The Radiant Rangers

Chapter 34

Crickets chirped and a refreshing breeze blew through the lonely room, stirring the velvet curtains that hung delicately from the window. Adeline debated using her powers to start a fire in the large fireplace in the middle of the room, but laziness nagged at her bones. Everything was so peaceful and serine compared to the constant noise of the city. She didn't want to do anything anymore.

Adeline laid wide awake with her back on the antique couch underneath her, staring straight at the ceiling. She admired the decor around the room and even thought of counting the stars to help herself fall asleep.

Seconds became minutes and minutes became hours as time ticked on. Yet sleep evaded her.

Adeline gave a deep sigh. She had always been able to stay up late at night and still feel rested in the morning. Yet ever since she killed the orange host and gained their fire powers her sleep schedule had been fucked. Her fire powers grew the most out of control during midday and her necromancy powers were strongest during the dead of night.

"Fuck this." said Adeline to no one in particular. There was no way she was going to get to sleep with all these thoughts. Crimson's snores didn't help. She preferred the constant noise of the city to his insufferable racket.

The voices of that blue girl and Cynthia could be heard from another room, but their conversation had stopped hours ago.
Adeline had been tempted to spy on them but couldn't bring herself to give a shit about what they were talking about. Probably how horrible she was.

They acted like she was all bad because she had killed a few people. What did they think they were all going to do to Vividless? Give him a hug and make him become good?

She stopped at the thought of Cynthia. The green host snickered to herself. What a wild ass time she had trying to take care of that red head after Cynthia washed up on the shore of California.

Adeline had been on the west coast on a..business trip. She was totally caught off guard when the half drowned girl had come out of the waves.

Adeline felt her thoughts begin to slow as she recounted the events of the past few days. Her mind drifted and stumbled when the memories came back to her...

Back on the Californian beach, Adeline slung Cynthia over her shoulder in a fireman's carry. Cynthia wasn't a horrible weight on her back, she had carried much heavier people before. Her long ass hair, thoroughly soaked, was heavier than Adeline expected.

"Wait. Shit. I can't just carry her into the middle of the street." she grumbled. Sitting the still unconscious red host onto the sand, she sat down beside her. Pulling out her phone, Adeline dialed up her 'business' partner.

"Not you again." came a rough voice through the phone. "What do you want now?"

"Nice to see you too, shit head. I need a favor. It's the least you can do after I helped you with you-know-who." growled Adeline.

"Fine fine. What do you need?" came the voice again.

"Two fake IDs, some cash, plane tickets back to my place..and a wheelchair." she looked down at Cynthia, "Oh- and some sunglasses."

"What do you need.. You know what? Never mind. I ain't even goin ask. I'll meet you at the pub." the phone went silent on the other end as Adeline's buddy hung up.

"Well," She said glancing at Cynthia. "Guess it's not going to be as hard as I thought. Just gotta get both of us back home. Maybe I can just stuff you in my suitcase heh, it would save us both a lotta trouble." Adeline commented.

A few hours later and Adeline had gotten past security and was in the plane back to Chicago with Cynthia in tow. She couldn't really believe she was able to convince those suckers that Cynthia was just a special needs person.

She couldn't wait to get back to Chicago, even though it wasn't like anyone was missing her. She would have to crash at Luke's place.

Adeline's memories hazed as sleep finally began to claim her. As her consciousness fell, she remembered John. The whole reason she was there and working with these idiots in the first place. Sleep finally came and washed over her like cooling waves over her heated thoughts.