Our Sins and Virtues: Pride

To Break Away

After a sleepless night and many hours of horrible images, Valkyrie decides to climb from her bed. The zero gravity gives as she tosses her legs out with a groan. If the only punishment were night terrors, she would be lucky. Doubtful. He wouldn't let this one go.

"Are you awake, princess?" Simon's voice hummed through the door.

"Yes, Simon, I'll be out momentarily," Val responded as she reached for her robe. "I wish you wouldn't use that pet name."

Simon scoffed through the barrier. "Oh? Daddy can't hear you, so what does it matter? If it's out of humor, then why does it bother you?"

Val groaned as she went to the door, opening it to see the man. He had two wine glasses, one of which he offered. "To good health."

"Someone didn't sleep well. Drank too much?" Val grumbled as she took the wine.

"I would ask the same with your appearance, but it seems to me that you had a reason not to sleep."

Val shook her head as they walked into the giant living room. The windows offered the smoggy morning view of Los Angeles. Opposite on every stretch of wall was mirrors. She lived in a mansion of glass. Her breakfast was already on the table as she sat down on the couch.

"How bad is it?" Val questioned.

Simon stroked his facial hair as his dark eyes glanced out at the view. "Pretty severe."

Simon would have been handsome in his younger years. It was evident in his presence. He was just over six feet and slender, but healthily so. His tanned skin and features announced his hidden heritage of mountains in the Andes. Val wasn't sure about how she knew this, but she never questioned her estimations. Simon was the only one who could see the inside of her home. Her fortress of solitude.

"Then tell me what I must do," Val exhaled as she cut up her omelet.

"He wants you to visit the Mayor," Simon grumbled.

Val winced and almost gagged on the bite in her mouth. "Why?" she huffed while reaching for the wine.

Simon gulped down his glass and rolled his eyes. "Why do you think?"

"He just sends me off like goods to a man who is a sadist?" Val hissed as she sat back on the sofa.

"You're asking questions you know the answers to already, Valkyrie. I'm not positive about what you should expect, but anything would be apt."

Val waved her hand in the air. "It was just one man, Simon. It wasn't as if I went out of my way to risk my life for a bus of children," she grumbled while folding her arms.

Simon turned on the television, which dropped down from the ceiling. "In other news, the heiress, Valkyrie does something uncharacteristic. We were sent videos of the starlet running through traffic to prevent a man from being hit," the anchor announced.

The video played, and Val winced at her shocked expression during the selfie. That followed the alarm in her posture as the man stepped into traffic. Val's feet nearly left the ground with how fast she moved in the video, knocking the man into the sidewalk with her. The video zoomed in on her expression as they whispered to each other, and the stranger traced her birthmark with his thumb.

A quick jerk and she was on her feet, gawking at the man. Dark fluid leaked from her nose, and then in sudden movements, Narcie rushed Val off, ending the recording.

"Yes, that looks normal," Simon snorted.

Val pressed her fingers to her forehead as she groaned. "I don't know what happened."