𝕄𝕀𝕊𝕋ℝ𝔼𝕊𝕊(es)* Ⓢⓔⓐⓢⓞⓝ ①

Ep. 13: Dungeon of the Enchantresses

"Are you sure this is going to work? What if Eros lied to us?" Cleo asked cautiously as she and Abby bounded up the steps to Erica's house. Her worry was cut short as she finally realized the grandeur of the place, "Holy shit, Depson..."

"I don't think he did," Abby sighed, reaching the top step, "as much as I hate the guy, he does really seem to want to be rid of these people just as much as we are."

Cleo paused by a pillar and posted up as Abby moved toward the door, "Well, we'd better hope so. If we can't stop this girl as Aphrodite, this whole mission could go to hell right now."

Abby shrugged nervously, "Maybe she'll be on our side too?"

Cleo looked upward in prayer, "That would just be too easy for us, wouldn't it? Eros didn't give you anything else on this chick? Nothing on what she's like at all?" Cleo paused for a moment, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly, "You were over there for a lot longer than I thought you'd be..."

Abby's face went red and she laughed a little too awkwardly, "N-No, he didn't! All he gave me was her trigger word. Besides, he only sees her under trance anyway. I doubt he knows her outside of that."

"What about in his past memories? Didn't he say they planted old memories of his back into Skyler's brain? Would he have known anything then?"

Abby's mouth fell open to answer, but she stopped before any noise could escape. Stupidly, she had failed to ask such a question. Dismissively, Abby knocked on the door and turned away, "Y'know, there was a lot going on tonight, and I was sort of freaking out; I guess I just forgot to ask."

That answer didn't seem right to Cleo. If there was one thing she knew about her best friend, it was that Abby was thorough, and ever the detective. If there was information to be gained, she would find a way to acquire it. Abby was hiding something that happened with Eros, and while the signs didn't point to Eros having her brainwashed into somebody else, she was certainly acting strange. The girl thought back to their conversation before Abby had left; the one where she had accused Cleo of lying about her feelings toward Skyler. Of course, Cleo had lied about all that, but it totally wasn't fair for Abby to now lie.

"You sure Abbs?" Cleo prodded, "If something happened, you can tell me."

Abby glanced over her shoulder before snickering and knocking again, "Cleo, I promise, nothing happened! I went over, woke the boy up, then got the information."

Cleo moved closer, "That's all that happened? You didn't happen to get hypnotized at all?"

"No."

Abby knocked again.

"Good," Said Cleo, "Cause if you did, that could seriously compromise this mission since he might have put some suggestions in your head."

Abby bit her lip and sighed, leaning her head to the door to create a fourth knock. She knew that Cleo was right. This was more than just her own embarrassment at stake here. "Look, maybe he caught me off guard for just a minute but—"

"Abby!" Cleo scolded.

Abby whirled around, "It's fine! He didn't even do anything! He had me conscious the whole time!"

"Then what did he do?"

"Well... He just sort of... you know..." Abby said, face red and eyes to the side.

"Abby!"

"Whatever, Cleo! It's not like I wanted him to do it!" Abby said, turning away again and pounding harder on Erica's door.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Excuse me!" Abby gasped, "So what if I did? In case you haven't realized, not all of us have gotten to ride the Skyler train to pound town like you did."