The Trick to Falling in Style

Reappear

Vermillion sheathed both of his daggers in his uniform as he jumped from one rooftop to the next, swirling red wind launching him forward. He landed on the next roof with tiny balls made from wind appearing on the soles of his boots to cushion his landing. He didn't stop at one leap. He kept moving, never stopping to catch his breath. He had to keep moving because he knew that the second he stopped, he would start thinking about how this was a horrible idea. Vermillion was reckless, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that getting involved wouldn't be good for him or anyone else. Still, he continued to jump from the roof of one building to the next, rising so far in the sky that he felt like he was breathing in the black mists of the night.

Vermillion eventually slowed down. He landed on one building, racing toward the edge. When he reached the small fence that was created to dissuade suicide jumpers from chosing this building, he jumped straight up instead of forward. When he was at the apex of his jump, he started to hurtle towards the ground. He would have gone splat against the pavement if it wasn't for the emergence of winds that created a soft cushion around his body. When he landed, one of his knees touched the dark gray concrete that formed the sidewalk while his other knee cut into his thin breastplate. The wind dispersed as soon as he was on the ground, blowing away a few posters that hung precariously on the alleyway walls. Vermillion pushed off the ground with his fist to help him stand on his feet.

He heard slow clapping as soon as he was standing. Vermillion whirled around with his daggers coming out. They glistened in the moonlight as he brandished them against the person who was clapping in the shadows. The person who was clapping stepped into the light. It was a young woman wearing a deep red bodysuit with a dozen roses circling around her arm. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her face was covered by a black mask with metallic red roses drawn onto the surface. Even though she looked different from her other appearances, Vermillion knew exactly who she was. This was Hannah Rose Dude, the adopted daughter of Sam, and she was also Rosa, one of the Warden's sidekicks. Tonight, however, she probably went by the codename Thorn, her title as a fighter in the Pit.

"That was quite the landing, Vermillion. I'm impressed with how much control you have over your powers," Thorn said with a surprisingly sweet smile coming to her face. Hannah and Rosa could smile like this, but Thorn was only known for her dead eyes and cruel smirks. Vermillion shook his head. He was acting like these different titles belonged to different people. He had spent so long trying to separate Vermillion and Tommy that he was doing this to other people. Thorn was equal parts Hannah and Rosa. She just had a purpose tonight that required her to reclaim her old name.

"You say that as if you aren't impressed with everything Vermillion does," Another voice added before Vermillion could respond to Thorn. Vermillion's eyes widened when he saw a young man wearing a black bulletproof vest over a thick purple shirt. He had black pants on that covered his feet, and it seemed it was a bodysuit considering the man's hands were covered by black, fingerless gloves that disappeared beneath his hoodie sleeves and a cloth had been pulled up from his neck to cover the lower half of his face. He pulled a hood low over his face, but his glowing purple eyes were unmistakable in the darkness. He had a sword strapped to his back, and his arms folded over his chest. Vermillion didn't know his true name, but he could recognize Indigo, another one of the fighters he had saved all those years ago.

"Eh, it was kind of cool," A third voice added, and Vermillion realized that he shouldn't be surprised anymore. Afreet still wore his blood red horns that pierced through his dark hair. He wore a dark gray breastplate with black pants underneath a dark red-gray poncho stained with what Vermillion assumed was blood. Afreet wore metal gauntlets over his hands, flexing his hand as he looked at Vermillion with a half-shrug. Afreet wore a painted mask over his face, the deep oranges and saturated yellows of the mask highlighting his dark red eyes.