Chapter 18

Ana practically raced back to her apartment after she and Megumi were done training.

Her muscles were sore, she was covered in a thick layer of sweat, and she was getting dozens of curious looks from onlookers, but she wasn't paying them any attention. The only thing that mattered to Ana at the moment was that she got back to her apartment.

She burst through the doorway, startling the people who were walking about in the lobby, and dashing to the elevator. She pressed the button on the side, bouncing on her feet as she waited for the doors to open. She got tired of waiting after about ten seconds and ran to the emergency exit stairs, running two at a time up to her floor.

Ana fumbled with her keys as she ran down the hallway, practically bursting down the door and slamming it just as hard with her newfound energy.

She dashed throughout her apartment and ran into her bedroom, nearly slipping on the floor as she raced towards her closet. Ana flew open her closets' door and immediately tossed out a backpack, then began searching throughout her boxes and cabinets of clothes to find her costume that she had buried somewhere in one of the boxes. Which one, she couldn't quite remember.

Ana practically threw herself across the room when she heard phone go off while she was digging through her closet for her costume. "Hello?" She answered, feeling breathless.

"Ana?" She heard Tiffany's voice on the other end.

"What's up?" Ana called.

"I- I just called to check up on you because-" Ana heard some shuffling on the other end before Tiffany's voice became much closer to Ana's ear. "Y'know, the thing." Ana giggled to herself. "'The thing', you're so weird." Ana chuckled. Tiffany didn't seem as amused. "Ana this isn't time for jokes this is serious! Aren't you nervous?!" Tiffany hissed.

Ana stopped shuffling for a moment and thought.

"I mean, yeah.. Obviously.. But like- I'm super excited! Megumi and I have everything planned out, it's gonna be fine!"

Tiffany made a noise of uncertainty. "Where are you guys going?" She whispered.

"Where are you?" Ana's curiosity got the best of her. "Why are you whispering so much?"

She heard Tiffany let out a soft curse on the other end.

"I'm at the bus stop, I'm waiting for the next one, it should be here in like, I dunno, five minutes? Just tell me where you're going so I can be there." Ana finally found her outfit and began pulling it out of her closet. "Kadence." Ana said, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder. She heard Tiffany softly repeat the street's name on her end. "Okay," She said in a breathless whisper. "I'll be there."

Ana snorted, walking back into her bedroom. "Please lighten up, you know that Megumi and I won't be seriously going at it and yet you think I'm still gonna die." She heard Tiffany let out another frustrated sigh from her end before she finally responded, "It's okay, I'll be plenty nervous for both of us."

Ana put her phone on speaker and set it on her night table, tossing her costume onto her bed.

"What are you doing now?" Tiffany asked.

Ana pulled her shirt from over her head. "Gonna shower," She said making a disgusted face at her sweaty clothes. "Then I'm gonna change into my costume and head down to Kadence." "Shouldn't you wait until you get close enough to Kadence to do that though? If you leave in that costume, it'll be obvious as hell, damn near everybody in that building knows you, you damn social butterfly."

Ana paused as she went to grab her towel.

She had been so preoccupied with thinking about the plan that she didn't even remember basic secrecy!

"Hello? Ana are you there?"

Ana snapped out of her trance and picked up her phone, still leaving it on speaker. "Yeah I'm here, I just.." "Didn't think of that?" Tiffany snarkily finished Ana's sentence. Ana rolled her eyes. "What would I do without you babes." "Reveal your secret before you can even make the big debut." Tiffany deadpanned.

Ana hushed her. "Aren't you surrounded by people?! They'll hear you!"

"Oh now we're worried about secrecy." Ana could hear the eyeroll in her tone. She still took Ana's worries into consideration and continued in a whisper. "There aren't many people and they aren't paying m much attention-" "you think, they could be listening in." "Haven't even debuted yet and you're already riding the conspiracy theory train. Let me guess. Someone, somehow, telepathically already knows. Ana no one can over hear this conversation, at least not what you're saying."

"Except maybe the government."

Now Ana was sure Tiffany was rolling her eyes. "Save the conspiracy stuff for when the government tries to label you a liability for not working for them or letting them probe you."

"Tiffany-! Secrecy!"

"Relax, I'm alone in the back of the bus now, and I'm being quiet!" Ana only huffed in response. She glanced down at her costume. "So what should I do then? I don't want to bring a bag, I get the feeling there would be no way I would be able to get back anything I left behind…."

Her and Tiffany sat in thought for a moment before Tiffany spoke up again.

"I'll meet you around the back alley, bring a bag. You can change there and I'll hold onto your stuff. We can meet- depending on the situation- wherever you end up. I won't leave you hanging." Ana nodded. "Alright, let's meet behind that old café no one likes to go to anymore, I haven't seen that place open in ages." Ana told her.

"Okay- right the Cavar, that one, okay. I'll be there in ten minutes. Please be careful."

"Heh, no promises." Ana chuckled. "Anaaa.." Tiffany groaned, making Ana laugh harder. "Yes of course I'll be careful, just let me get ready and I'll meet you there."

--

To say Tiffany was on slightly on edge was an incredible understatement.

She was currently standing behind an old run-down café that had gone bankrupt after a massive scandal got out that they were putting rat poison in the food. Tiffany thought it was just a nasty rumor blown out of proportion until customers of the café ended up in the hospital for said poisoning. Afterwards, the owners were arrested and the building had gone to rot. Some new management tried to take it over at one point but no one really wanted to eat at a restaurant that had been proven to poison its customers, no matter how much new management it got; and eventually the place just got boarded up, no new entrepreneurs really wanted the burden of the building's reputation either.

Tiffany tapped her foot impatiently, her stomach churning from nervousness as she waited for Ana to arrive. She glanced around the corner, checking for what must be the fifth time if she had been followed. She had been tossing suspicious gazes and glares over her shoulder the entire conversation with Ana and during her entire venture to the old café. Deep down she knew if she just acted normal she wouldn't have gotten the wary attention that she did, but she didn't want to dwell on that for too long. Tiffany sighed as she checked the corner again. She could only distract herself with tidbits of information about abandoned buildings for so long.

If anything, the depressing atmosphere really wasn't helping her mood.

"Tiffany?" She heard a faint whisper. Tiffany's held snapped in the direction of the voice. "Ana?" She called back.

Said brunette came sheepishly out of the dark corners around the alley way, carrying a large blue backpack with dozens of neon geometrical shapes all over it. "Hey," She said, handing Tiffany the bag.

"Have you talked to Megumi?" Tiffany asked.

Ana nodded. "She should be on the main road by now, we agreed that she go somewhere that has the most people to cause a commotion." Ana unzipped the bag and pulled out what looked to be her costume and putting on top of Tiffany's shoulders (not without a glare from Tiffany) as she began to quickly strip and change into her costume.

Tiffany peered at the costume curiously. "This is the one you went with?" She asked offhandedly.

Ana paused while she was in the middle of slipping on her pants. "What do you mean?" She asked, looking up at Tiffany. "N-Nothing! I just- I thought you were going with the other one!" Ana pouted quietly as she tied up her hair. "I mean.. I was.. but I liked this one.." Tiffany gave her a wobbly smile. "It's fine! I was just surprised, it looks fine! What's this in the bottom?" Tiffany asked.

Ana looked in the bottom of the bag and pulled out her glasses and square ties that Rob and Sanchi had made for her. She slipped the articles on and gave Tiffany a beaming smile, pressing the lights on the square boxes making Tiffany snort and roll her eyes.

Tiffany and Ana stuffed her clothes back into her bag and Tiffany zipped it up quickly, taking in a deep sigh and giving Ana a confident smile.

"Welp this is it." Tiffany breathed. Ana let out a breathy huff and agreed. "Your big debut." She punched Ana's shoulder lightly. "Go get 'em hero."

Ana turned towards the dark of the alley way and gave Tiffany a wide smile, then dashed off into the night, Tiffany's smile falling with her disappearance.