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Elliot spent the better part of the next week laying on the couch in the fetal position, starting at the wall. Z worked around her, moving her legs when she wanted to sit down and watch TV. She left out food for Elliot, and made sure she was covered when she finally did fall asleep. She tried to get Elliot to talk about it, but Elliot only continued to stare, making little sounds in the back of her throat.

It was Meryl that finally snapped Elliot out of her catatonic state. She came over that Friday evening, as cheerful as ever.

“Come on! We’re going to go to the Ave and get you stuff,” she said. She pulled harder, getting her weight into it, and Elliot tumbled to the ground. “Ha!” Meryl raised her arms above her head.

Elliot lay staring up at the ceiling, blinked, and tried to get up. “What’s on the Ave?”

“You know the place with the gargoyles out front?”

“Y-… maybe?”

“So someone a few doors down, above the shops, has a place with stuff for potions and spells.”

“It’s literally her kitchen,” Z said, watching from her own kitchen.

“Sometimes she has soup!” Meryl said excitedly.

Elliot considered this. She sat on the ground, pulling her knees to her chest. “Soup is nice.”

Meryl sat down across from Elliot. “Got some sads, huh?”

Elliot shrugged.

“Shark week?”

“That’s next week,” Elliot said softly.

“I suspect,” Z said, “that her date went bad.”

“It was nice,” Elliot said. She didn’t look at Z.

“She won’t tell me what happened.”

Meryl put her hands on Elliot knees. “And she doesn’t have to. Buuuut she should come hang out with us tonight.” She gave Elliot a smile.

Elliot met her gaze, and her eyes darted away. “Okay.”

“Yay!” Meryl stood and pulled Elliot up, much to Elliot’s surprise. “Go go go get ready!” She pushed Elliot towards the bathroom.

“Gah okay fine!” Elliot stumbled into the bathroom and slammed the door, but Meryl could hear the little giggle behind the door.

An hour later they were on University Avenue. Ty and Gimble met them there, and they prowled the street as a coven, if that was possible. Meryl took Elliot by the hand and talked away about a costume from a video game she wanted to make for convention season next year. Elliot felt herself smiling, even just a little, at Meryl’s enthusiasm.

“Elliot, you’ve not been feeling well?” Gimble turned back to look at her. Z was up with Gimble and Ty, walking in front of them. That gossip.

“Uhm… I guess?”

“I think her date went bad,” Z said again.

“Leave her alone,” Meryl said, still cheerful, but with an edge of protectiveness that Elliot suddenly never wanted to cross paths with.

“Right Determination hurt you?” Gimble asked.

“No…” Elliot said. Her ears pressed against her head, and she felt totally exposed. “She’d never…”

Z’s ears perked. “Oh… oh! Oh, she didn’t hurt you at all! Did she kiss you??”

Elliot felt her face flushing. She looked away.

“Oh my god! Wait, was that your first kiss??”

“Hey, come on,” Meryl said. She squeezed Elliot’s hand. “It’s none of your business.”

“Everyone moves at their own pace,” Gimble said to Z, politely but firmly.

“You should probably talk to her, if she made you uncomfortable,” Ty said. “She seemed nice, I bet she’d appreciate knowing.”

They turned back to find Meryl and Elliot gone.

Meryl had pulled Elliot into a tea shop a few doors behind the other witches. She steered Elliot to a seat behind a wall, where they couldn’t be seen. She swooped away, and a moment later came back with boba tea for the two of them. Elliot started to pull out her wallet.

“Put that away,” Meryl said. “You don’t have a job.”

“Thanks,” Elliot said softly.

“You okay?”

Elliot sat back. “Yeah. I think so.”

“They were being jerks,” Meryl said, looking around the wall to see if the other witches had found them. “They mean well, believe it or not, but they weren’t reading the room.”

“It’s stupid.”

“It’s not. You have a right to refuse to talk about anything.”

Elliot nodded. “But I mean, like… the Ardy thing is stupid too.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No…” She looked down at her cup of tea, at the foil that covered the top, some bright and cheerful written in Korean. “She did kiss me.”

“Aw, buddy. You sound so sad about it.”

“I froze. I thought I wanted it. I think I still do? I feel like I can’t pin down what I want. I think maybe she caught me off guard?”

“That’s totally possible,” Meryl said. She tilted her head in thought. “You have trouble letting people get close, I think.”

Elliot frowned. “It’s stupid.”

“It’s not. All of us have our own trauma. There was one time where I could count the times I went outside in a year on one hand. That was a really bad time for me. But it gets better.”

Elliot’s eyes grew wide. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay! I’m here now.” She put her hand on Elliot’s. “I never did get to show you my cool scar. Now really isn’t the place.” She flashed a knowing smile at Elliot.

Elliot laughed.

“I hope you can get to a place where you feel comfortable,” Meryl said. She took a drink of her tea. “We can practice kissing if you want.”

Elliot laughed again. “God, shut up.” Meryl kept her hand on Elliot’s, and Elliot didn’t feel the need to move it.

Meryl’s phone buzzed. She looked at it. “Oh, they finally noticed we’re missing.” She started texting. “Meet. Us. At. Pink. Gorilla.”

“Ohh…” Elliot said. “Can we go in?”

“We sure as hell are going in,” Meryl said. She stood and pulled Elliot with her. They walked down the street hand in hand, talking about going to conventions, and how she met Z and Ty at Comic Con, until they caught up with the other three witches. They welcomed Elliot back, and Elliot nodded at them. She didn’t say it, but she was glad they noticed she was gone.

They started across the street. The world suddenly grew cold, and Elliot froze.

Clouds boiled over the street, dark, heavy clouds, blotting out the sun. Elliot felt the fur on her neck stand on end, the air crackling with electricity. Her ears twitched. The birds had stopped singing, the noise from the streets around them gone. Streetlights began to flicker on. Elliot looked around, spotting her friends, but no one else, the streets deserted.

A bright light flashed in front of them, and Elliot turned away to shield her eyes. Lightning split the horizon in half, rumbling deep in Elliot’s chest. And when it fizzled away, four figures stood on the street.

They were men, young men, split fifty-fifty humans and furs. The humans were white, their hair cropped close. One of the furs was a tiger. They all wore t-shirts, themed after one convention or another, surprisingly ill-fitting jeans, and even more surprisingly stylish sneakers, except for the last one. The Nerd stood with them, watching Elliot carefully.

Elliot furrowed her brow, matching The Nerd’s gaze. It felt like he was almost trying to squeeze thoughts at her. At any rate, he didn’t look happy to be there.

Gimble and Z moved up in front of the rest of the witches. Gimble was speaking quietly to herself, making subtle motions with her hand. Z cracked her knuckles.

“Witches,” one of the humans shouted. Elliot recognized him from when she was down at the garage with Locke’s car.

“What’s up, nerds?” Z shouted back.

“You have been sticking your snoots where they don’t belong.” The human said.

“Why don’t you bring your dad jeans over here and we can talk about where you can stick your snoot,” Z said.

“You are playing with forces you don’t understand.”

“Can we wait a moment?” Gimble said. “Because we don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t know because you do not understand. You are not capable of understanding,” he said. The other two wizards laughed. The Nerd did not. “Witches could not begin to understand.”

“Again,” Gimble said, “we have no idea what you’re talking about. And second, I don’t think you know anything.”

The lead wizards started forward, and the other three followed.

“Nope, you stay right there.” Gimble waved her hand. Green orbs of light flowed from her, weaving their way to the wizards, binding them to the street. “You don’t get to stalk us and then threaten us and then demand we not take it personally.”

“You don’t get to call us stupid, either,” Z said.

Elliot stepped forward, past Z and Gimble. “Whatever your beef is, it’s with me. You’ve been following me and I want to know why.” Meryl ran up behind Elliot and took her hand, trying to pull her back.

“Don’t do this,” she said. “Don’t.”

“I’m tired of this,” Elliot said to Meryl. “I’m tired of being afraid.”

The lead wizard let out an incredulous laugh. “Following you? You were the one that showed up at every sensitive site we know.”

“Sensitive site?” Elliot asked. She tilted her head. “What-”

“You were in the Highway 99 Tunnel last weekend.”

“Wait-”

“You were at the flair up before the Sounders game.”

“The flair-”

“We know you were at the garage where Locke’s car is being hidden,” the panda said.

“Oh, it speaks,” Z said.

“WAIT-” Elliot said.

“We know you’ve been following Ilo,” the other human said. “Because wherever he is, you are too.”

“And we know you let the banshee loose,” the main wizard said.

Elliot felt Meryl trying to pull her back. All she could do was stand there, stunned. “What is happening?”

“It’s clear that you are after what we know. You have been noticed.”

The lead wizard drew a shape in the air, and it glowed to a blinding light. When it cleared, he and the other wizards were unbound. The lead wizard stepped into a stance, holding his hands in front of him.

“We have been sent to eliminate you.”

“What?” The second human said.

“What??” Ilo the nerd said.

“WHAT?” Elliot took a step back. Ty grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back, putting her behind all of them.

“Witch, prepare to die.” He lifted his hands, and bust into flames.

Elliot sat stunned for a moment, and then let out a low, satisfied laugh. Blood poured from her nose.

“YES!” Gimble said, turning back to Elliot. “Finally!”

The panda threw a spell around the lead wizard, and the fire began to slowly burn out. The lead wizard collapsed, gasping for air as the spell dissipated. The other human side armed a volley of fire at the witches. Gimble blocked them with a wide, luminous shield.

Elliot dove behind a car parked on the side of the road. She looked around. The Nerd was nowhere she could see. She held her palm open, feeling magic pool in it. She watched the lead wizard struggle to get up. She threw the ball, aiming for his head. It skipped across the ground like a meteorite, before shattering on a final skip. All the same, the wizard was pelted with white hot magic. He hissed and fell backwards.

Ty grabbed a copy of the Stranger from its box and unfolded it, laying it flat on the ground. She put her hands on it and mumbled to herself. The newspaper glowed, and she stood on it. It pushed off the ground, and Ty kicked forward like she was on a skateboard. She got a good distance down the street, pulled into a wide turn, and then kick flipped into the sky.

Elliot watched Z deflect volley after volley from the panda until they were nearly face to face. She squared up to him, easily eight or nine inches shorter that him, and punched him hard in the throat. The panda fell. Z threw a spell down. “Stay down!”

Elliot threw another thaumic ball, bouncing it once before it sailed right past the other human. He watched it pass, and then locked eyes with Elliot.

Meryl hadn’t moved from the street. She stood, watching everything, looking pleased with the chaos. A whistling bolt of magic came at her, and she deflected it away, sending it spiraling into a parked car. The car imploded like it had been t-boned by a semi.

“Meryl!” Elliot called. “Get over here, you’re going to get killed!”

Meryl beamed at her. “Silly goose,” she said. “You know I can’t be killed in any meaningful way.”

On cue, Ty dive bombed the three wizards, dropping green fire on them as she swooped away. Meryl cackled.

Ty steered herself back to the street. “Meryl, you’re going to get hurt.”

Another missile sailed at Meryl. She slapped it away again, and it spun into the air before fizzling out in a brilliant blue cascade. Elliot laughed a little. Meryl genuinely seemed to be enjoying herself.

Gimble and Z stood by two of the wizards, binding them to a street light. The Nerd was still nowhere to be found. Elliot scanned for the lead wizard, catching a flash behind a car. She filled her palm again, watching, focused.

The lead wizard slid out from behind a car opposite them. Elliot hurled the ball of magic at him. This time, she could feel how right it was, how on target it was. It stayed in the air, flying in a beautiful arc, on target, throwing sparks like a tiny comet.

The wizard simply pivoted and with the wave of a hand, parried the blast, deflecting it back.

“Meryl!” Elliot called.

Meryl turned just at the magic hit her in the side, knocking her to the ground. She didn’t get up, laying on her side, smoke rising from a fresh wound. The wizard laughed.

“MERYL!” Ty called. She started towards the bobcat, but fell back as the wizard unloaded at her, throwing everything he had from his fortified spot. Gimble and Z ran at them, but before they could make it, The Nerd popped out from behind a car. He made quick motion with his hand, and for a moment, he was in two places at once, down the street where he had hidden, and at Meryl’s side. The Nerd down the street vanished, and the one at Meryl’s side drew a hole in the fabric of reality and disappeared into it, taking the witch with him.

Ty screamed, piercing the night, and it was as if it broke the seal around them. The world came to life again, the sound of cars bombarding them. More importantly, police sirens bellowed from down the street. A non-descript black sedan skidded to a stop in the intersection closest to them, and Agent Lebeux stepped out.

“Are you idiots having a magical shootout IN THE STREET??” She shouted.

“It’s the cops!” Elliot shouted back. “Scatter!”

Gimble and Z grabbed Ty, who was desperately trying to get to the spot where Meryl had been, tears streaming down her cheeks. They pulled her to a wall across the street from Elliot, and drew out a door. Gimble opened the door and ushered both of them in. She scanned until she found Elliot and waved her over.

Elliot froze, a million thoughts going through her head. The biggest one, though, shouted at her. YOUR FAULT. YOUR FAULT. She shook her head and started down the street. Gimble jumped through the door, sealing it behind her.

Elliot picked up into a trot, then a jog, running down University Avenue. Ahead, an alcove for an apartment entrance. Gimble appeared suddenly, another door open. “Come on! Let’s go home!”

Elliot backed away.

“Elliot,” Gimble said. “Come home, please.” She held out her hand for Elliot.

Elliot backed away. “I’m sorry.” She said, feeling tears beginning to well in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt her and I’m sorry.” She held her hand up, and a moment later, quicker than it ever had any business getting there, her broom dropped into her hand. She ran down the street, jumping on the broom and flying into the night.

[End of Part 1]

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