Riley and Val oneshots

Firehawks' shadow

Pov Nobody

Riley sits alone in the school library, flipping through a textbook. The once-familiar setting feels foreign, as if the walls themselves are closing in on her. She tries to focus on the words in front of her, but her mind drifts, thoughts swirling like a storm she can't control. 

Val approaches silently, her presence unnoticed until she's leaning casually against the table. Riley looks up, startled.

"You're Riley, right?" Val asks, her voice smooth, almost too casual. There's a curious smile playing on her lips, but her eyes gleam with something Riley can't quite place—a mix of intrigue and something darker.

"Yeah... And you're Val," Riley responds, her voice uncertain. She's not sure if she should be flattered by the attention or wary of it. 

"I've seen you around. You seem... different from the others," Val says, her tone both complimentary and probing, as if she's testing the waters.

"Different? How?" Riley frowns, a sudden chill running down her spine. Val's words feel loaded, as if they carry a deeper meaning Riley isn't yet ready to uncover.

"In a good way," Val replies smoothly, her eyes never leaving Riley's. "We should hang out sometime. I think you'd fit in well with my friends."

The words hang in the air, heavy with implication. Riley hesitates, a part of her drawn to Val's offer, while another part screams at her to walk away. 

Later, Riley is walking down the hallway with Bree and Grace, but her thoughts are elsewhere. The usual chatter between the three friends feels distant, almost muted. She can't stop thinking about Val, about the Firehawks and their enigmatic allure.

"You've been spending a lot of time with those Firehawks," Bree says, her voice tinged with concern. She looks at Riley with a mix of worry and confusion, sensing the change in her friend.

"Yeah, they're... interesting," Riley replies, distracted. The word feels inadequate to describe the pull she feels towards Val and her group, but she doesn't know how else to explain it.

"Interesting how?" Grace asks, exchanging a glance with Bree. There's a subtle edge to her voice, as if she's trying to grasp what's slipping away.

"I don't know... They just get me. It's like they know what I'm thinking before I even say it," Riley says, her voice distant, almost dreamy. She can't shake the feeling that the Firehawks see something in her that Bree and Grace don't—something darker, something she's afraid to acknowledge.

"We know you too, Riley," Bree says softly, her tone pleading. "Don't forget that."

"I'm not! It's just... they're different," Riley says defensively, sensing the rising tension. She quickly changes the subject, desperate to avoid the discomfort bubbling beneath the surface.

That night, Riley wakes up, drenched in sweat. Her room is dark, but the shadows seem to move, shifting and swaying like they have a life of their own. Panic grips her chest as she scans the room, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

"Who's there?" she whispers, her voice trembling, barely audible over the pounding of her heart.

The silence is deafening, thick and suffocating. Just as she starts to convince herself it's all in her head, a soft voice echoes from the corner of the room, sending a cold shiver down her spine.

"Embrace your true self, Riley," it says, a chilling imitation of Val's tone.

Riley's blood runs cold. "No... No, this isn't real," she mutters, trying to will the nightmare away, but the shadows only grow larger, creeping closer, threatening to consume her.

She closes her eyes, praying for the darkness to release its hold, but the voice comes again, closer this time, almost brushing against her ear.

"You can't run from who you are," it whispers, insidious and persuasive.

The next day, Riley stands in the abandoned gym, her heart racing as she faces Val. The other Firehawks stand behind her, their expressions unreadable, eyes locked on Riley as if they're waiting for something—waiting for her to break.

"What do you want from me?" Riley demands, her voice shaking despite her attempt to sound strong. She's cornered, the walls closing in.

"We want you to see the truth, Riley," Val says, stepping closer. Her voice is soft, almost tender, but there's a coldness in her eyes that makes Riley's skin crawl. "The truth about who you really are."

"I know who I am!" Riley snaps, but the words feel hollow, like she's trying to convince herself as much as she's trying to convince Val.

"Do you?" Val tilts her head, her gaze piercing, as if she can see right through Riley, right down to the parts of herself she's tried to keep hidden. "Or have you been lying to yourself all along?"

"No... You're trying to mess with my head," Riley says, backing away, her breath coming in ragged gasps. But the Firehawks form a tight circle around her, their presence suffocating, inescapable.

"We're just helping you find your way," Val says softly, almost lovingly. "You belong with us, Riley. Embrace it."

Riley's heart pounds in her chest, a wild, frantic beat as she fights to resist the pull of Val's words. But doubt gnaws at her resolve, a creeping fear that maybe—just maybe—Val is right.

Later, Riley stands in front of the mirror in the school bathroom, staring at her reflection. The shadows behind her seem to move, whispering her name, their voices a sinister echo of the doubts swirling in her mind.

"I won't let them control me," she mutters, clenching her fists, her knuckles white. "I won't..."

But the whispers grow louder, filling her mind with doubt and fear. She sees Bree and Grace in her mind, their faces twisted in fear and concern, but they feel distant, almost unreachable.

"They don't understand you like we do," Val's voice echoes in her head, insistent, seductive. "They never will."

Riley closes her eyes, tears streaming down her face as the truth she's been trying to avoid comes crashing down around her.

"I have to choose... I have to..." she whispers, her voice breaking.

When she opens her eyes, her reflection is no longer her own. The face staring back at her smiles with a sinister grin, a dark, twisted version of herself.

"Welcome home, Riley," it says, its voice dripping with a cold, cruel certainty that sends a shiver down her spine.

And as Riley stares into those eyes—her own eyes—she realizes with a sinking dread that she's losing the fight. The shadows have taken hold, and she's not sure if she can find her way back.