To Save the World

*So, I'm sitting with Maisy then?*

[Audi]

"Why so stiff? Not like I'm gonna do anything," I let out a giggled, pushing on the floor again to make the chair spin faster.

Maisy sat in a different chair, a hard chair, and sat like stone. Eyes locked with mine. I tilted my head as I stopped the seat, and leaned over the table between us. It was dark and shiny (something Natey would've liked) and had two cups of coffee on top.

I took one and sipped, smiling. "Maisy..." I cooed. "Wanna play a game?"

"W-what?"

My face stretched out in a devilish smirk. "Thumb war." I whispered and uncurled my fingers. She shook her head no like it was a reflex, I sighed. And pouted. "Fine..."

Suddenly, a stampede-like sound echoed behind the locked doorway. Where's the fire? I thought, then laughed a little. Are they leaving me alone? With Maisy?

Jason

Jason pulled open the door to Audi's cell, more than a little surprised to find Maisyin there with her. "What're you doing?" he asked, watching Audi closely.

It was Audi who replied, though, "We're having a thumb war, Jasey. Want to join us?" She asked sweetly. He could feel her trying to force him to stay, but his will to go to Venice and help out withthe disaster there was stronger.

He smiled right back at Audi, "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I need Maisy to come with me for now. No time for thumb wars."

Audi scowled at him as he took Maisy by the arm and led her out of the cell.As soon as they'd stepped back outside, though, they were confronted with a second dilemma.

"What're we going to do about Audi?" Noah was saying.

"No one knows she's here," replied Kyle, "and she's got no way of communicating with her 'friends' I think it's safe just to leave her here for the time being."

Edward-

They left! This was going to be easier than I thought. An hour after their leaving was when we striked. Jessa was correct on the location.

"Colt, kill the power in case they do have security." Colt nodded and stuck his hands on the metal door. After a few blinks the lights went off.

"So what happens if I touch him?" Jessa asked. I caught her hand before she poked Colt.

"Do you want to be fried like burnt chicken?" I asked her.

"Um..."

"Never mind. Just melt the door."

"You guys are no fun," she pouted but then placed her hands on the metal door. Metal doesn't burn easily but it eventually melted and gave way.

"Where are they keeping Audi?"

"Cell block 15 I guess. I don't actually live here you know."

I rolled my eyes and started moving down the hall. I read Cell block 15 and heard giggling. Definately Audi. Closing my eyes I consumed to darkness and extended a dark ahdn under the door.

"That's really creepy," Jessa muttered.

"I know that feeling..." My extension killed the door and it fell to the ground. There, tied up to a chair, was Audi.

"Hello Edward."

~Jessa~

"Hello there." I said cheerfully. "We're here to bust you out."

Edward sighed.

"Who're you?" The girl, Audi asked.

"I'm Jessa. I-"

"No time for introductions, we have to get out!" Edward said. I glared at him.

"I was trying to be polite, Eddy-kins."

"What did you just call me?" He asked, trying to remain calm. He wasn't. At all.

"You called me Lava-girl. I didn't burn you to a crisp. I still want revenge. Hense; Eddy-kins."

"Oooh. This sounds fun. Eddy-kins. Hmmm." Audi said, giggling. I started to like her a lot.

[Audi]

Edwards jerked at the ropes, almost as if thinking of leaving me there. I slipped out of the chair and wrapped my arms around his neck, laughing. I felt a little aura of anger and pushed in bliss to block it out. His lips twitched to an almost smile, but I let him go before he had any more torment.

The girl laughed.

I scowled, crossing my arms, raising an eyebrow. Her expression disappeared and she said uncertainly, "What?"

"Who," I paused dramatically and pushed a finger to her forehead. "Are you?"

She stumbled back and pointed her eyebrows down, "Hey!"

"You look nice,"

I smiled plolitely and walked out of the door.

Edward-

I rolled my eyes before leaving. Nathaniel just had to have his little pet back. The annoying pet.

And now she was with Jessa who was both annoying and tempermental. As always, the world has proven that it's out to get me.

"So Edward, why did the mottly crew finally decide to come and get me?" Audi asked.

She was pulsing happiness through the air but I tried to fight harder. "Nathaniel wanted you back for a project. Just let's go."

"Of course Eddy-kins," she said before smiling and walking off with Jessa. Colt patted me on the back.

"Good luck."

"Thanks," I muttered angrily before getting on the plane.

[Audi]

"Tea, please! No! Wait! I want Coke-a-Cola instead, 'kay?"

The stuartist nodded her head tiredly and took back the tray of tea and cookies. I lay my feet on top of another seat, taking up two whole aisles. A mound of pillows supported my back and all the TV's were set to Comedy Central. I put the bowl of cereal down beside me to reach for the coke.

"You like?" I asked Jessica, handing her the coke to offer a sip.

She took another handful of popcorn and nodded. "I can't believe it, why does Edward and Colt put up with it?"

"There in the other--" Sllluuurrrp (of coke). "cabin. This is my cabin, I got it as a gift from Nathaniel for a birthday present."

"Ha, nice."

Edward and Colt poked their heads in and looked around at our pillow forts lined across the aisles. We laughed at the TV's and spilled the popcorn, calling in another stuartist. She already had another popcorn bowl and coke in hand and said nothing as she left us again.

"Boys!" I shouted, "Wanna watch with us?"

Jessica wiped her mouth and threw a pillow at the two, "Come on!"

Maisy

Maisy knew something that Jason didn't. She knew Audi would get out. If they left her. If they didn't guard her. However, she didn't say anything and she was still wondering why as she followed the others to Venice. Venice! How strange it felt to be returning home.

They were on a plane, a small one. A private jet or something, Maisy wasn't really paying attention. She was aware only of the fact that she was sat next to the window and on her right was Jason. Beyond that, her sight fell only inside in the tunnels of her thoughts.

It would be nice to see Father again, if only to show him how I am changed. I think I am stronger now, I think I could face him and not show that I am afraid. Maisy thought of her brief and final talk with Audi and how little the pull of the girl's power had bothered her. In time it might have overwhelmed her senses but just for a moment, just a short while... she'd said no.

There was a thrill in that word, one she hadn't known before. It was different to saying 'No, I haven't seen Edward' or 'No, I haven't eaten yet' because it was saying No I will not be controlled! Maisy decided that must be how shouting felt: the words were the same but they were somehow stronger, sharper. She'd never really shouted before. Perhaps she would try it some day.

"Did you fly here before?" Jason asked. Maisy blinked at him in surprise. "When you first came here?" Oh... right. Maisy nodded.

"Yes. I flew." Father bought me a ticket for the plane. He meant to help them but he didn't realise that I would like what I found, that I... that I would find you.

Jason

He stretched out his legs into the aisle for a minute, trying to shake off the discomfort he felt at being cramped into the tiny space. This might be a private jet, he thought, but I’ll be damned if it’s a comfortable one.

“Yes, I flew.” Said Maisy, seeming to lapse into thought for a long moment before she looked across at him, giving him a bemused half-smile, “Are you alright, you’ve been doing that since we took off.”

Jason grinned back sheepishly, “Yeah, it’s just I haven’t flown before, is all.”

She seemed surprised, “But, wait, surely Kyle’s sent you…”

He shook his head, “You’re forgetting, the only time you ever saw me when you were with Nathaniel was in the States. I don’t like going to far from New York, ‘cause I can’t bring my little sister on a mission, and that leaves her vulnerable. In fact, I didn’t do that much work with Kyle at all up until now.”

“So what’s changed?” She asked. “Why did you come?”

He shrugged, seeming even more embarrassed now, You changed…that’s why I’m here. “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Maisy

Quiet descended again as Maisy leaned back in her seat and digested the information. It was true, she'd only faced Jason in New York, he'd always stayed behind when the battle was waged the other way. But she'd not realised that. She'd taken it for granted that this fight, this war was the entirety of life and yet, there was suddenly something beyond it. These people had families and outside commitments, they had friendships and so many little things. I wonder... do they perhaps have jobs as well? Are they like the super heroes of those comic books?

The giggle could not be suppressed as Maisy thought back to all those nights hiding under her covers, materialising books from other people's hands all across the world. She'd feasted on the stories, on the fairy-tales that always ended so happily and comic books had been a whole new branch to the wonder. Characters with secret powers like her own but living within society instead of secluded, isolated!

"Something funny?" Jason asked, still shuffling around in his seat. Maisy caught and tempered herself but nodded shyly.

"I was thinking about super heroes," she said. "Do you have a secret identity? The good guys always have secret identities and alternative jobs and secret girlfriends and... whole new lives beyond the fight." She turned to the side, her body nestled against the seat as she watched him. "Do you have all of that?"

Jason

Jason let out a chuckle, “An alternative life, yeah, I’ve got one. But it’s not really like you think it is. For one thing, it’s nothing fancy. I live with my sister in a ratty little apartment. My alternative job is,” he shook his head, “This is going to sound silly."

She smiled, and he could tell that it was, to a degree, out of the fact that he actually had a double life, like a proper superhero, "I won't laugh."

He shrugged, "Fine. I do magic, perform illusions on the street, I’m good enough – obviously,” he said, rolling his eyes a little, “To earn enough to pay the rent and buy enough food to sustain us. So yeah, I’ve got a whole other life beyond this, and usually I put it before this aspect of my life. But you know, there’s a little kid in trouble on this one, and…”

Jason looked down for a moment, “Well, I’ve spent my whole life keeping Hallie – my sister – out of trouble, so I guess that’s part of it…” he trailed off, then grinned again, circling things back to the alternate life he’d been asked about, “But yeah, you might say I shouldn’t use my powers so openly, or that I’m exploiting them, but you know, it pays the rent, and it’s not like I’m using it in the way your old friends do.”

He made it clear that he wasn’t going to pretend she hadn’t been on that side, it was only insulting to both of them to do so, but he wasn’t accusing her of anything at the same time.

[Audi]

"We'll be landing shortly, please buckle up and stay seated, thank you."

I let out a light laugh at the annoucment and lay back down, watching as Jessica hesitated on what to do. I raised an eyebrow, she shook her head and sat back down opposite me.

"I'm callin' Maisy," I reached into my pocket for the phone. "You want me to deliver a message?"

"Nah, I'm good,"

On the other end I listened to the phone ring and expected no one to answer. Oddly, she did. It sounded like a stifled giggle and a man's voice talking something about tricks and appartments and other things that came into the speaker as muffles.

"Hello?"

I felt my lips twitch up into a "cat's smile" (so I've been told). "Maisy, dearest," I cooed gently, laughing just the same as she was. "It's me, Audi, where've you been! I missed you so much and... and... I was so worried."

My name came back as a whisper that seemed to be under her breath, then more strongly, "H-how--"

"Don't tell me your with that man, are you? Ooh... do I sense a little connection?" There was silence for a moment, but I could feel the words that were tugging at her mouth to burst out. "Talk to me, deary. No need to be shy,"

It was still a whisper, still under her breath. "Audi, I..."

Edward-

"Audi shut the freakin phone up. Teasing her only gets you shut up in prison," I snapped. Audi pouted.

"Awe, come one Edward. It's only a little fun."

I went back and grabbed her by the throat. Vual and Colt jumped up and Jessa just stared wide eyed.

"Not now Audi. Hang. It. Up."

Audi glared but then put the phone back to her ear. "Got to go now dearie, but please feel free to call anytime okay? Toodles."

Audi snapped the phone shut and I released her neck. I knew I was going to get it when we got to Nathaniel's office.

~Jessa~

"That wasn't very nice." I said, glaring at Eddy-kins. We girls had to stick together...even if one of these said girls is kind of screwed up.

"Not now, Jessica." Eddy-kins warned.

"You, dear Eddy-kins, do not tell me what to do." I smirked, digging into my pocket for my lava rock. I always kept it with me incase I need to burn someone's face off. Such a great good guy, right?

[Audi Rosario]

My fingers pointed out straight and I pulsed anything happy-related I could conjure up in my head. I felt the glare on my face (the one that rarely ever showed itself). My hand felt like it was burning now. I glanced toward Jessica, she raised an eyebrow.

It was a blur and faster than I first imagined. My fist conected with Edwards face and he flew into a pillow fort. A bright smile lit up his face and he giggled. Did I use too much emotion?

"Don't try that again," I hissed, almost cat-like.

Edward sat up--still smiling--and tried to frown, but didn't. His face twitched.
He didn't say a word.

If only I was a cat, my tail would be flicking and my claws ucurling and I would purr. I placed a hand to my neck and rubbed it tentively. Hardly has anyone ever grabbed me without me seeing. I didn't jolt on the outside, but I felt it on the inside.

I looked towards Edward and took a step forward to see what he'd do. Like the feeling that everything had just went his way and nothing needed violence, he didn't do anything. But he wanted to smack me back.

His clown-like, forced-happiness made me giggle. "Let's go sit up front Vaul, Colt, Jessica?" I looked towards Edward and helped him up, dragging him by the hand along with us. "Boy, you sure look happy,"

Giggle.