Happy Hump Day! So in this chapter, it's like my version of The Homerun King. Well actually, it's what I wanted to say to TJ in that scene where he's just lying around, eating donuts, and waiting for the bat signal while Becky had to clean the garage. Enjoy!
Random quote:
"Ha Ha! I love unicorns! That cloud looks like a porcupine! Did somebody order a pizza?"
I did that for you, TLBB! Welcome to fanfiction!
Becky lay on the library floor for hours on end, obscured in the endless little flecks of torn paper, settling on her skin like snowflakes. She looked breathtakingly lovely, as if she were Sleeping Beauty trapped in a dream, showing none of her inner turmoil. She was perfectly still, her luminous brown eyes peacefully closed, the gentle rise and fall of her chest the only sign of her vitality. Silent tears fell in perpetual synchronicity with her heartbeats, causing the scraps of paper to crinkle with the moisture as the Lexiconian contemplated her actions.
There was no doubt in her mind: it was utterly immoral to kill Miss Power. Despite her brutal cruelty, despite the fact she had torn away everything Becky ever had without remorse, there must have been a part of her that was humane, a hidden good to balance the evil. Becky had inadvertently destroyed something pure, good, and innocent. This was a sin that could never be forgiven. Even Bob, the one person who had always stood by her and supported her, even when she didn't deserve it, was repulsed enough to abandon her.
So why had she done it?
Maybe it was because she could see a portion of that evil reflected in herself. She couldn't accept the fact that no matter how hard she had fought to repress it, the darkness was truly hers, instead wanting to blame it on someone else when the guilt was hers, and hers alone. The truth was that Becky had taken a life in cold blood. How could she live with that? Could she live at all?
For ten years, she had been painfully blind to the demon residing in her very essence, yet now, everything was painted crystal clear with the bitter tears of the one she had hurt the most. Never before had Becky realized how much she had taken from Bob, from everyone she loved. She had mercilessly preyed upon the ones who had given her love, the greatest gift of all. She had taken everything: trust, admiration, even life itself, giving nothing in return except negligence and greed. Maybe it was her Lexiconian nature; she didn't know. It didn't matter the cause, only the sharp blade of guilt as the ones she loved abandoned her, just as she had abandoned them. Bob was only the first; surely, there would be others, chipping away at her soul until they fell into shattered fragments stained with Miss Power's blood, mere reminders of something beautiful.
It seemed that Bob's departure had finally opened Becky's eyes, only to realize it was too late to make amends. Things could never be repaired. There was no forgiveness, no redemption. The life she knew was shattered, and all Becky could do was pick up the pieces and move forward. It was all she could do.
As Becky sat up, she felt as if she had been turned to fragile, glass china doll, broken and poorly pieced together, struggling desperately to stay in tact. Tears burning as hot as the liquid flames inside her memory necklace, Becky left the spaceship, transformed into a suffering angel with bloodstained wings.
"Hi, Becky!" greeted Mrs. Botsford cheerfully as her daughter walked through the door. In a more concern tone, she added, "Do you mind if I talk to you?"
Becky skidded to a halt halfway to the living room. "Sure…" she said apprehensively, wondering what this was about. She pulled up a chair at the kitchen table next to her mother, waiting for her to speak.
"Look, honey, I'm sorry if I was harsh to you about Miss Power; I didn't want to believe she was a villain. The only reason I punished you was because I want to teach you to be better than that, to rise above others with morality instead of stooping to their level."
It's a little late for that, Becky thought bitterly.
"I know, and I'm sorry for everything I said to you and Dad."
"I understand, sweetheart. Everyone has to let some anger out somehow."
Like snapping someone's neck, Becky thought, repressing tears. That would definitely let off some steam.
Snapping out of her reviere, Becky hugged her mother, stiff and emotionless, heavily weighed down with guilt. As she went to the living room, she asked, "Where's TJ?"
"He's at baseball practice with Dad; he'll be back around four." Normally, Becky would have been thrilled to hear this because she wouldn't have to fight over the remote to watch Pretty Princess and Magic Pony Power Hour. Today, however, trivial things like that were meaningless in the glaring sin she had committed. Averting her eyes from the blood on her hands that only she could see, she turned on the television to the cheery theme song. Just as they were about to show Becky's favorite episode, a breaking news report came flashing on the screen.
"Seriously?" yelled Becky. "Why can I never finish a single…" She trailed off as she focused on what the derisible reporters were discussing: her.
"You heard that right, folks," said the attractive blonde lady, putting on her best fake smile for the cameras. "Our beloved super heroine, WordGirl, previously known for her compassionate nature and firm belief in morality, shattered the aspirations and high expectations of Fair City. During a battle with the evil, alien dictator, Miss Power, the plucky twelve year old killed her in cold blood. We will now show the ghastly scene of WordGirl's immoral atrocity. Parents, strongly advise that small children be taken out of the room."
Becky stood gaping in front of the television in silent horror as the final gory battle scene played out, unable to believe that was truly her. It was like looking at a stranger with her face. The maniacal expression, the tortured cry of untethered rage, the eyes filled with horrid bloodlust, that couldn't be her… could it?
Then, she saw something she hadn't remembered through the obscured layers of numb shock, for everything after Miss Power's murder was an unintelligible blur in her mind. Drenched in blood, tears streaked down her face, sobbing uncontrollably, WordGirl laughed, crazed with the absolute pain of murder. Collapsing to the ground with Miss Power's corpse, she sobbed bitterly, filled with sadness, despair, but not regret. She had gotten what she deserved. She continued to laugh and cry with insanity until the petrified villains finally mustered up the courage to tie her down and knock her out. She could just barely decipher her last words before she surrendered to unconsciousness: "Mommy, I'm sorry."
"And there you have it, everyone," resumed the reporter. "You have just witnessed the first murder ever to take place in Fair City, a terrible stain on this town's peaceful history. This ghastly offense has thrown the entire city into a state of turmoil. The mayor has released an official statement warning the citizens that WordGirl is violate, dangerous, and should on no accounts be approached. All sightings of WordGirl should be reported to the county police immediately. Families with small children should stay indoors at all times. Public schools across the district have been closed, with private institutions being encouraged to do the same. A citywide curfew of nine o'clock will initiate tonight. The President will be flying in later today in a missile-proof aircraft to converse with the mayor, possibly signing a bill permitting the use of military force against WordGirl. More updates will be released periodically throughout the day as more information is discovered."
Becky switched off the television, unable to stand seeing it anymore, disjointed phrases from the newscast echoing menacingly in her head. Eyes brimming with tears, she turned to her mother, who had been watching with the same horrified disbelief.
"Oh dear, I was afraid you'd see this."
"Mom?" said Becky, trying to unglue her throat. "What do you think about all of this?"
"It think it's shameful," replied Mrs. Botsford, adopting her courtroom tone. "After all the trust this city has placed in her, she finally betrays us all. She was supposed to be a shining example for the children; now what am I supposed to do? How am I going to explain to TJ that the heroine he idolizes is a ruthless, cold-blooded killer? Gah! We were all fools to trust her. She's an alien. Deep down, she has no humanity. She's not one of us, no matter how much she tries."
"She's not a villain!" cried Becky. "She's an honest to God hero! A hero puts her life on the line everyday to protect those in need. She sacrifices everything, everything, to do the right thing. WordGirl always put Fair City before herself. She saved people's lives, even yours, and now, how is she rewarded? She's being hunted down like a criminal when it wasn't even her fault! Miss Power killed her parents and destroyed her home planet! She never wanted to become a murderer!"
"Remorse can't bring someone back from the dead, Becky. It doesn't matter how WordGirl felt, only the end result. She failed everyone and everything she's ever stood for."
"But Miss Power killed off an entire planet, maybe more! She was cruel, vindictive–"
"And now, WordGirl's no better than the person she killed."
"You're wrong!" screamed Becky, not wanting to hear the awful truth anymore.
"Becky, I understand you're upset, but I won't tolerate that tone from you, especially not in the light of your recent behavior. You still haven't finished your punishment chores–"
Just then, the heated argument was interrupted by Mr. Botsford and TJ, both wearing expressions of tremendous satisfaction. Running excitedly up to his mother, TJ held up an old, battered baseball as if it were a priceless, glistening trophy.
"Mom, you'll never guess what happened today!" exclaimed TJ.
Mrs. Botsford gave her daughter the ultimate I'll-kill-you-later glare before turning to her son, a fake look of excited curiosity plastered on her face.
"With this baseball, I defeated the Amazing Rope Guy! Everyone's calling me a hero, The Homerun King!"
"TJ, this is wonderful news!" said Mrs. Botsford, beaming with pride, wiping tears of joy from her eyes. "Especially now, when WordGirl's turned against us, we need a hero, a beacon of hope, and I can't think of anyone better suited for the job than TJ."
"Our son is a superhero," Mr. Botsford declared proudly.
Becky had been through so much pain and emotional turmoil; she couldn't take it anymore. "Anyone can defeat the Amazing Rope Guy!" she declared, annoyed. Her parents turned to stare as if she were some repulsive, intruding bug. "You didn't do anything!"
"Becky!" The parents exclaimed in unison, immediately taking up the defensive for their only son. "Apologize right now!"
"WordGirl could take him down in a matter of seconds!" she continued. "It wasn't that special that TJ could do it, too. He's not a real hero."
At Becky's outburst, TJ began to cry, trembling with heaving sobs.
Becky's anger softened at the sight of his tears, "TJ," she began gently. "I'm–"
"You're always so perfect, Becky! Perfect grades, trophies, you can do anything. Do you realize how much it hurts to always be stuck in your shadow? Everyone expects so much from me, just because you're my sister. I'm never TJ Botsford; I'm always Becky Botsford's brother! Up until today, I could never do anything special. Just when I find something I can do that you can't, you take it away from me!" cried TJ angrily. "Why do you always have to be so selfish?"
"You didn't even do anything!" Becky cried, the truth ringing horribly in her ears as she feebly tried to deny it. "It's no wonder WordGirl doesn't notice you. You can't do anything right; you admitted it yourself!" she shouted, harshly injecting her words with malice. "You're not a real hero like WordGirl!"
"WordGirl killed Miss Power!" yelled Mrs. Botsford, much to the shell-shocked astonishment of TJ.
"Oh yeah, Mother?" said Becky, rounding on her, a vicious emphasis on the endearment. "So you despise her then? After everything she's done for this city, you believe she's repulsive and evil? You don't love her?"
"Yes, I hate her!"
"Well that's good to know!"
"Why!?"
Becky took a deep breath, her eyes turning a bloody crimson.
"Because I'm WordGirl."
She just spilled the beans! *laughs gleefully* See what happens next in Chapter 5 of Fall from Grace, coming Friday!
Love to all,
Bella