"I like shiny things
But I'll marry you
With paper rings."

- Paper Rings, Taylor Swift

-*-

DUMPING everything they bought from the store with a grunt, Naomi watched Naveen scan their new house.

"What do you think?" She asked. Naveen didn't answer and just stood frozen from his spot. Naomi's forehead creased with this.

Naveen turned to her and asked, "You're not serious about me in quarantine, right?" He asked.

Naomi's heart broke. How can she be so  insensitive? All her brother remembered is being imprisoned in the lab and she threatened him --- jokingly --- with it.

"Of course not." She immediately answered and went beside him. "You can do whatever you want." She said then looked around the house before opening the door. "We can enjoy outside if you want?" With that Naveen smiled.

-*-

"Well how about that new kid. Billy Hargrove, is it?"

Her brother's (from different dimension) question entered her mind. She was amazed by the universe. Everything is amazing about it.

The Billy Hargrove, that her brother mentioned before, met her. She wondered if she'll ever meet any of her friends from that universe.

"Naomi! Are you listening?" Naveen asked while waving his hand in front of her. Naomi snapped back in her thoughts.

"Yeah, just thinking about something." She said then fixed her position. They are currently sitting on a bench in the park. Watching kids play and ducks swim.

"What were you thinking? Is it about your talk with Dr. Owens? Is it something about me?" He asked, worried. Naomi quickly shook his head.

"No, of course not. It's just... everything." She said. Naveen looked at her, waiting for her to say something, to continue. Naomi sighed and watched the kids play, changed her position into a more comfortable one. She licked her ice cream, that they bought before sitting in the bench, and sighed again.

"It's just... Like yesterday..." Naomi doesn't know where to start and she looked at Naveen, who looked at her understandingly and patiently. She sighed again, not really experienced in telling her feelings to other people.

"It was like yesterday, I was alone, eating and sitting and now... You're here." She said before looking at him and raised her hands in a defensive manner. "I meant that positively of course." She quickly added after seeing her brother ate his ice cream fast. Her brother always ate fast if he's nervous or bothered or any negative emotions he's feeling.

Her brother having a very fast metabolism makes him exceptionally healthy all the time. Imagine her panic after seeing her brother in such a state back in the lab after he consumed the food that the lab provided.

He sighed, "Great. I thought you don't want me here." He chuckled.

"Are you serious?" Naomi smiled, "I broke time and space for you." She said, chuckling. Her brother joining her quickly.

"Yeah, I'm that irresistible." He said smugly.

"Yeah, you are." She admitted. She, again, sighed for the nth time.

"It's too fast for me. I'm going to school next week. It'll be hard, right? Going to a school, attending it in the middle of semester. I mean, what if I embarrass myself? Or worse, not make any friends? It's too...overwhelming." She admitted, sensing herself relaxing after venting her feelings out. Naveen quickly comforted his sister, one of the things that he normally do in the lab.

Naomi was clashed by nostalgia. Naveen's comfort and affirmations was the thing she missed the most with the boy. Since she was young, it was hard for her to control her powers. It was normally her emotions controlling it. It was also Naveen that helps her control her emotions, her controlling her powers in the process. It really helped her a lot back then.

After receiving her powers, she spent all the afternoon, after the trainings, by herself. Crying in the dark, small room. She remembered the fear and anxiety that she felt that time. She was so scared but her brother was there to comfort her after the punishment. He helped her in controlling her emotions.

Naveen was gone for nine years, causing her to almost destroy the world, and now... He's back.

"It'll be fine. Just be you." He said. Naomi smiled at him and scooted closer. She leaned her head on his shoulder and for a few minutes, they stayed still.

"How about you?" She asked, after minutes of silence.

"Hmm?"

"Don't you wanna go to school?" She asked. Naveen snorted at her question.

"Me? No. I don't even know why you're so excited." He said. Naomi chuckling and him following after.

-*-

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
October 28, 1984

A dirty white van was parked in front of the bank. A person sitting in the driver seat, wearing a creepy mask, can be seen scanning the area. The person's attention was caught when the alarm started ringing. Other people, also wearing masks, went out of the bank, one of them shouting, "Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"

They opened the door of the van as the last of them who entered closed it. The driver stepped on the gas, they drove away as soon as they saw a police car chasing their's.

"Headed down Poplar, toward Main." A police announced in his walkie- talkies, alerting all the police near the area.

The driver of the van started driving faster as the police car swiftly swerved around other people's cars to avoid them in the road.

The group inside the van grunted as they removed their masks one by one. The driver removed it to drive properly.

A man looked behind them. "GET 'EM OFF OF US, MICK!"

"I'M WORKING ON IT!" Mick, shouted back and started focusing on the road. She stepped on the gas as a teenage girl sitting in the shotgun guided her, "The alley, to your right."

"Okay." She said and swerved to the direction. They heard cars honking as the police that chased them was stopped by another car and he cursed, "shit!" hitting the driver's wheel in frustation.

The van entered a small road with cars going in the other direction. The cars honked as the van swerved sideways to avoid crashing.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Mick cursed repeatedly as she avoided the cars one by one, "shit!" She said again as another car almost crashed in theirs. She turned the wheel sideways, accidentally hitting a trashcan, as a girl in the back cackles in amusement.

They went out the alley and entered a quiet road. Mick exhaled while whispering, "Okay. Okay." The group also sighed in relief but was cut short as police sirens caught their attention.

"Son of a bitch! We got more!" The man in the back, who looked behind, announced.

"Oh, shit!" Mick cursed again. Her shoulders tensing as she gripped thw wheel in panic.

"They're headed down 7th." A police announced in the walkies.

The van turned as the police chasing them, followed.

"Do something, Kali. Do something!" The man in the back said.

"Next right. There's a tunnel." Kali, who looked relaxed, turned to Mick and said. "Take it." She commanded.

Mick nodded and swerved right. The police car was still following them.

"We got these bastards now!" The police said confidently and stepped on the gas.

The van entered the tunnel as Kali closed her eyes, her hands raising and folding to a fist. The others waiting, anxiously.

"Boom." She said as the opening of the tunnel crumbled. The police car stopped and the police, who was driving, cursed, "shit!"

The other police cars crashed with it as the two policemen shouted in panic.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

Once it all stopped, the other police inside the police car turned to the other in frustation and anger.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Adams? The hell are you doing?" He asked.

Adams looked at his partner, his ears ringing.

"Adams! Come on. What the hell? Why'd you stop?" He continued asking him.

Adams breathed heavily as he looked at his partner. His voice, that was shouting and questioning him, distorted.

"Adams! Adams!" He called as Adams panted and opened the door. "Adams! I'm talkin' to you!"

Adams crawled out of the car as his partner shouted at him and questioning him. He grunted as he stood straight. He looked straight at the opening of the tunnel, his forehead creased as he looked at it in confusion.

The tunnel is fine. It didn't crumble.

The van exited the tunnel as the group cheered and laughed in relief. Kali wiped the red liquid going out of her nose with her fingerless gloves. With her hand that she used to wiped, a number was seen in her wrist as she looked straight, eyes completely blank.

008.

-*-
EDITED