Bit by bit, everything had crumbled. The false sense of security was long gone. The once encouraging parents had abandoned her. And now she was alone. Just as she had feared.

Why was she so weak? So useless? Worst of all, even though the tables had been turned on her by her… sister… Aster hadn’t abused it like she’d used to. No, instead, her sister had stood up for her, protected her, even.

It made no sense. The strong were supposed to use the weak, to step on them to reach new heights… And now, Aster was the strong one, and Annette was the weakling. And yet…

“Thanks!” a familiar voice resounded as someone entered the prison block.

Annette’s head rose up from her knees.

A few moments later, the still unfamiliar visage of her sister appeared behind her cell’s forcefield, along with several other people she didn’t recognize.

“Ann! There you are!” Aster said.

“Um…” She had no idea what to say.

“So, uhh, how are you doing?”

“I… I’m fine.”

One of the other people bumped Aster with her elbow.

“Right! Uhm…” Aster awkwardly scratched the back of her head. “I like your new haircut…?”

“Wow, are you trying to break the world record for the most awkward reunion or something?” the only guy in their group poked her.

“S-shut up! I just don’t know what to say!”

Annette stared at the scene in front of her. Was the person in front of her really the same one from her childhood…? Now that she wasn’t panicking about her parent’s judgemental gaze or an imminent attack by crazed kids, she got a good look at her.

“You’ve… changed a lot,” she murmured.

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. I feel like a completely different person now!”

“Yeah… You really are. I couldn’t recognize you at all.” Ann placed her head on her knees. “You’re more energetic, happier… You’re a superhero. It’s… amazing.” Annette’s head fell down again. “I envy you.”

A moment of silence followed, eventually broken by Aster.

“Hey… Come on now! Envy me? I envied you when we were kids!”

Ann lifted her head up again to see Aster standing in front of the forcefield with her hands on her hips.

“You were always the smarter one! Stronger! Better!” Aster frowned. “You were also kind of an ass.”

“Uh… sorry…”

“But that’s fine! Troy is also an ass!” She flicked her thumb back at the guy who’d poked her. “But he would still take a bullet for me!”

“Hey, this again?!” Troy protested.

“What I’m trying to say is that… uh, actually this doesn’t really follow. But anyway! People are all different! And they can change! Like I did!”

Ann stared at her non-sequitur-spouting sister.

“Are you saying… I should try to change like you?”

“Well, only if you want to! And I mean, back in the mansion, you didn’t exactly act like an evil villain. Heck, you didn’t even try to fight!”

“That’s because my power is useless… I am useless. I couldn’t do anything.”

“But you can change that now! I used to think I was useless! And now look at me!”

…

“Still useless, but at least she’s trying,” one of the girls came forward and placed a hand on Aster’s head while grinning.

“Hey!”

They were all teasing each other like friends. It made Ann… envious. Again.

“Easy for you to say,” Ann said without thinking.

“Wha…?”

“You’re outside there, having fun with your friends,” she finally got up and faced her sister face to face through the forcefield. “But I’m a criminal now! I’m locked in here! How does it matter if I try to change?!”

Only now did she notice the tears streaming down her face. The shocked faces of Aster and her companions were staring at her. She couldn’t help but look away.

“H-hey, you know what? That’s a neat coincidence,” Aster drew her attention again. “I started out as a villain too!”

“Wha–”

“Well, more like a villain’s minion… and another villain’s girlfriend, but still!”

The heck?

“I fought heroes! Sided with villains! Hell, I broke into a hero’s base to steal a precious artifact! Well, it was dragon poop but…”

What?

“Anyway, everything turned around eventually! And here I am today!”

“That’s… I…”

“So who cares if you are currently a criminal in a prison cell?! That’s also something you can change! Like I did!”

“But…”

“Just be yourself! Don’t listen to whatever these two jerkfaces told you!” Ann finally looked into her sister’s determined eyes. “You don’t need to just be our parents' puppet, Ann!” That made her eyes widen.

A puppet.

Wasn’t that right?

After all, she had always done as her parents told her. Always tried her best to please them. Always followed them.

A puppet.

A broken, useless puppet, now discarded.

“Be myself…? But I don’t even know who I am anymore…”

“I had no heckin’ clue either! I only found out a few months ago! Life is a journey of self-discovery, after all!” Her sister grinned.

Ann couldn’t help but doubt these words.

But at the same time… She wanted to believe them.

“Whoaaa, Aster said something wise-sounding. It’s the end of the world,” the guy interrupted the moment again.

Aster slapped him.

“Ow! Again?!”

Then one of the other girls slapped him too.

BottledChaos

Hey there, reader! I wish you a great rest of your day! Just a reminder that you can read 3 chapters ahead on my patreon as well as peek into my new project I have been working on.