Interlude 2

Victoria lifts me into the chair gently as I smile at her. She looks back with the same feeling as Papa and Mama exit the vehicle. The atmosphere is a lot more, tame this time… and I feel as if hope has once again returned in some capacity.

Even the way Mama fixes Papa's clothes gently and without the sense of awkwardness made me feel better, especially with the series of days I just had. I still feel guilty about a few things. Things that my family seems to not give me fault for, but yet, I know I went too far. I know I just forced myself and my family suffered because of it.

"Hey… where's the smile?" Victoria asked as we helped each other fix my blazer.

I fidget with my fingers as I looked at her in apology. "I was thinking of something."

Victoria stops for a moment at my words before she inevitably smiles again.

"You already know what I'm going to say about it Ames…" she then chuckles. "…but didn't we already discuss this? I need you with full smiles, otherwise, I won't be able to uphold my promise to Taylor and her parents, alright?"

"Yes, but still… it hasn't been easy, sister," I said as she squeezed my hand.

"You've been apologizing for a lot lately, sis. You know you don't need to, and you know that we always have your back." My sister promises as she fixes the last touches for my appearance.

I nodded at her as I reciprocated the loving squeeze. "I'll do my best, f-for real this time."

She then poked my nose lightly as I blushed towards the gesture. "And no crying. Happy thoughts today… like you used to have. Depression is a no-no."

"But I didn't even-

"Ah, ah, ah… what did I say?" Victoria said as she placed a finger on my lips to silence me.

"No crying…" I said with a large, cute pout as she grinned smugly at me.

"That's better… I might actually call you officially a crybaby from now on… given your recent schtick." My eyes rapidly widened at her words as I grabbed her arm in reflex.

"Don't you dare!" I shout as Victoria laughs.

"Do you prefer shrew or kitty-cat?" she asks as I squeezed her arm tightly.

"No… don't you dare call me those names! I am neither of them, NEITHER!"

We continued to bicker in good faith and laugh as I noticed in between that Mama and Papa were looking at us, their smiles being much brighter than recent events as I grinned back at them.

Mama's smile becomes more prominent and Papa's grin becomes more pronounced. His shoulders no longer sagged and he once again returned to the Papa that made me feel what family truly meant. It was like none of the painful events in the last few days occurred…

We go into the Hebert's house together in a recovered sense of cheer.

I loved that.

Eventually, when we did get into the house, the quickest reaction I had was how, homely it felt. It was not like our own house, not by a lot, but the aura it exuded was the most lovely thing about it. The simplicity despite the age and the overall aesthetic that made me reminisce of the villages in my old world had the same quality as this. Though less in the guise of how the Fae acted but more so how a beautiful home and family felt in all earnest feelings. I embraced this feeling as it felt like I was not in a stranger's home. It had a familiarity that spoke to my senses.

One that I welcomed with open arms.

"You must be Amy…" Mrs. Hebert said with a genuine smile as my family introduced me. I find the camaraderie and established friendship between Mama and Papa with the Hebert's comforting as the adults traded smiles and greetings.

When it came to introducing me, I was so shy that I blushed wildly again, Victoria even smiled smugly at me for I knew she would make fun of me because of this. I was embarrassed because I felt so overwhelmed at how much positivity was thrown at me by the Hebert couple that I only managed a nod.

My family and giggled because of this as I felt Mama lightly stroke my back.

"You know I didn't expect you all to go wear like you're going on a meeting with someone important. I rather feel underdressed, Carol." Mrs. Hebert said, but despite that, I find her quite beautiful regardless. The woman felt like a basket of energy and love that I couldn't help but stare.

"Oh hush, you're pretty important to me, and that's what matters," Mama said.

"Plus, I'm sure she just did it as an excuse to dress up Amy," Papa said with a laugh as I watched Mama subtly elbow him at his sides. I snickered at the sight as the talks continued, only for Mrs. Hebert to ask our parents to get them situated in the dining room. Mama and Papa followed enthusiastically as me and Victoria were left with Mrs. Hebert.

"Where's Tay, Mrs. Hebert?" my sister asks.

"Oh, she's upstairs, got startled because she's still in those pajamas you gave her."

Victoria laughs as I look at her confusion. "O-Oh my God… she WORE those? I gave it to her because I had a ton of spares at home… didn't know she'd wear them. I thought she hated them?"

"MOM!" a muffled voice from upstairs says I continue to watch the scene.

Mrs. Hebert then snickers from her chair as she looks at my sister. "You know Taylor, Vicky… she's not the type to admit things out loud."

"Oh my God, Mom!" the voice from above shouts again as I giggle.

"Why don't you get her down here quickly Vicky, might do her some good to be less shy with friends." Mrs. Hebert offered as Victoria smiled wickedly, she nodded at me for a moment as I let her go. She flies up quickly up the stairs and towards a room above that I can no longer see.

The moment she did, I was now left with Mrs. Hebert.

The woman smiles at me as I fidget. "Y-You have a lovely home, ma'am," I say as we were left with an empty enough silence. Mrs. Hebert then has her smile fade quite a bit into a neutral one…

"Yes…"

Then I watch as she snaps her finger.

"…" I was stunned in complete silence the mere instant she did it.

I felt every fiber of my being grow stiff in fear and shock as I knew this sensation. I recognized what she had done. Mrs. Hebert's neutral expression gradually turned into an impassive one as she knew if I moved an inch within this… unknown bounded field would result in something that I would not like.

Every hair on my arms and back stands up as I suddenly tremble…

Not only because of fear, but because of the intense, controlled, and overwhelming sensation of mana surrounding her like… like the one that had burned my village to the ground just to kill me. Worse, I knew… I-I knew how powerful of a caster she was.

This entire action was far too casual.

Far too easy for her…

So much so that it took me a minute on my best day back then to even manage one out of the blue. Mrs. Hebert did it with a snap, and I knew that was just for show, she could have done it with a thought and I wouldn't have detected it at all until it was too late.

Who was Mrs. Hebert?

Why… why did she know how to cast magic, at the level she demonstrated?

I was too frightened to move or say anything as Mrs. Hebert's impassive face made me understand that she knew I was powerless to do anything at that moment. Even if… even if Mama, Papa, or Vicky were to come to my aid, the casual power difference I feel makes me uncertain of what outcome will play after…

I'm scared. Not just for myself, but for my family.

"You're not what I expected. Certainly not in the fashion that would cause you to manifest this way…" Mrs. Hebert said as she leaned closer to look at me. Her spectacles flared with a bit of mana as I felt unsure as to what she had done merely staring at me.

"Though, it is unprecedented for me to meet another such as myself."

I gulped, bracing on the arms of my chair as I felt raw fear invade me once more…

As if I was reliving the day of my death again.

"Follow me," Armsmaster said as a PRT trooper, by the name of Brandon walked in a steady pace behind the Protectorate hero. He wondered why the man asked for him personally but he chalked that up to availability or the simple fact that he was the closest one he could find at the moment.

Wordlessly he followed what was technically his superior as they walked along the hallways of the Rig. Recent events made it so that their work was less chaotic than usual due to the presence of Alexandria, but he always maintained his vigilance in case something bad occurred, unlike his comrades.

Even the presence of a triumvirate hero can still rouse some idiots to take the challenge and knowing this city, he was sure that it was not just Lung that was going to stir the hornet's nest.

"How long have you been working here, trooper?" Armsmaster asked.

"Three months sir… still new." He admitted.

"I see… can I ask if you feel good with this profession you've voluntarily taken?"

Brandon tilts his head in slight confusion to the question, but he answers it without hesitation.

"It's stressful sir, but nothing that I'm so far used to."

There was a small silence as they finally arrived at the door of the room where maximum security was placed until the hero looked at him. "Very well. That's a good enough answer."

"Pardon, sir?" Brandon asked but the man simply turned his back on him as he was allowed access into the room with him following behind. The moment they did, Brandon saw the injured and badly burned Tattletale on the bed.

Armsmaster moved to the side and through what little he could see of the man's face through his partially open helmet and mask… he suddenly realized that the hero was sweating. Intensely so.

He was also slightly trembling like he didn't want to be here in this roo-

"He will do." The abrupt, raspy voice of the young woman behind him said and Brandon froze on the spot, literally. He could not move… he could not say anything or even think as Armsmaster walked to his position and moved his frozen body right next to Tattletale's side.

The hero's visage was in pure agony as his teeth were gritted in a way of pure frustration and pain as more sweat trickled from his face. He was fighting it, severely and openly but he had no control over this situation at all. He did as the girl seemingly commanded wordlessly as the young woman looked at Brandon…

"I'm sorry about this, but I value my freedom more than I value your life at this moment." She rasped out as she reached for Brandon's arm and in mere seconds, Brandon's face and body graphically transformed from his rather young appearance to a hollowed-out corpse a moment later.

It was as if blood, muscle, and anything lively from his form was sucked out faster than a span of a minute as his skin became wrinkly, leathery, and stark white until nothing was left, except for a skeleton. The very disturbing nature of the rapid display of power forced Armsmaster to his legs and feet as he started vomiting sticky bile and blood on the floor due to the excess mana of the curse writhing through his veins.

The skeleton and its uniform fall harmlessly on the floor as the once wounded and raspy Tattletale was returned to her youthly appearance. An aura of shock appeared on her face but shock at her prowess rather than shock at what she just did to the man as she sat up from her bed and slowly stepped her feet on the floor to stand up. She looks at herself, examines herself, and feels the breath of her new memories and abilities acclimate faster than when she first woke up.

She sighs. Her mind which was once Sarah was now merging with the other.

It was not a pretty process but at that very moment, the prevailing persona was the one that was newly christened within this body. She was still Tattletale, she was still Lisa…

But the unbound emotions, feelings, and power coursing through her allowed her to evolve.

"Y-You're not escaping." Armsmaster managed from all the pain as he looked at her.

Lisa knelt in front of the man and touched both sides of his sweaty face.

"I always thought you were a dick… but you have uses. I appreciate that."

"You're not going to l-last once they see what you're doing in this room.. a-at this very moment. Y-you can't hide… y-you can't run… you w-won't escape."

Lisa's expression turns into a foxy smile.

"Who said anything about hiding?"

The hero looked disturbed at her words.

"Do you think… you're the only person that has that curse crawling under your skin?"

"W-What?"

"How many people have visited my room, Armsmaster… how many of them do you think will fight back once I step out of this room?"

TO BE CONTINUED…

AN: Yeah, this was the original ending of the previous chapter.