Saga 3 Episode 52: Beauty and a Bug Pt. 3

## Participants

Miranda YuriSteven TorresBroderick
I

Miranda let out a loud, ear piercing scream as she was grabbed from around the waist. Suddenly, she felt weightless. The girl squirmed against his grasp, but she was only in the air for a few moments before being smashed against the hard concrete road. The impact forced the air out of her lungs and she was rendered immobile as she struggled to catch her breath. A single tear rolled from the corner of her eye as she was forced to listen to the hunters harsh words. In that moment, she felt her heart sink. He was right, wasn't he? She pushed away virtually everyone. Including the guy that was trying to save her. Her chest rose and fell unevenly as she began to get her breathing on track but she didn't bother moving. Her mind filled with the faces of everyone she'd ever known. All of the smiles... All of the frowns. Miranda knew her anger was a problem yet she still couldn't control it. And because of that, she may have sealed her fate.

'Please...don't let him take me...' She'd think as she closed her eyes tightly, not moving a single inch.

Suddenly, there was a random gust of air followed by the weight of the hunter begin pushed off of her small body. This odd change of events caused her eyes to open wide in disbelief. Standing above her sprawled out and aching body was the very same newbie nervous superhero that she'd punched twice already and completely pissed off earlier. Her heart went from sunken ship to stuck in her throat in an instant. Miranda couldn't even take her eyes off of Steven to mock the attacker that had just taken a first class flight to his electric death.

It was safe to say that the effort he showed to keep her safe and put up with her attitude has actually touched her. So many became so frustrated with the anger issues that they'd avoid her or leave her all together. The small family she now had were the only ones that somehow could put up with her. That's why Miranda felt so at home. And that's what Steven felt like in this moment. Him standing over her made her feel like she was home for some reason.

Their eyes locked on each other as he turned and knelt down beside her. She couldn't help but laugh at the little nickname he gave her that was heavily influenced by her short temper. Then that comment about how he was the only one allowed to be 'mean' to her. Well, it made her heart feel like it was exploding with emotion. She was absolutely speechless. Not just because her body was aching on a level that she'd never experienced, but because she really had no idea what she could say to him.

Broderick's voice came out of no where. The fact that he sounded like he hasn't just been launched into an electrical box brought fear right back into her eyes. As Steven turned to get right back in front of her, Miranda forced herself to sit up. She'd peek at the man with the bat from around Steven's body.

"Are you kidding me?!" Was all she'd mutter out of frustration. The tension could be cut with a knife. Miranda wasn't even involved in the state down and she was intimidated. When Broderick tried to turn Steven against Miranda, her eyes narrowed. That only annoyed her further, but when Steven looked back at her as if contemplating the attackers words, the rage flowed through her veins. "Seriously?! I was going to go back for you!"

Before she could say anything else, Steven was facing the man again and the way he spoke of protecting her no matter what seemed to douse the fire that raged inside of her.

With that, the two immediately got into fighting stances and worry filled her. Well, worry and nausea. She could still see blood on Steven and it was really messing with her stomach.

"Whoop this fucker's ass, Steven! He's way too cocky for some guy with a shitty swing!"

Miranda pushed herself to her feet slowly. The pain in her body from being body slammed made her a bit wobbly and whimper a bit, but she didn't want to be in the way. That's not to say that she was going to go and hide. No, Miranda would stand just a few steps to the side on the sidewalk so that if somehow she could help, she'd be able to do so. From her point of view, Steven looked very hurt. At least that's what she thought from the looks of him.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFS4zYWxzNA )

The staredown between the two teens intensifies and Miranda only increases the tension as she yells from Steven’s corner. He wouldn’t admit but it surprisingly felt amazing to hear her cheer for him like that. He’d never really have someone ever be in his corner except for Kathy, and with it being from someone like Miranda he can’t help but feel a little more confident in himself.

Broderick: You can’t win this. I can already tell you are fresh meat as a hero. I’ve killed dozens of snot nosed punks like you who don’t know what a real hero is.

Steven: I’ve had enough of your talk. I’m going to get her home. You won’t stop me from that!

The two men charge towards one another and the hand to hand combat begins! Broderick slides forward on the heels of his shoes attempting to swing his bat at Steven’s head once more just like he did earlier. But Steven is too smart to get hit with the same attack twice and he quickly ducks underneath the bat with his arms close to his chest. As Broderick continues his swing, Steven comes up with a straight left punch; adding power to his punches by increasing his density to make his punch hit hundreds of pounds stronger than normal! The punch hits Broderick like a train and his head spins towards the left and he spits out mounds of saliva onto the ground. The power of the punch causes him to stagger back a few feet. Steven doesn’t see it but as he staggers back, Broderick swings his arms back towards the other direction to get the jump on the young hero! Steven’s right eye widens just as he sees the bat swing across his face with a violent fury! Steven’s whole body spins around from the power and the plastic masking of the goggles shatters from being hit off the edge of the bat. Pieces of golden goggle fall to the ground as Steven makes a full 360 turn while staggering on his feet. Broderick uses his free hand to check his mouth for blood before looking back towards Steven.

Broderick: I commend you on your strength, not many can withstand my strength like this…Of course you know this means I must kill you here.

Steven’s gaze through his goggles could strike intimidation even with his smaller stature.

Steven: You can try!

It doesn’t take any longer for Broderick to begin to open up and begin to step up the pace of the fight. For the next few minutes the two of them would go back and forth between combat. Steven even with his lack of experience is able to put up a solid fight because of the powers that he can mix in with his fighting style. Broderick on the other hand relies on his training and experience to adapt to the fight that he is currently in. Both have landed powerful hits that break skin and cause blood to flow from both of them and this might make Miranda worry because of how brutal the fight really is. Steven has really come into his own with his powers in the short time that he has had them. As Broderick goes for a swing at Steven he uses his abilities to shrink down to get out of Broderick’s view. This allows him to attack when Broderick is on is off his guard from the position of swinging his bat. The young hero has been able to do this a few times so far in the fight but one thing his experience lacks is that people with experience can always find a way to create an opening. As Steven comes to use his growing abilities to return to his normal size mid-punch to hit Broderick, he ends up hitting nothing but air as the hunter sidesteps the punch with a lowered spin. At the same time that he begins to spin, Broderick swings his bat as Steven’s gut and his body has to harden to the point that Steven is practically motionless on the ground! The bat hitting his belly creates a loud echo of a ring that it might even hurt Miranda’s ears to hear!

Steven: GYAHH!

Following that hit is Steven being bent forward over the bat and his mouth coughing up blood. His forehead is covered in mixed wet and dried blood from the fight and he can feel his muscles aching from the energy he’s had to exurt from the fight itself. Broderick pulls the bat away from Steven’s gut and his outfit and face reveals the heavy toll he has taken in these last few minutes. A small gash under his right eye leads to lines of blood spilling down to his neck. His clothes are torn and tattered but without wasting anymore time he attempts to end the fight with his next attack. Taking a step back Miranda would be able to see how tired the two of them are just by how they are standing.

With one strong swing from the ground up towards the sky Broderick swings his bat with everything he has. If Miranda closed her eyes to avoid seeing Steven get hit, she’d open them up to see that his body has completely disappeared! Broderick holds his bat out in front of him and his eyes widen with frustration as he can feel the fatigue breaking his composure.

Broderick: Where the hell did you go you asshat!? I’m done playing these fucking shrink and grow games with you!

What neither of them see is the small miniature version of Steven climbing up on Broderick’s shoulder. Just when Broderick had swung, Steven leaped forward but shrunk himself so that his leap would seem like a longer jump to propel him onto Broderick’s body. Once he is able to climb up on Broderick’s shoulder the boots pushing into his skin is able to get Broderick to look down; thinking that a bug is on him. His eyes widen when he sees that it is actually Steven running up on him!

Broderick: What in the-!?

WHAM! Stevn leaps into the air and unleashes one hell of a micropowered superman punch from hell! With his small size able to hold increased density, Steven hits Broderick with the force of his entire body with almost a ton more pressure and weight into the punch to create a strength that Broderick would have no way to prepare for! The punch creates a loud echo and all Miranda would see from this attack is Broderick’s head quickly whiplashing towards the right with blood and saliva gushing from his mouth like a waterfall! His grip on the bat is loosened and his body topples down onto the ground like an oak tree being cut down at the base. Miranda would be shocked to all hell to see Broderick fall to the ground in complete unconsciousness! The metal bat bounces around on the concrete a bit before rolling towards the edge of the street. A few seconds pass before Steven finally reveals himself. When he does it’s because his body instantly returns back to its normal size and he is in the position of barely being able to stand. His face is battered and blooded with his goggles practically destroyed and his hoodie tattered with rips and gashes. His red eyes stare at her hazel hues and she’d see them slowly revert back to his own natural brown color.

Steven: Told ya…I’d protect ya…

His voice is weak and filled with exhaustion. After he says this, his body falls down to his right knee and he too falls to his chest from unconsciousness as his body finally gives out on him. His head and chest hit the hard concrete floor below and for the first time in the night, Miranda would have to find a way to protect Steven! Both Broderick and Steven’s bodies are passed out on the ground with Miranda being the only one to defend them if anything were to come attack or try to take her away. So she now has the decision to make sure Steven is safe or get herself to safety. At the moment no one is hunting her and no one is in sight. This would be the best chance to get her back home but to do so she’d have to leave Steven. But if she stays and protects him to get him back to being awake and able to fight, she would risk who own safety. These are the options that are layed out in front of her and time is not on her side to make this choice.

Miranda had seen many fights. She'd even been on quite a few, as well. But nothing could really prepare her for the brutality of this one. Both men weren't holding back and it was both incredible and disturbing. Watching Steven getting hit actually scared her. Seeing all of the blood not only made her stomach churn, but it made her nervous. How long could the two go like this? They were beating the hell out of each other and neither showed signs of quitting!

"Come on, Steven! Show him who the scrub is!" She'd shout from her spot on the sidewalk, but it seemed she spoke too soon. The attackers bat swung in on her hero, connecting hard into his gut. At first, Miranda smiled because she knew his power had something to do with being able to stop such an attack, but when Steven's upper body shot forward and nearly bent around the bat her hands flew up to her mouth. Her eyes were wide and her jaw had dropped. Steven looked to be frozen in that position, so when Broderick's bat pulled away and prepared for another swing Miranda's hands rushed up in front of her eyes as they closed tightly. She couldn't bear to watch him take another hit from this barbaric man!

Instead of hearing the bat against bone, there was only the woosh of a bat swinging at nothing but air. Miranda peeked through the gaps between her fingers only to see Broderick by himself in the middle of the road. She squinted hard, but knew it would be impossible to see Steven in his smaller state. It wouldn't be long, however, before both parties figured out where he was at. Broderick seemed to react to something crawling on him and right then his head snapped to the right and he was spitting out quite of bit of bodily fluid.

The bat hit the ground with a loud clank before it rolled noisily. Steven's body regrew instantly, but he looked to be in awful shape. Miranda took a single step towards him, unsure of what to do to help. Their eyes met and she watched the red melt away to reveal those natural brown eyes of his. Miranda felt her heart skip a beat and that odd fluttery feeling in her stomach. His comment only increased those feelings. Before she could even smile at him, his body collapsed and he took a hard fall!

"Steven!" She'd shout, running to his side. The closer she got, the more the blood bothered her. She forced that nausea back and placed her hand on his shoulder to shake him lightly. He was out cold! Miranda's heart was racing. She couldn't just leave him there. She may be a super bitch some times, but she had a heart. The young girl looked around quickly until her wild gaze found that blood stained and dented bat.

'I have to protect us.' Was all she'd think as she stood and ran over to the bat. The hair on the back of her neck prickled and stood on end as she had to get fairly close to Broderick to be able to grab the weapon. If he didn't wake up, she'd easily snatch it and run back over to Stevens body where she'd continue to shake him and beg him to wake up. If Broderick did wake up and try to grab her, she'd jump away quickly and dive for his weapon in the hopes of being able to snag it up and use it.

II
--

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b9LUUCKgXM )

It seemed like every time something good happens, there is something even worse lurking behind the corner. Miranda grabs the bat and is ready to fight anything that dares come near her and Steven. His body remains motionless. It takes a few minutes but as the time passes, Miranda would be able to hear the sounds of people walking towards her. Out of the alleys and into the streets Miranda would be able to see homeless drug addicts start to creep out like locusts. The word about the hit on two teens, one being a hero and the other a busty young female, has spread very quickly through the second district. Tony wasn’t playing around with the two of them when he said he would call upon everyone to give aid in catching her. Some of them have weapons but others only come with their dirt covered hands just looking for a break to either get them off of the streets or get more drugs.

Homeless 1: I’m gon gut ya with ‘ere knife. Perrty lil thing like ya gon be grate on my’s basket. Come on ‘ere!

Seconds after this she’d see that there are a small clutch of these homeless people who are ready to snatch her up. If she looked down towards Steven and Broderick she’d see both of them still completely out cold. Blood spills out from Broderick’s mouth like a broken faucet while Steven remains on his face with his jaw pressed against the concrete. Small drops of blood spill from his mouth as well but not nearly as intense as Broderick’s. This would be all up to Miranda to defend herself, to use her rage to her advantage and get herself out of this situation. The whole night she has had to rely on the help of Steven and now she must be the one to protect him. She must take matters into her own hands to secure the chance that the two of them will see tomorrow!

Meanwhile inside of Steven’s mind

( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDVtMYqUAyw )

Steven appears in a dream sequence wearing the clothes that he wore during the Ryoji Lab explosion. He looks confused and begins to walk towards a bright white light at the end of this dark tunnel. The closer he gets causes that bright light to increase in brightness to the point that he must place his right hand over his face to keep from going blind. Once he makes it to the edge of the light, he walks through it without much thought. Once he does so he realizes that the bright light had disappeared and his vision returns him to the lab where he and Dr. Dawson used to work. Eyes swipe left to right to see that what he is looking at is real. Fingertips poke at many of the objects to see if they are solid. As he walks he hears a voice, a very familiar voice, and the hearing of it brings him to jump in fear. He turns around and he is greeted by a large white male with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Dr. Dawson: It’s nice to see you, Steven. I’m glad to see you have been doing well ever since the accident. To be honest, I had been quite worried about you ever since.

even though Dawson had been there at the explosion, Steven doesn’t even notice that his appearance is different than the one he had before. His clothes look extremely clean, almost like they had never been through a day of work before. Dawson keeps his hands in his pockets but Steven is all kinds of confused.

Steven: Dr. Dawson? You died! How am I seeing you? Talking to you!? Am I dreaming?

Dawson: I can assure you, kid…We aren’t dreaming. I can’t explain to you what this is yet, there is much you have to learn before I can do any of that.

Steven: What aren’t you telling me, Dr!? You always confided in me before. Why can’t you do it now!?

The doctor looks towards Steven with a face of sadness and disappointment. His shoulders are lowered and he takes a deep breath in before slowly letting it all escape through a whistled blow of his lungs.

Dawson: I told you what you NEEDED to know, Steven. I confided in you the things you NEEDED to hear to be able to work to the best of your ability. You have a mind and a heart that is very rare in this world. The caring you have towards everyone is unshakeable and your intelligence is unimaginable. There is nothing you won’t be able to accomplish…I wan’t you on the Ryoji Particple Project because I thought I could help mold that mind to be the hero I knew you could be. And it makes me happy to see you doing that today.

Steven: How can you see what I am doing? This isn’t real! I’m talking to a figment of my imagination! I know I am! I WATCHED YOU DIE!

Dawson shakes his head, lifting his right arm out of his pocket to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Dawson: I knew you weren’t ready…You need more time. We have the time.

Steven: Time for what!? What on Earth are you talking about!?

The Doctor looks up with surprise when Steven brings up Earth. A smirk begins to form on his face and he shakes his head once more.

Dawson: No...Where you will end up going is far beyond Earth. It’s far beyond this universe. We are going to save the Microverse…

By some miracle, Broderick didn't try to grab for her as she ran past. He didn't even flinch, but he was still able to send a chill rolling down her spine. His mouth was hanging slightly ajar and dark red blood was flowing uncontrollably and pooling around his head and soaking into his dark clothing. The sight was enough to make Miranda heave, but she tore her eyes away long enough to grab the bat and sprint back over to Steven's side. As she reached him she let the heavy bat clatter to the ground at her feet before dropping to her knees beside him. Her dainty hands reached out to shake him nervously.

"Come on, newbie. Get up! You're the hero not me!" Her voice trembled with every word. Those little hands of hers grabbed at his black and gold sweater and tugged him towards her. She'd grunt as he was rolled onto his back. Being able to see all of his wounds up close made her heart sink. There was so much blood. She felt terrible. She felt weak. 'Poor guy...' She was quiet for a moment staring at his bloodied body. He looked as helpless as she felt, and feeling helpless was a rarity for her. The fact she was feeling it now angered her. 'Not here. Not now.' She'd try to ward off the emotion, but it pushed back hard as she caught a feint noise. The distant sound of voices approaching. Laughter and hollering. They weren't concerned about her knowing they were coming.

Miranda quickly grabbed for the dented and bloody bat, holding the taped up handle tightly. As the group of men slowly came into view from the shadows ahead she'd slowly rise to her feat. The teenager looked from the dirty and homeless looking thugs to Steven's motionless body. At that moment every bit of fear and worry took a seat in the back and her blood boiling rage took center stage. It only worsened when one of the thugs tried to speak to her even when it was almost too incoherent to understand.

"Listen here, you psycho circle jerkers!" She pointed the dented end of the bat at them and continued. "I'm tired and I'm hungry. My friend needs help and I need to sleep for three days. I'm only going to tell you once. Leave us the fuck alone!" As she finished, she brought the bat down beside her and tapped the tip into the ground aggressively beside her. The group of men chuckled and began to mimic her in high pitched voices while putting their weapons away. The metahuman was down, what would they need those for?
Miranda felt the fire inside of her burn hotter as her eyes narrowed at them and scowled. Her fuse was very short and lots of things set her off; mocking her was definitely one of them. "Shut the fuck up!" She'd growl as she stepped over Steven's body with her bat up and ready. The group pretended to be afraid and put their hands up to further mock her until one man broke away from the group. He was headed right for her. "Don't you come close, needle dick!" This obviously didn't make him back off.

The man charged her, no weapon just his dirty hands. Miranda ground her teeth together and tightened her grip on the bat until her knuckles were white. With her feet shoulder width apart and the bat aimed down at the ground an inch or so in front of her, she waited for the perfect opportunity. To the man charging her, she'd look frozen in place out of fear. But as soon as she was just outside of his grasp, Miranda's face darkened and she swung the bat up towards the sky with an immense amount of force. Because of how close he was, the tip of the bat would crash up into his chin and send his head flying back followed by his body. He flew quite a ways before landing with a sickening thud. With the amount of force she was using combined with the heavy metal bat, his jaw would be shattered to pieces. While the man laid there screaming a rather horrendous scream, Miranda stepped over to his body. The bat was raised high above her head as she looked down at him.

"I said SHUT. \*UP\*!" The bat came down hard on the side of the mans head, knocking him out instantly. The sound of bone cracking echoed through the now silent street. It made Miranda cringe and her stomach tie up in knots. The nausea and guilt from possibly killing a man didn't last long, at all. Two sets of feet could be heard coming straight for her from behind where the rest of the group stared in shock and confusion. They weren't told that the girl could defend herself!

The temperamental teenager whirled around, bat still being held tightly in her hands. One of the men was able to get closer to her before the other, so she focused her anger on him. As if she was swinging at a ball during the big game, she brought the bat back and swung hard. As the bat came around, the man raised his right arm up, blocking the attack with his forearm. The force from the blow was enough to crack bone and it was a surprisingly audible break, but the man didn't do more than grunt loudly and wince. Her eyes widened. The man was obviously strung out on something. That sickening smile on his face only confirmed it. As he was looking her up and down, she gasped and let her right hand release the handle of the bat. Just as his eyes were locking in her breasts, Miranda would bring her tightly balled fist back and launch it right into the man's nose.

"IF HE CAN'T UNDRESS ME WITH HIS EYES NEITHER CAN YOU, YOU FUCKING PEDO!" She'd shout as she jerked her head back a bit towards Steven's body. The thugs nose immediately began to pour blood from the nostrils. The front of his already dirty shirt would be a complete mess of dark blood and the stain would only grow as he fell back. Miranda seized her opportunity and cocked her foot back before shoving the tip of her shoe right into his crotch. His testicles took the brunt of the force and that was widely apparent as his screaming became high pitched and full of agony. He seemed frozen in that spot, so Miranda wreaked havoc on his male parts with several more well placed kicks until the man vomited and passed out in a pool of throw up and blood.

Miranda panted heavily from the rush of adrenaline and exertion of energy. She was getting tired. The second thug that had been charging her was holding out some type of switch blade. He looked extremely posed about their numbers being brought down by a 17 year old girl. He tossed the knife from one hand to the other in an attempt to intimidate her, but Miranda raised her bat and pointed it at him.

"Bring it on, cunt!" She'd shout before charging him! The man planted his feet and held the blade up and ready for her. He was sure she'd aim for the head of his testicles so he was ready to block her. As the girl got closer she'd hold the bat up and ready to swing in at him. Only this time instead of swinging high, she swung low. The heavy metal bat cracked into his ankles, shattering the left on impact while the other merely cracked. Out of pure shock and pain, the man cried out. He'd hop around, trying to keep himself up but would find that impossible. He fell clumsily to the ground with a loud 'Ooph!' and grab at his ankles. The rage driven female turned away from the now useless and crying thug, but was grabbed from behind by her wrists, causing her to drop the bat. The thug behind her cackled like a crazed maniac while the junkie in front of her calmly strolled up.

"Impressive performance, damsel. But we don't have a lot of time to get you to Tony. We want our money. I should thank you for killing the slackers, though. How about giving you the pleasure of feeling my cock inside every one of your holes tonight before I give you away?!"

Miranda's eyes widened and she squirmed hard against the man that held her, but that only made him hold her tighter. She screamed wildly as the man moved closer, but they only laughed at her. The junkie grabbed at her dress and pulled the skirt portion away from her body. With a switchblade in had, he'd proceed to slice enough of the skirt along her waist and down the center for it to fall open and behind her like a makeshift dress train.

"Ooo, a lace girl." The man would say as he brought his face close to her covered crotch. Miranda whimpered and squirmed more but that didn't stop him from pressing a finger against her slit. Another scream exploded from her lips. She knew she had to think fast. That's when the idea came to her. It was a crazy idea. Something most only see in movies.

'I have to do something!' Was her last thought. While the mans face was still down near her panties, she bent her legs just enough to be able to push her self off of the ground. Before the man in front of her could react she was already placing her feet on his shoulders and using him as a sort of launch pad. As her legs came up and over her head forcing her completely upside down, she'd spin her body mid air in a clockwise motion. The sudden corkscrew type motion pulled her wrists free before she landed not so gracefully behind the thug that had been restraining her.

Miranda's cheeks burned a bright pink as she stood with her fists shaking at her sides. Not only was she embarrassed but she was, you guessed it, livid. As the junkie whirled around to try and grab her, she'd bring her knee up into his genitals hard. His body bent, his upper body snapping forward as his hands cupped his aching testicles. While his face was low, Miranda threw a right hook that would connect right into the side of his face. He'd take a knuckle to the temple and that would cause him body to crumple and drop immediately to the ground. He was quiet.

"That's it! I was being nice letting them go one at a time! Come on boys! Let's-" As the junkie turned to motion for the remaining three to jump in, he'd be greeted by an empty road and the sound of scurrying feet. He'd growl loudly letting his green eyes stare right into her eyes. "You don't know how lucky you just got!" And with that, he'd take off after the remained let of his group.

"That's right you cocksuckers! I'm not as helpless as I fucking look!" She'd shout after them. She would have shouted more, but her mind shifted to the reason she even had to use the bat. "Steven!" Miranda turned and sprinted back over to his still body. He hadn't moved an inch and he didn't look to be breathing. From fighting for their lives to jumping to save Steven from possibly slipping away, Miranda was quick to place her hands at the center of his chest near his sternum; one hand over the other. With every chest compression, she'd pant and whimper until she counted fifteen pumps. She leaned her head down close to his face with her ear near his lips. Whether she couldn't hear anything or he actually wasn't breathing was unknown to her and she couldn't spend time trying to guess.

Everything was fine and she was ready to perform mouth to mouth....until it hit her.

'Mouth to mouth?!'

The only things that ever touched her lips were Popsicles and her lip balm. Now she had to jump right into pushing them all against some guy she didn't know? Whom was also covered in a bodily fluid that never failed to make her want to throw up. Miranda closed her eyes and forced herself to suck it up. There was already quite a bit of blood in her hands now....literally and figuratively. And...she wouldn't mind seeing him again... With that in mind, the distance between their lips shrunk and the last thing that cross her mind before their lips touched was 'Please...Don't be dead..."

## III

Somewhere Inside of Steven’s Head

Steven’s face seems like something out of an anime as he creates an image of shock and confusion. His right arm lifts up to scratch his head while thinking about what Dr. Dawson just told him.

Steven: The Whataverse? You’re joking right?

Dawson begins to sit down in a chair, spinning it to where he is now facing the young teenager.

Dawson: Have I ever been one for the sense of comedy?

Steven: No, you’re right. You always were a dry log when it came to jokes.

Dawson: The Microverse is a very real thing. I’d explain it to you now but if I did, you wouldn’t learn. You have to seek this knowledge out for yourself. I know we as scientists have said that knowledge is power. Maybe somewhere down the line that phrase has become too literal because in our cases, that might as well be The Law to our Existence.

Steven: You aren’t making any sense right now, Dr. You sound like one of those mad scientists from a bad comic book.

Dawson: Mad Scientists are just people who dream too big for their own good. We are revolutionaries. I’ll make sure to keep my eye on you from here, but we will see each other again.

At that moment the lab begins to shake with a mighty quake. Pieces of the ceiling fall to the ground around them. Steven looks around and feels the ground beneath him shake with an actual rhythm. One after the other the lab pulsates as if being struck by something from the outside.

Steven: What is this? What are you doing!?

Dawson looks at towards the ceiling, not even flinching as the lab around them begins to get destroyed by all the falling debris.

Dawson: That’s not my doing. To me it looks like someone isn’t ready to lose their protector.

Steven raises an eyebrow, unable to piece together what he means by that.

Dawson: She will be a key for you, Steven. From what happens with her, you will either succeed in the task that I have set out for you…or you will fail…

Steven: Now I know you are just sounding like a crazy person.

Dawson: You will see. Good luck, Kid. It’s time for you to head back to the normal world. She’s calling you back. Don’t be afraid of it…

Back in the real world

Miranda works hard to pump his chest with her hands and it finally came to the moment of truth. Her head leans down and she hesitates for a moment in realizing what she is about to do. After that moment passes she comes to press her lips against his to fill his lungs with air to try and bring him back to the land of the living. It takes a few tries before she gets anything back to show that she is successful in her mission to save him. His body doesn’t jolt or jump up from the mouth to mouth but he can feel his consciousness return to him. Eyes don’t open but his brain comes to activate with blood flow returning to him. The first thing he feels again is the soft touch of her lips pressed against his. Even though she isn’t trying to kiss him, Steven’s mind connects it in that way. Steven’s right hand slowly moves up towards the back of her neck. The hand wraps around the soft milky skin of her neck and she’d feel the grip actually pull her mouth further down onto his lips. If Miranda got lost in the heat of the moment with him, she’d lean into the kiss more and the two of them come into a small scene of making out together. Their tongues would intertwine and wrestle against one another for dominance lasting all of a few seconds. After gaining his consciousness back his eyes slowly open up and it now becomes apparent to him that he is kissing Miranda! His eyes widen and he’d actually pull away from the kiss; feeling a sense of butterflies in his stomach. A small line of saliva would spread apart between the two of their bottom lips, showing how much the two of them actually enjoyed the kiss before it comes to be ruined by the realization of what the two of them were doing. Steven lifts his arms up with a bright red face of embarrassment.

Steven: Oh shit! If you’d punch me for just looking at you I can only imagine what’s going to happen to me now!

What Steven can’t see because of his own self-doubt is that the kiss was given back. Somewhere Miranda opened up herself to welcome the kiss. His own lack of confidence already makes him think that this was something he forced on her. Even with all the bad thoughts he has, one thing about that kiss that he can’t get out of his head is how much he enjoyed it. That also plays into her he is reacting because he feels wrong for enjoying it. Thinking she hated it and that he enjoyed it more than he should have creates a flurry of bad thoughts for the young teen and he is lost on how she will react. Even with all of it, he knows there is some type of physical retribution coming his way after this kind of act!

One breath. Two. Three. She could feel each one gently raise his chest as he laid there. Then, it happened. Miranda felt a hand slide up the back of her neck. A different sort of chill traveled up her spine as she allowed her face to be pulled down more. Their lips pressed together in a much more meaningful way and for once she allowed herself to experience the feelings she'd been afraid of. Those butterflies went crazy as his lips parted, his tongue fishing for hers. It was like she was on autopilot; free to go wherever this was headed. Their tongues touched, marking yet another first for the teenager girl.

Seconds felt like eternity until suddenly his lips weeny there. Miranda's eyes stayed closed for a moment until she heard Steven's voice and the amount of panic in his tone. Just like that it was like flipping a switch. Miranda's eye lids flew open in a wild, wind eyed stare. Everything registered at once. She was still half stuck in the bliss of he first kiss while the other half was trying to force her to retreat back into that angry attitude she always seemed to be in.

'Oh god. I liked it?! Think fast!' Not a second after Steven finished speaking, Miranda balled her right hand up into a dainty little fist and wound it back. Any begging or negotiating would go unheard of her tried and she'd launch her fist right at his face while he remained in the ground with his hands up a bit. If he didn't try to dodge her emotionally confused attack, the force would most likely out him right to sleep again.

Not a second passes once Miranda realizes what happened that her fist comes straight forward to pound right into Steven’s face for a THIRD time. After the fighting and exhausting running his body has gone through, he falls back to the ground with his back flopping onto the floor. Miranda might facepalm at the fact that he just woke up to only be put back to sleep from the impact of her punch. With the night chill coming over the two of them Miranda would have a few minutes before anything else happens to think about what just happened between the two of them. Once the young teenager comes back too, he’d crawl up to sit down with his body leaning on his left elbow. He looks away from Miranda and spits out a small bit of blood that was still coming out of his injured mouth. Afterwords he turns to look back at Miranda.

Steven: You’ve gotta stop hitting me. For the sake of my health, please don’t hit me anymore.

His strength is a little bit weaker now and it takes a lot for him to just sit back up. Moans and groans escape his lips as he moves and Miranda would be able to take it all in; physically seeing how much of a toll his body has taken tonight. While Steven transitions his movement to get more comfortable and relax, he looks up towards the sky. While looking up at the stars he’d think a bit about their kiss and begin to laugh to himself. If she asked what he found so funny, he’d lower his head back down and gaze his eyes back to her.

Steven: Well in case it wasn’t already obvious…IF…that kiss…If it counted as one…

He looks away a bit with his face turning bright red from embarrassment.

Steven: That would have been my first one.

He can feel it in his stomach, a feeling like an ache. It’s like being given a small piece of chocolate and tells you that you can’t eat the other pieces. He’d never been kissed before so having been given his first kiss by such a beautiful girl near his age makes him want to do it more. A part of him turns away because if he kept staring at her features he would only feel that urge continue to rise. In his mind there would be a higher chance of him winning the lottery than winning the heart of someone like Miranda. How could a girl like her ever be into a small geek like him? In high school the gorgeous girls go for the jock or the musician, not the scientist buff. With these negative thoughts in his mind his smile would turn into a small frown of disappointment.

Steven: I guess it wouldn’t count though after all…I kissed you and I know you wouldn’t ever want to kiss me. You probably have some football boyfriend to go back to anyways…Let’s hurry and get you home.

His eyes kind of glaze over and his tone seems pretty down. Not wanting to feel this ache in his stomach anymore, Steven forces himself through sheer willpower to get back up to his feet. His face paints the image of pure pain and agony but he forces himself to not groan loud or make her see how much it hurts him to get up. If he did that she might force him to wait there and take a moment to rest, which is what Steven doesn’t want. With a small limp from his right foot, Steven would begin to walk down the street in the direction that the two of them need to go.

Steven: Let’s hurry…They are probably closing in on this position right now.

It was only after her fist slammed into his face that she realized maybe she should have reacted differently. As his body flopped back down against the ground, she'd bring her hand up and press her palm against her forehead.

"Dammit, Miranda..." She scolded herself and let out a frustrated sigh. Her first kiss and she's knocked him out cold! The girl took the short time she had 'by herself' and reflected on the very recent events. This young guy, a new hero, had been through hell and back while protecting her. She's punched him three times now in their short time together. And.... They kissed. What was supposed to be a life saving process had seamlessly turned into her very first very short make out session. Her ivory cheeks burned at the though and she buried her blushing face into her hands. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Steven pulling himself into a partially upright position with an elbow keeping him propped up. When he spit out that bit of blood she looked away. The girl had beaten several thugs with a bat and her own hands and blood still didn't sit right with her.

As if the guilt wasn't already eating away at her, he'd practically beg her to stop hitting him. The girl cringed a bit at the strong feeling of guilt that engulfed her. Guilt was a rare feeling for her and feeling it so strong at this moment was completely torturous.

"I'm....sorry..." It was easy to see that she wasn't used to apologizing and this was very apparent by her hesitant tone. Her voice was surprisingly soft, a tone not many got to hear. "I won't hit you anymore, Steven." He deserved that much, at least.

Hearing him grunt and groan in pain as he sat up completely, Miranda would peek over at him. She felt so....awful. He looked like he'd been hit by a train. Even after all of that...he'd laugh. It wasn't hysterical laughter, just a soft chuckle. This caused the teenager to raise a brow at him while tucking some of her messy brown hair behind her ear to get a better look at him.

"You're...laughing? What's so funny?" Instantly she became offended. Was it her? Was he laughing at her?! The girls heart raced wildly as she tried to think of what she did or looked like for him to laugh at such a random time. His response came just before she could go insane and it made her whole body tense. Again, her cheeks burned a bright red and she looked away from him just as he looked away.

'So....I was his first kiss, too....' Something about that little piece of information had her heart soaring, but she refused to let it show. The girl bit down on her lower lip hard to refrain from smiling, only to have the mood sour from Steven's sudden lack of confidence. He might not have been up front about it, but something about the way he spoke and the words he chose.

As Steen hauled himself to his feet, Miranda let her gaze drop to the concrete. It was obvious that she had to choose. Listen to her brain or her heart? Her brain replayed many painful memories and thoughts of being left behind and abandoned while her heart obviously ached for someone to love and for someone to love her even if it was only temporary. Her pearly white teeth gritted against each other and she growled softly.

"Steven!" She'd shout while jumping right to her feet. Whether he turned around to look at her or not. She didn't care. "A football player?! I'm not one of those preppy whores. I don't even fucking like football. And all of those players scratch their balls like they have some disease." She crossed her arms just under her rather full breasts and shift all of her weight to her right leg, causing her left hip to push out a bit. "And it does count, FYI. You may have kissed me but I kissed you back. The next time you get all depressed and emo on me I swear to fuck I'm decking you again." As she said that last bit she'd begin to walk his way, her arms still crossed under her plump breasts. "Now that that's done....." Miranda would catch up to him and turn her head to look up at him, a smile faintly pulling at her lips, though she refused to look at him for too long. "Let's get out of here. I'm hungry!"

IV
--

Miranda calls out to him and it stops him on a dime. He turns to face her, blood covering his face. What follows can’t help but make Steven feel like he is on top of the world. The geeks like him don’t beat the jocks in anything but the grades on a report card. Hearing her yell that those men aren’t her type gives Steven a sense of gratification and confidence in himself. What she says after that turns Steven completely red in the face. His eyes widen and his jaw practically falls off of his face when he hears her say that she kissed him back. Any doubt he had about her gets thrown out of the window with such a simple sentence. In the flash of a second, things that he thought get flipped over like a table. The realization that his first kiss came from someone as beautiful as Miranda keeps his face crimson in embarrassment and happiness. Adding her own “Miranda Style” of being nice, she has to throw in some of her bitchy attitude into the mix by saying she’d hit him next time he got into a “depressive” mood. Her dainty feet rush forward to catch up to where he is standing and his eyes catch the sight of a smile curling up on her face. When Steven looks down for his eyes to meet hers there is a smile that forms on his face as well. For a quick moment that might be all to brief there is something that Steven can feel between the two of them. His heart practically skips a beat when their eyes meet and for a moment the danger and bloodiness of the night disappears and it is just the two of them. That moment comes and passes when she mentions that this night still needs to come to an end so she can eat. Once she begins to walk forward down the street, Steven stands there where he is positions just a bit longer. His eyes gaze upon her as she walks away, not staring at her like a sleezeball, but taking it all in. That smile of his gets a little bigger before he finally gets to a point where he can muster up some words together.

Steven: Hey Miranda.

His tone a rather soft upbeat pattern. If she turned around she’d see Steven walking towards her, sliding his hands into his pockets. Once he reaches where she is standing he’d keep his eyes on her and that geeky smile on his face.

Steven: Thank you. Now let’s get you home.

\_The two of them would once again begin their walk to get her home. Even though their lives are in a constant stream of danger from people attacking them, there is some kind of connection that can be felt even though neither of them have to say it.

Back on the ground

Broderick finally begins to return to consciousness. He slowly turns over onto his chest, using both of his arms to push himself up. His jaw continues to spew out blood and he groans out in agonizing pain. His right hand reaches out for his bat only to find that he had been moved and USED by another person. His black eyes widen and his eyebrows furrow with anger. Forcing himself up to his feet he notices that his legs are a little shaky from being put to sleep the way he did. Lifting up his right hand to his jaw, Broderick forces it back in place before looking out to see his baseball bat. His walk is a struggling battle to get one foot in front of the other. Finally he reaches the baseball bat and his right hand takes grip of the black tape around the handle. When he lifts the bat up he can see the blood and brain matter that covered the round base and the sight of it makes him livid.

Broderick: No body uses Brenda! No one but me! Those fucksticks are so getting their shit pushed in!

With a fire lit under his ass, Borderick looks onto the ground to see drops of blood that are like breadcrumbs, leading him down the trail to find Miranda and Steven again.

Twenty minutes later

After walking for so long, Steven comes to stumble from his injuries. The two make up some ground on getting to where Miranda’s home is but the fatigue is getting to him. Raising his left arm up to hold himself against the wall to his left, his breathing is heavy and his forehead covered in sweat.

Steven: I know you are hungry…Maybe…I could really use some food to get me back on my feet. I know you are in a hurry, but the two of us can’t do much on empty stomachs.

With his chest lifting up and down much faster because of his exhaustion he waits to hear what she thinks about the idea. There are many restaurants and food chains that they can pick from if she chose to take a moment to grab some food. If she elects for them to keep going, Steven would be okay with the plan and go along with it to see if they can get done sooner than later.

Miranda took note of the small smile and the light red hue of a gentle blush across his cheeks. It was hard to believe admitting that she kissed him back would go such a long way. It was just a fact that she'd stated, after all. Not wanting to keep staring up at him like some weirdo in a chick flick, Miranda turned away and had already began walking. She was only a few feet ahead of him before he called out to her. This time it was her turn to stop and turn around. Her big, round eyes were stuck on his smiling face once again. She hadn't expected a thank you. She didn't really expect anything else from him aside from keeping on the move.

"You're welcome." She'd say before turning back around and swallowing back any remaining mushy gush feeling. She couldn't let herself get too caught up in these feelings. Not yet. Not right now.

20 Minutes Later

They'd been making a lot of progress the past twenty minutes or so. Steven was pushing hard to keep a good pace and they hadn't run into anymore thugs or Junkies.

'Kiss my ass, Tony.' She'd think with satisfaction. Miranda even smiled a bit at the thought, though it was a bit smug. However, Easy Street wouldn't stay easy. Miranda heard Steven stumble while he was a few steps behind. The sound alerted her instantly and caused her to turn quickly. Seeing him leaned up against the building with dried and still drying blood all over him made her feel bad. Her injuries were so minor that she'd forgotten all about them while he struggled to stay up. At the mentioning of food and a break, her empty stomach would growl. She also suddenly became very aware of how tired her own legs were.

"Alright..., but we look like horror movie rejected so we need to fix that. Any ideas?" She could feel the bit of venom she'd unintentionally put into her words and cursed inwardly. Being nice was hard!

Steven: Yeah, I have one. I saw it in a movie once.

Steven lifts his right arm up to point towards a liquir store store and a thrift store next to it.

Steven: I can quickly find a way into the clothing store, open it up for the two of us to change into something less apocalyptic. I just need you to go into that liquir store and grab some very important items.

His breath is heavy and the way he speaks flows with fatigue. Sweat drips from his forehead and it is clear to see the sweat and blood mixing together.

Steven: I need you to grab. One Ziplock bag, a box of salt and a box of sugar. I know these seem random but I can make a makeshift IV from these. Dont take to long, we cant waste too much time here.

If she agreed to the task he'd have set out for her, she could begin it at anytime. But once she sets off to do it, she would feel his free hand reach out to grab one of hers. Somewhat like a reflex he grabs her hand and his hazel eyes look up towards her with his body in so much pain.

Steven: Good luck, Angry. Make sure you come back so you can yell at me.

He flashes her a soft smile before lightly pulling his hand away from hers to let her go about the task she has been given. Once he comes to be by himself it takes a good bit of strength to hobble over to the front door of the closed thrift store. Looking at the door he raises up his right index finger to make out the keyhole that the door has. Steven looks both ways to see if anyone could see him. Once he is in the clear he uses his powers to shrink his body enough to begin falling through the air at a rapid rate. Something Steven has come to enjoy more than anything else since getting his powers is the way the wind feels against his body when he shrinks and falls through the air. The body descends towards the ground but he is able to land right on the edge of the keyhole. His balance causes him to almost fall off of the edge but he brings himself forward to keep himsslf on the edge.

Steven: That was a little bit to close for my comfort.

Running through the keyhole his body leads and bounds over the mechanism inside of the door. There is a lot of crooks and small spaces for him to run through but he appears on the otherside, leaping from the edge like a man without fear. Finally after reaching the other end of the door, Steven uses his powers once more to return to his normal size. But as he comes to return to normal he would stumble with his vision blurry and his mind heavy. Because of this he actually falls over onto a rack of clothes, knocking them onto the ground. Steven groans as he hits the floor and the sounds of clothes falling lighten up the store. It forces Steven to push himself that much more to get back up to his feet.

Steven: This keeps getting harder and harder.

slowly hobbling across the entrance of the store his left hand slides across the locking mechanism of the door to allow Miranda access into the store once she finishes up at the liquir store. Steven feels his head getting really heavy and he can sense that overusing his powers like this is hurting him more each time he uses them.

Steven: I think I should sit down somewhere.

Turning his back on the door he begins to make his way further into the store so he can rest up a bit.

"A movie? Oh lord." She'd say as she prepared to listen closely to his instructions. Though she didn't really have room to talk since half of the things she did to those junkies were things she'd seen in a movie or on tv in general. Though the things he asked for were simple, she'd cock her head to the right slightly and look at him as if he was crazy. "Uh... You feeling alright, Super Newb? A make shift IV?" After a brief moment she shrugged, figuring he knew what he was doing, then turned to head over to the little corner store type building. Before she could go too far, however, she felt a big warm hand wrap around her small one.

"Hm?" She'd turn to look at Steven, a brow raised while a blush just barely flowed through her cheeks. The way he wished her luck was kind of goofy, but something about it made her heart flutter like before. And that smile! "Sure thing, Super Scrub." A slight smirk tugged at her lips before she turned away from him and hurried off towards the little store he told her about. The closer she got, the more nervous she became. The worst part about it was that her dress was torn and her panties were showing. The girl sighed. All she could do was pull the sliced pieces of her dress together and hold them that way. The few people standing around in the parking lot shot her odd looks. Some were perplexed and some were a little amused. Miranda couldn't blame them. She was walking a little funny from being slightly bent over and holding the skirt of her dress together.

"Rough night, sexy?" Called one. A few laughed out loud. Miranda scowled, but bit her tongue and continued on into the store. The bell on the door dinged, notifying everyone of her entry. This made her feel pretty small as she pressed ever back to the cool door frame.

There was one man at the crowded counter. She almost couldn't see him through all of the candy and cigarette displays. The cashier gave her a quick once over, smirking a bit before returning his gaze to the small tablet propped up next to the register that sat behind bullet proof glass.

One deep breath. Two deep breaths.

The teenager gently pushed off of the door frame, keeping a tight hold on her dress, and moved down the first isle she could get to as calmly as she possibly could.

'Box of salt..... Box of sugar..... Ziplock bags?' The grocery list he'd made her still had her questioning his health and sanity. It also had her curiosity piqued. What could that hero possibly be planning? As she contemplated what his next move would be, she stumbled upon the salt which also happened to be just a short ways away from the sugar.

"Awesome!" She'd whisper while reaching out with her right hand to grab the salt. Then, it hit her. She'd need both hands. Miranda cursed under her breath and looked over her shoulder. Then in front of her as if trying to see if anyone was around the corner although she was more towards the middle of the isle. After a frustrated sigh, her left hand released the bits of fabric and they fell back behind her, once again revealing those pure white lace panties for all in the store to see. Just as she grabbed the sugar, a couple of guys turned into the isle she was in. As soon as their eyes laid on her, she'd roll hers and huff. They instantly began to call her over and cat call her. Again, Miranda bit her tongue and turned away, determined to buy these items for Steven, regardless how strange the combination was.

"Stuck up fucking bitch ass hoe! You probably been ridden more times than the Superman at Six Flags!" Shouted one. The other laughed hysterically, yelling things like 'Oooohhh!' And 'Got 'er!'.

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Deep breath in....

Miranda couldn't take it anymore. Her blood was boiling and she wasn't about to let them think they 'told her'.

"At least I get ridden." She'd say as she turned to shoot them both a glare and her trademark scowl. "The only action you get is when you shake the piss off of the tip of that baby dick!" The guys friend grew louder with his 'Oooohhh!'s and 'Got 'em!'s but his friend didn't seem as amused. He seemed rather caught off guard at first and his lack of rapid and witty response made Miranda wink at him before she turned and strutted off with her chin up.

As she rounded the corner into the next isle, she dropped her chin a bit to look around for the ziplock bags Steven requested. They were a bit harder to find, but once she found the paper plates finding them was almost instant.

Miranda sighed softly, happy to be a little closer to home...and also happy about finally getting dinner soon. She chose not to eat what Kirei made that night because she figured she could eat when she got home. Plans obviously changed after she became some target. As she stepped over to the counter she noticed the two younger guys from before standing at the counter talking to the cashier. The friend was busy laughing and filling the cashier in on what happened just minutes ago while the other guy shook his head and the cashier laughed.

"Yo, I recognize her from the magazine not too long ago. She's Kirei Yuri's new daughter. That one that just got adopted by the porn star bitch." They talked as if they hadn't seen her...and that was probably the case. Miranda stood several feet away with her arms full.

"Yeah? Then she should be down fuck at all times! Kirei be fuckin' all the guys in her films! She's probably teaching her some tricks!" The three laughed. Miranda frowned. It just wasn't true. Kirei never really talked 'business' around her. The only time was when she had to explain her job a bit. The three continued to make wild assumptions about possible incest and prostituting before she reached her limit. Not even bothering to do a quick deep breathing exercise, Miranda marched up to the counter and squeezed between the two men at the counter, pushed them away from her further with her shoulders to their chests. The two cussed at her, glaring hard as she nonchalantly placed her things on the counter. With a shrug, the cashier scanned her items.

"Rude ass bitch." She heard one of them murmur.

"Cock sucking cum guzzler." She'd say over her shoulder to whichever one.

5 Minutes Later

Miranda was walking out of the corner store, a satisfied glint her eye as the men behind her seethed. Though they were royally pissed off, they couldn't help but watch her plump little bottom as she walked away from them. Her ability to turn heads was both a gift and a curse. Much like Kirei's.

'Assholes.'

Miranda looked left, then right, not wanting to be hit by random speeding vehicles, then dashed across the street, plastic bag of 'groceries' in hand as she rushed over to the thrift store/clothing store Steven mentioned. He wasn't in sight, so she figured he was inside.

She did another quick look around, this time to make sure no one was looking, and tested the door handle. She turned it slowly until the latch clicked indicating that she could now just pull the door open.

"Steven." She'd call out to him softly. "I brought your shit for you. You owe me, like, five bucks." She'd say as she weaves around the clothing racks.

Inside of the clothing store, Steven begins to walk around gathering clothes that the two of them could use to get a more incognito look about them to keep themselves hidden. On top of finding clothes, Steven takes it upon himself to try and find some possible supplies to work with for the two of them to use. While he searches for these items, his mind wonders back and forth between trying to hold onto the feeling of being kissed and the event that occurred in his dreams. He comes up to a rack of clothes that could fit him. In his left hand he holds a pair of dark grey jeans. Reaching for some clothes to wear for his upper body he grabs a white t-shirt and a blue flannel to go over it. Once all of the clothes were found, Steven also came into finding an old book bag to hold the uniform he is currently wearing in. Trying to be rather proactive and hopefully stay on Miranda’s good side he is able to find a similar dress that she is currently wearing. Obviously it has the thrift shop appearance with the dress being out of style for the last ten years but it is Steven’s attempt to put a smile on her face. Not knowing anything about females or how their clothes are designed, he eyeballs the size. With a simple nod of his head he believes to have found a dress the right size for her.

Steven: I should change into these before she gets back.

Hands slowly tear off pieces of fabric that makes up his uniform. First the harness that he wears over his chest, falling to the ground with a loud clank sound. Next the vest that he is able to slide right off of his arms. Lastly, his hands curl over the fabric near his hips and he lifts his arms up to let the cloth of his underarmour shirt lift over and off of his body. Even with the lack of light it is easy to notice the oddly muscular physique that he has. Steven is able to easily slide the gloves off of his arms, flexing his fingers once he gets them free of their confines. The utility belt he wears easily detaches from his body as soon as he clicks the center piece with his right index finger. With his free hands he finally comes to pull the goggles off of his head, placing them down next to the utility belt and the rest of his equipment. The goggles helped keep his face free of dirt and blood but with one of the lens’ being shattered, they had practically become useless for him. By this point in his charging process, Miranda comes walking into the shop; whispering about some money that he’d owe her for the supplies. Steven simply rolls his eyes and makes his way out to greet her. Appearing out behind one of the racks of clothing she’d see him shirtless for the very first time and his facial features for what they actually are. Smooth black curly hair flows over his forehead and his face mixed in with a gentle caramel skin tone covered in the dried crimson hue of his blood. His hazel eyes match his skin tone, filled with a vibrant life about them as she would come to meet them. Even with his chest, ribs, and shoulders covered with scraps and gashes; she could paint out the exact carvings of his muscular structure. An easy notice is how the blood that has dried from one of the wounds on his chest has flowed all the way down his abs. What stands out is that his abs are so hardened into the six-pack that the blood flowed around each pack that he had on the right side. His shoulders are broad and she can see now that Steven has a very ripped muscular appearance; something uncommon for someone his age. But since she understands that he is a superhuman, it wouldn’t be too much for her to comprehend.

Steven: How about you just let me pay when we go eat, instead of being such a girl and acting like we will let you pay?

He’d quickly flash her a soft smirking grin before he looks down and realizes what is in his left hand.

Steven: Oh! And I found this for you. I know I may not have the best taste in attire but I thought you might like this. Maybe cheer you up a bit from how shitty of a night this has been. It can keep people from staring at your…well….you know…

The last portion of that sentence comes with a crimson hue of innocence appearing on his cheeks. If she took the dress to look at it, she could trade him the supplies for the dress.

Steven: Thank you for this. I hope it wasn’t too much of a trouble to get. Now if I could just findddd….hmmmm.

Steven goes onto a thought process that leads him to walk around the store looking for what he needs. He grabs hold of an old rubber tubing, a needle from an old medical kit, some tape, and a wired hanger. Using some of his movie magic and intellect he is able to piece everything together to make a makeshift IV station. Using the zip lock bag he attaches it to the untethered wire hanger and is able to use the rubber tubing and needle to complete the idea. Within the next few minutes Steven would be able to piece the needle into his forearm and allow the mixture of water, salt, and sugar to imitate the ingredients of the medical IV. The glucose and salt water would help speed up the blood making process in Steven’s veins and give him a sense of rejuvenation that could last him a bit longer before they go get something to eat. Once Steven begins to get the liquid inside of him he can instantly feel the lighter feeling of the blood in his body getting reformed faster and faster. After being a MacGyver about creating his makeshift medical station, he’d walk back to Miranda with the back in his left hand with the tubing leading towards his left forearm. It have been enough time for Miranda to change if she wanted too and Steven not being a creeper would wait to talk to her again if she were in the middle of changing.

Steven: Thanks again for this. I can already feel my body healing. I could be back to normal action and energy before we even leave the store. You think there is anything else you’d want here?

What Miranda could notice in that moment is that as soon as he mentions the energy returning back into him, his eyes return to that crimson color that he had before. What Miranda, nor Steven, knows is that his eye color is represented by the particle energy inside of him. If he is running on empty than his eyes return to the color of his normal human standing, the hazel hue she has seen before. Once rejuvenated and ready to fight again, he dons the bright red color instead. If she were changed over and ready to explore the room, Steven would be able to finish getting changed for their…dinner date? After everything the two of them have been though is a dinner date so far out of the question? She is his first kiss and something about her makes Steven want to try and “woo” her. Even if she doesn’t see it as the same way, just being able to spend time with someone like her makes Steven feel on top of the world.

V

Miranda was not prepared to see Steven stroll out from around a few racks with nothing covering his torso. As if his muscles weren't extremely defined as it was, the dried blood was stuck in each curve and crevice. This made his abs pop more than they already did. Miranda felt her face get really hot as her eyes ran up and down his body, taking it all in frantically to think about later. The teenager could feel a cringe coming on as her emotions fought violently with each other. She liked the view....but she couldn't allow herself to like it. At least that's what she thought. Everything she did and thought was like a defense mechanism to try and keep her heart safe from another blow like the one her real mother had done so long ago.

She'd been staring. For a long time. Long enough for it to become apparent that she was, anyways. She hadn't even responded to his comment about letting him buy their dinner. His hand holding the dress out to her was what pulled her back into reality.

"Oh! Oh, shit. Yeah I don't think they'd let me in if they could see my...." Her voice trailed off as her attention turned to the fact that she was, indeed, fairly exposed to him. Without saying much more, she exchanged the plastic bag with his requested items inside for the dress he grabbed up for her and she moved behind a few racks to be sure she was hidden from his sight.

While she was busy reaching back behind her and unzipping her torn and dirty dress, she could hear him getting into stuff. For fear of an awkward mushy gushy conversation about kissing or dates, she stayed quiet. Focused on getting herself covered. The "new" dress slipped right over her head. The straps were thin and adjustable and the fabric was soft white Cotton with some crystal clear beads here and there around the chest area. The dress, although kind of pretty, was actually a size and a half to two sizes too big. Miranda fought with the straps to get them the right length, but the rest of the dress was still just a bit too big. The teenager huffed softly.

'This is no time to get aggravated about clothing and looks.... Save it, girl. Save. It.' Miranda was the type of girl that likes to look good at all times. All of her clothes for her just the way they were supposed to and her makeup always looked like it was done by a professional. So it wasn't new for her to get worked up over something she had to wear not fitting correctly. Call it a pet peeve.

Miranda could hear Steven coming back around the racks to find her. His timing was pretty good as she was already completely changed and ready to go....somewhat.

"Yeah, you're welcome."

The girl would mentally say goodbye to his natural hazel eyes and hello to that odd red hue that looked like it was always moving. He was an interesting individual, that was for sure. When Steven asked if she wanted anything else, Miranda couldn't help but laugh.

"Because this is the place that has everything my heart could ever desire, right?" She laughed softly. "Oh! But a dress that didn't make me feel like I was wearing an oversized sack would be nice." She snipped lightly. Thinking about the dress more and more was getting her attitude out of control. Something inside of her was screaming and flailing, begging her to calm down, but it was drowned out by the angry thoughts. "I didn't realize I looked like a fat fucking cow to you, Scrub." The more she spoke, the more venom she could taste in her words.

But it wasn't just the dress size. From the time they'd kissed to now she'd been fighting those butterflies relentlessly. Getting attached to anyone wasn't apart of her plan. She was just fine with acquaintances....until now, at least. Now a days she felt that slight longing to be close to Kirei. She did many things to avoid that and it was going well. But being stuck with Steven made it harder to get away from the feelings. She had to push him away. She couldn't allow herself to hurt so deeply over more than one person.

When Miranda begins to go off on Steven about the dress he chose for her, the whole mood of the room shifts to a layed back atmosphere to all hell breaking through to this world at this very thrift shop. Steven’s eyes shoot up towards her with his right eyebrow cocked lost in a complete state of confusion. Everything boils up inside of him as he listens to her bitch about him thinking she is an oversized cow because of the dress he picked. He didn’t know any better, eyeballing something can only go so far. But with another scolding coming from her, Steven is pushed against the metaphorical wall of how much he can mentally take from this girl. Even in the smallest of moments where she shows her kindness and compassion towards him, they become vastly overshadowed by the simple fact that she can jump back into a bitch mode faster than the speed of light. Finally Steven lifts his right hand up to pinch at the bridge of his nose, feeling his blood boil and his heart rate increase just from the annoyance that her bitching is causing to his body. The last sentence stings like a strong punch at his confidence with the way she calls him a “Scrub.” It’s bad enough that he feels like he is doing a poor job as a hero, but it is even worse when she is constantly pointing that out at any opportunity she can. At that moment, Steven for all his goodness and all his compassion had finally lost it.

Steven: LOOK HERE YOUR OVERGROWN SPOILED BRAT OF A BITCH!

His voice roaring with anger and frustration, the weight of everything that occurred tonight falling onto his shoulders like Atlas holding up the weight of the world.

Steven: I have done everything…EVERYTHING…I can to keep your little moaning and groaning ass from getting kidnapped and raped! And what do I get for it!? A constant stream of passive aggressiveness coming from the most spoiled girl in Kasaihana! I have nearly died MULTIPLE times tonight and I am still here trying to save you!

At this point his face is filled with rage, furrowed brows and a clinched jaw.

Steven: Do you see anyone else here trying to save your ass!? DO you know where you would be right now if it weren’t for me putting MY ASS on the line to save you!? Let’s ask!

Steven goes on to make a condescending motion to look around the room to see if anyone else would step up into helping her get home.

Steven: Anyone? You there with the striped shirt. Care to take up the role of protector and see this young lady home?

He points to a manikin that can’t move before turning to look back at Miranda with a sarcastic face, proving a very mean point that there is no one here to help her but him. That without Steven she’d have been raped and kidnapped by this point in her night. At least with him she is alive and still holding onto her dignity. God only knows where she would be without him.

Steven: I have put my blood on the line to protect you…

His tone begins to soften, no longer conveying the angry yelling he had just been using. His tone is so soft but filled with a sense of disappointment.

Steven: And for what? To be called a scrub…I know I’m not the best…To be treated like shit…I could just go back to school and get bullied if I want that…

By now she could feel the pain that Steven is in, tired of being pushed around like a nothing. Having since received his powers he thought being a hero might finally be the turning point in his life. That with these powers he might be able to finally be a big shot. Only now he comes to the realization that he is almost meant to be a loser. That the powers don’t change him for what he really is…a geek. Steven doesn’t even finish getting undressed, he just places the white t-shirt over his body; placing all of his stuff in his bag and even taking the thrift clothes so he can change somewhere else. Once he gets to the door and turns the handle to unlatch the locking mechanism, he softly turns his head to where he’d be looking over his left shoulder to gaze back at Miranda.

Steven: The sad thing is…I won’t forget this night. Not because I got my first kiss…As great as it was…But because it took someone like you to remind me that I was never meant to be in the spotlight of fame or popularity.

He begins to walk out of the thrift store and as his feet hit the concrete outside back into the city, his tone is soft enough for a light whisper.

Steven: I’m just a loser…

Inside of the Thrift Shop after Steven leaves

Miranda would have a minute or so to contemplate the events that just unfolded here and even though her night has already been rough, it doesn’t come to be any easier. The sound of the door opening back up again might create a sense of happiness in thinking maybe it’s Steven coming back to apologize. But if she looked up she would only see Broderick standing in the light from behind him with his body looking like a black void of evil darkness. With his right hand gripping the tape of the baseball bat, his slow ominous steps would be the only thing heard within the confines of the store.

Broderick: That sounded real heartbreaking…Poor guy…All that boy had was a dream to matter to someone, to be a hero…And you bitched that dream straight to hell. I may be a killer, but if I have ever seen evil…you have a strong running for it.

If she tried to run she would only be followed and attacked similar to before. Broderick is more than serious at this point and he is ready to collect his money. The hand holding the bat extends outwards so the thick end can be close to Miranda’s face.

Broderick: You don’t have the bug here to help you anymore…Just come quietly and I won’t have to break your legs, sweetie. As I said before, running only hurts the innocent…And I think you’ve left a worse aftermath than I have tonight…