Finding the Way
Part 20: Calm Before the Storm
"Amy!" said Taylor, holding out her arms. "Vicky!"
Amy Dallon smiled broadly and hugged Taylor closely. Victoria waited till her sister finished hugging the Ward, then took her turn in hugging her. Then she kissed Taylor on the cheek.
Taylor giggled. "Wow, what was that for?"
"For giving Amy the idea to come out to me," said Vicky. "She told me the whole story. And now she's happy, and I'm happy, and it's all due to you. So, a kiss for thank-you."
Taylor grinned. "You're welcome, both of you."
Amy raised an eyebrow. "So how'd things go with Chris?"
Taylor smiled. "Things with Chris went fine."
"Well," said Vicky. "We've got to get going. Things to do at home."
"Okay, see you later," began Taylor, but suddenly there was a rush of wind, and she found herself talking to the air.
She grinned as she started home. Well, they're happy.
"You know something, Dad?" said Taylor.
"What's that, kiddo?" he called from the kitchen.
"I'm glad we've got Brian and Aisha living in. It's like having family stay over. Plus, it breaks the boredom."
Pathfinder and Compass Rose had found themselves with not much to do, since Director Piggot had ordered them to take some down-time.
The down-time was the result of a rumour going around about a super-powered assassin making the rounds. Crawler had been written off as a PRT coup, but with the deaths of Heartbreaker and Valefor, people had started talking.
Alec looked up as they wheeled a large-screen TV into his room.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Something you might want to see," explained Armsmaster, entering the room as the techs began setting up the equipment.
"Oh god, it's not another inspirational fucking video from Glenn, is it?" groaned Alec. "I swear, one more of those, I'll be slitting my fucking wrists."
Armsmaster shook his head. "Inspirational, yes. From Glenn, no."
The techs were finished; he ordered them from the room. Then he picked up the remote and pressed the correct button.
The picture was grainy and jumpy, but Alec tensed all the same. "That's ..."
Armsmaster nodded. "Your father's house, yes."
"Where are you getting this footage from?" Alec wanted to know.
Armsmaster opened his hand, and a tiny buzzing object made its way to Alec, circled his head, then returned to the armoured hero. "A collaboration between myself and Dragon," he explained.
"Ah." Alec turned his attention back to the screen. A very familiar face had just entered the picture; despite himself, he shrank back slightly. "Heartbreaker," he whispered.
Armsmaster nodded. "Indeed."
The picture switched to a different location, looking down from an angle at ... "Is that a toilet?"
The door on the screen opened, and Heartbreaker entered the small room.
"Wait," said Alec. "You've got footage of my dad going to the bathroom?"
"Just watch," commanded Armsmaster.
Alec sighed and watched. Nico Vasil was not an imposing man, but he would always stand tall in his son's mind, looming over everything else. But sitting on the toilet, he was just the same as everyone else –
"Wait, what was that?"
A puff of smoke on the screen, and something small and round fell on to Heartbreaker's lap.
And then there was nothing but flame and debris. The screen went blank.
Alec struggled for words. "Did you just ... assassinate ... my dad? For me?"
Armsmaster looked straight at him. "Nico Vasil had a kill order on his head. He destroyed the lives of hundreds of innocents. We didn't do it just for you."
He called the techs back into the room, and they removed the TV. As it was wheeled out the door, Armsmaster turned to Alec. "Think about it," he said. And then he was gone, too.
Well, fuck. Alec lay back on the pillows. He had a lot to think about.
He didn't have as much time as he'd thought, however. Moments after the door closed, Aisha got up from the chair in which she had been sitting.
"Well," she declared. "That was kinda cool."
Alec jumped. "How long have you been here?" he demanded.
Aisha grinned. "Long enough to watch you trying to put the moves on that nurse, and getting shot down in flames," she said cheerfully.
"No, I mean, how did you get in here?" he asked. "I'm sure I would have noticed."
She grinned wickedly. "My secret, dweeb."
His eyes went wide. "You've got powers - you're a cape!"
Her grin widened. "Got it in one."
He stared at her. "Does Brian know?"
Aisha's grin was positively impish. "In good time. I have ideas for a few pranks first."
"So," asked Danny as he stirred the casserole, "have you gotten back to Chris yet?"
She nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "we might go out on another date soon. It depends on how I feel."
He nodded. "Good enough."
Taylor and Chris sat side by side at one of the tables in the Wards section of the base.
"Taylor ..." he said softly.
She smiled at him, and put her hand on his. He squeezed it gently.
"I had fun the other night, Chris," she said quietly. "I hope you did too."
"Oh, god yes," he agreed, smiling.
She smiled back. "Well, depending on how things go, we might be able to do another date soon."
"On how things go?" he asked hopefully.
She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "With Pathfinder, with the Wards, with stuff in general."
He sighed. "Okay," he said.
She grinned and put her arms around him. "Hey," she said. "We had a good time. And it's not like we're exclusive. You're free to date other girls."
"What other girls?" he retorted. "Shadow Stalker's gone, Rachel would break me in half just for asking, Insight's not interested, and Vista's what, twelve?"
"Thirteen," she corrected.
"Thirteen, whatever," he said. "Plus, she's more interested in Gallant."
She nodded. "You're right there. But you know, there's more than just the Wards. You could date civilians.". She paused. "Aisha, for instance."
"I asked her," he said mournfully. "She laughed. No - she cackled.". He shuddered. "Not going there again."
"Well," she said with a consoling hand on his shoulder, "you could try asking girls who don't have ex-supervillains for brothers."
"I suppose," he said doubtfully. "But you'll always be ..." he trailed off.
She nodded and smiled. "And you'll always be special in my heart too," she assured him. "If I had met you socially sometime, and you had asked me out, I probably would have said yes."
He smiled in return. It's not perfect, but I'll take what I can get, he told himself.
"Hey, Dean, what's up?" chirped Vista, plopping down into the seat beside him.
"Oh, hey, Missy," the older hero greeted her morosely. "My powers suck."
"How's that?" she asked him.
"Well, you'd think that I could figure out what people are thinking, if I knew what emotions they're feeling, right?"
She nodded. "You usually can, right?"
"Yeah," he grunted. "Except that I have no idea what's going through Vicky's head. I really don't."
"Why, what do you mean?" she asked.
"I thought we were going well," he groaned. "The last few dates with her went really well."
"And then what happened?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said, frustrated. "Between one week and the next. I don't hear from her for a week, and then when I do get in contact with her, she simply tells me we're done. Finished.". He threw up his hands. "We didn't even have a fight, this time!"
"Did she say why?" asked Missy.
He shook his head. "Just that she had someone else now, and she was happy."
She shook her head. "Wow, that sucks," she said sympathetically.
He gave her a flat look. "You've got a really good poker face, but don't think I didn't pick up the fireworks in your brain just now. You're being nice because I'm down, but you're really happy that Vicky's dumped me, aren't you?"
It was her turn to flush. "Uh, yeah," she admitted in a small voice. Then she looked him straight in the eye. "And you know why," she challenged him.
"Yeah," he nodded. "I guess I do."
"You know how I feel about you," Missy went on. "You know I'd never do something as mean as Vicky's done to you.". His answering nod was faint, but it was there.
"So tell me," she went on implacably, "why you've never, not once, looked at me like that. Like you look at Vicky."
He sighed, trying to word his rejection as kindly as possible. "Missy," he said. "I'm three years older than you. It would look wrong for a sixteen year old to be dating a thirteen year old."
"Really?" she asked sweetly. "Or is it more to do with the fact that the thirteen year old looks eleven, and that you aren't attracted to me, because I look too young?"
He winced. "I'm supposed to be the Thinker, not you," he protested.
"So think about it," she retorted. "Being three years younger than you just means that when I'm sixteen, you'll be nineteen. And when I'm nineteen, you'll be twenty-two. No-one will even look twice at us."
"That doesn't change matters here and now," he pointed out.
She sighed. "Fine. I look like a kid, and you aren't interested. I get it. You want someone who's actually developed." She started to get up, fighting back tears. I'm an idiot to think he'd even look at me twice.
"Wait a moment," he said. She stopped, turning to look at him.
"Listen," he told her. "You came over to see how I was. I appreciate that. You listened to me. And I get that you've got that crush, that you're attracted to me." He grimaced. "I can't do much about that. But we can do stuff. Go to the movies or something, out of costume. Get to know each other better. Not boyfriend and girlfriend, you understand. Just ... friends. Good friends. Okay?"
He could see the sunburst of happiness that spread out from her, and he smiled involuntarily. She really does care for me. "Yeah," she said, her face lighting up in echo of the emotions that he perceived. "Yeah, that'll be really great. Thanks."
Standing up, he pulled her into a rough hug; she put her arms around him. They stood like that for a moment, then disengaged. "Now," he said. "I heard that there's a new Earth Aleph movie in at the cinemas. Want to go see?"
"Sure," she grinned up at him. "Let's do that."
It's a start, she thought as they walked out of the room. At least now he's paying attention to me.
Brian and Aisha stepped off the bus and strolled down the sidewalk toward the Hebert house.
"So, did you have a good day at school?" he asked.
"I had a good day," she replied with a grin.
"At school?" he pressed.
She rolled her eyes. "Not so much, big bro. Got bored, so I went and visited Alec. He's getting better."
"Seriously, Aisha," said Brian. "If Child Services is going to okay us staying with Danny and Taylor, you need to show that you're making an effort. Going to school is a big start."
"Yeah, I know," she groaned. "But it's just so … bor-ring."
"Stick to it," he advised. "You'll find something you like."
"Yeah," she retorted. "Recess."
"That's not what I meant, and you know it," he told her, trying for a severe tone. She gave him the finger, more or less out of habit.
"So, how did you get out of class without anyone seeing you?" he asked.
She half-shrugged. "They didn't see me?"
Brian raised an eyebrow. "Huh. I am impressed."
"Hey," said Aisha, striking a ridiculous pose. "I am ninja master." She made several strikes and blocks, one of which nearly left her on her butt, and mimed badly dubbed dialogue; "You will fight me now and die!"
Brian snorted with amusement. "If they ask you, own up to it, okay? And try to get to school more often."
She rolled her eyes as they walked up the path toward the front door. "Yes, mom."
At that moment, the sirens went off.
Dean and Missy entered the cineplex, looking around to see what was playing soon. Missy wished she had the nerve to grab Dean's hand, but figured he'd probably consider it pushing the boundaries.
"So what do you want to watch?" asked Dean.
Missy shrugged. "Oh, anything's good," she said. I'm going to the movies with Gallant! she exulted. It's not a date, but whooo!
He raised an eyebrow. "I get the impression that I could suggest Twilight and you'd agree to it."
She grinned unrepentantly. "Bring it on."
"Okay," he said, a grin spreading across his own face. "I choose …"
And at that moment, the sirens went off.
"They just got off the bus," Taylor called into the kitchen.
"Good timing," he observed, putting the finishing touches on the meal.
Getting up off the sofa, she wandered to the door to greet them.
Brian is really settling in, and even Aisha is seeming less and less wild by the day. These are people I can really call my friends.
Just as she reached the front door, the sirens went off.
An Endbringer had come to Brockton Bay.
End of Part 20
