It was the glazed look in the woman's eyes that caught Tony's attention as she passed him on the subway. She seemed detached, not fully present. At first, he pegged her as another addict—common enough in the city, even for someone as striking as her. Dark hair framed her face, and her green eyes, vivid despite the haze, held an undeniable beauty. Her outfit—pink overalls, oversized men's shoes, and a tattered army jacket—screamed homeless, not unusual for a drug-addled drifter. But instead of looking away, as he knew he should, something compelled Tony to watch as she sat beside a good-looking young man who draped his arm around her possessively. She seemed both uncomfortable and clingy, an unnatural mix that prickled Tony's instincts. The man whispered in her ear, and she blushed, laughed, and squeezed his arm affectionately. He accepted it as if it were natural, but Tony saw through the act. Deception was his specialty—he could spot lies a mile away—but this was neither truth nor lie. It was something in between, defying his keen perception.
As the couple rose to exit at the next stop, Tony stood, pulling out his phone and pretending to text, letting them pass. His eyes met hers for a fleeting second, and he saw a caged animal staring back. Rage simmered in his chest. Discreetly, he followed, veering left as they turned right, pausing behind a wide pillar to peek at their path. He trailed them through the city's shadows, keeping his distance. The man gripped her arm tightly, whispering constantly, while she stumbled as if drunk. He steadied her, urging her forward. They entered "The Drunken Cat," a dimly lit dive bar Tony knew well for its cheap booze. Slipping inside, he chose a booth with a clear view of the room and watched them slide into a corner booth, pressed close together.
"What can I get you, honey?" A waitress blocked his view, standing between his table and theirs. Tony flashed a smile and grabbed the short menu.
"Your house IPA and a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and sweet honey BBQ sauce, please." He handed her the menu, barely resisting the urge to lean around her.
"Easy customer, just the way I like 'em this late," she said with a wink, stepping away.
Tony resumed watching. The man stood and headed to the restroom, glancing back repeatedly as if ensuring the woman stayed put. She waved back, catching a blown kiss and tucking it into her pocket with a forced smile. Tony stifled a gag. Alone, the woman's demeanor shifted. Her gaze darted to the bar's door as a young couple entered, her expression morphing from lonely to desperate, then to raw agony. She fidgeted, scooting toward the edge of the booth. Her feet hit the floor, and she stood, glancing fearfully at the restroom. Tony knew she was about to bolt—he saw it in her eyes.
"Hey!" An angry voice stopped her mid-step.
"What are you doing?" The man stormed across the room, seizing her arm and sliding her back into the booth, pressing himself beside her. Her face shifted, dazed and happy again, as if she hadn't just tried to flee.
"Tony!"
Blue hair and thick glasses blocked his view. Daisy, his partner, glared at him, her Asian features sharp with annoyance. He'd been on his way to meet her before this detour.
"Where the hell have you been? And of course you're here stuffing your face!"
"Something came up," Tony said, unapologetic.
"What could possibly—? I waited an hour!" Daisy squeezed into the booth, ignoring his repeated requests for space, just as the waitress delivered his food and beer. Tony barely noticed, his eyes fixed on the woman across the room. Daisy followed his gaze.
"What do you see, Daze?" he asked.
She watched silently, snatching a fry from his plate and shoving it in her mouth. "Shit, Tony, you followed a girl?" She punched his arm. "We don't have time for this!"
"It's not because she's a girl," he said, nodding toward the booth. "Look again. She just happens to be a girl."
Daisy sighed dramatically, giving him a knowing look, but relented and studied the woman. After a moment, she frowned. "Okay, yeah, something's weird."
"Yeah," Tony said, grabbing a fry. "But what?"
"Her clothes, for one. Like she dove into a Goodwill bin and wore everything she touched." Daisy chuckled.
"Har har, Daze. Obviously, her clothes are odd, but that's not it." He ignored her stealing half his beer in one gulp. She burped, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.
"I don't know, Tony."
"Use your powers," he urged.
"I'd have to touch her, dum-dum," she shot back, frowning.
"So go touch her."
"You go touch her," she retorted.
"If I do, that boyfriend'll punch me. Besides, I can tell from here if she's lying, and she's doing both—truth and lies."
"You can't tell?" Daisy asked, disbelief creeping into her voice.
"No," Tony admitted, annoyed. "I can't."
"Has that ever happened before?" She glanced across the room, now genuinely curious.
"Nope."
"Maybe she's blocking your powers," Daisy suggested, impressed.
"I don't think so. My powers are working—it's like she's honest and deceptive at the same time."
"Multiple personalities?" Daisy offered cheerfully.
"Hey, dum-dum," Tony said, impatience sharp in his tone, "go touch her and find out instead of guessing."
A waitress carrying a tray of beers near the woman's table tripped, spilling her load across the floor. Heads turned, and the boyfriend reluctantly stood to help. As he bent to assist, Tony and Daisy watched the woman dart from the booth and slip out the door.
"Shit!" Tony tossed cash on the table, grabbed his wallet, and sprinted after her, Daisy scrambling behind, fists full of fries. They burst into the icy night, a wall of wind hitting their faces.
"There!" Daisy pointed down the street, where the woman's slight form weaved through shadows, as if dodging the streetlights themselves.
"Should we be chasing her?" Daisy asked, sprinting alongside Tony. Despite her small size, she was fast, and he struggled to keep up. "We don't even know her!"
"Just get close enough to touch her," Tony panted. "I need to know why my powers aren't working."
Daisy nodded, accelerating. They reached the street's end as the woman veered right toward Midtown Park. She ran like her life depended on it, like she knew she was being chased. Tony and Daisy hit the park's edge just as she reached a wooden bridge spanning a narrow creek.
"She hides in the shadows too well," Daisy gasped, chest heaving. "If she reaches the woods, we'll lose her."
Tony opened his mouth to reply, but a blur of motion stopped him. The boyfriend barreled from nowhere, tackling the woman to the ground. She cried out—pain or surprise, Tony couldn't tell. He sprinted faster, reaching the bridge just ahead of Daisy.
"What the hell!" Daisy yelled.
The pair had sprawled apart, the woman's forehead streaked with blood. Tony reached to help her up, but she jerked away, crawling toward the bridge.
"Don't touch her!" the boyfriend snarled, struggling to his feet, eyes manic, fists clenched.
"Not looking for trouble, buddy," Tony said, hands raised, glancing at Daisy. She nodded, inching toward the woman. "Just checking if she's okay."
The man didn't answer, swaying like he was drunk, though Tony knew he'd had only one beer. They circled each other, neither backing down. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Daisy kneel beside the woman, who flinched as if expecting a blow. Just as Daisy's hand neared her shoulder, the boyfriend charged, knocking Tony into the grass.
Tony didn't play nice this time. He swung his arm, slipping behind the man and locking him in a chokehold. He squeezed—not enough to kill, but enough to cut off oxygen. The man struggled briefly before passing out. Tony shoved him aside and stood, scanning for Daisy and the woman. To his shock, Daisy lay unconscious, and the woman was sprinting across the bridge toward the forest.
"Daze!" Tony ran to her, lifting her into a sitting position. She moaned, eyelids fluttering. "Tony?"
"What happened? Are you hurt?"
"No, I don't think so," she said, shaking her head gingerly.
"What happened?" he pressed.
Daisy's eyes widened, looking where the woman had been. "Tony, we have to go after her!"
"No way we'll find her now," Tony said. "You said it—she's too good at hiding. And you're not exactly in running shape. What happened?"
"I touched her just as that guy tackled you," Daisy said, glancing at the unconscious man. "She's got power. More than one, I think."
"Two powers? That's rare," Tony said, surprised.
"Not two, Tony. Pure power surged through me when I touched her. I saw things—things that didn't make sense. Things that happened to her, or will happen. A glowing thread tied her to that guy. When you knocked him out, it snapped, and the backlash knocked me out."
"We need to find her," Tony said, jaw clenched. "She's not stable. If her powers are that strong, why's she with this lowlife?"
"We need to regroup and talk to everyone," Daisy said. "We can't bring her in alone. She's not in her right mind—her head was a mess."
Tony nodded, glancing at the dark forest. Snow began to fall, emphasizing the cold. He remembered the gash on the woman's forehead. "How bad was she hurt?"
"Not fatal, but she needs stitches," Daisy said. "Maybe a concussion from hitting a rock." Seeing Tony's expression, she raised her hands. "Or not. I'm not a doctor."
Tony turned from the bridge, starting back toward the subway. A multiple-power wielder was a unicorn—unheard of in their time. She'd attract dangerous attention if anyone found out, and she was injured, alone in the woods. He growled, tossing Daisy a napkin and pen from his pocket.
"Write down everything you saw in her head for Maverick," he said. "Every detail."