A 2nd Chance (Honkai Impact 3rd/Worm) [re-write]

[DystopianFjord]

Vista is going to develop an inferiority complex at this rate. Another parahuman at her age range, who is just better in every way. Although i wonder how longer can Sirin last in a drawn out fight due to her making mentions of stamina issues.

 

[xcv45]

Vista is going to develop an inferiority complex at this rate. Another parahuman at her age range, who is just better in every way. Although i wonder how longer can Sirin last in a drawn out fight due to her making mentions of stamina issues.

Click to shrink...

IIRC this Sirin ran away before she drained the honkai reactor at babylon to jumpstart her powers, so it will probably be a while before she fully ramps up. Early Sirin have stamina issues, not to mention her abilities seemly being pretty costly energy-wise at least at the start.

 

[Shadvos]

Sarah felt a pang of pain in her head for a brief moment, like her power had turned to static, somehow unable to properly comprehend the tear in reality in front of them. Shaking her head, Sarah did her best to ignore the sensation, instead glancing at Sirin. Her face was twisted in concentration.

Click to shrink...

HA! Sarah's shard is a bit confused at their hosts unscheduled teleportation through unknown means.

I assume it's unknown at least.

Sirin, on top of it, put on a fluffy hat with cat ears that she'd found during their last shopping trip with Alan.

Click to shrink...

This is adorable and I need a picture of it.

It's good to see Sirin actually getting a chance to be a kid.

 

[QroGrotor]

As she sensed a familiar car pulling up nearby, Sirin felt Sarah nudge her in the side, making her look up at her friend questioningly. As annoyed as Alan might end up being with them for leaving the house, hiding was definitely pointless now. With all the camera flashes she'd seen whilst getting people out of the shelter, he'd know they'd been here as soon as he watched the news.

"What?"

"We need to talk to New Wave before reporters get to them. Spin the narrative," Sarah explained. She jerked her head towards the heroes, still busy with the rescued shelter residents. Sirin nodded in understanding after a few moments of thinking, letting go of her friend's hand to make sure her scarf fully covered her lower face.

"Okay? Lead the way, I guess?"

The two of them moved towards Lady Photon, who was still talking to a police officer. Noticing their approach, the woman excused herself and stepped towards them, while the policeman left in the opposite direction.

"Did you need anything else?" Lady Photon asked. Sirin noted Sarah hesitating for a moment, before steeling herself and meeting the heroine's gaze.

"Actually, we have a suggestion. And a question," she said.

"A question and a suggestion, huh?" Lady Photon asked, tapping her chin. "What would they be?"

"What if we help put the story out on our terms, rather than letting it slip out during an interview?"

"Well, I guess that would be a nice change of pace," Lady Photon considered, "but what kind of story would you want to tell?"

"Tell them that Sirin is a friendly parahuman that New Wave was in contact with. She came to help during the shelter fire and was instrumental in helping put it out. Paint her as a heroic cape that's going to be helping to keep Brockton Bay safe, but doesn't want any personal attention. And… And that she might be joining New Wave!" Sarah took a moment to get the first few words out, but once she did it they all came out in a rush.
Sirin struggled to keep any surprise off her face. This was moving much faster than they'd talked about.

"That's… certainly an idea," Lady Photon admitted after a long moment of silence. "Would that be alright with you, Sirin? This isn't a decision that should be made lightly. New Wave is an open group, but we're a family based one too. We'd have to discuss the possibility of membership before confirming anything officially."

"That would be fine with me," Sirin nodded, checking again to make sure her face was covered by the scarf. "We only need to make it seem like I'm open to it, right?"

"I see. If that is your angle, I'm willing to help," Lady Photon nodded. Sirin heard Sarah let out a quiet sigh and for a moment wondered why. The purple-haired girl decided she could ask about it later. "But if you want to sell the illusion, I suggest you leave now. Make it seem that you are not affiliated with anyone aside from us."

Sirin glanced towards Alan, who was pushing through the crowd, before nodding.

"Alright. But I'm coming back tomorrow. I want to check how everyone's doing," Sirin nodded, glancing at Sarah. The blonde shrugged.

"Yeah. We will come back to check on everyone," she agreed. Lady Photon nodded, glancing at the shelter.

"Very well. I will inform the media that you are our associate. We already have cameras on us, so you'd better head home. And I'll talk to Alan as well."
Sirin nodded, taking Sarah's hand and quickly pulling her away. A dark pink portal swirled into existence in front of them, immediately drawing the attention of the reporters and, undoubtedly, Alan. The abrupt source of color made many of those holding microphones change direction towards them, clearly wanting to ask questions. Instead, Sarah and Sirin stepped quickly through, before the portal closed behind them.

The two girls ended up in Sarah's room, the blonde dropping onto her bed with a sigh, Sirin taking a seat beside her, a question on the tip of her tongue.

"Sarah?"

"Mhm?"
"Why do we have to lie?" Sirin asked. Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"We don't want people to know that we're living with Alan, not yet at least," the blonde explained with a sigh. "Besides, Alan's probably going to ground us for sneaking out. If people know that we live with him, there's a good chance that they'll bother him because of us. At least this way we have a bit of leeway."
Sirin blinked, opening her mouth to answer, only to close it and tilt her head.

"I… okay. But aren't we going back to the shelter tomorrow?"

Sarah nodded, pursing her lips.

"Yeah. So?"

"So won't Alan know we left again?" Sirin asked. Sarah blinked, before letting out a groan and hiding her face in her hands.

"Fuck."

"No cursing."

The two girls sat on the couch, listening to the sounds of the world going on outside the window.

"I'm not looking forward to it," Sarah muttered. Sirin frowned, before taking the blonde's hand and giving it a tight squeeze.

"I'll take the blame. Say you were worried about me," the purple-haired girl offered. Sarah opened her mouth to object, but Sirin shook her head.

"I was the one that suggested going there. I'll say you came to help me, but that you didn't do anything dangerous, and that I wouldn't have let you. Alan will be angry with me, not you."

"That… no," Sarah shook her head. Sirin frowned.

"No?"

"No," the blonde repeated. "We're not doing that. He'll be mad at both of us."

"Sarah-"

"No."

"I'm going to do it anyway."

"Sirin, I swear-"

"The reporters should be interviewing Lady Photon and Alan about now, right? Let's go watch it," Sirin said. She hopped off of the bed, smoothly changing topic and grabbing Sarah's hand. The blonde resisted for a moment, but ultimately let out a defeated sigh and allowed Sirin to pull her up.

"Fine. But we're talking about this."

"Sure," Sirin nodded.

"We will talk about it," Sarah insisted, getting up from the bed.

"Alright." The purple-haired girl rolled her eyes before glancing at Sarah, only to blink at the sight of a small smile on the blonde's lips.

"You're rolling your eyes, aren't you?"

"Of course not."

"Uh-huh. Let's go," Sarah pulled Sirin towards the door, the purple-haired girl following her into the hallway.

"Do we have popcorn?" Sirin asked as they passed the kitchen, prompting Sarah to snort.

"Sure. And if not, what's stopping us from popping into the nearby supermarket? I still have some money."

Sirin grinned, pulling her scarf off her face and following her friend.

As they made it into the living room and started watching the news, Sarah felt Sirin shift on the couch, turning to look at her.

"Sarah?"

"Hm?" the blonde raised an eyebrow, glancing at Sirin. The purple-haired girl had a small smile on her lips.

"Thanks for helping."

"I… sure. Anytime," Sarah smiled.

---

Sirin opened her eyes, wincing at the feeling of stiffness in her limbs. She didn't even remember falling asleep on the couch, but judging by the blanket and the fact that Alan was sleeping in the armchair, it wasn't too much of a surprise. She glanced towards the TV, but it was turned off, Alan had probably done that before he fell asleep.

Sirin sat up, careful not to wake Sarah, and stretched, letting out a quiet hiss at the sensation of her muscles complaining about being put in a bad position for too long. She considered getting up, glancing towards Alan.

He hadn't been happy yesterday, of course. He'd been worried sick when he'd heard the details of what had happened, and disappointed in them as well. Of course, his anger and disappointment faded rather quickly, the man sighing and admitting that Sirin had saved a lot of lives, but the girls had to promise to never sneak out like that again. Sirin had volunteered to take the blame, but Alan wouldn't hear of it, deciding to scold the girls equally.

Which he'd probably have to reconsider. Sirin was fairly certain that Sarah hadn't actually done much at the shelter, aside from talking to people. She'd been the one who got everyone to safety and opened the portal for firefighters. Well, Sarah also worked out how she could help the firefighters, but wasn't like Alan knew that.

It felt nice, though. Doing good. Helping people when she couldn't before. Making people happy, instead of upset or angry. She hadn't done anything special, but… she was still helping, wasn't she? Even if it wasn't all that much. Sirin was still making a difference in people's lives, and not-

She wasn't angry. She wasn't going to be a monster, Sirin promised herself.

The purple-haired girl glanced towards Sarah, debating waking the blonde up, before dismissing the idea. She'll wake her up later, for breakfast. Or Alan could do it. For now, though…

Sirin stretched once more, glancing towards the windows, where the rising sun was painting the skyline pink.

Maybe today wouldn't be too bad?

---

Sirin made a frustrated sound, tilting her head to examine what was in front of her. Alan put the pancake batter down, turning around to face the two girls sitting at the counter.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. She ignored him, struggling with the piece of fabric in front of her. While some of the sewing basics came to her easily, Sirin's attempts at properly creating sleeves were failing miserably, the piece of cloth crumpling and twisting under her fingers. She let out a frustrated hiss, before finally dropping it onto the table and glaring at Alan, making him chuckle.

"Problems with the sweater?"

"Sleeves suck. Why did nobody tell me that?" Sirin grumbled. Sarah snorted, taking a bite of her pancakes.

"They don't. You just suck at sleeves," she helpfully supplied. Sirin glared at her, and the blonde raised her hands up placatingly.

"Alright, alright. If you can't handle a simple sleeve, maybe we should get you something else. Something simpler?"

"But I wanted to make this."

"Well, I'm not seeing that happening anytime soon," Sarah shook her head. Alan took a sip of his coffee, glancing towards the television, still showing the news.

"Well, if you're struggling with sleeves, maybe you should practice a bit. Get some experience," he suggested. Sirin frowned, tilting her head. Alan cleared his throat, glancing towards Sarah. The blonde shrugged.

"It's been what... ten hours since the fire, and we don't have reporters asking for Sirin to answer questions at the door. It won't be a problem if we pop out to pick something up. Some more fabric, new needles. Maybe a sewing machine," the blonde listed off. Sirin blinked, picking at her failed sleeves. "Though we should probably hurry. I don't think reporters will have much difficulty realizing that a purple-haired girl you've got custody of and a new purple-haired parahuman are likely related."

"That… yes. Good thinking," Alan nodded, picking up the mixing bowl again and starting on the next set of pancakes. Sirin glanced at Sarah, who simply shrugged and focused on her food. Alan measured out four more pancakes to the pan, then turned back to face them.

"Are you sure you're fine, going out by yourselves?" He asked. Sarah struggled to hide a flinch, before forcing a smile.

"I can't exactly hide from the world forever, right? And Sirin is with me. We'll be fine, Alan. I think I'm ready," Sarah said, glancing at Sirin. The purple-haired girl considered that, before nodding.

"Alright," Alan said, turning back to the pancakes. "If you two can clean the dishes after breakfast, you can go out together. You will, of course, call me if you get into trouble, right?"

"I still have your number saved, Alan," Sarah nodded, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

"Right," the man chuckled.

"Though there was something we were supposed to talk about, right? Yesterday, after we got back?" Sirin spoke up, glancing at Sarah. The blonde froze mid-bite, before lowering her fork back to the place and swallowing. Alan took a moment to flip the last of four cooking pancakes, then looked between the two girls.

"Oh?"

"Yes," Sirin nodded. She couldn't quite tell what emotion flashed on Sarah's face, but she didn't stop. This needed to be said.

"What did you need to talk about, girls?" Alan asked. Sirin could hear Sarah gulp, but the blonde steeled herself and met their guardian's gaze.

"Alan? We might've asked Lady Photon to lie to the reporters yesterday, to protect your privacy. I… that's why we left without telling you. We figured we should make sure reporters had no reason to talk to you apart from as the owner of the shelter. To sell the illusion, Sirin was going to come to and from the shelter with portals and Lady Photon-"

"Told the reporters that Sirin is a cape currently affiliated with and interested in joining New Wave," Alan said. Sarah went very still for a moment, then slumped forward onto the counter. She only just missed her plate of half-finished pancakes.

"Oh," she groaned. "She told you."

Alan chuckled. "She did. And whilst I wish you'd run it past me, I understand why you didn't at the time. I'd feel much better if you could talk to me about things like this beforehand in the future, but I I know that might not always be possible."

Sarah somehow found a way to slump down even further onto the table, only for Sirin to reach over and pat her friend gently on the head. She looked up balefully, glaring in a way that Sirin knew wasn't entirely true. It made her smile.

"I feel like an idiot," her friend whined plaintively. "How did I not realize that?"

"Don't worry about it," Alan said. He flipped the last of the pancakes onto the covered stack next to him, and brought them over to the table. Setting them down there, he took a moment to pat Sarah comfortingly on the shoulder. "Now, let's have breakfast."

Sirin nodded, struggling not to laugh as Sarah pulled herself back up to a sitting position.

Maybe today really wasn't so bad.

---

Sirin grinned victoriously as she carefully cut the thread holding the sleeves on the sweater, tying it off. She set the scissors and thread aside and then stood, spreading the fabric to see how it would look on a person.

Alan was right. Practice did do wonders.

Sarah glanced towards the purple-haired girl from her computer, where she was searching for various supplies Sirin was going to need. Sirin coughed, glancing at Sarah.

"How does it look?"

"Hm? Oh. Pretty good," the blonde nodded, turning around to properly look at the sweater. Sirin grinned again as Sarah nodded, turning her focus back to the computer.

"Yep. You've really improved," she added. "It almost looks like something wearable."

Sirin pouted, throwing the sweater at Sarah. The blonde blinked, fumbling with it for a moment, before shaking her head and returning to the screen.

"Hey. Don't pout. It's not my fault it looked like trash at the beginning. At least now I wouldn't mind wearing it."

"You're mean," Sirin announced. Sarah glanced at the purple-haired girl, the corners of her lips twitching upwards as the girl folded her arms, the blonde clearly fighting off the urge to roll her eyes. Sarah was doing that a lot recently, especially when Sirin was whining about her sewing, and it was always so obvious the girl was suppressing the desire to respond to the purple-haired girl in some other way. She wondered why that was.

"Whatever you say." Sarah finally nodded, returning to her search. Sirin packed her supplies away, before moving over to the couch and picking up the remote.

Alan wasn't home, but the television was still on. Sirin flipped through the channels, before eventually settling on the news and dropping onto the couch. She watched them for a few minutes, the news showing a bunch of footage from yesterday, before Sarah spoke up.

"We need to decide what cape name we are going to give you. You did want to go visit the shelter today, right? Unless you want to stay 'the phasing girl'?"

"Mhm. What names did you have in mind?" Sirin asked. Sarah turned her chair, leaning against the table to close her laptop, glancing at the TV.

"Nothing great. Portalling girl?" Sarah suggested. Sirin wrinkled her nose. "Portal parahuman... Phasing girl?" The blonde wiggled her eyebrows.

"No." Sirin shook her head. Sarah chuckled.

"We'll figure something out. Maybe Alan or someone in New Wave will come up with a good one? There's still time," the blonde said, a smug smile on her face. Sirin nodded.

"Do you… do you really think they'll help?"

Sarah nodded.

"Yeah. We'll get there," the blonde declared. Sirin felt the corners of her lips twitch, before both of the girls fell silent. They sat watching the news for a little while, before Sarah tapped her fingers against the table, glancing towards Sirin.

"Are we… Are we sure we want to visit the shelter again today? Not because you helped them," the blonde quickly corrected herself. "Because you did, and they'll be very thankful for it. But maybe it would be better if we waited? Let reporters move onto another topic?"

"I've promised. I won't just not show up," Sirin shook her head, earning a nod from Sarah.

"Alright. That's… That's fine," the blonde sighed. Sirin bit her lip, glancing towards the TV, where people were currently showing some sort of interview.

"-ay that you owe your life to that girl?"

"She helped us get out when no one else could. Who knows how many of us would have died if it wasn't for her," the woman being interviewed shook her head. "It's a miracle that girl showed up when she did, really." Sirin felt a small smile spread on her lips, as Sarah hummed quietly.

"Miracle, huh... How about that? Miracle?" the blonde glanced towards Sirin. The purple-haired girl scrunched her nose, glancing at the television and blinking at the image of a young boy, the one she remembered carrying out.

"-ave you heard her name?" a reporter asked. Sirin tensed. The boy shook his head.

"But she had cool hair!"

Sirin blinked before preening a little. She was proud of her hair, and having someone compliment it felt nice. Sarah, on the other hand, slowly turned towards her with a grin on her lips.

"No. Don't even think about suggesting that," Sirin pointed a finger at her friend. The blonde burst out laughing, leaning against the table. The purple-haired girl felt her own lips pull into a small smile. Yeah. Not that one.

She could wait a little to have her cape name, anyways.

---

"So, anything else you want to do before heading out?" Sarah asked, looking up from her laptop as Sirin passed her. The purple-haired girl frowned for a moment, before shrugging.

"Maybe more sewing?" she offered, sitting down at the kitchen table and poking her pancake with a fork. "Or some knitting. Or crocheting." Sarah shook her head with a fond sigh, before focusing back on her computer.

"Anything interesting on the web?" the purple-haired girl asked. Sara pursed her lips for a moment, before turning the laptop towards Sirin. The girl leaned closer, raising an eyebrow at the sight of a website that was apparently created by a fan of superheroes, featuring a long list of… capes? Sirin glanced at Sarah, the blonde simply gesturing at the screen.

"Look through it," she offered, spinning the laptop so that Sirin had easier access to the keyboard, before starting to type something herself. Sirin looked at the screen, frowning and taking a bite of her breakfast, as she started scrolling down the page. There was name after name, some accompanied by brief descriptions and photos, and Sirin slowly finished her breakfast, as she went through the list, until-
Sirin blinked, scrolling back up. She narrowed her eyes at the photo of a man on the screen, before clicking on the button offering her the detailed information about-

"Lung?"

Sarah turned towards Sirin, a questioning look on her face.

"Why did he call himself after a body part?"
Sarah blinked, before letting out a quiet giggle, earning a frown from Sirin. The blonde quickly raised her hands.

"Alright, alright. From what I know, it's Chinese for 'Dragon'."

Sirin blinked, slowly nodding. That made sense. And was much cooler than naming yourself after a body part. Sirin nodded.

"Did you find anyone you liked?" Sarah asked a few moments later. "Get any inspiration for a cape name?"

"It's a terrible name," Sirin shook her head. Sarah shrugged with a fond smile, and the purple-haired girl focused back on the computer. "But maybe." She bit her lip, scrolling the page a little. There were capes that had names related to light, and Sirin felt her lips twitch. Sarah leaned over, looking at the list.

"Sun, Moon… Star? Huh. What about it?"

"Sunstar?" Sirin suggested. Sarah paused for a moment, before smirking.

"Sounds like a band from the 80s. But we can work with it. I like the star."

Sirin blinked, scrolling the page a little further and glancing at her friend. Then she smiled and typed 'Miracle Star' into the search box.
There wasn't a single cape going by that name.

She could work with that.

---

Sarah had ended up choosing to stay home and wait for her before they both went shopping. Sirin had pulled on the same clothes as yesterday, except this time her hat was winter themed. It still had cute ears, though. Alan had already left to talk with the insurance company, and both of the girls knew he'd be busy with that for a while.

With that done, Sirin simply created a portal and stepped out beside the shelter.

"What the-!"

"Holy-!"

"The fuck!?"

"How-?"

"That's so cool!"

"Language!"

Sirin winced at the sudden shouts, looking around at all the people staring at her, shifting from foot to foot. It was notably louder than yesterday, but there didn't seem to be any reporters around. Sirin glanced towards the shelter, or what remained of it. Most of the rubble had been cleared away, leaving behind a charred mess. There'd been people working inside of the burnt-out shell of a build, but most of them were milling about the street now, watching her.

"Hey! Thank you!" One of the children called. Sirin raised a hand and waved to them. Several of them returned the gesture, while some others started pointing at her hair, whispering to each other. Sirin fought off the urge to hide and walked forward towards the portal. The people inside froze at the sight of her, silence falling before a woman took a step closer.

She recognized the woman as one of those she helped lead out of the building.

"Uhm… Hello," the purple-haired girl cleared her throat, waving again. She hoped that would stop feeling so strange soon.

"Hello dear." The woman gave Sirin a warm smile, extending a hand towards the girl. Sirin stared at it for a moment, before blushing and reaching out to shake it. "My name is Christina. Thank you for yesterday."

"N-no problem. My name is- is Miracle Star," the purple-haired girl blurted out, before biting her tongue. The woman took a moment, then chuckled.

"Thank you for yesterday, Miracle Star. As you can see, we're trying to salvage whatever survived the fire. Do you think you could help us a little? If you don't have anything else planned, of course," the woman asked. Sirin took a moment to look around, before shaking her head.

"I have time," the purple-haired girl offered. Christina nodded, before turning back to the rest of the people. Many of them waved to Sirin before going back to their tasks. Not wanting to waste much time, Sirin quickly joined in helping some of the men and women with sifting through the debris, trying to find anything that managed to survive the fire.

Sirin was in the middle of moving a heavy beam, when she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. Sirin spun, letting the beam drop in a crash as she faced the source of sound. The purple-haired girl froze as she took in the sight of a camera. The man behind it shifted back quickly, though he regained his manner quickly.

"Hello, young lady," he said genially. "Are you the new parahuman that helped out at the shelter last night?"

"I-" Sirin broke off, struggling to respond in the moment. Fortunately, Christina appeared from between the piles of rubble. Probably in response to the crash she'd made dropping the structural beam.

"Oh. Good morning, Mister." Her eyes flicked over to Sirin, making sure she was alright. "Is anything the matter?"

"Oh, yes. Good morning ma'am," the man nodded. "I heard that yesterday's heroine was spotted around here and hoped to have a quick word with her. My name is Jeff," the man extended his hand towards the woman, who glanced at Sirin. The purple-haired girl nodded nervously, clasping her hands behind her back. Christina took it carefully, shaking once.

"Mister Jeff, then. I hope you're not going to bother the residents?" She asked. Sirin took the opportunity to step out through the wall and, after looking around, made a portal to the second floor. Peeking down through the hole in the floor, she saw Jeff shake his head.

"Of course not. I'm only here to get an interview with Brockton Bay's new hero. I'd hate to miss an opportunity at being the first one to do so."

"Well, if it was about interviews, she certainly could do with some exposure. But the girl helped our people get out yesterday, and she's helping us today. It would be a shame to take her away and waste the time better spent doing something useful. If you don't have any more questions, then-" Christina explained, gently putting a hand on Jeff's shoulder and starting to guide the man towards the street.
Sirin bit her lip, waiting for the man to leave the shelter, before creating another portal and quickly reappearing at the first floor. Christina blinked, turning to look at Sirin and furrowing her brows at the girl.

"Sorry," the purple-haired girl cleared her throat. The woman blinked, before shaking her head with a chuckle.

"No. Don't apologize. But if you don't want to deal with people like that, I think it's best you leave for now and try not to show up on the streets if you visit again," she suggested. Sirin bit her lip, looking around at the people cleaning up the shelter.

"Can... can I return when there aren't that many people anymore? To help again?" Sirin asked.

"We certainly won't turn down help," the woman told her gently. "The quicker we find anything of use, the quicker we can start finding a new place for people to stay. Many relied on this shelter to survive the winter, and now..."

Sirin nodded, wringing her hands. "I can bring stuff if you need? Clothes, blankets… food?" the purple-haired girl quickly suggested. Christina blinked, before tilting her head.

"That would be nice, but where would you get them?" Sirin frowned, thinking. There was a lot she could do with her portals, but also a lot she probably shouldn't. Maybe she could talk to Alan?

"I'll think of something? I could get some blankets at least," the purple-haired girl said firmly. "And... And what about the people? Who were here before, I mean? Where are they going to stay now? Another shelter nearby?"

"That's going to be more difficult. It'll depend on what Alan's insurance covers, I expect," Christina sighed. It was a difficult question for the woman, and Sirin shrank back a little, before creating a portal to her room.
"I'll- I'll try to find some blankets," she said. Then quickly ducked into the portal before Christina could say anything, closing it as soon as she was through. Sarah must have heard her coming through, as her friend was at the door by the time she looked round to it.

"Why are you covered in soot?" the blonde asked.

"Was helping," Sirin shrugged, her mind still occupied with what Christina had said. "Is it... Would it be a bad idea to try and collect stuff for them?"

"Stuff for... For the people from the shelter?" the blonde asked. Sirin hummed a yes and the blonde crossed her arms, chewing at nail. "Well, no, it's not. I'm pretty sure Alan would agree to help. The insurance should be big, right? Do you want me to call him and add a few things to the shopping list?"

"I…do you think he'd mind?" She asked, going over to her dresser to get a change of clothes. Sarah stood at the door as she changed, tapping her chain as she murmured through ideas.
"Warm clothes, blankets, non-perishable foods. Those'll be critical. Maybe some toys for the kids? There were kids there, you brought some of them out. We can have a look whilst we're out getting you more material for your clothing attempts. Maybe check a cape merch store to get you a mask!"

"I…I kind of like the scarf," Sirin murmured, blushing despite herself. Sarah paused, before letting out a chuckle and ruffling the girl's hair.

"Well, maybe get one just for emergencies? You can think about it. I'll call Alan and tell him about the list," the blonde chirped. She bustled off to get her phone, leaving Sirin standing there with a blush on her cheeks and a little smile on her face.

Maybe today could actually be good.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Merry Christmas!

This chapter was only possible due to the one and only Miracle☆Snow! who was kind enough to beta it!

 

[Primeknight]

Merry Christmas everyone and thanks for update Author~

Our Queen being happy makes me happy too!

If that snake ever dared to rear it's head I have 100% approval of opening a portal from it's esophagus then expand it or open a portal then just let it's head enter then close it completely.

I just wish that this won't descend into sad or some kind of drama, I just truly wish for happy story just for her....

 

[0xA315]

Sirin's name is so magical girl...
I guess that's about accurate?

Aren't the portals like... radioactive though?
Or is the amount of energy negligible?

 

[xcv45]

Sirin's name is so magical girl..

Click to shrink...

Funny thing about Magical Girl Sirin: despite being apparently an adult(?), she's 5cm shorter than her teenage 2E Herrscher counterpart from the main HI3 world.

Also uses actual magic and not Honkai/Imaginary powers.

 

[Idiot444]

Sirin stretched once more, glancing towards the windows, where the rising sun was painting the skyline pink.

Click to shrink...

Clearly this means the sun is a Honkai Beast sleeping, I look forward to the mess when this clear "truth" is revealed...

 

[Akumadznts]

Merry Christmas

 

[Oth]

The amount of Murphy's Law bait in the chapter is extremely concerning.

Sirin/Sarah's Kiana/Mei dynamic increases.

 

[QroGrotor]

Merry Christmas everyone and thanks for update Author~

Our Queen being happy makes me happy too!

Click to shrink...

Glad you liked it!

Sirin's name is so magical girl...
I guess that's about accurate?

Click to shrink...

Surprisingly accurete, to be honest.

Aren't the portals like... radioactive though?
Or is the amount of energy negligible?

Click to shrink...

Iirc, the portal themselves aren't emmiting enough radiation. She's also in a 'power saving mode'

Funny thing about Magical Girl Sirin: despite being apparently an adult(?), she's 5cm shorter than her teenage 2E Herrscher counterpart from the main HI3 world.

Also uses actual magic and not Honkai/Imaginary powers.

Click to shrink...

She's also 5kg lighter.

The amount of Murphy's Law bait in the chapter is extremely concerning.

Click to shrink...

=]

Sirin/Sarah's Kiana/Mei dynamic increases.

Click to shrink...

Huh. I didn't even notice it.

 

[QroGrotor]

"So." Sarah started, putting her phone away. "Alan said that he'll handle buying the essentials for the shelter, the only thing you need to worry about is showing up when needed and opening portals to bring everything through." Sarah said, before frowning. "Do you think you'd be able to get the trucks through the portals? They're quite a bit bigger than people, after all." Sirin looked up from the material she'd been carefully studying and frowned.

"Yes? It's just stretching space more. Should work," she said. Sarah hummed and nodded, glancing at the material Sirin was holding.

"Find something you like?" the blonde asked.

"Maybe. Thinking. Need some colors that go together." The purple-haired girl tilted her head, never looking over at her friend.. Sarah blinked, before grinning.

"You're gonna make an outfit? What, not satisfied with the hoodie and pants combination?" The blonde chuckled. Sirin rolled her eyes.

"Should be cooler. Or more fancy," she explained, holding the cloth sample next to the rest of the material. The purple-haired girl scrunched her nose. Was a darker red really a good addition to the mix of black, white and gold? Maybe-

Sarah snorted, making Sirin start in place, turning towards her blonde friend. She raised an eyebrow and Sarah quickly raised her hands, clearing her throat.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt. Just a thought though; if you want fancy, you should try finding materials with patterns and whatnot." The blonde pointed at the wall on the other side of the aisle, where all sorts of cloth decorated with various patterns were stored. Sirin tilted her head, before making a portal to her room and throwing the bags with the already bought materials into it. She closed it and walked over to Sarah, taking the blonde's hand and walking towards the shelves with cloth.

"Okay," Sirin pursed her lips as she looked over the colorful fabric.

"Looking for anything specific, or are you just trying to find inspiration?" the blonde asked. Sirin blinked and chewed on her lip, before shrugging.

"Stars." Sarah giggled at her friend's words, making the purple-haired girl blush.

"Sorry. Don't mind me," she said. "Stars sound adorable." Sirin huffed, crossing her arms and ignoring the heat on her cheeks as she looked over the material. Stars, stars… Why were there so few star-themed things? Sirin pouted, starting to walk along the shelf, until she found…

Sirin grinned, pulling a piece of fabric from the shelf and looking at it. The girl let out an excited cry and held it up to show Sarah the fabric. Her friend stared for a moment, before laughing.

"That's really nice, Miracle Star," Sarah giggled, patting Sirin on the head. She didn't notice, too busy studying the cloth in her hands. It was a little rough, but the star-patterned fabric was black and glittery, with golden edges. If Sirin found some soft, silky black, and maybe some white and red…

'I wonder if I can make my portals star-shaped...' the girl thought. She pursed her lips, looking around until she spotted materials in line with her desires. She nodded once, then hurried over, Sarah in her wake. The blonde was still chuckling.

"Are you planning to do a full costume out of this?" Sarah asked. Sirin shrugged.

"Probably not. Couldn't decide," Sirin said. Sarah nodded slowly, before raising an eyebrow.

"You gonna buy enough material to test stuff, then? It's pretty pricey." Sarah pointed out. Sirin considered that before humming and grabbing several packages of cloth, checking the price.

"I have my scarf for a mask. It's good enough," the purple-haired girl mumbled. Sarah nodded and started helping her grab what she wanted before looking at the pile Sirin was creating.

"Do you really need so much, Sirin?" the blonde teased. Sirin looked around, then grabbed a little more.

"Might try different colors too," she said innocently. Sarah shook her head, but couldn't help a smile.

"We can always come back if we run out, though. You still got the money Alan gave you, right?" Sarah asked. Sirin paused, before biting her lip and nodding. Money hadn't even occurred to her. The purple-haired girl shook her head, starting to carry some of the cloth over to a self-service machine so they could weigh it, Sarah helping carry the load.

"So, at least for the winter you're going with the scarf, right? You'll want to do something for warmer seasons though," Sarah mused, tapping her chin. Sirin hummed, watching the numbers flash as the weighing machine tallied up the price for each batch of cloth.

"I'll think of it when it gets warmer. Do we need anything else?" Sirin asked. Sarah blinked, before pausing.

"Hm. Not sure? Unless you want to buy decorations?" the blonde asked. Sirin frowned, before leading the way towards the registers, keeping a close eye on the time as she paid. The sooner they finished the shopping, the sooner she could get ready to change and be ready to head back for the shelter.

The girls carried the cloth out of the store and then madea turn down a side street. Sirin focused for a moment, making a portal to her room again and the two dropped the cloth through. She closed the portal again and looked at Sarah, before shaking her head.

"Let's head home. Think about colors?" Sarah chuckled and nodded. The spring in her friend's step definitely had nothing to do with the girl's desire to get her hands on the fabric as soon as possible.

---

Sirin pursed her lips as she stitched together black fabric. It wasn't the prettiest or neatest thing, but the purple-haired girl liked how it looked so far. She considered the result for a moment, before creating a portal back to her room and pulling through a small mirror and some colored pencils. Looking back and forth, the girl hummed as she compared the design on the paper with the cloth, before frowning.

Would it look better with the stars reversed? With the white parts of the stars against the dark purple background? Sirin pursed her lips, before taking a red pencil and erasing the star pattern she'd drawn onto the cloth. The purple-haired girl started making the new drawing, and Sarah poked her head into the room, only to blink.

"Hey… Do you want me to help you put that in order, Sirin?" Sarah asked. Sirin didn't look up, only shaking her head once.

"Have colors figured out. Can stitch myself. You can get materials when done," the purple-haired girl said. She was already sketching a new outline for the star pattern. Sarah blinked, before clearing her throat.

"Are you sure? Maybe I can help you cut the cloth or something," the blonde offered. Sirin looked up and met her friend's eyes, confusion evident in her eyes.

Why was Sarah looking at her like that?

"Fine. Need a blue pencil," the purple-haired girl requested and watched her friend's face. The blonde definitely wasn't angry, but she definitely had an expression on her face that Sirin didn't understand. Sarah blinked, before letting out a chuckle and ducking back to her own room. Sirin pursed her lips, tilting her head slightly, before quickly finishing the outline on the cloth and going through it.

Sarah appeared shortly, carrying a blue pencil. The blonde handed it to Sirin, who nodded, before heading towards the kitchen.

'What was that about?' Sirin wondered. She hummed, before turning her attention back to her project. She'd think about Sarah later. For now, the purple-haired girl carefully erased the red lines on the cloth, before starting to draw the pattern out again in blue.

---

Sirin let out a little sigh as she walked through the street. She tugged the scarf higher, more out of habit than anything else. It had snowed early in the morning, and the wind was rather cold, though the sun was shining in a clear blue sky.

Sarah had decided to stay at home for a while and do some kind of research, and for some reason demanded that Sirin go out of the house to buy snacks. Sirin would have preferred staying inside and working on her costume, but Sarah had somehow convinced her to go out.

So now the purple-haired girl walked towards the market, keeping her ears open for any kind of emergency. A part of Sirin wanted to just open a portal to the market, grab some stuff and get home quickly. But Sarah had told her that she should go walk the trip, and so the girl was outside.

The girl huffed and glanced around, before pausing as she heard something behind her. Sirin blinked, before frowning and turning towards the sound. Some kids had been playing in the snow on the other side of the road, throwing snowballs at each other and running around. The purple-haired girl blinked, watching them.

For a moment, she felt something tighten in her chest. She couldn't help but see herself and her friends in the other children. How she'd probably be in a snowfight with Galina against Avrora and Agata. If they were still alive.

Sirin quickly shook her head, biting her lip under the scarf as she walked again. A little shiver ran down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold, and the girl ducked her head and picked up the pace, before opening a portal and quickly stepping through.

Her feet hit the pavement next to the market, and Sirin blinked, before quickly closing the portal and looking around. Nobody was staring. No one was pointing. Nobody had seen her. Sirin took a deep breath, before straightening a little. Right. This was fine.

The purple-haired girl started walking into the market and pulled the shopping list out of her pocket. Sarah hadn't bothered being specific with which snacks Sirin should get, and the girl pursed her lips behind the scarf as she headed towards the aisle with sweets.

What did Sarah like again? The blonde had been a little weird, so Sirin wanted to make sure she liked whatever she brought home. But chocolate and other kinds of sweet were everywhere, and Sirin honestly couldn't remember.

Maybe Alan would have a clue?

Sirin pulled out her phone, before blushing. Sarah had called Alan whilst she was making the costume, so he could buy blankets and other things for the shelter. But the purple-haired girl didn't have Alan's number herself, relying on her friend to do the talking.

Sirin let out a little 'hnf', before putting her phone away again. No Alan, then. Sirin pursed her lips, before glancing to the side, where someone was buying chips and candy. Should she copy that, or did Sarah want something different? The purple-haired girl started looking the sweets over, before blinking.

What about soda?

Sirin pursed her lips, wondering how you bought those things. The girl started wandering the market, looking the isles over to check if she could find a drink machine. If she could find soda, Sarah was sure to be happy, right? Maybe she should get juice as well…

Sirin chewed on her lip. Alan had given them some money to spend however they see fit, though the girl had yet to actually use it, since Sarah always said it was 'on her' when they bought things together. The purple-haired girl tilted her head. Did Sarah have enough money to buy everything on her own?

'Should have brought more, maybe,' Sirin thought. She hummed and stopped, before turning towards the fruit and vegetables section. She still needed to bring vegetables back as well, right? Her mom always said that vegetables were important.

That thought brought back painful memories that she had to push down immediately, knowing exactly what would happen if she allowed herself to reminisce. She had to focus on the task.

'Would Sarah like apples? Or oranges? Are there mandarins in this shop?' The girl glanced at the shopping list. Nothing listed. Sirin pursed her lips, chewing on her lip underneath the scarf. Sirin's lips drew a thin line, before she glanced at a nearby employee.

"Where are the fruits?" she asked, tilting her head. The employee smiled and pointed Sirin towards another aisle, and the purple-haired girl headed that way, glancing around to check if there was a machine with sodas anywhere.

She found both in the same aisle, and Sirin nodded happily. Perfect! Now she only needed to buy the fruits and the sweets. The girl turned towards the wall of drinks, before blinking. Which flavors were best? Sarah... never mentioned even trying lemonade, right? Sirin glanced around, before quickly buying a bottle of the yellow drink.

Next up, sweets.

The girl started walking through the aisle, humming as she checked the shelves and studied the different kinds of chocolates, lollies, crisps and more. So many. Sirin chewed on her lip as she compared the prices and packaging, trying to see which one looked the prettiest or nicest.

'Should maybe have Sarah tell me her favorite brands?' Sirin thought. Maybe, but Sirin could figure this out herself. She'd get Sarah's favorites next time. For now, Sirin would have to pick the ones that seemed the prettiest as she had to admit, some of the packaging looked quite nice.

The girl was so engrossed in her thinking, that she missed a kid running her way until they bumped into each other. The two went down, Sirin grunting as her bag fell and the bottles of drinks clattered to the floor, whilst the child stumbled backwards and fell with an 'oof'.

Sirin blinked, before scrambling to her feet. She quickly gathered her grocery bag again, before crouching next to the kid.

"Sorry. I-" she paused as she looked at the person she bumped into.

She couldn't have been older than ten. Wavy dark-blonde hair. Bright, big green eyes. She was wearing a dark blue dress with a bright green jacket over it. Something about the colour combination seemed almost offensive to Sirin. The girl blinked, before letting out a huff and standing up.

"Should pay attention," Sirin pointed out, reaching down to offer the kid her hand. The child blinked, before pouting.

"Yeah, you probably should," the girl replied, before taking the offered hand. Sirin paused, her brain trying to catch up with what had happened. Before she could do anything though, the girl gasped.

"Hey, are you, by chance, the new parahuman from the shelter?" the girl asked, blinking excitedly. Sirin froze, before narrowing her eyes and pulling the kid up.

"I'm just passing by. Don't know any parahumans," the purple-haired girl deadpanned, picking up the fallen bottles and checking them for cracks and such. She didn't miss the pout on the girl's face.

"Aw, really?" the girl huffed and crossed her arms. Sirin paused, before letting out a little sigh. "The hair's pretty distinctive, so I thought it was you." Sirin blinked, before raising an eyebrow.

"It's just a dye," Sirin huffed, adjusting her scarf again. The girl pouted, before shrugging.

"Cool," the girl huffed. Sirin blinked, before shrugging and taking a few steps back.

"Are you hurt?" Sirin asked. The kid blinked, before shaking her head.

"Just a little surprised," the girl answered, and Sirin nodded once. How did the girl even manage to crash into her, when she could sense everyone moving through space around her? Was she that distracted?

"Sorry," the purple-haired girl offered, before glancing at the bottles. They were all fine, thank goodness. She let out a little sigh, before checking her shopping list.

"What's your name? I'm Missy Biron," the kid huffed, following Sirin when the girl started walking. The purple-haired girl blinked and glanced to the side, seeing the girl was in fact following her. Sirin pursed her lips and looked at the list, before stopping.

"Sirin," the girl replied automatically,more focused on reading than processing. Missy blinked, before smiling and nodding.

"Cool, cool. You from Brockton? Never saw you before," Missy hummed. Sirin nodded, before raising an eyebrow and focusing back on the girl.

"You live here?" the purple-haired girl asked. Missy blinked, before crossing her arms.

"Of course. Where do you go to school? I don't think I've ever seen you in Clarendon," the girl mused. Sirin pursed her lips under the scarf. Right, Alan mentioned school.

"Am not in the grade. Homeschooled," Sirin explained, glancing at her shopping list again. The girl was still following her, for some reason. Sirin hummed and pursed her lips, before looking around.

"How old are you, then? School's kinda fun," Missy chuckled, before humming. Sirin narrowed her eyes.

"Thirteen," the purple-haired girl deadpanned, checking the list again. Missy nodded, before pursing her lips.

"Huh... He, is homeschooling boring?" the girl asked, her voice a little more energetic. Sirin paused, before shrugging. She didn't want to mention that she hadn't seen Sarah try to homeschool her even once. Sirin pursed her lips

Maybe if she ignored Missy, the girl would leave her alone?

"Hey, did you watch the new Ward's inauguration a few months ago?" Missy hummed. Sirin glanced her way and shrugged once.

"Don't think so."

In reality, the less she thought about the Wards, the better she felt. Even if the knee jerk reaction of wanting to turn PRT's entire base into an endless labyrinth had passed, she still felt apprehensive about them.

The purple-haired girl paused, before tilting her head. There was a bakery in this market, and Sirin hadn't bought bread yet. Was it part of Sarah's grocery list? She should have thought of that before, the girl realized. The purple-haired girl started wandering the isle, before pausing.

Why wasn't Missy leaving her alone?

"Hm. Well, Clockblocker was inaugurated a few months ago. He's a bit rude, but not as bad as some other Wards," the girl hummed and Sirin paused, before glancing at Missy.

"Oh? How'd you know?" Sirin asked, pursing her lips as she studied the selection of bread. At this point she was starting to get annoyed by the somewhat shorter stalked, and actually wondered where the hell were the girl's parents. She didn't hear Missy's answer at first, too busy choosing whether to get brown, white, pan or something else. Sirin chewed on her lip underneath the scarf, before looking at the girl.

"Vista seems okay. Armsmaster is cool too," the girl hummed, before blinking as Sirin walked to the cashiers. The purple-haired girl nodded slightly, putting the bread on the counter to be scanned.

"Missy!" the voice called out, and a young woman ran up to them, before stopping and blinking. She had somewhat short red hair, with brown eyes, dressed into a simple black winter coat, pants and boots. "Missy, why'd you run off all of a-?" The woman started, but as she noticed who stood by the child's side, she couldn't quite hide the widening of her eyes. She clearly recognized her, and it was mutual.

She sensed this woman before, back when she was at the PRT. A moment of concentration confirmed her theory, as she could feel the slightly warped space within the two females in front of her. The same kind that was inside of Sarah. They were both parahumans.

The woman glanced at Sirin's scarf, before narrowing her eyes minutely and smiling to the purple-haired girl.

"Oh, hello, sorry, I didn't realize you two were talking," the woman apologized with a warm smile, reaching for Missy's hand. Missy blinked, before gasping and turning around.

"Hi mom, sorry. Just met Sirin while I was browsing the market," the kid grinned, and the woman blinked.

"Sirin, huh," the redhead nodded once. Sirin eyed Missy's mother, before glancing at the girl. The red-haired woman paused, before smiling and offering her hand. "My name's Jaime. Nice to meet you, Sirin." Sirin blinked, before raising an eyebrow and carefully reaching to take the handshake.

The woman paused as the scarf slid down a little, but otherwise didn't comment on it.

"Hello," Sirin nodded once, pulling her grocery bag back. Jaime hummed, before glancing at Missy.

"We should be going. Sorry if she bothered you, Sirin," the woman smiled. Sirin tilted her head and glanced at Missy, before shrugging once.

"She didn't." Not as much, at least. But she wouldn't say that out loud.

"Still. We've got errands to run," Jaime sighed, and Missy huffed and crossed her arms. Sirin hummed, before nodding a little. Jaime paused, before sighing and glancing at Missy.

The two parahumans were talking. Sirin frowned and glanced towards Missy, before pausing as the girl took a step closer.

"If we hang out again, you can tell me how homeschooling is," the girl grinned, before waving and following her mother. Sirin blinked, before glancing away. If that was an attempt from the PRT to try and get on her good side, it was a clumsy one.

Sirin pursed her lips, grabbing her grocery bag after she paid, before glancing to the side and seeing Missy and her mom talking. The purple-haired girl hummed, before pursing her lips and quickly heading for an empty alleyway, when she'd opened a portal home and stepped through, wondering what Sarah would have to say about what just happened.

---

As it turned out, Alan returned a few minutes before her, and was currently drinking coffee on his sofa, while Sarah lounged around in the chair and typed something on Alan's laptop.

Sirin paused, before shuffling over, holding the grocery bag. Sarah glanced her way, before her eyes lit up and the blonde took the bag.

"Oh, you actually found all of it," Sarah hummed and Sirin glanced away as Sarah started unpacking.

"Soda machine was easy to find. Had to ask the employee where fruits are," the purple-haired girl admitted as she took off her scarf, sat on the sofa's armrest and closed her eyes, trying to read Alan and Sarah's reactions to what she was saying by sensing the movements of their faces.

Alan didn't move, while Sarah narrowed her eyes. After a moment of staring, the blonde shrugged, before Sirin heard a bag rustle and blinked as a chocolate bar was handed to her.

"Hm... This is the one, right?" the girl asked, studying the packaging and the image. It wasn't wrong, per se, but she wasn't sure if Sarah liked the exact brand, or just the type of chocolate. Sarah paused, before glancing at the pack, and Sirin sensed that she glanced up at Alan and Sarah.

"Hm. Close, but I think the taste is different," Sarah hummed, and Sirin paused. The purple-haired girl furrowed her brows. So she had chosen wrong? Sirin pursed her lips under her scarf. The packaging had looked prettiest, even if they did get different versions sometimes.

Sirin nodded once.

"Will buy next time. Sorry," Sirin hummed, before unwrapping the chocolate. Alan glanced her way, before shrugging once and sipping on his coffee. Sirin blinked, before taking the first bite of the chocolate. Sarah watched the duo with an interested gaze, before humming and opening the soda Sirin had bought.

"No worries. What did you buy?" Sarah asked, and Sirin sensed Sarah turning her way. The purple-haired girl furrowed her eyes.

"Just this. Didn't find fruit juices, and not sure what flavors you like," Sirin hummed. Sarah paused, before chuckling softly. Sirin chewed on her chocolate, glancing the blonde's way.

"It's fine. Juices are a bit expensive, and fruits are healthier." Sarah admitted, and Alan hummed.

"Alan? When are the trucks with supplies leaving for the shelters?" Sirin blinked, before glancing his way. Alan paused, before shrugging and finishing his coffee.

"In about five hours. Why?" the man raised an eyebrow. Sirin blinked, before humming and standing up. She sensed Sarah raise her eyebrow, before the blonde let out a little sigh. Sirin chewed on the chocolate, before walking to her room, opening her eyes and laying on her bed.

"Just wondering if I can make myself a bit more presentable before it happens. I don't want those people to be cold while the shelter is rebuilding. I want to-"

"To give them a 'Miracle', hm?" the blonde smiled softly and Sirin paused, before pursing her lips underneath the scarf.

"Yes," the girl answered, closing her eyes. Alan and Sarah seemed amused and impressed. "Do you two want to help me with the fabric while we wait?"

"I would love to. Alan? Will you lend us a hand?" Sarah hummed. Alan let out a little huff, and Sirin sensed him nodding slightly.

"Of course."

"Cool," Sirin hummed, before standing up and sitting at her desk, closing her eyes. Fabrics floated to the girl, and she glanced their way, before nodding to herself. Yes, this would do. She'd already gotten some ideas.

---

The colorful portal erupted into existence in front of the shelter, startling some people. Sirin walked through it, before glancing around. She didn't have to see the place to know that the shelter was in the process of rebuilding, though renovations would take time. There was no point in asking them if that was happening, anyway. Sirin was here to give people hope.

Sirin hummed, and the portal behind her twisted, growing in size and twisting its shape, until finally settling on a form of a star pentagon, with several trucks coming through moments later. The girl paused, before glancing at Alan as he hopped from the front seat, before glancing towards Sarah.

"Hey. Everything good?" the man hummed. Sirin paused and glanced towards the shelter, before pursing her lips.

Was giving these supplies away too early? People didn't seem to be freezing or anything. Still, the faster Sirin got it over with, the sooner people would have a bit more stability.

"It is now," Sirin replied, before walking towards the shelter and stopping a few feet in front of it. A woman paused as she noticed the girl, before Sirin sensed the woman tilt her head.

"Um, can I help you, kiddo?" the woman asked. Sirin paused, before reaching to untie the scarf, pulling it down and letting people see her face.

There was no point in wearing the scarf. She wouldn't be able to hide anyway, especially since people would inevitably connect 'Miracle Star' to the purple-haired girl that Alan had taken custody of, no matter what they'd do. So it was better to reveal herself on her own terms than letting news channels, websites and other groups control the narrative.

"We're here with presents," Sirin spoke, unable to keep the smile off of her face.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

A/N: Happy new year everyone!

Thank you for sticking with me so far, and all of my thanks to the angel that is Snowfire. I couldn't have done this without her.

I wish all of you health, luck, happiness and success in all your endeavours!

This is the last chapter of the prologue, and the next chapter will mark the beginning of the new arc. A more... action packed arc.

 

[0xA315]

Nice update!
Actually with Sirin already looking like she will have a magical-girl style costume, it'll be really funny when she pulls out the second phase (now with radiation!).
Also having her meet Missy is funny. I wonder if Missy also detects Sirin differently than others or not.

 

[Primeknight]

Bro that snake isn't showing it's head! ,

I think he tried to touch our Queen's new family and got turned into a zombie or be devoured by the honkai mobs.

Now he scared what other powers she have and is in hiding and preventing PRT to get her in the wards.

Would be funny if she unwrapped the endbringers like an onion because they are just folded through multiple dimensions right?

 

[QroGrotor]

Nice update!
Actually with Sirin already looking like she will have a magical-girl style costume, it'll be really funny when she pulls out the second phase (now with radiation!).
Also having her meet Missy is funny. I wonder if Missy also detects Sirin differently than others or not.

Click to shrink...

We'll see =]

Bro that snake isn't showing it's head! ,

I think he tried to touch our Queen's new family and got turned into a zombie or be devoured by the honkai mobs.

Now he scared what other powers she have and is in hiding and preventing PRT to get her in the wards.

Click to shrink...

=]

Would be funny if she unwrapped the endbringers like an onion because they are just folded through multiple dimensions right?

Click to shrink...

Would probably be fun, but it also wouldn't make it interesting

 

[QroGrotor]

"Thanks, Vicky. I'll make sure to not go out today," Sirin sighed. The girl balanced her phone as carefully as she grabbed a cup with the other hand. Dressed only in shorts, a white t-shirt and slippers, the girl crossed the kitchen to the fridge, thinking about the events of the last week. She didn't really get to do much, aside from showing up at the shelter and moving things to help, but she apparently had quite a reception on PHO, not that Sirin had any interest in checking it out.

And even that had, in Sirin's opinion, been exhausting. Her little stunt in front of the shelter had made her an immediate local celebrity, with the footage and photos of her handing out the supplies going viral overnight.

Not only that, but she hadn't missed the PRT officers being stationed close to the shelter. Sarah had said it was probably an attempt to make contact, but she still wasn't sure about talking to them..

That wasn't the only thing that annoyed her. Alan and Sarah had received tons of e-mails from different sources, from the media to the government. And the Protectorate was also trying their best to redirect Ward patrols towards the area where she was seen. Unfortunately for them, help came from an unwitting spy in their midst, and a girl that Sirin was slowly starting to warm towards.

"I did hear that they wanted to talk about something important though. Mom thinks so too. Are you sure it isn't for the best to just meet with them?" Vicky asked. Sirin pursed her lips, pouring some orange juice into the cup, before screwing the bottle's cap shut and putting it back in the fridge.

"If it was something really important, they know where I actually live. They just want to meet me away from Alan and Sarah. Maybe for some interview, but who knows. Alan said the same, so..." the purple-haired girl trailed off with another sigh.Walking to her chair, she paused as she sensed Alan and Sarah's reactions to her words. Were the PRT e-mailing them too?

"Maybe," Vicky chuckled. Sirin took a sip of her juice. "Oh, hey, I'll have to hang up now. Have to study," the blonde added and Sirin blinked.

"Sure. Good luck," Sirin said earnestly. She could feel a smile through the phone.

"Thanks. We'll see each other this Saturday, yeah?" Vicky asked. Sirin leaned back, before shrugging.

"Probably," the purple-haired girl temporised. Victoria chuckled softly.

"Alright. Bye, Siri. See you soon!" Vicky hummed. Sirin glanced at the phone, before nodding once and ending the call. She set the juice down on the coffee table, what an inconsistent name that was, before flopping onto the sofa and closing her eyes, relaxing.

Vicky was an okay person to talk to. Sirin still wasn't entirely sure how to act around her, but at least the purple-haired girl had a feeling they had some common ground. It wasn't really the most comfortable friendship, but Sirin could live with that. The blonde was at least smart enough to stop asking about Sirin's eyes.

After a moment of laying around, the girl rolled on her back, letting out a little hum and glancing towards her room, where the dress she was working on remained. Considering how much time she had until evening, getting some work done sounded like a good idea. Especially with how they'd have a tutor coming over to homeschool them from next week.

Deciding to use her power as God intended, Sirin opened the portal by the sofa and rolled into it, falling out of the second portal that appeared over her bed right onto it. Sirin yawned and rolled to the edge of the bed before sitting up and reaching for the unfinished dress. Her fingers brushed across the cloth, and she reached for her needles.

She'd need to finish it by the end of the week.

---

To say that Sirin could lose track of time when working on something she'd liked would be an understatement.

The sound of the doorbell broke the girl from her work-induced trance, and Sirin tilted her head curiously before glancing towards the door. She'd been trying not to pay attention to everything around her so much, but it could be hard. She glanced back at her work for a moment, then sighed and started putting all of the fabric back in her box.

By the time she made it down to the living room, she could sense Alan opening the door to greet whoever stood on the other side.

"Hello, Alan! Is Sirin home?" Sirin blinked as she recognized the voice. That was Victoria, but her…friend had said she had to study. Why was she here? Sirin leant around the edge of the entrance hall, and saw Vicky's expression brighten as she waved to her friend.

"Uh, hi." The older cape seemed to gather herself back in for a moment, expression sobering. "I know it's short notice, I'm sorry, but Director Piggot just called my mom and said they want to see us. All of us, you included Sirin," Victoria clarified. "Carol told me to come and get you, whilst she made a few other calls.".

That was something new. Sirin walked down the entrance hall until she was next to Alan, looking between the two.

"They want to meet us?" Sirin paused, closing her eyes in thought. Did Director Piggot really want to try this approach? Alan hummed agreement, and Sirin sensed Victoria look his way.

"They asked for New Wave first," she admitted. "But from what mom told me they really want you there, Sirin. But they talked to mom, so I don't really know much." The blonde shrugged helplessly.
Sirin pursed her lips, before opening her eyes and looking up at Victoria. "Did they mention what this was about?" the purple-haired girl asked, crossing her arms. She felt Sarah come up at her back with quick steps.

"Uh... no. Or if they did, mom sent me out before she got that out of them," Vicky said apologetically. Sirin leant past her friend, looking up. The sky was starting to get dark.

Well, there was no way around this one. Sirin nodded.

"Fine. Just a minute." She headed for her room, already set on changing into the dress she'd been working on.
It was a simple thing, a knee-length black one with golden stripes across the sleeves, skirt and shoulders. She'd stitched several white stars across her sleeves and the back of her black gloves, with a white scarf to keep her neck warm finishing the outfit. She still wasn't sure what to do with her legs, but at least she had a dress now. From the few comments Sarah had made, she must've been at least familiar with fashion, so perhaps asking her wasn't a bad idea?

Sirin pulled the dress on, making sure to check the fastenings, then grabbed the scarf and stepped back through another portal. Vicky took a step back on reflex as the girl stepped out in front of her. At least this time she managed not to yelp.

"Let's go," Sirin said, wrapping the scarf around her neck. She looked up to find Vicky staring at her, head tilted as she examined the transformation the purple-haired girl had undergone.

"That's an awesome dress!" Victoria gushed, eyes wide. "Where'd you get it?"

"Made it myself," the purple-haired girl replied simply, glancing away. Victoria blinked, before grinning.

"Woah, that's cool! You should become a tailor or a seamstress if you're this good, huh?" the blonde mused. Alan looked over at Sirin's, chuckling and shaking his head.

"Perhaps," Sirin said. She shrugged once and was about to head outside when Sarah's voice interrupted her.

"I'm coming too." Sirin paused, before turning to her friend. Alan did the same, beating the purple-haired girl to the punch.

"You sure? What about the-" Alan began. Sarah just shook her head, smiling softly.

"We talked about this," she told them, smirking slightly. "I can't hide forever, and I might be of use. Plus, they never mentioned how many people were supposed to come, if I understood correctly?"

It…was a fair point. And Sirin would feel better with Sarah there to keep her right, keep her safe from any lies.

"If you're sure. Thanks, Sarah." Sirin nodded, pulling on a pair of dark winter boots that barely managed not to clash with her dress. Victoria blinked, before tilting her head towards Alan as the man glanced their way.

"Right, you're both parahumans. Kind of forgot about it." The blonde heroine scratched the back of her head. Alan shrugged once.

"It's fine. Just don't let Sarah cause trouble." Alan told the older cape. Sarah rolled her eyes and Victoria let out a chuckle.

"Sure. Siri and I will make sure nothing happens." The purple-haired girl glanced Victoria's way, before nodding once and glancing towards the door.

"Hm. I'm ready." the girl hummed. "Everyone else?"

Sarah nodded quickly. Alan gave them both a half-hug as they slipped out the door, wishing them luck.

---

Victoria was pouting as she landed near the PRT's entrance, seeing Sarah and Sirin talking amicably with her mother and aunt. So much for the race she'd asked for!

"I thought you agreed to race here? Didn't you say that you figured out how to fly?" Victoria crossed her arms, floating just a few centimeters above the ground. Sirin and Sarah looked up from their conversation, and the purple-haired girl actually giggled.

"Floating," she corrected primly. "I've figured out floating. Learning how to actually fly is a bit different.

"And how long will that take you?" Victoria's mom asked. Sirin's lips twitched, and Victoria sensed more than saw the slight smirk in the fading daylight.

"Few days maybe. A week or two at most." Sirin shrugged. Victoria paused, frowning. Wait, was Siri actually capable of flying? What actually was her power, then?

"Huh." She brushed the thought of her mind. It would be rude to ask, anyway. "If you need help with that, you can ask me to help you, you know. Could make the process faster. And we'll get to hang out more!" Victoria added the last words with a happy cry. Sirin stared at her for a long enough moment for her to wonder if she'd done something wrong. Then.

"Okay." The purple-haired girl agreed. She looked over at the entrance to the PRT building, tilting her head. The guards standing by the door had made no effort to invite them in, so she had no idea whether they were supposed to go in or not. Victoria hid a frown, glancing between her mom and Aunt Sarah.

"Hey, so, should we go in?" Victoria asked. Her mom shook her head, and she felt her cheeks warm as she realized the reason. They'd been waiting for her.

"I'd imagine so. Come on, girls." Carol gestured them forward behind her and Aunt Sarah, walking towards the PRT building. The group watched one of the guards there nod once, before reaching for the radio on his lapel.

"Tell the Director they're here."

Sirin closed her eyes as she walked, focusing on the reply from the device. A businesslike voice ordered the guards to lead them to a particular conference room. Not the same one she and Sarah had been taken to, that first time. The guard stepped back, pushing the door open and holding it.

"Hey, Victoria." Sarah started, looking around. "Where's Amy? I thought she'd be here as well?"

"Oh, there was some incident with a girl from school. She was asked to check her over," Victoria replied.

"Incident?" Sirin asked, curious. Sarah frowned, focusing on Victoria.

"What kind of incident?" Sarah asked quietly as they walked through the doors into the PRT building. She was definitely trying to distract herself from the upcoming meeting. Victoria frowned, trying to recall what she'd been told about it.

"I think someone slipped and fell off of the roof. Something stupid like that," she said, shrugging. "Who would even be up on the roof in the winter?" Victoria huffed. Sarah paused, before glancing at Sirin.

"Someone like you? Sirin showed me a photo you took on the roof a few days ago."

"Hey, I can fly. It's a lot safer for me!" Victoria replied, blustering cheerfully. Sirin giggled again and Sarah sighed. She glanced without meaning to at the guard leading them, then quickly away, trying to find something else to say.

"Yeah, okay,." Sarah admitted half-heartedly. Victoria opened her mouth to argue the point, only for a sigh from her mother to interrupt.

"Girls, focus please. We're going up." Carol said, nodding to the waiting lift ahead.

The guard led them inside and Sirin stared at the panel for a moment, noting that it didn't have buttons but a sensor panel instead. Fancy. The trooper held out a hand to the panel and a flash of green light swept over his hand, bringing the elevator to life. It was surprisingly smooth, all things considered. If it wasn't for her spatial awareness, Sirin wouldn't even know that they'd started moving.

"Hey, Mom, do you think we can hang out with Wards after the meeting?" Victoria asked. Carol crossed her arms across her chest as she looked at her daughter, pondering the question. Sirin blinked at the bold attempt to get her to socialize and quickly glanced at Sarah, worried about how her friend would react.

"You'd need Director's approval, but I have no problem with it assuming this meeting goes well. Maybe Sirin might like to join?" Carol said at last. Sirin shrugged at the woman's enquiring look, it really depended on Sarah. She could tolerate people a little better now, and it wasn't like she'd have to deal with them by herself.

"Maybe. If Sarah's alright with it," Sirin said as the elevator dinged. Sirin saw Victoria smile happily before the doors parted, revealing a small corridor lined with doors. Several men and women stood to the side, wearing the same trooper uniforms that the ones standing guard outside did, and Sirin sensed their expressions turn grim the moment they spotted her and Sarah. Victoria, Carol and Miss Pelham ignored them, simply following the trooper that went forward. Sarah moved a step forward in the group, taking a place closer to the adults as she stared down the agents.

Sirin easily took note of her friend's tension and nodded to herself, increasing her pace a little to stay as close to Sarah as possible. Victoria glanced over and Sirin saw a frown form on her other friend's lips as she took in the reaction.

"Everything alright?" the heroine asked.

"Just a little tense," Sirin replied quietly, a flick of her eyes taking in the silent toppers. Victoria's expression darkened a little.

"Yeah, they've been acting strange the entire week. Not sure what's gotten into them," Victoria frowned, thinking. Sirin raised an eyebrow.

"Might have something to do with me and Sarah bailing on them," Sirin suggested. Victoria snorted out a sound that might have been amusement, then moved up to take a rearguard position. She also hovered up off the ground a little, until she matched her mother's height.

"Well, I'll do my best to look intimidating, just so you can relax." Victoria gave Sarah a thumbs up, prompting a little smile from the younger girl. Sirin rolled her eyes but couldn't keep a smile of her own off her face as the three of them moved closely behind the older women.

The corridor didn't last for too long. The guard leading them opened the door at the far end to reveal a conference room. Inside was Director Piggot, but also several other people Sirin didn't know. The only exception was the woman that conducted their interview, although now she was wearing a scarf that covered her face.

Miss Militia wasn't the most interesting person in the room at the moment, though. That honor belonged to a tall, thin man with dark skin that sat by Director Piggot's side. Aside from the fact that she could clearly sense the same type of warped space within him that every parahuman she'd encountered possessed, what set the man aside from the others was his reaction at seeing her. While he managed to keep his expression neutral, she sensed the hand under the table clench into a fist.

"Thank you for agreeing to this meeting. Please, have a seat." Director Piggot greeted them. Sirin watched Victoria's mom, aunt and the Director exchange terse greetings, and glanced to her left.

"Sarah?" She asked. "Want me to go first?" Her friend looked back thankfully, before reaching down and taking Sirin's hand in her own.

Sirin smiled back and walked inside, leading them towards the two seats next to Carol and Sarah Pelham that were closer to the door. She completely ignored any glances, though did note that none of them lasted long. Sarah leant against her thankfully as they sat down, Victoria taking the spot next to them.

Director Piggot nodded to them, the motion terse but somehow surprisingly sincere. Then she took a sharp breath and spoke.

"I'm going to be frank. An Endbringer attack is imminent and I've been requested to ask if either of you would be willing to help." Piggot's face was pinched with conflicting emotions as she asked the question, and Sirin felt Sarah freeze in place as Victoria gasped. Carol's thinning lips were her only reply, but her sister inhaled sharply.

Sirin herself found herself whirling. This hadn't at all been what they'd expected.

"The adults of New Wave will participate in the next Endbringer battle, of course," The older of the two said after a moment. "But we will not involve the children. I'm honestly shocked that you're asking, Director, but I think I know why."

"I'm not any happier than you about this," the Director ground out. "You are, however, correct. I am to ask if Miracle Star would be willing to provide support for us in the next Endbringer attack. What we're asking shouldn't put her in any danger-"

"There's no such thing as a safe Endbringer attack," Carol said, her voice arctic. She opened her mouth to continue, but Sirin beat her to it.

"Excuse me." For a moment the entire table was silent, as if shocked into inaction by Sirin's youthful voice. "But what exactly are you asking me to do, here?"

"We're not asking you to fight, if that's what you're asking." The Director's expression unbent into something that only someone truly charitable could call a smile, but it was a change at least. "But there's only a handful of parahumans who can move people as easily as you seem to be able to, Sirin.

"I'm going to be very clear," she continued. "I wouldn't be asking you this if I hadn't been explicitly ordered to. But Endbringer battles typically end in six digit body counts at minimum even with shelters. Depending on how your portals work, you could save thousands of lives. All we're asking is that you help get people out."

"You can't just expect her," Carol started to say.

"I'll do it," Sirin said firmly. For the second time in less than a minute, the entire room hushed, and the young girl at the center of it all sighed. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to help as much as you're hoping, but I'd like to help."

"Sirin," Sarah Pelham said gently. "Are you sure about this? Endbringer fights, even at a distance, aren't kind things."

For a moment, flashes of the place Sirin had fled from flashed behind her eyes . The pain, the deaths, the countless murders she'd had no choice but to commit to save her own life. And yet, through it all, a different memory surfaced as she looked across the table.

She knew that she didn't have to do anything the Director was asking. But that memory, the words promise she'd dismissed so blithely. A pledge to make the world better, if only they'd have faith.

Maybe…Maybe it hadn't been such a stupid dream?

"I've seen unkind things before," Sirin replied at last. Her voice was very soft as she looked up at Sarah Pelham, but something glowed in the depths of her eyes. "If people think I can make them better, I'd like to try."

Next to her, she heard Sarah take a deep breath, as if gathering herself.

"Then…then I'll help too," her friend said. "I'm a good Thinker, I can watch the fight from here. Maybe I can give the heroes, the heroes fighting in the battle, something they could use?"

Director Piggot looked between the two girls, then to the actual leaders of New Wave. The two full heroines clearly weren't happy with what the girls in their charge had said, but they didn't say anything to stop them either. Piggot gave it a ten-count, then nodded and turned her focus back to the two children.

"There are a list of tests I've been asked to run you through, mostly to establish the range of your portals and how much can move through them," she explained. "Once we have an idea of that, Dragon will handle the creation of evacuation strategies. Would that be acceptable?"

"You're certain you want to do this?" Carol asked Sirin. The girl only nodded, staring straight ahead. "Then yes, Director. I'm sure something can be arranged, assuming her guardian agrees."

Sirin's head snapped around to look at Carol, her eyes wide as she considered how Alan was going to react to this. But she wanted to do this, too. It was important, and she could save people. That was worth it, wasn't it?

"There's one other thing," Miss Militia said. "As we've mentioned before, the PRT would like to formally extend you both a provisional membership in the Wards. I know New Wave is supporting you right now, but the Protectorate wants to offer you a second line of aid if it was ever needed. There'd also be the opportunity to meet more people like yourselves, and work together in a safe environment."
Sirin blinked, wondering what the purpose of offering her and Sarah a place in the Wards actually was. She and her friend had made their stance on that very clear, she thought. Was it just a gesture of goodwill, or something else?

"We'll need time to consider that offer," Sarah replied curtly.

"That much we've expected. There's no time pressure on this, we just wanted you to know that the offer was formally there," Miss Militia said. Sirin nodded. At least they weren't obliged to decide quickly.

"If that's all, we'll be taking our leave." Carol said stiffly. She stood, joined by her sister. "I will have some calls to make."

Sirin felt Sarah tense a little, before getting up from her chair. Victoria frowned, glancing at Sirin, then towards her mother.

"Hey, if that's it, could Siri and I spend the afternoon with the Wards?" Victoria asked, speaking up for the first time. "Sarah could come as well."
Director Piggot paused at the question, then shrugged and looked at Miss Militia. The masked woman nodded once to the Director.

"I don't see a problem with it," Piggot said. "And I'm sure they'd welcome the chance to meet you at last."

"Sure. We don't have anything better to do," Sirin said, getting up from her chair. Victoria grinned at their agreement and Carol sighed..

"Alright, girls. Please behave and be nice to the Wards. Would you like me to come by later to pick you up?" Victoria's mom asked. Vicky nodded once, and Sirin saw a smirk make its way onto Sarah's lips, before her friend shook her head.

"Don't worry about us. Just text Victoria and we'll portal her home," Sarah told her. Carol considered that for a moment, then shrugged.

"Please try to have some appetite for dinner, Victoria," she said at last. "I'll see you later."

People left quickly after that, with Director Piggot bidding New Wave farewell. Her assistant glanced at Sirin for a moment, and the purple-haired girl could feel the sudden tension around him as he did so again. She ignored him, but Sarah froze in place for a moment before Victoria bustled her out of the conference room.

"Something wrong back there, Sarah?" The older blonde asked. The tension that Sirin had felt in the Director's assistant suddenly increased. That was odd. Carol and Miss Pehlam looked back at the three, concern clear on their faces. Sarah shook her head quickly, but Sirin felt her hand squeeze tight for a moment before she managed to get words out.

"I'm okay. I've got it under control," she said. It sounded a bit shaky to Sirin, but the rest of the group seemed to accept it. What had her friend reacted to? Had the Director's assistant done something that she'd missed? That didn't paint a nice picture. She'd need to keep a better eye on her friend, and be very careful whenever she was here doing things with her portals.

"Are you sure?" Victoria asked Sarah once they were out of the room. Sarah nodded, much more naturally now that she was out of sight of the Director's assistant. Sirin frowned, looking curiously at her friend, but Sarah shook her head.

Not now, then. She'd be asking her later, though.

"Alright then!" Victoria grinned. "Let's go meet some teenage heroes!" The older girl seemed itching to lead them off to meet the young heroes. But that did make sense, Sirin supposed. Vicky had told her she was friends with some of the Wards.

"Alright." Sirin nodded.

"Take care, Victoria. And please try to remember what I asked," Carol called after them.

"Yes mom!" Victoria carrolled. Then the older girl led Sirin and Sarah off into the base like she knew the way. Which, well, she probably did. She turned a bright, fierce smile on the two younger girls as they turned the corner away from her parents.

"I can't wait for you to meet them."

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A/N: All of my thanks to Snowfire for the editing and betaing this chapter. Never would've been possible without Snow.

 

[0xA315]

I hope that the endbringer isn't the Simurgh, since dealing with her is always kind of terrible from a narrative standpoint.

 

[QroGrotor]

The meeting with the Wards wasn't as interesting as Sirin had thought. There were only three of the Wards currently at the HQ: Clockblocker, Triumph and Gallant. Vista had apparently gone home for the day and the fifth Ward Sirin knew of, Aegis, was absent due to a family obligation.

Victoria introduced Sirin and Sarah to the Wards with her usual exuberance, although Clockblocker did tease her a little. Triumph and Gallant were both cordial and polite, with the taller and older Wards leader being a little more formal. Gallant seemed more natural, though he did send a few odd looks their way. Clockblocker, meanwhile, was the teasing and jokey character that Vicky had warned her about. Sirin could tell that Victoria liked all of them, though. And Clockblocker himself didn't seem to mean any real harm.

Sirin had to admit she wasn't really interested in talking to any of the present Wards, however. Sarah clearly felt the same way, staying close to her purple-haired friend and keeping any answers short. Victoria pouted a little when neither of her friends took up any of the offers to chat, but none of the group pushed.

"Sorry guys, Star and Sarah aren't feeling it," Victoria said. Sirin felt a surge of warmth for the older blonde for that. Triumph chuckled.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "Clockblocker can be a little too much sometimes."

Sirin nodded thankfully, although Sarah didn't relax at all. Even though they've agreed that their identities weren't going to hold up to any amount of scrutiny, being so casually addressed by name among heroes was a strange experience.

"Hey!" The jokester Ward protested. "It's my charm and easy going personality. How else am I going to find a lady?"

Triumph and Victoria groaned.

"No, not the terrible pick-up lines!" Victoria told him despairingly. "Get thee gone, foul demon!"

"I'll go and I'll take these two fair maidens with me," the white-clad boy shot back. Sirin's eyes widened as Clockblocker dramatically reached out to grab her and Sarah's hands, only for the attempt to phase through her fingers. Victoria laughed.

"Clockblocker, leave them alone," Triumph groaned. Clockblocker mock pouted. Sirin ignored the banter, although Sarah didn't seem to relax at all. Maybe that meeting with the Director's assistant had bothered her friend more than Sirin had realised?

Victoria laughed a little more as Triumph scolded the white-clad boy, the whole situation being frankly ridiculous. The next hour was mostly spent chatting with Clockblocker and Triumph, as well as getting to try pizza from the place that Victoria swore was the best in the city. Sirin was surprised at how normal it felt, even though most of them were all in costume.

Eventually their time had run out, however, and the Wards had to leave for their shifts and training programs. They hadn't really had the chance to discuss it, but Sirin was honestly glad for the chance to leave. She wanted to make sure Sarah was okay, and a text from Carol had told her that her testing had been scheduled for the next day.

Opening a portal to Victoria's home was easy enough. Sirin knew the place quite well at this point, having had to have come over before on Victoria's insistence, and the portal formed without real effort

"I guess I'll see you later, then," Victoria said, smiling as the three of them stepped through the portal. "I had a lot of fun today."

"We did too." Sirin nodded, as Sarah muttered something similar.

"So, wanna hang out some more? We could go watch a movie, or go shopping!" The blonde girl suggested. Sirin shook her head, quickly glancing at Sarah.

"Not today, Vicky," Sarah said quietly. Victoria looked disappointed, but didn't say anything.

"Okay, just text me later, alright?"

"Sure." Sirin nodded, already forming a portal to home. "See you later, Victoria."

Another portal shimmered into existence, the purple-haired girl stepping through into Sarah's bedroom, followed by her friend. She sighed as the portal closed, taking off her scarf and letting herself relax a little. Then she took a breath and turned to face her friend.

"What's wrong?" Sirin asked.

"It was the Director's assistant," Sarah said softly, looking away. "He was..." Her voice trailed off and she shivered.

"I'm sorry. " Sirin said, reaching out a hand to Sarah. "I wish I could tell that he was a threat."

"Not your fault," Sarah sighed. She took Sirin's hand and pulled her across the room to sit down on the bed together.. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I guess I just got spooked. Maybe I'm even wrong, it wouldn't be the first time." The last part came out as a whisper.

"You aren't." Sirin said. The girl shook her head firmly as Sarah glanced up at her. "He's a parahuman, but he wasn't dressed up like the heroes. That isn't how the PRT does things, is it?"

"It…might be?" Sarah said. She didn't sound very convinced, though. Sirin bit her lip, thinking.

"We should be careful then," she said, squeezing Sarah's hand. "And if you even suspect he's doing something, tell me, okay?"

Sarah stared at her for a moment, then half-collapsed forward across the bed into hugging her friend. Sirin stared down at the blonde for a moment, as if trying to work out what to do. The other girl was shaking.

"I will," Sarah murmured into Sirin's chest a short time later.. The purple-haired girl had taken a little time to figure out how to hug her friend back, but she'd gotten there. "I'll tell you, I promise."

"And I'll keep you safe," Sirin said, falling back to let the two of them hug on the bed. It was… Maybe it shouldn't have been, given the circumstances, but it was nice in a way. To be there for someone. To help.

"I promise."

---

Sirin spent the next morning in an uneasy mood as she ate breakfast, a strange sensation bubbling under her skin. Sarah, on the other hand, seemed far calmer than Sirin was, finishing up the rest of her cereal in short order, but that made sense. Alan had been surprised and concerned by the decision they'd made yesterday, but hadn't fought them on it. They had heard him talk to Carol Dallon last night, though, and Sirin suspected Alan had probably given her quite an earful.

Still, he'd been supportive of their decisions. At the very least, he hadn't tried to tell them not to help. The thing that Sirin thought Alan had been most unhappy about though was how she'd basically volunteered for PRT testing without talking to him beforehand. That, Sirin reflected, hadn't been well thought-out or fair to their guardian. She'd try to do better.

"Ready to go?" Sarah asked her, and Sirin glanced at her friend. The green-eyed girl had already finished her cereal, and seemed itching to get this whole thing over with. Sirin understood her friend's reluctance, all things considered. Sarah didn't really trust the PRT, and the fact that her power was so good at reading people often left her spooked.

"Yeah, let's go," Sirin nodded. Porting both of them to the PRT headquarters was easy. Alan would be spending the day in meetings with the insurance company for the shelter, and had mentioned jokingly that the girl's portals could make it hard to put up with rush hour. Sarah had suggested they leave at the same time in solidarity, which left the girls a few minutes to dress properly. He wished them both the best of luck before smoothing his suit jacket and heading out.

Sarah had advised Sirin not to teleport inside of the HQ so as to not to spook the heroes. With that in mind, Sirin's portal deposited them just a few metres outside of the building's main entrance. It was guarded by several PRT troopers but luckily they weren't shot at. The guards were clearly expecting their arrival and, after a few moments of confirming the girl's identities, they were led into the building.

Sirin guessed that the trooper leading them had been assigned to them for the day and smiled at him. Sarah didn't say anything, although Sirin could sense the unease rippling off of her. Was that because of the Director's assistant again? Sirin reached over and took Sarah's hand, squeezing it. She might not be able to do anything about that assistant right now, but she could be there for her friend.

Their guide led them to the elevators again, but a different one than the one they'd taken up before. Sirin stood next to the uneasy Sarah, holding her hand as they waited. A moment later, the elevator's doors slid open with a quiet ding and the girls were ushered through.

It seemed an even fancier elevator than the one they'd ridden in the day before, built from stainless steel and chrome and with no buttons on the control panel. Their guide presented their hand to the screen and the doors slid closed. It was surprisingly spacious even then. Sirin's thoughts drifted to the previous day again, and how she'd gotten an impression that the Wards didn't take her and Sarah seriously. Was that just a coincidence, or did the Wards really not see her and Sarah as proper heroes?

Sirin bit her lip, then sighed. She supposed that didn't matter now, did it? The Director thought she could really help, or at least someone giving her orders did. She touched her free hand to one of the elevator's handrail as it ascended, marvelling again at how smooth the motion it was. She wouldn't be able to tell that they were moving in the first place if it wasn't for her spatial awareness. She glanced at Sarah, noticing her friend's expression darken a little. Sirin hoped that it wasn't anything too serious, but some part of the girl wondered if she should've left Sarah at home or sent her off with Alan.

The elevator stopped with another quiet ding, the doors sliding open smoothly. Sirin felt Sarah take a deep breath as they stepped out of the elevator, still following their guide. He led them diffidently down a hall to a large executive office, marked as the Director's office, and ushered them inside.

Director Emily Piggot sat at her desk, hands folded in front of her, elbows resting on the wood. A large screen was active on the wall, showing the face of an exceptionally unremarkable dark-haired woman maybe ten years older than Sirin herself. Her head turned towards the two girls as they entered, giving them a quick once. A tall man in midnight-blue armour with a glowing blue visor over his eyes stood next to the Director's desk. He wore a stoic expression and his whole posture was guarded. This, Sirin assumed, was the leader of the Protectorate ENE. Armsmaster.

"I presume you already know Armsmaster and Dragon," the Director said in a gruff, professional voice. Sirin wasn't sure, but she could swear she saw the hint of a smile tugging at the Director's lips as she studied them.

"I've read about them." Sirin nodded, doing her best to push down any uneasiness. She decided not to elaborate further. Armsmaster's expression didn't change in the slightest, although Sirin thought she saw Dragon's lips move. Sarah was still watching the Director and Armsmaster.

"Well, you offered to come here for testing purposes, and I'm grateful that you've shown. Armsmaster will explain everything," Piggot said curtly. Sirin nodded. She was still a little unsure of how to react to all of this. Was the testing really necessary, or did the PRT just want to find an excuse to keep her and Sarah under their supervision? Was Sarah's suspicion about the Director's assistant correct, and if yes, was he working alone or the entire thing was just one big spectacle?

Sirin was painfully aware that she and Sarah knew next to nothing about the PRT or their operations. But Sarah had said herself that the only way to learn was to interact with them. Which was just another reason to be here, no matter how much Sirin didn't like her friend feeling unsafe.

"I was told that you offered to test your ability to teleport?" Armsmaster asked. Sirin focused on him.

"Y-yes. That's what I wanted to do." It was hard for her to tell exactly why she was nervous, and she cursed the slip of the tongue that had broken her first word. Armsmaster didn't seem to notice, simply nodding once before moving on.

"Very well," the man said. "We have arranged several tests for today. We'd prefer that you complete as many as you feel able to, but you are of course free to pick and choose. It's understood that recently triggered parahumans often wish to hold onto their own trump cards."

He gestured to the image of the woman on the screen across from him. "Whilst she's unable to join us physically, Dragon has also been brought in in her role as a primary coordinator during Endbringer assaults."

"Hi Sirin, Sarah," Dragon smiled. "It's good to meet you both, and I hope you'll be able to help like Director Piggot has suggested. I've put together some scenario tests for today, that I hope will let us get an understanding of how much control you have over your portals. I know that might seem intrusive, but Endbringer attacks are very chaotic affairs. Precision is often more important than raw power where it comes to saving the civilian population. And, I hate to say it given your age, but we have to see how you operate under pressure too."

Sirin nodded. That didn't sound too bad, but she looked over at Sarah just in case. Her friend stayed quiet though. Finding no objections, Armsmaster took up the thread of conversation.

"This will be a combined venture between the Protectorate and Dragon, but it's important for you to understand that Dragon's assessment here will be more important to your level of involvement in any upcoming Endbringer attack."

"Mostly we'll be trying to test how versatile your teleportation is," Dragon added cheerfully. "I've reviewed what you've done so far, Sirin, and I really am impressed. You seem to have a really versatile power, one that I think could save thousands of lives."

"...Thank you," Sirin said quietly. She really didn't want to trust anything here, but it was hard to ignore how earnest Dragon sounded.

"You're very welcome." Dragon smiled. "Now, the plan was to use one of the external test facilities for the simulations I wanted to run. Would that be alright? And do you have any questions?"

"That's fine." Sirin said after another glance at Sarah. "And, no, I don't think so."

"Good." Armsmaster stepped forward, gesturing to the door. "If you'd come this way?" He nodded to Piggot. "Director."

"Armsmaster." The woman waved an absent assent, apparently content to get back to her paperwork.

Armsmaster led the two girls back out of the office, and Sirin watched as the image of Dragon flickered to a screen in the hallway. She wondered if the woman really was paying attention as they headed back towards the elevators.

"Would you like one of my Dragonsuits, Armsmaster?" Dragon asked over the intercom. Armsmaster shook his head, his focus elsewhere. Or, to be more precise, on Sarah. Sirin struggled not to tense up when she realised that.

"Miss Livesey, I've been told that you are a Thinker?" The armoured hero asked. Sirin frowned a little at the question. She knew Sarah didn't like to talk about her powers much.

"Sort of," Sarah said curtly. Armsmaster nodded.

"Could you tell me about your own power?" The blue-clad hero asked, glancing at Sarah. Sirin looked at her friend as well. "This is voluntary, just like with Miss Krylova. But if you want to help with Thinker support during attacks, it would help to know what you need."

"It's complicated," the green-eyed girl responded quietly. She looked a little more nervous than before. "I just... know things."

"What sorts of things?" Armsmaster asked, pausing in his walk to face Sarah fully. Sirin could swear he was frowning a little, although that was hard to tell under that helmet of his. Sarah's frown deepened a little, then she looked away.

"Things about people. Secrets, what they're thinking, what they're going to do. It's just sort of... there," the blonde girl explained weakly. "The more information I have, the more accurate I am." Sirin put a hand on Sarah's shoulder in an attempt to reassure her friend. Armsmaster glanced at her, before continuing the conversation:

"So, this 'knowledge' is mostly dependent on the amount of information you have?" He asked. Sarah nodded. "Interesting. Depending on the limitations, that's an extremely versatile power, Miss Livesey. If you're willing, I'd ask if we could schedule a formal power testing with you at a later date. As soon as possible, preferably." Sirin bit her lip, wanting to jump in and defend Sarah from Armsmaster, but the man was a professional hero, and Sarah didn't seem to be trying to escape the conversation. Perhaps it was for the best.

"I'll think about it," the blonde girl said at last. Armsmaster nodded, not showing a hint of emotion on his face. Sirin couldn't tell what he thought at all, really, other than that the man was focused on something. She wasn't sure what. Was there a screen of some kind on the inside side of the visor? Dragon, meanwhile, seemed somewhat more empathic, as the woman's image on the screen flashed her and Sarah a quick smile before turning serious.

"We can start the tests right now, actually," the Tinker genius suggested. She smiled again more fully as all attention turned to the screen - how was she seeing them, anyway?

"Sirin, how exactly do you open portals? Do you need to see where you're going, visit it beforehand? Or can you open a portal to places you don't know?" Armsmaster looked at Sirin and Sarah glanced curiously at her friend as well. Sirin blushed a little, not used to being the centre of attention like that. Attention back in Babylon had been a bad thing. Here? She still wasn't sure.

"I don't need to know locations beforehand," she replied. "And I don't need to be there to open a portal."

"I know you can bring others with you, we've seen that. Is there a limit to the amount of passengers? Number, mass maybe?" Dragon asked. The woman's brows were furrowed in thought, but Sirin just shook her head.

"I can transport others with me just fine," Sirin said. "I've not found any limit so far." She wasn't sure she ever would. The power she'd been given…it wasn't from here. She could feel the shape of space, though how she knew that was what it was she couldn't have told even herself. Dragon's lips tugged upwards as she nodded.

"Good. Will you be able to teleport to a location we'll show you on the map?" Dragon inquired. Sirin considered it for a moment, then nodded.

"I think so," she replied honestly. "General vicinity, at least."

"That is excellent to hear. Please, look here," Dragon instructed. Sirin looked focused on the screen on the wall, seeing an aerial shot of the city. The area shifted inland, then zoomed in to show a large PRT facility outside of Brockton Bay. Sirin nodded, closing her eyes to focus. She saw the place on the map, and she knew where it was. All it took was the desire to get there for space to twist and warp in front of her, opening a portal right to the testing facility.

"Impressive." Armsmaster noted. He turned to Sarah. "Miss Livesey, will you be joining us?" Sarah glanced at Sirin, then at Armsmaster, before nodding.

"Might as well have a Thinker observing, right? Maybe I can figure something out."

"Ability to infer data could prove valuable," the man agreed, before turning his head towards the open portal. "Interesting. There must be an exotic energy at play, one that is fundamentally different to the one produced by Professor Haywire's device," the hero murmured, studying the portal.

"I'm not picking up anything dangerous on my end," Dragon said. "What about you?"

"Nothing, despite having Haywire's readings just as you do," Armsmaster replied. "This is very curious, as it suggests an entirely different basis for your portals, Miss Krylova, something that had only been theory until this point."

The hero appeared to be about to continue, forcing Sirin to prepare to interrupt, but he was distracted again by whatever was on the inside of his helmet. The armoured man shook his head, changing tack. "I am sorry if I appeared distracted. Studying the details of your power's functions is not why you're here. Shall we?"

"Yes." Sirin said shortly. The young girl was perhaps a little impatient to get on with things, and stepped through the portal, pulling Sarah along with her. Nothing against Armsmaster, but she didn't like the idea of leaving her friend at the PRT's HQ by herself if she could help it. Armsmaster studied the portal for a moment, then stepped through after them.

Sirin looked around as the hero fiddled with something at his wrist. The place looked rather boring, low blocky buildings that seemed the norm for military or government facilities here. There was a big open space between the buildings, and a fence with an armoured gate in front of them. There were PRT troopers standing guard, and a larger group of them training in the open area. Several trucks and vans were parked inside the fence too, separated from more civilian vehicles. Sirin closed her eyes, brushing the portal away to nothing as she focused on her spatial sense. No one was reacting to their arrival. They must have been warned to expect them, then.

"Vital signs are unchanged, no traces of exotic energy detected internally," Armsmaster noted, sotto voice. "Will need to recalibrate and do a deeper scan later." Sirin turned back to the hero as he finished whatever he'd been doing. Checking a tiny scanner of some kind? She dismissed it as his focus returned to Sarah and herself.

"Thank you, Miss Krylova. If you'll both follow me, we'll get started with the tests." He started leading them towards the gate. For a moment Sirin was frozen in place at the words, her knuckles whitening as she clenched Sarah's hand. Tests. That was what they'd always wanted to do, at Babyl-

"Sirin!" Sarah hissed warningly. The purple-haired girl blinked, images of cold and pain abruptly banished from her thoughts at the sound of pain in her friend's voice. She glanced at the blonde, her own eyes widening at the pale-faced expression of fear on her friend's face. It was gone a moment later, Sarah tapping their joined hands with her free one.

"Oh! Sorry," Sirin forced her grip to loosen. She hadn't wanted to hurt her friend.

"It's okay," Sarah told her soothingly. She pulled the two of them forward, quickly enough that they didn't lag too far behind Armsmaster. "Are you alright?"

"I…" Sirin sighed. Was she? It was hard to tell. Armsmaster hadn't meant anything bad when he said that, he'd told her the tests that the PRT had in mind. But it still made her remember. She shuddered, shaking her head quickly to push the memories away. Thankfully Sarah didn't mistake that as a direct answer.

"I'll be okay," the purple-haired girl said after a moment. "It was a memory of a bad place. This isn't one. I'll be alright." Sarah looked over her friend, eyes intent. Then she sighed and nodded.

Armsmaster checked the two girls through the gate with a few words to the sentries, pulling them along in his wake. A small drone zipped out of one of the buildings to meet them on the other side, Dragon's voice coming from the little speaker attached to it.

"Alright. Everything here will be getting recorded, and we've a team of PRT scientists on hand to observe and make any suggestions that come to mind." The drone turned its facing towards Sarah. "Would you like to join them for the afternoon, Sarah? It's probably the best place for you to get a good test of your own abilities."

Sirin and Sarah looked at each other, Sirin squeezing her friend's hand. More gently this time, though. The blonde shrugged. "Sounds fine to me?"

"Thank you. This way then, please," Armsmaster said. He led the two into the building that Dragon's drone had come from, through an unremarkable interior of laboratories and scientists. A number of them looked up from their work at the sight of new parahumans.

Their armoured guide brought them out into what looked like some sort of control room for observations. A team of scientists were sitting at monitors, several of them making final adjustments as the trio entered. Sarah immediately focused on one of the monitors, full of a simulation that Sirin couldn't immediately understand.

"You're going to use PRT troopers to simulate evacuees," the green-eyed girl said. She was watching Armsmaster with a subtle gleam in her eye that Sirin hadn't seen before. "Wanting to see if Sirin can move an entire evacuation centre on her own?"

"It seemed like a good start, as well as a way to test Miss Krylova's endurance," he said simply. "While Endbringer shelters have proven to be somewhat successful, it is preferable to evacuate the civilian population entirely. Your power's range is clearly quite extensive, and you appear to lack several of the more difficult limiters on Mover powers of your type. So we'd like you to hold a portal together for an extended period of time. We've set up one of this facility's bunkers to simulate a shelter, with 50 PRT Troopers in it." Armsmaster explained.

"You want to see how long I can keep a portal open." Sirin said, more as a statement than a question. Then she corrected herself. "Open and in continuous use."

Armsmaster nodded curtly. "That is correct. Powers are not always simple in how they function, and given the way we're asking you to help, a test like this is necessary," he explained. "It would be unfortunate if your portals were to destabilise and vanish in the middle of the evacuation,".

Sirin bit her lip. He made a good point, although it left her feeling uneasy.

"I think I get it," Sirin nodded slowly, looking towards Armsmaster.

"Good. I believe we are ready to start then. Dragon?" Armsmaster asked, turning towards the large monitor where Dragon's image nodded

"I'm ready, Armsmaster. Let's begin," Dragon confirmed.

"Then let us proceed. Miss Krylova, if you will." Armsmaster gestured towards Sirin. Sirin nodded, taking a deep breath. She knew what to do now.

"Okay. Where do you want me to move them?" Sirin asked, looking towards Armsmaster.

"Right here." Dragon said. A map appeared on screen next to her with coordinates for an entry and exit point. Sirin nodded, studying the map quickly to make sure she had the destination memorised. It was on the other side of the testing grounds, about half a kilometre away. To her, the distance was practically non-existent.

"All troopers report in. Are you ready?" Armsmaster ordered, his voice crackling over the intercom system. Sirin opened one eye, watching as her portal opened up in the shelter. The PRT troopers standing there looked unfazed, but then they'd have been expecting it.

"Interesting... Your portals can be opened at a distance," Dragon noted, her voice curious.

"Armsmaster, this is Lieutenant Banes. Team Alpha reports ready for extraction. All personnel present and accounted for." Sirin looked over at Sarah to find her friend all but glued to the monitors, eyes slightly glazed. Armsmaster looked over at Sirin, as if assessing her, then nodded.

"Understood. Proceed with Test M-14, Operation Extraction," Armsmaster stated calmly. "Miss Krylova, please keep the portals open for as long as you can." The girl nodded. The other end of the portal was in one of the laboratory rooms on this side of the testing ground. On the screen, she watched the troopers wheel a complicated-looking trolly of instruments through the portal.

There were some murmurs from the scientists, then Armsmaster gave another order for the troopers to move through. They marched through it calmly, and Sirin forced herself not to yawn. If anything, the monotonous way this was all happening had a higher chance of killing her out of sheer boredom than any kind of strain.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Armsmaster said, nodding as the last trooper walked through the portal. "Move with your unit for scans, then report back assuming you're given an all clear."

"Understood. Lieutenant Banes out." The man's line cut off. Sirin saw him leading the group of troopers into another laboratory, where scientists with scanners were waiting.

"So... What now?" Sirin asked, closing her portals.

"We keep going," Armsmaster replied. "There are still a number of tests to go through if you wish to provide support at the next attack.."

"I do." Sirin nodded. That statement at least, she didn't doubt at all.

"Good." Armsmaster turned his head, and she thought she saw him smile behind the mask. "Now, let us continue."

The tests progressed as Armsmaster and Dragon had planned, with Sirin transporting PRT troopers and vehicles back and forth with her portals. Despite their size, she could create a number of them at once, moving people and supplies in bulk. The tests didn't get too exciting, although Sarah got Dragon and some of the scientists interested in her insights and observations. That made the entire trip worth it for the blonde, going off her expression. The fact that Armsmaster was taking her observations seriously clearly helped as well. Sirin wasn't sure what her friend had noticed, her focus was largely on the tests themselves, but she didn't mind. If Sarah was happy, Sirin was happy as well.

It took several hours to run through all of the scenarios the two Tinkers had planned, apparently concluding the testing. Sarah yawned, clearly tired. Sirin wanted to lay down as well, though that was mostly out of boredom. Opening multiple portals simultaneously hadn't fatigued her at all, but the repetitive nature of the tests had.

"Well, we have gathered a fair amount of information," Dragon said cheerfully. "We'll need to do more analysis, but I think this is enough for me to say that my initial assessment was correct. You could help a great deal, Sirin."

"Agreed. I'd like to conduct additional testing, but considering the hour it seems it would be better to postpone that," Armsmaster noted, his helmet tilted slightly. Dragon smiled, clearly amused.

"If that is it for today, I think we should be heading back home," Sarah declared, stretching. Armsmaster nodded curtly. Sirin glanced at the armoured hero.

"Would you like a portal back to Brockton?" The purple-haired girl asked. The man shook his head.

"No. I'd like to remain here to analyse the data we collected today, along with Dragon and the PRT scientists," the man said. Sarah raised an eyebrow, turning to Dragon.

"Do we need to come to the PRT building tomorrow?" Sirin asked, not wanting to get out of bed before noon. Armsmaster shook his head again.

"That won't be necessary. I would prefer to continue testing when both of you feel rested and we have a better understanding of any further scenarios," Armsmaster said. Sirin groaned, wanting to curl up in bed instead of teleporting people. Sarah elbowed her, shaking her head, and Sirin glared at her friend. While she didn't mind teleportation that much, she knew Sarah liked to have free time to do whatever she wanted too.

"Sure, we can do that," the blonde replied, smiling at Armsmaster. Sirin sighed.

"Until tomorrow, then," the purple-haired girl said, shrugging. "See ya."

She opened a portal to her room and all but dragged Sarah through with her. Not even bothering to hear Armsmaster's response, the girl closed the tear in reality behind them and collapsed onto the bed. Her grip on Sarah's hand dragged the girl down with her, and the blonde shook her head gently as she saw that her friend was somehow already halfway to sleep.

"Today was okay, I guess. A little too much testing for my liking, though," the blonde murmured. She laid down next to her friend, adjusting the pillows on her side before pulling the warm comforter over the two of them. Sirin smiled, snuggling against the softness of it.

"Yea... Today was... boring," Sirin agreed. She scooted a little forward, cuddling up toSarah. The blonde smiled, hugging her friend. Sirin let out a contented sigh, falling asleep. Today wasn't that bad, all things considered. Tomorrow, tomorrow they'd see.

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A/N: As always, all of my thanks to Snowfire for helping to beta this story. I highly recommend checking out their completed, original quest on SV (The Practice War). It is a thing of beauty.

 

[Oth]

Calvert keeping his distance for now, possibly due to Sirin's Void interfering with his timelines? A relief, though doubt he'd be fully dissuaded.

Thank you for the chapter.

 

[Primeknight]

Coil appearing
ME:INFECT HIM! INFECT HIM! INFECT HIM! LET HIM HAVE A TASTE OF HONKAI RADIATION!!!! LET HIM SUFFER!!!!!

 

[QroGrotor]

Calvert keeping his distance for now, possibly due to Sirin's Void interfering with his timelines? A relief, though doubt he'd be fully dissuaded.

Thank you for the chapter.

Click to shrink...

Glad you liked it!
Something's definitely up with Tommy.

Coil appearing
ME:INFECT HIM! INFECT HIM! INFECT HIM! LET HIM HAVE A TASTE OF HONKAI RADIATION!!!! LET HIM SUFFER!!!!!

Click to shrink...

Unfortunately, there would be too many casualties =(

Not that we don't have something for hi =]

 

[QroGrotor]

Sirin woke up first. The alarm clock shone in the dark room, its little lights displaying the time as 6am. The purple-haired girl groaned and slapped at the air as if trying to escape the sudden reality: she'd woken up early. Sarah snored gently beside her, still fast asleep. Sirin looked at her friend, watching the rise and fall of her chest for a few seconds.

Then the young girl sighed, sitting up as quietly as she could. It was probably too early to be awake, but she wasn't sleepy anymore. Tired after how they'd gone to sleep rather late the night before, but hunger had overcome the need to nap. Sarah stirred slightly as Sirin slipped out of the bed, and the purple-haired girl froze in place. Thankfully the blonde girl rolled over to hug her pillow instead, settling back into deep sleep. Sirin slowly released the breath she had been holding, and padded out of their room in search of food.

She made her way downstairs, the house silent save for the sounds of her footsteps. In the kitchen, she grabbed a snack bar and a carton of juice to take upstairs. That should tide her over until Sarah woke. She didn't want to start any sort of breakfast, not without her friend. So she returned to their bedroom, munching on the chocolate-coated nut bar around sips of juice.

She went back to the bed, putting the juice on the table before retaking her space next to the blonde. It wasn't the most comfortable now that her friend was hugging one of their pillows, but she didn't mind. Sharing warmth with someone she trusted and cared about was nice, especially after so long. She stayed like that for a while, she wasn't sure how long, until restlessness overcame her. Leaning over, she started gently poking Sarah's cheek until the blonde opened one eye with a groan.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Sirin told her, grinning. Sarah frowned, shaking her head and pulling the pillow over her face.

"Wha...? What time is it?" The green-eyed girl mumbled from under the pillow. Sirin chuckled softly at her friend's antics.

"Too early." The purple-haired girl admitted. Her friend snorted.

"What are we even going to do, then?" Sarah asked. She rolled onto her side, reluctantly pulling the pillow down from where it was shutting out the assault light. Sirin blinked at the question, then shrugged and went back to poking her friend again.

"I dunno... We could always go help about the shelter?" Sirin wasn't sure if it was the poking or the idea that did it, but Sarah sighed and let the pillow drop onto the bed.

"That seems like a good idea," Sarah agreed. She rolled onto her side to face Sirin. "The sooner that's done, the sooner more people have somewhere to stay."

Sirin nodded, smiling. That sounded good. It was nice to help others, and the shelter was really important to Alan.

"I'll get ready then, give me a sec," Sarah yawned, forcing herself up and off the bed. Sirin giggled as the blonde stumbled her way towards the bathroom. "Don't drink all of that juice."

"No promises," Sirin joked. She settled back as she heard the shower running. Then she paused. Sarah probably wouldn't take that long, all things considered. And she didn't really feel like getting dressed before breakfast. Sirin sighed, grabbing a change of clothes to get ready as well. Sarah probably wouldn't take that long.

The blonde came back just as she was changing, giving her a strange look. Sirin returned it curiously, only for Sarah to shake her head and head for the drawers to find some clothes. The purple-haired girl tilted her head, then shrugged. If Sarah wasn't going to comment on it, then neither would she. The blonde had picked out an outfit by the time Sirin was finished dressing, jeans and a simple sweater. Sirin was in a black tank top and a knee length skirt with white frills, leaving her pale legs uncovered. She'd grab her jacket downstairs

"Breakfast, then the shelter?" Sarah asked, heading down. Sirin nodded, quick to follow her friend, carton of juice in hand.

The blonde rummaged through the fridge while Sirin checked the pantry. She pulled out some eggs and poured a glass of juice for herself, while Sirin took out a box of cereal. The purple-haired girl fetched two bowls from the cupboards, bringing them over to the counter. Sarah had already cracked the eggs into a pan and turned the stove on. Sirin started pouring herself cereal, while Sarah started making scrambled eggs.

"Do you want eggs?" Sarah asked her after a bit, cracking one for herself. Sirin nodded, pouring milk onto her cereal and taking a big spoonful. She really was hungry.

"Yes, please." The purple-haired girl waited as the blonde made up the eggs, grabbing a few slices of bread to go with them. The two ate together in relative silence, save for the soft crunch of the cereal Sirin was eating. Sarah finished first, putting her plate in the dishwasher. Sirin meanwhile had finished her cereal, and was digging into the warm course. The eggs were delicious. She looked up as Sarah turned back to the table, prompting a headtilt from the blonde as she noticed Sirin staring.

"Yes?" Sarah asked.

"Nothing... They're just really good." The purple-haired girl answered with a grin. Her friend chuckled, plucking up the carton of juice and pouring another glass for Sirin. The girl smiled, thanking her friend, and finished the scrambled eggs fairly quickly. The blonde took their plates after she was done, rinsing them before putting them into the dishwasher.

"I'll put the pan to soak. When do you think we should go?" Sarah asked her, wiping down the plate. Sirin considered that. The sooner the better, probably, if only to ease Alan's worries. But she didn't want to interfere with any plans Sarah might have for the day.

"Not sure. I doubt there would be any workers there this early? A couple of hours?" Sirin guessed. Sarah nodded with a smile, finishing her cleaning. Sirin smiled back and headed off towards her bedroom, hoping to make some headway in completing the dress she was working on. Her friend followed her, talking at her about some of her homework.

Time flew by quickly, Sirin focusing on sewing while Sarah worked on her laptop. It was something to do with the GED the blonde talked about. Sirin's own studies would only resume in autumn, so she was spared the nightmare of schooling for now.

The blonde was humming gently to herself as she typed, making the occasional remark to her friend. It was relaxing, sitting together like this, and Sirin enjoyed the quiet companionship between the two of them.

She paused in her work after a while, putting down her needle as she realised the sun was much higher in the sky than she would have expected. Sarah had stopped writing already, now stretched out on the bed with a book instead. Sirin stretched, looking over at the clock.

"What?" The purple-haired girl muttered incredulously. Sarah looked over at her.

"Something wrong?" She asked her friend, the blonde frowning.

"It's half past eleven." Sirin told her, the blonde frowning in confusion. The girl sighed. "I guess we got carried away... We could go now, if you want?"

"Sure." The blonde snapped her book closed, setting it on the bedside table. "It's cold today, though. We should probably make sure we'll be warm enough." Sirin nodded, quickly retreating to her room to switch from the skirt into some jeans. Sarah did the same, pulling on a soft sweater. After they were both dressed, the blonde led the way down to the front door.

"Coats?" Sirin asked, pausing at the rack by the door. It was late December now, and the weather was steadily getting colder. Even if her definition of 'cold' was somewhat different from Sarah's

"Oh, yeah." Her friend nodded, taking her coat and Sirin's as well. The purple-haired girl grinned, putting on the garment Sarah offered her. It wasn't her usual style, but Alan had insisted that they both have a winter coat. Sirin checked her shoes, then took a breath to centre herself and opened a portal to a street near the shelter. They both stepped through onto sidewalk, and Sirin led Sarah towards the shelter.

"Sirin?" Alan called out as they approached the shelter. The man's eyes widened in surprise as he saw them. Sirin frowned. She could understand him being concerned, but she was here to help. Sarah waved gently to their guardian as they approached him, Sirin trailing after her friend.

"Hi, Alan. How are things going?" Sarah asked. Sirin was glad that her friend was better at small talk than her. She wouldn't have known what to ask, to be honest. Alan shook his head, though he seemed pleased at the question.

"Things have been going well enough, I suppose," Alan responded, giving them a small smile. Sirin tilted her head. Had something happened?

"I can show you what we've been working on, if you like?" The man gestured behind him, towards the shelter. "It isn't much, but we're trying to have the shelter functional again before the New Year."

"That quickly?" Sirin asked. Alan nodded.

"We had good insurance. And several organisations have pitched in to help with the reconstruction," he explained, leading the two girls into the shelter. As they went he pointed to areas where volunteers and construction workers were working to clear debris and place new material.

It did look a little better, but Sirin couldn't shake the feeling that New Year might be a little optimistic, even if it was still more than a week away. She glanced over at Sarah, finding the blonde frowning in thought.

"Most of it was just for good PR, especially around Christmas," Alan continued, chuckling a little. "But having the Mayor's office on side really helped speed up the investigation into the cause of the fire. Medhall hasn't exactly been stingy either, even if I'm pretty they only sent older inventory."

The laugh caught somewhere in his throat a moment, and he hunched forward, coughing heavily. Sirin and Sarah moved seemingly without thinking, the older girl rushed to support him whilst Sirin did her best. It was a little hard for her, given her height. Alan swayed a little in place, but recovered himself.

"Sorry, probably caught a cold with all this working outside." He shook his head ruefully. "Maybe I should ask you to make me a scarf, Sirin." He chuckled again, and murmured a thank you to a volunteer who'd brought him a cup of coffee.

"That could be nice." Sirin smiled at him. He smiled back, before glancing at his watch.

"Ah." He grimaced, taking another gulp of his drink. "I appear to have lost track of time – I've another meeting with the insurers. Will you two be okay here for a few hours?"

"We came to help," Sirin told him. His eyes brightened at that, though she could see the concern in there. She still wasn't sure how to interact with that concern. It felt strange.

"It won't be a problem," Sarah reassured him. Alan looked between the two girls, then gave them both a grateful nod.

"Just be careful, okay?" He asked. "I know you're a lot stronger than you look, Sirin, but I still worry."

"I'll try," Sirin murmured, looking away. She caught Sarah glance at her, but her friend just turned back Alan.

"We'll walk around, ask what we can do to help," the blonde said. "The construction workers are all professionals, right?" Sirin nodded along. That sounded good.

"They are," Alan nodded. "And I can't fairly ask you not to, given everything else I've agreed to." He reached out, squeezing them both on their shoulders. "Thank you, girls. Really."

He tossed back the last of his coffee, set the mug aside, and headed out. Sirin stood there for a few moments, unsure, before Sarah pulled her along to talk with the nearest group of volunteers. The blonde talked quickly, explaining who they were and asking how they could help. The response was thankful and immediate. Most of it was just clearing away debris, but here and there Sirin found moments to duck in and move something heavier when it was needed.

Several of the workers looked a little shocked at how easily she moved things around, but none of them seemed intimidated. That felt nice. If had just been up to her, of course, the purple-haired girl would've just dropped all the debris through one of her portals. But she supposed there was a reason for doing it this way - and Sarah insisted.

The two paused once they were done with their circuit of the shelter. Sarah's cheeks were a little flushed, but Sirin felt fine. If anything a little warm, but she had a feeling Sarah wouldn't be too pleased if she took off the coat. Sarah glanced back at her friend, Sirin grimacing. It felt a bit stuffy.

"Wanna go to the yard? I think all the debris has been cleared from there," the blonde offered. Sirin blinked, then nodded quickly. A few moments later they were out into the cooler air, and Sarah unzipped her coat to let a little cool air in. Sirin glanced at her as she took off her own coat - the blonde was really pale. Look around, they found themselves alone in the small yard behind the shelter, and the two plopped down on one of the metal benches that had survived the fire.

"What time is it?" Sirin asked, tugging lightly at Sarah's sleeve. The blonde shook her head at the question, then checked her phone.

"Just past two," she replied, showing Sirin the phone's lock screen. "Do you want to do something else? I'm not sure there's really much else to do here..."

Sirin frowned thoughtfully, before shaking her head. Alan had mentioned a meeting, so she was fairly sure he would be back at some point. The blonde chuckled, nudging her friend.

"Want to go on a walk then, or just stay here?" Sarah asked her. Sirin looked around the backyard again. It looked nice enough, and they were shielded from the wind so it would keep Sarah warm.

"Stay here," she said, scooting closer to her friend. Sarah smiled, leaning against her with a heavy sigh. Sirin frowned, tilting her head to look at her friend.

"Everything okay?" She prompted. Sarah shrugged.

"Just thinking. About stuff." Sarah shook her head. "Nothing bad, don't worry."

"Hmm." Sirin hummed, leaning closer to Sarah. The blonde was nice and warm, so maybe she didn't have to worry about her being so pale. And they'd done everything the construction workers had said they needed help with. So Sirin could sit next to Sarah and not need to worry about her friend straining herself.

The two sat together in the yard, Sirin idly listening to the wind whistling through the trees at the end of the yard. It was surprisingly peaceful, all things considered. Snow had started to gently fall around them, and Sirin looked around at scattered snowflakes. The last time she'd seen snow… Sarah chuckled, and the purple-haired girl looked over, raising an eyebrow. The blonde just shook her head again.

"Sorry." The blonde didn't elaborate, so Sirin frowned. She wanted to know why her friend was apologising, but she wasn't going to ask if the girl didn't want to tell her.

It was the noise that interrupted them. A low, steady sound that made the two girls freeze in place, though it took Sirin a moment to realise what it was. The wail of a siren grinding to life, rising steadily to warn the whole city. Sirin tensed up, forcing her senses outwards to encompass the entire Bay, looking for any sign of danger. Then Sarah's phone rang.

The purple-haired girl was barely aware of the blonde picking up, Sarah's voice fading into background noise as she focused on trying to locate whatever the threat was. Yet nothing within the city appeared to be dangerous enough for something like this. Was it beyond the city, then? Sirin couldn't sense anything from the surrounding area, but they wouldn't just sound an alert like this witho-

"Sirin!" Sarah's voice jolted the girl out of her thoughts. The blonde was on her feet, her face pale, sweat beading across her forehead. Sirin sprung up, still half-focused on her extended senses but wanting to comfort her friend. "That was Armsmaster. They need us to come in, right now."

"Why?" Sirin started to ask.

"It's the Endbringer."

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
A/N:

My apologies for the late update, we've been stuck in beta-mode to figure out the best way to pace this arc, and had to cut out 4 pages out of this chapter in the end.

All of my thanks to Snowfire for beta-ing this. I wouldn't be anywhere near this decent without them.

 

[Primeknight]

now will she onion-ize them?

or will they run away because of Honkai radiation?

either way I think there'll be many deaths before Our Queen moves if she didn't attack first.

 

[QroGrotor]

now will she onion-ize them?

or will they run away because of Honkai radiation?

either way I think there'll be many deaths before Our Queen moves if she didn't attack first.

Click to shrink...

I think you'll be entertained :]

 

[QroGrotor]

Sirin took a deep breath as she took in the view ahead of her on exiting her portal. The location Dragon had given her opened on the banks of frozen lake. It actually reminded her a little of home, if one ignored the scale of the city around her. And all the sirens.

It had taken most of thirty minutes for Dragon to tell them where to go, and she'd spent much of that time in preparation. Getting back home, changing into her costume - still not as finished as she liked - and then back to the PRT building. Armsmaster had insisted on leaving Sarah there for her own safety, and the blonde had reluctantly agreed. She could still feel the warmth of her friend's arms, and what she'd said before letting go.

"Come back safe," her friend had told her. Sirin had promised that she would.

The entire city was cloaked in the gentle white of fresh snowfall, and the girl crouched down to touch it. The last time she'd touched fresh snow had been…

Ẻ̶̡̨̢̢͉̜̬̪̥̜̤̩̙̳̓ş̷̡̼͓̱̰͚͍͔̣͕̈͊̓̈́c̶̹̤̀ä̶̩̲̞̲͓̤̗͙͔̮̰̏̇̒̀p̴̡̳̰͚̺̻͐e̶̛̱̿̐̈͆̓.

She shook her head, forcing back the memory. Not now. Not when she was needed. A hand touched her shoulder, and she looked up sharply to find Sarah Pelham - Photon Mom - standing there. The woman's expression was twisted with concern for her.

"I'm alright," Sirin said, before the woman could ask. She could see Armsmaster leading the Protectorate capes towards a set of hastily flung up prefabs stamped with the PRT insignia. Harried looking workers were rushing around the area, clearing away snow and setting up tents and more prefabs.

All of it in response to the winged figure steadily descending towards the city center, directly over the white dome of a large, official looking building. Sirin could feel the figure's presence far more clearly than she could see them, but she knew what people called the third Endbringer.

The Simurgh.

Sirin forced herself up, Photon Lady squeezing her shoulder one more before the followed Armsmaster towards the prefabs. The other capes - Miss Militia, Triumph, and a whole lot of people she didn't know - were waiting for them, shivering slightly in the cold. One of the heroes was dressed in just a red bodysuit, and Sirin spared a moment to wonder how he wasn't freezing to death.

Armsmaster wasted no time, gesturing everyone to one of the larger prefabs whilst he led Sirin into a smaller, circular one. The purple-haired girl blinked at the interior, finding it packed full of computer screens and monitors. There were multiple people in costumes and more in regular uniforms seated behind the computers, typing furiously or speaking quickly into headsets. Sirin recognised Dragon's face on one of the monitors, the Tinker nodding to Armsmaster as they entered.

"Welcome, Miracle Star." Dragon greeted her. Armsmaster coughed, taking a seat at a desk and pulling up a map of the city. Sirin recognised some of the symbols on it, but not all.

"Dragon will be coordinating the battle from here until her Dragonsuit arrives, alongside a team of Tinkers and Thinkers from the local Protectorate," the Tinker explained. Sirin nodded as he looked back at her, stepping a little closer to the monitor Dragon's face was on.

"What do you need me to do?" Sirin asked, ignoring the stares she could feel on her back. Armsmaster frowned.

"Right now, your priority will be to evacuate the closest Endbringer shelters. Wear this ear-piece, Dragon will coordinate you to where you're needed." Armsmaster handed Sirin a small piece of plastic and the girl took it, fitting it into her left ear. It felt a little strange, but she felt a small hum as it came to life.

"Can you hear me, Sirin?" Dragon asked. Sirin nodded, before realizing that Dragon might not be able to see her.

"Yeah." Sirin confirmed. "Which shelters am I evacuating?"

"There are four that we believe the Simurgh might target in her opening assault," Dragon told her. Sirin blinked, glancing at Armsmaster. The man grimaced.

"We believe the Simurgh targets shelters specifically because of their ability to protect civilians," he explained. Sirin nodded, that made sense.

"The Protectorate and other volunteers will engage the Simurgh to try and divert her attention from the civilian population" Dragon continued. "Once enough heroes arrive, it's hoped that we'll be able to drive her back."

"What about you, Armsmaster?" Sirin asked. The man shook his head.

"My role will be assisting here at the command center. I lack the range necessary to engage the Simurgh effectively," Armsmaster explained. Sirin tilted her head in confusion. Range? The man sighed, meeting her gaze through the visor.

"My halberd only has a maximum effective range of thirty five meters," Armsmaster explained to her. "Given the Simurgh's general flight profile, engaging her would be problematic at best."

Sirin blinked. Thirty five meters? That wasn't very long. Maybe she cou-

"Ah, Armsmaster, can you?" Dragon said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Of course." Armsmaster said, offering Sirin a small tablet. Looking down at the screen, Sirin saw a map of the area, one that she could tell lined up with her own senses. A symbol near the center of town lit up.

"I've marked the first shelter for you, Sirin," Dragon explained. "It's close to the fighting, so we'll be sending troopers through to get the people out whilst you hold the portal open here."

Sirin nodded, checking the route. Then she took another deep breath, closed her eyes and reached out with her senses. Finding the shelter wasn't hard, the sheer number of lives crammed inside it quickly drawing her attention. Sirin nodded firmly, fixing the location in her mind.

"I have it." She said. Dragon smiled on the screen in front of her.

"Alright, they're repurposing the car park outside into a triage zone, and we're setting up shuttles to get the civilian population out of here." the Tinker said. "Armsmaster, can you show her?"

"Of course," he said, already leading her towards the exit of the prefab. "I'll coordinate and lead Search and Rescue alongside unpowered personnel and heroes like myself, but our retreat will be dependent on your ability to keep the portals open."

Sirin glanced at him, then nodded, turning on her heel and ducking out of the prefab. Outside the snow was still falling, and Sirin could hear the distant rumble of thunder. Or gunfire, maybe?

She brought the shelter's location to the front of her mind again and space tore open in a shimmer of purple light on the car park in front of her. It was a stable gateway to the shelter, she knew, and Armsmaster barked out an order to the troopers standing ready there. They immediately began rushing through the portal to escort the trapped civilians.

Sirin watched them go, Armsmaster standing beside her directing PRT troopers and other heroes through the other portals she held open. They'd figured out how many she could comfortably maintain during her power testing, and Sirin kept her focus split between maintaining those gateways and reaching out with her senses to track the movements she could.

She could feel the Endbringer's presence, resonating with its own power over the city. Sirin shuddered despite herself at the feeling of it, pulling her focus back to her portals, and the steady flow of civilians Armsmaster was directing to medical treatment or full evacuation from the city.

"The Simurgh is beginning to move. Eidolon and Legend have arrived. they're preparing to engage," Dragon's voice suddenly announced. The girl jumped at the sudden noise, having tuned out almost every noise in favor of her spatial sense. Ignoring the voice quite literally inside her ear, however, turned out to be impossible.

Sirin nodded, spreading out her senses further. She could feel the Endbringer now at the edge of her range, moving towards the university complex around them. And towards a large gathering of people. She hadn't been told to put a portal there yet. Why? The purple-haired girl bit her lip, glancing at Armsmaster. He met her gaze, then gestured to the troopers managing the flow of people coming through her portals.

"Continue evacuating the civilians," he ordered her. Sirin hesitated, glancing at the skyline. The Simurgh was growing closer, her vast wings more easily visible as they drifted lazily about her eerily human body. The presence of the Endbringer was an almost physical pain against Sirin's spatial senses, a constant friction that she had to fight to ignore. The girl swallowed thickly, then nodded, turning her focus back to her portals.

A dark-clad figure flashed across the airspace above them, two shattering sonic booms following in its wake. The figure slammed into one of the Simurgh's wings, and the air shuddered around the impact.

"Alexandria has arrived," Dragon reported. "The Triumvirate is engaging."

Sirin tried to tune her out again, concentrating on her portals. On the people moving through them. Most of them seemed scared, some were crying. Sirin wished she could comfort them, children most of all, but Armsmaster was directing Search and Rescue faster now, and she didn't want to stop helping.

She could sense lives being snuffed out. The Simurgh was attacking somewhere. Sirin grit her teeth, extending her senses out further despite the pain. She could feel heroes and ordinary humans alike dying as they were caught in the Simurgh's lethal bombardment. The Endbringer was ripping apart entire buildings to use against her attackers, and using the heroes own attacks to help her, dodging them effortlessly.

Sirin gasped, staggering backwards as she felt scores die in moments. Armsmaster caught her, holding her steady as Dragon spoke up again.

"The Simurgh has resumed her original trajectory, heading towards the Tinkertech vault." Sirin nodded, forcing herself upright again. She had to save as many people as possible. She had to do this. This was how she brought kindness to the unkind world around her.

Sirin opened more portals, linking the evacuation zones to each other, creating a chain that allowed her to funnel the civilians through more easily. Armsmaster nodded approvingly, ordering the Search and Rescue teams through. She was working herself faster and faster now, stretching her powers to try and encompass the whole city. And it was working, but she could feel fatigue now, and something…

Ģ̸̦͚͉̩͖̩̔̇̓͒̿̄͂̇̎̄̌́̕͘r̷̢̯̪̘͍̩̹̬͚̭̯̞͙̻͋̉͘ǫ̴͈̱͚͇̯̬͆͑̋̔̌̒̋̎̓̊̄̕͜͠ẃ̵̢̡̘͕̹̺̗͍͚̻̔̄̑̋͛̃͆͆̏̚͘͝

The Simurgh had pushed through the heroic defenders with seeming wordless contempt, raining destruction down wherever she went, seemingly at random. Several buildings in front of the Endbringer tore apart, and a mass of technology started to rise out of the ground, twisting and reshaping in the air. Sirin felt it all with her further expanded senses, and her portals wavered for a second. Not enough for any civilians to notice, but she did. She forced herself to take a breath, steadying herself.

"Miracle Star, you're doing good," Dragon told her encouragingly. "Focus on saving as many lives as you can. Let us handle the Simurgh"

"I'll try." Sirin nodded, opening another series of portals to the mass of people she'd had to leave alone until now due to other priorities. They'd gathered together in a stadium, she thought. Armsmaster paused for a moment as if listening to something she couldn't hear, then started directing Search and Rescue teams through the new portals with far more energy than before.

She could feel why. The Simurgh was beginning to move again, and her course would encompass the stadium within the burning presence that Sirin could feel around the Endbringer. It must be the Simurgh's…range? She'd heard snapped words about it whilst holding the portals open. The girl clenched her fists, imagining the horror of what she'd do to all those people, and prepared to open a portal.

Then someone grabbed her arm. Sirin yelped, jumping backwards and spinning round to find Lady Photon standing there. The older woman was staring at her with wide, deeply concerned eyes. Sirin blinked, relaxing slightly.

"Lady Photon?" Sirin asked, confused. The blonde took a deep breath, gripping Sirin's shoulders tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Time limit for engagement. But that's not important. You can't go in there," Sarah said. Sirin blinked again. What?

"But-" she started to say.

"Sirin, please." Sarah said, her grip tightening. Sirin stared at her, then sighed, shaking her head.

"I have to," she said. "I can help, I'm strong enou-"

"No, you don't," Sarah told her firmly. Sirin blinked, startled. "You don't have to go in there and fight, you're a hero, not a soldier."

Sirin stared at Photon Lady, who met her gaze unflinchingly. Behind her, Sirin saw Armsmaster directing more teams through the portals to the stadium. He barked orders to several nervous looking capes, checking his halberd as he did so. Sirin swallowed thickly, closing her eyes. She couldn't just abandon them.

"The Simurgh is approaching the evacuation hub at Camp Randall Stadium," Dragon said, forced to interrupt the smaller conversation. "We're almost certain that there is a large number of people still inside of the University as well. Can you evacuate them?"

Sirin winced, then nodded. Opening more portals, she focused on the University. There were definitely a lot of people inside, and Sirin frowned, reaching out with her senses. There weren't any shelters nearby, why were they gathered there?

"Miracle Star?" Dragon prompted.

"I have it." Sirin said. Armsmaster and Photon Lady were talking behind her, but Sirin ignored them, concentrating on evacuating the University. She was having to pick and choose to a degree now, and her senses weren't helping. There were just too many people. She had to focus. Reduce the amount of portals, concentrate on a few that could be kept open and rely on the heroes to get the scattered civilians out.

"The Simurgh will reach Camp Randall Stadium in two minutes at her current pace," Armsmaster snapped behind her to Lady Photon. "If we can slow her down for even ten seconds, it will save hundreds of liv-"

A scream of static lashed out from Simurgh - no, the device she was creating - and Sirin stumbled in place as almost all of her portals to the stadium suddenly winked out. Armsmaster cut off, turning to look at her with concern. Sirin grit her teeth and forced a portal open. It was much harder this time.

"Miracle Star, can you maintain the portals?" Armsmaster asked, coming to stand next to her. Sirin nodded shakily, gritting her teeth as she felt all the people gathered in the stadium. Why hadn't they gone to a shelter? Photon Lady gripped her shoulder, but Sirin ignored her.

"Something's messing with the portals around the stadium," she said, clipping off the words. She turned to the two adults, her golden eyes burning with determination. "I'm going to have to go there. If I open the portals from there back to here, they won't destabilize." She saw them both start to reply, already knowing what they would say.

"We don't have any time. Let me go!" Sirin told them. Armsmaster frowned, glancing at Photon Lady. And in that moment of consideration, Sirin stepped backwards through a narrow rip in space.

She came out into utter chaos. People were screaming and pushing past each other towards where she remembered her portals having been before the Simurgh had found a way to interfere with her powers. Search and rescue teams were trying desperately to direct people, but they were barely holding things together. She bit her lip, forcing back fatigue, and ripped open new pathways for the refugees.

"Miracle Star, where did you go?" Dragon demanded. Sirin jumped, she'd forgotten about the earpiece Armsmaster had given her.

"I'm at the stadium," she told Dragon. "I'm getting the people out."

"Miracle Star, this isn't what you were brought in to do. Get out of there," Dragon ordered. Siring shook her head.

"There're so many people here, and I heard what Armsmaster said. I can hold my portals open here, I can't do it back with you." She could feel the strange, painful influence of something raking against her pathways, but they wouldn't break with her here to anchor them.

Dragon had fallen silent again, and Sirin could imagine Lady Photon arguing with her. She ignored the thought, rushing across the battered green field to try and get a better view of where her portals would be best placed.

"Miracle Star, the Simurgh is drawing dangerously close to your location," Dragon warned.

"I know." Sirin nodded, swallowing thickly. She could feel the massive distortion to her senses that was the Endbringer approaching, far closer now. "Miracle Star, you need to evacuate now."

"Not yet," Sirin muttered. "I can-"

"Miracle Star." Armsmaster's voice was hoarse from shouting orders. "The Simurgh altered course the moment after you stepped through to Camp Randall Stadium. She wants you there, and I will not see you put at risk that way. Evacuate, that is a direct order."

"Sirin, please," Sarah's voice came a moment later. "Get out. She wants you there. She's going to-"

"I have to help." Sirin replied, shaking her head. "I'll make one big portal. Tell Search and Rescue to direct everyone there. Please, I have to do this."

She suited action to her words, collecting the fragments of energy scattered around the stadium and gathering them into one far larger portal. For a moment the flow of civilians stuttered, then they began rushing for the point of escape.

She saw Armsmaster and a group of capes come through from the other side, the man shooting her a look but saying nothing. He led the group of heroes away towards where the Simurgh's presence was resolving into a searing blaze. Uniformed troopers and emergency workers were doing all they could to manage the flow of panicked civilians, and she could feel the numbers dwindling. They were almost there. Just a little more time.

Each person that was rushing towards, and going through, the gates was another Bella. Another Galina. Another Agata and Avrora that she didn't have to see die. Despite their tear-stricken faces, there was a glimmer of hope in the eyes of those that saw her.

Hope that she'd given them. More than anything else since finding herself here, those looks made her feel truly proud of herself.

"Sirin, get out of there!" Sarah screamed.

Sirin staggered as a lance of acidic light pierced the north-east corner of the stadium's roof, the energy slashing through the rippling violet of her portal and hitting her - without ever actually touching her body - like a physical blow. The portal winked out of existence, and a shadow covered the entire stadium in the same instant. There was barely a moment for a single thought to fire in Sirin's brain as she looked up from the young woman that had grabbed her arms, screaming something.

Are those buildings?

P̴̺̥̺͉̈̐͂͋̄͝ͅa̷̘̫͊̑͋̈̉͑͝ǘ̴͕͍̺̺̏͛͗s̵̨̛̗͉̲̺̄͋̌̔͋è̷͎͖̻̟͔̅͠

The world around her froze to a crawl, letting Sirin take in the full detail of two halves of an entire apartment building that the Simurgh must have thrown at her. She shifted out of phase to the debris on instinct, moving to shield the crying woman behind her with her body. It was only as time surged back into motion that she realized her mistake.

The deafening sound of something truly enormous crashing to the ground echoed across the stadium. The buildings slammed down through Sirin's ghostlike form, utterly obliterating the woman she'd been trying to protect. They plowed through the last hundred or so evacuees in a crushing bedlam of crunching concrete, snapping steel and lethal splinters.

Sirin stared in horror at the avalanche of rubble that had crushed the young woman who'd been clinging to her mere moments ago. There was blood on her fingers. A scream tore from her throat and she fell to her knees, ripping at the debris with spatial manipulation as she tried to dig the quite dead woman out.

"Sirin? Sirin! Sirin, answer me!" Sarah's frantic voice in her earpiece was entirely ignored as the world started to fall away. Her mind raced back through memory after memory, images of the hope she'd inspired right before it was cut brutally away. That she'd gotten hundreds out of the deathtrap of the stadium wasn't enough. In her mind, the tally would always be one short. Looking around she couldn't see a single person who'd survived the bombardment. Heroes, civilians and emergency workers alike. Everyone who'd struggled had been crushed.

Looking up through the collapsing corner of the building she saw the Simurgh come into view, the angelic figure uncaring for the capes battling against her motion. Crushed, they'd all been crushed…but it had been the Simurgh who'd done it. Who'd brought only misery to this place, where Sirin had tried to bring hope. Why would anyone do that? Even if her heart ached with pain, at least she'd tried.

L̴̺̫͋̈̔̾͊̈̂e̵̹͈̳͚͊̇͌̓͒͌̄̈́̀̉͆͆̾̕̕t̶̡̡̝͙́̏͌͊́̀̿͠ ̶̞͈̜̤͖͇̊̉̅̇͐̈̓̅̈́̏̐͛̈́͆͘g̵̡̧̢̬̻͕̠̦̺͉̿͐͜ͅo̵̡̨̨̨̞̟̱̫̖̗̤̝̝̳̘̗̰͛́͆̀͆͊͘ ̶̢̗̹̥̫̥̘̻̱̰̹̗̞̥͌̎̀͑́̈̑̍͐̎̿͗͗̚ͅo̶̡̮̙͔̬̖̣̼̰̜̒̄́͒͛̆̑f̵̢̲̺́̍̊̔͂̈̅̅ ̸͓͓̆̎̋̾̽̀͑̄́̾͘͠͝t̷̢̧̢̢̫̜͓̱̗̳̠̥̞̹̬̓̆̎̍̇͐̊̋͑̍̚͜ͅḩ̶̨̡͙͓̯̖̻̬̯̖̣̈́̑̏̊̃̄̀̌̊͌̒̏̃̊̚̕͝é̸̢̬̮͉̹͍̦̥̗̙̘͕̠̠̽̈́͋̒̾́͘ͅ ̶̭̩̥̱̺͓̈́͜p̶̡̩̹̫͓̺͗͌̉̏̂̎̆ͅą̷̢̭͉͓̹̦̤̠͍͍͍̱͈̏́̆͑̄̍̀̈́́̇̎̚͝͝ǐ̶̼͍̲̍͆͜͠n̶̢͕͎̭̫̝̘̗̭̻͔̘͙̦̭̜̼̽̒͐͒̀̈̚

How was she supposed to do that?

T̴̩̜͚͙̣̃ḛ̷̞͚̜̹̓̅ă̶̫͖͈͕͔̓̿r̶̛͇̰̝̉̂ ̸͈̉o̵̯̤̫͚̯̅̀̍̌ṵ̵̠̟̼̱͊̅͋t̴̯͓̅̃̌͠ ̷̧̣̟̫̞̋̐y̴̰̽o̴̯̦͚̜̹̊u̷͕̺̬̚r̵͓͍̄́̄͘ ̸̹͈̈́̎ḥ̶̔͘͜u̴͔̽͗͊͆̃m̷̤͌a̸̦̍̏̆̀n̶̹͖̊̈͒͊͜ ̷̜̪͎̈́h̸̗̯͌̀̕ȇ̶͚̣̘͍̥a̴̢̼̭͊̔ŕ̶͈́t̸͈̳̟͉̥̉̅͗̏͝

"Si--n! L--n t- -e! Do--t -o --is! G-- ou-- --ere!" A familiar voice pleaded through her earpiece, but it was becoming harder and harder to perceive. Only scraps of words, nothing that she could really make sense of. But…she wasn't sure she needed to. Her fists slammed into broken concrete, shattering the upper layers and leaving imprints in the ones below as she pushed herself to her feet.

Kindness. She'd been trying to be kind. Trying to protect people that way, from those who wanted to be unkind. People and things like the Simurgh, who was staring at her now, the alabaster angel's gaze fixed on the small girl far below. The mechanisms around the Third Endbringer were shifting now, reconfiguring into something new, Sirin could feel the creation's twisting effects on the fabric of space. Her fabric.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. The words in her ear, still unheard, cut off instantly. "Sometimes creating kindness; it means you have to be unkind."

Space quaked around her and the world shifted, revealing its true appearance. The buildings, the stadium, the rubble and the corpses... They all started to twist and bend, taking on unnatural shapes and forms. The ground beneath Sirin's feet disappeared, leaving the girl floating in the endless void.

"Please forgive me."

She let go of her pain and everything disappeared, save the Simurgh and the twisted scenery surrounding them both. Nothing else remained, nothing else mattered. Coldness overwhelmed her pain, tucking it away with all the gentle flair of a courtier.

V̷͇̀ō̷͓i̷̿ͅd̸̰̏ ̴̩͝Q̵͙̍u̶̖̍é̸̦e̷̹͠n̸̓ͅ

There was no one but her foe now, the lesser creation and monster who had so disrespected her will. The flies that tried to bother the monster didn't matter, even as they fought to claw at its eyes. Only the Simurgh mattered in her, in Sirin's, world now. And as her eyes burned with the golden light, there was a single word God sent to bless her hunt.

Ȃ̷̄w̴̩̑a̷̅͆k̴͒͒è̴̂n̵͊̓

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
A/N: All of my thanks to Snowfire, as usual!

 

[Tigerboltsniper]

....Well shit

Where did I put in my drum music for such awkaenings....


Ah, here!

Spoiler: The Drums of War

Now....

clears throat and thunders across


THE SEAS SHALL BOIL WITH HER WRATH!

FEAR THE SOUL YOU HAVE SCORED!!!!


TREMBLE, FALSE ANGEL!!!!!

YOU HAVE DECLEARED WAR AGAINST THE QUEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Primeknight]

welp, you just signed your own death sammy.

but for god sake earth bet isn't ready for our Queen yet or ever, she wouldn't become like in the manga right? because if she did Earth bet is done for.

Would be cool tho, with her rampaging everywhere making the moon fall into the earth and other things...

Coil gotta hide now that she has awaken.

 

[BanzEye]

Okay, now it's practically guaranteed that we'll see Bella/Benares sometime soon, if not now, including other Honkai Beasts (THE QUEEN'S ARMY SHALL ACCOMPLISH THE WILL OF GOD'S PROPHET).

The only way Sammy Gal (and subsequently everyone else in the general area) could be more fucked is if all the ambient Honkai Energy and stress causes another Herrscher to awaken. Knowing Earth Bet's luck? I give it 50/50 odds.

 

[QroGrotor]

Snip

Click to shrink...

Something's going down indeed.

welp, you just signed your own death sammy.

but for god sake earth bet isn't ready for our Queen yet or ever, she wouldn't become like in the manga right? because if she did Earth bet is done for.

Would be cool tho, with her rampaging everywhere making the moon fall into the earth and other things...

Coil gotta hide now that she has awaken.

Click to shrink...

A lot of people gotta hide now, to be honest xD

Okay, now it's practically guaranteed that we'll see Bella/Benares sometime soon, if not now, including other Honkai Beasts (THE QUEEN'S ARMY SHALL ACCOMPLISH THE WILL OF GOD'S PROPHET).

The only way Sammy Gal (and subsequently everyone else in the general area) could be more fucked is if all the ambient Honkai Energy and stress causes another Herrscher to awaken. Knowing Earth Bet's luck? I give it 50/50 odds.

Click to shrink...

Those are indeed accurate odds. And the answer whether it'll happen is-

 

[0xA315]

another Herrscher to awaken

Click to shrink...

That shouldn't really happen right? Don't you generally want a stigmata or gem or something in order to awaken a herrescher?