~Amy Dallon/Panacea~
She was in a good mood for a change. Her near-permanent headache was almost completely gone, her brain felt far less cluttered and somehow, her power seemed more cooperative than ever before, even while healing. If only her sister would let her enjoy it.
"But why didn't you tell me! I would have supported you all the way!"
Vicky's voice grated on her ears as they walked through the corridors of Arcadia and she was moments away from snapping at her. If this went on much longer, her good mood that stuck with her ever since she inspected Cherona would be ruined. Sure, she could come and go as she wanted since she received the explicit permission to visit the 'hell-forged' dog without prior notice and for some reason she couldn't quite comprehend, she was even trusted enough to take her for a walk, but that didn't mean she'd just let all the good vibes evaporate because her sis was feeling a bit playful.
Gritting her teeth, she directed a scathing glare at the unrepentant young woman who innocently blinked at her with the slightest hint of a mischievous grin. She knew that Vicky knew she was being annoying, but she felt a large part of her ire evaporate nonetheless when she laid her eyes on the object of many secret and dark desires. Mostly her own. And those of that limp-dicked fuck VoidCowboy. If she ever got that suicidal moron in her hands, he'd die slowly from prostate cancer. Pleasant thoughts aside, it spoke well about her ability to be an annoying brat that she managed to rile her up at all. She was beginning to consider making some of her threats come true. She'd given her quite a few 'upgrades' over the years and she could take them away just as easily. Before taking such drastic steps, she'd try guilt tripping though.
"Because of this, Vicky. I knew this would be how you'd react and I hated your attempts to railroad me into a relationship when you thought I was straight. That won't change now that you know that I'm a clam muncher. Before you realized this, I could at least pretend that you are just a misguided fool who means well. I can't stand the thought that another aspect of my life is controlled by someone else. I've got enough of that from Carol. She micromanages over 90% of my time. You don't need to add to that by planning away what little me-time I have left. Please leave it alone..."
Her sister winced at the defeated tone in her voice and she drew a bit of vindication from the sound as well as the following somewhat uncomfortable silence. 'Seems like it worked. It appears that you'll be allowed to keep those gifts for now. Oh, who am I kidding. I'd never take away from your perfection.' She expertly pushed her thoughts into the dark corner of her mind once more before contemplating how she sold her little impromptu guilt trip so effectively. It certainly helped her delivery that this was as much honesty as she was comfortable with on this topic. Everything she said was true. It just wasn't the whole truth. She left out just a tiny little detail. She was fixated on Vicky. Her sister was her obsession. It was wrong, it was sick, it was twisted, and it was undeniably true.
She tried several times to somehow brute force attraction for another girl, but it never really worked out. She could find them attractive, but there was never more than faint acknowledgement of the fact before she went on to compare them to the sinful temptation that was Victoria Dallon. The faint attraction without any spark just couldn't compete with the Soul-searing longing she felt for the blonde menace bouncing beside her and whatever else she felt, it always flickered out before taking hold in any meaningful way. Until she felt a small but undeniable twinge while being teased by a murderous barkeeper.
Maze, who fucking slaughtered Skidmark so casually that it took her a moment to even realise that there was a knife's handle sticking out of his forehead... She watched the vid again after returning home from the Lux and she really shouldn't have been aroused by the sway of her hips when she sashayed over to the dead drug lord to retrieve her dagger. When she met the woman and interacted with her, she realized something. A glorious fact that gave her hope that she may just redeem herself in time. A fact that made her fixable. She WAS capable of feeling attracted to others besides Vicky.
Admittedly, what she felt was nowhere near the obsessive intensity that threatened to consume her whenever her sister intruded in her personal space, but seeing the wild features of Lucifer's bartender hover this close while gifting her a look that implied... pleasant things, and well, it made her stomach squirm. The sensation was far more comfortable when directed at someone other than Vicky, she had to admit. personally, she thought it may have been the absence of soul-crushing guilt and self-loathing, but she wasn't an expert. The next thing she noticed was that it didn't fade as per usual when she compared the two. One reason was probably that Maze was almost as perfect as Vicky, and the wild and dangerous aura she had going for her added to the Hotness Factor. A faint phantom tingle went through her every time she thought about the caramel beauty and she reveled in it.
She supposed she should have been a bit more worried about developing a crush on a murderess, but she couldn't care less. Bullshit as it was, Skidmark officially had a Kill Order at the time of his death. That meant that Maze wasn't a villain yet. Like Lucifer, she was a rogue. And that made it ok in her book. Was she grasping at straws to justify herself? Most certainly. Did she care much by now? Yes. Yes she did. But for a while, she wanted to pretend she didn't. Thoughts of her newest source for moral dilemmas fled her mind when Vicky restarted their conversation.
"Look, I'm sorry. I just wanted you to have what I have. I just wanted you to be happy."
She looked at her gorgeous but sometimes daft sister with a carefully blank face. Luckily they were alone at the moment since they were quite a bit earlier than usual. The empty hallways gave them just enough privacy to at least hint at her honest thoughts. She raised an eyebrow and allowed some of her disbelief to show on her face. Her expression made Vicky fidget uncomfortably. Good.
"So... You want me to enter a toxic relationship that resembles a periodically erupting volcano more so than an intimate connection based on trust, attraction, and genuine affection? Vicky, you know I love you. And while I don't like him, I respect Dean to a certain extent. Really, I do. But that thing you have going with him? It's not exactly a model I want to follow. Like, at all."
She sighed when her sister's posture closed off. She wasn't even saying that because she had some delusions of being able to talk her into something. Well, at least that wasn't the main reason. She genuinely thought that Dean wasn't a good fit for her. He was a... nice guy. She could admit that. He could also be a bit of a sanctimonious douche, which was a strange mix, but that didn't change the fact that he was a capable hero in training and that he would be a force for good once he entered the Protectorate. The main problem was the way they danced around the issues they had before falling into a passive-aggressive routine that accumulated until one of them exploded and threw months worth of minor grievances around was unhealthy for both of them. Vicky was a willful girl and she needed someone who kept a firm hold on her. Not to the point of being stifling, but just enough to keep her head out of the clouds. She was intense and the way she acted was dictated not by her admittedly impressive intellect but by her even more impressive temper once it was ignited. Her general emotional state had a say too, but she was only really unreasonably volatile when she was angry or protective, both of which often went hand in hand with her.
She needed someone who could calm her down and work out her frustrations before they could get the better of her. Honestly, Amy was certain that only she was suitable to do that. She would worship and ravish her until no passion was left to...- 'And abort. Damnit, I thought today was a good day...' She groused to herself half-heartedly as her thoughts slipped into forbidden territory again. Admittedly, it was a good day. She was slipping far less than usual. She even managed to divert some of her more risque thoughts towards Maze, which was a big step in her opinion. It also awakened her curiosity as to how the woman's yummy thighs would feel around her neck while she was choking her, but that was neither here nor there. Usually she had to stop herself several times from giving in to the temptation of spying on her in the bath and later from storming into her room because she had an 'important' issue to discuss that decidedly couldn't wait until she was clothed. Oftentimes, she had to actively suppress thoughts that would turn even the most reinforced of stomachs, but she felt better since Cherona's 'sacrifice' and Maze's temptations.
She was a mess and she knew it. But she was a fixable mess. She could feel something for others. She wasn't quite as emotionally crippled as she thought. That gave her hope that maybe, someday, she'd live up to the reputation Carol had built for her with careful manipulation of the available information surrounding her. Speaking of the woman who hadn't called her daughter to her face in more than five years, she didn't appreciate their stint in the Lux. Not at all in fact. Only the fact that Vicky had the foresight to include aunt Sarah in the conversation saved them from permanently being grounded or worse. Much to her glee, their aunt even supported Vicky's punishment to play waitress twice a month. To build character, she claimed. From Crystal's barely hidden glee, Amy already knew who'd do her best to embarrass Vicky.
Carol tried to aggressively argue against working with a known murderer, but her aunt's blunt admittance that she was tempted to end the fucker herself after the last raid and that she'd have seriously tried if he had a Kill Order took the wind out of her sails. It was glorious to see her being shut down like that and the memory would stay with her for a long time.
"Is anything the matter, Amy? You're even more quiet than usual."
She debated with herself if she wanted to give an on-brand snarky reply, but decided against it. She deserved it for sure, but somehow she wasn't really in the mood.
"Everything's alright, Vicky. Just got a lot to think about. You know, that thing some people do before deciding to imitate a flying brick and smash through the entrance of the most popular night club in the city before handily losing to the owner in a fight? Don't worry, you'll get it eventually."
... Maybe there was a tiny hint of snark hidden in that answer. With a bit of luck, she won't notice.
"Aaaamyyyy! Stop bullying me!"
She whined piteously while floating backwards to look at her with that outrageous pout on her lips and she wanted nothing more than to kiss it away. With a sigh, she glared at her.
"No flying, or floating, in school. You know that. You'll get detention if they catch you again."
Her words grounded Vicky, but her pout didn't go away. It only grew more intense. She shook her head and gifted her sister a wry grimace that might be misconstrued as a smile if one squinted with both eyes. It was a painful thing and she donned it to deliver an even more painful truth.
"Stop your pity party and try to prove me wrong instead. Seriously, you were so lucky. Just imagine for a moment what could have happened to you if he was a villain instead of a 'dashing rogue'. You intruded on his territory and started smashing without even trying to go the diplomatic route. If he really abducted me, do you think he would have been dumb enough to hide me in his club? Or let me keep my phone? I know there are several trackers on it and I can understand why Carol did that even though I'd have liked to have a say in it. or at least be told when it was done. Would've spared me the headache of finding out about it on my own. If I can gather that much, most villains can too. No matter how you think about it, your stunt could only have ended in tragedy, and not just for you."
The sudden swing from playfully snarky to dead serious caused some whiplash for Victoria. She froze with wide eyes and seemed to imagine all the ways this could have gone far worse than it did. Carol already said some similar things but it sounded quite close to what she usually yelled at Vicky when she overdid it, so Amy knew she didn't take it to heart. It physically pained her to regurgitate some of the stuff Carol had screamed into their faces, because of course she'd get most of the flak since she let Vicky convince her to go clubbing for the very first time in her life, but just because the woman loathed her didn't mean she was wrong. Acknowledging that was painful but the fact that she almost cited Carol was also enough to snap her sister out of her attitude. It was a pyrrhic victory at best but she'd take what she could get.
The way Vicky paled told her that she probably understood the implications. Maybe she'd actually take it to heart and think things through before blasting off the next time? She didn't have much hope for it but a healer could dream, right?
~Taylor Hebert~
She almost drew blood from how strongly she bit down on her lower lip when her dad insisted to take her along into a club owned by Parahumans who tacitly approved of killing.
"Why are you trying so hard to take me there, dad?"
Some of the frustration she usually kept locked deep inside must have slipped into her voice because he turned fully to her and searched her face with his eyes. Seemingly having found what he was looking for, he sighed.
"Do you think I'm evil? Or that your mother was because she supported a villain?"
She was caught off guard by his question. Why was he asking something like this? Her brows furrowed as she drew her conclusions before looking at him with disbelief in her eyes. His somewhat defeated smile told her that her deduction was probably the correct one. Before she could ask, he explained.
"As you know, your mom ran with Lustrum. Even before the scandals surrounding her escalated, she wasn't exactly a gentle cape if such a thing even exists. They hunted rapists for sport and left them in... dire straits, let's say. Some of them didn't make it I'm sure, but I have to admit, I lost no sleep over the fact that there were less sexual predators on the streets."
She could only listen silently with a bit of a queasy feeling in her stomach. This was something her dad hadn't ever talked about. In general, they hadn't talked much in recent years. That was changing over the past few weeks. His mood was visibly improving and he slowly emerged from that antisocial half-depressed cocoon he had spun around himself. Right now, he was talking about mom. Something he almost never did. It stirred something inside of her and she was almost angry at him without knowing why. Before she could confront him, she'd have to confront her messed up emotions first. So she sat there with her long gangly legs pulled to her nonexistent chest and listened.
"I met your mom on such a hunt. She was wearing a white summer dress with floral patterns and looked like personified innocence. Later, I learned she was the bait to draw out the rapist that was haunting the area. Well, she managed to do that and I witnessed him make a grab at her. Snatched a pipe from the ground and smashed it into the back of his head before trying to get her to run. I remember well just how confused I was when I saw that bright smile and mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Right before I nearly crapped my pants when a laughing Lustrum entered the scene with her lieutenants. Long story short, I was approved by her for my decisive actions and Annette decided that I'd make a good boy toy. Things developed from there."
His voice stayed strong and calm the entire time but she could hear the strain. The suppressed heartbreak and the tears that were kept at bay with long practice. She'd never known. She had asked her mom a few times how she met dad, but she always winked with a cheeky grin and told her that she'd hear the story when she was older. Now she knew why. She observed her dad closely and noticed the moist eyes lost in reminiscence behind his glasses. The slight tremor of his hands. The way he hunched over just a bit more than he did before he told the story. She could feel her own eyes grow wet and didn't fight it. Instead, she did something she hadn't done in several years. She initiated a hug with her father.
She could tell he was startled from the way he tensed and didn't know what to do with his hands in the first few moments, but he caught on quickly and encased her in his arms. The feeling was a nostalgic one and for a few moments, she could almost pretend to be that chatterbox of a preteen again. She almost felt the all-encompassing feeling of safety a good parent was capable of giving their children. They stayed silently like that for some minutes as she soaked up the comfort that felt bittersweet before she whispered in his ear with a voice husky from the tears that had fallen quietly.
"Thank you for telling me. She always said I'll have to wait until I'm older. Now I know why... TMI by the way."
He chuckled softly and the sound was equal parts melancholic and joyful. His hand rubbed soothingly up and down her back and she realized he noticed her tears. With a slightly wistful sigh, she pulled back and looked at her dad. He was looking more peaceful than she'd seen him in a long time. She understood what he was trying to say, but was this really the same? Logic told her no. What her mom had done was worse. She doubted Lucifer and Mazikeen had gone out of their way to hunt down Skidmark who was randomly driving around the docks on their first day in Brockton Bay. They met him accidentally. The gang leader antagonized them and paid for it with his life. His end was ruthless but quick. Her mom played bait to draw out predators to beat them within an inch of their life and sometimes beyond. They were guaranteed to suffer for quite a while if they survived. Somehow, that story put things in a different perspective...
"Fine... I'll accompany you. I reserve the right to judgmentally stare at them the whole time though."
When his expression eased even further and slipped into a smile that was almost without suffering, she realized she made the right decision. After all, what could possibly go wrong?
XxXxX
Her past self was a bitch. If she could slap her, she would show no mercy. She'd probably punch out a few teeth too. 'Wait, does that mean I'm prone to self harm?...' The tangent distracted her for a short moment before she focused on keeping an eye on the barkeeper from behind her mug of tea. She moved like an older Sophia. That strange predatory grace that had one movement flow into the next one seamlessly. With Sophia, it looked a bit forced. As if she was trying to imitate a Big Cat or something, but wasn't quite there yet. This cape though? Her movements were entirely natural. She moved like this because it was second nature. Because she was dangerous and it showed.
She tried not to flinch when she brushed past her too close, but failed to suppress it completely for the umpteenth time. She was almost certain the woman was baiting her and her hunch was quickly confirmed. She had a much more pronounced reaction to the bottle of beer that was slammed onto the table in front of her before the barkeeper turned around the chair, swung her leg over it, and sat down in one smooth motion. She avoided looking into her eyes and prayed that she'd go away when she noticed that the woman was staring at her.
"Okay, I'll bite. Why the fuck do you flinch like a rabbit having an epileptic seizure when I'm getting close to you?"
That... Wasn't an analogy she'd expected. Not at all. Should she be insulted by it? If she heard it somewhere, she might have found it funny, but since it was directed at her... With a silent sigh, she responded.
"You remind me of someone..."
She made an acknowledging sound in the back of her throat before sipping on her beer and went back to staring. By now, Taylor was beyond uncomfortable but she was also stubborn so she tried to endure it until she left. Sadly, she had no such luck.
"Yeah, no. I'm gonna need more information than that, long legs."
'Long legs?...' She was confused about the insult because it didn't really sound like one, but she meekly replied anyway.
"The way you walk... It's kinda similar to a classmate's..."
A long, drawn out 'hmmm' followed before the woman shrugged and emptied the bottle in a single draw.
"Oh well. Seems like you're being tormented by a bitch, right? Why not smack her a new one to get her to back the fuck off?"
'If only it was so easy...' She thought to herself. She had several daydreams of somehow fighting back or at least defending herself against the physical attacks. Sophia was far stronger than her though. She was a track star and a physical powerhouse capable of out-punching physically inclined junior gangbangers as she'd proven a couple of times when things got rougher than usual. How should she fight back against that?
"It's... Not that easy."
She summarized her thoughts and earned a scoff.
"Can't really judge that when I don't know what's going on, can I? Well? What are you waiting for? Spill."
It took her mind a moment to catch up with what was happening. Was she gonna do it? The woman seemed far more benign than she'd expected her to be. Sure, she was abrasive and definitely violent if the vid of her ending Skidmark's cursed existence was anything to go by, but this was the first time someone showed interest in her situation. The school officials did pretty much the opposite and called her either a delusional troublemaker or an instigator who tried to make trouble where there was none. Which was pretty much the same thing but they packaged it differently. To add some flavor to the Hell they dared to call a school. Her dad was still negotiating with Lucifer and it was probably going to take a while... 'Ah, to hell with it.' A sudden surge of something fatalistic pushed her on and she did as she was told. She spilled. She started haltingly, but once she got going, she didn't stop.
All the vitriol and isolation she suffered through. All the little barbs, the vicious ways Emma used their previous closeness to break her psyche, all the stress that had accumulated over the past year and a bit. It all broke out of her as she raged at a stranger who listened silently to it all. For the first time in over a year, she released all the pent up frustration and it felt good. She didn't realize just how much she needed to vent until it happened. At the end of it, she slumped down onto the bench she'd used before and breathed heavily after slamming down both fists onto the table. The moment of satisfaction wasn't quite worth the pulsing pain in her hands, but what was done was done.
She hadn't even realized she'd been pacing through half of her rant and now she felt spent. A pleasant numbness spread through her as she righted her posture and began nibbling on one of the scones Lucifer had put in front of her before leaving with her dad. They tasted fantastic. They reminded her of better times, when her mom was still around and when her family was happy and whole. A time where she had a confidante, a sister even with whom she shared everything. Before this twisted facsimile of the person she adored took her place and began to systematically corrupt and destroy any and all good memories they had together. She didn't notice she was crying until she tasted the saltiness on her next bite. It was a strangely fitting addition.
Before she registered it, the woman had chosen to sit next to her and pulled her into an almost painful side hug. It was a bit of an uncomfortable position to be squashed against her solid body but the rough treatment in combination with her obviously lacking familiarity with comforting gestures made it seem surprisingly earnest. The raw honesty gave it meaning and soothed something deep inside of her.
"Look, long legs. I'm horrible at all that mushy shit but I know what betrayal feels like and no one deserves that. Tell you what, I sat through your life story and in exchange, you'll shut your mouth and listen to mine. At least the abbreviated version. We don't have the time for the full one."
She tried shifting a bit but it was hopeless against the strong and unforgiving hold the gorgeous woman had on her, so she decided to simply enjoy the given intimacy. This was the second time she was hugged in over a year, and both times happened within a day. 'Huh...' She faintly mused to herself at the thought. She barely registered that she went from terrified in front of who seemed to be an adult, more badass version of Sophia whose hands were already bloodied to enjoying her awkward hug in less than an hour. The thought fell away quickly when Maze started talking.
She painted a terrifying picture of the hellscape she wandered as a child, doing everything to survive without any real direction. She explained in surprisingly eloquent and gruesome detail how far she'd had to go to have a chance at survival and how she grew to be a terrifying combatant and war-lady in her own right. Taylor was caught up in her words and fascinated beyond belief because she could tell this wasn't some story she had invented to make her feel better. This was gritty and real. This was suffering and surviving by the skin of her teeth. There was no glorious recollection of heroic epics. Just Hell and how to somehow live through it.
"And then HE came. He had heard of my exploits. How I united the Western Wastes and ruled with an iron fist. He wandered into my territory as if he was on a stroll through his backyard. I rallied my forces, gathered the largest army I'd ever commanded, and took the field against him. Do you wanna know what the fucker said? He looked at the more than 20.000 demons behind me and showed an indulgent smile. His eyes flickered with subdued Hellfire and he muttered only two words, clearly audible for everyone. 'How cute.'."
She felt the woman tense around her but the embrace didn't tighten. An angry laugh with a tinge of helplessness pushed past her lips before she continued.
"Understandably, the massive pack of demons behind my back wasn't happy. They began to scream for his blood, tendons, and some other shit I don't remember. I think it was his spleen? As if any of those morons even knew what a spleen is... anyways, the ruckus grew too loud for him. An irritated frown made its way onto his brows and there was no warning before he gave an order. Only one. A single word. Kneel, he near-whispered. And kneel they did. Over 20.000 violent, murderous, and rambunctious fuckers I've wrangled under my command with sheer grit, determination, and by being even more violent and murderous than them."
That was a bit worrying but as long as she didn't go on a murder spree in Brockton Bay it was fine, right? She wasn't sure but right now, she was listening and the furnace-like heat she exuded was strangely calming, so she didn't comment on it.
"It took all my skill and more to keep them somewhat under control. And what did the fucker do? He subdued them with a single command. There was natural charisma and a force of Will I hadn't ever experienced before in that single, almost negligent, word. I almost did too. Kneel, I mean. But somehow I knew if I did, I'd lose something important, so I stayed on my feet. Barely. I tried to glare him down when he approached my shivering form, but his own eyes were so much more intimidating than mine could ever be."
She glimpsed up at the face of her captress and noted that she didn't seem bitter or even angry. There was a reminiscent smile on her lips, even though it showed more teeth than it probably should.
"He looked me deeply in my eyes and rumbled at me with satisfaction. 'You'll do.' He said. And then he took me in, trained me with absolutely ruthless efficiency, and named me his Right Hand. Best day of my life honestly, but don't tell him. He's got an Ego the size of the solar system already. No need to inflate it even further."
She snorted silently at the joke and found the courage to ask something that confused her from the start.
"I don't understand the insult by the way. Long legs, I mean. What does it mean? Beyond the obvious implications."
She received an unreadable expression for her question that shifted towards annoyance rather quickly. She was just about to apologize when she received the explanation.
"It's not an insult, you moron. If anything it's a compliment. I'd kill for legs like yours. To be fair, I'd probably kill, or at least maim, for a good bagel, but that's beside the point. If you start running and do some weight training with a focus on your lower body, your legs are gonna be amazing. You're never gonna be a curvy kind of beauty, but you have all the markers for a lithe and fast fighter. If you get some muscle on that gangly frame of yours, you won't recognise yourself in the mirror. Because you'll be hot as shit."
So... It was a compliment? On her appearance?... What? After hearing almost daily for a year that she was as ugly as Sin and that there were frogs more attractive than her, she subconsciously believed those words. Since no one refuted them, it became even easier to just accept that she was barely even human in appearance. Compliments like this simply refused to compute. After a long and uncomprehending stare, Maze seemed to come to a conclusion and showed an impressively menacing scowl. Instinctively, she knew it wasn't directed at her which gave her a measure of comfort. Said comfort immediately fled when she heard the woman mutter under her breath.
"Seems I have some bitches to hunt down tonight..."
In hindsight, she realized that she probably shouldn't have mentioned any names but in the heat of the moment, she spat out every grievance she had. Determined to do some damage mitigation, she talked her down from going on a rampage even though she was strangely touched the woman would go that far for her. And just a bit tempted to let her do it. While spouting hurried platitudes like being the better person and wanting to deal with this herself, she realized that she actually meant much of what she said. She didn't want to sink to the level of the bitches three. She refused to give them the satisfaction. She'd persevere and she'd do it in her own way. Maze looked at her dubiously.
"Are you sure? No offense but you look as if a stiff breeze could knock you over. I'm not confident that you have it in you to endure whatever they'll escalate to."
She really wasn't in the best of conditions admittedly... Maybe she could start running? Maze said it would help, right? With more confidence than she had over the past months combined, she told her.
"I'm certain. Sinking to their level would compromise my morals and I feel as if I'd lose something important if that happened. Don't worry, I can deal with it."
The hesitant scowl on her face was almost endearing, not that she'd tell her that. Calling her cute or anything the like was an invitation for a world of pain if the read she had on her new... Friend? Acquaintance? Whatever she was, was correct. Faint worry suffused her when a spark of determination appeared in Maze's eyes. She grabbed a pen and some paper from behind the bar and began to scribble some things on it. She watched her for a few minutes, perplexed about what was happening, before having an A4 sheet of paper shoved into her face when the barkeeper returned with a triumphant grin on her lips. She took it and placed it on the table in front of her to not go cross-eyed from trying to read it up close.
'It only took her what, two to three minutes to write all of this?...' She thought to herself with incredulity gnawing on her mental state. In front of her was a complete workout plan with detailed nutritional requirements and a progression curve with benchmarks and everything. 'Is she a fitness tinker?!' she looked at her incredulously and her answer was a shrug.
"I dabble. Lucy's been on earth several times by now and it gets boring. Also helps with whipping his mortal forces into shape so win-win for me. Follow this program by the letter by the way. Including resting times. It's custom made for you. On the weekends, I'll train and test you personally so I expect you here at 6 am after your morning run. Might as well teach you some hand-to-hand. You'll need it in this fucking city until Lucy's had enough and cleans up completely."
The utter seriousness she spouted all of that with made her believe that at least most of what she's claiming is real, or at least that she believes what she's saying. 'Maybe they're from Africa? I heard it's bad there, crawling with villain warlords and a wandering unstoppable S-class threat called the Ash Beast. Certainly sounds like Hell to me. Wait... Are they former warlords? Are they villains and rebranding in the US?' It made sense to her, but if she was honest, she didn't really care as long as they didn't start up a villainous empire in Brockton Bay. Besides, even if they did, it couldn't be much worse than it already was.
~Danny Hebert~
He left the 'office' of one Lucifer Morningstar with the taste of the best Bourbon he ever had on the back of his tongue and another few contracts in the pocket for his boys. He only had a single glass of the obviously high-class alcohol, but it was enough to give a mixed day a surprisingly positive twist. He managed to have a heart-to-heart with his daughter and it ripped open festering wounds like nobody's business. While he felt that he could finally begin to heal after forcing himself to face his problems and cutting out the 'bad flesh' so to speak, resurfacing from the bottomless mire of depression he only had managed to step halfway out of after his best friend Alan Barnes decked him one before tearing into him about neglect, and that he'd call child protective services on his sorry ass if he didn't get his shit together, wasn't easy.
The wake-up call managed to realign him somewhat but everything was muted and he barely found enough energy to go through the motions. Along came Lucifer, and everything changed. His bartender murdered Skidmark on day one and he thought 'This is it. Another hellish addition to an already dying city.' Surprisingly, the opposite happened and his curiosity sparked enough to give him a boost. The Merchants were quickly routed with terrifying efficiency and Mayor Christner got involved. He was called as the spokesperson of the Dockworker's Union and received the authorization to handle negotiations for the entirety of the DUA and found himself a bit out of depth when multiple projects costing several millions of dollars were quickly approved by the mayor's office. And Lucifer was the reason.
The fascinating man positively bled charisma into his surroundings. He thought he knew how to deal with his type after Marquis and his posse decided to 'stabilize' the city back in the day, but he thought wrong. Nothing could have prepared him for the force of nature that was Lucifer Morningstar. When they met, the man took a moment and looked into his eyes with an intensity that made him feel utterly vulnerable before he smiled in a way that made him question his sexuality. He then informed him that he decided to pump serious money into the city and he was the lucky man to decide how to best go about it.
The sums of money he handled in the past two months was staggering on a level that left him a bit numb, but not in a bad way. The numbness did nothing to hamper the euphoria from having managed to get the entirety of Brockton Bay's unionized workforce on the grit. Heck, if things continued in the same vein, they'd need to start a recruitment drive for the first time in over a decade. And the best of it? Lucifer overpaid. For everything. As if he was tipping the workers. When asked, he simply waved it off and told him to distribute it in a way he found fair and to take it as a bonus for the good people who managed to keep a dying city alive for so many years.
He was a grown man but he had to admit, he almost teared up when hearing that. The trust he was given by the newest enigmatic inhabitant of Brockton Bay was humbling too. Lucifer didn't watch his money like a hawk. He gave him executive control to manage all the projects under the Unions. Danny went from working overtime to find enough jobs for his people to working overtime to find enough people for all the available work. It was certainly a change for the better. Not having to worry if another of his boys would decide to join up with a gang just to make sure his family is fed made for a far more pleasant work environment even though it was more stressful than ever. Buoyed from the recent successes, he attempted to reconnect with his daughter and somewhat managed with a few stilted conversations over dinner. Today was a major breakthrough though. The first time he managed to talk her into leaving the house since, well, he couldn't actually remember the last time they went somewhere together. That was a sad thought that would keep him awake for some time.
Lucifer's gait was as relaxedly dangerous as ever when they walked away from his office side by side. He seemed in thought about something, but perked up when they closed in on the lounge where he left his daughter with Maze. Who was an outed cape and known murderer. She was also loyal to Lucifer, so she received the benefit of doubt until she hurt him or those close to him. Despite her gnarly personality, that hadn't happened as of yet.
"Maze took a liking to your daughter, it seems. How fortunate."
Lucifer smiled with clear satisfaction and the expression worried the father in him some, but he calmed down quickly when he heard Taylor's laugh, muffled through the as of yet closed door, for the first time in years.
"He did what?!"
"I shit you not. He just stripped, took the spoon with that special kind of idiotic stubbornness in his eyes, and said: Challenge accepted. I've never seen anyone try and defeat an 8 meters tall behemoth made of muscles, hate, and spite while naked and armed with a spoon before and I'm fairly certain it won't happen again. The crazy bastard suffered for it. Lost three arms in the process and it almost ripped off his nuts, but he managed to dig the spoon deep enough into its eye to find that peabrain it had hidden away in some corner of its head. Hah, I kinda miss the moron."
His head turned mechanically to Lucifer, who had a reminiscent smile on his lips. He noticed the attention and decided to 'clear up' his confusion.
"She's talking about Borrogath the many armed, but everyone just called him Gatty. The man was simple and easy to goad into challenges, especially after he had a barrel or two of Devil's Whiskey. He was a low ranked general in my armies, but that was only because he was about as intelligent as a rock. His prowess in combat far exceeded his rank and he was well known for always being good for some entertainment."
'Right...' He put that piece of information in the back of his mind to think about later (speak, never) and decided to simply enjoy the sound of his daughter's unrestrained joy. He hadn't heard her this happy since before his wife passed and he felt beyond guilty for being one of the reasons for that. 'No more.' He decided firmly and missed the faint approval in Lucifer's side-wards glance at him. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door, only to stop for a moment to take in the scene of Taylor with her legs pulled up to her chest, sitting beside the barkeeper who was guzzling down a beer in record time. She was smiling while nibbling on a scone and it was the most peaceful he'd seen her in a long long time.
Her frame, somewhat suffering from puberty because she inherited at least in part his gangly genetics and it would take a bit of time for her to grow into the elegant litheness of Annette, was almost completely relaxed as she leaned back on the comfortable upholstered bench Lucifer had placed there. It took her a moment to notice him but when she did, she smiled at him in a way that made him relax a tad and hope that everything would work out in the end. He planned for the negotiations to take around three hours since there were a fair few projects to discuss, but Lucifer's rather uncomplicated nature shaved an hour off that time. He wanted to make use of that extra time to make a day out of it with his daughter once he was done, but now he wasn't so sure if that was what he wanted to do. She seemed happy talking with Maze and he didn't want to interrupt them.
"Well... seems like your dad's here, long legs. You better not leave him waiting. The miserable bastard above only knows what Sins Lucy committed with, or on, him."
He wasn't entirely sure how to react to that so he opted to ignore it and let his daughter get a laugh in at his cost. She had so few things to laugh about recently, and he learned the high art of self-irony through exposure therapy from Lustrum back in the day. He barely suppressed the shudder when unwanted memories rose from the depths of his mind. Lucifer was quick to answer and sent them off in his own way.
"I wouldn't commit any such deeds on my dear friend Daniel here if he doesn't consent. Corrupting him to live a little however? That I would do. Now isn't the time for such endeavors though. Go and spend some time with your spawn. She needs her father more than I could ever need a friend."
As always, the enigmatic man ignored the plea to call him Danny instead of Daniel, but he was used to it by now. That said, those were some surprisingly profound words for the man who styled himself the Devil. 'Well, one interpretation of the Devil's Fall is basically a failed teenage rebellion with unreasonably harsh punishments, so maybe he's speaking from experience?' The idle thought fell away while he walked out of the club with his daughter in tow.
"You had fun today, little owl?"
He asked her gently and she nodded mutely. He almost sighed but kept it in. Only now that he was forcing himself into full 'wakefulness' did he realize just how battered their relationship was. He was just glad someone decided to slap him awake before it was too late. 'Now, how to salvage the damaged bond between father and teenage daughter?' He mused as he planned ahead for the rest of the day. It's been a while since they had pizza at the Deep Dish. She always liked that one.
~Vista/Missy Byron~
It was night and she was sitting in the perfect spot. As Obi Wan Kenobi once claimed, she had the High Ground. Her own little secret hideout on the highest building in the city which was conveniently placed pretty much in the middle of all the gang territories. Badgering Chris until he made her an awesome piece of tinker-tech was completely worth it and she was determined to thank him profusely for this. In her hands was a pair of binoculars with modular lenses to adjust her reach. Her ability was technically line of sight but she could get around that with some time. Time she didn't always have. This piece of tech was god-sent and a massive force multiplier for her since it allowed her to shorten the deployment time for her power massively. It also had some special modes like infrared and several diagnostic lenses, which only made it better.
She didn't tell him what she wanted, or needed, it for but she was sure he suspected something when reports of criminals stumbling over nothing and bullets curving around police officers began to trickle in. All she wanted was to make a difference and she had enough of playing by the rules. So here she was, doing vigilante work without really being in the line of fire thanks to some minor prior planning. She was sure some people suspected it was her but never finding her close by kind of cleared her from suspicion. Everyone knew her abilities only worked with line of sight after all. The mischievous little grin on her lips would never be seen by anyone and she was quite alright with that. She wasn't doing this for the recognition. She was doing this because she had the ability to change things for the better. Thanks to her, some PRT agents and police officers who would have died almost certainly survived unscathed. Criminals that would have escaped were behind bars. Fuckers who would have raped someone had their testicles twisted into a knot. She almost passed out after that one but it was worth it.
She was making a difference, one 'little' power-application at a time. And all of this had the benefit of escaping the shouting and accusations her parents threw at each other while she was trying to sleep. And when she finally came back from her outings, she was too exhausted to listen to them and fell asleep right away. Honestly, she was probably getting more sleep this way than otherwise and she didn't have as many nightmares either. All around, it was a win-win for her. Her eyes were drawn to the new and shiny monument of the docks. The Lux. She was far too young to go clubbing and even though she wanted to be treated with the respect and seriousness she deserved, she could admit that fact. Still, she was curious. 'Just a little peek.' She told herself and put another lens into the device. This thing was working better than anything else she'd seen Chris design. Maybe it had something to do with his specialty? She resolved to talk with him about it later and concentrated on the task of spying on the newest rogue of the Bay.
She was lucky and found him working on the upper floor. The window was open and he was making... Scones? She put in a higher magnifier and confirmed her first guess. Yes, scones. A batch was already cooling on the counter by the window and she found herself tempted because those things looked darn yummy. 'He wouldn't miss a single one, would he?' She hesitated for a moment before reaching out with her power. Just before she could snatch it, a stinging pain erupted from the back of her hand and she yelped while instinctively collapsing the spacial tunnel. Through the binoculars, she found him looking out of the window with a disapproving frown on his brows and a spoon in his hand. That was what he used to smack her hand she realized, but that wasn't important.
The important thing was that he was looking right. At. Her. She was found out for trying to steal pastries. Fluttery fear burrowed through her guts as she hastily tried to open a tunnel and slip away, only for the tunnel she collapsed before to open up again. 'What?!' Her mind failed to compute what was happening when she was grabbed by the back of her black hoodie and pulled through the reopened corridor. 'What?!' She thought again when she was suddenly placed in front of the club owner and open cape, Lucifer Morningstar. He stood there with crossed arms in his high quality suit. The apron he was wearing on the front looked completely out of place and yet strangely fitting.
"Now, what do you have to say for yourself, young lady? I certainly didn't expect a known hero admired by the masses to try and steal my desserts. You could have just asked. It's not as if I don't have enough to share."
He huffed before turning around and grabbing the tray filled with the scones that were her downfall. She was almost in tears by now. What should she do? She tried to warp away already but for some reason, it just didn't work. It was as if something was gently chiding her for trying to influence the integrity of space around here. She'd never felt anything like it and it was scary on top of being embarrassing as hell.
"Well? Are you coming? I will not send out a young hungry girl into the night without first filling her stomach. If you eat up, you might still get to taste a scone or three."
'What?...' She couldn't keep up. What was even happening? She was caught, she realized that, but why did it seem as if the man who did so wasn't actually trying to keep her hostage? She usually had a pretty good grasp on people, but she failed utterly to read him. She was glad she was wearing a featureless black domino-mask because it hid her confused expression. Hesitantly, she followed him when he left the kitchen with a large bowl filled with a kind of stew that smelled heavenly. Her stomach announced its opinions. Her decision was made for her when it rumbled loud enough to be audible and she blushed when Lucifer silently chuckled.
She hadn't eaten dinner today because the anxiety around her parents twisted her stomach into knots. They were always glaring, always fighting. A single comment was enough to spark an epic row and she just didn't want to be witness to another one. It was beyond tiresome and the reminder of her Trigger Event did things to her that couldn't be healthy. She knew disassociating and slipping so comfortably into an alter ego so often was bad. Jess told her that and she trusted the woman who seemed to be the only psychiatrist who took her seriously. But it was still healthier than crying herself to sleep with stomach cramps from anxiety. Jess agreed with that logic, if only reluctantly. Another plus for her.
"Well, it seems my decision was the correct one. Come along lest the stew grows cold. No one would be happy about that."
His teasing words pulled her from her dark thoughts and they indicated that they weren't alone. Who else was here? 'Skidmark's murderer probably.' She mused as they came to a closed door. Her spacial senses were kind of muted here but she still felt a person behind it. That faint suspicion was confirmed when the door opened. One person, that she got right. Who it was was a complete surprise though.
"Panacea?! What are you doing here?!"
She squeaked out when she saw the surly healer sitting at the table, her right hand occupied as she was scratching a massive dog behind its ear much to the canine's visible delight.
"I've been around the block with Cherona and Lucifer invited me for dinner. You're another guest, I take it? Hmm, you seem a bit familiar. Do I know you?"
She was squinting at her and Vista panicked. She didn't know what to say or do. The man who kinda sorta kidnapped her for trying to steal a scone came to her rescue.
"Amelia, there is no need to make her uncomfortable. She wouldn't be wearing a mask if she wasn't trying to hide her identity. Besides, I'm certain you will realize who she is by the end of the evening anyways and I do hope you'll be discreet. Now, what do you want to be called while using this particular attire? I may not have much patience for costumed games, but I do try to respect your choices."
She felt glad for his words and kinda insulted at the same time because they weren't playing games. There were reasons for staying masked and even more so for the Wards. She also sensed that he was honest from his point of view and that he didn't seem to mean it negatively so she let it slide without comment. Instead, she attempted to find a name for this persona which wasn't easy since she honestly hadn't thought she was going to be caught and hadn't thought about it.
"Uhm, Horizon?"
She tried and he shrugged.
"Horizon it is. Now please sit down. No dessert before you haven't eaten something substantial. Growing correctly can only be facilitated by a healthy diet after all."
... She hated that he had a point. And that Panacea was nodding. The dog's sneeze was cute though. How would she eat though? She couldn't just remove her mask. That would defeat the purpose of wearing one. Lucifer seemed to sense her uncertainty and caught her attention.
"Mind you, I'm not the most proficient with spacial manipulation but I did learn a few tricks in my time. This might solve your problem."
His ludicrous words were followed by even more ludicrous deeds. To her spacial sight, what he was doing was an absolute marvel. She was used to twist, turn, elongate, and shrink spacial tangents with her powers. He did something similar at first and created a small/big pocket of space between his fingers. It was strange and exciting to see a variation of her power to be used in front of her. 'Is this how he stopped me from leaving?' The tangential thought faded away when he did something that blew her mind.
"Next you do it like this."
He... split one of the spacial tangents. He just... What? That wasn't possible. Well, it was because she'd seen it but... He wasn't done yet. He filled the gap between the split tangent with Space and bolstered the stability by solidifying the 'walls'. 'Did he just fucking add a dimension outside of the visible spectrum to a pocket of space?...' What even was he? That shouldn't... No, she felt it. Her power jumped at the idea like a puppy wanting to play. Could she do that too? With a frown born of effort, she stretched the space in front of her face and connected it with the inside of her mask. She then tried to do the same thing he did. It was way harder than it looked and she instinctively knew that if she did this wrong, the spacial pocket would collapse violently. 'I probably shouldn't try this for the first time with my head encased in a volatile space bubble...' She mused but didn't stop. She just had to get it right on the first try.
With her precise control, she eventually managed to split apart the spacial tangent, but it wasn't yet time to celebrate. Carefully, she drew in Space to facilitate the additional dimension, which felt oddly like inflating a balloon, only millions of times more dangerous. She was careful to layer spacial constructs around the new but thin walls and managed to stabilize them enough to safely let go of her power. Once she did, she felt a bit dizzy but absolutely euphoric from success. That feeling was only added on when she heard deep satisfaction in the voice of her host. Her head snapped up and she saw something in his eyes that topped all the good feels from before. Pride and acknowledgement.
"Very well done, little space bender. I didn't expect you to be successful on your first try to be honest and I was ready to intervene at any moment. I'm glad I didn't have to. As long as you keep the corner of it connected to the outer side of the mask, you'll be capable of eating without taking it off. I'm sure you'll find other applications for your new-found prowess."
She was so glad she had a mask on because that meant he couldn't see the massive, almost painful smile and the blush on her face. She knew it was there because she was doing her best to heat the new dimension solely with her blood flow. The praise was completely sincere and he showed her a dangerous and volatile way to use her power without lecturing her on power safety and treating her like a five-year old. He trusted her to use it responsibly without harping on and on and that was worth more for her than she'd ever admit.
"Who's the squirt?"
A new voice entered the conversation just as she silently sat down on her indicated seat. She turned to look at the newcomer and found the one she previously expected. Curiously, she looked her over with her spacial senses, only to be glared at by the woman.
"Stop it. That's not a pleasant sensation. The least ya can do before taking a mental nude pic is ask for permission. Aren't you a bit young for that?"
Her eyes widened when she realized the implications and her face burned at what she'd been doing for months without a care. The body contours didn't even register in that way for her and this was the only way she could effectively use her power on people since she couldn't directly influence them because of her Manton Limit but now that those words registered, she wouldn't ever be able to unsee it.
"Sorry, didn't think."
She squeezed out while wondering how she realized she was being scanned in one of the rare corners of her mind that wasn't cooked by embarrassment at the moment. This has some serious implications though. She didn't even notice just how much she was intruding on the privacy of other people with her subconscious use of her powers. She'd definitely have to be more careful with that.
"Don't embarrass her too much, Maze. She still has to get some food into that belly of her's."
He chided his subordinate, though there was a fair amount of humor in his voice. She glanced at him and he noticed and winked back, making her duck her head as she was still embarrassed. The woman sighed and grumbled.
"It's alright, kid. I'm guessing there aren't many who can feel it like we do, so you're probably mostly safe, but take a word of advice. Your power interacts with energies and boundaries even if you aren't actually touching the body. Those with powers in the field of energy manipulation and proprioception as well as a couple of categories I can't name off the top of my head will notice your attention."
That was more valuable than any advice she'd gotten from the scientists who did her power-testing. All they did was to make sure of her Manton Limit, testing her limits, and once they grasped just how very few of those she had, they began to limit her on what she was allowed to use in the field.
"Thanks..."
She murmured. She didn't even lash out at being called a kid by her. She didn't mean much by it and she didn't know her yet. She also didn't just tell her to stop using it but just that she had to be careful about it. It didn't feel condescending or mean. To stop thinking about meaningless things, she finally scooped up some of the stew she saw floating around before. She hadn't even noticed it being served but there was a full bowl in front of her and she was hungry.
Once the spoon entered the invisible dimension, she shortened the space between her mouth and the utensil. That was when her taste buds exploded. An appreciative hum left her lips after swallowing. This was beyond delicious. There were vegetables in there. She noticed from the slightly crunchy texture that some of the bigger pieces in the stew called their own. But the perfectly cooked meat that fell apart on her tongue from tenderness overpowered the other components with its taste without being overbearing. There was still some of the freshness associated with well cooked vegetables enhancing the stew, but the meat elevated the dish to new heights.
"It's delicious."
She commented, eliciting agreement all around the table and a proud little smile from the cook. Even the dog gave commentary with a rough but friendly sounding bark before returning to its giant pot filled with the same stew they had. 'I never had a dog, but that's not normal I think?' She looked around surreptitiously but no one seemed to find it odd, not even Panacea, so she didn't say anything. Soon, her stomach was pleasantly warm from a filling meal and she found herself anticipating the taste of the dessert that inadvertently led to the here and now. 'Thank you, sweet tooth.' She mentally thanked herself because this was by far the best dinner experience she had in recent years. As if he had read her mind, a scone floated over to her and she accepted it with a murmur expressing her gratitude.
She nibbled carefully on the piece of pastry. At least until the taste registered on her mind. From then on it was all a blur and suddenly, her hands were empty and she was sad. She turned her eyes on the others, only for Panacea to suddenly exclaim.
"Gah! Put those away! How do they even work when I can barely see your eyes behind the mask! Give her another one, Lucifer! And quickly because I really can't stand those puppy dog eyes. They make my skin crawl."
She blinked. Had she done that? Whatever, she had another scone in her hands and Lucifer was chuckling so it was a win in her books. Suddenly a thought came to her. 'Wait, Lucifer's powers are similar to my own, right? Did my mom have a fling and he's my real dad? She already proved to not be loyal by fucking my uncle, so who's to say that was the only time she did it?' Carefully, she observed the man. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Why would he suddenly come to this city out of nowhere? It was a hell hole, plain and simple. And kidnapping her over a scone? Yeah, no. Pull the other one. Then there was the nifty dimensional splitting he showed her. 'No one gives away a part of their powers just like that. He taught me to make sure I have the tools to defend myself. He must have learned about me recently and came here to make sure I'm safe.' Excitement surged through her. 'Maybe he wants to build a relationship first and that's the reason he pulled me in? The near-thievery of his scone was just an excuse. He wants to have a bond first before confronting me.'
She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She couldn't give the game away. Not yet at least. He was a rogue at the moment and if Piggy's irritated grumbling about him was anything to go by, she disliked him fiercely. Before she could acknowledge their relationship, she first had to pull him towards the good side. She had to make him a hero. A member of the Protectorate would be best but she'd settle for an independent. He didn't seem like someone to follow all the rules and regulations after all. Silently, she vibrated in her seat, not noticing the worried twin stares from Panacea and the dog.
~Alexandria/Rebecca Costa-Brown~
It was a bit of an inconvenience to have to sneak through Brockton Bay since Clairvoyant refused to help Doormaker to open a portal within the city. It wasn't a challenge, just bothersome. Now that she was close to the nightclub the man opened for some incomprehensible reason, she felt a bit apprehensive. Contessa's words wouldn't leave her mind no matter what she did, but it couldn't be. This man couldn't be another entity. But his power was strong, no doubt about it. It had to be to fake out the Path. They had to acquire it for themselves or at the very least neutralize it to ensure that their plans weren't in danger.
Now that she witnessed the change his presence brought along in this part of the Bay, she realized just how effective and efficient he was. The change was palpable and she mused if it wasn't a good idea to leave the city in his hands once he was under control. The experiment they started here was one they wanted to observe with as little interference as possible, and his sudden involvement was indeed an outside factor they weren't involved with. It was along the parameters of their research goals. Putting those thoughts off for later, she strained one of the less advertised aspects of her powers instead. She had slightly enhanced hearing capabilities and tried to leverage them to perceive just where this Lucifer Morningstar was in the building. Ideally, she'd finish this self-appointed mission in full stealth but she'd prioritize bringing him in to interrogate him. There were enough possible reasons to do this so she wasn't all that worried that it would cause a blowback.
'Strange, I can't hear anything from the outside.' She mused to herself before deciding to look around for an entrance point to quietly enter the building. Luckily, there was an open window in the back so she slipped inside and tried to look around. That was when she noticed something was wrong. She couldn't move. She gradually increased the strength she was using but the only thing that changed was that the restraints on her became visible. Golden runes were rotating around her body in almost lazy patterns and every time she tried to break out of the hold, they mutely flashed with light before calming down again. She wasn't panicking but her thoughts raced. How did he do this? Was there an esoteric tinker in his employ? If so, why hadn't they ever heard of them? The ability to restrain capes of Alexandria's caliber with an undetectable trap alone should have been famous. 'Did he scramble data for the tinker? Is that the reason they are working together? Or is it a fresh trigger he snapped up?' She felt both possibilities made sense and the first one could be leveraged to hire them. Staying under the radar by faking out most ways of data collection about them was a tinker's wet dream.
"Well, that's certainly a special kind of rat we caught here. Lovely to meet you, Ms. Alexandria is what I would have said if I wanted to lie. Luckily, that's one thing I'll never do. Now, what can a humble nightclub owner do to help a member of the Triumvirate?"
The smooth Baritone echoed through her as the exceedingly handsome man stepped in front of her. He was well dressed and his posture screamed boundless confidence. There wasn't even a hint of fear in his eyes, though what she saw in them wasn't encouraging. There was a hint of a scowl on his lips and it mixed well with the derisive smirk he wore. For some reason, he was looking at her as if she was a particularly disgusting insect and that threw her for a loop. Nonetheless, she began to negotiate for her freedom.
"If you know who I am then you know the consequences of capturing me. Release me at once before...-"
He snapped his fingers and the restraints around her gleamed more brightly, cutting her speech short by muting her.
"Much better. I simply cannot stand the hypocrisy. It's painful to the ears and I'd rather not lose my dinner. It was quite pleasant after all. From now on, you will listen. I may ask you a question or two and you will answer them to the best of your abilities, but it may not even be necessary so don't hold your breath."
His sardonic tone of voice grated on her, but there was nothing she could do at the moment. Instead, she braced herself. If she wanted to escape, she had to look out for a careless moment. He adjusted his suit and posture before looking into her eyes with unmatched intensity.
"You are a sad excuse for a human. Your eyes are empty and your Soul is hollow. I would ask what one has to do to have your own Soul to parasitise itself, but I honestly fear the answer. The depths of depravity one has to sink to for such a colour... It's repulsive beyond belief."
What was he talking about? Her heart rate increased as he stepped closer, the scowl on his face more pronounced than before. A hint of something else entered his brown eyes before he continued.
"Oh, I am certain you believe you are doing the right thing. Rarely do people believe themselves to be in the wrong after all. It's almost impressive that the filthiest 'villain' I have met so far is a member of the Triumvirate."
He was right in front of her and she could see that he was truly flawless. Up close, his appearance was entrancing in a way she had never experienced before and she could tell with certainty that it wasn't a Master effect. He truly was this attractive. His otherworldly beauty was only marred by the sickened expression on his features. With horror, she realized that he must be reading her. 'A Thinker power. He's not just a Stranger, Mover, Brute, and Master, but a Thinker too?' She couldn't even comment on anything, damned to stay still and listen. Maybe entering the absolute blind spot of Thinkers and one of the very few places Doormaker refused to open a portal to without backup wasn't her brightest idea.
"I won't kill you. I won't even keep you here. You aren't worth the effort. You are a shell of a person. Once, you were a paragon I'm sure. A strong woman willing to do what was necessary. But you lost your way along the road. You were consumed by whatever higher cause you follow. You offered up that which makes you human and you didn't even ascend for it. You are utterly boring and repulsive. Whatever you have done to your victims, you deserve to feel remorse for. Let me give you a gift and a curse all at once. Let me give you back your Humanity."
His voice had taken on a wrathful connotation all of a sudden. She struggled more fiercely against her bonds but it was hopeless. Helplessly, she observed as his eyes sparked with unnatural Flames that bored into her unchanging mind. In silent terror, she watched as his skin fell away, allowing for the raw and burnt flesh beneath to show. A halo consisting of the same flames he kept in his eyes formed above his head. Slowly, his hands rose to touch her face and even through the protections her power offered to her, she could feel the scalding temperature of what was left of his skin. Never before did she feel as much terror as in this moment. Not even after being diagnosed with cancer in her teens. Pain began to invade her perception. She was largely immune to the sensation as long as her invulnerability wasn't overwhelmed but this kind of pain was different. It wasn't her nerves that were on fire. It was her very Soul. Raw and primal fear slashed through her muted emotions like Jack Slash cut through arteries.
Finally, their foreheads touched and she felt his breath invade her body. It burned fiercely, but she gritted her teeth. Pain, she could withstand. She wouldn't surrender to whatever torment he had planned. Quickly, she learned that the pain was just a small side effect. Her unmoving mind slowly started up again. memories muted by her shard vividly came to the front of her mind. All the deplorable deeds she committed in the name of Cauldron and their prerogatives began to impact her with the full weight of her own emotions behind them. She felt her tears flow for the first time in decades, all the while the burning agony worked deeper and deeper into her until it reached her core. A void she wasn't even aware of slowly filled up as her mind balked under the duality of the assault. When the pain faded into numbness, realizations about herself manifested and she saw the person she had become for the first time with crystal clarity and a completely restored Soul.
In silent horror, she screamed.