3.14: In Victory, Answers
IKnowNothing
....What?
- Location
- I got lost so.....Where are we?
Surrender.
A hundred different emotions could run through you at that answer. Anger, disgust, even disappointment.
But most of all, there's relief.
Finally, someone who wants to live.
"On behalf... of the... people... of London."
"Atlas," Rebecca stresses.
She pulls on you tighter, and while you hold in the wince, the way your arm spasms is enough for her to let go. As she lets go, you're left to walk on your own two feet again. Your bleeding feet and screaming legs somehow let you walk the two steps forward. Your right arm shakes, the fingers twitching, barely managing to grasp around Symphony's offered wrists.
INTENSITY LEVELS CRITICAL
"We... accept."
He laughs, a small crackling sound barely hindered by the gurgling in his stomach. The masks shifts, like he's talking, but you hear nothing.
CONVERTING ADDITIONAL INTENSITY
And everything goes black.
HOST RESET
Beep
Beep
Oh god why?
In one day, a city nearly got destroyed, and the rest of the world found out that superhumans exist. Is it too much to ask to get rid of that stupid sound?
…
Beep
Of course not.
Rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, you feel the mask covering your eyes. Guess Charles made these things to last. You groan, your chest burning from something. What it is, you've no idea but it stings, and at least you're awake now. Rubbing some of the more offending areas, several things hit you at once.
You're in a dusty eggshell painted room with the only decoration beyond your bed and the beeping IV pumping fluids into your arm being a fold-out table. Beyond that, one set of double windows leading out, one door, and a guest chair. Even being a comfortable distance away, the sounds of trucks backing up, and angry shouts.
Another thing, you're also still in costume. An easy guess considering the mask on your face, but you're just waking up. The only thing that's missing is your cape and whatever parts that were covering your left arm. The IV runs a steady stream of something into it, painkillers probably.
HOST RESET COMPLETE
But more than that… your hand.
TESTING NURAL CONNECTION
The hole that was there is gone, replaced with throbbing red scar tissue. Reflexively, you twitch your fingers. A flash of pain runs down your arm, but it's not enough to stop you from smiling at the moving digits.
The holes are going to be a pain to explain, but at least you still have your hand. Along with that, you have your mask, but do you have… them?
TEST SUCESSFUL
You reach up, and there's nothing. No dampeners in your ears, but you haven't heard anything since you woke up. You snap your fingers together, the sound ringing out crisp and clear.
So you can hear, but the waves are… gone? No dampeners, but no waves? It doesn't make sense.
REACTIVATING INTENSITY
You stare at your hand, focusing willing and-
"AGH!"
White hot pain flashes through your head like someone shoved a knife into your ear. Noise, so much noise all at once!
The door to the room cracks open, a soldier with that weird hat looks in. His eyes seemingly bulge out of his face when he notices you up and active. Instantly, his back straightens, and he gives you a crisp solute.
You fail to hold back your wince.
"Sir."
Sir, you? That makes it worse.
Thankfully you're spared as the man steps to the side, letting Rebecca into the room. She must've gotten a new suit, or at least a cleanup if the lack of damage was anything to go by. You give a small smile. She looks you over, her mouth a thin line and her arms crossed over her chest.
"Leave us," she orders.
She doesn't even look at the guard as he complies immediately, nor does she flinch like you when the door slams behind her. A second of silence passes, then two. You drum your fingers on the bed sheets. Rebecca doesn't even twitch.
Sighing for all you were worth, you reach up to your mask. You can't talk to her with this thing on.
She deserves better than that.
You pull at the edge, and it slowly comes free. New lights flash, forcing you to blink away the new black spots in your vision. No, wait, that's just Rebecca moving. Wiping the final spots, you see that her mouth is still flatter than the floor, but at least she sits down on the guest chair, crossing her legs when she gets comfortable enough.
She says nothing, her finger tapping her arm and letting you turn your mask over in your hand. You toss it at the table, only for Rebecca to snatch it out of the air. Her lips curve into a frown for a second, before gently placing the mask on the table.
"How long-?"
"Barely a day," Rebecca answers, her hand gripping her arm so hard the material started to tear.
You try to crack a smile, but Rebecca rears on you, her glare piercing straight through her helmet and freezing you in the bed.
"Uh, great," you say, quickly.
Rebecca's head doesn't even tilt. Silence falls, you shimmy your legs from under the covers, but Rebecca goes as still as stone.
"So… are you ok?"
"Fine," she bites.
"I-I can see that."
Another awkward silence passes, and you take the opportunity to look out the window. Nothing but waves of white as snow come down. Is it snowing? Huh… how did you not notice that before?
"A-and everyone else?"
"Legend had a few scrapes, but he will be fine. Eidolon just healed himself."
She turns towards you, and frown creases till there's nothing but a scowl.
"You were the only one with any pressing injuries."
You nod, that's good.
"Luck-"
"Don't," Rebecca warns, "Don't you dare say that you got lucky, don't you dare."
You wait for the scowl to fall off, but it doesn't. Seconds tick by, but she doesn't crack.
"Rebecca-"
UNDISIRABLE INTENSITY DETECTED
"Don't Rebecca me!" She screams, shooting to her feet and all but throwing you back from the intensity of it all, "You weren't lucky. You were bleeding out. You could barely stand!"
Your jaw moves and your throat tries to force out an apology. When nothing but a garbled mess comes out, Rebecca's hand streaks out grabbing you by the collar of the suit without even a flinch of effort. Her fingers strain against the material as Rebecca pulls you so close you see your reflection in her visor.
UNDISIRABLE INTENSITY DETECTED
As well as just how much her lips are quivering in barely restrained anger.
"You were brain dead, Alex! Even your heart stopped!"
Dead?
You… you were brain dead?
PURGING UNDISIRABLE INTENSITY
You know a little about it, how the body goes on, but without anything to keep things running. A miserable existence whereby all accounts you should be able to go on, but something stops you. Just the thought of it flashes you back to the first hospital room. Somehow, the image is worse than the memory.
But as the seconds pass, it hits you. You don't care.
Becoming like that, going back to that hospital room, none of it.
You wait for it, the pang of fear in your chest from the thought, and the rush of relief from knowing that you avoided it. Instead, you've got nothing. No fear, no relief, not even a joke to try and shake it off.
Rebecca might as well have just told you that the air was warm for all the difference that it made.
Were you just braver now? Was that it?
PURGE COMPLETE
You blink at the feeling of your entire body shaking as Rebecca's whole arm starts to shiver. You look down at it, then back up to Rebecca, her eyes still masked by that stupid helmet, but her quivering snarl is clear to see. Holding in everything you can, you get your feet under you, removing Rebecca's arm from the weight of having to keep you up. Not that it was that much, but she doesn't let go either.
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize," she orders.
You hear your suit start to rip, but you don't care.
"Someone's got to-"
"Everyone says it. You, Charles, Matthew, David, everyone says it, but it's never helped us!"
Your throat goes as dry as a desert. Nevertheless, you gently reach for Rebecca's hand.
"It's the thought that counts."
That turns out to be the wrong thing to say as Rebecca rounds on you, slapping the hand away.
"Thoughts didn't cure us."
Her grip wavers and her head starts to dip.
"Thoughts didn't wake you up."
Her arm goes slack, and she drops to her chair, all her strength gone leaving you standing there with your jaw on the floor. Slowly, it closes, and something different comes over you.
As gently as you can, you grasp the sides of her helmet. They fumble around aimlessly as you search and tug at the contraption.
Rebecca reaches up, taking your hands in hers. She takes them off the sides and gently takes them to the compartments under her ears. With her guidance, your fingers press the small switch under them. The helmet comes off in a hiss of air, and Rebecca's hands fall to the side as you take off her helmet. Her hair comes with it, moping her face while you put the helmet aside. Rebecca throws the loose strands out of the way and blinks for all she's worth. A desperate attempt to hide how red her eyes have gotten.
REPEATING INTENSITY
It makes getting the smile out all the easier. Before she can stop you, you pull her into a hug. You feel her stiffen at your touch, but slowly, her she pulls you closer.
"Thanks for being ok."
Her arms tighten until it feels like a vice is clamping down on your chest. It hurts, but it's worth it. You stay there for longer than you ever remember doing before. You feel you grip loosening, and her's only grows tighter. You cough, and the surprise makes her lighten up, but you don't let go.
"Feel better?"
You hear a forced but muffled snort from your shoulder.
"Dammit, stop worrying about me."
You keep the smile, even though she can't see it.
"Guess I was the only one doing it for so long I can't seem to stop."
You hear a cracking, watery chuckle.
"God, you're cheesy."
"You're the Rocky fan here."
She snorts again and slowly peels herself away from you. Sitting back on the chair, she looks around the room, her eyes alight with silent laughter.
"Well… here we are. Back in a hospital room."
"We're making a habit of this," you comment.
"We made a habit of this a while ago."
"Yeah," you admit with a shrug, "But now we have hair."
Rebecca does an honest to gods double take, and all of your self-control goes towards not laughing your ass off.
"What has that got to do with anything?" she asks.
Your smile falls off. Shit, how do you answer that?
"Uh…it's what's different?"
Rebecca stares at you, an incredulous expression on her face that makes you scratch the back of your head.
"It's the only thing I could think of."
There's a second of stunned silence, then Rebecca's self-control breaks. She shakes in her seat, hand over mouth, failing to hold in laughter.
"You know I'm not that good at this," you complain.
Although, the smile on your face didn't give it much weight. Rebecca steals a glance of you, and when she sees the smile, her laughter only doubles down. You cross your arms but smile as you wordlessly let Rebecca get it out of her system. When it's all said and done, Rebecca tucks her hair back shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to choose that of all things."
"Not much else to talk about."
Rebecca notches an eyebrow at you.
"There's plenty of things you could've mentioned."
"Not really," you shrug.
The eyebrow raises a little higher, and you quickly find yourself trying to shimmy to the other end of the bed.
"Do you really want to argue with me?"
"I mean… I could," you offer.
"You'd lose."
"Well if you put it that way then nothing has changed."
Rebecca blinks, then gawks at you, resting her head in hand as she goes back to shaking her head with a smile. When she finally stops, she tucks a small bit of hair behind her ear like she always does. Then, she tilts her head, hand on an earbud.
"Alexandria," she answers her expression all business.
You straighten your back and grab the covers with one hand. Rebecca shoots you a look, and you quickly take your hands off it and throw them up in surrender. She rolls her eyes, after another few seconds, she nods.
"Alright."
She takes her hand off the earbud and smiles. You can't smile back; it's an apology after all.
"Charles," she says, answering the unsaid question.
"Don't keep him waiting," you force out, "I'll be out there in a bit."
"Excuse you, I'm the one going to help," Rebecca stresses, picking up her helmet and sliding it back on, "You're going to lay there until someone says you can walk without hurting your head."
This time, you roll your eyes. Rebecca takes it in stride, giving you another small smirk.
"I'll tell the guard to find you a doctor."
You nod your in thanks, and before you know it, the door clicks to a close. Smothering the pang in your chest, you got to admit she's getting really good at that disappearing thing, isn't she? Wonder if she could teach you that?
Nah, you're too busy glowing to be sneaky.
Actually, why can't you be sneaky? If you took your dampeners off, you could see all the waves you wanted. Just put a wall between you and whoever, and it'll be fine. On your end, not theirs, they might get thrown around a little.
You send the mask a little cursory glance. Maybe you can-
There's the sound of light conversation by the door, then it opens, and your hand snaps back to your side. The person that makes their way through is definitely not a doctor, though.
It's a young woman, maybe a few years older than you, with a blue rib-knit sweater and raven black hair. A pair of rich, dark brown eyes locks onto you as her lips curve into a pleased smile.
"Ah, you are recovering well, yes?"
Is that accent… French? Weird. Still, she's not the strangest Doctor that's walked into your room. She'll have to try a lot harder to take that spot.
Despite the smile, you have to hold in a groan. Here we go, back to the standard questions. Are you feeling ok? Is there anything new? The simple, annoying questions that anyone with two eyes and a Doctorate should be able to answer without even asking them.
You shake your head. She's just doing her job, Everett, lay off.
"As well as I can I guess."
The smile brightens, which is almost enough to make you scowl. No, lay off, everyone does that.
"I believe you were already told, but when you were brought in it was quite a scare, yes?" the woman continues, moving over to your bedside and making what looks like a cursory glance at the various tubes and devices hooked into you, "It was a lucky thing that Mr Oracle told me to be here in advance."
Oracle? Oracle planned for this?
The thought's enough for you to focus a bit too much. A shimmering wave breaks through, then it screams. You double forward, hands over your ears, but it doesn't keep the noise away! On the edge of your consciousness, you're cognizant of her leaning over, holding your arm, but it doesn't matter. There's no way a doctor could just-
Slowly, the screaming fades into nothingness. There's no more noise, just silence. Sweet, blissful silence, and a vague feeling of… Peace? Happiness? A sort of warmth spreads through your body, easing the aches and pains to the point that you almost forget the pain you'd been through oh so recently.
"All is well, Mr Atlas, all is well. There is no reason to get so worked up, yes? This is a place of rest."
You flex your hand, your jaw slowly dropping to the floor as they move without an ounce of pain.
She's superhuman.
Much to your surprise, her other hand whips out and lightly smacks your hand.
"No, no, you must allow it to heal properly. Just because there is no pain now does not mean it will stay away forever, no? You must relax it."
You start to lift your other arm in a show of surrender, only to stop yourself halfway.
"Alright."
You lay your hands back down on the covers, and for the first time in a long time, did what a doctor told you. You sink down in the sheets and just lay there.
"Good. Much better. Now-"
"I suppose this explains the wait time," a vaguely British voice drawls from the doorway.
It's… Familiar, and yet somehow not at the same time. The woman that had been holding onto your arm whips her head back, smile shifting into a very severe frown.
"Mr Oracle, you should not be-"
"Sitting in a bed all day would be counterproductive, especially with Mr Everett now awake."
From your position, you can't quite see the man himself, only glimpses of what looks like a suit of some description. And…
Is that a walking stick?
Before the woman can retort, the figure makes his way into the room proper, revealing the man that can only be Oracle.
Whatever you were expecting, this wasn't it.
He's young. About your age, actually. Light brown hair, sharp features, and purple eyes? The thought's quickly dashed at the sight of his left eye being completely bloodshot, drowning the purple in crimson veins.
"I imagine that he, like so many before him, will have questions," Oracle states with an air of confidence, leaning rather heavily on the walking stick as he stands at the end of your bed.
The woman tuts, finally letting go of your arm to face him fully.
"Not to the detriment of your own health, Mr Oracle. You should be resting just as much as he is."
A wry smile plays on his lips.
"There's no rest for the wicked."
You scoff, shaking your head in disbelief. A chuckle breaks through you, and you give Oracle another once over. You could say a hundred things, but he looks like he was the one fighting Symphony.
"And here I was being scared of you." your mouth says on autopilot.
Oracle waves the comment aside.
"Think nothing of it. Nothing but a natural reaction from someone in your position."
You scratch the back of your head, and a nervous chuckle makes its way through.
"I guess I'm supposed to thank you, for getting my friends out of here alright."
Oracle's one good eye almost seems to glint as he begins limping his way around the bed to the opposite side of the woman.
"On the contrary, I should be the one thanking you. Without your timely arrival, many tens of thousands more would have lost their lives. The support I could personally call on at such short notice was minuscule at best, and nowhere near enough to deal with Richard and his group."
As he arrives at your side, he pulls one of those horrible, uncomfortable hospital chairs over, and then sits himself down. The woman just sighs, folding her arms almost haughtily.
"Why must you be so troublesome? Ms Catherine worries about you so, so could you not put some more effort into thinking about yourself?"
The wry smile on his face almost seems to warm, ever so slightly.
"Knowing she worries is what keeps me going."
The warm glow seems to dim slightly as he straightens as best he can within the confines of the chair.
"Now, would you mind leaving us be for a bit?"
She doesn't even respond, unfolding her arms, frown very much set in place, and practically stomps her way out of the room. Thankfully, she's kind enough to close the door on the way out.
As the door slides to a close, you rub the newly awakened ache in your hand.
"So… you can see the future?"
Oracle purses his lips slightly, his wry smile almost morphing into a frown.
"In a sense. To put it in as simple terms as I'm allowed, you could say that when I ask a question, I get the perfect answer."
The perfect answer to any question. Well, it makes sense. He did mention something about his path to victory after all.
"If you know the answers," you start, "Can you tell me how many got out?"
"A little over three and a half million," Oracle responds, putting the walking stick to rest against the chair, "And you're quite lucky that was your opening question. Unfortunately, I am incapable of using my powers at the moment, so I'm afraid I can only answer you with things I've been told thus far myself."
A humorless laugh escapes your mouth.
"Guess we're both a little out of it."
"It does make our first meeting rather bleak," he admits with a slight grimace, "After all, you're not exactly comfortable with strange people walking into your hospital room."
An understatement if you've ever heard one. Last time something like this happened, you thought you were going to die and woke up in a building on another earth with superpowers.
"You can buck the trend and tell me why you're here," you say.
He almost seems to ponder your words as he leans back in his chair. With the suit now at rest, it's easy to tell that he doesn't properly fill it out, which is strange, considering something that expensive would almost certainly be a custom fit just for him.
"Why?" he hums, "I can't exactly deny that there are important people I could be spending my time with, but unlike yourself, I spent the last day awake, talking to people from my hospital bed. Ms Costa was an excellent companion for a time, at least until I managed to get a hold of David. He's terribly frustrated, but I can't imagine what for."
That wry smile returns.
"For now, consider this a free service, in recognition of your brave sacrifice and your trust."
The realization hits you so fast that you're with jaw open. He's really just going to forgive you, isn't he?
Your mouth snaps shut, but not before the gibbering remains of a 'your welcome' pop out.
Oracle shakes, desperately holding back a chuckle. Keeping it in, he merely leans back, a look of contentment taking over him. You follow his gaze out the window. Looks like the snows stopped. Better still, there's just enough light to see the city. Or at least, what's left of it.
It's like someone's drawn a line through the center of it all. On your side, snow coats everything like it should. On the other, it touches down on shattered buildings, crumpled cars and deep into craters. It doesn't even look like a place worth living in, but two days ago, it was fine. People were walking without a care in the world. Driving to work, getting frustrated at the little things.
Living life as usual, only for everything to change.
You saved them from that change. It's a small comfort, but for now, it's enough.
"Oh, before I forget, it was quite the speech you made," Oracle compliments, "A brilliant performance if I do say so myself."
You snap around, your eyes widening as far as they can go.
"You… you heard that?"
Oracle gives a good-natured chuckle, tapping his cane against the ground for good measure.
"Crisp and clear, and I'm not the only one."
You notch an eyebrow at him and curiosity takes over.
"How many?"
His smile grows with almost inhuman levels of satisfaction.
"Enough."
You give him a blank stare. Really? That's all he's going to give you? And to think you were starting to warm up to the guy.
"Consider it a surprise," he smiles.
You don't smile back, opting to roll your eyes.
"So much for thanks and having all the answers," you mumble.
His red eye glints as he leans into his cane.
"Oh come now, a little joke never hurt anyone. Besides, you're hurt enough as it is."
Your feet shift, and you grab hold of your scarred hand on instinct. Oracle's smile fades slightly. He does his best not look at the wound. You got no idea why, but it's appreciated anyway.
"Needless wounds I'm afraid to say."
"It's not your fault," you say quickly, "Me and Eidolon rushed in their blind, and we only got that far because of your help."
You stop, staring at your hand.
"Wait… why did you help us?"
Oracle raises an eyebrow, reminding you of all the times your teachers used to wonder about you every time you asked the obvious question.
"A bit curious to why I didn't join Richard's little revolution?"
Yeah, in all honesty. You're not the smartest guy, hell, Clint spent a good chunk of his time reminding you, but even you can see the benefits of getting out of a war on top.
A quiet hum escapes Oracle as he shifts in place slightly.
"As far as anyone else would be concerned from what they know; yes, that would have been the smarter decision. Unfortunately…"
He rolls the word around his mouth for a while, drumbing his finger against his cane.
"Richard and I have a difference in opinion in how best to integrate powered's and non-powered's. Not to mention the fact that this entire fiasco was done entirely out of one, selfish desire that I in no way agree with."
Richard? Must be Symphony's name.
"He's currently receiving medical treatment under heavy guard if you're curious," Oracle continues tiredly as he massages his temples, "Without any acceptance of support from Seraph, I might add. There's a general refusal to allow myself or anyone affiliated with me near him as of right now."
Noticing the confusion as it starts to form on your face, Oracle just lets his features fall into a grimace.
"I thought it best to admit my involvement with Richard and his dealings in the past, but it doesn't seem as though anyone took that bit of honesty quite the way I'd been hoping."
Your eyes narrow, and a dozen more waves shine around you.
"You helped him?"
You grip the side of your bed, the frame groaning under the strain. In an almost insulting way, the man just lets out a tired sigh, not looking at all worried for his safety.
"Not to the ends of destroying London, no. When we first met, I was still inexperienced with the intricacies of my powers, and Richard is nothing if not an intelligent man. He… Found a loophole, of sorts. By the time I realized what I'd done, it was too late to take it back."
Those tired, purple eyes lock onto yours.
"So I did what I could to help make up for that mistake. I wish I could say it was all a 'master plan,' but I'm afraid even precognitives make mistakes."
You blink, and the waves and the noise dies. You're left panting in the bed sheets, wiping a line of sweat off your forehead before you can reply.
"Sorry, I didn't know."
You catch Oracle giving a brief shrug, but not saying anything. With the silence, it's enough for you to realize just how comfortable this pillow is. You're eyes start to flutter close, but a quick rub is enough to keep them open. Although, talking a bit more would probably help.
"Then, is there anything you think I should know?"
Silence reigns over the room for a few, vaguely tense moments.
"To put it bluntly, even with things quieting down in London, it's not even close to ideal. Quite a lot's happened, so it's difficult to properly summarize succinctly, but Europe is doing quite well, all things considered. Asia seems to have had a distinct military response, unfortunately. Finally, I'm afraid to say the United States and neighboring countries seems to have born the brunt of the bad news. There are mass riots, and the overall percentage of those with powers seems to be growing by the hour."
The realization of what that means dawns on you almost immediately.
"Your family is fine, Alex," Oracle interjects your thoughts, thankfully, "Ms Costa was quick to ask on your behalf."
Oh, thank god.
The news alone is enough to get you laughing. They're safe, they're ok, oh there is a god. Not that you should be surprised, it makes sense after all. They're smart enough not to run towards the danger after all.
"Can you tell me where they are?"
For a moment, all he does in response is steeple his fingers over his knee, apparently trying to recall something he'd been told.
"If I'm not mistaken, your brother is currently in Los Angeles, whilst your father and sister are in New York."
You nod your thanks, its all you need. If they're ok, that means you can focus on London for now. Considering everything that's happened, someone probably triggered. They'll need someone to talk to, not to mention all the collapsed buildings.
Good lord there's a lot of work to do isn't there? Well, no time like today.
You quickly pull the IV out of your arm and reach for your mask. Just as your fingers touch the edge of it, however, so too does Oracle's.
"Don't."
His voice almost startles you, taking on a tone you hadn't heard from him at all. It's not quite an order, but it teeters on that line, forcing you to listen, clearing the fog surrounding your thoughts.
"I understand fully that you're worried, that you wish to go out and do whatever you can. That's what you think Atlas would do, is it not?"
You're so focused on listening that you don't realize until a few seconds later that he's actually waiting for a response. Letting out a sigh, you pull your mask away from him and slide it on. The edges sink in as it seals itself on.
"Yeah, and if everything's as bad as you say, then I've got jobs to do."
You swing your legs around to the edge of the bed, and they scream as you force them to pull their weight. You stumble, but you manage to stay standing.
"At the detriment of everyone else's job?" Oracle's voice sounds out from behind you, still sitting, "Everyone is only capable of working as hard as they are because they know you're here, resting, preparing for what comes next. If you walk out now, all you'll be is a burden."
"Is Alexandria resting?" you shoot back.
There's a slight shuffling in the seat behind you, but no sound of him standing up.
"She wasn't declared legally dead. What, exactly, do you plan on doing? If you attempt to use your powers for anything significant, you're liable to severely injure yourself, let alone anyone nearby."
"I don't know," you admit, "But there's got to be something I can do to help."
You glance around, the waves springing to life around him, waiting for your call.
"Besides sitting around and waiting."
Again, frustratingly, Oracle seems utterly unfazed by the situation he's in.
"Alex, believe me when I tell you that I understand completely what it feels like to finally have the freedom of action. To be burdened by an inability to do anything, and then feel like I have to make up for it by doing all I can at every opportunity."
His expression doesn't change in the slightest, fingers still steepled over his knee.
"But from my own experiences, I can tell you that sometimes you have to wait. Sometimes the best action to take is inaction."
You try to keep it in, lord in heaven you try, but you can't stop yourself from shaking your head.
"Just letting things happen is what made my life a shitshow."
A quiet sigh sounds out from behind you.
"Maybe so. To your credit, taking action when it's necessary is what led you here now. It's what saved so many people. Yesterday was the time for action, and now it's time for you to realize that you have to rest. If not for yourself, then for the people that worry about you."
You give him a sideways glance.
"And you here to thank me? Or just keep me from getting out of bed."
"I have no idea what you're insinuating, Mr Everett," Oracle replies, his smile sickeningly sweet, "I'm simply giving you the information you deserve while keeping you from Mrs Costa's wrath."
You… he… ugh.
Fucking precogs.
[] Take his and Rebecca's advice and rest. It feels wrong after everything's that's happened, but it'll help.
[] Ask Oracle to tell you what you can do to help in the city. You don't need your powers to move your arms, and you don't need powers to talk to people.
[] Try to contact Cauldron. They've been too quiet about this entire thing, and that can't be a good thing.
***
Arc 3: Revolution
Fin
Arc 4: Reconstruction
Begin
A hundred different emotions could run through you at that answer. Anger, disgust, even disappointment.
But most of all, there's relief.
Finally, someone who wants to live.
"On behalf... of the... people... of London."
"Atlas," Rebecca stresses.
She pulls on you tighter, and while you hold in the wince, the way your arm spasms is enough for her to let go. As she lets go, you're left to walk on your own two feet again. Your bleeding feet and screaming legs somehow let you walk the two steps forward. Your right arm shakes, the fingers twitching, barely managing to grasp around Symphony's offered wrists.
INTENSITY LEVELS CRITICAL
"We... accept."
He laughs, a small crackling sound barely hindered by the gurgling in his stomach. The masks shifts, like he's talking, but you hear nothing.
CONVERTING ADDITIONAL INTENSITY
And everything goes black.
HOST RESET
Beep
Beep
Oh god why?
In one day, a city nearly got destroyed, and the rest of the world found out that superhumans exist. Is it too much to ask to get rid of that stupid sound?
…
Beep
Of course not.
Rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, you feel the mask covering your eyes. Guess Charles made these things to last. You groan, your chest burning from something. What it is, you've no idea but it stings, and at least you're awake now. Rubbing some of the more offending areas, several things hit you at once.
You're in a dusty eggshell painted room with the only decoration beyond your bed and the beeping IV pumping fluids into your arm being a fold-out table. Beyond that, one set of double windows leading out, one door, and a guest chair. Even being a comfortable distance away, the sounds of trucks backing up, and angry shouts.
Another thing, you're also still in costume. An easy guess considering the mask on your face, but you're just waking up. The only thing that's missing is your cape and whatever parts that were covering your left arm. The IV runs a steady stream of something into it, painkillers probably.
HOST RESET COMPLETE
But more than that… your hand.
TESTING NURAL CONNECTION
The hole that was there is gone, replaced with throbbing red scar tissue. Reflexively, you twitch your fingers. A flash of pain runs down your arm, but it's not enough to stop you from smiling at the moving digits.
The holes are going to be a pain to explain, but at least you still have your hand. Along with that, you have your mask, but do you have… them?
TEST SUCESSFUL
You reach up, and there's nothing. No dampeners in your ears, but you haven't heard anything since you woke up. You snap your fingers together, the sound ringing out crisp and clear.
So you can hear, but the waves are… gone? No dampeners, but no waves? It doesn't make sense.
REACTIVATING INTENSITY
You stare at your hand, focusing willing and-
"AGH!"
White hot pain flashes through your head like someone shoved a knife into your ear. Noise, so much noise all at once!
The door to the room cracks open, a soldier with that weird hat looks in. His eyes seemingly bulge out of his face when he notices you up and active. Instantly, his back straightens, and he gives you a crisp solute.
You fail to hold back your wince.
"Sir."
Sir, you? That makes it worse.
Thankfully you're spared as the man steps to the side, letting Rebecca into the room. She must've gotten a new suit, or at least a cleanup if the lack of damage was anything to go by. You give a small smile. She looks you over, her mouth a thin line and her arms crossed over her chest.
"Leave us," she orders.
She doesn't even look at the guard as he complies immediately, nor does she flinch like you when the door slams behind her. A second of silence passes, then two. You drum your fingers on the bed sheets. Rebecca doesn't even twitch.
Sighing for all you were worth, you reach up to your mask. You can't talk to her with this thing on.
She deserves better than that.
You pull at the edge, and it slowly comes free. New lights flash, forcing you to blink away the new black spots in your vision. No, wait, that's just Rebecca moving. Wiping the final spots, you see that her mouth is still flatter than the floor, but at least she sits down on the guest chair, crossing her legs when she gets comfortable enough.
She says nothing, her finger tapping her arm and letting you turn your mask over in your hand. You toss it at the table, only for Rebecca to snatch it out of the air. Her lips curve into a frown for a second, before gently placing the mask on the table.
"How long-?"
"Barely a day," Rebecca answers, her hand gripping her arm so hard the material started to tear.
You try to crack a smile, but Rebecca rears on you, her glare piercing straight through her helmet and freezing you in the bed.
"Uh, great," you say, quickly.
Rebecca's head doesn't even tilt. Silence falls, you shimmy your legs from under the covers, but Rebecca goes as still as stone.
"So… are you ok?"
"Fine," she bites.
"I-I can see that."
Another awkward silence passes, and you take the opportunity to look out the window. Nothing but waves of white as snow come down. Is it snowing? Huh… how did you not notice that before?
"A-and everyone else?"
"Legend had a few scrapes, but he will be fine. Eidolon just healed himself."
She turns towards you, and frown creases till there's nothing but a scowl.
"You were the only one with any pressing injuries."
You nod, that's good.
"Luck-"
"Don't," Rebecca warns, "Don't you dare say that you got lucky, don't you dare."
You wait for the scowl to fall off, but it doesn't. Seconds tick by, but she doesn't crack.
"Rebecca-"
UNDISIRABLE INTENSITY DETECTED
"Don't Rebecca me!" She screams, shooting to her feet and all but throwing you back from the intensity of it all, "You weren't lucky. You were bleeding out. You could barely stand!"
Your jaw moves and your throat tries to force out an apology. When nothing but a garbled mess comes out, Rebecca's hand streaks out grabbing you by the collar of the suit without even a flinch of effort. Her fingers strain against the material as Rebecca pulls you so close you see your reflection in her visor.
UNDISIRABLE INTENSITY DETECTED
As well as just how much her lips are quivering in barely restrained anger.
"You were brain dead, Alex! Even your heart stopped!"
Dead?
You… you were brain dead?
PURGING UNDISIRABLE INTENSITY
You know a little about it, how the body goes on, but without anything to keep things running. A miserable existence whereby all accounts you should be able to go on, but something stops you. Just the thought of it flashes you back to the first hospital room. Somehow, the image is worse than the memory.
But as the seconds pass, it hits you. You don't care.
Becoming like that, going back to that hospital room, none of it.
You wait for it, the pang of fear in your chest from the thought, and the rush of relief from knowing that you avoided it. Instead, you've got nothing. No fear, no relief, not even a joke to try and shake it off.
Rebecca might as well have just told you that the air was warm for all the difference that it made.
Were you just braver now? Was that it?
PURGE COMPLETE
You blink at the feeling of your entire body shaking as Rebecca's whole arm starts to shiver. You look down at it, then back up to Rebecca, her eyes still masked by that stupid helmet, but her quivering snarl is clear to see. Holding in everything you can, you get your feet under you, removing Rebecca's arm from the weight of having to keep you up. Not that it was that much, but she doesn't let go either.
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize," she orders.
You hear your suit start to rip, but you don't care.
"Someone's got to-"
"Everyone says it. You, Charles, Matthew, David, everyone says it, but it's never helped us!"
Your throat goes as dry as a desert. Nevertheless, you gently reach for Rebecca's hand.
"It's the thought that counts."
That turns out to be the wrong thing to say as Rebecca rounds on you, slapping the hand away.
"Thoughts didn't cure us."
Her grip wavers and her head starts to dip.
"Thoughts didn't wake you up."
Her arm goes slack, and she drops to her chair, all her strength gone leaving you standing there with your jaw on the floor. Slowly, it closes, and something different comes over you.
As gently as you can, you grasp the sides of her helmet. They fumble around aimlessly as you search and tug at the contraption.
Rebecca reaches up, taking your hands in hers. She takes them off the sides and gently takes them to the compartments under her ears. With her guidance, your fingers press the small switch under them. The helmet comes off in a hiss of air, and Rebecca's hands fall to the side as you take off her helmet. Her hair comes with it, moping her face while you put the helmet aside. Rebecca throws the loose strands out of the way and blinks for all she's worth. A desperate attempt to hide how red her eyes have gotten.
REPEATING INTENSITY
It makes getting the smile out all the easier. Before she can stop you, you pull her into a hug. You feel her stiffen at your touch, but slowly, her she pulls you closer.
"Thanks for being ok."
Her arms tighten until it feels like a vice is clamping down on your chest. It hurts, but it's worth it. You stay there for longer than you ever remember doing before. You feel you grip loosening, and her's only grows tighter. You cough, and the surprise makes her lighten up, but you don't let go.
"Feel better?"
You hear a forced but muffled snort from your shoulder.
"Dammit, stop worrying about me."
You keep the smile, even though she can't see it.
"Guess I was the only one doing it for so long I can't seem to stop."
You hear a cracking, watery chuckle.
"God, you're cheesy."
"You're the Rocky fan here."
She snorts again and slowly peels herself away from you. Sitting back on the chair, she looks around the room, her eyes alight with silent laughter.
"Well… here we are. Back in a hospital room."
"We're making a habit of this," you comment.
"We made a habit of this a while ago."
"Yeah," you admit with a shrug, "But now we have hair."
Rebecca does an honest to gods double take, and all of your self-control goes towards not laughing your ass off.
"What has that got to do with anything?" she asks.
Your smile falls off. Shit, how do you answer that?
"Uh…it's what's different?"
Rebecca stares at you, an incredulous expression on her face that makes you scratch the back of your head.
"It's the only thing I could think of."
There's a second of stunned silence, then Rebecca's self-control breaks. She shakes in her seat, hand over mouth, failing to hold in laughter.
"You know I'm not that good at this," you complain.
Although, the smile on your face didn't give it much weight. Rebecca steals a glance of you, and when she sees the smile, her laughter only doubles down. You cross your arms but smile as you wordlessly let Rebecca get it out of her system. When it's all said and done, Rebecca tucks her hair back shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to choose that of all things."
"Not much else to talk about."
Rebecca notches an eyebrow at you.
"There's plenty of things you could've mentioned."
"Not really," you shrug.
The eyebrow raises a little higher, and you quickly find yourself trying to shimmy to the other end of the bed.
"Do you really want to argue with me?"
"I mean… I could," you offer.
"You'd lose."
"Well if you put it that way then nothing has changed."
Rebecca blinks, then gawks at you, resting her head in hand as she goes back to shaking her head with a smile. When she finally stops, she tucks a small bit of hair behind her ear like she always does. Then, she tilts her head, hand on an earbud.
"Alexandria," she answers her expression all business.
You straighten your back and grab the covers with one hand. Rebecca shoots you a look, and you quickly take your hands off it and throw them up in surrender. She rolls her eyes, after another few seconds, she nods.
"Alright."
She takes her hand off the earbud and smiles. You can't smile back; it's an apology after all.
"Charles," she says, answering the unsaid question.
"Don't keep him waiting," you force out, "I'll be out there in a bit."
"Excuse you, I'm the one going to help," Rebecca stresses, picking up her helmet and sliding it back on, "You're going to lay there until someone says you can walk without hurting your head."
This time, you roll your eyes. Rebecca takes it in stride, giving you another small smirk.
"I'll tell the guard to find you a doctor."
You nod your in thanks, and before you know it, the door clicks to a close. Smothering the pang in your chest, you got to admit she's getting really good at that disappearing thing, isn't she? Wonder if she could teach you that?
Nah, you're too busy glowing to be sneaky.
Actually, why can't you be sneaky? If you took your dampeners off, you could see all the waves you wanted. Just put a wall between you and whoever, and it'll be fine. On your end, not theirs, they might get thrown around a little.
You send the mask a little cursory glance. Maybe you can-
There's the sound of light conversation by the door, then it opens, and your hand snaps back to your side. The person that makes their way through is definitely not a doctor, though.
It's a young woman, maybe a few years older than you, with a blue rib-knit sweater and raven black hair. A pair of rich, dark brown eyes locks onto you as her lips curve into a pleased smile.
"Ah, you are recovering well, yes?"
Is that accent… French? Weird. Still, she's not the strangest Doctor that's walked into your room. She'll have to try a lot harder to take that spot.
Despite the smile, you have to hold in a groan. Here we go, back to the standard questions. Are you feeling ok? Is there anything new? The simple, annoying questions that anyone with two eyes and a Doctorate should be able to answer without even asking them.
You shake your head. She's just doing her job, Everett, lay off.
"As well as I can I guess."
The smile brightens, which is almost enough to make you scowl. No, lay off, everyone does that.
"I believe you were already told, but when you were brought in it was quite a scare, yes?" the woman continues, moving over to your bedside and making what looks like a cursory glance at the various tubes and devices hooked into you, "It was a lucky thing that Mr Oracle told me to be here in advance."
Oracle? Oracle planned for this?
The thought's enough for you to focus a bit too much. A shimmering wave breaks through, then it screams. You double forward, hands over your ears, but it doesn't keep the noise away! On the edge of your consciousness, you're cognizant of her leaning over, holding your arm, but it doesn't matter. There's no way a doctor could just-
Slowly, the screaming fades into nothingness. There's no more noise, just silence. Sweet, blissful silence, and a vague feeling of… Peace? Happiness? A sort of warmth spreads through your body, easing the aches and pains to the point that you almost forget the pain you'd been through oh so recently.
"All is well, Mr Atlas, all is well. There is no reason to get so worked up, yes? This is a place of rest."
You flex your hand, your jaw slowly dropping to the floor as they move without an ounce of pain.
She's superhuman.
Much to your surprise, her other hand whips out and lightly smacks your hand.
"No, no, you must allow it to heal properly. Just because there is no pain now does not mean it will stay away forever, no? You must relax it."
You start to lift your other arm in a show of surrender, only to stop yourself halfway.
"Alright."
You lay your hands back down on the covers, and for the first time in a long time, did what a doctor told you. You sink down in the sheets and just lay there.
"Good. Much better. Now-"
"I suppose this explains the wait time," a vaguely British voice drawls from the doorway.
It's… Familiar, and yet somehow not at the same time. The woman that had been holding onto your arm whips her head back, smile shifting into a very severe frown.
"Mr Oracle, you should not be-"
"Sitting in a bed all day would be counterproductive, especially with Mr Everett now awake."
From your position, you can't quite see the man himself, only glimpses of what looks like a suit of some description. And…
Is that a walking stick?
Before the woman can retort, the figure makes his way into the room proper, revealing the man that can only be Oracle.
Whatever you were expecting, this wasn't it.
He's young. About your age, actually. Light brown hair, sharp features, and purple eyes? The thought's quickly dashed at the sight of his left eye being completely bloodshot, drowning the purple in crimson veins.
"I imagine that he, like so many before him, will have questions," Oracle states with an air of confidence, leaning rather heavily on the walking stick as he stands at the end of your bed.
The woman tuts, finally letting go of your arm to face him fully.
"Not to the detriment of your own health, Mr Oracle. You should be resting just as much as he is."
A wry smile plays on his lips.
"There's no rest for the wicked."
You scoff, shaking your head in disbelief. A chuckle breaks through you, and you give Oracle another once over. You could say a hundred things, but he looks like he was the one fighting Symphony.
"And here I was being scared of you." your mouth says on autopilot.
Oracle waves the comment aside.
"Think nothing of it. Nothing but a natural reaction from someone in your position."
You scratch the back of your head, and a nervous chuckle makes its way through.
"I guess I'm supposed to thank you, for getting my friends out of here alright."
Oracle's one good eye almost seems to glint as he begins limping his way around the bed to the opposite side of the woman.
"On the contrary, I should be the one thanking you. Without your timely arrival, many tens of thousands more would have lost their lives. The support I could personally call on at such short notice was minuscule at best, and nowhere near enough to deal with Richard and his group."
As he arrives at your side, he pulls one of those horrible, uncomfortable hospital chairs over, and then sits himself down. The woman just sighs, folding her arms almost haughtily.
"Why must you be so troublesome? Ms Catherine worries about you so, so could you not put some more effort into thinking about yourself?"
The wry smile on his face almost seems to warm, ever so slightly.
"Knowing she worries is what keeps me going."
The warm glow seems to dim slightly as he straightens as best he can within the confines of the chair.
"Now, would you mind leaving us be for a bit?"
She doesn't even respond, unfolding her arms, frown very much set in place, and practically stomps her way out of the room. Thankfully, she's kind enough to close the door on the way out.
As the door slides to a close, you rub the newly awakened ache in your hand.
"So… you can see the future?"
Oracle purses his lips slightly, his wry smile almost morphing into a frown.
"In a sense. To put it in as simple terms as I'm allowed, you could say that when I ask a question, I get the perfect answer."
The perfect answer to any question. Well, it makes sense. He did mention something about his path to victory after all.
"If you know the answers," you start, "Can you tell me how many got out?"
"A little over three and a half million," Oracle responds, putting the walking stick to rest against the chair, "And you're quite lucky that was your opening question. Unfortunately, I am incapable of using my powers at the moment, so I'm afraid I can only answer you with things I've been told thus far myself."
A humorless laugh escapes your mouth.
"Guess we're both a little out of it."
"It does make our first meeting rather bleak," he admits with a slight grimace, "After all, you're not exactly comfortable with strange people walking into your hospital room."
An understatement if you've ever heard one. Last time something like this happened, you thought you were going to die and woke up in a building on another earth with superpowers.
"You can buck the trend and tell me why you're here," you say.
He almost seems to ponder your words as he leans back in his chair. With the suit now at rest, it's easy to tell that he doesn't properly fill it out, which is strange, considering something that expensive would almost certainly be a custom fit just for him.
"Why?" he hums, "I can't exactly deny that there are important people I could be spending my time with, but unlike yourself, I spent the last day awake, talking to people from my hospital bed. Ms Costa was an excellent companion for a time, at least until I managed to get a hold of David. He's terribly frustrated, but I can't imagine what for."
That wry smile returns.
"For now, consider this a free service, in recognition of your brave sacrifice and your trust."
The realization hits you so fast that you're with jaw open. He's really just going to forgive you, isn't he?
Your mouth snaps shut, but not before the gibbering remains of a 'your welcome' pop out.
Oracle shakes, desperately holding back a chuckle. Keeping it in, he merely leans back, a look of contentment taking over him. You follow his gaze out the window. Looks like the snows stopped. Better still, there's just enough light to see the city. Or at least, what's left of it.
It's like someone's drawn a line through the center of it all. On your side, snow coats everything like it should. On the other, it touches down on shattered buildings, crumpled cars and deep into craters. It doesn't even look like a place worth living in, but two days ago, it was fine. People were walking without a care in the world. Driving to work, getting frustrated at the little things.
Living life as usual, only for everything to change.
You saved them from that change. It's a small comfort, but for now, it's enough.
"Oh, before I forget, it was quite the speech you made," Oracle compliments, "A brilliant performance if I do say so myself."
You snap around, your eyes widening as far as they can go.
"You… you heard that?"
Oracle gives a good-natured chuckle, tapping his cane against the ground for good measure.
"Crisp and clear, and I'm not the only one."
You notch an eyebrow at him and curiosity takes over.
"How many?"
His smile grows with almost inhuman levels of satisfaction.
"Enough."
You give him a blank stare. Really? That's all he's going to give you? And to think you were starting to warm up to the guy.
"Consider it a surprise," he smiles.
You don't smile back, opting to roll your eyes.
"So much for thanks and having all the answers," you mumble.
His red eye glints as he leans into his cane.
"Oh come now, a little joke never hurt anyone. Besides, you're hurt enough as it is."
Your feet shift, and you grab hold of your scarred hand on instinct. Oracle's smile fades slightly. He does his best not look at the wound. You got no idea why, but it's appreciated anyway.
"Needless wounds I'm afraid to say."
"It's not your fault," you say quickly, "Me and Eidolon rushed in their blind, and we only got that far because of your help."
You stop, staring at your hand.
"Wait… why did you help us?"
Oracle raises an eyebrow, reminding you of all the times your teachers used to wonder about you every time you asked the obvious question.
"A bit curious to why I didn't join Richard's little revolution?"
Yeah, in all honesty. You're not the smartest guy, hell, Clint spent a good chunk of his time reminding you, but even you can see the benefits of getting out of a war on top.
A quiet hum escapes Oracle as he shifts in place slightly.
"As far as anyone else would be concerned from what they know; yes, that would have been the smarter decision. Unfortunately…"
He rolls the word around his mouth for a while, drumbing his finger against his cane.
"Richard and I have a difference in opinion in how best to integrate powered's and non-powered's. Not to mention the fact that this entire fiasco was done entirely out of one, selfish desire that I in no way agree with."
Richard? Must be Symphony's name.
"He's currently receiving medical treatment under heavy guard if you're curious," Oracle continues tiredly as he massages his temples, "Without any acceptance of support from Seraph, I might add. There's a general refusal to allow myself or anyone affiliated with me near him as of right now."
Noticing the confusion as it starts to form on your face, Oracle just lets his features fall into a grimace.
"I thought it best to admit my involvement with Richard and his dealings in the past, but it doesn't seem as though anyone took that bit of honesty quite the way I'd been hoping."
Your eyes narrow, and a dozen more waves shine around you.
"You helped him?"
You grip the side of your bed, the frame groaning under the strain. In an almost insulting way, the man just lets out a tired sigh, not looking at all worried for his safety.
"Not to the ends of destroying London, no. When we first met, I was still inexperienced with the intricacies of my powers, and Richard is nothing if not an intelligent man. He… Found a loophole, of sorts. By the time I realized what I'd done, it was too late to take it back."
Those tired, purple eyes lock onto yours.
"So I did what I could to help make up for that mistake. I wish I could say it was all a 'master plan,' but I'm afraid even precognitives make mistakes."
You blink, and the waves and the noise dies. You're left panting in the bed sheets, wiping a line of sweat off your forehead before you can reply.
"Sorry, I didn't know."
You catch Oracle giving a brief shrug, but not saying anything. With the silence, it's enough for you to realize just how comfortable this pillow is. You're eyes start to flutter close, but a quick rub is enough to keep them open. Although, talking a bit more would probably help.
"Then, is there anything you think I should know?"
Silence reigns over the room for a few, vaguely tense moments.
"To put it bluntly, even with things quieting down in London, it's not even close to ideal. Quite a lot's happened, so it's difficult to properly summarize succinctly, but Europe is doing quite well, all things considered. Asia seems to have had a distinct military response, unfortunately. Finally, I'm afraid to say the United States and neighboring countries seems to have born the brunt of the bad news. There are mass riots, and the overall percentage of those with powers seems to be growing by the hour."
The realization of what that means dawns on you almost immediately.
"Your family is fine, Alex," Oracle interjects your thoughts, thankfully, "Ms Costa was quick to ask on your behalf."
Oh, thank god.
The news alone is enough to get you laughing. They're safe, they're ok, oh there is a god. Not that you should be surprised, it makes sense after all. They're smart enough not to run towards the danger after all.
"Can you tell me where they are?"
For a moment, all he does in response is steeple his fingers over his knee, apparently trying to recall something he'd been told.
"If I'm not mistaken, your brother is currently in Los Angeles, whilst your father and sister are in New York."
You nod your thanks, its all you need. If they're ok, that means you can focus on London for now. Considering everything that's happened, someone probably triggered. They'll need someone to talk to, not to mention all the collapsed buildings.
Good lord there's a lot of work to do isn't there? Well, no time like today.
You quickly pull the IV out of your arm and reach for your mask. Just as your fingers touch the edge of it, however, so too does Oracle's.
"Don't."
His voice almost startles you, taking on a tone you hadn't heard from him at all. It's not quite an order, but it teeters on that line, forcing you to listen, clearing the fog surrounding your thoughts.
"I understand fully that you're worried, that you wish to go out and do whatever you can. That's what you think Atlas would do, is it not?"
You're so focused on listening that you don't realize until a few seconds later that he's actually waiting for a response. Letting out a sigh, you pull your mask away from him and slide it on. The edges sink in as it seals itself on.
REESTABLISHING CONNECTION
"Yeah, and if everything's as bad as you say, then I've got jobs to do."
You swing your legs around to the edge of the bed, and they scream as you force them to pull their weight. You stumble, but you manage to stay standing.
"At the detriment of everyone else's job?" Oracle's voice sounds out from behind you, still sitting, "Everyone is only capable of working as hard as they are because they know you're here, resting, preparing for what comes next. If you walk out now, all you'll be is a burden."
"Is Alexandria resting?" you shoot back.
There's a slight shuffling in the seat behind you, but no sound of him standing up.
"She wasn't declared legally dead. What, exactly, do you plan on doing? If you attempt to use your powers for anything significant, you're liable to severely injure yourself, let alone anyone nearby."
"I don't know," you admit, "But there's got to be something I can do to help."
You glance around, the waves springing to life around him, waiting for your call.
"Besides sitting around and waiting."
Again, frustratingly, Oracle seems utterly unfazed by the situation he's in.
"Alex, believe me when I tell you that I understand completely what it feels like to finally have the freedom of action. To be burdened by an inability to do anything, and then feel like I have to make up for it by doing all I can at every opportunity."
His expression doesn't change in the slightest, fingers still steepled over his knee.
"But from my own experiences, I can tell you that sometimes you have to wait. Sometimes the best action to take is inaction."
You try to keep it in, lord in heaven you try, but you can't stop yourself from shaking your head.
"Just letting things happen is what made my life a shitshow."
A quiet sigh sounds out from behind you.
"Maybe so. To your credit, taking action when it's necessary is what led you here now. It's what saved so many people. Yesterday was the time for action, and now it's time for you to realize that you have to rest. If not for yourself, then for the people that worry about you."
You give him a sideways glance.
"And you here to thank me? Or just keep me from getting out of bed."
"I have no idea what you're insinuating, Mr Everett," Oracle replies, his smile sickeningly sweet, "I'm simply giving you the information you deserve while keeping you from Mrs Costa's wrath."
You… he… ugh.
Fucking precogs.
[] Take his and Rebecca's advice and rest. It feels wrong after everything's that's happened, but it'll help.
[] Ask Oracle to tell you what you can do to help in the city. You don't need your powers to move your arms, and you don't need powers to talk to people.
[] Try to contact Cauldron. They've been too quiet about this entire thing, and that can't be a good thing.
***
Arc 3: Revolution
Fin
Arc 4: Reconstruction
Begin
