Of Wasps and Wizards, Part 3
I walked through the streets of Chicago, tired and annoyed. Myrddin, nice as he had been, had still been Protectorate, bound by law to be completely useless. School, CPS, the wards, the entire idea of it was ridiculous. Entire cities had been lot to the Endbringers, the nearly invincible monstrosities that were slowly destroying the world,most cities were absolutely infested with parahuman criminals and an unkillable gang of serial killers was roaming the countryside, with even the Triumvirate unable to take them down. Yet somehow, for some reason, the only thing the government could think about was how the under-eighteen couldn't handle themselves.
It would've been a nice sentiment, if the system hadn't been more incompetent than your average teenager.
I thought back to the meeting of that morning, of Myrddin.
I'd heard about him, read about him, made jokes about him. Myrddin was one of those parahumans that thought their powers were magical in nature. That meditation and rituals would improve them, using magical circles and implements and stuff like that.
There were a few groups like that. Lisa had told me about these guys called the Adepts, in New York, who were really into meditation and stuff like that, becoming one with your power through the universe. I'd laughed at that. Whatever powers were, the whole magic angle was ridiculous. There was an explanation for all powers, both mine and Myrddin's, even if nobody knew just what that explanation was.
At least, that's what I had thought before today.
When looking at Myrddin, at the end there, I'd almost been sucked into his eyes. I'd seen him for who he really was, and it just wasn't something I could explain. Seeing him, the real him, seeing the thing behind him, bound by chains of energy, it had been, well, magical.
Except… It could also have been some sort of Stranger effect. Myrddin was known as a Trump. Specifically, he was the kind of Trump that got new powers, powers which adapted to the situation. He could summon fire and ice, he could twist the ground beneath him, he could track people down, he could create great gusts of wind, fly, banish people to a pocket dimension, travel between places through his pocket dimensions, and a whole lot of other things. It would be absolutely preposterous to say that he wouldn't be able to make me hallucinate like that.
Yet for some reason, I didn't entirely believe that it had been one of his Trump abilities.
Except the only other explanation was that he was an actual wizard of some sort, which was just plain ridiculous.
"Hey, Taylor! Is that really you? Wow, good to see that you're alive, you'll never believe what happened to me"
I made my way through the city. It had gotten late, and I still hadn't found a place to stay. Not for lack of trying, the problem was just that I didn't know this city. In Brockton Bay, there were enough abandoned buildings that it was easy to find a place to stay, and if you wanted a bed, it was easy to find a shady motel that wouldn't ask about your age or anything like that.
Problem was, I hadn't found anything like that here, I just didn't know where to look.
"So… I'm guessing you can't actually hear me, what with me being dead and everything. Which is logical, because I've never seen a ghost in my life, so they're probably invisible and unhearable,"
My bugs searched the surroundings, looking for the telltale signs of crime and debauchery, or maybe a hotel or something. It was getting rather dark out, and I really didn't want to sleep in the rough.
"Which really makes me wonder… Do I have ghost powers now? I know I still have my normal powers… By the way, that's not what happens to most ghosts you know, something's weird with me. I think it's because of my power. All the other ghosts I saw are, well, they're docile, passive, they stick around in the place they were killed, stuff like that. I'm not sure why I'm telling you, but maybe you can only hear me subconsciously?"
I felt strange, it was almost like someone was trying to talk to me, but there was no-one there. It reminded me of my mother, mumbling something at the bottom of the stairs while I was in my room, expecting me to understand it.
I really had to find a place to sleep.
Myrddin had been right, this wasn't going to work out. With the Undersiders, I'd had a support network, we'd had a base, back-up, knowledge about who was who in the city. Here, I was just a solo vigilante without an apartment to her name.
"Anyway, we should probably find some place to settle down for the night, its important to have a back-up plan when you're out capering. Best case scenario would be renting a shady apartment or something, somewhere where they won't ask too many questions. Now, I know you don't remember all your account numbers, but you do have quite a substantial sum of money left from your, you know, undercover days"
My bugs found someone else walking through the alleys at this late hour. I kept an eye on him, wondering whether he was a criminal, or a possible victim.
The man was wearing a strange outfit, one I thought was probably some sort of work-out gear, although he wasn't actually working out. One of my flies crawled over his legs, and he barely noticed it, letting the tiny thing walk around. When one of my mosquitos came by though, he squished it between his fingers, grabbing it out of the air with amazing grace. I made my swarm back off a bit.
"So, I'm guessing you found something? Another crime to fight? You know that going out on patrol and stopping random muggings is, like, both boring and ineffective right? We should go after crimelords or something if you really want to be a hero."
It didn't matter though, as the man seemed to have caught my scent somehow. I thought about my options, could I beat whoever this was? Was he even a cape? Was I just being paranoid?
I started gathering up my swarm while running away from the man, and he started chasing me.
"Okay, so… I could advise you, but I have no idea what's going on, and I'm just floating here… Being a ghost isn't as cool as I'd expected it to be."
He was fast, much faster than I was, and within half a minute he'd intercepted me.
I looked at him. He was short, shorter than I was, with amazing blond hair and crystal-blue eyes that pierced into your soul. Not the way Myrddin's had, but the way you'd expect from normal people, the way that made you dream away just looking at them.
The man had been wearing tennis clothes, perfectly white with not a smudge upon them.
"Hello there young lady, haven't you heard? It's dangerous outside at night, there's all kind of criminals around." The man said.
"Okay, let's see… You know what? Since I'm a ghost, I'm calling vampire. From the way this guy moves, he's definitely not normal, and the way his skin doesn't quite follow the movements of his body… Look Taylor, I know you can't hear me, but this guy's dangerous."
I looked at him. The way he'd moved, his speed and grace, something was weird about him. In a way, he reminded me of Victor, from the Empire Eighty-Eight back in Brockton Bay. He had that slick, pretending to be civilized look to him.
I had to admit, given his hair, his eyes, the definition of muscle that made him strong, but not too strong, he was rather attractive. Dangerous, but attractive.
"Yeah, I heard this place is haunted, some sort of bug-ghost," I replied. In the background, I gathered my swarm. I didn't trust this guy in the slightest.
"Wait, bug-ghosts? Have you been holding out on me Taylor?"
Sure, he wasn't wearing a costume, but neither was I, and it wasn't like there was anyone around to see us. So what did he want from me?
Was he related to one of those cops? There wolf-changers, or hexenwolves as Myrddin had called them? Or was he from one of the many other gangs? And if he was from a gang, was he here for payback, after I'd scared off one of his minions, or was he here to try and press-gang me?
"You know, I heard something else," the man said. "I heard it was an attractive young woman from Brockton Bay. Would you happen to know anything about that?" he continued, smiling.
It was a handsome smile, the kind that drew you in, made you pay attention to his lips.
"Taylor, are you seriously going to fall for this shit? I mean, come on, he's like a B movie villain."
I stopped myself, and looked at him again. Yes, he was attractive, I had to admit that, but he was also my enemy. A Brute or a Mover, and quite possibly either a Stranger or a Master, given how I'd been staring at him. Or was he just that attractive? Was it just my hormones that made me unable to resist him?
"What do you want?" I asked him, trying to get myself ready for combat.
"It's not about what I want, It's about what I can offer you. A warm bed, a loving embrace, perhaps a chance at immortality?" he said.
"Told you, total vampire, don't say I didn't call it."
In the blink of an eye, he went from strangely charming to absolute creep. My hand went to the small of my back, where I'd hidden my combat knife. At the same time, I called forth my swarm.
I wasn't going to get into a melee fight with this guy. I was pretty sure I couldn't take him one-on-one, and if he was a brute, my bugs wouldn't be all that effective.
I took a step backwards, planning to hide myself within the bulk of my incoming swarm before separating into four or five different swarms, each possibly hiding my real body. At the same time, I swung my knife forwards. Aiming to make the villain flinch by swinging towards his face.
He reacted far faster than I could follow, at least without my swarm surrounding us. It had been stupid of me. Without my costume, I had forgotten to keep some bugs on me. I should've done so, hiding them in my hair or under a skirt or something like that, but I hadn't, because I wanted to stay undercover.
During the middle of the day, in a busy street, it had been a good way of hiding. Right here, right now? It had been stupid.
The man caught my wrist, stopping the knife from hitting him, and he grabbed my face with the other hand.
"Oh fuck, this is bad…Come on Ghost Lisa, you've gotta figure this one out…Vampire… weaknesses are sunlight, garlic crosses, crossing streams of water, Wesley snipes… Fuck, Brian's dead too so we don't have any hunky black guys around… Come on Lisa, figure something out."
He pulled me forward, and in a completely unexpected move, kissed me on the mouth.
I felt my worries melt away like snow from the sun. I felt great, amazing even. I locked eyes with the man, and kissed back, drowning myself in his lips.
I'd kissed before, once, with Brian. It had been both to mess with Sophia and because I'd had a massive crush on the guy. He was dead now though, so I could safely kiss with this beautiful man.
"Magic charm spit? The fuck, Bram Stoker never said anything about that… Okay Lisa, think think think…can't let this guy eat Taylor… wait, no, doesn't make sense, he could eat anyone, he's not going to eat her. Spit induces euphoria in love, like a drug, is a drug, he's addicting her, he's an even shittier version of Skidmark, except also a vampire. Fuckfuckfuck."
For just a second, the man stopped kissing me. I hated it, I wanted him. I took a step forward, pressing my body against his. It felt so good, so right.
"Do you like it? There's more where that came from, just come with Kyle, I just know Bianca will absolutely adore you," the man, Kyle said.
"Come on power, why bring me back as a ghost when I can't do shit? Seriously, it doesn't make any sense. Just let me do something, anything! I can't even taunt this asshole like this."
I thought about it. Working for this Bianca person, it sounded like a bad idea. I had no idea what she was like, this gang leader, and I sure as hell didn't trust her. Was she like Coil, keeping pet parahumans around? On the other hand, Kyle would be there, and I'd feel happy as long as I was with him.
"I… I think I would like that" I told Kyle.
"No, no no no, I finally found you after days of searching Taylor, I'm not letting anything happen to you now!"
Kyle's hand stroked through my hair, I imagined it was like what a man would do to his lover, or perhaps what a farmer would do to a prized head of cattle.
Suddenly, I saw a vaguely blue, translucent flash, and Kyle's head flew back as if it had been punched. I took a few steps back, away from his intoxicating presence.
Right, Master effect, something in his saliva or something like that. Still, I felt great, I wanted him. Or rather, I wanted just anyone right now. I retreated into my swarm, focussing my mind on the buzzing of the insect, calling them forth, creating distance between me and Kyle. I saw something weird between us, vaguely blue-ish, but it disappeared behind a curtain of bugs. When I tried to figure out what had happened to it using my swarm, I didn't sense anything. Was it because of the master effect? Did it cause me to hallucinate him being thrown back? No, that didn't make any sense. But what else could possibly explain it? An invisible stranger, able to punch people without breaking cover somehow?
"Holy fuck did you see that?! Ghost punch baby! Right in the face, he couldn't even see it coming! Fuck yes, I'm brainsand brawn now!"
The bugs swarmed Kyle, gnawing at his flesh, but he ignored it. My initial thoughts had been correct; he was a brute of some sort.
Kyle rushed forwards, to where I'd been standing. To where, right now, a mass of cockroaches and flies was pretending to be my body. He opened his mouth, baring his teeth, rushing forwards at nothing. As he burst through the mass of cockroaches, I finally got a good look at him. His flesh was falling off, and there wasn't any blood. Beneath his skin, something hard yet shiny glistened, his true form, I suspected. Was he like Hookwolf? A tiny layer of flesh with a changer form always hiding beneath? Was Kyle someone that was just pretending to be a normal human?
"Okay, yeah, so, not a movie vampire at all. Hides in fake human skin, the better to ambush prey, the true form is never shown to normal people, explains the rippling beneath his skin. Feasts on people, drinks their blood. Blood is a source of power, blood is stored somewhere, From the way it moves, the way the slimy skin ripples around over a bag of liquid and the bone formation, blood is probably stored in the belly. Cut open the belly, defeat the beast. You hear that Taylor? You need to eviscerate him!"
He dashed forwards again, much faster than I was, trying to break up my swarm clones. It didn't matter though. Yes, he was faster, but I had bugs all over his slimy, monstrous body. I knew what he was doing at about the same moment he did.
Three times, he charged at a clone. Once, he almost hit me, but I danced away at the last moment, making him think he'd hit a clone instead of me.
Problem was, I couldn't go on like this. Sure, I dodged him for now, but he was faster than me, stronger than me, and my bugs couldn't hurt his true form.
"You think you're hot shit? I defeated Lung, I went toe-to-toe with Leviathan, I'm not going to let some pretty boy drug me up you hear me!" I taunted.
"Come on Taylor, you have to admit, for a bloodsucking vampire, he is actually pretty hot. Also shit, I mean, his beauty is only skin-deep, literally. Anyway, Belly stabbing time… I'm still not sure if you can hear me now, you know."
He heard me, and dashed forwards, straight at me, not at a swarm clone. I took out my knife, and ducked, the swarm of bugs hiding me from his sight. Timing it, I turned my knife upwards, and swung up the moment he was above me, his claws swiping just above my head.
I'd set it up perfectly, stepping out of his strike with minimal effort and piercing the soft skin of his belly with my blade. Within seconds, blood started pouring out and the beast, Kyle, screamed out in anger.
I took that as my chance to run. I wasn't sure if my hit had taken him out or not, but if it hadn't then I didn't want to be here when he recovered.
I suddenly realized that, just maybe, I'd just killed him by stabbing him in the gut like that. I didn't feel all that bad about it, the rapey son of a bitch…
As I walked away, and the screaming creature left my range, I calmed myself down, put my swarm away and hid the bloody combat knife in my backpack after wiping it off. I felt the spit-poison, still coursing through my veins, making me euphoric, influencing my thoughts. I'd never done any drugs myself, had always seen them as some black hole in which people disappeared, ruining themselves. I could understand why now. I had almost done so myself, had almost said yes to Kyle's offer, just to get more of that amazing feeling. The warmth of his embrace, the substance, whatever it was, coursing through my veins, erasing my worries.
The only thing that had saved me was that strange translucent glow, the thing that had punched Kyle in the face somehow.
"So… what's the plan? I'm guessing you still can't hear me huh? Makes sense, I think that punch took a lot out of me somehow, affecting the world like that made me tired, in a way. But, if I can punch, then maybe I can make you hear what I'm saying.
No, wait, you can already hear me, you just don't really know it. I mean, you stabbed him exactly where you needed to stab him. Now, I know you're good, but you're not that good, so you heard me somehow, and you followed my advice."
I wasn't sure what to do. The drug still coursed through my vein, I didn't have a place to sleep, and that, well, vampire cape, was probably still coming after me.
I sighed. If only the other Undersiders had been here. I could really use Brian's steadfast professionalism here, or Lisa's advice. Even Rachel and Alec were a lot more independent than I was. They'd operated alone before, lived on the streets, fended for themselves. Me? I'd found a team on my first night out, back in Brockton Bay.
I needed help, I just couldn't talk myself out of it anymore.
Except I couldn't go to the cops, because they'd put me in the system, and I couldn't go to the PRT, because they'd put me in the system and also put me in the Wards.
I took out the piece of paper I'd gotten that morning, and looked at it, wondering.
The piece of paper contained an address, and it was signed Myrddin, professional Wizard.
Could I trust him? Or was he just going to bring me to the PRT? Did I even have a choice? Could I afford not to trust him?
"Seriously Taylor? Myrddin of all people? He's a lunatic, a full-grown man pretending to be a….
Damnit… he's not pretending isn't he… he's a wizard, a real one, a real flesh and blood wizard because magic is real and ghosts are real and vampires are real, and therefore wizards are also real. He's a real wizard, and he's not even hiding it, people just think he's crazy. I have to admit, it's a stroke of genius. Hide yourself, and people start wondering about you. Come out and tell everyone you're a wizard, and everyone just thinks it's just image, a theme or a delusion. And the best part is, if anyone really needs a real wizard and knows it, they know exactly where to look! It wouldn't be any more effective if he, say, put an ad in the phonebook or something like that. How the fuck did I only figure this out now?"
Myrddin's home was… not what I'd expected. Even though I wasn't sure what I'd expected. Maybe some sort of ancient stone tower, or a dungeon somewhere, perhaps an old fourteenth century castle with lightning in the background. Or, if he didn't extend the whole wizard act to his home, then maybe a nice townhouse paid for with his substantial superhero salary, or a fancy apartment near the PRT HQ.
But now, it wasn't anything like that. Instead, it was in a boring little apartment, in the basement of an old wooden boarding house, which was now an apartment building. The area itself was boring too. The neighbourhood was quiet, and the only thing of note a busted up Volkswagen Beetle in at least three different colours.
I looked at his door. It was made out of hardwood, and reinforced with metal on the sides. The strangest thing was that I couldn't detect any bugs behind the door. For all I knew, there was absolutely nothing behind it.
I knocked on the door, overpowering my apprehension at talking to the Protectorate hero again. I still hadn't quite recovered from the hallucinations he'd shown me, I could still see them in my mind's eye, like it had been seconds ago, not more than half a day. Kyle's poison still rushed through my veins as well, only slowly being broken down. It helped to think about my swarm, but I couldn't completely ignore it.
"So…. Not what I expected from a famous wizard. Nice door though, means he plays fast and loose with the unwritten rules, at least the parts regarding his own identity. Also explains the part where you know where he lives... how did you get the address anyway?"
It took a while, but eventually, I heard footsteps, followed by a voice calling out.
"Who's there?"
I recognized the voice, it was Myrddin's.
"It's me," I said, hoping that he would remember me.
He evidently did, and opened his door.
Myrddin was dressed in, well, not very much at all. He had underwear, a shirt and a bathrobe. It didn't look like I'd woken him up, but I had most certainly disturbed him.
"Hell's bells, you look like shit. What happened?" He asked.
"Some crazy changer tried to recruit me for his gang, someone called Blanka or something like that."
"Bianca Taylor, it was Bianca."
"Bianca, I presume? She leads the local vampires. This attacker, did he bite you? Please tell me he didn't bite you or did whatever the red court does to turn people?" Myrddin asked.
"No, he didn't bite me. He, well, he kissed me. Mouth-on-mouth. Some sort of master effect or a drug or something," I explained. "I got away, but, I think someone helped me. Are there any invisible capes in the city I should know about?" I asked
"Yes Taylor, there is someone like that, she's called Tattletale, she's your best friend, and she's a ghost. Also, I punch vampires now. I wonder if Myrddin can see me. Hey Myrddin, can you see me?"
Myrddin didn't immediately reply, and looked around the corridor behind me, as if he was scanning for an invisible stalker. Had I made a mistake and brought my assailant here somehow?
"You can come in Taylor, the both of you can." Myrddin said. Wait, both of me? Was this the crazy wizard thing, or the invisible stalker thing?
"So, you can see me right? Hear me? Touch me? Feel me?"
Either way, I made my way inside, entering his dusty old apartment.
It was dark, barely lit by a small fireplace and a few candles. I couldn't find any electrical lights, and even his small kitchenette contained an old wood burning stove instead of a proper place to cook. Myrddin, evidently, lived his theme, even back home.
The floor was covered in nice, cozy rugs, and on the walls were bookshelves and tapestries. There was one door, leading to what seemed to have been his bedroom, and I spotted a hinged trapdoor leading down even lower. A large old couch was in a room, and I spotted a human skull on a table somewhere. Myrddin the wizard most definitely lived up to the name.
"I'm guessing you're tired?" he asked. Before I could answer, he continued speaking. "And also, quite obviously, drugged. I know what the vampire used, and you'll be loopy for a while, but it should be out of your system in the morning, so you should probably sleep it off before we talk about the situation, and continue our conversation from this morning. You know, the one we were having before you ran away in a panic."
I nodded at that. I wasn't exactly proud of the way I'd handled that conversation. Not only had I been unable to bring up so much as a single argument and sat there like, well, like the girl I had been in school, I'd freaked out after seeing one of Myrddin's many powers. "I think… he said his name was Kyle," I replied, trying to show him I wasn't a total shrinking violet.
"Tomorrow, Taylor. You and I can talk tomorrow. For now, make yourself comfortable on the couch, and I'll get you a blanket," he said.
I did as he asked, and sat down on his couch. It was old and faded, and one half of it was taken by a large cat that purred at my approach. As I sat down, the animal stood up, and moved himself to my lap. Seconds later, Myrddin grabbed a thick tapestry from the wall and threw it at me.
"You have a cat? Of course you have a cat, you're a wizard. Do you have a broom? can you fly? Is there like, wizard school? You're a total Hufflepuff right? Don't you get in trouble by telling everyone you're a wizard? Are you seriously going straight back to porking that lady in your bedroom once Taylor's settled in? You're thinking about it aren't you? Also, you still haven't told me whether you could really see me or not. I mean, you obviously know I'm here, but you're ignoring me. Could you at least tell Taylor I'm back? That she's not alone anymore? Seriously, this is important you know."
"Please don't tell the PRT about all of this, mister Myrddin," I said, pleading with him.
"Mister is the name of my cat, and call me Harry," Myrddin, or Harry, replied. Well, that sort of resembled an answer didn't it?
At the same time, a human skull that Harry had in the corner of the room suddenly had its eyes lit up. I looked at it. Was it a cheap stage trick using LED's? Another one of Harry's many powers?
"Well hello there young lady, it's very nice to meet you, very nice indeed," it said.
"Uhmmm, hello?" I replied.
"Oooh, talking skull! Now that's interesting! So what, you're a necromancer too Harry?"
I got the distinct impression the skull looked at me when it started speaking again.
"I wasn't talking to you, but hello to you too miss, I'm guessing you're another one of those wet cats that Harry tends to bring in?"
Before I could say anything, Harry walked towards the skull, and picked it up.
"Shut up Bob, I need you for something," he said.
"Not as much as I need to look at that young lady over there! I mean, skintight clothes on a body like that? Damn." Bob replied.
"Who, me? Honestly, I'm charmed. Although, by the looks of it, I'm guessing you're several hundreds of years old, so also eww?"
I sank back into the couch, trying not to show how tired and scared I was, and how little sense everything in Harry's house made. Drug-spitting master-changers… Why did I decide to come to Chicago?
Oh yeah, I didn't, the government had decided that for me.
"And you? You're coming along too, I know you can hear me even if it's hard for me to hear you," Harry said. Again, I got the distinct impression he was talking to some sort of crazy invisible stalker or something like that, but I already felt myself drift away as Harry made his way back to his, already occupied, bedroom.
Again, the talking skull thing called out.
"Hello there Susan, nice to see you like this, Harry arranged a double date!"
I ignored it, and sank away in the soft couch, Mister purring away in my arms.
I was violently awakened by someone else knocking on the door. Now knowing what to do, I stayed in bed, or rather, couch. Mister agreed with that decision. After several knocks, and half a minute, Harry entered the room from his bedroom. I pretended to be sleeping. I didn't want to bother him, and I still felt light in my head from the poison.
"Who's there?" he asked.
"It's me, Michael, you won't pick up the phone Harry, it's important."
Harry opened the door, and from my position on the couch, I could see an older man standing in the doorway, his hair greying, but his frame bulky with muscle. I realized that I recognized him. The man had been at the Leviathan fight with some sort of crazy sword.
"Phone's on the fritz Michael, someone's coming by in two days. What is it this time?"
"The vampires, red court. They're active again. Have been for a few days now, but tonight something's gotten them stirred up." Michael said.
Harry glanced at me, obviously convinced that vampires were real, and that I'd fought one. That I was responsible for getting them all riled up.
Of course, a vampire, or at least a member of the vampire gang. It fit, sort of. The charm, the horror beneath its skin, the dangerous skin. It hadn't been very Stokeresque, but it fit the theme of the gang. I wondered why they'd wanted me? Did they think the bugs could provide some sort of 'children of the night' vibe?
"I'll be right there, give me a moment," Harry said. He returned to his room, leaving the door open behind him.
He was talking to someone, I couldn't really understand what he was saying, but when I sent in a fly, it found someone else lying in his bed, a woman. I quickly led the fly away again, giving her some privacy.
After a few minutes, Harry returned, this time wearing the same clothes he had worn that morning. Not his costume, but not normal person clothes either. He took his wizarding act very seriously. Almost serious enough to make me believe it. Almost. In addition to his normal clothes, he had a small pendant of an eye, hanging around his neck on a little cord, dangling just above the pentacle amulet that had come to represent Myrddin to just about anyone in the United States.
I snuck another glance at Michael, who was looking at an empty spot in the room, a spot which Harry was also looking at.
"And you," Harry said, pointing with his finger at the spot like someone was standing there. "You, are coming with us. Because you can help us, because we need to find you a proper sanctuary, and because I'm not leaving you alone with Bob."
"What have you got against me and Bob being together? Is it because he's a massive perv? No, it's not just that isn't it, there's something else, something about him and me, my power. Anyway, what's this about a sanctuary? Does it help against the sun? Because that part of being a ghost sucks."
"You sure about this Harry? Shouldn't you just lay her to rest?" Michael asked. I sure as hell hoped he wasn't talking about me, and closed my eyes again for good measure. Mister still purred, lying against me. Luckily, it turned out that Michael was talking about the invisible stalker instead.
"We talked it out, and she's not what she seems to be, at least not entirely," Harry said. "Plus, she still has her power for some reason, so I think she can help."
"Agreed, I'm not just a pretty spectral face, you know! I've got a soul and everything! Also, you can see me! Without needing to enchant a thingy to help! Does that mean you're a massive pervert like Bob is?"
"Oh I know, you're both a pretty face and annoying. The real problem is that I don't have any ectoplasmic duct-tape to shut you up," Harry replied, evidently talking to the non-existent invisible stalker. It was becoming quite clear this was just an elaborate shared hallucination.
"I'm sure she means well," Michael said. "There is good in her, even if it's hidden. The Lord would not have brought her back if she did not deserve a second chance." Michael said.
I tried looking again, figuring out why they both seemed focused on that one spot in the room, and glimpsed something.
It was almost entirely see-though, and wispy at the edges, but just for a second, I thought I saw a naked young woman, or maybe a teenage girl. Maybe a teenage girl wearing a skintight outfit, just about the height Lisa had been.
I must have still been seeing things because of the drug. I closed my eyes again, trying to ignore the spectral Lisa. Even if there was an invisible untouchable parahuman around, it was obviously the drugs and the tiredness that made me think it was my old teammate.
"And her?" Michael said, this time pointing towards me. Holding your eyes closed is easy when you have bugs everywhere to see things for you.
"Mostly related to my other job, better to let her rest now and handle it in the morning. Actually, early afternoon is more likely, I know how hard it is to get a teenager out of bed," Harry explained.
"You'd be surprised; she usually stood up at the crack of dawn to go running. Totally unnecessary if you ask me, but whatever."
"I won't even start about the last woman in your house," Michael said. "You already know my opinion on that one."
He sounded like he disapproved of something. Not of the woman herself, but of her being here? Was it because he was the religious type and wanted Harry to get married?
Slowly, I drifted back to sleep, trying not to dream about my dead friends, and working through the worst of Kyle's poisonous saliva. Mister purred and turned around in my hands, licking my fingers for a bit. He was nice, if way too big for a normal cat.