Mending 2.2
Ugin looked into the pools at the scene with alarm, I made my shocked response in the meditation realm.
Three different responses came to my mind:
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"What do you actually know?"
"Of course, there's a friend in the egg, it's an egg. It'll hatch into a chicken. I consult the unborn yolk for advice and in return it gives me dark powers."
I settled with:
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"It's okay, I don't outright understand it myself," said Lisa with a tilt of her head and a crook of her smile. "Whatever's in the egg, you use it to focus your powers, the trump part of it, and it can put you into a heightened state of awareness. Am I on the right track?"
Oh, good, she doesn't know anything, stated Ugin. We both sighed in relief in the Prison Realm.
"No, that's wrong too," Lisa said. Ugin and I's heads turned again. She then shrugged. "I'll figure it out eventually."
"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't," I said.
"Oh, I know you mean to keep it a secret," Lisa said. "So I won't tell the other Undersiders." I sighed in relief.
"Thanks," I said, rather tensely. It scared me because this was the first person to discover the Spirit-Gem: A Thinker Thief who specializes in deductive thinking.
"I don't intend to take it," she said. "I doubt it would work for me." I didn't bother answering because she might've already gotten the answer. She shook her head. "Sorry about that." With that the door opened. I heard a television on, it was a news channel from the sounds of it. What we opened up to was a loft, a really nice one too. It was bigger than my house, actually everything was bigger here. It was also a bit of a mess, it reminded me of a morning after a slumber party with Emma when I was younger.
Those memories held a bitter taste in my mouth now, for more than one reason.
"Nothing yet?" asked Lisa. There were two teenagers on a couch, one of them more pretty than handsome, he was the leaner of the two with shaggy black hair. Regent? The other was another teenager, though he was probably a foot taller than me, and I'm pretty tall for my age, well defined muscles, dark skin, shoulder length cornrows. Judging by the height: Grue. Then there was a girl with a squarish face that was scowling at me from one of the tables, there were three dogs at her feet that watched me intently as well. Bitch, I guess? Lisa quickly moved between me and them and gave her a look.
"Well, she's got a new name," Gue said, "I hope you like Skitter, because that's what they're calling you. It was brief, all they said that Shadow Stalker here was assaulted by Skitter and that she's in recovery."
Skitter? Ugh, it's not the worst name, but I don't know if it fit…also, I was annoyed, I didn't even get a chance to name myself.
"Other than that, there's been nothing," Grue said.
"Yeah, so give me the remote man," Regent whined. Grue sighed and gave Regent the remote. Regent immediately started to just flick through the channels, never stopping on one channel. Grue looked annoyed but got up and fished his pocket for some keys.
"How're you holding up?" Grue asked. I tried to find words to evoke how I felt right now, but I was drawing some heavy blanks. "Rough then." Grue concluded. He opened a door and a set of old rusted spiral staircase, an absolute contrast with the living spaces I'd seen. Our footsteps echoed with metallic clangs as we came down into what had to be an old factory building. Dust covered over plastic sheets. Shafts of sunlight came through sunlight near the ceiling. All in all, it was actually a really nifty base of operations.
Grue cleared his throat. I turned to him.
"Look, we'd appreciate it if you kept…all of this a secret," he said, emphasizing by circling his hand around his face and then bring his hand out to the abandoned factory. "Tattletale says you can be trusted, but I want to hear it from you first."
I thought for a moment. Would I even sell out the Undersiders? No, they'd saved my life for one, two, I don't think I had anything to gain from it. If I went to the PRT to try and smooth things over with them by giving info on the Undersiders, they'd probably laugh and send me off to the Bird Cage, then go for the Undersiders.
From what they told me; a lot of their crimes were theft. Meanwhile, I was Little Miss 'I Put a Ward in a Fucking Coma'.
"I'm not going to rat you guys out," I said, "you…at least tried." Grue flinched at that. The bolt that had hit Charlotte had originally been meant for him. His shoulders sagged.
"Look-" Grue started to say before I cut him off.
"It was my fault," I said, "she was in that whole situation because of me." Tattletale had an odd look on her face. "I did something so selfish and stupid. I didn't think they'd go this far, but..." I swallowed and sighed. I wasn't going to go into this now. Tattletale looked as though she wanted to say something before Grue spoke again.
"We should get going," Grue said, "let's get you home." With that we left out a side door. I looked over at the brick factory that was their base. We didn't take the van from last night. Instead we took a truck, Grue took out his smartphone. "Where are we heading?"
I told him the address. He put it into the smartphone and we started driving off.
"What do we do now?" I asked Ugin inside the Prison Realm.
Not a lot of avenues exist right now, Ugin said. I wanted to avoid the attention of the authorities, the more people who know about this place, the gem, the more likely it is to be compromised. I nodded.
"I don't want you to fall into the hands of the PRT," I said with perhaps too much venom.
Agreed, Ugin said. Turning ourselves into the authorities runs the risk of compromising the Spirit-Gem. Or just putting you into the Bird Cage. Though, potentially, you could be made into a probationary ward. That thought made my heart rate skyrocket.
"I…" A pause in my words. "I would have to hide you if that happened."
I know, you could potentially dig me up again when you turn eighteen. Ugin said. But the wards are not appealing right now, are they?"
"Hell no," I growled. In retrospect, it was sickly ironic, I used to want to be a hero so much. I looked up to heroes like Alexandria and Phantom as role models. When I had first been offered this apprenticeship, I thought that maybe I could be a hero in a similar vein to Myrddin.
I never would have thought things would turn out like this.
Which leaves two options, Ugin stated. Independent is too dangerous. You are too high priority of an item right now. One, we abuse the Unwritten Rules and simply don't come out as a cape anymore, the PRT can wait for Skitter reappear but she won't. We learn what's wrong with your spark and teach you magic. The other option is the Undersider's offer.
"You don't think that joining with Supervillains is a bad idea?" I asked.
Ugin glanced into the pool, I could see in the water's reflection that he was watching both Grue and Lisa…or Tattletale up at the front.
I have watched great acts of compassion be carried out by thieves with hands painted red, and acts of vile cruelty condoned by great protectors and leaders.
"So, what, the Undersiders are the good guys while the Protectorate are the bad guys?" I asked. Ugin turn his head towards me.
People are not so cut and dry, you may admire one aspect of a person but feel revolted by another part of them. The PRT and Protectorate greatly benefit from propaganda, their opposition doesn't. This doesn't mean they are good people, simply that the answer you will find might be more complicated. Sometimes people have to make hard choices, and those choices will paint them in either light.
"Then what's the right answer here? How can I know what I'm supposed to do?" I asked, desperately. The Spirit Dragon looked down at me. "Do I hide? Do I turn myself in? Do I go and join them?" I emphasized by bringing my hand over to the water's reflection of the two.
What do you think is the right choice? Ugin asked. I opened my mouth to answer him but only hissing breath came out. If I joined the heroes, I'd be fighting against people like the Undersiders, and while their intentions might've been pragmatic, they still saved me. If I joined the Undersiders, what kind of acts would I be committing against people? I had to wonder, with what Sophia ha gotten away with, what she had done to me, to Charlotte, was that any different. My whole body felt chilled, but there was no cold. It was a void, an absence of heat.
"I don't know what to do," I finally answered, no, more begged, I hugged myself to ail the chill. "I'm stuck, Ugin. I'm stuck…" The Spirit Dragon stiffened to that. "Nothing makes sense, I'm so scared right now, that I'm going to hurt more people. That by being with my dad, I'm going to hurt him, but I wanna see him…" I wanted mom more. She would know what to do. What would she think, me putting a Ward in a coma and driving around with villains?
I thought of when she had died. She had set up a letter to each of us, in case of her death. Dad never let me read the one she gave me, but I remember, the look on his face, when he read his, whatever it had said, it upset him. He had burnt it and gone out drinking. It was the only time he'd ever done that.
At this moment I wanted to read that letter, wherever it was hidden. It was the last connection I really had to her, and maybe something she wrote might help me.
You are not of the right mind to be making this decision, Taylor, said Ugin. You are tired, and haven't had a chance to truly rest. Whatever your decision, I'll be ready to assist you. He looked tense, as though something had stirred in him. An unease.
I nodded, before I finally took note of outside the Prison Realm.
Grue spoke up.
"How much do you know about the Unwritten Rules," he asked. I inhaled and let out a sigh.
"I've researched what I could find, I know that neither side is supposed to attack the other outside of costume," I said.
"It might be what keeps you safe," Grue said. "Look, I'm not saying that joining us is the end all be all, but otherwise, I think you should stick to a civilian life. You seem like a good person, just caught up in all of this mess." I glanced over at Lisa, who nodded. The car lurched to a stop.
Lisa pulled out a paper with a number and handed it to me.
"Call me if you change your mind," she said. I looked down at the paper, there was a phone number on it…along with another message:
Or if you just need someone to talk to.
I nodded. I opened the door to let myself out when Lisa spoke again.
"Taylor," she called, I stopped midway through the truck. "I know it's all messed up. I know you feel like everything is your fault, and that there's something wrong with you, but there isn't. You didn't deserve anything that happened, and Charlotte didn't take something that was meant for you. Just…don't do anything rash before you get time to think things over."
I stopped for a brief moment, I nodded, halfheartedly.
"Good luck," Grue said.
With that I left the car and walked up the driveway, my dad's car was there. Good, he was waiting for me. I stopped and paused, having the swarm feel things out. That's when I noticed. The entirety of the house was empty of bugs. It was a deadzone, where it hadn't been before. I heard caws, and snapped my head up to the power lines above me.
I thought of how Ravens weren't found on this part of the East Coast, and how these were too big to be the crows I grew up around. It was also winter, and despite Brockton Bay's warm climate usually the birds migrated south still. One of the ravens with an old acorn in it's mouth landed on a van that I only just now noticed. It was parked across the street.
Lisa and Grue were looking at it too. My heart rate rose, I started to gather my swarm to me, none of the bugs I'd kept in the house were there so I had to draw them quickly to me, I realized that it wouldn't be fast enough. I started to make a run back for the truck. Lisa and Grue's heads were ducked.
The raven tapped the acorn in it's mouth against the hood of the van.
Once.
I was fifteen feet away from the truck. The windows opened.
Twice.
The door to Grue's truck opened, I panted hard as I sprinted. Darkness only started to pour out of the truck from opened windows.
Thrice.
The van's door burst open, men armed to the teeth and covered in body armor poured out, aiming rifles and grenade launchers at me. I stepped into the oily darkness feeling resistance and feeling foam and what I assume was tranquilizers pass over me. I got in the truck and it burst into motion. At the house I saw more PRT Troopers come out of it before we were covered in darkness. I closed the door after feeling for it before trying to gasp for breath.
They'd attacked me at my own house.
The darkness then lifted and I saw both Grue and Lisa, Lisa turned back towards me and I saw she was wearing a paper bag with eye holes cut out. The same with Grue. She quickly handed me one as well.
I looked at the paper bag.
When in Rome, I guess.
Tattletale looked up behind us, the one van was following us. That's when we heard the revving of a motorcycle.
"Ah shit," Tattletale groaned. I looked behind us to see a blue motorcycle coming passing over the van, in it was a man dressed in blue armor, and Halberd was attached to the side.
"I thought they couldn't attack us out of mask!" I exclaimed.
"We'll worry about that when we don't have Armsmaster after us," Tattletale said. I quickly scoured Grue's truck for bugs, there were a few, the only one I could find of importance was a spider that lived under the seat. I glanced over at Tattletale.
"He doesn't have a missile launcher on that bike of his, does he?" I asked.
"I doubt the PRT would ever let him have something that dangerous on a bike," Grue said.
"Oh, he's got missile launchers," Tattletale said, pointing to the bike. "They shoot tiny rockets…filled with containment foam. He won't shoot now because he risks causing an accident." While they were talking, I had the one spider from under the seat crawl into the back of the truck, I put down the other seats.
"What're you doing?" asked Grue.
"Buying us time," I said, gathering mana to me. "Can you open the back hatch from there?"
"Yeah," Grue said.
"Do it on my signal," I said, as I started to focus the green mana into this single spider. Focus, focus. Each part one at a time. "Tattletale, tell me where those missiles with containment foam are." She turned around to look, glancing for a moment at the growing wolf spider, then at the motorcycle. She crawled out from the passenger's seat and into the back.
Ten seconds later Armsmaster was about ten feet away now, and getting closer.
"There!" She pointed at a side.
"Now!" I exclaimed, the spider was growing larger and larger. The door opened and I quickly had the growing spider jump out. Armsmaster was too close to react and the Spider wrapped it's eight legs around him and the Motorcycle, I quickly, before I would lose the range and control over the spider, had it bite down on the covering where the cannisters were.
An instant later the giant spider and Armsmaster were completely encased in foam, along with the entire lane. The PRT van that had been lagging behind stopped immediately, and I exhaled. Dropping the spell returning the spider to it's original size in the foam.
I was upset, but I didn't want to leave Armsmaster stuck in there with a giant spider that would try and eat him.
The hatch closed itself.
"I think we're safe," Tattletale said.
"You said that last time and that turned out to be wrong," I growled. "The fuck, I thought there were rules!"
"There are," Tattletale, "from what little I could gather, they thought they could abuse a loophole."
"What loophole?" I asked.
"The PRT aren't beholden to the rules, they're not capes," Tattletale said. "So, they send the PRT to grab you. From there either prison or Wards for you." I stared at her. "That's just my guess."
"And Armsmaster, what about him?" I asked.
"I don't think he was supposed to be there," Tattletale said. "Or maybe he was there to observe or something and when he saw we put on paper bags, he considered that masked." Another pause. "No, he definitely saw that we had paper bags on and decided that was enough."
I took off the paper bag on my head, the others did too.
"So, what now?" I asked, I felt like I'd been asking that question a lot, recently.
"Now? Lisa asked. "I doubt they'll try this again, they had one chance and they blew it. If they do it a second time, it'll set precedence for breaking the rules and everyone in Brockton Bay will notice. From there, it's escalation, villains will take that as a free card to attack heroes out of costume, their families, and then someone higher up will have to come down on them."
"…So, after this we can just loop around to my house?" I asked. Lisa shook her head.
"I wouldn't," she admitted. "I doubt your father's actually there, no, he wouldn't be. He's at PRT headquarters being questioned."
"They won't throw him in jail, will they?" I asked, worried. Lisa shook her head.
"They have nothing to charge him with," Lisa explained, "he'll probably be let go before too long."
I closed my eyes.
"I wanted to talk to him," I said. "I wanted his advice. Now he thinks I'm a supervillain and that I go around maiming Wards for fun."
"You will," Lisa reassured me. "The PRT won't try this shit again." I sighed.
"So, I guess you have your answer," I said, "not like I have much of a choice." I'm stuck.
Grue and Lisa gave me a concerned look, before Lisa sighed.
"We'll be back at the base shortly, think things over," Lisa said. "We'll talk there."
I looked out the window as we stopped at a stop sign. On the sidewalk, I noticed an old man, he was in immaculate robes, with white hair and a beard. He stared at me with glowing yellow eyes, and there were two things I noticed to my discomfort. One, I had seen this man before, and two, he was smiling right at me.
The light turned green and we moved away. Leaving the man behind.