"Can you believe it, D? This is a step in the right direction!" Sloane gushed as she slightly peered into one of the empty guest rooms, watching as Luther stood in front of the mirror, glancing at the red leather suit. "Yeah... I guess so," Dahlia nodded. She rested her back against the wall, her black-heeled boot pressed against the lower-wooded panel. 

Her encounter with Ben played over and over in her head, no matter how much she tried to shake away his obvious plot of deception. She thought of telling Sloane the red flags that were waving furiously in front of her, but she feared her sister would take her as a constant Debby Downer or tell her she was just having trust issues.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as Sparrow Five walked in and talked to Luther, complimenting him and telling him how handsome he looked. "Thanks, Sloane. I'm just not used to this. And what will the rest of my siblings think?" He questioned. "Don't worry, once this is all over, they'll warm up to it," the brunette reassured.

Loud whooshing then filled the academy, and before anyone could say another word, a wave of blue light burst through the hall, spreading out into the city. Or at least what was left of it. Another kugelwave... As the wave pulled back, taking more civilians and building structures with it, sounds of banging and loud conversation came from the front.

With curiosity, the Sparrows walked outside, stunned to see bright orange fires glowing from the crumbling skyscrapers and apartment buildings. The air was filled with heavy smoke, making it difficult for some of them to breathe. Sirens wailed loudly as the officers occupying those cars had been kugelblitzed and the roads were cracked beyond belief, and sinkholes began to form. "Oh god, it's getting worse..." Dahlia spoke, covering her nose and mouth with the sleeve of her jacket.

Out of the corner of her eye, a car with bright headlights was coming in their direction. And from the faint glimpse she got, she saw the logo of the Hotel Obsidian painted in black and gold. The car pulled up to the sidewalk, and someone stepped out of the car. It was Allison Hargreeves. The Sparrows walked closer to the car, and as she opened the trunk, they peered inside to see Harlan's dead body. "You got what you wanted. This is done," The Rumor spoke with no emotion.

Ben glanced over at Fei and Dahlia, a smirk forming at the edge of his lips. He then glanced at Reginald, who only nodded his head before retreating inside. Allison sucked in an angry breath before brushing past Dahlia and storming inside. "What's got her feathers all rustled?" Dahlia questioned. "She lost her daughter and husband when we got here," Luther answered. "Mmm, that explains it. I was getting some angry mom energy from her," Fei sneered.

~~~~~~~

The following morning, Dahlia walked into the kitchen, desperate for a pick-me-up. She wasn't a big coffee drinker, but she needed the extra bit of caffeine to keep her awake. It wasn't the noises of the crumbling world outside or the unholy sounds of Luther and Sloane that bothered her. Instead, it was the toxicity of Allison. That whole night, her anger continued to burn like a forest fire that was difficult to put out. She was confrontational with anybody that so much as even glanced at her. And every time Luther was in the room, she ignored him like he was the bubonic plague.

Dahlia poured the blonde roast cold brew into a plastic Griddy's cup and mixed in just a hint of vanilla and creamer. As she turned to walk away, she could hear arguing coming from the stairwell. Rolling her eyes with exasperation, she poked her head out to hear what was happening. "Viktor is not going to take this well. This should've been a family decision," Luther sighed. Dahlia could hear Allison scoff before blowing out cigarette smoke. 

"And which family is that, Brutus? Nice uniform, by the way. You look like an un-popped zit," she squinted. The blonde walked over to the railing and leaned over it to get a better glance. Luther was doing his best to keep his composure, but Allison was really testing him. It almost reminded Dahlia of how she got on Marcus's nerves with her stubborn heart of ice.

"Should we find you someone to talk to?" Luther asked. I don't know how much good that's gonna do, L. The world's going to hell out there. "Oh, I'm fine. You're the one who's having an identity crisis," Allison shook her head. "Your 'fine?' Is fine what you did to me back at the hotel?" Luther hissed. Confusion spread over Dahlia's face as she wondered what took place between them. Maybe they used to be lovers, but then he fell in Sloane. Maybe they just never got along with growing up, and things almost got physical.

Before Dahlia could look too deeply into it, she heard Sloane's voice calling out to him, telling him that Ben was calling a family meeting with the Umbrellas and Sparrows. He agreed, and their footsteps echoed as they went to grab them from the hotel. Dahlia walked down the rest of the steps, passing Allison on her way out. But just as she was about to walk past the doorframe, she paused, slowly turning around.

"I'm sorry about your daughter and husband. I understand your grief," She spoke calmly. "No, you don't understand. Did you have someone you loved more than anything in this world, and you had to leave him? Did you never get the chance to say goodbye to your daughter?" Dahlia remained silent as Allison's breathing got shakier and shakier. "I thought so,"

"We've all lost people. I lost three of my siblings within three days. So, don't tell me I don't understand what it's like to lose somebody. Don't tell me that my grief is different because, at the end of the day, it's all the same," Dahlia fought back not only with Allison but also with her inner demon, who so desperately wanted to start a fight. 

Allison stood up from her place on the stairs and glared her in the eyes. Dahlia wouldn't admit it, but she could feel something forming in the corner of her eyes. It wasn't sadness, it was rage. "Go on, throw your ice shards, throw your icicles at me, but just know that you will end up regretting it later," Dahlia's hand twitched with the need to expel a shard, but she would not cave into the temptation.

The two women stared at each other, daring the other to blink or back down. But given both their prideful demeanor, they never did. The longer she stared, Dahlia suddenly penetrated the windows to Allison's soul, seeing everything that had happened to her. It had been a power she thought she lost after the chemical accident, but it had just proven her wrong. She possessed powers of Ice Manipulation but also Memory Reading.

The further she delved into Allison's mind, the more she saw how she got away with everything in her life by saying four little words, "I heard a rumor," Allison must've felt the unwelcome intruder as she began to protest, telling her to stop. But Dahlia continued, both intrigued and horrified by her selfish actions.

"I heard a rumor... you stopped breathing," 

Dahlia felt her eyes roll into the back of her head, and her mouth fell open as she struggled to breathe. When she regained her vision, Allison had that same smirk on her face as Dahlia gripped the doorframe, trying to regulate her breathing. Allison walked towards the direction of the living room, leaving her there to suffer in gasping agony.

Her heart beat rapidly against her chest as her airways clamped shut. Dahlia soon fell to the floor, clasping at her throat, and as she felt like she was about to die, she saw the faint glimpse of someone's shadow and a muffled voice. The Icy Sparrow's eyes began to close, but just as they were about to fully, she felt a breath of air enter her body, along with the feeling of something touching her lips.

It felt rather odd, both warm and slightly chapped. Another breath of air entered her body, and Dahlia tried to inhale it. "Come on, quit being so stubborn!" the person whispered before breathing into her for the third time. It was on this breath that Sparrow Eight finally felt her airways open back up and she gasped loudly, coughing at the nightmare she endured.

Her second near brush with death was frightening as she feared that she couldn't get away from it this time. But there was someone who saw her, someone who saved her life. Blinking a few times, she saw her hero was...

"Ben?"