When I get back to dad's house I morosely sit down on the edge of my bed and put my notebooks and PRT paperwork on the desk. After a couple of minutes I pull my phone and batteries out of my pouch and start loading them one by one. Once the display comes on, I dig through my pouch for Victoria's number and type it in before pressing the call button.
Thirty seconds later, Victoria answers the call, "Hey Taylor."
"Hi Victoria."
"What's up, you sound down."
I sigh, "Dad want's me out of the house for the night. I've got somewhere I can go, but he made me promise to try and find somewhere round here first."
I can hear the wince in her tone as Victoria says, "Yeah, I'd love to let you use our spare room, but mom needs at least a week's notice before we have guests. You could always get an Affiliate ID at the PRT if you're desperate. Most capes don't as it's fairly invasive. But affiliate capes can use rooms at any PRT facility for a couple of days."
My heart drops, "I wish you'd just said no."
"Taylor, what's wrong? Scratch that, why don't you come round and we can chat in the garden."
I nod, "Sure, not that it will change anything. I'll see you in a moment."
"I'll be on the roof."
I hang up and remove the batteries from the phone at the same time as I grab a pair of pajamas from my wardrobe. All of those items go into my pouch, along with O'Donnall's card.
It then takes me 10 second to teleport to Victoria's roof. A vast improvement on the 30 seconds it took earlier, but nowhere close to the second or two it takes deeper in the dream.
═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════
A few seconds after I arrive, Victoria floats up onto the roof in her hoodie and says, "That was quick, I thought I'd at least have time to get up here before you."
I smile, "I just needed to take the batteries out of my phone and get some PJ's. I could do both of those things at the same time."
Victoria points at a hedgerow in the garden, "Well, we've got some patio furniture setup behind the hedges over there. Mom sometimes uses it for client interviews."
I smile faintly, "Sure, I'll see you down there."
I use Spikes teleportation to get there before Victoria can say another word. When Victoria catches up she asks, "How did you do that? I mean you weren't that quick earlier."
I nod as we walk through an archway into a private patio, "It ties into my powers and the other worlds I can visit."
We both take a seat as Vicky says, "And why you wished I'd just said no?" At my nod she asks, "Taylor, are you in trouble?"
I shake my head, "No, I just don't want to be forced into going to the PRT for anything, and at the moment I know I'm going to have to go there and get that Affiliate ID."
"You'll have to unpack that a bit."
"I promised dad that I'd try and find somewhere safe to sleep that isn't his house for tonight. If I couldn't then I could go and stay with Selene until morning."
Victoria shrugs, "I don't see the problem with that. I mean, mum makes me promise to get home before 11 most weeks, and I'm still out after that. I just get shouted at, but it's better than interrupting a date."
I grimace for a moment before sighing. "This time last year, that would have been true for me too. But sleeping on a park bench, or in a shelter isn't exactly safe in this city. However, my powers. Um, Selene is actually the Greek goddess from ancient times, and my powers are magic."
"Bu… Right, I want to say Bullshit, as it goes against everything we know about powers. But for the moment, I'm going to assume you're telling the truth. What does them being magic mean right now?"
I take a deep breath, "It means that if I make a promise, then I have to do my best to keep to the wording of the promise at the very least."
Victoria shrugs, "So, what's the problem, you phoned me and I said no. Job done, you can go and see Selene."
"You said no but you could go to the PRT. When I think about going back to Selene, it's like I've got a little voice saying that I've got a safe place I can stay here."
"So, what's the problem with going to the PRT?"
I give Victoria a look, "I have no idea what's involved in getting an affiliate ID, and at the moment I can't say no."
Victoria lifts up her hand, "They take an MRI, your fingerprints, some blood, and ask you a bunch of questions about your powers and cape history. That all goes on record so that they can prove that you're you if there's a Master/Stranger scare. We've all gone through it, as Amy sometimes gets called to a disaster if it's bad enough. Ok, it's happened twice, but mom made us do it as part of the New Wave accountability thing. Keeping it is a matter of not having a warrant sworn out for your cape id or being convicted in court. Anyway, what's going on with your dad, is he having some guests round or something?"
I shake my head, "No, I know I've mentioned other worlds. What I didn't say is that as you get further away from Earth Bet, the faster time travels on them. I just spent 14 days training with Selene, and my dad's spent about a year there getting therapy from Selene."
Victoria shakes her head, "Now that's something where seeing really would be believing."
"I'd promise that it's true, but…"
"We've only known each other for a couple of days. Yeah, I know. But hey, you're a nice kid, and you're smart too."
I snort, "I'm actually 16, even though my birth certificate says I'm still 15."
"I could almost believe it, you're certainly less obsessed about girl stuff than I was at your age." I raise an eyebrow, "Let's just say that Endbringer fights change your priorities in life, even if you're just there as a bodyguard. Being told by a doctor that if you eat too much you'll die is another shock to the system."
I nod, "I've had a few of those in the last week, Earth Bet time. Anyway, as part of his therapy he needs to return to Earth Bet on his own, without any way he can write it off as part of my power. It helps that a couple of his friends are with him this time, but he made me promise to try and find somewhere safe to sleep here rather than trusting me to try and trust my judgement."
Victoria looks at me for a long moment before she says, "Let me phone my aunt Sarah, maybe she'll let you crash on her couch. You might have to listen to a spiel about New Wave, but it's better than not being able to say no to the PRT."
As Victoria goes into the house to make the phone call, I spin O'Donnall's card on the tip of my finger.
Victoria comes back a few minutes later carrying a smart phone in front of her face and I look up at her pensively. A second later she says, "I spoke to aunt Sarah and she said yes as long as you don't mind joining them on patrol."
I sag in the chair with visible relief at the news and nod, "I can do that. I only promised to try and find somewhere safe to sleep."
A womans voice says from the phone, "Good enough for me, we'll be there in a few minutes."
═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════
Day 1? Does this still count as Day 1, or is it Day 14?
I really need to do something nice for Victoria, as she's really come through for me. The patrol was nice, though we didn't get to talk much as I was teleporting from rooftop to rooftop. We did manage to stop a bank robbery, but my telekinesis is a bit overkill for that, as I just took the guns and knives away.
I look up as Crystal Pelham hands me a bowl of food and sits down beside me on the couch. "Whacha writing?"
I flash the diary page, "Just my journal. I've been doing it for the last couple of years. Thanks for putting me up, I can use my powers for cleaning and repairing if there's anything you need put back together."
Crystal chuckles, "We got rid of the last chair Vicky broke, sorry."
"I repaired a chair at Victoria's house earlier, does she do that a lot? I also removed some wine stains in their lounge."
"You'd need to ask mom about that, as we're only allowed in there on special occasions. Mainly New Wave meetings."
I nod as I take as spoonful of food, "This is good. If I remember I will."
Mrs Pelham walks in from the kitchen with her own bowl and sits at the table with Eric and Mr Pelham. "Thank you for patrolling with us Berenike. Do you prefer Berenike or…"
I smile up at her, "Taylor Hebert. Honestly, it depends on if I'm 'in costume' or not. I've got a set of civilian clothes in my pouch."
"If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you want to go to the PRT?"
I hesitate for a moment, then I realize that they could just ask Victoria, "Part of my powers means that I have to keep any promises that I give. I promised my dad that I'd try to find a safe place to sleep on Earth Bet before I went to stay with my teacher Selene. I know that the PRT is safe, but I'm not an affiliate yet. And I'm not sure I could refuse to answer any of their questions, if I thought it might stop me getting the ID I need for the room."
Erik swallows and says, "Well, that takes 'My word is my bond' to a whole new level."
I shrug, "At least I know about it."
Mrs Pelham nods as she swallows, "Mmm. Berenike, have you given any thought to joining a team?"
I shake my head, "Honestly, apart from being absolutely adamant that I won't join the Wards, no. Until Victoria mentioned yesterday, that the unwritten rules only protect your civilian identity if you have one, I was going to try and just avoid the cape scene all together. As it stands, I'd need to talk to my teacher before I even consider it, and my father if there's any paperwork that needs signing."
Eric curiously asks, "What's wrong with the Wards?"
"The people, probably nothing. I'm mature enough to admit that I probably wouldn't trust them for a while because… I'm being home-schooled for a reason. The biggest problem is that I'd have to agree to abide by their rules. One of the ones in their contract is only using PRT approved trainers. I can't see them ever agreeing to meet Selene, as she can't currently come to Earth Bet, and anyone I take to see her will get powers."
Crystal laughs as she puts her bowl on the floor, "You're being awfully open about stuff."
"I…" I pause as I realize that since I took Victoria to the hospital, I've been more open about myself and my powers, "I'm just going to talk to my teacher."
I close my eyes and lean back against the sofa before I step into my inner world. "Selene, goddess of the moon."
Selene appears and draws me into a hug, "How are you feeling Berenike?"
I sigh, "I'm doing ok, I've found somewhere to stay tonight. Though I almost had to go to the PRT and submit to some questions so that I can use the spare rooms they keep available. Victoria's aunt is putting me up tonight."
"I am glad to hear you are safe and sound. While you sleep tonight, explore this world and try to find that promise before it fades. But you did not call me here just to talk."
I smile, "True, I just realized that since I met Victoria, I've been unusually open about myself."
Selene touches my cheek, "It is loneliness and a desire to forge bonds with those you feel are trustworthy. Even the gods felt like this, which is why we formed pantheons. Go enjoy your time amongst others."
I lean into the hug for a couple of seconds before I return to my body and take another mouthful of food. Once I swallow I say, "I honestly hadn't noticed. Selene thinks it's loneliness, and I… I got my powers after nearly two years of bullying and social ostracization at school. Once you get past the first couple of worlds out there, time starts to flow faster than it does here. For everyone else it's been about a week since I survived Lung and left school, but for me it's been at least 4 months. I know this sounds crazy."
Mrs Pelham nods, "It does, and if I didn't know that Teacher was already in jail I'd be absolutely terrified for you. But there is a simple way to test this, call it a requirement for sleeping here if you wish. Take one of us to another world."
"Um, I'm not sure I can. I mean I can take normal people, but I found out one of my teleportation methods skims the space between worlds, and I can't actually teleport Amy like that. I can take someone you trust though, and as long as it's only a couple of worlds there shouldn't be any side effects either." After a moment of nobody saying anything, I start to stand up, "I guess I should be going to the PRT then."
Mr Dallon sighs, "Sit down Berenike, we're not going to kick you out over that. Sarah you should know better than to poke like that."
Mrs Dallon shrugs, "I'm the leader of New Wave, it's my job to keep everyone safe. This talk of other worlds seems far fetched, and the simplest way to verify the claim is to test it."
I shrug, "I could catch a monkey in the Jungle, it's only one world away, and they have beaks."
Mrs Pelham shakes her head, "No, I don't think that's such a good idea. Now what are these side effects?"
"You get powers like mine. Which then means that you need to train them or fall down the canyon… What's wrong?"
Crystal nudges me with her elbow, "You're a power granted trump. There's always a catch with those."
I nod, "Yeah, you can't stay up through midnight, I mean the real midnight, not the one on the clocks. If you do it without training, you'll die."
Everyone nods, and Eric says, "Well, that's a gotcha right there. So is this training something only you or your teacher can provide?"
I shake my head, "No, it's just meditation to find the power, and then learning to control it. It's just, you have to put the work in or avoid staying up over night."
Mrs Pelham eventually nods, "I'd like you to get PRT affiliated status before you work with anyone in New Wave again. I'd also like you to approach the PRT about testing your power granting abilities with trusted individuals." I open my mouth, and Mrs Pelham raises her hand, "I believe that you believe what you're saying. However the PRT are equipped to test for long term mental side effects like conditioning or outright control. It's a sad facet of life that there is always a catch with powers. Even given the apparent catch with yours, it's still better to be safe than find out you're going to be birdcaged or killed because people you've granted powers to keep going mad."
I look down at my hands, "There is one other side effect. Depending on how far away from Earth Bet I take someone, the faster time passes. Except, they'll live for the same number of years, if you count years as orbits around the sun rather than days. That won't change when they come back here. Um, and also, anyone that's been out to those worlds can learn to take other people too."
Mr Dallon leans over the table, "Honey, let the PRT deal with it. I think it's time to stop thinking about powers and just enjoy what's left of our Saturday night."
═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════
Selene walks up from the lake shore towards Danny's cabin where he has been entertaining his friends since Berenike left. As she walks through the door Danny looks up with a smile, "Selene, have I thanked you for the help you've given me?"
Selene nods, "You have, but I think this is your most heartfelt one yet. It is time, and the way back to the mortal world is now open."
Danny looks relieved as he says, "Great, I'm looking forward to meeting the rest of the guys again."
Selene nods once more, "I'm sure you will, but you need to promise me that you will return as soon as you can after the sun rises past noon, every day until you are completely healed, then you will stay for at least 20 days while we work on your healing."
Danny frowns, "I can't do that, there are things I have to do."
Selene smiles, "Then you will stay here until you are healthy, even if it takes 1,000 years. Your friends may obviously visit, but you will be here."
"You can't do that, they need me at work."
"You are mistaking me for a mortal, with mortal concerns. I have taken on the task of your healing and I will see it done."
Kurt looks over from the wobbly table leg he's looking at, "Didn't you both discuss Danny coming back every day months ago? What happened to trust?"
Selene smiles with sparkling eyes, "I am showing Danny just as much trust as he showed his daughter when you arrived."
Lacey slams her palm into her hand, "I told you, I told both of you when Danny told us about what promises mean to us. What did I say Kurt?"
Kurt rolls his eyes, "I don't remember Lacey, why don't you remind me."
"I said I'd gut you if you ever tried to force me into a promise."
"Then why didn't you say anything when Danny was pressuring Taylor?"
"I did! But you were all, 'Danny's Taylor's father, it's between the two of them'."
"…"
Selene waves a hand and silences both Kurt and Lacey, "May I remind both of you that oaths said in the heat of the moment are just as binding as those given after deliberate thought. You would both do well to temper your bickering lest you say something that you cannot take back. Maybe in a few centuries time you will be familiar enough with your own magic to deal with oaths made in haste. Or, if you some how become as talented and intelligent as my apprentice, you may manage it in a few months. If any of you breath a word of how long I expect that to take, I will ensure you live to regret it. It might not be an oath, but I will enforce it as if you had made an oath to me. Now, Danny, what about your own oath?"