A little something because someone wanted to know about Mason and his lady love.

***********************************

A thick fog lay over the city, turning the street lights into floating ghosts. Carter leaned against a rough stone building, hands buried in her pockets. The mist chilled her skin but she barely noticed, her concentration focused on a doorway across the street from her. The hood of her jacket sat low on her head, shadowing her features. Minutes ticked into hours, but Carter remained in her spot.

When the door across the way opened, Carter perked up, the hours of immobility making her muscles revolt at the movement. A man double Carter's size with a menacing sneer stepped out of the bar and scanned his surrounding. Hiding in the shadow of a building, Carter went unnoticed. Satisfied with what he found, the man turned and headed down the sidewalk.

After a minute, Carter crept out from her hiding spot and followed, keeping her distance. The fog swirled around the city, giving it an eerie feeling.

"Every move you make,
Every breath you take
I'll be watching you."

Despite the grim surroundings, Carter smiled.

"Mason," she said, keeping her voice low. "The fact that you have even a mildly decent singing voice is shocking. I didn't think you had a talent beside being egotistical."

A sharp laugh filled Carter's ear.

"I would take offense, but I didn't think you had a talent beyond being really aggressive. Seems we are both wrong."

"I find it amazing you can admit you're wrong, Mason."

"Technically, I admitted that we are both wrong. Which I only said both of us because I didn't want you to feel bad about being inferior."

Carter rolled her eyes and jogged across the street, pausing at a corner to watch as the man she followed continued down a block.

"Mason, your ego is so big even your reflection gets tired of you, so it is amazing to me that Yvette is still dating you."

"You have seen how good looking I am, right? What more do you need to question."

Carter slid around the corner, hugging the building, keeping to the dark patches of the sidewalk, her target a silhouette in the fog.

"Good looks is not enough to keep a girl like her around," she said.

"I have a dashing personality."

"No, you don't."

"I'm witty."

"Not at all."

"The thing is, I don't know why I'm still with her. She makes me feel like I'm not good enough for her and I don't like it."

Carter almost snorted but held it in, not wanting to give away her presence.

"Why not break up with her and put her out of her misery?"

A long sigh came from Mason's end. "There's a problem with that?"

"Oh?"

"Yes, I happen to be in love with her."

A gasp slipped from Carter's lips and she stumbled dramatically.

"Did you die, Carter?"

"No, a flying pig knocked into me and I felt a chill, almost like something was freezing over."

"Ha, ha. I'm capable of love."

Carter's target headed towards a busy street and Carter quickened her pace, not wanting to lose him in the congestion of the sidewalk.

"I really didn't believe that you were," Carter said.

Shoulders and arms bumped against her but she only offered the same kindness in return, weaving her way through the pedestrian thick thoroughfare.

"I am. You want proof: Link," Mason said.

"You're related by blood, that doesn't count."

"I'm related by blood to my father and I don't like him."

"That's because you have daddy issues."

"I do not!"

Carter grinned at Mason's blatant offense. "Face it Mason, you seek attention from others and have commitment problems, that screams daddy issues."

"I don't have commitment problems, therefore I can't have daddy issues."

A drunk stumbled into Carter, but she shoved him away and waved off the rank breath he'd blown into her face.

"Why haven't you asked Yvette to marry you then?" she asked.

A long stretch of silence filled Carter's ear even as the city around her pulsed with noise. Her target cut away from the crowd and hurried down a side street, Carter broke into a jog, pausing at the corner to peer around the edge. The crowd thinned on the street and the man stood out amongst the revelers. After a beat, Carter continued down the street.

"If you must know why I haven't asked her to marry me," Mason said. "It's because I have the strangest feeling that it's possible she might say no."

"Ah, Mason admits to an insecurity, miracles do happen!"

"I know that, you're still married."

"Ha. Ha. Just ask her, you idiot. Before she realizes that she could throw a rock out a window and hit any guy that is better than you."

"You're vote of confidence is truly inspiring. It amazes me Donovan hasn't woken up to the fact that you're a terrible person."

"Miracles, Mason, miracles."

What Mason might have replied with Carter didn't now, for at that moment, her target ducked into an alley and she lost sight of him. Sprinting forward, she approached the alley in time to see the man meeting a group of five hard-faced men.

"Carter, what's going on?" Mason asked, all business.

"I'm not sure," she whispered.

Crouching low, Carter silently slid along the wall, straining to hear what was happening. Not daring to get too close, she took cover behind a dumpster, the smell of mold and rot wrinkling her nose. The men's voice rose as an argument broke out.

Before Carter could even understand what had gone wrong, the men were at each other's throats, some welding guns and trying to threaten the others into backing down. In the dim alley, the chaos resembled a blur of dark figures charging each other.

As Carter decided to enter the fray and put an end to it, the impossible happened. Right in front of the group of guys, a slim hooded figure of a girl appeared out of thin air.

Carter froze, not believing her eyes. The girl spun around as if not realizing what she'd walked into. Carter shook her head, 'walk' didn't even describe what this girl had done, 'materialized' worked better.

"Carter, tell me what's happening?" Mason asked.

Carter opened her mouth, but no words came out. A first for her. She tried to make a sound, but still nothing came to her. As she watched, the girl darted towards the closest man. When she said something, he twisted towards her, but she vanished, only to reappear behind him. The man turned, gun raised. Adrenaline kicked Carter out of her daze and she sprinted forward, needing to stop the man.

But before the man could fire on the girl, she popped out of sight once again and popped back into existence right next to Carter. This time the man roared with anger as he aimed for them. The girl grabbed hold of Carter's arm and in a breath the alley disappeared, replaced by a rooftop.

Carter stumbled and vomited onto the stone floor. Spitting, she shook off the wave of nausea and straightened, taking in her companion. With the light from surrounding buildings, Carter could just make out the girl's dark skin and pointed chin, her hood keeping the rest of her features hidden.

"Sorry about that," the girl said, in a voice that told Carter this was a common apology. "A side effect of teleporting."

"Why didn't you throw up?"

The girl shrugged and Carter got the distinct feeling that this girl was far younger than she imagined, possibly even a teenager.

"It's not my first time," the girl said.

Carter had about a million questions firing off in her head, but the sound of gunfire course corrected her train of thought. Moving to the roof ledge, she peered down at the men who were still brawling.

"I need you to reverse what you did," she said. "I need to get back down there."

"You can't be serious?"

"I am. Let's go."

Shrugging again, the girl touched Carter's arm and they left the rooftop behind. The wave of nausea felt easier to deal with since she knew what was coming. Giving herself a second, to swallow down the roiling bile, she sprinted towards the fray.

One by one, Carter laid out the men, avoiding fists and gun barrels as she went and leaving behind precise hits to temples and jaws. When she finished, a pile of unconscious men circled her.

"And I thought what I could do was impressive," the hooded girl said.

"We all have our own skills."

Beneath the hood, Carter saw the girl smile, then the world exploded. A tsunami of heat slammed into Carter, hurling her into a brick wall. The air ripped from her lungs and blackness swarmed around her.

Through the darkness, a voice called her name, over and over.

"Carter. Carter. Carter."

Carter blinked rapidly, breathing deeply. She stared out at her room, her own bed, Donovan right beside her.

"Carter," Donovan said. "Are you alright?"

She nodded and rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, but I just had the strangest dream."

**********************************************************************

DOMINOS!

(Ha! There is nothing more terrifying then knowing I'm completely unpredictable!)

If you have thoughts, leave them here, if not I feel sorry for you. 🗯💭💬🦸🏽‍♀️

I know what you're thinking, 'Joy, did you write this as a sole promotion for your book: Nothing Super?'

Yes, yes I did. 😁

Why? Because I could, that's why. I wanted to give you a taste for Taylor - the teleporting girl - and tell you to go read the book.

As always, you don't have to read it, but then again I don't have to write this one shots for you. You see where I'm going with my not so subtle manipulation tactics? That's right, I'm saying if you love me, you'd go read. So go read.

In all seriousness, the choice is yours, I really would love for you to read it, because I really like this book! But I know you won't do it if you don't want to. Either way I figured I would give you just a glimpse into my latest book!

(Also it is completed so you can binge read it)

Vote, comment, follow or you know...do something else

He is sooooo in trouble!

Here is the book's epic cover!