Chapter 2: Friendly Bonds

Siren POV:

~Flashback~

Her legs burning as she moved, her feet slapping against the grass. It was dark and scary, but it was her only chance at safety. Her arms were cut up from running through trees and thorns. Her face was puffy and red from crying.

An explosion had sounded behind her somewhere, the only comfort being that it was farther than before. The air around her was cold, ice surrounded her. The ice seemed to bend every time the explosions sounded. Her whole body ached in protest, and she pushed herself to go faster. As she reached the end of the forest, she realized that she had been caught. In front of her was a river, more specifically a river turning in a waterfall. The cliff she stood on was higher than she thought she could survive. If she hid, she'd be found. If she went left or right, they'd catch up. Her only choice was either to be captured by the one making those explosions or to take the risk and jump. She could hear the person coming closer, her heart pounded in her ears. She did the only thing she could, determination on her face.

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She took a leap of faith and jumped.

~End of Flashback~

A car accelerated through the streets, the sunset that poured over the city gave it a beautiful orange tint. It almost looked serene with how smooth it glided, the same could not be said for the person inside. Her fingers tapped the wheel to the beat of the music playing off the stereo, her body tensing and relaxing. Pure excitement ran through her veins. She knew she needed to calm down, but she was just happy it was almost night. She glided the car up to the Law firm, knowing her favorite guy wasn't going to be at the court since all his cases were in the morning. After a minute or two, the car door opened the winged man swinging into his seat.

"I fucking hate my job," he said before launching into a full rant about the fuckery he had gone through during the day. His wings fluttered angrily as he talked, his hands moving around in beat to his rant. Siren didn't take her gaze off the road, her posture becoming bored as she barely listened to his rant. As he finished, he looked at her for a comment.

Siren took the time to look him straight in the eyes as she sarcastically commented, "That's nice." The irritated scream and angry cursing from him caused her to chuckle, despite his angrily moving wings almost hitting her in the face. She watched him angrily strangle an imaginary person in front of him. The man calmed down looking at her before turning the other way, huffing out of annoyance. Siren looked at him, internally content with him. She glided through the streets, coming across their house. It was just big enough for them to each have a room, office, bathroom, and hallway. On the first floor, they had a small living room, a kitchen, the stairs, the garage, and Overdrive's hallway. On the second floor, they had Karma's hallway, Siren's hallway, a laundry room, and a couple of closets. There was a basement where they had four rooms: a gaming styled living room, a training room, and a place to store their villain things. There was also a small indoor pool on the first floor. They had gotten the place at a pretty good deal and they could all coexist easily. When they got in, Siren immediately went up to her room to change into some casual clothes while Karma went for the kitchen.

She put on a black tank top, a black bomber jacket, some black Tims, and some camo cargo pants. Her lips were painted black, and her makeup was done to match. A ring was on her finger, the amethyst inside a deep purple while the outside was made of obsidian instead of silver. Siren looked down at it fondly as she twisted it on her finger.

"Happy birthday Si," her sister said looking up at her, her smile soft. She showed her a ring made of obsidian, the gem missing. Siren furrowed her eyebrows at the space, before watching Soluna form an amethyst and place it in the space. Siren threw her small arms forward, squeezing her tight as she cried. She looked up as her dad produced a new pair of gauntlets, letting go to hug him.

"Just letting you know, I had to go through five police squads to steal those," he joked as three of them laughed and shared a hug. Siren hoped this would last forever.

A single tear slipped down her face, landing on her hand. She wished she could go back to that moment. She sniffed a little before wiping the tear-off and grabbing her wallet. She took a look over at the picture on her nightstand before leaving the room. She jumped over the railing again, landing perfectly on her feet before walking out the door. As soon as she closed the door, the wind blew heavily. The cold hair snarled at her cheeks, fighting to get inside her clothes and drown her skin in the bitter feeling of hypothermia. Her cheeks slowly became icy hot while her hands stiffened up. None of it seemed to faze her as she calmly walked to the car, her pace as quick and concise as always.

She slid in the car, her hand reaching over and turning on the heat as soon as the car was on. She looked up at the sky, the city lights preventing any stars from being seen. Her house was on the outskirts of the city, the area looking more suburban than anything. It only took a couple of minutes to get back in the city, the streets slowly becoming more crowded. She drove into a beat-up part of town, stranglers walked along the streets. Slowing down at a red light, she looked to the side to see "Welcome to the ghetto" in big letters graffitied on the street.

"Welcome back," she corrected it out loud, snickering at the irony. As the light turned green, she zoomed off. Weaving into the night, buildings became blurred for a while as she went deeper into the ghetto. Her car eventually stopped at a parking lot, there were cracks and potholes everywhere. A small convenience store sat there, the apartment complex next to it forming a small alley in between them. Siren pulled into the parking space closest to the alley, getting out and closing the door.

Her trip inside the alley was meant with resistance. A small boy sat there, his hand held out for money. His clothes dirtied to the point where they were mostly rags. Siren looked down at him, her black eyes glinting a little in a way that caused fear to tug at the little boy's heart. She looked around to see if anyone else was in the alley, before crouching down to his level.

"What's your name kid?" she said, her melodic voice soothing him. He looked up at her, his saddened eyes pulling at her heartstrings though her face didn't show it. The kid just shook his head to say he didn't have one. Siren sat on the ground, beckoning him to lay his head on her lap. The kid quickly followed what she said, grateful for the temporary warmth. "Your name is Treble now, ok?" she asked him petting his head, receiving a nod in response. She looked around again before a lullaby flowed from her lips, the tone causing a comforting feeling to engulf the child. Soon enough he was asleep, she grabbed him placing him in her backseat. As she put a blanket over him, she promised herself to deal with him later. She was quick with it, closing the door and locking it.

She made her way back into the alley, going through an almost unnoticeable tunnel made of cement. In the middle of the tunnel's wall was a door, a small sign above it saying "Tai-lee's bar." Siren walked in it as the strong, robust smell of high-class alcohol hit her sense of smell. The aroma curled around and gravitated her towards the bar. She let the door close shut behind her, following her nose to the bar. She slid in a stool, her eyes taking in the scene of her favorite bar. A tall, lean man was behind the bar cleaning a glass. His black outfit gave him a sense of elegance as he worked, his sharp brown eyes taking in every ounce of movement in the bar including her. A guy sat a few stools down to the left, casually sleeping or that's what it looked like at least. Siren could tell he was simply resting, the soundwaves around him giving it away. He was breathing perfectly, but she could feel his heartbeat. The bar itself was themed in warm browns, oranges, reds, and blacks that were easy on the eyes. The bar counter itself was a glossy black, the surface shiny. The walls were a soft orange, the sofas were black also. The part of the wall behind the selves that showed off the liquor glowed red. The floor was a soft red, that felt nice to walk on. Various decorations gave the bar a cozy vibe. Siren's look around was interrupted by a voice.

"Hello Siren," the bartender had come over, placing down Siren's favorite drink. An amber-colored whiskey that Siren couldn't remember the name of, absinthe coating the glass, and a lemon at the top.

"Hey Tai," Siren responded, picking up the drink and sipping a little, relishing in the slight burn in her throat. She looked up at the man in front of her, his black hair was styled back in a way that seemed to perfectly frame his face. His eyes looked down on her, the slant telling anyone he was Asian. She knew very well of his Chinese descent, she had gotten beat up for calling him asianese on multiple occasions. His lips were curled up into a small smile, his movements smoothed as he cleaned the bar next to her.

"Same as always," he asked once more to confirm what she wanted, receiving a nod in return from her. Siren brought the drink up to her lips, taking a few more sips. She noticed the man who seemed to be sleeping had moved closer, making a barrier between her and the other people in the bar. A woman took the seat to her right, waving down Tai.

"Just a beer for me," her rough voice said. Siren didn't look towards her, she didn't try to observe her. She simply sat there and sipped her drink as she looked at the wall. A couple of minutes of silence passing through the bar before either of them spoke.

"Anything new you can give me?" Siren asked, sipping her drink and pulling out her phone. She scrolled through her messages, noting Karma asked her what she wanted from the Chinese take out place they were ordering from.

"Yeah, I got something for you. You know the Techriot Lab outside the city?" The woman received a subtle nod from her, as Siren continued acting like they weren't talking. "The government moved some people in there. They're supposed to be working on some new project, word is some new heroes are planning to come to the city. They aren't pros or anything, just some newbies the government is trying out. However for the next week or so, that lab is going to be vulnerable and have government files in there," the woman said. Siren nodded again, pulling out 45 dollars and placing it in her waiting hand. Siren gulped the rest of the drink down, waving towards Tai as she left. She didn't notice the warm look he gave her back as he watched her leave, nor did she notice the abnormality with the drink of her informant. Siren walked back to her car, pulling open the back door to check on Treble. He was sleeping peacefully, his snores creating comforting soundwaves. Overdrive and Karma would not appreciate her coming home with a child, but she didn't want to just leave him. An idea popped in her head as she got in her car and sped off.

Karma POV:

Karma heard the door close, knowing Siren was leaving to get information for them. He watched the water run down the drain, the swirling entrancing him. His thoughts swirling around like the water in the drain. Karma hated a lot of things, he hated conceited people. He hated cowards. He hated cockroaches and dirt and things people didn't know existed yet. None of the many things he despised came close to what was on his number one spot on the list of things he hated. He sat there thinking about this, his mind juggling between getting sad or angry. He stared at the water, his mind slowly falling deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. His thoughts collided into one sentence that explained it all, "I hate my life."

He shook his head slightly, picking up the bucket and filling it up with the warm water. The soap that was already in the bucket served to create pretty bubbles that slightly reminded him of his wings. He sighed carefully stripping down to his boxers, as the water was filled up. He would've been more hesitant, except he was in his natural element naked. Right as he turned the water off, the door opened and closed again. Karma could feel the hairs on his neck stand up, though he only had to hear the groan of annoyance to know it was Overdrive. She walked in, throwing her briefcase onto the counter and stripping her suit off until she was in shorts and a tank top. She walked overtaking the bucket from him easily.

They made their way to the indoor pool, the water heated, and ready to be used. Overdrive dropped the bucket down, tying up her hair as Karma walked out of the room. He changed into his swim trunks, the action taking barely any time due to his close-to-naked state, avoided the gaze of the mirror though he could still hear the crowds cheering.

He walked back out to see Overdrive pushing a sponge into the soapy water, her hair pulled up into a tiny bun on the back of her head. Karma walked over, mentally analyzing the woman in front of him. She looked tired, despite the fact she had probably gotten at least 9 hours of sleep today. He walked over to the pool, sitting on the second stair. His wings hovering over the water. He felt Overdrive glide her hand over one before she got to work washing the feathers softly, and twisting some back into place. Karma leaned back enjoying the feeling of her careful hands getting all the dirt and grime out of his wings.

"So I'm guessing Siren went back to the bar for info," Overdrive commented as she worked, her face was content as she worked. She always looked content when she cleaned.

"Yeah," Karma smirking as he thought of a tidbit of information he had gotten while at the firm today. Somebody was suing a large company for destroying their house. The reason was from an explosion said to be caused by ice, the same person who was hunting Siren the night her sister died was in the city. He couldn't be sure it was the same person, but it was a chance.

"Can we have Chinese today?" Overdrive tiredly asked, her gaze on his shining wings as she started rinsing them off. The question had stunned Karma out of his stupor. He looked up at her, his face neutral.

"Yeah," he answered, reaching over and grabbing his phone. After texting Siren, he flapped his wings getting most of the water off. Karma walked inside grabbing a robe and smoothly swinging it on. He went up to one of the hallway closets and grabbed some blankets. The ex-deity brought them down to the basement where the living room was, bringing up Netflix on the 65-inch flat-screen TV. He threw the blankets on the couch fixing them up, checking his phone at the same time. He sighed at the woman's response to "General Tso's chicken, egg rolls, and fried rice." He should've expected it.

He watched as Overdrive ran past him, diving into the covers. Her body caused the blankets to bounce up for a second. She rolled over and looked at him, a tiny smile on her face. Karma looked at her, motioned his hand for the keys to the car. The pieces of metal got flung into his hand with little effort. He walked out, thinking about life. As he got in the car, he sighed. His head flew down, smacking into the dashboard as his posture became tired. His eyes closed, his breathing even as he let himself get absorbed in a memory.

A small, rusty bed sat in the corner, any trace of softness gone. The walls were grey with no windows, one of them being made entirely of silver bars. Karma sat in the corner, his form balled up as his back used the wall as support. A large clank was heard as a tray was dropped down near him.

"Dinner," a rough voice said from behind the bars, causing the child to look up. His silver eyes analyzed the rough man. He had a muscular build, a scar going down his face, and his brown eyes glared down menacingly. Karma's eyes flashed with a green star in each of them as he looked up. The movement barely visible, the guard only seeing his silver eyes. He sneered before glaring at the child and saying, "What are you looking at?"

"A stupid cunt who doesn't know his brain from his ass," the reply was quick and smooth, the child's voice full of an unknown authority.

"Oh yeah, well tough luck kid. At least, I'm not stuck behind bars," the man laughed before walking away.

This was the routine for his life. Guards, food, bars, an aching need to leave this hell hole, and most of all they want for something that was stolen from him. Days passed by with Karma going through his routine. He didn't eat nor did he drink, he simply watched and sometimes insulted. One day, something was different.

"So this is the child," a smooth voice reached his ears, causing him to look up. A man stood there, his eyes staring condescendingly down at the child. His skin was pretty pale, his eyes black. He had blonde hair that was slicked back in an elegant style, the strands looking luscious. The man wore a sharp, black suit that was obviously tailored. He stood with his hands behind his back, his face neutral. Next to him stood the warden, his body language telling Karma about the anxiousness the man brought.

"I am older than the both of you combined," Karma sneered at the man, his silver eyes flashing with bloodlust.

"Not without your immortality you're not," the blonde man said, an evil smirk coming onto his face. At the very mention of the word "immortality", the child launched himself at the bars. His small hand barely made it out, but the warden who stood there flew into the bars. His head landing on the silver with a sickly crack. The child looked surprised that his powers hadn't worked on the man, his glare only seeming to get angrier. The man simply looked at him, before calling for another guard. "Prepare the room for extraction, I want the rest of his immortality out, and inserted into me with the rest."

Karma sneered at the man, his gaze angry. He sat down on the floor, his hands going into a praying motion and he prayed to his brothers and sisters to help him. He knew the chance was slim, but he still had to try. Determined enough, he prayed to every god he knew. He prayed to the Romans, the Greeks, the Norse, the Hindu, the Mesopotamian, and even the Yoruba. He prayed to the Japanese and Chinese gods, and the zodiacs. He prayed with all his heart.

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His prayer was answered by someone he didn't expect.

Karma sighed as he started the car, pulling out of the driveway to go get the food before his female companions burned him at the stake. That memory was painful for him, it was the moment where everything changed. It was his downfall. He just sighed, driving and thinking about how he'd get his revenge.

Overdrive POV:

What is Normal? Is there even a true definition for normal anymore. Normalcy is just the bland desert of solitude and loneliness before you reach the rice, enticing garden of sheer fucking madness. Overdrive grinned to herself as she laid on the couch, her smile wide and eyes holding a certain crazy glint. Her limbs were stretched out, and she felt completely sure of the fact that she was having the funniest part of her life. Her hair had come out the pony, the hair forms a small puddle of the inky night except for the one red streak going through her hair.

She absolutely fucking loved life, but it was such a pain. Throughout the days, she struggled to get through her routine. Her mind only on sleep. When the moon rose and the sun hid beneath the earth to escape the clutches of humanities' stupidity, she was truly alive.

The electrical currents in her brain had calmed down some, the extra energy coarse through her veins. The power felt great, it's companion felt even greater. Pain. A word everyone knows, but no one was quite as familiar with as her. It was something she hated at one point, something she couldn't bear. Then one day, it was something she craved. It made up her very being, her very soul needed that intoxicating feeling that let her know she was still human. It was something that grounded her and kept her days from falling apart. It was her vice, but it was also her savior.

She was distracted from her thoughts by the sound of her car driving off; Karma had been sitting in the driveway for a couple of minutes. Probably thinking about something serious, the man was always the most serious out of three. Overdrive was too tired to attempt being serious, Siren was too goofy, and they were both too insane. Karma, however, always had his eyes on the prize. If he wanted something, he would get it. It was a quality the three of them shared, and something they all took to the extremes. However, Karma seemed to take it to a level above even what the two ladies of the group could go.

Overdrive rolled over towards the TV, her body relaxing even more. She reached for the remote, putting on "Akame Ga Kill" as she pondered her current life. Things felt too calm right now, something that was never present in her life. Overdrive dug in her pocket, pulling on a rusty gold coin. The symbol showed that it was old, probably worth a large sum of money. She played with it, her thoughts on a specific memory.

In a cell, five small girls sat about. The walls were made of platinum to keep the special children in. Their clothes were ragged, bruises littered their face as if the bruises themselves made layers. The girls looked frail, and in need of serious medical attention. In the corner, two of the girls were curled up next to each other. One had her body carefully around the other so she was protecting her.

"We'll always be together," she whispered as she slipped a gold coin into the other girls' pocket. Her grey hair covered her face as the door opened, and she looked up with a panicked look on her face.

Overdrive squeezed the coin as she whispered "We'll always be together" to it. She pushed the coin into her pocket, right as the door burst open and Siren walked in.

"I'm back," she said, a smile on her face. Overdrive could easily see that it didn't reach Siren's eyes though. It hardly ever did. The brown-skinned woman jumped into the covers where Overdrive was laying, her hair making a trail in the air behind her as she flew. She landed on the smaller woman with a large thump.

She looked at Overdrive, laughing at the woman's playful glare. Her arms wrapped around herself after she pulled the covers on them for warmth. They said nothing but grinned at each other as they slipped off into a nap. The two of them softly snoring. The TV was still playing Siren's favorite anime.

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"Wake the fuck up bitch," Karma shouted at the two, causing Siren to fly up into a startling position. He laughed at her before he suddenly got a shiver down his spine. He turned around slowly, the air around him dropping several degrees. Overdrive slowly rose into a sitting position, her eyes glowing blue. Her face was shaded with sheer anger. Karma slowly started backing away.

"Did you really just motherfucking wake me up out of my motherfucking sleep, in my mothefucking house, after I just got back from my motherfucking job, knowing I'll fuck you up mother fucker," her eyes glinted menacingly as her voice came out cold. The small offhand comment from siren about how many fucks she used went ignored by the two.

"No?" Karma asked watching the sparks go off inside of her hand like a taser. He released a high pitch scream as she lunged at him. She barely missed him, as he hopped to the side. Overdrive growled, her anger spiking. She lunged at him again, her body ready to just get one touch. Karma was too quick, however. He ran forward running away from her, the technopath hot on his heels. Overdrive continued to run after him, her anger fading away. A small smile came on her face, as she tried to catch him. She stopped putting sparks in her hands and ran forward smacking him in back. He screamed bloody murder as she hit his back, his mind not registering the fact that she had stopped using her power. The girls burst out laughing, their bodies shaking. Karma just sulked, walking over to the corner. He crouched down, poking the floor with his hands. Siren walked over dragging him by his feet to the couch. Her female friend smiling fondly at the sight of Karma letting himself get dragged.

Soon enough the three were laughing and sharing jokes over their food. Overdrive looked at her two companions, enjoying her meal. Karma and siren looked back at her, deciding that revenge could wait one more night.