"You can what?!"

"You heard me Bee, don't make me repeat myself." He sighs.

Of course she did, she heard him loud and clear. "So you're not joking," she states, more to herself than anyone as she tries to make sense of the ridiculous information that has been handed to her by the man she'd always known to be smart. Then again, he has never been one to joke around.

After waking up all alone in the house earlier today, Scarlet had realised how big and empty her house actually is when she had sat down at the breakfast bar, alone, sipping her tea, thinking about everything and anything. She'd realised she missed Celine's drama and relationship problems, even when she'd been gone for just one night. She even reached a point of regretting kicking damned Theo out!

Sorry baby she had thought. No more sleepovers for you.

Yet even as she thought the words, Scarlet knew they were nothing but lies. She would never stop Celine from doing anything she wants. Hell, she'd give her the sky if she so much as asked.

As the time went on, around the afternoon, Scarlet couldn't take the loneliness anymore. She'd decided to go back to her room, call to check on her daughter then sleep again. But her doorbell had rang, and there Victor had stood, in all his authoritative glory; suit and all. She invited him in, of course. And they sat, in her living room, him with a cup of coffee and her with green tea. After which of course, she'd asked him about how he's doing. She was unsure though, if it was out of common courtesy or personal curiosity.

Yet Vic still told her that he was doing great, which was true because he looks more thirty than fifty five. He'd filled her in on everything about him that's missing from her memory. Most especially how he got divorced two years ago. Scarlet never knew anyone from his family, she did not know why Vic never took her to meet them. All she knew was that his family was his life, the divorce must've taken him some time to get over. And now he's the president of a humongous organisation,--- Nova And The Dragon, is what he called it---which deals in a variety of things and has several small companies under it in the form of departments, none of which he was willing to discuss but one. Not that Scarlet wanted to hear any of that boring stuff anyway.

So he told her about the SD: Science Department of the organisation, how he has all of the best scientists in the country, medical researchers, doctors, surgeons you name it, under his wing. That they make new discoveries almost every week, antidotes for different kinds of poison, serums, regular medicines and viruses. Scarlet had shuddered at the viruses part, but Vic had reassured her that they only use the viruses to find antidotes, to find cures, in case there's an epidemic.

It had been a miracle Scarlet had gone through the entire rant awake.

So then came the most important part, or so he had said. Yet Scarlet couldn't have cared less about whatever boring stuff his scientists were doing. Said important part had been the serums, which is why he is here, and which is why Scarlet's mouth is currently opening and closing like a fish, and she suddenly doesn't feel like sleeping anymore.
He'd told her about the different types, God forbid she remembers their names when it's been five long minutes since he told her, they did sound like some alien invasion to her ears. But that's besides the point. She does remember their purposes; one of them was the memory loss serum, in case one needs to forget some things in their life.

Scarlet had wondered why anyone would want that. She knows she wouldn't, because to her, every memory, every scar, however painful would always remind her of a battle fought and won. That's why with all the missing memories, she feels like there's an empty space somewhere in her. Like a scar, you wouldn't really want it on your body, and wouldn't put it there by choice yet when it's missing, something just doesn't feel right because it should be there.

Then came the body numbing serum, apparently, this one stops people from feeling any physical pain, and live with it in their blood daily without feeling paralysed like they've been given an anesthesia shot. Scarlet had tried to refrain from asking who they use these serums on. And finally, the tissue regeneration which makes wounds heal instantly and memory reconstruction serums. This is stupid. Scarlet had thought.

"So you're saying you can make me regain my memory by just injecting me with some drug? What is this? Divergent?" she scoffs incredulously. The whole idea is just unbelievable.

"What are you goin' to do next? Tell me that my name is in fact Scarlet Red and I'm immune to all of your serums?" She knows how Vic doesn't take sacarsm well, but she can't help herself. Yet secretly,she does find all this intriguing, fascinating, and for some weird reason...chilling.

"Yes Bee," Victor shoots her a death glare. "Except it's neither stupid nor fictitious here. This is what I do," he growls. Silence follows, with Victor watching her intently, as if giving her time to process the information. Yet Scarlet can't seem to shake the feeling that he isn't too happy with her almost two minute skepticism.

She sighs. She really wants to regain her memory, she trusts Vic, she could even trust him with her life. Which in a way, is what this would mean.
Then why in the hell is she hesitant to accept. Vic says that the serum is medically proven, and has been used not only once before. On top of that, it's extremely expensive, yet even with all the money she has, he's giving it to her for free, because she's like a daughter to him. She should just jump at the opportunity really. But still, she can't shake off the bad vibe that comes with it.

What if something goes wrong?

What if she dies? Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic but what if it doesn't work and she loses even the remaining bits of her memory?

But, but the dreams, daydreams or whatever they are. Her conscience is killing her, she needs to know that that was her imagination, she couldn't have shot a boy in cold blood, even in self defence.

She sighs for the millionth time. "Vic," she breathes. "I need some time to process this."

He nods...grimly? "Don't you trust me anymore child?" he asks solemnly, Scarlet knows this line. She knows it all too well, he always used it whenever he would tuck her into bed when she was just a little girl. She was always scared of the dark. She still is.

Won't they come uncle Vic? She would ask, trembling. Afraid that the monsters of the night would take her while she slept.

No Bee, they won't. Don't you trust me child? He would ask.

I trust you, of course.

Now go to sleep, I'll be here to protect you. Nothing will harm you.

Then she would peacefully fall asleep. But then, he never was there when she woke up, and she'd wonder whether she was right in trusting him. Then she'd see that she'd woken up safe and alive, meaning Uncle Vic did in fact protect her from the monsters of the night.

"I trust you," she says, suddenly feeling six again. Scarlet can't quite tell whether it's a good feeling or not. "Of course I do."

But what if this time Victor's idea is the dark itself? What if he can't protect her from the darkness, because it's of his own creation?

Victor sighs, bringing Scarlet's mind back to the present.

"I just need a day or two, I promise I won't be long." She begs ignoring her better judgement, or worse judgment? Clasping his hand in hers, Scarlet bats her eyelashes at him like a six year old, and it works, just like old times.

"Okay," he says on an exhale. "you win."

She grins. "I always do, old man."
She wraps her hands around his huge frame and hugs him, after which she sees him out the door.

As they walk hand in hand down her driveway, silence pressing down on both their ears, Victor marginally squeezes Scarlet's hand, and subconsciously, she decides to ignore the uneasiness that comes with the small gesture. Instead, Scarlet lets herself focus on the safe haven that she knows being in Victor's arms used to be.

As if nature agrees with her, a few steps away, far enough from Victor's car but close enough to her main door, Scarlet spots her two favourite men in the wor...wait what? Clearly, she isn't thinking straight.
Leaning against a gigantic sleek black monster of a bike, is Theo, and beside him is Han's red mustang.

Her two favourite men? She scoffs internally. It's one, idiot, only one. Only Hansel.

She needs to get her shit straight if she has started thinking of Theo as one of her favourite men. Yet still, an unsanctioned feeling of safety washes over her like a cold shower on a summer day the moment her eyes land on them. What the hell? This is stupid. She doesn't need to feel safe from Victor!

"W-w-was that...was that Victor Grayson?" Han all but bellows the minute Vic drives away, his face an unsettling shade of pale, and his turquoise eyes hanging in their sockets by an extremely thin thread. A very dramatic one he's always been this man, so Scarlet just ignores him and rolls her eyes, just before they settle on the next one in line.

His eyes, unlike a certain someone are in fact intact, with no promises of falling out anytime soon. Just obscured by the black as night sunglasses. Between his chiselled lips is a cigarette and...wait what?

"You use cancer sticks!" she all but shrieks, it'd never crossed her mind to view Theo as a smoker. And that has definitely cut down the degree of her attraction to him by twenty percent. Not that that's such a bad thing. But Theo just removes his shades, just to make sure Scarlet sees him roll his eyes. Really? Why are all the men in her life so dramatic?

"I don't," he says, his tone bored as always. What does it take to excite this man? Scarlet wonders. "Don't you like it?"

Huh? "Like what, cancer sticks?"

"Yeap, a bike, shades, a cigarette?" he says in a duh tone as if Scarlet is supposed to understand. "Isn't that what you girls like? Bad boys?"

Oh my God this big child!

"First off," Scarlet tells him, her tone condescending. "You and I are neither a boy nor a girl, and we're not dating so I have no reason to like you in whichever form," Theo's eyebrows shoot up at that, just before he places his hand on his chest in mock hurt. For some reason he looks more like Shirley now. "And even if a girl liked you, I'm sorry to break it to you but cancer sticks are not attractive in anyway."

Theo sighs, "I told you I don't smoke, it's unlit, see?" He dangles the cigarette in the air and it's really unlit.

Sweet Jesús! "What are you now? Augustus Waters?"

He smirks. Scarlet shakes her head.

"I swear sometimes I think you're fifty and other times fifteen. Why are you here anyway? Don't you have anything to do? Do you know of this thing called going to work? You know? Where people your age get up in the morning and shower, and get dresse..."

Theo snorts, cutting her off. "Look who's talking," he says.

Of course, it's not like she works or anything herself. Scarlet shuts up.

"Not that it's any of your business but I'm on leave," he says. "And I'm here for the first of fifteen."

What is he talking about? "What are you talking about?"

Theo sighs, clearly disappointed. "I told you, I'm taking you out fifteen times for the fifteen days I spent in your care,"

Oh? "That," Scarlet's lost for words. So help her she doesn't even remember him saying any of that. "Um...you..um...you don't..."

"HELLOOO?"

Oh right. Han.

"Can somebody tell me whether I'm a ghost or something?" He waves his hands in front of their faces. Scarlet turns to face him and in her peripheral, she thinks she saw Theo smile, but that was one second ago, and she isn't even sure anymore.

"Are you dating both twins now? I demand to kno-"

"WE'RE NOT DATING!" Theo and Scarlet exclaim.

"Hmmm..." Han drawls. "This is interesting. From all the bikering, I could've sworn you two were a couple."

"Well," Scarlet starts, wanting to tell him they aren't.

"We're not, clearly!" Theo finishes for her, his voice every shade of bitter.

"Gee, am I that bad?" Scarlet scoffs.

"Make that a statement," Theo says. Scarlet shoots him daggers but he just winks at her.

"All right love birds..." Han says in a sing song way.

"WE'RE NOT LOVE BIRDS!" Scarlet squeals while Theo says it calmly.

"All right all right!" Han chuckles. "Message delivered. Loud, and clear."

"Good."

"I can't help but wonder though," he continues and Scarlet makes a choking sound in the back of her throat. The man doesn't know when to shut up. "Are you trying to convince me or yourselves?"

"Shut up Han!" They both exclaim again.
Dear lord! What in the name of Tarturus is this nonsense?

Han just makes his signature chuckle. "Anyway, I came to talk to you babe but clearly, you're not available right now and I'm really tired so I'm going to go inside and take a nap." He pulls Scarlet in for a hug. "I missed you," he whispers in her ear.

"I miss you too dear Han," she finally smiles against his shoulder but it vanishes when in a clipped tone he says;

"Victor Grayson. We have to talk."

He then turns to Theo. "Hey man, it was great talking to you." They fist bump. "But if you even think about letting her trip over her own feet, you're gonna be sorry."

Scarlet rolls her eyes.

"Okay daddy!" They say in unison. Again.

What the hell?! Theo's doing this on purpose!

Their eyes meet, blue grey gaze on hers. Her intention had been to narrow her eyes at him, but just like that, it's flown out an imaginary window.

For the first time, Scarlet acknowledges how the colour of Theo's eyes does change. Sometimes they are a pure azure, like the colour of a calm and clear sea on a sunny day, other times they are like a nimbus cloud, just not as dull. Yet on rare days, they're a mixture of blues and greys, somehow reminding her of a girl that haunts her dreams. Except hers are blue green. And haunting.

Scarlet shakes her head, trying to get rid of the image.

Theo breaks into a mischievous smile and it's all she can do not to melt into a hot puddle at his feet. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Scarlet hears the sound of her best friend squealing,

"Ew! Gross!"