Canary, no. Paige, Paige Mcabee had no idea how her life had spiraled so out of control.

That was a lie. At the very least, she knew the first step.

The vial. The damn vial.

It felt so unreal, that something so small could change her life so drastically. God, she was so stupid.

She'd been young, or younger but that wasn't an excuse. She should have known when something was too good to be true.

Drink it, gain powers, and have her wildest dreams come true.

What a joke.

It had given her powers, even ones that fit her criteria. She'd asked for something to become a better singer and sure enough, she was supernaturally good now.

She hadn't asked for the near-unbearable pain she endured after going bottoms up. She hadn't asked for the physical deformity. She hadn't asked for fucking mind control powers.

It messed her up. Hell, it made her crazy for a bit. But she'd done it, she'd pulled it all together and was finally making headway. She wasn't a big shot, not yet, but she was becoming more and more popular. Then, as if life didn't want to forget about the mistake she made, it all came crashing down.

One comment said in a fit of rage. That was all they needed to cement her place as the second coming of the Simurgh.

It happened so quickly that it left her head spinning. It was still spinning.

They'd muzzled her, slapped her with restraints fit for Alexandria, and strapped her to a chair. What they hadn't done was blind her. She could see the bug-eyed panic-stricken expression on her lawyer, the unease the jury watched her with, and the barely disguised disgust the judge regarded with her.

She denied it. Day after day she was carted in and out of that kangaroo court and refused to acknowledge what was playing out in front of her eyes.

Was it naive of her? Maybe, but she wanted to believe things would go back to normal. That she could put it all behind her and get back to her old life.

"Trouble sleeping?" A voice whispered from behind her. "It's a shame your power doesn't work on yourself."

Paige rolled over slowly, trying to avoid the air mattress from making too much noise. In the dark, she could make out the woman across from her. Nataliya had propped up her head and was lying on her side. Her dark brown hair was annoyingly in perfect order, in stark contrast, Paige could feel her own splayed all over the place. Feathers tended to be unruly and she was mortified at how often they shed. One of the girls had once joked about having real mattresses for everyone within a month.

"No," She lied, putting on a brave face. "I'm fine."

The older woman gave a soft snort.

"A singer you may be but an actress? More lessons will need to be had."

Paige buried her face into her pillow, cringing. Did they all see through her? She wasn't sure if her ears were playing tricks on her but she could have sworn stifled chuckles originated around her.

She didn't dare lift her head and inspect the crowded room.

Their accommodations…well they were better than a cell. They had room to sprawl out, the area divided by heavy curtains. Despite this, the girls preferred to sleep in the same partitioned section.

She flopped on her back, staring at the ceiling twinkling with lights, mirroring the night sky outside.

Truthfully, she could never have believed an abandoned warehouse could be so comfortable. It hadn't been when she'd first gotten here. It was drafty, damp, and structurally unsound. It had been improved courtesy of their landlord, warden, mentor?

She still wasn't sure how to describe him but he'd worked with a speed that boggled the mind. Once she convinced him to do something that is.

Strange didn't cut it when it came to him.

Delusional fit better but still felt insufficient. Delusional in an extra sort of way? Eh, that felt a little better.

Having that ridiculously large blue dome greet her after regaining consciousness scared her something fierce.

After spending more and more time with him, she'd come to realize her initial fears were grossly misplaced.

He was just so…so…innocent.

Not innocent in the upstanding citizen way. No, he broke her out of jail and probably hurt more than a couple of guards along the way. Innocent in the sense that he didn't really understand the way the world worked.

His view was warped, twisted. The whole concept of his type of villainy was a childish fantasy.

What did it say about her that she was going along with it?

That she was desperate, for starters.

"How do you always look so calm?" Paige rolled to look at the girl again. Nataliya had been stoic from the day she met. A steady rock, as she heard one of the other girls describe her.

"If only I did not only look it," Nataliya spoke with a small smile. "It was something learned. I am not so great as to always wear the mask however I do what I can to hide such timid reactions. They attract a certain type of clientele. Those under their care do not last long"

Paige didn't hide the scowl from her face. She'd heard snippets of what they'd been through. It wasn't right. By nature, she wasn't a violent person but it made her blood boil.

It riled her up enough to consider doing something truly crazy. Steering the storm; directing it towards actual targets. Deserving targets.

Her gut churned, the guilt weighing on her. She hadn't asked for all this to happen to her, but she had been given a choice. She chose to down the vial.

Had he, or they, been given the same? The parallels between her and Case-53s were difficult to ignore. She didn't like to think about them but that group was certainly the cause of them. For what purpose she couldn't begin to guess. With the memories taken, something told her they were not as willing participants as she was.

And now she was using them for her own ends.

This was for the best. She told herself that often. The cape was stubborn, dug in with his way of thinking. He was also dangerous beyond flashy lasers. The more she interacted with him, the further she found herself slipping.

It made her question which one of them had the Master rating.

"You are thinking of flying away again." Nataliya words would feel like an accusation if they were not so tenderly given. "It's not too late. With that thing, you can still slip out."

Paige felt around for the watch she'd be given. She was no cape geek but she knew enough about tinkers to know this thing could have any number of trackers or fail safes. But she also suspected Megamind to not have even considered her a flight risk.

Which meant she might actually be able to get away. Why did it feel like that would be akin to kicking a puppy?

"Don't you want to go home?" Paige asked, eager to have someone fill the silence.

"Home is, problematic. It is difficult to explain but there was a reason I- we ended up where we were. Some of the others, they hope to send money back to their families but none would dare go back."

"Don't you want to see them?" She hadn't heard back from her folks. They must have been being monitored, or something. She was sure there was a good reason they hadn't reached out.

"Everyone has wants, few are satisfied. I have a bed, a full stomach, and a roof. That is as much as I can ask for."

The bare minimum for survival. The guilt returned, crashing against her like a tidal wave. People didn't understand how much was taken for granted until it was ripped away.

"It's not fair." The words that escaped her lips weren't on behalf of herself.

"When has this life ever been fair?" Nataliya chided in a matter-of-fact manner. "We all do our best to survive another day, that is what living is."

She wouldn't claim to know the meaning of life but she knew that wasn't it.

"Living is going to be beating the shit out of those scumbags." Another voice joined the conversation. Unlike Nataliya, this one spoke in her native tongue. It was difficult to tell who it was through the translator but given the fire, it was probably Katerina. "If only I could not be dressed like a mascot while doing it."

Definitely Katerina then. She was the most vocal about their costumes. Not that she or any of the others were particularly enthused about that aspect. Although, her suit did look sorta cool. If you were into that sort of thing. Which Paige wasn't.

"You are just upset there is not more heel." A catty response came from her side. If her memory was right, Sara was the one to lay there.

"At least mine is painted a normal color." The diminutive girl shot back. Katerina was a year her senior and nearly half her height. She'd been popular, serving a niche.

Leviathan should have its way with this city.

Paige pushed the intrusive thought away, just in time to hear a swish fly over her.

"Thank you for the extra pillow." She could hear the shifting as Katerina appropriated the projectile for her own. "Have fun sleeping without one."

"Give it back b-"

"Have mine." Paige preempted the fight and surrendered her own. "I don't need it."

She would have liked it but it was better than waking everyone up. It wasn't like she expected to get any sleep tonight anyway.

Sara took it without comment.

"We have to get through tomorrow before anything else." Nataliya reminded the group. "It will be, interesting."

Paige felt that to be a drastic understatement.

Her life was a wreck.

A pillow landed on her face. It had been tossed gently, not hurled.

"Sing a little," Katerina whispered, the words slightly muffled. "Payment for the pillow."

She could do that. Paige took a breath, releasing a soft melody. She stumbled at places, some words being difficult to pronounce.

Her power was terrifying. She just wanted to make music, not mind control people.

But it wasn't all bad. Her first album had been too aggressive. She was mad at everything and everyone.

People loved it.

Her latest project, 'Yellow, through' was different. It had depth. It also taught her more about her power and what it could do.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Was it wrong to tell someone to feel good? To work hard? To be better?

Paige didn't think so.

Straining her ears, she could hear the sounds of erratic breathing smooth over. A soothing calm overcame their little abode.

She may have not deserved what she'd gotten but she didn't have any right to complain. She made her bed, others didn't get that opportunity.

Paige was a selfish person. Some sought power for noble reasons, hers had been idiotic. In her vanity, she might have said it was so that her music could help people but that was a lie. She wanted to be popular, plain and simple.

Now that she was stuck here, with a shit hand and surrounded by people with worse ones? Maybe, just maybe she could do the right thing for once.

And damn the world if it got in her way.

So the Canary sang.

—

Martyrdom was a bullshit perk. Alec got a hint of satisfaction from the triple kill it just netted him. He made sure always to equip it.

His fingers loosely gripped the controller and on respawn he pressed the required buttons with practiced ease. His underbarrel grenade launcher thumped and he was rewarded with another kill.

He was about to make his way to his favorite camping spot when he got booted from the lobby. A dialogue box flashed on the screen, letting him know he'd gotten another temporary ban.

Alec leaned back on the couch, letting the controller slip away. He yawned, stretching his lanky limbs out. The game's lobby music was annoying and he lowered it, allowing him to hear the clicking of the keyboard behind him.

He shifted the minimum amount needed to see the dark-blond girl sequestered at the desk. He was surprised she was working here instead of in the kitchen or her room. She must have wanted to bask in his presence.

"Lisa," He called and there was a hiccup in her typing. "Order food. I'm hungry."

Having avoided training with Brian earlier, he really wasn't. However, no sane teenager would turn down a couple of slices of pizza.

"Order yourself," Lisa responded in a distracted manner. "You have a phone. I'm busy."

As if he didn't have better things to do. He grabbed the remote, flipping back to regular TV. He cycled through channels, the news was playing a segment about the budding gang war. Brian seemed stuck between wanting to make a play to hold actual territory and continuing to fly under the radar. More money was always nice but it seemed like too much of a hassle to be worth it.

The overly made-up anchor didn't have anything new to drop and he considered alternatives.

He thought about any DVDs they might have but nothing suited his fancy.

"Lisa," He called again and then repeated in a louder voice when she didn't respond. "Lisa, it's important."

"What," She asked, tilting her head towards him. Stray strands of blonde hair drifted in front of her and she blew them away.

"I'm bored," He dictated, lifting an arm and twirling his hand in an exaggerated manner. "Entertain me mortal."

Green eyes rolled once before turning back to her monitor.

"Play your video game and leave me alone." She said dismissively, signaling she was done with their conversation. Too bad for her, he wasn't

"Can't, I got banned again."

"Well then stop insulting everyone you play with."

"I'll have you know what I have with xXxSniperKingzxXx's mother is something special. I wouldn't expect you to understand." He'd figured out her type quickly, which was no type. He was pretty sure she was in denial about it. "Anyways, That wasn't even why I got banned. They think I'm lag-switching."

Not that he was above cheating, but being banned without enjoying the unfair advantage was irritating.

"I have no idea what that is," Lisa, the ever-lame, said in a dry tone. "I do know it's none of my business."

"Ha." He made sure to put some inflection in his voice, to grab her attention. "It is." He wagged an accusatory finger her way. "You promised you'd fix the internet."

"Alec, that's the most expensive router money can buy along with the highest speed they offer. The internet is fine."

To highlight this she cycled to a new web browser and searched something, a mug shot appeared on the screen.

Well duh, it was fine for browsing web pages but it wasn't good enough for what mattered. Owning noobs online.

"Use your power to figure out what's wrong with it."

"I'm a thinker, not a tinker. I know to your small brain those might look like the same word but they're not."

"You're probably right," He noticed her tense as she sensed what was coming. "If you can't figure out why he wanted the bird girl then what use would you be trying to uncover why our WiFi is shit."

Dating Sims weren't his thing but if they were he imagined he'd just selected the worst dialogue option. He could see her seethe in her chair for a moment before letting out a breath. It came out more like a hiss than anything.

"I know exactly why he did it," she recited, having given this explanation before. "He thinks of himself as some idolized villain. He's pissed at how things actually are so he's trying to find someone to shoehorn into his image of a perfect villain. Of course, that's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his issues. Did you know-"

"Boring." He cut her off, giving a charming smile in response to her scrunched-up expression. "If you know him so well he wouldn't be blowing off your messages. Our secret boss man also wouldn't still have you looking things up."

Their sugar daddy must have been up to some shady shit. I mean who could keep four teenage villains in a loft and not be into the things that get you put on lists? That being said, free food, a team, contacts, medical care, and anything they realistically wanted, sans decent internet, was a strong incentive to look the other way. All he had to do was occasionally commit a crime and routinely scan the bathroom for cameras.

"I'm not crazy," His crazy teammate said. "It's not my fault no one believes how off his rocker this guy is."

Alec laid on his back, placing his hands behind his head and propping one leg on another. He believed her. Lisa was a 'know it all' but she was able to put her money where her mouth was. When she wasn't completely off base that is, it wasn't like anyone had any better ideas though. That included the PRT. It was nice that the boss man had moles there.

"Either way you're wasting your time. Brian hates the guy's guts while Rachel wishes she could see them on the pavement." Or his friend's at least. She didn't take kindly to him tossing her dogs. "That would be two votes for working with and two votes against."

He might have lost MMR on that ranked match but watching him disintegrate part of Lung softened the blow. He'd love to get something like that attached to his scepter. The guy also had that main character flair where you wanted to see what he'd do next. Everyone else in the bay was pretty lame in comparison. Self-included, Alec would always be a background character. He liked it that way. Watching other people be in the line of fire was much more entertaining than being the one shot at.

"Bitch is…yeah not going to touch that for a while. Brian will come around though, he's just overprotective about his sister."

"Brian has a sister?" He sat up again, intrigued by the revelation.

He wondered which of his siblings had been sent after him. Whoever they were they sucked at their job because it had been years since his departure.

"Yes," She delivered with tiredness. "she's not a secret. We've talked about her."

It was probably one of those conversations where he nodded his head and pretended to listen. There were lots of them.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed the girl from the mug shot Lisa had pulled up was on the TV.

"Hey Lisa," His bemused voice sounded in the loft.

"No," Lisa responded, not moving from her position. "Brian will literally kill you if you do anything to her."

"Great," She had a bad habit of assuming the worst of people. "But look at what's on the news."

He heard the desk chair be pushed back and then something hit the floor.

"I fucking called it!" Lisa walked around the couch and towards the TV, partially blocking his view. "I said they'd pull a stunt like this. I told you all."

Had she? He'd probably tuned it out. PHO was going to be a riot after this. They'd been in the dark about the connection.

"Yes, we're all impressed by your unparalleled genius." He gave a shallow clap to play into her ego. His real thoughts were obvious but that didn't seem to stop her from preening for half a second. "Now, oh great one. Use your power to tell me what's wrong with the internet."

Her triumphant expression soured and she looked to him as if regarding some pest. He held the stare and eventually, she gave a sigh of defeat.

"Fine, only because I'm in a good mood." She took on that trademark thinker look. It was a smirk that made many want to punch her. It soon withered away, her face paling. "No-FUCK!"

She threw her hands up and started pacing in earnest. Her hands flailed, not knowing what to do with them.

"Hold up? You figured it out?"

Finally, he could get back to important things. Her reaction was weird though.

"No, no, no, no." She vigorously shook her head and pointed at him. "This doesn't fucking count."

"What doesn't?" He asked with a knowing smile. He didn't have the faintest idea what she was talking about but it got him a frustrated growl.

"It's a coincidence," She declared, looming over his seated form. "I'm not letting you lord this over me for all eternity."

"I promise I won't," Alec was an above-average liar. "Pinky swear."

He held up a pinky and it was swatted down.

"I need to call-damn Brian is going to chew me out for this." She stormed back to her desk, typing at her computer with renewed purpose. "I'll call a meeting later. After I know more."

Alec nodded, he could wait for the punchline. Whatever it was must have been hilarious.