operating’ the gate again. The only people that were still around were the guys obviously in charge of the group, like Devin, Nate, Trev, and two other folk, as well as their spouses, of those who had them… and one particular woman Anna was keeping her eyes peeled for.

She sat in the assembly hall impatiently, listening to the gossip half-heartedly, chiming in when prompted, but mainly observing as things went quiet.

Then, she spotted a familiar, short woman wandering out of one of the adjoining hallways, looking around curiously through her big glasses at the women in the room. Her eyes met Anna’s, and Anna felt a drop of relief in her tense stomach.

Leanne bustled over, smiling awkwardly at the gathered women. “Hello everyone; hi Liz, hi Amanda.”

The woman glanced between one another, then back at Leanne. “Hey Leanne!” Liz said; an older woman of the circle and Nate’s wife, Anna learned. “We were just comparing our husbands’ work benefits; what does your man bring home for ya?”

Leanne went a bit pale, glancing around at the group of women as, Anna noticed, they put on a collection of smirks. “Liz, you know I don’t have a husband.”

“Still?” Liz snorted. “Your little bastard doesn’t have a man to look up to?”

Anna winced as Leanne’s expression fell. “I-I’m still—”

“You need to stop wasting time, Leanne.” Liz reprimanded loudly. “Your boy’s gonna grow up a faggot with you as his mother, so quit messing around and find yourself a husband.”

The gathering of women barely suppressed a round of snickering, and Leanne, for a moment, looked ready to excuse herself and flee until Anna cleared her throat.

“Did you need something, Leanne?”

Leanne flinched, and met Anna’s eye. Anna looked back, and tired as she was of faking a personality, she managed to share a conspiratorial glint with her that seemed to actually put a little spine back in the girl.

“Erm, yes.” Leanne pointed at Anna, maybe a bit too dramatically. “Devin’s asking for Jenny to come meet with him.”

The group of women immediately ‘ooh’d together, and Anna silently wished for them all to drop dead.

“Lucky lucky, Jenny.”

“That’s the hundredth time today he’s asked for her!”

“Go make that man happy, Jenny!” Liz advised with a grin, and Anna took a moment to collect herself, then stood up.

She strode over to Leanne and nodded. “Thank you, Leanne, let’s go.”

The two walked away from the squawking women, and almost the moment they were out of sight, both of their shoulders sank, and Leanne sighed.

“I hate gossip.” Anna murmured beneath her breath, making Leanne glance at her as she led the way down another hallway, leading towards the rear of the compound. “My best friend loves sitting down with groups and just chatting the night away. I hate it. Love her, hate gossip.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Leanne nodded. “It’s why I spend all my time back here whenever Devin has these stupid gatherings; I just run website maintenance and nobody bothers me.”

Anna nodded, and breathed out slowly. “On topic: Devin doesn’t need to see me, does he?”

“No.” Leanne confirmed, putting on a small, proud smile as she blushed. “I… kinda made that up.”

“Good.” Anna then lowered her voice. “If I feel his hands on my shoulders again I might break him.”

Leanne brought her down a third hallway, and at the very end of it was a large, metal door that looked like it belonged in a school with its tall, rectangular window, with a set of blinds on the other side of the glass blocking visibility in.

Anna’s hackles rose as Leanne began unlocking the door, starting with the upper two locks and then the handle lock. It had gotten quiet, and enclosed… Anna’s danger sense told her she could easily walk into a trap this way, but when Leanne opened the door, Anna saw the room was populated only by furniture.

A desk with a computer on it, filing cabinets along the wall, a big weapons safe at the foot of a small, single-person cot. The room also had a few pictures and posters promoting various figures of… normality and non-psionics. She wasn’t shocked to see the Confederate States of America flag hanging above the cot.

“Wonderful.” Anna mumbled, glancing up at a torn flag that had obviously been preserved after the early 2000’s anti-psionics movements: ‘Keep America Pure!” It proclaimed over a picture of a white-skinned, almost Jesus-like figure with Greek, curly hair with a halo over his head; it was supposed to be an angel, if Anna recalled.

No security cameras that she could see…

Leanne moved to the other side of the desk, and gave Anna a small, somewhat uncomfortable, somewhat excited smile, and kept looking over Anna again now that they were alone, obviously drinking in her every detail.

“So, what is it you wanted to do?” Leanne asked.

Anna didn’t say anything immediately. She let the silence build apprehension, and ran her fingers through her blonde hair thoughtfully as she slowly walked around the room, before moving closer to Leanne.

The woman looked flustered being so close to Anna without getting her answer, and Anna, matching their earlier talk, leaned back against the desk and gave Leanne a small, curious smile.

“How long have you known you were bi?” Anna asked softly, and Leanne flinched at the question.

After a moment of deep breaths and blushing stammers, Leanne finally spoke up. “I mean, well, in hindsight I was always kinda… I dunno, I looked at the cheerleaders in highschool as much as the football players.” Leanne chuckled a bit. “But in college I got kinda smashed at a frat party, and rather than leave me at the mercy of a buncha frat boys, one of my sorority sisters took me up to a bedroom and laid down with me to make sure I was okay. She was so sweet, and kind, and I never wanted her to stop rubbing my hair…” She sighed longingly.

“What happened with her?” Anna asked, moving her hand along the desk and patting it. After a moment of thought, Leanne instead pulled out Devin’s rolling chair and sat down, looking up at Anna almost dreamily.

“Well she was going through an experimental phase.” Leanne sighed again, but no longer as affectionately. “I was… one of five girls she fooled around with. She was so nice, but nobody and nothing could keep her attention, and she just couldn’t comprehend she was tying up peoples’ feelings in the process. I think she married a lawyer after she graduated.”

“That’s a pity.” Anna smiled, her hand sliding closer, easily within reach of Leanne’s. “Back in middle school I was very good friends with a girl named Gina. Gi and I would get up to trouble all the time skipping classes, exploring school grounds, and leaving to go to fast food places… One day, we were out in the woods near class around fourth period, and out of the blue, she kissed me.”

Leanne leaned in, listening, her ears perked with a little smile. “And?”

“Well… I kissed her back.” Anna chuckled. “We kissed more as the year went on, explored further than each others’ mouths, until…” Anna sucked in a deep breath to put emphasis on how sad the story was. “Until, just before highschool, her father died in a car accident, and her mother, living on the other side of the country, took her in.”

“Oh.” Leanne’s shoulders sank. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“It’s alright.” Anna forced a half-smile. “We got in touch later. She’s happy, I… was happy with Arnold for a while until…”

Leanne nodded slowly. “You don’t hate your daughter, do you?”

The question made Anna stiffen up, and barreling through the faked emotion was enough anxiety that she visibly recoiled. “Absolutely not! My girl…” Anna trailed off, then paused, then frowned, “I might not be alive without her.”

Leanne nodded, and Anna suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She hadn’t meant to be so honest, even if all she said was vague as could be.

“I know how you feel. It’s hard to get through my day sometimes without my little man reminding me I have something to work for, to fight for…” Leanne lowered her chin against her knuckles. “I just wish I was fighting for him and not against him.”

The room fell silent for a moment. Leanne wasn’t looking anywhere, but Anna could feel the prickle of sadness radiating off her.

“Leanne?”

“Hm?” Leanne glanced up at Anna, who gave her a small, but sad smile.

“Wouldja wanna make out?”

Leanne blinked once, and was halfway through a nod when a hand drew her up to her feet, and her lips pressed to Anna’s.

It was… different than kissing a man. Anna was used to boldness, roughness, masculinity; the irony was that Devin’s general machismo actually was attractive, but his bigotry disgusted Anna… that, and he was far too touchy.

Leanne was none of those things; she was gentle and soft, letting Anna take the lead and keeping her hands in safe places. She reeked of desperation and loneliness, and kissed back with trepidation, maybe even some fear that this was all some sort of cruel trick…

But she settled, and the two women held one another.

Anna couldn’t help but ponder on how shockingly therapeutic it felt. Even if Leanne was a woman, it had been a long time since Anna had kissed someone; she’d been wanted and lusted after plenty, hit on and asked out, but maybe Zi had a point, maybe Robbie did leave a much deeper scar than she’d realized.

But she understood Leanne. She pitied Leanne, and a small part of her was comforted by a kiss that probably meant a lot more to the woman she was holding than to her.

It reminded her of when she was in a relationship. She was used to being alone, but having somebody to look forward to every day left her soothed. Smelling their scent on her bedsheets, hearing their voice through the phone, having somebody big and strong who could make her feel small and safe and comforted when things were awry and the demons in her head grew loud, making her question her effectiveness as a mother, as a friend…

She felt awful for it, but she couldn’t help but imagine a flat, broad chest against hers, or the smell of cologne in her nose, or stubby five o’ clock shadow brushing against her chin and her lip.

It suddenly occurred to her how much she hated being alone. Sure she had Cao Cao, and he made her feel so much better since Tasha had left, but she wanted a handsome man to care for, and to care for her back.

The kiss ended silently, the two women eyeing one another as their heads drew back. Anna’s smile wasn’t for Leanne, but Leanne’s was full of adoration and desire. She smirked as the shorter girl reached up to open the buttons of her blouse, more on her mind, and Anna fought through the morose nostalgia fogging her mind to try and formulate an excuse to put this off so she could investigate…

… but…

“What the fuck?!”

Both women whipped their heads towards the door, and Anna’s expression twitched as she realized Trev was standing there, his face turning more and more red.

“T-Trevor!” Leanne gasped, her red cheeks quickly draining white with horror as she rushed to close her shirt over her chest again. “W-what are you doing here?!”

Trevor stormed in, almost completely blocking the door as it shut behind him, glaring, almost seething at the two women.

“What am I doing here?!” He repeated back in a shout. “Devin was calling you because he wanted you to go get Jenny for him!”

Of course.

“But you ain’t answering your damn phone, so he sends me to go find either one o’ you! I thought the last place either of you would be would be in here, but I find the damn door unlocked and you two dykes sucking face!”

“Trevor—” Anna tried to come up with something to diffuse the situation, but she froze as Trevor’s hand went up from his hip, pulling a big, shiny revolver out of his holster and pointing it square at her. She went quiet, and slowly raised her hands, keeping her face placid and her eyes on his as Leanne gasped.

“Trevor, stop!” Leanne insisted, but when she tried to move around the desk to get in his way, one of his big, calloused hands closed around her arm and twisted her around, making her whimper in pain.

“I knew there was somethin’ wrong with you!” Trevor snarled at Anna. “Had Devin wrapped around your finger, didn’t ya? There’s something else goin’ on here!” He thrust his revolver in Anna’s direction, but she simply took a breath of air, and kept her eyes on him. “Nerves of fuckin’ steel, huh? Yeah, you’re some kinda agent, aren’t you?”

Leanne glanced Anna’s way, her teeth grit and eyes watering as Trev almost threatened to pull her arm out of its socket with how he had her twisted up.

“Throw me your bag!” Trevor ordered.

“Let her go.” Anna said calmly, sliding her purse off her shoulder and down into her hand, her eyes firmly on Trevor’s. “Let her go to the door.”

“Fine. I’ll let Devin know his family’s a fucking traitor, not like she can do anything.” He grunted, suddenly tossing her behind him.

Leanne had a number of options open to her that Anna could think of. She could run off and tell Devin that Trevor was trying to rape her in his office; she could find one of the many guns in the building and shoot the man in the back of the head…

But to Anna’s exhaustion, the tiny woman threw herself at Trevor’s back and feebly grabbed his gun arm.

“Don’t you hurt her, Trevor! Let her go!” Leanne shouted, clawing at his skin with her nails.

“Leanne!” Anna tried to call out to her to get her to stop, but Trevor glanced back for only a second to grab a handful of Leanne’s hair, making her shriek and yelp as he dragged her to his front, and locked an arm around her neck.

His gun went from Anna to Leanne’s head, and Trevor bared his teeth at the blonde.

“Your choice, dyke. Throw me the bag, your gun, and your clothes, or your fucking girlfriend’s going to lose her head!” He snarled.

Anna froze. Suddenly her options were much, much more limited. She could obey, but then what? What was his plan? Turn her in to Devin? She couldn’t reach down for her gun without him doing anything, and he was choking the life out of Leanne.

She glanced at the girl in his arms, red-faced and having already been through enough suffering. Fifteen years ago, Anna may have been able to let Leanne go. Maybe she wouldn’t have even cared, maybe she would have dared Trevor to do it and watch his power play crumble to dust.

Maybe she would have been faster with her go-to.

But Anna was angry. Anna was desperate. She thought she’d kept it bottled up well enough, she thought she could handle it… but fifteen years of relaxation had softened her, she realized. She still had a mission, and the longer this went on, the messier it could get, including for Leanne.

She had to think fast. Act fast.

Silently, she came to a decision, and through a malaise of loathing, anger, and broken promises, she gently, sullenly freed her mind.

Her brow tightened, and she glared straight into Trevor’s eyes, pouring in every ounce of her hate, every bit of Leanne’s pain, and thought two words as loudly and clearly as she could.

Trevor’s expression didn’t change as he continued to stare daggers at her, but his gun arm swung back and pressed the barrel to his skull, and then his rage wavered.

“Stop—” He was cut short by a sharp bang and Leanne’s scream, and flecks of blood and bone splattered Devin’s desk as Trevor’s body loosened, and fell limp.

Leanne fell to the floor, her ears likely ringing, some red in her hair. She was gasping desperately for breath, staring at Trevor’s body where it lay with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Anna stared at the grizzly scene in silence. A wave of nostalgia washed over her again, but it wasn’t like her kiss with Leanne, this nostalgia was a much older emotion, long sealed away in the annals of her memories like an ancient evil.

A man nearly a full foot taller than her and probably a-hundred pounds heavier than her laid dead on the floor. He’d had the gun, the muscles, and the surprise, but she’d won.

She’d won easily.

Her head was still filled with his last thoughts, the lingering surprise and a paroxysm of pure, life-threatened terror, all cut violently short. She knew that feeling from long before, as she did the feeling that came after.

Trev wasn’t long for the world, even as his body functions rapidly shut down, but she could sense the lingering ill-ease of his brain’s final, fractured, barely realized attempts to survive, until that too settled into silence.

The fear pouring off of Leanne was as blatant to her as the woody-texture of Devin’s desk. Anna stood in the middle of this room, and for the first time, felt like she was actually seeing it; her thoughts touched all things around her, feeling the number of pens in the coffee cup on the desk, seeing the dust collected under the keys of the keyboard, sensing the electric wires behind the walls…

Anna shivered, but she made a pair of fists.

It was blinding. It was all so blinding. She had taken off the blindfold and it felt like she was staring straight into the sun. She could see light and color and shape once more, but so much finer, and her brain burned as it felt the world for the first time in over a decade.

She had to go.

Anna squeezed her eyes shut, and stretched her thoughts out.

She needed to stop this, but… to do all this for nothing? Her pride rebelled against the idea… and regretfully facilitated more.

“J-Jenny?” Leanne asked worriedly, only for a wall of mental will to crash into her, and after a brief feeling of surprise, she collapsed, unconscious, but still breathing on the floor next to Trev.

It wouldn’t last long, but it should have been just long enough.

Her thoughts brushed against hundreds of papers stored within the containers in this room, scraping against the ink or graphite-indentations of each page. She held her head as it lit up with a fire; delight in touching the world again, pain from atrophic use, the knowledge that everything it brushed against was hers…

She sucked in gasping pants as looked for keywords across the pages, and straightened up when she felt a positive in the gun safe.

Combination lock, easy. The dial spun, the five locks inside clicking open one after another in quick succession, the door swinging open, the file inside jumping into her hand before the door slammed shut and the lock spun until it clicked.

She stumbled blankly over Trev, sucking in ragged breaths, but paused by Leanne.

Anna knelt and brushed her cheek.

Leanne’s unguarded, more primitive mind stirred in recognition, quickly applying these absolute facts to her memories.

Anna stood and began to stumble to the door. She had to make it to her car with these files…

“Hey! Hey!” She heard as she stepped out. In the hallway, she saw a group of four men racing towards her, including Devin and Nate. They were furious, they were surprised, they had their weapons drawn.

Then, their expressions turned blank for a moment, their running slowed, but their eyes peeled off of her as she radiated a mental antipathy, preventing them from seeing her, or memorizing her. Invisible, unseen by her sheer force of will, and easily manipulated further.

Anna turned down the next hall and felt the men open the door, their voices muffled except to her mind, which vibrated with the soundwaves that disturbed the air.

“Leanne! Leanne, wake up!”

“C’mon baby girl, c’mon!”

“What the fuck Trevor?!”

“I told you he was too hot-headed for his own damn good!”

Anna stumbled into the assembly hall, file in hand, where the women stood around with uncertainty in their stances, holding their weapons and looking straight through Anna, trying to see if anything was happening as Anna leaned against the wall and clutched her head.

She could kill them all. Right here, right now. They’d be ruled as a homicide gone wrong, maybe a group suicide. It was in her grasp, her power…

The gaggle of women collectively wavered, barely catching themselves before looking between one another in confusion, then whispering in fear about a gunman in the building.

Out the door, to her car. Everything felt like it took agonizing minutes like this. How did she live like this before? Why? Feeling every sensation, every raw emotion, knowing it was all within her grasp…

Evan didn’t even question her as he opened the gate for her and promptly forgot that Jennifer Whitman existed as her car peeled out of the compound and raced down the road.