Something cold pricks the side of my neck and I feel a wooziness wash over me, passing as quickly as it came. When I turn with incredulous glare towards the source of that familiar voice, I'm faced with an impossible sight. In the glint of the girl's glasses I'm reminded of her double, glimpsing the back of her head as those empty eyes scan through my personal files. "D-Danielle? If you're in two places at once... do you have--"

"I can only create one mirror form so it's practically useless for hero business, Orchard, but suits me just fine for freaky threesomes. I'd invite you to see for yourself but I have work to do and I know you're straight as an arrow." My roommate smirks and I can't help but match it given the day I've had so far, fingers tracing over my neck when I remember that she jabbed me with something. 

"Dani, you're going to tell me what's going on here or... ah, you know what..." Why question her here when I can pull her into my orchard first? With roots extending towards her, I snare the college girl all too easily and hold her in that precious place of mine, only lightly corrupted by sinful dryad's presence and Murmur's dark essence. "Now, since you seem to know my identity already let's go ahead and skip the tour. Tell me wh- hey!" 

Before I can scramble to figure out how Danielle's double just disappeared from sight, I find a fist connecting with my face in the real world. I'm sent reeling onto a pile of old boxes, roots torn from the ground and fading back into the noncorporeal. Did she recall her mirror form just to deploy it again, outside of my orchard? That she can even do that makes her a decent foil even if she's right in saying that her use is too limited elsewhere. My eyes flutter open after being quite literally blindsided by such a nasty sucker punch, only to find the mirror recalled along with my roots. 

Cupping my cheek and rising to my feet with a groan, I inspect my roommate more closely, though keep enough distance to avoid earning myself a black eye. If Discoman has her up to this then there's nothing on that drive they don't already know, I can leave her be for now. It's whatever she just chipped me with that's the real cause for concern, more tech meant to control me? Am I being converted into his puppet right now?

"Check in the mirror, Joy. That tech your roommate wears doubles as surveillance and well, it was just a prototype remember? If you'd worn them to Murmur's capture attempt things might've gone much differently in the aftermath, I suppose I'm to blame... hehe." Hivemind is still keeping an eye on me? Guess that makes two of Nova Hero Agency's biggest stars if she's implying what I think.

Turning my back to Danielle and rushing into the bathroom, I inspect myself and find red dots in my pupils that blink when I notice them. Did the city's techiest hero just transform me into his own personal surveillance camera? Does this mean they're onto Hive or is it just another precaution? Is Disco acting alone or on Nicole's orders? My mind is racing too quickly for me to steer elegantly, quickly reaching for my phone before my fingers freeze in sudden understanding. I can't call Murmur or the gig is up, nor can I overreact to being chipped like this when I should still be conditioned to accept their golden rules. 

With fist clenching tightly in my pocket, I return my gaze to the mirror and give my best placid smile, hoping I'm not laying it on too thick when I suddenly speak aloud. "Oh, are you watching me sir? Sorry I-I was just startled by Danielle, but I think I understand now. Thanks for keeping me safe! It'd be great if Murmur came after me while these are in..." I was a little too obvious in noticing the dots so I can't simply pass it off, at least they'll be impressed by my hero's intuition or whatever. 

What am I going to do now? Everything's ruined... even if I can find a way of getting rid of this surveillance I'd have no excuse for why I did so. The thought that I might not be able to sleep in Murmur's bed tonight fills me with a sense of dread I don't remember feeling since I first realised I'd forgotten those contacts and earphones. It's a little ironic I suppose. 

"Hive, you're going to have to get a hold of Murmur and relay all of this, I can't speak openly. Please hurry, I'm really panicking here. I'm going to have to go to college like normal, I can't let anything look suspicious. Fuck, I'll need an excuse for where I've been sleeping too..." It's near impossible to keep my cool on the outside as I wash my face and find some concealer to hide Dani's mean right hook with. 

"Yes Miss Williams! That w-won't be hard, she's currently- ah-ahh... in the room with me. One of me... or well, a couple..." The pang of jealousy I feel at this news is difficult to describe, especially given my current predicament. It hurts more than the sting against my cheek, but I've more pressing matters. "She... she say's it's nothing to worry about and to get yourself to school like a good girl. Her words, not mine."

"Gotcha..." 

"Joy oh Joy, a damn fine girl our Joy. One of your five a fuckin' day... real precocious thing unlike our Dronielle. Status report girl, up the tempo 'kay?" Discoman taps rhythmically into his wrist mounted keyboard and activates the pleasant hum of static that has Danielle so blank, a perfect robot. His voice pours into her ears like warm honey, if there's one thing you can give him due credit for it's that smooth tone. 

Dani sits alone, having not moved from the computer once as her roommate left with new understanding. The empty drone takes a while to respond before summoning her mirror when that sagging jaw just feels too heavy to move. "Good morning or ah... afternoon, master! It's... well uhm, status report? Didn't you see everyth--"

"Almost everything, doll! You just hush now, I prefer the blank one. Far too many chatty women in my life already." With a snap of fingers over the line, Dani's mirror is dispelled and the drone forced to find her words. 

"There..." Her voice lacks any emotion now, having siphoned it all out onto that other self. As Murmur experimented with Joy's power, so too has Disco tested Dani's. "There was... something... strange? In her... her orchard..." 

One hand still glued to the computer mouse, Dani turns her other one as sweet nectar reflects from her parted digits. "I... t-touched it, briefly..."

"Well I'll be. I'll send a testing kit to be returned pronto, it's probably nothing but... well damn, girl. I've got nothing better to be doing while Nic's in such a mood. Hospitalised more crooks this week by herself than you could pack in the damn ER, ugly shit. Keep that between us okay girl?" Disco taps his leg, cursing his bad habit, lips looser than a dancer's shoulders. 

Strolling into college like it's any other day in my aimless education was strange enough in the days proceeding Mistress Murmur's takeover, now I just feel sick. The worst part is, I never even got around to the reason I dropped by my room in the first place so I'll have to be extra careful and hide my--

"Earth to Joy! Got wax in your ears or something?" My best friend Laura catches me in the corridor, trying not to make it obvious that she was waiting for me here. The blonde turns red when she draws closer and gets a better look at me, reminiscent of the one Firefly once gave Orchard. Staying quiet for a moment as I acknowledge her with a slightly callous look, my mind still racing with worry at where I'll sleep tonight, Laura notices me without my bag again and breaks the silence with a forced laugh. "Oh hey, forgot your textbook today as well? Guess we can share again, it's only a minor but I like sharing a class with you and aha... if you keep forgetting like this I'll start to think you're doing it on purpose to--"

"Laura, please." I don't mean to be so short with her, wishing I could enjoy our usual harmless banter as I chew my lip and remember to be grateful that she isn't bringing up all these hickeys I've done a poor job of hiding. 

"I know, I know. Kidding. You'll find your tall dark and handsome soon enough with your dating power, ice queen. Hehe, maybe you already d--" When Laura reaches out to hover a finger over my collarbone in this low vest, I grab her wrist and find myself surprised at the reflexes even if I am a junior crimefighter. After all, this is Firefly. I only let go of her wrist to grab her bicep, the other arm following suit as I push her up against the corridor's wall and drink in that startled look on her face before eclipsing it with mine. The blonde lets me kiss her without a slither of resistance, I decide to make a good show of it so that my point does not somehow escape her. 

When I pull back, wiping my lips and giving a slightly indifferent look reflected in her own round eyes, I release her at last and the girl finally takes a breath. "There, I like girls okay? Don't go thinking these marks were left by some imaginary guy you've been shipping me with for god knows how long." Knowing Laura and her vocal crush on the hero Orchard, she's no doubt been shipping me with somebody a little closer to home... but that's beside the point right now. I'm not sure why it was so important for me to set the record straight here. Or quite the opposite, I suppose. It'd have benefitted me to let her continue thinking as she did but... it's like I want people to know what a lesbian slut I am. Those two silly words still hold such power over me, even safe in Murmur's dark circles. 

A long silence hangs as we walk to class, not quite a pair and not far apart enough to be considered completely separate in our journeys. It doesn't help that we're going to the same class. Laura's silence pains me but I'm too much of a coward to look over my shoulder and check her current expression. 

"Joy, it's me Hivemind. Wh-who else, right? Sorry, I'll cut right to the chase, uhm... we're moving on Wild Rosary tonight." Hive's words in my mind pull me from my thoughts and into deeper, more concerning matters. Only, she has me feeling more lost than ever. I wish I could speak directly to mistress. 

"Wild Rosary? Did you get things confused, Hive? How much have I been doping you with... It's fucking Discoman we need to take down if anyone! Still I wasn't expecting to go so far, won't this ruin our plans with Nova?" My fists clench before I realise Laura is probably watching me attentively from behind, I can only imagine how she feels right now. My best friend for years and I've trampled over her so cruelly in my ill temper... I'll have to be extra nice tonight and let Firefly tag along even if she usually does anyway. It'll make her night to be invited... even if it'll tank my rep. 

"On the contrary, mon amie~ It'll infuriate her to know I'm taking down her generals as an act of retribution for sending me into that trap. She'll only be more determined to see the mission through. More dangerous sure, but more narrow minded and easy to turn the tables on." Ah! Somehow Murmur's speaking to me through Hivemind, did she have the woman possess her too? That's so innovative... she's taking full advantage of two different hero's abilities to grace me with those dulcet tones I fall for again and again. "I was planning on this anyway but if we go for the big guy first it'll be too suspicious if Nic is aware of his little insurance policy. You keep yourself busy tonight and I'll work on the twisted sister, no different to casing a joint and robbing it in the same night. Tomorrow night you'll be back in my bed and Nova will be locked into her ill-fated warpath." 

"Okay... so Rosary today and then Discoman tomorrow?" I fight the urge to bite my nails, frustrated with how close I am to class and how much I want to skip.

"Nah, that won't be necessary. I'll go straight for the reclusive genius who made, maintains and operates the big lug. She's hard to track down but that's something I can use Hivemind for if I play my cards right. In that case it's far too risky to use her at all tonight, I'll be going it alone. Wish me luck, pretty~" 

"Ah... Good luck!" I'm like a different person when I'm talking to Murmur, even more plain in my admiration when speaking in my mind. My mind is honest if nothing else, so I can't really help it. Just as I decide to try and process all of these sudden developments, as I try to figure out where I'm going to rest my head tonight or if I'll even bother with sleep at all, Laura's voice wrestles me back into reality. Into neglected college corridor in which she's finally caught up to my side.

"They're... uh... they're not from your roommate are they?" She glances at my neck and I have to retrace the long dropped conversation to remember what she's talking about, turning to give her a curious look and discovering how red her face is even after the time to cool down. The poor thing looks like she's going to pass out. 

"No, why?" The two of us stop walking for a moment and I turn properly, assessing her more intimately than I mean to. 

"Well remember I told you we hooked up? Heh... she said she got through an entire bottle of mouthwash the morning after, she's much nicer drunk to be honest. Still, she got sweet again in texts and I thought she must have started early on the drink but... ahaha, she invited me out on like, a proper date tonight and boy do I have no self control apparently. Just not many other takers I guess... college ain't as gay as they make it out to be, and it's all just a big joke to the ones who do indulge you. Guess you've been struggling alongside me the entire time and never told me... Joy, that kinda hur--"

"You can't go!" I blurt impulsively, the words escaping my lips the moment I consider why Danielle could have had such a sudden change in heart. My roommate is an enemy spy, I need to remember this. Firefly is Murmur's property and if she's made into more surveillance equipment that could be a real issue. Still, I've fucked up royally here, shown my hand. Though perhaps I can turn it around and hide the flush yet... 

"H-huh? Why not? Joy, are you..." Laura's eyes soften dramatically and she seems more interested in this than the sudden mashing of lips I thrust upon her only minutes ago. Or at least, I'm looking her in the eyes in the aftermath of my rashness this time. 

Time to kill two birds with one stone, even if I don't love using my closest friend like this. "Because... I don't want you to, Laura." I gently tug at her index finger with my pinkie, timidly curling around it. "Come out with me instead or, better yet, invite me over to yours. I can even bring an Orchard costume and put it on for you if it'll sweeten the deal..." 

The girl laughs nervously, her eyes darting around and landing on anything but mine. That she doesn't seem to mind me holding her hand like hanging onto a loose thread for dear life is a positive sign at least. "Wow uh, really? I mean... really? God, I feel like such an idiot now..." Laura finally lifts her head to properly look me in the eyes, hers burning with fierce determination more befitting her ruthless alter ego. "I'll make it a date so good... the ice queen will finally thaw!" 

And just like that, I've secured my sleeping arrangements for the evening.