Me: you're two days late
Also me: ehh it's not like anyone but four people read this
Me: THOSE FOUR PEOPLE STILL MATTER UPDATE THE FUCKING BOOK

It was entirely to coincidence that Kim left the grocery store at the same time Katelyn entered. Ghost had quickly dashed off into the side alleyway that seemed to be cloned on every street.

It had been a few weeks since the first time Kim had met Smurfette, but the next few times were just as infuriating. The second time she came in, she stood by the counter and chatted up a blushing Lucinda for a whole twenty minutes before giving her a bracelet. The third time had been much shorter in duration, but even more enraging with what her offer to buy Lucinda a drink.

The last time that Kim had seen her was two days ago. She had been downtown shopping with the final mission of hot chocolate, when she found a metalwork shop. The second she walked in, giggling met her ears. A quick glance provided everything she needed to know; Lucinda sprawled on the counter trying on bits of jewelry as Smurfette softly watched.

They didn't notice her. So she left.

She was still pissed, to be honest.

Underneath, Kim knew that being jealous over a girl she had barely known for a month was ridiculous. She knew that planning to scare Smurfette was even more ridiculous. But she didn't care. Her lasting job from Garroth was simple and quick.

"Cause chaos." He said to her before he had headed off to his date. "Be a villain. Get some heroes out in the street. Maybe you'll get to kill them." The heartwarming statement had been accompanied with a kiss on the head before he dashed out.

Well Garroth, here she was. Ready to cause chaos. Her regular clothes, a simple black sweater and leggings, were a perfect outfit to match the black mask she kept on her at all times. Her hair went up into pigtails in seconds. And she waited.

Ghost was patient. Hell, she had practically invented the idea of patience to her family. So it was no trouble waiting ten, twenty thirty minutes before the doors to the store opened up and a familiar braid of blue hair came strolling out.

It was even less trouble snatching her off the sidewalk with a tendril of light.

Katelyn's eyes were wide as a tendril gripped itself into her mouth. Several other ropes bound her legs, arms, and slowly wound up her body as Ghost walked forward.

She knew she must've been a sight; Black clothes washed out by the pale moonlight she had harnessed, amber eyes turned pale blue with the use of her power. She flicked her wrist and the tendrils started wrapping around Katelyn's neck, digging in right where the pressure points would be.

"I don't expect you to know what you've done." She said clearly, standing a few feet away. "But I do intend to make it known by the end of tonight." She let one of the tendrils curled around her leg to pierce in a little. Katelyn shook.

"Is there anything you'd like to say in your defense?"

A nod.

"Go ahead." She rolled her neck as the light gag bled into the neck wrappings.

"What the fuck?"

Kim blinked.

"No, actually, what the literal, genuine, fuck?" Even in wrappings, the girl seemed to puff up, anger gathering in her body. "I've seen you on the news. You're the new baddy of Portland. Ghost. Who the fuck do you think you are, scooping random people off the street? That's pathetic. Aren't you supposed to be, I dunno, robbing banks or killing political leaders?"

Kim didn't say anything. She merely let the gag snap back into place. Well. Kitty had claws.

She was saved from having to make a Monologue™ by a metal stick hitting her in the stomach.

---

Lucinda hurried down the street. She hadn't meant to stay out so late. Even for superheroes, Portland was dangerous. Even worse, she had to stop at the grocery store and pick up a few ingredients Aph wanted to bake a cake.

Being saved from her frantic and quick thoughts by the familiar store light of the supermarket, Lucinda almost stepped in.

"Ghost."

The word clanged through Lucinda, sending her sprawling back, spinning her head to find where it came from. It sounded so familiar...

"Who the fuck do you think you are, scooping random people off the street?"

The voice rang against Lucinda's panicking brain. Katelyn.

She wasted no time in running to the alley on the left of the market, shrugging on her costume. She always carried it with her, despite the fact that it was expensive as shit. Three and a half seconds later, Illusion was sprinting down the street to the other side of the market.

She made eye contact with Katelyn the second before she slammed the pole in Ghost's stomach.

The lights vanished around Katelyn.

"Run!" Lucinda bellowed, pulling the girl to the entrance of the alley. A bright light interrupted any other conversation as a scream echoed through the street. A black clad figure stepped out of the ball of light, blue eyes seething, mouth closing and shutting off the scream of rage.

"Illusion." Ghost said, light tendrils writhing around her. One hand clenched into a fist and the light start spilling onto the brick wall. The pale glow was reminiscent of hotel pools at night, shimmering and waving. Lucinda slammed her pole onto the ground, directly over a tendril that had gotten to close. It quickly dissolved into wisps of moonlight.

"Ghost." She replied. She nudged Katelyn towards the exit of the alleyway again, channeling just the littlest of electricity into the metal pole in her hands. Enough to give more than a static shock, but nowhere near enough to drain her like last time.

The second Ghost smiled, Lucinda let loose a small illusion. Her ability wasn't just limited to sight, and the sound of someone shouting in Ghost's ear was enough of a distraction for Lucinda to book it with Katelyn in tow.

They didn't waste breath as a roar of energy erupted from the alley, dashing across the street and sliding over the hood of a car.

As soon as their feet touched the ground, Lucinda pulled Katelyn down. The sound of crumpling metal assaulted their ears as the car went flying into the side of the building next to them.

"What did you do to piss her off?" Lucinda panted as she drug Katelyn down the street.

"She said I'd know what I'd done by the end of the night" yelled Katelyn. "and that she didn't expect me to know from the start."

They flattened themselves in the doorway of a small apartment as a roar of "ILLUSION!" echoed down the street. A wave of moonlight passed by, a speck of black barely visible in the middle.

Lucinda held a finger up to Katelyn's lips, ignoring the feeling in her gut as she pulled out her phone. KC was on speed dial. She picked up in a second.

"I swear to god if you broke your arm again-" she started.

"KC, shut up. Ghost is loose and headed in the direction of the Pearl." Lucinda held the phone directly to her mouth, speaking as quietly as she could. "I have a civilian here as well. Send Wyvern or our hacker for pickup, since Phoenix is at work."

"Yeah." The noise of mouse clicking became available. "Wyvern is currently on duty in Southeast and the hacker is, well, hacking. I could send your secondary?"

Lucinda pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's not ideal, but do it. Do you want me to go after Ghost?" She became aware of Katelyn right in front of her, blue eyes glistening with curiosity.

"No way. I'll let the Pearl duty know to evacuate, but stay with your civilian. What's their name and address?"

Lucinda almost answered. Then she remembered the stupid mask on her face and the stupid secret identity and the stupid way the fates like to work against her. She held out the phone to Katelyn.

"State your name and address."

"Katelyn Firefist. And my address is only about a five minute walk from where Illusion and I are now."

KC's tinny voice was amused as it came from the speaker. "I know you. I'll still send the secondary though. Never know if you might need the help."

The click was the only sign KC had left the call as both hero and civilian looked at each other.

"Multi-billionaire KC... knows me?" Katelyn said slowly.

"I think one of her friends bought her earrings from you." Lucinda quickly covered up. KC. God, the only reason she knew about Katelyn was because Lucinda had spilled all her feelings about the blacksmith while drunk.

"Holy shit." Katelyn said, and Lucinda thought she was still talking about the billionaire until she realized turquoise eyes were trained on her. A cough interrupted her dazed thoughts.

The pole was at the secondary's neck before anyone could blink.

He looked down at the stick and pushed it away with his black glove.

"Looking emo as always, Kitsune." She drawled, stilling her racing heartbeat.

And really, he did. His undercut black hair hung in waves around his face, obscuring one of his eyes and emphasizing the bright blue (too close to Ghost's blue) of the other one. His ninja mask was pulled up to his nose, a few freckles standing out against the pale skin.

"Looking as bitchy as always, Illusion," he sassed back. "and I don't give a shit. I'm here for civilian extraction."

Katelyn looked uncertain. "Am I really supposed to go with the edgelord over there when my house is five minutes away and  Illusion could walk me?"

"Yes." Both heroes said, giving each other glares.

Get her home safe Lucinda tried to say with her eyes.

Get off my ass was the interpretation she received.

"Address?" Kitsune said, holding a hand out to Katelyn. She muttered it under her breath, Lucinda toning it out as she dialed another number.

"Wait!" Katelyn suddenly blurted, breaking out of the grasp Kitsune had put on her. She ran up to Lucinda and everything suddenly stopped as

Katelyn

Hugged

Her.

"Thank you." she whispered in Lucinda's ear, and the fluttering in the redhead's chest increased by 100%.

And then she was gone, dragged into the shadows by the emo.

Lucinda stood there, phone dangling in her hand as a blush spread up her neck and into her cheeks. The moment was enhanced as she squealed, spinning out of the doorway and into the sidewalk, cheeks bursting as she smiled.

"Lucinda?" A small voice came from her hand. "Lucinda?"

She quickly erase all traces of excitement from her voice as she held the phone to her eye, though her heart still pounded.

"Hey Aph." She said seriously.

"Yeah, I heard you Katelyn's voice and you screaming. Did you finally ask her out? If you called me at work to tell me you have a girlfriend, congrats, you're cooking for the next week."

"No!" A pause. "Well, sort of." Another pause, and then she amended herself with a "She hugged Illusion."

A wolf whistle interrupted the call and Aph laughed. "Woo, Lucinda! Getting some in the spandex!"

"That's not why I called you though." All huor left Lucinda's voice. "I just met Ghost again. She attacked Katelyn, over by Jamison Square. Are you still at work?"

"Holy shit. Katelyn?" A few scuffle noises floated through the receiver. "Yeah, not at work for much longer. Give me 15 minutes?"

"No, no, no." Lucinda paced into the doorway again, slowly removing her mask and costume. "I was just making sure you weren't headed over to the Pearl for a drink. That's where I saw her heading last."

"Duly noted." Aph was silent for a long time. "Is Katelyn okay?"

"Yeah." The last of the spandex was shoved into the bag. "I sent her home with the secondary."

"Aw, that guy? He's a jackass!"

"Well, you're at work and Wyvern is on duty somewhere. Speaking of work, I assume you need to get back?"

An affirmative noise. "Thanks for letting me know about the Ghost situation. I'll steer any customers away from the Pearl."

Another click as she hung up. And then Lucinda stood alone in the street, moonlight washing down on her.