"So," Harmony said, "I've been thinking."
Wow. Had she really used that line and no one was laughing? Not even her?
"Whatcha been thinking about?" Faith asked, and there was no trace of mockery in her tone. Shewas a little distracted, but that was natural, especially on Faith, since Amy was sitting in her lap.
"We can't beat Lilah the way we've been fighting her," Harmony said. "None of her little side schemes are important to her campaign, and Wolfram & Hart have buried anything that would implicate her too deep to find. We can try again to assassinate her, and we might have to, but we're not even fighting on the level she's fighting on."
"What's that?" Amy asked.
"Politics."
"Harm," Faith said lazily, "we're not politicians. There's nothing for us to run for."
"Well, yeah, but politics is about public relations. We've been trying to tear her down." Didn't they see it? "But why not build ourselves up?"
Faith scratched her head. "I kinda see what you're sayin', but how? What're you sayin' do?"
Harmony unfastened the bathrobe and tossed it aside. "It's not exactly spandex, but I didn't have any on hand." The lavender leggings and top were certainly form-fitting, but she'd added a dark purple half-jacket. Star emblems in gold peeked out between the sides of the jacket. "I'll have to pick up some footwear but I'm thinking we should have options. I also made a mask but I dunno about wearing it." She pulled out a domino mask and slipped it on. "My dad works for Wolfram & Hart, you two aren't big fans of your parents anyway, and Kate's dad is dead."
Amy stared. "You made all that in one night?" She tugged on the jacket. "Bullet-proof inserts?"
"It was easy. I've always been pretty good with a sewing machine. And I'm the least bulletproof of us for now." She stepped back through the door to pick up a folder. "I've got designs for the rest of you to look at."
"Wait...what are we doing?" Faith took the folder. "Are we talking about the actual superhero bit? Masks and capes and secret identities? I mean, it's cool, but...I thought none of this was supposed to be public. My Watchers always said the world wasn't ready to find out about demons and vampires."
Amy shrugged. "Is it ever going to be ready? What would make it ready? I'll bite. What's the plan?"
"The police will make trouble if we try fighting criminals in public," Harmony said. "I don't mean ignore it if you see someone getting mugged, but try to help like you're a bystander. Call the police and then just stay there and restrain 'em. But fires and wrecks and stuff, those happen all the time. Help people and be flashy about it. And when there's nothing going on...we go clubbing."
"Wait. What?" Now it was Amy's turn to look confused.
"We want to be seen. We want to be celebrities. Even a presidential campaign won't be able to keep up with superheroes on the six o'clock news." Faith and Amy stared at each other for a moment. "What is it? Guys? Am I still being stupid?"
Amy shook her head and grinned. "Shit no. You game, Faith?"
Faith grinned too. "Shit yeah. Make those costumes, Harm. It's time to go public."
Chapter 44: Somebody Has To Save the World
"So we have an interesting mix of artifacts here," Five Days' Darkness said to Kate, indicating the table. "Here we have a short daiklaive made from red jade. I haven't been able to identify these magitechnological devices at all. These bracers are discreet Essence armor-that is, they make a skintight force field around one's body..."
"What in the hell-?" Kate rubbed her eyes. "What are you guys wearing?"
Harmony had on some kind of purple, mostly skintight outfit with a teeny jacket. Faith had on her own jacket, but someone had added extra pockets, and she'd somehow squeezed herself into a leather bodysuit even tighter than her regular pants-no, those were her leather pants, somehow attached seamlessly to a sleeveless leather top. There'd been gold trim added here and there, but it wasn't that different from what Faith tended to wear. Amy's outfit seemed the strangest, a mostly-white bodysuit with green trim and sparkling faux-gems attached at cuffs and pockets. Green thread outlined a white flame on her chest.
Five Days' Darkness raised his eyebrows. "How...apropos. Did you make these, Harmony?"
Harm nodded eagerly. "It gets easier and easier," she bubbled. The former vampire seemed more introspective, and her vocabulary had grown, but for most purposes her personality seemed unchanged. "I can't believe I freaked out over this. It's, like, totally great! I finished the last one in like half an hour!"
Five seemed to be struggling not to laugh. "Even in the First Age I never knew a Twilight like you, Harmony. That is not an insult, nor is it truly a compliment; it is simply an observation. No wonder, of course. I merely...maybe we lost a good deal by not taking greater care to raise up the seemingly unsuitable and make them powerful."
"Is this a superhero thing?" Kate asked. "I know they're popular, but as a cop I had issues even with Angel Investigations and they were going after stuff we were missing. Police and vigilantes don't really get along like in the comics."
Amy nodded. "We know. We're trying to work out how not to step on the police's feet...much. There's some wiggle room."
Five Days' Darkness cleared his throat. "Right now, within the framework of popular elections and your limited power, that sounds wise. However, I do not believe that, as Exalted, you will long be able to fit into the existing power structures. Even superheroes as modern media depict them are astonishingly passive. They do little more than oppose supervillains. The world will change for you as it does not for them. Still," he said, smiling, "it is the best starting point I can imagine for you."
Kate made a face. "You seriously think this is a good idea?"
Five looked into her eyes. "I think that you, Sam, and Shoat-at minimum-need Harmony to design your costumes. Her plan is not without flaw, but she has correctly identified what you have left lacking."
"Oh no," Kate protested. "You're not getting me into one of those suits."
"Did you make this thing from fake mink?" Kate held up the fur-trimmed outfit. "Jesus, Harmony, I can't squeeze into this thing!"
"Try," Five Days' Darkness said, still struggling not to laugh. "I think you'll find that it fits you just as it should."
Kate glanced at Sam Finn for help, but Samantha was already wearing a red-orange suit that seemed based on her military uniform. The modern concept of what heroes should wear was amusing to him, but if it helped them get into the mindset and garnered them the public attention they needed, he had no objection. It certainly was no more sexualized than the Exalted had worn in ancient times-though Kate would no doubt ensure that Shoat wore nothing of the kind, as she should. Sooner or later one of the men would Exalt-or perhaps, conceivably, Holtz would come over to their side-and both Harmony and Faith were the sort to ensure they also got their own.
Grumbling, Kate vanished into her room with the costume. She'd fit into it, just as he'd said. Harmony was rubbing her eyes. "You seem to have had a busy morning."
"Busy night too. I can't sleep with all this...this...fizz in my head!" She ruffled through her folder. "I drew up some public-relations strategy...studied math...doodled a bit..." and here she held up a unicorn sketch that might have been done by a professional artist, "...aw damn it. I can't sing this. I can barely sing 'Happy Birthday'."
"Try," Five said, smiling. This was a delight. Why had he never tried to persuade the Incarna that more ordinary people might have value as Exalts, once the War had ended?
"Eh, it's about life as a vampire anyway." She started to crumple the paper, and he put his hand on hers.
"Many artists sing of what they never were, let alone what they were once." He tried to make a less-intimidating smile, to make his voice even gentler. "Try."
Harmony opened her mouth, and indeed the attempt was only passable, even for a mortal-but from what he had heard that was a vast improvement. Her eyes went wide, and she kept singing while he swayed and tapped his fingers to the rhythm.
Kate poked her head out. She seemed to be struggling just a little with the pants. "Hey, is that Buffybot? She sounds autotuned. Is she going to wear one of these getups too?"
"It is not," Five said softly, "but likely yes."
"Harm? Holy shit!"
"...and brush and brush my hair/
Stuck in the same place I've always been/
And I'll keep wonderin' and wonderin'/
And wonderin' and wonderin'/
When will my life begin?"
"Do you have any idea how foolish this was?" Mara stood over Lilah's bed.
Lilah pulled up her shirt to show the unmarred skin of her belly. "He couldn't hurt me. I went all sandy and the little tapeworm just fell out of me. Holtz took off into the Quor-toth with the brat and his new friend. I doubt we'll see them again."
"His daughter?" Mara frowned. "I can't believe he'd leave her behind."
"You hadn't heard yet? I'd have thought you'd know long before me. Justine sprang her before they left. They're one happy nuclear family living in an unspeakable hell dimension." Lilah shook her head. "Let them rot there, for all I care."
Where's Drusilla?
Does it matter?
Yes! Darla hesitated and fumbled about for a few moments. Where'd she find that shadow thing? It can't have actually come from Heinrich. What was she trying to accomplish with it? We need to know.
Lilah rolled her eyes. Is that what this is about? Really? Because-
Don't even go there! Look, think about what happened with Harmony. Do you want that happening to someone much more experienced and volatile?
"Sorry," Lilah murmured. "Internal debate." That was a freak accident. We're working on ways to prevent it from happening again. And I still think you just don't want to lose Drusilla.
What, and you do? I thought humans were supposed to be the all-loving bleeding hearts!
And I thought vampires didn't love anyone. Anyway it's not up for debate.
"Try and maintain good relations with your coadjutor," Mara said. "They turned out to be more important than we anticipated."
"She's upset that Dru hasn't returned yet," Lilah explained. "She visited us in suburban hell what must have been several times daily for her. But we were in Quor-toth for months, to us. And then we got back to find she's missing."
"I'm sure she'll turn up," Mara said patiently. "I'm more concerned with you rabbiting the way you did. We had to send Holtz after you and he promptly went rogue. We're back down to you. You see the issue? You're our sole Exalt right now and you even endangered your life and your political career."
"I had to do something or explode," Lilah insisted. "I'm sorry."
Mara nodded. "That's better. We'll figure this out. You're the best hope we have. Just be certain we don't lose any more Infernals the way we did with Harmony. We need them more than you realize."
Lilah frowned. For what? But she didn't ask.
"So this," Amy said, "it's exactly what we're notsupposed to be doing!"
"Someone decides to rob the liquor store while I'm here?" Faith laughed, spun, and tripped the first robber up. "I could care less what I'm 'supposed' to be doing."
"Fair point," Amy said. The second robber pointed his gun at her stomach and fired. A plate of tarnished steel flickered into existence between her and the bullet, then vanished again as the bit of lead dropped to the floor. "So are you going to throw it at me now? They say that it's reallyeffective."
"Guys?" Harmony popped in the door. "Hey! No! I told you this isn't-" She gave up as Faith lifted the first robber into the air. "I'm really sorry, sir," she said to the cowering shopkeeper. "We weren't going to do this kind of thing."
"Not complaining, miss. We're good."
"Well thanks. I know this is technically vigilantism and-"
"Harm," Amy interrupted. "Self-defense. Bystander laws. Look them up."
"Ok. We got security footage, right?"
The cashier pointed to the cameras. "Always, Miss...Harm?"
The ex-vampire groaned. "Just Harm," she said finally. "We'll stay for the the police to question." Faith grumbled in response. "Nice and legal, Faith."
"You stay. I'm a convict, or did you forget?"
"Police," Amy hissed, and Faith slapped herself on the forehead.
"I'm just gonna stand right over here," she told the cashier. "I wasn't involved, I was just here shopping, you barely noticed I was here."
The cashier nodded just as a pair of patrol officers burst in to find two would-be thieves tied up and cowering in the corner. "Thank you, officers. I'm glad you're here to take these people in, but you can see some helpful citizens have taken care of the rest."
The taller cop strolled up to Harmony, looking her, then Amy, in the eye. "Is this what it looks like? Seriously? Kids, this is-"
"We're on our way to a party," Amy said. "This looks weird but it's all coincidental. I promise."
The cop turned, his gaze passing right over Faith as if she weren't even there. "You were lucky. Don't do anything this stupid again. You got me? We'll let you go to your party, but you'll be hearing from us in a day or two."
"Thank you. Glad we could help out," Amy said flatly.
The policeman grunted and moved on.
Outside the abandoned Hyperion Hotel, sparks crackled through the air, searing, coalescing, and a male figure emerged. A younger man, really, to all appearances, than when Daniel Holtz had left this continuum.
"All clear," he called. Justine emerged first, still fit but with scars carved across her left arm and face, most certainly an older woman than when she entered. Then Sarah, burned recently on one hand but a young, pretty woman in her prime. And last, guarding the rear, Stephen, who'd grown into a fine young man in spite of his parentage. The Destroyer, the creatures of that other world called him, and he deserved the name, though here on Earth it would carry unfortunate implications.
Sparkles of light flitted from the hotel. Holtz steeled himself. This being was no creature of evil, nothing like Sahjian, but he had difficulty trusting any other being now besides his family, especially one as alien as this. The Transcendent Architect claimed humanity, of course. And yet, watching it coalesce into its golden-yellow form out of light, he could only wonder and worry.
"Welcome, Abaddon," she said. "The gateway is about to open. I can sense it. It's time to fulfill your destiny."
"What destiny?" Justine queried. "We just got back to Earth!"
The Transcendent Architect smiled without emotion. "The son will kill the father."
The lights and the music pulsed together. Faith was in her element, and if Amy was any less so it definitely didn't show.
Kate was not.
If she wanted to drink, she went to a bar. She hadn't entered a club since being fired, and back then it had been business. Anyway, all this fur, fake or not, was earning her plenty of hostile stares from the younger crowd here.
Sam clapped her on the shoulder. "I look too military for this place," she sighed. "I want to jump the bones of every guy here, but no one even wants to look at me...cause I'm the man. So to speak."
"Being Dragon-Blooded doesn't seem like it's all it's cracked up to be," Kate said. "At least not when you're on your own. You thought about getting the unit off on leave?"
"Considered it," she said. "But think about how Harmony's plan interacts with ninety-nine Human Torches."
"I see the problem." Pyrokinesis wasn't Sam's only talent by any means, but it guaranteed image troubles. "They're staying in South America, then?"
"Until we need them or the situation changes, yeah. How's being a Lunar treating you?"
"I could stand to learn something besides combat powers, but they seem to come the easiest." Kate shrugged. "I guess they'll come in handy soon enough."
"What about turning into something besides-?" Sam's attention wandered abruptly as a tall muscular guy wandered by. "Damn it, Five says I should try not to screw anybody but other Dragonblooded, but they're all girls!"
"Besides a bear?" Kate tried to guide her back to the subject at hand. "That'd be nice, but I have to stalk and kill it myself. Sadly not as kind and gentle as those kids' books. People included. I don't mind the death penalty, but eating people already on death row won't help any."
"We've all got our problems. Oh, Harm says Five Days' Darkness is trying not to tell us that sooner or later we're all going to go barking mad." Sam started to walk after another guy, then managed to stop herself. "I believe it. Damn."
"What's that Faith's always calling us? Hot chicks with superpowers?" Sam nodded absently. She was breathing heavily and keeping her hands in her pockets. "So how come we're stuck being wallflowers?"
"We're the responsible ones," Sam said, and promptly seized a handsome guy by the arm to drag him onto the dance floor.
Kate grumbled and went back to the bar.
"If I could dance like that-" some girl said idly, watching Faith go. Amy had experienced the Slayer physique...well, the Night physique...firsthand away from combat, but she hadn't actually seen Faith dance. Her girl moved like a cat, lithe and powerful.
Say "Done," Halfrek suggested.
"Done," Amy said, with a wink she didn't actually feel any mischief behind. I'm not a vengeance demon, am I?
No, but it feels right, Hallie said. You can't give her Exalt-level skills, but I think you can make her better. I'm kind of feeling out the controls in here, but I can't actually handle them myself.
The girl was staring at her. "Don't believe me?" Amy asked. "Here, take a look at this." She reached out with one hand-there was the familiar ripple of white force-and lifted the girl off the floor. There wasn't even a sense of strain. The girl shrieked, and Amy sat her down carefully.
"How'd you do that?"
"Magic," Amy said with a smirk. "So dance already?" The girl stared, seemed to decide it had to be some kind of trick, and then went back to dancing anyway. Her timing was definitely better, though, her footing more certain.
Another girl, though, seemed more on the ball. "If you can make her dance better, can you fix my eyes?"
Probably. What've either of you got to lose?
"Done," Amy tossed off lightly. "Want to clear up that complexion too?"
The girl laughed. "Yeah, sure, why not?"
Amy snapped her fingers, and gave her a telekinetic goose for effect. Also because she wasn't really that bad-looking.
"Whoa!" "Holy shit!" "Hot damn!"
That was off in Faith's direction. Amy glanced that way. Faith was really letting loose, but Amy wasn't sure she realized that some of her wilder moves were carrying her up the walls. Then she spun, fist thrust up into the air, and levitated straight off the ground.
The crowd, already worked up to a fever pitch, burst out with excited screaming and started grabbing at Faith's clothes.
"Up!" Amy shouted over the roar. Faith must've heard her, because she shot up into the lighting. Where was Harm? She'd gone off on her own almost at once, saying she wasn't sure yet how to be flashy.
Didn't know how to be flashy? Harm was at the center of one of the remaining pockets of relative calm. She wasn't showing off the same sort of wild moves Faith had been, but she definitely had a huge number of eyes on her. Even her outfit wasn't as out of place as Amy'd expected, though Amy doubted she really wanted the goth and emo crowd that was checking her out.
"Harm! We might've overdone it a bit!" Damn it, Harmony couldn't hear her over the roar. Amy started to shoulder her way through the crowd, then realized that dancing might work better. It was just hard to focus amidst the spreading pool of chaos.
"Harmony! We've got to start calming people down!" For the first time in what must have been a while, Harm blinked, looked around her, and realized what was happening.
"I-? Get me to the dj booth?" Of course. If she could speak to the crowd...
"Hey all you scenesters out there! Hipsters, goths, and any remaining old fogies like myself..." Kate! Shit, was she going to warn them about the police showing up? That'd ruin whatever order remained. "I am here to inform you that this is a genuine super-heroic zone. No joking, no lies, this is Mama Bear talking, and I am about to show you what you have never seen before! Take it as special effects if that makes you more comfortable but you will be seeing more of us around the City of Angels!"
It was a terrible speech. And what followed was worse: Kate burst from her faux-silver-fur outfit, swelling in moments into a creature not seen in California for decades, outside a zoo anyway. The grizzly roared and pawed the air before shrinking back into Kate Lockley, clothes impossibly intact.
The crowd screamed with one loud voice. But not in terror. There was an undercurrent of fear to it, but the real tone was a sort of primal excitement. Kate had changed their mood in an instant. And the dancing began again, wilder than ever.
This time, even Kate was swept into it.