A long hike

Journeying through the familiar streets was only the start. There was always something embarrassing about it, places where she was used to there being people, or catching glimpses of her reflection in glass doorways and windows and seeing herself outside with the most indecent, thrown-together bikini she could imagine.

When they reached the border of the city, Iris wasn't sure how she felt. There wouldn't be so many reflections out here. At the same time, she really was just heading out into the middle of nowhere with this little on, her only company a woman in even less.

They were walking in the middle of the road. It was a little coarse, not meant for barefoot travel, but bearable, and it wasn't like they had any need to worry about traffic. It didn't help her nerves, but it was better than the dirt path and grass off to the sides. There wasn't as much of a sidewalk out here compared to in the city.

And as much as Iris was barely holding her tattered outfit together, Eva walked a few steps ahead, luxuriating in the open air; she stretched her arms out over her head, and looked back with a smile.

"It's been a while since I saw anything that wasn't grey," Eva said. "I forgot how beautiful the world was."

Look at her face, Iris told herself. It was very hard to something. A completely naked woman less than a meter in front of her with nothing if not distracting, especially with the constant reminder of her own situation.

"Though the real one would be better," Eva concluded, eventually.

She lowered her arms, and her smiled faded. And there was _that _reminder; Iris smiled vainly.

"You might have to get dressed again when we go through the mirror," Iris said.

"I guess there is that," Eva said distractedly. "It's not a high priority."

"It should be," Iris said.

"You get used to it," Eva said. She shrugged. "I suppose I'll have to, but there's more for me to do."

They walked a little way more. Iris tried keeping on the painted lines, when they appeared; they were smoother, **** to her feet. Eva seemed, as ever, more used to the intricacies of nude travel.

They passed a sign. Star City, still quite a way away; Eva raised an eyebrow at the sign.

"So it_ is _called Star City now," Eva said.

"I still don't understand how those would change," Iris said, sighing. "This whole place is..."

There was a breeze. Her top - torn enough to be little more than a blanket wrapped around her chest with a slit down the side - billowed for a moment, and Iris squeaked and tried to clamp it down. The sudden tug was enough to loosen the knot.

"Wait a second!" Iris said, cheeks flaming.

She turned around, facing away from Eva to fiddle again with the knot, trying to keep her shirt looped around her breasts. One arm lifted up to keep it pinned down, Iris straightened again.

"Okay, let's keep going," Iris said.

"Are you going to be doing that the whole journey?" Eva said. "It's a long way."

"Don't remind me," Iris said.

Eva sighed. Still, she didn't say much, her mood apparently unable to be ruined. Good company, and a good view of the world around them.

Iris didn't know how long they were walking for. Tiredness didn't seem to quite work the same in this realm; her head still pounded a little when she tried to read the signs, but she was getting better at it.

This whole dimension was off. She needed a distraction.

"Eva?" Iris said.

Eva turned around fulled, walking backward. Cheeks warming at the sight of her chest, Iris again tried to lift her gaze upwards.

"What do you want to do, when we get back?" Iris said.

Eva hesitated. She'd been so pessimistic before, Iris remembered; there was more hope in her eyes now though. Part of her did seem to genuinely believe she would be getting out, and soon.

Hopefully whatever they found in the former Queen Consolidated building would be that for her. Iris had to believe that there would be enough tools there now for them to escape, if the mirrorverse updated as the signs seemed to.

Something in Eva's expression clouded over.

"What about you?" Eva said. "You're the one so sure we're escaping. What will you do?"

"Find that duplicate of me," Iris said. "Hug my husband again, and spend the day with my friends. And never take fashion for granted again."

"Is that it?" Eva said.

"It's all I'd want to do," Iris said. "It feels like it's been forever since I've even talked to any of them. Don't get me wrong, I like talking to you, just..."

"I'm one person. You're used to dozens," Eva said.

"Exactly," Iris said. She offered a smile, still trying to distract herself. "I am glad I'm here with you though. Would be worse if I was alone."

"It is," Eva said shortly. Iris winced.

"Sorry. I didn't think," Iris said. Eva shook her head.

"It's okay," Eva said. She sighed. "You want to know what I'd do?"

"If you want to say," Iris said.

"Get take-out," Eva said. "Eat something real, and go on holiday somewhere, fly somewhere far away and totally different to all this. Walk barefoot on a beach and feel the sand, and go swimming in the sea without needing to walk for weeks."

She was looking at Iris now. She seemed, for a moment, confused; still, there was a wondering look on her face, disbelief at the prospect. Something in Iris burned at that. She couldn't imagine being trapped her for so many years, only able to go as far as she could walk.

No people, no variation, not even a decent choice of meal.

"And kill my bastard of a husband," Eva said.

Iris blinked. Even Eva seemed caught off-guard, as if she hadn't expected it to slip out. She stumbled.

"Um. Eva?" Iris said.

For a moment, Eva faltered. Then, resigned, she exhaled.

"He knows I'm in here," Eva said. "He's always known, and he never even tried to get me out. I'm out of the way, here - since the accident he's taken my company, McCulloch Technologies, and he's used it for..."

"I can guess," Iris said, sympathetically. "I was investigating some of it, Joseph Carver, I know of him - I didn't know for sure though."

"He's not a good person," Eva said. "Whatever we had doesn't matter. I need him... gone, and I need what he was doing turned to a better purpose. As soon as I get out."

"I don't think you should kill him," Iris said. "There are other ways. I'm married to the Flash - he can stop Carver, I'm sure."

Eva looked away. She was still walking, eyes downcast, suddenly quiet.

She'd seen some of the darker side to Eva before, flickers she'd put down to general poor social skills after so long alone; in all honesty, anyone would go a bit mad in this place. Still, Eva was holding it together. The itch at the back of her head, the isolation, the general strangeness of the whole realm, Iris could feel it pushing her even then.

Eva was a good person. She did believe that. She'd just lived through too much.

"Iris," Eva said, suddenly. Her voice sounded small. "Do you understand why I have to?"

She still sounded surprised by her own words, as if she hadn't expected to admit any of this, nor to ask the question. Iris's expression creased sympathetically.

"I do," Iris said. "I don't agree, I think there are other options, but I understand if you feel... trapped." She grimaced. "Poor choice of words."

There was a pause. Eva opened her mouth to say something else.

And then there was another gust of wind. Iris had let her arms drop, relaxing over the course of the conversation, and her tied-up shirt billowed up; the hastily-done knot was tugged free as Iris yelped, and her shirt caught the wind.

It had already been just wrapped around her, too damaged to wear. Now it was in the freeze. Iris yelped, and turned to run after it, arms flailing madly ahead of her. High in the wind, though, her shirt was out of reach.

"Careful!" Eva called.

Cheeks burning, one arm crossed over her breasts as the only cover they now had, Iris reached out with her other arm. She hopped off the road and onto a field, her garment a little way ahead, still.

She tripped; her jeans slid off of her legs, the awkwardly tangled knotted bottoms they'd been left as not up to the strain. Still, they were made of sturdier stuff than her shirt and didn't seem likely to blow anywhere - still, it was with some **** that Iris stood only to find them slipping down her bare, brown legs.

And, looking up, she couldn't see her shirt. Her eyes widened. She'd lost track of it for just a moment...

Iris stood there for a second, nude, her hole-filled jeans on her bare feet, an arm over her breasts, and her other hand halfway stretched-out as if her shirt was going to appear out of nowhere.

"Told you it was too much trouble," Eva said converstionally.

Iris jumped, turning to see her companion close behind her. face hot, Iris crouched, pulling her jeans up again and loosely wrapping them around her waist, covering up her butt. She held them up with one hand, and let the other return to covering her chest - she could tie it up later.

"I still want it back," Iris muttered.

Tentatively, she walked further onto the field, looking around. Walking on the dry grass was markedly less comfortable; that was something Eva seemed to agree with, given how she stayed back. Her eyes were still on Iris though - Iris tried not to think about how much she could see.

Try as she might, though, Iris couldn't see any sign of what had been her shirt. One more article of clothing lost in this place.

Reluctantly, Iris gave up. She redid up the knot to hold her jeans around her waist, draped to hide her ass and dangling legs concealing her core, before she returned to the road. Both arms were crossed over her chest.

"We should make faster progress now," Eva said.

"Is that all you have to say?" Iris said.

"What?" Eva said. "You lost your shirt. No big deal."

Iris looked down at the ground, feeling her face burn.

Appaently it only took less than five years to be that comfortable with total nudity. Iris wasn't sure she was a fan. Still, Eva was trying to comfort her, she supposed.

Even if not much could distract her from the fact that she was now topless, with a long walk ahead to Star City. Iris crossed her arms all the tighter, almost hugging herself, covering as much as she could.

"Aren't you cold like that?" Iris said.

"I don't really let it bother me, you get used to it," Eva said. She paused. "It is getting late. That might be it."

Iris looked upwards. The sky was beginning to darken, the beginning of evening approaching. She looked around the wide open highway, conscious of the lack of cover and shelter.

"You're safe, even at night," Eva said. "There's nothing in the dark. There's nothing here."

"I don't want to walk blind," Iris said. "Do the streetlights even work?"

"Some," Eva said.

"Well, I wouldn't mind some shelter," Iris said.

She looked around uncertainly. There were a few signs, though it still hurt her eyes to look at them too long.

"We'll find somewhere then," Eva said. "We can set out for Star City again tomorrow."

Iris swallowed. Yeah, keep walking in nothing but the pants tied haphazardly around her crotch. That was the plan.