General North was not going to be happy.

She should've already captured her target. However, the mission hadn't been as straightforward as she thought.

Hovering several stories above the ground, Stella scanned the dimly lit streets beneath her feet. A few of the abandoned warehouses had been damaged from the earlier battle. Sirens could be heard in the distance as the local police rushed to the scene.

She grimaced and pressed a finger to her earpiece.

"Does anyone have a visual on Blessed Ann?"

A few moments passed before one of her team members answered her.

"She's at the smokestacks. Alone," Angus, codename Slugger and co-captain of the Prime Task Force, said. "Engagin' now—"

"Wait," Stella hissed. "I'm on my way."

"I can handle 'er, Starchild—"

"I said wait."

Stella, however, didn't bother waiting for his reply. While they might have been leading the team together, everyone knew she held rank over them all. Ever since Chase and the others abandoned them, she had been forced to pick up the slack around The Acropolis. She didn't mind too much, though. After all, she couldn't have Angus and Theo leading them.

That would've been a disaster.

Though, even with her leadership skills, today's mission was hinting into turning into one itself.

Out of all the Primes she had faced during her time as a superhero, Blessed Ann might've been the most dangerous. Not only did she have psychic powers, but she was also an unhinged schizophrenic. A few months ago, reports coming out of Utah told of a group of women rallying behind a Prime. Strange, cult-like activities were seen occurring deep in the badlands.

Dangerous bonfires, group suicides in the name of an unknown deity, and sudden disappearances.

It didn't take too long for Blessed Ann and her cult to start murdering people—specifically men. While their victims usually deserved what happened to them, they couldn't just let a psychotic murder roam free.

Stella and her team had been working on the case for a few weeks. They finally tracked the woman down to a factory in downtown Salt Lake City.

They were going to bring an end to her reign of terror.

Huffing, she tucked her arms and bulleted down towards the tall smokestacks of the factory Blessed Ann had turned into a hideout.

Air rushed around her as she hurtled back to the ground. She leveled herself out before hitting the concrete, allowing herself to lightly touch the floor. Her hazel eyes darted around as she searched for Blessed Ann.

She froze upon spotting the woman.

The cult leader was stood at the base of a smokestack. Her black and white hair was wild, as were her crystal blue eyes. The dark makeup that usually decorated her pale skin was smudged and cracked. Her pixie-like features were scrunched up in anger. She could've been a model in another life—had she not been a murderous psychopath, of course.

Angus may have gotten a lot of things wrong in the past, but he was right about one thing.

Blessed Ann was alone.

Still, Sella proceeded with tight-lipped caution.

"What're you doing?" Angus said in her ear.

"I'm...not sure."

Blessed Ann whipped her head around. A sneer twisted her onyx-painted lips. She pointed a skinny finger at the girl.

"You are ruining everything!" she shrieked. "Everything was fine before you showed up."

Stella activated the devices on her wrists. The yellow lights hummed to life. She formed a staff of tangible light in her hand.

"Stand down." Her tone was stern. Uncompromising. "Final warning."

"Now why would I do that?" Blessed Ann scoffed. "You should be bowing down to me. I am a god!"

Stella pointed her spear at the Prime. "Last chance."

The woman growled. She raised her palms and pointed them at the other girl. Before she could unleash an attack, a baseball surrounded by crackling, blue energy raced toward her. She turned just in time to dodge it.

Seething, she directed her attention to its source.

Emerging from his hiding spot was Angus. He gripped his metal bat tightly in his gloved hands. A light blue baseball cap sat atop his orange hair. Scowling, he pointed his bat at Blessed Ann.

"You're goin' down, lady."

Stella squinted at him. What is he doing?

Blessed Ann rolled her eyes. With a simple flick of her wrist, a blast of psychic energy left her hand and smacked into Angus' chest. A cry was ripped from his throat as he was sent sailing across the yard.

"Men. What a waste of space." Blessed Ann faced Stella. "A pity you are trying to save them."

"Enough talking."

Stella took to the air. She quickly launched her spear of light at the woman, but it was easily batted aside. Two focused blasts of psychic energy were sent her way. She nimbly dodged them, but only just.

Blowing a loose strand of hair out her flustered face, she glared at her opponent.

"Come down, little bird," Blessed Ann coaxed. "I'm not finished playing with you yet."

Stella replied with two attacks of her own. Bright spheres of light soared toward the Prime. One was redirected into the ground, but the second found its mark. Blessed Ann yelped as she sent crashing to the ground.

Without waiting for her to get up, Stella sped down toward her. Just as she was about to pin the woman down, Blessed Ann jumped to her feet A crazed look filled her bright eyes. In the blink of an eye, she had her hand raised.

Stella tried slowing down but was she already moving too fast.

Blessed Ann's hand pressed against her forehead, stopping her in her tracks. Before she could react, pain exploded inside her head. Agony spiderwebbed across her body like cracks appearing in a frozen lake.

Screaming, she fell to her knees. Tears welled in her eyes as she wriggled in the Prime's touch.

Grinning maniacally, Blessed Ann leaned in close to Stella's ear. "Close. But not close enough."

The pain assaulting Stella's entire worsened with every passing second. Hot tears streamed down her bronze cheeks as she fought to stay conscious.

"You are weak, Starchild."

She grit her teeth so hard she thought they might shatter. Clenching her hands, she called upon the light that hid deep inside her, desperately trying to harness the power that made her the most ferocious fighter in Atlas' ranks.

"I can see the pain that afflicts you deep inside," Blessed Ann continued. "We share the same pain. You've been wronged by men, just like I have. Even now you bend to their will. Why?"

Stella could barely hear the woman, as her senses were overloaded.

"There's so much potential within you. A shame you must be sacrificed."

Stella's heart skipped a few beats as her breaths quickened. She needed a way out. If she didn't find one soon, she was done for. No one was coming to her rescue either. Angus was likely out cold in the pile of boxes he fell in and the rest of her team was likely too far away to reach her.

She had to save herself.

Suddenly, everything around her faded into obscurity. A low hum sounded in her ears. Her skin warmed to the touch as it light poured from her bronze complexion. She felt Blessed Ann's hand leave her forehead.

Her eyes snapped open. A fierce, golden light had swallowed them whole. The ground below her cracked beneath the heat and energy radiating from her body.

Blessed Ann blanched. "What? Impossible—"

She was cut short by an uppercut to the jaw. The woman sailed upward, her hair splayed out around her like a dark halo.

Stella flew upward to meet her. A supersonic boom clapped around her, nearly sending a smokestack toppling to the ground in the process. She caught Blessed Ann by the collar of her frilly dressed and pulled her face close to her own.

The woman was out like a light.

Exhaling, Stella brought them both back down to the ground. Once her feet touched the concrete, a wave of exhaustion hit her like a freight truck. Sweat trickled down her temple and her shoulders slumped.

She released Blessed Ann and let her unconscious body hit the floor.

Panting, she pressed a finger to her earpiece. "Threat has been neutralized."

#

After Atlas agents arrived on the scene to arrest Blessed Ann, Stella convened with her squad on the sidewalk outside of the warehouse where the battle took place.

"What happened to you?" Lucky, otherwise known as Field, asked her. His luscious, black locks were tied into a single braid down his back. The white lights in his black suit shone brightly in the night.

"Don't worry about it," Stella replied, her voice clipped. She rubbed her temples and grimaced.

The pain from Blessed Ann's attack still lingered within her. That wasn't the only mark the schizophrenic Prime left on the girl, though.

She couldn't get the woman's words out of her head.

"You've been wronged by men, just like I have. Even now you bend to their will. Why?"

While the woman might have been out of her mind, she was right. Ever since Stella was a child, she had been mistreated. By her father. By every boyfriend she ever had. When she got with Chase, she thought things would've been different.

He was supposed to be different.

But he left her when she needed him most. Just like everyone else. They always did in the end.

A frown pulled at her lips.

"Are you alright, captain?" Lucky asked, concern evident in his soothing voice.

Nodding, she faked a smile for him. But if she knew him, and she was sure she did, he wouldn't buy it. Luckily, he didn't question her any further.

A few moments later, Angus and the other member of their small squad—Theo—joined them on the sidewalk.

"Media is on their way," Theo said. He had a bandage wrapped around his wrist, which had already been bloodied.

Stella pointed at it and arched an eyebrow.

"Oh, this? It's nothing. One of Blessed Ann's women warrior's just got a lucky hit, that's all," Theo answered with a sheepish smile. "You know, they're pretty rude. I didn't really want to hit them, but they certainly had no problems hitting me."

"I coulda' handled 'em," Angus boasted.

Stella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like you handled Blessed Ann."

He pursed his thick lips at her. "She got lucky."

"Whatever you say."

The sound of vans rolling up filled Stella's ears. Scowling, she turned around to meet them. A plethora of news channel reporters left their vehicles and approached the four Primes. Different expressions of discomfort covered their faces.

Stella hated talking to the media. And, being the team commander, she was usually the one who had to do it.

Ever since the PRA got signed three years prior, the Prime Task Force had been put under even more scrutiny than before. She thought that an extra set of guidelines and regulations would make their lives easier, but she was sorely mistaken. Every mistake was highlighted in the news. Not only that, but General North's Jaeger program didn't help the public's perception of Primes and their allies.

Sometimes she wondered if people even saw them as heroes.

"Here we go," Theo hissed under his breath. He pulled his inhaler out of the special pocket in his suit and took a quick puff. "How do I look?"

"As goofy as ever," Stella said with a small smile.

"I'll take it."

A curse slipped past Stella's lips as she watched a small horde of paparazzi rushing towards them. The mere sight of their cameras and microphones made her want to spontaneously combust. Sometimes, she wanted to fly one of them up into the stratosphere and drop them.

Of course, she wouldn't but it didn't hurt to dream.

"Starchild!" one of the reported yelled over the crowd. "Can we get a statement on what happened here tonight?"

Cameras shuttered and flashes went off, nearly blinding it. Blinking rapidly, she shielded her eyes from the lights shining in her face.

"Er, yes," she answered. "After a long search, and with the cooperation of the Salt Lake City PD, we managed to track Blessed Ann and her group here. She has since been apprehended, along with her followers."

"And what about the damages?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Your battle left one of the warehouses in terrible condition. One of the smokestacks is in danger of toppling over."

She pressed her lips into a flat line and narrowed her eyes at the reporter. "We did the best we could regarding the circumst—"

Another reporter, slightly less professional looking than the others, pushed to the front. They eagerly shoved a tape recorder into Stella's face. She flinched, her eyes wide.

"What do you have to say about the rogue Prime who has been targeting your forces across the country? It's said that this vigilante is a former member of your team."

Stella froze.

Everyone went quiet as all eyes shifted to the bold reported. They were a mousy-looking reporter with a brimmed hat and round spectacles. A wide grin was plastered across their face as they waited for a response from the leader of the Prime Task Force.

She knew exactly who he was talking about.

He was talking about Oscar.

Much like Chase and the others, he had been off the grid for years. But instead of hiding and staying out of view, he publicly attacked Atlas forces whenever he got the chance. Stella had faced him a few times but had yet to bring him in.

She once thought she would have been able to reason with him. Perhaps get him to surrender. But after their last encounter, she knew that wasn't possible.

She wasn't the naïve, hopeful girl she once was. Years of working for Atlas had changed her. She still wasn't sure if it was for the better.

For the short moments she had seen Oscar, she knew something was different. She saw it in his eyes. Something had broken inside of him. Pure rage and fury burned in his eyes like a wildfire whenever he looked at her.

The Oscar she once knew didn't exist anymore. He died in the same fire that killed his family.

He was coming for them. She knew it.

That meant she would have to end him before he ended her.

"We'd like an answer," the reporter pushed.

She stuttered, her tongue suddenly feeling like a paperweight.

Fortunately for her, Theo stepped in.

"You know, we would love to answer that question for you," he began, "but this is an ongoing investigation, so I don't think we're really supposed to talk about it. You know, legalities and whatnot. I think that's how you say it. Anyways, when we have more info, you all will be the first to know."

The reporter frowned. "But—"

"Well, you would look at the time!" Theo exclaimed. "We should get going. If you have any further questions, you can direct them to the Atlas headquarters. Have a good night folks!" He grabbed Stella's hand and gently pulled her away from the scene. Angus and Lucky followed behind them.

As they left, heading an armored Atlas truck that just arrived, Stella mumbled an apology under her breath.

"I shouldn't have froze out there."

"No need to apologize," Lucky reassured her. "We know it's a touchy subject."

Angus kissed his teeth. "You've gotta toughen up a bit, Stell. Can't be showin' weakness like that."

Nostrils flaring, she stomped up to him. "Where was your toughness when I was battling Blessed Ann all by myself?"

"Like I said, she got a lucky shot in." He looked down at her, his eyes having been reduced to slits. "We've gotta be strong. Things are already as hard as it is."

"Ignore him," Theo said while shooting the ginger an incredulous glance. "You're doing a great job."

Stella huffed and shook her head. "Let's just go."

Angus hadn't changed one bit. He was still as overconfident and arrogant as ever. He often reminded her of Chase, just without the actual leadership qualities.

Her face fell at the thought of him.

She wondered if she would ever see him again. Did she even want to see him? She wasn't sure. Most days, she wasn't sure about what she wanted.

She did know one thing, though—she couldn't wait to get back home and sleep.