“I thought you said we weren’t infiltrating the Citadel?” It wasn’t a question. In Harlow’s mind, she’d already shot down the whole ‘infiltrate one of the worlds’ most secure organizations’ plan. She had assumed that Black Star had agreed. But with what she told the Phantasm, she wasn’t sure anymore.

“Well, yeah. I said we weren’t infiltrating it blindly. That’s what you wanted right? You were always a more ‘plan first, action later’ type person.” Black Star tilted her head, watching the stage in front of them as puppets giggled and pranced about. 

They were told that Phantasm would help them, but only after she finished the days’ show. After all, kids loved her show and she was a performer first, villain second. So they just made their way to the back of the theatre and waited through the entire performance. It took about an hour before Harlow even said anything. 

“So…who’s Dante” Harlow said after mulling it over. She hated not having any information. It wasn’t the greatest idea to depend on others to make the best decision for her, no matter the shared history. 

“Ah, he’s her little brother.” Harlow whipped her head around, staring wide-eyed at black Star who barely even flinched. “He’s um…what was his name, I think he’s called  Machiavelli? Not sure, he’s not a high time villain like her.” Black Star turned to look Harlow in the eye. “But, villains’ families are often monitored you know, so why not become one yourself?” Harlow racked her brain on a file called Machiavelli, but was a little embarrassed because she couldn’t really remember. She really needed to pay more attention villain society.  

“So this was your plan all along? You knew this before?” Harlow felt a little upset that they hadn’t discussed this prior to being here. She understood that she wasn’t owed any information, that Cass was here helping of her own choice. But if you’re going to say that you’re helping, maybe make sure everyone is on the same page? 

Eventually the puppet show came to an end, and Harlow and Black Star were lead backstage. The backrooms of the theatre were just as dilapidated as the show room. More puppets, and even more puppets and doll parts, laid around the floor and hugged close to the wall corners. Harlow felt vey uneasy. Yeah, she could argue that she had some support in the form of Black Star, but also she was just much easier to scare. 

They walked into a room that only had a small loveseat covered in tattered blankets, a desk that took up the majority of the room  and was covered in doll parts, designs for dolls and sets, and scripts for future ideas of shows. Phantasm lead them into the room and encouraged them to sit. She hovered over to some of the papers and shuffled through them. 

“My knowledge is limited,” She began, “but I’ve gone back to the spot where he last was dozens of times. He- I mean, no one knows what happened?” She glanced over her shoulder to look at the two sat on the couch. “Every time I tried, every time i looked, I found nothing! It’s like he never existed.”  She whispered the last part, pausing and struggling with a strain in her voice that Harlow pretended not to notice. When She turned around fully, she was holding a couple of papers in her hands. She sighed. 

“These are some of the last people i knew he was working with. Nothing about the citadel though.” Black Star grabbed the papers from her, looking through them. It was mostly suppliers, sometimes even a rendezvous for more product being shipped. Black let Harlow look over them while she stood and placed a hand on Phantasm’ shoulder. 

“It’s a start, Luci. Here’s what I’m thinking…” Black Star turned around to face Harlow. “Okay? So, we have information that ties at least some of the missing people to the Citadel. You know that scientist that died? She probably had something to do with it and now she’s gone.” Black Star tilted her head to one side. “Maybe they’re tying up loose ends? Harlow?” 

Harlow didn’t stand, she just looked down to the papers in her hands. She shuffled through them, but found the same hopelessness she’d found when looking at all the other files and articles. It wasn’t connected, at least not on the surface. She shook her head.

“Yeah, Dr. Gizzard was a piece of whatever this was. But she’s dead now, if she was so important why kill her?” Harlow placed thee papers to the side of her. Black Star and Phantasm looked back at Harlow, both racking their owns brains for a motive. 

“Wasn’t she a biologist or something?” Phantasm asked. Harlow nodded. “Maybe she was studying the supers they kidnapped? But now, now they don’tNneed them anymore. But what happens when they don’t need them anymore…” She trailed off, but her tone was clear.  

“She was…a biologists I mean, well of sorts.” Harlow hummed a bit, “She was studying specifically meta-physiology. I was supposed to be helping her with a presentation for…” Harlow slowly stopped talking. “…for Superhero Day. Oh my gods, what day is it?”

Black Star and Phantasm exchanged glances but neither answered right away. Black Star shrugged. “Like the date? Or just what day, cuz I’m not entirely sure. You think it has something to do with this?”

Harlow started searching her pockets for her phone when she remembered abruptly that she didn’t have it. She wasn’t even sure when she lost it, but it wasn’t on her right now! “Really? Neither of you know the day?” She asked. They both shook their heads. 

“Honestly…” She stopped searching her pockets and instead tried to remember how long it’d been. So, she had stayed down here for at least a day, then she fell asleep on the highway before that, and…

“Harlow? Mind sharing with the class? What could this have. Anything to do with Superhero Day?” Black Star asked. Harlow broke from her thoughts for a moment. 

“Oh, well…I was thinking that since Dr. Gizzard was murdered before I could get those materials back to her. She mentioned that she needed something i was borrowing from her before she died.” Black Star nodded thoughtfully. Harlow continued, “…and I figured that if it was that important…wait let me start from the beginning.”  She explained everything from that dreadful evening, from her bypassing Citadel security to her witnessing the murder. 

“Oh…” Phantasm clicked her tongue, sitting down on the desk behind her. It was weird to see her actually interact with the physical world around her, because when she did she seemed so…human. “Now that you explain all that, it could have something to do with the Citadel.” She folded her arms. “So what now?”

Black Star leaned against the desk, “Now, we need to find a way into Citadel. Since they’re framing Harley, I assume all her access is suspended if not fully terminated. So there’s gotta be another way.”

Harlow sat back down herself. “Well maybe i could just walk up to the Citadel and ask to talk.” She heard Black Star giggle. “No, stop that. It’s perfectly reasonably to think that they’d help me with this. It’s been a long-going investigation and we could all use the cooperation about now.” She pouted as the small giggle turned into suppressed laughter. 

“Sorry love, but it’d be easier to keep doing what we’re doing. We need their resources, sure, but we don’t need them.” Black Star had tried to make her tone light, but Harlow could tell she was being dead serious. the reason for why, she didn’t know, but she’d let it slide to avoid an argument. 

“What do you suggest instead? The Citadel is one of the most secured building in the world. And one of the only people who could possibly hack into the security without being detected (herself) had just been marked as enemy #1 for the foreseeable future, so there’s no way the physical security wouldn’t be up as well. 

Black Star grinned in the usual playful way she did before she dragged Harlow to gods’ know where to do gods’ know what. “Well, I think i may know someone else that can help us. Phanty, do you still have that list of contacts for Graves City?” The Phantasm nodded, disappearing through the wall to retrieve said item. Harlow sighed heavily, before even trying to ask. 

“Is this another villain? Don’t you think including this many people makes it harder to do this job without being caught. You can only control the chain of information for so long before you lose your grip of it.” Harlow pointed out.

“All this time and you still don’t trust me? Quit being such a Hero about it, I couldn’t have gotten this far without asking others to help out.” Black teased. Before Harlow could argue back that she was not in fact, ‘being a hero’ about it, Phantasm came back into the room, momentarily lowering the temperature and causing Harlow to shiver.  “And no, this time it’s not a villain I’m looking for help from.” She took the papers from Phantasm and thanked her silently. 

“It’s another hero. Here.” Black Star walked over and sat beside Harlow, leaning the papers in her hands so she could see better. 

It was a list of people, civilian names only, and some addresses. The addresses listed were all commercial buildings, and Harlow just assumed they’d all be old abandoned buildings. The perfect place for any evil-doing. She stopped, registering what Black Star just said. 

“Did you say another hero?” She asked. 

“Who else would be better equipped to enter the Citadel? And you yourself said they’d be on high alert for you, but they wouldn’t be for them.” She chuckled, moving the papers closer to her again. “It’s foolproof. So whaddya say? Ready to infiltrate the Citadel with me?” Harlow groaned loudly, but Black Star took that as affirmative. After all, they’d already come this far.

Harlow looked up to Phantasm who’d been watching them with eagerness until this point. “And if we find anything else out about Dante, we’ll let you know. Well, I’ll make Cass let you know.” Phantasm smiled and nodded. 

  “Thank you.”