Outcasts

Chapter Three: Martha

The world was warm and soft as she slowly came to. Sleep still held her tightly, wrapping her like a thick layer over her eyes. But she could feel a blanket under her fingers, and cloth against her cheek. She sighed, relaxing into the sensation. She was back in her bed at home. The fire, the powers, running away, being lost and alone in Satellite; nothing but a terrible dream. After such a night she was just as tired as if she hadn't slept at all, and so she buried herself into the pillow and tried to submerge back into the comfortable dark.

But as she adjusted herself, she became acutely aware of something nudging into her side. Not digging in enough to hurt, but just enough to annoy. More than that, her blanket didn't feel quite as thick as usual. The hunger from her dream had chased her into the waking world as well, and more than that, she really needed to pee.

Sighing, she begrudgingly rolled over and pulled herself up, scrubbing sand out of her eyes. She stopped as cloth touched her cheek again. The world slowly came into focus, showing her left hand, wrapped in off-white bandages.

She snapped up, looking about. She wasn't in her bedroom. Instead of warm red, the walls were pale cream, and ruined with chips and cracks. Gone were her toys and books, replaced by nothing but bare floorboards and a single dresser to her side. The bed was a ghastly parody, a rickety metal frame with a barely-there mattress and flat pillows, all mismatched sheets and colours.

She scrambled free of the covers, almost falling over as a wave of nausea swept over her. Cold wood sent chills running through her feet, sending her scrambling back for the safety of the bed, clutching the threadbare blanket close.

A cursory glance about the place found her shoes, tucked under the bed with her socks folded neatly within. Her duel disk also sat close by, propped up on the dresser. A quick rifle through her cards found none of them missing either. She slipped Black Rose Dragon free, holding it as tightly as she dared without folding the cardboard. Strangely enough, holding it immediately soothed her timid heart somewhat, even if she still had no idea of what was going on or where she was.

She'd fallen asleep in the park, she remembered that much. But that didn't explain how she'd gotten to where she was now. It also didn't explain why her hand was bandaged up. She remembered hurting it, but not being able to do much about it.

Curiosity prickled her, and she worked the loop of cloth loose. The underside of the bandage was bloodied, but not tremendously so. A pale pink line crossed the length of her palm from the base of her thumb to her little finger, slightly raised but not uncomfortable or itchy. With no grand revelations to be found there, she shrugged and wrapped the bandage back around. Not as neatly as it had been before – tying a bandage wasn't quite like doing her shoelaces – but with enough rotations she basically recreated the protective barrier, even if it threatened to come away if she stopped making a fist.

Redressed and rearmed, the first port of call was the door. To her surprise, it was unlocked, leading out into a long corridor. The carpets had been worn down from years of foot-traffic and the walls similarly bleak to the room she'd awoken in, although someone had tried to make the effort to liven this place up with various pictures hanging about. Landscape paintings fought for space with childish scribblings, sometimes of stick figures running about, sometimes of crudely recreated card art.

She made her way down tentatively, keeping an eye on the doors that lined the other side of the corridor. A tightness balled up in her chest and stuck there no matter how much she tried to push it down and steel herself. The doors were going to burst open, giving way to something scary. But she wasn't going to be caught off-guard, and so proceeded onwards, duel disk up and Black Rose Dragon at the ready.

To her surprise, nothing kicked the doors down and screamed at her. Reaching the end of the corridor, all she found was a hard turn that led to another corridor, lined with yet more pictures and doors. Slightly emboldened, she made her way down quicker, finding a stairwell at the end. Noise pulsed and faded below, too muddled and flowing for her to make anything out in particular. It got clearer as she descended, dividing into many separate streams of voices and the clatter of movement. Then a senior voice overrode it, and the noise faded away.

She made it to the ground floor, where the stairwell opened out and joined to a short corridor. And for the first time in a long while, she saw a girl her age, hanging about outside a clipped white door and rocking on her heels, occasionally taking a look back over her shoulder down the corridor. Before the monster could duck out of sight, the girl caught her standing there, and treated her to a smile and a wave.

"Morning!"

Unsure of what to do, she simply gave an awkward wave back.

"Breakfast is almost done. You'd better get in quick; all the good chairs are almost gone. Sara's looking after mine for me. Unless you need to wash up?"

There was an unmistakable flush of running water, and the door opened up, a boy rushing out, his hands still dripping. The girl rolled her eyes.

"Boys." She said exasperatedly. "You wanna go in before me? You look like you need it more."

She gave another awkward nod and a mumbled word of thanks as she slipped by, entering the bathroom. It matched the damaged state of the rest of the building, but it seemed serviceable enough, unlike the horror stories she'd heard on the playground about Satelliters having to dig holes in the ground when they needed to go.

Quickly concluding her business and washing her hands, she exited back out into the corridor, mumbling another 'thank you' to the girl as they exchanged places. Alone once again, she crept up towards where the noise had been coming from. It had settled down now, becoming a low murmur, accompanied by the constant clicking of cutlery against porcelain. She pressed up against the open doorframe, chancing a glance inside.

About thirty-odd children sat around a wooden table that looked older than all of them combined, with not one of them in a matching chair. They were well into their meal with exception of one girl, protectively sitting with one hand on the seat of the plastic lawn chair next to her. A warm smell permeated the makeshift dining room, and although she couldn't make out the exact scent, she knew that it was likely breakfast-time.

Her stomach growled, and she darted away from the doorframe before any of the children looked at her. Hungry as she was, eating the food she found in a strange place was just stupid.

More doors and corridors fell away as she carried on, getting shorter and more direct. It didn't take her long to find the main foyer, and with one last set of double-doors defeated she was outside.

A woman was waiting for her. Not as tall as her mother, but larger of frame, with tanned skin and dark ringed hair. She straightened up from where she'd been working, a tiny patch of flowers fresh with new water.

"Hey there. Figured I'd be seeing you sooner or later. The other kids didn't give you any trouble, did they?"

She shook her head slowly. This conversation wasn't exactly going the way she'd expected. Then again, nothing had been going the way she'd been expecting.

"Did you… kidnap me?" She found the strength to ask. The woman smirked.

"Well, I've done a pretty lousy job of keeping you locked up if so. But no. My friend brought you here last night so he could see about your hand. How's it healed?"

"Fine."

The woman nodded.

"Mind if I take a look? I promise, I don't bite."

She held back for a second, then, keeping a good amount of distance between them, unravelled the bandage and held her hand up so the woman could see.

"Looking good. Jim said it wasn't much of a scratch, but seeing how you got it we were worried something nasty might have gotten in."

"Are you spying on me?" She snapped, feeling heat build up in the hand that held Black Rose Dragon.

"Not personally. But Jim was awful worried about you after he bumped into you in the park, so he kept an eye on you while you were wandering about town. I know that you probably don't want any adults messing you about, but Satellite's not a safe place for a little girl to be on her own. Lotta folks around here would have mugged you for that fancy bit of tech on your arm."

"They can try."

"They'll succeed, more like."

"They won't. I can fight them. I'm a monster."

"Really? You don't look much like a monster to me."

Something warbled, deep in her chest, the force of it almost driving her to tears.

"Well, I am. You just don't know it."

"I see."

The woman picked up the old watering can that she'd been using beforehand.

"So, what are you going to do now? Have you eaten yet? I know it was probably hard to get an oar in while everyone else was having at. Probably a bit much first thing in the morning, especially after the night you had."

She didn't even have time to conjure a lie before her stomach took over the conversation. The woman was kind enough not to laugh at her, at least.

"I'm not going to keep you here if you don't want to stick around. But if you're going to go running around the city again, at least do it on a full belly. Come on, I'll fix you something."

She let her arm drop, returning Black Rose Dragon to the deck. She wasn't sure how long she could keep it up anyway. If the other kids had been eating the food with such gusto, it couldn't have been that poisoned.

"…Okay."

The woman smiled, making her way back to the building.

"By the way, I'm Martha. What's your name?"

The monster didn't say anything.

"I see. Well, just so you know, I've always got rooms open. You're always welcome if you want a roof over your head for the night."

She got a couple steps, then abruptly stopped, the monster jerking to a similar halt and looking at her, confused.

"Oh, for pity's sake."

She cupped her hands over her mouth.

"I know I taught you lot better than to eavesdrop, so I better not see anyone hanging about when I get in there!"

She saw shapes explode into motion, shifting back and forth behind the frosted glass of the building's lobby. Martha sighed.

"They're good kids, I promise. They just get overexcited whenever we have someone new, let alone someone new with a duel disk."

Immediately, she drew it close to her chest, shielding it with her free arm.

"Don't worry, I'll keep them off you if you don't want to be bothered while you eat. And no-one's going to steal from you here, mark my words. Not if they know what's good for them."

They slowly made their way back inside, Martha taking the lead, the monster keeping three steps behind, ready to run. She could hear the odd tapping of footsteps from within the building. No particular direction, it was an ever-present sound from above, back and forth, combined with the occasional shriek of joy or bout of laughter.

The dining room still had a couple of boys hanging about in it, the bowls long cleared away and replaced with a duel in progress. Judging by the bombast at which the blonde boy was conducting his turn, he was on the comeback of the century against his redheaded friend. The third boy at the table was stuck spectating, and as such was the only one to notice them go by. He gave them a nod in passing, but the stoic politeness was marred somewhat by his fixation on her duel disk. She snatched her gaze away from him, and moved a little faster.

The kitchen was directly attached to the dining hall, still warm from the previous cooking. A couple of children were sorting out the cleaning, rapidly washing, drying and tidying away the breakfast bowls with routine sharpness. They chimed greetings to Martha as she entered, and then farewells as they finished their task, evacuating the room and getting to their own play.

"I hope you like rice porridge, because that's pretty much all we've got right now."

She was indifferent, offering a shrug. Martha set to work, moving about the small space with the practised ease of someone who knew their surroundings inside and out. Occasionally the quiet would be broken by a shout from the room over. Whenever she peeked through the open service doors to find the source, it was usually the redhead or the blonde that was to blame, either promoting their own plays or showing distaste for what their opponent was doing. The dark-haired boy was a beacon of calm between them, although he would treat himself to a self-satisfied smile upon breaking the board and attacking for game.

"Don't mind them too much." Martha said without looking back. "Jack's a bit overly proud and Crow's likely to explode if he ever had to keep quiet for more than a couple minutes. You get used to hearing them go back and forth. It's all in good fun."

She finished up, setting a bowl and plate on the sideboard next to the monster. As promised, a bowl of rice porridge and a slice of bread, thinly buttered.

"Water or milk, darling?"

"Milk… please."

A glass was provided. She thought that Martha might stick around and watch over her while she ate, but the adult headed towards the dining hall without missing a step.

"Take your time, and don't worry about the dishes. I'll be just over here when you want to leave."

There was an explosion of noise as she entered the next room over, all three boys wanting her to come watch and be impressed by their duelling.

As conversation flowed in, the monster satiated itself. The food wasn't the best, but she got the impression that was more due to lacklustre ingredients than any failing on Martha's part. The spice rack here held little more than salt and pepper, whereas she could barely remember half the names of the various jars that filled up the shelf at home.

But as plain as it was, the moment she started eating she found herself unable to stop, and not simply out of mere hunger. It was warm and filling, the kind of meal that lulled one into a dull haze before they'd even realised it, so content by every spoonful and safe in the knowledge that, so long as they had a full bowl, that even the worst of tomorrows could be endured.

The bandage found a new use, as she was suddenly in dire need to dry her cheeks.

Once the sides of the bowl had been licked clean and every crumb picked off the plate, she set them next to the sink and readied herself to leave. The doctor had been right. Martha was very nice, which is why she didn't need a monster hanging around, scaring the other children. She would figure something out. Find a building of her own, maybe.

She could hear Jack asking after her duel disk, only to be shot down straight away. With the conversation broken, she entered into the dining hall, not looking at the boys.

"Thank you for the food. I'm ready to go now."

"What! But…"

"Jack, what did I just say?"

"But she's…"

Whatever he had planned to say was cowed into submission by a twist of the ear. Martha sighed, letting him go to lick his wounds as Crow snickered at him. Getting up from the table, she set about ushering the monster back to the entrance, and before long they were outside once more.

The wind was up now, the sky thickened by dark clouds that she could follow to the end of the city, and the factory that was belching them out. She let the last of the bandage unravel completely, and handed it back.

"Here. Thank you for this as well. Sorry I got it dirty."

"Nonsense, that's what it's for."

They stood a while, the monster looking at the flowers and Martha looking at the monster.

"Do you know where you're going to go?"

"…I'll find somewhere."

"Well, if you don't, remember that there's a place here for you if you want it."

"Hmm." She half-agreed.

"Keep yourself safe out there. Like I said, Satellite isn't very good to little monsters sometimes, even if they are as nice and polite as you."

She gave another nod, but still couldn't find it within herself to move away. Another minute passed before Martha spoke again.

"You know, you really wouldn't be a bother."

"Yes I would. People get hurt around me."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Then why does it keep happening?"

Martha didn't answer, maybe because the monster's voice had cracked in the middle and nearly stopped. But that was fine, because the question hadn't been for her in the first place.

"Sometimes…" She said after a moment. "Bad things just happen. And it's no-one's fault, not really."

"But I know I did it. I started the fire. I hurt my papa. I blew up a boat, and hurt the people on there as well."

"Did you mean to hurt them?"

"No… yes… I just…"

She stumbled to a close, not knowing herself. She had wanted her father to be punished for breaking his promises and trying to run off on her again. She did want those men to leave her be. But she hadn't meant to hurt any of them so badly.

"Tell you what. Why don't you stay for a while, and if something bad happens, then it's on me, instead of you?"

It was a very tempting offer, and Satellite seemed to be growing darker, colder every second that the winds whipped through. She really didn't want to be walking around all day again. Already her sundress was providing less than adequate protection, and her feet protesting the idea of more traipsing about with no set plan.

"But what if someone gets hurt? Really hurt?"

"Like I said, if something happens, it'll be my fault, not yours. But do you really want to hurt anyone else?"

"I… no. I just… I just…"

The clouds grew thicker and thicker until they burst, little droplets pattering against the ground, growing heavier and faster by the moment. Her cheeks were damp again, and her hair already soaked.

"Well, you absolutely can't go out in this. You'll catch your death. Come on, let's get back inside."

She was less reluctant to follow now, nearly chasing Martha back inside as if she'd vanish the second she stopped looking at her. The cold had started creeping into the building despite the thick walls, and the monster couldn't keep herself from shivering, even though she hadn't been out in the rain very long at all.

"Come on, there should be enough hot water for you to take a quick shower. I'll find you a towel and a change of clothes as well."

She couldn't remember the last time she'd bathed, and the idea of any sort of warmth was to die for right now. She let herself be led, guided through the corridors and back into the ever-present thrum of noise from the other children.

"Aki. My name. Aki Izayoi." She said, out of nowhere. Martha just nodded. Aki couldn't see her face, but she got the impression that the woman was probably smiling.

"Well, that's a lovely name. Glad to have you with us Aki."

"Yeah. Thanks for having me."