Another mid Detonation Arc break where someone visits Taylor on the roof.
Detonation 5-4.5 part 2
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"I didn't think you would still be up here?"
I about fell off the roof from my seat at the edge. I looked to see Vicky, or I guess she wanted to go by Tori now, standing back away from the edge clear nervousness in her expression.
"Sorry." She folded her arms across her chest in a way I couldn't help but feel like was, self conscious?
"It's okay," I got up from my seat and joined her. "Just haven't had any visitors this late."
"Oh, um I couldn't sleep." She explained.
"Hate when that happens," I commiserated. "I'm just the night light." I gestured at the orbs of light gently floating over the city. They didn't exactly provide a lot of light but it was enough to make moving around the city at night much less of a hazard.
"When will they get the lights back on?" Tori asked.
I shrugged, "I heard from Alice that they are close to getting something in place but they aren't done and while the ABB have been stomped flat, no one has found Bakuda, so everyone is still on their toes."
Tori hummed a noncommittal noise.
That's weird. Might as well take the direct route. "Everything okay Tori?"
She flinched a bit, and sighed. "I don't know."
So no she was not okay. God knows I had been there often enough to recognize it in someone else.
I sighed. I wish Lisa was here, she would know what to do.
"Um, want to talk about it?" I hedged. That's what you supposed to do right? Talk about it?
Tori sighed. "No, but i need to."
"Okay," I am so bad at this.
We stood in silence.
"Sorry I've only ever really talked with Lisa…." I trailed off.
"Mom used to make me go to therapy every month." Tori admitted. "Always seemed weird. Like I was supposed to talk to some strange guy about anything. I mean what did he know?"
I smiled a bit. "I get that, except my shrink here is a woman."
"Ugh that would be so much better." A ghost of a smile played across her features.
"Wanna pull up a spot?" I asked gesturing to ledge of the roof I had been sitting on.
Tori squeezed her arms tighter around herself and shook her head. "I don't like heights."
"But you can fly." I knew my words had touched a sore spot the way all expression left her face.
"Not any more." She whispered.
My head rocked back with shock.
I stepped over to her but she pulled a step away.
"Tori?"
"It was what happened at the Bank." She words spilling out her mouth. "I- my brain….. I died. She said she couldn't do brains, she said so but she lied. She put my brain back together."
Tori shivered.
"She did it wrong."
I was speechless. I had known something had happened, Lisa said Vicky Ugh Tori was like a different person now.
"When I woke up it was like all I could think about was her, everything was about her, and when she was in the room I wanted to BE her." She turned away from me as if she was ashamed.
"Mom made her fix me. As if she could be trusted. So she did. She 'fixed' me. Turned my brain to mush and put it back how she wanted." Tori snarled the last words. "She played with something in my brain, twisted it, my powers are different, my shield is stronger than ever but now anytime I touch someone, I feel how they feel." Tori was shaking now. "I can't fly anymore." She sobbed. "Nothing is right anymore."
I…I didn't know what to do. I wanted to take away her pain but I knew I couldn't. I wanted to say something that would help but I had nothing. Before me was a girl that needed saving that needed something and I didn't know how to give it to her. So I stood there hoping that she would give me a sign.
But in the end I could only stand and watch as she broke.
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Author's Note: Another mini chapter while I get back into things. 5-5 will be where we get back on track.
Love you all for the support. Really, I can't thank you enough.