Black Nadir 6.1
I pulled Sundancer up, even as I felt - not odd, or sick - but incomplete. Like I had been supposed to say something, do something in that exact moment. Words, incomprehensible, were whispered from the darkness nooks and crannies around. So sibilant as to be silent, but I could just barely make them out.
I shrugged it off. I had more important things to take care of at the moment. The Endbringer, for one. Daphne, too. I could play with new powers later. I looked at Sundancer, debating whether or not to take her with me. She had been dealt a bad hand - something I could sympathize with - but had let it play out, until only a few minutes ago. She had to atone. I stretched out my wings, and walked the two steps that separated us. I wrapped my arms around her, and before she could complain, took off. She gripped my arms tight, surprised.
"We are rescuing Damsel, and then helping with the Endbringer," I stated, not taking any suggestions. She looked like she wanted to disagree, mouth opening, before she closed it, spitting out dust. Which was why I had made sure to speak close to her ear, and not use my mouth as an airborne vacuum. She had yet to learn the perils of flying head first. At least her clothing was sensible - supersensible compared to my hospital gown.
Even with the dust partially occluding the city, finding my way back to where the fight had started was all too easy. Several blocks, in their entirety, had been levelled. Numerous skyscrapers had either collapsed, or been outright destroyed. And half of the buildings in the city didn't have windows, from the explosion offshore. I followed the path of diminishing damage, and spotted the Deli sign, easily visible without any interfering lights.
I touched down in the street, letting Sundancer go. Before I could tell her to stay put, she said, "Let me go first. I can tell Jess to stand down. And tell her what happened to…"
She trailed off, looking a decade older in just an instant. Face ashen, lips pressed together, before her countenance shifted shades to a variety of greens. I had a very strong feeling that I knew what was coming, and I stepped back, out of her potential range.
Sundancer hunched over, emptying her stomach on her shoes. Emptying, literally, as she started dry heaving after applying a thick coat of vomit to her feet. Holding her stomach, she stood upright, and whispered, "Oh God. What did I do?"
I needed her, for the upcoming fight. She had destroyed half a car with a snapshot, and had turned an intersection into a field of ash and pavement goo. She had to keep it together, had to be ready for anything. She couldn't just give up here.
"You did the right thing," I said, as soothingly as I could. "You helped stop them, didn't you?"
Around us, my green glow intensified, as I laced my bullshit with my power. The giant spider was leaning forward, peering at Sundancer, its little tiny forelegs rubbing together. There was something different about that thing, but I didn't know anything about spiders. Another project to add to the pile.
"All those people. And I killed -" Sundancer choked up, hands covering her face. I debated touching her shoulder to show support. My mother had been more feely for lack of a better word, but I had never had the chance nor inclination to take that route. Emma, when she was faking being my friend, had never been one for physical contact, and I hadn't had the opportunity to have another friend. Maybe Daphne. Who was waiting up there, behind two of the Traveller's support team, from what I recalled from his briefing.
I'd love to know why the Number Man didn't consider a giant multi-limbed-thing that could make evil clones a notable threat. A topic for later musings, though.
"They were killing people," I said, touching her shoulder. "Hundreds, maybe thousands. If you hadn't stepped in, who knows how many innocent people would've died."
It was easy to twist the truth. To ease her guilt, to help her forget what she had kept secret, and let loose by negligence. I added, "And you can make up for it, remember?"
She nodded, weakly, and said, "I never wanted to be a villain. Or a cape, even. I didn't want to hurt people."
I gently guided her to the door leading up to the apartments above the deli. The Endbringer alarms punctuated our conversation with brief, sharp wails. I was wasting too much time here.
"You don't have to hurt just anyone," I replied, drawing on my own experiences, selectively. "If your power is so destructive, like mine, or Damsel's you just have to pick your targets. There are plenty of people who only live to hurt others, and that's who we stop."
I didn't mention killing Sophia.
"Yeah," she whispered, staring straight ahead. She didn't brush my hand off her shoulder, but she moved more confidently.
"Even in the Bay, I saw people's lives ruined by drugs, gangs, villains. And I always wanted to work outside the law to solve those problems," I lied. I just hadn't wanted to be in such an examined, well-known, and social group as the Wards/Protectorate. I just wanted to do good.
She didn't reply, and I didn't push her any further. With luck, she was not going to give up, and cost New York another cape to defend against the Endbringer. She pulled a key out of a hidden pocket in her armor, and opened the door. It swung open, and I followed her up the stairs to where I had previously been, not even an hour ago.
"Jess," Sundancer called out, followed by, "Oliver?"
I brushed past her, walking into the apartment, and heading straight for where I had seen Damsel. She wasn't there, but there were angry noises coming from one of the bedrooms. Not Noelle's. I cracked the door, watching carefully for an ambush.
Damsel- Daphne, since she was out of costume, was still trussed up, but on the bed. She was cursing, from the vehemence and speed of her mumblings, as she tried to pull her ropes off by wiggling. It wasn't very successful, especially with how they were tied behind her back and had an actual ball-gag in her mouth. I moved slowly, not wanting to startle her and get a face full of disintegration.
"Daphne," I whispered.
She stopped imitating a worm, and cocked her head as best she could in my direction.
"Daphne," I said, louder this time.
"Mmp-mpph?" She, well, said wasn't quite accurate, through the gag.
"It's Taylor," I agreed.
"Mp-mph!" She mumbled joyously.
"I'll be right back. I need a knife, if I don't want to injure you."
She made a noise of agreement, visibly relaxing. And she snuggled as best she could into a pillow, waiting. It was kind of ridiculous. Back in the living room, I ran into Sundancer
"They left," she said, slightly stunned.
"Oliver and the wheelchair girl?" I confirmed.
"They left me," she repeated, only paying the slightest bit of attention to me. She leaned against the counter, overhead fluorescent light giving her a washed-out look. I pulled a knife from a cutting block in the kitchen, and went back into the makeshift prison.
"Hold still," I commanded, even as I took the knife to the ropes around Damsel's wrists. A brief bit of sawing, and they came free, and rubbing her wrists, she gestured at her feet. Another knot was down there, and I gently cut it apart.
She struggled out of the ropes, tossing them to the side before taking the ball-gag out of her mouth. "Thanks for the rescue. But aren't you a little short to be Defiler?"
I rolled my eyes, not dignifying that with a response. She followed me out of the bedroom, cheerful. Until she saw who was in the kitchen, and they locked eyes.
"What's she doing here," Damsel snapped, hands pointed at Sundancer, who turned away.
"She's with us," I answered, seriously.
"What!?" Both of them shouted, Damsel angrily and Sundancer in stunned surprise.
"Your team abandoned you," I pointed out to Sundancer, her face darkening. "You don't have anywhere to go. And if you were serious about atoning…"
She caught the meaning of my trailed off words; That she wasn't serious, and with her skin turning blotchy red with anger, she retorted, "I was! Do you think I like being to blame for however many children just died? How many orphans I made? That I enjoyed killing one of my last links home?"
"No, I think you want to assuage your guilt. That you just want to give up, and say, 'I couldn't do any more.'" I said, honestly. And hurtfully. I knew what I was doing - it had happened to me, too many times.
She paled, both from lessening anger, and sudden shock. I had hurt her with my words, yes - but she needed to hear the unvarnished truth, no matter how painful it was.
I continued, "I think for all your power and abilities, you just want to be a normal girl. Even when you have the capability to help, you didn't, until I rubbed your nose in it."
"No," she whispered.
"And, you let something like that live. It wasn't the first time she had eaten someone, I'm sure."
"I didn't-" she pleaded softly.
"How many times, I wonder, did she kill people by just existing? People who had done nothing wrong, who where just in the wrong place at the wrong time?" I continued right over her objections, reaching down to pick up a discarded red cloth.
She stepped back, hands shaking.
"But no, go away. Give up your costume. Don't do anything with your gifts. Let people be kidnapped. Let people be murdered. Let people be eaten," I said, voice rising to a crescendo, gesturing at her costume and the used one in my hand, tossing it away, before stopping and looking at her carefully. She was shaking, eyes wide and glistening, staring right at me. Her face could have passed for porcelain.
"Just go. It's what you want to do," I whispered.
"I'm coming," she said, hoarse.
I ignored her, feeling heartbroken. How many times had words just as hateful or damaging been thrown into my face? How many times had I cried, shaking, just trying to hide? How many times had I been so desperate to get away that I nearly lost my mind? And here I was, mirroring my tormentor's actions.
"I'm coming with you," she stated, louder, wiping away tears. "You are a vigilante group, right? No one will take me. But you will, right?"
I nodded. She mirrored me, and turned away, rubbing her eyes before turning back around, her eyes dry but swollen and reddened.
"We've got work to do," I ordered, and jerked my head to the side. I left the apartment, and took a step down the stairs, and was relieved to hear two sets of feet following. Relieved, and disgusted with myself.
A/N: Delicious, delicious TED
