Power within spiraled and welled up until it exploded into a dazzling fsh. When the light faded after a moment, Leona was ba her heroi. This time, however, her old clothes were o be found since she’d focused on ging her clothes immediately into her e!

  “A… you’re fully clothed this time,” Quinn pouted after rubbing the sunspots out of her eyes. Her lower lip jutted out in an exaggerated expression of disappoi.

  Leona nodded and grinned before turning and posing dramatically, one hand on her hip and the other thrown out as if presenting herself on stage. “Hehe, yup… too bad for dirty old sis!” She stuck out her tongue and winked, her silver hair catg the light. “I’ll see you in a bit. Here’s hoping the sed time does the charm, right?”

  She darted to the nearby window, sliding it open with practiced ease, and squirmed out without a sed thought. Because they were on the ground floor, there wasn’t much of a drop. She nded lightly on the grass outside, then crouched a into the air, rocketing upwards with a bright fsh.

  Wheransformed, her phone had shifted seamlessly from her pants pocket to her bosom pocket—exactly as she’d intehat firmed it: her normal clothes must have been broken down into light and repurposed, or perhaps they had bee somewhere else ehis time. The meics of it all had been nagging at her ever since her first transformation but she had no clue how to actually expin anything. Still, she’d clearly pictured her phone ending up where it did, and her clothes adapting alongside her. The fact that she wasn’t still wearing the same outfit she’d had on earlier was strangely f. Were they disied? The thought lingered. Would she be naked again when she ged back? The answer would have to wait—there were more pressing matters at hand. She had to see Sarah if she could to make sure she was unhurt. Whether or not she was ‘okay’ and what to do about things if she wasn’t was going to be a tricky judgment call that she could only make on the se.

  Pulling out her phone from its pocket, she opened up the maps application a a destination point for the realig camp. Frowning, she realized that navigation would prove to be a bit more difficult than that. The map assumed she was taking roads, so the lines rapidly zigzagged, trying to pensate for how she flew directly over instead of stig to terrestrial routes—not to mention how fast she could go. She wondered if there erhero GPS app for fliers, but this would have to do for now. At least she had a distant point to work toward and a pass to direct her.

  Orienting herself, she swept out of San Isidro in short order, her golden aura cutting a sleek path over the bay towards Seaside City. The gentle hum of the wind around her mingled with the rhythmic beating of her wings. Ohe shore was cleared on that side, she made her way toward the rural areas beyond through the city, admiring the sights on the way. Seaside City sure was cheerful pared with San Isidro. She trended ever northwards towards the camp.

  Slipping the phoo its secure pocket, Leona focused on maintaining a steady course and speed. Her thoughts drifted momentarily to Sarah, w how she’d react when she arrived. A smile tugged at her lips, but it quickly faded when, as she was about to clear downtown, she detected a loud otion on the ground. Sirens were bring, apanied by loud screams and frantic yelling.

  Leona groaned, already feeling the weight of deyed pns pressing on her shoulders. “Duty calls,” she muttered under her breath as she banked sharply toward the disturbance.

  A frightening se unfolded below. A huge e wobbled precariously he edge of a stru site. The metal frame groaned and creaked uhe strain, the ominous sound carrying through the air. Pedestrians were gathered in a chaotic mass, some g out in fear while others inexplicably stood frozen, snapping pictures or rec videos with their phones.

  “Seriously?” Leona muttered, her brows furrowing in disbelief. Rational onlookers might assume people would scatter from the danger zone, but many seemed too distracted by capturing the moment to show off on social media to sider the risk of being crushed.

  The e’s potential colpse posed a double threat: not only would it fall onto the major traffic arteries surrounding the site, but the half-structed building itself could also topple, adding to the devastation. The colteral damage would be iable, and the potential loss of life made Leona’s chest tighten with urgency.

  After a brief moment of sideration, she resolved to test what she could do with her powers. She decided to start with a brute strength approach.

  Leona flew directly to the e, her golden aura bzing brighter as she reached out and id her hands on the massive structure. The moment her fiouched the metal, her aura expanded, creeping over the entire e like liquid sunlight. The effort was immediately taxing; she felt a sharp drain on her energy as her aura stabilized the wobbling frame. Her muscles strained, her breaths growing heavier with each passing sed.

  Below, the cacophony tinued. Sirens wailed, people shouted, and emergency resporied desperately to clear the area. The noise was deafening, the chaos utterly distrag. Leona grit her teeth, f herself to focus despite the overwhelming sensory overload. Some gaped, pointing up at her.

  “e on… hold together,” she murmured through ched teeth, her fingers digging into the metal as if willirength to transfer into the e itself. She knew she couldn’t afford to falter. If anyone decided to open fire on her in her current state, she’d likely be too draio deflect bullets. Her golden aura flickered momentarily before fring back to life, brighter and steadier than before.

  “Just a little longer,” she whispered to herself, p every ounce of focus aermination into stabilizing the t structure.

  Leona couldn’t keep the e from falling, but she could influence which dire it would fall. Brag it with the steady, searing thrust of her flight, she pushed against the groanial structure, muscles taut and trembling uhe strain. For the first time since her transformation, she felt sweat trig from her brow to her , a testament to the herculean effort it took just to hold it steady.

  Her mind raced, weighing options. This wouldn’t be easy. She had known from the start that heroism meant fag challenges where perfect outes were impossible. It was something a superhero had to accept. Grittieeth, Leohe e aloft for as long as she could, buying precious time for the emergency respoo usher people to safety and redirect the chaotic traffic below.

  The e’s frame began to wail, sounding like a tortured beast as the metal twisted and buckled. On the far side, where the base was weakest, the structure started to snap. Her flight-powered thrust couldn’t teract the building’s colpsing foundation for much longer.

  Sliding her hands along the vibratial, she positioned herself to assess the damage. Her sharp eyes locked onto the metal bands that had failed, fatigued by the sheer weight and stress of the e. The steel cables that had once secured the frame were fraying like threads pulled too tight.

  “e on, e on,” she muttered under her breath, sing the chaotic site for a miracle. There wasn’t one.

  Her jaw tightened as she exhaled through her nose, making peace with her decision. “Straight down,” she whispered to herself. It was the only dire that minimized harm. If the e colpsed i would destroy property but spare lives. That was the right call. It had to be.

  With resolve hardening her nerves, Leona shot upwards, s above the trembling structure. She closed her eyes for a moment, visualizing the sequence of bsts she’d o direct the colpse. Her eyes snapped open, glowing fiercely as she dove into a.

  Releasing her aura, she unleashed beams of trated sor energy at strategic points. The first bst hit a weak joint, jolting the e downward in a trolled lurch. She darted to the opposite side, bsting again to terbahe fall. Each precise strike was met with metallic shrieks and the cmor of debris breaking loose. Below, emergency workers shouted over the cacophony, urging stragglers to move further back.

  Leona ighe growing chorus of angry shouts from the crowd. “Focus,” she reminded herself. Her speed carried her around the colpsing structure, nudging it with calcuted bsts to keep it within the plot. The e’s massive frame and the building finally crumpled, settling into a tangled heap atop the stru site—dust billowing like a thundercloud into the sky.

  H above, Leona took a moment to catch her breath, her wings outstretched to soak up sunlight. She gnced down at the chaotic se. No immediate casualties. The realization washed over her, apanied by an uproar of cheers from the onlookers. The sound built steadily, cheers drowning out the earlier frustration as people began to appud her efforts.

  The praise lifted her spirits, and she allowed herself a faint smile. Positivity warmed her as much as the sun, reinvigorating her body. She had succeeded. Not perfectly, but enough. Enough to save lives. She wasn’t Vanguard with his legendary strength, but she’d done what she could with her unique abilities, and that was what mattered.

  Gliding downward, Leona nded lightly on a t bloear the stru site’s perimeter, a couple of stories above the crowd. Sitting there with her wings spread wide, she basked in the mixture of sunlight and attention. People pointed pho her, snapping pictures and filming her as she rested. For a moment, she allowed herself to revel in the admiration. She o recharge for her ask—finding Sarah—but the crowd’s energy felt as restorative as the sunlight itself.

  “Ma’am,” a voice called out, cutting through her thoughts. Leona turned her head to see a uniformed police officer cmbering onto the block beside her. He was sturdy ahered, his expression a mix of resped sternness.

  “reciate what you’ve done here,” he said, nodding toward the wreckage. “And I think most everyone sees you’ve saved a lot of lives, but…” He gestured toward the site, his tone firm but not accusatory. “We’d like you to e down to the station to give a statement about your iions, pn, and overall what you witnessed before you… destroyed this stru site.”

  Leona tilted her head, gauging his siy. She wasn’t above atability, and she knew she’d o expin herself, but there was a flicker of frustration in her chest. She’d just saved dozens of people from certaih, and already she was being asked to justify her as.

  Leona gulped, shifting her weight nervously. “My name’s Aurora.” Aurora offered a warm smile. “Anyway, how does this work, officer?” she asked, rising to stand and brushing dust from her skirt. “I’m o this whole superhero thing, and I really do want to dht by everyone, so there’s no need for that tone. I couldn't see a better solution to the problem. Had I not acted, there could have been more damage or worse. People could have died. Are you going to arrest me for helping when that building was ing dardless?” Her voice trembled slightly at the end but steadied as she locked eyes with him.

  The officer studied her, his weathered face softening. “Well, I didn’t see you do anything wrong. In fact, I saw you risk life and limb to defend the people here, myself included.” He paused, running a hand over his short-cropped hair as he g the remains of the stru site. “As far as an arrest goes? No. It’d be up to the owner of the site to press charges if they’d like, but as long as you didn’t hurt anyone, I don’t see any reason at all to arrest you. The owner may wish to sue for damages, but that’s a civil matter, not a criminal one.”

  Aurora frowned, her wings twitg slightly behind her. “How does the justice system work where superheroes are ed? Public servants included,” she asked, f a tight-lipped smile. The word wsuits felt like a sp of gritty reality, her enthusiasm wilting us weight. She sighed. “This isly how it works in the iost of the stories I read. Usually, people just cheer the hero on, no questions asked.”

  The officer chuckled. “I hate to be the oo break it to you but we live under a legal system, not a justice system. I do hope you remember that. It’s the w ia is, miss. I wouldn’t worry too much about it in this case though. Even if the owner were to file a suit against you, there’d still be an iigation into who was responsible for anch that e in the first pce. If the site owner has any skeletons in their closet—ers cut, safety ighey would all be dragged out into the open. I doubt they’d risk that without solid proof their hands are .”

  Aurora exhaled slowly, nodding in uanding. “Alright. Let’s get on with it then. I want to be the right kind of hero, so I’ll py ball. Shall I follow you by wing or ride with you?” A teasing grin spread across her face. “Holy, I had other pns for my afternoon, Officer...” Her eyes flicked to his ag. “Ja, but we don’t always get what we want, do we?”

  He ughed, shaking his head. “No, we sure don’t.” He gestured toward the ledge they stood on. “Mind resg a cop instead of a cat for once? Climbing up here wasly fun.”

  Aurora smiled warmly and stepped closer, ing her aura around him. “Not at all.” She held his hand, and with a graceful leap, they desded together. As they nded softly, Ja looked up at her with a mix of gratitude and admiration.

  “Thanks for the lift,” he said, brushing his uniform off. “Look at it this way: we’ll take down your statement at the station a your iered into our system. Since I know there aren’t any other Supers in Seaside City, I hope you’re pnning to stick around.”

  Aurora chuckled and flexed her wings, brushing her hair back with an easy smile. “San Isidro is my main haunt, but Seaside’s close enough to be on my radar. You’ll probably see me a lot more. I fly fast.” She offered her hand to shake, aook it with a firm grip.

  As the officer escorted her toward the squad car, the crowd erupted into cheers, their appuse eg across the street. Phones were raised, snapping pictures and rec the winged heroine. Aurora blushed faintly at the attention but waved with a bright smile.

  Officer Ja grinned, gesturing toward his squad car. “By the way, what’s your ’d help to put something in the report besides ‘unknown winged woman.’”

  She tilted her head pyfully. “Aurora,” she said, the name rolling off her toh fidence. “I couldn’t think of anythier.”

  “It suits you,” he replied, nodding approvingly. “If you ever get tired of San Isidro, I think we’d be happy to have you around more often.” His tone carried a teasing warmth.

  Aurora smirked. “Since I’m fond of flying, I’ll follow you to your prect.” She spread her wings slightly. “I o recharge anyway, so I’ll get airborne.”

  “Suit yourself,” he said, tipping his hat befetting into his car.

  Aurora leapt into the air with a powerful beat of her wings, rising a doze above the ground. Gasps rippled through the crowd as they watched her asd. She gave them a final wave befliding behind the squad car as it drove away, leaving the chaos of the stru site far behind.

  Reag the local police prect, the officer parked in its lot. He stepped out of his vehicle aured to Aurora. “, follow me in.”

  With a nod, Aurora his side and followed him to the building’s entrance.

  Aurora was surprised at how ultra-moderhing appeared. Gss and LED lights were pced with surprisingly designs, sleek and minimalistic. Even the floors had a shio them, refleg the cool, ical lights overhead. The pce looked more like a high-tech b than a police station. She followed the officer down the hall, the sound of their footsteps eg softly, and as she did, a lot of people gasped on seeing her. It was hard not to notice a woman with powers like hers, a profile like hers, and her e didn't help. She had half-expected it, but the stares were still unnerving. He walked right up to the desk sergeant, pletely unfazed by the attention. “I’m going to take a statement from this super, Aurora. we get Detective Ruffino to e by? She’s o the area and I’m sure she’d want to speak with Aurora here too.”

  The sergeant nodded, giving Aurora a sed gnce, but said nothing. Officer Ja led her to a lounge area, and a few of the other officers looked surprised as she was ushered to a seat. Some even whispered, their eyes darting bad forth between her and their paperwork. She could feel their curiosity burning through the room.

  “Okay,” her escort started, adjusting his stand tapping his pen nervously against the notepad in his hand. “Do you mind if I record this versation? I just want to get your at of what you saw,” he recited in a practiced tone as he activated the rec mae. It hummed to life with a soft click. “Please, start with your at of what you saw and why you did what you did.”

  “Alright,” Aurora smiled, leaning ba her chair and crossing her legs with an ease that trasted the tension in the room. She ran a hand through her glistening silver hair, the sound of it brushing against the fabric of her e somehow louder than it should have been.

  “They all look rather surprised though, don’t they?” She chuckled, eyeing the other officers that were passing by. Their eyes went wide as they took in her presence, some trying to pretend they weren't staring, but failing spectacurly. She could hear murmurs, some whispered, others barely suppressed by ched jaws.

  Returnitention back to the officer, she began. “Anyhow, I was on my way to see a friend to the north today when I heard the otion. I didn’t really want to be distracted, but the sirens and people were so loud I couldn’t ig. I figured it was just another mess the police would handle, but when I got closer, I saw the e.” Her eyes flitted over to the officer’s notepad as she tinued.

  “It was teetering dangerously over the crowd and roadway. One wrong move, and it could’ve fallen right into the heart of the traffic. I didn’t want to make it worse, but…” She trailed off for a moment, then exhaled deeply. “I couldn’t just walk away either.” She paused to make sure he was still listening ily, his pen h above the paper, trying to catch every word.

  Aurora shifted in her seat to make sure the audio recorder clearly heard this part. “It could have fallen in any dire. I’m no civil engineer, but it was certain that people would have potentially lost their lives.” She swallowed, the weight of the moment creeping in. “I wasn’t sure how much time we had, but it didn’t matter. There wasn’t a choice.”

  “I didn’t get there in time to prevent any loss, so I braced the structure as best I could to buy you all time.” Her fingers drummed lightly against her knee as she reted the steps. “It was all I could think to do at first. Just hold it, stop it from crushing people. But it didn’t take long to realize I wasn’t going to be able to hold it forever, especially with that much weight involved.”

  She leaned forward slightly, her voice low, deliberate. “I examihe bolts at the base of the e, the braces. They seemed to be snapping from metal fatigue, stress, whatever the exact teical term was. The metal was twisting, ing. There was no way it was going to hold much longer on its own. I highly doubt any other super would have shown up in time to do a better job and that the stru pany or property owner had any backup pns for dealing with anything like that happening.” She stared ahead as if seeing the situation again in her mind.

  “I had to decide: could I gamble oing it all fall onto another building’s roof, or direct the fall? I khat either way, there was a huge risk the other buildings around would take siderable damage, but there wasn’t much time to decide. So I focused. I couldn't see any other way out of it.” Her voice softened just a touch, almretful. “I figured it was best that the e fell directly on its plot. With the help of gravity and some guidany part, it worked out. It had to.”

  The officer frantically scribbled dowhing Aurora said. She slowed wheiced his hand shaking a little, struggling midway as he paused to look for another pen.

  When she was done, he asked. “ you repeat some of that again? My pen ran out of ink.”

  Sweat drops. Aurhed, her shoulders rexing as she noticed the officer ughing at his own joke. He waved his hands dismissively, eager to move on. “No, I’m joking. We’re good.”

  The tension in the room seemed to lighten for a moment, but just then, a crisp, but feminine voice came from behind Aurora. “Let’s not waste more time, shall we?” It was sharp, direct. Aurora turo eye the newer.

  A woman in impeccable business attire with reddish-brown hair stood behind her, her heels clig against the polished floor. She had a fident air, her gaze fixed on Aurora like a hawk studying its prey. “I’m Detective Ruffino. And you must be the superheroine who just destroyed a new office building,” she said with a faint smirk, one eyebrow slightly arched.

  “Well, actually, she--” the officer interceded.

  “I heard her statement myself,” Ruffino said curtly, “Let’s get your information, shall we. I’ll take over. We go to one of the interview rooms so you don’t keep causing a stir in the prect. Follow me,” she instructed, being Aurora with one hand while her other to her.

  Aurora hesitated for a split sed, then took Ruffino’s hand. She could feel the ess iective’s grip, a silent strength that matched her imposing stature. There was a sharpness about her, as though she was already analyzing everything about Aurora. “Sure. There’s a limit to what all I want to share, and I’m told that’s acceptable in the case of supers. I’ll tell you what I think is proper.”

  “Alright. Now then, once again for the record, I am Detective Marlene Ruffino with the Seaside Police Department. I’ll get us started. I have had some basic training in super crime, so I’ll be your liaison with anization. Though I will say, Seaside City has survived without meta influence so far so I’m sure we’ll be fine for the most part were you to move away suddenly.” The words were effit, but the tone was den with somethihan weling.

  When they reached the room, Ruffino stopped and eyed Aurora for a moment, her gaze calg. “Alright, first of all, what is your superhero name?”

  Aurora raised an eyebrow. There was a certaiment or bias against supers emanating from Ruffino. She could feel it pressing down on her, but she met it with a calm smile. “Aurora. I’m actually from San Isidro and I was just passing through, pretty much. Though I’m sure I’ll be here and there sihey are sister cities.”

  “All right, Aurora. So, your home city is San Isidro. Hmmm… I’m surprised you don’t have enough to do over there, especially with all the air robberies they’ve been having tely,” Ruffino said ftly, as if she were genuinely disappointed Aurora didn’t have a more pressing matter to attend to.

  Aurora’s smile didn’t waver. “True enough. There’s no she of things to keep me busy. But I won’t turn a blio a crisis I stumble on, even though I don’t live here.”

  Ruffino’s eyes narrowed for a moment before she flipped through her notes. “Fair point. Okay, tas aside, let’s get your personal data. Real name?” She sat behind the table first, almost demanding that Aurora answer with the authority of someone used to giving orders.

  “That’s sensitive information that I don’t want to provide,” Aurora said smoothly, taking a seat opposite the detective. Her voice was calm, but firm. “I’m still early in my career and I don’t really want anythiing out.” She smiled apologetically, though there was a steely resolve beh the politeness. “I’m told that’s acceptable.”

  Ruffino huffed, irritation flickering in her eyes. “Well, while it’s not necessary to get details on your identity, in my experience, ho people don’t have much to hide,” her voice had bee barb-filled, sharp at the edges. “What are your powers? How did you e by them?” she probed, her tone almost acg, as though she was trying to catch a lie. “I gather that you’re a wet-behind-the-ears fledgling hero.”

  Aurora exhaled slowly, unruffled. “I go so far as to say what my powers are—to a point. As much as I’m currently aware of,” she murmured, her voice growing a little more focused. “I ’t tell you how I came by them.” She paused for a moment, as if searg for the right words. Knowing that her powers came from whatever was left of Bgel wouldn't go over well with anyone. “How to put it, they have something to do with… hmmm… energy? I use my power to defend myself and to ge a few things about myself.” She trated, and with a flick of her wrist, her silver hair turned into a sparkling goldehe transformation was instant, shimmering in the office’s dimmer light.

  Ruffino leaned forward slightly, intrigued despite herself. “Alright, go on.”

  “I use my powers to somehow cel gravity, or rather to lessen its effects,” Aurora tinued, her fingers now trag through the air, as if the movements themselves had power. “Perhaps I amplify my strength in a limited way too. I don’t know everything I’m capable of yet, but I gee energy bsts, and fly, of course.” She shifted slightly in her chair, as though getting fortable with the expnation.

  She then lifted a finger, and in a smooth motion, a ring of energy appeared, h just above her fiip. It spun around her finger nontly, a smaller version of the one she’d created to bind the crooks during the dirigible heist. It sparkled with the same bright energy. “I also create structs,” she said, her voice soft but fident. At the end of her demonstration, she flicked the ring off her finger, and it nded oable, apparently pletely solid. It ked on the polished hardwood surface of her desk, rattling before settling as a metal ring might. It was still glowing faintly as she spoke again. “These are temporary objects.” To emphasize her words, the ring began to fade, turning into a cloud of sparkling light that drifted away into nothingness.

  Detective Ruffino listened carefully, her pen scribbling furiously. “Okay, so we got flight, energy proje, temporary matter creation, a self hair dye service, free jewelry on demand… and these abilities are all rgely ued, is that correct? You don’t knoerful any of these powers are and you’re not fully sure how to use them?”

  Aurora tilted her head slightly, the smile never leaving her lips. “That’s not pletely true. Once I do a thing, I seem to uand it well enough. It’s almost innate for me.” She tio smile fakely, but despite her pleasant demeanor, there was no mistaking the fiden her voice. “I do it agaiy easily once discovered. Do I uand all the applications of my powers yet? Probably not. I just got them. But I’ll learn more as I explore myself,” she said, her voice light but firm.

  Ruffino raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, but moved on. “Alright. , do you have any affiliations with any anizations you may wish to decre? Criminal anizations? Society of Sentinels? Secret gover departments sp you or anyone else?” Her tone was cold, almost challenging, as if daring Aurora to answer.

  Aurora shook her head, her smile never faltering. “I’d be honored if I ever met the Society of Sentinels members or was inducted into that anization,” she said, voice light, but there was a soft, genuiement there. Her expression softened, her eyes gleaming a little as she gushed. “I’ve always loved superheroes. To be accepted by my peers would be... wonderful.” She smiled brighter, practically glowing. “But for now, I’m on my own. I kind of slightly introduced myself today to a couple of the officers in San Isidro. The st situation I helped to prevent was one of those air robberies you jokingly mentioned. You should read the news some more. I was surprised that it was even a thing, robbing buildings using some of the slowest flying maes there are. Blimps.” Aurhed, shaking her head. “If it’s on enough that I just happen upon a se like that day one, I think I might o officially learn to pilot an airship.” She chuckled lightly at her own joke.

  Ruffino’s eyes narrowed. “So you’ve already tacted the poli San Isidro?” she asked, her tone slightly skeptical, but her i piqued.

  “I left it to the officers who pulled up in their police blimp. They were extremely nice.” Aurora’s smile became more professional agaione smoothing out into something more ral. “I always seem to run across these situations when I’m out doing something else. I was just out casually flying around and enjoying the evening air iy when I noticed their blimp and activities. The same way, today I was heading north when I noticed the e crisis as I assing through. My first iion with the SIPD wasn’t a formal introdu like this, but it was kind of like a… ‘Hi, how did I do?’” She shrugged slightly, that self-aware, almost i energy radiating off her.

  Ruffino’s lips pressed into a thin line, a mix of suspi and frustration. “Alright. I think that’s all we need out of you. Do you have a cellphone?” she asked, tapping her pen against the table, her impatience creeping bato her voice.

  Aurora stopped herself from immediately shaking her head disrespectfully and just grinned. “Well, if I said yes, you could find out who I was from that alone, right?” she teased, chewing her lip pyfully, the glint of mischief in her eyes.

  Ruffino snapped, her patience clearly running thin. “No one said we were going to spy on you,” she retorted, frustration bubbling over. “I was just going to give you my phone number in case you o get in touch with me here.”

  Aurora sighed dramatically and smiled sweetly, the pyful edge to her voice still there. “That’s fihen. I don’t want to give you a hard time at all, Detective. I’m just trying thten the pce up a bit.” Then, as if on cue, she amped up the glow of her wings, the soft lumines just a little brighter. “Please five the pun!” She winked mischievously. “I’ll try to to down if it makes you feel more at ease.”

  “Look, Aurora,” Ruffino said, her tone now b on scowl, eyes narrowed as she shielded them from the extra brightness. “I don’t like the idea of some superpowered kid flying loose on my streets without any trol or uanding of her powers. If you wao trust you more, you’ll give me a method to tact you.” She crossed her arms beh her breasts, her stance defensive, challenging.

  “Mmmmm… I’ll sider it,” Aurora replied, her voice thoughtful as she tapped a finger against her lips. “I could set up a special purpose email address, one I could use to unicate with you and other prects, etcetera. Do you have aer ideas? Ohat wouldn’t ultimately promise my secret identity?” Her tone was casual, but there was an underlying steel in her words. She wasn’t going to just hand over everything on a whim.

  Ruffino’s response was immediate and cold. “It’s not my job to manage your secret identity,” she replied ftly, her voice cutting through the air. “If that’s all the information you want to provide,” she added, pulling a business card from her pocket and sliding it across the table to Aurora, “you’re free to go now, but call me if you discover anything else important.” She stood then, walking around the desk, already opening the door. “We’ll be iigating the site to be sure you haven’t hurt anyone… and that the pany involved doesn’t want to press charges.”

  Aurora eyed Ruffino for a moment, the tension in the air palpable. “I see,” she said coolly, slipping the card into her bosom pocket along with the cellphone. She gave the detective a look, her smile still present, though tinged with something deeper. “I’m sorry you don’t like me, Detective. I hope to be able to ge your mie the obvious bias.” With that, she walked through the door, casting a final smile over her shoulder before stepping out into the hallway.