A few hours later we’d seen Miura off using a taxi and had ventured out to Hillchester Town Centre, it was a rainy midday on Boxing Day and a lot of people were out and about, children were excitedly pulling at the mum’s sleeves to spend their Christmas money. I had a hood up on my coat and was strolling along. Sierra was a couple of paces ahead of me leading me somewhere. I take a few quick paces forward and tap her on the shoulder.

“So where are you taking me?” I take a look around, not spotting anywhere that seemed anything other than innocent. I sidestep an elderly man who was hobbling along with a walking stick, Sierra points to a couple of posters on a noticeboard.

“That army dude on the TV was asking for donations right?” The poster was some propaganda like stuff, asking for donations and trying to recruit people. “I would hedge my bets that very little of that money is going towards their families like they say, I mean, look at the money they promised to put into healthcare! That went nowhere right?”

“Right” I nod “I still don’t see any of it, you have a clue where this money is then?” She gives me a knowing look and keeps on walking. A bus rolls past, its interior lights shining a glow over the mismatched tarmac of the pavement. The clouds above looked glum and show no signs of ceasing the downpour. After 5 minutes more Sierra halts outside a Greggs bakery.

“We’re here, lets get something to eat” We walk inside, I grab a sandwich and she asks for a sausage roll. We pay and sit down under the awning outside.

“They’re taking the donations in that office building opposite” she chomps down on her pastry, sharp teeth making quick work of it. “I reckon there will be a security van down at some point today, its been a while and the media buzz has died down a bit hasn’t it?”

“I could crash the van? Worked previously”

“As much as I thank you for that, and Brad does as well. You haven’t exactly interacted beyond crashing the van before. I have an idea” Crumbs are scattered in her ever-present grin. “I’ll go up to the desk, wiggle my ears, shake my tail. Maybe steal a fiver. You stroll in after I run off distracting them. Threaten the dude behind the grate with whatever you can think of and then bugger off with the money. They won’t catch me”

“That makes sense, I guess” I look at the target building, theres a banner strewn down from the awning on the building opposite us. Otherwise it was a fairly nondescript office building. “You sure they can’t catch you Sierra?”

“Your sports car can barely catch me. I think some overweight Bobby won’t be able to” She takes off her shoes. “Can you put these in your bag? I’d rather run naturally”

“Uh sure” She passes me the trainers and I put them away in my bag.

“Once I start it, go in after a minute or so” She strolls off, I can’t imagine how uncomfortable walking barefoot on concrete would be. I watch her enter the building, her tail unfolding out just prior. I take a disinterested bite out of the sandwich, my stomach was doing barrel rolls like the inside of the world’s most turbulent washing machine. I was immensely nervous, I don’t know why but all the confidence I had prior was gone.

I swallow the chunk with gulp and stand up. I didn’t want to just sit around not doing anything. I begin the short walk over to the building when Sierra bursts back through the door, a 20 pound note clasped between her teeth. She gives me a small nod before vanishing off down the road, A police officer and two men in camouflage trousers come out not a moment later. They charge after Sierra like a trio of arthritic gorilla.

“I guess no time like the present” Sierra’s nod was inspiring me.

I slip in whilst the doors are still moving about, there's a middle aged woman on the phone to someone. I pull my hood down, revealing the metal prongs on top of my head. I cut the line, she hasn’t noticed me yet, she's still fiddling with the phone controls.

I cough and she finally notices me, her face is processing a mixture of emotions.

“Uh Miss...Donation Lady. I’ve come to collect the donation money. Its going to a...worthy cause. You’ll find” I grind two of my metal fingers against each other, causing sparks to fly out of my hand. Some land on the ground, becoming embers for the briefest of moments. The woman begins to panic.

“Y-y-you’re that woman” I sigh, reaching out with my mind and disabling the alarm.

“Yes yes, now if you would kindly hand over everything” The woman turns around and opens a small safe behind her. She takes out what appears to be a few thousand. I smile politely at her. “Thank you for that, do you have a bag or something? This one is full” I gesture to the satchel I was carrying.

She picks up a small backpack and dumps the money inside.

“Thank you very much. This will keep good people fed for a long time. I’ll see myself out” I pull up my hood and exit the building. I get a few feet away before I hear heavy footsteps approaching, one of the men that had gone after Sierra had given up and returned to the donation office. I look behind and see him opening the door and entering it. Quickening my pace I walk towards the crowds in the middle of the pedestrianised zone, crossing it to the other side.

I had parked the car in another multi-storey car park which wasn’t too far away, Sierra was waiting for me there.

“How much was there?” she asks, leaning against one of the concrete pillars that hold up the structure.

“A couple of thousand, I think”

Sierra punches the air in celebration. I unlock the car and climb into the driver’s seat. “Get in then” Sierra jumps into the passenger seat, her tail wiggling in between the curves of the bucket seats. She pulls out the 20 quid note from her pocket

“I think we’ll get a chippy tonight” she places the money in a compartment below the radio. I place the bag with the stolen haul in a lockable storage area behind the passenger seat. Then we drove back home.

***

“So you say that this Eunos woman simply strolled in here. Snapped her fingers, and you gave her all the donation money?” The local officer was saying as Victoria entered the room. The lady that was behind the counter nodded, dabbing at her eyes.

“That monster was like a terminator. A metal arm, antenna. I don’t even know whether she had mind control or something” Victoria sits at one of the chairs besides a small children’s play set, the type you’d see at a bank or something for the little kiddies to play with while the adults get swindled. She twiddled at one of them, waiting for the policeman to finish interviewing her. She didn’t like working for Operation Barracuda, but it is better, easier, more famed work than being some pathetic secretary like before.

The policeman dismisses the woman and she quickly leaves the building, the clacking of her heels reminding her of her previous career. After she had got the job they informed her that she was dressed “inappropriately” for it, they wanted taller heels, a skirt. Fucking hell it was an office job not a fashion show!

Without even thinking about it she had summoned one of her spears with an ominous thunk. The officer reading his notes nearly jumped out of his skin, he spins around and finally notices me.

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“Ah, Victory Victoria. Ma’am. What are you in need of?”

“Details Officer, details”

The Emergence had given her the ability to summon a spear of solid energy. The higher ups, ever so keen to follow after the Americans, had wanted their own ‘Seraph’ and I jumped at the opportunity, plus the pay was good and there was no dress code. I spent most of my time in riding leathers, as my first love would always be to my bike. I had no time for men, that last job had left a particular distaste for them.

“She had an accomplice, we think. A teenager with a tail, apparently she ran like a bat out of hell on four legs. She came in first, stole a portion of money and the guards went after her. This had left here pretty much undefended for Eunos to stroll in and take everything”

Fast running...teenager...with a tail. Where had she heard that before…

“The van crash! That fucker’s powerpoint” Of course. We’ve now got confirmation of the two working as a pair, as partners in crime. I can focus on looking for them both together. Two birds with one spear. “Excellent”

“You look pleased Ma’am. This is nothing to smile about, this is a serious crime” She tips the spear in his direction and he shuts up.

“I know, I know. Just now I have a slightly better idea of what to look for” She reduced the spear back to nothing and stood up. Making her way outside to the police’s cordoned off area, which wasn’t very big. Her bike was parked illegally in the pedestrianised zone, but she was a government employee, the local council can park their little vans here so she should be able to as well. She can see a parking warden peering over at the bike, one sharp glare from her sent him packing.

Victoria straddles the bike’s seat, turning it on and checking all the dials are normal. She put on her helmet and pulls down the visor. “Back to the station, time to see what we can do about catching her properly. None of this waiting around for something to happen. Time to be… ...proactive”

***

We get home in good time, Sierra runs up ahead whilst I park up the RX7 in the garage. The iconic exhaust note braps away as I let the car wind down for the moment. The garage was constructed of simple brick and mortar and contained nothing but a tool kit and a box full of junk. Someone had left a couple of milk crates in the corner of the yard, an odd remnant of the old Milkman trade. Some people still like to have their milk especially ordered I suppose.

I jog up the stairs to my apartment and opened door, Sierra was on the computer already, we’d made a stop off and Sierra had recovered her bank account details and put in a small portion of the money we’d stolen. She’d justified it at the time that: “They still don’t know who I am. I didn’t tell them shit, this should be safe enough”

The rest of the money was still locked safe in my car. With my new powers the car was basically unstealable, I’d sense it was trying to move without my permission and could shut it down. We’d tested it earlier in the week with Sierra.

She turns to me as I sit down on the sofa.

“So what do we need to order” I pick up my Switch and turn it on.

“Food primarily, also clothes for Brad and Mike”

“On it” She nods and turns back to the computer screen. “Uh, you have a message from Miura, she says she has a reservation for your date on the 10th”

“Two weeks away huh” I turn off the console and move into my bedroom, beginning to run through the clothes in my drawers, sorting through the assorted clothes and underneath a skirt I catch a glimpse of what I was looking for. Its the striped dress Miura had bought me. I bring it into the living room with me, holding it in front of me.

“I think I already know what I’m going to wear” Sierra was still browsing the internet, she turns to look at me.

“A little on the nose” She gives me a wry smile “but I like it!”.

That gives me the little boost I needed to make my mind up on it. I’m going to go out on a date in a dress! My heart is doing somersaults in a giddy happiness.

***

It was New Years Eve, and I was driving to the bunker with Sierra to count down New Years with Brad and Mitch. Since it was countryside roads and it was getting late at night I had put my foot down, speeding well in excess of the speed limit, taking a corner at speed the rear of the car begins to tug away from where it should be, showing hints that any faster could be catastrophic. I was in the mood to drive fast, not to get away, but just to push the car hard.

The radio was blaring away a Eurobeat song, sending shivers down my spine. Sierra was grinning wide, her transformation had seemingly given her a need for speed she didn’t know of or understand before, and despite her increased running speed. The car was still much faster than her.

Drive away, pull away

Just fly away from here

There's nobody to stop you now

I will stay

There's no way I'll let you go from here

You and me

We're gonna drive all around and then

Ride away to the top of the heavens

I tap the brakes and tip it into the next corner, holding the car in a slide. We were only a few turns away from the lot near the bunker so I let off the throttle and return down to normal speeds. I put the car up a gear to give the engine a break from being revved so high.

“Damn Cy, you can drive. You should go racing”

“Even if I’m accepted for who I am. I reckon they’d still be too worried about me cheating with this power” I turn the music down a bit as I pull the car off the road and closer to the bunker entrance, there is a small nook around the corner of the car park where I can park the car out of sight from the road. No more encounters with nosey government slaves for me.

We close up the car and stroll towards the bunker, the nightly dew soaking the leather boots I was wearing. I brush a low hanging branch out of my face. All I could hear was the late night hooting of owls, I had a box of clothes under my arm whilst Sierra was holding the food supplies.

“Sierra watch your feet, there could be an Adder about. Would be nasty if you were to get bit”

“I know” Sierra was a few paces ahead, relishing the wilderness and all its scents. “Ah, Michael!” The lizardman had seemingly smelt us coming and was leaning against a tree.

“Hello ladies” Michael’s forked tongue poked out, testing the air. “No-ones followed you, good, can never be sure that some horny dude didn’t follow you two cuties”

“I’d know if anyone followed us Michael, everyone has an appliance on them somewhere” I jabbed back. “Here, catch!” I chuck the box at him, he catches it with his pads but the weight of the box nearly bowls him over.

“What was that for?” He moans

“Your cheek” I snap at him.

“Now now you two, its New Years!” Sierra stamps her foot and pouts “Its time for celebrations and not bickering” I shrug.

“Sierra I’ll go back to the car and grab the sparklers and stuff, least we can light something up” I turn and leave them to bring the boxes into the bunker. The short walk by myself gave me some time alone to reflect on the previous couple of weeks. I don’t really feel anything for the deaths of the soldiers in the breakout anymore. They were...unfortunate sacrifices for what I see to be the greater good. I wish we didn’t have to hide away, I was beginning to despise some regular people for their treatment of us Emerged.

The only people currently free from my ill will are those who have treated me with any decency and shown me compassion for us afflicted by that storm. I’d love to be in America right now, running rampant and free, not cowering in some bunker. I sighed, wondering if anyone gained the power to teleport or something. I make it to the car and grab the box of sparklers and small fireworks, double checking that it was locked, I return to the bunker.

Closing the now fixed bunker door behind me I smell the scent of cooking sausages.

“Smells good” I call out. I double check the door.

“Brad’s cooking them. We got buns and stuff too. Hot dog time!” Sierra’s high pitched yell rings out from down the corridor. I peer into the two foremost rooms, they have turned them into makeshift bedrooms, I spy a dirty magazine lying against the pillow of one the beds inside one room.

“Suppose thats probably Mikes” I whisper to no-one in particular. I move on to the kitchen, where I can track the scent of the sizzling meat. Brad looks fairly normal, he's standing over an oven watching them cook intently. Sierra and Mike are sitting at a counter not far behind him, both nearly salivating at the thought of the food.

“You two definitely take after your natural instincts eh?” I leant against the doorway, crossing my arms having put the box down in the corridor. Sierra nods, still distracted by the oven.

“They’re like two puppies smelling meat for the first time I swear” Brad laughs. “‘Cept the only thing truly canine is their teeth”

“How long until they’re done then” I ask.

“Not long, notice anything?” He turns his body towards me, still keeping an eye on the food.

“You’re not particularly stony”

“Yup, I think I figured out how to control it, if I tense up then I begin to go all Rocky...Balboa”

I groan at the pun. He flexes one of his huge arms, tensing it up. It begins to lose its shine and his skin splits and becomes jagged. It changes pigment to become more in line with the very granite-like look which I first saw him. He reminded me of a sort of British middle class Korg.

“Thats good to see then, you might be able to actually leave the bunker to do your own errands then, unlike Gordon Gecko over there” I smile, looking forward to not having to do my own shopping”

“Oh yeah, on that front, could you do me a favour and give me a list to pick up some of my possessions. I only need a lift there. I’m going to grab my truck and load it”

“You not going to return home completely?” Sierra interjects.

“No Sierra, someone’s got to take care of Michael here”

“Thats right” Michael points at himself “I'm useless at cooking” I stifle a chuckle and peer at the clock. It was about 5 hours till 2019.

Michael points to a stack of boxes on the table “Well we’ve got time to pass until the new year. Board Games anyone?”