Born Bad

Chapter 9

Clarity - Zedd feat. Foxes

Chapter 9

Mana pounding in her bloodstream was the only thing that Koronah could feel. She didn't know if she was on the verge of tears, of screaming... of transforming. Koronah hadn't felt that way since the day that Kevin left her. Only, Albedo was taken away from her by something that she couldn't control. Something that she couldn't prevent.

Her dirty sneakers were glued to the gravel she was standing on, surrounded by dismembered Techadon Robots. It felt like she could do nothing other than stare at the spot in the endless night sky where Vulcanus' ship disappeared into hyper drive. They could be anywhere in the universe by this time.

Koronah could barely hear the familiar hum of her own ship's engines until it erupted from the warehouse. That was the second roof that that ship had to endure. Koronah looked behind her to see everything she worked so hard for speed away.

"Fuck!" Koronah shouted. Frustrated, she realised that she left the aliens unconscious instead of finishing them off. It was their idea of stealing the ship in the first place.

When did feelings become such a large factor in her life lately? Asking Albedo to run away with her, her being willing to build up a relationship with him? He denied, so why did it feel like Vulcanus stole something so, so valuable from her. She cared for Albedo, but not to the extent where it could be considered love. Not like she loved him. At least that was what she kept telling herself.

Defeat sinking in, she walked back inside the warehouse, that could readily collapse at any second. She went into the room where she and Albedo had eaten dinner just hours ago, prior to the attack. The brown paper bag sat there. There wasn't any time for Koronah to reveal it to him. The chess set.

Koronah cast a glance out of the huge hole in the wall adjacent to her before kneeling down beside the couch and pulling out a black back pack. She stuffed the paper bag inside and went to the dusty shelf and took the sole book resting on the top. She also grabbed Albedo's jacket which he left there.

She felt the ground underneath her shake and ran out of the building just in time. The stress that the structure was under was just too much and the entire thing came crumbling down.

With a sigh, Koronah threw her hands up in the air violently and yell, "Can this get any worse?!" As if some other worldly being heard her, the sky rumbled with thunder. The next thing she knew the world was raining down on her. "Of course." She muttered through gritted teeth. Now she wished she grabbed her purple hoodie as well.

***

"Now, remember Ben. The emergency numbers are on the fridge. If anything happens, don't hesitate to call, okay sweetie?" Sandra told her son, purse in hand.

"Yeah, yeah Mom. We've been through this about as many times as I've saved the universe! Now you and Dad go have a fun night, I'll be fine." Ben said. His parents had been planning this special dinner for a while now, for their anniversary. They even booked a hotel room for the night. Even though Ben was turning seventeen in a couple of months, his mother's maternal instinct never wavered. To her, he would always stay "my little Benjamin." His father was already waiting in the car.

Ben hadn't told his parents about the break up with Julie. He didn't want to ruin their special evening, which would have likely resulted if he had. He just needed time for himself to think about everything, and this was the perfect opportunity. Especially since Gwen and Kevin agreed to do patrols without him.

"I still feel so odd leaving you alone. I just have this gut feeling. Maybe we should reschedule-"

"Mom, Mom! Relax. Your anniversary only comes around once a year. I want you guys to enjoy it. Now, get outta here, before I have to push you out the front door." Ben threatened.