~Lucifer Morningstar~
He rubbed his temples as he relaxed into his perfectly comfortable armchair and sensed his 'guest' finally taking off. This wasn't the morning after he craved, he had to admit. It was still quite early. Just a few hours past midnight. While technically, it was already in the morn, winter dictated a night sky for several more hours. Which gave him enough time to contemplate his actions. In hindsight, moving against a member of the Triumvirate was mayhaps a bit hasty, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it. Just the opposite was the case. Contrary to what she probably believed, while what he did was a punishment, he was being completely honest. What he offered her was both a curse and salvation. Something her Soul was almost beyond of. On which side the coin fell depended on her. He merely gave her the tools to do the right thing or take the last step to doom herself.
The context of his choice was a peculiar one and it wasn't entirely based on his rage for what he saw. He was impulsive at times, but not incompetent. The power-granting parasite that had latched onto her Self had made her body almost permanent in nature but in turn, it consumed her metaphysical shell and what was contained within. Just a sliver more and she wouldn't even have had a chance at an afterlife. She was corrupted and damaged in a way that caused pity and disgust in him despite the pristine condition her body was kept in. Pity, he felt for how much less she was than what she could have been. Disgust was reserved for the fact that it was her own actions that allowed the degradation to progress as far as it did.
She wasn't solely at fault for the doubtlessly abominable deeds she had to have committed to corrupt her Soul so thoroughly, but she certainly had a say in her actions and actively participated in the travesties she caused. Her reaction to what she had become once her Soul was fully restored redeemed her at least partly in his eyes, but she would have to prove herself worthy of the second chance he granted her. Should he find renewed onset of her condition when they met again, her life would be forfeit one way or another. His rather... incited mood aside, her power was somewhat interesting.
She had a passenger. That much was similar to other capes he had met so far. It felt however far different than the other examples. More present and less... diluted. It was more active and unfiltered without the usual safety measures, yet it was also strangely disengaged despite using her mind as a repurposed communication node. He got a unique perspective on what the parasite was doing to her when he burned away its influence with Abaddon's Cleansing Flames in tandem with the Authority he had usurped when he took over the Infernal Dimensions. The Cleansing Flames were a trick he learned from his ornery little brother once upon a time and the synergy between them and his Authority allowed him to grasp several key differences between the passengers known to him and this one.
The biggest one of those was that without the safeties in place, it had burrowed itself into the core of her Self and was taking over its processes, converting the essence of who she was into their own, more machine-like existence. Though he didn't quite understand why most of what was converted was working on low capacity as if the processes behind it were idle. 'Maybe she was supposed to be a sleeper agent?' He mused as he contemplated the state she was in before he restored her. She was nearing the precipice and in a few short years, she would have been completely lost to whatever entity was behind the parasitic creature.
He wasn't quite sure what exactly would have happened then but he had seen similar things happen in some of the Lost Worlds and they were never pretty or pleasant. Lost Worlds. That was the name given to universes his Father had to cut off from the main cluster because they were taken over by strange entities from the outside. Outer Gods who could barely comprehend the dimensions they forced themselves into, Machine Gods who craved absolute order and would rather transform entire universes into a twisted and 'eternal' facsimile of what it had originally been than to suffer the 'indignity' of the chaos that was intrinsically mortal. Those were the milder examples as some beings were far far worse.
It was on those traumatising battlefields that he earned the Title of The Adversary. Cutting through swathes of their forces at a time with eyes burning in righteous Vengeance and a sword made of The First Light would do that, he supposed. It became a name whispered in fear by incomprehensible languages and was soon added to the Records of the World. Of course, the title somehow made its way into the mortal realms where it was promptly used to vilify him. He was admittedly a tad offended by that but it wasn't the first and certainly not the last time that he bled for creatures who repaid him with hostility. In the end, he just waved it off and lived with it.
His experiences on those horror-laden death worlds was the main reason as to why he knew how to restore what was lost and why he was shielding himself instinctively against most attempts of information gathering. He begged his Father to show him the first and his Mother for the latter just so that he could save the very few who kept clinging to a hint of their Self. The price he paid for the knowledge was well worth it for the few Souls he saved and guided back into the circle of Life and Death. The continued encroachment of outside forces was also why he was tasked with the construction of a system protecting His Creation. The situation in this cluster of universes reminded him uncomfortably of the dark times before the main universe was stabilised and made into an untouchable focal point by his Father with his enthusiastic assistance.
As for Alexandria's cursed source of power, the signature was a different one to what he determined from the other passengers, hinting at multiple invaders who were playing the long game. The more he learned, the more confused he was if he was being honest. They were likely not working in a partnership since one seemed content to just throw their powers at random people and watch what they'd do with them while the other decided full conversion was the way to go. He shrugged. Without unleashing all of himself, he wouldn't be capable of searching for them effectively if they hid themselves even halfway competently and he didn't want to give the game away too early. That didn't mean he'd be passive as it wasn't in his nature to do nothing. For all intents and purposes, this was now his home. Whoever was intruding would soon see that he was fiercely protective over what he called his own.
His thoughts were interrupted by the spatial equivalent of a knock on his wards. He blinked before smiling slightly. A Ward was knocking on his wards. Vista, she called herself in that cute green costume of hers, he believed. Pulling her into his home was something he did on a whim but he had to admit, he enjoyed teaching her and hoped she'd use her newest skill to commit some mischief. She looked as if she needed more fun in her life and she wasn't nearly old enough for his own favoured method of destressing. He contemplated her 'knock' for a moment before making his decision.
Since she was polite about it, he allowed her to open a corridor into his home. A permission she immediately made use of. After traversing around a kilometre with impressively few steps, she jumped through with her arms crossed behind her back. She was clothed in her Horizon outfit which consisted of dark grey jeans, a black hoodie, dark blue sneakers, and a black domino mask hiding the entirety of her face. Her bright hair was hidden by the hood and a pair of dark grey gloves did the same for her hands. On her side, she had a satchel made from darkened leather that likely had a fair few more trinkets hidden away than one would assume if the stretched space he could sense inside of it was an indicator. Altogether, it was quite the contrast to her regular cape outfit, and well suited to stay unseen in the dark.
It was clear that both effects were wanted. She intended to use her attire to camouflage in the night and if she was found, it was supposed to remove the persona from Vista. It worked well on darker nights but tonight was a full moon, the sky was clear, and his fiddling with some of the stars made them a fair bit brighter above the Bay. He didn't think she was suicidal so she probably wasn't planning to 'moonlight' today. Was she here solely to pay him a visit? Did she want to try and learn some more of his spatial manipulation? He honestly wasn't against teaching her even though it certainly wasn't his strong point, but she would have to make a deal...-
"Sooo... I heard you accept deals?"
She asked into the silence that had stretched for all of a second. There was a hopeful note in her tone of voice. This was somewhat unexpected. He rarely made deals with children and when he did, it was usually more of a skewed exchange. They were rather bad at negotiating after all. Take little Melanie for example. The preteen girl managed to pass his filters for prayers with a heartfelt plea. She asked for him to cure her favourite uncle's brain cancer and in exchange he would get her special birthday pudding. Of course he immediately set off. He wanted the pudding and it was basically a steal. After healing the man in his sleep, he asked her to keep his ability a secret. Two days later, she pestered her uncle to go to a check-up since she prayed for his cancer to go away, and he was astounded to be declared cancer free and without side-effects. That of course started all kinds of tests and the PRT got involved but it wasn't his problem any longer so he ignored the ruckus.
Obviously, he asked for her birthday to know when he would have to visit to collect his earnings, and stole her away for an hour. Not wanting to make her go hungry, he decided to share the birthday pudding with the birthday girl and handed her his present. He had little time to procure one so he created it from scratch. A little pendant with an obsidian worked into it since it fit well with the meaning of her name. The protective enchantments he put on the trinket were entirely self serving of course. As long as she was alive, she could ask for another deal after all. The little girl was so thankful that she copied her Nana's recipe for the pudding on top of fulfilling her side of the exchange. Truly, children had no ability to negotiate. She also called him uncle Lucy, which was less desirable, but he learned early on that it wasn't always possible to choose one's name. With the tangent in his mind being concluded, he turned his attention fully onto Horizon. His eyes sharpened as he glanced at the small but powerful girl without letting too many of his emotions show.
"That is the consensus, yes. There are very few things I am incapable of doing and most of them I offer in my Deals. Do note that my services are premium in quality and price alike. Whatever could a famous and capable hero such as you want from little old me?"
Despite not seeing her face, he could perceive the nervousness and some embarrassment radiating from her. As she fidgeted, he looked a bit deeper and observed her Soul with some worry. Her Karmic Balance was beyond reproach but large clouds of grey ash and black dust were intermingling and grinding against the outer layer, eroding it slowly. Those were the visual representation of the circumstances of her life. He didn't know any details. His perception didn't work like that. He just saw the influence of the Karmic Balance her deeds had on her Soul and her general alignment. At least that was the case before he started drawing on his Light as heavily as he did. Abilities he thought forever lost when the corruption of Hell took hold on him were returning and if he was honest, he enjoyed it. This more detailed Sight was among the rediscovered expressions of his Domain.
Light was his Essence. The deepest part of himself, and it was growing once again from the faint glimmer it had become when he was forced to allow Sin to thrive within his celestial coil. He would need some time to push himself towards the levels of Illumination he once had, but laying eyes on a Soul already revealed far more than before. As such, he knew that despite the cheerful persona she allowed the public to perceive, her life wasn't easy at all. He did not know the reason and neither did he want to intrude on her privacy in such a manner, so thinking about such things was meaningless as long as she didn't come to him for help. Why then was there a niggling thought in the back of his mind telling him to remove those difficulties with extreme prejudice? Was it because he wanted to see such a bright Soul unmarred? It was one of the reasons, he supposed, but certainly not the only one. His thoughts were pushed sideways when she finally calmed herself enough to state her side of the deal she desired to strike.
"I... I want you to be a hero."
'Say what?' His mind took a moment to grasp her words and a frown pushed onto his brows. He wasn't a hero. He was far too disillusioned to coin himself as such. He was a punisher, a warrior, and a being of Sin, but never a hero. He was a tormentor of the deserving. He was what waited at the end of the road for those too malicious to forgive. And most importantly, he was the Rebel. Becoming a hero never even entered his mind. Carefully, he looked at her.
"Why would you want me to play with the masked? Villains are rarely worth my time as long as they do not bother or incite me, and neither are most heroes for that matter. Involving myself in that mess would be time consuming and bothersome. The price for such a thing would be too much to bear for you I fear."
She went still and looked at him from behind her mask. His words, as always, were honest. He couldn't think of anything he would want in return for such a commitment. The way her shoulders slumped and the sigh she released told him that she understood as much. 'Still worth a try...' She whispered under her breath and he was a bit confused about what she was trying to achieve.
"Then... Can I at least make a deal that you won't become a villain and that you'll help if you notice that there are heroes in danger? I think you're more powerful than what you've shown so far and what we know is already pretty impressive, so having you act as a bit of a safety net in emergencies would be nice."
That was more doable, he supposed. Still a rather expensive deal for her to make since it enforced continuous work from his side, but it wasn't an impossible one. While he had a persona to maintain just as she did, stepping in when the heroes seemed to be on the verge of being overwhelmed wouldn't be all that hard to spin as a flight of whimsy. In a flash of flames, a special coin appeared between the index finger and the thumb of his left hand while he leaned forward to better look into her eyes. His lips twisted into a subtle grin as he twirled the coin over his knuckles.
"That's not quite as impossible, little space bender. I cannot help but wonder though. What would you be ready to offer for such a service?"
Her words came out of a smiling mouth without any hesitation. There was no delay as if her decision was already made. As if she had expected the question and prepared the answer beforehand. Which was probably not all that far from the truth.
"Everything."
She claimed confidently as if she knew the meaning of the word. As if she hadn't just potentially offered up her freedom for him to strip away. She was young and precocious. She couldn't understand the implications of what she was ready to sacrifice. It was a single word. A simple one to say and an easy one to regret. If there was a malicious demon or worse, a human with a deal making ability in his place, this single word would have opened the door to boundless suffering. He kept his reaction mostly benign, no matter how enraged he was at her carelessness. That didn't mean she'd get away scot-free. She had to understand that he wasn't happy with her decision and why. A barely there layer of Hellfyre coated his eyes and she gasped silently. It wasn't enough to harm her or even have a serious impact on her psyche. His control was better than that. It was just enough to impress on her the importance of his words. With a voice several octaves deeper than usual, he schooled her.
"Listen carefully, young one. Never offer such an open ended statement to a Deal-Maker, be it a Fae, a demon, a human, or a divine entity. Most everyone is selfish beyond belief and you cannot trust them to have your best interest in their mind. You cannot trust them to not take advantage of your self-induced vulnerability. And do believe me when I say that almost every Deal-Maker has a way to enforce payment of what they are owed."
His grave voice seemed to get to her as she tensed for a long moment before relaxing again. She looked into his coated eyes with her own clear ones. Surprisingly, there was no fear in them and from the slight crinkling around them, he could infer that she was smiling beneath her mask. Something else was hidden in her eyes. Something he rarely ever received. He callously ignored it for he was not deserving of it.
"I don't trust every Deal-Maker and I won't make any deal with anyone else. I'm comfortable with letting you decide payment because I trust you."
Her voice was as clear as her eyes. There was no deception of any kind. She meant what she said and nothing more, even though he failed to grasp why. She spoke the words when he ignored what he already knew. That fact made something snap into place in the back of his head. Protectiveness reared its head and confusion clouded his mind for a moment before he controlled himself and asked curiously.
"Why would you trust someone like me? I am barely an acquaintance. You met me only once before and you cannot be sure of my character. Worse still, I am The Devil. There are countless stories speaking of my corruptive influence. To trust me is a fool's choice."
His words did not sway her decision. She shrugged, uncaring of the implications of her choice and its impact, and smiled again with those crinkling eyes of hers.
"Well then I'm a fool because I just do. In fact..."
Without hesitation, she grasped her mask and hood and pulled them off, putting a nearly blemish-free youthful face on display. A small scar on the back of her jaw was the sole exception. Her hair was blonde and slightly wavy and her green eyes were more prominent and brighter, now that they weren't covered by the shadows of her hood and the mask.
"Missy Biron is my civilian name. Nice to meet you, Lucifer."
From the cheeky little smile on her lips, she likely understood how much of a headache this could become. He gave her an exasperated look that was returned with mischief in her eyes. With a sigh, he glared lightly at her as he let the Hellfyre fade away and flicked her forehead. She yelped and rubbed the spot with an exaggerated pout that did nothing to hide the fact that she was having fun.
"Let's talk about the price I demand from you."
He ominously stated instead of reacting to her obviously playful mood. He was caught on the back foot when instead of the expected fear, excitement became visible on her features. Her eyes sparked with it and the pout evened out and spread into a lively grin. The expression reminded him shortly of a younger, blonder version of himself. It was the same kind of cheekiness he often showed in front of his Father back then. Samael was the name he went by and at the time, he was proud of it. As he was of his title, the Light of God. He was the glaring Radiance burning away His foes and the shining protective Aegis shielding his younger siblings from the horrors of war together with Amenadiel and Michael. The three of them were well known and feared for their prowess in combat and their impeccable synergy, causing mayhem among the Outsider Forces.
Horrific as war always was, he somewhat missed the Bond they forged in this time. Amenadiel may have been irritated about his actions during the Rebellion, but he understood somewhat and they kept in contact. He even ended up visiting him in Hell from time to time. Mikey was… different. He took his actions as betrayal and tried to genuinely end his existence. It was... painful, though the word severely understated just how heart-rending it was to have to put his twin out of commission before he went after his estranged Father. He slowly blinked and let the moment pass. He had the perfect demand to make of her. His half-lidded eyes bored into hers.
"Do not take this lightly. If you do, you will pay for it. You offered everything and I suppose I will have to accept the Deal. My Word is my Bond and your offer is your Shackle. We both are bound to our agreement. I demand of you the following. Live well."
The silence after his demand stretched until she unconsciously released a questioning sound.
"Eh?"
He smirked and felt like ruffling her hair, but thought better of it after a moment. He never had such urges before with the exception being some of his far younger siblings, but the sensation felt strangely natural. As if something deep inside of him was awakening. He wasn't one to not listen to his instincts so while he didn't ruffle her hair, he did place his hand on top of her head. She blushed lightly but didn't react otherwise.
"It's simple. Do keep up, little one. The task you demand of me is long and arduous. Especially so since you did not put a time limit on it, you cheeky little minx. The least I can request in turn is a similarly challenging endeavour. As long as you live well, I will do my utmost to fulfil my part of the deal. This means you will work hard to fulfil your dreams. You will have some fun along the way, and ask for help when you believe you might need it. You will try your very best to not put your life into needless jeopardy and work with the people around you to make the best out of bad situations. I demand no less than your best effort and I am well aware of just how excellent you are, so do not try to cut corners."
This should ensure that slowly but surely, the darkness in her life will fade away, even if the influence comes from the outside. He wanted to see this Soul shine, and if he had to save some heroes from situations that grew above their oftentimes empty and idealistic heads, so be it. His attention was caught by a faint tremble of the young girl in front of him. There were tears in her eyes. 'Oh Father above, there are tears in her eyes...' While he did his best to not overly react to her sudden distress, he was panicking just a bit on the inside. 'I don't think I've said or done anything offensive. Why is she tearing up?' He contemplated taking his hand away, thinking he might have overstepped, but when he attempted to do so, she kept it in place instead. He was confused because from what he knew of her, she wasn't fond of being treated like a child. This action shouldn't have been received positively and yet here they were.
His confusion mounted when she shortened what little distance was in between them and pressed her face into his midsection while winding her arms around him. She then wiped her face on his suit and opened a corridor behind her to flee. With a wet laugh in her voice, she called out before the spatial distortion faded.
"I accept the deal! Have to go now, bye!"
With furrowed brows, he looked down on the mess of snot and tears on his most expensive suit and sighed with faint annoyance and unwelcome fondness in his voice. Luckily, he had found a fantastic tailor in the city and another in Boston. Their styles were completely opposite with one being on the artistic side of the spectrum while the other pursued the pinnacle of precision. Both styles were pleasing to the eye and they were comfortable to wear so he wasn't too hung up on her actions. Still... 'I think I need a drink.' and he knew just the club. He owned it after all. 'Maybe it's time for a little personal performance. I haven't had a chance to play the piano yet.' His lips stretched into a devilish smirk. Maybe he would enlighten some of those deelightful people to the pleasures of the flesh. It had been a while since he indulged in that particular Sin.
~Vista/Missy Biron/Horizon~
She was embarrassed. She was also happy enough to cry because of it. But most of all, she was overwhelmed. Almost too much to remember to put on the mask and to pull her hood up. She hugged him! She knew if she didn't want him to notice that she suspected something she shouldn't act so blatantly, but he was just so adorable! And warm! It was clear that he wanted to teach her life lessons without being obvious about it. That fire trick with his eyes to 'intimidate' her even though there was just loads and loads of protectiveness in them made it so obvious! He was a big ol' softy, she was sure of it.
She usually didn't like to be told what to do, but this was different. Every word, every action, every single little gesture she'd seen from him in the past twenty minutes confirmed her guess. Sure, if she didn't know beforehand, she might have misunderstood him, but with her pre-knowledge, it was all completely clear. In the short time she'd spent with him, barely two hours in total, Lucifer had acted more like a father to her than Mark ever did. He was already fully immersed in the role and it wasn't even official yet. She so wanted to cry out her joy but she had to endure.
For a short moment when he hesitated to ruffle her hair, she felt like a child again instead of a misunderstood little adult who was disregarded because of her young age and child-like physique, and surprisingly she didn't hate it. No, she actually liked it because it didn't feel condescending. Not like a set of rules to make sure she behaved or restrictions to keep her within the (PR)T's parameters. She could feel the warmth radiating from his palm and his protectiveness and care seeped into her like something tangible. It was nice to know someone cared that much for her...
It felt as if he just wanted to make sure she did well and that was... she couldn't really put it into words. She felt fuzzy and soft on the inside in a way she hadn't felt since long before triggering. It had been years since she felt as safe as in that moment. Then came the 'ominous' deal. She felt it take a hold of her but it was completely skewed. Breaking the conditions only really had one consequence. The deal would be naught and he wouldn't be bound to its word any longer.
It was completely open on her side while restricting him quite severely. Why would he go as far for someone he just met if not because she was his secret daughter? She giggled under her breath when she remembered the befuddled look on his face when she hugged him. That picture burned itself into her core memories and she'd treasure it forever. At the same time, she scolded herself. She couldn't give away that she already knew. It was counterproductive since he clearly wanted to form a bond with her before telling her. He'd be suspicious if she latched on too quickly. She would have to play along and when he felt she was ready for the truth, she'd tell him she knew all along.
Now that she had a taste of how he looked when he was surprised, she kinda wanted to see it more often. She had a feeling that chances would be precious few though. From what she'd personally seen and from the information publicly known about him she extrapolated that they knew nothing of his true capabilities. She inherited only one aspect of his powers it seemed, but she heavily suspected that he was way better with it than her. She had no idea when he triggered and how much time he spent honing that part of his powers, but from how casually he played around with space without even anchoring his four-dimensional cube, she could tell it had to be a lot.
As she happily skipped over the roofs of Brockton Bay while taking the 'scenic' route home, she contemplated the deal she agreed to. She was a bit bummed that he refused to be a hero, but could understand where he was coming from. He was clearly powerful and refused to let himself be shackled by rules and regulations. He went as far as openly showing his face to not be bound by a civilian identity. She couldn't really understand why he chose to open up a nightclub of all things but she wouldn't judge him. Everyone needed a hobby after all. 'He told me to have fun along the way...' She bit her lower lip. For a long time now, she hadn't allowed herself to act like a child. She had suppressed the urges to play around and be 'immature'. There were very few moments where she let herself act her age. But... maybe, some fun was ok as long as she wasn't too childish? She'd break the deal if she didn't follow his terms after all. She was going to have fun for the greater good. And if she enjoyed it, well, that was what he wanted, right?
He also indirectly approved of her choice to go moonlighting as a vigilante. He wanted her to 'do her best to make her dreams come true.' after all, and her dream was to make a difference. To live up to the title she was coined with. He also put some limits on it to make sure she was safe, which was such a dad thing to do. She had to work with others if necessary and he basically told her that if she was being foolhardy, she'd break the deal. He used the parameters of it to make sure she stayed careful and considerate of her own health. Her dad was smart and didn't want to restrict her too much, but he still wanted to add to her safety so she'd take care to not overdo it and ask for help when she needed it. In turn, he didn't set any limits on the use of her abilities. It felt good to be trusted to handle that much power responsibly. Strangely, she felt the need to be a bit more careful with her experiments since she didn't want him to regret trusting her. Was this another part of his plan? If so, he was smarter than she thought.
She felt a sour sensation invade her when the tiny light in her room that lit her way appeared on the horizon. She realized that she'd strolled through the Bay for quite some time. She really ought to go to sleep some time soon. It wouldn't do to fall asleep in school after all. 'Does he care about my education?' She asked herself before shrugging. Keeping up her grades on a decent level wasn't all that hard. No need to risk disappointing him for no reason. No, she wanted to make him proud. She slipped into her room and quickly changed out of her vigilante 'gear' before taking a short and quiet shower and putting on her pajamas. The pale blue ones with winged kittens all over them... 'I think they're cute and as long as no one sees me in them...' She shrugged before laying down. For the first time in two years, she sunk into the realm of sleep with a slight smile on her lips.
~Panacea/Amy Dallon~
She stared and the target of it stared back. 'Am I hallucinating?' She blinked and rubbed her eyes. Nope. Cherona was still sitting in front of the hospital and waiting like the good doggo she was. Complete with panting and lolling her tongue. If she didn't look like the victim of three separate car crashes, it might even be a cute picture. Heck, to her it was cute, but she was fucked in the head so her opinion didn't really count. The question was, why was she waiting out there? The most obvious answer was that the oversized canine was there for her. She talked about the technical end of her 'shift' a couple of times and how she usually stayed 'a bit' longer to make sure she got as much healing in as possible. She glanced at the clock and sure enough, the official end of her 'shift' was coming up in a few minutes. She didn't bother asking herself how the enigmatic dog found her. She was far more intelligent than most humans she'd met and more pleasant company too.
She looked like a perfect cross of an English mastiff and an Irish wolfhound with patchy fur from the gruesome scars that covered her entire body. She knew which breeds she resembled because she spent a fair amount of her drastically limited free time comparing dog breeds with each other, not that she'd mention that fact to anyone and if she was accused, she'd fuse a tongue to the roof a mouth. Three guesses who'd end up on the receiving end of her tender mercies. Of course she knew that Lucifer's dog was neither of those breeds since she was pretty sure that neither of them had multi-dimensional cell engines making up their bodies that somehow produced living ash and fire to fuel bodily functions she hadn't even begun to understand. Shoving those thoughts to the back of her mind, she tried to solve the conundrum that was presented to her.
On the one hand, while her shift was soon supposed to be over, Carol had strongly 'encouraged' her to do some overtime since it would increase good will for New Wave as a whole. On the other hand, could she really leave a potentially dangerous cape-like animal unattended this close to the hospital? She glanced once more out of the window where Cherona was receiving scratches from a child who had run up before the parents could stop him. She seemed to enjoy herself at least, but the parents were panicking. She grimaced when she witnessed the mother dart forward to take her son away from the 'dangerous' beast who simply continued to sit there unbothered. In the end, Carol's voice was silenced by common sense for once and she went to her liaison to 'clock out'. The baffled look on Nicky's face was a cause for embarrassment, as was the relieved smile and her parting words.
"I'm so glad you are starting to look more after yourself. If you continued like this, I'd have filed a complaint soon. You are an important part of Brockton Bay's health-care system and it wouldn't do to have you burn out before you even reach the age of majority."
The older woman then took her hands into her own and squeezed them with care. Her power informed her that she was completely genuine and that she was worrying far more than she let on. The thought that someone who should have been a stranger by all means gave more of a fuck for her than her adoptive mother was a bit of a pill to swallow, but it wasn't really a surprise if she was being honest. It also put some things into perspective. Soon, she was outside and on her knees to be enthusiastically greeted by her canine friend. She thought she'd have some time to think, but it wasn't to be.
"That's a cute doggy."
She turned to the young female voice and found someone she actually knew. The niece of the Mayor with her mother, who looked beyond apprehensive at the sight of Cherona. That didn't stop the girl from breaking free and running over.
"Dinah, no!"
Her mother shouted when the little girl immediately hugged the massive dog around her neck. Much of the woman's panic died down when Cherona took the 'assault' with all the grace a beast like her could show. Which was to say, quite a bit surprisingly, but it all went away when she slobbered over the girl's face.
"Ewww!"
She giggled away while trying to wipe the spit away and keep hugging Cherona at the same time. A task not at all made easier by the fact that she hadn't yet stopped her newest occupation as slobber-dispenser.
"If you try doing that with me, I swear I'll find a way to make your fur pink. Permanently."
She preemptively warned the canine and received a contemptuous sniff as an answer before she continued to shower the little girl with her own, rather disgusting brand of affection.
"Chance that she likes scratches behind her ears: 87.12%..."
She heard Dinah's whisper and the following wince clearly and it rang several alarm bells in her head. 'She's a cape. A thinker. Most likely a precog. And from that single sentence probably a powerful one...' That was a dangerous piece of information and she had to confirm her guess somehow. Getting an idea, she approached the mother while Dinah was preoccupied with Cherona.
"Mrs. Alcott. It's a pleasure to meet you. If I'm not too bold in asking, why are you in the hospital? Is your daughter sick?"
The woman startled and looked at her as if she only now noticed her presence. Which probably wasn't that far off the truth to be honest. Cherona had a... presence that was hard to ignore. That wasn't even to mention her massive size and her impressive collection of scars that drifted towards body horror for most people's aesthetic senses.
"Ah, the pleasure is mine, Panacea. I admire your work deeply. As for our presence, Dinah's headaches are beginning to escalate but the doctors don't seem to be able to pin down the cause. We are contemplating calling on our connections to have a specialist try and diagnose her. Is this... Dog yours?"
She admitted a bit contritely before asking a question to distract her a bit. She probably meant asking her brother for help and didn't like using him like that. 'Good that she won't have to do that then.' She mused before making the offer.
"First of all, the dog's name is Cherona and while I don't own her, I'm completely sure she's safe to be around. Now, while I don't work on brains, I still get the feedback from my power. I'm pretty sure I'm able to diagnose what ails her. If I have your permission of course. If the source isn't a problem in her brain, I can probably heal it too."
She felt a bit bad about saying it like this when she was fairly certain the girl was a Parahuman, but she wasn't lying. If she was wrong she would do her best to help, and if her hunch was correct, it was better for them to be in the know. If she was right and the girl was a powerful precog, it would be healthier for them to leave the city. Dinah's mother hesitated for a moment before tentatively agreeing.
"If you're sure it's not too much to ask?..."
She shook her head with a wry smile that barely deserved to be called that.
"I don't like to do commissions since it feels unfair to those who lie there waiting for someone to help while lacking the influence to make it happen. But in this case, I offered. Seeing a cutie pie like her suffer when I can help doesn't sit right with me. Not to mention that I admire her bravery. Approaching Cherona like that takes balls of-... Ignore the last part please."
Again, she wasn't lying and her near-faux Pas brought a smile to the mother's face. She hesitated for another moment before sighing wearily.
"As long as you're sure... I give you permission to diagnose, and if possible heal whatever is ailing my daughter."
She nodded and went over to the comically different pair. She confirmed with Dinah if it was alright to diagnose her. She received an odd look and a nod in turn and scanned her. 'As I feared. Her Gemma is active. The size of her Corona Pollentia is quite a bit above average too and there are some irritations around it that are indicative of Power-overuse and mostly seen in Thinkers.' She mused. Since her power calmed down after fairly regular scans of Cherona, she could make those observations without any pressure to do something untoward. It was nice to not have to deal with this kind of intrusive thoughts and it made her other kind a bit more bearable. It also had some possible connotations about powers that she really didn't want to think about. Snapping back to the present, she regarded Dinah seriously after making sure no one was listening with Cherona's help.
"As you probably already know, you're a Parahuman. A cape. I'm making an educated guess and say it's a precognitive power, which would make you a Thinker. Consent works a bit differently for Parahumans. While usually, parents have the executive say over treatments of their children until they reach the age of consent and in serious cases beyond that, outing a cape to their parents is not allowed until the child agrees. That said, if she asks I'll have to tell her that I am not at liberty to say which is enough for a smart individual to infer what's going on. I honestly advise you to come clean to your parents."
The girl nodded while still clinging to Cherona. With a pout she sullenly stated.
"I tried to, but they thought I was play-acting and dismissed my predictions as nonsense. They'll probably feel bad for ignoring me now."
She perked up and the smile on her lips had a mischievous edge that reminded her of Vicky when she was about to do something supremely childish.
"Maybe I'll get some extra sweets as an apology?"
That was surprisingly tame and it made her smile a bit as she ruffled the smaller girl's hair, much to her played-up annoyance. Cherona took that as a signal to 'style' the other side, making the fake-pouting girl who was barely managing to suppress her giggles try and fend off the double-pronged assault. 'Everything was less complicated back when we were kids.' Amy mused to herself as she rose to her feet and pulled Dinah along, who in turn refused to let go of Cherona and pulled her along much to the dog's amusement. Her mother was already waiting while ringing her hands in worry. Amy didn't know if she respected her privacy or hadn't quite overcome her nervousness in terms of Cherona, but she stayed a fair distance away from them while they silently talked. She gestured for the woman to come with them and led them all to a well hidden corner where she sometimes treated herself to a smoke before calling Vicky to return home. As soon as they were hidden away, Dinah decided to take the lead.
"Told you I'm a cape."
She started by dropping a bomb while stretching out her tongue at her mother, who was startled before desperately pleading with her eyes. Sadly, all Amy could do was shrugging with a helpless expression on her face. The woman sank into herself.
"I'd hoped it wasn't that... Roy always clamors about how capes are the reason why nothing works right in this city..."
She fought down the scowl that wanted to push onto her lips but couldn't quite suppress her glare. That sounded suspiciously as if she was making Dinah and other capes responsible for her troubles. It wasn't as if any Parahuman asked for the worst day of their lives. She certainly could have done without seeing her sister bleed out in front of her because some fucking morons calling themselves the Chorus Gang thought it was a good idea to shoot up a mall. It wasn't as if she didn't understand where they were coming from, but it was hardly their fault that almost every cape had a trauma or ten to deal with.
There were enough of them who tried to make a difference and help where they could, but they were counteracted by rabid fuckwads like the Slaughterhouse 9. If she ever got her hands on that limp-dicked fuck Jack Slash, she'd castrate him with a rusty spoon and heal him afterwards to repeat the performance. It was alright as long as she used her power only to heal, right? After taking a deep breath and scratching Cherona's neck to get her temper under control, she looked into the woman's eyes. Mrs. Alcott avoided the stare by averting her own and coughed into her small fist, clearly understanding that she'd inadvertently stepped on a landmine.
"My apologies. I didn't mean it like that. It's just... I've rarely heard of a cape who lived a peaceful life and I don't want my daughter to have to go through all of that. Is there any way to... I don't know, just not use her ability?"
Amy sighed, feeling a bit guilty for internally blowing up like that. She was sympathetic to the woman's plight. There were some cases of Parahumans who didn't feel quite as much of a need to clash with others, but it was generally acknowledged that most had some kind of need to use their abilities. Just not using one's power was highly unlikely to happen. She told her as much, and laid out her options.
"Generally, the three main paths for a cape are Hero, Villain, and Rogue. All of them are further split into part of a team or solo. Thinkers, especially straight forward ones with high accuracy, are desired by all of them. If anyone learns of her powers, it's gonna be dangerous for not just her but you all as well. Having a cape identity would protect you at least from those who respect the Unwritten Rules, but there are those who think that what most see as a code of conduct to be kept sacrosanct is merely a suggestion. I'd advise to call a family meeting with all of those you trust and discuss what to do. Let Dinah be part of it. Maybe try and use her ability to work out a solution, but be careful not to ask too many questions. Thinker headaches are no joke and they don't go away with over the counter meds. Heck, even the stronger stuff barely works."
Mrs. Alcott looked thoroughly overwhelmed but she still tried for a thankful smile that almost looked genuine. Dinah noticed the general mood and burrowed her face in Cherona's neck who was doing her best to keep her calm by being the good doggo she was.
"Thank you... I know you didn't have to sacrifice your time for us, but I'm really thankful and, well, just know I'm grateful. I... We have to go. I'll take your advice... We, maybe Dinah can call when she has a question or something?"
She knew she was going to regret this... She pulled out a notepad she kept on her person to note down ideas when inspiration struck for another cape fic, and wrote her private number on it before turning to Dinah.
"Memorize it and destroy it afterwards please. I don't wanna have to change numbers because this one somehow got out. Also try and use it with either a secure line or a burner phone. I may sound paranoid but you'd be too when you had to change phone numbers six times a year because someone tapped your sister's unsecured line and sold your private number on the net."
She grumbled and Dinah nodded rigorously.
"I'm good with numbers."
She commented with a sardonic edge that made Amy glance at her in surprise. The girl smiled back and showed that she was a better actor than she first noticed. After a lengthy farewell that had some shed tears because Dinah got far too attached to the monstrous dog, they parted and Amy felt exhaustion creep up on her. 'Why is it always me?...' She asked herself, knowing very well that she was over-dramatising things. Not just that but most of the time, the drama was self-inflicted too. Putting that 'Revelation' out of her head, she asked piteously.
"Can't you carry me?"
She was expecting the smart kinda dog to mock her for the sorta joking question or something. What she didn't expect was her gesturing to her back with her head. That woke her up from her self induced melancholy rather quickly.
"Seriously?"
She asked just to be sure and Cherona nodded impatiently, even going as far as tapping her left front paw. With a wild grin, she moved embarrassingly quickly to mount the overgrown fluffy beast who sported more scars than Edward Scissorhands. Beneath her, she could feel her bulk up a bit, making her even more imposing than before and with her hands on her, she could even somewhat follow the process, though her knowledge was pretty shallow still. The 'treat' sent a wave of pleasant emotions through her that clearly originated from her power and she shoved the worry about that particular fact into the same compartment as always.
The soft movement when Cherona started trotting towards the Lux and the pleasant heat seeping into her from the furnace beneath her exacerbated her sleepiness and she gave in somewhat willingly as she knew that Cherona wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. She didn't really know where that trust came from but the reassuring sensation was enough to tip the scales and she slipped off.
When she woke up, they had stopped and a loud, stocky, and rather tall woman she thought she knew from somewhere was blocking their way with three snarling dogs standing in front of her. She looked around and found that Cherona decided to take a slight detour to visit the dog park that was close to the docks. She could feel that she was fairly relaxed and not really worried about the situation. She seemed to be a bit bored actually, so Amy decided to watch what was happening before deciding how to act.
From what she understood, the woman seemed to think that Cherona was one of the mistreated dogs from Hookwolf's dog fighting pits because of the scars and she was offering help. Cherona was obviously not willing to go with her, causing her to switch modes towards aggressiveness. 'That's... Hellhound, right? From the Undersiders? Wait, Hellhound threatening a real Hellhound and posturing in front of her as if she was an Alpha? Oh, that's going to be hilarious.' A vicious little grin pushed onto her lips as anticipation pushed back her sleepiness for the moment. For this, she'd stay awake. She just wished she had some popcorn to go with it. Or a camera.
"You'll come with me no matter if you want to or not. You need help even if you escaped on your own."
Amy frowned. Her motivations weren't bad actually. She knew from PHO that she regularly hit Hookwolf's dog fighting rings to free the dogs and due to her rather lacking, speak nonexistent, civilian identity, there were some fellows on the boards who tracked her efforts and a couple even volunteered to help. Intellectually, she knew that villains were people too and that the world wasn't black and white, but she absolutely abhorred to be confronted with the fact. Things were easier to deal with if you could just sort everything into two compartments with no way to bleed over.
She didn't want to deal with the headache that came with admitting that villains could do good and heroes could intentionally do morally questionable things or worse. She knew they fucked up sometimes. It was part of any job and even though some of the dumbasses refused to learn from their failures, it was understandable that sometimes things went south. Especially when villains were somehow part of the picture. But admitting that villains could do good would mean that the opposite was true too. It would mean that maybe Carol wasn't in the right. That she didn't deserve the punishment for being her father's daughter. That the faint memories of warmth and comfort before she was taken in by this strict and condescending woman who claimed to be her mother but did nothing to prove her words weren't distorted and wrong...
While she spiraled something fierce, things on the outside came to a head too, and in a rather hilarious manner. She snapped out of her slight episode when a deep inhuman growl echoed through the almost empty park. The few dogs that were still around prostrated themselves, including the three in front of them and their owner. Hellhound immediately dropped once the sound rumbled out of Cherona's throat and laid there on her back while shivering slightly. 'Serves her right for making the house of cards that is my worldview tremble like that.' She grumbled internally. She was self aware enough to know her view was flawed.
The recent support she received from unexpected sources, some of which were decidedly more violent than heroes should be, showed her as much. But truly admitting and internalizing it was hard. She could feel her world tilt and only the fact that she was less stressed in other aspects of her life kept her somewhat in balance. Seeing another proof that she was wrong wasn't really helping matters.
She almost laughed when Cherona chuffed with self-satisfied contentment and continued on her way, stepping over the woman who behaved more like a dog than a human in the process. If the villain had decided to empower her dogs, things might have gone differently, but as it was, she was dealt with without violence. She decided it was best that she didn't contemplate the fact that she was a bit disappointed about that.
~Jack Slash/Jacob Black~
He had a rough idea where she was already and could probably find her in a few minutes but he was a connoisseur of suffering. That was why he sat this one out and convinced the Siberian to do the same with copious amounts of meat. Boxing her in and slowly driving her insane with fear until she broke down like the miserable rodent she was had far more interesting connotations. Just how would she break? She was one of the first Wards, mentored by Hero himself. That alone made her an interesting case study. Would she keep clinging to her useless heroic ideals until the very end? Was it possible to twist her mind? To push her until nothing was left of the person she once was? He did just that with several interesting capes a couple of times already and usually, repetition was beneath him, but this was different. It would be so much more satisfying to achieve it with someone of such a prestigious background.
With a gentle smile, he looked around and saw the sheep they herded together. While trivial in the grand scheme of things, he enjoyed the flinches, cries, and the occasional case of terror-induced incontinence his mere presence had on people of lesser mental fortitude. Watching the Siberian gnawing on a clearly human leg did its part too, he supposed. 200 people being part of this game was a bit on the low side for them but it was alright. Everyone needed some slow and lazy days every now and then.
With enough preparations, they could have methodically taken apart the entirety of Torrance, but this was just a short visit that coincided with their current 'job', so they chose a smaller target instead. They eradicated a small hamlet, barely more than a thousand inhabitants, and took around 200 people from the city to 'restock'. They could have simply made do with the locals but Sibby was hungry and Bonesaw had run out of parts to play with, so this arrangement was made instead. They even had the luck of acquiring a hidden Parahuman with the power to slowly erode minerals. A hard power to weaponise, Jacob had to admit, which was why he was hidden. Not that it helped him in the end.
His thoughts went to their 'employer'. Ravager, a rather small-time villain with the interesting power of causing prolonged suffering in the way of nasty festering wounds, reached out to them and 'hired' them to deal with Mouse Protector. It took a special kind of mental health deficiency to expect them to just take the pittance of money offered and deal with her problems but they would correct this case of disrespect soon enough. First, they'd break Mouse Protector and then they'd collect the villain who was found lacking in terms of brain cells. He was sure that his little B would be happy to play with her and maybe she'd be capable of making up for her deficient intelligence. The primary reason was a different one however. She was at a critical junction in her research about power-altering surgery and having access to more materials was always going to be a good thing. Before collecting their resources, they'd first have to deal with this little mouse though. It was important to have one's priorities straight after all.
Speaking of priorities, he already had a quaint target chosen once they were done with their current obligations. He finally decided to give in to little B's constant begging. It was time to visit Brockton Bay. It made sense, really. They were down a member and that city had several intriguing and promising choices. Bonesaw wanted Panacea as she would make a fabulous big sister. Mannequin was interested in Armsmaster. Crawler was hoping to rile up Lung until he could give him a challenge. Burnscar showed a rare spark of interest when learning that after learning that a rather strong Shaker named Labyrinth had joined Faultline's Crew.
Hatchet Face, well, the man wasn't very bright admittedly. He lived to kill capes so he would likely be at home in a city as overrun by them as Brockton Bay. Siberian was happy as long as she could eat so she was always along for the ride, though she did show a small measure of interest in Hellhound, or Bitch as the needlessly crass cape called herself. Manton only cared about hurting Cauldron as much as he could so he would be content causing as much chaos as possible while watching the power-granted facsimile of his daughter bloom into the truly terrifying creature she was.
Shatterbird hadn't directly expressed her desire to visit the Bay but little B was wearing her down during their tea parties so she would likely be on board. As for his own motivations to visit the Cape Capital? Well, there were several. He had to admit he was curious why Bonesaw was so fixated on Panacea and he wanted to see their collaborative artwork. He was certain it would be hauntingly gruesome in the best of ways. He also had a vested interest in playing with this many Parahumans at a time. It promised to be fun. But the most important reason was the newest duo of the Bay. Lucifer Morningstar and Maze. He had seen the murder of that worthless cretin named Skidmark. No self-respecting cape should ever choose such a repulsive name. He definitely deserved his death, though not in such a painless and abrupt manner.
What truly fascinated him was the acting duo. Maze was a very seasoned killer. He could recognise a fellow connoisseur of suffering and he knew the only reason Skidmark's fate was not one of prolonged misery was simply because he was below her notice. A sentiment he certainly could agree with. As for Lucifer, he took the name of the Devil and Maze was subservient to him. That much was clear. Any other attempt at gathering information about him failed utterly. Something he wasn't used to. And wasn't that intriguing?
Rather suddenly, a faint unease manifested. He wasn't sure what it was, but something wasn't as it should be. He turned to Bonesaw who was stitching some of the previously murdered citizens into beautiful little gory stars out of boredom, and decided to act. With a thoughtful hum, he informed them.
"Hmm... Little B? Siberian? It's time to join the hunt. I admit, I am tired of this game. It's just not the same without the tormented screams of our foes."
Whatever was wrong, it wouldn't be for long. If they lost another member or two, so be it. Their next target had more than enough fresh meat to choose from. In all senses of the expression.