Polly had thought she would be able to spend tonight looking more into the history of town after her talk with Filbert yesterday, but when she walked in the kitchen she would get the last news she wanted to hear.

  She frowned after receiving the unwanted information from Filbert. “When did this happen?”

  “Last night,” Filbert replied. “They don’t know how she got out but they found a few guards knocked out.”

  So Laura had escaped. Polly knew she needed to act fast. “Thank you for telling me, Filbert.” She began walking out of the kitchen.

  “Where are you going?” Filbert asked.

  Polly turned back to him. “I’m going to find Laura. She needs to be stopped before anyone else gets hurt.”

  “Don’t you think she should eat something before that?” Filbert asked. “If you run into her and you don’t have enough energy to fight it’ll be bad.”

  Polly nodded. She grabbed a couple pieces of bacon. She smiled softly at Filbert. “I’m sure you’ll save me some eggs and toast.”

  Filbert sighed. “Yeah… you know I will.” He smiled at her. “Be careful out there. Like I said, they don’t know the circumstances for her getting out of her cell. Who knows what she has up her sleeve.”

  “I’ll be ready for eating she has,” Polly replied, taking a bite of bacon as she walks out the door.

  ——

  Henry sat in his chair, letting out a frustrated growl as he held his head. How the hell did she escape? All that work he and Polly did to finally put her away.

  “You doing okay there, Henry?” A voice asked.

  Henry looked up to see Malcolm leaning against the door, bringing the coffee he had in his hand to his lips.

  “Did you not hear?” Henry asked. “Laura Cortez-“

  “I know,” Malcolm interrupted. “She escaped. But what you see as a disaster I see as an opportunity.”

  Henry gave him a deadpan look. “Opportunity?”

  “Of course,” Malcolm grinned for a second before his look got serious. “Ever since she was put away I’ve got the feeling that more people have been warming up to that… freaky friend of yours.”

  “Polly’s not a freak,” Henry said.

  Malcolm rolled his eyes. “Sure she’s not. Look, I don’t care if she’s your friend or not. We can’t have more people of this town looking to her as a savior. This town has a bad reputation as it is.” He finished his coffee and threw the cup in the nearby trash. “The last thing we need is someone like that as it’s protector.”

  “Why’s that?” Henry asked his crossed, a smirk coming to his face. “Jealous that she was able to deal with Cortez and you weren’t? Afraid she’s doing a better job of you?”

  Malcolm glared at him. “You think this is a joke? That freak’s giving this town an even worse name! And she may have put Cortez away but she sure as hell couldn’t keep her away!”

  “How is that Polly’s fault?” Henry asked. “You expect her to just watch Laura’s cell all the time?”

  “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean we can just let her off the hook,” Malcolm said. A look came on his face as if he were in thought. “She’s a mysterious one, that friend of yours. And I’m not just talking about that ugly mug she’s hiding.”

  Henry gave him a hard look. “Polly’s not ugly.” His look was replaced with one of sorrow. “She’s just badly scarred.”

  “No,” Malcolm replied. “This town is badly scarred. We don’t need freaks like her cutting it’s name any deeper.” He walked out of the office.

  A frustrated sigh escaped Henry’s lips. “There’s just no talking to that guy.”

  —-

  “I know this must be hard for you,” Dolly told Polly. She was sitting next to her friend as they were being driven around. She currently had her mask off as she gave the blonde a look of sorrow. “All that work to put that bitch in prison only for her to escape?” A scowl came on the artist’s face. “Some cops this town has, huh?”

  “I wouldn’t blame them,” Polly said. “Someone like Laura was sure to find some kind of way to escape. What’s important is finding her and stopping her before she can hurt anyone else.”

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  “If you say so,” Dolly let out a sigh. Her expression turned soft as she offered her friend a smile, “A kind woman you are, Polly.”

  Polly smiled back warmly. “That’s what I’m all about. Don’t be too hard on them, okay? Not all of them agree with me being around but I’m sure they wanted Laura to be stopped just as me as me and Henry did and are working hard to find her.” She looked around the window for a moment before her eyes went to Dolly again. “Thanks so much for offering to drive me around.”

  “It’s no problem at all, Polly,” Dolly said.

  “I wasn’t sure about it at first,” Polly replied. “I thought it would be better to keep an eye out from a roof but driving around let’s me see places wouldn’t really be able to see otherwise. Good thinking, Dolly.”

  Dolly put a hand on Polly’s shoulder. “You know I’m here to help you, Polly. I wouldn’t suggest an idea if it was a bad one. We’re partners, remember? In this together.”

  Polly looked back at Dolly as she smiled again. “You’re right…we are.”

  “We’re gonna find this Cortez chick,” Dolly said. “And we’re gonna make sure she doesn’t harm anyone else. After that… we’ll continue on. Doing what we need to do to make the town of Rothly what it deserves to be.”

  Polly nodded. She hadn’t known Dolly for a long time, but she had showed her that she was just as much in this as she was. Together, they would help their town and make things better for everyone. As long as they stuck by each other’s side, everything was going to be great.

  ——

  Polly Everwood.

  The one who took her down. The hated hero. The outcast of Rothly. All these things were true about the woman that had managed to get Laura locked up.

  The newly escaped woman held a picture of Polly as she sat on the couch of the hideout that had been set up for her in case events such as the one she had endured happened.

  The vigilante was a fascinating individual. She went to all that trouble to take her down for people who couldn’t stand the sight of her. Ironically enough, that was the kind of person Laura wanted on her side.

  Laura made that clear to the hero herself. But she refused. She had offered her a hand to make her life better, had the means to do so, and she knew Polly knew that. But she still turned her down, fighting her for the very town that would continue to show nothing but hatred towards her. As she thought about this, Laura chuckled a bit. Polly would make such a good ally. It would be a waste to kill her. But if it came to a time were it was clear that needed to be done she would do it.

  Her thoughts would be stopped when she felt something on the back of her head. A gun.

  “Well well well, what have we here?” A mocking voice asked.

  Another chuckle escaped Laura’s mouth as she knew the voice all too well. A rival of hers for years, Jake Decker was as much of a weasel as those came. He wanted the throne she had sat on all this time. It seemed with her being locked up he finally had it, which meant with her now being out that was no longer going to be the case.

  How right he is.

  “Didn’t expect to see your old pal Jake did you?” Jake’s grin was sinister as he had his hands in his pockets. Along with the guy who had his gun to the back of Laura’s head, two other goons accompanied him. “You know, everyone was wondering when you would end up when they heard the news. Some thought you were gone for good, others felt that you would find your way out somehow. I’m of the latter category. I knew you would get out.”

  Laura didn’t give a response. She remained quiet, not even attempting to turn, not making any move at all.

  “Oh, don’t feel like talking huh?” Jake laughed. “Well good. I don’t think you have too much of anything of value to say anymore. You may have found your way out, but you only ran to your own demise.”

  He made his way to the front of the choice, where he was now facing her. Laura’s looked up at him, a blank look on the woman’s face.

  “You thought you’d be safe out here?” Jake asked. He broke into another fit of laughter. “Well you would have been…had it not been for that good buddy of yours.”

  “….Drew?” Laura finally spoke.

  “That’s the one!” Jake laughed. “You were always a good help when you wanted to be, Cortez.”

  “So was Drew,” Laura gave what seemed to be a disappointed sigh. She had her eyes closed.

  But Jake noticed something when she opened them back up. The look she had didn’t match the feeling he was sure just a few moments ago she had.

  “Or should I say is helpful,” Laura smiled, getting up from her seat. “As he’s always been.”

  “Do I shoot now, sir?!” The guy who had held the gun to her head asked.

  “I told you not until I tell you too!” Jake replied. He scoffed as his eyes went back to Laura. He pulled out his own gun and pointed it at Laura. “Don’t make a move, Cortez.” His grin returned. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for-“

  “This moment?” Laura asked, looking at her fingernails, which irritated Jake. “Oh?” She looked up once more. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I really should be more polite. I’ve been waiting for this moment too.”

  “What?” Jake asked. “You suicidal or something?”

  “Now what gave you that idea?” Laura asked, her head tilting as her eyes stayed on the man in front of her. “Is it because you figured it out?”

  “Figured what out?!” Jake snapped. He wasn’t going to let her ruin this for him.

  “That I told Drew to tell you where I am,” Laura said simply.

  There was silence in the room. Jake had frozen with an expression that was mix of shock and confusion. He gritted his teeth. “W-What the hell are you talking abo-“

  “Holy shit!” One of the goons yelled out as he and the others saw their boss set up on the roof.

  Jake didn’t know how to respond as he was yelled up on the roof by what seemed to be a force of gray sand. “L-Laura…”

  Laura gave a chuckle, one much more sinister than the ones before. That went even better than she thought. Her right hand, which had turned into the sand that was holding Jake up, suddenly had more pressure applied, which hurt the man it captured.

  “Well boys,” Laura said, her eyes going to the men behind her. “I’d say you just realized you were never in control of the situation.”

  Her hand had returned to her. There was enough sand holding Jake up. She stood on the table that was in front of the couch as her hands went behind her back as she gave an amused smile.

  “The rules of the game have changed I’m afraid,” Laura said. “You want to rule a town like Rothly? You have to learn to embrace the freaky side that comes with. It’s too bad you won’t be around to do that.”

  The man that had pointed the gun to her head found himself as the next one to be wrapped in sand. He screamed as the other two attempted to shoot but were hit to the wall by another force of sand.

  The one being held shook as he tried to get out. It was no use. Laura had gotten closer to him. She gave him a pat on the head. Within moments after, the man couldn’t let out a single word as sand was making its way into his mouth and down his throat as Jake watched in horror.