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[Little Red Riding Hood]

It was an act of good faith. That and she was starved for companionship. After Joseph had sided against her, she hadn’t found anyone else she was comfortable to share everything with. She didn’t expect to find it now. She simply wanted to be around other people who weren’t after her job, her money, or her body. Wouldn’t that just be fucking nice?

She flicked her hair back away from her face and relished in the sharp click clack of her shoes on the tiled floor of the Police Rouge training academy. She allowed her face to twist into the closest thing to a frown she knew. It was halfway between an actual frown and a smirk. She didn’t look unhappy, and she wasn’t unhappy per say. She was…just discontent. That wasn’t even close to unhappy.

Her hand found the doorknob for the break room and she slipped inside. It looked empty, and she sighed. She had hoped to find people here. That would have been nice. She wiggled her nose, and sat down on a rickety chair that had been left out. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number for Goldilocks’s office. She didn’t pick up. Arista knew she wouldn’t. Her shopping plans had the woman all tied up. It was a security night mare. All she wanted was a new pair of bloody shoes, damn it. Why did that mean she needed an armed guard and two helicopters following her?

This was all Joseph’s fault, of course. He and that damn Resistance. They were her only problem. Everything would be hunky dory if they would just shove off. She had made the City a happy and prosperous place, and instead of thanking her, they were trying to destroy her. She looked down at her perfectly manicured hands. The deep red polish was reflecting the light, and she closed her eyes. Her ankles were crossed and she swung both legs together as she leaned back as far as the chair would allow.

Oh how things had changed. She used to have devoted friends and laughter surrounding her. Now she had manipulative politicians and murderers for lunch at her place every other day. Still she was making a difference in the world. Her leadership was making the Monde Rouge one of the best places to live, learn, and love. No one committed suicide here, and depression was a thing of the past.

She was a good thing.

[Diana Fynch]

Diana was not often surprised. She was too spontaneous to let anything surprise her. However, seeing Little Red Riding Hood walk into the otherwise vacant break room of the Police Rouge Training Academy was definitely a shocker. The woman was perfectly styled down to her amazing red finger nails, and she looked very out of place, needless to say. Diana stayed over in her corner invisible to the woman who had complete control over the City, Diana’s job, and just about anything else Diana could think of.

“Damn…” she whispered so low it would have been impossible for Red to hear. Diana barely heard it, and she had said it. The woman who promoted happiness 24/7 didn’t look so thrilled herself. She was sitting primly on a rickety chair that look as if it were about to collapse and she had her cell phone out. Diana assumed no one had answered when the phone clicked closed. She stood up carefully, and the other woman’s spacey expression confirmed that Diana still had not been seen.

Still she wasn’t sure she should go. After all, this might be the only opportunity she got to talk to the infamous Red, leader of the Monde Rouge. True the woman was completely mad, but, shit, this was a once in a life time opportunity.

“Excuse me, ma’am, were you looking for something?” Diana put her hands on her hips and gave Red a lopsided grin. She had to ask this woman where she got her nails done.

[Little Red Riding Hood]

She still wished sometimes…

No. She steeled her face into a smile. She was going to be happy. None of this reminiscing and hoping. She was stronger than that. She was happier than that. She was better than false hope and hollow dreams. She made something. She’d done something great even if people like Joseph couldn’t appreciate it.

She had just managed to put a real smile in place when a woman stepped out of the shadows. She was short and dark haired. One of the Police Rouge judging from the uniform. She’d thought the room was empty. Arista held up her hand and looked at the pristine nails in a nonchalant manner. If the woman had been in the room the whole time then she had seen the less than happy leader of the Monde Rouge. That would not be good for her image. She had to do some damage control.

“I’m fine. Possibly a bit lost, but other than that, fine. I don’t come here often. There’s too much aggression in the air.” Arista smiled beatifically.

She stood and smoothed her dress. She hated when fabric wrinkled. She heard her cell phone vibrate from where it sat closer to the floor. She ignored it. It was either Goldilocks calling back or her security team going crazy because they couldn’t find her. Either way, she no longer had any desire to talk to them. She looked the woman over.

She was pretty for a cop. Arista laughed in her head. There she was, stereotyping again. She ran her fingers through her hair. She really needed to stop doing that.