Step 5.10
Dinah stayed for dinner before her father came and got her. I held my tongue around her. She'd answered six questions for me already, and ran herself over limit working out how to bring the assassin down.
"It's okay," she said while we stuffed her costume into a backpack. "I feel better now. Maybe I can answer some questions tomorrow."
"Thanks, Dinah."
I suppose I wasn't helping. I avoided the news. Rather, I wanted to. Life dictated that I didn't get the choice really. Ramius said my fate rested in how PR played out.
When Dad got me home, I glued myself to the TV. Same thing on every channel more or less. For the first few hours at least.
I knew his name now.
Ali Al-Saachez.
Veda found him as a small foot note in press releases from Interpol, an international assassin known for going after capes. No one knew his power, or at least they didn't publish it or any speculation. We actually found very little information on him besides his name and MO.
He habitually showed up randomly, usually with tinker tech and conventional weapons, and pursued a cape until he killed them or they became unreachable. Not just in Europe either, Interpol accused him of killing capes in India and China. I didn't see why he'd go after a small celebrity without powers, but then I remembered what he said.
He didn't care about Relena Peacecraft. He wanted to fight Count, like a competition or something.
All those people died, so he could have fun?
The PRT said little about it in Brockton Bay. The usual 'we have the suspect in custody' kind of statement. I doubted anything I knew amounted to more than the information available to them. Miss Militia used his name. She knew him on sight, and they talked like people with history.
A hero and an international assassin? The child soldier thing, I figured. How did that work?
I didn't get to think about it much.
It didn't take long for the news to move on, and when it did it moved to me.
Reporters and commenters ripped into me, and praised me. I couldn't tell which they did more of. Watching the reports, tone and focus shifted so much maybe they didn't know how to feel about it. Obsessively waiting for them to make up their damn minds distracted me for most of the night.
Talking heads noted my efforts to save Relena from assassination, and the PRT appropriately credited me with the capture of Skidmark. The reporters really liked that one. A gang leader arrested, the first since Marquis. Leader of the most disliked gang in Brockton Bay at that.
No one liked drug dealers, not even Nazis. Kaiser gave a fucking speech, applauding me for going after the 'real criminals destroying society.'
If I still had a suit, I'd have gone after the Empire right then and there.
Lafter got attention too, and Dinah. A video circulated on all the channels, showing Laughter fighting alongside PRT troopers and Stratos as they forced the Merchants back. Stratos ruined their tanks, and Lafter just beat people up left and right. Apparently, everyone liked that. They kept talking about how she should change her cape name to Skywalker.
Fucking Lucas.
People wanted to know who Dinah was. Ramius told the PRT I guess, because the news started calling her Forecast. The fourth member of Newtype's thus far unnamed cape team. Lots of speculation on her powers, including that she predicted the weather.
Of course, after the praise the condemnation returned.
A dozen dead, five of them PRT troopers. Dozens injured. Neither of those numbers included the people killed by Ali Al-saachez. Dauntless and Vicky both recovered from their injuries, but Velocity got hurt too in Downtown. Four members of the Protectorate all needing emergency medical care in one day.
I figured that happened fairly often, just not in such a spectacular way with so many cameras taking notice.
Some of the reporters blamed me. They said the fight in Shanty Town is exactly why the Wards existed, to keep young parahumans from causing more harm than good.
Piggot's pitch line, waiting and ready.
I turned the TV off eventually. It's really not healthy, especially not with everything else I needed to deal with. Tumors in my brain, for example. Veda only managed to find a single reference to 'Shin' and 'multiple powers.' A conspiracy website about some other Earth ruled by a Scion like parahuman. Pretty crazy stuff. It read more like fiction than anything.
Eventually I tried to sleep. When that didn't take, I tried to work.
I stared at the screen and barely got anywhere.
I needed to replace O Gundam, and quickly. Losing my suit certainly freed up the money that went into maintaining it, but I'd need weeks to fully build a new one. And did I rebuild O Gundam, or make an entirely new suit? It's not like I didn't come across a few design issues, but what improvements to make?
The GN blade maybe. I'd sidelined it for a while, but my carbine slid over whatever Squealer did to her armor. An anti-beam coating or something, probably built to deal with me.
Clever.
Not even sure if the GN blade would solve the issue. I might need something harder, maybe a more traditional weapon? Hard to think of one for disabling a tank without hurting anyone inside.
So on, and so on.
I didn't get anything done. Come morning I wanted to walk out and deal with more tangible problems than sitting and waiting for Piggot to make up her mind.
"Where are you going?" Dad asked.
"Out," I answered.
Dad glared at me. "You're grounded, Taylor."
I sighed. "Dad, grounding is for punishing children to teach them a lesson about what they shouldn't do. Do you really think I'm going to stop being a hero because I'm grounded?"
He frowned.
"I'm sorry I ended up in the hospital. I'm sorry it's not going to be the last time, and you know it." I pulled on the door knob and tossed my bag over my shoulder. "I've already made this choice."
"Taylor." I froze as Dad hugged me from behind. "Why do you have to be like Annette so much?"
My jaw set. "If there were more people like mom, the world would be a better place."
I believed it too. It might just be a child's blind love of her parent. In an odd way, I noticed I didn't really know much about her. I remembered growing up, being scolded, lectured, and being loved. Other than that, though, how much did I really know?
Questions for later.
I had enough of them for the moment.
I sighed. "Come with me if you want."
Dad stepped back. "You said—"
"Irrelevant now," I said. "I'm moving my workshop, and getting a new vehicle. There's something I should probably tell you anyway."
Not fair to tell Lafter and not Dad.
And I never did figure out if Ramius heard anything.
"Should I get a mask?" Dad asked.
"No. That would call more attention to us."
I led us down out of the house and down the street. It became a fairly pleasant walk actually. Quiet, but I don't know. I don't think Dad and I went anywhere together in years. Well, we went downtown to talk to Blue Cosmos, and he drove me to school sometimes.
We never walked though.
Just a pleasant stroll through the somewhat nicer part of the Docks.
"This is your workshop?" Dad asked as we approached the garage. "I remember this place. Old man O'Neil refused to let it go, even after it stopped making any money."
"It's basically abandoned," I said. "And the police station at the corner keeps the gangs from frequenting the area."
"Then why move?"
"Because the gangs know about my van. If they start looking, they'll probably manage to find this place."
My factory rendered hiding my workshop somewhat moot anyway. The gangs could always threaten it to draw me out, figure out the location. I might as well build it in the factory and fortify the fuck out of it. No one went after a tinker in their own workshop. I'd protect myself, and the factory in a way.
I expected some capes might ignore that advice, because they could. With enough planning, even Lung would suffer trying to get in.
I opened the side door and let Dad inside.
Lafter poked her head around the corner and blinked.
"Oh, so you're into older men then? I can dig it."
I frowned. "He's my dad, Lafter."
Lafter frowned. "Well…I'm not going to judge you for it."
My face turned beet red and I slammed the door shut. Before a single shout could escape, Dad laughed.
"Taylor can do better than me," he said.
Lafter raised her brow. I didn't know what that meant. I wanted to deny it, but that just might feed Lafter's annoying teasing.
"So, you've been hiding this girl in your workshop?" Dad asked.
"She didn't want the abbey that raised her to be a target."
"They're stuffy anyway," Lafter added. "No fun at all."
Lafter stepped back, and I guided Dad into the workshop proper.
He glanced around, Red and Purple both turning to face him. Dad's eyes scanned the room, occasionally stopping to stare at a tool or item. A box of stun grenades, slated for disassembly and redesign, spare sabers, some of the spare parts from my carbine. The GN Drive sat suspended on the center table, and my van on the far end of the garage.
Even with all that stuff, the garage felt empty without O Gundam in it.
Lafter took a seat by my workstation. Either Veda successfully roped her into Dungeons and Dragons, or she really didn't have anything else to do stuck in the workshop.
I stepped my way casually toward a screen. Text flashed on its surface.
sys.v/ you are certain?
Not really, but eventually, it would get out. How exactly do I explain Veda to the world if my own teammates and father don't understand her? Dinah never seemed to think less of Veda for what she was. They got along great, even kept secrets from me when it suited them.
"Lafter, you wanted to know about Veda?"
She stopped and spun her chair back around. She glanced to Dad, and then to me. I felt awkward, and a little ridiculous. Not much to do but come out and say it, I figured.
"This way." I turned and exited the garage. I opened the door across the hall and motioned for them both to enter. "You too, Dad."
"Who is Veda?" he asked.
"It's StarGazer's real name." I took a deep breath. "I gave it to her."
"So, why are we in the Playstation room?" Lafter asked, standing amongst the towers. "Besides not playing on any of them?"
Dad glanced around, noticing the three cubes in the back on the bottom shelf. The three quantum processors stood out from the repurposed game consoles in how they glowed. They drew the eye.
Stepping in myself, my own exhalation billowed around me.
"It's cold in here," Dad said.
"I've never turned her off," I answered. "I'm too scared that if I do, she won't be the same when she turns back on."
"Her?" Dad asked.
I nodded. "This is Veda. StarGazer. I made her. She's the first thing I ever tinkered."
Dad and Lafter didn't react at first. When they did, Dad's jaw slackened and his eyes went a little wide. My cheeks turned red again. How exactly did this work in his head. Lafter, for her part, raised her brow and stared at me.
"I am grateful," Veda said from the speakers. "Hello, Daniel Hebert. I am Veda, the world's first computer intelligence."
Before Dad got a chance to speak, Lafter looked around and leaned toward me.
"She's not going to make a bunch of terminators, right?"
Did we not tell her about the Tierens?
"Only if the puny humans do not do as I say."
Even I raised my head at that, turning my eyes toward the camera in the corner.
"That was a joke."
"Maybe you should teach her not to joke about that," Lafter said. "'Cause I don't think people will get it."
She's taking this oddly well.
"Damn," Lafter griped. "I put money down on secret twin."
"Secret twin?" I asked.
"On CapeStreetBets. Hey, wait. Maybe we can just say you're twins, and that way I get two grand!"
I narrowed my eyes.
Veda and I gave our answer at the same time.
"No."
"Damn."
Shifting my attention to Dad, I felt a mounting disquiet at his silence. He watched me. I watched him. Lafter grumbled about being out five dollars.
"You made a cape?" Dad asked.
I blinked. "No. I made a machine with a soul."
Lafter rubbed her chin. "I grew up in a convent, and I don't think it works that way."
"You know what I mean," I said.
No need to question the existentialism of the human spirit.
When I thought of Veda as having a soul, I meant her mind belonged to her alone. Setting aside the issue of a certain kill switch I rarely thought about, nothing stopped Veda from wandering off and doing whatever she wanted. If she wanted, she could download herself anywhere.
I agreed with Turing. Don't bother trying to define intelligence, you'll just end up defining ignorance. Think only about what an intelligent creature can do.
Free to move as she wishes. Free to do as she pleased. She talked like a person. Held her own thoughts like a person. Conceptualized morality, ethics, and belief like a person.
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and can ponder the Riemann Hypothesis, then it might as well be human.
Switching my attention back to Dad, my concern mounted.
"Dad?"
"Just…processing."
Lafter pointed. "Now see, that's a joke."
We went back to the workshop, Dad's continuing silence not remotely helping with my anxiety. I tried to distract myself with some work, but that just wasn't working either.
sys.v/ there is something you should see
Veda sent me a link, and I watched the video.
sys.t/ how did this get online?
sys.v/ the video originates from Brockton Bay
sys.v/ the IP address is a hotel in the towers
Another hotel? Did they share a security company?
I watched the video again.
The security footage started with the bullets spewing into the hallway, followed by me running into the hotel room. The video proceeded from there, following the fight from start to finish. It even showed when Miss Militia showed up.
I almost panicked, but the uploader blurred her face entirely when her bandanna came off.
Right up to the moment I detonated O Gundam. The video showed that in split screen, one side showing the exterior as my suit blew apart and the other showing Dinah jump back before Ali got thrown into the wall.
I found a PHO thread about it, but Tin Mother kept removing the video and eventually started temp banning anyone who posted it.
Topic: Peacecraft Assassination (UPDATE: Thwarted!)
In: Boards ► Capes ► Brockton Bay ► General
WingBoy (Original Poster)
Posted on May 21, 2011:
I think Newtype just went to war against the Merchants, guys.
UPDATE: Now the Protectorate and the PRT are there.
UPDATE: Newtype is flying away.
UPDATE: Holy shit. So, I figured I'd see something cool so I ran over to the place Newtype's suit crashed, right? It's a hotel. One of the nicer ones in town. Real popular with tourists. So anyway, by the time I get there Newtype's suit is just sitting there and not moving and there's people standing around talking.
I didn't get a chance to ask what was up, because then there's gunshots and stuff. I stick around with my phone out thinking I'm going to catch some action and it's Relena fucking Peacecraft who comes running out the building with some body guard, and Miss Militia and Prism show up (Prismilitia OTS btw) and then Miss Militia runs into the building alone, there's more gun shots and some explosions, and then;
LINK
Newtype's suit exploded took out the front face of the hotel. I think my back is still hurting, cause I got slammed into a wall when that happened!
UPDATE: Oh fuck…I think Newtype and Miss Militia are dead… There's some other capes here, but Prism looks really freaked.
UPDATE: Wow today is insane. First Newtype and MM are alive! Apparently, this whole thing was some kind of elaborate assassination plot against Relena Peacecraft. The heroes got the snot beat out of them by the assassin but Newtype blew up her suit and took the guy the fuck out!
UPDATE: There's video out now and what the fuck: REDACTED
(Showing Page 89 of 123)
► Tin Mother (Moderator)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Okay, seriously.
PHO has rules. You cannot post videos of people being killed here. Talk about it, because that isn't against the rules, but from this point forward anyone who links to the video will be relieved of their privileges for three months.
► BettingMan
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Five bucks says Void posts the video here without reading the thread first.
► 3ndless (Guy in the Know)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Even Void isn't that stupid.
► BettingMan
Replied on May 22, 2011:
I'm counting that as a bet.
► Char
Replied on May 22, 2011:
So why did Newtype's suit blow up?
► 3ndless (Guy in the Know)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Because a cape beat the shit out of her, Miss Militia, and some Secret Service agents and was about to go through whoever that is at the end.
► TheGreen1 (Verified HARO)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Forecast
Forecast
► 3ndless (Guy in the Know)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
And I guess that's her cape name. Thanks Green.
► TheGreen1 (Verified HARO)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
It's what I do
It's what I do
► UnverifiedBadA$$
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Are they supposed to repeat things?
► Char
Replied on May 22, 2011:
They tend to do that
► XxVoid_CowboyxX (BANNED)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Holy shit has anyone seen the video of this? REDACTED
► Tin Mother (Moderator)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
What did I just say?!
► BettingMan
Replied on May 22, 2011:
3ndless, pay up.
Why didn't that surprise me?
► Jutland (Moderator)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Holy shit though, are we sure Newtype isn't a brute? That guy beat the crap out of her and she just kept getting up.
► ThinkingThinker
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Maybe her costume is really good at deflecting punches?
► 3ndless (Guy in the Know)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
That knife went right through it when he stabbed her.
► War_Games
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Yeah, and then she dropped her own bombs on herself. What are those things anyway? They didn't seem to do much but make them roll on the floor for a bit.
► Bagrat (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Stun bombs. She uses them to take out run of the mill gangsters.
► MMFan9001
Replied on May 22, 2011:
No credit to Miss Militia? She got stabbed sure, but she was freaking badass. Stopped that asshole from choking Newtype to death too.
► Vamp
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Not knocking Ms. M, but seriously, even when the guy was using her as a human shield Newtype was screwing him over. Check the part right after Militia shows up. Newtype says something and her robot picks up her fucking lightsaber and stabs the guy!
► 3ndless (Guy in the Know)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
And then she blows up her suit to slam him into a reception desk.
► Vamp
Replied on May 22, 2011:
And, not to be a dick, did anyone else find that fight weird? I mean the one where Newtype is on the ground and Militia is duking it out. IDW, but there's something off.
► MMFan9001
Replied on May 22, 2011:
No there isn't.
► Char
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Seems fine to me.
► VexterCrafter
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Let's give Chariot some credit, right? Guy saved um both from getting blown to bits.
► Vincent34
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Acknowleding that Newtype saved Relena Peacecraft (you know, that girl who goes around preaching world peace and accountability?) from being killed, doesn't mean we're not recognizing other people did stuff too.
► ColtRevolves
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Yeah, Newtype got there before anyone else.
► DebbieDowner
Replied on May 22, 2011:
People still died… That's not much of a compliment.
► Vincent34
Replied on May 22, 2011:
As opposed to people still dying, and that asshole getting his way?
"What are you looking at?"
I glanced over my shoulder at Dad. He looked worried, but about what? Lots of things for him to worry about.
"Someone leaked video from the hotel," I explained. His eyes widened, and before he even asked, I added, "No. Dad, I don't want you to—"
"Show me," he insisted.
"That's a bad idea."
"We can extend your grounding."
I ignored Lafter's giggles.
"Dad, I don't think—"
"Taylor," he warned sternly.
I scooted over and let him watch. Terrible idea. I saw the horror on his face with every blow. It actually looked a thousand times worse than it felt on his face. The guy kicked my ass. Punches to the face, stab to the thigh, hands around my throat.
You're green, he said.
He called me inexperienced. Watching him beat me down, and seeing the fight with Miss Militia in full…Yeah. He moved differently from me, different from Lafter, or any of the thugs I'd beaten up. If I put a name to it, he moved a lot like Victor.
He knew how to fight.
I didn't.
That couldn't stand.
Surely, I'd find myself without my suit again in the future. Endbringer fights, or major battles with gangs. I needed to come up with back up plans, and lacking that I needed enough skill to survive not having my suit.
So, did that mean self-defense classes, or maybe some kind of training program? Huh. Why didn't I have a simulator actually? Wouldn't be too hard to come up with—
"You're really not going to stop, are you?"
I blinked, finding Dad staring at me.
"I can tell," he said. "Nothing I say or do will ever change your mind, will it?"
I opened my mouth, stopped, and opened it again.
"No."
Dad stared at me a little longer. He turned back to the video, watching it for I-don't-know-what time. I watched him for a time, but his face didn't make any sense. He looked worried, and proud? Afraid and angry? At me, or for me?
The screen beside me flashed.
sys.v/ he worries
sys.t/ I know
Of course, he worried, but what did he want from me? I couldn't stop. Stopping…I'd definitely rather be dead.
► Coop
Replied on May 22, 2011:
The PRT just announced Skidmark and Whirlygig both got caught in the fighting yesterday. I know we kind of knew anyway, but now its officially official.
► ThinkingThinker
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Good riddance. Fucking dealers.
► ItsThatGuy (Guy in the Know)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Did anyone get any pictures of these "mini-tanks?" I hear people talking about them but what did they look like?
► UBWGuy
Replied on May 22, 2011:
I wish I had a minitank.
► Bagrat (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
ItsThatGuy, Stratos basically annihilated them. They had legs or something and he blew them all away. They just look like boxes now: link.
► MMFan9001
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Is there any official word on Miss Militia yet? I know they said she was okay, but she looked like she got hurt really bad.
► PRT ENE Official (Verified PR)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Miss Militia is recovering, Dauntless and Velocity too. The Director gave her a few days off. I know New Wave has already shown Glory Girl to be just fine. We haven't heard from Newtype as far as I know, but she left the hospital in good health.
We'll be releasing the names of the PRT troopers killed this weekend soon over in the PRT thread.
► DesertTiger (Retired USMC)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Condolences to the families.
► Char
Replied on May 22, 2011:
What's going to happen to Newtype?
► MMFan9001
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Why would anything happen to her?
► Djbriloholic
Replied on May 22, 2011:
She started a fucking gang war?
► Char
Replied on May 22, 2011:
That's not fair
► Vincent34
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Fuck no its not. Seriously, if the Protectorate did this, even BC wouldn't be calling for them to be arrested. Defunded, slapped with ankle monitors and treated like prisoners sure, but not literally arrested.
► BCause (Verified Loon)
Replied on May 22, 2011:
At least the Protectorate are basically super cops. I don't like them, but they're not random civilians with super guns walking through the city blowing shit up! You can't have a civilized society with people running around like that doing as they please.
► Char
Replied on May 22, 2011:
But the Protectorate isn't doing anything. They never do anything.
► Vincent34
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Char, exactly. They don't do anything, and what? Newtype goes in to stop an assassination plot, ends up stirring up the hornets nest, and two Merchant Capes got arrested and the assassination was foiled? That sounds like more win than loss to me.
► Djbriloholic
Replied on May 22, 2011:
Tell that to all the people who died.
The debate went back and forth like that, whenever people stopped talking about how "awesome" everything was. Like people dying was some kind of entertainment. That made me angry, but I used to be like that too. From the outside capes and their lives really can seem like a spectator sport.
Knew better now.
I almost died. Miss Militia almost died.
sys.t/ still nothing from Ramius?
sys.v/ no contact
sys.t/ Dragon?
sys.v/ no
I could contract Dragon, but I didn't want to bother her with my worries. I didn't want to bother myself with my worries.
And so the theme continued, too distracted to get any work done.
I pulled the envelope from my pocket and looked at the concert tickets. What did Count expect me to do with them? Show up at a concert in costume? She wrote on the tickets. I'd be an idiot to go as Taylor Hebert.
Not that I minded. Concert tickets aren't really my kind of reward.
I hated crowds and noise. A Concert was the opposite of what I wanted. I didn't even listen to any of Canary's music. It felt a bit mean, but music sung by a master whose power hinged on her singing seemed like something to avoid.
Not sure why anyone would risk—
Wait a second.
I typed out a quick message and got up after receiving the response.
"There's something I need to do," I said. "Are you two okay here?"
"Got an Orc horde to murder," Lafter answered. "With fireballs."
Dad turned. "You're playing Dungeons and Dragons?"
"Nothing better to do." She grinned. "And it's fun imagining the smoldering remains of my imaginary enemies."
Dad raised his brow. "Greyhawk or Faerun?"
Lafter narrowed her eyes. "What?"
Veda chipped in, saying, "There's only one answer to that question."
Dad flinched and glanced around. Didn't know where to look, I think.
"Right…And that would be?"
…
Well. Learned something new about Dad.
I left them to talk about a bunch of words I didn't even know and went to the library. Charlotte arrived about when I expected her to.
I did not expect her to hug me.
"Charlotte?" I stammered.
"Are you insane!?" She hissed in my ear. "You could have died?!"
"I—" Seriously? "Thank you?"
"Don't thank me!"
Guess she saw the video too.
We found a secluded table on the second floor and sat down. Charlotte looked embarrassed, but that didn't stop her from repeating everything Dad said. Almost word for word at that.
"I thought you were dead," she said. "The news said you got rushed into the hospital with Miss Militia, and I thought—"
"Have you talked to my dad?" I asked.
"No?"
"He said the same thing."
"Everyone was saying it!" She leaned across the table, whispering, "Seriously, some people on PHO were saying you died."
"Well, they were obviously wrong."
"And that doesn't make anyone feel better looking around and seeing everyone say their friend is dead!"
I did not need more of thi—Friend?
"I really don't need more of this Charlotte," I said with a stammer or two. "My dad is already laying into me, and I'm still waiting for the PRT to come raining down on my head."
She raised her brow. "For What? Doing what literally every hero does?"
"I started a gang war in Shanty Town, Charlotte."
"And? How else is anyone going to get rid of the Merchants? You have any idea how many people will take anything over the PRT's wait and see approach? The only people getting up in arms about what you did are Blue Cosmos nuts, and people who don't live here, who have no idea what it's like."
I pondered for a moment IP tracing all the comments on my PHO thread, but that felt like a waste of time. It didn't really matter where they were. Public relations aren't a regional thing. If the PRT felt secure in going after me they would.
"Seriously, my dad and all his friends went down to a bar last night to drink to Skidmark winding up behind bars." Charlotte's face turned red. "Their drugs ruined my brother, and it's not just us. There's hardly anyone in the city who hasn't suffered because of the gangs and we're all sick of it. If the PRT tries throwing you in jail, it'll be a riot! What kind of message does that fucking send? Do anything but nothing and you've gone too far?"
I blinked.
"You okay?" I asked.
She huffed, and then seemed to realize how angry she looked. She glanced away from me, an embarrassed expression taking over her face.
"S—Sorry. That's…It's just not fair."
Well, I didn't disagree. Not much I could do about it though. If Piggot came at me, she came at me. That's just my luck with authority figures.
"I didn't mean to snap like that," Charlotte apologized. "But you're a good person, and I know you beat yourself up about things but seriously it's stupid to pretend—"
"It's fine Charlotte. If nothing else, Relena Peacecraft apparently thinks I did something good."
I pulled the envelope from my pocket and withdrew the ticket that didn't have any writing on it.
"Her body guard gave me these. I don't really want to go, but I remember you saying something about—"
Charlotte's eyes widened. "Is that a backstage pass?"
"Yeah. The—"
Charlotte took the ticket and looked it over.
"This is a backstage pass to Canary's concert this weekend?! How? The tickets sold out overnight and they cost a fortune!"
"The Count gave them to me, somehow." Never did figure out how she got the envelope into my room. "She wrote on this one, so I can't use it without giving away my identity, but that one should be fine."
"You could sell this online for like, five hundred dollars."
"I don't want five hundred dollars. You take it. It says you can bring a friend, so I don't know. Ask Carlos or something."
Charlotte got embarrassed again, asking, "Carlos? Why would I ask Carlos to anything—"
"Because you think he's cute," I pointed out. "I'm socially inept and I noticed, and he doesn't have a girlfriend. So just ask him or something."
Charlotte nodded quietly.
I asked her if Blue Cosmos called for anything. Might as well save another phone call.
Charlotte shook her head. "Mrs. Knott said they'll probably wait a week before pressing for an answer."
"Alright."
"And don't ask me if I'm okay with anything. I am."
I nodded and rose from my seat. Charlotte asked if I wanted to get lunch with her, but I wanted to get back to the workshop and check on Dad and Lafter.
I did make a detour to the bathroom. Holding the remaining ticket out, I switch on the saber in my pocket and burned the paper away. Can't track me down without any evidence, and it seemed the surest way be rid of it. Fortunately, my saber just incinerated the whole thing. No smoke, no fire.
The evidence destroyed, I went to wait for the bus. I saw it pulling off as I exited, which meant I needed to wait a good fifteen minutes for the next one.
I pulled out my phone to call Dinah, make sure she was alright.
Didn't make it to dialing.
I went back to PHO, skimming over the comments more carefully than before.
In a way, having the PRT breathing down my neck felt exactly like Winslow all over again. But, at Winslow, no one gave a damn about me. Seeing Charlotte get so angry on my behalf…that's different.
And looking over the comments on PHO again, it wasn't just her.
People who felt angry about what happened rarely mentioned me by name. They said it in passing, or simply referred to heroes in general. On the whole, they seemed more angry about the abstracts than the details. Those who praised me? They always said my name, and said something about me they thought they liked.
Maybe it wasn't just Charlotte…
I set my phone on the bench beside me and inhaled.
Too much crap in my brain, and I didn't just mean the tumors. Trying to distract myself wasn't dealing with the problem. My suit, the PRT, and the tumors in my brain. I needed to start figuring that ou—
"That's very rude you know."
I raised my head, looking left and right from my seat on the bench.
The girl leaned over behind me, hand straightening the red hat on her head.
"I mean, someone gives you a gift and you re-gift and burn it? Rude."
My body went stiff at the recognition.
The girl sat down beside me, and against my better judgment, I did look at her butt. Mostly in the "please don't pull your pants down and ask me to sign it" kind of way.
Older than me, definitely. Early to mid-twenties, with a youthful face and a petite frame. She wore the same clothes I'd seen her wearing in the hospital the day before, including the ball cap on her head.
"Hello, Taylor."
My hand reached for the saber in my pocket.
"Overreact much? Shesh. No wonder you hate Tattletale so much."
My eyes narrowed, and my hand stopped. I looked past her, and then around me. The library might be a little empty inside, but it still sat on a busy public street. Was she a member of the Undersiders? Sovereign maybe?
I asked her, "You know Tattletale?"
"I've seen her shower." She blinked. "That came out wrong."
So…Tattletale is a lesbian?
"I mean, I see everyone shower…that's still creepy isn't it? I swear I'm not creepy, which might be hard with the whole 'sign my butt thing' but I swear that was a joke. I missed out on my childhood so I've been catching up on the rebellious teenager part."
I stared at her, completely lost.
She knew my name. She knew my identity. Not a cape groupie, obviously. One day she tried to slip into my hospital room, and the next she tracked me down and boldly announced what she knew? A member of the gangs? Blond with brown eyes, maybe E88, or maybe someo—
"Yeah, I get that face a lot." She pointed at me. "That one right there."
I frowned and got a hold of myself. Fingers tightened around my saber. I glanced down and back up. From the peripherals of my vision I saw both her hands stuffed into the front pockets of her hoodie.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Peace on Earth," she answered with a smile. "But today I'll settle for you not giving these ones away." She pulled her hand from her pocket. She held up the envelope and waved it at me. "Seriously girl. Who gives away free concert tickets?"
I flinched, and my hand relaxed. "You dropped that envelope in my room?"
"Technically, Count did. I just pointed the way."
She grabbed my hand and tucked the envelope between my fingers. I glanced to her. She glanced to the envelope. I opened the envelope.
More concert tickets of course. Another whole pair, with a new note written out on a separate piece of paper.
Don't make me do this a third time.
P.S. Bring your costume.
P.S.S. Matter of life and death.
"You work for Count?" I asked. How the hell did she figure out my name?
"No," the girl said. "I stopped working for her a long time ago, but she's trying to save the world and all that jazz so I'd be a complete and utter bitch if I refused to help so here I am."
…What?
I tried to process it step by step. Count somehow knew my name. She somehow knew I'd give away the concert tickets, or this girl could teleport around somehow. No, if she could teleport, why didn't she help deal with the assassin?
She tapped her chin and leaned forward.
"And I was supposed to say something," she mumbled, her eyes turning to sky. "I always forget. Count just kind of babbles sometimes and I tune her out. What was it?"
Another one of Relenea Peacecraft's body guards? Not unless Relena lied. She said Count was the only one left.
"Oh right!"
The girl sat up straight and smiled.
"If Forecast ever gets too down, give me a call." She produced her other hand from her pocket and gave me the card. Just a phone number, and not one from the US. "I totally get the whole seeing horrible things no girl should see thing. We could chat. Bond over our shared misery. If she wants, no pressure."
She sat up, leaving me with the envelope in one hand and card in the other.
What the fuck is happening?
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Don't know. Not sure anyone remembers my original name."
She turned toward the street corner and started walking.
"These days, I go by Claire."
