As always, be warned that this is un-beta'd, again. I may edit this later, depending on comments or details that I may have missed at the moment.
-Queen Of The Cards-
"You know, old man," she said as she applied polish on the silverware, "when I agreed to be your housekeeper, I didn't exactly expect that I'm going to like this job."
"Oh, why is that, dear?" Zelretch looked up from his newspaper, from the other side of the kitchen table.
"Well, at least it keeps me away from home, from exploding at Hannah," she explained, "But then again, there's something oddly relaxing about cleaning your surroundings, making sure everything's in place. Like, your mind can freely wander while still keeping your hands busy."
"Ah," he nodded, "I think I understand. I had the opportunity to meet someone like that. I also had the privilege of knowing that he'd become a Hero in the future, despite everything. That saving mindset of his… I almost thought that you're like him."
"What made me different?"
For a long moment, the Kaleidoscope didn't answer.
"You," he began, "so loved the people that became part of your world that you value their lives much higher than yours. And the energy… That boy I told you about? He would give his all just to save everyone, and he would refuse to stop. You? You're just trying to get things done, since you can hardly wait to get some rest. You're aiming for that point in time that you can finally stop."
She stopped polishing a spoon. For a few seconds, she simply stared at her handiwork. Finally raising her head, she gave Zelretch a tired smile.
"I figured you'd say that," she said, "You're right. I am tired. I just want to end this Holy Grail War as quickly as I can, so that I can face Scion and finally die. I don't think I can take staying in this world anymore. Everyone seems to be moving on without me, not needing me, not wanting me, not looking for me. Emma's left me, my Dad hardly talks to me, the people I deal with are mostly strangers… I'm just tired of thinking like this."
"I really think that Alaya's messed up your life," Zelretch sighed, "If only she hadn't tinkered with the flow of time, I may have been able to make things easier to you as you grew up."
"Well, It's too late now," she went back to her task, "I'm already at this state. I might as well get over it. Maybe I should start setting my affairs in order as soon as possible. It'll be great if Dad could get some money after my death. I can at least make things more comfortable for him."
"How would you do that?" Zelretch asked.
"You told me that I'd need actual combat training, killing people," she replied, "There are plenty of gang members here that I could practice on. Aside from depriving gangs of manpower, I know for a fact that a lot of their warehouses store a lot of money. Maybe I should begin…"
Zelretch shook his head as she continued outlining her plans. It's not every day that he's realized something. Yes, she wasn't like that boy at all. She won't exactly risk her life or act heroic to keep everyone from getting hurt. She's a much worse case.
She actually wanted to die.
Chapter 11: What Makes A Villain
New Emperor's Palace
Chinese Union-Imperial
7:00 a.m.
A young woman glided smoothly over the marble floors, with people bowing to her in respect as she passed by. She had just entered the inner pavilion when a tall, thin man strode towards her.
"And where have you been, Mei?" Shen Yu, Thinker and Imperial Strategist, frowned.
"I met with my counterparts from other groups at Paris," Mei Gong replied.
"Didn't I tell you not to go anywhere without my approval? You have no authority to travel."
"His Imperial Highness the Prince wished for some sweets that Paris is famous for," Mei shrugged, "When I mentioned my trip to him, he had His Imperial Majesty issue travel orders to me, in exchange for souvenirs. Besides, my meeting will benefit our empire in the long run."
"You're over-stepping yourself," Shen snarled, "I have no use for people who cannot obey a simple command. Especially ones whose ultimate loyalty is suspect."
"Says you and the Yangban," Mei shot back, "Although, who was it that has consistently ensured the safety of our Imperial Family? Who was is that had been instrumental in strengthening our borders and enhancing our technologies to fight other nations? Everything I do, I do in service to the Emperor. That's how important he is to me."
Shen's face reddened, "I could do as well as you! You're only confident to say that because of the people under you. Send them over to me and I can give even better results."
"My people answer only to me, and the fact that the entire Yangban has never succeeded in defeating even just one of us says something about your training methods. Besides, can you actually claim that the contributions of the 731 Global Traders did not come from my ideas?"
They both glared at each other.
"That's enough, you two," Tong Ling Ta, also known as the stone manipulator Ziggurat, intervened, "You're both assets to the empire, just that you're dealing with different things."
After a moment, Mei and Shen stepped away from each other and turned to the newcomer.
"You have a point, Ziggurat," Shen agreed, "I have to admit that Mei's actions on the external front had always been in our favor."
"Hello, Ling," Mei warmly greeted the cape, "How's yesterday?"
"Smooth. New Siam attempted inroads, but I was able to drive them off. Cowards."
The three chuckled.
"Anyway, now that all three of us are actually here," Mei began, "I think it better that I share now with you what I'm planning."
She leaned closer at the two capes, "We can finally get Lung back in our hands."
"What! How?" Shen asked, "Any operation involved in getting Lung back is too costly for us."
Mei grinned, "Claire, Mako."
Two hooded figures, one tall while the other was short, emerged from the shadows and approached them. Kneeling down, they addressed their leader.
"We are at your service, Mei-sama."
"Wait, just these two?" Ling asked, "Not that I'm doubting their capabilities, but Lung is an entirely different deal."
"No, just Claire," Mei corrected her, "I've got a separate job for Mako. You see, I've gotten some useful information from my meeting in Paris. It's now time to expand our empire to the United States."
"And how will you do that, exactly?" Shen asked, "You've been cagey about the details, only that you've been snapping up various companies both here and abroad. You've got a lot of money to spend, don't you?"
"Oh? Worried that I'd 'over-step' myself?" Mei grinned, "No, I assure you all my investments will return in spades. Besides, if you look carefully at the companies I've taken over, you will agree that I've positioned our empire to better deal with our foes via their economic structure. When it collapses, all the countries in the world will have no choice but to seek our guidance."
"And how will Mako achieve that for us?" Ling inquired.
"She just needed to kill someone," Mei shrugged, "Right now, the man's not in a very good place. But keeping him alive would be to our detriment. Besides, once our little assassin here gets her hands on our target, she'll get access to the network that he'd created for himself over the years."
The woman giggled.
"Oh! I could hardly wait for the chaos to start. It'll be so epic that the capes in the US will be left reeling from our actions. They couldn't do anything to stop us then."
"Well, I sure hope so," Shen grumbled, "Let me look at the list of companies you've taken over. I might be able to find something there that could make our expansion much faster."
"Of course," Mei agreed wholeheartedly, "I look forward to hearing about any threats you might identify from the data."
She watched as the two capes left her alone with her subordinates. Making sure there were no eavesdroppers:
"Claire," she quietly said, "I need you to make the sacrifice play. Ruler has started her rhythm, and the only way we could control that is by giving her a power from our group. If my theory about her class card usage and restriction is correct, you're the worst option for her in terms of offense. You'll basically become the hidden card under her sleeve that'll be useless in the face of threats that we've lined up against her. Also, I believe that Ruler will be paying a steep price in order to defeat your superior defense. She'll be out of commission as we carry out our plans in Brockton Bay."
"And Lung?" Claire asked.
"Mako will handle it for us," Mei replied, "Her primary target could be eliminated in minutes anyway. What's important is that Lung gets returned here. The Yangban will become even more powerful with him around. Just make sure that you get that potion that Kin is brewing for us before you two leave. And, Mako?"
"Yes, Mei-sama," the young girl acknowledged.
"Make sure that his death remains unnoticed. His pawns will be useful scapegoats for us and will advance our plans even better."
"Understood, Mei-sama."
"Prepare to leave in a week's time. Dismissed."
Both hooded figures nodded and disappeared into the shadows again.
--
Winslow High School
Brockton Bay
10:30 a.m.
Taylor walked down the school hallway, trying not to hit anyone or draw attention to herself. Even though the Holy Grail War has begun, abruptly stopping school would actually be a bad idea. Zelretch had explained the possibility that her enemies may be onto her, and keeping to her daily routine could be the only way to keep away suspicion. Aside from that, ditching school would attract her dad's attention.
That would raise a whole different level of chaos. If her bullying ever reaches her Dad, things could get difficult with her plans regarding the War.
Let it be known that Danny Hebert's temper may become a huge problem for her if that happens. Taylor could easily imagine him locking her up in her bedroom. And then he'd head straight to the school, baseball bat in hand. Or probably anyone that dare to attack her.
Taylor snorted at the thought. Her dad has no idea about the kind of people that she had to deal with. Bullies at Winslow were mere bugs compared to her enemies.
In this entire city, she was perhaps the only one who could defeat the enemy card holders.
Her musing was interrupted when she felt her shoulder hit someone.
"Careful there, Hebert. Stop daydreaming in the middle of the hall."
Oh, great, Sophia Hess. Her day couldn't get even better.
"Hess," Taylor stared, and her eyebrows rose.
Sophia Hess, whom she remembered to sport long, braided hair, looked totally different with her pixie haircut. And wrapped around her neck was a scarf that Taylor felt was very familiar.
Wait, that's a piece from her cloak as Ruler. Why hasn't it disappeared already? No, that's not actually important. What's more noticeable was this aura of heaviness that seemed to surround her bully.
"Cat got your tongue?" Sophia smiled weakly, "Just watch where you're walking."
She went on towards her own class while Taylor's head turned to follow. Come to think of it, she hasn't been attacked by the Trio since this morning.
"That-," Taylor was bewildered, "That was weird."
Wonder what made Sophia act like that? It's not like anything earth-shattering happened to her.
For a moment, Taylor contemplated that Sophia was traumatized by the events at Franklin Nature Park. She quickly dismissed the thought. That was impossible. Sophia Hess wouldn't be affected that badly by something like that. She only got shot a few times by Archer.
Besides, she's still alive. That should be good, right?
Hearing the bell ring, Taylor walked faster to her class. It won't do well to get a detention when she's got a trip with Zelretch later.
--
Granny Muriel's Café
Boardwalk
3:30 p.m.
"Here's your tea, little Tay," Granny Muriel smiled as she handed Taylor her order.
"Thanks, Granny," Taylor smiled back.
"And here's your cappuccino, Lisa."
"Thanks, Granny Muriel," Lisa bowed slightly.
Sipping her drink, the blonde Thinker smiled happily.
"As always, your brew is heavenly," she praised the barista, "What's your secret?"
"You know that already, young lady," the old woman smiled, "Tradition and experience. Sometimes, the old ways are the best."
"I'll drink to that," Lisa saluted with her cup as the old woman left them.
She then turned to Taylor, "So, how's your day?"
"What's there to tell?" Taylor sighed, "You know how my school works. Although things were easy since no one's picking on me. What about you?"
"Well," Lisa shrugged, "Kinda slow. Boss hasn't been in touch with us for a couple of days now. Seems like he got himself into some trouble. Well, whatever, he brought it to himself."
"I'd wanted to know more about that, but I'm not going to ask," Taylor frowned, "Why are we here anyway? Not that I'm complaining. Granny's tea is excellent, but I'm supposed to be cleaning your apartment, right?"
"Nope," Lisa grinned smugly, "that's just my excuse. Otherwise, you'd schedule some real work from others. You need to take things easy. Forget your problems, even just for an hour."
Secretly, Lisa was also taking this time to actually rest her mind. Whenever she's with Taylor, it was so easy to shut down her powers, even for a while. It was refreshing.
"Well, thanks for the concern," Taylor sipped her tea, "But I'd still have to deal with my problems once the hour is up."
"But you'd be able to think better then, right?"
"Fine, no point arguing with a psychic."
"Not really," Lisa admitted, "I'm just good at reading people."
"If you say so."
They were chatting about some nonsense movie they've seen when music blared in the air. It was a familiar tune. Oh, right, it was that movie they were watching. Even without Lisa using her powers, she knew exactly what's going on.
"Great, Uber and Leet," Lisa sighed, "Two small-time villains with their usual shenanigans if I ever saw any."
"I don't know," Taylor smiled as she looked at the people gathering at a makeshift stage, "I don't really think they're villains."
That made Lisa stop, "What do you mean?"
"We're in the Boardwalk," Taylor replied, "Unless those two had a permit to set up that stage, those Enforcers would be all over them like white on rice. I think today's purely for entertainment purposes. They're likely performing for tips and Youtube videos."
Now that Lisa thought more of it, it actually made sense. Guess she really was getting too dependent on her powers. Thinking normally seemed too slow these days.
"But what made you doubt that their villains?"
Lisa wanted to know what her friend had in mind, since it could give her a clue about Taylor's thinking regarding the Undersiders.
"Look at the people gathering," Taylor pointed out, "If Uber and Leet truly are the villains the PRT and Protectorate portrayed them to be, everyone would be running away screaming in fear. Sure, some of them actually walked away, but look, they're coming back. They want to see the show. Maybe become part of it."
"Like those hookers?" Lisa deadpanned.
"You and I both know it was staged," Taylor snorted, "Although those poor idiots had to release another video explaining that stunt and the extras that volunteered. People are so easily fooled."
"Still, we can't deny that they've caused a lot of trouble."
"Not really," Taylor shrugged, "Think about it. The only time there was irreparable damage to property was when our so-called heroes came in to stop them. Remember that time, with Glory Girl? Ugh, I don't know if she was living up to the 'dumb blonde' stereotype or her title as 'Collateral Damage Barbie'. Otherwise, it was just plain pranks."
"Yeah," Lisa winced, "Anyway, what do you really think is a true villain?"
Taylor sipped her tea while looking at her friend and sometimes employer.
"A true villain rules by fear," she began, "A true villain achieves his goals to the detriment of those around them. They are the kind of people who do things without remorse, without care for those affected by their greed. They have no concern for the welfare of mankind. They're symbols of treachery and evil. In other words, they're humanity's greatest threats."
Taylor's words were filled with so much conviction that Lisa could feel chills run down her spine. The Thinker felt that there was something more about it, but didn't think of using her powers to find out more. She had sworn never to read Taylor again after that one time.
"And Uber and Leet?" Lisa swallowed.
"Just some guys who wanted to have fun," Taylor gave her a small smile, "They just lacked enough common sense and responsibility."
"Oh."
"Come on, finish that coffee of yours," Taylor urged, "I want to see a bit of their show before I go home."
--
Hebert Residence
Brockton Bay
5:00 p.m.
When Hannah opened the door, it was to see Taylor still avoiding looking at her and her arms laden with groceries.
"Have you started with dinner yet?" the teenager asked as she headed to the kitchen.
"No, I'm still planning one," the older woman replied, "I figured some thick stew. It's a cold night."
"Forget it," Taylor said, "I'll cook dinner before I return to the mansion."
"You're not staying?" Hannah asked, slightly disappointed.
"I've got some work needed done there," Taylor replied, "Besides, this is the only time I could do this."
She pulled out a small notebook from her bag and gave it to Hannah. The woman noted how dog eared the edges were, showing its age.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Turn to Page 37," Taylor replied.
Hannah flipped the pages and found the appropriate entry. She saw some scribbles at the sides modifying the recipe.
"Meatloaf?" she asked.
"Meatloaf, Dad's favorite, Mom has a way to keep the interior moist and not crumble," Taylor confirmed, "That notebook contains Mom's family recipes, passed down from mother to daughter. In your hands is the original compilation that grandma gave Mom, one she scribbled on the sides to save her more personal touch."
With a deep sigh, she finally looked up to Hannah.
"I'm trusting you with that recipe book," Taylor said, "I'm not blind. It's obvious how much you and Dad care for each other. It's only a matter of time before you tie the knot. I just hope that you'll continue Mom's tradition and pass those recipes down to your daughter. Most of them are easy to follow. I just need to teach you the meatloaf recipe because Mom didn't write down the latest modification. But she taught me, and I could replicate it perfectly."
Realizing the gravity of what Taylor's done, Hannah's eyes widened.
"Wait, Taylor!" Hannah protested, "I don't think I should take this. This is your Mom's legacy. You should be giving this to your own daughter. It's not right for me to take this away."
"Yeah," Taylor smiled sadly, "That is my Mom's legacy to me, which I am passing down to you. I'm just making sure that, even just through this, my Mom's memory still lives on. And you're not taking it away. Think of it as my way of saying that you could stay. Although you still can't convince me to live here again."
They both silently looked at each other.
"Taylor," Hannah began with all seriousness, "I promise you, I will take care of this notebook. And I will pass this down to my children when the time comes. You can be assured that Annette's legacy lives on with me."
Taylor nodded and then looked back to the kitchen sink.
"Come on, help me chop up the ingredients," Taylor began washing the vegetables, "It's actually easy and quick to prepare. Dad would be happy tonight."
After a moment's pause, Hannah joined her. They spent a peaceful hour together.
--
A Certain Mansion By The Hill
Captain's Hill
8:30 p.m.
"Ready for the trip?" Zelretch asked as Taylor entered the living room.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Taylor sighed, "I just don't get it. You said the trip was on Wednesday, February 23rd. That's still tomorrow. Why are we leaving now?"
"Ah, well, I forgot to tell you that it's already Wednesday there," the old man grinned.
Taylor's eye began to twitch.
"You mean to tell me," she gritted her teeth, "that this trip is going to be outside the country? What the fuck! You do realize I don't even have a passport."
"Oh come on," Zelretch chuckled, "How would they know if you don't tell them, right? Besides, we don't need an airplane to get there."
For moment, Taylor stared at him incredulously. She finally face-palmed.
"You're going to use the Kaleidoscope," she groaned, "for sightseeing?"
"I wouldn't put it that way," Zelretch smiled, "Besides, I have friends there that could help you with your problem in speed crafting magical items."
"Friends?" Taylor raised her eyebrow, "I just hope that this doesn't end up like Cornell. Remember Professor Scott, from Archeology? Three days after he promised to help us decode some offensive type Mystic Codes you discovered, he, his team and the entire Goldwin Smith Hall got blown up by Bakuda."
"We're not even sure that was Alaya's meddling," Zelretch pointed out, "It could be a coincidence. Triggers happen all the time."
"We also can't dismiss the possibility that it was the Counter Force at work, preventing us from asking help," Taylor replied, "Don't tell me you forgot about Mister Chatham of Chatham Industries, in Arkansas?"
"Of course not," Zelretch frowned, "He was a nice guy. One smart entrepreneur, to be honest. And he was a believer of our purpose."
The business man was supposed to open a factory in Brockton Bay. Not only would it generate more jobs for the locals, it would also serve as a convincing cover for Taylor. Winslow High had a history of leniency for students working as interns for major businesses. More so if the internship was under the business owner. It would have been the perfect set-up.
"Yeah," Taylor gave him a sour expression, "It was a shame the Slaughterhous Nine stopped by his city, wiped out his entire family. Now, I can't leave school easily without raising suspicion."
Zelretch winced.
For some reason, any attempt to seek help or establish a network here in Earth Bet in order to better fight in the Holy Grail War was stymied by so many things. Bombings, a Slaughterhous Nine visit, heart attacks, heck, even a lawsuit, turned up to hinder or stop anyone who could have helped them.
That was why they were stuck with their current set-up.
Hopefully, since Zelretch had no direct hand in this trip they're taking, his contacts in that museum would be spared. The exhibit was independently arranged and it was only due to his status as curator of Brockton Bay's City Museum that he got wind of the items that were going to be displayed there. One look at the pictures, and he knew that Taylor had got to see these.
"Where are we going, anyway?" Taylor asked, changing the topic.
"Ah, yes," Zelretch nodded, "It's at the National Gallery of Australia."
"That's pretty far away," Taylor commented, "What's so interesting there?"
"Well, incidentally, the museum will be holding an exhibit of some rare artifacts that you would be interested in," the Kaleidoscope explained, "Since some of these contain Primordial Runes."
"Whoa," Taylor blinked, "Primordial Runes? That's amazing. I could probably come up with useful spell arrays once I got the chance to examine them. It's pretty rare to find those stuff here in this world."
"I know," Zelretch chuckled, "Plus, it will shorten your inscription time once you've studied them up close."
"Yeah," Taylor agreed, "Anyway, where in Australia is that museum?"
"In Australia's capital city," Zelretch said with a flourish, "Canberra."