logiccosmic
the Prince of Word Crimes
- Location
- the Hague, formerly
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Second Breath 1.5
Leaving the hospital was near-divine intervention. After being poked, prodded, and put in a giant noisy tube, and subjected to the humiliating experience of something called a "Physical Evidence Recovery Kit," as apparently ordered from above, I was released with instructions to report anything out of the ordinary happening.
Barring some obvious complications, I added to myself.
With a clean bill of health, I was rolled out in a wheelchair by Officer Quinn before noon, with my dad and his partner talking in low voices behind me. A squad car pulled up to curb, and Officer Quinn held the door open for me.
"These two fine officers will see you safely home. Stay out of trouble, and it's good to have you safe, Ms. Hebert."
My dad, in the other back seat, and I waved at them as well pulled out. Out of the lot, the officer in the passenger seat twisted back to face us with a grin and asked, "You folks want to get home fast?"
"Yes, please!" I replied. I could really use the time to figure out my pow-
"Go time."
With a squeal of tires and the wailing of an alarm, we screamed down the road, cars parting before us. My dad and I slid back and forth on the seat in back. In an easy 3 minutes, we screeched to a stop in front of our home.
The officer in passenger seat turned back around, and said, "Here you go. It's nice to see you back with us."
Moderately embarrassed, I said a quick, "Thanks," and got out of the car, my dad saying something I couldn't hear behind me. We waved to them as they pulled out at a more sedate pace than before.
"That was bracing," I commented to my dad.
"Hmm," he murmured in agreement. I turned to look at him, and I felt like kicking myself. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep. So, him checking in on me hadn't been a dream. He'd probably checked every few minutes.
Or maybe he saw my glow.
Fear compounded guilt, and I turned back away. How much was I actually hiding from him?
We made it inside silently, and went to the kitchen together by unspoken consensus. Dad started a pot of coffee, and I claimed my chair. Breaking the silence, I asked, "What did the doctors say?"
"Perfect health. They said they could find nothing wrong, and that there were no traces of any sort of drug or known compound that could cause memory loss."
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I asked, "And did they have any ideas what happened, then?"
He shook his head. "They asked Armsmaster for advice while he was there, and he said that he made some calls. He did say that new drugs and poisons show up all the time, and it's a losing battle trying to ID them all. And that the usual resources he would put on this case were occupied."
I knew the answer, but had to ask, "Occupied by what?"
"I didn't ask, but I figured that light last night. Did you see it, then?"
"Part of it," I admitted, technically true.
"What did the news say about it, this morning?"
"Only that nothing official had been said, and that there were a lot of heroes sitting on top of it."
He nodded, and sat across from me. He said gently, "You are going to have to go back to school."
Or I could go to Arcadia High instead. I knew that much, at least. Wards got in there, even with the huge waiting list. But, then I'd have to reveal myself to a bunch of people I didn't know, and possibly my dad. And I didn't seem to be their most popular person at the moment, if their response was anything to judge by.
So, I answered, "I know. And I'll have to see them again, and deal with being gone."
Dad's mouth flattened into a line as he remarked, "They didn't even send your school work to me."
Nice to know I hadn't been expected to make it back. "What else happened to them? Suspension and counseling?"
He nodded, and elaborated, "At least till today was what the principal said, with a month of counseling. And a black mark on their records."
Relief? Maybe that wasn't quite the right word. More, satisfaction. Finally.
"Back tomorrow then?"
His eyebrows rose, "Are you up to it?"
"Only one way to find out."
He smiled, then yawned. "I'm glad to have you back, kiddo. What's your plan for the day, then?"
"TV, I guess, to see what the fuss is about," I paused, "And could we go to the library after lunch? I'd like to do some research before I go back to school."
"All right. We'll go after lunch. Lacey dropped off some food yesterday. Half an hour sound good?"
Nodding, I made my way back to couch. I doubted dad would let me out of sight for any significant amount of time, barring school. I'd have to get used to a bit more involved dad.
I suppose I deserved it. Especially hearing that his friends had to have come by to make sure he ate.
The TV clicked back on to the local news.
"-And it's the top of the hour, and here are your updates. So far, we have received no word on last night's event. Local heroes are still at the scene, in numbers. Just in, happier news, the Brockton Bay Police Department reported that Taylor Hebert, the missing student, has been found. According to the police, she managed to make her way back home with no injuries."
"That's good to hear, Tom."
"A spot of good news today, Kathie."
I clicked it off, horror dawning. I was just on the news.
Library, now. My stomach growled.
Well, food. Then library.
The computer line was very short, and I managed to sit down in only a few minutes. Which was good, because my stack of books was rather heavy. I had a smattering of Greek mythology to start with. I needed to figure out my powers, and just as importantly, where they came from.
I hadn't spent much time on it, aside from idle browsing, but I knew Parahumans Online had a vast amount of information of capes. I searched for Titans, Spiders + Black, Creation, and anything else I could remember.
Nothing. Nothing relevant at least. Titan was an Alexandria knock-off. There was a cape who looked like a giant spider, but he wasn't jet black and he wasn't even on the same continent as I was. Creation only brought up arguments in the message boards over some cape's powers. I tapped my fingers in thought. A total bust.
Defeated but not daunted, I tried searching for the previous night's events.
Definitely not a bust. The forums had practically exploded. Capes everywhere had been spotted on high alert. Rumors, from close (I had triggered) to outlandish (The Earth had triggered, and was growing genitalia). Nothing I could do though, until something official came out. I was almost as in the dark as everyone else.
Closing out and leaving the station, I looked for my dad, and found him quite easily. He was sitting not 10 yards away, not reading, but looking up at me. Guilt slowed my steps towards him. He really still didn't believe I was back?
"Ready?" He asked.
"Ready."
Sitting at the kitchen table, munching on bacon, I thought. I had read two of my checked-out books from cover to cover, and had gotten almost nothing. The only Titan that matched what I could do was Astraeus, because of the dusk associations, and that was tenuous at best. Erebus, darkness personified came relatively close as well, but he didn't have a giant green glowy head either.
I was frustrated, as so far the only knowledge I had was that I didn't know who had given me these powers, and that at least 18 hours was sufficient for me to use another power without glowing. I had cloaked myself while dad was in the shower, in to a combination of my dad and the mayor, which had been very disconcerting. I had to wear the Alexandria shirt again, as it was the only thing that fit me without showing off too many changes.
"Can you do it?" My dad asked.
"Hmm?" I mumbled through bacon.
"Go back to school. Can you go back today?"
I nodded, and swallowed. "I can."
He looked troubled, and chewed his words for a moment. "Will Emma and her friends cause you anymore problems?"
I shook my head. Even if I thought they would, I wouldn't say. I hadn't wanted to tell dad about her in the first place. It had slipped out, and now I had to live with it.
"I don't think so. And I think the school won't let it happen again."
He nodded, still looking pensive. "When did... it... start?"
I shifted, uncomfortably. "Around September."
"This September?" he said, pointedly.
"Last," I admitted.
He let out a breath. "I knew you and Emma weren't as close anymore, but this, I didn't expect this."
"Me either."
We were silent until it was time to go to school.
My dad pulled into a parking space in the school lot. I could guess fairly easily that he want to walk me in. I was carrying a pair of notebooks, as all my books and belongings had been left at school when I had fled. I'd probably have to buy new ones.
"No work today?" I asked as we got out.
He shook his head. "They told me to take care of myself and you. I go back tomorrow."
"Maybe the city will listen to you more, after all the sympathy."
He tried hard not to smile, but I could see the corners of his mouth twitch up.
"I'm not sure this was enough to get through to them."
Turning back to him as we reached to doors, I gave him a hug. He returned it with interest. "I don't think I can get you anymore, so it's up to you now."
Breaking away, and in a dead serious tone, he replied, "Well, I think I can manage. Have a good day at school. I'll pick you up at 3."
Waving over my shoulder to him, I walked inside.
Into a crowd of staring students. I moved quickly, embarrassed by the attention. I skipped my locker, not wanting to see if I had any forgotten presents. I slowed down as I saw who waited for me, blocking the way into Mrs. Knott's classroom.
Emma and Sophia.
I ignored them and tried to make my way through, but they didn't move. Resigned, I stopped, and stared at Emma.
"Taylor, we are so glad that you were are okay! We were all super worried about you." I remembered her saying comforting words in the same voice when my mother I had died. But she hadn't said them then with the smile she wore every time she tormented me.
I clenched my fists. So, it wasn't over.
"It's nice to have you back. I even got taken off the track team, so if you need anything I have plenty of free time to help you." Sophia's voice could be described as a combination of saccharine and poisoned.
They turned and walked inside, chatting low voices. A knuckle popped as I clenched my fists tighter, and tears burned behind my eyes. Tears, and a wellspring of hate. My power activated on reflex, and I knew that Emma was but a bug, with no special worth. Sophia nearly made me cough.
Stunned, I fell against the doorway.
Sophia was Shadow Stalker.
A/N: What can I say, cops are always happy to get a kidnap victim back.
And Taylor is still pretty much running on momentum. I wonder what will happen when she trips ~
And lucky she hasn't dipped too far into TED's charms, or else she might start obsessing over Emma. Redheads, don't ya know.
And Engineer! The bridge is out ahead! We are going off the rails!
Leaving the hospital was near-divine intervention. After being poked, prodded, and put in a giant noisy tube, and subjected to the humiliating experience of something called a "Physical Evidence Recovery Kit," as apparently ordered from above, I was released with instructions to report anything out of the ordinary happening.
Barring some obvious complications, I added to myself.
With a clean bill of health, I was rolled out in a wheelchair by Officer Quinn before noon, with my dad and his partner talking in low voices behind me. A squad car pulled up to curb, and Officer Quinn held the door open for me.
"These two fine officers will see you safely home. Stay out of trouble, and it's good to have you safe, Ms. Hebert."
My dad, in the other back seat, and I waved at them as well pulled out. Out of the lot, the officer in the passenger seat twisted back to face us with a grin and asked, "You folks want to get home fast?"
"Yes, please!" I replied. I could really use the time to figure out my pow-
"Go time."
With a squeal of tires and the wailing of an alarm, we screamed down the road, cars parting before us. My dad and I slid back and forth on the seat in back. In an easy 3 minutes, we screeched to a stop in front of our home.
The officer in passenger seat turned back around, and said, "Here you go. It's nice to see you back with us."
Moderately embarrassed, I said a quick, "Thanks," and got out of the car, my dad saying something I couldn't hear behind me. We waved to them as they pulled out at a more sedate pace than before.
"That was bracing," I commented to my dad.
"Hmm," he murmured in agreement. I turned to look at him, and I felt like kicking myself. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep. So, him checking in on me hadn't been a dream. He'd probably checked every few minutes.
Or maybe he saw my glow.
Fear compounded guilt, and I turned back away. How much was I actually hiding from him?
We made it inside silently, and went to the kitchen together by unspoken consensus. Dad started a pot of coffee, and I claimed my chair. Breaking the silence, I asked, "What did the doctors say?"
"Perfect health. They said they could find nothing wrong, and that there were no traces of any sort of drug or known compound that could cause memory loss."
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I asked, "And did they have any ideas what happened, then?"
He shook his head. "They asked Armsmaster for advice while he was there, and he said that he made some calls. He did say that new drugs and poisons show up all the time, and it's a losing battle trying to ID them all. And that the usual resources he would put on this case were occupied."
I knew the answer, but had to ask, "Occupied by what?"
"I didn't ask, but I figured that light last night. Did you see it, then?"
"Part of it," I admitted, technically true.
"What did the news say about it, this morning?"
"Only that nothing official had been said, and that there were a lot of heroes sitting on top of it."
He nodded, and sat across from me. He said gently, "You are going to have to go back to school."
Or I could go to Arcadia High instead. I knew that much, at least. Wards got in there, even with the huge waiting list. But, then I'd have to reveal myself to a bunch of people I didn't know, and possibly my dad. And I didn't seem to be their most popular person at the moment, if their response was anything to judge by.
So, I answered, "I know. And I'll have to see them again, and deal with being gone."
Dad's mouth flattened into a line as he remarked, "They didn't even send your school work to me."
Nice to know I hadn't been expected to make it back. "What else happened to them? Suspension and counseling?"
He nodded, and elaborated, "At least till today was what the principal said, with a month of counseling. And a black mark on their records."
Relief? Maybe that wasn't quite the right word. More, satisfaction. Finally.
"Back tomorrow then?"
His eyebrows rose, "Are you up to it?"
"Only one way to find out."
He smiled, then yawned. "I'm glad to have you back, kiddo. What's your plan for the day, then?"
"TV, I guess, to see what the fuss is about," I paused, "And could we go to the library after lunch? I'd like to do some research before I go back to school."
"All right. We'll go after lunch. Lacey dropped off some food yesterday. Half an hour sound good?"
Nodding, I made my way back to couch. I doubted dad would let me out of sight for any significant amount of time, barring school. I'd have to get used to a bit more involved dad.
I suppose I deserved it. Especially hearing that his friends had to have come by to make sure he ate.
The TV clicked back on to the local news.
"-And it's the top of the hour, and here are your updates. So far, we have received no word on last night's event. Local heroes are still at the scene, in numbers. Just in, happier news, the Brockton Bay Police Department reported that Taylor Hebert, the missing student, has been found. According to the police, she managed to make her way back home with no injuries."
"That's good to hear, Tom."
"A spot of good news today, Kathie."
I clicked it off, horror dawning. I was just on the news.
Library, now. My stomach growled.
Well, food. Then library.
The computer line was very short, and I managed to sit down in only a few minutes. Which was good, because my stack of books was rather heavy. I had a smattering of Greek mythology to start with. I needed to figure out my powers, and just as importantly, where they came from.
I hadn't spent much time on it, aside from idle browsing, but I knew Parahumans Online had a vast amount of information of capes. I searched for Titans, Spiders + Black, Creation, and anything else I could remember.
Nothing. Nothing relevant at least. Titan was an Alexandria knock-off. There was a cape who looked like a giant spider, but he wasn't jet black and he wasn't even on the same continent as I was. Creation only brought up arguments in the message boards over some cape's powers. I tapped my fingers in thought. A total bust.
Defeated but not daunted, I tried searching for the previous night's events.
Definitely not a bust. The forums had practically exploded. Capes everywhere had been spotted on high alert. Rumors, from close (I had triggered) to outlandish (The Earth had triggered, and was growing genitalia). Nothing I could do though, until something official came out. I was almost as in the dark as everyone else.
Closing out and leaving the station, I looked for my dad, and found him quite easily. He was sitting not 10 yards away, not reading, but looking up at me. Guilt slowed my steps towards him. He really still didn't believe I was back?
"Ready?" He asked.
"Ready."
Sitting at the kitchen table, munching on bacon, I thought. I had read two of my checked-out books from cover to cover, and had gotten almost nothing. The only Titan that matched what I could do was Astraeus, because of the dusk associations, and that was tenuous at best. Erebus, darkness personified came relatively close as well, but he didn't have a giant green glowy head either.
I was frustrated, as so far the only knowledge I had was that I didn't know who had given me these powers, and that at least 18 hours was sufficient for me to use another power without glowing. I had cloaked myself while dad was in the shower, in to a combination of my dad and the mayor, which had been very disconcerting. I had to wear the Alexandria shirt again, as it was the only thing that fit me without showing off too many changes.
"Can you do it?" My dad asked.
"Hmm?" I mumbled through bacon.
"Go back to school. Can you go back today?"
I nodded, and swallowed. "I can."
He looked troubled, and chewed his words for a moment. "Will Emma and her friends cause you anymore problems?"
I shook my head. Even if I thought they would, I wouldn't say. I hadn't wanted to tell dad about her in the first place. It had slipped out, and now I had to live with it.
"I don't think so. And I think the school won't let it happen again."
He nodded, still looking pensive. "When did... it... start?"
I shifted, uncomfortably. "Around September."
"This September?" he said, pointedly.
"Last," I admitted.
He let out a breath. "I knew you and Emma weren't as close anymore, but this, I didn't expect this."
"Me either."
We were silent until it was time to go to school.
My dad pulled into a parking space in the school lot. I could guess fairly easily that he want to walk me in. I was carrying a pair of notebooks, as all my books and belongings had been left at school when I had fled. I'd probably have to buy new ones.
"No work today?" I asked as we got out.
He shook his head. "They told me to take care of myself and you. I go back tomorrow."
"Maybe the city will listen to you more, after all the sympathy."
He tried hard not to smile, but I could see the corners of his mouth twitch up.
"I'm not sure this was enough to get through to them."
Turning back to him as we reached to doors, I gave him a hug. He returned it with interest. "I don't think I can get you anymore, so it's up to you now."
Breaking away, and in a dead serious tone, he replied, "Well, I think I can manage. Have a good day at school. I'll pick you up at 3."
Waving over my shoulder to him, I walked inside.
Into a crowd of staring students. I moved quickly, embarrassed by the attention. I skipped my locker, not wanting to see if I had any forgotten presents. I slowed down as I saw who waited for me, blocking the way into Mrs. Knott's classroom.
Emma and Sophia.
I ignored them and tried to make my way through, but they didn't move. Resigned, I stopped, and stared at Emma.
"Taylor, we are so glad that you were are okay! We were all super worried about you." I remembered her saying comforting words in the same voice when my mother I had died. But she hadn't said them then with the smile she wore every time she tormented me.
I clenched my fists. So, it wasn't over.
"It's nice to have you back. I even got taken off the track team, so if you need anything I have plenty of free time to help you." Sophia's voice could be described as a combination of saccharine and poisoned.
They turned and walked inside, chatting low voices. A knuckle popped as I clenched my fists tighter, and tears burned behind my eyes. Tears, and a wellspring of hate. My power activated on reflex, and I knew that Emma was but a bug, with no special worth. Sophia nearly made me cough.
Stunned, I fell against the doorway.
Sophia was Shadow Stalker.
A/N: What can I say, cops are always happy to get a kidnap victim back.
And Taylor is still pretty much running on momentum. I wonder what will happen when she trips ~
And lucky she hasn't dipped too far into TED's charms, or else she might start obsessing over Emma. Redheads, don't ya know.
And Engineer! The bridge is out ahead! We are going off the rails!
