Poison.

Heaven crouches in the open for a moment, one hand punched into the floor, another twisting her hair around her fingers. "I-I'm sorry."

Cat crosses her arms and blows a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Yeah, cool. Sob story time." She leans back against a wall, shimmying her shoulders so that her hair falls the right way against her neck. Her whole presence feels like a distraction, her and the little girl, crouched over that wolf. 

All that matters is Heaven. Heaven and Dad and maybe Ceres, whose shuddering and blinking blankly, his shadow sinuous on the floor as he rocks on his knees. My heart twists in my chest, but my feet move forward, as if on their own accord. I'm working on autopilot now, my thoughts so scattered, a dull signal flashing in the back of my head reminding me of the pain, pain, pain ricocheted in my shoulders and back. Like an animal on the hunt, I let those thoughts fall away, all my senses attuned to her. The way she curls a strand of hair around her finger, the way she looks at the floor so blankly, tremors creeping into her forearms and shoulders. She draws in a shuddering gasp of a breath, rising with a low moan.

"Owl?"  Heaven poses the name like a question. She bounces on her toes like a fighter trying to conceal her moves from an opponent. Everything about her is wired, ready to pounce. Dad's hands are shoved into his pockets, and her surveys his reflection in one of the steel horizontal bars of a hanger. Then, with a practiced quiet, he slinks behind Ceres and hoists him to his feet. The brown-haired girl with the slurpee takes the moment to slip out the door, tin-can chimes battering the glass behind her. "Owl," Heaven says the name again, sharper. She stands on her tiptoes and brushes a strand of hair out of Ceres' eyes with a flick of her finger. "She's the threat now, and when we kick her butt—" she wheels toward Dad, who shrugs under her gaze "—I'm kicking his."

Ceres looks her up and down, his mouth drawing into a hard line. Even she doesn't seem so sure, scratching the back of her neck with a free hand, her head cocked to the side. His eyes are empty. He looks away while Dad looks up, wistful.

Then Ceres grumbles. "Owl, at least Angel, anyway, is headed north of here, sir." His head wilts down again, his posture slumping. I move down the floor, weaving into the empty center while Heaven huffs and turns on her toe like a dancer. She puffs up her chest, clutches a fistful of crumpled shirt and flings herself out of the store. She gives no one time to catch up, and Cat mutters "rude" under her breath, along with a grab-bag of colorful curses that makes Dad raise an eyebrow. Cat catches his eye and shrinks under his gaze. Good little henchman.

The wolf snuffs my wing. The touch of its cold nose sends a shock of pain through the broken limb and I bite back a scream. It looks up at me, the gold eyes making me flinch. I turn away and run after Heaven, and the others do, too. The urgency is back. If Owl's really making a move, then we're all screwed.

I'm the first to catch up to her, probably because I'm the most attuned. I failed to get Angelos first, but maybe I can still capture her. She ducks the opposite direction of the crowds, her curls  flowing out behind her like streamers. Her shoes slide on the oily ground, not quite going superspeed as she glides toward the dead end of a hall.

"Heaven!" I call after her, but I'm not fast enough. The ceiling's splintered, the gilded white material bashed in from old super fights. She whips around, crouching on her knees. I skid up to her, my shoes spinning out from under me in the sticky residue on the floor. She grabs me by my good wing, an arm wrapped around my waist for support. Her touch makes my legs jello, and I want to melt into her. I'm achy all over, and she combs her fingers through my broken wing, absently pushing bones back into place and tearing out feathers that have melted into wax. Her touch is urgent and insisting, her hands pushing through the holes in my wings. She cusses to herself. "If only I had a needle and thread, super glue, something..."

"Oh, I see. So you do care about me, princess?" I whip around, my wing swinging up at an odd angle. She narrows her eyes, her fingers covered in ash, but when I cock my ear and listen for it, I can hear her heart pound against her ribs. Then she clutches her face, pinching the bridge of her nose as if warding off a headache. Her groan is soft, barely there, and I dare a step toward her. 

The wing, slid on the floor, makes a 'thud.' Electricity hums in my veins, thoughts of the burnt wing pushed away by the shiny new distraction. I draw in a breath, and the air tastes sweet. Her hands slide up through her hair, pushing curls out of her eyes as she glances at the sky. The light shines down on her, illuminating her in a golden glow like a halo. An angel. More angel than my brother, anyway, the one with actual wings. Blood and ash cover her face; I want to wipe it away. I want to clean her up and take her away from all of this, and she must know because she refuses to look at me, squinting up at the sky instead.

"Katris, we don't have time for this. We have to go." My pulse flutters, whether it be from her remembering my name or from the mention of Owl. But I feel like I'm on a roller-coaster ride that's been plunging down, down, and now the cart's crawling back up again for another drop. Her eyes narrow at my wing, her head lifting and falling as she takes it in. She snaps her head up. "Can you fly?"

My breath catches. She has such dark eyes, so round and pretty. I want to make her fall in love me. I do, I do. But my brain's scrambling and as I wring my sweaty hands any sound I want to make won't come out. I blink away the dumbness, clear my clogged throat. "No." And I look away, my gaze wandering toward a strip of ceiling lights overhead, outshined by the morning sun. The pain is so sharp I can't help a little fake smile. Scorched wing? Grounded forever? I don't care anymore, at least, not for now. Just a new pain to pull my thoughts away from the others.

The other kids mill in a group by a shop. Dad keeps them occupied, leaned against a window, talking with his hands as he usually does. By the gleam of teeth over his curled lip, he's probably talking about Owl to them. They were married. They had a kid. It's funny how love really doesn't last forever. How can it? People don't last forever. New interests, new information, new memories. We're just snapshots. And falling in love with a picture of someone only sets you up for disappointment when the colors fade and what's left isn't what you loved in the first place.

"And about that deal," Heaven says, and I'm still staring at each crack in the lights. The bulbs hiss like embers, flaring and dimming every few minutes. I scratch my twitching eye, my sleeves riding up. The sun drys blood to my shirt and the fabric crackles, stiff at my joints.

"It's nothing," I say, my voice flat. There's so much I want to say to her. That I admire her. That I want her. But she's hurt, even more hurt than before, and I don't want to add to her bleeding.  "I guess you're going to have to leave me behind."

She touches me. Her fingers, gliding up my good wing. The feathers grow downward, so they fluff up the wrong way, exposing the skin layer. And yet, her warmth makes me grin. I could get used to this. The smell of blood and sweat and a hint of faded vanilla on her clothes.

"This isn't the time to talk," she says. Her voice is shaky, the smoothness of it plunged out. It still sounds like Galaxy, but there's something wrong. The confidence, the authority that sort of ooze. "But, you're right. I can't fight Owl on my own."

"Hmm." I swallow hard, the touch of her fingertips suddenly not as comforting. Squinting, I lower my eyes to my shoes. They're scuffed and stained, the laces frayed at the ends where the plastic caps fell off. "She'll be at the capitol. She doesn't go for small fry." Maybe I thought she'd discuss something else, something more personal. My mouth quivers into a line.

"I have to focus." Heaven pulls back her hand, and all I want is for her to put it back. I just want her to touch me. But her tone's hinting at something, the way it trembles, forced out with a nervous titter of a laugh. I nod. "This pain." She gulps. "It's awfully distracting."

I shake out my good wing. The feathers bristle up before lying flat, like cat fur. Blood rushes to my head in a current. I turn to face her, my breathing coming a little faster, though I try to hide it with an empty expression and a raised eyebrow.

"Heaven?" I could do it. Scoop her face in my hands and force her to look at me until she fell hopelessly in love. Maybe she'd tear off my good wing in the process, but her love would be worth it.

And yet, I don't want that. Crazy to think, after everything I've done, but right now, I don't want to force her to love me. I don't want to strip that decision from her, even though I'd give anything to be hers, even said wing. I have nothing else left.

She looks up at me. Her face is so beautiful to me, even covered in blood and dirt as it. I wonder if that's her power kicking in. Or maybe she really is that beautiful. I shake my head. My gaze slides down her body and I catch sight of her trembling knees. "I can't go home. Owl knows where I live." I lift my eyes. Every muscle in her throat is tight. "You hurt Angel once, and I bet you'll do it again. Not to mention your dad made a deal with my brother. You guys saved my life." Her voice cracks. She hangs her head like a gloomy puppy. "I'll stay, Katris. And you can use your power."

My heart leaps. I stoop down and touch her chin as gently as I can. With the very tips of my fingers, I lift her head so we're looking at each other face to face. She looks tired. "If I use my power, would that make this easier on you?" It's such a dumb thing to ask, but I want to make sure she's okay with it. That she knows I want to help her.

She just nods, cupping her hand around mine. I can feel her pounding pulse, and when she lowers my hand to my side, she keeps it in her grip. I don't want her to let go.

"Are you sure?" I have to know. I can't do this unless she wants me to. At least, I don't want to pull her under if she doesn't want it. Maybe before that was okay to me, but she isn't just some celebrity hero anymore. She means something.

"What do you mean?" Hev shakes out her hair and laughs softly, so softly I wonder if she's going to cry. She cocks an eyebrow, and her eyes meet mine again. My heart hiccups. Beads of sweat tremble on her brow. "Impulsive decisions by heartbroken teens always end well."

"Hev, if you don't agree to this, I'm not gonna hurt Angelos or anything."

"You did before."

Dad's turned toward us, tapping his watchless wrist. I brush her shoulders and grip her near her forearms. I'm thinking about trying to shake some sense back into her, but I don't. I just hold her. "I just don't like him." I shrug. "I was going to take his powers away so Owl couldn't use him, that's all. I sent that message because can you blame a guy for trying?" I try to smile good-naturedly, but it comes out a smirk. She punches her fists into her pockets, her chest shuddering. I hope she doesn't cry. 

"As long as you don't do it again." Her hand feels warm around mine, and when she looks at me, my lips feel tingly. I'm about to ask her again, but she just nods. So I don't say anything of it. I stoop down and brush up her head with the back of my hand. I catch her eye.

Using my power comes instinctively to me. Sometimes, when I'm relaxed or when the "victim" is of a more romantic type, I use it without even knowing. It starts as a heat, warming down my neck to the base of my spine. Tingles prickling in my wings and scalp. Heaven sighs. It's pleasant, for the most part, like warm water unraveling the knots in my muscles. 

When someone blocks me, though, I can feel it. It feels like bashing your brain into a brick wall. Sharp pain and the petty knowledge you're getting nowhere.

Before, I'd never come in contact with someone with such a strong will as Heaven. Even when I caught her unaware, there was some resistance. And when she shut me out, getting back in was impossible.

But now? Nothing. She melts. And it feels wrong, like this Hev isn't the same one who flipped me off and fought me. 

"Hev?" I ask, my voice as soft as I can make it. She blinks up at me, and she smiles. It's such a sweet gesture, her body gone lax all at once. Her eyes are cloudy, and she gives me a dreamy look. She squeezes my hand and curls it to her chest. I wait for her to speak.

"Owl." She frowns, mulling over the name like she just remembered it from somewhere. Heavy footsteps clip the air, shadows moving in my peripherals. "I—we—we have to get her." Her eyes trail up to my mouth. She shakes her head, another soft sigh leaving her. "Let me carry you." She squeezes my hand, and she leans into me, her forearm brushed against my shoulder.

"H-Heaven?" The voice behind me is small, barely audible. Hev jerks down her gaze and I turn, my arm yanked taut. She has the grip of a steel trap, super and all. The hero girl's eyes are wide, and she looks at Hev like she's a wild animal. "Are you okay?"

Cat's glaring at me, her fists balled at her hips. Dad looks murderous. The wolf whimpers and hides behind the little hero's leg.

"I'm fine." Hev laughs. Her voice sounds too tight, too squeaky for her, but I ignore it. She loves me now. It's really true. "Fine. I chose this. Don't be mad at him."

I shoot Dad a look. A half of a smirk. "Yeah, she did. She just loves me. Isn't that right, Galaxy?"

Heaven lowers my hand and takes up my burnt wing instead, stroking the waxy feathers. She slings it over her shoulder, tucking the tips under her arm. "Yeah," she says. "I do." Cat squeaks, her mouth dropped open wide, and it's awful satisfying to shut her up for once.

"Maybe if you're lucky I'll invite you to the wedding," I tell her, flicking a streak of ash off Heaven's face. I'm flying, even without wings. I can't help a little smirk.

Dad lifts a fist, his mouth suddenly screwing into a snarl. "I told you to leave that girl alone!" I flinch. He's going to hit me, even after he took my wing. My freedom. I wince, but Hev shoots up, and he arms slide around my waist.

"Forget about it," she says to them, and I let out a breath. "It's my decision. Not that you all didn't help with it." She glances down at the little hero and softens her voice, Cat still wide-eyed and silent. "Except for you, sweetie. I'm sorry I dragged you into this, and I'm sorry I can't bring you back home just yet. Owl and all."

She nods dumbly. "Uh huh." Rubbing her cheek, she shoots a glance at Cat, who finally shuts her mouth.

If only the little henchman would stay this quiet all the time.

"To the capital, then?" asks Hev. My feet dangle and my good wing twitches for flight.

The rage melts in Dad's expression. Sighing low, he tucks a strand of hair behind his ear and looks down, shoulders sagging. He shuffles up to us, clutching his hands together at his chest. "We'll talk about this later." His tone is begging. I shake my head and the others rise, Cat wobbly, her eyes squeezed shut. Maybe her flight powers are still weak from Angel taking them from her before. She pops them back open, crosses her arms, and rockets up.

"You're crazy! We haven't even figured out a plan yet!" She spits, narrowly missing Dad's shoe. He looks at her and she flushes, fumbling for an apology as she bows.

"We'll figure it out," Hev says. She rockets into the air with a kiss on my cheek. I have her, finally have her, and Dad's expression is soft and sad.

***

^^Eep! @EndTheCliche made the epic fanart above. Stil can't get over how adorable Angel looks :).