The Trick to Falling in Style

Origins

Vermillion stood at the entrance of Origin. All his research pointed to the entrance being at the border of Kinoko, near the Antarctic District. It looked like an abandoned subway station, but the stairs looked like they had undertaken a major cleaning. No one else beside Vermillion was at the entrance, but he could hear voices floating up from the entrance. He wondered how many people had chosen to move to Origins, how far the news had carried. It wouldn't be long before government officials arrived to ruin everything, or some drug lord decided this would be his new selling place. Vermillion could hope for this place's safety, but hope didn't get anyone anywhere.

A person began to walk up the stairs. Vermillion stood firm, refusing to flinch as Prescient looked up at him. Prescient was wearing his hero uniform with his goggles covering his eyes and a squared spiral symbol shining on his chest. He was one of the more colorful heroes, and this made him quite popular with the younger kids and parents. He appealed to a specific demographic, and while Vermillion wouldn't admit it out loud, he did it well. Vermillion technically appealed to a demographic, too, so he couldn't fault Prescient's way of being a hero. Everyone had their own gimmicks, after all.

"Hello, Vermillion! Forgive me for being a little late. I knew you were coming, but I got caught up with something that I didn't see coming," Prescient said with a giggle. Vermillion's expression didn't change. Like all superheroes, Prescient had a superpower. Most people assumed he saw the future or had some sixth sense for things. Vermillion knew better. He remembered Prescient explaining his powers to him. Prescient could read fate, almost like a fortune teller but a lot more accurate. He had a book that helped him focus his powers, but he could read fate without his book. He couldn't see everything that would happen, but he could see the current trajectory for fate, important moments of a person's past, and events that were 'locked'- or moments that would happen no matter what anyone did. Vermillion wondered if his arriving at Origins that day, at that moment, was a locked event. He hoped not. He really didn't want his donning of the suit to be something that was unchangeable.

"If you knew I was going to arrive, you must know what the fuck I'm here for," Vermillion said, keeping a sharp bite in his tone. He didn't want to be friendly. If he was, Prescient might get the wrong idea. Vermillion wasn't there to be friends or allies with Prescient or Origins. He was there because of Shroud, because the spiderling needed a place to stay until things in Logstedshire stabilized. It wasn't anything more.

"I know, but it isn't me that you're going to be talking to," Prescient said with a cheeky smile, and Vermillion wished he could go back and be the friendliest creature Prescient had ever seen. He knew what Prescient was implying, and he would not go through with it.

"There is no way in hell I am talking to Nemesis. You must be out of your fucking mind," Vermillion snaps with a lot of hostility in his tone. Unfortunately, Prescient had not stuck around to hear any of it. By the time the words were out of Vermillion's mouth, Prescient was gone. Vermillion threw his hands in the air, muttering how unbelievable Prescient was. Vermillion swore he would punch Prescient the next time they crossed paths.

As Vermillion curses Prescient in his head, Nemesis comes walking up the steps. She wore a white top tucked into a black pants with a dark red ribbon wrapped around her torso like a belt. She had a pair of dark black gloves that matched her boots. She wore a domino mask with tips painted red like flames. She even wore a golden circlet with red metal feathers that reminded Vermillion of those books that... someone used to show him of gods. Nemesis looked a little like Hermes mixed with Hestia, but she lived up to her name as the goddess of retribution and karma. Except now. She didn't look like a warrior now. With a bright smile cracking her cold facade, she looked like someone that was genuinely excited to see Vermillion. She brought her hands together, something painfully hopeful surfacing in her dark eyes.