5.38 – Pays to be cautious

<3 Thank you, Patrons: AlliterativeArts, Leonguard, David, Joseph, Icewing <3Edited by: Rellawing, Raleon 1/25/2021

The Midnight Avenger said, all business, “As field leader, I’ll clear you and Mocha to stay at Aurora’s house tonight. I trust the both of you at this point.”

Redline whooshed in from the entry tunnel. “Sorry that took so long,” she said with a smile. “My family’s been a little worried since I’ve been gone so long, what with all the aliens and all. Should we draw straws or something? Take shifts?”

“We’re going over to Aurora’s house for a meal,” the Avenger said. “Give me about… thirty minutes before you come in.” He headed for the exit. “I’ll see you all there.”

“ALL of us?!” Redline asked, looking at Aurora with a smile. “Oh, wow… really? You’re gonna trust me? That’s so cool of you! Thanks!”

Mocha shuffled around a bit. “I… guess I'll just amuse myself here then.”

“You’re a bit slow, sometimes, Mocha.” Aurora laughed. “You’re coming home too! It’ll be your home from now on, if you want it to be, at least once things are settled. Think of it as an interview, but far cozier. We’re going to relax there for the night because it’s way more comfortable than this place. Also because I trust everyone here to see me as I am out of costume and because I trust everyone here to see me as I am out of costume, I don’t need to keep it a secret from you all. I think the best way to go about it is to not arrive in a large group. I’ll give you my address, Redline. Show up out of costume.” Aurora asked for Redline’s card and programmed it with her address to pass it back. “The Midnight Avenger has known where to find me for a long while, I’d wager. I’ll fly Mocha over and we’ll show up at the front door. I don’t mind if you’re there first.”

“Won’t you be a little conspicuous at this hour?” Redline asked. “I can run us all over pretty easily… though I don’t know the town that well. I can find places pretty quickly now.” She grinned.

“No, don’t use powers,” the Midnight Avenger said. “If you have civilian clothes with you you can change to, go ahead and do so if you’re comfortable with it.” He produced a small wad of cash and left it on a table by the passageway leading out. “It’s not glorious, but get a cab for a change. Make sure you get off it a few blocks away.”

The Midnight Avenger left and Redline grinned. “I don’t have any civvies on me… it’s not like I can shrink them into a ring or anything cheesy like that… but I’ll go get some and be right back, okay?”

Aurora nodded and as soon as she blinked her eyes a few times, Redline was back with a duffel bag.

“This is like total sleepover material!” Redline said with a grin as she rushed over to start a hugging puddle. “I brought my toothbrush from home and stuff. Just in case we’re staying longer than a visit that saves me a quick trip later. I haven’t been over to a friend's house in ages! It’s like I’m always running off on a mission… and this is gonna be hella fun!”

After a long hug, Aurora responded,”Let’s do that.” She hugged them both and disengaged as she looked at Redline Racer. “Since it’s turned into a sleepover, it’s time for the big reveal. I already showed who I am when I’m not Aurora to M.A. and Vanguard. I hope you don’t mind what you see, Redline.” She smiled nervously as she reversed her transformation.

When Leona transformed back, she nearly passed out. Mocha was faster than Redline in catching her since Redline expressed some shock.

Leona felt very fuzzy. Not drained per se, but she was reminded of what a human could hope to do in a single day without suffering for it.

Redline crowded in and grinned. “Oh… my… gosh… you’re so… young!” she said as she sped around Aurora for a second, looking at Leona in every direction. “Wow, you’re going to be incredibly cute when you finish growing up!” she said with a wink.

Mocha smiled. “I wasn’t surprised back over in Seaside when you showed me… but honestly… I don’t think of you like this. How you act is a clue enough even if you hadn’t already shown me. I’m sorry I nearly betrayed your trust in front of everyone.” Mocha touched Leona’s face. “I couldn’t say it… and I couldn’t really believe it after only having seen it myself, but we really could be friends… we really could go to school together--- for a year or two,” Mocha said wistfully.

“Unexpected to say the least.” Redline grinned and shook her head. “I’ve been the baby of the team but now that you’ve joined, I can be a big sister. Okay, you two, you ready to go with me? We can keep Avenger’s cash and I’ll run you home and no one’ll know.” She winked.

“I… might be a little heavy for that...” Mocha mumbled.

“I’ll make up for that.” Leona laughed and smiled wryly. “I’m a bit small for my age even though my development’s coming along. I help make up for it by practicing parkour in my spare time. Make sure that if I’m stuck, I can do something even like this.” She looked at Mocha and winked. “We’re always friends no matter my age.”

Leona looked at Redline and shook her head. “We’d get there faster, but I’m inclined to trust M.A.’s judgement. It would probably be best if we handled this carefully. Pick up Mocha now and see if you can carry her.”

Redline moved to scoop up Mocha, but the comedic effort visible on her face gave Leona a giggle. Mocha blushed as Redline struggled to carry her just a foot away. Mocha crossed her arms with a haughty huffing and straightened her clothes as Redline gave up, saying, ”Okay, so… let’s get that cab, huh?”

Aurora nodded and yawned. “Alright… get changed and we’ll head out.”

Molly, aka Redline, changed in short order into a jean jacket, a tee-shirt and flared bluejeans. She wore a different set of goggles but kept them hanging around her neck. They were very stylized, crafted from brass and black rubber.

“You like steampunk?” Mocha asked.

“Well, I like the goggles, at least,” Molly said with a grin. “And when I’m like this, you can call me Molly, sound good?”

Mocha shrugged. “Um… alright… Molly.”

“And call me Leona.”

Mocha gaped. “You called yourself… well… nice to meet you, Leona. I guess I’m still just Mocha.”

Molly giggled as the three set out for the street. They left the ruined storefront and walked up the street for a few blocks. As they started calling for a cab, a few scruffy-looking boys walked up to them.

“Hey, cutes,” one of them said, eyeing the three of them. “It’s dangerous in the city at night for nice girls like you. Why don’t you hire me as protection. My friends’ll help out too. Fifty per or a hundred for all three.”

Mocha eyed the speaker. “You’re scum.”

Molly blushed and giggled as she stepped in between the boys and Mocha and spoke, “Okay… sorry about my little sister. She was obviously born without any social graces. We’ll be fine, though. Why don’t you run along?”

The guy grinned though his angry flushing that belied his true feelings. “I dunno, chicas… I’m serious… somethin’ real bad might happen to three girls all by themselves.”

Mocha took a deep breath and looked around. As she did, the guy shook his head and barked a laugh. “Ain’t no one gonna hear nothing.”

Mocha picked up a fairly large piece of broken glass off the pavement.

“Ha ha… you gonna cut yourself, little girl.”

She squeezed the glass until it shattered, her hand dripping with blood. “That’s how I’ll deal with scum like you if you keep threatening us.”

The guy turned white and rushed off and the other two scurried after him.

Molly laughed uproariously. “Oh my God… that was great…. Are you alright?” She looked at Mocha, her eyes lowering to her injured hand.

Mocha sighed, flexing her bloody hand. “That was a little rash, I guess, but I didn’t want you two to reveal yourselves.” She idly picked glass from the cuts. “It’ll heal soon enough. A bit of sharp glass can’t damage me much.”

Molly gave Mocha a little hug. “Well, next time, let your big sister take care of guys like that. I do a whole haunted routine and punch ‘em at superspeed so they think it’s ghosts.”

“Does that really work?” Mocha asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Does where I'm from.” Molly grinned and pointed a thumb at herself.

Leona chuckled and called the cab company. It took a little doing, but she talked the dispatch into sending someone out and after about fifteen minutes, they climbed inside.

By the time they reached the house, it’d been longer than the twenty minutes the Avenger asked for, in part because the cab driver was inflating the fare.

Leona paid him and gave a modest tip for the detours along the way. The three headed several blocks over to Goonie’s condo.

Mocha looked around with a soft sigh and commented, “You live in such a bad place… this modern age is so… ugh…”