"Ari, nice to meet you. You look awfully familiar." Jordan's mother said, cheerfully.

     "She's Andre's younger sister." Jordan explained, knowing it would gain their blessing.

     "Well I know you're a sweet girl then, we love Andre. And the more I think about it, I think we've heard about you a few times from Jordan." She put on a smile.

   "Oh really?" Ari turned to glare at Jordan, and if looks could kill, Jordan would be beyond dead.

  "Nope, no, probably all bad things." They made something up.

    "Well are you going with Jordan to the memorial tonight?" Their father asked.

    "Yes I absolutely wouldn't miss it. Brink was the best." Ari smiled, she had no problems with Brink before he died, though she found him to be a little weird.

   "Great! We'll let you two lovebirds go on, me and your mother have a lot of catching up to do."

    "It was nice to finally meet you, you seem like a lovely girl. I have a feeling you two will be together a long time" Their mom gave her a welcoming hug, already liking her.

     Jordan said goodbye to their parents with their own hug. "She's a pretty girl, she seems like a keeper." Their mother whispered in their ear,  before they closed the door. They tried to hide their blush, embarassed by the whole situation.

   Ari waited a second before she spoke. "I'm not even going to ask why your parents know anything about me, but what. The. Actual. Fuck."

   "I couldn't tell them we weren't dating." They looked guilty.

    "Now they think we're fucking dating Jordan." Ari yelled, not exactly mad, but obviously not too elated about the whole situation. 

    "We just have to act like we're dating, atleast at the memorial."

  "Great. How am I supposed to pretend to like you? And much more than that, pretend I'm in love with you?"

"I mean it's easy for most people. And you did it before." Jordan laughed. They knew they were right. 

"You're so full of yourself. I'm just going to go. I'll see you at Brink's memorial, since you're apparently my partner again."

    "Look." Jordan put a hand on her, softly. "People would love it, I mean if two top ten supes were dating they'd go crazy for it. It's just an act. We can still hate each other."

    "Fine. We can walk in together. I'll just try to look like I'm in love with you."

   "I bet it'll be easy. You did it once before."

                                  ✯★⁂★✯

   Ari didn't know how the memorial would be, but she didn't expect a red carpet outside.

   Jordan wrapped an arm around her, posing as the photographers took their photos. They looked like they were together, something Ari was thankful for in the moment, as all eyes were on them.

Ari had plenty of social media training to know just how to pose.

When they walked through the dozens of cameras and bright lights in the room Marie was with dean Shetty, Jordan giving Marie a glare as they walked past.

"I'll be right back." Jordan left Ari alone to talk to one of the trustees on the board committee.

   She just sat at a bar, with a drink.

"I don't like to ring my own bell, but I am putting up the best stats of everyone here. Forensics, combat." Jordan spoke to the trustee, putting a hand on his back.

"Mm, but you don't like to ring your own bell?" He asked, half jokingly.

"Look. I know how it works. I know that the trustees decide the rankings. Look. I'd love your vote." Jordan looked desperate. They wanted the fame, they wanted to be a top supe.

"I like you Jordan. I just wish I liked your numbers. A rating, name recognition, social trending... all down." 

"Well, Brink always said those aren't the numbers that matter."

"He's not here anymore." He pointed towards Brinks picture.

 Their face dropped, the sadness and reality of it all rushing in.

"Look. I think I found something to bring my ranking up. Or more so someone." They motioned with their head in the direction of Ari. Watching her as she took a sip of champagne in her black and white fitted dress from the bar, her curves being shown off perfectly.

 In only a moment Jordan's parents walked by, blocking their view from her. 

"Hi." Jordan's dad stuck his hand out to shake the trustees hand. "We're Jordan's folks. Paul.My wife Kayla." He motioned towards his wife.

"Hi, Nice to meet you." She shook his hand too.

"Kyle Vogler. You have a fine kid. A real go-getter."

"Don't let him fool you. He was a holy terror as a boy." Their father said causing alll of them to laugh, except for Jordan. "Where are you from, Kyle?"

Jordan zoned them out, as they watched their parents walk down the room with Kyle.

 Ari got out of her chair to walk over to them, noticing the look of dissapointment. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned with their expressions.

"Yea I'm fine. Come with me." They gave her a kiss on the cheek before pulling her along, hoping a camera person would notice quickly, and they did, snapping what felt like thousands of pictures of them together.

Jordan's parents and Kyle were now sitting in some type of lounge area, talking about them without them being present.

 "Sorry I'm back." They apologized taking a seat, and motioning for Ari to sit on their lap, to really pull the act together.

"Like I was saying... when he was in third grade, there was this girl Ruby." Their dad spoke, only acknowledging the male side of them, like he always did.

"Don't embarrass him, his girlfriend is here."

"No, it was forever ago. Jordan used to chase Ruby around the playground, trying to kiss her." Their dad chuckled, remembering Jordans childhood. "Try getting away with that this day and age.. until one day, Ruby whacks him clean in the face with a Noir Lunch box. Knocked his front tooth out. Now, that's spirit. I used to say, Jordan and Ruby, they're going to be husband and wife one day.' He stopped to look at his child for an answer. " Whatever happened to her Jordan?"

Jordan grabbed their glass beside them, switching into their female form. Ari felt the switch, and they could still hold her up with ease.

"Well daddy, we used to try on prom dresses together in highschool. So maybe we can be wife and wife."

"Sorry about this. He can get dramatic." Their dad looked embarrassed. 

"Nothing to apologize for. You got a great kid here. I'm just gonna let you catch up." Kyle smiled as he left, he left just in time.

"I can go too." Ari got up, but quickly sat back down as Jordan wrapped their hand around her waist.

"Stay." Jordan insisted, needing someone to be there for them when their parents weren't. She nodded and settled back into their lap.

"We really did come just to show our support. Not an easy drive, FYI, but Dr. Cohen says we got to meet you halfway." His dad said, letting Ari know about their families therapist.

"Paul. Not now, and not here." Their mom chimed in.

"Point is, we're trying."

"I'm not a boy dad. Not all the time. And I'm sorry that you hate that." They looked their dad in the eye, but saw nothing, but disappointment.

"But you are. You're my first born son. The day you were born was the best day of my life. I thought we were giving you a gift with compound v."

"You did give me a gift."

"Can we please not talk about this? Especially not in front of Ari here." Kayla warned her husband.

"For you, maybe." Their dad continued despite the complaints from his wife. "I'm no bigot. I get a lot of kids don't have a choice. But you do. You can be a boy forever if you want. Sometimes I think you change into a girl just to spite me."

"Paul stop." Hiswife warned again for the last time.

Ari wanted to do something, or say something, but she knew it wasn't her place.

"I'm just... the kid addicted to their PlayStation. Who goes to Olive Garden just for the bread sticks. Who binges property brothers. I've never changed dad. I've always just been me." Jordan wanted them to say anything, anything at all, but no one knew what to say, so Jordan set Ari down and just walked away, with her following close behind them.

"Are you okay?" She asked them even though she already knew the answer.

"I just need some space. Go find your dad, I'm sure he'll want to be with you."

She felt bad, but there was nothing for her to do, but what they said. She wanted to talk to him, atleast deep down.

  "Good, there you are. Your brother keeps running away, at least i'll have one child to make a good impression with." Polarity said firmly, as they were gathered around waiting for dean Shetty to begin her speech.

  Ari didn't even get to say a word, before Shetty started.

   "I want to start by welcoming you all tonight under such unfathomable circumstances. Our beloved Brink's death was not just a tragedy." The dean spoke calmly, being the only thing Ari heard before her brother showed up.

  "Where the hell'd you go?" He whispered, quite angrily at the fact that he had disobeyed his wishes to stay with him.

  "I was getting some air. Chill."

   Ari couldn't focus on the speech anymore.

   "You just left dad?" She looked angry, but she had no right to be.

"Yea sorry I left while you were so busy with your boyfriend.  When did you and Jordan get so fucking close?" Andre asked his sister in a faint whisper, with intent to make her mad.

"Partner." She didn't even deny the relationship, even though it was a fake one now, she just simply remembered their conversation with their parents. They weren't a boy all of the time and Andre knew that.

"You two stop fighting like children." Their father hushed them so they could listen to the speech.

"But in darkness, stars can truly shine. Like Marie moreau."  Shetty announced, the light shining on Marie in her red ball gown. "The Guardian Of Godolkin." Everyone started clapping.

Polarity glared at his children as she continued, angry that neither of them were up there.

"That's right. So let's give Marie and stars like her the future she deserves. A donation to the #thinkbrink foundation will provide long overdue upgrades to the combat gym and the recording studio. So please open your hearts. Give generously. Right Marie?" She looked over at her.

Marie didn't know what to do except for smile as the Dean and other people in the room laughed.

"Any donation would be appreciated, but of course a large donation would be even more appreciated." She continued, as Ari made her way back over to the bar to find Jordan with a drink.

"What happened to you?" Cate asked them, already at the bar.

"Parents." Jordan said, feeling so many emotions, that they wouldn't ever say aloud.

"Say no more." Cate took a glove off and touched the hand of the bartender.

Ari was scared of her power. She knew how dangerous it could be, despite people constantly underestimating her.

"Vodka. The expensive shit you save for the big swinging dicks. And three glasses." Cate noticed Ari from the side.

He handed her the vodka and the glasses.

"Shall we?"

They nodded and both followed her to a table where the three of them could be alone, or as alone as they could be in a crowded room.

Jordan pushed down the glass of vodka as Brink's memorial video played in the background.

"My dad and Andre are arguing. Should I go over there?" She noticed them from afar.

"Andre can handle himself, see? They're fine." Cate said, as a man went towards her dad with an open palm, to introduce himself.

"No fucking way.." Jordan said, before turning away from the Cate and Ari. "Hey Moreau."

"I'm not in the mood okay?" Marie groaned, not wanting to hear any negative comments. "You can attack me in the morning."

"I'm surprised you can walk straight with everyone's tongue lodged up your ass."

"Leave me alone. You don't know shit about me."

"Brownnoser, one-upper. Mommy and daddy's perfect little hero." They smiled, thinking they got it right.

"Yea well that's definitely not me, because my parents are dead.. because I killed them." Marie paused. "You happy?"

"Bullshit." They laughed, not believing her. 

Ari suddenly knew how she felt. Atleast in some way. She didn't kill her own parents, but she killed people without the control of her powers.

"I didn't know I had powers until my first period. I couldn't control the blood and it sliced through my mom's body. Dad came in. Same deal." She wiped the smile off of Jordan's face.

"You're a fucking asshole." Ari whispered in Jordan's ear, her breath tickling the back of their neck.

"Fuck." Cate looked stunned.

"Yeah. I'm the last person who thinks they're a hero. I fucking hate myself half the time. And I just spent the entire night being dragged around like a show pony, so I'm not in the mood for your shit."

"Hey." Cate spoke gently, almost like she was scared Marie would break. She moved a chair over to their table, and patted down on it.

Marie was hesitant at first but obliged. She sat.

"We were camping. I was nine. My parents were setting up the tent. My little brother kept kicking my shins, so I grabbed him by the arm and I told him to go away and never come back. So he did. He just walked right into the woods. That was the first time my powers showed up. I didn't know." Cate started.

"Jesus."

"There was a... search party. Dogs. You know? It went on for weeks. But... nothing. My mom never touched me again. Neither did my dad."

"I had no idea." Jordan looked almost upset for her.

"Neither did I." Ari said. She didn't realize how down to earth Cate actually was. She had all of her brothers friends wrong.

"I'm so sorry." Marie looked visibly upset.

"It is not your fault. Your parents shot you up with a dangerous drug when you were a baby to make a buck off of you." Cate reminded her.

"No my parents weren't like that." She denied.

"Yes they were. They did this. You didn't. Don't spend a fucking minute crying over them." There was nothing but silence, until Ari said something.

"I killed my best friends. All of them."

Marie and Cate looked at her, with confusion, but Jordan didn't. They already knew.

After all, it's the reason she hated them for so long.