Dean Stansfield
The heir of Stansfield's fortune couldn't help but savor the little things. After two turns of patrol and even an armed shootout with a group of ABB goons, what could be better than help the girl of his life with her University's course?
Well, not much as helping, he was more like a glorified coffee carrier. Dean always considered himself half as smart as Victoria and just one quarter as driven. Their favorite café had just reopened, after the bombings, even before their school surprisingly. Victoria loved coming here after school, bringing with herself thousands upon thousands of old PRT cases to study, while Dean simply enjoyed a place where he could be… Dean, not Gallant, nor Stansfield… Just Dean.
"How's going?" He asked while passing another cup of warm coffee at her girlfriend.
"This one is a tricky one…" Victoria murmured without leaving her eyes from her laptop, simply grabbing the cup and warming her lips with one sip. "Case Twelve. Back in the nineties when Parahumans started to appear. One of the first mastermind-class villains that the PRT faced. Gained a lot of ground as a gang leader. But the gang leader wasn't the parahuman. His uncle was…"
"What was his power?" Dean asked.
"He received memories from people that had eaten parts of his body, not necessarily flesh but also blood… used it to know how people would react and attack them in subtle ways…"
"Well, I can promise you that this coffee hadn't been spiked with any blood whatsoever…"
Victoria laughed, turning her face towards Dean. Yes, Dean was sure that those were the moment that made all the labor worth.
"How do you know?" The heroine lowered her tone making sure that nobody could listen, whispering in his ear "Did you used your "power" on the cafe worker? Piggott would be so angry…"
"When it comes to your safety, Milady, nothing less would be expected from a valiant knight as me" Dean rebuffed giving his best impression of a medieval knight.
Victoria laughed. "How cute of you… Anyways, blood in the coffee? Seriously? Who the hell would drink that?"
Somebody inside the café sneezed.
It was surprising to find such a tranquil moment of respite, Dean noted when the city was still a smoldering crater. Yet, Dean could tell that something was unnerving Victoria. Due to her aura, he was unable to read her like other people, perhaps this was why he loved her so much. Yet, in the years he had learned her body language… The way her eyes jumped from a phrase to another on the screen of her laptop, the tapping of her finger against the table. She was worried about something…
"Everything is okay at home?" Dean finally asked. It had been a week, since the explosions and her sister's kidnapping. He was one of the few to be aware of it, mostly because unlike the other Wards, he shared his classes with both the sisters. The Protectorate decided to cover up the entire ordeal, especially considering that Panacea escaped the very same day. There was a big possibility that the Youth Guard could have forced all the Wards to be transferred to other schools, even if Panacea was technically part of a private team… And Piggot couldn't afford such an incident, at least right now…
Poor Amy, Dean reflected, she was already dangerously close to a nervous breakdown, last time he had seen her at the PRT HQ. The whole ordeal probably had shaken her to the core. He could only hope that he was still in time to help.
Maybe this was the right time to talk about Victoria regarding her sister's feelings for him…
In the last two days, he had tried to contact the Healer. She never answered his messages on the phone, so the tried a more direct approach. He knew that it was wrong but… he wanted just to ask if she needed somebody to talk to… He simply went to the hospital, looking for her…
…And the hospital's staff told him that she simply wasn't here.
Apparently, Panacea had drastically cut her shifts. Panacea, the workaholic, had stopped working at the hospital for more than two hours a day… Bakuda's bombs be dammed.
He initially thought that it was a joke until the doctor's expression made him realized that he was serious. The first thought that crossed his mind was that Panacea had snapped, in a fit of panic and guilt, he called Victoria at the phone asking about her sister…
Turns out that Panacea was simply in her room, trying a new pair of headphones that she had just bought… She had even asked her sister for some music's recommendation right in the middle of the phone's conversation.
She was at home. Doing what any seventeen years old girls were expected to do…
…she had finally decided to give herself a break…
A small part of Dean couldn't help but disapprove of it. To stop from give her support, right in the middle of such devastation… With the ABB and the army clashing almost daily… No, that was wrong. Yes, the moment was maybe inappropriate but Amy NEEDED a break, he knew her probably better than everyone, probably even better than Victoria…
Victoria sighted, the typical sight of when she wanted to look like she was barely convinced to tell him something but she wanted desperately to get the weight out her chest…
"Everything is alright… it's just…" She sighed again. "…Amy, in the last couple of days, she had become quite… I don't know? Distant?"
"How distant?" Dean now asked with curiosity.
"She just… Today she just texted me she is going to miss tonight's New Wave Reunion. She is probably going to the hospital, I guess? I mean, she used to miss those boring reunions before… it's just that…"
"…She doesn't spend time with me, anymore, at least not like before… before we were inseparable but now?"
Was… Was that a bad thing? Dean couldn't help but think. Amy had always been so… obsessed with her sister, dwelling in her shadow and never leaving it. To finally stepping out wasn't… positive? But… Why everything was happening so fast? What had just happened?
"Victoria, something happened in those last few days?"
"I guess that… maybe she is still offended for that argument with Mom at the hospital? But they made peace! Mom said that she was sorry and to be honest, Amy sounded kind like an ass…"
"You know. It's not polite to talk about people when they are standing right here." A new voice interrupted, coming straight from behind Dean.
The young man was sure that the temperature inside the café had dropped a few grades...
Dean slowly turned back, slowly like an animal that had just spotted a dangerous predator, to take a look at the stranger with a very familiar voice. Amy was staring at them, holding in her left hand a large notebook, Victoria had stopped talking caught between an awkward chill behind her spine and pure surprise at the sight of her sister…
While the girl in front of the young couple was undoubtedly Victoria's sister, she couldn't at the same time look any different. Dean was quick to notice all the differences… First, the eyebags were gone. Not hidden under make-up, gone, like they never existed in the first place. Second her posture: ironically Panacea, despite her power-granted perfect health, had many bad habits, typical of those who do little to no physical activity, most noticeable of all, a bad posture, unlike her sister. Dean always suspected that Carol, never put in Panacea's education the same care she had put in Victoria's. But right now? Amy was standing in front of them, straight as a ruler. Her posture seemed to exude some kind of dark, eerie, confidence…
Then there was her physical appearance: her mane of curls looked wilder than before. Gone were her trembling eyes, her face was a stone-cold mask. Lastly, Dean noticed how differently she was dressed: a grey sweater with tight jeans and running shoes. Nothing special or exceptional but Dean could swear that this was the first time in years that he saw her not wearing her usual hoodie, which made her look "mousier" than she was.
Well, for once, she didn't look "mousy" at all. Then again…
…the way she staring at them…
It was unsettling…
And that was without taking account of her colors…
What the hell did just happened to Amy? Dean couldn't help but scream in his mind, once he looked at her emotional spectrum. Everything was wrong! Her colors had completely changed. Fear was gone, just like her eyebags, gone. The former cloud of repressed panic and anxiety that used to follow the girl had disappeared. Last time they had met she told him that she was scared about her powers… That fear that always accompanied her, I can't feel it anymore...
Then there was jealously and envy: usually, when she looked at Victoria and him together, Amy was completely bathed in those colors. Dean never understood if it was because she was jealous of Victoria being with him or because she was jealous of Victoria being happy in general, and right now was pointless to ask her because those two colors that used to be so vivid and powerful were now reduced to mere pale stains…
Instinctually, Dean checked if she had been mastered… it was too much of an abrupt change to feel realistic. His power was particularly good to check and expose victims of mastering. No, her emotions were organic. Mind-controlled people had usually their emotions completely dampened, while implanted emotions had that weird color that he had learned to spot…
No, those colors were too vivid and too natural to be the results of mastering… Then once, again, what the hell just happened?
"Hello, Amy..." Dean saluted her, soon as he recovered his cool. He just hoped that she didn't have just listened to her sister calling her "an ass".
"Stansfield" Was the reply cold as ice. She listened, didn't she?
"Ames…" Victoria muttered; her embarrassment completely forgotten. She couldn't believe that the girl in front of them was her sister. "Whoa…You are looking great, Ames!"
Dean stared intently, checking her reaction. Much to his surprise as Victoria complimented her, after a little surprise, the entire figure of Amy came to be of a color he never saw on her before… pride? Smugness? Was "Of course I do. It's me that we are talking about..." a color?
Her reaction was more composed, somewhat. She smiled before passing her right hand between her hair and shaking her brown mane. Her emotions were flowering. It was obvious that she was enjoying being in the middle of the spotlight... When did she start to actthis way? When did she get that smug?
"I have been at the hairstylist this morning, is that noticeable?
"You have been… WHAT?" Victoria shouted flabbergasted, nearly flying in the air for the surprise. While her face remained still, from her emotions, the healer seemed quite amused from her sister's reaction…
"Why didn't you tell me? We could have gone together!"
Surprisingly, the bright colors of her emotions quickly darkened… What? She felt repulsed by the idea of… spending time with Victoria? No, it couldn't be. Amy could change as much as she wanted but she loved her sister more than anything else. Maybe she was disgusted with herself…
But she felt so proud a few moments before…
…perhaps she felt sorry for not asking her sister first?
"I just wanted to some stuff alone… Living my life…"
So, it was true, Dean reflected, Amy is trying to live her own life… I know that Victoria must feel sad but probably is going to be better on the long run for everyone… Yes, this is good, but if it was a good thing why Dean was feeling so unnerved right now?
Perhaps because it was happening not even a week after being kidnapped was weird. Incredibly weird…
"That good, Ames…" Her sister replied, still somewhat hurt. Then she changed the subject. "Why you are here, sis? I didn't know that you liked this café…"
"Well, I wanted some to working at some projects of mine, you know… my new hobby…" She said, showing a large notebook in her hands. Only a small smile painted on her lips, yet Dean could read the overwhelming happiness and the excitement behind it. She was daydreaming about the results of her project.
"I needed a place where to concentrate… away from home…" Once again, her emotion went from bright to dark in an instant, but this time instead of the color of revulsion, the healer was clouded into the deep dark color of hatred… What happened at Dallon's House to make Amy hate it so much? There was something Victoria didn't tell him? Did she take that argument with Brandish so hard?
"Uff… When you will tell me what are you working to? Victoria pouted.
"It's a work in progress, sis, I am just pulling down some idea… trust me, when it will be ready. I will show you…" The Healer took a glance at the clock in the café. "Crap, I am late… well, need to go the Hospital for another boooring shift…"
"Have fun, you two and see you later sis…" The healer waved her hand before exiting from the cafè. Dean meanwhile was confused. Very confused. Why she talked at us if she was late? Panacea never got late, when it came to hospital shifts. Was she… trying to… intimidate us? No, it can't be. Why Panacea would do such a thing? Maybe she was testing… testing us, no she was testing herself… She had changed and she wanted to see how she would react to see us.
For Dean, this was like a dream. Panacea had gotten over his issues. Instead of snapping, under the stress, she somehow overcame it. She felt good, she was happy. He could feel it.
But it has happened too fast.
Just like a dream, he had absolutely no idea of how she reached that point.
A person can't change so much in such a short amount of time. Positive change requires time. This doesn't feel natural at all. But what to do? He wanted to talk to somebody about his doubts, but she seemed so happy… finally, she seemed happy, even without Victoria. What is something went wrong and snapped back at her old self? Was it worth the risk?
"Something wrong, Dean?" Victoria asked him. Did she realize what was he thinking?
"Nothing… Just nothing important…"
Something happened, Dean was sure. Either Victoria wasn't telling him something important or something happened during the whole kidnapping thing. He couldn't prove it but he was sure.
He could only pray that it was a good thing… Desperately so
Amelia Claude Lavere
"Behold, my daughter, behold the glory of Sommer's Rock!" The Good Hunter, clad in her Victorian clothes, shouted at full lungs (thank god, the streets were empty) raising her arm to the sky.
Her daughter instead dressed once again as an oversized bird, was less than impressed.
By the way, her mother had talked about this place, she imagined some kind of super-villain lair. A hidden base filled with traps, gizmos and other stuff where the villain gathered plotting the downfall of the heroes. Like in those dusty old comics from before the dawn of parahumans, that Mark used to collect…
Instead what was in front of her was a completely non-descriptive bar with iron bars at the windows and painted curtains. It was for the lack of a better term… depressing and Amy was sorely disappointed? Yes, she thought that villains had all the cool toys…
"That's it? This is Somer's Rock?"
"Yes…"
"I was expecting something more… impressive."
"WHAT? This is one of the pillars of the villain community! All the most powerful villains have passed here even once… Allfather, the Butcher, Marquis…The sacred neutral grounds respected by all. How can you not know about it?!"
"Sheltered cape-upbringing, don't you remember? I wasn't in the middle of the action. I was the abused animal that cleaned up messes…" The crow-feathered one remarked. Not anymore.
How did I get at this point? Amelia thought. Everything started this morning at the hairstylist where she agreed with her mother to come here because she was… bored? Yes, turns out that, without spending every single moment of her life caged into a hospital, she had a lot of free time. Drawing and listen to music could only suffice so much…
Also, her researches about building a beast had come to an abrupt dead-end, rather quickly so. Not only because there were still so many secrets in the old blood that she failed to uncover. She needed more insight, more eyes on the inside.
Her mother has been surprisingly okay, with her idea of building a monster as long said monster had no old-blood inside them. Amelia pouted and whined for a bit but in the end, she understood. Fear the old blood was a rule. And rules are rules. Still, it wasn't a big problem, she doubted she couldn't circumvent the issue with a bit of good old bio tinkering. Like that Florida food tinker that can reproduce any dish using organic components from plants…
Tinkers are so cool! Why I used to hate my powers, again? Being a tinker is awesome!
Yes, tinkers are awesome. Which brought to the biggest problem that she had to face in her quest of building a beast: She had no experience when it came to bio-tinkering. Creating a new organism, building a monster for the ground up was incredibly harder than simply healing. As a healer? She was probably one of the best in the world. As a Biotinker? She was a newbie, no different to a fresh trigger.
It was hard, but she would succeed. In just one week, how many times she had died, only to rise again? How much she had become stronger, faster, sharper with every single failure? Did she defeated the fiery Watchdog, did she ripped humanoid twice a big as her with her own bare hands just to give up and going back to cry in a corner about how much her life sucks, about how her (awesome) powers suck? No. She was going to raise at the challenge, to any challenge, be it a lack of proficiency with her powers, be it a monster, be it Carol and she was going to win.
This was the new her.
She just needed practice, a lot of it. A lot of dead bodies down the Chalices', lot of experimentation but even then… No. Experimenting with her powers was good, gaining insight was great, killing was fun but she didn't have abandoned her life shackled into a hospital-shaped cage for simply drown herself in a pool of blood with floating eyes.
She wanted to branch out. To try new things. To push herself out of her comfort zone. New challenges. Different things. Locking herself inside the Dream with the Doll, no matter how cute she was, was no different from locking herself into the hospital and she didn't want to be shackled anymore…
All study and no fun makes Amelia a dull girl
Yes, out of her comfort zone. Of course, she had no idea until a few hours ago that the "interesting friends" of her mother were the supervillains in the city.
Yet, that didn't stop her in the slightest.
In her head, she couldn't help but savor the delicious irony: She, Panacea, was just going to meet the worst monsters in the city. She used to hate them, to despise them, to despise herself being the daughter of a villain, but right now? She was excited, so excited to meet them.
Meeting others… Making new acquittances…
For the first time in her life, Amelia bitterly realized that she didn't have any friends. Living in Victoria's shadow meant that Vicky's friends were by proxy hers.
…That was… so fucking sad.
"Before we enter, Amy, are you sure about this? You can always go back. I would understand… You are a member of the New Wave…"
"No, it's okay. Don't worry…" The hell that I let the New Wave control my life anymore. "Besides I can always be an… uh… incognito hero. Yeah, an undercover infiltrator! Capes do it all the time…" She waved. Not, even I would believe such bullshit.
The Good Hunter simply shrugged her shoulder before opening the door of the bar and letting her daughter walk in.
The insides of Somer's Rock were somehow even more bland and depressing of the outside. The Good Hunter was trying to communicate with a waitress that seemed unable to understand her. Was her deaf? She was deaf for real. Her mother had to write everything on a piece of paper before the waitress guided her toward a large table. Amelia, had expected more security, could everyone just stroll here? There were no guards? Well, she guessed that most of the people right here were more than able to defend themselves.
"We've been to similar places. I can guess. No fighting, no powers, no trying to bait others into causing trouble, or everyone else in the room puts aside all other grievances to put you down."
Holy shit.
"I go by Trickster"
Her mother wasn't joking. When she said all the supervillain of Brockton Bay, she meant it. Everyone who matters was here.
"Close enough. It's important to have neutral ground to meet, have a civilized discussion."
Amelia was paralyzed by the surprise. Everyone was here. She instantly recognized the crown of spikes of Kaiser, behind him there was Hookwolf, Purity, and Krieg… or was he Crusader? At the opposite end of the table sat a guy in a black suit with a white snake painted on. She had no idea of who he was. Then, there was that mercenary group… how they were called… Fall-in-line Group? Yes, something like that. And many others that she didn't even recognize… Everyone was here.
"I won't argue that. Please, continue as if I wasn't here."
As the mother and daughter duo waited their turn to speak behind a group of teenagers, the Biotinker eyes met another pair looking in her direction. A familiar pair of bottle-green eyes behind a black and purple domino mask…
Oh, shit…
Tattletale
Ultimately, everyone seemed okay with leaving a seat for Trickster (well, everyone besides Skidmark, who looked as he just had triggered with the power of killing people with a glance). Hookwolf is staring at Rachel, Tattletale mused, did he had any problem with her? She could use her power to understand what he wanted but did she wanted to have migraines for the entire meeting? If it was important, he will probably… Hold who are those two?
A duo seemingly walked in behind the Travelers. Nobody seemed to have noticed, save maybe for Coil (it was hard to read him with that weird mask thing). They were a weird duo of victorian capes: one had his face covered by a large hat and a scarf. The other, the shorter one was dressed even in a weirder manner: it looked like an unholy fusion of Shadow Stalker's costume and a bird, or maybe a Plague doctor? Also, over the bird-shaped mask, he or she wore a hat. Oh, and was staring at her.
The thinker couldn't resist. She had no idea of who they were and if there was something Tattletale hated was not knowing something. What if Taylor asked about them? She was already staring at them… Migraines be damned.
Staring at you. Surprised. Didn't expect to see you here. Knows you. Met you before.
Now that was interesting. If she had ever met… She or he? Woman… a woman dressed as a bird she would probably remember it. Who could she be?
"And you two? Are you too from out of the city?" Krieg, of all people, drew the table's attention toward the duo. Skitter looked like she wanted to ask Tattletale if knew the duo, Tattletale with a gesture shushed her, mostly because she didn't want to have to admit that she didn't know…
...Didn't know yet…
"Not exactly, been this city before but I returned, just a week ago. My name is Good Hunter. This is my "partner" … you didn't have picked out a name yet? Didn't you?"
The crow-feathered cape simply shook her head.
Their relationship is much closer than partners. Lovers? No. Crow-girl is much younger. Mother and Daughter? Yes, They met, after many years, a week ago.
"I don't recall to have ever seen you before… and I've been in this city for a long time..." Kaiser scoffed.
"I didn't have any powers back then…"
"So, you two are independent, uh? You will not last long in this city, all alone…" The king of iron added. Was he already trying to strong-arm them into the Empire?
"If we die, we die… it's not the end of the world." The Good Hunter added. Come on, I want to hear Crow-girl talking.
"Very well, as long you behave nicely, there will be no issues, although you should find a booth if you don't want to stay here on your feet." Coil replied smoothly.
"No problem… I always hated chairs in the first place; don't you mind dear?" The Feathered-covered cape nodded without adding a word.
"Another thing..." Coil added. "...Are you the cape that tried to kidnap Panacea of the New Wave? You match the description perfectly."
Good Hunter stiffened, ever so slightly. Panacea has been kidnapped? How she didn't know it?
She kidnapped Panacea a week ago. Good Hunter wanted to see her desperately. Panacea and Good Hunter are related. Panacea is Good Hunter's daughter. Good Hunter is Panacea's biological mother…
What? Tattletale's eyes went wide. But that's means that…
… Lisa's eyes fell on Crow-Girl.
Moved her head imperceptibly at the name of Panacea, used to be called Panacea. She is Panacea. Crow-girl is Amy Dallon.
…
…
Come again?
Used to be called Panacea. She is Panacea. She is Amy Dallon.
Tattletale ignored the conversation, focusing just on trying to comprehend what was happening right now.
"What the healing bitch had been kidnapped?" Somebody asked, Krieg or Hookwolf. Tattletale couldn't care less.
What.
"Almost kidnapped. The PRT decided to cover the thing, due to the bombings and the New Wave agreed." Coil answered.
She is.
"Yes… Then you are probably aware of my power, then?" Good Hunter added.
Doing.
"Yes, you are a mover that can teleport through a silver mist. I am correct?" the man in black answered again.
Here.
"Yes, sort of…"
It didn't make any sense. Panacea hated villains; she recalled the last time they had met. Her black and white morality was borderline insanity. Lisa recalled how the simple fact of being the daughter of a villain was destroying Panacea from the inside? Was attempting to take all people here down? Was this a coup of the PRT? Why, then, send her and not somebody with much more experience and much less valuable than the prime healer of the city. She was a bio-tinker too, right? Maybe wanted to use some knock-out gas? But Coil's costume was sealed and Kaiser could seal his armor in the blink of his eye too…
She should be so terrified right now, standing with so many dangerous villains… two of them that already caused her a mental breakdown. That or she should be so pissed off by our sheer existence, because we are bad guys, just like her father, she should be trembling and snarling.
But no, instead she is just standing right here, calm and completely unfazed.
None of this made any sense.
And it was unacceptable…
Tattletale pushed her power to the maximum.
Good Hunter kidnapped her. Did something to her. Mastering? Not quite. Good Hunter pushed her into leaving behind her black and white mentality. Her family was made of heroes. New Wave never loved her. New Wave always forced to be less. She wants to be more. New Wave can't hate her if she hates them first. Hates heroes too. Doesn't want to be a hero, anymore. She doesn't consider herself a villain, yet, but she is starting to embrace the idea. Father was a villain. She wants to be more like her father.
Tattletale realized than she was still staring at the bio-thinker and that the bio-tinker was staring back
She is smiling under the mask. Can't help. She is fantasizing about your death. Lost compulsion against killing. Morality steadily crumbling. She has killed before. She has killed multiple people a few days ago, just for the sake of it. Others are just playthings. She wants still to kill you for hurting her, even though she feels that Bank robbery happened an eternity ago.
Okay, this wasn't an unexpected development…
She also thinks that you are much cuter than she remembered. Wouldn't mind asking you out for a date if it wasn't for the fact that you destroyed her life.
And this was fucking precious…
Tattletale couldn't help but smile back, flashing her typical cocky smile (much to Skitter's concern). Did she really think that she could intimidate her? She was Tattletale! and the two things Tattletale loved the most were sassing people and playing dangerous games. If Panacea wished to play this game, then the game was on. She couldn't care less if she was now an egocentric serial killer now.
But first, she wanted to understand. How the hell a she went from fragile nervous wreck to narcissistic monster in a week.
Of course, she could simply continue to push her power at the maximum…
…Or she could have a little fun.
"Well, well… of all people I wasn't expecting you here…" The table went suddenly silent, everybody staring at her. Tattletale was perfectly aware of her ascendant. Everybody here knew that she was basically a short-ranged clairvoyant. If somebody tried to pull some nasty trick or break the rules, she was supposed to intervene. "You here? Quite the surprise…" She made sure to never drop her cocky smile.
"Pardon me, but have we met before?" Good Hunter replied, somewhat dumbfounded. Tattletale ignored her; her prey was something else.
"I am not talking at you but at your partner. What is a hero doing here all alone, among these bad guys… Wouldn't answer me, Amy Dallon or I should say, Panacea?"
Everybody stopped talking. The atmosphere at the table became instantly frigid and many eyes pointed at the crow-feathered cape. While supervillain reunions have never been quite the jolly happy event, now it felt like Somer's Rock was an execution chamber.
The Empire capes looked positively murderous, with small little knives starting to appear over Hookwolf body. Kaiser instead seemed more puzzled than anything, probably because he had already deduced that if this was a Protectorate ambush Tattletale would have said so, instead of simply throwing a New Wave's cape among the wolves (quite literally so considering Hookwolf and Bitch).
Meanwhile, the Faultline's Crew looked ready to fight or to run. Trickster didn't move, not even raising his feet from the table, simply he didn't care. Among her team-mates, the tension was rising. Small beads of darkness started to emerge from Grue's body, but from the posture, the Thinker deduced, that he was more looking for a way to bail out than preparing to fight, in case the Protectorate would have burst through the windows. She also thought that Panacea should consider herself fortunate that at the moment Bitch had no dog with her if the murderous look on the girl's face meant something. Skitter was grabbing her arm tightly, probably as a way to get her attention. Yeah, Tattletale reflected, in hindsight, I should expect her to be worried about the fact I just have thrown a hero under the bus.
But the Thinker couldn't help herself, she was having the time of her life, the entire night went from boring to ridiculously exciting really quick.
"Is Tattletale telling the truth? It that Panacea? WHAT THE HELL SHE IS DOING HERE?" Hookwolf roared. To Lisa's surprise Panacea wasn't scared in the slightest. She was delighted.
"Hookwolf, Calm. Down." Kaiser admonished before turning towards the Undersiders' Thinker. "Is she part of a trap?"
"No, for some reason, she came alone… Nor the New Wave, nor the Protectorate is aware of her presence here. And before you ask Good Hunter was honest about being a villain" Tattletale added. Throwing Good Hunter too, under the bus would have been fun, yes. But she hated to lie, not because some sense of morality, simply if Good Hunter would have been able to prove her villainy, she would have looked like an idiot. And she hated to look like an idiot.
"That's a relief…" Coil said. Bet that you didn't see that coming, you old snake, uh? The atmosphere after Tattletale announcement started to ease, still, the man in black slowly turned towards Good Hunter, looking more like a statue than a living person. "I hope that you will understand, bringing a heroic cape in these neutral grounds, is something that CANNOT happen…."
"I can explain…" But before Good Hunter could continue, a gesture of a hand told her to stop.
Panacea stepped out, looking at the entire table.
She removed the mask and the hood-thing. Her bright yellow eyes slowly opening. She was calm. Way too calm for a girl sharing a table with a group of villains that had a way too valid reason to kill her. And she was smiling, a simple, unthreatening smile that was still unsettling.
Tattletale didn't need her power to tell this wasn't the girl she had met during the robbery. And she was sure that Skitter had come at the same conclusion, too, considering the way she was staring at the Bio-tinker, almost petrified.
"You called me Amy Dallon…"
"That's your name…" The Tattletale replied, somewhat surprised.
"It's not the name I was born with." The Bio-tinker answered. "I've been adopted."
"It's not a secret. It's on the official record." Oh crap, Tattletale realized too late, what she had just said.
"Falsified records…" Tattletale knew, without even her power, that Panacea was having the time of her life at that moment. She recognized those words. Those where the very same words of the bank and she was now using against her. The crow-feathered cape's smile widened ever so slightly…
A small part of her wanted to tear Panacea a new one for the affront, but she was a merciful goddess and she wanted really to see where the crow-feathered cape was getting to.
The attention of the table was all on both Tattletale and Panacea, nobody seemed to have the intention to attack, even Hookwolf listened to the words exchange somewhat amused, while Bitch looked instead… intimidated? By what? Panacea?
"Let me tell you all you a little story. Correct me if I'm wrong on any of the details, Tattletale, wouldn't you? Eleven years ago, just five years after capes really started showing up, there was a team operating hereabouts, calling themselves the Brockton Bay Brigade. Lady Photon, Manpower, Brandish, Flashbang, Fleur and Lightstar. They wind up taking on a villain in his own home and it's a pretty pathetic fight. They get stomped hard, but because Brandish cheated like the fucking whore she is, they won in the end, and he got sent straight to the Birdcage."
The former healer expression turned into a snarl, for a few moments as she pronounced the name of her mother before she recomposed herself. But the reaction from the public seemed more of amusement, Tattletale swore to hear Hookwolf chuckled under her breath.
"Oh, I haven't even gotten to the good part. See, they found a little girl hiding in the closet. His little girl, a toddler, the same toddler that they used against him. Given the odds that someone with powers would have a kid with powers, and knowing how the little girl would never be able to have a normal life with word inevitably getting out about her past, they wound up taking her in."
At the moment, Kaiser shuddered, almost as if had been struck by a lightning bolt. "You're…" He muttered, but Panacea ignored him.
"So, TT, you want to know who my daddy is?"
The small smile over Panacea's face turned a feral grin. A grin that would have made the likes of the Siberian or Jack Slash proud. What the hell happened to this girl? Tattletale thought in her mind, not using her power solely because she knew that a massive headache was coming. Last time, they talked about it, she was slumping in Skitter's arms at the idea of the name. Now, she was flaunting it, towering above everyone like a bird of prey with that cocky smug grin.
Oh my god, that grin is fucking so annoying, do I look like this from the outside?
"Yeah, let's hear that…"
"Very well, my name is Amelia Claire Lavere and my father is no other than Marquis…"
The name dropped on the table like a boulder, even though the reactions were different: Coil was unreadable like always, Kaiser had already guessed it before and Faultline was starting to get bothered by this theatrical waste of time. Trickster didn't even have any ideas of who Marquis was. But Tattletale understood the meaning behind it: It wasn't the name; it was the act of knowing it: Panacea showed down her face that not only she wasn't bothered by her father's identity but she loved it. That she didn't fear anymore to be like him, to second guess all the similarities but she was embracing them. She WANTED to be like her father.
It was probably understood only by Amy, Tattletale and maybe Skitter, considering how she was frenetically throwing glances at the other two girls. Still, she refused to speak.
"Amy Dallon died like she lived: spineless, weeping and ashamed. But reborn is Amelia Claude Lavere, daughter of Marquis, heiress of his empire. STRONGER than ever. And I, Amelia, came here, today, in front of you, to help; to defend the city that belongs to me as my BIRTHRIGHT. To partake the hunt of the great dragon, as any good hunter should. Now, TT please tell me with your psychic powers: am I somehow lying?"
Now, if Tattletale wanted, she could easily tear away all this new confidence with a few words. It wasn't that hard, even though considering how already she used her power during the night, the headache would be massive. But did she really want to? Unfortunately, Panacea was an invaluable asset and if she were to break the neutrality truce (which still Panacea didn't have broken) both Kaiser and Coil would have her skewered. And that was not counting a pissed Good Hunter. Angry movers were scary…
Besides, Amy, no Amelia, didn't make her look stupid so far. Guess, that she learned her lesson.
"No, you are not lying..." She smiled back at the murderous bio-thinker. There was a long pregnant silence at the table.
"So, you are the daughter of Marquis, uh?" Kaiser mused, breaking the silence.
"The one and only" Amelia, replied with a small giggle.
"Besides… do you think that the heroes would send me of all people? Knowing that there is a Thinker like Tattletale among your ranks? How much time she needed to discover me?" She tried to defuse the situation, opening her arms. "Come on, I am Panacea, a Healer not a Stranger. What if you capture me and force me to work for you? The PRT would lose an invaluable asset and you would gain one of the best healers of the country… They are a bunch of morons, but that would dumb even for their already low standard…"
This seemed to finally de-escalate the situation, with all the villains present calming down. It seemed that little Panacea was serious about turning the heel and, honestly, this drama had gone way too long. Tattletale decided to give one last push to her power, even risking a headache…
Wasn't calm as she looked like. Her heartbeat going like crazy. Imitating her father into concealing her emotions, to be more like her him. Still, she never felt better... She just talked down the villains of Brockton Bay from killing her. Embracing and loving her new self more and more. She feels she can take over the world. She feels that she can do whatever she wants. Still, deep down scared…
…Scared of you, fear that you will destroy her new life that she is loving so much. Hesitation. She wants to kill you but doesn't want to risk. Will not murder you, until you try to break her again.
Tattletale clutched her head. Thinker headaches were a bad bitch. These recent developments were more than enough. At least she happy to know that the crazy bitch would have not touched until was able to speak.
"Well, Panacea, if you are not lying " Coil started to talking. "I think that I can speak for all when I say that we will be more than happy to welcome you, as long you promise to respect the neutral grounds… and you promise to offer your support during the next operations…"
"Of course, I will agree, Mr… Uhhhhh…"
"…Coil… My name is Coil…"
Kaiser nodded in approval, for once allowing the snake to speak on his behalf. The other groups didn't raise any other issue with letting Panacea and Good Hunter participate. Probably because we are all on Coil's paycheck?
The rest of the meeting went along decently after such a rocky start besides that little incident between Bitch and Hookwolf but that was Grue's problem, not hers. Nor Good Hunter nor Amelia said a word more only agreeing into participating at the raid against Lung and the ABB. That left Lisa with the realization that probably Coil will force her to bring Panacea, into Undersiders. Oh, fuck no. And even worse Kaiser seemed to have the very same idea. Which meant that she would have to compete with the Empire. What a fucking chore.
She had no intention to risk her life, and besides Skitter has been more a pet project of her, because she didn't want to abandon another person that needed help. Amelia seemed to not need any help anymore… Maybe I could send someone else? Alec? they could bond over being both sociopathic narcissists?
People started to leave Somer's Rock, Good Hunter and Panacea disappearing in the darkness. Lisa took a moment for herself, massaging her temples and soothing with the fresh air her headache. Meanwhile Grue and Bitch were having a little argument. A little argument that involved Brian's hands and Rachel's throat. Then again, his problem, not hers.
"Tattletale, we have to talk…"
Oh god, what it is today…
Tattletale turned herself towards Skitter, still massaging her temples.
"What's the matter?"
"I want to participate at the raid"
"Skitter, I told you… Your head injury… You don't have to do it…"
"No, I must and… you have to put me in the same team with Panacea…"
What?
Feels guilty. Think that Panacea becoming a villain is her fault. Think that having terrorized her caused this sudden shift in her personality. Can't rationalize it. It makes for her harder to accept that she is a villain.
Crap, here it's another spike of pain. Right into my temples.
"Uhh, I guess that I can ask Coil and Kaiser about it but are you sure about that? Trust me, I used my power: you don't WANT to be near her…"
This seemed only to strengthened Taylor's resolve.
"Lisa" Thank god, nobody is around here." You saw her, didn't you? What she is saying. The way she is acting. It's not normal. I must understand what happened, why she decided to… besides, her power synergizes well with mine. We could make a great pair."
Must ask her what happened. She wants to talk to her. She wants to convince her to don't stop being a hero. Feels that she must convince her to be a hero. Feels that she has to redeem her.
Oh, for fuck's sake, Lisa thought, why you must have to be so obsessed with saving everyone, Taylor?
Tattletale sighed. Maybe she can convince her to join the Undersiders? That would spare me to have to deal with Coil…
Right now I don't have the strength to argue. Fucking headache.
"Alright fine, but promise me. Taylor, promise to don't anything stupid, if the situation turns sour, okay?"
"I promise, Lisa"