Harper finishes her drink and sets it aside. She watches closely as the man suddenly falls against a building and grips at his head. “Oh no-” Harper manages to get out when she falls silent. The man’s hands start to morph into sharp, pitch black claws. Frozen in her seat, Harper helplessly mouths out words not even she realizes she’s unable to say.
Her mom always said monsters were just make believe. They belonged in movies and stories and late at night in nightmares that plagued everyone every once in a while. But now Harper’s beginning to think that maybe this isn’t just a dream gone wrong. She knows she’s here at Murphy’s. Trinity’s real and just a few moments away. The spicy tinge of chai still lingers on her lips. This is is her real life and she’s witnessing a poor man become something gruesome right in front of her.
She’s on her feet, dashing out of the shop without hesitation. Harper’s no athlete but when she’s determined she can manage impossible speed. Her parents used to joke that she had the essence of Superman in her blood. Well if it wanted to come out, now’s a better time than ever, Harper thinks. Just in time to make it thru the crosswalk she finds herself on the same corner as the man. Where everyone has gone, she doesn’t notice. All she’s fixated on is the sharp, shadowy figure just a few feet away.
“Sir! Sir are you okay-” she hollers, unsure of what to even make of the whole scene. Clearly he’s not okay, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
With a pained roar, the man - monster? - stumbles down the street towards one of the more run down streets in town. Harper follows after him keeping with his pace. She wasn’t about to let this one go. He was unknowingly pulling her along, in a similar fashion to how Aubrey and Trinity and that lady in the crowd had, but this was far different than the others. This was soul achingly mighty. She has to help him. She can’t let him suffer like this!
Suddenly the man is engulfed in the rest of the shadows and swings around to face Harper. Halting in place Harper readies herself and holds up her hands. “I don’t want to hurt you! I want to help! Please hold on!”. How she was going to help, now that’s another question. She wasn’t some superhero! Regret begins to pour in the second the monster rushes at her, claws prepared to strike. Harper stumbles back in time to dodge the first swipe, eyes wide in panic.
Falling to the pavement, she throws up her arms over her face. The monster leaps up and lands squarely on top of her. It’s strangely light for being a former human but still terrifying. It’s mouth is a jagged horror, mouth like an empty void. It’s eyes glow a faint purple. It’s got her pinned to the ground with no way to escape. If she dares move, Harper’s acutely aware of how quick this beast could kill her.
No. Not this way. She wasn’t about to die here alone at the hands of this thing. What would happen to her? Her family? Aubrey? Trinity-
Trinity!
Harper gasps as she realizes who she’s left behind. Oh god what if Trinity finds her dead on the streets? What if it strikes her next? Closing her eyes tightly, all Harper can do is wrack her brain for a plan.
The monster has other plans however as it lets out an agonizing, loud screech right in to Harper’s face forcing her eyes to spring open. One claw shoves Harper’s shoulder down violently, Harper wailing in pain as it pins her, while the other starts to lift into the air, gaining it’s momentum.
Harper stares up wide eyed at the claw about to come down full force on her chest. This was it, this was the end-
“NO!” she booms wholeheartedly and as her scream fills the space between them, a faint light from her chest blossoms into a blinding array of colors. The creature is flung back, scrambling to gain it’s footing. Harper meanwhile hops to her feet, hands gathered at her chest as if to try and contain the light erupting from it. “What on earth!?” Harper gasps.
Although her vision is slowly blurring, Harper can see the monster getting ready to rush her once more. It’s so confusing and fast paced but she takes a deep breath and curls in on herself for protection.
It’s time, my dear Caeli. Awaken what you’ve kept dormant for far too long!
The soothing voice fills her mind and Harper knows what to do. The light overtakes her body as she allows it to and within her she senses a power that’s in her grasp. She reaches out unconsciously as if to take hold of it.
The monster springs into the air but is blown back by the energy surrounding Harper. Moments ago she was merely your average girl, but now stands someone of immense light. Decked in a short white dress, lilac boots that match the accessories and ribbons adorning her outfit, and a mask to hide her eyes, Harper looks down at her hands.
“What is all this….? Who….?”
Caeli was the name she was called in her mind, but what did all of this mean? Harper has no time to think though. She spins on her heel and starts to run the length of the barren street. The monster is close on her heels and she flings back her hand, focusing her energy to maybe somehow make an attack work? She’s seen it on TV, so this has got to work.
Except it doesn’t and the beast takes hold of her wrist and easily tosses her against a storefront window of an old convenience store. She crashes through, landing in the glass now below her. She winces, touching the scrapes on her arms from the impact. Harper pulls her hand back, frowning as she sees the spots of blood on her gloves.
“Had enough?” the creatures drones as it crawls through the window slowly. “If you give in I’ll make it painless” it growls.
“If you let me, I’ll find a way to help you! Just stay back!” Harper cries, scooting back along the floor. The monster hobbles towards her, hunched over and she soon has hit a wall. “No...no..!” she mutters, looking for an exit.
The creature crouches down over her and breathes heavily. “I don’t need your help, and lucky you, I’m about to put you out of your misery you weak son of a bi-”
A thorned vine lassos around the monster, reeling it back away from Harper. It lets out an echoing yelp as it struggles to get out of it’s hold but it’s only tightening.
Frantically Harper gets to her feet and clenches her fists. Somebody was here to help! Well she couldn’t just stand here, either. Did she have a weapon? Not that she can see, and it was a bit impossible right now to find a way to make one just poof out of the air.
She peeks around the monster to spot a lady about her size handling the rose thorn whip with ease out on the street. She’s tugging it back, sending a pink wave of magic through it to shock the monster into slowing down and it seems to be working.
A pulse of warm runs through Harper once she steps close enough, however.
She knows this feeling like it’s second nature.
“No way…” she whispers.
Dressed in a crop top and petal skirt and matching laced up heels and surprisingly the same accessories and mask, Harper was damned if she wasn’t right that it was Trinity. She doesn’t want to call out to her to confirm it though, because she’s seen enough times in comics where if an identity is revealed, it could mean game over for a hero. So she keeps quiet and observes.
Trinity at least has the monster a good distance to her where she then makes the whip disappear and a crossbow donned with roses appear in its place. She points it with precise aim right at the chest of the beast. Drawing back the bow, she smiles sweetly and releases the arrow, sending it flying and striking the core of her target.
Writhing in pain, the monster clutches the spot where the arrow’s lodged in it and soon the shadows that covered it begin to crack like glass and break away. It falls to its knees, tears dripping down its cheeks that stain black on the concrete as it lands. “No...no...I’ve failed…I’ve failed everyone….” it whimpers. The man that lies beneath it is revealed once all the shadows disappear and Trinity walks up to him and kneels in front of him.
“You’re safe now. They won’t hurt you anymore….”. She places her pointer and middle finger to the man’s forehead and a tiny light glows from it. The man falls asleep and she catches him in her arms, laying her carefully on the ground. “I’ll make sure you get the help you need…” she promises softly.
In awe, Harper climbs out the storefront and wanders over to the pair. She’s just...speechless.
Trinity rises and her gaze softens as they stand face to face. “Let me help you with that” she chirps, taking Harper’s arm and smoothing a glowing hand over her scrapes. In seconds, the blood and dirt dissipates and Harper finally speaks up.
“Trinity….that is you, right? Please tell me I’m right”
Trinity stills. “Harper you did so well….I’m really proud!”. Her eyes brighten and she takes a healthy step back so Harper can get a good look at her. “And yes, you’re right. Looks like you did it at last, ehh?”
“Did what? Turn into this?” Harper looks down at herself, briefly dusting off her outfit. She rubs the back of her head and sighs. “I have no idea what’s going on…”
“You’re Caeli….I know this is probably scary and weird but I promise you I’ll explain it all”. She reaches over and holds Harper’s hand, clasping it with both of her ow. “And I’m Sagitta. That’s all I can say for now. Please just trust me on this…”
“As long as you promise me that monster isn’t coming back, I trust you completely” Harper chuckles weakly, eyeing the man.
“You’re safe from him now. He’s what’s known as an Enigma. There’s….sadly more of them out there though….”
Harper purses her lips and hums. “I hope next time I’m not a doofus and stand there letting you do all the work”.
“I’ll train you. We’ll be the best team, Caeli…” Trinity coos, and Harper feels a little more comforted. “We’re back together and there’s no tearing us apart again” she muses, looking off down the road.
Harper raising a brow at that but brushes it off for now. She’s just thankful Trinity got here in time. “Thank you for saving my butt…I appreciate it more than you could ever know”
“Well you kept it at bay so I could get here in time, so don’t knock yourself on what you were able to do today”. Trinity lets go of her hand and goes back to the man, starting to scoop him up in her arms. “Especially when you only just awakened. You’re strong, Caeli, stronger than you can possibly imagine!”
Harper thumbed at the hem of her dress and smiled bashfully. Gosh, Trinity giving her compliments? This was heavenly.
“After I get him to safety, shall we head back? Sorry this had to cut into our time together tonight” Trinity sighs.
“I’d love to!”
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