This overlaps with Monster 3.2.

Chapter 5: Despair

Hokay! Awake! Aaaand... Killer is back home, doing... something. Not sure what. Lame.

Drat, okay. I got my way eventually, but she's not jumping right at me, thrilled to have a friend. Not sure what she's doing. Give her space, or try to call her?

...

Eeeeeh, let's call her.

Okay, phone's ringing. Killer... hasn't noticed. Um. Still ringing. Stiiiill ringing.

Damn. She must not have it on her right now. I guess that means I'm giving her space by default. I mean, the PRT cordon on the school lightened up yesterday some, but they've still got people there. Don't wanna find out they have Master Sensor Bullshit by waltzing in and getting caught. I could try to meet Killer at her house, but... her fam' is still there. Would be a pain to try to talk her into caping alongside me while, you know, trying to avoid letting Daddy Dearest (Or whatever) in on the secret. Trying to get Killer to like and trust me here, not scare her with Creepy Stalker Behavior.

So... Uh. Shit. I think this might be a bust. Damn. Put a lot of effort into this, too.

...

Okay, new plan: sic Lung on Jean-Paul.

Finding Lung is easy, since I've already marked him out via Oni Lee. Dressing for the encounter takes longer, honestly, since I want to cover up all my skin, get a black wig on, and look plausibly Asian. So no burqa, which would be the easy answer.

I end up being pointed to Noh plays by the internet, which involve face-concealing masks, and are traditional Japanese blah blah culture whatever. The point is it lets me dress up like I'm totally Asian. I also dress up to cover myself underneath the costume. Less for the chill and more for the coverage. Hood, so I can cover my blonde hair. Pants, so I can cover my pale legs. Gloves, so I can cover my pale hands. Etc. Totes Asian here. Honest.

Then I track down and listen in to some local Asian ladies in my age range. I was worried I'd have to put on a ridiculous accent, but while some of the girls have a bit of something going on, most of them are indistinguishable from any other girl's voice. Muttering under my breath and comparing?... my bigger issue is I don't have an American accent.

I work on faking the American accent on my way over to where Lung is brooding -dunno why a dude who 1v1ed Leviathan needs to brood, but whatever- and even stop a block away for five minutes to practice until I'm reasonably confident I don't sound obviously non-local.

Funny thing to me is Lung is apparently hanging out in a dojo. I mean, I guess it makes sense if you want to hide a giant muscled Asian man. It's either that or a gym, and he's clearly got some In Home Country pride thing going on, Asian Bad Boyz and all. So. Yeah.

So I show up in my ridiculous Noh costume, tweaking everyone so they're mildly amused, aroused, or confused if they look my way. Nothing to see here, certainly not a cape, oh no, just a random fan of traditional Japanese Shakespeare. A hot babe, though, don't forget. But not a cape, nosirree!

Oh. He must be in a back room. Dang. That makes this a little trickier... though I take the opportunity to make him calm, Zen-like, before he can actually see me. So if... Uh... Shit, I didn't pick a name. Xu... Um... Shit. You know what? Noh One. Simple fucking pun, done. Aaaaanyway, so when Noh One shows up, he'll be chill as heck and most certainly NOT set me on fire. Probably. Whatever, life's not worth living if no one is at risk of dying! Or however that phrase goes.

Okay? Okay. Make all the students and teachers apathetic to that Noh fangirl -helped along by loudly proclaiming my love for Noh and throwing in some outright irritation at me 'in response' to that- aaaaand through the door!

Swag. Dude's got a throne. Oh, huh. I thought the devoted goobers who were looking up to him were bodyguards. Wow. I totally misread that. Nope, they're giiiirls hanging themselves on him. Skimpy clothes, of course. Looks like an enforced dress code of those... things Asian women wear I dunno I never read much about Korea or whatever.

... unless you count the comics where Captain America punches out the dictator of North Korea. Kam ill dong or something? Whatever, those were good.

Oh right. Lung. Fangirls. All staring at me with a mild interest, like they realize I'm noteworthy but don't care much.

"Who dares?" I think Lung intended for that to be intimidating, but, haha, he sounds so zoned out it's just... 'Duuurrr lemme read my lines. While stoned. Yeah, gimme another hit.' Hahaha. Awesome. This is great, I didn't even think of that when I was making him calm and happy.

Oh right intro!

"I am Noh One, here to offer my services in exchange for a simple favor!" Tweak him, make him curious.

"Oh?"

Seems to be working. No dragoning up anyway. "The death of the cape known as Regent is all I ask!"

Shishitshit he's disgusted and mad, why is he disgusted and mad? Oh shit is he getting taller? I think he is.

He growls. "You mock me."

Oh god I have no idea what he's offended by. Wait no, it was Jean-Paul's idiot capename. He's offended I'm asking for Regent's death. And trying to push him toward calm is not working oh god I've made a terrible mistake! Fuck. Okay, back up, back down. "No, mighty one. I have a grudge, and cannot approach the boy myself."

There! Natural curiosity! Rage simmering, instead of rising. He stands up, though. Don't like that. "Oh? Why would that be, I wonder?"

Ooooh riiiight. Right. Forgot for a second, people somehow don't know it's Jean-Paul, he of the Hijacking. Whoops. I probably just insulted him by asking him to kill someone he viewed as a nobody. "Have you heard of the Canadian cape, son of Heartbreaker, known as Hijack?" His eyes narrow behind his metal mask, and I'm pretty sure he does recognize that name. "This 'Regent' is the very same, laying low and pretending to be less than he is, and I am one of his prior victims. It doesn't wear off."

Let him think whatever he's going to think Jean-Paul did. Which. I mean. Stuff happened, but it's not why I want him dead...

Anyway, he's talking. "Ah. And what do you offer in exchange, that you think I would agree to this?" He's interested. Ooooh, I think he already hates Jean-Paul, no assistance needed from me. Trying to go for poker face, though, not let me know he's interested. Makes sense, and I don't mind.

I make a fancy bow. That's a thing they do in... was Lung Chinese? Malaysian? I forget. Whatever. "I am a tracker supreme, able to sense people at great distances. I know exactly where the boy is right now, as well as where every Protectorate cape-" Minor lie, still marking some of them out. "-is at this very moment."

I could share on the emotion sensing... nnnnaaah. Definitely not letting him know about the influence, either. That didn't go over so well with Killer, and I don't need a dragon trying to eat me and/or incinerate me while I'm right there. And if I want to become the new ABB head honcho -which would be hilarious- then I need to make sure nobody is getting all suspicious of me. Well, more than the minimum just from showing up out of nowhere and taking over. Hm. Might have to be slow about it? Eeeeh not sure I care that much.

Lung starts walking down toward me. "Where, girl?" He's really, really interested. Jean-Paul must've pissed him off but good. Or... maybe it's his other underpals that are the target?

Lesse... "Northeast, slightly more north than that, about six miles away. Currently-" Playing video games. "-relaxing in his lair."

One meaty hand falls on my shoulder. "Come, girl."

Shit. Hm. Tweaking him to be disinterested is a bad plan. Can I make him feel... no, sympathetic is out of his usual range, I've never heard him feeling it. Too suspicious. "He'll take control if I get too close, tap my senses-" Reaction! He didn't know that, he thought Jean-Paul just controlled people. Interesting. "-and he'll skedaddle, or use me to lie to you about where he's going."

His arms cross, and he glares at me. "If you are lying..." Hahaha. Yeah, he's already hooked.

I throw my arms wide, massage his 'scape so he's inclined to take me as truthful. Juuust in case. "Nothing but truth. I want him dead, seriously."

There's a bit where he's staring at me, but I'm cool as cucumbers because I can tell he's decided to go with it and is just trying to make me sweat. Power play? Probably a power play. After a delay, he grumbles out, "Phone," and one of the sexaaaay ladies pulls out and tosses a cell phone to him. He keeps staring at me while on the phone. Oni Lee answers the phone nearly instantly, and while I can't hear his side of the conversation per se... well. He's also kind of hard to read. Right. Dangit.

"Lee. A girl cape claims she knows where the Undersiders lair." Yyyyyeeeep, it's not just Jean-Paul he's pissed at. "You will go, and confirm this, and if you see them, you will send them a message with a corpse, to not interfere with me and mine." After a pause in which he looks pointedly at me, he adds, "The white boy, Regent, is preferred."

Neat.

Lung rattles off some street names I guess must be in the general area I pointed to? Then the phone clicks off and Oni Lee starts cloneporting. Still creepy.

Then it's just... waiting.

Watching Lee cloneport, not sure what he's thinking because he's so dead inside. Lung staring at me.

Um.

Starting to sweat here.

This is genuinely tense.

Did I maybe make a teeensy weeeensy itty bitty mistake? I can't seem to calm Lung down when he does get mad, so if this goes wrong... eeeeek. Um. Crap. Wait wait he's kind of like Daddy, I can definitely use tha- shit. What does Daddy do when I fail him? He punishes me with his power. Lung's power is to set me on fire.

Don't hyperventilate, Cherie. Don't show fear. No fear. None. It's all good, Oni Lee is in the right area, it'll all work out.

I jolt when Lung's cell phone rings. He takes a moment, lets it ring twice -power play- and then answers it. "Yes?" A pause. He moves the phone away from his mouth, and talks to me instead. "Can you tell how close Lee is to the boy?"

Yes, yes I can. "He's like fifty feet due east. Um, I mean, Oni Lee is fifty feet east of J- Regent, not the other way around."

Phone back to ear. "The tracker says you are fifty feet east of the target." Click.

Back to sweating, listening to Oni Lee advance- Jean-Paul just jolted! He noticed something! Hahaha you are dead bro, dead. Dead dead dead.

Not sure what he's doing. Panicking, in his lackadaisical manner, yeah, but not sure what specifically. He's looking for something... gear to defend himself with? A cell phone, to call the Jean-pals? Whatever it is, he's found it -and Oni Lee is on top of him.

It takes a nervous five minutes for Oni Lee to handle that job. I'm not sure why. Eventually Jean-Paul's denouement goes, and Oni Lee... still feels nothing. Creepy. More... I dunno. Oni Lee doing something, while I'm trying to not let Lung notice me sweating and/or being triumphant.

Finally Oni Lee is done with whatever and goes cloneporting to... somewhere. Phone rings, but this time I'm half-expecting it. Lung answers it. "Is it done?" Pause. "Good. Treat yourself tonight, Lee." Pause. Call ends. Just noticed he doesn't say goodbye or anything. Are the two of them close? Or does this have to do with Lee's utter lack of actual feelings?

Lung claps me on one shoulder just as I'm registering that he is pleased. "Congratulations, Noh." A pause. "You will pick a better name before openly associating with my people, of course," he says in this conversational sort of tone that makes it extremely clear this is actually an order. Also I can tell he is deadly serious. This matters to him. Yipes.

I nod wildly. "Of course, boss!" Oh jeez I'm not even sure if I'm just thrilled by Jean-Paul being dead and so easily at that or terrified out of my mind why did I do this.

New plan: fuck this shit, mission accomplished, I am leaving this bonkers town.

Thankfully, Lung is feeling magnanimous, so when I say, "Do you need me for anything right now? 'cause the 'rents will kill me if I go missing too long," he simply makes a go on gesture.

I leave as fast as I can without looking like I'm fleeing.

Lung notices, but is amused. Which. Is convenient, but I am getting out of here regardless.

Hahahahaha Jean-Paul's dead and I'm not and everything is swell!

Gotta get out of Crazytown, of course, but- wait, what's going on with Killer? Wait. Wait, did the introspection work? What is this stew I'm having a hard time making sense of it, narratively. Anger, thinking it's self-directed, frustration, determination, reluctance, fear. Is she?... yeah, school's letting out and she's going home, looks like. Huh. Marching with Determination! And reluctance.

Okay she has no friends so either she's made some resolution to, like, reveal she's a parahuman to that person she lives with... ooooor I'm thinking she's decided to accept my generous offer! So. Thinking the latter. More natural, more logical.

I need to jump on this before she considers changing her mind.

... crap, first I need to ditch the Noh One costume. Good thing I'm wearing my regular clothes under it and am a stupidly good sensor!

I go into an alley, ditch the costume out of sight between a dumpster and some other big city widget -nobody in the buildings adjacent, not anybody positioned to see me at least- and walk out the other side as Perfectly Ordinary Girl Cherie Vasil. Uh. Hm. I should maybe consider coming up with a last name nobody will recognize as Daddy's. Practice introducing myself with it. Cherie... vvvv-no. No V beginning.

Ugh, whatever, it can wait. Killer! Making my way on foot to her house. Apartment. No, it's a house, don't be doofy Cherie, there's nobody else living close enough for it to be an apartment. Probably. I guess it could be an empty one... no, stop getting distracted. It's a suburban neigh- stop getting distracted. Killer. I am making my way to Killer, to...

... uh...

... wait I just killed Jean-Paul via teleporting assassin via dragon.

Uh.

Hm.

Fffffff.

Shit.

And I... abandoned my Noh One costume and reeeeaaaally don't want to go work for the rage dragon who can resist my attempts to unrage him. Or try to take him over, even though that would be so cool. Soooo cool. Goddamn would that be cool. And it would be great, so great, to one day down the line reveal that the girl underneath the Noh mask is le gasp! no actually that's a terrible idea so I'm not doing it coolness be damned.

Um.

So.

I?

Um.

I should.

Next I.

...

Fuck.

I sit down at a bench in a crappy park, and put my face in my hands and just breathe. Calm. Be calm, Cherie. The existential crisis is stupid. You're a smart, intelligent, beautiful and all-around competent lady of awesomeness who can do anything you set your mind to.

You just have no idea what to set your mind to without Daddy telling you what to do.

Ffffffff.

Shut. Up. Just... just shut up, brain. You and your logic. Th-that's retarded. You're retarded. Yeah, go me! I am winning an argument with myself about how stupid I am which proves how smart I fffffff

ffffffff

no. Dammit.

No.

No no no stop hyperventilating. It's fine. You're golden. You can do anything. That's all this is, it's freedom! Free as a bird! Freeer than a bird, even, none of that pesky gravity and Earth's atmosphere and so on binding you to some stupid planet. Metaphorically. I think I've lost myself with this one. Never mind, just... never mind.

Okay, sitting at the bench and breathing is helping. It is. Kinda. And not just 'cause I'm telling myself that. I'm not imagining it. Oh god am I crying? Tear check, come on hands. No, dry. Just... hiccups. From the stress?

Wait, am I sad I killed Jean-Paul?

...

He was the least worst of the powered sibs. I was so mad at him because he abandoned me, and now I've killed him so he can never un-abandon me.

fffffff

S-stop being sad. He deserved it. Definitely. Totally. It's fine. It's awesome, even. Hell, he probably thinks it's awesome a teleporting ninja did him in, instead of something lame-o like throwing himself in front of an Endbringer. Badass death even to the end.

...

Okay that helps but yeah I-I fucked up. Something about my power feeding me his last moments? Just... generally caring? I dunno. I... I don't remember being this sad. About anything. Ever. Daddy... didn't do sadness much. Didn't like it as a punishment. Crying is loud, annoying, messy. Gets in the way of him having fun. So he didn't do it, not to the kids. (Let's not touch his goddamn fetishes with an Endbringer-sized pole)

N-no. I... I was sad I couldn't watch cartoons, after I triggered and it gave me nausea. Not this sad, though. Never this sad.

Ffff. Uck. I didn't think I cared this way about him! Goddammit, this is so unfair. No undo button. No take-backs. No... I can't even apologize for getting him killed. Fuck, is this what guilt feels like from the inside? I don't like it. It's awful.

I-I have to... I gotta find a focus. An anchor. I gotta. I gotta stop being. Listless. Pep talks not working. Not fair. They always work. But not now. Anchor. To drag me forward. Keep moving. Doing. Feeling.

What... I was doing something before I sat down. Before. Before the Sad.

How long have I been sitting on this bench? Too long. Killer is at home, doing... something. Getting frustrated. She wanted to do something and it's not going as smooth as she thought it would. Right. Yeah. That. Yeah, fits with her accepting my offer. Looking for the burner phone, forgot where she put it? Yeah, I think she's doing a search and failing. Fits better, better than outing herself to her pops or whatever and getting frustrated over him not being home yet. Which okay he isn't, but she'd be expecting it to take a bit for him to get home, unlikely to be getting so frustrated while looking for something. Hm. Well, I suppose she could be looking for... a camera or some-

No, forget it. Anchor. Move forward. Attach, stabilize. Proceed under the assumption she's ready for me, wants me. If not... I-I-I.

No, go. Go.

I stand up and make my way to Killer's house.

Ring doorbell. Killer notices, but initially ignores it? Then her curiosity piques. Fits with her lack of friends. Probably nobody visits her anymore.

Yeah, the routine is helping. Study, analyze, theorize, test. Learn. Poke some more. I can do this. I-I can move on from being Sad about Jean-Paul. It's okay.

Okay, prep yourself Cherie. She's coming to the door like whoa fast. Smile and wave for the camera! Peephole. Whatever. We're friends, she wants me-

MURDEROUS RAGE

FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK

SHIT

MISTAKE

But. She doesn't kill me. D-doesn't attack. Just watches, angry as shit. Angrier than I've ever heard her. O-oh. Okay. I. Deep breath. Look at the peephole, Cherie. You can do this. Just... be cool. T-too late to back out. Don't. Forward.

Eventually the door opens, and Killer gestures for me to come in, face stone-cold.

She seems... puzzled. Analytical. Something about me is confusing her.

She makes... tea? Ew. Tea. Ew. Doesn't offer me any. Deliberate snub? I think it's a deliberate snub. Whatever, tea is ew.

I-I wanna talk, but it's hard. I just watch while she makes the tea, and sit down, and then. Um. I try to talk. Twice. Have to cough to clear my throat. Not sure why. Because I was Sad, earlier? I don't know.

O-okay. Sell this shit, Cherie. "I didn't mean it that way." Whatever way she thinks I meant. Feels like it should be obvious, but I can't think. I just know she was mad. Didn't mean to make her mad. "I was clear you were going to call me, I got... I got a little excited, okay?" Truth mixed with a lie. I-I'm not excited. I just. I have to. Go forward. Anchor. Attach. Move. "I already told you about the tracking. I thought you knew that I knew where you lived. What school you go to. All that." Really, I did. It's obvious. But I also. I. I wasn't thinking? I should've let her call me. But I. I can't wait. Anchor. Keep going. Don't stop. Had to. Had to be now.

She sips her goddamn tea. Little reaction. Weirdly little, after that i-initial thing at the door. "Is this actual guilt?" she asks, sounding and sounding idly curious, like she doesn't care either way.

Freaky. "Mortal terror." Hahaha I delivered it without stuttering! I-I can't stop in my head but my words are still smooth. Y-yes. Excellent. Q-question. "Could you have killed me?" She sure as shit felt like she could.

"I don't know." Oh. Yay. I-I might've died. Like Jean-Paul. B-but because of me being stupid. Fff. St. Stop. Focus. "So. No guilt."

No no no stop pressuring me. I-I. I nod. I don't trust myself to talk. I'm all kinds of not-right. N-not right. Wrong. Hehehehe fuck. Fuck. Something wrong.

S-smooth. Think. Calm. Stay calm. Smooth out, Cherie. N-no giggling. Definitely no giggling aloud.

"Cherie, have you ever heard of capes having a... gentleman's agreement, something like that?" F-fuck she's talking again. She was quiet and just sipping her tea and I could think and now she wants me to talk? A-and the fuck is she talking about? Capes murder. Cheat. Steal. Have fun. They have power. They do what they want, so long as they can get away with it. L-like anyone. Always. Everyone.

And then she leans forward like she's going to share some secret with me and HOLY FUCK WHY IS SHE CLAMPED ONTO MY FACE

"There are rules."

OFFOFFOFF WHAT THE FUCK do I-I do I try to make her stop? Would that provoke her? I can't tell what she's thinking! She's not even mad! WHY IS SHE CLAMPED ONTO MY FACE?!

"You do not unmask capes, unless they are monsters, the kind that get kill orders put out, that not only will no one cry if they die but you will be paid money for their death. If you connect their cape life to their civilian life, even accidentally, you don't touch that. You don't touch the civilians in their lives. You don't do anything that looks like you might ever intend to do any of these. If you are unsure whether a given course of action is appropriate, assume it isn't unless they have a kill order on them." She says all this in this. This monotone.

I-I. What? What is she talking about?

"If you know where a cape lives and sleeps, and it's not an actual lair? If it's a home with family inside it? You don't touch it, you don't go there, you pretend you don't realize it exists." Slow. Languid. Creepy.

Oh sweet baby Jesus I can never, ever tell her about dropping in on Sophia's fam' or she will literally kill me.

... oh and she's also mad because I-I came to her home. Right. O-okay. She doesn't know about the other case. The worse case. N-need to never, ever tell her. Fuck.

"If you respect these rules, you can get healing, you can go to jail, you can have any number of things happen and people won't unmask you. If they recognize you in your public life, when you're out for ice cream, they won't pull a gun and kill you, even if you're a notorious supervillain or a hero they personally hate and want dead. But if you do violate these rules, teams will form to kill you." She's still talking in this just... flat. Flat tone.

And.

They'll what? Why! I-I wha- why? They don't care about murder, b-but they care about identities? N-no that can't be right she's crazy she's so obviously crazy what the fuck Killer. What. The. Fuck.

"When I say 'teams' I mean that Lung will happily fight shoulder to shoulder with Armsmaster to ensure you die." What? That's crazy. I-I've never... no? Maybe? Wait, was that why Termitrix and Goodly Lad k-killed Delver? N-no this is crazy she is crazy- "And then when you're dead, whether you unmasked a hero or a villain, they will shake hands, congratulate each other on a job well done, and go back to life as usual."

She's mental. Utterly. Totally. No. Can't be. Nuts. Wrong.

Then she lets me go.

I-I can't even. She's nuts. That's ridiculous. I don't even know where to begin and I don't even know if I should what if she tries to kill me and I-I need. Anchor. I. What do I say? Do I d-disengage, ignore it, pretend this lunacy didn't happen? D-do I apologize? I-I already admitted I don't feel guilty, would she even accept an apology? I-I was better off with Lung. M-maybe. No. Can. Can I edge off her anger? I couldn't. With Lung. She's... she's resistant, she is, weirdly. Sometimes. B-but if I can edge off the anger? Make her not wanna kill me, when she's mad? M-maybe this is safer.

I-I

Door. The guy, living with Killer. Them. I-I didn't even notice. He's not invisible to me I just. All wrong. Everything wrong.

"Hey kiddo I-" The man steps in and stops, abruptly. He's shocked. Like, shocked there is someone here who isn't Killer. Pleasantly shocked, once he gets over just shock. Y-yeah she hasn't had friends over in... ages. And she used to? A lot? Probably? I'm thinking.

"Hi dad. This is Cherie, and she was just telling me about her break-up with her boyfriend," she says in this chirpy, fake, happy way that is nothing like she's ever actually felt that I've heard.

I-I still don't know her name. Oh. It's a prompt. For me. I. I can say something, stick to my script and talk to her. "I regret it completely."

She buys that. She's pleased by it. O-okay. Good. Good. I can work with this. I can... probably... work with this.

Killer's dad looks back and forth, pleased but also utterly lost. "When-" he starts to say, probably asking when I 'became friends with' his daughter. Haha I just realized I-I got it right. He's her dad. Male. Father. Yes, go me.

"I met her last night, invited her over if she couldn't find a place to stay that was safe from her boyfriend, excuse me, ex-boyfriend. Sorry I forgot to mention it, Dad." She sounds so apologetic. It's weird, because she's actually dead inside. A little annoyed even, I think at the interruption. I-I didn't peg her for an actress? Or. She's hidden she's a cape from the school, and her dad. So. Maybe I'm being stupid?

Her dad is just fucking thrilled to hear this. No joke. "I'd have preferred a heads-up Taylor-" Reaction from her, minor upset. O-oh! I know her name! Taylor. Unless it's like... a tailor. That happens. I-I whatever. "-but we can put her up for two or three days while she gets her head on straight, if she needs it."

I-I... ya know. I-I'd actually appreciate that if Ki-Taylor, Taylor wasn't a murderous psychopath who is eyeing me right now like I'm a piece of meat? And not that way I actually kind of like, mind, the creepy way that implies cannibalism. So. Um. "That's okay mister-" wait fuck. What's his name? Their family name? I dunno. C-come on Taylor, I'm looking at you, n-notice. Stop staring blankly! Name!

Her dad answers instead. Goddamn T-Taylor. Your dad is more on the ball? No, c-come on. Lame. "Hebert. Danny Hebert."

Useful. I eye K- Ki- brain, stop that, Taylor. I eye Taylor because c-come on girl. She just is confused, doesn't let it show on her face. Back to talking. "It's okay mister Hebert. I just needed a shoulder to cry on, I actually have other arrangements, but they don't know the full story and I'm not comfortable sharing it with them. Taylor was actually there for the important bit." Y-yes I've still got it! No stuttering! Smooth as butter! Or yogurt. Or. Sexy skin. I dunno I don't care right now I just. I need out.

A-and Taylor has a spike of anger, b-but she's not looking at me. I... I wind it down. A little. Slowly. Y-yes. I can. I can. She's controllable. Manipulable. Safe. Ish. Kinda. Enough.

Relief.

Okay.

Danny-dude talks again. "Good. That's good. That you're already situated, I mean." A pause. He looks at Taylor. Then he shakes his head, instead of saying whatever he's thinking. Nnnnot sure what he's thinking, other than relief. There's some mixed feelings in there. Mostly aimed at me. I-I'm not on the ball enough. I haven't been monitoring how he feels about me. I dunno. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." He's fleeing, it's a retreat. He's glad for Taylor, but he's not comfortable... intruding? Wait. Wait, does he think-? Does he think we're girlfriends? Ha-hahha- I. That's funny. For so many reasons.

B-but seriously. Taylor's story is shit. Ex-boyfriend? I-I don't do scary exes. I am the scary ex. Fucker. S-so I lean in and say, "Ex-boyfriend? Really?" 'cause come on. No. Badass me. Awesome. No abusive exes. (Abusive fam', sure) A-and. I need out. So. "Are we still on for this or what?"

I c-can control her. I can. Safe. Anchor.

Heh. She. She's trying to not show it, but she's getting excited. Looking forward. Slightly happy. She's going for it. Hehehehehe oh jesus down down down s-stop being murderous STOP BEING MURDEROUS EVEN INSIDE IMAGINARY SCENARIOS STOP IT.

I-I. Hand. Twitching. Stop that. I-I need to get out. Go to the hotel. Sleep? Rest. Smooth out. Bathe! I-I need bath. To calm. T-too much stress. Why is she shaking her head? I d-don't know. I don't care. Hurry. Ask her, "When are we doing it?"

She mulls it over. Actually mulls it over, not trying to hide a decision from me while pretending to think. "Tonight. Uber and Leet."

Ppffffff. Wow. Really? "Those losers? You're going to kill them?"

Sh-she's offended. Really, Killer? Taylor? Taylorkiller? Then she talks, still sounding irritated, still feeling irritated. "No. They're not monsters. I'm capturing them." S-sure. Capture. Right. Totally. "I'd intended to do it last night, but I don't know where their hideout is."

Hehehehehe she needs me. "So you need my help to track them?" Hhahaha why am I needling her. I. Cherie. Stop.

Y-yeah. She's not pissed, but she's giving me a Look. Testing her patience. N-not the time, Cherie.

"You can stop that. We're a team-" hehehe yes! Victory is mine! I-I no stop no smile- be. Be smug? Be smug. "-until you do something to piss me off. Like needling me."

Hahahaha we use. Same words. Argh. I need out. Too... too scared to just flee. Let me out, Taylor.

U-ugh. We have to... we talk. Details. Where to meet. What her costume -pffffehehehehe really? A blanket? I thought she had a real cape. Baby Taylor baby Taylor ugh can't stop myself snarking- looks like so I'll know, which. I mean. I know where/who she is anyway. I don't know why she tells me. Blindfold, she suggests. I can do better. I can do two. You know, for both the idiots? Two. For two. What else is a blindfold for? Except. Except executions. E-execute. No. Stop. Stop being paranoid. She approves of two. She's fine with. It's. It's unrelated. For the idiots. She just was. Not thinking?

And.

Finally.

She lets me go.

H-hotel.

Hotel.

Calm. Smooth. Rest.

Hotel.

I go.