You know what you need to say, anything less than the truth won't be enough. Because this is where it starts, so no half-truths, no tricks, and no ultimatums.
Just laying out the facts, and letting them choose for themselves. So here's hoping you got more of whatever let you tell it to Doctor Mother.
But before you can start on any of that, you take the last few steps towards the rock next to Harbinger. He watches in surprise as you drop to the floor and lean your head against the cold stone. You give yourself another few breaths to stop the shaking in your hand. In the corner of your eye, you see Harbinger shift on his rock.
"We saved the cops," Harbinger says.
"Yeah, we sure did," you nod, "Thanks for your help."
"I was just making sure that Incubus could have his sick games," he says, "It's nothing worth being thanked over."
There's a sting of disappointment, but you throw it away.
"You can do it again."
He blinks.
"Excuse me?"
"Stop those kinds of games, and you can do it again, if you want," you say.
He doesn't respond, all you hear is something tapping against the rock. Craning your neck, you look up to see Harbinger running a hand down his face as he drums his free fingers on the stone.
"...by joining your little group, right?" he sighs.
He parts his fingers just enough for you to look him in the eye. A calculated gesture so perfect it makes Doctor Mother's look kind in comparison. And what's worse it's still a god damned kid! He's all but daring you to say something different.
You can't, and you won't.
Glancing back, even Contessa takes her eyes off the cops to shake her head at you. If it was the Path telling her to do that, or Doctor Mother's orders
The kid rolls his eyes again.
"A lot of groups can change the world," Harbinger says.
"But we can change it for the better," you emphasise.
Somehow, you get the strength to get to your feet, all signs of exhaustion are whisked away as you stare right at Harbinger. He jerks back, a flicker of surprise flashing through him. His hand goes to his breast pocket, but he catches himself at the last second. You pretend to ignore it, going straight forward.
"You're right, we're not perfect," you admit.
You lean against the rock and gaze out into the distance as the sunset falls over the forest town. It's a beautiful sight, one that you've got to show Rebecca sometime if you get the chance.
Your head rings with a sharp pain. You rub the spot and glance behind you to see Contessa holding a stone. She doesn't take her eyes off the cops, but she rolls her hand.
Back on track apparently.
"And we've got our differences," you continue, "and we butt heads, and we make mistakes, but at the end of the day we're all doing it to make things-"
"Better," he interrupts, "I heard you the first time."
You freeze as the kid rolls his eyes. His head swivels till he's looking at you and Contessa. The director gives him a side glance, only to ignore him just like everything else.
"And the last time that I fell for something like this, I got the pleasure of working with people like Incubus."
He pauses just so he can roll his eyes at the situation, and it takes everything you have not to knock the bitterness out of the kid.
"So, call me a little sceptical when you start talking."
"We're not psychos," you say, "We're going to change things, but we need your help to make it happen."
He stares at you, that calculated gaze clouding over as other things squirm in there. Confusion, curiosity, and then, wariness.
"So if I'm important," he says, his hand reaching into his coat. He sees you watching, but this time he doesn't stop himself.
"Would it be wrong to assume that you're going to do everything you can to convince me?"
You shake your head.
"If you don't want to join, that's your choice. I'm not here to force you."
"But you're not the one setting all this up, are you?"
He glares at you; then his eyes slowly slide over to Contessa. The Deputy Director doesn't even flinch as Harbinger levels all of his scrutinies at him. It doesn't take much to connect the dots. You step between them, drawing both of their attention back to you.
"I told her not to do anything like that," you explain, "It's just you and me talking. No tricks, no bullshit."
Harbinger snorts without even a hint of humour.
"I find it hard that a precog would allow someone to control them."
"It's still the truth."
Harbinger barks out another fake laugh. When you stand your ground, Harbinger whips the smile off his face and puts up a brave face.
"Then prove it," he demands.
Matching his stare is easy, but at the edges, you see him tense. So you blink, breaking the gaze and giving him the victory that he deserves.
"... I can't."
Harbinger's glare loses its edge as he glumly nods his head.
"That's what I thought."
He jumps down from his rock and eyes the two of you for a few more second. He rubs his arm but eventually settles for a sigh.
"Can you at least prove you won't shoot me in the back?"
It stings to hear, but you can do nothing but nod. Turning back, you hold out a hand to Contessa.
"Contessa, can I have your-"
You don't even finish the sentence before Contessa tosses you the Glock. It soars through the air, and you somehow manage to catch it without looking like an idiot.
"The ID," she mouths.
You blink, and reach into your pocket, pulling out the small black piece of leather. You flip it open, and you see something that isn't an ID. A two, maybe three credit cards lined the inside pockets while a few hundred bills. This time, it's your turn to shoot a glare at Contessa. She doesn't even look at you, returning to her work like she doesn't have anything to do with this.
Turning back to Harbinger, you don't need waves to tell that he's tensing. You weigh the gun in your hand, glance at the money in your other hand, then you just hand both over.
Nothing but pure shock covers Harbinger's face.
His hands are almost shaking as he takes both. Pocketing the Glock, he opens the small leather bound pouch. His fingers brush against all the bills and cards. You let your arm fall back to your side as Harbinger eyes the 'ID' a little longer.
"... is this supposed to be bribery?"
You give another shake of your head.
"I already told you, I'm not going to force anyone to join up. You either want to, or you don't. And if you don't want to, you can leave, we're not going to stop you."
You make a point to look back at Contessa.
"Right?"
Contessa stops her work just long enough to nod. Harbinger purses his lips, tapping the ID against his leg in thought. He sits back down on the closest rock, running a hand over his face. You blink, but you manage to catch the barest hint of a shake.
"There's… possibility."
He puts his hands together, takes a breath, and finally gets the strength to look back to you.
"I'm going to assume, for five minutes, and five minutes only, that you're telling me the complete truth. That's how long you have to change my mind."
He holds up the ID.
"Starting fresh; From how casually you're willing to give this up, I assume you have resources?" he asks.
You nod, and as you fight the urge to smile, you take a seat on a rock as well.
"Yeah, the building's huge, full of all sorts of things that I can't explain. Charles can, but I can't."
Harbinger raises an eyebrow, and you almost slap yourself for not explaining better.
"Charles is one of our other members," you explain, "He can make… anything. Just ask him, and I promise he'll deliver if you give him enough time."
"Glowing recommendation." Harbinger comments.
"Hey, he made the base, so I don't question it."
Harbinger shifts in his seat, leaning forward.
"... What facilities does your base have?"
"It's got a lot of things," you say quickly, "There's plenty of space. Some rooms are just empty, and there's plenty of space in the labs, so you'll get something to work on."
Harbinger rubs his chin, his head nodding in rhythmic dissonance. His hand freezes, and he takes a sharp breath.
"What's the primary study?"
"The nature of powers that have been manifesting in the population," Contessa speaks.
That gets his attention. His fingers tap a quick beat against the rocks. For a second, the edges of his mouth go up, but he keeps it down.
Barely.
"Have you made any discoveries?" he asks.
You wince, shifting in your seat. Harbinger's curiosity slowly morphs into concern, and for a second, you can't even look at him. You turn away just for a second, and in that second, you see Contessa. She's just as emotionless as ever, but there's the ever slight incline of her head.
Ok, here it goes.
"Yeah, a big one," you say grimly, "Like the fact that everyone on Earth can get powers."
Just like with you, the news makes him take a mental step back. But unlike you, he processes it a lot faster.
"Everyone?" Harbinger asks.
You blink, he doesn't sound as surprised as you thought he would.
"Yeah, everyone," you repeat, "But unfortunately before they can get it, they need to have a Trigger Event first."
Harbinger leans forward, curiosity making him take in every word like it's gospel.
"It's when someone hits their wall when things get so bad that fight or flight just isn't enough to save them anymore. Something just snaps in us, and from it, we get powers."
Harbinger nods in understanding.
"... makes sense."
He stops and blinks at you.
"Then how did you get your powers? What happened to you?"
"I had cancer," you answer.
Again another nod, but there's no look of understanding, just mourning. He doesn't say he was sorry, and you give him a nod of thanks. It doesn't make the look go away, but as you shift, he looks away, giving you another reason to thank him.
And to do that, you need to keep going.
"But it's not what gave me powers."
Harbinger's head snaps towards you so fast the poor kid probably got whiplash. He jumps off the rock, folds his arms and waits. Well, not exactly waiting. He was all but jumping up and down in anticipation of your explanation.
At least you have him hooked and interested.
You turn around and point to Contessa.
"Cauldron found me, and a woman named Doctor Mother asked me a few questions before she gave me a vial of… something to drink."
Harbinger goes still for a moment.
"Wait," he says, clasping his hands together, "She just… walked into your room, gave you something to drink, and it gave you powers?"
"I didn't know it at the time, but yeah, that's it."
He stops and slowly looks you over like he was trying to figure out if you were kidding or not.
"Why did you drink something that a complete stranger gave you without knowing what it was?"
You scratch the back of your head, that's a pretty good question.
"She said it would cure my cancer," you explain, "And I had nothing left to lose. I thought, what was the worst that could happen to me? Could I die? Sure, but I was already doing that, so might as well take the chance."
A shiver runs down your back as the memory rushes back to you. The sound of your heart beating itself to nothingness while you cried your life away. You thought it would be better, but that panic, it's so much worse.
"That was the thought," you choke out, "but it didn't help."
Harbinger swallowed something down, and it gives you enough time to shake away the memory.
"But when I woke up, I was cured, and I had powers."
You stop, letting Harbinger take it all in again. Once he has, he waits, his eyes hungry for more.
"And that's just the start of what Cauldron has," you say, "I'm just the guy who throws around rocks. There's someone who can break boulders with her bare hands, someone who can shoot lasers, another guy who can build anything, hell, I had a fight with someone who has more powers than I can count!"
You point a hand to Contessa, who stops her work and stands at attention, waiting for your call. It hurts to see, but you keep it from showing.
"And to top it all off, she has the Path to Victory, just give her the goal, and she can tell you exactly what you need to do to make it happened."
If you ever wondered if it was possible for him to be even more surprised, you got your answer. Your statement is met with complete awe, putting the surprise of your mountain feat to shame as he stares at Contessa with complete awe. He snaps to you, desperate for answers.
"What," he starts, he's actually shaking as his mind races, "what did you ask her to plan out for you?"
You feel a smile grow across your face. It's the reason you're here after all.
"We asked her if we could make a plan that allowed everyone who does and doesn't have a power to live together peacefully, and you know what she said?"
The kid blinks, but soon, the realisation fills his eyes. You take a stand, walking towards him until you're barely an arms width away.
"She said that it was possible, but it needed a few more things that we don't have."
You point at the kid's chest, making him blink and jump in surprise.
"And one of those things was recruiting you."
In the corner of your eye, you see Contessa flinch. You cut yourself off and glance back, only for her to give a quick one finger point at Harbinger. Looking back, the kid is taking it all in. You stop as you see Harbinger go still, sending everything into an eerie silence without speaking or tapping. Instead of moving his fingers, his eyes dart between you and Contessa. They spend a few moments at a time, but every time they find something that they're looking for.
But while he does that, you're still stuck in silence. You wait until you can't take it anymore, scratching the back of your head to distract yourself.
Forget the implications, just tell him what he deserves to hear.
"So yeah, you're important," you say, "So important that asking you to join us is the first step towards making everything actually happen."
The darting of his eyes stops, and suddenly, all of his attention is back on you.
And just like with doctor Mother, you don't even flinch.
"I know it's a lot to take in, but believe me, everything I've said is true."
Harbinger rolls his eyes again, but there's no shimmer of delight or satisfaction from it. So you let it slide and finish the mission.
"I don't know what your other group made you do, but if you join Cauldron, I promise you this. We won't do anything that you don't agree with, and we sure as hell won't lie to you."
Carefully, you raise a hand towards him, keeping your smile all the way.
"What do you say?"
A tense second passes as you leave him with the choice. Contessa doesn't move, you can feel something lodge itself in your throat, but you somehow manage to keep smiling. Finally, Harbinger looks to the wallet, and he cracks a small smile.
There's a blur of movement, and you feel the wallet smack your face. You don't catch this one, and your fumbling only makes things worse. Leaning down, you reach for it, then a pair of feet hit the rock. You jerk back from instinct as Harbinger picks it up for you. He doesn't look at it, just holds it out. You reach a hand, and he lets you take it back.
"What will you have me do?"
You… you actually don't know about that one.
But luckily for you, Contessa springs at the opportunity.
"Calculating probability, management of certain financial sectors, and architectural design, after you've received proper clearance."
You give her a double take. You didn't even know that they needed half of that. You didn't know the fine details of any of them either. Throwing it away, you shakily put your hand back up.
"Three more questions," he says cutting you off.
"Anything."
"Not from you."
You blink and follow his gaze. Contessa meets it once again without even flinching. You feel yourself break into a cold sweat. Harbinger doesn't even give you a half glance, so you try to take a step forward, only for Contessa to hold up a hand. You freeze as she slowly shakes her head. Giving Harbinger all of her attention, you watch as the blonde superhuman studies her, his scowl growing with each passing second. He breaks the silence with a tap of his hand, and a tilt of his head.
"Did you tell him what to say?" he asks.
Contessa shakes her head, making Harbinger narrow his eyes to slits.
"His words are his own," she answers.
"And the path you're following," Harbinger presses, "It was his, correct?"
She nods again, and the kid takes a deep breath.
"And did he tell you to use any method that you have to convince me?"
His eyes drift over to you, and you shake your head as fast as you can.
"I didn't say a thing, I swear."
"His exact words were, without forcing you," Contessa explains, "Because in his mind, using the path to convince you is forcing you."
Harbinger sends a questioning look your way as if asking for confirmation. You nod, and he sends another searching glance, closing his eyes a second later. That second drags out until it's a minute. When he opens his eyes again, he slips his hands back into his pockets.
"I'm willing to take a look, for a little while at least."
He sends another look your way.
"Do I have your word that if I want to leave, you'll let me?"
"I'll even help you go anywhere you want to go," you promise.
He waits for another second, then nods, his smile looking halfway satisfied with you.
"Fair enough," he agrees, only to stop "But then, how are we getting to your-?"
"Door Me," Contessa orders.
A light flashes to life behind you, cutting Harbinger off and making him wince. Contessa lowers her hand from her ear as a Door materialises. She gestures to the Door, and without waiting, Harbinger steps a little closer. You peer inside, and you see Doctor Mother and Manton in the lab. Doctor Mother is looking as defined as ever, Manton on the other hand still hadn't looked up from his work. On the plus side, Harbinger gives him the same courtesy as he stares at the door.
"Teleporter," Harbinger mutters, "A good one at that."
Stepping through, Contessa starts to follow but somehow, you remember the other reason you're still here.
"Wait," you call.
Contessa freezes in place, she doesn't turn around, but she'll still listen.
"What about the cops?"
You look down at them, and surprisingly, they seem pretty good for people who've gone through a fight with Incubus. Their wounds had makeshift bandages carefully wrapped around them. They were even resting in a small moss bed that looked oddly comfortable if the peaceful sounds of sleep coming from them were anything to go by.
"Medical authorities were alerted when we exited the mine."
The second the sentence ends, the sounds of sirens wail in the distance. But even with that, something tugs at you to do something… you don't know, more! The whole point of this was to be someone who could actually do something, not sit around and watch.
"You saved their lives, isn't that enough?" she asks.
Your eyes dart to meet her, but she's already moving through the portal. Holding back a sigh, you turn around to see an ambulance coming down the small road.
Rubbing the sweat out of your eyes, you drag a few seconds to put things together. They're ok, and you don't need thanks.
The portal flashes and you quickly step through the rocks and go through the Door. When the light fades, you're not in the lab. You're in the bedroom hallway, with only Contessa for company.
"Congratulations on your first successful mission," she monotones.
You hold back the urge to roll your eyes. You liked thanks as much as the next guy, but coming from Contessa, it just felt fake.
She stares unblinkingly for a second longer, only to turn heel and walk the other direction.
"Hey."
For the second time today, she freezes.
"Before you go, I've to ask."
Raising her wrist to eye level, she peels back her suit sleeve to reveal a gold plated watch. She gives it an instant of her attention before dropping the arm back to her side. You catch the glimmer of something in the corner of her eye. You meet it with a scowl filled with every frustrating thing that's come to you today.
If you still had your powers, you probably would've sent her through a wall.
"What were you going to do if I couldn't convince him?"
Contessa doesn't even blink, letting her eyes lazily moving away from her watch.
"I wasn't going to do anything. You weren't going to fail, as such, I did little to change the path."
"Bullshit," you call.
She gives you a lazy, questioning half glance.
"An ID that's really a wallet?" you ask.
It cracks a laugh out of you, but there's nothing funny about it. You take a deep breath, burying the growing urge to do something as your knuckles pop from grinding against one another.
"Why the hell would you tell me it's that if you didn't know that I would need to show him money to start talking about what Cauldron could give him?" you explain.
She doesn't blink, but you don't care, you're not finished just yet.
"Or how about how you did everything to steer my conversation with Harbinger without even saying a word? Hell, I'm wondering if you were even thankful that I didn't let a mountain crush you because I'm pretty sure that it was just another step for you."
You twist around, putting every part of your presence towards the deputy director.
"So don't give me that. You had a plan. You're just not saying it."
Your arms cross for good measure, and if your ears could handle it, your eyes would probably be glowing gold from persistence alone. It might not be the look that you would have liked, but it's enough for her to tear her eyes off the portal. With a click of her fingers, the Door closes, leaving the hallway empty of everything except you two.
She stands at attention, every part of her inhumanly stiff and proper. It hurts to even look at it.
"You didn't lie," she points out.
"But it was so close that it hurts," you grit out.
Contessa gives a small half shrug, all but admitting to it.
"Would telling the critical step in the Path be enough?"
You don't answer, but there's no point with her anyway. It's childish and spiteful of you, but right now, it's all you can do not to march into Doctor Mother's office and rip out the reason for making Contessa like this.
"The step, in common understanding, is as follows: Allow the Warden to act as he wishes. Only keep him consistent with his intended actions, and by his will, you will make it out."
You blink.
"That's it?"
"What more was needed?" She asks, "You convinced Doctor Mother. Nothing said that you couldn't do something as equally impressive again."
Again with the monotoned praise. It's enough to make you want to take a page out of your dad's book for the night. Forcing that option off the table, you rub the slowly growing pain in your head.
"... can you at least promise that when this is all over, you just let some things happen? You let people chose?"
"Once the steps are finished, you may ask the path to accomplish whatever you the other subjects wish," she answers.
"Our wishes, or just Doctor Mother's?" you ask.
This time, she doesn't answer, she doesn't even blink. So you point an accusing, painfully shaking finger at her.
"You see? This, this, is why it's so hard to trust you," you say.
Letting your shoulders slump, you step backwards and turn towards your room. Hopefully, there would be some distraction in your room to get these kinds of thoughts out of your head.
"Fortuna."
You stop, and everything goes deathly still.
What… what did you just hear? Slowly, you turn to Contessa.
Or rather, it looks like her, but there's something wrong.
She shifts between her feet, clasps her hands together. She can't even look you in the eye longer than a second before shying away. It makes your jaw drop at the impossibility of it all.
That means this is.
The girl with the same face as Contessa takes off her hat, letting her hair run down over her face. She tucks a little bit behind her ear as she looks away.
"You wanted to know my name… it's Fortuna."
You should say something, anything, but your mouth won't work. You're just standing here like an idiot. Then your jaw comes back together. You raise a hand, and it makes Fortuna flinch back. You freeze, watch as she starts to shake. Her eyes dart around like she doesn't even know where she is. You try again, and Fortuna jumps back. She wraps her arms around herself, shrinking back everytime you so much as flinch.
And seeing it hurts more than anything that's happened today.
So you let your and fall to your side, and you smile.
"It's nice to meet you."
The shaking slows, and she gently lets herself look at you.
When she does, she smiles, and it's terrific. It's the first time you've seen something genuine come from that face.
But then, the smile drops. A straight emotionless line replaces the smile, and a stone face takes over the glowing expression. She brushes her hair and picks her hat off from the floor. Putting it back on you hear her mutter, "Door Me."
A white gate explodes to life next to the two of you. Contessa pushes it open, and you manage to see a lab before she closes the door, and the portal behind her.
One of these days, you going to have to get whatever the hell allows people to do that. But for now, you've got to admit, it's been a long day.
A really, really long loud, tiring day.
Maybe it's time to end it. Hopefully, tomorrow won't be as crazy. Another few steps get you back to your room. You almost fall through the doorway as your knees lock for a second. Your arm plants itself in the door frame, stopping you just in time.Shaking your head, you're hit with the greatest revelation in your life.
Sleep would be fantastic right now.
Pushing through the door, you make the small trek to the bed. It's more inviting than anything you've ever seen in your life. So you fall forward, and let the blankets and mattress break your fall. When you hit, no wave rises to block the feeling or stop the covers from gently smothering you.
Good lord having no powers right now is fantastic.
You turn onto your back, and just… lay there. For the first time today, you're a regular teenager again. No powers, no jobs, just a nice comfortable bed, and a clock that read eight PM.
… maybe you can do something more with today.
[] Find Rebecca. It's been a long day, but you have to make sure that everything's going well for her.
[] Check up on Matthew, you haven't seen him since before all of this started. Better catch up before you can't make sense of what's going on.
[] Find David. He didn't take your talk with Doctor Mother well, and after today, he probably needed someone to talk to just as much as you do.
[] Call Clint. Maybe after a day of superpowers, you just need to sit down, and talk with someone normal.
[] Find the lab with Doctor Mother, Harbinger, and Manton. You won't be able to help, but there's nothing wrong with making sure he settles in without Manton making him feel unwanted.
[] Just get some rest. After everything that's happened, there's no telling what tomorrow will bring. Get some rest now, and being ready for tomorrow will help everyone more than wasting sleep.
