Delsin lifted the entrance to Eugene's hideout, and Lidia glared at it suspiciously. "You realize that if this is a trap I'm going to rip you to shreds, right?"
"Yes, I know. You've said that six times on this trip." She slipped into the hideout, and Delsin followed. She called out, her voice echoing through the hideout.
"Fetch? Eugene? Are you here?"
"Lidia!" Fetch and Eugene both chorused as they hurried over to hug Lidia. She embraced them tightly, and held them for several moments.
"Thank god you're okay." She pulled away to inspect Eugene, one hand resting on his shoulder and the other on his arm. "Did they hurt you? The DUP? Did Delsin hurt you?" Eugene shook his head, and she hugged him again. "I was terrified that you had been killed in the crash…" Eugene hugged her back, and Delsin crossed his arms over his chest.
"Okay, I think Reggie and I deserve an explanation. Who is this girl, and how do you all know each other?" The trio of Conduits turned to face Delsin, and Eugene beckoned them all over to a couch and two chairs. Eugene, Fetch, and Lidia sat on the couch, and Delsin and Reggie sat in the chairs. Lidia spoke first.
"I was the second Conduit caught by the DUP. Augustine found me in the streets, begging for money. My wings got me beaten daily, but I survived. I hunted squirrels and rabbits and anything else I could find that I could eat. I was small back then, just a teen. Then she found me, promised me a whole new life with people to look after me. But then she locked me up. Kept me in solitary confinement, until she discovered how good I am taking care of other people. She put me in with Eugene because he was so timid when he first arrived. We were in the same cell for six years, at least most of the time. Augustine had me in with fetch part of the time after… After what happened." She put her hand on Fetch's knee and continued. "Augustine valued me a lot because of what I could do. My powers were always stretched to their limits, until I could control them. And when I overheard her talking about the crash, how she didn't know if Eugene and Fetch were dead or alive… I lost my temper. I destroyed half of her facility and escaped."
Delsin held up a hand. "Wait a minute. How did you destroy her facility? It's made of solid concrete, nothing can break through it."
She gave a little half-smile and shook her head. "I am pretty powerful. Let's leave it at that."
