Chapter Three

It's a long hallway. A cold, dark hallway, all the doors have bars. Shelly sits in one of those cells for her outburst in the capital. She sits quietly in her cell, listening and observing all around her. It's been about twelve hours since her arrest. Her cell sits at the very end of the hallway on the left side. For hours, on hours, on hours, on hours, all she hears are the constant scuffle of boots walking up and down the long, dark, cold, hallway. Finally she hears another noise, different from the normal scuffle. The sound of heels echo throughout the hall over top of the normal boot scuffle. Then, the noise all stops. Shelly looks up and sees Raven standing with a guard.

"I'm sorry officer. I'll try to make sure it won't happen again." says Raven with a face of anger.

"Next time the Elder may not let me just arrest her. I can't always promise I'll be able to pull this string." replies the guard taking a ring of keys out of his pocket.

"Thank you." says Raven giving a sigh of relief.

"There, she's free." says the guard as he opens the doors to Shelly's cage.

"Come on, I don't have anymore time to waste wandering around this city." says Raven grabbing Shelly by the arm.

"I'm sorry. I really am. Please don't tell my mom. She'll kill me. I just, I, I, I just spoke my mind." pleads Shelly to Raven who doesn't even glance over at Shelly as they walk down the hallway.

"You're on the first trip out of here in the morning." says Raven sternly.

"Raven, you can't do this. Please!"

"Shelly. I told you. I am way to busy trying to save what's left of this s**t hole of a world. I don't have time to babysit a teenager."

"What if I stay back, like here in the capital?"

"I left you alone in the capital for two hours and you got arrested!"

"I spoke my mind."

"You made an a*s of yourself. There's a difference."

"You're being such a b***h!"

"I don't care Shelly, I really don't. I can't do what I need to do and worry about you shutting this operation down."

"You always tell me that you got to where you are now by speaking your mind. You helped spark a revolution for god's sake! Maybe that's what this place needs, is someone brave enough to stand up for it." pleads Shelly as they approach the door of the prison. 

"Maybe you're right." says Raven as she puts her hand on the door.

"I can stay back with Emily and we can try and change this place." continues Shelly with her pleading.

"And April, Ace and I can continue looking for the last Psychic." says Raven pushing the door open.

"You'll do it?" says Shelly with excitement bubbling from her face.

"What choice do I have? This place needs a revolution." says Raven with a smile.

The Black Widow sits in a stool at the counter of the book store. Ed walks out from the back with his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and his satchel over his shoulder.

"I'll be back in a few hours, I've got some errands to run." says Ed.

"Alright, you be careful out there." says the Widow with a smile. Ed walks out the front door of the store with his satchel and a little pep in his step. The Black Widow minds her own business reading and reading. The bookstore has so many different books she may never have to read the same book twice. The Widow hears the bell at the top of the front door.

"Hello welcome to Ed's Assorted Books, do you need help finding anything?" asks the Widow.

"Uh, yea actually. I'm looking for a book on Dragons if you have that." says Emerald walking into the bookstore with Matt following her.

"Well what kind of book are you looking for?" asks the Widow getting off the stool.

"Information." says Matt.

"Well, we have, let me see here. Oh! Here it is!" says The Widow pulling a book from the shelf.

"The History and Characteristics of Dragons." says Matt taking the book. 

"That'll do." says Emerald with a grin.

"Okay great! That will be fifteen coins." says The Widow opening the cash register.

"Oh no." says Matt with a chuckle.

"You see, were taking this." says Emerald with a grin.

"Are you trying to rob me?" asks the Widow.

"Now you get the hints." says Matt pulling out his angel blade.

"It would be a shame if I had to slit your throat." says Emerald who lets her claws grow from her fingers.

"You can fight, or you can just let us walk out." says Matt who's chuckle has disappeared and the smile on his face has turned to a face of seriousness. 

"I'm going to ask you nicely to put the book down and walk out." says the Widow as she stands up from the stool.

"Honey, you don't scare us. We've been hunting bounties for almost as long as you've been alive." says Emerald glaring into the Black Widow's eyes.

Emerald takes a swing with her claws at Widow's face. Widow moves back and puts her hands up, with them both open. The Widow notices how close Matt is to the door. The Widow turns her hands so that her palms face her, and she pushes them towards her. The door swings open, hitting Matt in the back forcing him to the ground. Emerald jumps onto the counter swinging at the Widow again, but once again the Widow moves away. The Widow picks up her stool and swings at Emerald connecting right on target, knocking her off the counter, straight to the floor. Matt gets back up to his feet and regains his composure. He reaches for his blade, but the Widow has already taken it from his grasp.

"Now I'm going to suggest one more time that you get the hell out of this store before I sent you to wherever freaks like you go when you die." says the Widow pointing the blade at Matt's sternum. Matt opens the door behind him and he walks out never taking his eyes from the Widow's gaze. Emerald scurries out right behind Matt, not even gaining enough composure to take her hands off the ground. 

The Widow sways her hand and the door slams closed. She turns to look at the mess of books and a broken stool and begins the clean up. One by one she puts the book back in their places. She picks up the three pieces the stool has broken into and just throws them back down. 

"I guess I'll just have to buy him a new stool." says the Widow to herself, followed by a chuckle.