"Jiyoung."

Her hand automatically went to the gun hidden in her coat, and Jiyoung casually turned around. "Violette," she said. She tried to smile like she always did, but it came out as more of a grimace. Violette meeting her in the open could mean anything, and anything wasn't always good in this situation. "It's been a while. What are you here for?"

Violette's expression didn't change in the slightest from its stone-cold look. "You don't need the gun today. If I was going to shoot you, you'd already know." Violette stepped closer. "Your powers have never failed you before."

Your powers are a hidden gem, Violette had once told her before in the past. All you have to do is become stronger to be suited to it. Being aware of whenever you're in danger is only helpful when you yourself can do something about it.

Jiyoung smiled tightly, and she made no move to life her hand off the gun. "Naturally. What do you want?"

"To talk," Violette said. "Sit with me?"

"Why should I?"

Violette stared emotionlessly at Jiyoung. In the daylight and wearing a beige peacoat and jeans, she looked startlingly normal. But it made sense for Violette to blend in among the Parisians. Jiyoung remembered that France was where Violette became Violette.

"Just to talk," Violette said. "And I know I shot you in the leg the last time we saw each other five days ago, and it'd be a shame if you strained your injury again."

"As if you care."

"...sit down."

Jiyoung had found and confronted Violette just outside of a cafe, so Violette took a seat at one of the outside tables. Jiyoung watched flatly as Violette calmly placed an order and beckoned for her to sit down. She wanted to say no, but no alarms were going off in her head. So she sat, inwardly sighing in relief as she took weight off the injury on her leg.

"Tea?" Violette asked, still in the flat and emotionless tone as always.

"No thanks."

"The cafe here sells nice pastries. Have some."

"What do you want, Violette? You're no idiot, why are you here? Why are you seeing me?"

Violette put her cup down and reached behind her. Jiyoung tightened the grip on her gun, but it was only to steady herself. Violette was one of the best, they were in a public space, and no one could ever win against Jiyoung fighting her face-on. Violette knew that. She had tried. Several times.

Violette pulled out a folder, and Jiyoung instantly narrowed her eyes. "What's that?"

"The girl," Violette said, and Jiyoung suppressed the instant desire to throttle Violette. That, or run back to the hotel. "Do you have any idea why she's being pursued?"

"I don't care," Jiyoung snapped immediately. She hated that question. "She's a child."

"A child with powers," Violette said, her voice a touch quieter but still flat and emotionless. She opened the folder and held out a sheet of paper. "The kind of powers that, when nurtured properly, can unlock so many things."

Jiyoung's eyes barely twitched to the paper. "Like I said, I don't care. I don't care what her powers could be, what they could do. She was in a lab, and as long as she's with me, she will never be in one again."

Violette's veneer of apathy cracked, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Selfish as always, Jiyoung. You're not seeing it, are you? That these powers," she waved the piece of paper. "Could be the key to understanding so much more. They could fix everything."

"And what you're not seeing," Jiyoung snapped. "Is that she will never be used for the benefit of others."

"Aren't you using her?" Violette snapped back. "Making you feel helpful, making you feel like you can just run away as you always do." She scoffed. "You're so selfish, you're exactly like your powers. Always worrying for yourself, never for anyone else. There's more to it than just that girl. This is so much more."

"I don't care. She has a name, did you know that. Lian. I'd kill for her. I'll keep her out of the hands of everyone who wants to use her." Jiyoung's demeanor had grown cold and harsh. "Including you."

"Last time, Jiyoung. Hand over the girl."

"Not going to happen."

Jiyoung could see the exact moment Violette shut herself off again. It was like looking at a stone wall.

"Okay," Violette said. "Then I suppose we're finished here."

At that moment, alarms screamed in Jiyoung's head, and she threw herself out of the chair away from Violette. But even then, with her instincts screaming at her that something was wrong, danger, danger, danger, something wasn't right. It was like something was pulling at her gut, pulling her toward the hotel-

Violette raised a hand, and Jiyoung saw a trigger in her grip. She pressed a button, and seven blocks down, at the hotel that Jiyoung had stashed the one person she gave up everything for, the building blew up.

Jiyoung's powers, her danger-sense, screamed and screamed and screamed at her that something was wrong. Then, everything stopped and went quiet, and Jiyoung felt like she was going to throw up.

"Lian!"

*****

Sort of a modern, powered, bounty-hunter/spy/mercenary world. Also similar to the Mandalorian in the sense that there's a lone bounty hunter who becomes emotionally attached to a child they're sent after and oh no they're a parent now and yeah

Jiyoung's powers are basically danger-sense, exclusive to her but not for long