You woke up early on Sunday. Your muscles less sore now, memories better sorted and less able to creep into every thought and Terpsichore's song in your ears. Almost worth just lying there for a while longer, with the way you could clear your thoughts. For however much it was worth anyway, you were well rested. Better than you had any right to be, and suspecting your Masks might have collaborated to keep the song active all throughout the night to make it so, but you weren't complaining. Somehow, seeing the cool morning light and hearing nothing but silence helped.
Of course, Aletheia was never far away. She had her senses stretching out far and seemed to be keeping an eye on things as well as accumulating information on languages after you had gotten frustrated time and again. Softly landing next to you and Choire once she was sure you would stay awake. The soft fur against your skin helped you feel better too, just like the tentacles trying to untangle your hair did. You might not have had a peaceful night, but whatever nightmares you might have had, you couldn't remember them now.
Aletheia made you aware that Choire's song was reaching through your apartment, bolstering Dad's sleep just as it had your own, although you could feel he would profit from getting some more of it anyway. So you went outside. Into the still relatively desolate garden on your roof, slowly taking stock of what might need to be done and letting the dawn chase away the last bits of sleep. Choire and Aletheia were starting to understand, but you weren't sure you could entrust it to either of them yet. Not buying the plants at any rate. They would be able to take care of them well enough as soon as they understood how.
But that could wait.
You had some other notes and lists to make. What sort of things you could buy for yourself or Emma to be more effective. A computer system for your Lair, internet access too. Or maybe just an antenna to let you use everyone else's internet. Going over your completed map in your mind, trying to map out gang
territories and underground spaces. Two more you thought had been abandoned a while ago. Empire. Two unfinished creations that reminded you entirely too much of Coil's lair, although they were yet to be completed.
And you found yourself cooking again. Not making ice cream, there were maybe fifteen to thirty minutes left before Dad would have to wake up, but you did have the ingredients for some French toast and some leftover fresh fruit too. So you might as well.
Dad was certainly happy about it once he woke up, also suspiciously relaxed.
… You had no idea how, but apparently Aletheia and Choire had collaborated on trying to help and kept her song active while both of you had been asleep too. Mostly as a test because it was designed to help after all. You made sure to pet both of them, masks and their bodies, when you could. If anything you felt guilty about not asking them to try it sooner. Dad looked so much better now.
You only had a few minutes while Dad was in the shower, spent on setting the table, getting Aletheia to chop the fruit into very delicate, narrow slices and trying to arrange everything with a bit of butter and syrup. She might not be fast at first, but she was very precise and you had never seen peach slices that thin and clean outside of a restaurant. You did do the napkins yourself though. Just because you had a full day ahead of you didn't mean you couldn't have a nice breakfast.
You knew Dad had been attracted by the smell, but he still blinked at what he was seeing.
"Should I be suspicious?"
Somehow he managed to even sound so much better. Smiling cautiously and sitting down at the table, while you were busy blushing and twirling your hair.
"I don't have to have some huge news to cook, dad."
"But it helps?"
You deserved that. Couldn't even be too mad or embarrassed just from seeing him more like himself. More than even after you had told him about your powers and just…. A bit more like he'd been before was worth it all on its own. You sat down and started cutting into your toast yourself, before you replied.
"No, really. I don't think I have some big news, just…. More time I guess." Although that did remind you… "And Aletheia and Choire have been keeping Choire's song active so I'm guessing it improves sleep somehow." You weren't guessing but this was suspiciously close to news, so you were shifting on your chair and picking at your food, while Dad stopped eating.
"And that's not big news at all is it? You two haven't been broadcasting it to everyone else in the building, have you?"
"Dad, no. I don't think so. Um. Choire can declare people as allies so it works on them only. I think they understand trying to stay hidden by now."
He sighed, leaning back. Going through PRT protocol in his head actually and against how many rules their attempt had been. But he was feeling more awake than he had for weeks. Ever since training started. So finally Dad chuckled. "You definitely won't see me complaining. Although my colleagues might become suspicious." Armsmaster in particular, but it wasn't as if they could prove anything. You stared.
"Don't worry, I'll come up with something. Now that I can think again." He smiled up at you over his food. The idea was still taking some time to get used to. "Although your delivery of not-news needs some work."
"Sure, Dad." This felt almost like spending time with Annie. Maybe better. Just… relaxed.
Unfortunately you may have one more piece of news.
"I'm getting closer to a new Mask." You paused, Dad's head had shot up immediately.
"Taylor…." he sighed. You knew he wasn't upset. "You really need to work on your delivery of not-news. How close is closer?"
"Days, I think. I've been using Choire's song to look at my own power and I can tell it's almost finished collecting it's data, so I'll probably have a new one soon, if nothing happens.
" You swallowed. "I don't think it's today, but I don't know if I can hold it in so Emma and I need to talk about who we can get to join."
Dad just nodded. "What do you mean when you say 'if nothing happens'?"
"Sometimes I think I get extra data from somewhere. Emma's
Mask came too fast. Aletheia grew too fast sometimes, Choire too, but I mean if I don't get any extra data somehow, it'll be a few days."
"Your power is collecting data. And you're getting extra data from who knows where." he sighed. "You don't do simple do you? Taylor, you should keep a very close eye on what kind of data you're collecting. I know it can just be copied from somewhere, but you should have some idea of what it is anyway. I'm not telling you your power is doing something illegal or hurting anyone, but depending on how it collects and what it does to create those
Masks…" He paused and half smiled. "I know I'll probably sound ridiculous to you, but we're taught not to trust everything at face value. Powers can have unintended side effects. They don't exactly come with some kind of manual, do they?"
"Even if nothing happened yet, just be careful. I don't think it's too dangerous. Our scientists would love to engage with the problem as far as I'm aware, but I would recommend you look into that."
You should. You were just trusting your power to help, because everything it made so far was helpful. Just… a little scary sometimes. You were thinking about your power as if it were sentient somehow. But you knew it was some separate part of yourself, it was doing something or other. You could only nod very slowly. "I'll try."
"Now, I think I know why you want to recruit someone now. To have a
Mask that works better for them, but just-. I know I probably don't have to tell this to you." But he was doing it anyway to make himself feel better. "You have all of that power. Use it. And make sure you wouldn't mind them having your back." Which oddly enough made you feel better too. You had had a slight twinge of guilt about the predicting and prying you had Aletheia do, but those were your Masks after all.
"
"I should probably go get Emma then."
You were already halfway to the door a half second later, before you noticed
Dad's pointed if amused glare. "Um. After breakfast."
He nodded.
Both of you went back to enjoying your toast after it finally filtered through to you
, that Emma had to have breakfast too
, and probably wouldn't be ready yet anyway. So you restricted yourself to texting her to come early instead. At least 15 minutes preferably, with Choire hopefully able to double that for discussion time if need be.
You and Dad took your time doing the dishes. Getting to work on time was one thing, but being early would just make everyone suspicious and wasn't really necessary anyway. Although he would probably consider it after his schedule cleared up at least a little. They seemed to have crammed every training course imaginable in there just in case. Or because Armsmaster didn't like him.
You were tempted to do some more detailed reconnaissance on him. If you could be certain no camera they had could pick you up, you probably would. You hadn't tested whether he could see you with his helmet and bike cameras, but maybe you could do at least that much if you ever found him on patrol.
Maybe later.
For now you just changed into your exercise clothes and took the front door. If you were never ever seen going outside that might be a tad suspicious. Your muscles felt close to fine again for some reason you definitely weren't going to complain about and your meeting point was close enough to make you consider flying, but you would spend almost more time carefully looking for a good place to change back. You just hoped Cedric would turn up.
Emma knew what you had to discuss, but you still weren't entirely sure. He would want it, did want it, that sort of power, but you had no idea whether it would help him with anything else. No idea how he was going to react. Aletheia's predictions only went so far, could only be so accurate.
Emma made it in time. With wet hair tied back but in time anyway. Jogging toward you, Aletheia and Choire.
You wasted no time asking her to use her song on the both of you. For Aletheia to connect you and to casually move somewhere you couldn't be seen from any window likely to have an occupant behind it.
<<So. I'm still getting closer to a new Mask.>>
<<And you want to invite Cedric? I mean he's nice but you're sure?>>
<<I've only got a few days, I don't know whether I can hold it back. I don't know who else we could try. We could try pushing Grue, but he doesn't like being pressed. Aletheia thinks he'd withdraw.>>
<<It's really weird to talk to someone if you know they've got like another separate personality under that though.>>
<<And you don't do that?>>
<<It's different. Besides It's not as if it's too hard to spot. You brought it up.>>
<<And people are just blind, nothing to do with you.>>
<<Of course they are.>> Emma smirked. She didn't quite believe it, of course, there were things she needed to hide too, now. Maybe not before but now all of you were hiding more or less another person weren't you? The bubbly
, irreverence hiding just as much determination as you had. If anything you were just too bad at it to do it effectively, but you tried anyway. You decided not to dwell on it.
<<I can't blame him for not wanting everyone to know, and it's been breaking down though.>>
<<So what does your super squid prediction software say about him?>>
<<I know he would probably want one. Aletheia's super squid prediction isn't sure he'd believe
us more than anything else actually. He wants to fix things but can't and doesn't want to admit it.>>
<<But we'd be stuck with a boy. Doing who knows what to our Lair. I mean I have no idea what they leave hanging all over the place.>>
You snorted in slow motion.
<<I don't think so. Besides, it's not as if I couldn't make a Mask if it doesn't work out, I just… I don't know he knows a lot more about the gangs, he's sort of interesting and I'm sure he wouldn't try to go villain at least. Not sure which personality we'll get but I'm hoping for something in between.>> Probably pretty cynical. Because basically everyone was, save Glory Girl. And maybe a few others.
<<Looking into people's heads is so weird. Cool, but weird.>>
<<So what's he thinking about us anyway?>>
<<We're weird. He already knows something's up anyway. I don't think he realised he thinks we're his friends yet though.>>
<<He obviously doesn't know what he's missing out on.>> She grinned and tried flipping her hair
, also in slow motion and in the showiest way possible.
<<We need to ask the more important questions. What would he think about shopping? Do you think we could drag him to self defence class? What about sparring? I mean I don't think he'd quit but you'd know wouldn't you?>>
Trying not to laugh and smothering over it before your body could properly react was weird. As was feeling said body lagging behind.
<<Absolutely no idea. Also about the shopping. I'm sure you could make him come along though.>>
<<Hey, this needs to be carefully considered.>>
<<I think the only reason he isn't in any self defence class is because that's where you get recruited.>> It wasn't like you hadn't considered doing some recruiting yourself after all.
<<He'd definitely go along with sparring. Maybe losing to you would do him some good. If we can get him to believe us, he won't quit.>>
Emma paused. You knew she was hesitant to share. Of course she'd known it was coming, but maybe if you could just keep a Mask to yourself anyway. Even if they maybe wouldn't grow as fast and if you couldn't make them more powerful. On the other hand you needed more friends. That and he was sort of funny. Although she still had some problems starting to trust someone.
<<Can you just show me?>> Because she couldn't decide.
Aletheia did. You were both getting better at translating the Chinese, day by day, word by word. But you could see it, that overwhelming need. Frustration. Fear. Making himself or being made to go on anyway, two personas
, one doing things the other wouldn't fully approve of because he couldn't say or do much at home without repercussion. Because he didn't want to put anymore strain on his family, he had no idea how to help. Lost. Never being able to do enough regardless of how hard he was trying and walking away. The way both of them in a sense were genuine and necessary. How he was worried for both of you, but too intrigued to walk away. And also the way capes were abstract. Never something you could be or meet. Like forces of nature.
The reason
, why Aletheia had such a hard time making a solid prediction.
Emma didn't respond for a while.
Knowing someone, so much about them, helped. It would be weird anyway. You were used to Emma and Emma was used to you. She was your best friend. Would always be your best friend and conveying that helped. More than Emma or you would otherwise have admitted.
You were building a team. Teams needed more members, but that didn't mean anything else would change. Having more friends didn't mean you would be any less of Emma's friend or Emma would be any less of yours. You would just be getting more powers and more powerful too. And even if both of you couldn't fix this city yet, maybe with more people you could.
So you were going to try.
There was just one more question.
<<If Aletheia is wrong, we can make sure he won't tell, right? You could make him forget?>> Drop the entire affair and find someone else instead.
<<I don't think he would tell. But yeah. If, if I had your song on my telepathy I could. Especially if you could put him to sleep.>> Because you somehow knew sleeping people were easier to manipulate. Even if you very pointedly refused to find out how or why you knew this. Aletheia's moral compass seemed to be making you happy. You still weren't sure whether that was slightly creepy or just cute, but she was trying and she was learning. You were sure it would get better with time.
Even stretching time, you only had another five minutes
, before Cedric got there.
One hand surreptitiously making a fist and releasing it again. Aletheia could feel it was in pain and you could see some faint bruises, but he wasn't going to mention it.
Choire stopped singing.
Emma and you hesitated. At least everyone was less sleep deprived now. Though even Emma could see something was wrong.
"Are you okay?"
And asked the wrong thing. Cedric shrugged
, set out to say something
, and sighed. "Do you remember Friday? Let's just go."
"We're still regretting Friday. I mean I couldn't stop you or anything, but you'll want to die tomorrow. Do you really wanna turn up at school like that?" Emma most definitely did not.
Neither did Cedric. Especially because if he looked too weak, high school definitely wasn't going to be any fun. But where you had been anxious, he was frustrated enough to want that pain. More than frustrated enough. You knew his nails were digging into his hand and he was looking around for some sort of excuse. Trying to control himself without nearly as much success as he would have liked.
But you had to be careful.
Cutting in before he could reply. "Um, I don't want to pry, but just one question and we'll run. Is this about Friday night?"
His nails were only digging harder into his palm now. Considering.
"Yeah, sure. Not like we can do anything about it though." He leaned back. Maybe he could hide his tension from Emma, but not from Aletheia.
"Apart from hurting yourself."
"Like you did on Friday?" Emma recoiled.
"Yeah, like that." You swallowed. "So how about we go running and then we'll talk. You'll tell us what's going on and we'll tell you why we felt like hurting ourselves on Friday."
"It's fine. Just some stress."
Neither of you needed to say anything to let him know you didn't believe him. "We're not that ignorant." You sighed. "Listen, I know you're hiding stuff and I wouldn't ask
, but we're getting a bit worried."
"As opposed to worrying about yourself. It's not like I can do anything about it. Not like you can do anything about it either." His fist clenched again, digging into the wall facing away from you.
"Except killing our muscles definitely didn't help and only makes me feel better for a few hours anyway. Besides, talking helps. Much better than running
, and it's not like we don't already know something's up. You're just making sure we're not going to guess wrong." Emma half grinned at him. "We might do something stupid. We wouldn't intend to or want to but if we don't know..." She looked at one of her hands.
Cedric stopped hurting himself in favour of blinking at her. Emma was rather easy to underestimate. Even if you felt bad about what she'd just done. "It's not as if we would ever tell anyone." Emma sighed. "I'm serious. Talking to Taylor helped a lot."
You shook your head. Emma might not say anything, but maybe you could. "Talking to Emma helped a lot too. When I was having some…
problems, and she never told anyone."
He ruffled his hands through his hair, very nearly tearing some out at the back of it. "Let's run first." Because he might have time to think if you did, but Emma just smiled.
"Sure! We can pass by a great place to sit down and talk too."
<<Our Base.>>
<<Our Lair. That way he can't run if things don't work out and you can just erase his memories right?>>
You sighed and looked away.
<<I could, yeah.>>
<<Come on, you're not doing any real damage. I mean it's bad if you don't have to but if he doesn't agree...>>
<<I know.>> Your safety and Emma's safety was more important.
<<I'll do it.>>
And you promised yourself not to get into this situation again, even if Emma was feeling like a master spy right now. A secret hero agency maybe.
Cedric might have caught that you were uncomfortable, might even feel a bit guilty about it but you couldn't help that right now. You went ahead, to the docks. Aletheia keeping your path clear and for the first time you didn't worry too much about making weird detours, going around things, going for new climbing spots and giving any Merchants or ABB a wide berth in the process. You could feel Cedric growing more confused, following your and Emma's lead, but that could only help you right now. Not to mention that you wanted to make your underground ex villain Lair as hard to find as you could and needed to draw out your run. Exercise was important after all.
And by the time you arrived at the abandoned factory yard, walking inside, Cedric was thoroughly confused, feeling a slight sense of unreality and no longer about to hurt himself.
Suffice to say when Emma and you moved the manhole cover aside, it did not improve any.
"You're not gonna stop now are you? We found this a few weeks ago and no one's been using it for years!"
Almost ten years actually. You went down first, Emma waited next to the entrance, while Aletheia took care of the lock and floated inside. You made sure all of the maps were in the strategy room. Cedric would take a moment to adjust to what he was seeing of course. Actually you knew he was taking a moment to adjust, because he was definitely feeling as if reality had taken a small leave of absence. Which was both good and very much not.
Luckily you got him inside your living room and onto the couch just fine. At least, Emma did, while you asked Aletheia to move the cover back and went to the kitchen. "We don't have any soda, but do
you want tea?" Tea would help, right?
Cedric was sitting on your couch, facing a very outdated and no longer functional TV. Well, the couch was old too, but it had definitely aged much better. Your ventilation was working, the generator was too and while you might not have much yet – still needed a fridge – you did have a hot water boiler and entirely too much canned food you weren't at all sure was still edible. And also dried food you were reasonably sure was.
The tea was new. You'd only bought it a few days ago.
"Sure..." That didn't sound good.
Emma sat down next to him. "You're sure you're okay?"
"… Yeah. You've got a secret base but sure, I'm fine. Nothing weird going on here at all."
"Well, technically it was a Lair, but I don't think Marquis is getting out of the Birdcage anytime soon, so it's ours now." Emma grinned and ran her hand over the couch, but Cedric didn't feel like he was any closer to being grounded. Closer to the opposite in fact.
"I don't think you're helping!"
"It's so cool though! You have to admit it's awesome."
"Yep. Just missing a real TV."
"And internet, and cable and a working fridge and a computer, but it's still awesome, right? Even comes with running water and electricity."
"And you just found this? Just like that?"
"Well, not exactly."
You interrupted Emma before he could go too far in thinking he was dreaming. "But you should maybe wait until we've got tea for that story." Even if Emma probably wouldn't drink any of it, you were pretty sure Cedric needed some time for everything to sink
in. You had felt him pushing his bruises against the couch just now, then pushing against them with his other hand. Maybe you should do something more direct, but for now
, you put the teabags into your cups, put them down on the table in front of everyone and claimed the armchair for yourself.
"Aww. Why did you want to wait?"
"Because I'm pretty sure he's not convinced this is real yet." Aletheia slowly sank down onto the chair and around your neck and hair. It would look weird, but oddly enough, the ponytail you wore when you went running helped quite a bit. Although you really shouldn't sit on the couches while you were still covered in sweat too much. Even if a lot of it had dried by now. Well, you were sure any damage could be fixed later and it was going to be fine if you didn't keep doing it. You took your teacup into your hands and motioned for everyone to help themselves.
Despite Cedric's attitude toward teabags, it would have to do. And because it wasn't green tea it wasn't quite as bad. Although you really should consider getting other tea too, maybe see what you could find downtown. It wasn't as if you couldn't afford it. You considered him taking a cup as well as a good sign.
For a minute or maybe more none of you said anything. Emma was lounging on the couch, Cedric was staring into his cup and you were monitoring him and being wrapped by Aletheia.
But drinking slightly cheap tea and burning his mouth a bit in the process seemed to help. At least he didn't look faintly concussed anymore and stopped just staring into his cup. Instead he was investigating the room. The domed ceiling and the old lightbulbs (mental note: get replacements just in case) The slightly uneven walls and the rather standard doors as well as ventilation shafts and apparently just how dry the place was.
Which you had to admit was an accomplishment and it'd take quite a bit of stuff in the walls. Personally you were wondering how well it would hold up in winter and whether you would need to get heating in. You and Cedric both took a sip of tea.
"Feeling better?"
Cedric shook his head. "So how did you
find this place?"
"That's getting right into the big stuff, but okay."
"We could just have found it by checking the sewer grid, and noticing that our manhole cover over there
. isn't anywhere near a sewer line." You had a little more tea. Emma wouldn't touch hers.
"But you didn't. So how did you know?" He was eyeing the way Aletheia's tendrils were causing indentations in your clothing and the way your hair seemed to have acquired curious depressions. You pulled your ponytail around to twist a strand of your hair.
"Well..." Your eyes locked with Emma's. You could see as well as feel how tense she was. Nodding toward you. You probably would have waited a bit, but he'd noticed now. You could only hope it wouldn't throw him off completely. What Aletheia had been worried about.
She faded back into visibility. Choire hopped onto Emma's lap while your best friend's arms wrapped around her. Snuggling into the embrace. Aletheia's hands were resting on top of your head. Her tendrils wrapped around your torso, she was looking the same direction you were, her eyes slightly narrowed in contentment. You raised your hands to your lips. Somewhere along the way having tentacles wrap around you had become a normal, even nice feeling. The hovering parts of her Mask as well as her face might be turned toward Cedric, but she was firmly anchored on top of you. Slowly gliding into your lap to have your arms wrap around her too. Both because he was staring at her and because she could feel your tension.
You tried to breathe calmly. "Aletheia" , your hand ran along the edge of her face, "can feel things around her. Or when something isn't there, so when we went running one of the first couple of times, we found something weird and decided to investigate."
Cedric stared. Aletheia had to catch his teacup before he could burn himself. Even if it might shock him back into thinking everything was real, you didn't want to do that to him. You were pretty sure he was forgetting to blink.
Emma flicked him. "Earth to Cedric, anyone there?"
He did blink then. "Which one?"
"Bet." You paused. "We didn't really know any other way to put it, but Bet's the only one we know of with Capes, right?" Aletheia was still keeping his cup aloft.
"You might want to catch that by the way, before she gets tired of holding it up." Choire produced a few calming chords, but otherwise seemed content to sit on Emma's lap. She might have grown, but she wasn't too big for that yet. And you just looked like you were a little covered in tentacles.
Cedric reclaimed his cup. Promptly burning his tongue again when he tried one more time, before giving up and sticking to small sips. It had somewhat jarred him back down to earth though. Whether he wanted to or not. He clearly didn't quite want to. Capes were something else, more force of nature than person, but you were there. Holding these creatures that looked just like the masks of the people he had seen on TV. You running your hand over Aletheia's tentacles, and Emma holding onto Choire only seemed to make things worse. Capes, movies, going out were his escape, but they had nothing to do with reality. Never would.
You didn't just get powers. Nobody just got powers.
Except you did. You had. And maybe you should explain a bit more.
So you petted Aletheia's mask a few more times, until you could feel contentment and more encouragement from her, then let her body retreat. Fingers touching the not quite liquid inside of her, reaching in much deeper than you should have been able to, before you lifted her up and let the changes wash over you. Tendrils sprouting from your collar and neck. Limbs elongating again. Your exercise outfit turning black and blue with red markings. Its fabric smoothing out, any imperfections
, any sign of sweat disappearing for the time being.
Then you reached out and touched him. Poked a tentacle against his forehead.
Emma was enjoying herself way too much, asking you to let her put on Choire as well. The apparent cloud of fluid
, red hair breaking out of her head, the tail sprouting from her clothes, body changing to smooth over any imperfection. Changing shape into something impossible. Just ever so slightly out of reach.
At least he didn't drop his cup this time. Even if people still didn't turn into capes around him and he still didn't understand.
"So you're..."
Both of you nodded.
"Why would you tell me?"
Emma gradually tilted her head. "Taylor over there doesn't just fuse with her Mask. Anyone can do that. She just makes them and switches them between walking around and being adorable and wearing them." She stretched. "Of course she can't just make infinitely many of them. It doesn't really work like that and they start off smaller than ours are now..."
You lifted your white writing liquid from the other room. 'But I can generate them maybe once a month or once every two months.'
"And she's getting a little close now. Oh and we might just have lied
about about her abilities..."
'And yours.'
"And mine." She paused. "So we know you. And we would like to offer you an opportunity, because they're so much better when they're being worn. Not cuter, but we get better powers."
If he hadn't looked concussed before, he definitely did now. Which was to say blinking at you and not entirely in control of his face.
Waiting was both better and worse, with Aletheia's help. You could draw out seconds into what felt like minutes much too easily, but on the other hand, you were also getting dust out of the ventilation system. Simultaneously trying to make as many different shapes as you could and keeping track of Emma and Cedric. Who could finally drink his tea. For however much that was actually going to help because there were way too many thoughts going through his head. English and Chinese ones.
So you gave him a few minutes, trying to translate what he was thinking as best as you could to Emma.
"… You know me. But we've only met a few times. I could just have been lying about just about everything."
<<I know you. Aletheia knows you. We might have been hiding some of our powers.>>
"So… you're reading my mind?"
<<I am. If I'm close enough I can tell more about a person, but further away I only know what you're thinking right that moment.>> And couldn't even necessarily translate it.
"You're reading my mind. And you don't want anyone to know."
"How many telepaths do you know of?"
"…"
Tea could only do or help so much.
"So…. you're pretending you're just doing emotions. And you've just been reading my mind whenever we've met?"
<<Everyone, technically. I don't have to concentrate on it, I can't shut it out, I can just not focus on it. When I'm not fused with her, Aletheia doesn't send me everything. It's how we stay safe running. I try not to pry too much.>> You didn't, sort of. It was nice to listen to certain people. Many you just ignored, even if you couldn't forget. Maybe you did pry too much. But it wasn't as if you were hurting anyone.
"Okay." This was starting to sound like an old comicbook. Just as absurd.
"Okay, could you take her back off?" You split back up immediately. Cedric was terrified and overwhelmed but nothing you could send him would help. If anything it would make the situation worse. You felt a bit guilty for asking Aletheia to keep reading him anyway, but if you wanted this to work out, you might have to cheat.
He emptied his tea. "But she can't do any of that."
"I have other talents." Emma looked at her flawless fingers and the fur coming out of her wrists and arms. "No, not like that, but if anyone knew I could boost powers or even just normal people, I'm not sure what they would do."
Cedric looked increasingly sceptical. Detached too. Didn't know what to think, but the shock was still hitting him. "If you say so." He looked back into his tea mug.
"You can have mine." You moved Emma's mug toward him. He was still polite enough to make sure she meant it, but said mug was half empty within a few seconds.
"So…" Exchanging a glance with Emma as well as a questioning thought,
she gave a nod back and lifted Choire from her face. Because giving him Aletheia would be worse. You could control her of course, but Emma wasn't ready for that yet. You knew the radius, you could control yourself, but Emma in the end would much rather it was Choire who went first,
even if she had to part with her for the moment.
"This is Terpsichore. It's going to feel a bit weird, but I'm sure you can figure it out." The Mask in her hands was swirling red, orange, and violet on the inside, sparks of blue, gold, and white surfacing only to disappear again. "Just lift her up to your face and you'll see. It's the best." And she meant it too. Emma's smile was hiding her insecurity, but you knew you could stop the merger at any point.
Cedric took a moment just to stare, to touch the substance inside and see the way it was rather unwilling to leave its confines, before gradually lifting her up. Plunging his face inside with one quick motion before he could get second thoughts.
His hair puffed out, a collar of blue and maybe a bit of violet. Skin smoothed, a tail bursting forth behind him. His limbs becoming just a bit longer, their shape both slender and muscular, erasing any awkwardness or gangly figure a moment later, while Choire's eyes turned blue and gold, so very different from Emma's mostly red. You knew he had her agility, but he couldn't draw energy the same way she could. No song of discord, his pyrokinesis didn't improve either, though he kept the song of inspiration. Getting up in one quick, smooth motion. Jumping, catching himself on the ceiling. Moving his tail while Emma watched a little uncomfortable, and Aletheia sent information to both of you.
You knew she didn't feel right for him. Wouldn't either. He might be able to shapeshift but it was much more awkward than Emma's. Less fluid. Couldn't sing the way she could, although he wasn't as bad with the illusions. But it was enough. He could feel her power and do things he'd never been able to before. Conjure fire, until you drew water from the sink to put it out. Taking Aletheia far more effort than you would have liked, but you managed it.
"It won't feel right. It's Emma's Mask after all. It's just to show you what they do, I don't think Aletheia would feel right either
. Probably worse than Choire actually, according to her."
"She definitely doesn't feel right for me." But worked fairly well for Dad.
He stopped trying to play with fire to get a grasp on his new senses. Better eyes. Made a small, illusionary bird fly through the air. Then you let the Mask drop, Choire flipping over once before jumping back onto Emma's lap. Maybe you should have warned him beforehand.
As it was, he more flopped than actually sat back down. Looking at either of you in turn. Superpowers. Masks with superpowers and also a Lair and they'd been responsible for Friday night too. The teacup didn't hold any answers. You knew everything still felt both real and very much not to him. Just…. Superpowers. Capes. Feeling faster and a little stronger too. The songs he could call. Sitting in an old Supervillain Lair, talking about… about what?
"So… What?"
"We wouldn't have asked but with everything going on. That's sort of our fault… We've decided we like you and we'll probably get along. So… I made Terpsichore to fit Emma. I could make my next Mask to fit you. It's probably a bit sudden and it feels like a few weeks is already a few years ago anyway, but um. Yeah. Do you want to join?"
It wasn't real.
He couldn't do anything.
No one could.
But his hand still hurt. The tea was just okay, it was warm
, he could feel the mug between his fingers. Real. All of them. In the abstract he had probably known capes were people. Just people who somehow had those powers
, but seeing it was completely different. Looking at those powers, feeling them. Touching them. You knew Cedric would say yes. Couldn't help but agree for the sheer novelty and idea of it. But the problem was Wencheng. Because it still didn't seem real. Because he'd always been told he couldn't do anything about it. To just keep his head down. But at the same time… he could help. He could make sure his family would be okay, somehow. But would it be worth a fight? They'd done it. No one died.
But no matter how hard he studied it didn't help. His parents wouldn't be happy, he could always be better. Did heroes earn any money?
He wouldn't have to be scared of the Empire. Staring at the bruises on his fist.
He could do
something.
But what turned it around was that you knew Wencheng couldn't forgive himself if he didn't even try. If he just walked away from anything that might help. Although he wasn't sure how… And you felt like telling him about the money would work, but that wasn't why you wanted anyone to join. Neither of you. But first…
"What kinds of powers can your Masks get?"
You hesitated. "I… don't know. I think it might be any power, but they start weak and grow stronger over time. And the Masks get more of them too. They use their powers and get better at using them and once they're good enough, they transform. I think they basically disassemble most of themselves and assemble a better version. But if I tried to get a Mask for you, it would be powers that work for you."
So if he didn't want something destructive, if he wanted something that would prevent someone from blowing people up, that would actually start to fix things. Would make everything a little less impossible… The thoughts were still very hard to read. You were interpreting more through images than through actual clear thought.
A feeling of unreality and casting the concern aside.
You prodded his knuckles.
He still couldn't walk away.
Wencheng swallowed. Yours, Emma's
, even Choire's and
Aletheia's eyes were locked onto him.
"Then… this is insane but if I've got any chance at making things better, yes."
And you didn't have to make him forget. You were so relieved, you sagged into your armchair. Cedric still felt detached, a little disbelieving, but you couldn't help that right now. And Aletheia seemed to be adjusting her algorithms. You didn't have to make him forget. But that did remind you.
"You can't tell anyone. Capes get kidnapped for their powers. They get forced to join gangs. If anyone knew Hastur's powers were even more like the Simurgh's I'm not sure what they would do. Or if they knew about Choire's Trump powers. And anyone who knows could be in danger too. It's a sort of rule that you don't attack any cape out of costume, but if people really want something be sure they'll stick to it." You couldn't believe you forgot.
Of course he would hesitate, but Emma was done being quiet. "My family doesn't know either. Taylor's Dad knows, but that's about it."
And they still had no idea what sort of powers the next Mask would get.
Cedric swallowed. You knew this wouldn't be easy for him. His parents would not be happy. They might be disappointed, try to push him harder or try to keep him indoors entirely. Not telling his friends was easy, not telling his brother, even his father was something he could deal with but not telling his mother, no matter how pushy she was
, would be hard. Frozen, trying to come up with an excuse.
"So the good news is, Hastur can basically take any cash the gangs have and as a vigilante no one's going to go after you for holding onto it. We can even paint something on their walls, but they won't be able to stop us. So… if you need the money..." Like Grue did…
But you knew his thoughts were going at least slightly elsewhere. Because that money would be a good cover too. As long as his family believed he was engaged in something illegal instead. Then again they would try to keep him inside even more. Be disappointed. But if he didn't, Cedric's older brother would have to come up with a solution. And he didn't have that option.
Nor did his parents.
You were not entirely comfortable with where this was going.
Then he hesitated. "They'll be trying to kill you if you do that."
Emma suppressed a chuckle. "Oh please, the Merchants barely noticed anything when we started taking theirs. We didn't leave signs then and didn't take everything
, but it's the same idea."
"Except we will try to take everything. And if they're coming after us, that means they won't kill anyone for stealing, because they already know who to blame. We can see them coming. Our Masks won't allow anyone to guess our identity and they won't be taking it out on any other people either if they're too focused on trying to catch us. I don't even need to go inside a building to take it."
"You could just pluck their bank details out of their head and grab all of it." Emma's smile was just a bit too satisfied.
"Once we get a bank account and a lawyer." You couldn't bring yourself to mind, but Cedric still seemed concerned. "We're also invisible whenever we want to be and if we want to do anything about the gangs, they'll hate us anyway. If we can take their money away, they can't buy more guns or drugs."
"They can just force it out of other people."
You sighed. "I suppose, but we have to do something. We can try and give it back, but I don't think that would work."
Emma shook her head. "We'll just have to make sure they know we'll come for them if they do. You'll know who to go for, right?"
"Yeah. I'd just need to wait for them to come out, but if I can get their schedule it should work."
"So.. do you want to go and try?"
"Do we have any paint?"
Emma waved you off. "I'll take care of the paint, you'll make sure we can buy a new fridge."
"Or maybe a computer and internet. And make sure you have something to fall back on if need be." You had no idea how much Faultline would tell you for free or in the spirit of maintaining good relations , but you really weren't sure you could scrape together a bribe that would not just be seen as insulting before you got a good lawyer and accountant. Although paying people money was much less dangerous than revealing any of the other things you could do, it was possible to get the information in other ways and telepathy was still fairly low risk if you didn't change anything.
Cedric blinked, then nodded. "You're just going to do this. Right now?"
"We
are meeting Faultline later today. Why bother waiting? Did you finish the map?"
"Last night. I didn't add all of the safehouses and all of that yet but I've definitely got everything around here."
"And in Empire territory? I know you hate them but how much more money do the Merchants have?"
You smiled. "I can remember those just fine." Then sighed. They had destroyed your house. You could not just let that go, not to mention what they did to people on a daily basis. "Enough to take some more, if
we're obvious about it. We can just hit both."
"Wait. What map?"
"We were just making sure we know our City. All of it. Even what's not on a normal map." She was enjoying this far too much. "We can't just let them surprise us. Although perfect memory is still unfair."
You shrugged somewhat awkwardly at Cedric's stare. "It only works when I'm wearing Aletheia. I can't recall it as well without her but it still sort of works."
"..." Unfair did not begin to describe it. Especially considering how much studying he did. Had to do. You were twisting your hair again. "So you just read something once and..."
"Yeah. It doesn't really make me smarter, at least I don't think it does."
"As if you're not smart enough already."
You had been offered to skip a grade and both of them could absolutely see you blushing now. Aletheia the traitor didn't help either. She was just petting your hair and seemed to think everything was perfectly fine. No emergency at all. "Well, it doesn't. I don't magically get better at math just because my memory's improved and it only works while I'm wearing her anyway." Probably. You had noticed some of the effects stuck around but that might just be training your ability to process information. Superpowers were weird.
"Anyway. Um. Do you want to come along for that?"
"…" He was already in for it, but… "Can you do that for other people too?"
You stared at Aletheia. Then back at him. "You mean insert memories? Or just make your memory better?" You couldn't stop yourself from shifting uncomfortably.
"I don't really care. Doesn't matter."
The look of disbelief you gave him made him cringe into the couch. It was kind of mean and you knew he was struggling and embarrassed, but he couldn't possibly think you would believe him. Or would stop prodding, knowing how much it meant to him. "I think I can insert memories. I mean I know I can send experiences, but I would have to be careful if they're not mine. I can sort of copy skills too but it takes a while and Aletheia can't do it on her own."
"Would I, would the memories work like normal?"
You forced yourself not to cringe. This was much more harmless than what you had considered doing before. "I don't know. I think I could make them very hard to forget, but they would be your memories so I don't think I can make them perfect forever or anything like that."
He just kept staring at you, feeling reality slip away again. Because that was still more than he'd ever expected. He still had to study and his mother still wouldn't be happy but maybe it would help. Somehow. But it would be too much to ask. He couldn't just do that. Even if you would do it in a heartbeat, you knew he wasn't going to ask. At least not now. Cedric just nodded slowly, then looked away. "So, you could."
If you told him about your objections now, at least about all of them, he'd never ask. "I don't like the idea of doing it if the other person doesn't know what's going on, but yeah. I could."
"I've always wanted to get all As." Emma on the other hand would. No doubt about it and you couldn't help but smile.
"And you don't think that's suspicious?"
"It'll be fine! I've been with you! We've been studying because obviously that's the sort of thing you would do." She grinned.
"I suppose."
"Now we just have to go figure out what they'll be teaching."
Cedric blinked at you, fairly rapidly too. "I think I might have notes on that. What they were using two years ago anyway." His brother's notes. He was still slightly uncomfortable, but you could see him slowly relax.
"And we can just get the rest walking around school. We're still learning all of it, we're just getting a bit of an advantage."
"It's still cheating."
"Not really. I mean we could just
ask and I'm sure they would tell us too. We'll just learn a bit differently."
"My mom does that. Ask the teachers I mean."
"See? Easy. She'll share right?" Her puppy eyes and smile really were remarkable.
Cedric laughed. "Share? I don't think I could escape finding out if I tried." Not that he would. But if he could sell this as a sort of study group...
"There we go! You'll just tell us and Taylor can make sure we'll know too. At least we won't have to do all of the boring stuff."
You sighed. "You should still understand it."
"Well you understand it right? You or all of us could just share."
There was no way you were going to win this argument. You sighed.
"Fine." Then got up and started clearing the cups away. "Let's go get that spraypaint."
Which you did. Or rather Emma did and you and Cedric spent your time walking around invisibly and getting him used to the idea of it and mental communication. Being invisible might come naturally to you, but the same didn't apply to everyone else. Also seeing him try and fail to attract attention in ever more ridiculous ways was funny. Even if you had to warn him that no, your invisibility did not cover sound.
You sincerely doubted the thin, middle aged woman with the 'soccer mom' shirt she had transformed into would ever be associated with Emma or Siona too. Even if Cedric had to muffle his laughter and you were lucky you didn't have a mouth when you first saw it. You had your three cans of paint and knew where to go. Although explaining your idea to Cedric along the way meant you were now tempted to be just a little more artistic about it and to see whether you could put some pretty but unsettling pictures on the walls where you left your modified yellow signs too.
Now you just had to get Cedric less uncomfortable with tentacle hugs, although he at least agreed that he would slow you down otherwise.
Sneaking a tendril of paint into the run down apartment building and hovering near the wall, while you carefully arranged it into your modified yellow sign. Replacing the dot with Aletheia's face. Then carefully arranged some more of it into a strange fusion of geometry, butterflies and a robe next to it, taking up a good part of the wall. The plastic bag with their money inside of it only got included into your invisibility after you were done. And moving it out of the house and into your pocket wasn't particularly difficult. Although you really should find a bigger bag if you were going to do this.
And strip the drug residue from your newly acquired cash before you did anything else with it. You had already forced a very thin, white coating off the bag itself.
<<That was… >> Cedric paused.
<<Seriously?>>
<<It feels weird, I know, but there really isn't anything they can do about it. Even if they do put the money into their own pockets I could just take it out and make it invisible anyway. We might want to step back.>> And get out of the immediate range of any guns they had.
You didn't need to tell anyone twice, although Cedric was still in shock.
<<Just like that?>>
<<Powers aren't fair. Like not even a little fair. We're just using ours to help out and make things a little bit fairer for everyone else.>> While helping yourselves of course, but you knew what Emma was referring to and the gangs needed to be shut down.
You released the paint's invisibility.
You could hear the "'The
FUCK?'" From all the way down the street, where you were standing. Then the shouting started. You knew they were frantically looking around, with as much clarity as the drugs would allow. But there wasn't anything left to find anymore. Maybe you should have taken the drugs too, but you felt uncomfortable even getting near the stuff. Maybe if you carried a garbage bag or something and found a good way to get rid of the stuff.
All of you left even while they were still shouting. Off to your next destination. You may only hit three houses today, but you were leaving a message. And Cedric could go home with an emergency fund. Even if he was still feeling uncomfortable about the idea, taking money from the Merchants or Empire wouldn't affect his family at all and every dollar they lost was one they couldn't use to buy guns or more drugs. Most of it was just how easy you made it look.
And to a point you understood. You did make it look easy. And any measure they could take would only delay you, even if they tried to stick it into a safe, you could open those just fine.
He did go home with an emergency fund. And still looking a bit out of it, but you couldn't really help that without making it worse. You would have offered him to try fusing with Aletheia as well, but you really didn't think it would make him feel any less overwhelmed. So you didn't.
You did liberate some of the Empire's assets though, heading deeper inside their territory to do it in the hopes of adding some extra confusion and pretty pictures. Cedric was somewhat unsurprisingly good at coming up with ideas for those, although your execution wasn't as good as you would have liked, that might be more of a problem with your imagining the pictures than your ability to apply paint. It was satisfying anyway. Especially since they had absolutely no idea it was coming and were feeling far too safe for both of your liking.
You even used the bag the paint came in to store your loot, before you went back to your apartment to shower.
Cedric had to go home to change after your visits to the Merchants, but Emma had a stash of clothes at your apartment and you had a perfectly good shower there too. You weren't sure whether it was cynical to invite him along on the promise of making sure he would bring whatever he was supposed to be doing and remember it, but leaving him alone to process carried risks all on its own. At least this way you could observe the situation, because you didn't quite trust him not to talk himself into some form of delusion along the way.
Maybe it was a relatively small risk, but you would rather make sure. You would get at least two hours on scouting and spending more time with Emma before meeting Faultline anyway.
As it was, you ended up meeting back at your usual spot. Both you and Cedric had brought a bag and all of you had decided that jeans and a t-shirt were the way to go, although Emma had predictably put in a little more effort.
Lord Street Market was always an experience. In part because you were reasonably sure you could find absolutely everything there if you came at the right time and possibly asked the right question
, and in part because of the time clause you had added. Some stands might always be around but even a lot of those save food stalls rarely sold the same things for long. The rest came and went, up to
and including garage sales, various recyclables, broken electronics, not so broken electronics, things you (but not most other people) were absolutely sure were stolen, some truly bizarre pieces of art, handcrafted pieces of occasionally surprising quality and unlicensed cape memorabilia of all types.
Someone had even, somehow, drawn and printed pictures of you and Siona already. It wasn't even a bad picture either, although you weren't entirely sure you were comfortable with the subtitles. You definitely weren't going to create any cults.
Cedric's comment that the shading was a bit off and Emma's complaint about her pose made you feel a bit better. At least Hastur wasn't having his spine broken or was being turned into a pinup girl for justice. You still couldn't resist pointing out that technically, Siona could hold that pose just fine though, which helped a little bit. Although Emma was still feeling conflicted. Of course, Siona was perfect. More so than any human would have been capable of, tricky and not afraid to use her charm, but all of you were still a bit uncomfortable with the idea. Even if it did make her seem more adult.
Maybe you could have a chat with the vendor about that. Or find a way to get a cut of the profits.
But you would leave that issue for later.
It might not be Aletheia's ice-cream, but it helped. Cedric was still weirded out about seeing Aletheia floating behind and more importantly above you, holding Choire to boost her range and taking notes of all of the electronics she could find.
(What's not Aletheia's ice cream? And how is Cedric seeing Aletheia and Choire if they're invisible?) You didn't have much hope for the broken stuff, but it was interesting to see how the knock offs differed or didn't differ from the genuine article. Some of them just seemed to have a different brand slapped on and were being sold for so much less, with only a few faults.
You were starting to wish you had some kind of
Tinker power.
Then again, if you could discern the function and had a working model with different faults and were boosting your cognitive enhancement, if they were just close enough to you, you might be able to use telekinesis to fix them anyway…
But that thought got discarded immediately, when your Masks found something much more interesting.
Several somethings actually, but your Chinese was still not great, so
you focused on the one you could take care of first. Aletheia projected a route and the location of your target.
<<Everything okay?>> Emma was immediately on guard.
Cedric took a moment longer to respond. He wasn't exactly used to telepathy yet. <<What's over there?>>
<<Tinkertech!>> Yes, maybe you were getting too excited
, but on the other hand genuine Tinkertech! It felt different enough and weird enough to Aletheia that you couldn't have any doubts about it.
<<I think it's broken, but I'm sure that's not normal. It's on a kind of junk stand.>> Curiosities, recyclables, broken things that might be fixable or just plain weird stuff. And you were guessing it had turned up as the latter.
<<Actual, real, Tinkertech? Here? You're sure?>>
<<Pretty sure. It just doesn't feel like any computer or mechanical device I've seen. We're still trying to figure out how it works, but if we could get them…>> There were only three items. Some round device with enough different and not entirely intact components to make your brain hurt, something you were pretty sure was a handle for something or other, meant to extrude something from both ends. Also nonfunctional, also making you go crosseyed with even trying to figure out how, but still. The next item wasn't any better. Not really. It was sort of uneven, with two flat surfaces and an absolute mess inside of it you were sure couldn't exist in just three dimensions.
<<What's the stand like?>>
<<Random stuff for the most part, broken electronics, a guitar, I think everything got pulled out of a dumpster or a cape fight. There's one bit that looks like part of Hookwolf's mask.>>
<<Can you tell what whoever is selling all of that is like?>> Emma might be excited but Cedric was more than just a little suspicious.
<<… Older guy.>> You cringed.
<<Um. Not exactly grounded either, obsessed with capes and the stuff he finds. Spends most of his day walking around the city looking for stuff to take. Turns up every few months to sell whatever he can't keep, just collects random junk. He's got a pension but I guess he just likes pulling stuff out of the trash? I'm pretty sure he's being monitored even if I'm not sure how much.>>
<<Maybe we can ask 'Soccer Mom' to get it for us?>>
You hadn't intended to do anything
Mask related before you had to go scouting, but there was no way you would let this opportunity go.
<<Are you sure?>>
<<Hey, we've got to lay some false trails, right? You're the one with all of those detective books.>> And other books. Even what was left of your collection still filled more than one box.
<<You could have been anything and you picked 'Soccer Mom'?>>
<<I picked the most boring thing imaginable. Besides it's not like I can't change if I get sick of it.>> Emma rolled her eyes, you snickered. Knowing full well she would consider it now.
<<And you picked what you would be able to play.>> You smiled slightly, Cedric paused to consider the idea.
<<Don't remind me. Let's just find a good place to change.>>
<<I'm going to end up covered in tentacles again aren't I?>> He was really hoping he would be able to fly. Even more so than before now. Thinking back on the squid turning to birds you had left for the Empire. Even if he dismissed the thought a moment later.
<<Yep.>>
Cedric sighed, although he seemed more embarrassed about being carried than the tentacle part by far.
All three of you took a left and then another, until you had found a sufficiently out of the way place to put your
Masks on.
A minute or so later 'Soccer Mom', short hair, longer on top and determined expression included
, was on her way from a different street and you had Cedric wrapped into your cape, floating above her. Even if you didn't know what to get yet or whether to get anything at all, you absolutely could not resist at least giving it a look.
A few minutes later, you knew exactly what they looked like. A red and white ball with a black band around its centre, separating both halves and a button on one side, a grip that flared at both ends and had some exposed wiring and suspiciously loose panels, with one protrusion at the centre and something that seemed blackened and slightly warped, but you could still see the originally most likely grey colour and the probably originally blue swirl at its centre. Even if you could just figure out a little bit of how it all worked...
But which ones should you get?
[ ] The ball ($750)
[ ] The handle ($675)
[ ] the stone like thing with a swirl on it ($550)
[ ] A fragment of Hookwolf's mask and a hook ($1100)
[ ] All of the Tinkertech.
[ ] All of the above.
(Resources: $11272)
<<Is that a Pokeball?>>
The old man probably thought Emma was insane. His other customers might too.
Still, you got what you wanted.
And changed back as soon as you could, although Emma stayed fused with Choire. Causing Cedric to stare for almost a solid minute.
<<You can just… stay like that? Look like yourself and sound like yourself? Even movement?>>
<<Practice.>> Emma flipped her hair while you let Aletheia rise above you again.
<<Of course it helps that it's just myself. I'd imagine if it were anyone else I'd have to ask Taylor to give me a good read on them first.>>
Apparently he still hadn't grasped all of the absurdity of the situation yet. Or maybe not all of the implications. It was only just sinking in. Emma's powers were maybe focused on something else, but they could be just as unnerving. You didn't think powers understood the idea of 'nice' or 'safe', but they were definitely useful. Useful and at least in your case very much trying to help.
<<So you can just do that all the time?>>
<<Not exactly. My radius is getting bigger but the Masks come back if they get too far away from me. Being fused with someone helps, but it doesn't help enough yet.>> You carefully patted your bag, but you could get to thinking about the Tinkertech later. You still had some exploring to do after all.
Only vaguely listening to Emma and Cedric's spoken conversation while you and Aletheia were focusing on something else. Someone else to be precise.
The thoughts were in Chinese, so you couldn't be sure, but what you did know
, was that they were just a little disjointed. Like some form of multiple personality disorder. Whoever was thinking was doing much the same thing you were. Looking around for clothes, but apparently picking up clothes for many different body types. And referring to themselves as a sort of temporary self. A current other or persona.
Flitting thoughts you couldn't decipher. Consideration. A few faces you did know. The Idea of one specific PRT agent. A thug. A well furnished flat with an older woman inside. Having tea. Merging with the woman?
It was all remarkably tranquil. Weird, but there wasn't any aggression displayed, as if it were a sort of deal or exchange of favours. Money. The fleeting idea of marshalling forces in the evening. Talking to someone whose mask you did know. Shi Ke. The electrokinetic. Changing bodies. Commanding her people. You coudln't relaly draw any other conclusion.
The leader of the Yue Hua wasn't just a woman – she was also doing more or less exactly the same thing you were, looking through the amazingly discounted clothing just like Emma was, you also knew at least part of what she was planning. What she was going to do tonight, although it seemed to be more preparation and closing ranks than an actual attack. She seemed cautious, less willing to use direct force, but also possessing entirely too much information. Going behind enemy lines, paying people to use their memories and appearance.
Suspecting was one thing, but now you had confirmation.
And you should probably also control your face because you had to look pretty spaced out. Not to mention reassure Emma and Cedric.
You shook your head and stopped paying attention. Just made a mental note to brush up on your languages. You didn't think you would get anything else interesting from this. She was leaving anyway.
You would much rather grab one of those amazing burritos (knowing approximately what something would taste like was great), grab whatever it was Cedric had to study and have a look.
He was still a bit embarrassed about it. A somewhat worn Macbeth study guide. Apparently trying to give any and all play interpretations that could be found. You weren't sure whether your mother would have been amused or apalled because they were lacking any context. "You… need to study this?"
Cedric just shrugged awkwardly. "It's better if I do." Because he would be in trouble if he didn't, whether he thought it made any sense or not. You could remember Mom even now, talking about books. Context and meaning, both intended and likely not. Trying to find meaning in something and how those things said as much about the person looking than it did about the work itself.
Or you could do that, you supposed. And you did feel bad because he definitely didn't have enough time to study it the normal way now.
You couldn't resist. "This is..." You sighed. "Do you mind if I add some things?" Because you knew this wasn't helping
. He sort of knew it wasn't going to help for more than this one thing and had been bored of it for weeks
, and Emma was just confused. You couldn't blame her.
"If you think it'll help, sure." He just wanted to be done with the whole affair and never see the book again by now. Which
hurt, though you couldn't really blame him for it either.
So you tried to infuse as much of a sense of wonder and context of what you did learn about literature and interpretation from Mom whenever you had asked into it. All of the explanations and as much extra as you could think of.
You really shouldn't be surprised to see him holding his head. Cedric winced,
you knew he was forcing himself to show as little discomfort as possible but it stopped working a few seconds in. "So not like on TV." Swaying slightly
on his seat while Aletheia finished the transmission. Tried to make sure the data was as firmly secured as she could manage.
Maybe you should have tried that more slowly.
Make that definitely. He was swaying in his seat and had to hold onto the table. Blinking while his mind was trying to adjust. He could still feel a sense of something heavy spreading through. Some part exhaustion, draining his ability to focus and in part as if he'd been hit over the head, minus any physical injury. In addition to suddenly just knowing as if he'd always known.
"I'll try and go more slowly next time."
"Yeah. I'm not sure good grades are worth that." Emma had grabbed his arm before he could fall over.
But his mind was clearing up. He might feel drained, but the other effects faded quickly. Leaving him with just that mass of information and a somewhat heady, weightless feeling after the pressure had been taken off. "It's... not that bad.. If you don't mind feeling like you've just stepped into some sci-fi conspiracy, I mean." His continued swaying put just a bit of doubt behind that idea of course. Still
, it was fading. "Slower would be good though." He grinned.
Because apparently a bit of discomfort was worth it if you got to experience weird sci-fi powers.
Then realisation only set in quite slowly.
"… I just volunteered myself as test subject, didn't I?"
You just smiled. Emma grinned and Cedric's expression said very clearly that he really should have expected that, but wasn't too upset about it anyway.
You split a few minutes later. Making one last sweep for eventual bugs anywhere on or in your bag, even in any Tinkertech, before you found a place to put on your Masks.
A few minutes after that, you had your costumes and were free to spend your time arranging your modified Yellow sign out of pebbles on a sufficiently flat Empire roof,
and for Emma to model various different transformations and characters. And spent a good half hour talking about PHO, the reactions you had gotten, including the invariable shipping and probably just as invariable
fear directed toward your Cape identity. Not Emma's, but you were an outlier and there was no getting around being considered unnerving. You would just have to work with that.
The time to meet with Faultline approached much too quickly. You still didn't know how she would react to you or which traps to expect. Because from everything you had heard about her, expecting no traps at all would be absurd. The woman had to be paranoid to do what she was doing. As a mercenary she definitely had to have enemies, never mind that the Protectorate only tolerated them at best. Although you supposed that with Labyrinth on her team, she would have a fairly big advantage in almost all cases.
So you sunk into Aletheia's calm and focused on your senses, circling around the Palanquin. Every wall, every device hidden inside, every person and every bit of basement room. Just because you had already done one sweep before didn't mean they hadn't moved anything around after all.
Ten employees right now with more coming in soon enough. Newter was there, anxiously looking out of a window. They were hoping he would be able to disable you or Emma in close quarters if need be. Gregor the Snail was there too, ready to try and trap you as best as he could, but also attempting to consider your motives and position. Labyrinth's overlapping… worlds? Was that what it was? You couldn't be sure
, but as Hastur you could understand and process the information, both what she was aware of and the real world. Even if it was slightly confusing, that confusion was more related to the possible implications of what her power could be doing than anything else. You found out more about Case 53s, monster capes
, without having to try. Gregor was wondering about both of you. Faultline herself was with Labyrinth. Talking to her and doing some last minute preparations, already in costume well ahead of time.
Then again, you were as well.
When you came back from your sweep, one tighter circle around the Palanquin and a few more around the area
, just to be sure you wouldn't have to deal with any surprises close by, you found Emma on a rooftop not far from your destination. Watching them as well.
You had just one more question:
<<Should we go visible just in front of the door or pick somewhere where they can see us coming?>>
<<Someone's definitely gonna see us. What about our reputation?>>
<<I'm not sure no one inside would tell either. We'll have to risk it if we want to meet with her.>>
<<Well...>> She paused, thinking.
<<It's not as if it's unreasonable, and we'll hopefully seem more approachable to any rogues or people like Grue. Though I'm still not sure. We are Heroes. I mean we're not Brandish or Vicky Dallon… It's all presentation.>> She nodded.
<<They're villains or rogues but...>> Aletheia's powers made it very hard to see them as the bad people the Protectorate or Brandish likes to see them as.
<<I'll probably never not be creepy and we'll be powerful>> You had no doubt about that, if you survived, if your
Masks kept growing… you were already not exactly weak, but you knew they would just keep growing for a while.
<<So I would like to at least seem reasonable.>>
<<Then let's talk.>> Emma's, Siona's eyes narrowed into a smile.
<<Let's make them feel a bit more comfortable. They're still paranoid, right?>>
She jumped down from her perch and you followed her a small distance up one of the streets leading to the Palanquin. Went deeper into Aletheia's calm and let the invisibility fade from everything but your camera. You would delete the footage if everything didn't go horribly wrong, but it would be good to have it around just in case anyway. Then Emma was starting to make her way up the street, sticking to a comfortable walking pace, with you trailing behind. It wasn't a long way of course, but it would hopefully count for something anyway.
And make your hosts less nervous, even if it was drawing some attention from other people, even at your sedate pace you arrived quickly enough for it to make relatively little difference and an organic, motile cape was the best kind of cape for practising your dramatic flare.
It came as absolutely no surprise to anyone that you were waved inside the moment you were at the door
, and it was locked securely behind you. The apparent bouncer shying away from your gaze. Mostly because they didn't know whether you were going to try to arrest Faultline and hers too. That and because apparently your tentacles were creepy. No matter how well you could hug with them, which was just unreasonable.
So you did your best not to fill half the room with your tentacles and followed Siona upstairs. Into a room with Labyrinth, Gregor the Snail, Newter and Faultline. The latter of which was standing with her back to the window, Labyrinth a step away, while Gregor and Newter were near the walls. Setting themselves up to surround you. You could also feel traps in the walls, but their very nature would let your Technopathy take care of the problem if need be. Hopefully there wasn't going to be any need.
You could feel all of them trying to control their emotions as best as they could, save perhaps Labyrinth.
An odd team in almost every way.
You drifted a little closer to Newter and almost lost track of everything else. Memories. A boy, maybe two years younger than you, about to die,
Alexandria, an offer, a portal, a woman, endless walls of concrete and steel. A single vial of some strange substance. Two enormous beings orbiting each other. Like Dad's vision but not quite. Something you'd discarded as unimportant but there it was again. His body changing. Memories being erased. Being dropped onto a street. Then Faultline, you weren't sure how much later. If you weren't sunk into Aletheia's calm, you would probably be having some kind of panic attack. You could feel part of it trying to set in.
You almost missed Faultline's greeting.
"Siona. Hastur. You wanted to speak with us?" Her voice was restrained, just like her emotions. Twenty-five years old, trying to appear as professional as possible. Intensely practical. Believed in the integrity of her work and knew how dangerous breaking a contract could be. More connected to the crew she had assembled than she'd realised. Curious about you.
"Faultline. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." You hurried to dip and make a small bow in her direction, slowly drawing your writing fluid out.
'A pleasure to make your acquaintance.'
"I know it's weird that a Hero would turn up here
and ask for advice. We're not trying to arrest you, we're just new and you've been doing this for a while, haven't you? We've gotten some information from New Wave of course, but we were wondering if you had any recommendations." Of course Siona wouldn't be uncomfortable. You didn't dare focusing on Gregor or Labyrinth right now. You had more than enough to think about later.
"Recommendations? I'm not an advisor and we don't work for free. You do know that, don't you?" Her voice was still remarkably neutral. Watching out for any changes in her mood too.
"Of course you don't. But I'd still say it's worth asking, before we run into problems. With you or with someone else. And having a good relationship with anyone not trying to make our home a worse place for everyone would be nice too." She smiled again. There was a table in the room but everyone ignored it in favour of standing, levitating, or in Siona's case leaning against a chair.
Faultline paused, eyeing both you and Siona carefully through her mask. And also drawing out the silence to increase tension and see whether Siona would give. Not long enough to end the conversation entirely, but close. "With your powers, I could suspect that you're here to get a better layout of our home."
Siona shook her head. "With all due respect, Hastur's range would allow him to do that just fine from outside. Is it really so hard to accept that we just want to talk?" She looked over to you, your tendrils spreading out a bit more before retreating again.
"In our business, we don't usually just talk." Someone wanted something, most of the time. Talking was for allies, which you most definitely were not. It was sort of in your inclinations. Faultline did quite a few illegal things, you didn't. You felt conflicted about trying to work with her too, but she was trying to help her group at least. Didn't take all jobs indiscriminately, although most were illegal.
"Maybe it's just because we're new then. Are you really that opposed to the idea?"
"I can't help but be suspicious. If I'd gotten your letter after your debut, I might have refused outright."
Siona inclined her head. "Understandable, although we're not quite like New Wave. There are just some things we can't stand for or leave alone. We invited Grue." She actually turned the chair she had been leaning against and sat down, crossing her legs. Making sure you would tell her in advance if anyone was thinking about an attack.
Which definitely put Faultline off. And let her estimation of Siona drop a little, frustration rising. "So, did you want to talk about anything specific?"
"Actually yes. We were wondering whether there was any sort of protocol for mercenaries or those willing to offer services. I'm sure we would be offering very different things if we decided to try, but you're definitely the best person to ask around here. A question for a question?"
Faultline paused again. Gregor was still trying to evaluate you. You smiled at him, just before Faultline continued. "There are, to a degree anyway. It depends on what you're trying to offer. You've heard of Toybox haven't you? You could make a name for yourself to attract potential customers. Leave a way for them to contact you somewhere they can find it and don't price yourself too low. Anything below ten thousand isn't even worth considering. More complex devices or jobs go for hundreds of thousands. Capes are rare. Experienced capes who stick to their contracts even more so. Don't break your contract unless you want your client to come after you. No one likes a mercenary who breaks their word."
"Thank you." That was actually informative. And helped alongside Dad's contacts and information.
"What kind of services do you want to offer?"
"We're still thinking about it. Investigation maybe?" You could if need be pretend to have postcognition after all. If you limited the advertised scope enough and said it was on touch and only applied to live beings it should be close enough, but you weren't sure yet. Faultline had taken a notepad out of one of her many pockets hidden inside her sleeve and started writing things down. Siona looked at you, but you weren't ready to decide yet. There were many, many things you could do for money, but all of them would attract attention you weren't sure you wanted.
"So you just turned up without thinking about it first?" You could hear her annoyance.
"We're not sure yet and would rather not reveal too much, but we would like to know our options." Her tail was lazily moving
from side to side.
Of course now she knew there had to be at least some minor aspects of your powers you hadn't mentioned yet. Or no one had guessed so far, but most capes didn't like talking about what they could do. And those who did were suspected of lying anyway. Villains and Rogues moreso than Heroes, but still.
But Faultline was intrigued anyway. People like Newter or Gregor. The case 53s. They may not have had much success digging up the information, but you might be able to do better. You could just follow someone around until you found something suspicious as long as you had the right person. Which did lead to one more question though. "Are your extra appendages parts of your bodies or just part of your costume?" Did you know a
Tinker or
was it some kind of illusion?
"Parts of our bodies as far as I know. They do bleed." She wrapped her tail around herself for just a second. "I wanted to ask another question too. Could you recommend any good Lawyers or ways to manage our money?"
"That's a pretty big thing to ask for."
She tapped her pen against the back of a chair. More obviously thinking this time around. Gregor was watching you still, but Newter seemed to slowly become bored of the proceedings. "You're still
new, but that's exactly why you're asking." You didn't have much of a reputation yet. She had a hard time predicting you. Of course writing down contact details was easy enough and it was something she absolutely had to know herself. But should she? The idea of having to deal with your powers didn't sound pleasant and she was pragmatic enough. Didn't have a lot to lose by handing you the information. "I'm surprised you didn't just ask Brandish."
"Brandish likes to see everything in black and white. I'd like to have someone who would help us out of trouble, someone who would think we deserved it half the time." Which might be somewhat exaggerated, but explaining she didn't like you because of Vicky and Grue would have been embarrassing and New Wave probably wouldn't appreciate you airing their laundry, dirty or otherwise, either.
"Good. You're not being stupid then." She tapped her pen against her notepad. "You mentioned considering doing investigations. I'll give you the contact details, if you promise to help us with an investigation."
Siona shook her head. "I could agree to helping you with something, if it didn't take too long and we didn't have any moral objections and it isn't about to put our lives in danger. You're being a bit too general, don't you think? Asking a bit much."
Of course you knew what she was thinking. The
Case 53s. What had happened to their memories? Where did they come from? Was it some kind of conspiracy and if so, by who? You had to force yourself to calm down again. You could think about Alexandria later. There had to be some sort of explanation, you just didn't know yet. You relayed what Faultline was considering to Emma. You kept yourself from prying too deeply into Gregor. Knowing full well you were going to try and have a look eventually, you just couldn't afford to
be shocked again and stop paying attention to the conversation right now.
"One instant, that won't go against your morality and won't put you into too much danger as far as we know. It's nothing you'll object to I think. And I'll write down what I know about cape banking and which
lawyers I'd recommend."
You still felt a bit queasy about it. Faultline really didn't trust you yet and was more than willing to wait. She might open up in time but right now she couldn't show too much weakness. You might be able to look up cape lawyers but would you know how to approach one correctly?
"Under the condition that we're getting an etiquette lesson as well, I suppose we can work with that." The 'does not conflict with your morality' clause was very important. Faultline was willing to put some trust forward in exchange against something she didn't know you would stick to. Although she also seemed keen to get you away from the idea of attacking her. You had no idea how much she would or wouldn't have given you otherwise. And you would be investigating anyway, after seeing Newter's memories. "I'd rather not offend people I'd like to work with by accident."
"You don't seem to be too worried about that right now." She seemed amused more than annoyed at least.
"Maybe. But you would have thrown us out because you don't trust us if I didn't." Siona smiled at her. At least her eyes narrowed into mere curves. "So..."
"I can work with that."
Four hours later, you had a list of names, the closest of which was one Quinn Calle, knew much more about how to evade taxes and move assets than you had ever intended to
, and had been told that a particular set of
lawyers would know how to connect you with the appropriate bankers and be able to work with them too. But you still felt that you would need at least one accountant to manage all of that if you were going to try charity shell organisations or anything of the sort to funnel money back into the city.
Interlude options (choose two):
[ ] Grue
[ ] Emma
[ ] Dragon
[ ] PHO
[ ] Armsmaster
[ ] Assault
[X] Cedric (already at least half written, does not count toward the two)
[ ] Aletheia
[ ] Terpsichore
[ ] Coil
[ ] Kantoku (other cape you took down)
[ ] New wave
[ ] Kaiser
[ ] Cauldron
[ ] PRT various
[ ] Director Piggot
Points: 10 (+2 question/discussion points, +1 point for betaing/correcting my spelling to
@NaanContributor +2 spelling points to
@Mount. Elements)
These can be acquired with omakes, posts in the thread I find amusing, art, helping me out, etc. and can be used to reveal details or get boons. Boons, in essence are a lucky circumstance, something to add to the story that would be decidedly unlikely, but not impossible. The more unlikely, the higher the cost.
One point per detail revealed, boon cost variable (5 points translate to one wards patrol or a single protectorate member).
You may trade one point for 25 exp or 5% progress to the next mask.
Mask abilities or ability upgrades not taken may be purchased for 8 points at current
[ ] Spend Points
- How
[ ] Don't spend Points
If you don't want any points to be spent, please vote as such
Masks:
Aletheia
Status: healthy, active
Understanding?
Level 3
165/350 exp
Terpsichore
Status: healthy, active
?
Level 3
50/350 exp
Progress to next Mask: 85%
Had too much caffeine. Couldn't sleep. Wanted to finish this.
Votes for next week will follow attached to one of the interludes.
