Pippa doesn’t even recognize herself.

In the mirror, she appears how she remembers. Black tangly hair. Deep brown eyes. Olive skin that is a bit pale at the moment. But if one studies further, they would see the tension in her body. The permanent downtick of her lips. The worry lines.

But if the mirror truly showed her insides, she bets that she wouldn’t recognize any part.

Without Salen, who is she?

She knows her best friend wouldn’t want her hero persona to do what she is about to do, but Ink Spill has to pay.

So she doesn’t go to her enemy/rival turned boyfriend, Cotton. He would hate her for going to this person.

Beacon goes to the most notorious villain, the water-based woman with extremely diverse power set, who just happens to be Cotton’s mother.

“Hello, Beacon. Hero life not going so well,” Flood teases in a sing song voice.

“Ink Spill. What do you know about her?” Pippa sees no reason to go through the formalities. This is Flood for god’s sake. They both know she isn’t there for tea and gossip.

Tapping her chin, Flood looks upwards like she’s thinking, but it’s just to irritate Pippa. Finally she stops and gives her a sly smile. “I think I’ve heard of her. Jot my memory, would you?”

Clenching her teeth so much it hurt her gums, Pippa attempts to take deep breathes through her nose. When her breathing is under control, she answers Flood, even though Flood already knows. The villain just wants her to repeat it. “Ink Spill kidnapped me, my mom, Cotton, and my best friend. She wanted me to choose someone for her to kill. And she killed my best friend,” she recounts, keeping the neutral mask on.

It’s amazing how her voice doesn’t shake and her eyes stay dry. Perhaps it’s the focus on being angry that is overtaking her grief. Either way, Flood looks mildly impressed with slightly raised eyebrows.

“You chose your best friend? So much for best friends forever,” she taunts.

If Pippa wasn’t already putting all her fury towards Ink Spill, she would be fuming at Flood.

But she can’t waste energy on her right now.

Crossing her arms and giving her best glare, she grumbles out, “I didn’t choose. She sacrificed herself.”

“And what? You want revenge?”

“Yes.”

That causes a laugh from Flood. Not one of joy but one that you let out when a child is being foolish and naive. Pippa hates it. Flood can barely contain herself. “Are you sure? Because I’ve been told once you go to the dark side, it’s hard to go back.”

“I’ll take my chances. So I’ll ask again. What do you know about Ink Spill?” She hates how this whole family doesn’t get to the point. While she cares for Cotton, they all have a way of circling and not making sense.

“She is very elusive. It took me years to find her,” Flood divulges, staring at her nails, disinterested.

As if this was about the weather. Not her friend’s killer.

If only Pippa could go to anyone else, but of course, with Beacon’s limited network of mostly heroes, Flood is her most viable option. Unfortunately.

Taking in what Flood stated, Pippa decided to ask a question of her own. “Why’d you want to find her?”

Did Ink Spill do something to Flood? Or vice versa?

“Doesn’t matter. What matters is that I know her real name. Where she lives,” Flood teases, a smile forming on her lips. It isn’t the motherly kind. Not soft and kind. No, all sharp and jagged edges.

“What about her powers? Her limits?” Pippa questions, pressing further. She has no idea how long Flood will talk, so she needs to milk as much information as she can.

“Her weaknesses you mean? And how does this involve your revenge?”

“Does it matter to you?” Pippa is tired of Flood and her constant questions that she is pretty sure Flood doesn’t care for the answers. She just revels in the gossip. Having one over her since the great teenage hero is stopping so low going to her.

She raises her shoulders slightly. “Sure it does. You are sort of like my daughter in law,” she jokes.

Pippa cringes at the use of daughter in law. For one, Flood would be a bear of a mother in law. Second, Pippa is a a teenager so marriage is the last thing on her mind. And lastly, Cotton probably won’t be with her after this.

“I doubt it. Especially now,” she lets slip out. She didn’t intend for that to be public knowledge, but her filter is faltering with Flood. She can’t keep going in this conversation with her for much longer.

“Oh,” she exclaims with so much glee. “My son doesn’t know about this little chit chat you’re having with little old me. How scandalous.”

Fatigue is setting in. Finding Flood took a bit more effort than Pippa would like to admit, especially without using Cotton for help. “Just tell me what you know.”

“You should know one thing about revenge. It comes from a dark place. Not sure if a sunny, little hero like yourself has it in you,” she taunts. Pippa rolls her eyes. She knows her perception and normally she’s fine with it, happy even.

Under any other circumstances, she would want to be that role model.

But it isn’t under any other circumstances.

“Would you like to exact my revenge?” She questions, annoyed at this prolonged conversation. It should be done by now.

“No, that would be too easy.”

“Then what are you saying?” If she pushes her an inch more, Pippa might cut her losses and find Ink Spill another way. (No she won’t).

Flood circles her like prey, an unsettling smile on her face. Like she knows more than Pippa. Which she does. She knows she has the upper hand. The ball is in her court.

Stopping in front of Pippa, her hand outstretches and takes a black curl of Pippa’s in her finger and twirls it. “You know what light creates? A shadow. Beacon may be your hero side, but Shadow is your villain side. You’ll need it for what comes next.”