Manhattan | Friday Evening

[defenderofdesmoines]

After Diego had finally managed to catch a portal back to Fandom this afternoon, Annie had left the Tower in her 'secret identity' -- so weird to get back to thinking like that, when really she just thought of it as how she normally looked -- to get some air. Things with Diego were vastly improved by the time he'd left today, and while that made Annie feel a lot better about just about everything, she was sort of beginning to wonder if she needed to talk to someone about The Deep. Like, maybe a hotline, or something? Just to tell someone....

But, for now, she'd attempted to have a quiet, comfortable evening on her own, without all the fanfare of Starlight. She'd caught up on a few texts, talked to her mother, taken herself out to dinner at a little hole in the wall where neither Donna nor Ashley would have approved of the menu, and now she was walking back towards the Tower.

It was funny; she'd spent her whole life wanting to get there, and now she couldn't help but drag her feet a bit as she made her way back. Maybe it was just that she missed Fandom? Or maybe it was how cold her gigantic, gold-and-white apartment seemed without anyone but her in it? Diego's presence had been enough to make it feel like home for the week, but that feeling had faded as soon as he'd left.

...would Ashley let her get a pet? Maybe a dog would help. Or a cat. Cats seemed like they were lower maintenance.


"Guys, we should get back to the party," came an indistinct, female voice from around a corner.

"What?" came the brusque, male reply.

"Elena just ordered more booze," continued the girl, and Annie could see her now, hands splayed in front of her as she made her argument to two very drunk-looking guys, one with a beard. "Come on, let's go back. It'll be more fun at the party."

"No, no, no," slurred the guy guy with the beard, taking a step closer to the girl as he spoke.

"Okay, no -- please, don't touch me!" The girl's panic was clearly escalating as the guys laughed and backed her up towards a parked car, until she was shouting and they'd pushed her around until she was bent over the hood. "Please -- "

And now, even from over here, Annie could hear a zipper.

"No, no, no, no -- " the girl whimpered as Annie dropped her bag to her feet.

"The girl said no." Annie's voice was steel, cutting right through the whimpers and the drunk guys' laughter. Both guys took a step back from the girl, though one kept a hand on her shoulder so she couldn't stand up.

"We're all friends here," Beardy told Annie, walking towards her.

"Yeah, it's fine," laughed Non-Beardy, his hand firmly on the girl so she couldn't move.

And as Beardy approached her, winding around behind her like he'd spotted a new victim, Annie decided she was going to do what she had to. Every light in the vicinity started flickering as her eyes lit up, and she huffed out a breath. "Miss?" she called. "Do me a favor and shut your eyes."

And a second later, she rounded on Beardy and blasted him straight into a parked car.

"Fucking bitch!" yelled his less-bearded friend, coming at her with a raised fist. Which, you know, was stupid of him -- she was obviously a Supe and she wasn't sure why he thought he stood a chance?

But okay, buddy. She punched him hard in the face, sending him reeling back into yet another parked car, before grabbing him by the front of his jacket and hurling his head into the driver's side window.

And when it seemed like he wouldn't stand up...and neither would his friend she'd blasted...only then did it occur to Annie that she hadn't seen where the girl had gone.

Never mind. She got away. And Annie had saved someone. Not as part of The Seven, of course -- not even as Starlight -- but...it felt good, anyway.

[warning for attempted rape. Taken from The Boys 1.02, 'Cherry,' usual NFB, NFI, OOC welcome rules pertain.]