The Devil in Brockton Bay

by Dovesnoze

Lucifer doesn't quite know what to do when he realised that his latest explosive mishap landed him in a place he doesn't recognise. It's alright though. Improvisation always was one of his strengths. He had Maze and his loyal Hellhound Cherona by his side. What could possibly go wrong? Blame SomeoneYouWontRemember for this one. Also: limiting characters to 4 is, well, limiting.

7. PHO Interlude 1

I've gotten far too many pms about a PHO Interlude. As this is my first time writing something like this, I can't really judge how it turned out. I also added some normal chapter stuff afterwards, dunno if you like it like this or not. Feedback is very much welcome this time around so please educate me. Formatting for this was a bitch by the way. I hope it came out ok on that front. Anyways, this is the thing. I hope you enjoy it.

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Topic: Slaughterhouse 9 slaughtered?
In: Boards United States California Los Angeles County Torrance Surroundings
Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Posted On Nov 25th 2010:

There have been unconfirmed sightings of the 9 along the West Coast. It may be false alarm but you never know. Be careful over there and stay vigilant.

Edit: So... I just received a piece of intel. I am still in the process of confirming what I've been handed but it seems legit. If it's true then this... Well, it's gonna be the biggest thing since the takedown of the Nameless... This is what we know for certain:

Early morning on the 27th, a small hamlet near the city of Torrance was hit by the 9. They presumably followed their MO and killed all means of communication before doing the same with the inhabitants, though notably without their usual introduction by means of Shatterbird. They then abducted people from the city and staged one of their games in the now empty hamlet.

Less than an hour ago, communications went online for a short while before ending up blocked again, this time by government forces. The short window allowed quite a few messages to arrive that were sent during their takeover, allowing us to form a rather bleak picture of what happened. A few more current ones made it through too, though nothing on my end that would really clear up the situation for us.

What we don't yet know is the why and the what, but I received a message from one of my sources before the blanket ban was enacted by the quickly arriving government forces. Let me cite the message real quick.

"Holy fucking shit! The 9 were done in! Spread the news, they're gone!"

As I said, no information that would clear up the confusion. I'll go and try to get some more intel. If anyone knows what exactly is going on and just who was involved, I'd be grateful.

Edit 2: My sources, and a few anons, came through. According to a preliminary report that found its way to me somehow, the newest deranged brain child of Jackie was organised for a single person. We don't know why but the 9 moved to catch Mouse Protector by laying a trap. For those who don't know her, she's a popular indie hero who is known for her hilarious takedowns of violent villains, destroying their credibility and reputation in the process. She also does lots of rescue work and famously managed to save all the inhabitants of a burning orphanage some months ago at great personal risk.

She somehow ended up in the crosshair of the 9, causing them to enact an elaborate scheme that included razing the hamlet and obducting civilians from the nearby city of Torrance. It's confirmed that she was present, but not if she played a role in the nine's apparent takedown. Stay tuned, I'm diving in again.

Edit 3: It's officially confirmed! Well, almost. Tin_Mother herself sent me a link to video footage of Jack's takedown and might I say, it's a satisfying watch. It was provided directly by Dragon! You can see the vid here. I didn't immediately recognise the man but after crossreferencing, I found another piece of footage that featured him. He's the same guy who's ninja bartender offed Skidmark some months ago. He apparently legally took over the territory of Brockton Bay's Archer's Bridge Merchants and opened a night club named Lux? I don't know much about him. Information about the guy is sparse but I collaborated with Valkyr on the bare bones of a wiki page. you can find it here. Anyways, he's an obvious big hitter with a plethora of powers as seen in both vids, and the same is the case with his subordinate named Mazikeen, who's page you'll find here.

(Showing page 878 of 1030)

Lolitup
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
Is... Is this real?! I mean... It's from Dragon so obviously, but is this real?!

Chilldrizzle
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
Bagrat's usually reliable and Dragon's rep is impeccable but I express doubt, if only because I can't believe that particular brand of nightmares is actually gone. The vid is pretty convincing though and Jack's face when he looked back and saw his slashes do exactly nothing is gonna be my new wallpaper.

RowdyRoncho
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
I live in Torrance and I can confirm that there's definitely something big going on. It started a few hours ago and PRT agents are still running around like headless chickens, though they always seem to congregate towards the south. I think this is real...

IRubbedAladdinsLamppost (Cape Wife)
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
My husband has been called in and there was exactly no information given. This only happened twice before since he started working for the Protectorate and both times, it was pretty something pretty big. I've seen the vid and I think we might actually get to celebrate for once...

Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member)
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
Guys, I recently went to this Lux of his and let me tell you, the guy can party. He's also a great dancer, fantastic singer, and plays the piano like a fuckin wizard. Apparently, he's also pretty great at doling out punishment to the wicked. Maybe he's really the Devil as he tells everyone who asks?

RosaryBead (Verified Cape)
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
If the Devil is among us, then may God help us resist his temptations. He will misguide us with his forked tongue but we must persevere! We at Haven will host a live stream soon. You will find the link on our home page. Join us in our prayers.

Reave (Verified PRT Agent)
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
So... Some info here. There will be an official statement released in an hour or so via press conference. You may want to tune in. For those who can't: Here's the most important bullet points.

From the tentative timeline we managed to establish, a small community named Redondo Circle Hills was hit by the nomadic S-Rank threat with the designation 'Slaughterhouse 9'. The strike happened late at night on the 27th of November and stretched to the early morning hours of the 28th. They effectively cleaned the community of all life within less than an hour and split up to prepare the trap they'd set.

They then abducted exactly 250 civilians from the nearby city of Torrance and transported them to Redondo Circle Hills by unknown means. We would like to say that it was our fast response that saved the day, but neither the PRT nor the Protectorate were aware of what was happening until it was already over.

The main players this time around were the independent hero Mouse Protector, who stalled long enough for help to arrive by agreeing to play their game with her life on the line, and the Rogues Lucifer Morningstar and Mazikeen the Hellforged. They arrived shortly after receiving a call of distress from Mouse Protector through unknown means before quickly moving to deal with the threat. Crawler, Mannequin, Burnscar, Hatchet Face, Bonesaw, and the Siberian are confirmed to have met their end while Shatterbird and Jack Slash were neutralized.

If you want to know more, Chief Director Costa-Brown will co-host the Press Conference with Legend. As far as I know, Lucifer, Mazikeen, and Mouse Protector will be present to answer some questions out of their own volition.

Frankenweeniesweener
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
Oh shut up with your religious bull, you glorified anal bead. We have endbringers ravaging our world, villains fucking it up even more, and then we had the special kind of fucked up that was the Slaughterhouse 9. Finally, one of the many shitshows out there has been finished off. I don't care if the guy is satan himself. If he does stuff like that when your oh so precious God just silently watches as we slowly bleed to death in this dystopian hellscape, then he has can damn my Soul any day.

Roundaround
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
Woah, the PRT admits that they were too late to the party without spouting excuses? Now that's a miracle if I've ever seen one. Oh well, we still have the press conference for that I suppose. Maybe they weren't briefed yet by the pr people?

White Fairy (Veteran Member)
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
Why am I not surprised that the next big hitter comes from BB? At least he seems to be friendly enough if you aren't on his naughty list. It helps that he's yummy. The lack of a mask is a bit disconcerting for a cape, but I guess that safety isn't really a big concern if you can systematically deconstruct one of the biggest threats on the planet with apparent ease.

Char
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
There's so much to say about this, but I'll settle for one simple thing. look at this and tell me. was this intentional? Also, Maze is hot. hellforged indeed.

Mac's Dual Rocket Propelled Grenades
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
The 9 were taken down... man, i hope there were explosions.

The Pretender Named Bender
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
Char, I do indeed think its intentional. how are the chances that she'd fall like that naturally? Let me tell you, they aren't all that high my friend. i'm guessing he's a man of culture.

Chilldrizzle
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
This vid shows the takedown of one of the most dangerous men in modern cape society and all you you people do is searching for the right frame to look at the admittedly unfortunate posture of Shatterbird? She's barely even visible in the original vid. Not to mention that she's a deranged villain who has a kill count that's quite possibly in the thousands. Why are you like this?

Feychick
Replied On Nov 28th 2010:
I decide one time that I'll try to live a day without my phone and touch some grass. One day in several years, and this happens?! Are. You. Kidding me?!

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 876, 877, 878, 879, 880 ... 1028, 1029, 1030

Private message from BloodyCleric:

BloodyCleric: new throwaway. last one was found out. i hate those fucking cape groupies. can't have anything with them around. next time one that comes too close gets permanent pimples. they'll spread and explode n shit. it'll ne glorious.
IFlySkyHigh: nah. thats nasty. just make their boobs shrink but just half a size or so. they wont notice much until their home. but then comes the horror. oh and if its a guy, make the boobs grow. with all the right nubs and buttons.
BloodyCleric: that's evil. i like it. if i ever go villain, your henchman number one. maybe i'll even remember your name.
IFlySkyHigh: if your going villain, ill have to catch you and cuddle the evil out of you.
BloodyCleric: how you can write things like this without cringing, i'll never understand.
BloodyCleric: gotta go, people don't heal themselves apparently. my life would be far easier if they did.
IFlySkyHigh: proudly and without an ounce of shame! bye and have, well, not fun but a comparably tolerable time.
IFlySkyHigh: amyyyy! give me super eyes! i cant keep up with all those new posts! they appear quicker than i can read through them!
BloodyCleric: how drunk are you and why did you slosh yourself after the fiasco last time? you really earned your newest nickname Mobile Disasterzone that evening. you have many talents but drunk dancing is not one of them.
IFlySkyHigh: stop bullying me ames! i know for a fact that you know what im talking about! theres no way that no one in the hospital has seen bagrats newest thread!
BloodyCleric: yeah yeah i've seen the vid like 5 times. for once i'm not even irritated when they shove their phones into my face. well, that's not true. it's still irritating.
BloodyCleric*New Message*: no super eyes for you right now tho. while i've never seen a more cheerful cancer ward in my life, it's still lots of people with cancer and they have a very slight priority over your whims. deal with it.

An incredulous and just slightly hysterical giggle bubbled over her lips after she watched the linked vid with wide eyes for the third time. It was hosted by Dragon and shared by Bagrat on his most recent and most viewed thread. The thread started out as a warning that the 9 were allegedly seen on the West Coast before it was renamed to the most ludicrous, improbable thing she'd seen this year. There were thousands of responses despite the thread only being up for a few days, and most of them were from the past two hours.

She couldn't believe it either, same as most of the fellows online. Well, she somewhat could to be honest. Only because of what she'd seen, and felt, when she decided to disregard all logic and storm the base of a potential villain with unknown capabilities though. Still, it was utterly unexpected and it shocked her to the bones. It also made her count her lucky stars that Lucifer wasn't one to hold grudges. A sudden thought struck her and turned her contemplative.

'Cherona must have left to help him. Amy said she's not just a good doggo but basically a very powerful cape in her own right. Maze must have been called too. She was with Tay, I think?' They'd met the withdrawn protégé of Maze only once since she was a shy one and didn't want others to know that she was learning from the formidable cape/bartender, but Vicky was of the firm opinion that they'd be friends down the line so she gave her a nickname in her mind. As much as she tried to distract herself, her mind wandered back to Lucifer.

He went up against several members of the Slaughterhouse 9 and from what she could see, he didn't even suffer a single injury. Or break a sweat for that matter. Dragon's cams had fantastic resolution and she didn't skimp with the upload quality, so details like this were easily discernable. Heck, his suit was as impeccable as always and he had the time to casually adjust it while hunting down Jack fucking Slash, who was apparently sandbagging all this time.

Could this even be called a hunt? The predatory but casual gait. The self-assured confidence that bordered on arrogance. The playfully chiding tone of his voice as he mocked one of the most dangerous villains on this planet. It felt like he wasn't even trying. And that was because he wasn't.

There was not a single moment in this whole deconstruction of Jack Slash where the villain came even close to causing any harm to Lucifer. Paradoxically, the same was true in reverse too. Lucifer didn't lay his hands on Jack Slash. Any damage he suffered, he did to himself and Vicky was almost certain that this was intentional on Lucifer's side.

Idly, she noted that her hands were shaking slightly. Why was she so agitated? It wasn't fear. Not really. She knew how that felt and while it was similar, it wasn't the same. She knew already that he could casually kill her if he was so inclined. It was nothing new and she was really grateful that he wasn't. So what was this sensation and why... She was distracted by the arrival of her mom, who used her mom senses to sniff out that she wasn't quite alright.

Vicky sighed and answered her wordless inquiry by offering her phone. The formidable hero and successful attorney took it and began watching. A couple of minutes later, their roles were reversed. Victoria had calmed down significantly and offered an uncertain smile to her pale and shocked mother. One that the woman missed completely as she continued to stare at the screen.

Victoria eyes her phone worriedly. The knuckles of her mom's hand were suspiciously white and some lightning-like manifestations of her powers flashed around her erratically. 'She won't fry my phone, will she?' At least 80% of her social life was centered around the device. It would be a nightmare to lose it. In the end, she was lucky because her mom's self control won out when she took several deep breaths before asking.

"How sure are we that this is real? Not doctored with or anything?"

She frowned at the tone. It was detached in a way she didn't know yet. She knew her stern voice when she was in full blown mom-mode, the professional detachment when she was in lawyer mode, and the inflection-less, vaguely frosty voice she mostly used when interacting with Amy, but this? This was a new one. She shook her head lightly and answered the question.

"It's posted by Bagrat on behalf of Tin Mommy but the link was provided by Dragon herself and she owns the server it's hosted on too. The chance of this being doctored with is pretty much zero."

The older woman didn't react to her words at first, her face still pale and her gaze firmly locked to the screen. Vicky could see her lips silently tremble as if she wanted to say something but didn't know what. Finally, her answer came but she didn't even look over.

"You will not work in that establishment any longer. I'll talk with your aunt. Surely she'll understand that I can't risk your life like this."

She almost groaned with annoyance when she heard the additional obstinate stubbornness in the tone of her mom's voice. It was always the same with her. Once she formed an opinion, others were expected to follow or receive her Scornful Glare. Paradoxically, her mom's rising agitation calmed Vicky down pretty much completely. Nothing much changed from before. Only Carol Dallon's legendary opinionated obstinacy kicking in.

It didn't matter that she spent at least two afternoons a week over the last month at the Lux already, and that was in addition to the weekends. It didn't matter that Amy was as relaxed as literally never before thanks to them regularly visiting the eccentric capes. And neither did it matter that the one time she'd been accosted, it was Lucifer himself who got in between her and the patron. He ended up intimidating the shit out of the guy before she could punt him through a wall, showing that his policy wasn't just a slogan but completely serious.

She knew it was an exercise in futility but she had to try and appeal on the logical side of her mom. Beseechingly, she pleaded with her to stay calm and logical.

"Come on, mom. Take a step back and think, please. We aren't in any danger from Lucy and Maze. If he wanted to do anything to me or Amy, he would have done so already. He had more opportunities than I can realistically count. Also, he ended an S-Rank threat. That's a reason to celebrate, isn't it? There's no need to freak."

The glare she received in response was more scathing than she expected, making it a challenge to not physically reel back. When her mom answered, it was with a quiet intensity that unnerved Vicky. She didn't really sound like the woman she knew and loved any longer. She sounded like a stranger wearing her face and speaking with her voice.

"Enough of that, Victoria. You will not return to his abode. If you try, you will be grounded until you leave for university. I know his type. They make promises. They lull you in and tell you about how much better things could be. They twist your thoughts with lies and when it is finally time, they'll drop you like yesterday's garbage. They'll stab you from behind and twist the knife for good measure. Heed my words, Victoria. Do not fall for the silver tongued monsters out there. They are far more dangerous than the honest ones."

She looked at her mom and saw something she hadn't seen before in her eyes. It was a glint she'd seen in some of the villains they'd taken down. The veneer of civility and control was ripped away, laying bare the mental state beneath. The scowl on her lips looked more like a snarl than anything else. The way she held herself was defensive and confrontational at the same time. And her face? It was twisted into a faintly hysterical grimace. Vicky tried to defuse the situation with a weak, forced smile and a quip.

"Wow, mom. That's a tad too much drama, isn't it?"

It didn't work. Her attempt was received by a lecture about guaranteed betrayal and not giving them the chance. She didn't raise her voice. She didn't need to to communicate the insanity that was gnawing on her. 'How have I never seen her like this? I should have known. No, I did on some level, I think. I just never bothered to really look... Poor Amy. She's not dealing with mom most of the time. She gets to see this woman far more than the controlling but nurturing one I know...'

She knew from her aunt that their shared Trigger event left deep mental scars on them. She didn't know what exactly happened and she wouldn't ask as she knew that it wasn't a topic one breached lightly, but she learned enough from offhanded comments to know that it wasn't pretty. There was a reason why they called it the worst day in a cape's life. Seeing her mom like this only solidified that opinion.

'She stopped going to therapy after she had me, right?' Vicky bit her lower lip hard enough to draw a bit of blood. Was she responsible for her mother's precarious mental state? Did caring for her consume the time she would have needed to heal? She hated the thought. She hated it with everything she was.

"Mom..."

Something in her quiet voice must have caught her attention because her stance changed. She shifted her eyes and saw a woman who tried her hardest to instill values like integrity and self control in her. She really looked, and found a flawed person. She always knew her mom was a bit too opinionated and harsh, especially to her adoptive sister. She defended Amy more often than she could count against what she saw as unfair and frankly ridiculous accusations, duties, and punishments.

Over time, they lessened. Or at least that was what she thought. She didn't understand why Amy was still slowly wasting away if things were now better than before. But that wasn't what happened. Ever since they began hanging out at the Lux, her precious sister began to open up more. After she let slip that she hadn't known about the tracker on her phone before finding out herself, Vicky gently pried if that was the only thing.

It wasn't. Once she cracked that first layer, Amy began to spill. Secret searches of her room. Small messages in her lunch telling her how many people died in the hospital while she was idle. Firm reprimands if she didn't do 'voluntary' overtime. Long rants about morality and responsibility while she was away with friends or Dean. Amy suffered the comprehensive deconstruction of her sense of self worth quietly because she didn't want to sour Vicky's relationship with her mom.

When she first heard it all, she didn't know what to think. She trusted Amy and knew she wouldn't lie about something like this. Something so important. Especially not with such a tormented expression on her face. But she had a hard time reuniting what she heard with what she knew about her mom. She still had hope that it was all just a big misunderstanding. The glimpse behind the façade she'd gotten today was enough to bridge the gap in her mind though. Which was why she firmly suggested.

"I think it's time for you to restart therapy. I'm old enough to not need your constant oversight and Amy's pretty much self-sufficient too. It's time for you to care about your own mental health."

The woman who raised her flinched backwards as if she'd been struck. She regained her equilibrium admirably quickly as she cleared her throat before answering.

"Don't be ridiculous, my dear. I don't know what brought...-"

She stopped talking when she looked her in her face. Vicky didn't know what she'd seen there but her lips twisted into a sneer while her eyes expressed worry and paranoia in equal measures.

"I see he's already gotten to you. Maybe he really is a Master. Or maybe... No, she wouldn't dare. Don't worry, my dear. Everything will be alright. I just need you to come to the PRT with me..."

With sadness and a bit of frustration rising in her, she looked back at her mom and gathered her determination. She shrugged off the hand she'd laid on her shoulder and resolutely shook her head.

"We'll spend the night at aunt Sarah's. This isn't how I planned to confront you about this but since you included her in your accusations, it's as good a moment as any. I've talked with Amy, you know? I thought I made a difference and that you're beginning to treat her right. That all the screaming and the clashes of our tempers somehow rattled you enough to think."

She didn't let her answer. She had to get it all out before she lost her nerves. She felt as if she had to do this. Otherwise, she'd lose something. So without caring that her mom's face was twisting in that characteristic way it always did before the screaming started, she continued with a measured but firm tone.

"It was like pulling teeth, you know? Amy categorically refused to answer me at first. She didn't want to drive a wedge between us. She cared more about me being sad than about her own pain. 'I'm used to it. You aren't.' She said. As if that's what makes it ok. It really isn't. Same for your treatment. Searching her room regularly for who knows what with arbitrary reasons. Downplaying her achievements while pushing more and more responsibilities on her. Using the incredible amount of goodwill she earns our team while not even bothering to acknowledge all the good she does."

She was becoming more heated, she knew, and what she was seeing wasn't helping her keep her temper in check. The subtle shifts in her expression were enough to confirm that everything she was told was true and that it probably was just the tip of the iceberg. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath before letting the air go in a sigh. That seemed to be the breaking point for the hero turned attorney. Her mom desperately shouted.

"You don't understand! I have to be stricter with her! It's the only way! How else am I supposed to stop her from following...-"

She stopped herself but something in Victoria's gut twisted. So Amy was right. She was the daughter of a villain and her mom despised her for it. She felt her perspective shift.

Memories of interactions between her mom and Amy came to her mind and without the veil that was ripped away now, she could see the subtle needling. The masterful gaslighting. The absolutely atrocious treatment that was clearly emotional abuse. The research they did after their talk with Lucifer's help in the form of resources and connections narrowed it down to a few, but the most likely one was...

"She's the daughter of Marquis, isn't she?"

Her question was asked in a quiet tone of voice and the following silence weighed heavily on the room. Her mom's befuddled expression would have been funny at any other point but right now, it confirmed far too many assumptions.

"How far back are you willing to go?"

She asked her mother with a detached voice. Idly, she wondered how her facial expression must have looked. Was it just as empty and hollow as she suddenly felt on the inside? Because right now, she wasn't even angry anymore. There was only numbness left. She answered the growing confusion on her mom's face by elaborating.

"How many generations back do you want to go? Two? Three? When have we suffered enough to repent for our ancestors' sins? Or maybe it's just the one? And only if it's convenient for you? Do two wrongs make one right in your mind? Not that she ever did anything wrong, which only makes it worse. Will I have to repent for your child abuse too? So many questions... I'd never have thought that I'd ever be ashamed to be your daughter, you know?"

Disbelief twisted her mother's face before answering ugly scowl settled on her mouth. Viciously, she snarled.

"I will not have you talk like this with me, young lady! Who do you think you are?! I kept this family together on my lonesome for years! Is this how you thank me?! By taking the side of the girl who was forced upon me because your aunt wanted to honor the promise to a villain but was too good to do the heavy lifting herself?!"

She stalked up to her and glared at her after viciously poking her chest with her index finger. With detached interest, Vicky noticed that she hadn't even felt it. Her forcefield triggered, it seemed. That hadn't ever happened with her family before. Was it a subconscious thing? Did she not feel safe in the presence of her mom anymore? She put it out of her mind to listen to her mother's ranting while she paced through the room.

"You think you have the moral high ground here?! All I did, I did for us! To make sure she wouldn't follow the call of her rotten blood! Oh, Marquis was just like that too. On the surface, he was a gentleman. An eloquent leader who adhered to his own code. But on the inside? He was a vicious beast, just like all villains are. There are no exceptions."

Her vicious glare as she turned around to face her again and stalked up to her with manic energy oozing from her lightly shivering body. Was this what she was like on the inside? Was everything she thought she knew about her mom just a façade to hide this... She didn't even know how to label what she was seeing. Suddenly, she felt tired to the bone and her mom, uncaring as she was in this moment, just continued raving.

"I am the gatekeeper. The last barrier between Amy and her descent into that very same madness. ! I have to make sure she's keeping to the straight and narrow! If I don't, who will?! You don't know what she's truly capable of... She's a monster in the making! I regret nothing. All I did was to protect...-"

The poignant sound of a slap broke her tirade. Surprised, Victoria looked at her own hand before looking back up to her mother, who was holding her own cheek in stunned silence. Regret bloomed inside of her immediately but it was blunted by the words that kept bouncing through her head.

Gatekeeper. The last barrier between Amy and Madness. A monster in the making... As if she always saw her as a dangerous prisoner and not a person. A villain on parole that needed to be managed meticulously and not a teenaged girl who needed the support of her family to find her way in this fucked up world.

"I... I'm sorry I slapped you, mom. I really really shouldn't have. But did you even listen to yourself? Amy... she doesn't deserve this. She works herself to the bone for your approval... I have known for a long time that she can do more than healing. It's kind of obvious really and I'm not an idiot. She may not be comfortable with telling me just how far her power goes, but that's alright. I trust her anyways. You don't though..."

She looked at her silent mother with imploring eyes. Surely, she wasn't that far gone, right? There had to be some compassion left. It couldn't all just be misplaced distrust. She had to know...

"Is this really how you feel about her?... Is she nothing but a burden you've been forced to endure? How can you say this about a child you've watched grow up? One who never even showed the slightest hint of villainous behaviour? Is there really no love in you for the girl you raised alongside me?"

There was a short moment of hope. An instant where her features seemed undecided. Conflicted. But it faded quickly and left behind a stubborn, almost mulish twist that told Vicky everything she needed to know. A bitter laugh bubbled up from the depths of her disillusioned self when her dad chose this very moment to investigate what the ruckus was about and she let it out freely. It sounded about as broken as she felt.

As always, he came too late to matter and added nothing of worth. She knew she was unfair. That it wasn't really his fault. But with everything that was said and done today, she failed to gather the will to care. She could feel guilty about her thoughts once she wasn't as confused and numb. When she somehow worked through this messy mire of emotions that left her hopeless and knew how she was supposed to feel about it all.

Without another word, she collected her forgotten phone and turned around to fly away, unable to stay even a minute longer. She stopped listening to the agitated shouts behind her as she accelerated beyond what the others in her family were capable of. She didn't even bother to get her costume.

She just needed to get away from here. From this card house built on lies and the suffering of the best person she knew. And she was the best, no matter what Amy thought about herself. She'd call her soon. To let her know that they'd move to their aunt's for the time being. 'And to let her know that she's the best, no matter what anyone says.'