-- Aster --

Finally free from the compound, still slung over Mullein's shoulder. We were gliding through the city. Thankfully, I couldn't see any signs of pursuit, thought that might be more due to the barrier itself keeping the guards in. I was sure they would be let out once a report came, but how many might be waiting when there was a massive monster wave coming. I was sure that even if they weren't distracted we were already gone from there senses.

After settling my stomach after the last jump I noticed we were actually headed deeper into the city, not out like I expected. That could only me one thing, "Did you find her?"

"Yes we did, but are sure about this Aster?" His voice was filled with worry. "None of us got close to her knowing what she was but you know what they can do." I had asked them to find them, but the fact he was willing to help me anyway showed me his character, despite the risk.

"Yeah I do." I took a deep breath feeling I needed to explain just a bit, "I've been dealing with it for a few days now, and they indirectly taught me how to deal with them."

"Still confronting a Siren." Mullein commented calmly.

After dealing with them for the last few days, and not to mention the compounding issues of the people around me I snapped. "I need to!" I shouted, and my voice only grew, and my heart quickened, "They've fucked up my future in any of the cities and I want them to know that."

Mullein took everything in stride and calmly asked, "Are you sure about that?"

That simple question took the wind out of me, leaving me feeling tired, "I'm a quester and after the last few days I can see what is going to come."

Out of the corner of my eye I caught the uncertain look on Mullein, like he was debating what to do. "Alright, but be quick we still need to make it to the front. How else are we going to show the world the true strength of the Trickster?"

I could only smile at that, I knew it wasn't just out of the goodness of his heart, but I think I would have had a chance to sway him even without that dangling over him. "Don't worry. By the end of this you'll get exactly what you want." Just not the way you expect.

He gave me a concerned smile, "Cool, were almost there do you want to portal in or walk."

"I think I'm going to have to wheel in." I answered as we go closer to the ground.

I was begging the makings of a new construct wheelchair when Mullein asked, "Want back up?"

I shook my head knowing it would better if I went alone, "I got this."

Mullein dropped me off a block away and gave me a flair gun incase I ran into trouble. It made me chuckle, because if I was in trouble I might already be under her control. Still it made me feel like this was the right choice in trusting the Trickster's, despite there name.

I found myself just outside a nice little cafe, called Lily's Delight. It was a nice bistro with a white marble exterior with stone puts outside with lovely pastel flowers seeming growing wild right out front. Though on closer look you could see they were carefully grown and maintained to create a lovely atmosphere. Through the window, I could see the Siren from just a few nights ago. Wow, was it really only a few days ago? Felt like months.

When I was at the door I knew the Siren girl had seen me because I could feel her power trying to worm her way into my mind. I nipped that right in the bud, cycling power protecting my mind.

I rolled up to her table and snapped, "You know that's rude."

She blinked in surprise before covering it up, "I wouldn't say that. A girl has got to protect herself."

"Petty revenge too."

"More like justice." She said smugly.

I lost it at that, "JUSTICE! You call what you did JUSTICE! Do you have any FUCKING IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!" The entire cafe was looking over at us now but I was too incensed to care.

She only smirked, "Made you fumble around like an idiot."

Oh, she really didn't know. "Only for the first part, but your actions have much longer consequences than even you know," I yelled.

"What like people will think you're an idiot?"

She really didn't understand, when I took another look at her, she appeared to be very young, too young. No older than twenty, though people stopped aging around twenty-five there was no way she was there yet. That meant she was just the same age as me. There was no way she could have understood what she had done, "Yeah, and do you think I will get any peace of mind. Ever?"

I could see I was getting through to her, but she just dug in her heals, 'It's what you get for stealing my song."

"Ha!" I snorted, taking her back, "You can call it that all you like. I just figured out what you did. When you tried to take over our minds."

"I needed to know you weren't a danger." She snapped.

I glared at her, "And you tried to manipulate our minds to make sure we aren't?"

"Yeah. How else could we be sure?" She asked innocently. How could she not see how fucked up it was.

"ASK US!!"

"STOP YELLING!" She yelled I could see her looking around and doing something. I took a look and noticed an almost glazed look over the people in the restaurant. No wonder no one came to break us up.

"NO! I DON'T CARE WHAT JUSTICE YOU THINK YOU RECEIVED BUT IT WASN'T JUSTICE."

She was shrinking back at my yelling, as a look of regret fell over her.

Seeing her shrink back I jumped on a hunch."I bet you didn't even tell your superiors about us. Being all afraid of any reprisals."

"I did." She whispered.

"What was that?"

She sat a little straighter, "I did, tell my superiors."

"And?"

She sniffed and looked away, "You don't need to know."

Seeing her reaction told me all I needed to know, "Oh this is even better. You weren't supposed to follow me."

"..." Her silence confirmed it.

I was tired frustrated and wanted her to hurt so I cuttingly said, "This is just a petty little revenge from a petty little girl."

She pulled a knife and tried to stab me, at my remark. She must have been holding the knife ever since I entered, as I never saw her draw it. I was ready, I was baiting her into attacking first. Sure I was angry, at her, strangely I wasn't as angry as I made it appear to be, but the thing was. I could be just as petty.

Her hand flew toward me and I stepped out of the way while redirecting her thrust and slamming her down into the table her knife falling from her hands. I grabbed it before it hit the ground and bashed her over the head with the hilt hard enough to crack her skull and leave her unconscious. With no one's belief holding me back she was an easy opponent, and I wasn't worried about her dying due to how everyone heals. She would be fine in a few minutes but she would remember, and so would I.

I left the restaurant, with no one stopping me. Not because I was tough or anything but because I paid her bill and left without destroying anything, and she had so conveniently put them all in a daze. One of the servers checked she was alive, but by then I was already gone. It was a heartless thing but in a world of violence and immortals, I wouldn't be too surprised if this was the norm in some way.

I wheeled myself around the block to find the Tricksters waiting for me. Rolling up to Mullein I stood letting the chair dissipate. I stumbled slightly only for him to grab me and keep me standing.

"Did you do what you needed to?"

Feeling exhausted, "Yeah."

"She going to retaliate again?" He asked curiously.

I shrugged, "Probably." Honestly, I had probably only made things worse.

"Do you feel better?"

An interesting question I had to take a moment to think about. "Not really, just annoyed."

"Alright, then let's go fight a horde of monsters." He picked me up slinging me over his shoulder. I braced myself for the spaghettification.