Chapter XXV: Arising Drama


AN:

Hey there, Fan-fic-folks!

Second chapter of today's update. Enjoy.

Thanks for reading and, as always, please review.


"So, all that happened and you got a techie out of it?" He stared at me in abject disbelief.

"Apparently."

"Damn." He shook his head. "Last time I tried to recruit a team, I had to kill them and bury them in some concrete." I just looked at him. He tilted his head."What? I made sure it was good concrete - real quality stuff!" At my further look, he snorted. "Kidding. Obviously."

"Obviously." I rolled my eyes. "Shut up for a second." I brought up my crossbow and steadied my aim. Come on. Just give me a shot, asshole. As soon as I spotted the uniform, I fired. The thudslug rammed into the patrolling sentry's head, and he fell out of sight. I waited for another few moments, keeping my attention to the same corridor. A shout sounded and another person rushed over, falling to another thudslug.

I got seven of them this way. Idiots, one and all.

When the last one fell, I stood and leapt from the rooftop, grabbing onto a series of wires Cal had artfully placed and disguised for us, sliding along them and over the Prescott security building's perimeter. I landed in the yard, right below those now-shattered windows, followed a moment later by the light thunk of Cal's armoured boots.

Wordlessly, we climbed the wall and into the building. For a moment, I was tempted to pull a bolamite and web the unconscious guards together. Instead, I let Cal use his zipties. It seemed the right thing to do.

We swept through the rest of the building, quickly disabling and ziptie-ing everyone remaining with calm, quiet efficiency. They'd never been trained to deal with things like me. Or Cal, I supposed. He did help.

We made it up to the server floor.

Rows and rows of wires and glass and computers stood humming. I gave a brief sweep - checking the corners - and found the floor was empty of people. Cal moved over to one bank and slid open the interface screen covering. "I'll scan the servers, you check the office down there. Be sure to check the underside of the drawers for any taped files."

I blinked at him. "What? Why?"

"The guy who runs the place is really into old spy movies. Loves that old fashioned cloak-and-dagger bullshit."

I frowned at him long enough that he looked up from the screen and tilted his head at me. "What?"

I stared a little longer, then shook my head. "Nothing. Who's office am I looking for?"

"There's only one. Sam Fortune." He waved a hand at me. "Get on with it. I'll be finished downloading the entire server before you even open the fucking door at this rate."

I stomped off, grumbling daggers at his tone. There may have even been a few aspersions to his parentage that- Something tickled at the back of my head. Even the Hunter perked up a little in interest. I slowed my pace and scanned my surroundings. Was something watching me? Was there something I'd missed? The office! I swept up to the door like a shadow. Listening briefly, I heard nothing inside. Still. I didn't survive this long without listening to warnings like this.

I took a breath, then kicked in the door.

The room was silent and unmoving.

Nothing? Then what was it? I know something is-

"Are you done in there?" Cal called.

I shook my head. I'll keep attentive, but eyes on the job, Max. I went over to the desk and started opening drawers. What do you know? Cal was right. I pulled the USB taped to the bottom of the drawer off and pocketed it. I'd take that to Brooke later.

"Done. Have you got everything?"

"Yep. Data downloaded."

"Great. Did you wipe it from their system?"

"Nope. Just demounted the drives and set the whole thing to reformat."

I looked blankly at him. "What?"

He snorted. "I told the server to fuck up the data at a really deep level and it turned it into blank storage space. They won't be able to get any of this shit back." He tossed me a portable hard drive. "Pass this to your codemonkey."

I caught it out of the air and tucked it away. "Thanks. I'll let you know what they find."

"Great."

There was an awkward pause. "Right. Let's go."

We left.


*flashback begins*

Dog, she thought, looking up at the sprawling structure above and around her. Of course Sardori Valli lived in this pretentious place. Two long, sweeping wings jutted out from a central spherical structure, both tendrils extending in opposite ways around a central garden. Rough-hewn stone patterns decorating the walls gave the appearance of long spines, bone spans covered in fishbone ribs. The central structure was as if someone had attempted a cheap imitation of a half-reflected image of the Taj Mahal, off-kilter and crumbling in more than one spot.

She stole inside through the evening shadow, neatly evading the patrolling guards - using the shadows of the truly gaudy statues dotted throughout the grounds - and making it up to one of the windows. It was an arched and coloured thing with no visible opening, flanked to either side by thick round pillars that would provide her some cover from those guards still at a distance.

Though the air was quiet. That was a problem. Visual cover would not help her if the sound of a smashing window brought over every guard in earshot. She thought quickly - two main options. She'd need something to cover the sound or something to draw the attention.

Or... she considered, looking back at one of the larger statues - which looked to be some sort of flamingo-like bird - maybe something to do both?

In a matter of minutes, she'd chipped away at the statue enough that the lightest push would send it toppling over. She gave it an experimental shove and smiled broadly at the crackling crumbles it gave out. Taking a glance to ensure the area was clear, she gave it a firmer shove and ran for the window.

There was a loud crash as it hit, followed by loud yelling from the guards surrounding it. She smashed the window as quietly as she could and slipped in and away as fast as possible. If someone went to check out the window, they wouldn't find her.

She padded silently through the halls, taking care to stay quick, quiet, and out-of-sight. The corridors were mostly empty anyway, though she could still hear the distant shouts of the guards outside.

Left and right and left again, she continued forward. She passed rooms as she went, some open, some closed. Through the archways and entries, she saw people. They danced in the spaces, lounged in the seats, and exulted against the windows. There were many different mutant-series here, and none of them were fighting or conflicting at all. They seemed joyous, expressions held in rapture and bliss.

These creatures... she couldn't understand. There was no happiness on this island. At least, not like this. And yet, here they were.

At last she came to a long corridor. Statuary, long, lithe creatures with claws like axes lined both walls, leading up to a set of large, decadent doors at the end. She approached the doors and paused. She'd seen a lot, on her way in. This place seemed larger than the rest. More significant. Maybe what was inside would be larger as well? Despite her fury, her ribs still twinged with pain - she wouldn't be fighting at her full capacity. She'd have to be careful.

Gently, she eased the door open, just enough that she could peak inside.

An eye met hers through the crack.

She gasped, barely a wisp of air, but it was enough.

The door was thrown open and four - no, six! - arms grabbed onto hers and dragged her in. The creature that held her was short, stubby, and seemed buried in its own wrinkled folds of skin. The six arms were spindly and bone-thin - she saw the opportunity and tried to pull free. Nothing.

She went limp, sagging completely and letting all fight out of her as she dropped like a sack of potatoes. Her attempt to throw of the creature failed. It never faltered.

The room she was dragged into was a large hall, a vague impression of the decadent rooms she'd seen in films of aristocracy and wealth - fine woods mixed with intricate mosaics and sparkling metals. The door behind her was matched by another set at the opposite end. And the room was full of people. They all stood, quietly, watching as she was dragged up to the large throne that held centre space. It was surprisingly simple, compared to the space around it. A pure white, carved stone with little frill or ornamentation at all.

The man sat in it more than made up for the lack.

He was draped in gold and green brocade and velvet, his outfit an odd blend of something European and Indian. Sardori Valli, lord of his manor. He even had the circlet across his brow to prove it.

The creature carrying her placed her in front of the throne, then sat down on the floor. The folds of skin parted to reveal more long, bony arms that joined the others in wrapping around her, arranging themselves to form a cage. She felt like a bird, trapped in an aviary.

Valli leaned forward in his chair, hands clenched on the arms of his chair. "Well, well, well. If it isn't The Stranger herself - you know, I'd heard you were dead. Pity!" He threw open his arms with a laugh. The room was silent for a moment, until Valli paused and stared around. The room then rippled with uproarious laughter. He nodded, satisfaction all over his face. "What brings you by, Max?"

"I heard what you were doing. Saw it, with my own two eyes. Couldn't believe it." She spat on the ground. It fizzed, ever so slightly. "Sardori Valli, kidnapping innocent people like he's a fucking Prescott lackey? That's not what we fought for."

He laughed again. "We all fought for the same thing, Max - to replace the Prescotts with something better." He paused, threw his arms wide. "Well, here I am!" The room rippled with tittering laughter. They were learning.

"I'm going to stop you. You're just another petty Tyrant. You'll fall, just like the Prescotts."

Valli shook his head, gestured again, this time to the whole room. She'd had her eyes locked on him. Now, she looked out and saw the room had filled with people. Maybe a hundred or more.

She looked back to Valli. "You think this scares me? I'm an M-series - I'm the M-series. I'll wipe out all your people." A sad, slow smile, wicked-sharp. "Nobody left to rule, Sardari. Is that what you want?"

Valli lurched to his feet with a scowl and a scream. The worms beneath his skin surged - they seemed to have spread to his entire body, filling every inch of skin with an eerie glow - and the people around him suddenly raised their heads. Every one of them had pale, white eyes.

"Mysters!" Max gasped. She clasped her hand over her mouth and held it firm. When nobody else moved, she stared, wide eyed, gaze darting about the space.

Valli laughed, loud and joyous. "No, Max. No Prescott interference here. Just me and my power, and the privilege of all these people. Don't you want to share in this? To feel what they feel?"

She met his eyes suddenly, and then the whole room went very, very weird.

The mosaics on the walls - images of gold and green - swirled together in hypnotic waves. She stared, caught in the whirling colours that seemed to reach out from the wall to grab her. The people around her grew and warped even beyond their mutant states. The whole room, that solid, structured space, melted into confused, horrified chaos - nothing was distinguishable. Nothing was clear. Something became nothing became something once again. She couldn't be certain of anything around her.

Despite her pounding heart and desperate mind, Max just stood and watched, trapped in her bone cage. Her Jailor held firm, despite (or to spite) the madness around them.

And then the cage... broke. After all, the voice in her head said, the cage was inside her now. External freedom for internal submission. Wasn't that correct? Wasn't that right? Wasn't that just?

Wouldn't it be so much easier if she just submitted? Let someone else make all the hard choices. Let someone else bear the burdens and wounds of life to keep her safe.

Wasn't that correct?

Wasn't that right?

Wasn't that just?

Even the Hunter, that force of fury inside her head, was quietened by the sweet, sedate voice - her own voice - murmuring pleasant dreams and guiding her thoughts.

She tried to drag her head up, to focus on the place around her, but everything was foggy. Murky. Unknown. Where was she? Where was this place?

It was her home. It was her tomb. It was her paradise. Her forever.

No. This place was... it was definitely a place, she would not argue with that. Her tomb, on the other hand..? That she would dispute with all fervour.

However. Was she certain of that? Wasn't it just stubbornness? She was injured. Badly, it seemed. Could she really fight off the impending death? Was it worth it, when she could have paradise? The body and the soul must enter this house through separate doors, and only one can continue. She had to make a choice. She was confused. Which one was the right answer? She knew which option she wanted. She knew the other one was right. Or were they?

Around and around, up and down, which and why and how. All of the questions and none of the answers.

Her mind spiralled.

And of course it did. This place was just a place, this enemy just another in a long, long list, and she was struggling with it. She was so tired of it all. So far past her prime. If she'd done this a few months ago, she'd have snapped out of it immediately. Now, she was just tired. So very, very tired. Her bones ached with it, and her joints cried out for her to just sit and rest.

After all, what could she do, anyway? She'd tried to do something good when she came here, and everything died. She tried to create a new world with her rebellion and it was just as bad as before. She tried and failed and tried and failed. Over and over and over.

She felt her shoulders slowly begin to droop.

What was the point? Nothing she did made a difference, nothing she could do made it a difference. Failure and sorrow and entropy and death was just baked into the fabric of the universe.

She could just give up.

It's not like she cared.

"Max!" Someone was shaking her. Claws dug into her arms. "Max!" A feathered face leaned in and planted a kiss on her cheek. In that moment, all of Max's thoughts vanished. She looked into the face of the bird-woman, studying every feather and follicle before meeting and sticking on her ice-flecked, determined eyes.

For a moment, she wondered how the spots of blue had appeared in the brown.

"Hi." Max said quietly. It was barely audible in the noise of the room, but Rell heard it anyway. She smiled. Max smiled back. Dog, how she'd missed her.

"Let's kick the bastard off his throne, eh?"

Max nodded, and finally reached down to pull her swords from their sheaths. With a smooth motion, belying the storm going on in her mind, she found herself in a readied stance. "Deal."

They turned to the throne, Valli still sat in it, and stepped forward toward him. The chaos screaming around them stilled in an instant. The man laughed, stood, and clapped. "A good show! Though you always were too stubborn for your own good."

Every form of every person, now stable, turned to stare at them.

Max bared her teeth, and launched herself forward, Rell right at her heels.

The fight was on!

*Flashback ends*


"So, uh..." Chloe swung back and forth on her feet, rocking onto her heels, then her toes, then her heels again. Her eyes ran over every inch of the park she'd insisted I meet her in, only occasionally landing on me before skittering away again. I resisted the urge to smile. So many memories in that old habit of hers. "How you been, Maxie?"

"Worried."

She coughed. "Right. I uh, sorry. About that." A hand goes up to the back of neck. She rubbed the slightly shorter undercut there. When had that happened?

"New haircut?" I asked, before I could stop myself. I blushed.

Chloe's hand froze and her eyes went wide. Her mouth moved uselessly a few times, before she managed a response. "Uh, yeah. Got it on the way back from work a few days ago. My boss kinda talked me into it."

Even as The Stranger, I hadn't noticed at all. It'd only been yesterday? the day before? that she came to see me about Brooke's new interest. I'd resigned myself to inviting her to the team, but Chloe hadn't taken it well.

Even as my thoughts meandered, Chloe had meandered her own way back to the conversation and caught my eye. "I wanted to say- uh... you were right."

I was right? About what? "What are you talking about?"

"With the Strang- the Vigilante chick. I shouldn't have bothered."

"You didn't find them? Her, I mean?" I asked, watching her intently. I didn't know what this was, but this was important.

"Nah. Found her, talked to her, asked to help. She told me to fuck off." She gave a bitter laugh. "Tracks, right? Even a criminal wants fucking nothing to do with me."

She was... lying to me? Chloe? I know I have no room to talk like that - I'm lying to her twice over, right? - but I was honestly surprised. Chloe was a lot of things, but deceitful wasn't one of them. I wonder why she's taking this route?

"You're sure? She wasn't just trying to... I don't know, protect you or something? It can't be easy or safe, doing what she does. And it's definitely not legal."

"Nah. She was definitely just not that into me." She singsonged the last few words. After a moment, she shrugged. She tried to make the effort look easy, unbothered, but still had that uncomfortable look in her eye. If I didn't actively know she wasn't telling the truth, I'd never have known she wasn't genuinely upset.

So, I leaned in and gave her a hug.

She froze, her face opening up in surprise, and I remembered that I hadn't actually really hugged her properly since I got back. A few touches here and there, and that one time she hugged me when she woke me up after a nightmare, but I'd never properly initiated.

I hugged her a little tighter. Dog. My best friend. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted to get involved, and I'm sorry you're disappointed. Even if I'm glad too."

"Oh, yeah. Your whole 'don't get involved or you'll fuckin' die' bullshit." Chloe scoffed. "Thanks for your fucking faith in me."

"You know I didn't mean it like that, Chloe." I pulled back from the hug and looked at her as affectionately as I could. "I'll probably never like it when you're in danger, whether you can handle it or not. I care about you." I poked her. Hard. "Dummy."

She flinched from the poke, rubbing at it. Her face creased in thought - that one I knew - and then broke out into a grin. "Thanks. Still fuck you, but thanks."

I rolled my eyes. Chloe's eyes lit up and she leaned in. "Did you just roll your eyes at me, Missy? Well, did you?" Her lip quivered in a way I knew she'd copied from a certain security guard step-parent.

"You've been wanting to use that for a while, haven't you?"

"Ever since Mom married step-douche." She paused. "Well, probably before, now I think about it."

We both chuckled awkwardly. Another few beats of silence passed. Chloe's eyes were focused on me. Watching. Evaluating. She was definitely trying to work out if I'd bought her lie. I decided to pretend I had, and to leave it there. Her phone beeped. She checked it. "Ah, shit."

"Is everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Just... Joyce wants to 'talk'."

"If she tries to kick you out, you can come stay with me in the dorms." I grinned as she playfully scowled at me. A cheesy eyebrow waggle kicked off a laugh. "I promise we can snuggle."

Chloe snorted. "No way. I don't want Rach to stab me in my sleep."

"What?" I blinked.

She looked at me blankly. "Mom said that... Aren't you two..?" A different expression came across her face. Something leering. "You know... Bumping uglies?"

"Ew, Chloe. No. I'm..." I sighed. "I had to turn her down."

"You turned down Rachel Amber?" She looked shocked. "Damn. I think half the town would be hella impressed and totally horrified with you right now."

"It's not about her. It's me. I have stuff I need to deal with, from the island, before I can even think about-" I shook my head. Dropped my gaze down to the ground. There was pang of something unpleasant in my chest. "I'm too... fucked up for anything like that."

"Hey." Chloe jabbed me with a finger of her own. I barely felt it. "I swore I'd beat the crap out of anyone who talked shit about you - that includes you, hippie."

I raised an eyebrow at her and tried not to smirk. "You couldn't take me with a tank and an army."

She pfft-ed dismissively, wafting a hand at me. "Whatever you say, Maxie." She squeezed her phone a little tighter. "But I should probably stop being all cute and bantery and shit and actually go see what Joyce wants, huh?"

I nodded. Not that I needed to. Even I picked up that signal. Rhetorical, Max.

As she turned to leave, I called out. "Chloe?" She turned back. "Wanna get breakfast tomorrow?"

She grinned, relieved. "Sure thing, Maximus."

I watched her go, then suddenly realised the time. Shit. I have to get to class!


We filed out of the classroom, ignoring the teacher's desperate commands for us to do the homework. As soon as I saw an opportunity, I gently dragged Kate aside and murmured lightly, "My leads paid off. Big time." I took a breath, trying to marshal my thoughts. "I can tell you about it later - can we meet in your room? After class?"

Kate pulled away and stared at me hard, eyes narrowed. I tried to look as open and trustworthy as I could. Eventually, she nodded. "Okay, Max. I... I trust you." She said that last time. Why does she keep saying that? "I'll wait for you in my room."

I smiled. "Thanks, Kate. It's good news, I promise."

Her narrowed eyes went wide in surprise. Held mine again. I saw something in her just... relax. She straightened up and smiled back. "Thank you, Max. I'll see you later!"

With that, she skittered off into the crowd, and I headed off to my next class.


I followed the music up to her room. Easing the door open, I slipped inside. Kate was sat by her desk, eyes closed, swaying gently as she played her violin. I vaguely recognised the song she was playing - something old, classical, and European - but I couldn't name it. I listened for a few moments. It was nice. Tranquil.

I leaned back and knocked gently against the door.

The song ended with a discordant screech. I darted forward, catching the violin along the neck just before it could hit the ground. I met Kate's wide, slightly manic eyes. Smile, Max. And say something. "Sorry." I offered.

Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It's... okay." Her voice was shaking as much as her hands. I stepped back, taking the violin over to the open case and laying it gently inside. Hopefully, she'd have a little time to quiet the pounding heart and racing adrenaline I'd just accidentally kickstarted for her.

After she'd calmed down and we'd gone through the pleasantries - she made us both a cup of tea and we sat down together - I took a second to think about how I'd put this. I needed to be careful here. Pull out every speck of diplomacy and tact I had in me.

"Okay, so you remember how I said I'd found some police files that I was looking into?"

Kate nodded, but stayed quiet. I appreciated that. "Well, I found out that this has been happening for a long time. Almost four years now. A lot of people have gone missing, or had... missing time." I breathed in deeply, trying to keep myself calm. I hated this. I hated not being able to just say things. But I had to keep the secret. "And I found someone. Someone else who was looking into this. They're doing a lot better than me, and they've got access to a lot more than I do. I think... I think I've gotten as far as I can on my own - I think this is really big, Kate." I paused. "They're... they're good at big."

"Who is it?"

"That's the problem. You can't ask me that. They're private."

At her look, I rush to add- "I know, I know. But I really need their help, I promise. I've got a couple of great leads from them-"

"What leads?" She snipped. Her eyes were red around the edges. "What leads could this... this stranger possibly have?"

I reached out a hand in an attempt at comfort. She whipped her hand away like I'd burned her. I felt like I had. "Well, for one, they're arranging a meeting for me with someone who's been through what you've been through."

She stopped, whirled, stared. "They're what?"

"Yeah. Apparently they went to one of these Vortex parties, got mysteriously incredibly drunk, and had some vague memories of bright lights before waking up outside their dorm room the next morning. Sounds close to your thing, right?"

"Y-yes." She blinked mousily for a few moments. Her next sentence was hesitant. Hopeful. "And they're... okay to talk about it? To help you prove what happened to me?"

I shrugged. "Don't know. I'm hoping I'll be able to talk them into coming forward, but I think I'm going to end up settling for just hearing their story unless the person helping me can convince them. Either way, it's more clues to find out who did this to you."

"Oh, Max!"

Oh no.

She threw her arms around me in a rib-crushing hug. She squealed thank-yous into my chest. I patted her awkwardly on the back. "Uh..."

"Oh!" She pulled away quickly. "I'm sorry, Max. I should've asked if I could-"

"No." I cut her off. "It's... fine. I'm just happy I can help you, Kate. You don't deserve what's happening to you." The girl slumped down into the seat by her desk. Looking more closely, in this light, I could see the bags under her eyes. The slight glassiness, the sheer exhaustion. The poor girl.

She gave me a tiny smile.

"So, it's okay then? To get them involved and to talk to them about you?"

She thought for a second. "I don't feel comfortable giving my name without meeting them, but if they can help you find who did this - and you say they've done this to other people, then how could I say no?"

"You can." I say simply. I have to say it.

She shook her head. "I really can't. Not if I want to keep being the person I am."

I smiled. "Alright then." A pause. "Okay, I've got to get going. I just wanted to make sure you knew what was going on and check in. We're going to get the people who did this to you, Kate. I promise."

Kate looked at me for a long time. Her hands were shaking, and her breathing, while regular, was shaky at best. Then she nodded. It was a short, sharp thing. It was... finality. Conclusion. "I believe you."

I looked back from the door at the girl still sitting at her desk. With her hair bunched up and her pajama-clad legs loose and Indian-style on the chair, she looks relaxed. With our conversation, I know she isn't. "I'll let you know as soon as I know anything, okay?"

She said nothing, just nodded.

Shit.

I left, closing the door gently behind me.


I stepped out of the dark and padded over to Rachel, leaning on her bike on the street outside Blackwell. She made for a striking sight, spotlighted under the street light. When I was a few steps away, I greeted her with a quiet "Hi."

She shrieked, whirled around and stared at me with wide eyes. While her mouth was only slightly open, I could hear her breathing rapidly and deeply.

We stared at each other for a few long seconds before my face crinkled in apology. She took another few breaths and smirked at me, snarking "Not the way I thought you'd get me screaming, cutie."

I just blinked at her. "What?"

She laughed. After a moment where I just watched her, thoroughly pleased, she stuck her hand in the inner pocket of her jacket and pulled out her keys. She waggled them at me, letting them jangle. "Want a ride?"

I smiled. "Of course."

We stood there for a moment. What should I say? Was she waiting for something else? What could it possibly be?

The answer? Nothing. Damn my social anxiety.

"This is awkward, isn't it?" She made a wide-eyed face at me.

"Absolutely."

We both looked at each other, then laughed. It felt like the bike, open and freeing and slightly imbalanced. It was... nice. She stopped laughing first, just watching me with a small, fond smile. I noticed her gaze, intent and soft, and my laughter trailed away. With a quick motion - not meeting her eye for even a second - I grabbed the helmet from the back rack and hopped on the back of the bike. After a moment or two, she sauntered over and settled down in the front seat. I shuffled forward and wrapped my arms around her midsection.

"Ready?" She asked me.

I nodded. Then I remembered she couldn't see me and answered verbally instead. "Yes."

"Great."

She kicked the bike into motion and we roared of into the night.


Rachel slowed into a layby and leaned back. "I had a plan for this evening, but I just thought of something else fun that I wanna show you. You up for it, Maximus?"

I shrugged. "Sure."

"Awesome!"


The bike pulled up outside a small park at the edge of town. It was quiet - aside from the engine - and the only light was from the bike's lone headlight and a flickering streetlight a short distance away. Rachel hopped off the bike, heedless to the location, and switched off the engine. "Come on!"

I followed her, watching her brimming with energy. Or possibly nerves? I think maybe a bit of both. I think I shared some of it. We headed quickly through the dim park and right up to the dark treeline. Rachel didn't stop, walking straight into the forest. I followed her in. What the hell could she be wanting to show me out here? Then again, she and Chloe did hang out in a mildly disused junkyard. Who knows what else could be out here?

"So," Rachel started suddenly, a couple of minutes into the woods. "-when I first met Chloe, I was going through a bit of an... acting phase. Long over now, of course." That last line added in a 'just between us girls' sort of voice.

"Acting. You? Standing in the middle of everything, drawing the attention of an adoring crowd?" I paused, hopped over an outstretched root. "Yes, that definitely sounds like a phase you've gotten well over by now."

She laughed, admitting happily, "Okay, you got me. I still love the limelight." Another chuckle. "But all of that, my love for the crowd, for performing, for... being other people. It started here." She stepped out into a clearing and spread her arms wide, gesturing to the space around her. "My first proper role."

I took a look around. The glade was relatively large - maybe thirty feet squared - and was utterly overgrown. Nobody had been here, nobody had cared, in a very long time. The space was dominated at one end by a hulking piece of metal. It took me a moment to realise what it was. A platform, a covering, two small walls hiding space behind. It was a stage. "You acted here?"

"Uh huh. I don't even remember the name of the play - I was a housewife, I think? The details weren't important. I absolutely nailed it - standing ovation and everything." She flashed me a confident smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. They were... shadowed with memory.

"I believe it." I said simply. She had more to say.

"This was... maybe a year after we'd moved here for my Dad's job. I wasn't very happy." She lifted one shoulder, quirked half a smirk. "He and... my mom had gotten desperate. So, he sat me down and said he'd signed me up for 'some drama thing'." A laugh. "It's funny, the things you remember. I can't recall a thing about the play itself, but I remember every single one of my Dad's derisive comments about it before and after." She sighed. "And how much I hated them all."

"What about your mom?"

"What?" She blinked at me.

"What did your mom say?"

"Rose? She was..." I watched her eyes search. "I don't remember. Huh."

After a few moments of silence, I felt compelled to break it. This was just awkward. "Did I tell you Chloe talked to me today?"

"No!" Rachel whirled, staring gleefully at me. All sadness forgotten. "What did she say? Is she okay? Did she find..."

"Yeah. She said she found The Stranger, and they refused to let her join them."

Rachel relaxed, let out a relieved "Oh thank god."

"Yeah. We're getting breakfast tomorrow. I'm... hoping Chloe will stop avoiding us now."

"That'd be good. It really hasn't been the same without her."

"Agreed." I answered, no hesitation. It never would be the same without her. Things went quiet again, no sound from us and sounds all around us of the forest at night.

"Come on." She pulled me up onto the stage. It creaked beneath my weight. Rachel's face twitched in a way that I knew meant she was holding back a joke.

But she didn't say it, pulling me over to the middle of the stage. "I'm betting you haven't had much stage experience yourself, huh?"

A flash of memory - dead Prescott men and cheering crowds. I shook it off. "Um. No. No acting experience, anyway."

"Fair enough. Well, the first lesson-" She adjusted my posture and demonstrated an expression and thus began my masterclass in acting. Rachel was magnificent. She cried, she laughed, she spoke. It all had power. Hell, Sardari would've been seething.

So, I shook off the past, and spent some time bonding with my friend.