Violet was frozen with fear as she watched her force field make waves. She didn't even flinch as the bullet grazed her cheek, tearing through the very edge of her face mask.
It should have been reflected. Why didn't it bounce off? How did it break through?!
"Who is going to put you down, Invisigirl?!" Evelyn shouted in her mind.
Another shot rang out but she didn't move. She kept her shield up, praying for a different result, but Buddy wasn't as willing to test it out a second time. He sprung into action.
Tackling her to the floor, he carried that rushed momentum to roll them off the stage. A grunt of pain escaped him as he took the fall for both of them on his back but they couldn't afford to sit still. He shoved Violet underneath the stage and followed her inside by low crawling.
"Violet."
"It didn't work," a stunned Invisigirl whispered, "why didn't it work?"
That was the million-dollar question. He'd find the answer to it. But first, they had to get out alive.
"Vi, snap out of it," Buddy ordered as he gripped her shoulders tight. He couldn't blame her for the shock she was experiencing, hell, he was just as surprised at the outcome, but he had far more experience with things blowing up in his face. "We can't stay here. Do you hear me, Vi?"
"Invisigirl?! Buddy?!" Winston's voice shouted from behind the stage.
"We're alright!" Buddy shot back. "Where's the kid?"
"We got her!" came Mirage and Buddy tried to map where the sniper had set up camp in his head.
The chaos around them increased as screams heightened and more rounds were fired off. An NSA agent dropped dead from the stage, his body falling in the spot Buddy had hit the ground only moments ago.
There were more of the bastards out there. At least a dozen well-trained hired guns were on their way. Armed only with his cane and a spooked super, Buddy pulled the firearm off of the dead agent and tucked it into the back of his pants.
"Win, get the kid out of here, we'll meet up with you later."
When Winston didn't respond, Buddy hoped it was because they had already run off. Focusing on Violet again, he gripped her face with one hand and met her eyes. Her shields were no good for defense and he was willing to bet that those helmets were able to track heat signatures as well.
"Vi, you got two choices here. You can run and hide, or we can try to fight our way out of this mess. What's it gonna be, super?" Buddy asked. "We don't have time to think."
Violet took in the words that Buddy provided as she sat up and looked out to the streets where a small band of military-esque men were encroaching upon them. Her best bet was to go invisible and get the hell out of dodge, but she wasn't going to leave with her tail between her legs, and she'd sooner take a bullet again before leaving Buddy behind.
"Let's get these guys," Violet uttered and Buddy smirked in admiration.
"Think you Can get the jump on the sniper?"
"Yeah, no problem," she breathed and he tapped her uninjured cheek with his hand.
"That's my girl."
….
Winston held onto Lillian with all his might as he and Mirage raced through the streets alongside other frantic civilians.
How in the world did things go south so quickly? What happened to the security detail? Did his sister really cause this?
Gunfire echoed behind them as police and NSA agents engaged the militia group.
"Where did they come from?" Winston asked.
"I don't know, Winston," Mirage replied.
"Why didn't security alert us?"
"I don't know, Winston."
"How did they shoot through Violet's force field?!"
"I don't know, Winston!"
Shots fired ahead of them and Mirage shoved the two into a bank entryway. A bullet caught her leg as she reached for safety as well.
"M!"
"Forget about me Win, just get Lillian out of here!"
Shaking his head, Winston set the child down and helped Mirage to her feet.
"If you think that I'm leaving you behind, you are as wrong as you are beautiful!"
Mirage would have blushed at the statement if they weren't on the verge of being gunned down. Her olive eyes moved to where Lillian had been standing but found only concrete and white brick.
"Lillian?! Shit, Lillian?!" Mirage shouted out trying to find her form but Winston was pulling her back inside of the wall, shaking his head.
"The kid has her powers to help her, but we gotta hide M!"
Mirage cursed as a few rounds pelted the side of the building. Lillian was hiding nearby, she knew it. Unless if that backpack of hers allowed her to tap into multiple powers at once. She couldn't say. All she knew was that they were sitting ducks and needed to get to cover.
Winston all but carried Mirage into the bank where a few other civilians were hiding, along with one plump security guard who had his pistol raised at the door.
"Who are they?" he had asked and Mirage shook her head.
"Bad people, that's all anyone needs to know right now."
She would have hoped that at least one super would have stepped up to the plate to help out, but between NSA history and the fact that this group was able to draw blood from a top-tier super, Mirage wasn't all that surprised by the absence of heroes.
"Is there a vault we can hide in?" Winston asked and a young woman rose up behind the teller window nodding quickly.
"Yes! Follow me," the brunette beckoned and the stranded civilians all followed the woman to the back of the building.
"But Lillian," Mirage insisted but Winston shook his head.
"She's already proven she can outwit those goons M. We'll find her. I promise."
Mirage gritted her teeth but as a window shattered she knew there was nothing they could do for the super.
Nothing other than hope they'd all survive the encounter.
…
Buddy took shelter behind a car as he took a mental note of the situation. Violet would be able to take out the sniper- he had to believe that much. Luckily for him, the shooter wasn't all that hellbent on taking him out.
A mercenary rounded the bumper of the car catching Buddy off guard. There was no hesitation from Buddy to zap him with the Zero Point Energy beam and throw him into a nearby window, but that man served only as a distraction.
Hands were on him, trying to force him to the ground.
He didn't go down without a fight, but four on one rarely played in favor of the loner. Even more so when the group had tactical training and he was still not 100 percent. His cane was wretched away from him as well as the firearm he had tucked away.
This wasn't how most executions went, and when he felt the zip ties tighten around his wrists he was reminded of Schmerzen's white room and panic flooded his system. He struggled harder against the bodies that were pinning him to the pavement.
"This is team Perseus, reporting in. We've secured Prometheus. Heading to the pickup point now. Achilles, sound off when you captured the child," reported one of the men into a radio. Buddy's blue eyes went wide.
Turning his head in the direction of the voice, the pressure on a knee on his back kept him from believing that he was imagining the words that he heard.
"What did you just call me?" Buddy asked, breathless. "Who told you that name?"
The answer he got was the butt of the rifle to his head.
…
The gruff sniper turned away from the window once he saw one of the objectives reach a point. He began to pack up his gear, reaching for his helmet when the floorboards creaked without him moving.
"Scheisse," the man hissed before spinning to meet the super with his side arm raised. The room appeared empty, but he knew better. His instincts told him there was indeed another body in the room.
He fired off a round but Violet flung him to the side of the room. Another forcefield was wrapped around the muzzle of the gun, crushing it and rendering it useless. Regardless of whatever bullets laid in the chamber.
"Who are you people and what do you want?!" Violet shouted, visible to the eye again. The man just smirked at her.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Yeah, that's why I asked, asshole," Violet pressed as she kept the man pinned against the wall. "Where can I find the mastermind of Hyperion? Cooperate and I may just forgive you for trying to kill me."
"Sorry super, but you don't scare me," he muttered, something clicking behind his teeth. Before Violet could figure out what the sound was it was too late as the man began to convulse violently.
Violet was taken aback by her attacker's willingness to end his own life. She stepped forward to prevent the suicide but stopped seeing that it was already too late.
Cursing under her breath, Violet turned away from the scene and over to the window, just in time to see Buddy's body getting hauled into the back of a black van. She had never projected a force field from this distance, nearly a mile, but it was taking the risk of pushing new limits or losing Buddy to God knows who.
She threw up a force field towards the van but the dim purple orb was still almost a block off.
Her heart raced as she moved closer to the window, throwing another force field. Half a block away as all the men had piled into the van.
"Nononono," she cried out as she pushed both hands out. If she threw a pulse at them she could hurt Buddy in the process. Looking at the sniper rifle, Violet pursed her lips and brought the weapon up. Laying her bloody cheek onto the stock, she gazed into the scope and held her breath. Holding the weapon tight with her right arm, she stretched out her left arm towards the van that was rolling away.
…
Buddy wasn't out long from the blow, and while he had much bigger issues at the present he was beginning to worry that the repeated hits to his head would kill off his precious brain cells.
In the back of the van, his blue eyes shot around to his captors. It would be three on one now if he tried to make a break for it. He didn't know why the hell Hyperion was interested in him but he wasn't going to sit around to find out.
He sat up but was stopped with a gun being pressed against his brow.
"Stay right there, Pine. We got orders to bring you in alive, but accidents happen all the time," came a thick Australian accent from the man opposite of him.
"Your employer wouldn't be happy with that I imagine," Buddy quickly responded and the man snorted air through his nose and the gun moved from his head to his knee, making Buddy tense even more.
"They're never happy, but I'll be satisfied with that bonus for bringing you and that brat in. So, where is she?"
Buddy's lips were sealed. He was hoping that Lillian, Win, and Mirage made it to his aircraft but he wasn't going to turn on his communicator to confirm that.
"Sorry, I left her with the sitter. They took her to see a flick. A picture called Go Fuck Yourself."
The man raised his trigger hand with the intent of pistol whipping the captive but the van crashed unexpectedly as the driver had no time to react.
The man in the passenger seat went through the windshield as those in the back careened to the back to the seats.
"Shit, it's that super!" The driver hissed looking around before he tried to start the van up again but the engine stalled. "Shit!"
"If you boys know what's good for you, bail out now," Buddy grimaced with a smile. "See, that's my girlfriend- fiancé, actually. And she's pretty crazy about me."
Suddenly the fan shifted back as the wall pushed against the vehicle.
"Shit!"
"All you gotta do is pop the back doors and show her that I'm still breathing," he continued and the three remaining mercs exchanged glances.
"If the super doesn't kill us, our employer will," spoke the smallest of the group. "Worse."
The van was dragged back further, now pulled feet rather than inches.
"We finish the job. I'll kill the invisible bitch if I have to," the Aussie spoke as he grabbed Buddy by the collar of his shirt and ushered him towards the back doors.
Buddy didn't even bother to warn the bastard when he put the gun to his temple again. The back doors opened and the Buddy turned his head away from the sun.
"Where is she?" the driver asked.
"I can't see her. Fucking cunt must be invisible!"
And right on cue the Australian was caught in a forcefield and hurtled towards the ground, knocked out cold even through the protective headgear.
"Shit! Quinn- take the pill!" shouted the driver, the leader of the squad clearly. Buddy turned his head to watch as the two mercs proceeded to take their own lives, dropping like flies hit with a toxic spray.
There was only one reason Buddy could find that anyone on the good and evil spectrum would kill themselves, and that was because whoever they worked for was worse than those they fought against. Even Schmerzen's men were willing to face their boss's wrath after a fuck up. So who the hell was behind Hyperion?.
Buddy's eyes searched for Violet in the emptied-out streets but came to a stop when the woman suddenly appeared right beside him. Rather than helping him free of his binds, her fingers were rooting around the mouth of the foul abductor after she removed the helmet.
"Guessing the sniper took his life too," Buddy muttered and Violet only nodded as she found the fake tooth and extracted the cyanide pill from his mouth.
"Who are we up against, Buddy?" Violet asked.
Buddy was silent. All they had were questions at this point. Why did a healthcare company have a private army at its disposal? Why did they want Lillian? How did they manage to make a bullet that could break through her shields?
More importantly, at least at this moment for him, was why the fuck did they call him Prometheus? That name was reserved for the likes of Major Metal and him alone.
"I don't know," Buddy sighed as she freed him from the zip ties and gave him a once over. The bruise on his head was going to turn from crimson to a sickly yellow. But he was going to live- for the time being.
The hopes had been that they could convince the public that the NSA was vital, but all that was proven was that the organization couldn't even protect two supers. Everything was falling apart in her mind already, but there were still things that had to be taken care of.
"Lillian?"
Buddy shook his head. "I don't think they got her, not with them asking me for her location."
"Well, we better find them. Before someone else does," Violet uttered as she lifted the surviving mercenary with her force field. She met Buddy's face but paused.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he lied. Normally he could pass a lie detector test with flying colors but his fair skin was a few shades paler than usual.
"Buddy, what aren't you telling me?"
"... It's going to sound crazy."
"Crazier than how today has already gone?"
He prodded the inside of his lower lip with his tongue and nodded in agreement.
"It might take the cake for me, yeah."
"What is it?" Violet asked as they both began to move down the street.
"I think the Major may have a part in this," he said lowly and Violet caught his arm.
"THE Major? As in your major? Major Metal major? But he's dead- you told me so yourself."
"I know what I said and I know what I saw. He was very much dead when I found him and even if he was somehow miraculously brought back to life he'd be pushing 90 at least. But this- all of this, it's reminiscent of how he would operate. Save for the suicidal soldiers- that's new to me."
He wanted to tell her the name they used on him, but he was still trying to shake off the feelings of tension in his chest. Prometheus was the nickname HE gave him and as far as he knew, no one else was in on that insider info. Not even the NSA.
"This is good," Violet said suddenly and Buddy blinked.
"What?! Vi, how is any of this good? They've got weapons that can pierce your shield, men willing to die for this shit- more than willing to die for this shit- who knows who else they got on the inside too."
"No, seriously think about it Buddy, who knows him better than you?"
"This can't be him."
"But what if it was?"
"It's not- he's dead."
"Humor me, Buddy. If this was Major Metal's operation, what would happen next?"
Buddy licked his lips as thought over the tactics used and the ones that had yet to be implemented.
"It's shaping up to be a bust so far- unless they manage to grab Lil," Buddy said as they clung to the walls of the buildings they passed. "There is an extraction point… nearby, likely in a tourist spot where no one would question a helicopter landing."
He rolled up his sleeve and peered at his watch and nodded ahead.
"What are you doing?"
"Finding Lillian. I may have chipped the kid."
"You WHAT?!"
"Well, not so much as her but the pack. Don't give me that look, Parr. You were just saying how my connection to Major Metal was a good thing!"
"It is- Forget I said anything," Violet muttered as she felt the open wound on her face. "Fucking hell-"
"Don't touch it."
"It hurts," she hissed as they stopped.
"You're going to get it infected. But hell, that should have stopped bleeding by now. Looks like you'll need some stitches, unless you want to drop by Golden View and see-"
"No, I just want to get Lillian and get out of here," Violet muttered as Buddy took hold of her face to look over the graze, unable to stop herself from wincing.
"Yeah. That'll need some stitches. A shame I can't hurt the prick who marred that pretty face of yours."
Violet rolled her eyes but a faint smile remained. "Guess I'm not your pretty little super now, huh?"
"You're better than pretty, Vi. You're finally looking a little battle-worn. And that makes you drop-dead gorgeous."
Violet would have liked to kiss him but they just remained locked in place. Buddy's gaze went back to his watch and he gave a sigh of relief.
"We're getting close. I think we should ditch the dead weight here and hope that we can pick him up for some old-fashioned interrogating on the way back."
"Why leave that to chance?" Violet asked as she set the mercenary down and moved to a locked bicycle. She knelt beside the lock and had it expertly picked with her force fields. Bringing the padlock and chain back, Buddy looked both amused yet distraught at the hidden skill set. She was a deeper well than he had believed.
"What?"
"I'm just going to tell you this once, Vi. When we revamp one of the testing chambers, you are NOT allowed to Houdini your way out of any binds~"
"Oh shut up," Violet muttered as she bent over to chain the unconscious man to a lamp post.
Rising to her full height again she waited for Buddy to lead the trail again, but instead, he just wagged a finger in her face.
"No Houdini shit."
"Unbelievable," she sighed as she took his arm to read off the coordinates. Lillian was close. They were nearly on top of her it seemed.
"Lillian?" Buddy called out, hoping the kid would just spring out of thin air. The only sound to come back was gunfire sounding off on the next block over.
They stood at the literal Super Center of the world. The capital was where the supposed best and brightest supers resided and none of them were out to aid those caught in the crossfire. Violet was furious with it all. Did they hang back out of spite for the NSA? Maybe they were staying home to wait for news to break that she and Syndrome were dead before they would clock back in to resume hero work.
She marched in the direction of the gunfire but Buddy snatched her arm.
"Vi, don't-"
"Someone has to stop them."
"It doesn't have to be you," his hold was a little tighter on her wrist. "Normally I'd let you go buck wild, yeah- but you aren't indestructible as we both found out."
"So only you get to make the dumb risky moves?" she snapped as she tore her hand away.
"Yes."
"There are innocent lives in danger, Buddy. They need me!"
"Not as much as I do," he said a little softer than before which made her hesitate in speaking again, but he wasn't finished.
"These guys- they are bad news, Vi. Real bad. When they were just jumping super families in their sleep that was one thing. But striking in broad daylight? Getting through your powers? This isn't Schmerzen or the Brother's Mayhem-"
"You're still withholding info on me, aren't you?" she accused and before Buddy could fess up a figure dressed in blue and green was running towards them. Violet knew that head of teal hair anywhere.
"Holy shit. Karen?!" Violet asked as the figure collided with her in a hug. It was Voyd. Where every super within the city limits had their backs turned, Voyd had shown up.
"Violet, oh man, I thought you were a goner!" the woman exclaimed as she pulled away and looked over the woman's bloody face. "I came as soon as I could, it took me a few hops but I'm so glad I wasn't too late."
Violet was stunned to say the least. Voyd's home was Florida yet here she was. "How did you-?"
"Like I said, it took a few tries. I've been practicing a lot since, well, you know, the whole losing a school bus accident," the woman said as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Same rules apply, I still need to have eyes on the place I'm shooting for, but tv really helps."
Violet's eyes began to tear up as she quickly pulled Voyd back into a hug, surprising the affectionate woman but she held her right back, content on staying in the hug until Buddy was clearing his throat.
"Oh- Mr. Syndrome-!" Voyd exclaimed.
"It's Buddy."
"Mr. Buddy-!"
"Just Buddy, but goddammit, look, that doesn't matter. What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was hoping I could help-"
"Doesn't the NSA have you on a Do Not Call list?" he inquired and Violet shot a glare his way.
"Buddy!"
"What?! It's true!" Buddy said as he folded his arms but Karen just smiled on.
"Yeah, I messed up pretty bad a bit ago," Voyd concurred as she rubbed the back of her neck. In saving a school bus of kids from the clutches of a bioengineered mutant squid she had accidentally teleported the bus from the Sunshine State and into the middle of Bangor Maine. It was pretty traumatizing for the kids, but she did get a few thank you letters from them. One of them even made her a paper snowflake, saying they were happy to see snow for the first time, even if they weren't dressed for it.
"My doctor prescribed me some meds so I can focus more on the moment and not be as… well-"
"Spacey?" Buddy asked with a raised eyebrow and Voyd nodded quickly, placing one pointer finger on her nose and the other pointer finger at him.
"That's the word, yeah!"
Violet smiled looking at Buddy as well as she grabbed Voyd's outstretched hand. "We're going! Go get Lillian and we'll meet back up when we're done!"
Buddy's jaw went slack before he shook his head. "Vi- this doesn't make your odds any better."
"Are you kidding? Now they'll never see me coming," Violet said without a note of doubt in her voice.
Unable to stop the women, Buddy watched them run off until Violet's head was no longer in sight.
"Incredible," he muttered under his breath as he looked down to his watch to try to figure out how near or far he had to go to find Lillian, but looking up again he spotted a candy shop a few buildings down. The location seemed to line up with his estimate and what was a better place for a kid to hide out?
Stepping over the broken glass that littered the front door, Buddy peered around the shop but didn't have to look further than down at his feet. Pressure from small arms were wrapped around him and he felt for Lillian's head.
"You can come out, you know."
"The spacemen- they got Violet, didn't they?"
Buddy closed his eyes. He wished she had been luckier, but she was still breathing. Nobody could ask for more than that. "They only succeeded in pissing her off. Don't you worry, squirt. She's gonna take them all out."
He could feel her fumbling with the controls on her strap but she turned off the CopyCat pack and became visible again.
"She's okay?"
"Better than okay. She is the strongest super around," he said as he stepped around the kid and made a b-line for the wall of salt water taffy.
"Is she really?"
"Oh hell yeah, kid!" Buddy said as he stole a few pieces of the wrapped sweets. "She looks all soft and sweet but she's a force to reckon with. Could take out an army in a single fell swoop. I didn't see it happen, but she took out a whole cartel, defeated a Yakuza boss-"
"Woah," Lillian whispered, awestruck by the thought.
"Right?!"
"That's so cool! I wanna fight like that!"
"Oh trust me, you don't. But should you have to, as long as you have that device on your back, you'll be golden. Better than that actually. Why I bet you're going to be the greatest super the world has ever seen!"
"D-do you really think so?" Lillian asked as Buddy tossed a piece of taffy her way.
"Oh, absolutely. If we stick together, nothing is going to be out of reach for us."
Lillian smiled softly as she observed the pink piece of candy in her hand.
"You promise?"
It was the tone of her voice that made Buddy remember that he wasn't in the position to be making promises. Especially after the way today turned out. But seeing those soft brown eyes so full of wonder made him want to promise the world to her.
"As long as I've got a heartbeat, I'll be your sidekick, kid."
…
Inside of the Hamilton Federal Bank vault, Mirage, Winston and the other civilians hunkered down as the Hyperion mercenaries unloaded on the vault door. Their bullets might have been able to cut through Violet's force fields, but they were not able to cut through the reinforced steel.
Not yet at least.
Winston did his best at putting a tourniquet on Mirage's leg but the tanned model material was already out a decent amount of blood.
"Mira, honey, you gotta stay with me, okay?" the spry man asked as he took her hands into his. "You need to stay awake."
Mirage smiled softly and nodded as she looked to the vault door. It had been a few minutes since they fired at the door, and while that might have put some of the civilians at ease it only worried her more.
They would be coming in with explosives if they had them. The teller assured them that there was no way the vault door would come undone but there was no way that Violet's shield was supposed to be penetrated.
"It's a good thing that Lilly made a run for it," Mirage uttered with tearful eyes. "I just hope that she actually gets away."
Winston nodded as he took a seat beside her, his hand still holding hers. There was enough air in the vault to keep them alive for a few hours. They just had to hold out until the cavalry came.
If anyone was coming for them.
"Do you think she'll get away?" Winston asked and Mirage shook her head.
"Not forever, no. This was a mistake, bringing her out into the open. We should have just kept her hidden. If only Buddy's location wasn't compromised."
"I'm willing to bet my bottom dollar my sister had a hand in that." Mirage sighed breezily and nodded.
"I would not be surprised… I'm really sorry about your sister, Win."
"Heh, yeah. Me too…" Winston said as he rested his head back against the wall of lockboxes. "She wasn't always this bad."
"I find that hard to believe," Mirage retorted. "But I guess people can change for the worse. And the better too."
"You're talking about Buddy there, right?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm talking about Buddy. Not that it makes much of a difference… even if we all get out of this alive Win, congress is going to gut the NSA, the great state of California is going to kill Buddy. Lillian is most likely going to end up in the system, and Violet… well, I don't know what Violet is going to do- but it won't be good."
Win nodded in agreement. He had been the one to fly her around the globe to find the people that took Buddy away. Had witnessed the beheading of one very bad man. "She is one scary girl when she's mad."
"A real horror show," Mirage agreed and rested her head on his shoulder.
Then the screaming started. The men were getting ready to blow down the hatch. Winston wrapped his arms around her and for a moment she felt safe with him.
"I love you, Miroslava," Winston whispered into her hair.
A single tear was let loose from the woman as she gripped him a little tighter.
"I love you too, Win."
They both knew that they were as good as dead when they found that there was no super to seize, and even if Lillian was in the room they'd still meet their end most likely. This group didn't seem to like leaving behind survivors. If there was more time she would have taken Winston's offer of moving in together.
Mirage squeezed her eyes tight as she turned in towards Winston's body more and tried to focus on the expensive cologne and not the bullets that would be ripping through them.
"Oh wow, Winston was in here! And the scary Director lady too- Hi there!" came the voice Mirage recognized as Karen Fields.
Mirage opened her eyes and stared into the vortex that showed Voyd and Invisigirl on the opposite side of the vault. Staring daftly at them, Mirage struggled to connect the dots of reality but Winston wasted no time getting up to greet the teal-haired super.
"VOYD! Boy am I glad to see you! And Invisigirl! You're alright!"
Violet didn't look up from her task of digging around the mouths of the military-grade attackers. Before Mirage could even ask, the super held out a small pile of fake teeth and white pills.
"These guys really don't want to get caught," Violet uttered before taking stock of Mirage's injury. We need to get you to a hospital."
"We can call for an ambulance- you need to find Lillian, she's-"
"Buddy has her," Violet stated as she stepped through Voyd's portal to assist the head of the NSA. "It's alright. She's safe."
Mirage took in a deep breath and braced herself as Violet helped her to her feet. "She isn't ever going to be safe, Invisigirl. We need a new strategy on how to protect her. One that doesn't let anyone know where she is."
"I couldn't agree more," Violet replied as she slung Mirage's arm over her shoulder to bear her weight for her but the expression on the older woman's face was grim.
"I don't think you are going to like my solution, but I promise it's the best plan possible."
After Mirage explained her idea, the group sought out Buddy's last known coordinates and they found Buddy supervising as Lillian raided the candy store, stuffing the CopyCat pack to the point it was threatening to bust a zipper.
Buddy grinned as he saw Violet approach.
"Oh don't look so disappointed, Parr. I've left a check for a few grand in the register- more than whatever the insurance is willing to pay I bet," Buddy said as he turned to face her but the woman still looked upset. He did a quick headcount and everyone who mattered was still present.
"What gives?"
Violet kept her gaze low. "We can't keep Lillian with us."
"Bullshit."
The fact that he had gotten attached to her made this so much harder for Violet. She looked up to see that Buddy's expression had shifted from care-free to dubious at best, but frustration was there.
"Buddy-"
"No. I don't want to hear it, we can figure out another hideout if we need to. We can ditch the NSA. We can-" but he stopped seeing that Violet was on the verge of tears. He looked back to Lillian who was offering Voyd a chocolate bar and the man tightened his fist.
They weren't going to have to ditch the NSA. It was clear that this wasn't Violet's idea but Mirage's. He might have been the brains of the Kronos operation, but Mirage was the real problem solver, and if she believed that Lillian wasn't going to be safe with them, there was no point in arguing.
He lowered his shoulders as he stepped closer and took her into a light hold. Violet gripped his shirt as she hid her face into his chest.
"Who is going to get to mentor our little super?"
"Sibyl," Violet said as she wiped her eyes bitterly. "That is, if she agrees to the job."
Buddy had to admit, he wasn't a fan of the plan for more reasons than he could say, but it was a good play.
"Dammit."
"I'm sorry, Buddy."
Buddy felt like he should have been the one apologizing. After all, it looked like he was going to be checking out of this mess altogether.
...
Naomi Lovell turned off the red OPEN neon light that hung in her shop. The Psych Chick shop of Mystic Wares and Fortunes was closed for the night, but she saw that visitors would be arriving shortly.
Usually, Sibyl wouldn't let anyone believe they got the drop on her, but there was no use running from a woman who could make the Scooby-Doo doors gag a reality. No point in fleeing from a woman who had every identifier on you. And it would be straight-up suicidal to try to escape a super who could plant a trigger bomb inside of your stomach without making an incision.
"I gotta say, it's pretty cliché being a seer for both your super persona and your civilian one," mocked the man she primarily knew as Syndrome.
He stood in the back of her shop as the two heroines took to both sides of him. The head of the NSA was also present with a crutch, and two people she had yet to be acquainted with officially but a quick insight to the future told her their names- and the roles they currently played.
Winston Deavor, billionaire and fan of all supers, and Lillian Thomas who was dressed in an overall dress and duck raincoat on top. Even without her third eye, Naomi could tell the kid was a real problem child.
"That's cute coming for the man who dubbed his second start-up after his little super genocide project," Naomi clapped back as she put up her dark curly brown hair into a messy bun. "You're looking well for a man who should have died ten times over."
"No thanks to you," he scoffed but the psychic smiled.
"Do you really believe that? Golden View hospital wasn't the closest hospital and it certainly isn't most people's first pick in an emergency. But you're right, I had no part in your survival- miracles just happen for you, don't they?"
The ginger frowned in response but did not reengage the conversation as the head of the NSA stepped forward.
"Sibyl, we need your help."
"No."
Mirage gave her a pleading look. There was no point in asking out loud as the super heard every possible rebuttal before she could think of them. But saying out loud might prove to break through the logic barrier.
"You're the only one who can help us-"
"I'm not playing babysitter," Naomi said as she slumped into her magenta reading chair. "Nor am I able to help find those responsible for that flustercuck today. My powers don't work that way. Sorry."
It was Violet who approached her now, and in a show of stupidity or blind trust she removed her mask. That symbol didn't mean much to the seer, but when the super took her hand and knelt down, Naomi saw a lot of things.
Past, present, and some potential futures for the woman known as Violet Parr. Some outcomes looked happy. A white dress, white fence, white beach kind of life. Others were lonely, like a pile of empty wine bottles. A red door existed as well, and that sent shivers down the woman's spine because she couldn't see beyond it.
"My mom always said stuff like that in her interviews back in the day. That settling down was a defeatist mindset for the modern woman- but it was all show," Violet started. "She wanted a family- and she got it. That's actually something that I want too. But I can't- not yet anyway…"
"Stop the melodrama, alright? It's not a show for me. I've got potential- I've got a future, I don't need some runt on my hip to make me feel I've got worth or responsibilities to uphold."
"If I believed there was anyone near as close as good as keeping Lillian safe I wouldn't be here right now," Violet admitted as she squeezed her hand a little more. "But there isn't." Winston approached with Lillian still in his arms. The child was awake, but on the verge of passing out. "If anyone has the possibility of giving her a future that doesn't end up in bloodshed or being kidnapped, it's you," Violet said as she forced her hand to touch Lillian's.
Sibyl ripped her hand back as soon as contact was made. The kid's future was a little more concrete and far more bleak by comparison. The visceral reaction stirred everyone in the room and had awoken the child from her drowsy state.
Getting to her feet, the woman was silent as she bore her almond eyes on the child again. She extended a shaking hand before she touched Lillian's cheek, holding steady this time around.
Everyone in the room had the same question, but none dared to ask what the hell Sibyl saw to make her react in that way.
Sibyl ran through every scenario she could find. Her visions were rarely ever perfect, but most of the futures she saw for the young girl all ended up the same exact way. Frightened, strapped to a table, screaming, lost to the world, and only knowing of pain. That's what she saw over and over again. A scalpel that would end her already tragic short life.
Save for one timeline. A single thread where Lillian was always moving. Always on the run.
A timeline that she would have to make herself a part of.
"Son of a Jehovah's Witness," the fortune-teller hissed. "I assume you'll provide money for child support?" the Romany woman asked and Buddy nodded.
"I've already set up a ghost account for you. You'll never have to worry about money again," stated the fiery-haired man and now it was Sibyl's turn to scoff.
"No, I'll have other woes to focus on instead," she sighed before meeting Violet's eyes again. "That tracking chip has to come out of her bag, and I'll only do check-ins by payphones when I feel it's safe to do so. Those are my terms."
"You can call my line with the NSA," Mirage said as she held out her business card but the woman of gypsy descent declined the card.
"You don't have to be a psychic to know that the NSA isn't going to survive the vote tomorrow."
The other adults in the room all showed various expressions of disappointment. All but Buddy who was betting on the government to drop supers like a rock again. He had set up Sibyl's spending account to outlive even his most optimistic expiration date.
"Sorry, but at least you have a head start to get your affairs in order," the seer said with a shrug. Winston handed her his business card and she crammed it into her denim jacket pocket before turning away from the group. "I'm packing a bag. I could afford to stick around but I'd rather get an early start on the road. I suggest that you say goodbyes now, because the way I see it, we won't be meeting again for a long time, if at all."
"Are there no hints that you can give us? A single clue where to look could change everything for us," Violet said as Naomi took her wrist with more force than necessary.
"My only advice to you is this; steer clear of windows and kill any birds that cross your path," she said before throwing her wrist away. The woman's dark eyes connected with the icy blue gaze of Syndrome and she held out her palm. "Want me to read your future too?"
"With vague insights like that? Nah, I'd rather keep my options open, thanks," he grumbled as he handed off a dark blue booklet that contained spending cash for the road and the bank info
The woman rolled her eyes and walked away, not giving a damn what happened to the man at this point. He was no longer tied to her well-being, nor was the kid, but knowledge was a heavy burden to carry. And what was another 60 pounds?
Inhaling deeply, Buddy moved to Winston and Lillian's side to remove the tracking chip from her backpack but the girl was clambering to get into his arms.
"Don't make me go with that lady! I don't like her, and I don't like the pictures she puts in my head!"
"Sorry kid, but thems the breaks," he said as he managed to strip out the tracker without getting caught by the kid's hands.
"You said that you would be my sidekick! You promised! It's not fair!"
"Hate to tell you this, Lily, but life ain't fair," he said coldly enough to make Violet narrow her eyes.
"Buddy!"
"It's not fair, so you have to fight as dirty as you can," Buddy raised his voice. "Lie, cheat, steal. Kill if you have to because the world doesn't do us outsiders any favors. Right?"
Lillian's eyes welled up with tears and she nodded. "Right."
"Good. Remember that, because those people that are after you, they aren't going to play fair either. They aren't going to go easy on you just because you are a kid, or a girl. They'll come at you as hard as they can, so don't you let them catch you."
"But I want to stay with you and Violet," Lillian mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.
Buddy refrained from touching her. He wasn't sure how close the sight witch was, but he wasn't going to put whatever fucked up fate he had in her head. He wasn't going to do that to her, but Christ, did he want to pull her in for one last hug.
"I know, kid, but this is the only way we can protect you right now."
"Who's going to protect you?"
"Don't worry about me. I always land on my feet, one way or another," he said with a smile before backing off. Making his way towards the spot where Voyd had made her portal he gave a nod to her in hopes that he could make his escape before any waterworks went off but Winston had to be the spoilsport.
Lillian was hugging him from behind and Buddy hoped Sibyl's powers required skin contact.
"I don't want you to be sad, Buddy," she said suddenly and that told him all he needed to know. Turning around, he knelt down and pulled her into a proper hug.
"I'm not sad, kid."
"But you look so sad in my head. I want you to be happy. We can go back to the Wonder and be happy together, right?"
"Maybe someday, kid… Maybe someday. But Vi and I gotta get those spacemen first, okay?"
Lillian nodded quickly before turning to Violet who was waiting her turn to hug her.
"I'm sorry we didn't get to spend more time together," Violet whispered and Lillian laid into her more.
"Me too, I wanted to play hide and seek with you. We never got to do that," she whispered and Violet gave half a laugh.
"No, I guess we didn't."
Pulling away, Lillian made a face at Violet then looked at Buddy in confusion. "You both look so sad in my head. You have to make each other happy. Promise you'll make each other happy. Please?"
Violet looked down and nodded as she held back her tears at the moment. Violet was sure that the powers of sight that Lillian was currently experiencing weren't more than a day away. "We promise, Lil."
Lillian nodded as Sibyl returned with a duffle bag slung over her shoulder and her keys in hand.
"Which one of you rich assholes is going to buy me out of my lease?" the seer asked just to see the two men fumble for the check but Buddy was raising his hand before Winston could get to the bill.
"It'll be done tonight, no traces can come back to this meeting after all."
Sibyl nodded as she looked at the pouting child and groaned already seeing that their relationship was going to be cantankerous at best. "We gotta roll kid. We can pick up a milkshake or something for the road but we leave. Now."
Violet ruffled Lillian's hair before backing up into Buddy's arms.
Lillian looked to the faces of the adults that had been looking after her for the last few months and felt a lot of conflicting emotions. There wasn't much she could do other than complain and cry, but that wasn't going to do her any good. She hoped that one of them would change their minds but none budged.
Defeated, the child turned to her latest guardian and gave her a distasteful stare. "I get to pick the radio station," she stated before moving for the door and Sibyl shrugged.
"Fine by me kid, you'll be asleep before we hit the interstate," she said before giving a final look to the unmasked Violet and pointed a finger at her. "Beware of birds," she warned again before ushering the kid out of the shop and locked the door behind her.
The others remained put, watching Lillian and Naomi stride by the shop window and once they were out of sight they all exchanged glances at each other.
"Is this really our best play?" Violet asked Mirage who nodded.
"Hyperion is going to expect that Lillian is still in your custody- For how long I'm not sure, but this is Lillian's best shot."
"You really think that the leak is in the NSA?" Winston whispered and Buddy scoffed.
"Of course it's in the NSA. Some fucking suit got greedy and let your sister in on the secrets, or we didn't hit the agency hard enough when we were cleaning house. Damn it- If I could just get all those agents into a room together I'd-"
"Well it hardly matters now, doesn't it?" Violet asked, looking up at him. "You heard Sibyl, the NSA is out."
"And congress doesn't even have a replacement program in place yet," Winston said softly. "Apparently the temporary solution if the shutdown happens is passing over super responsibilities to the individual state level."
"Well. That is going to be a shit show," Buddy sighed and gave a laugh. "I'm almost sorry I won't be around to see it all fall apart."