8.5
Contessa
"We're almost done."
When the words leave her, Alexandria looks her way. "What?"
"The path… it's almost complete." She admits, looking up from where she leans over a map of Brockton Bay, at her long time colleague and friend.
Alexandria opens her mouth to speak when she stops and places two fingers over her ear. "Talk to me."
Contessa waits. The path tells her nothing. So it was most likely David.
A second later she was proven right. "Its Eidolon. He's got the girl, Labyrinth. A merc was with her, Faultline."
She nods, the path taking that information into account, reworking the steps to cut out the unnecessary ones. "Tell them to wait with Legend at coordinates Seventy-seven B and two two four F."
Alexandria nods.
A second later, the order is given.
Now it's time to deal with the last issue.
"It's time for us to decide." She says, straightening. "Let's go back. Talk."
Alexandria nods. Once more talking into her radio. Private channel. Legend and Eidolon.
She sneaks away. Using the path to allow her to remain completely undetected under a thousand eyes before she steps into a door that shouldn't be there.
Minutes later. They're all gathered there. And they only have minutes before their presence is missed.
"Already?" Number Man is the one that asked, a frown creasing his brow as he rubs at it. "Jesus Christ…" It's the first time she's seen him developing a thinker headache in a very long while. He must be pushing himself. Rushing through every calculation, trying to take in every variable. A human supercomputer pushing itself to the maximum of its brute force processing power trying to reach the best possible answer that was still proving elusive.
"This is a rash, short sighted action." Dr. Mother put forward, wasting little time, arms crossed and face set in a stone glare. "This girl, if she can even be called that anymore, is dangerous. Beyond dangerous. This has the potential to be a bigger disaster than Grey-Boy. Nilbog. All of the Nine past and present combined. And this time we have no sure-fire means of stopping it."
"You've never even spoken to her-" Legend began.
"Oh spare me Duncan." She spat. "Whether I've met her or not is irrelevant. You've met her. I have both your and Alexandria's reports. Can you genuinely say that she is not a danger? That she isn't unstable?"
"That was caused by the actions of the PRT." Legend answered back. "One that we left nearly cut off from resources and sinking into an ever more precarious position based on an experiment that was done by us, when we decided to try and play God."
Dr. Mother offered him a flat, deadpan look. "Tell me; Outside of your wounded sense of morality and guilt, that changes things now… how exactly?"
It was rare to see Legend baring his teeth in anger at anyone. But. There it was.
"It doesn't." Alexandria interrupted. "The reasons for her instability are irrelevant at this juncture. What's done is done. The question here, the only question here... Does the risk she might pose… is it going to be more dangerous than the very real and present danger the Endbringers and Scion himself, do pose? The answer in my eyes is clear. A good day… is a twenty-five percent casualty rate, Doctor. We know this state of attrition can't be maintained. Even if we were to allow Jack Slash to do… whatever it is he's going to do to set Scion off in just a few years we would still barely have a number even our most optimistic projections and calculations would consider adequate to fight him. And that's not even factoring in the number of capes we'd lose before we could mount up any organized fighting force. We need more time. We need more capes. More power. This girl is arguably the strongest cape since Glaistig, even David. There is no choice. As far as I'm concerned this debate should be nothing more than a courtesy. The decision has been made in my mind."
"A courtesy!?" The Doctor all but spat.
"I agree." David answered, taking a breath. "She can offer us the best chance of victory that we've ever had. Grey-Boy didn't, neither did the Siberian, or even Glaistig. She could give us an actual chance… even better than me. Especially as I am now… as I will be in just a few years. There was never a choice here. We need Ashburn."
The Number Man shook his head, groaning. "Fucking Christ I need more time. And some Jack Daniels."
"What does your gut say?" Legend asked, looking to him.
Number Man glared.
Legend shrugged.
Stupid question. Number Man hated the so called 'gut feeling' something that relied almost entirely on blind, stupid luck.
"We're out of time." Contessa said, feeling the numbers change again… less steps this time. Was her return now inevitable? "We have to decide… Now."
Dr. Mother sucked down a breath and… then… closed her eyes.
All the tension, all the fight and anger seemed to drain out of her. She seemed to collapse in the chair she was already sitting on, fingers rising up to her forehead, to rub across her brow.
Ultimately, Contessa couldn't blame her.
This decision, more than any other before, might very well mean their salvation or destruction.
If Alexandria, Eidolon and Legend were right… then… yes… by everything yes… she needed to be brought back.
But if they were wrong…
Or worse… if something happened…
They'd put their faith in others before. Placed their trust and their hopes… only for the world to show them time after time how wrong they were to do so.
Hero.
Manton.
Sphere.
Even Eidolon…
Always did things turn for the worse. Always were their hopes thrown back in their face.
Manton went insane after the loss of his daughter and killed Hero. Sphere cast aside all his previous works, all the hopes of escaping this world, and became a mass murderer to make sure everyone felt the pain he felt. And David was withering away. Day by day becoming less than what he'd been before.
Legend, Alexandria, and Eidolon could see the faintest glimmer of hope at the end of this long, dark tunnel. And they were reaching for it with everything they had.
Dr. Mother called them foolish. And perhaps they were…
But were they foolish… or brave?
Was it bravery to hold out their hand and hope that they'd catch some good fortune one last time? Even if it meant that their being wrong could mean the end of everything? That it would secure Scion's victory?
She wasn't sure. Not anymore.
She could admit… even she was tempted.
Scion… the mission to destroy him… it was a part of her life for thirty years. Every morning every day every evening and every night was consumed by a single question.
How can we win?
She didn't have an answer. Ever.
Except for today.
This was the first time she could almost believe they found an answer… a so called magic bullet for their prayers.
So yes… she was tempted. She was sure that they were all tempted… even Dr. Mother.
But like a Damocles Sword over their head, another question was now hanging over their thoughts.
If their worst fears came to pass… And she just became one more problem. One more engine of destruction...
How can we win?
Doctor Mother slumped into her chair and let out a sigh of resignation. "Do it… Do whatever you want. But you're gambling the fate of humankind here…"
"It won't come to that." Legend answered. "Let's do this."
(X)
Legend
When they stepped out of the doorway, it was, again, away from any eyes thanks to the Path. Duncan sighed as they were once more greeted by the bleak, blighted landscape of Brockton Bay, where ash was still falling like a light snowfall.
Without a word, Contessa and Alexandria turned one way, marching straight towards the main camp that was just behind this building. Just to the side, past the gloom, he could see some of the capes coming and going.
It wasn't the first time that he was made to realize how absurd the path actually was.
David began to move, floating away towards the place where they'd meet with her soon enough.
Still, this was good...t here'd been something he'd been meaning to ask.
"Eidolon." He called, himself flying to catch up as David slowed his speed to let him.
"Yeah?"
He opened his mouth, then pursed his lips.
No way around it.
"What's up?" He flatly asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well… not to sound like the worst friend you've ever had but this isn't like you, David. Normally, when someone would steal your thunder like this you'd be royally pissed. Not exactly jumping to go bring them back." He smirked. "You're kind of a dick that way."
David snorted out a laugh. "This is how you try to not sound like the worst friend ever huh?"
They slowed enough to almost be hovering, for all intents and purposes, moving at a speed a walking pedestrian could have surpassed.
For a moment David didn't answer. When he finally did, his voice was firm. As if he was speaking as much to himself as well as Duncan.
"After… everything started happening. After it stopped. I used some post-cog powers, to find out what happened. What set it all off. And… it impressed me… I guess."
"Well… Killing an Endbringer… you don't set your standards low, huh Davi-"
"Oh… No, not… Well. Yes. Taylor's power is impressive… but that's not what I was referring to."
He blinked, surprised. "What then?"
David took a breath, crossing his arms. "It's… it's stupid… really… I mean. After all we've been through... "
Now his curiosity was just killing him.
"Well? What was it?
"It was the Dallon girl."
Legend's features scrunched up in a mixture of confusion and sadness. "She… died didn't she?"
"Yes… there was a moment in the fight. Leviathan had taken us all down for the moment. Clearing the field so it could get to Ashburn. You were down, Dria was down. So was I. We would have recovered in a few seconds but it had a dead to rights clear shot right at Hebert. And… Victoria Dallon just jumped in… so to speak. Put herself right in his crosshairs so he couldn't get to Ashburn. Even knowing that no backup was available. Knowing that we were all incapacitated and knowing she might very well die… she still jumped in and I… I felt ashamed. She... She died a true hero. She was afraid. Terrified even. But she still did it…"
He trailed off and Legend stopped, completely, hovering in the air.
"Why?" He asked.
David shook his head. "Because… it… it drove home a point."
"And… that point was?"
"That while I've been following the letter of being a hero. I… I'm not sure if I've ever followed the spirit of it. Placing others above yourself… I… reach for anything that can give me back the power I once had. Even going so far as to take vials from Contessa for just that little bit of extra power… and yes I go out. I save people. I fight the Endbringers and Siberian and so many others. But… I cannot recall a single moment that I ever felt even the barest inkling of… anything that must have gone through that girl's mind… If I was in her shoes I… I may have hesitated… yet this girl… Duncan." Eidolon looked at him straight in the eye through his mask. "Hero would have been proud of her. So… yes… I felt ashamed because as you rightly pointed out, I would normally be sitting, brooding in a corner about the fact that someone else beat an Endbringer rather than celebrate the fact that one of them is dead… does that sound at all 'Heroic' to you?"
Legend took a breath. "No."
"Exactly." And he flew off.
Nothing more needed to be said, Legend followed.
(X)
The Emerald Herald.
She stood on the precipice.
The winds howled catching her hair, pulling at her green robes.
It had been a long time since she could feel the wind over her hair. The sun on her skin.
It had been even longer since she spoke to anyone with her own voice.
But it was time…
Long had she awaited one such as him.
One who could shatter the shackles of fate.
He would never know the difference. Would never know that this would, in reality, be the very first time she laid her eyes on him. That it would be the first time she spoke to him with her own voice.
But she would know. And it was time. He was… strong… determined.
She knew it… was certain now, more than ever before with all the others that had come before him… that he would succeed.
The Dragon will welcome him.
She closed her eyes, feeling his presence, even from this far. He would be here soon.
She looked above, towards the myriad of Dragons, her siblings, to the soul that floated there now, no longer just a mere shard. But more complete… still splintered from the whole… but more than what she was before.
There were few pieces… too few that she could still sense… it was not enough to make her whole.
But… she was strong…
"These are Dragons." She says, floating above the clouds. There is a something in her voice. A sense of wonder that was not there before. "They're really real!"
She has glimpsed at her memories. Seen bits and pieces of her world. Their magics are strange indeed. But the thought that they have no dragons is what she finds strangest.
The creatures do not see her, they fly past, sometimes even through her with nary a glance or screech to give even a hint of awareness to her existence. But her joy is simple and childlike. She laughs and dances along the air with them.
But… soon enough, her thoughts turn away from the novelty dragon's present to her, and instead return to her responsibility… the simple joy evaporates as though it was never there. Such a mercurial shift. Her soul still needed greater aid…
"How can I go home?" She asks.
"I will take you." She answers. "But first… there is someone I must… see…"
"Who?"
She doesn't answer, and soon enough the fractured nature of her soul works in her favor. once more distracting the fragment of a soul to some other matter.
It is Benhart of Jugo she hears first. Groaning and cursing as he climbs the cleft of the mountain.
"I swear… deciding to make camp at the top of the damn mountain because he wants to see the view… bloody absur-"
When he catches sight of her, he stops speaking, clearly surprised.
"How in the bloody hell did yo-" He sighs aggravated. "Ya kno' whut- I don't even care anymore."
It's a small smile that graces her features, and even then it only does so for a fleeting moment.
When she sees him, the Sovereign, a moment later, she almost smiles again.
"Huh? Oh! Herald!" He smiles. She can hardly see it beneath his helmet. But it's there. Its always there when he sees her.
He looks around as the woman, Lucatiel of Mirrah finally makes her way over the rise. "Not that I'm complaining but how did you get up here?"
She shrugs her shoulders. She has always been here. Waiting for one who could reach her. He is the first. The better question would be, how did she reach Majula while still here. Or Castle Drangleic, or the ancient mausoleum where Vendrick hid himself away.
But she did not say such. Instead she stepped forward… reaching down towards his hand. Placing her most treasured possession into his palm. The eagles feather. The thing that would always lead him to safety, time after time.
"I have awaited you for a very long time." She admits. Her voice is soft, almost lost in the howl of the winds, and she is grateful that Lucatiel and Benhart have moved to a small alcove in the rocks that would be suitable to camp by. "This… this will keep you safe."
When he looks down and sees only the feather in his hand... He is not confused. He is not skeptical.
He simply nods. Trusting her word as he smiles again. And this time she can see it clearly.
Then, his eyes drift past her, finding…
"Taylor!?"
The soul turns, its body, its self more clear now, more defined.
"So this is where you wandered off to?"
The soul flickers and wanders, close, no doubt curious as to how this one knows its name.
"No." She answers for it. "This is not the one that you met. That one is… elsewhere."
"Hmm… could you explain?"
"Her Soul has been shattered, fragmented… You've met a fragment… this is another."
"Oh… well… are you helping her?"
"I am… I have gathered all the pieces I can… soon I will guide her back to her home."
He knelt, now a little below the soul's eye level. "Well… you don't remember me but… for whatever it's worth I hope you get back home safe. I can't say the same about myself but… I'm rooting for you."
For a time, the Soul did nothing. It flickered in place like a guttering flame.
Thank you.
The words were not so much heard, as they were felt. And his smile grew all the warmer.
"You know what…" He said. "I have a gift for you… not sure why I think it'll suit you, but… I've got a feeling." He swiveled his head from the soul of Taylor, back up to her. "Mind getting me to Majula for a sec?"
She held out her hand. He grasped it. A second later, he was gone, off to retrieve his gift for her.
(X)
Miss Militia
"Militia." Hannah was sitting on a bench, arms on her knees as she looked at the ground, breathing deeply in and out. At her side were two water bottles and a bottle of aspirin.
She rubbed at her forehead tiredly. She had to get this under control and fast. She was needed here...
Between trying to maintain leadership within the command center, and trying to keep order after the battle and organizing the list of still available capes to the ones that were dead… She. Was. Exhausted.
Frankly, she just wanted to sleep again. A few hours of doing nothing. Thinking about nothing.
A pair of familiar boots were soon in her line of sight and she looked up to Alexandria.
She didn't say anything, waiting for the orders her old commander would soon be giving. She caught sight of Tattleta- Insight… just a ways away. Talking with the woman in the Fedora…. who was holding a something in her hands, a bright white flame, or smoke…
Was that-
"We need you now." Alexandria finally said.
Her blood felt like it was pounding along the inside of her temples. A drill boring straight through her skull. By now, everyone knew what was going on. The… strangeness of Taylor's situation. If they needed her… and… what the woman was holding was what she thought then…
Alexandria gestured for her to follow.
Minutes later, with her and Insight in tow, they made their way into the blighted city of Brockton Bay.
When they arrived where they needed to be, it was to find Legend, Eidolon and...
"What is Faultline doing here?" She asked.
"We are going to the dark place." Insight spoke out as Eidolon joined the group. Faultline and the girl stood right outside the ring. "I've been there before. She, Labyrinth, she helped me get there."
"What do you mean? What is this place?" Militia asked.
"It's where Ashburn went before…" She answered, crossing her arms. "Her power takes her there when she's stressed or… hurt or… something. I'm not sure. But it's where she hid after the prison. I'm not even sure if it can be said to still be in this dimension. Or even a part of the other Earths."
She almost groaned. Taylor was a dimension hopper as well?
"We'll be talking about how you kept that tidbit to yourself later." Alexandria warned.
"You never asked." Insight snipped back. Militia saw Alexandria's jaw clench. Those two were going to be at each other's throats…
"Well… we're here. Can we get this over with?" Faultline groused.
"You're in a hurry?" Eidolon commented dryly.
"If this Ashburn really killed Leviathan then it's good for all of us in the long run. Sooner she's saved the better. Out of the goodness of my heart I offered a twenty five percent discount."
"How charitable of you" Insight drawled.
Faultline shrugged "Girl's gotta eat."
"It'll be you, Eidolon, Legend, Militia, and Insight going in." The woman in the fedora said, speaking to Alexandria. "Insight's power will guide you faster to where Ashburn is."
"I assume Legend, Eidolon, and myself are the muscle?"
She nodded.
"And my role?" Militia asked.
"You're the only one that will remember how to get back. The dark place will have an effect on your memories with prolonged exposure. But your power will make sure you don't forget." She paused, turning to look at Eidolon, who seemed to be staring at some bloodied rebars, his feet at the edge of a pool of blood. "Eidolon. Are you alright?"
"Yeah…" He answered, uncrossing his arms. "Yeah I'm alright."
She nodded. "When you get Ashburn, you have to return through the same route. Deviate and you risk getting completely lost. Forever. So stick together, no matter what. I'll know when to open it from this side. Any questions?"
"I have one. For Insight." Alexandria spoke out, eyes turning to the cape known as Tattletale. "What else do you know about this 'Dark place'?"
"Its very likely Ashburn won't be alone. It's very likely that this… sentient power of hers is gonna be there. It's probably not gonna be happy that we're barging in the door..."
"So… you're saying we can speak to it?" Legend asked, clearly interested in the prospect. "Communicate with it?"
"In a way." She answered. "It… it took me a while to understand it was speaking to me. I usually just got a really bad feeling before I was able to pick up the patterns and tells that I could identify."
"I wouldn't stay down there for that long." The Fedora wearing Thinker stated. "Get in and get out as fast as you can." She held the glimmering white smoky flame in her hands. "Now… who's carrying this?"
(X)
Taylor
Her name was Taylor. She was just a piece. A small piece as she wandered through these ancient halls, antediluvian ghosts and memories were her company in this place. They were like her. But not like her. They moved in the same way. Over and over again. Thought the same thoughts, and spoke the same words that they'd done for a millenia.
She plucked at them. Pulled them to her. The same way she'd seen the kind one do with the dark augurs.
She tasted their memories, tugged at their thoughts, they no longer had the strength, the will, to fight.
She could see… hear… and remember.
Magic fueled by lifeforce. Fire as destructive as the old chaos, held and controlled by iron clad wills, miracles that were not born of gods.
Research, innovations… progress… all pushing against the natural order… pushing against the inevitable. Anathema to the order of life, pulling the props on the stage in ways they were not meant to move.
A hundred thousand years of knowledge…
And she… an empty vessel to be filled…
She took. Took and plucked, consumed all she could of these memories, a hunger within her. For knowledge. For memories.
This place held so many. Surely hers had to be here as well…
Then… the world went dark and the memories bled away… out of her reach.
And cutting through the dark, a voice.
"Well now… very few have ever come this far. And one so young."
She didn't know what it was. Did not recognize it. Remember.
It could speak. So… It had a name. She had a name too...
"My name is Taylor. What's yours?"
There was a sound. A raspy, wrenching thing that she could only vaguely recognize as a laugh.
"There is power in names. I have not been asked mine for a very long while. Even by the one who will become a true Monarch of this land."
It paused and she waited, patient, enraptured by what she could see around him. By the dance of Souls that moved past him. Through him…
He was not like her. Not like the Kind one.
He was different.
"You who are half formed, may call me Aldia."
She said nothing to that.
She knew his name.
But… what did that gain her?
"You who are half formed; have taken much on this day. The Dragon grants a piece of you a boon, the Monarch bequeathes another a gift at this very moment, and you half formed have stolen what is not yours, just as the Dark Queen uses you as a tool to bargain with your false mother."
She did?
Stealing was bad… She shouldn't steal.
But… what had she stolen?
"I'm sorry."
The sound, once more greeted her, wheezing out of it. Laughter. He guffawed even.
"NEVER apologize for seeking knowledge Half Formed. Knowledge is the Ultimate Power. The Ultimate virtue. You have taken much on this day. But lost as well. Some of you is now gone forever. You are thus lessened. Never will it be an equivalent exchange. Even when the majority of your soul is reformed, there will be… fragments forever gone. Lost to the void."
It paused. Allowing her to think. For her mind to consider what he was saying.
"Half formed shard, I will allow you to keep what you have stolen today and deliver you into the hold of my last, imperfect creation. But in exchange, you will give me what you took. Knowledge. Such is the curse of life."
She felt its touch on her... like a hand over her head.
She closed her eyes… when she opened them again… she was atop the clouds, standing beside the woman in green once again. Where the Dragons were.
She could hear a voice. Benhart's voice, coming closer…
"I swear… deciding to make camp at the top of the damn mountain because he wants to see the view… bloody absur-"
He stopped. Surprised as he caught sight of the Herald atop the mountain, waiting for them.
She watched and listened, focussing on her thoughts, trying to organize the memories. The thoughts… were a jumble in her head.
What was hers?
What had she stolen?
Taylor?
She jerked, startled looking up towards the familiar, armor clad Hero.
"So this is where you wandered off to?" He laughs.
No… She thinks.
No she went somewhere else and was taken from there…
This…
No… wait.
She had wandered here. From Majula… and from the Aerie… from the tombs, from fire, ice, poison… from the Shrine… More places than those even…
From… all these places.
"Oh… well… are you helping her?" She hears him ask, bringing her attention back to the two of them. She notices now that the woman is holding his hands.
"I am…" She answers his question. And she realizes that they're speaking of her. "I have gathered all the pieces I can… soon I will guide her back to her home."
And… and they were going home from here. Yes… she… she was going home. Back to her… friends? Her dad?
Yes… Yes that was right.
The Kind one smiles, turning to her, kneeling. Now a little below her eye level. "Well… you don't remember me but… for whatever it's worth I hope you get back home safe. I can't say the same about myself but… I'm rooting for you."
She does remember him. Remembers his smile, just like it was now, the kind words. The trust that he held in her. Enough to take her with him, try to help, even as his friends told him not to.
"Thank you."
She meant it and his smile grew all the warmer.
"You know what…" He said. "I have a gift for you… not sure why I think it'll suit you, but… I've got a feeling." He swiveled his head from her onto the woman dressed in green. "Mind getting me to Majula for a sec?"
In the next moment, they were gone. And she wondered what her new friend wanted to give her.