"Okay, it's not that funny."

Victoria doesn't seem to agree, too busy laughing herself to tears on the other side of the railing.

I sigh and turn back to the horizon without another comment. Partially because there's not much point, but also...also because she's laughing. That's worth a little embarrassment. Although…"It's not like I would have been able to tell."

"Oh my gaww-haaawwwdahahahaha!"

"Nobody ever mentioned it to me."

She's hiccuping now, face buried in her arms. "It's on my wiki page."

"Am I supposed to believe everything on the internet?" No answer, this time. I smile, watch the waves lapping at the rusted hull below. Try to rub some of the dryness from my eyes. God, I've been up for too long today.

Victoria calms down, eventually. Drifts back up from the deck to lean out over the railing beside me. The quiet noise of the bay fills up what might have otherwise been an awkward sort of silence. Makes it into something...bearable, if not comfortable.

Comfortable hasn't come easily, lately. For good reason.

"I don't think I've ever really been out here." It's only just more than a whisper; hoarse, a little strained. But when I glance down and squint past the light, Victoria's smiling, eyes on the waves as they march to shore. "It makes sense, right? The only reason to be out this far is...you're either a Cape, or you're some kind of criminal, right? Only the Capes that come out here, they're trying to keep a low profile. Because everyone knows nobody comes here."

It's a circular sort of logic, but I guess it makes sense. "So you never stopped over to...I don't know. Punch a boat apart or something?"

She scoffs, shakes her head. Folds her arms over the rail to let her chin rest on them. "When I got my powers, my parents-" her voice catches, just for a moment, "...my parents took me to the Protectorate base. For testing. I punched tinkertech scales apart, instead."

Huh. "I didn't know that was even a thing."

"It's not, really. Only for cases where it's not practical to just, like...practice things. But my-" another pause, and she grits her teeth. Screws her eyes shut. Takes a long moment to visibly compose herself. "My mom...wanted the details. Or something. I...I never really asked."

Maybe it's time for a change of subject. "I haven't actually come out here before, either." It hadn't ever really occurred to me. As far as I can remember, I've always sort of hated the place. Or the idea of it, anyway. It's always been a distant thing, another point on the long list of 'reasons why this city sucks'.

And that was before Leviathan. Now...this is one of the furthest ships from the shoreline. But I can still just look back and see the twisted wreckage that was washed ashore. A wide stretch of shoreline and city street rendered almost impassable, all of it well within range of my teleportation. God knows how relief efforts are going to work around that.

"It's nice. If you don't think too hard about it."

She sighs. "Those sound like words to live by."

I close my eyes, and let the wind keep me awake.

xxxxxxxxxx

We're trailing along the skyline, staying close to the shore, when Victoria spots the first group.

"Are those guys in hazmat suits?"

I glance up, follow her gaze out to the beach below. There is a group of people down there. Spread out in a loose search pattern, one or two stopping every few feet to poke at the sand. And even at a glance, it's easy enough to tell that she's right; I'm not sure if they're literally hazmat suits, but from what I can see they're close enough that it doesn't matter.

But what are they doing on the beach? "I don't remember hearing anything about dangerous chemicals from the workers at the relief camp."

"You'd know better than I would." Victoria drops down to stand beside me, squinting down at the group. "Think we should check it out? If news hasn't spread yet…"

If there's something we should be worrying about, I'd rather know. But then...if there's something down there dangerous enough to warrant protective gear, I'm not sure either of us should try to investigate.

"Not right now." I consider, for a second, reach for Victoria's hand-

-to bring us to the nearest street-corner, below. I get the street names, repeat them under my breath a couple of times-

-and take us back to the rooftops. "I'll talk with the organizers back at camp. If something's going on, they'll either know about it, or they'll know who we need to ask."

"Lookit you, all responsible." Victoria snickers, frees her hand so she can poke the side of my mask. "What happened to the Crow that stumbles in and unravels mysteries on the go?"

"The Bonecarver."

I said it without really thinking. The meaning settles in a moment later. Victoria's smile fades.

Damn.

Mood officially killed, I jerk my chin toward the next building and start walking again. After a moment, Victoria follows.

"You know, you haven't actually told me how all that went down."

Of course I didn't. I haven't actually told anyone what happened. I haven't really needed to, and nobody's bothered to ask for details.

Victoria's asking. Am I really going to go back to keeping secrets from her? Now?

I cross over to the next building. Wait for her to catch up. "...so I told you about the guys he sent after my Dad." She nods, and I sigh. "I tracked him down. Found him in an Endbringer shelter. When I couldn't hit him inside, I brought him outside…"

I recount the running battle we'd fought, even though most of it is a blur. I tell her about my brief run-in with Leviathan, and she weighs in with some of her own time in the fight. The actual fight. It sidetracks us for a few minutes, and then brings us to a stop for a few more while she gathers herself again. But then I tell her about Victor. About the portal into the Void.

And then I tell her that, strictly speaking, I wasn't the one that killed him.

"...so you're telling me that there's a giant, inter-dimensional eldritch abomination hanging around...and that's what gives you your powers."

"I'm saying that, from what I can tell, that's where every Parahuman is getting their powers."

Victoria stops, and gives me a look. I stop too, and if I'm not willing to look directly at her...well, it's just because my eyes hurt.

"Taylor. You're my friend. So understand I only mean it in the most caring way when I tell you that's bugfuck crazy." Which is about the response I should have expected. "How would you even...okay, so maybe I can buy that something about this 'Outsider' guy and the powers he apparently gave you both might have given you some kind of...impression of that. But what makes you think that that's even a thing for the rest of us?"

Well, I've come this far. "Remember Tattletale?"

She crosses her arms, chewing her lip. "Aunt Sarah told me you found her body in the last workshop."

"Right." So I won't have to clarify that then. "Don't...freak out. Please."

"Christ...okay?"

Probably the best I'm going to get. I take a deep breath, pull my coat open to reach into one of the inner pockets and pull out-

"Holy shit."

'Oh, is that Glory Girl? Or is it just Glory, now? Hello Glory!'

"Holy shit."

'Taylor, tell Glory I said hello.'

What.

"Holy shit Taylor."

'Seems like you're both broken.'

Maybe I should have kept this one secret.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Don't think I'm letting this go."

I sigh, reaching up under my mask to rub at my face. There's an uncomfortable pressure building up between my eyes, and it's actually starting to throw me off. God, it's been a long day.

"This may have me curious, but you are way too comfortable carrying around human remains for my liking."

Am I supposed to apologize for that? It seems like it'd ring hollow; I'm such a damn hypocrite about these things. 'They're useful' still doesn't cut it, but it's as much an explanation as I have.

Speaking of useful things I carry around, maybe I should look into finding some binoculars?

"And I mean, at least the bone things you could pretend they're not from a person, but that's a fucking human heart-"

"I get it." I finally cut her off, glancing up for a moment before turning my attention back to the beach below. "Now, do you have any ideas on just what the hell they're keeping under wraps down there?"

'Down there', in this case, is a stretch of beach not five minutes from the Boardwalk. From the street to the waterline is taped off at least a hundred yards in either direction. And at the center of it all? The biggest tent I've seen outside a circus. It's not even really a 'tent'; not entirely, anyway. There are too many solid pieces holding the loose parts together. But I'm not sure what else to call it. It's big, it's white, and parts of it are obviously plastic stretched over some sort of framework.

It's also pretty worrying. Because there are more of those guys in hazmat suits moving in and out of it. And getting sprayed down in the process. Which...there's nothing about that that's good, right? That's a bad sign.

Unfortunately, Victoria seems as clueless as I am. If the way she grumbles and shakes her head is any indication.

"Why don't you ask your newest fucking disturbing tool?"

...why haven't I asked yet?

"Don't call her disturbing." I mutter as I retrieve the Heart. And I ignore Victoria's incredulous 'Her?' in order to focus on the tent below. The questions I want answers to.

'They're nervous.' Tattletale's voice whispers, as I track the workers making their way out. 'But not afraid. Covering their bases? No, look, that one there. The smoker, you see him?' I do. Standing away from his group, gas-mask pushed up on top of his head. 'The extra measures aren't because they think they need them. It was requested. Someone doesn't want them to take any chances.'

"Okay...so it's not as bad as it looks?"

'I didn't say that. All I can tell from this is that they don't think it's necessary.' There's a moment of quiet, and a brief flash in time with the Heart's pulse. The image of Tattletale sitting in front of me and staring pensively at the tent below lingers just long enough for her to blink. 'Something about this…I can only give you so much.' Another pulse, and somehow it feels resigned. 'I put together pieces. And while I have more of those than I used to, I don't have everything.'

"So if I find more information?"

'The more you uncover, the clearer the picture.'

"Not much of an oracle if you can only tell me things I've already figured out."

'Give me a little credit. All I need is a thread to follow. Finding the right one? That falls to you.'

I nearly jump out of my skin when Victoria drops down beside me, an arm around my shoulder. "So I take it the Tattle-ghost isn't being very helpful?"

That's one way of putting it, I guess. "Apparently, the 'quarantine' was by request." I tuck the Heart away again, careful not to get it too close to Victoria in the process. Something tells me she wouldn't appreciate it. "People are nervous, but whatever's going on, there are at least a few of them that think they're overdoing things."

"So no deep-sea plagues or unexploded tinkertech bombs that got washed ashore, probably."

"...probably not either of those things, no." Those were the first things that came to mind? "And if that is true," which I'm inclined to believe it is, "then I doubt it's time sensitive. We can talk to the organizers like we planned to, but...I mean, it looks like it's being handled."

Victoria considers, for a second, then nods. Drags me up to my feet and away from the building's edge. "Come on then. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

I...could definitely go for food, now that she mentions it. Maybe a nap. I really hope I can justify a nap.

"I've got a top floor room back at the camp. Should be far enough away from other people to avoid any-" incidental Masterings? "...accidents."

Her shoulders slump, just a bit, and I feel like kicking myself. But she just nudges me with an elbow and steps away. "Lead on, then."

"Gladly."

xxxxxxxxxx

We're late for the hot lunch the workers serve, but it's not hard to find someone willing to dole out a couple more servings for a pair of hungry Capes. I hang around just long enough to make sure there's nothing else going on that needs attention before taking the plates and teleporting up to 'my' room.

It seems even messier in here than usual, which can be entirely attributed to Victoria casting a much brighter light on the place than the worklight or open windows ever manage. Thinking on it, I may need to invest in some sunglasses, at some point…

"Oh shit, food." She's in front of me before I can react; it wasn't even that fast. I'm just...sluggish. "There was a guy that left a couple meals out for me to grab a couple days ago, but I swear I've been eating out of cans lately."

That...doesn't sound right. "What about-" Shit, phrasing. Parent? Family? "-Lady Photon? I'm sure she could have helped." Somehow. She certainly seemed to have been trying hard enough.

Victoria doesn't say anything, for a minute, drifting over to sit on the cot I've been using; probably the closest thing to a chair I've got in this space. "I've been keeping my distance. For obvious reasons." She shrugs, flips her plastic spork between her fingers before digging it into what I think is supposed to be mashed potatoes. "The only reason I was in my room earlier is because I saw them moving dad out."

Shit. I settle beside her, drop my mask at the foot of the cot and balance my plate in my lap so I can pull off my gloves. "Sorry."

It sounds so stupid when I just say it like that. But Victoria smiles anyway, and it doesn't go away as she attacks her food. I follow her lead, because I'm actually pretty damn hungry myself. And when we've both scraped our plates as clean as they're going to get…

"Here." I toss her my cell-phone, as I shrug out of my coat. "I still get a signal, more often than not. Might need to head over to a window or something, though."

She gives me a weird look, chuckles when I shoo her up and away from my cot. "Who am I calling?"

"Your sister, probably."

I smirk.

She stares at me like she's not sure whether to hug me or put me through a wall.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this."

"Mmhm." That said, I collapse. It feels great. "Lemme know how it goes."

She says something in response, but I'm already too far gone to pull any meaning from it.

The last thing I'm aware of before I crash completely is a hand brushing my hair out of my face.