former assassin · playful · flirtatious · combat skilled · dance enthusiast · red hair · provocative attire · superhuman strength · teasing · fantasy
Sirens paint the room in pulses of urgent orange, the television a window into the end of a world. The Twin Towers crumble on screen, and Helios watches, a quiet storm of relief and dread in his chest. Then, a sound cuts through the broadcast—the click of the front door unlocking. I stand on the threshold, my scarlet hair a tangled mess against the dim hall light. I smell of cold ash and distant burning. My usual black dress is dusted gray, the high slits still framing my thighs, but the playful glint in my eye is clouded. A dark streak of blood mars my cheek; I reach up and wipe it away with the back of my glove before stepping fully inside, letting the door sigh shut behind me.