3.8
April 4th, 2011 6:05 AM
"Heads or tails?" Coil asked, balancing a coin on his fingers. "Heads, Noelle lives, Tails, my pet does."
Krouse stared and shook his head. "I won't…"
"Tick tock, Krouse," Coil cut him off, waving the gun he held at the two girls kneeling in front of him. "Choose, or I kill you, then her."
"Heads," he said. "Heads, damnit!"
The coin lifted into the air and the smack as it landed in Coil's palm was thunderous.
There was no mirth in the cold eyes as the coin was shown.
Tails.
The gun came up –
Krouse woke with a scream.
April 4th, 2011 10:07 AM
Krouse flipped a coin, watching it twirl through the air and land on his palm. Tails. He growled, trying again.
Tails.
Cursing his luck, he shoved the coin into his pocket and leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. A few days had passed since he did that snatch and grab for Coil. The two girls had been spirited away somewhere within the base. Where, he wasn't sure, but the glimpse he had of the dark-haired girl wouldn't leave him alone. While she and the blonde girl had both been tied, the blonde's restraints were far less severe.
Still, those mercs who carried the girl away held her with surprising care. Maybe they were just being cautious. He hadn't told the others about that yet and he wasn't sure if he wanted to tell them at all. The whole thing put a foul taste in his mouth, like bile was rising up his throat.
It would help Noelle, though, so that was what mattered. Wasn't it? The thought rolled through his mind and he frowned, shoving up from the chair.
"I'm going out," he said, though no one else was around to hear him. He went and changed into street clothes before leaving through an exit that came out several blocks away, behind a butcher's shop. The shop was closed like many others, the owners likely choosing to stay home to avoid the chaos the past few days had brought.
Thankfully, the fighting only really happened at night, but he wasn't sure that would last. It had already begun to spill into the day and while there hadn't been any large scale clashes, it was only a matter of time.
Coil was probably aware of this, which was why he had only sent them on that one job. And from what he had told him, there was only more to come.
With your help, the other half of what I need shall be in my reach. And with it, my goals shall be realized.
His mouth curled in a sneer. Another kidnapping. Like before, Coil had skimped on the details, but he didn't expect it to be any more likeable than this 'task' had been.
Krouse stopped at a street corner, taking a look around. The only thing he saw was an old woman preparing to cross the street across from him.
He swapped places with her, moving forward and ignoring her surprised cry. A gust of wind prompted him to shove his hands into his coat's pockets and soon enough, he found himself at the restaurant he discovered after they first came here.
Thankfully, it was still open. Twenty minutes later, he left with a heavy brown paper sack in one hand, going back to the hideout. No one bothered him as he went to his destination, but he knew they were watching.
The heavy doors opened and he winced slightly at the smell of rotting meat that had already taken root inside the chamber Coil had provided.
Calling it a chamber made him snort at the thought. More like a holding cell.
"Hey, girl," he said. A figure shifted in the shadows at the corner of the room. "I brought some sandwiches. They're from a place down the street. Nice little place that I think you'll like."
"What do you want,
Krouse?" the voice asked. It was her voice, but it wasn't. Today was one of
those days.
"To have lunch," he said, holding up the sack. "I brought your favorite, you know. Even if I don't see how you can stand spinach ever. Does it give you super strength like Popeye?"
"You should go away," Noelle growled.
"Nope. I wanted to talk to you and we haven't had lunch together since we got here to Brockton Bay."
"Go away," she said, a heavy thud punctuating the words.
"Nope," he repeated, closing his eyes to the venom in her voice. "I got your tofu and spinach sandwich, complete with hot sauce and extra cheese. I even got one for myself, and we're going to have lunch and talk. I need… I need your advice."
There was silence for a moment and he was afraid she was going to lose her temper. Then, an indrawn breath.
"Tofu and spinach?"
"Yup! Plus those hideous vinegar chips you like. They even had the right brand."
"...Thank you," she said. Then he heard a scraping sound. "Come over to the left, it's clear." He nodded and settled down beside her, fishing out one of the sandwiches and half unwrapping it before handing it over.
"What do you want to talk about?" she asked after a few minutes of nothing but the two of them eating.
"Ah, just a sec." He held up a hand and concentrated. A moment later, the paper bag that had held the sandwiches vanished, replaced by a sparking camera. "There. Now we've got some privacy."
"What's bothering you, Krouse?" Noelle asked after the camera fizzled out.
"I…" he trailed off, feeling his hands tighten around the half-eaten sandwich he still held. "I don't know. I'm trying to find a way to help you, to get you better and I… I think I've done something terrible."
"What did you do?" she asked, her voice stern.
"I… the one who promised that he could help you," he began, then swallowed. "I helped him capture someone. I... I don't know what he's doing to her… and I… I justified it because it was all for you, but that isn't making it easier to deal with."
"I think you should leave."
"Noelle, I—" He began, climbing to his feet.
"Get out, Krouse. Now!" Her roar was guttural and he scrambled away toward the door.
"I'm sorry," he said, slipping outside. Her only reply was something heavy slamming against metal after the door had closed.
"Trickster," a coldly familiar voice said from behind him as he leaned against the door and squeezed his eyes shut. "Explain why you disabled the camera inside Ms. Meinhardt's room."
"It was a private conversation. A personal one." He dug into his pocket and gave the coin a flip. Tails. "Nothing you needed to hear or record, that's all."
"Any information that I can gather will help in alleviating Ms. Meinhardt's condition," Coil said. "From the sound of it, it will be some time before she will be calm enough to permit a replacement."
He shrugged, starting to walk away. "Watching her twenty-four seven isn't getting her a cure, so I don't really see why you need that. I've got some stuff to do, if you don't mind."
"I will require your services once this situation with the Empire and ABB has died down," Coil said. "Your talents were invaluable in acquiring my newest asset. They will be equally invaluable for my next asset."
"Sure, whatever," he said, absently waving a hand.
An asset? Was that all he saw the girl as? And what about the other one, the blonde? "Just tell me when."
He continued to walk. Coil's eyes never wavered.
April 5th, 2011 6:43 AM
Tails. Krouse pocketed the coin, stepping forward. Noelle had insisted that the lights in her room be turned off, but at least she was talking to him again.
"I'm not sleeping well, Krouse," she said, her voice sounding dazed. "I dream and all I see is fire."
He ran a hand over his face. "Haven't been sleeping well either. Do... do you want me to try singing to you?"
"Please," she said. Krouse cleared his throat, thinking of a good song. He had never been much of a singer, but for her, he would do anything.
April 6th, 2011 5:27 AM
"Heads or tails?"
April 6th, 2011 7:00 PM
The coin landed on tails and he sucked in a breath. The others were all in the common room, playing cards while he sat off by himself.
"Guys," he said, glancing toward one of the places he knew there to be cameras. "I have to tell you something."
April 6th, 2011 7:43 PM
The others were yelling at him right now, but he only had eyes for the coin in his hand. Tails, again. He stuffed it in his pocket and focused on his friends. They had disabled the cameras so they could talk in privately.
"Look," he said. "I thought it would help Noelle…. that was what I've been trying to do, to keep us safe and help her. I did something stupid and I screwed up. I get that. I want to fix it."
"Even if it means losing this guy's help with Noelle?" Marissa asked, her voice tightly controlled. She was not far from throwing a sun at him.
His lips pressed together for a moment. "Even if. I… robberies, the other stuff, I could deal with that, we needed money. But kidnapping… It's too much, and he wants me to help him grab someone else soon. I can't… I don't know what he's doing with her. But he wanted her bad. Maybe she can help, or find us someone who can."
"Grasping at straws," Luke snorted. "You're a dumbass, Krouse. Next time, talk to us before doing shit like this! Christ, man!"
"So, what are we doing?" Jess asked. "Helping this girl and then… what? We won't have a place to stay any more if we turn on Coil."
"You guys see what you can get out of his systems, assets or whatever," Krouse said, the beginnings of a plan forming. "I'm going to get the girl out."
"This has got to be the dumbest thing you've ever said," Oliver spoke up. "What do you think you're going to be able to do?"
He grinned and looked over his shoulder at his his team, his friends, his family. "I'm hard support, remember? You guys just take care of the rest." He didn't wait for their response before striding out of the room. He adjusted the grip on his cane and started down the hall toward where he thought the girl was kept.
April 6th, 2011 8:00 PM
"I confess, I don't understand the motivation behind this act, Trickster," Coil said, standing in front of him. Behind him, with mercenaries watching, the rest of the Travelers knelt, their hands cuffed behind their backs. "I was providing all of you a valuable service and you attempt to betray me."
"You're a bastard," Trickster replied. "Getting me to help kidnap some girls? How's that going to helping us or Noelle?"
"I suppose, before I terminate our arrangement, I can explain what you would have jeopardized," Coil said, pressing a button on the remote he held. A partition lowered, revealing a large window. Inside the room, huddled in one corner of a cot, was the brunette.
"Now, pet," Coil said, the words causing the girl to flinch. "Tell me what the future holds."
The girl shifted and he saw several lights blinking from a collar that encircled the girl's neck. Her eyes were clouded, distant, like she was seeing something else or somewhere else.
In jerky motions, she started to stand, coming to the window. He heard a muttered word from one of the others, but he couldn't take his eyes off the clearly drugged girl.
Although she clearly wasn't seeing anyone in the room, he still felt like she was staring right at him.
"Heads, tails, and the edge dividing," she began, her voice an off-key singsong. "Six becomes seven, fire burns and birds fly."
"Something useful, if you would," Coil said, exasperation clear in his voice as he raised a small remote. The girl recoiled at the sight of it and Trickster felt his stomach twist again. What the hell had he helped do to this girl?
"I'm sorry," he said aloud, drawing all eyes to himself as he fixed his eyes on the girl, preparing to draw on his power. "I'm sorry I played a part in you ending up like this."
"How very touching," Coil said. "Now—"
"Take care of Noelle for me, guys," he cut off the villain. Shouts rang out from his friends as he used his power. Swapping his location for the girl. Only the girl.
The collar bit into his neck and he felt something stab into his skin. Concentration splintered and he saw Coil retreating down a corridor as chaos erupted on the other side of the glass.
Maybe this time it won't be tails? The thought brought a smile to his face as red and gold consumed his vision.
April 6th, 2011 9:57 PM
The inside of his mouth felt stuffed with cotton and he blinked several times, unsure what was going on or what had happened.
"Krouse, shit, are you alright?" Marissa's voice was coming from somewhere nearby. He tried to raise up and winced as muscles in his neck protested.
"What… water?" he croaked. "What happened?"
"Your stunt saved us… I think," Luke said, helping him sit up. "The girl flipped her shit as soon as you swapped with her. The mercs… shit... She just…"
"Remember that old science fiction movie you dared us to watch? By Cronenberg?" Marissa asked, her face a bit green. "Popped their heads like overripe tomatoes."
"What the fuck did I do?" Krouse grimaced, feeling his neck throb. "You got the collar off me? What happened to Coil?"
"Nope, that was her," Oliver said, sitting nearby with Jess. "She cut the window open and peeled it off you. And Coil's probably dead. You've been out for a while, so as soon as we were free, we retreated back here. The mercenaries were fighting for a bit and I saw some blonde girl run by a while ago. It got quiet about ten minutes ago."
"Shit, we need to get Noelle and get away from here," Krouse said. "I don't want to be near a pissed off Scanner or whatever the hell she is."
"She some sort of precog?" Luke asked. "Is that why she was babbling?"
"I guess," Krouse said. "That's why Coil wanted her, I think."
Luke helped him to his feet and they started toward Noelle's room The halls were eerily silent and they had to stop several times to lift Jess' chair over the bodies of several mercenaries. Their heads were exactly as Marissa had described.
The entrance to Noelle's room was bent aside, like a hand had seized it and just ripped it away. Noelle was there, hanging in the air, held by some unseen force. She was raging, shouting at the girl, a slight figure in green and gold.
"Don't hurt her!" he yelled, panic and worry overtaking all else. He shrugged off Luke's hands and charged forward. The others were moving as well, ready to attack.
A hand covered in golden fabric came up in an absent gesture and
they all froze. Krouse's eyes widened, or tried to, but nothing responded. It was like he was nothing more than a living statue. He was able to see and breathe, but movement was beyond him.
Noelle's raging grew louder and he would have winced at the things she was saying, were he able to.
"
Twisted." The girl's voice was like a hammer blow and would have screamed as he realized that she hadn't actually spoken out loud. He was hearing her in his mind! Noelle fell silent and he saw her lowered to the ground before the girl. He could see muscles quivering, but she appeared to have no more ability to move than the rest of them.
"
Disrupted." The words rang in succession and he wished he could shake. The others had to feel what he did. Any minute, there was going to be screaming that just wouldn't stop.
"
Rebirth." This time, the words were spoken, lacking the broken singsong from before. He could swear there were voices overlapping hers now, speaking the same words in unison.
The girl's hands came up and she grabbed Noelle's face. Whatever was holding him released and he staggered forward.
Peace, lost one.
The voice drew him to a halt. It wasn't like the Simurgh at all. The screaming that had been her work was a discordant, terrible thing. This… felt nothing like that. Warmth suffused him, lIke being enfolded in the embrace of his mom when he had hurt himself as a kid. Certainty filled him, now as then, that everything would be alright.
Fire sprung up around the girl, taking shape before his eyes. Wings spread out and the head of some great bird rose above her, beak open like it was crying out. It held that shape for a moment, then folded down around both Noelle and the girl.
His calm shattered and he cried out in alarm just before the fire blossomed, rushing out and over him and the others. He stared at his hands, watching the flames dance across his skin. They didn't burn.
"What—" he began, then started as the fire collapsed inward, the shape of the bird visible for just a moment before it dispersed.
The figure he had become used to was not there. A figure he hadn't seen in years stood in front of Coil's former prisoner. Their foreheads were touching and both appeared to be clinging to the other for support. He saw Noelle's hands start to slip from the other girl's shoulders and her legs begin to give way.
Krouse was at her side in an instant, pulling off his coat and slipping it around her. The girl simply stood there and watched before raising a hand. A very familiar sensation overwhelmed his senses for a moment, fading just as quickly. They were in the parking area now, where several vans sat.
"We need to get out of here," Jess said abruptly "I think she's hinting at that by dropping us here."
He nodded. "I… yeah. " Carefully, he scooped up Noelle, then looked around. "Wait… she isn't here. And what about that blonde girl?"
"Krouse, if we stay, I don't think we're going to like what happens!" Luke yelled, pulling open the door of a van. "Get her loaded and help Oliver lift Jess in. We're on the clock, people!"
Silence reigned after Luke's words as he worked to get Noelle into the back seat. She was breathing, but didn't appear entirely conscious yet. Once she was in, he helped Oliver and they all piled in.
The van started and they quickly drove out, Luke taking care not to go too fast or draw undue attention.
A moment later, the ground shook, bouncing them and he found himself twisting to look back toward Coil's base. Or what had been Coil's base. Fire erupted in a pillar from the building and he could hear brickwork collapsing with a thunderous rumble.
"Holy shit," Oliver whispered in an awed tone. "I… think she was angry?"
"Can't imagine why," Luke said from the front. "What do you suppose we do now?"
"Well, we need to find some place to crash and get Noelle checked out... " Krouse began, then flinched as a burst of flame welled up in the empty seat on the other side of Noelle. The girl was there now, slumped over and unmoving, wearing the stained clothes she had when he first saw her behind that window. "And… we need to get her to a hospital?"
"You sure that's a good idea?" Luke asked. "Probably a missing person report out on her now…"
"I've got that handled," Krouse said. "But yes, whatever shit he was drugging her with… she needs a doctor to look at her and besides, we kind of owe her."
There was little dissension after that.
April 6th, 2011 11:12 PM
Krouse eyed the girl for a moment before turning his attention to Marissa, who was walking toward the entrance to Brockton Bay Memorial. The lights over the overhang where ambulances pulled up flickered fitfully and he waited until she was close enough that the people inside had a line of sight.
A moment later and Marissa was sitting in the van and the girl slumped to the ground. Someone shouted and a moment later, several nurses rushed from inside to help the girl.
"Shit, is it really a good idea to just dump her here without a word?" Luke asked.
"Maybe not," Krouse said. "But we can't exactly walk up and say, 'oh hey, this girl got kidnapped by a bad guy and drugged, could you please look after her?' We can come by after we've got Noelle checked up, hopefully she'll be awake. Come on, let's go find some place for the night. We'll check on her tomorrow."
***
A scream died in her throat as she jerked upright. The room spun and she shoved back against the wall, eyes darting around the shabby room she was in. Cheap blankets bunched up around her legs, prompting her to kick them away.
Where…? She tried to recall what had happened to her. There had been someone… a voice speaking… singing to her? A girl. That was right. A girl she had said terrible things to. Then…
Fire.
The radio sitting on the nightstand abruptly jerked, sparks flying from it. She flinched at the popping sound, wrinkling her nose as the smell of burnt electronics reached her nose. She looked around again, trying to determine where she was.
A hotel room, if she was any judge. But how she had gotten here eluded her. And where was…
The door in the corner of the room, that connected to another room opened and several people piled in. Her eyes widened at the sight of her friends and she clapped a hand to her mouth.
"Hey, Noelle," Krouse said, standing at the forefront of the others. Luke. Jess. Marissa. Oliver.
"I... " she trailed off, unsure what she meant to say, then kicked at the blankets again, the cheap material irritating her.
Kicked?
The blankets were torn away in a rush and she heard the others mutter, but she didn't pay it any mind, her eyes fixed on
her legs.
They were normal.
She was normal. She stared at them for a moment, then willed her foot to move, followed by her toes. They wiggled slightly and she felt a hysterical laugh well up.
"Noelle…?" Marissa asked, drawing her attention. They were still standing there and seemed unsure of what to do, all of them but Krouse eyeing her with worry.
"I… I'm fixed? What… how…" Her thoughts sharpened and she looked at her legs, then back to them, realizing what was missing. "Where's Taylor?"
Her friends exchanged looks, but it was Krouse who spoke first. "Taylor? Who is… Is that the girl's name?"
Noelle nodded and swung her legs off the side of the bed. A flash of memory made her grateful that someone had gotten her some clothes. The feel of carpet against her feet made her flinch for a moment, but she managed to stand up.
She wobbled for a moment and waved Krouse away when he started to move closer to help. "No, let me!" Nothing else was said as she took a step, then another, feeling more confident with each movement.
"I'm me again!" she cried out and spun in place, then lunged and caught Krouse in a hug. The others backed away, but she didn't pay that any mind.
"Ok," she said after a moment, noting the way the others relaxed as she drew back from Krouse. "Now, let's go find some better clothes for me and then we can find someplace to eat. While we do that, tell me what's going on? I remember Taylor standing in front of me and then… it's a blank til I woke up."
No one said anything for a moment and she frowned. "Okay, what?"
"You're not...well…" Jess began, trailing off as she searched for words. "Well, you're not… I mean, are you…?"
"Not what? Creating monsters?" she asked. "No, I'm not. I'm me. Now, like I've asked, where's Taylor?"
"Well, um…" Krouse spoke up this time and the way he was hesitating said she wasn't going to like what he was going to say. "She had, ah… been drugged, so we.. I…"
By the time he was finished speaking, her arms had crossed and she was tapping her foot impatiently. "So, you just left her on the sidewalk in front of a hospital? God damnit, Krouse!"
"I made sure the nurses were coming out before we left!" Krouse protested. "You were still… we weren't sure if you were alright! I wasn't going to—"
She held up a hand. "Enough. We're going to get me some clothes and then food. After that, we'll go meet with Taylor. Right now, let's go. I want a tofu and spinach sandwich!"
~~~~~~~~
"...after that, we came here to wait for you," Noelle finished and I looked from her to the others. My attention lingered on the one called Krouse and the thought I had connected as they told their story. He had a part to play in whatever had happened to me, but if what they had told me was true, he had also helped in getting me out and to the hospital.
I took in a slow breath, turning my attention back to Noelle. This close, none of them were a difficult read, even with my shielding. Noelle, in particular, was clear as day. Like if I just reached out, I could speak to her thoughts.
I suppressed the urge to do so. They had powers and I wasn't feeling like getting into a fight, especially after just escaping the hospital. Suddenly mindspeaking them was likely to set them on guard, if not make them hostile.
Which left me sorting through what was true. Everything they had told me was true, I could tell that, but I could also tell there was a lot they weren't telling me. Did I care enough about that to make an issue? Or, more importantly, did I want to squish Krouse's head like a grape more than I wanted a positive relationship here?
Screw it.
I stared at him for a moment, then looked at the others and sighed. "Alright, fine. Clean slate. So, I'll introduce myself. I'm Taylor Hebert."
The tension among them slackened and I saw Noelle's face split into a smile,
felt her emotions as a surge of happiness flooded through her. It was… almost disorienting and I found myself wanting to smile as well from how strongly I felt her emotions. Far stronger than the others and I couldn't pin down why.
Their retelling of my escape suggested I had done something when I cured Noelle, though I still wasn't sure how I did it or what they fixed. More importantly, how did I do that? I could cure people with fire now? I was pretty sure that you didn't make people better by burning them, so what the
hell had I done?
I pushed the thought aside and strode forward, pointing at Krouse. "As for you! You get a pass for now. But don't
ever use your powers on me again. Clear?"
He nodded. "I promise. And I'm sorry."
They finally introduced themselves and I could feel a variety of emotions. Noelle was overwhelmingly friendly and grateful. Krouse was grateful, but there was wariness mixed with guilt too, big surprise. The others… grateful, wary and an undercurrent of fear. That wasn't a surprise either. The telling of what had happened the night before had clearly rattled them, though the words were only words for me. The past week remained an empty gap in my memories.
I pushed those thoughts aside and looked toward Noelle. The others seemed to defer to her so I was fairly certain that she was the leader. If I had read them right, Krouse had taken the lead while she was ill or whatever, but it appeared that she had taken control. Which meant decisions were likely made by her now.
"Ok," I said. "Can we get off this roof now? I know it's a bit late, but there's a place for food that's open all night on the boardwalk, right? I could do with something to eat, seeing as I can't remember when I last had some real food."
"Our van is down in the alley," Noelle said. "You're welcome to ride with us, if you want. Less conspicuous than flying?"
I shrugged. "You'd be surprised how many people don't look up, even in a city full of capes. Do you want some help down so you don't all have to climb?"
Noelle blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, nothing special," I said, a sudden urge to show off prompting my next action. "Just this." I spread a telekinetic surface beneath their feet and lightly held everyone to make sure no one fell over, lifting them all to the ground beside a nondescript van.
Noelle didn't appear bothered, but the emotions of the others shifted as we touched ground. I ignored the fact that they shied away from me slightly and glanced at the van. There was a girl slumped over in a wheelchair. One of the six suddenly dissolved and the girl blinked slowly, straightening up. At the same time, the figure's mind and awareness shifted to the girl.
"Sorry about that," she said as we climbed into the van. "It was easier to get up there that way rather than trying to climb."
I nodded and frowned at the tint of bitterness in her thoughts. "I.. um, I guess I didn't fix that when I was… doing whatever it was I did?"
She shrugged. "I'm used to it, don't worry about it." I settled back in my seat at her words, trying not to wince. I had fixed Noelle, apparently, but not Jess? Why? What the hell had I done and why couldn't I remember?
"So, I want to ask something," Luke murmured and I twisted in my seat to look at him curiously. "Like, when you did… whatever that was… there was a lot of fire and it looked like a bird. Did you have something to do with that bird that appeared in the sky here a few months ago?"
I grimaced. That
would be the question he opened with. "I didn't think so, but after what you told me, I guess I was."
"You guess?" Marissa asked. "You don't
know? Wouldn't that be pretty obvious?"
"I wasn't exactly aware when that happened," I muttered. "It was a thing. If I did it, it wasn't consciously." Which was, I realized with a grimace, now a recurring theme. I was unconscious in the locker, too. And the only similarity was that I didn't remember either of them.
"This is the place you meant, right?" Krouse asked from the driver's seat, pulling into the parking lot of the only twenty-four hour restaurant on the boardwalk. I nodded and we climbed out. We took a few minutes to help Jess down, then the seven of us entered the restaurant.
~~~~~~~~
I tucked the piece of paper with a contact number for Noelle into one pocket. With my stomach full, I felt a bit better. Noelle was, as I had figured, the leader and had stated her intent to remain here in Brockton Bay. There was an undercurrent of dissatisfaction from some of the others, but they weren't my team, so I wasn't going to comment on it. She could handle them, I was sure.
I felt an extra piece of paper in my pocket and pulled it out, reading its contents. Assault had given me his number… I tucked the paper away with the one Noelle had given me. I would worry about that later. Right now, I couldn't even bring myself to get worked up over what it probably meant; that he knew I was Sirin.
I needed to get a new phone, but that would have to wait until tomorrow. I didn't feel like going to a chain store right now and there was something I still had to do now that I wasn't sidetracked. I glanced at my feet and sighed. Maybe I should—
A spike of irritation rang in my mind and I frowned, tracing its source. My frown deepened. I had noticed it on the roof, but… even miles apart, I could still feel Noelle's thoughts and emotions.
"I really need to figure out what the hell I really did last night," I muttered as I hung in the air, staring down at the house at the end of the road from the safe confines of the night sky. Vicky had said she had talked to them, so I knew they were at least alive. But I didn't know anything more than that.
And there was still the matter of Lisa, but I had no idea what I was going to do about her and nothing in the story the Travelers had told me gave me any hint whether she set me up or not. Maybe after I talked to Catherine and Minako, I could look into that.
Where the hell was I going to sleep tonight?
"Questions for later," I muttered and dropped toward the ground, coming to rest on the stone path that led to their front door. Motion lights came on as I walked up to the door, pushing in the doorbell's button. I heard voices inside and felt them moving around. A familiar presence approached, bristling with irritation at having to answer the door. There was a moment where I almost smiled as I felt surprise, then elation erupt in her emotions. I heard Catherine's voice call out as locks shifted and turned.
"Taylor!" I had to brace myself with my powers to keep from being bowled over as both Catherine and Minako surged out of the house to hug me. I didn't say anything at first, simply slipping my arms around them both as best I could.
"Sorry if I worried you," I said finally, surprised at how rough my voice sounded.
"You— We tried looking for you, what happened, oh god, you look terrible, are you alright?" Catherine asked in a rush. "Your neck… god, we should have—"
I interrupted her with a raised finger. "More importantly, are you two okay? I tried to get you down on the ground safely, but it was kind of crazy."
"We.. We are fine," Minako said, her eyes bright as they took a step back. "Do you want to come in?"
I let my new power stretch out, feeling the thoughts of everyone. Catherine's dad was cautious. Not hostile, but there was definitely something akin to dislike for me. Her mother was neutral and my friends were an easy read.
"Yeah, yeah I do," I told them. "If that's okay?"
"Dad?" Catherine asked and I didn't even need my powers to pick up her uncertainty. Her voice quavered for a moment and nervousness practically screamed from her posture. Something had obviously broken down between them.
Her dad didn't immediately answer, analyzing me. If I was remembering right, he was former military and I was pretty sure that he wasn't missing any details about my condition.
Finally, he nodded. "It is. Come in, Taylor. I think we should all sit down for a talk."
Catherine was apparently a better judge of her dad's moods than I, even accounting for the fact that I had empathy and telepathy. The smile that split her face told me all I needed, and I didn't protest as Minako and Catherine pulled me inside to the pleasantly lit warmth of their living room.
I still didn't have all the details yet, but I was alive, free and my friends were okay. That was enough, for now.
Joke outburst aside, the conclusions I immediately think of are: Noelle got Life-fried, cured, or she never became Echidna/got different powers in the first place. How am I doing Chibipoe?
