Prelude 0.2
Brockton Bay, July 2009
"MOMMY!"
The dish that Angel had been cleaning slipped from her hand and fell into the sink, shattering into pieces. Angel didn't even notice, she had bigger things to deal with right now. Her daughter was crying. Everything else could wait.
Turning from the sink, Angel rocked back as Taylor slammed into her at a full run. Taylor wrapped her arms around her mother and started bawling her eyes out into Angel's chest. Angel didn't say anything, didn't ask what was wrong. She simply held her daughter and rubbed her back, whispering promises that everything was going to be okay. When Taylor recovered Angel could find out what had happened but for now she just wanted to make sure her daughter knew that she was loved.
Soon Taylor's tears ran out and while she still hiccupped from time to time she seemed to have stopped crying. Taylor had recovered much quicker than Angel had anticipated and she felt pride swell in her heart at how strong her daughter was. Even when she was devastated enough to run home to her mom, she was on her feet again after just a few minutes.
Taylor looked up at her mother with blood shot eyes. "Mom… Emma, she… she…"
"Shhh." Angel patted Taylor's head. "It's okay. Just take it slowly. In fact, why don't we sit down?" Angel guided her daughter out of the kitchen and into the living room, where she sat Taylor down on the sofa. Sitting down next to her, Angel took Taylor's hand in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Now what's this with Emma? Start at the beginning."
Taylor sniffed once, twice, and then wiped her eyes before taking a deep breath and starting her story. "I was gonna meet up with Emma and I was really, really excited because I haven't seen her in weeks and the last phone call I had with her at camp got interrupted and I was really worried and I wanted to see if she was okay. So I showed up and Emma was there waiting for me but there was this other girl there, and I think Emma called her Sophia and she looked really angry looking but you always told me not to judge people by how they look so I went up and said hi and tried to be nice but the girl just insults me. She said I looked like a freak and a wimp. And then… a-and t-then…"
Taylor looked like she was about to cry again so Angel wrapped her arms around her. "It's okay," she said gently. "Take your time, Little Owl, take your time."
It took a minute for Taylor to calm down enough for her to continue her story. "And then Emma agreed with her. She said I was worthless and she didn't want to be friends with me anymore. Then the two of them kept insulting me and you until I ran away," Taylor finished with eyes closed and head down cast.
Angel's heart filled was filled with no small amount of anger at her daughter's words, but also sadness and confusion. Emma Barnes had been Taylor's best and pretty much only friend for years, practically from the crib. They had grown up together, played with each other, shared their secrets with one another. Emma had even defended Taylor from the playground bullies who had teased her for her platinum-blonde hair and pale skin for God's sake. For Emma to turn around now and betray Taylor in such a way was unthinkable. But it had happened and now, somehow, she had to fix it. Angel opened her mouth to comfort her daughter-
And felt a tingle in her brain and heart. A weak yet inescapable pull, a sensation that Angel had learned to dread. It was time.
No! No, not now! Not when my daughter needs me! You can't do this you bastard! I have a life damn it! You can't just tear me away because you want to play hero! "Damn you."
"Mom?" It took one look at her daughter's devastated expression for Angel to realize that she had said those last two words aloud. The guilt nearly broke her heart.
Angel almost threw herself at Taylor; pulling her into the tightest hug she had ever given her girl. "No! I wasn't talking about you Taylor. Never you. I swear you are the best thing in my life and I will never say or do anything to hurt you. I'm sorry, so sorry for making you think anything else."
Taylor didn't answer at first and Angel worried that she had accidentally alienated her daughter. However, her fears proved unfounded when Taylor returned the hug. "Thank you," she whispered, as if she didn't have the strength to speak any louder.
They stayed like that for a long time, just holding each other close. But the pull on Angel's soul grew steadily stronger until she could just barely resist it. With great reluctance Angel pulled back and looked Taylor in the eyes. "Taylor, I-" Angel's voice faltered for the first time that day before she gathered her courage and pressed on. "I have to go."
"What!" Taylor shouted, partially in pain and partially in anger. "You're leaving me? Now?"
Angel winced at Taylor's outburst. Once again she felt anger and guilt spike in her heart. Why couldn't she just have a normal life with her husband and daughter? "Yes, now. I am so, so sorry Taylor but you know I can't stay. I promise I'll be back soon."
"How soon?" Taylor asked with suspicion.
"Tomorrow," Angel answered immediately. Normally she would take a couple of weeks, maybe even three, so that people didn't get too suspicious but that didn't matter this time. All that mattered was that Taylor needed her.
Taylor blinked, surprised at how short Angel said she'd be gone. "You promise?"
"I promise."
Taylor chewed her lip, thinking about it. Finally she let out a resigned sigh. "Okay."
Angel immediately hugged her again. "Thank you Taylor. I'm so proud of you. Never forget that." Angel wished she could stay like that forever but the call was insistent. She let go of Taylor and got up from the couch. "Your Uncle Lex will be over to look after you until Dad gets home, okay. I'll be back tomorrow and then we're going to go have a very long talk to Alan and Zoe about Emma, okay?"
"Okay." Taylor nodded.
Angel gave Taylor one more smile. "I'll see you tomorrow then."
As Angel turned away from Taylor to walk to the front door, her face changed into a mask of rage. A man was standing between her and her baby.
That man was going to pay.
Unknown, July 2009
"Can someone please tell me what the hell just happened?" Eidolon demanded. He was sitting in a wheelchair in Cauldron HQ, a new arm and pair of legs regrowing fast enough to be seen with the naked eye thanks to the regeneration power he was currently running. Also in the room, and trying not to stare, were Legend, Alexandria, Contessa, Doctor Mother and the Number Man.
"A success I'd say." The Number Man didn't look up from the tablet he was typing on as he spoke. "This Endbringer attack has the lowest casualty count on record, both in capes and in general."
"Yes but-" Eidolon tried again but was interrupted by the Number Man.
"It also cost the least amount in damage as well. If it weren't for the need to quarantine the city, this would have been the least expensive reconstruction effort ever."
"That's nice and all," Eidolon hissed through his teeth, "but what I was talking about was how the Simurgh tried to kill me!"
"Endbringers tend to try to kill everyone. It's what they do," Contessa pointed out.
"Not like this," Eidolon argued. "She was targeting me specifically. Chased me all over the city, tore me apart, damn near killed me and only left after I had teleported out of there. Plus you didn't see her face. I have never seen someone so angry in my life."
"He's right," Legend spoke up. "It was like he had burnt her favourite puppy alive or something. I don't know what you did David, but whatever it was you pissed her off something fierce."
"This is concerning." Alexandria entered the conversation. "We have no idea what caused this change in behaviour or what it means. For now I think we should be extra careful during the next few Endbringer fights. Hopefully this was a one-off thing but if the Simurgh targets you again or if the other two also target you specifically we may have to bench you. We can't afford to lose you," she said, pointing at Eidolon.
The Number man put down his tablet. "That may be true but at the same time, those reduced casualty rates I mentioned? That was because the Simurgh was too busy chasing Eidolon around to deal as much damage to everyone and everything else. It may pay to have Eidolon serve as a distraction from now on."
"In any case," Doctor Mother said, "we can't make a decision with what information we have. For now, all we can do is heal our wounds and wait."
"Just like always," Eidolon muttered bitterly under his breath.
Special thanks to Cailin for betaing. She receives Eidolon's missing limbs for her efforts.
