HALLUCINATE | THE SANDMAN

TWELVE

CHAPTER TWELVE:
[ The Root of Hope ]
"That ruby has been around for more then
a millennium, you can't just change it"

         "SO..."

         Maeve mimicked her sister. "So..."

Shortly followed by silence, the sisters stood side by side on the balcony, the warm sun acting as a source of immense energy for the Fallen Angel as she worked to heal herself. Turns out Morpheus was fine, merely knocked unconscious by the powerful blast release by his altered ruby. There was no telling how much was changed to have knocked its previous owner out in the blink of an eye...

With the crowded traffic below breaking the cold moment of silence with loud honks and scraping tires, Maeve and Azrail continued to watch the clouds float by as neither sibling knew of how to start a proper conversation. It had been ten years since they last saw one another and since Maeve's initial banishment. How are you supposed to rekindle something when so much time has past and so little remains the same as before?

"I see you have found somewhere to fit in." Azrail tried to start a conversation, but her voice trembled with hesitation. She glanced to the fridge, extending a hand and allowing the photo of the Justice League to fall into her hands again within a split second. "The Justice League-,"

"Justice Society."

"What?"

Maeve sighed, pulling the beer from her lips. "We're called the Justice Society of America," she insisted, glancing over to where the photograph was held between them, glossy surface reflecting the sun's powerful hues. She pointed to it with the bottle of alcohol. "That is merely a small section of the Team. The starting point. It's only blossomed since then, that was a long time ago."

                "Cool, cool..." Azrail's dry remark was followed by that eerie silence returning for a moment. "So, Fate's apart of this team?"

"Mhm..." Maeve's hushed response was drowned in booze. "I don't think he likes me very much." She never moved her eyes from the skyline, a gentle smile caressing her dark skin as the sun slowly began to move beneath the thick blanket of clouds. A beautiful pink hue was casted through the darkness, orange rays peering across the curvature of the Earth.

Azrail nodded with pursed lips, placing the photo back on the fridge with a flick of the hand. "I don't blame him," she murmured. "You did damage the natural order in the Kingdom above." The Grim Reaper instant shut her lips at the sharp glare casted her way, resulting in a hurried apology to tumble from her dark lips.