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<span class="mu-r">“So, let me get this straight.”</span> you cut in. <span class="mu-r">“You got a guy to help you make your crystal golems, and then caused a panic to attract someone powerful enough to defeat them?”</span>
<span class="mu-b">“Quite right.”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“Why?”</span>
Esme's eyes started glowing bright blue once again, and something red and round formed between her teeth. It looked like a gumball.
<span class="mu-b">“Hake Dhis.”</span> she muttered, leaning her head towards you.
You hesitantly accepted the gumball from her mouth and held it up to your eye.
<span class="mu-b">“If you pop that in your mouth, you'll understand everything.”</span> she explained.
<span class="mu-r">“Didn't you just say that you could mind control anyone who ate your baking nightmares?”</span>
She nodded.
<span class="mu-b">“They can also be used to share memories. My powers are more particular than that of other telepaths, but mine give me more range if my sugar crystals find the right target.”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“See, when you use words like ‘target’, it just makes you sound more evil.”</span>
<span class="mu-b">“There are people far more wicked than you or I.”</span> she said, a shadow passing over her face for only a moment. <span class="mu-b">“You don’t have to eat it now, but it can explain things better than I can in the short amount of time we have left.”</span>
She cast a meaningful glance over at a group of police officers. A few of them looked to be coming your way.
You nodded your understanding and pocketed the gumball for later. Hopefully it wouldn't get any hair or lint on it.
<span class="mu-r">“If you happen to find yourself outside of a prison cell in the nearby future for reasons unknown, feel free to track me down. I know a lot of groups, and I'm sure one of them would be a good fit for you.”</span> you said, releasing your grip on the webline and flipping right-side up.
Esme blinked in surprise, before barking out a brief chuckle.
<span class="mu-b">“Quite the enterprising fellow, aren't you? Perhaps this meeting will turn out to be more fortuitous than I expected.”</span>
She even spoke like a bad guy.
<span class="mu-r">“Let’s hope you still feel that way after you spend a night in the slammer.”</span>
As you started to walk away, you called up Julia and got a response almost immediately.
<span class="mu-r">“Alright, Benji. Gimme the deets. Did you take pictures? God, I hope you took pictures.”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“No pictures, but I’ve got a chatty prisoner telling me that she only committed the crime because she wanted a moment of my time.”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“Seriously? Is she a secret admirer or something?”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“Well, she <span class="mu-i">did</span> just ask me to take a mind-altering drug."</span> you said, remembering the gumball. <span class="mu-r">"But...I think she wants my help with something."</span>
<span class="mu-r">"Did she tell you what it was?"</span> Julia asked.
<span class="mu-r">"She said that there wasn't enough time. And, in her defense, I'm not sure if it'd be a good idea for me to stick around much longer."</span>
(Cont.)
