They're...things. Creatures, monsters, broken and chained together in a tangle until you can't tell where one ends and another begins. Their mouths are open, their eyes empty and their faces turned to the books and scrolls clutched tight in grasping fingers, claws...tendrils.

The scrawling image looks like it was scratched into the wall, before being sprayed and splattered in a riot of color. The paint hasn't even dried completely; the lingering fumes are already making me dizzy, but I can't bring myself to leave. I could wait, outside, but...no.

I shake my head, and turn away from the...I'm hesitant to call it a mural. Or 'art'. I turn away from the thing on the wall, cast one more glance toward the shrine at the center of the room, and pace a wide circle around it to make my way to the heavy table jammed into the far corner of the room.

Burn-marks in the wood. Designs and symbols, familiar and not, etched across its surface. A few pieces of shapeless metal. Just scraps, but...I pick one up examine it for a second. I don't think it's any kind of stretch to assume that this is where...someone's been making the Runes and Charms that I've found.

Is this where they had started? It seemed much more...lived in, than the others. But if that was it, then why build more shrines? Why break into an office, or an apartment building? Why go through all the effort just to leave things behind?

Unless it hadn't been 'left behind'. Because I can't see any reason to set up-

You wouldn't...wouldn't set a trap unless you thought someone was going to come poking around. You wouldn't hide something under the floor if you weren't worried it was going to be taken...if you weren't going to come back for it…

Shit. I should have thought of that before. I adjust my grip on my bat, and enhance my vision to sweep the house again. I...really don't want someone sneaking up on me. I have had more than enough surprises for one day. Hell, I've had enough fo-

Something buzzes, and I almost teleport away before I realize that, yeah, that's my phone. Which means it's probably Glory Girl.

'Outside. Where are you?'

Right...I take a deep breath, then turn-

-to step away from the front stoop, and onto the cracked walk that leads to the street. She spots me almost immediately, swooping down with that envious sort of grace that makes me wish I'd been able to fly. Not even in costume...I guess she did make good time. "Alright, I'm gonna explain why I'm skipping out of class for this?"

Yeah, okay. She's upset. That's...understandable. I've earned it pretty well over the last few days. I'm just glad she took the whole 'Charm' thing as well as she did. Because right now, I think I could really use a friend.

Or, a morbid part of me notes, somebody other than dad who might worry if I went missing.

"Come on." I hold out a hand; she snorts, rolls her eyes, but lets me teleport the both of us back into the room.

"Don't get too close to the shrine. There's...it's a trap." Easier to think of it that way, instead of as sharp digging into me blinding pain, blinding pain as something slashes across my eyes and drags through my jaw until-

I swallow down the bile rising in my throat, take a few seconds to compose myself...it's time enough for Glory Girl to have a good look around and turn back to me incredulously.

"Are you still going to tell me that this isn't something to be worried about?"

The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. "To be honest? I'm pretty worried about this myself."

"I'll bet." She eyes the shrine. "So, when you say 'it's a trap'..."

"I'm not sure what. I was just moving in to...look it over. And then…" I swallow again, but forge ahead. "It wasn't pretty."

"Christ…" She palms her face, drags a hand through her hair, and shakes her head. "Alright...what is that, anyway? A mask?"

It looks like it. Or one of those 'modern art' sort of sculptures that's just supposed to look like a mask. I'm not sure where the difference is. Whether you can actually wear it or not? Maybe...it doesn't seem like it would be particularly comfortable; it looks like it was made of scrap metal stapled onto a burlap sack. Clean scrap metal, maybe, but even from here I can see marks from where pieces were beaten into shape.

"I'm a little more concerned with the fact that somebody hid the stuff I was looking for beneath the shrine."

She nods. "They knew somebody was after those things. If there's a trap, it's specifically for you...and between that, the fact that somebody's been screwing around with your powers, and the wall full of crazy over there...will you please tell me that you realize just how screwed up this is."

"That's why I called you right away." It's much easier to just agree with her, even if she's missing...well. Some facts. I guess it's still pretty screwed up, even with what little I know about this stuff. "You wanted to know about this stuff, yeah, but this is kind of a step up."

"Ya think?" When I don't respond, she just sighs again. "Okay...thank you, for actually calling. It's a little annoying that you couldn't have waited until after school, at least, but yeah. Honesty, yay." Another glance at the shrine. "What are you thinking? Spring the trap? I could probably handle it."

The sound of her screaming as she's fried by the lightning-bomb we'd stumbled across comes back to me, and I almost teleport us both back out it's so vivid. I end up just shaking my head and trying not to start shaking. Again.

"P-probably not a good idea...I'd kind of like to save whatever's there, and I...don't know how protected all of this is." I know I didn't have a chance to see what might have happened to the things hidden under the floor, and I kind of doubt the mask survived the...whatever it was." But having her here does make me reconsider one of my first ideas. "I was actually thinking I'd teleport in, grab the mask, then get out before anything could…" Well, it hadn't been an explosion. "Well. You know. But I'm not sure if that'll risk the...stuff. Under the floor."

"Yeah, okay." She settles back on her heels, looking thoughtfully around the room. "How'd you trigger it? I mean, you set it off, right? That's how you know it's trapped?"

I don't like the accusing tone, but I don't bother arguing. "I'm not sure. I can't see any wires or anything. I just go close."

"I don't see anything that could be a laser, either...and besides, this place is a dump, so why would it be, right?" She snorts. "So it's probably...I dunno. Motion sensitive. Where's the stuff?"

"Under the floorboards, there." I point to a spot just beneath the shrine.

"Okay...sooo...why don't you send those creepy rat projections in for it?"

I...hadn't thought of that. "Wouldn't that set it off anyway?"

"Maybe. But if you sent them in under the floor, and were careful about it…"

Right. "Okay." It might a little tiring, but it would work. "We should...probably move to another room, for this."

"Who's the one here that can't take a bullet? Hmm? Oh, yeah. It's me." She smirks at me, and I roll my eyes. "But yeah, sure, I'll keep you company in the hall."

It's...good to have her joking again. I was starting to get worried that I'd really screwed things up, before. Well...I kind of did. But apparently not permanently. So that was good...I look around as we move out into the hallway, shut the door behind Glory Girl and start looking for a good spot…"Can you break one of these boards? About here?"

She considers the spot for a second, then grabs my shoulder to steer me around behind her...and puts her foot through the floor. That...works. Definitely.

She gives a sharp nod, smiling at her accomplishment, before lifting off the floor and moving to hover just down the hall. "Now excuse me while I hang around up here and out of reach of your freaky little rodent friends."

"The average rat can jump three feet vertical from a flat surface." I mutter, absently, as I focus on the feeling of this particular power...and then on the rush of power that goes out of me, and skin-crawling feeling of rats scurrying out of my sweatshirt and down my legs. Even the complete control offered to me by the power I trigger a second later doesn't make it any better. "Mine seem to be a little stronger."

"Thank you. Ass."

Heh. I focus again, and...there do seem to be some normal rats inside the house. More outside, but I don't know how to get them in very easily...I start gathering them, as I send my rats down. Close my eyes and try to focus on directing them all in the right direction. There are...sections, to the floor, but there are plenty of places that the, ah...'current residents' have worked their way through. The rats I summoned are able to locate a cloth bag that feels just about right, before they vanish and my control fades.

I don't bother calling up more, just taking control of the natural rats again and sending them to the same place. Two are enough to start dragging it away from the shrine; four are enough to work the thing through one of the wider holes and a little bit closer to us. Can't make it all the way, not without widening things out in a few places, but it's far enough away from whatever 'blast radius' there might be for me to feel comfortable leaving them. For now.

All that done, I let my control run its course and turn my attention back to Glory Girl. "I moved the stuff...should we get some pictures, before anything gets ruined?"

She touches down, carefully, eying the hole in the floor distrustfully. "Probably better. Still not sure what the hell we're going to do about this."

If I have my way, nothing that involves other people. Shit, I didn't want to join the Wards. Having the PRT, the Protectorate, stomping around these places? This stuff...it has something to do with the Outsider, the connection was blatant from the start, but I still don't understand half of what's happening, and if the big names start...investigating or something…

She's already back in the room, and I drift after her, watch her snapping pictures with her phone. A few of the wall, the table, the shrine from different angles. Finally she just nods and glances my way. "So, you're going to do something stupid now?"

"Hey, it's not...entirely stupid." It's pretty stupid. But...I don't know. I've got a Charm that lets me see the future, there's more power-enhancing bone-things in the bag under the floor...maybe this mask will like me, I don't know...something. If it is a mask. Still not sure about that. Or if it really will be useful, now that I think about it. It's sitting on top of the trap, while the other stuff was hidden…

Overthinking. I need to just do. "If you'd be so kind as to step out?" I try to smile, but it falls a little flat. Glory Girl eyes me for a second before moving past me for the door. And she doesn't say anything, which I'm grateful for.

The door closes. I swallow, and take a deep breath. Just...preparing myself. Because this will be simple. really. Teleport in. Teleport out.

I bring my hand up, about level with the mask. I focus on the spot right in front of it. Picture myself standing there, with my hand on the mask. One touch, and I'll bring it along with me.

And...maybe whatever's under it. Maybe. Hopefully not.

Deep breath. Calm...focus...in and out. Grab the mask. Then...hallway. I latch onto that thought, too. Because I'll need to make a quick escape.

Right. Okay. Here we go...one more breath, and I bring my hand down-

-on Glory Girl's phone, almost smacking it out of her grip. She jumps. I stare.

"...did you get it?"

Shit. Might have...skipped a step, there.

"No."

We stand there for a second, and I...I really wish my mask covered more of my face.

"I'm going to go get it now."

She smirks, but doesn't say anything more. She doesn't have to. I stalk back into the room with the shrine and shut the door behind me again, face burning and heart still racing from that little mix-up.

Mask first. Then hallway.

I face the shrine, and bring my hand up (mask, hallway). Take a deep breath (mask, hallway). And, with a step forward-

-touch the mask-

-and stumble into the hallway, barely catching the mask as it falls away from my hand. Almost miss the muffled, metallic twang sounds inside the room behind me.

Glory Girl is standing there, phone tucked away and arms crossed, looking equal parts amused and...I can't tell if that's 'I was seriously worried' or 'you're starting to piss me off again'. Hopefully the first. Worrying her makes me feel like crap, but I'm less likely to get punched.

"I, uh...got it, that time."

"Yeah, I noticed." She holds out her hand, and I offer it over. Watch her examine the brassy exterior. The inside looks a lot more solid than the outside, and there's another layer of cloth that looks much softer. The lenses even have those rubber rims like you find on swimming goggles. "Huh." She turns it around, pokes at the interior. "It's like somebody saw one of those plague-doctor masks and decided it needed to look more like a demented parakeet."

She's...right, now that I look at it again. The round lenses and the beak are...pretty similar, I guess. But it's all kind of squashed. Held together with staples and twisted wire, too, but...well, I don't think that has too much to do with the shape. Maybe. I don't know.

I take it, when she offers it back...it's surprisingly solid. I would have expected it to be more...flexible, maybe. I think there's something between the outer layer and the cloth. Support, maybe? So it fits your face? I tug at the...well, it pulls out into sort of a hood. No soft lining for that, but I guess you wouldn't need it? After a moment to shove my own hood back, to tug off my cloth mask, I pull the thing on and settle it…

"Jeeze, seriously?"

It's actually...pretty comfortable? I frown, reach up to fit it a little closer to my face, only to have it shift, under my touch...pressing in. And staying there. A bit more careful prodding confirms that the whole thing is adjusting to my face, and it's not long before it fits...I don't know if I'd say 'perfectly', but between the way it sits and the close-fitting hood, I don't think it's about to fall off on its own.

"How do I look?" My voice is only slightly muffled; I can breath just fine, but I guess it's not designed with casual conversation in mind.

"Like you escaped from a mental hospital." She deadpans, crossing her arms again. This must be 'you're pissing me off again'. Good to know. "Please tell me you're not going to suggest-"

"Keeping it?" I don't know. I can't really see myself, right now, but...it's an adjustable mask. That may or may not enhance my powers somehow. "Maybe. I still need a real costume."

"I did say plague-doctor, right? Also, 'demented parakeet'?"

"You also said I had the 'edgy anti-hero thing going on'."

"...I did, didn't I?" She pauses, and considers me again. "Well...if we hadn't found it on top of some kind of trap...I'd still say it looks like the devil's art project. But, y'know, people make it work." Another moment, and she snorts, shakes her head. "Whatever. I guess you kind of died for it, so keep the damn thing. I'm not gonna stop you, obviously…"

That...actually kind of hurts. "I wouldn't keep it if you thought it was a bad idea." Probably not. Maybe not. Shit. I would, wouldn't I?

She sighs, shakes her head, and turns to open the door into the room with the shrine. "No, I'm just...it's fine. You do need a mask...one less thing to pay for. And it gives you a starting-point or something...holy crap, what happened in here?"

I edge past her, wince at the sight of the ruined shrine. And the table, folded in on itself. I turn, narrow my eyes at the scoring on the wall...something sticking out of one, thin furrow. It's...a piece of wire, embedded in the paneling. "Trust me. It was...less pleasant, being in the middle of it."

"No kidding."

Okay. I take a deep breath, enhance my eyes, and look around. "The other stuff is under the floor over here." The corner of the room closest to the door. "Could you-"

"Yeah, I got it." She moves over to the spot I point out, breaks through the floor, and crouches down to pull the bag out...I almost fumble it, as she tosses it my way, but manage to keep my grip without its contents tipping out onto the floor. "There. Happy?"

"Ecstatic."

That almost earns a laugh. "Smartass." A pause, as she looks around the room again. "...are you okay?"

Am I...ah. That. "I...think so." It didn't happen. It was messed up, and just thinking about it is enough to call up the phantom sensation of sharp...but it didn't happen. So I'm fine. Totally fine. "I will be."

"Okay." A slow nod. "Okay...well. I guess we're done here, then, huh?" She straightens up, dusts herself off. "I'm gonna go back to school now and hope nobody notices anything. You...are going to go home, and...I dunno. Eat a gallon of ice-cream or something. Watch cartoons. Whatever. Later, we're going to take some pictures and take some measurements."

"For...what?"

"Your costume. Duh." She rolls her eyes, smirks, and reaches up to poke one of the lenses on the...my new mask. "Sooner we get to it, the sooner you start looking presentable. Maybe I can actually introduce you to some of my other friends without dying of embarrassment."

"And you call me an asshole."

"Whatever. Look, are you going to argue, or can we get a move on?"

I don't really feel like arguing. And...I really do want to just go home. Unwind, a little bit. That'd be nice. "I'm not keeping you here."

"Like you could." A pause. "Uh, I don't really feel like walking all the way outside, though. Do you think you could, ah…"

"...yes. I'll teleport you to the front door, so you don't have to walk fifty feet."

She grins. "Hey, thanks! You're an awesome friend. Totally thoughtful, and considerate, and in no way going out of your way to do the stupidest thing possible, even when your much smarter and more fashionable friends point out just how stupid it is-"

I grab her and move us both to the front, cutting her off pretty neatly. "We're here. Are you leaving, or what?"

"I think I'll go with 'leaving' for now." She lifts off, turning to wave. "Later, 'keet."

She's gone before I can work out what the hell 'keet' meant. Then I just had to take a moment to gather myself, because...wow.

"Isn't any worse than 'crow'."