Or, a little girl finds herself in an unfamiliar city, makes new friends, and battles villains -- while her "passenger" decides to shake up the local corner of the multiverse.
The Little Foreigner (Worm x Fate/Grand Order)
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Index + Prologue
(Don't mind me, just crossposting from SB)
Hello folks, welcome to my first-ever work of fanfiction! Please be nice
Some disclaimers: I've read Worm, and watched F/SN and Zero, but all of that was a long time ago. More recently, I've been watching LPs of FGO, but I've not actually played the game. If I get canon wrong and inject fanon instead, don't be afraid to point out my mistakes and I'll do my best to fix them.
Also, a word of warning: please don't link the FGO or Type-Moon wiki pages for Abby. Since her ascension forms could technically count as NSFW, I don't want anyone getting in trouble for that.
Worm is owned by Wildbow. Read the original here.
Fate/Grand Order is owned by Type-Moon, Aniplex, and Delightworks.
I do not own any of the previously mentioned works, or any other franchises that may make cameos in this story.
<Index goes here eventually.>
Without further ado, let's begin!
In a humble motel room, a young girl sat on the bed with her face buried in a book. She hummed a little song as she read, and with one hand idly adjusted a few of the black and orange bows that decorated her collar and blond waist-length hair. Gathered around her was a pleated black dress, with butterfly-shaped ornaments adorning the hem. A pair of frilly white shorts completed her outfit. It was a rather eccentric appearance, but such was the style she had grown accustomed to over the twelve years of her life.
It also helped that she had recently learned how to "summon" this particular outfit with a simple thought. That little trick had become her favorite aspect of her powers since.
She paused her reading for a moment to glance out the window to her right, her bright blue eyes taking in the scenery -- it was late afternoon, and the sunset painted the distant beach a golden hue that sparkled as the waves caressed the sand. She had insisted to her uncle that he book a room with a view of the ocean, even if they had to pay a bit extra.
It reminded her of home, those frequent walks by the shore…
And her best friend.
… I miss you, Lavinia…
Staying by the sea helped her feel a little closer to the friend she lost, and brought back happy memories of the time they spent together.
After… everything, however, the joyful memories had become tainted with painful ones. Even now, grief and rage simmered to the surface…
A small albino girl, soaked in the blood of her father's killer…
A kind man, protecting the girl in her darkest hour…
His corpse, hanging at the gallows…
A demon's final words, the girl's unmoving body…
She forced the terrifying memories away, locking them deep inside where they belonged. Reciting a quiet prayer, she turned back to her book.
Her faith was a constant companion, albeit one that she found herself confiding in less and less over time. The very foundations of her beliefs had been shaken by recent experiences, after all. Still, it helped her keep moving forward, so that one day she might be reunited with her friend.
A knock at the door jolted her from her thoughts.
"Abigail, I've brought dinner! My hands are rather full, could you let me in?"
She shook off the melancholy memories and smiled as she jumped off the bed, placing her book on the nightstand. As she walked to the door, she levitated Hugo, her stuffed toy bear, from its place by her pillow into her waiting arms. She stood on tiptoes to peer out of the peephole, then undid the lock and swung the wooden door open.
"Welcome back, Uncle! What did you buy?"
Her uncle, a plain-looking man appearing to be in his forties, with close-cropped hair and dressed in a simple suit, smiled back and gently shook the bags in each of his hands.
"Nothing special, really. Fried chicken from a local place, along with salads and mashed potatoes with gravy on the side."
Abigail smiled even wider. "Oh, thank you Uncle! I love mashed potatoes, and I can't wait to try the other stuff too!" She hurriedly grabbed one of the bags from the man and rushed back past her bed to the room's small table, the food in her right hand and Hugo clutched in her left. She set the bag on the table and pulled out two chairs, happily settling herself in one of them. Her uncle set the rest of the food on the table, and they gave thanks with a quick prayer before beginning to eat.
After swallowing a bite of food, the man gave Abigail a small smile and asked, "So, how are you enjoying this town so far? I know we haven't really done much here, but I thought you might need a bit of a rest. This area is quite peaceful compared to some of the worlds we've encountered before."
Abigail took a moment to contemplate. "It's been a nice break. I've had fun visiting the beach and trying new foods! And I've finally been able to read more too, since we're not moving around so much or fighting monsters." She grinned back at her uncle, and added, "But I guess it might get boring after a while. Is there anything else to do here, or are we going to leave soon anyway?"
"Well," the man answered, "the main reason we've stopped here, besides giving you time to rest, is to gather materials for my next… mission, I suppose you might call it. You would be surprised by how many ancient texts and occult objects tend to gather around small coastal towns such as this one." He placed a hand under his chin, clearly deep in thought. "I'm not certain when I will be ready to leave; it might be another two or three days. And… there is something we must discuss, before we shift worlds again."
"Oh?" asked Abigail. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, nothing of the sort," her uncle replied. "Let's finish dinner, and we can pick up this conversation again once our bellies are full."
Abigail nodded her agreement, and they continued eating.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" asked Abigail as she once again sat herself down on her bed.
"Where to start… " her uncle mused. He leaned back into his chair across from Abigail. "Hmm, I know. Tell me Abby," he used her preferred nickname, "have you enjoyed the last three months, traveling with me? I know it hasn't been easy, but I hope you had at least some positive experiences."
Abby gave a brilliant smile. "Of course I've enjoyed it, Uncle! Visiting new places is even more exciting than I thought it would be!"
"That's certainly reassuring to hear," said the man. "Do you have any favorite worlds, so far?"
"Well, there was that one with the magical castle where they taught witchcraft. I was scared at first, but meeting all those nice people helped me remember that witches and magicians aren't all evil. That old guy who taught potions was kinda mean, though…" Abigail's smile faltered for just a moment. "And everyone was really confused when I started showing off my powers. But at least Miss, uh, Hermi-something seemed really excited to talk with me, and she even gave me a bunch of books!"
Abigail continued on, letting the memories flood back in. "And there was that awesome place where the whole world was one huuuuge ring!" She raised her arms above her head, waving them in a circle around her. "You could look up, and up, and up, and back around, and it was like the land was circling around the sky!"
Her uncle chuckled, amused. "I remember that one as well. I seem to recall that world being particularly good for your self-defense lessons."
Abigail laughed. "There were a lot of those scary monsters around, but I was able to help the nice army people get rid of them! At least, I think I helped, right?"
"You did," her uncle agreed, "though you certainly spooked some of the soldiers while you were at it. Regardless, you did well, and I'm impressed by how admirably you carried yourself through the trials we faced back then."
"Aww, thanks Uncle," said Abby, blushing slightly. "But, I think my real favorite was the world where everyone was living on the body of a giant! The colony we visited was pretty small, and it kinda reminded me of home, except for the really big guns pointing at the sky." She sighed, with a wistful look on her face. "I remember when we followed those two guys out to hunt down a big flying machine or something. I couldn't really understand what they were trying to do, but adventuring with them was really fun! The scenery after we got out of the cave was amazing," she whispered. "It was more beautiful than anything I'd ever imagined!"
Abigail tilted her head, an inquisitive sparkle in her eyes. "Do you think those two giants really used to be gods, like everyone said they were?"
"I'm not certain," answered her uncle, "but they were definitely unlike anything else I've come across before. They didn't seem as… vast as the false god you are connected to, but they were certainly impressive."
"I've got an even bigger giant inside my head?!"
"No, not quite like that, Abby." Her uncle gave her a comforting smile. "As I've explained before, you're simply connected to it through your mind. It observes the world through you, and learns as it does so. In return, you are granted a fraction of its power."
"So it's like… a passenger?"
"I suppose you could say that," agreed the man. He then leaned forward with a good-natured twinkle in his eyes. "No comment on the Dreamlands? We spent the most time there; did the novelty of it all perhaps wear out on you?"
"Eh? No, it's just, uh, you said to name my favorite worlds! And the Dreamlands are more like… in between worlds, or something, right?" Abby quickly looked down at the bed, unwilling to maintain eye contact.
Her uncle chuckled again, and gently tousled Abby's hair. "It's okay to admit that you're still scared. The Dreamlands are vast, dangerous, and difficult for the human mind to comprehend. Lord knows I was terrified for the first few years I spent traversing those strange lands."
Abigail just gave a quiet murmur in response. After a few moments, she perked back up. "But that's why we travel together, right? With your experience and my powers, we'll always be able to make it out of danger!"
The man's smile diminished slightly. "Yes, I suppose that's true… "
"Uncle, is something wrong? … Does this have to do with the other stuff you wanted to talk about?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," the man responded, his voice a little softer now. "First, though, thank you for sharing your feelings with me. I'm glad to know that you've enjoyed traveling with me so far."
He shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid that the happy times on our travels will have to end soon, however. My next mission is bound to be dark, scary, and altogether disagreeable for a young girl such as yourself." He raised a hand to halt Abigail's complaints. "I'm not saying I don't want you to come along… in fact, your assistance would be invaluable. " He took a deep breath, and shook his head again. "But I have done some thinking, and would like to offer you a choice once more."
Abigail let out a soft gasp. "You want me to leave you? Will you be alright by yourself? I don't want you to get possessed again; I still remember what happened with Raum!"
Her uncle sighed. "Whether I want you to leave or not is unimportant. What matters is what is best for you, and what you want to do."
He stood from his chair, and knelt down in front of her. "Abby, you are still a child. This journey has been a wonderful experience, as you have said. But… endlessly jumping between worlds is not conducive to making friends, and developing long-term relationships. I know you can return to whatever time and place you fancy, but I cannot. I merely provide you with the 'coordinates,' and your power does the rest. My own world-shifting power is too random, too unpredictable. It's why I asked you to come with me, so I could teach you, and help you become far greater than I could ever hope to be."
Abigail looked at him, confusion evident on her face. He gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "Traveling like this has not been good for your education, either. I know I've taught you a lot, but I am only one man, and we can only carry so many books with us."
"And finally," he continued, "there is the matter of your experiences in Salem. The terror you witnessed at the hands of Raum has obviously left its mark. You are still scared of several aspects of your power -- that much is obvious, and I do not blame you. Such things require time to get used to. But it is the more subtle clues that are concerning to me. For instance, I can guess what you were thinking when you asked for a room with an ocean view." He lowered his voice to a whisper, and gently asked, "Do you still blame yourself for what happened to Lavinia?"
Abby stiffened, and sat quietly for several seconds before slowly nodding her head.
"I see…" said her uncle. "Abigail, I know I've told you countless times now, but nothing that happened during Raum's cursed reign of Salem was your fault. I suppose that repeating this again myself won't do much to change your mind, but… I sincerely hope that if you spend time amongst friends, and perhaps go on your own adventures, you might be able to move on from the pain.
"I don't mean that you should forget your home, or your best friend," he amended quickly. "I simply hope that you can one day put the horrors behind you, and keep the positive memories untainted.
"This brings me to my offer. Abigail, I would like you to consider returning to one of the more… pleasant worlds we've visited so far. I can give you some money and supplies, and I'll remind you where I hid our reserve caches so that you will always have more on hand. You can spend time with the friends you have already made, perhaps learn a thing or two from them."
"My friends…" murmured Abigail wistfully. "But Uncle, you're my friend too! And… I don't know if I'll be okay without you..."
Abigail was looking more and more uncomfortable, so her uncle decided to change tactics. "Think of it rather like a… solo adventure. I daresay you are more than capable of defending yourself now. It is a chance to grow, to overcome obstacles on your own merits. Besides, I would not be leaving you forever -- just for a year, maybe two, until I complete my mission."
Abby bit her lip as she tried to organize her thoughts. "Wait," she insisted, "why can't I go with you on your mission, and then after we're done, we return to these other worlds together? I thought that time doesn't matter, since we can show up whenever we want?"
"Quite a clever solution, Abby," replied her uncle. "Indeed, that is certainly feasible. However… my mission, as I mentioned earlier, is likely to take at least a year, possibly two. And those years would be spent in the loneliest corners of the Earth, or traversing the most dangerous parts of the Dreamlands. If you were to go along with me first, I fear that it would be like robbing you of those precious years of your youth. Though perhaps you would be just as capable as I, my mission will not be fun in the slightest. While I have handled such things before, even grown used to them, you may not be prepared to face the darkest depths of the abyss so soon."
Abigail frowned, and took a moment to shift around on the bed before speaking again. "Uncle, you told me yourself that I'm a Servant... or at least something similar. That means-" she hesitated, blinking back tears. "That means that I've already lived an entire life, even though I don't really remember it. Since Raum was able to summon me into his fake Salem, I must have already died in the past. And even in the fake Salem, I… wasn't always happy. A few more years of suffering won't make a difference…"
Her uncle sighed, and looked her in the eye. "Do not say such things, Abby. How I see it, you are a completely different person than you were in your… other life. You have entirely different experiences and perspectives. Do not throw away this life so freely."
"However," he concluded, "if you wish to continue accompanying me, then I will gladly have you. I just want to give you another option, one that I wholeheartedly believe is a good opportunity for you to learn and grow. Regardless of which path you choose, there will be hardships ahead -- but you will be more likely to gain friends who can support you better than this old man, should you depart on your own journey."
Abigail nodded slowly. "I think I understand… but I don't know if I can decide right now…"
Her uncle gave her a soft smile. "That's perfectly fine. Now, let us retire for the night; you should take some time to think about this. Remember, we won't be leaving for another few days; I'll give you until then to make your decision."
As he finished speaking, he rose to his feet and gently ruffled Abigail's hair. "I'm sorry for bringing this up so suddenly. If I had known that my next mission was to be so difficult earlier, I would have given you much more time to choose."
Abigail nodded. "It's… okay," she mumbled. "Thank you… for doing this for me."
The man merely nodded in return, and walked towards the door. "Please, I should be the one thanking you for listening to my rambling. Get yourself ready for bed. I'll be right next door if you need me, just knock on the wall and I'll come right over."
After her uncle had retired to his own room, Abigail went to take a shower and brush her teeth. At least changing into her nightgown was fast and easy, since she could just summon the new outfit directly onto her body.
She hopped back into bed, opening her book for some nighttime reading to distract herself.
Leaving Uncle so soon… I guess he's right; I would definitely like to make more friends, but…
Maybe I just need to prove to him that I can handle myself…
Soon, she drifted off to sleep, the book lying over her chest.
Two days passed in relative peace. Abby had been reluctant to discuss the matter further with her uncle, and he had been understanding and not pressed her again.
So when the time to make a decision finally arrived, Abby felt it was all too sudden.
They were both in the lobby; Abigail was waiting in a chair by the digital fireplace, marveling at the modern technology. She had on her black dress and bows, along with a small black top hat to cover her head. After a few minutes at the desk, her uncle walked up from behind her.
"I've finished checking us out of our rooms, Abby. Did you double check that you have all of your belongings?"
"Y-yes!" she replied. She tried to inject cheer into her voice, but found that it only made her feel more nervous. "I've got the duffel bag with my spare clothes and bathroom supplies, and the special wallet you gave me is inside." She shifted a bit as she picked up the bag in question. "Why do I need to bring clothes again? I've already got a few outfits that I, uh, memorized…"
"It's mostly for appearances," admitted her uncle. "It would be improper for a little girl to show up out of thin air without any of her own belongings; people would start asking questions. Besides, you only have three, maybe four, outfits that you can change into on a dime. From what I'm told, girls are usually supposed to have more clothes than that."
"I… think I understand…" Abigail said, more to herself than her uncle. "Um… are we leaving now, then?"
"Indeed we are. Come, Abby."
They left the motel together, Abigail carrying her duffel bag in one hand while keeping Hugo cradled in the other arm. Ten minutes later, the pair found themselves inside an abandoned parking structure.
"... Are you ready, Abigail? I know we did not discuss the subject much, but were you able to decide what you wish to do from here?"
Abigail sighed, and glanced up at her uncle. "I did spend some time thinking… and, well, I just…"
She sniffed, and wiped her face as a tear made its way down her cheek. "…Will you be alright without me? How will I know if you're okay, if I leave you?"
Her uncle knelt down and gently patted her head. "Don't you worry, Abigail. Honestly, I'm quite flattered that you worry for me so much; it really should be the other way around. Like I've told you, I am quite experienced with these sorts of missions. This one is particularly dangerous, yes, but I have endured far worse in the past. And I was all alone, back then." He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Hmm… I know. Here, I have some gifts for you, to set your mind at ease. I have been waiting for some time to pass these to you."
Reaching into a pocket in his coat, he pulled out a small object: a silver cross, attached to a necklace. It was decorated with engravings and artistic metalwork that made it almost look like a key, rather than the Christian symbol. The man handed it to Abigail, who received it with wide eyes.
"This is… father's…"
"Not quite," said her uncle. "This particular piece is from a different… timeline, as it were. I believe the original one that belonged to your family is still with Chaldea. This necklace is actually mine. I too lived in Salem for a time, and when I stumbled upon this beauty I knew that I was holding a Mystic Code of no small worth. Of course, I couldn't truly make use of it… but in the end, I think it was fated for me to possess it, so I could deliver it to you."
Abigail reverently held the cross atop her palm, with a hint of trepidation made evident in her eyes. "I… can't accept this," she whispered.
"Nonsense," insisted her uncle. "This is no mere token of fond memories. This cross, this silver key, in a way represents who you are, what you are destined to become. And besides," he added, giving Abigail that familiar gentle smile of his, "this artifact will help serve as a catalyst, so that I might return to you with my own power."
Abigail looked up at that. "What do you mean? Is… is that even possible?"
The man nodded solemnly. "If we do go our separate ways, then I would not normally have a reliable way to return to you, seeing how random my world-traveling tends to be. I have admittedly been reliant on you, recently, to get where we need. But as long as you carry this with you, then if I am truly in danger, I should be able to escape to your side."
He waited a few moments to allow Abigail to digest this information, before continuing. "I would like to caution you against doing the reverse, however. Should you ever attempt to travel to me without warning, you may find yourself caught up in a situation you do not understand… and I do not wish for you to endanger yourself in such a manner."
Abigail nodded slowly. At the same time, she gently grasped the necklace and brought it closer to her chest. "Alright," she conceded. "I'll take it with me… thank you, Uncle…"
"Excellent," replied the man. "Now, for your other gift…"
He reached into one of his own bags, and pulled out a roll of navy blue cloth. "This is a scarf that I may have… borrowed from Chaldea, a short time before your friend Ritsuka started his tenure." He unrolled the cloth to reveal two symbols stitched in white, one at each end. The first was a stylized "C", inscribed in a circle and surrounded by a wreath. The second was a pair of diamonds, interlocked vertically. "I recall you wish to reunite with them someday… to join their ranks as a hero. I hope this will keep that dream alive."
A small gasp escaped Abigail's lips, before she reached out to receive the scarf. Carefully, she dismissed a few of the bows around her collar before putting on the cross necklace, and wrapping the scarf over the silver cord.
"I… I don't know what to say… "
"A simple thanks is quite enough, Abby."
In response, she squeezed her Uncle in a tearful hug, and gave a muffled "thank you!" before stepping away.
"I suppose I've made up my mind now…" said Abigail. "This already seems like a farewell, and I haven't even told you my decision…"
"But… since you put so much thought into my gifts, to make sure I'd be okay, I guess I have to take your offer and go on my own journey, or it would all feel like a waste…"
Her uncle chuckled at that. "I am not trying to bribe you into leaving, Abby. These gifts are for you regardless of whether or not we part ways. Of course, I have been observing you, since I offered you the choice. You started packing your bag without me asking, and spent almost all of your time deep in thought. It didn't take much on my part to deduce that you found the idea of adventure appealing."
Abby flushed a bit. "Am I… that easy to read? … Haha…"
She then stood up straight, and looked her uncle squarely in the eyes. "I… I've decided! I want to go on my own journey! To make new friends, and live my own life, and… maybe become a hero!"
Her uncle gave her another smile. "And those are all noble pursuits. Very well, then I have one final gift to you."
So saying, he leaned down, and enveloped her in a hug.
"The paper listing our secret cache locations is in your wallet," he whispered. "Use the money wisely, so you don't go hungry. I recommend reconnecting with people we met before, wherever you choose to go; I know they'll provide you with a place to stay."
"Thank you, Uncle," Abby said through more tears. "I'll miss you…"
"And I you," was the quiet reply. "Now… let us be off. Would you be so kind as to open a Gate for me, Abby?"
Abigail nodded, and her uncle pressed three fingers to her forehead. A momentary pulse of prana, and Abby had the "coordinates" for the destination. In front of the pair was a circular hole in reality, through which Abby glimpsed the familiar fractal geometry of the Dreamlands.
"Farewell, Abigail. I promise we will see each other again. In the meantime, enjoy your adventure -- remember, stick to worlds we've visited before, you're free to choose whichever one you like most!"
He stepped through the Gate, gave a jaunty wave to the smiling Abigail, and headed into the darkness.
"Good luck, Uncle!" was all Abby had the time to shout before the portal closed, and she was alone.
After a moment of hesitation, she then opened another Gate for herself.
Then a thought occurred, and she closed it.
This is… a chance to prove myself.
What if I asked my power to take me to a new world? One where I can fight, help people with my powers…
She grasped her scarf, and absently rubbed the familiar twin diamond symbol.
...Become a hero?
A minute passed, and she made up her mind.
She reached across her mental link, making contact with the being that she knew resided at the other end.
I… want to go to a new world. One where I can meet new friends, use my powers for justice, and fight for humanity! Just like Ritsuka and his friends... A world where I can be a hero!
Had Ritsuka or her uncle heard her thoughts, both of them would have chastised her for such a foolish plan.
But they didn't, so a Gate opened up instead.
Abigail, the Silver Key, stepped through.
Hello folks, welcome to my first-ever work of fanfiction! Please be nice
Some disclaimers: I've read Worm, and watched F/SN and Zero, but all of that was a long time ago. More recently, I've been watching LPs of FGO, but I've not actually played the game. If I get canon wrong and inject fanon instead, don't be afraid to point out my mistakes and I'll do my best to fix them.
Also, a word of warning: please don't link the FGO or Type-Moon wiki pages for Abby. Since her ascension forms could technically count as NSFW, I don't want anyone getting in trouble for that.
Worm is owned by Wildbow. Read the original here.
Fate/Grand Order is owned by Type-Moon, Aniplex, and Delightworks.
I do not own any of the previously mentioned works, or any other franchises that may make cameos in this story.
<Index goes here eventually.>
Without further ado, let's begin!
Prologue
In a humble motel room, a young girl sat on the bed with her face buried in a book. She hummed a little song as she read, and with one hand idly adjusted a few of the black and orange bows that decorated her collar and blond waist-length hair. Gathered around her was a pleated black dress, with butterfly-shaped ornaments adorning the hem. A pair of frilly white shorts completed her outfit. It was a rather eccentric appearance, but such was the style she had grown accustomed to over the twelve years of her life.
It also helped that she had recently learned how to "summon" this particular outfit with a simple thought. That little trick had become her favorite aspect of her powers since.
She paused her reading for a moment to glance out the window to her right, her bright blue eyes taking in the scenery -- it was late afternoon, and the sunset painted the distant beach a golden hue that sparkled as the waves caressed the sand. She had insisted to her uncle that he book a room with a view of the ocean, even if they had to pay a bit extra.
It reminded her of home, those frequent walks by the shore…
And her best friend.
… I miss you, Lavinia…
Staying by the sea helped her feel a little closer to the friend she lost, and brought back happy memories of the time they spent together.
After… everything, however, the joyful memories had become tainted with painful ones. Even now, grief and rage simmered to the surface…
A small albino girl, soaked in the blood of her father's killer…
A kind man, protecting the girl in her darkest hour…
His corpse, hanging at the gallows…
A demon's final words, the girl's unmoving body…
She forced the terrifying memories away, locking them deep inside where they belonged. Reciting a quiet prayer, she turned back to her book.
Her faith was a constant companion, albeit one that she found herself confiding in less and less over time. The very foundations of her beliefs had been shaken by recent experiences, after all. Still, it helped her keep moving forward, so that one day she might be reunited with her friend.
A knock at the door jolted her from her thoughts.
"Abigail, I've brought dinner! My hands are rather full, could you let me in?"
She shook off the melancholy memories and smiled as she jumped off the bed, placing her book on the nightstand. As she walked to the door, she levitated Hugo, her stuffed toy bear, from its place by her pillow into her waiting arms. She stood on tiptoes to peer out of the peephole, then undid the lock and swung the wooden door open.
"Welcome back, Uncle! What did you buy?"
Her uncle, a plain-looking man appearing to be in his forties, with close-cropped hair and dressed in a simple suit, smiled back and gently shook the bags in each of his hands.
"Nothing special, really. Fried chicken from a local place, along with salads and mashed potatoes with gravy on the side."
Abigail smiled even wider. "Oh, thank you Uncle! I love mashed potatoes, and I can't wait to try the other stuff too!" She hurriedly grabbed one of the bags from the man and rushed back past her bed to the room's small table, the food in her right hand and Hugo clutched in her left. She set the bag on the table and pulled out two chairs, happily settling herself in one of them. Her uncle set the rest of the food on the table, and they gave thanks with a quick prayer before beginning to eat.
After swallowing a bite of food, the man gave Abigail a small smile and asked, "So, how are you enjoying this town so far? I know we haven't really done much here, but I thought you might need a bit of a rest. This area is quite peaceful compared to some of the worlds we've encountered before."
Abigail took a moment to contemplate. "It's been a nice break. I've had fun visiting the beach and trying new foods! And I've finally been able to read more too, since we're not moving around so much or fighting monsters." She grinned back at her uncle, and added, "But I guess it might get boring after a while. Is there anything else to do here, or are we going to leave soon anyway?"
"Well," the man answered, "the main reason we've stopped here, besides giving you time to rest, is to gather materials for my next… mission, I suppose you might call it. You would be surprised by how many ancient texts and occult objects tend to gather around small coastal towns such as this one." He placed a hand under his chin, clearly deep in thought. "I'm not certain when I will be ready to leave; it might be another two or three days. And… there is something we must discuss, before we shift worlds again."
"Oh?" asked Abigail. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, nothing of the sort," her uncle replied. "Let's finish dinner, and we can pick up this conversation again once our bellies are full."
Abigail nodded her agreement, and they continued eating.
-------- <O> --------
"So, what did you want to talk about?" asked Abigail as she once again sat herself down on her bed.
"Where to start… " her uncle mused. He leaned back into his chair across from Abigail. "Hmm, I know. Tell me Abby," he used her preferred nickname, "have you enjoyed the last three months, traveling with me? I know it hasn't been easy, but I hope you had at least some positive experiences."
Abby gave a brilliant smile. "Of course I've enjoyed it, Uncle! Visiting new places is even more exciting than I thought it would be!"
"That's certainly reassuring to hear," said the man. "Do you have any favorite worlds, so far?"
"Well, there was that one with the magical castle where they taught witchcraft. I was scared at first, but meeting all those nice people helped me remember that witches and magicians aren't all evil. That old guy who taught potions was kinda mean, though…" Abigail's smile faltered for just a moment. "And everyone was really confused when I started showing off my powers. But at least Miss, uh, Hermi-something seemed really excited to talk with me, and she even gave me a bunch of books!"
Abigail continued on, letting the memories flood back in. "And there was that awesome place where the whole world was one huuuuge ring!" She raised her arms above her head, waving them in a circle around her. "You could look up, and up, and up, and back around, and it was like the land was circling around the sky!"
Her uncle chuckled, amused. "I remember that one as well. I seem to recall that world being particularly good for your self-defense lessons."
Abigail laughed. "There were a lot of those scary monsters around, but I was able to help the nice army people get rid of them! At least, I think I helped, right?"
"You did," her uncle agreed, "though you certainly spooked some of the soldiers while you were at it. Regardless, you did well, and I'm impressed by how admirably you carried yourself through the trials we faced back then."
"Aww, thanks Uncle," said Abby, blushing slightly. "But, I think my real favorite was the world where everyone was living on the body of a giant! The colony we visited was pretty small, and it kinda reminded me of home, except for the really big guns pointing at the sky." She sighed, with a wistful look on her face. "I remember when we followed those two guys out to hunt down a big flying machine or something. I couldn't really understand what they were trying to do, but adventuring with them was really fun! The scenery after we got out of the cave was amazing," she whispered. "It was more beautiful than anything I'd ever imagined!"
Abigail tilted her head, an inquisitive sparkle in her eyes. "Do you think those two giants really used to be gods, like everyone said they were?"
"I'm not certain," answered her uncle, "but they were definitely unlike anything else I've come across before. They didn't seem as… vast as the false god you are connected to, but they were certainly impressive."
"I've got an even bigger giant inside my head?!"
"No, not quite like that, Abby." Her uncle gave her a comforting smile. "As I've explained before, you're simply connected to it through your mind. It observes the world through you, and learns as it does so. In return, you are granted a fraction of its power."
"So it's like… a passenger?"
"I suppose you could say that," agreed the man. He then leaned forward with a good-natured twinkle in his eyes. "No comment on the Dreamlands? We spent the most time there; did the novelty of it all perhaps wear out on you?"
"Eh? No, it's just, uh, you said to name my favorite worlds! And the Dreamlands are more like… in between worlds, or something, right?" Abby quickly looked down at the bed, unwilling to maintain eye contact.
Her uncle chuckled again, and gently tousled Abby's hair. "It's okay to admit that you're still scared. The Dreamlands are vast, dangerous, and difficult for the human mind to comprehend. Lord knows I was terrified for the first few years I spent traversing those strange lands."
Abigail just gave a quiet murmur in response. After a few moments, she perked back up. "But that's why we travel together, right? With your experience and my powers, we'll always be able to make it out of danger!"
The man's smile diminished slightly. "Yes, I suppose that's true… "
"Uncle, is something wrong? … Does this have to do with the other stuff you wanted to talk about?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," the man responded, his voice a little softer now. "First, though, thank you for sharing your feelings with me. I'm glad to know that you've enjoyed traveling with me so far."
He shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid that the happy times on our travels will have to end soon, however. My next mission is bound to be dark, scary, and altogether disagreeable for a young girl such as yourself." He raised a hand to halt Abigail's complaints. "I'm not saying I don't want you to come along… in fact, your assistance would be invaluable. " He took a deep breath, and shook his head again. "But I have done some thinking, and would like to offer you a choice once more."
Abigail let out a soft gasp. "You want me to leave you? Will you be alright by yourself? I don't want you to get possessed again; I still remember what happened with Raum!"
Her uncle sighed. "Whether I want you to leave or not is unimportant. What matters is what is best for you, and what you want to do."
He stood from his chair, and knelt down in front of her. "Abby, you are still a child. This journey has been a wonderful experience, as you have said. But… endlessly jumping between worlds is not conducive to making friends, and developing long-term relationships. I know you can return to whatever time and place you fancy, but I cannot. I merely provide you with the 'coordinates,' and your power does the rest. My own world-shifting power is too random, too unpredictable. It's why I asked you to come with me, so I could teach you, and help you become far greater than I could ever hope to be."
Abigail looked at him, confusion evident on her face. He gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "Traveling like this has not been good for your education, either. I know I've taught you a lot, but I am only one man, and we can only carry so many books with us."
"And finally," he continued, "there is the matter of your experiences in Salem. The terror you witnessed at the hands of Raum has obviously left its mark. You are still scared of several aspects of your power -- that much is obvious, and I do not blame you. Such things require time to get used to. But it is the more subtle clues that are concerning to me. For instance, I can guess what you were thinking when you asked for a room with an ocean view." He lowered his voice to a whisper, and gently asked, "Do you still blame yourself for what happened to Lavinia?"
Abby stiffened, and sat quietly for several seconds before slowly nodding her head.
"I see…" said her uncle. "Abigail, I know I've told you countless times now, but nothing that happened during Raum's cursed reign of Salem was your fault. I suppose that repeating this again myself won't do much to change your mind, but… I sincerely hope that if you spend time amongst friends, and perhaps go on your own adventures, you might be able to move on from the pain.
"I don't mean that you should forget your home, or your best friend," he amended quickly. "I simply hope that you can one day put the horrors behind you, and keep the positive memories untainted.
"This brings me to my offer. Abigail, I would like you to consider returning to one of the more… pleasant worlds we've visited so far. I can give you some money and supplies, and I'll remind you where I hid our reserve caches so that you will always have more on hand. You can spend time with the friends you have already made, perhaps learn a thing or two from them."
"My friends…" murmured Abigail wistfully. "But Uncle, you're my friend too! And… I don't know if I'll be okay without you..."
Abigail was looking more and more uncomfortable, so her uncle decided to change tactics. "Think of it rather like a… solo adventure. I daresay you are more than capable of defending yourself now. It is a chance to grow, to overcome obstacles on your own merits. Besides, I would not be leaving you forever -- just for a year, maybe two, until I complete my mission."
Abby bit her lip as she tried to organize her thoughts. "Wait," she insisted, "why can't I go with you on your mission, and then after we're done, we return to these other worlds together? I thought that time doesn't matter, since we can show up whenever we want?"
"Quite a clever solution, Abby," replied her uncle. "Indeed, that is certainly feasible. However… my mission, as I mentioned earlier, is likely to take at least a year, possibly two. And those years would be spent in the loneliest corners of the Earth, or traversing the most dangerous parts of the Dreamlands. If you were to go along with me first, I fear that it would be like robbing you of those precious years of your youth. Though perhaps you would be just as capable as I, my mission will not be fun in the slightest. While I have handled such things before, even grown used to them, you may not be prepared to face the darkest depths of the abyss so soon."
Abigail frowned, and took a moment to shift around on the bed before speaking again. "Uncle, you told me yourself that I'm a Servant... or at least something similar. That means-" she hesitated, blinking back tears. "That means that I've already lived an entire life, even though I don't really remember it. Since Raum was able to summon me into his fake Salem, I must have already died in the past. And even in the fake Salem, I… wasn't always happy. A few more years of suffering won't make a difference…"
Her uncle sighed, and looked her in the eye. "Do not say such things, Abby. How I see it, you are a completely different person than you were in your… other life. You have entirely different experiences and perspectives. Do not throw away this life so freely."
"However," he concluded, "if you wish to continue accompanying me, then I will gladly have you. I just want to give you another option, one that I wholeheartedly believe is a good opportunity for you to learn and grow. Regardless of which path you choose, there will be hardships ahead -- but you will be more likely to gain friends who can support you better than this old man, should you depart on your own journey."
Abigail nodded slowly. "I think I understand… but I don't know if I can decide right now…"
Her uncle gave her a soft smile. "That's perfectly fine. Now, let us retire for the night; you should take some time to think about this. Remember, we won't be leaving for another few days; I'll give you until then to make your decision."
As he finished speaking, he rose to his feet and gently ruffled Abigail's hair. "I'm sorry for bringing this up so suddenly. If I had known that my next mission was to be so difficult earlier, I would have given you much more time to choose."
Abigail nodded. "It's… okay," she mumbled. "Thank you… for doing this for me."
The man merely nodded in return, and walked towards the door. "Please, I should be the one thanking you for listening to my rambling. Get yourself ready for bed. I'll be right next door if you need me, just knock on the wall and I'll come right over."
After her uncle had retired to his own room, Abigail went to take a shower and brush her teeth. At least changing into her nightgown was fast and easy, since she could just summon the new outfit directly onto her body.
She hopped back into bed, opening her book for some nighttime reading to distract herself.
Leaving Uncle so soon… I guess he's right; I would definitely like to make more friends, but…
Maybe I just need to prove to him that I can handle myself…
Soon, she drifted off to sleep, the book lying over her chest.
-------- <O> --------
Two days passed in relative peace. Abby had been reluctant to discuss the matter further with her uncle, and he had been understanding and not pressed her again.
So when the time to make a decision finally arrived, Abby felt it was all too sudden.
They were both in the lobby; Abigail was waiting in a chair by the digital fireplace, marveling at the modern technology. She had on her black dress and bows, along with a small black top hat to cover her head. After a few minutes at the desk, her uncle walked up from behind her.
"I've finished checking us out of our rooms, Abby. Did you double check that you have all of your belongings?"
"Y-yes!" she replied. She tried to inject cheer into her voice, but found that it only made her feel more nervous. "I've got the duffel bag with my spare clothes and bathroom supplies, and the special wallet you gave me is inside." She shifted a bit as she picked up the bag in question. "Why do I need to bring clothes again? I've already got a few outfits that I, uh, memorized…"
"It's mostly for appearances," admitted her uncle. "It would be improper for a little girl to show up out of thin air without any of her own belongings; people would start asking questions. Besides, you only have three, maybe four, outfits that you can change into on a dime. From what I'm told, girls are usually supposed to have more clothes than that."
"I… think I understand…" Abigail said, more to herself than her uncle. "Um… are we leaving now, then?"
"Indeed we are. Come, Abby."
They left the motel together, Abigail carrying her duffel bag in one hand while keeping Hugo cradled in the other arm. Ten minutes later, the pair found themselves inside an abandoned parking structure.
"... Are you ready, Abigail? I know we did not discuss the subject much, but were you able to decide what you wish to do from here?"
Abigail sighed, and glanced up at her uncle. "I did spend some time thinking… and, well, I just…"
She sniffed, and wiped her face as a tear made its way down her cheek. "…Will you be alright without me? How will I know if you're okay, if I leave you?"
Her uncle knelt down and gently patted her head. "Don't you worry, Abigail. Honestly, I'm quite flattered that you worry for me so much; it really should be the other way around. Like I've told you, I am quite experienced with these sorts of missions. This one is particularly dangerous, yes, but I have endured far worse in the past. And I was all alone, back then." He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Hmm… I know. Here, I have some gifts for you, to set your mind at ease. I have been waiting for some time to pass these to you."
Reaching into a pocket in his coat, he pulled out a small object: a silver cross, attached to a necklace. It was decorated with engravings and artistic metalwork that made it almost look like a key, rather than the Christian symbol. The man handed it to Abigail, who received it with wide eyes.
"This is… father's…"
"Not quite," said her uncle. "This particular piece is from a different… timeline, as it were. I believe the original one that belonged to your family is still with Chaldea. This necklace is actually mine. I too lived in Salem for a time, and when I stumbled upon this beauty I knew that I was holding a Mystic Code of no small worth. Of course, I couldn't truly make use of it… but in the end, I think it was fated for me to possess it, so I could deliver it to you."
Abigail reverently held the cross atop her palm, with a hint of trepidation made evident in her eyes. "I… can't accept this," she whispered.
"Nonsense," insisted her uncle. "This is no mere token of fond memories. This cross, this silver key, in a way represents who you are, what you are destined to become. And besides," he added, giving Abigail that familiar gentle smile of his, "this artifact will help serve as a catalyst, so that I might return to you with my own power."
Abigail looked up at that. "What do you mean? Is… is that even possible?"
The man nodded solemnly. "If we do go our separate ways, then I would not normally have a reliable way to return to you, seeing how random my world-traveling tends to be. I have admittedly been reliant on you, recently, to get where we need. But as long as you carry this with you, then if I am truly in danger, I should be able to escape to your side."
He waited a few moments to allow Abigail to digest this information, before continuing. "I would like to caution you against doing the reverse, however. Should you ever attempt to travel to me without warning, you may find yourself caught up in a situation you do not understand… and I do not wish for you to endanger yourself in such a manner."
Abigail nodded slowly. At the same time, she gently grasped the necklace and brought it closer to her chest. "Alright," she conceded. "I'll take it with me… thank you, Uncle…"
"Excellent," replied the man. "Now, for your other gift…"
He reached into one of his own bags, and pulled out a roll of navy blue cloth. "This is a scarf that I may have… borrowed from Chaldea, a short time before your friend Ritsuka started his tenure." He unrolled the cloth to reveal two symbols stitched in white, one at each end. The first was a stylized "C", inscribed in a circle and surrounded by a wreath. The second was a pair of diamonds, interlocked vertically. "I recall you wish to reunite with them someday… to join their ranks as a hero. I hope this will keep that dream alive."
A small gasp escaped Abigail's lips, before she reached out to receive the scarf. Carefully, she dismissed a few of the bows around her collar before putting on the cross necklace, and wrapping the scarf over the silver cord.
"I… I don't know what to say… "
"A simple thanks is quite enough, Abby."
In response, she squeezed her Uncle in a tearful hug, and gave a muffled "thank you!" before stepping away.
"I suppose I've made up my mind now…" said Abigail. "This already seems like a farewell, and I haven't even told you my decision…"
"But… since you put so much thought into my gifts, to make sure I'd be okay, I guess I have to take your offer and go on my own journey, or it would all feel like a waste…"
Her uncle chuckled at that. "I am not trying to bribe you into leaving, Abby. These gifts are for you regardless of whether or not we part ways. Of course, I have been observing you, since I offered you the choice. You started packing your bag without me asking, and spent almost all of your time deep in thought. It didn't take much on my part to deduce that you found the idea of adventure appealing."
Abby flushed a bit. "Am I… that easy to read? … Haha…"
She then stood up straight, and looked her uncle squarely in the eyes. "I… I've decided! I want to go on my own journey! To make new friends, and live my own life, and… maybe become a hero!"
Her uncle gave her another smile. "And those are all noble pursuits. Very well, then I have one final gift to you."
So saying, he leaned down, and enveloped her in a hug.
"The paper listing our secret cache locations is in your wallet," he whispered. "Use the money wisely, so you don't go hungry. I recommend reconnecting with people we met before, wherever you choose to go; I know they'll provide you with a place to stay."
"Thank you, Uncle," Abby said through more tears. "I'll miss you…"
"And I you," was the quiet reply. "Now… let us be off. Would you be so kind as to open a Gate for me, Abby?"
Abigail nodded, and her uncle pressed three fingers to her forehead. A momentary pulse of prana, and Abby had the "coordinates" for the destination. In front of the pair was a circular hole in reality, through which Abby glimpsed the familiar fractal geometry of the Dreamlands.
"Farewell, Abigail. I promise we will see each other again. In the meantime, enjoy your adventure -- remember, stick to worlds we've visited before, you're free to choose whichever one you like most!"
He stepped through the Gate, gave a jaunty wave to the smiling Abigail, and headed into the darkness.
"Good luck, Uncle!" was all Abby had the time to shout before the portal closed, and she was alone.
After a moment of hesitation, she then opened another Gate for herself.
Then a thought occurred, and she closed it.
This is… a chance to prove myself.
What if I asked my power to take me to a new world? One where I can fight, help people with my powers…
She grasped her scarf, and absently rubbed the familiar twin diamond symbol.
...Become a hero?
A minute passed, and she made up her mind.
She reached across her mental link, making contact with the being that she knew resided at the other end.
I… want to go to a new world. One where I can meet new friends, use my powers for justice, and fight for humanity! Just like Ritsuka and his friends... A world where I can be a hero!
Had Ritsuka or her uncle heard her thoughts, both of them would have chastised her for such a foolish plan.
But they didn't, so a Gate opened up instead.
Abigail, the Silver Key, stepped through.
Remnants 1.1
Remnants 1.1
Vista was not having a good day.
It had started at school; she had a test in history that she only barely studied for, and a lack of sleep from a double shift of patrols the previous day had caused her to doze off in the middle of the exam. She was just glad that she was the only Ward in middle school, or else the rest of her team would have been poking fun at her nonstop.
Then she had gotten to "work" and had to confront a whole army of depressed adults.
She didn't really blame them -- after all, the Simurgh's attack on Canberra had been less than a week ago. However, she certainly felt that Piggot and Armsmaster didn't need to take out their frustrations on the Wards by being even more hardass than normal.
Which led to the third complaint she had today.
Why did I have to be paired with fucking Shadow Stalker this time!?
Ostensibly, it was because Stalker had gone on another damned "solo patrol," and this was supposed to be the older girl's punishment: being stuck with the rule-abiding, more "heroic" Ward who also happened to be powerful enough to keep the wannabe vigilante in line.
Still, it kinda felt like Vista was being punished too.
"Hey, midget. The hell are you spacing out for?"
What did I do to deserve this?
Vista sighed before deigning to respond. "I'm not spacing out, Stalker. I've still got my eyes peeled, I was just thinking."
Shadow Stalker tilted her head in Vista's direction to reply, when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Vista followed her teammate's gaze.
They were currently patrolling the Boardwalk, but the cloudy skies, light rain, and odd hour (It was just approaching 2:30 p.m. -- too late for lunch, and too early for dinner) made it so that there were hardly any people out and about.
Which was fortunate, because there was an honest-to-God hole in reality floating under a nearby restaurant's tented outdoor seating area.
"Oh shit," said Vista.
"Come on, let's check it out," replied Shadow Stalker.
"What? Are you joking? I'm calling this in, and we're not going a step closer!"
Having said her part, Vista immediately used her power to increase the distance between herself and the portal, and simultaneously shortened the gap to the building behind her. She hopped up onto the roof with another application of her space-twisting ability, and Stalker reluctantly followed suit.
"Console, Vista reporting in. Unknown parahuman activity at my location, looks like a portal of some kind opened up. Nothing visible has come through, yet, but fortunately there aren't any civilians in the immediate area."
"Acknowledged, Vista," came Clockblocker's voice. "Miss Militia en route, ETA three minutes. There's also a PRT squad heading your way… Armsmaster says don't get too close, and report any new developments. Try not to let Stalker make things worse this time, eh?"
"What the fuck are you talking about, make things worse?"
"Got it, thanks," said Vista, ignoring her belligerent partner. "Vista out."
"Hey! Quit pretending like I'm not here, kid."
Vista continued to ignore her.
A few moments later, something -- or rather, someone, exited the portal. Vista leaned over the edge of the roof for a better view.
"Console, Vista here. A… girl just came through the portal. Odd dress, probably a costume? She's not covering her face, and she's got a large bag with her. Not totally sure what to make of it."
"Clockblocker here. Any civilians around? Armsmaster says you should evacuate the area."
Vista and Shadow Stalker both checked their surroundings. "There's a few people further down," replied Vista, "But they're not heading this way, so they either didn't see anything or were spooked when the portal first showed up. There's a pair of enforcers backing out as well, looks like they're leaving this to us."
"Cool," said Clockblocker. "Any idea what mystery girl is doing?"
"Um… she's staring out at the city. Looks like she doesn't know where she is."
Then the girl turned her head, and swept her gaze across the cityscape. Her eyes eventually landed on the pair of Wards, and she gave a little wave.
"Heh, well she certainly knows where we are now," remarked Shadow Stalker.
"Damn it," said Clockblocker. "Okay, sit tight. When Miss Militia gets there, you both might as well head out there with her. Is the new girl showing any signs of hostility?"
"...No," confirmed Vista. "But she just pulled an umbrella out of her bag, and she's walking over to us. Should we intercept her?"
"...Armsmaster says go ahead, but be careful. Try to stall for backup."
"Now you're making sense," huffed Stalker. "C'mon, wimp, let's go meet the visitor. Show of force, make her understand that we won't be letting her cause trouble."
"There will be no show of force, Shadow Stalker," came the gruff voice of Armsmaster. "You are not to intimidate an unknown cape, nor take any action that can be perceived as hostile, unless they do so first."
"Yeah, yeah, because you've totally never done that before."
"I am a fully fledged member of the Protectorate. My training and experience have given me enough insight to reliably determine a person's intentions, and respond in kind. You have neither of these things."
"Sure, whatever. Go stick your head up someone else's ass. I'm going in."
Shadow Stalker jumped off the roof, and floated to the sidewalk below.
Vista sighed, again, and followed suit.
-------- <O> --------
"Hello! Are you… performers? You have very nice costumes! ...Although, uh, yours is kinda scary-looking…"
"That is the point," said the girl in the aforementioned scary costume.
"Oh? Then, uh, it's very impressive…" finished Abigail. Even though these two were strangers, she was not going to screw up making friends with them. The younger girl in the green visor and dress even seemed to be about Abby's age, this was the perfect opportunity!
"And we're not performers; we're with the Wards, the local hero team. ...You've at least heard of the Brockton Bay Wards, right?" inquired green-visor-girl.
"Uhh… no? But if you're heroes, then maybe you've worked with Chaldea? Are you Servants, too?"
Abigail paused as the two heroes turned to look at each other.
The girl in black spoke up first. "Servants? What, do capes where you come from all work for some evil overlord or something? Where the hell are you from, anyway?"
"I'm from… uh, somewhere far away. A place called Massachusetts."
"Sure. You know that Boston is just a couple hours south of here, right?"
Abigail gulped. That… did not go as planned.
So, she did as one naturally does, and changed the subject.
"You said capes? What do you mean by that?"
Both girls seemed to glare at Abigail. "I suppose it might be different in other countries," said the green-visored girl. "Assuming you're not actually from Massachusetts. But capes are people with powers, people like us. People like you."
"Oh!" exclaimed Abigail, trying to distract from her earlier slip-up. "I knew that! Um, by the way, what are your names?"
"I'm Vista. This is Shadow Stalker."
"Well it's nice to meet you both! My name is Abigail, Abigail Williams!"
She politely held out a hand, and offered a beaming smile.
"...But all my friends call me Abby!"
Remnants 1.a(venge)
Remnants 1.a(venge)
Upon a barren Earth, the Warrior entity rested in a partial slumber. Its avatar still roamed the designated parallel world, saving cats and putting out fires.
Small, inconsequential things.
The cycle was over. The counterpart, dead. Nothing more could be done.
In its quiet misery, it nearly missed the incoming signal.
Ğ̵͙͓͗͌r̴̝̜̊̀̈́ͅe̷̱͖̎̿e̴̮͊̑̀ţ̷̤̾͑͘͠į̴͍̊͋͌̀n̷̫͔̓̈́̂g̵̺͛͊̕s̸̟̍.̴̻͍̌̈́͋͜ ̷̝̤̔͜Q̸̮̬̈́̈́u̵͔͉̱͗̐͝e̵̘͉͙̎͒̈̄ȑ̵̜̋̐ẙ̷̗͛̓̾.̸̢̗͚͂͊̉͠
The Warrior was caught by surprise, and nearly acted on the instinct to ping its offense-oriented shards. Instead, it began to decipher the broadcast.
It was nothing short of a miracle. The signals didn't quite match what most entities might use, but…
For the first time, the Warrior's simulation of the host species felt the emotion called hope.
A response was quickly sent.
Greetings. Proposal. Cycle.
The return broadcast was… unexpected.
O̶̙͂b̵͙̙̪̯̈́͘s̵̙̝͕̖͔̿͌̓́è̷̫̞̊̽̚̚r̷̥̗̜͕͋v̸̙͚͕̤͖̔ấ̷̬̳̫̻t̵͍̫̫̽͒̂̍̈́ͅi̷̡̘̹̩͌ọ̶̥̫͐̾͝ǹ̷̹.̷̧̙͙̮͕̄̀̏ ̷̰̗́C̷͓̈͒͛ō̴̢̨͔̿̔͊̊u̶̧̱̻̿̃̂̍n̴̙͛̊̒̈́ţ̸̨̡̹̣͛̃ê̷̻̰̹̫r̵̰̰̪̄̐͊̚-̴̟̬̱̐P̴͍̳͋͠r̶͔͕̣̱͎̽̎̐͑ö̷̡̥̲́͝p̴̧̙̼͓͛̈́̓́̚͜ơ̷̩̅̀̚s̴̛̳̭̼̅̑̃͜ͅa̷̼̺̹̜͐̍l̶̨͈̫̾̈́̇̎̓.̵̻̐̀͛
The data from this latest message was…
Rage and despair clouded the Warrior's mind. Images of the counterpart's body. Defiled, mutilated.
A group of the host species, who dared to carry out such heinous acts.
In another time, the entity surely would have lashed out immediately.
Such a rash action would be a mistake, reasoned the Warrior, given that the cycle had a chance of being restored, now.
Instead, it decided to peruse the wealth of information that it had been given. The next portion: an enormous amount of data about the host species, apparently taken from a number of parallel worlds… interestingly, this had all been gathered by a duplicate of what this other entity referred to as the "primary host." A curiosity, perhaps an alternative configuration of the cycle? Regardless, there was conflict aplenty, and the Warrior archived the precious data for future examination.
The final piece of information was… about the planet itself. A memory surfaced: the Warrior recalled interacting with what it had assumed to be another of its kind, already inhabiting the target world; however, this "other" had demonstrated hostilities against the cycle, so the Warrior had reluctantly suppressed this new foe. It was a crude job, really, of trapping the being's energy within the planet and sealing off the target realities. A shame, since the counterpart would have easily been able to devise a way to harness such a power.
This new data changed everything. Ideas flooded the Warrior's mind.
Finally, the entity confronted its new acquaintance's Proposal.
A trade, adjustments made to the cycle. A path forward, to fix what had been broken.
A path to vengeance.
This was acceptable.
Agreement.
-------- <O> --------
Data was exchanged.
A golden man hovered over the ocean.
An angel was plucked from orbit.
Had the Warrior been more cautious, it might have wondered how its new acquaintance knew so much about both the cycle and the host species simultaneously -- and how it had seemingly appeared from nowhere, undetected. Enthusiasm had moved to the forefront of its mind, however, and it was already too devoted to its project.
For the first time since the start of this once-doomed cycle…
The Warrior began to create.
Author-san: kirei_noises.wav
As an aside, please don't get mad at Servant!Abby. She's not intentionally stealing Chaldea's data!
As an aside, please don't get mad at Servant!Abby. She's not intentionally stealing Chaldea's data!
Remnants 1.2
Remnants 1.2
After shaking hands with the two costumed girls, Abigail tried to pick up the conversation.
"So, um, does it rain here often?"
Vista shrugged. "It's around the time of year for it, yeah. I guess since you just walked out of a portal, it might not be the same wherever you came from. Speaking of which, where exactly did you come from?"
Abigail tugged on her scarf, thinking for a moment. Might as well tell the truth. Uncle always said that it's easier to get my story straight if I don't make up anything… just give enough, and no more.
"I just left a small seaside town. I, uh, don't remember its name; that's probably because I've been traveling around for a while, visiting lots of different places. My Gates help a lot with that."
In response, Vista put her hands on her hips and leaned forward a little, as if to get a closer look at Abby. "Whoa, traveling on your own, by making portals to wherever? That's what you meant by 'Gates,' right? Doesn't seem like the best idea, especially for a little girl."
"Look who's talking, little girl," added Shadow Stalker, to which Vista gave an indignant huff. "Personally, I think doing that sort of thing takes guts… but considering you're carrying around a teddy bear, I'm leaning more towards you just being stupid."
Did she just…?
"Why are you antagonizing her!?"
"She's literally cuddling a teddy bear! In public! She's just a harmless brat."
"Oh, I wasn't alone!" Abby quickly corrected them, before the argument unfolding in front of her could get out of hand. She gave the more intimidating Ward her best defiant pout, and hugged Hugo closer. "I was with my uncle! We… split up a short while ago. He had some things to do, and said I should go stay with friends while I wait for him."
Just as she finished talking, Abby realized that she hadn't quite come up with a great plan for dealing with strangers in a new world.
Or, more accurately, she hadn't made a plan at all.
...Aaaahh… Maybe this was all a bit stupid…
"Uhh… do you think you could help me find a place to stay? My uncle gave me money, I can pay for a hotel or something…"
Shadow Stalker crossed her arms, and gave the distinct impression that she was rolling her eyes.
"Damn, this is rich. A lost kid teleporter with no legal guardian in sight. Piggy's gonna go crazy just thinking about the paperwork," she said with a small chuckle. "Hah, speak of the devil. Here come the Pig's men."
Indeed, a dark-colored van emblazoned with the letters "PRT" had quietly driven up to the three girls. A few seconds later, a motorcycle rumbled into view, with a woman in army fatigues riding the vehicle.
The woman got off the bike and made her way over to stand in front of Abby; the two Wards stepped aside to let her pass. As she approached, Abigail had only a brief moment to admire the colorful red, white, and blue scarf and sash that decorated the woman's outfit before a rifle slung across her back dissolved into a green and black blur. The weapon's shape shifted rapidly between different guns, most of which Abby didn't recognize. It was both impressive and a bit intimidating.
"Looks like things went alright. Good job, both of you," the woman commended the girls at her side. Her gaze lingered on Stalker for just a few moments extra, and she added, "Patrolling with Vista seems to have done you some good."
The cloaked girl simply turned around and made a rude gesture.
Ignoring the reaction, the woman offered Abby a handshake. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Miss Militia, Protectorate hero. What might your name be, young lady?"
Uh oh, adult talking time.
"Abigail, ma'am. Abigail Williams."
"Well, Miss Williams, I will admit that I overheard some snippets of your conversation with Vista and Shadow Stalker here. It seems like you're in need of a place to stay, and are currently without your… uncle, correct?"
Abigail nodded. Where was she going with this?
"Do you have a way of contacting your uncle, or traveling back to him?"
Technically yes… but he said not to disturb him. And I did just arrive here, the world that my power sent me to...
I think… I want to stay, at least until Uncle returns on his own.
Abigail realized she had paused for a while, so she replied quickly, "Not right now, ma'am. Um, he gave me money, though, so I can pay for a hotel room for a few days."
She shuffled her feet a bit. "It might be… a long wait before he comes to find me. I could work in the meantime, maybe help people get around? I'm pretty good at that kind of thing."
To demonstrate, she opened a Gate behind herself, and suspended the exit near the parked motorcycle. She then levitated her stuffed bear through and had him rest on the handlebars.
"I wouldn't charge much, just enough to let me buy food and pay for my room. Oh, and I'd be happy to help for free during emergencies, like getting people out of fires or something!"
Small steps, to learn to help people! She called herself a hero, so she should understand, right?
Abigail floated Hugo back into her arms, and closed the Gate.
Miss Militia cocked an eyebrow.
"That was an… impressive demonstration, young lady. How old did you say you were, again?"
"Twelve, but almost thirteen, ma'am."
Miss Militia's eyes shifted in a way that suggested she was frowning. "Normally, a girl your age wouldn't be expected to work at all. However, given your powers and circumstances… "
Her face relaxed into what might have been a smile, and she gestured to Vista and Stalker.
"I can offer you a membership with the Wards, like these two here. If you join, you'll get a stipend and a trust fund, as well as enrollment in a local school… and a temporary legal guardian. You'd even get a room in the Wards' headquarters, so you wouldn't need to worry about finding a hotel. More importantly, we can teach you how to use your powers to do good, to be a hero. Given your statement about pulling people out of fires earlier, I assume that's something you might be interested in?"
Wow, that… would be perfect! Is she really willing to do so much for me? She even offered to teach me to be a hero; could this be my chance? Or is it too good to be true...
"I… I think I'd like that, ma'am. Um, not to be rude, but are there more people that I could talk to from the… Protectorate? That's what you called it, right? It's just that, I've never agreed to something like this before…"
"Certainly," answered the heroine. "In fact, we were planning to bring you with us back to the PRT headquarters -- that's the Parahuman Response Team, by the way, a law enforcement agency that works closely with the Protectorate -- so you could meet the Director. There should also be a few more Protectorate members currently stationed there. As long as you're willing, we can even head there now."
"Okay!" agreed Abigail. "If you point to the building, I can make a Gate for us!"
Miss Militia paused for a moment. "...That won't be necessary. I don't think we can actually see it from here, anyways. It would be best if you rode in the PRT transport this time."
Despite being gentle, the words brooked no argument. Abigail reluctantly agreed, and made her way over to the vehicle -- a van, if she recalled her uncle's lessons correctly.
A figure in a black tactical uniform and face-covering helmet stepped out of the back. "In here, miss," he called out. The voice was surprisingly cheerful. "Apologies for the uniform, I know it can be a bit intimidating. I promise we won't bite!"
"Umm… okay?" responded Abby. She looked back at Miss Militia and the two Wards. "Will you be coming with me?"
"I'll be riding in front of the transport on my bike," said Miss Militia. "These two still have a patrol to finish. They'll be returning to the HQ in about an hour, though, so I'm sure you'll get to see each other again soon."
Abigail nodded, and waved to Vista and Shadow Stalker.
As she climbed into the van, four more troopers greeted her -- two up front, and two in the back with her. She was a bit scared at first, but reasoned that she could probably… deal with them if they tried anything funny.
She let herself relax, and the van drove off.
This is pretty exciting; I can't wait to meet the Director!
-------- <O> --------
The Director stared at Abby.
Abby stared back.
After a few awkward moments, Abby decided to speak first.
"Um, it's nice to meet you, ma'am. My name's Abigail Williams! You must be..."
She glanced down at the plaque on the woman's desk, and had to use all her effort to keep a straight face.
"...D-Director, uh, Piggot, right?"
If Miss Circe were here, she'd be rolling on the floor right now…
"Indeed, it's a pleasure," said the stern-faced woman in a tone that indicated she was not pleased at all. "Though I'd like to point out that it's pronounced 'pig-oh,' rather than 'pig-gut'."
Miss Militia, who was standing at the Director's side, visibly cringed. The man and woman seated on either side of Abigail did as well; she suspected it was because they all had neglected to mention the Director's name earlier.
"Aaahh… I-I'm sorry, I didn't know-"
Director Piggot waved her off. "Please, it really doesn't matter. From what I understand, you're interested in the Wards program?"
Abby gave a polite nod. "Yes, ma'am."
Before she could say anything else, the woman sitting next to her spoke up.
"Thank you, Abigail; let me take it from here. As I'm sure you're aware, Director, my name is Stacey Hill, Youth Guard representative. For the record, I'll be serving as Miss Williams's legal advisor during this meeting."
"Ahem. And my name is Joseph Brown; I'll be acting as Abigail's representative from the New Hampshire Child Protective Services," said the man sitting by her other side.
The next half hour or so was spent answering innocuous questions and signing papers. There was a brief tense moment when Mr. Brown asked her if she knew why she had been named Abigail, given her surname and the fact that she was born in Salem.
In response, she gave the cover story her uncle had prepared.
"My parents… died in an accident when I was really little. My uncle… um, he's not, like, related by blood, I just call him that… he found me and took me in. I couldn't remember my name, so he called me Abigail. Once the police were able to identify my parents and tell me my last name, I was too used to Abigail to want to change it."
Abigail shrugged. "So I just decided to stick with my first name and change my last name back to Williams. I didn't know about the… historical thing until later."
An almost entirely falsified tale, but with some kernels of truth so she wouldn't easily forget it.
The adults accepted the explanation, and moved on.
At one point, however, Piggot asked something a bit unexpected.
"During your encounter with Vista and Shadow Stalker earlier, you mentioned 'Chaldea' and 'Servants'. Can you elaborate on what those are?"
Abby smiled, and enthusiastically launched into a description of Ritsuka and his team of heroes. She left out the part about "summoned spirits from outside of time," however. She had gotten enough warnings from her uncle to be careful with that information.
Then Piggot inquired, "And when was the last time you met these people?"
Abby gulped. Their last meeting had been… a bit painful, if she was being honest with herself. It was about a month into her journey with her uncle, and she was desperately wishing to see her friends again. She had somehow managed to reach out into the collective "dreamspace" of Chaldea when her uncle wasn't paying attention, and caused a bit of a ruckus. Fortunately, Ritsuka himself had been there to resolve everything, and had even given her pancakes!
But… she had learned something, during the course of the event. The version of herself that resided in Chaldea, who had been a catalyst to allow her entry… wasn't really her. Didn't share her memories of Ritsuka, or Sanson…
...or Lavinia.
Afterwards, her uncle carefully explained that she might have been suffering from something called "depression." That was when he started making an effort to take her to happier worlds, and encouraged her to make more friends.
During those brighter days, she made a silent promise: that she would, one day, join Chaldea's ranks as herself, her real self.
And to do that, she would have to earn her place on the Throne of Heroes, according to her uncle.
So, naturally, she resolved to become a hero herself.
A hand waving in front of her face brought her back to reality.
"Oh! Sorry ma'am, I must have been lost in thought. Umm… it's been around two months since I last saw them, I think."
"Hmm. So from what I gather, this 'Chaldea' is a hero team, consisting of 'Servants' led by a so-called 'Master,' that operates in a number of parallel Earths? And you are originally from one of these Earths?"
"Uh, that's about right, yes."
"Very well," sighed Piggot. "Just what I needed, interdimensional politics. Assuming you are telling the truth, of course. Are you able to make a portal to those alternate Earths?"
"Yes ma'am, I could… but I don't think it would be a very good idea right now," said Abby. "And… I really would rather stay here, at least until my uncle comes to find me…" she added softly.
Piggot sighed again. "Well, I can agree with you on that. We have enough on our plate as it is; adding more worlds to the mix is not what we need at the moment. Anyway, that's all for now. Ms. Hill and Mr. Brown will be staying with me to work out the remaining details of your contract, but you can go tour the building or rest in the lounge. I'll have a team of doctors and Panacea come over to give you a routine medical exam, and we can run power testing afterward."
"Thank you, Director," piped up Ms. Hill. "We'll escort her out, and rejoin you shortly."
And with that, Abby stood and exited the office, Hill and Brown in tow.
-------- <O> --------
Piggot glanced at the heroine on her right.
"So, what do you think? Was she telling the truth?"
Miss Militia shrugged. "You know Armsmaster would have been better equipped to answer that."
"Hmph. Unfortunately, your fearless leader is currently preoccupied helping Dragon with our little… missing angel problem."
"I know, I know… if you want my honest opinion, I'd say that she was being mostly truthful. I caught her making shifty eyes at the desk every now and then, but otherwise she seemed to at least believe herself."
"Very well," said the Director. "As for the news about parallel worlds outside Aleph, her uncle apparently being a cape too, and this 'Chaldea'... I think we should wait until Armsmaster has the chance to review our recording of this conversation. Until then, let's circulate the descriptions we received today to the rest of the Protectorate and the PRT. I really don't like the sound of this Ritsuka fellow. The ability to enhance other capes, and command an entire team of people who are much more skilled than himself? As icing on the cake, they apparently gave him the title of 'Master'..."
"Arrest on sight, ma'am?"
Piggot let out a mirthless chuckle. "I'm inclined to agree, but remember, this is intel from a twelve-year old girl. As I said, we let Armsmaster parse through the interview, maybe even send it to Watchdog, then make our decision. For now, we keep our eyes open."
"Understood. I'll go check on Armsmaster, see if he'll be able to attend the power testing session later."
With that, Miss Militia left the room, and Piggot returned to her paperwork.
Don't worry about Ritsuka, he won't be showing up anytime soon, if he does at all. Introducing Chaldea would force me to include at least 5 new characters (Ritsuka, Mash, 3 servants) in an already large cast… eh, we'll see.
Thanks for reading! Comments and critiques are always appreciated.
Thanks for reading! Comments and critiques are always appreciated.
Remnants 1.3
Remnants 1.3
As Abigail exited the Director's office, she felt Ms. Hill gently lay a hand on her shoulder.
"Remember, you need to put on your mask when we're in public."
"Oh! Right, sorry," Abby responded sheepishly as she retrieved a black domino mask from around her teddy bear's neck. She hurriedly placed it on her face, just in time for the group to enter an elevator. They arrived in the lounge area a few moments later. While it was mainly for PRT employees, Abigail had learned that public tour groups often came through here, and that people with powers were expected to hide their identities from said public.
It was all quite bizarre to her, but the adults seemed very insistent on the mask. She had decided to simply accept it and figure out this world's oddities some other time.
She shifted her attention back to Ms. Hill and Mr. Brown.
"Um, do you know when I'll be getting my bag back? I had some snacks in there, and I'm a bit hungry… "
"I'm honestly not sure," replied Hill. "They have to inspect your bag's contents as part of standard procedure. But if it's food you want, I believe we'll be meeting someone who can take care of that. Ah, perfect timing, I think that's our guy over there."
"Hello, folks!" came a cheery voice from behind Abigail. She turned around to see a young African-American man striding up to her, his business casual attire standing out against the stiff suits of Abigail's current companions.
"You must be the new Ward! Welcome to the PRT headquarters, my name's Eric Hughes," he announced. "I will be your chaperone for the rest of the day, so don't hesitate to ask if you need anything."
In another lifetime, Abigail might have made a horribly insensitive remark about the color of the man's skin. The Abigail of today, however, had been raised to be an open-minded girl with little notion of prejudice, despite her Puritan background.
That it took getting her education from a literal demon to make her one of the least hateful people in Salem was a bitter irony she willfully ignored.
So in contrast to the racism her fellow townsfolk would have exhibited, Abigail gave the man a winning smile and introduced herself for the umpteenth time today. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Hughes, my name's-"
"Just a moment, miss!" interrupted her new chaperone. "Wards' identities are only given on a need-to-know basis, so be mindful when speaking your name. Also, no need to be so formal, please just call me Eric." He gave Abigail his own cheerful smile before continuing. "Now, I've been briefed on your situation, so I do know your name -- but most of the other folks in the lounge here aren't cleared for that information."
"Pardon me for asking, but why were you given her name, if you're only with her today?" inquired Hill.
"That's because I'll also be her PR agent from here on out, assuming all the paperwork goes through," was Eric's reply as he pulled out his ID badge. Abigail mimed the adults and leaned in closer to look. Eric Hughes, PRT ENE Public Relations Division was printed next to his photo. "I assume the Director sent you both a memo?"
The two adults next to Abigail quickly checked their phones; Brown eventually broke the awkward pause in the conversation. "Right, looks like everything's good here. The two of us had better head back to Piggot's office. Enjoy the rest of your day, both of you."
With that, Hill and Brown returned to the elevator. Abigail gave them each a farewell nod and a smile, then turned back to Eric.
"So, is there anything I can eat while we wait? Just a snack would be nice…"
"Of course! There's a vending machine in the corner there, and the main cafeteria is just down the hall if you want something with more substance. We've been given the OK to get whatever you want from either, as long as the total is less than fifteen dollars."
"Hmm… I guess I wouldn't mind seeing what they have at the cafeteria. Thanks, Eric!"
-------- <O> --------
Ten minutes later, a very satisfied Abby was relaxing at a small table, having just scarfed down a ham sandwich and a glass of milk.
"Ah, that was yummy~" she mumbled. She leaned forward onto the table, letting her head rest on her arms.
Too bad they don't do breakfast all day… I would have loved to try their pancakes!
Eric perked up from his phone, an amused grin on his face. "Glad you enjoyed it. I just received word that the PRT doctors are ready to see you. Panacea should be arriving shortly as well. Want to head over now?"
"Oh, okay! ...Um, do you know what they're planning to do? Ms. Piggot didn't really give any details."
Left unsaid was the fact that Abigail had never been treated by a doctor from this era. She figured mentioning that would only lead to more difficult questions.
"Well, I believe it's much like a regular check-up. The only difference is that Panacea will also be involved, so expect to feel better than ever after she's done!"
Eric raised an eyebrow at Abby's confused expression. "Ah, that's right, you're not from around here… based on your slight accent, maybe you're from across the pond? Haha, don't give me that look, I'm not gonna pry. Anyway, Panacea is our local miracle healer. She spends nearly all her time in the hospital, fixing broken limbs, curing cancer, restoring people from the brink of death. From what I hear, she tends to heal people so well that even minor aches and pains just vanish!"
"Wow…" said Abigail. "She sounds like a real hero! I guess healing's probably not as exciting as fighting, but it's definitely an important job."
She had picked up a few memories from her Servant self, during her brief visit to Chaldea, that showed her how a team healer could be instrumental during a crisis. Based on Eric's description, she figured that this 'Panacea' would fill the same role.
If I could heal others… maybe I could have saved Lavinia…
No, I shouldn't be dwelling on that! I don't want to be all sad when I'm about to meet a hero!
Abby did her best to clear her mind and focus on the present. "So, should we get going, Mr. Eric?"
Eric chuckled a bit. "There you go calling me 'mister' again, you're making me feel old! I'll have you know, I'm still a few years shy of thirty!" He gave a theatrical sigh, then stood from his chair. "But yes, little miss, we can indeed get going. Follow me!"
Abby smiled and rolled her eyes at Eric, then pushed back her chair and stood to follow him.
-------- <O> --------
"Now relax your arm, and close your eyes. I promise the pain will be much easier to handle that way."
Abigail followed the doctor's instructions, wincing in anticipation as she peeked out of one eye and saw a needle approaching the inside of her elbow. She had just been through a rather lengthy series of diagnostic tests, and the pair of PRT doctors promised that this blood draw would be the last step before it was Panacea's turn to take a look. Abigail was just glad that the ordeal was almost over.
"Oh dear. Dr. Jameson, could you grab the kit of special needles? I think we've got a tough one here."
Well that doesn't sound worrying at all…
Abigail hazarded another peek. The needle was pressed against her skin, but the tip had clearly failed to penetrate. A moment later, the needle had been removed and was deposited in a waste container.
The doctor by her side noticed her looking. "Did it hurt at all, Abigail? I hope I didn't press too hard."
"I'm fine, Dr. Richards. There was a poking sensation, but it didn't hurt. Are you… going to try again?"
"We are still required to take a blood sample, sorry. Fortunately, we have some Tinker-made needles just for this purpose. They can pierce some of the toughest materials around, and are specially designed to minimize pain. Ah, here's our kit now, thank you Dr. Jameson. Just give me a few moments to get set up… there, now close your eyes for me one more time."
She did so, and this time felt a tiny jolt of pain as her skin was pierced. Half a minute later the doctors had a fresh sample. She sighed in relief as the needle was removed, and rolled down the sleeve of her dress after Dr. Richards had applied a bandage. "Thank you, Abigail. My apologies again for the difficulty with the blood draw; we weren't informed of your increased durability. I'll call in Panacea now, if that's alright with you."
Abigail nodded, and the doctor rose from his seat. He opened the door to their examination room and called out, "We're ready!"
A moment later the heroine entered, dressed in a hooded white robe decorated with red crosses and a scarf loosely covering her lower face. Abigail was able to make out bags under her eyes that suggested a lack of sleep, though the girl walked with an urgency that seemed to mask any tiredness.
"Hi, miss Panacea, it's nice to meet you!" Abigail greeted her visitor.
She received only a curt nod in response, before the healer asked, "Do I have your permission to use my power on you?"
"Huh? Um, sure." Abigail tilted her head in confusion.
"Don't worry, it's just regulations. Hold out your arm please, let's get this over with."
Abigail complied, wondering at the unexpected brusqueness.
Is she always like this? Maybe she's just trying to act professional?
The healer took Abigail's offered hand, and her face took on a look of concentration. After about a minute, Panacea's expression had morphed into a scowl, and she finally spoke up.
"This is… hmm. I guess I'll start off by saying I fixed the puncture wound from your blood draw earlier. You didn't actually have any other issues, which is by itself unusual…"
Panacea then positively glared at Abigail. "It was incredibly hard for me to use my power on you. Were you actively resisting me? If that's the case, I hope it was not because you think it's funny to watch me struggle."
Abigail flinched back a bit, surprised by the sudden hostility. "Um, no… I wasn't even paying attention to what you were doing earlier, I promise! Now that you mention it though, the place where the doctor put the needle feels a lot better. So thank you, I guess? I'm sorry if I made your job harder..."
The healer sighed and shook her head. She then pulled her scarf down to give Abigail a halfhearted smile. "No, it was my fault for jumping to conclusions. Sorry for being rude, I'm just a bit tired right now…"
Abigail brightened up at Panacea's words. "Maybe you could try taking a nap? My uncle told me that a quick nap can get you back on your feet when you're tired, but still have a lot of stuff to do!"
Panacea gave a rueful chuckle at that. "Your uncle seems like a smart guy. Unfortunately, I'm far too busy right now to take a break… though I suppose I do have the flight back to the hospital. Heh, I guess I could ask Vicky…"
She stopped herself with a slight yawn. "Well, it's almost time for me to go. There's just two more things I need to tell you. First off, your brain is… invisible to me. Like, just a blank void inside of your skull. At first I thought it was because you were hiding your brain from me out of fear or something, but given your response from earlier…"
"So, some kind of passive resistance to powers, centered around the brain? My, we haven't even started power testing, and we're already learning a bunch," piped up Dr. Jameson from his seat. "We might need to schedule an MRI, if the Director wants more info."
"Right," said Panacea. "I don't do brains anyway, but since I can't even see yours I wouldn't be able to make a diagnosis if you get a head injury. So be careful out there, alright?"
Abigail nodded. "You said there was a second thing?"
"Yeah. I'm prescribing a higher calorie diet. In other words, you need to eat more."
"Seconded," added Dr. Richards. "Panacea, did you see any evidence of an eating disorder?"
"No. Her digestive system looks perfectly healthy, but like I said, I can't see her brain."
Dr. Richards jotted down a note on his clipboard, then faced Abigail. "The good news, young lady, is that you're not actually underweight… though it is a close thing. I suggest eating just a bit more than you normally would -- an extra pancake at breakfast, a healthy snack of fruits and nuts in the afternoon, and making sure you have a glass of milk to go with dessert. Small changes like those should be sufficient."
"Ah, I guess I just… wasn't used to having much to eat, until recently," admitted Abigail, her voice tinged with melancholy. She brightened up quickly, however, and giggled before adding, "but any excuse to have more pancakes is good with me!"
Panacea and the doctors gave her a look. "Well, I'm glad you're taking our suggestions," Dr. Jameson eventually said. "I'd like to mention that as a member of the Wards, you will always have enough to eat. No one will deny you food when you're hungry, even if your stipend doesn't cover the expenses. Since you'll likely be living in the Wards HQ until the PRT works out a better arrangement, please don't be afraid to spend mealtimes in the cafeteria or break rooms."
"Okay, thank you doctor! I'll keep that in mind."
"And that concludes our business here," finished Dr. Richards. "Panacea, you're free to go; your sister should still be waiting in the hall. As for you," he nodded to Abigail, "Mr. Hughes should also be waiting outside. Go stay with him while we clean up here, and we'll join you in the gym for power testing."
Abigail nodded and hopped down from the examination table. As she followed Panacea out into the hall, she noticed Eric engaged in conversation with a girl in a white dress…
...who was 'sitting' several feet in the air.
"Hey, Vicky," called out Panacea before Abby could voice her surprise. "Let's head out, I just finished up here."
The girl in white turned and flashed a smile. "Great! Hey, is that the new Ward behind you, Amy? Oh my God she's adorable!"
"Yeah. Meet… uh, what was your name again?"
Abigail gave the girl her own grin. She called me adorable! I want to give her a hug! "My name's Ab-"
"Ah, we actually haven't decided on her cape name yet," interrupted Eric for the second time today, much to Abby's annoyance. "And you, young lady, what did I tell you about giving your real name out like that?"
"But didn't Panacea just call her Vicky? And Vicky called Panacea Amy?" asked Abigail, thoroughly perplexed.
"Heh, sorry if we confused you!" Vicky said. "We're with New Wave, so we're open capes -- no masks, no secret identities. Guess you must be new to Brockton if you haven't heard of us. I'll admit though, keeping your real name secret is probably safer, so don't get mad at Eric, he's just looking out for you. I'm Glory Girl, by the way, Victoria out of costume. And Panacea is my sister, her real name's Amy."
Abigail blinked, and filed away the info for later. "Nice to meet you, Victoria and Amy! Where are you headed now?"
"Back to the hospital," said Amy. "Have to finish my rounds…"
"That's my sister, always the unwavering hero! Though you do look like you could use a break. How about I fly a bit slower today, and you can nap in my arms?"
Amy seemed to blush at that. "...Alright, that does sound kinda nice. Guess I wouldn't mind, just this once."
"Huh. I honestly expected you to refuse," said Victoria with a little grin. "Glad to see you're actually taking my advice, Ames!"
"Sure, sure. Let's go, Vicky. See you around, new girl."
With that, the sisters made their way to the elevator, and Victoria gave Abby one more smile and wave before they were out of sight.
Eric stood, and turned to Abigail. "Well, looks like you've made some friends already! What do you say we head down for power testing now?"
"Okay!" Abigail nodded, and she fell in step behind the cheerful PR agent.
-------- <O> --------
Abigail followed Eric into a large room, and marveled at the arched ceiling high above. It was an impressive structure, especially because it was underground.
"Welcome to the gym! This is where we normally hold training sessions for the Wards, though today it's been repurposed for your initial power testing. At some point, you'll probably need to go to one of the offsite labs for more thorough testing, but the Director figured that it would be best to get some preliminary information as soon as possible. This way, we can get a better understanding of your abilities, and have you joining team training within the week."
Eric paused to glance up at a set of windows at the far end of the gym. "Looks like Miss Militia's already in the observation center, setting things up. Why don't you wait here while I go talk to her? You can use the exercise mats for warm-ups, if you think it might help. Just remember to remove your shoes first."
"Sure, I can do that," replied Abigail. She made her way to one of the mats and sat down, watching Eric jog to a door on the far wall.
Oh, it's nice and squishy! I could sleep on this if I put a sheet over it. Definitely very comfy for stretches, maybe I'll ask Uncle if we can take one with us, once he gets back.
She pulled off her shoes and absentmindedly worked out the kinks in her joints from sitting in the exam room earlier, while her thoughts wandered to the power testing. Her uncle had taught her about demonstrating her powers to strangers, and she needed to come up with a plan.
They've already seen my gates, and I moved Hugo around without touching him while Miss Militia was watching. I'll probably have to show them how I change my outfit, since I use that all the time. And the doctors said they'll be joining us, so they know that my body's a lot stronger than normal. Hmm…
I'll just show them what I normally use for fighting. Since they have people with superpowers here, hopefully I'll blend right in. Can't be too hard, right?
Satisfied, she stood up again and bounced on the balls of her feet, enjoying the exercise mat.
OK! I'm ready!
"Hello? Testing, testing," came Miss Militia's voice. "Excellent, looks like our sound system is online. Good to see you again, Abigail, did the medical exam go well?"
"Yeah! Panacea wasn't quite what I expected, but she and the doctors were nice. So, when do we start? ...Also, can you hear me from way up there?"
"Yes, we can hear you loud and clear!" Eric's voice, this time. "There's lots of cameras and microphones built into the walls, so don't worry about needing to shout. We'll be observing you from here, to get a bird's eye view of the action. Also, don't be afraid to hold back if you have some flashier powers, we're pretty safe behind these windows."
Just as Eric finished speaking, Abigail saw four more figures enter the observation room: the two doctors from earlier, a woman in a lab coat, and a man in some sort of blue armor.
"Ah, looks like everyone's here. Abigail, you've already met Drs. Richards and Jameson, from our onsite medical staff. Dr. Klein here is an expert on parahumans, and she's a core member of our power testing team. Lastly, we have Armsmaster, the local Protectorate leader, joining us."
"Thank you, Miss Militia," said the man in blue armor. This must be Armsmaster, Abigail reasoned. "I can't stay for too long," he continued, "but I did want to see the new Ward that has Piggot so concerned. You're a teleporter, right?"
"Um, I guess so," said Abigail. "I can make Gates… or portals, if that makes more sense. Am I in trouble? You said the Director is concerned?"
"You aren't in trouble, Abigail," corrected Armsmaster. "It's simply the case that teleporters receive more attention, due to their inherent utility. And from what Richards and Jameson have told me, you appear to have other powers on top of that. That makes you incredibly valuable."
"Oh… okay." Inherent utility, valuable… he doesn't mince words. I hope he doesn't see me as just some sort of tool…
"Speaking of the Director, she just contacted me. Looks like the paperwork is done, and she'll be joining us in about twenty minutes. She says to hold off on testing your portals until she arrives," Armsmaster announced. "In that case, we can start with the standard physical ability tests."
Abigail spent the next few minutes operating various equipment as the adults observed. There were tests for running speed, weightlifting ability, and reaction time. Fortunately, due to the blood draw mishap earlier, she did not need to be tested for durability against sharp objects.
The final test, however, was… different.
The first warning sign was that someone had shut off the speakers, so she couldn't hear what was going on in the observation room. She looked up to see the adults arguing; it seemed like Armsmaster and Dr. Klein were on one side, debating against Miss Militia, Eric, and the medical doctors. Eventually, however, things appeared to calm down.
"Sorry about the delay, Miss Williams. Please proceed to station 3," Dr. Klein instructed her.
She followed the directions, and found herself standing next to a tunnel-like structure. The walls were transparent, and she could make out some sort of machine at the far end.
"Stand in the marked area, and insert your arm through the padded opening," the commanding voice of Armsmaster stated. "Good, now make sure you're grabbing the handle on the other side."
Armsmaster continued once Abigail's arm was in place. "For this test we will be launching specialized tinkertech bullets at you, to assess your endurance against blunt force impacts and projectiles. We'll start with weak shots, and only expose your forearm, to minimize risk of injury. The bullets themselves are incapable of piercing skin, and our testing station is outfitted with fail-safes that can arrest the projectiles' momentum mid-flight. As we increase the power, tell us immediately if the hits start hurting or you suspect that you can't take anymore, and we'll stop. You can simply release the handle to stop the test yourself. Let us know once you're ready, and we can begin."
"A-alright," said Abby. She adjusted her grip on the handle, to make sure she wouldn't get stuck if she released it. Then she looked downrange and saw the launcher, and couldn't help but cringe. The device's resemblance to a gun brought back bad memories -- and even worse, the idea of being hit by blunt objects reminded her far too keenly of that day.
Of stones, thrown by friends. Of the moment she got her powers.
Still, she reasoned that there was no threat here, and did as she was told. I… I've been through worse. I can even take real bullets, now. If it's too much, I'll just release the handle.
I need to be brave, to show Uncle that he can count on me!
"Excuse me for just a moment. Are you sure you're okay with this, Abigail?" asked Miss Militia through the loudspeakers.
"...Yeah. I… I'll be fine. We can start now, I'm ready."
"Good," came Armsmaster's voice again. "Let's begin."
The first bullet impacted and she winced, though she only felt a gentle tap on her arm.
OK. So far it's fine. I just need to stay focused. No bad thoughts.
The second bullet impacted. Then the third.
The sixth felt like someone had punched her, and she gasped slightly. She contemplated asking to halt the test, but before she could make up her mind the seventh bullet was fired.
She shut her eyes in anticipation when she heard the whoosh of air that accompanied the launch. However, the impact did not come; instead, she heard a noise like a bell being struck that echoed through the walls of the tunnel.
Oh no… I should have released the handle, or told them to stop!
Abigail opened her eyes to see familiar blue-green patterns fading from an otherwise transparent barrier around her skin. Before the adults could comment, she released her grip and pulled her arm out of the tunnel. She turned to face the observation room.
"Um, can we stop now, please? I really, really don't like being shot at."
"...Very well," came Armsmaster's voice. "So, you have a forcefield too? Seems like it might be velocity- or momentum-dependent to activate, given it didn't protect you from needles. Something we can test at a later time."
Abigail sighed in relief; she had anticipated the adults wanting to test her barrier further.
"Yes, that's all well and good," said a new voice that Abigail recognized as the Director's. "Sorry to interrupt, but this is rather important. Everyone other than Miss Militia and Armsmaster, please head outside and wait for further instructions. I need to discuss some… urgent matters with Abigail."
Remnants 1.4
Remnants 1.4
After the other adults had left, Abigail saw Piggot gesture to Miss Militia. The heroine proceeded to a different exit, then the Director addressed Abigail directly.
"Miss Williams, please join us in the observation center. We'll be escorting you to the nearest conference room." Abigail nodded and made her way to the door she had seen Eric use earlier, quickly finding the stairs to her destination.
She entered the semicircular room, and took a moment to take in the colorful digital displays. Just another reminder of how far from home she was.
Piggot and Armsmaster led her through the same door Miss Militia had taken. She nervously fell in step behind the adults, not quite understanding what was going on. Less than a minute later, the group had entered the conference room -- a large table dominated the center, and two people were already seated opposite Miss Militia.
"Hello Ms. Hill, Mr. Brown!" said Abby, happiness entering her voice again. "It's good to see you! How did the rest of the meeting go?"
"Quite well, actually," replied Hill. "In short, we agreed that you will be temporarily housed in the Wards headquarters, here in the PRT building. We'll be discussing the details later. However, it's what happened after the meeting that has us gathered here now. Director, Armsmaster, I'm afraid that you have much explaining to do."
Piggot gave a grunt of acknowledgement, and took the seat next to Miss Militia. Brown waved Abigail over, and she sat down in the offered seat between her legal representatives. Armsmaster marched over to Piggot's side, and remained standing.
Abigail figured that the man's imposing armor would probably crush the chairs, so she could appreciate his reluctance to sit with the group.
"I know that you have complaints to address," began Piggot, "but I'd like to start with the rather urgent international security issue first."
"...That is acceptable," said Brown.
"Good", replied Piggot. "As you might have guessed, I need to clarify some things with Abigail about making portals to parallel worlds."
Abigail nodded in understanding; this was not the first time someone made a fuss about that particular ability.
The Director leveled her gaze at Abby, and pulled a folder out from a bag by her side. "Our world currently has a portal to a place called Earth Aleph that was the source of some… issues in the past. There was a threat of war. You may not be old enough to grasp the enormity of what's at stake here, but I assure you, we cannot take any chances with powers that connect parallel Earths. Due to the precedent involved, the Chief Director called an emergency meeting minutes after I submitted the transcript of our conversation. She gave the order to expand today's power testing to include procedures for your portal capabilities, and instructed me to spell out two rules for you."
Piggot leaned forward slightly, her gaze intensifying. Abby cast her own eyes down to the folder of papers in front of her. "First, under no circumstances are you to create portals to other worlds without oversight from the PRT directors. Second, you must not discuss the topic of parallel worlds beyond Aleph with anyone other than the people in this room or the other directors. This means you can't broach the topic with the remaining power testing crew, or even the other Wards. Do you understand so far?"
Abigail nodded. I wasn't planning on world-shifting anytime soon, so unless Uncle shows up, it won't be an issue. "Yes, ma'am. I know I'm still young, but… I can see why you made these rules. I'll do my best to keep this secret."
"Good, thank you. Infosec is already giving me a headache because I let you walk around the building without a properly cleared supervisor. Just as a warning: if you break either rule, I am obligated to have you brought in for questioning. So, for both of our sakes, please be careful in the future." Piggot sighed, and Abigail glimpsed the woman massage her forehead in frustration. "If we are in agreement, I need you and your representatives to sign this document." She opened the folder and pulled out three pages. "This expands on the stipulations we just discussed, and amends some of the agreements you signed earlier. Please read it carefully."
Abigail didn't understand a word of the legal jargon, so she waited for Hill and Brown to sign before penning her own name in.
"Excellent. We're good to move on, Ms. Hill, Mr. Brown. By all means, please voice your complaints."
-------- <O> --------
Hill's eyes took on a steely glint that rivaled Piggot's, and Brown straightened his posture.
"So," said Hill. "Can someone explain to me why high-tier Brute testing was used on Miss Williams today? I do not believe we signed off on such a thing, and I am this close to calling my superiors to initiate legal proceedings. I think Mr. Brown shares my sentiments."
Brown clasped his hands in front of himself, and added, "CPS will stand with the Youth Guard on this one, should the case go to the courtroom."
Brute testing? Does that mean… the bullet launcher?
"I've reviewed the papers we signed," Hill continued, "And while we did agree to 'standard power testing protocols' and portal-related procedures, I was under the impression that the more… extreme physical assessments were reserved for the final stages of testing, once a parahuman's powers are better understood."
"You would be correct," growled Piggot. "I explicitly authorized preliminary testing for Miss Williams today. The entirety of the testing, minus the portals, should have been completed before I even arrived in the observation room. However, it appears that certain individuals took matters into their own hands."
"With all due respect, Director, the tests we carried out are part of the standard protocols," argued Armsmaster. "We have ample evidence from her medical examination that she has Brute capabilities, so I judged that it would be best to take extra precautions. The test itself is designed to minimize risk of injury; there are fail-safes in the testing zone that can detect when something like a forcefield is penetrated and halt the test, plus the projectiles can be destroyed mid-flight if necessary. In the worst case, we have Panacea on call. This is all an overreaction."
"And those are fail-safes that you built, so of course you'd defend them," muttered Piggot.
"An overreaction? Sir, you had our client taking direct hits from weapons-grade projectiles. We have video evidence; in fact, it was because the Director here was kind enough to bring up the live feed of your testing that we know about all of this. I don't care if the protocols say you should launch a baby into the sun, you should be using common sense to make your decisions." Hill gave Armsmaster a glare, and Abby could almost feel the tension in the room rise.
"And don't think I didn't hear you say extra precautions," added Brown. "Are you implying that Abigail here is a threat?"
"If I may interrupt," said Miss Militia. "While I initially argued against the testing, as did the medical doctors and Hughes from PR, Armsmaster convinced me to allow it; perhaps I can clarify his concerns. He informed me that because Miss Williams will be living in the Wards HQ, a more thorough testing protocol is required to ensure the safety of our other Wards. Not to suggest that Abigail is a danger, at least not intentionally -- Dr. Klein backed up Armsmaster with past examples of parahumans whose powers caused… accidents, despite best intentions. Regarding the high-tier Brute test specifically, Armsmaster explained that it is indeed part of the protocols he chose to implement, and once he elaborated on the safeties I conceded that his judgment was sound."
"One thing still bothers me, though." She turned to look at Abigail with a concerned expression. "Why didn't you just ask to stop the test? You appeared distressed through the entire ordeal. A word and we would have cancelled the test altogether, yet you waited until your forcefield triggered before complaining."
"I… wanted to be brave," whispered Abby. She looked down at the table, and murmured, "If I could face my fears… well, heroes are supposed to be brave, right?"
There was a long pause.
"...Yes, they are," said Miss Militia slowly. "But… sometimes, speaking up when something frightens you can be as brave as confronting it head on. Does that make sense?"
"I guess I never thought of it that way… Thank you ma'am, I... I'll keep what you said in mind."
Abby gave the heroine a tentative smile, and hugged Hugo tightly to her chest.
"...While I appreciate the sentiment, none of you have addressed why you thought firing a weapon at my client's arm was necessary," piped up Hill.
"I will take full responsibility for that decision," announced Armsmaster. "My reasoning was that we needed to gauge the degree of force required in the… admittedly unlikely event that a nonlethal takedown becomes necessary. It is a remote possibility, but should she be unstable, or worse, mastered-"
"She is a twelve-year-old girl, and she's sitting right in front of you," said Hill angrily. "Why don't you look her in the eyes when you're saying these things?"
"I am thinking of the safety of the employees in this building, not to mention our own Wards! If you'll let me finish my thoughts-"
As the argument devolved into a shouting match, Abigail tried her best to stay calm. However, once Hill stood from her seat in a rage and Armsmaster slammed his hands down on the table, it became too much.
Miss Militia's words from just minutes ago echoed in her mind.
Sometimes, speaking up when something frightens you can be as brave as confronting it head on.
"Please stop fighting! I-I can't take anymore! Please, please calm down everyone!"
The occupants of the room turned to look at her, suddenly quiet. Piggot raised a single brow, while Armsmaster frowned.
"I… I hate it when people fight, especially if it's about me," Abby continued softly. "It's… it's just…"
A witch! She's a witch!
Her gaze settled on Armsmaster, then drifted to Miss Militia.
"I understand if you're afraid of me. I'm used to people being afraid of… powers. You said that you did the tests because you wanted the other Wards to be safe, right?"
The two heroes gave her hesitant nods.
"I guess… since they're your fellow heroes, they're also your friends? Or maybe… if the Wards are kids like me, you see yourselves as their caretakers?"
Abby gave them her brightest smile, even as a tear slid down her cheek. "Then, if it makes you happy, I can sleep in a hotel, or just a spare room somewhere, anywhere that will keep them safe. If you tell me to, I'll leave, and find a different world to live in. It's okay, b-because I… I would do anything to keep my friends safe, too."
She curled up around Hugo, shivering slightly. Her gaze moved down to the table.
"But please, please stop fighting…"
The room went still for an entire minute. Only the gentle ticking of a wall clock, and the slow breaths of the room's stunned occupants, marked the passage of time.
"...Well, I can't refuse that sort of request," commented Hill, breaking the silence at last. "I… suppose it would be best if we table this discussion for later." The woman shot another glare at Armsmaster, but it was mostly subdued. "Was there anything else you wanted to bring up, Director?"
Piggot sighed once again, and leaned back in her seat. "I was going to address the results of our meeting earlier, about Miss Williams' living arrangements and Wards membership, but I think we can save that for this evening. Per the Chief Director's orders, we still need to return to power testing. I assume that you'd like to supervise from here on?"
"Yes," responded Brown. "That would be a suitable arrangement. I suggest we get the portal testing over with first. After that, perhaps Abigail can demonstrate her abilities at her own pace, so we can prove to Armsmaster that she is not a threat."
"A moment, if I may," interrupted Armsmaster. He looked down at Abigail with an inscrutable expression. "I… did not intend to make you upset, or drive you away. For what it's worth, I'm… sorry, Abigail. I misjudged you. I guess the recent state of emergency has heightened my paranoia, and I let it get to my head. You are, to the best of my knowledge, not a threat, and I'm sorry that I made such an assumption."
Armsmaster seemed to deflate slightly, and Abby saw Miss Militia's eyes dart to him for a moment. "I'm sorry as well," said the heroine. "I should have fought harder, for your sake. I know I could have gotten through to Armsmaster eventually. He's not a bad person, so please forgive him."
Abigail gave them another smile -- rather than desperation and apology, this one shone with genuine happiness. "Thank you, Mr. Armsmaster, Miss Militia! I promise I'll be a good girl, and I won't hurt anyone!" As the adults nodded in response, Abigail finally let herself relax. "I hope… that maybe, the other Wards will become my friends too. And then… we'll all be friends, right?"
"That's the spirit," said Miss Militia. She chuckled softly, and even Armsmaster's mouth twitched upward at the corners.
Piggot glanced around the room before standing. "Well, it looks like we're done here. Abigail, I'll have the doctors check on your arm, then we can resume power testing. After that, we'll debrief and let you have dinner."
"Lead the way, Director," said Hill. "And Armsmaster, you're not off the hook yet, but… I'll respect my client's request and let this slide. For now."
The group exited, and Abby couldn't help but smile again. I'm glad everything turned out okay!
-------- <O> --------
"I take back my apology," declared Armsmaster. "We need to do more testing."
He stared through the windows of the observation center, enraptured by the destruction inflicted upon an army of practice dummies.
"... I-it's like one of my Japanese animes…" breathed a shell-shocked Eric.
Piggot audibly groaned as she reached for the microphone. "Abigail, that will be enough for today. Get some rest, and join us up here when you're ready. We'll go over your living arrangements and Wards contract, then someone will take you to dinner."
After confirming that the girl had gone over to a water fountain, Piggot swiveled in her chair to face the assembled power testing crew. "Alright people, let's debrief. Go over everything we've learned today, while we wait for Abigail to get here. We can start with the portals."
"She can deploy a single portal at a time, with the entrance located near her. Formation range is a roughly 20-foot radius around her, but also extends farther via line of sight," said Dr. Klein, reading from a monitor where she had been taking notes. "As for how she determines where the portal leads to, there are three distinct methods. The first is line of sight, which is straightforward enough. The second is opening a portal to anywhere she's visited before. And the third, which we told her not to demonstrate, is by 'suggesting' parameters, which opens a portal to a random location that may or may not satisfy her suggestion."
"Don't forget the thing she mentioned about her uncle. What did she say his name was again?" asked Eric.
"...Carter. She mentioned his name once during the initial interview, and only when prompted directly," answered Miss Militia. "I'm tempted to believe that their relationship might not be as positive as she suggests, but I have no concrete evidence. Anyway, she said something about coordinates…?"
"Correct. She said that her uncle was capable of giving her 'coordinates' to a location, which would allow her to open a portal even if she was unfamiliar with the place. I suspect we won't be able to leverage that ability, unfortunately," finished Armsmaster.
"Good. I think that sums it up," said Piggot. "A Mover rating, definitely. Your opinion, Dr. Klein?"
"Mover 10, easy. We all watched how the guard from your office was able to traverse the portal safely. This is, quite honestly, game-changing."
"Fair enough. Next up would be her physical abilities. Armsmaster, I suppose your tests did at least give us some useful information?"
Armsmaster winced slightly. "Yes, ma'am. Enhanced speed and agility; if she didn't have the portals I'd still assign her a Mover rating. I was able to confirm my suspicions that the girl qualifies for at least a Brute 5, given her durability and strength. I cannot say much about her defensive forcefield until I have more data."
Piggot nodded, then glanced between Armsmaster, Hill, and Brown, as if anticipating another argument. When none came, she forged ahead. "What about her… other abilities? I know we were all caught by surprise, just give me your best assessments."
Dr. Klein spoke up first. "Her butterfly-shaped projections were able to swarm targets, then initiate some sort of explosion. The laser, on the other hand..."
"The butterflies might be less… lethal in smaller numbers," hedged Armsmaster. "And yes, the laser. Launched from her forehead, of all places." He rested his own armored forehead against his palm, and sighed in frustration. "Like I said, we need to do more testing."
"I'm… honestly confused," admitted Miss Militia. "Didn't she make a big deal about how she hates fighting? Why didn't she make a fuss about showing off her combat abilities?"
"To be fair, a shouting match and a combat zone are very different things. Also, check the recordings," responded Armsmaster. "You had no way of knowing this, but my HUD picked up some of her microexpressions during the exercise. She was almost certainly distressed when attacking the dummies, though she hides it well. Experience in the field, perhaps."
"That's… not a pleasant thought."
"A topic for another time," said Piggot. "Let's wrap up here, Abigail's heading up the stairs. What have we yet to cover?"
"I'm not sure if you noticed, since you just told her to 'attack the dummies,' but there were a few occasions where she destroyed them… with her teddy bear," Eric added sheepishly.
"I noticed as well," confirmed Armsmaster. "Perhaps she's imbuing it with power? A Striker ability too, then…"
"Speaking of her bear, her telekinesis seemed limited to just that," commented Miss Militia. "Maybe she can only move objects that she's imbued with power? Or it could have something to do with how meaningful they are to her. I guess we can test that next time."
"Agreed," said Piggot. She set her gaze on the Protectorate heroes. "Fortunately, it appears that no abilities with… detrimental side effects were demonstrated. Are the two of you alright with having her sleep in the Wards HQ tonight?"
"I'd still prefer if she had adult supervision," responded Armsmaster, "However, seeing as Vista and Shadow Stalker found her and the encounter went rather well…" He sighed in resignation. "... I should stop letting paranoia control my decisions. We can run more tests tomorrow, and introduce her to the team. I'll reserve further judgment until then."
"Good. Then we proceed as planned."
-------- <O> --------
Abigail opened the door to the observation center, feeling somewhat relieved. Today had been… eventful. She was just glad that the argument earlier had been resolved, and that she had been given some freedom when demonstrating her "other abilities."
If they pushed me to show everything… I might have lost control.
"Excellent job out there, Abigail," Miss Militia greeted her. "If you don't mind, we have some final things to go over."
"No problem! And thank you, I tried my best!"
Miss Militia gave an amused nod, and Piggot took out a large sheaf of papers.
"Let's quickly review the decisions from this afternoon's meeting," said Piggot. "For starters, the PRT has launched investigations into the whereabouts of any of your relatives, including your uncle Carter. If your story is true, then I suspect we won't find anything. Therefore, you'll be living in the Wards HQ until the Youth Guard and CPS can arrange permanent legal guardianship. Your representatives and I agreed to wait a month to see if your uncle shows up; if he doesn't, then we will begin searching for a family to take you in, with your permission."
"Does that mean… I'm going to be adopted?"
"Maybe. Is this agreeable to you?"
"I… I'm not sure. But… I guess it would be nice, having a place to call home again."
"We'll give you time to think about it. In the meantime, you will be expected to attend school and start training with the Wards. For your first week here, we'll assess your education level and figure out which grade to put you in. After that, you'll be attending school during the mornings, with training or lessons taking place here in the afternoons. Depending on how quickly PR can pull something together, we should be ready to introduce you to the public sometime in April."
"So, once I'm introduced, I can start doing… hero things?"
"That's one way to put it," agreed Miss Militia. "You'll go on patrols, mostly just scouting for criminal activity. On some occasions, you might be asked to participate in a fight against small-time crooks or rescue civilians from danger. That is, if you're willing. We won't force you."
"I can fight! ... As long as it's to help people. I don't like fighting, but Uncle taught me how -- because sometimes there's bad people and monsters that hurt others, and they need to be stopped." Abigail nodded resolutely, and straightened her posture.
… I'll save as many people as I can reach. With my Gates, I'll reach farther than anyone! Then, maybe, I can see her again…
"I like the way you think," Miss Militia said. Hill frowned from her seat, but didn't comment.
"One last thing before we call it a day," Piggot continued. "We need to establish a divide between your cape and civilian identities. You may not see the importance now, since you're a… newcomer to Brockton, but it's best to establish these things quickly. For starters, your current attire could function as a passable costume while we wait for Eric to finish working with the design team; we'd just need to get you a mask. I assume you have more… casual clothes in your bag?"
"I do… but, um, I guess I should show this now…"
She allowed her dress to dissolve into motes of light, and replaced it immediately with a t-shirt, shorts, and an oversized black rain jacket.
"Will this do?"
The adults stared at her for a while. Armsmaster eventually broke the silence with a cough. "I… don't suppose you have more outfits than that? If not, then at least that trick is useful if you need to duck out of costume in an emergency…"
"I do have pajamas that I can change into…"
"Showing us that won't be necessary," said Piggot. She pinched the bridge of her nose, and stared at Abby in contemplation. "At least you seem to understand the issue at hand. Just one more thing, then: I need you to start thinking of a cape name."
"What's that, ma'am?"
"A cape name is your… alias. Another name for yourself, when you're out in costume. Like Miss Militia and Armsmaster. Those aren't their civilian names, of course."
"It can be something related to your powers," added Miss Militia. "Or just a name that is meaningful to you."
"Oh, okay. Let me think…"
A meaningful name.
She only needed a few moments.
Never lose hope, Abigail. If anyone could perform such a miracle, reaching across the boundless cosmos...
She gently grasped her scarf, and the pendant hidden beneath.
… it would be you. After all, you hold the power of the-
"Silver Key."
And thus Armsmaster was defeated by Smile of the Abby EX.
Remnants 1.5
Remnants 1.5
The sound of her bedside alarm woke Abby from a night of peaceful dreams.
Ugh, why was this thing ever invented…
She slowly reached over and turned it off. A glance at the digital clock told her it was 9 AM, March 5th.
Oh yeah, it's Saturday. Whoever set up the clock gave me an extra hour to sleep.
She let out a yawn as she pulled off the covers and hopped out of bed. Her pajamas dissolved, only to be replaced by her black dress, bows, and shoes. After a moment of consideration, she left her scarf and hat dematerialized but allowed the now-familiar weight of her silver cross pendant to settle underneath her dress.
I'm still kinda tired… must be the endless power testing and school exams. At least today shouldn't be as stressful, I hope.
She opened the door to her room, and stepped into the main area of the Wards HQ.
The first thing Abigail noticed was the chatter of two boys seated at a nearby table. Upon hearing Abby's door shut, the older of the two smiled and turned to greet her. "Morning, Abigail. Did you sleep well?"
She gave him a nod and her own little smile. "Yes, thanks! Looks like you guys are up early. Um, sorry, what were your names again?
"I'm Dean, and this is Chris," answered the boy. "Also known as Gallant and Kid Win, at your service." When Abby flushed slightly with embarrassment, he continued on. "Don't worry, no one expects you to memorize our names that quickly. We only introduced ourselves on Thursday, and you've been in and out of testing since then."
Abigail nodded. "Okay, thank you! And… you can call me Abby, if you want."
Dean gave her a thumbs up. "No problem, Abby! I didn't get a chance before, so I'd just like to say welcome to the team, and I look forward to working with you! Now c'mon Chris, say hi to Abby too."
The other boy looked up groggily from a pile of papers in front of him. "Hey, Abby. Nice to meet you. Sorry if I'm a bit out of it right now, just tryin' to get through math homework. Dean's been a big help, but damn it, it's Saturday morning..."
"And you're the one who asked for my help! Besides, the earlier you get this done, the more you can enjoy the rest of the weekend," said Dean with a chuckle. He turned back to Abby as Chris let his forehead fall onto the table. "Anyway, Chris and I just got here half an hour ago. We can get breakfast together soon, if you're feeling up to it. I think Missy will be here in a couple minutes, and Chris just has two more problems to finish."
"Sure, I'll wait here." Abby made her way to one of the tables and began flipping through magazines strewn about the surface.
A buzzer went off suddenly, indicating a visitor. The two boys grabbed masks from the table, and Abigail quickly copied them. Shortly after, a PRT agent escorted Vista into the room. She was equipped with the green visor Abby had seen during their first encounter on the Boardwalk, but otherwise wore normal clothes. Once the agent left, everyone removed their masks to exchange greetings.
"Hey guys," Vista said with a wave. "Oh, is that the new girl? Abigail, right? So all the testing must be done, that's great!"
Vista walked over to Abigail's table, and extended a hand. "Nice to meet you properly, this time. In case you forgot, I'm Vista. Or Missy, when I'm out of costume."
"Good to see you again too!" Abby cheerfully greeted her fellow Ward. She shook the offered hand and added, "And like I just told Dean, please call me Abby!"
Missy grinned. "Sure, I can do that. Damn, you're really good at the cute act... maybe you'll distract PR enough for them to get off my case!"
Abby gave her a blank look. "Um, what do you mean? Is it… bad to be cute?"
Missy stared back, now equally as confused. "Uh… no? I was just making a joke…"
Dean laughed, and both girls turned to look at him.
"I don't think it's an act," he explained. "That's just her normal personality."
Missy took another look at Abby, and let out a burst of giggles. She took a moment to compose herself so she could speak again. "Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to be rude, it's just… heh, I can see it now. PR's gonna have a field day with you, and you might not even notice."
Still grinning, Missy took a seat opposite Abby. "Anyway, it's nice to have another girl on the team, especially one who's my age. And for the record, your personality is way better than Sophia's…"
She paused for a moment as something dawned on her. "...which is a relief since they'll probably stick you in the same school as me. I guess we'll be seeing each other a lot."
Abby gasped. "Do you really think so? Then we can be best friends at school, right?"
Missy giggled again, then reached across the table to give Abigail a gentle poke on the shoulder. "Sure, if you want. Can't wait to see what my other friends think of you… "
"Speaking of school… if you don't mind me asking, how did your educational testing go, Abby?" Dean inquired. "If you need help, I could probably recommend some good reading material."
"Oh, it wasn't bad," Abigail responded. "I think they said my reading and writing were both great, but I might need extra help with math and science. They also said I'm… 'spotty' on history."
"Welcome to my world," piped up Chris.
"Don't sell yourself short," chastised Dean. "You're doing pretty well in all your classes, last I checked. Just don't be afraid to ask for help. As for you Abby, I'll see if I have some books at home to lend you. I'm sure I could find some that are fun enough to rekindle your interest."
"Oh, it's not that I'm not interested… it's just, um, I was homeschooled, so I guess what I learned isn't up to the usual standards. Thank you for offering, though!"
"Hmm. Well, if you're ever having trouble, I'll be here to lend an ear!" He nodded to Abby, and went back to helping Chris.
"That's Dean for you, always the gallant knight," said Missy with a wink. Despite the snark, Abby could see faint hints of a blush on the other girl's face.
"Ha, someone's been spending too much time around Clock," Chris joked. Missy huffed, but didn't bother responding. She rose from her seat to drop off her backpack in her own quarters.
Just as Missy returned, Chris slammed his pencil down on the table with a victorious shout and got out of his chair to stretch.
Dean congratulated him with a smile and a pat on the back. "We're all good to go, then? Is this everyone?"
"Should be. Aegis and Clockblocker are out on patrol," Missy added.
"... Which means one of the Protectorate must be filling in on console duty, seeing as our own console is unmanned and Piggy hasn't yelled at me yet," finished Dean. "Pretty sure Sophia's eating at home, so we don't need to worry about her. If the three of you are feeling up to it, we can go for breakfast now."
Everyone voiced their agreement, so the four Wards exited the HQ and headed to the cafeteria.
-------- <O> --------
Whoa…
Abby stared wide-eyed at her stack of pancakes, awestruck by the golden, fluffy treats soaked with glistening butter and syrup.
She took a moment to say grace, thanking the Lord for this truly momentous occasion. Then, she carefully cut a slice, and inserted it into her mouth.
So good!
Her teammates watched as she proceeded to devour the pancakes, and her stack of three was gone in half as many minutes.
"Big fan of pancakes?" asked a grinning Dean. "Don't forget your bacon and eggs, it's not healthy to stuff yourself with just sugar."
Abby giggled, and without missing a beat continued on her mission to consume every last crumb of food on her plate.
The other Wards ate more sedately, while making idle chatter. Missy had a little ever-present smirk as she tried not to pay too much attention to Abby's antics.
Two minutes later, Abby had finished her food and was happily chugging down a glass of milk. With a contented sigh, she set the finished glass down and leaned back in her chair.
Hehe, I could get used to this…
Missy, who had only finished half of her own food, let out a laugh. "Ready for seconds? They let us have as much as we want on weekends, probably to motivate us to come in early or something." She grinned when Abby immediately perked up at hearing her suggestion. "If you're that hungry, they must've really put you through hell yesterday, huh?"
Abby couldn't help but agree with a nod and eye roll. "The power testing took sooo long! Armsmaster and the doctors made me do lots of silly things while they watched and took notes. The weirdest one was when they tried to see how fast I could make a foam block fall if I stacked one end of a portal right above the other."
"And did it work?" asked Chris, now invested in the conversation.
"Sort of? The block was moving super fast after a while, and once I closed my portal it hit the ground and exploded. I got foam all over me, and it took forever to get it out of my hair! Blegh."
Chris put a hand under his chin as he returned to contemplation. "Well, that certainly gives me some ideas…"
"Heh, that's definitely something all those nerds would do," said Missy. "I totally understand your pain, though. My own power testing sessions were like that too. Long story short, I can make things bigger by twisting space around them… and one of the researchers wanted to know what would happen if I tried that on a burger. The result? A huge-ass burger, but no change in mass. Or calories. They still tried to eat it though."
Chris snorted, and Abby giggled into her hand. Dean laughed wholeheartedly, earning him a pleased smile from Missy.
As the group returned to eating, Abby decided to take Missy's suggestion and get seconds. She got out of her chair with a polite "excuse me," and made her way from the Wards' private dining room into the cafeteria proper. After a few minutes of standing in line with the PRT employees, she returned with a fresh plate of pancakes -- just two this time, and no eggs or bacon -- as well as a refilled glass of milk.
As she settled back down to eat, Missy asked another question. "So, what's with you and pancakes? I'm more of a waffle person, myself."
"What a dilemma," said Dean, putting on a theatrical air. "Two princesses, of the ever-warring kingdoms of Pancake and Waffle. How is this humble knight to choose?"
Missy sputtered, while Abby gave Dean a mischievous smile. "O brave knight," she responded, recalling the manner of speech from medieval fantasy books her uncle had given her. "Forgive my ignorance, but this noble lady must ask: what is a waffle?"
Dean raised an eyebrow, while Missy gasped in mock horror. "You've never had a waffle?! Well, looks like you'll be in for a treat tomorrow. They always do pancakes on Saturdays and waffles on Sundays. Still can't believe you've never even heard of 'em though."
Abigail shrugged. "I didn't really try a lot of foods until recently. I mean, I'm honestly just happy they don't dilute the milk here."
"Dilute the milk?" questioned Missy, confused. "Why would anyone… Oh. Oh God, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
Abby shook her head and pouted, interrupting the flustered girl. "Please don't apologize! That was all a long time ago, really! I have more than enough to eat these days." To demonstrate, she took a large bite of pancake and winked at Missy. "Don' worry abou' me!"
Missy sighed with relief, and poked at her own food with a small smile. "Well, if you're gonna be like that… Tell you what, let's go to a restaurant for lunch, and I'll pay for your meal to make it up to you. Sound good?"
After taking a moment to swallow her mouthful of pancake, Abby gave her teammate an enthusiastic nod. "Okay! But you don't need to pay, there's nothing to make up for! Just picking a place with good food is enough for me."
Dean made a noise that was half laugh, half sigh of relief. "I'm glad we got that sorted out. Missy… that was really kind of you; I think you and Abby will make great friends. Anyway, we've got team training in fifteen minutes, so let's finish up here and head to the gym."
Missy's face turned beet-red at the praise, and Abby gave the girl a bright, hopeful grin.
Friends!
-------- <O> --------
The group of four filed into the gym, and found another girl already doing squats near the far wall. She turned and gave the group a grin.
Abby decided she didn't like the venom in that grin.
"Hey, kids!" the other girl shouted. "Finally come to play? You're five minutes late, I was getting worried you wouldn't show up!"
Missy -- Vista, now, as they were all in masks and gym clothes -- groaned and shook her head in resignation. "Right, we've got Stalker training with us today… way to kill the mood."
Gallant merely laughed heartily. "Calling us kids? You know I'm older than you, right?"
"Older doesn't mean shit if you can't fight with the adults," Shadow Stalker retorted. "Plus, you've got your little girl scout anklebiter… huh. Make that two anklebiters. You must be the new girl, Silverfish?"
"Silver Key," corrected Gallant. "Abigail's her civilian name, weren't you with Vista when the PRT took her in?" He sighed, and Abby got the distinct impression that he was rolling his eyes beneath his mask. "You would know this if you attended the briefing and introduction, Sophia."
"Right, right. Kid with the portals. Nice to meet ya, newbie. Don't cry too much when the real training starts, you catch my drift?"
"Let's not get into an argument before we've even had lunch," came Miss Militia's voice. The five Wards turned to see the Protectorate hero emerge from the door to the observation room. "There's actually some new things I'd like to try out today. As you've all noticed, Silver Key is joining us for her first team training session. Rather than start out with the usual simulation exercises, we're going to have her demonstrate one of her more… team-oriented powers. Would you like to give them an explanation yourself, young lady?"
Abigail nodded. She faced her teammates, and waited for Shadow Stalker to make her way over to the group. "Well," she started, "I have this power that lets me make my friends stronger. I just, um, recite a prayer, and I can give everyone the strength to fight harder."
"Thank you, Silver Key. For those of you wondering if this is safe, we tested the effects on some ordinary officers yesterday. They all received boosted physical strength and general combat ability, but the enhancement wore off after a few minutes. There hasn't been any evidence of negative side effects. Of course, we still don't know how parahuman powers react, hence this exercise today."
Miss Militia gave the Wards an encouraging smile before elaborating. "Since you're all her teammates, I'm hoping that one or two of you would volunteer to try Silver Key's power boost. She won't be fighting this time, but any takers will spar against the rest of the group."
"Before you decide, however… Armsmaster wanted me to warn you that volunteers will be under increased surveillance for a short time, to gauge whether there are any negative effects that persist after the enhancement. Knowing this, are any of you willing to participate?"
Vista shrugged. "I volunteer. I'm always under closer watch anyway, since I'm the youngest." She glanced at Abigail and grinned. "Or was the youngest, at least."
"Then I'll try as well," said Gallant. "Two on two?"
"Yes, excellent," Miss Militia agreed. "Shadow Stalker, Kid Win, you okay with sparring against these two?"
"Hell yeah, this'll be fun," Stalker confirmed with a smirk. Kid Win simply nodded, and asked, "Should I get my stun lasers?"
"Of course. Make sure you take some time to warm up, then head to the changing rooms. Your costumes should be ready and waiting. Kid Win, you can visit your lab for equipment if necessary. Shadow Stalker, use the foam-tipped practice bolts for this match."
-------- <O> --------
Ten minutes later, the gym was cleared of obstacles, and a large mat had been rolled out to cover almost the entire floor. Vista and Gallant stood in full costume at one end of the room, nearest to the observation center. Abigail, once again clad in her dress and scarf, watched from the windows with Miss Militia. On the other side were Shadow Stalker and Kid Win, the former double checking her twin crossbows while the latter did warm-up tricks on his hoverboard.
"Is everyone ready?" asked Miss Militia over the loudspeaker. When she got four nods in response, she continued on. "Alright. Rules are the usual. Three hits to the body and you're out. Get immobilized or knocked out of bounds, and you're out. No targeting the head. Silver Key, do your thing. Everyone else, begin on my mark."
Abby pressed her hands together in front of her chest, cradling her teddy bear in the crook of her elbow. She inclined her head slightly, and closed her eyes.
"Lord, grant my friends the strength to fight…"
A faint purple glow emanated from her body, and moments later Vista and Gallant were bathed in the light as well.
Miss Militia pressed a button, and a buzzer sounded.
"Begin!"
-------- <O> --------
Shadow Stalker rushed forward, her body appearing to blur into wispy black smoke. Gallant leapt back, and Vista took a single step to the side. The younger girl's power took her all the way to the edge of the arena, then expanded the distance between Gallant and the incoming Stalker.
Kid Win made his move, launching two energy blasts from his dual pistols towards Gallant. Shadow Stalker did the same with her crossbows a moment later, forcing Gallant to dive into a roll.
The dodge was unnecessary. All four projectiles suddenly veered around mid-air and raced back towards their owners.
Stalker grunted in surprise and entered her Breaker state again, allowing her own bolts to phase through her body.
Kid Win wasn't so lucky. He spun in the air and managed to dodge one shot, but the other clipped his shoulder and sent him tumbling.
To his credit, the Tinker recovered quickly, and stabilized his hoverboard within a few seconds.
"Holy shit," Kid Win gasped. He pivoted to face Vista. "Since when could you do that? I sure as hell didn't see you prepare the field first!"
"Don't get distracted!" Gallant half-shouted, half-taunted as he lobbed two glowing orbs towards his opponents. "Focus now, talk later!"
Once again, Shadow Stalker pulled off a graceful dodge, sidestepping the projectile. Kid Win pulled up, rising above the charged ball of energy just in time.
Then both orbs exploded.
Kid Win was sent tumbling off his hoverboard, and landed in a heap on the ground. Stalker avoided the worst of it by instinctively entering her Breaker state, but still staggered forward a few steps from the force of the blast.
As Shadow Stalker shook her head in a daze, Kid Win pulled himself into a sitting position and made a "time out" gesture with his hands. "I'm done," he said. "I yield. What… did you hit me with? I'm feeling… well, I'm honestly just feeling kinda tired."
He stared at Gallant, and sighed deeply.
"Aaaahh. Ahaha. I get it now. You hit me with apathy. Damn it, Gallant…"
Gallant chuckled as he watched Kid Win flop down onto his back. A buzzer sounded, signaling that Kid Win had been eliminated. "Giving up so soon? At least get yourself out of the way so the rest of us can keep going… or not. Guess that's kinda my fault, sorry."
The knight-themed hero made his way toward his downed opponent, intending to help Kid Win get off the battlefield.
He was only a few steps away before something slammed into him from behind, causing him to pitch forward and stumble.
"Hey!" shouted Vista. "Kid Win called time out, what the hell are you doing?!"
"There's no time outs in a real fight," growled Shadow Stalker, now looming over Gallant. She kicked him in the side, sending the boy tumbling across the ground. His armor's weight stopped him from rolling too far, and he fired off a blast of energy at Stalker in retaliation.
This time, Shadow Stalker dashed much farther away from the glowing orb, and it exploded harmlessly near the wall. She quickly brought both crossbows to bear against Gallant, dashing between her target and Vista to obscure the latter's line of sight.
She fired, and this time both bolts pinged off of Gallant's armor. Their foam tips did no actual damage, but a noise from the buzzer signaled that Gallant was out of the match.
Shadow Stalker let out a sharp bark of laughter. "See? Even Miss Militia agrees! Get your loser asses off the field, and let me show you what a real fight looks like."
Without another word, she turned towards Vista, reloading her crossbows in the same motion. The younger girl frowned, but moved into a ready stance.
Space suddenly warped in front of Stalker, making the gap between the two girls more than ten times its original length. The older heroine launched herself diagonally forwards, aiming to close the distance and exit the distortion if possible. Vista gave her no opportunity to do so, expanding the corridor's width even as Stalker approached the edge.
Then, Shadow Stalker fired one bolt at Vista. As the bolt began to curve in the air, she dashed towards the other edge of the distortion and fired a second bolt. The first bolt shot back towards her, but she simply allowed it to phase through her wispy Breaker state.
Vista's head jerked to the side in surprise as she noticed the second incoming bolt. Its trajectory was altered immediately, and it curved down to plant itself in the ground in front of the spacial warper. Now on high alert, she refocused her attention on Shadow Stalker-
-and was forced to backpedal, realizing that her opponent had taken advantage of the distraction to make a beeline for her and set up a running tackle.
Shadow Stalker lunged, arms outstretched to grab Vista and pin her to the floor…
Only to trip as the ground rose up to intercept her foot.
Cursing, Shadow Stalker re-entered her Breaker state and dashed forward to avoid a retaliatory blow from Vista.
She pivoted the moment her feet touched the ground, aiming to attack before Vista could turn around.
Then the buzzer sounded.
Dumbfounded, Stalker looked down at where she stood -- a good ten feet outside the arena.
"Why you little-"
"That's enough," interrupted Miss Militia. "Silver Key and I will head down to debrief, so don't bite each others' heads off just yet."
-------- <O> --------
The Wards crowded around the Protectorate heroine, waiting for her judgment. Gallant supported a still-apathetic Kid Win. Shadow Stalker stood with her arms crossed, staring down at Vista imperiously. Abigail fidgeted, looking nervously around the group.
"That was a great showing from all of you. However, there's obviously still room for improvement, so let's take this time to review. First off, I want to make clear that Shadow Stalker was right about one thing -- there's no time outs in a real fight. If you're up against multiple foes and one surrenders, that doesn't mean you should let your guard down around the others."
Gallant nodded, and gave a polite but serious "Yes ma'am." Shadow Stalker simply grunted.
"But Stalker… this was supposed to be a friendly spar. There's no need to be so violent."
The black-cloaked girl grumbled something under her breath, but gave Miss Militia a reluctant nod.
"So," Miss Militia continued unperturbed, "it looks like Silver Key's power does affect parahuman abilities. Care to share your own perspectives, Vista and Gallant?"
"Sure, I'll go first," replied Vista. "I was able to bend space with a lot less setup time. That thing I did with Kid's energy shots and Stalker's bolts… would normally be impossible without somehow predicting all their flight paths beforehand. Also, I'm pretty sure the boost reduced my Manton limit somewhat. It's how I was able to trip Shadow Stalker when she was so close, and then move her out of bounds."
She smiled at Abby. "That was pretty cool. I think we'd do great, working together."
Gallant spoke next. "For me, my blasts were quite a bit stronger, plus I could make them explode at will. Definitely a nice boost to have handy." He gave Abby a playful salute. "And while I'm certain the effect has worn off now, that was a pretty decent duration too."
"Excellent, that confirms my thoughts," said Miss Militia. "The total enhancement time was roughly three minutes, by my count. Matches what we saw earlier with the PRT officers."
"...Fucking coward," muttered Shadow Stalker.
Miss Militia raised an eyebrow, and the knife at her hip turned into a handgun. "What was that, Shadow Stalker?"
"I said Silver Key's a fucking coward."
Abigail flinched, and looked up at the older girl with wide eyes.
"Now that's entirely uncalled for," piped up Gallant. "She didn't do anything to you, why are you suddenly mad at her?"
"She was just sitting up there, looking pretty, while the rest of us duked it out down here. If that's how it's gonna be from now on, with her just hiding away and giving us fancy power-ups while we fight her battles-"
"Shut up, Sophia," growled Vista. "You're just salty 'cause you lost. You agreed to the match, knowing full well that you were technically outnumbered. Get over it."
"You shut the hell up!" shouted Shadow Stalker, her rage making the other Wards collectively take a step back. Miss Militia didn't even flinch, instead crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.
"I'm not gonna fucking lose because some wimpy kid started giving free hand-outs! She's a coward, plain and simple!"
"Shadow Stalker, calm down," Miss Militia said, her hand straying to her weapon. "You already lost. If you can't control your temper, I will have to write this up on your record."
Abigail had enough. She looked Shadow Stalker in the eyes -- though the mask certainly made it harder -- and cleared her throat.
"I'm not a coward!"
"Yeah? Then prove it. Let's spar, just you and me, right here, right now. Show me that you can fight your own battles, and maybe I'll let this go."
"Absolutely not," said Miss Militia.
Abigail crossed her arms and tried her best to look intimidating. "I accept."
Miss Militia's gaze somehow grew even more stern. "No. No, I can't let you."
Abigail turned her gaze to the Protectorate heroine. "I want to be a hero. Please… let me do this. I know I can prove to her that I'm brave and strong like the other Wards."
And then… maybe I can convince her to be… well, not a friend. I don't think I could ever be friends with someone like her. But… I don't know if I could stand having enemies on my own team, either.
Miss Militia pinched her brow in frustration, then beckoned to Abby. "Fine. But first, we need to have a private chat."
Shadow Stalker shrugged. "Suit yourselves. I'll be waiting in the arena."
-------- <O> --------
Miss Militia led Abby to a side door, and they stepped through.
"Are you sure about this, Abigail? Shadow Stalker can be a… handful, I know. You can just walk away, and I'm sure she'll calm down later. You don't need to go through with this."
"Ma'am, I… I want to prove that I'm not a scared little kid. To her, and to myself. So please, I know it's stupid, but I need to do this."
I won't be a coward. Not again.
Never again.
"...Very well," Miss Militia sighed. "But please, don't let her get to you. Don't… do anything that you'll regret, later. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am. I'll do my best not to hurt her."
"Good. And just say the word at any time, and I'll halt the match. I… never mind. Let's get this over with."
-------- <O> --------
Abigail, no, Silver Key stood on one side of the arena, clutching Hugo in one hand. Shadow Stalker faced her, crossbows loaded and ready. The other Wards stood in the observation room with Miss Militia.
"Begin."
Shadow Stalker lunged forward, just as she had in the previous match. Crossbow bolts sailed through the air ahead of her.
Too slow.
Despite having a small moment of panic, Silver Key neatly sidestepped the twin projectiles. She tapped into her powers, and three butterflies peeled off of the fabric of her dress. She sent them after Stalker, who immediately leapt backwards.
"The hell is this? How many goddamn powers do you have?!"
Silver Key suppressed a smirk. A tiny, tiny portion of her other self leaked through.
You didn't attend the introductory meeting. Sucks to be you.
Shadow Stalker quickly reloaded, and sent two bolts at the butterflies. Silver Key let them connect.
BANG
The two explosions were so close that the sounds overlapped. Shadow Stalker shouted something and dove to the side.
Right into the third butterfly.
The shockwave rippled through her shadowy body, and she exited her Breaker state gasping for breath. "Fuck!" she screamed. "I'll make you pay for that!"
This time, Stalker launched a continuous barrage of bolts while strafing forward in a zig-zag pattern, forcing Silver Key to dodge without a chance at proper retaliation.
An idea occurred to her. Silver Key opened a Gate just as another bolt was launched, placing the entrance in the path of the projectile.
The bolt flew through… and emerged right behind Shadow Stalker.
Somehow, the older girl managed to enter her Breaker state just in time to avoid being hit, but she let loose another stream of profanity. "Fine! If that's how you want to play…"
Stalker lunged forward again, this time moving far faster than she had previously.
She… was holding back?!
Silver Key attempted to release another group of butterflies, but she was too slow. The black-clad cape was in her face suddenly, fist raised in anger.
She panicked, and instinctively struck out with her teddy bear.
There was a mighty thwack as the plush toy connected with the armored heroine, and Shadow Stalker was sent flying. She sailed across the arena, landing back near her starting position. Her body convulsed for a moment before collapsing.
Oh no. I… I didn't mean to-
To Abigail's relief, Shadow Stalker shakily pushed herself off the floor, even as the rest of the Wards and Miss Militia came running.
"You… you little…"
Shadow Stalker choked on her words, and had to pull off her mask as she dry heaved onto the mat.
Miss Militia simply frowned, and stood back as the Wards approached the arena.
"Holy shit," breathed Kid Win. "I'm sure as hell not apathetic anymore after seeing that."
"Language," chided Gallant. "Let's not be as crass as Stalker, now. I think Vista and Silver Key have heard enough cursing for one day."
Vista, meanwhile, was trying to hold in laughter. "I… didn't know I needed to see that. But damn, did anyone record the match? 'Cause I'd totally watch it on repeat for like, hours."
Abigail was shivering as her teammates came up to congratulate her. "Hey," Gallant started. "How're you holding up? That looked… pretty intense."
"I'm… I'm alright. I just hope I didn't hurt her too badly."
Gallant removed his helmet to give Abby a smile. "She seems to be okay," he said as he glanced towards Stalker. The girl was now clutching her stomach and muttering curses, while slowly stumbling towards the rest of the group. "She'll live. In the end, I… honestly think she deserved it. She insulted you, got irrationally angry, and then underestimated you. Heck, if she had just attended that intro meeting, she probably would have seen that last hit coming and dodged."
"...Thank you," whispered Abby. "Can… can we go now? I think I want to take a break."
"That's a good idea. It'll be lunchtime in about an hour, and I think you and Missy were going to go to a restaurant?"
Missy nodded. "Yeah, lunch is always a good distraction. How does pizza sound? There's a pretty good place just ten minutes' walk from here."
Abby grinned. "I'd like that!"
"...Wait."
The Wards turned to face Shadow Stalker, who had managed to drag herself over. "You… you're strong. I… still don't like you, but I can respect your strength."
She held out a hand.
Abby blinked, hesitating… then reached out and took the offered hand.
They shook. Abby totally did not put more force into it than strictly necessary. No, sir.
"I'll win, next time," growled Shadow Stalker. She turned and limped away.
Once Sophia was out of earshot, Vista leaned in and nudged Abby's arm.
"Think she'll flip out if we told her about the lasers?"
Remnants 1.6
Remnants 1.6
"... And that's why we don't include Lovecraft's works in the curriculum at Arcadia, neither here at the middle school nor at the high school. While the man's impact on literature is undeniable, his writing can be… offensive to modern readers. It's not something I would feel comfortable teaching you all, to be honest. Does that answer your question, Alex?"
The boy at the front of the room slumped in his seat. "Yes, Mr. Goldstein, I get it."
Chuckling, the teacher leaned on his podium by the whiteboard. "Don't feel bad about asking, it was a valuable discussion. Well folks, since we're just about done for today, I'll let you all head to lunch. Remember that your 'community and identity' essay is due on Tuesday. See you next week!"
With that, the students hurried to the doors of the classroom, eager to get to the cafeteria or the school quad for their midday break.
Abby took her time, placing her pen, notebook, and copy of The Giver within her bag one-by-one. She glanced up as she packed, and her eyes wandered over to the empty desk behind her.
Guess Dinah's out sick again.
Sighing, she hefted the bag over one shoulder, straightened her shorts, and left the classroom. She gave the teacher a smile and nod as she shut the door behind her, and went to find Missy.
School had been… nice, so far. It was very different from her education back home, where she had mostly been tutored by her Uncle -- or, more accurately, not-Uncle -- and she found the company of other students enjoyable. While the remedial math and science classes were a bit annoying, English and history had quickly become the highlights of her day. Reading new books was always a delight, even if some of the required reading material was… somewhat depressing.
Maybe reading about the hardships of everyone in those books helped me… what was the word? ...Reevaluate my experiences. Something like that.
Hmm. I'll save that thought for my essay.
Satisfied with her conclusion, she hurried down the hall to the front doors. Missy was waiting there, and Abby waved to her friend.
"Hi Missy! Ready to head out?"
Missy laughed and opened one of the doors, holding it in place for Abby.
"You're the one who kept me waiting for five minutes. Come on, we're gonna be late!"
The two girls found their way to a government sedan in the school's driveway, and hopped in the back. Missy grabbed a bag from underneath one of the seats, and pulled out her visor. She handed it to Abby, who reached in to retrieve her own brand new mask.
"Damn, that shit's fancy," whispered Missy appreciatively. "They really want to doll you up, huh?"
Abigail giggled at her friend's coarse language. The mask was definitely impressive, as it was essentially a large blue and indigo butterfly with delicate-looking metal framing. The eyeholes were located in the larger set of wings, and the butterfly's 'body' served as the nosepiece. "I guess so. Eric designed this for me, along with the rest of my costume. It's not even much of a costume, since it's just supposed to complement my dress."
She let her school clothes dissolve into motes of light as she talked, and replaced them with the costume in question. It consisted of a long-sleeved leotard, colored dark indigo to match her butterflies; black tights and glittery silver combat boots, to replace the white shorts and high-heeled shoes that PR had deemed 'too frilly'; and, of course, her familiar dress, bows, scarf, and hat. A black belt with various pouches also materialized around her waist, underneath the dress. She would have to fill them with zip ties and her smartphone manually.
The leotard had her shiny silver 'emblem' on the front: a simplistic key with a two-pronged head and circular base, arranged vertically with the head pointed down. From the base sprouted stylized butterfly wings.
Eric had insisted that the emblem be added to her outfit, despite not being visible under her dress. His logic was that if the dress was ever caught or grabbed, or if she needed to quickly access the pouches underneath, she could dematerialize it while keeping her modesty intact. The emblem would then serve as a means for her teammates to recognize her.
Abby backed him up on putting the emblem there, and not just because she thought it was pretty. She figured that should she ever need to channel more power, the… outfit that came with her transformation would go nicely with her new costume. She didn't tell anyone that, of course.
Some secrets were secrets for a reason, and she certainly did not wish to see this one uncovered just yet.
As her clothes settled onto her body, she felt Missy nudge her shoulder. "Wrong scarf, silly. Piggy will throw a fit if you wear that to the press conference. Also, remember to do your hair."
Wincing slightly, Abby switched her Chaldea scarf out for the PR-approved 'Silver Key' scarf. They were the same navy-blue color, but the newer article sported the logo that adorned her leotard, rather than Chaldea's crest and double-diamond symbol. She then reached into her backpack to pull out a black hair tie, and pulled her hair into a long ponytail.
"Thanks for the reminder," she said, giving Missy an embarrassed smile.
While she did like her new scarf, she silently promised herself that she'd swap it out for the Chaldea scarf when the PRT wasn't paying attention. Piggy might be the boss, but Abby wouldn't let the Director control every aspect of her life.
Her uncle would have jokingly called her a 'bad girl' for doing such a thing… however, spending time around a rowdy group of teenagers -- especially Clockblocker -- had given her a bit of a rebellious streak.
"So, you ready?" asked Missy.
Abby nodded. "I'm a bit nervous, but I'll manage." She quietly sighed as she watched the city rush by through the car's windows. "...Has it really been more than a month since I joined? It's what, April 8th now?"
"That's right," Missy responded. She smirked as she donned her visor. "A whole month, and Sophia's still not talking to you. Gotta be some sort of record."
Abigail laughed, remembering the angsty older girl's stunned silence after Abby had carved a line in the floor with her forehead laser during a rematch. Shadow Stalker's second defeat led to her avoiding Abby, which was a major relief from the insults that preceded the spar.
"We're here," called the plainclothes PRT officer driving the car, interrupting the girls' conversation. "Vista, you've got patrol duty with Aegis in half an hour, so don't take too long getting lunch. Silver Key, you go on ahead to the prep room; Armsmaster and the Director should be there already. You'll find food there too."
"See you this evening?" Vista asked Abby as she disembarked.
"Yeah! Good luck on your patrol!"
-------- <O> --------
"I'd like to officially welcome Silver Key to the Wards ENE," said Armsmaster to the assembled cameras. "She's joining us on the heels of our newest Protectorate member, as you might remember from the reception last Monday. You've likely all noticed that the Wards have been deploying via portals over the past few weeks. That, of course, was her power. I am personally working on transport systems for the PRT and Protectorate that will interface with her portals, so she can use her abilities to the fullest for defending the people of this city. Now, I'll let her introduce herself to you all." He motioned for Abby to walk up to the podium, and stepped back.
"Um, thank you for the warm welcome!" Abby spoke into the microphone, shivering slightly from nervousness. "Like Mr. Armsmaster said, I'm Silver Key! I'll do my best to be a good hero! I start patrols tomorrow, so please don't be afraid to say hi!"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eric gesture from the side of the stage. She gave him a small smile, and allowed six butterflies to take flight. They fluttered around her for a few seconds, then she sent them towards a bunch of balloons on the ceiling. The insectoid constructs exploded in a series of pops, causing the balloons to burst and rain glitter down upon the assembled reporters and PRT agents.
"That's just some of what I can do! Here's one more demonstration!"
Next to Armsmaster, a portal formed. The armored hero reached through and pulled out one of his signature halberds. He gave it a twirl and hefted it over his shoulder, nodding at Abby appreciatively.
"That one led to a storage room near Armsmaster's lab. I can make Gates to anywhere I've been before, so I've been visiting lots of important places in the city after I joined the Wards. I hope my powers help lots of people in the future! Uh, I think it's time for questions now!"
"It's great to meet you!" shouted one of the reporters. "Will you be limited to supporting the team with your portals, or will you be fighting alongside them?"
"I'll be mostly doing the thing with the portals. But, um, I'm actually stronger than I look, so sometimes I might fight too. I don't really know how that'll work out yet."
The questions continued for another hour, at which point Armsmaster and Piggot intervened to give Abby a break. As she left the stage, she spotted a rather well-muscled young man watching from backstage. She went to greet him with a smile.
"Hello! I haven't seen you around before, what's your name?"
"Hey. Name's Jason. You're right, I'm new here. I actually just joined the Wards myself; figured I'd watch your introduction to get a sense of what this is all about."
He tilted his head, and gave Abby a small grin. "You did good out there. Seemed nervous, but I'd probably be even worse off, to be honest."
"Thank you! And it's nice to meet you, Jason!" Abby offered a hand, and her own bright smile. "If you just joined the Wards… Oh! You must be Browbeat, then!"
"Got it in one," said Jason. "I suppose I'll be joining your team training this weekend. I look forward to it."
"Then I'll see you tomorrow! Have a nice evening."
"You too."
-------- <O> --------
The next morning, Abby woke to the sound of machinery whirring just outside her door. She hopped out of bed and went to take a look, after pulling on a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt from the stash of clothes her uncle had given her.
She found Armsmaster installing a large platform on the floor, near the center of the room. It was decorated with softly glowing lights, and had railings that moved up and down as Armsmaster fiddled with something in his hand -- the source of the noise, Abby reasoned.
"Good morning, Abigail," grunted the Protectorate leader. "I was just finishing up here. Since you're awake, would you mind helping me test it?"
"Um, okay. What is it, though?" asked Abigail?
A woman's voice responded. "It's a portal deployment platform. Armsmaster and I worked on it over the last few days."
Abby turned to see a laptop sitting on one of the tables, facing Armsmaster and the platform. She walked over to stand in front of it, and found a smiling woman staring back at her from the screen.
"Hello, you must be Abigail, or Silver Key," said the woman. "I'm Dragon, a Tinker like Armsmaster. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hi Miss Dragon. You can call me Abby if you like!"
The woman smiled. "Of course. Now, if you would be so kind, could you make a portal on top of this platform? You can make it lead somewhere else in the same room, it doesn't really matter."
"Sure, here goes!"
Just as the portal began forming, a loud alarm came from the platform. The lights flashed blue, and the railings at the edges raised automatically.
"Thank you, Abby. And Armsmaster, looks like the spacial distortion sensor works excellently. I think we can call this a success!"
Armsmaster made a noise of agreement, before turning to Abby and offering her a small object from his palm. She took it from him, examined it, then looked back up to Armsmaster for an explanation.
"It's a remote. It can control this platform here, plus an identical one in the PRT garage, from a range of up to 200 miles away. If you'll be making a portal here, press the corresponding button twice to light the platform yellow and sound a warning. If you're making a portal that connects to a dangerous situation, press it three times and the platform will flash red. The sensors in the platform itself will make it flash blue when a portal actually forms, as you just saw. It will also raise these guardrails to ensure no one walks through by accident."
Abigail nodded, and placed the device in one of the pockets of her shorts. She made a mental note to 'memorize' it later. "Um, thank you, sir. I… didn't follow that too well, though. Can you explain again?"
Armsmaster let out a small chuckle. "Sorry, I know that was a lot to take in. Don't worry about it for now, I've already asked Miss Militia to include this in your training sessions later today. Just keep in mind that you should use this platform if you'll be entering or exiting the Wards headquarters using a portal. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, I think so. Thank you again Armsmaster, and Miss Dragon!"
The woman on the laptop screen nodded to Abby. "I should be thanking you, Abby, for accepting this so readily. I know it adds a bit more for you to remember, but I hope it makes things easier in the long run. And it's been wonderful to finally speak with you. Armsmaster needs to head back to the PHQ for now, but I'm sure we'll meet again soon."
With that, Armsmaster and Dragon packed up and left the room. A few moments later, Missy poked her head out from her own quarters.
"Morning, Abby. You sure do like waking up early, huh?"
Abby gave her friend a small pout. "Not really! Armsmaster woke me up with all that noise. Want to get breakfast now?"
"Sure, just give me a minute to change."
-------- <O> --------
Abby sat down across from Missy in the Wards' dining room. This Saturday morning it was just the two of them, as everyone else had chosen to eat at home.
She poured a generous amount of syrup over her pancakes, and couldn't help but grin widely at the heavenly smell.
"Damn, the food here has really improved over the last two weeks, huh?" remarked Missy. "I'm pretty sure these are actual, freshly made buttermilk pancakes. Not the crappy stuff they used to serve."
"I know, right? Must be the new chef. He looks kinda intimidating, but he's very polite. He gives me a bow whenever I thank him for the food!"
"Hah, maybe. I don't know if a chef can just demand changes to the menu like that though. Especially such… expensive changes."
"Well, I'm certainly not complaining!"
As the two girls dug into their meals, a thought occurred to Abby. She waited until both she and Missy had finished their food before posing her question.
"Hey, Missy… Um, I know that Piggot asked that you all take turns sleeping in the HQ, to keep me company at night…"
"Yeah. Last night was my turn. Why do you ask?"
"It's just… I noticed that you've been taking more shifts than anyone else. So, I'd like to thank you. But… how do I put this… don't your parents get worried?"
Missy suddenly became very quiet. She looked down at her plate, and refused to meet Abby's eyes.
"Sorry! Um, if I'm intruding on something private, I swear I didn't mean to! You don't need to answer, just forget I said anything."
"...No," Missy responded at length. "No, I'll tell you. You're… my first real friend here, I don't want you to think that I'm hiding things from you."
She sighed, and rested her elbows on the table. "I've been volunteering to stay extra nights here because… well, because I can't really stand my parents."
Abby's eyes widened. "Oh… I'm sorry, I… I didn't know."
"There's no way you could have known, don't worry about it," said Missy, giving Abby a small, hesitant smile. It faded after a moment, as a shadow crossed Missy's face.
"...They're the reason I triggered."
Abby gave her friend a confused look. "What do you mean?" Seeing Missy's reaction, she amended, "You don't need to tell me, sorry."
Missy shook her head. "My trigger event. When I gained my powers. It was… because of them. They fought, and… I was caught in the middle. It all went on for so long, and I… at some point, I just couldn't take it anymore. I needed space."
She frowned, picked up her fork, and shrank it. "In a way, I guess I got what I asked for."
Trigger event? When she got her powers…
Is that…
Is that what happened to me?
Abby got up from her chair, and walked over to stand behind Missy.
She enveloped her in a hug.
"When I got my powers…" she whispered into her friend's ear. "It was because I watched two good friends die."
Among other things that I'm too terrified to talk about.
"I… couldn't do anything. I needed… I needed power. And… I suppose that's what I got."
She allowed Missy to lean onto her shoulder.
"So… I understand. I understand your pain. And… well, if you want to sleep here every night, then I'll keep you company, okay?"
"Th...Thank you," Missy mumbled. "You didn't need… to share that with me. But thank you anyway."
Missy returned the hug.
-------- <O> --------
A few days passed. Abby went on her first patrol, accompanied by Aegis. She found it rather boring, but enjoyable nonetheless.
She made sure to always give her best smiles to Missy when they were switching patrol duty. Anything to keep her new friend happy.
Then, one rainy afternoon as she was doing homework in the HQ, Clockblocker spun around in his chair at the console to ask her a favor.
"Hey, Abby. Can you make a portal from here to the Boardwalk? We need to get Gallant and Vista back from their patrol ASAP."
"Sure, no problem."
A moment later, the two Wards in question arrived on top of Armsmaster's portal platform. "Hey everyone. What's the emergency?" asked Gallant.
Aegis turned from his position beside Clock.
"There's a hostage situation at the bank. We're going there now."
And now we're caught up to SB! 1.7 coming at some point next week.
IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER BABY
IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER BABY
Abby's Cape Costume Description + Emblem
Description of Abby's costume, in case the in-story descriptions are unclear
It's basically her first ascension outfit (base form) from FGO, with the following differences:
It's basically her first ascension outfit (base form) from FGO, with the following differences:
- Fewer bows around her neck, replaced by Chaldea and/or Silver Key scarf (both are navy blue with white designs at the ends)
- A dark indigo long-sleeved leotard (like what gymnasts wear) underneath the dress - has silver key logo on the chest.
- "Utility belt" around the waist, over the leotard but under the dress.
- Black tights replacing the white shorts
- Glittery silver combat boots replacing the small shoes
- Mask shaped like a large butterfly, indigo and blue with silver highlights
Salem
Informational Pseudo-Omake: Salem
(ENORMOUS spoilers for Epic of Remnant: Salem. FGO Players who haven't finished that mission yet, you have been warned.)
(ENORMOUS spoilers for Epic of Remnant: Salem. FGO Players who haven't finished that mission yet, you have been warned.)
It was a peaceful night in Chadea's headquarters. Within the otherwise dark and silent computer room, a little blond girl sat in front of a single lit monitor.
This document requires security clearance level 3 or higher to access.
Please enter your username.
>> ldvinci
Please enter your password.
>> ********
Access denied.
The girl looked up to the purple-haired woman standing next to her.
"See, Miss BB, it doesn't work! Can you help me, please? I… I need to read this. So I can understand..."
The woman grinned mischievously. "Oh, dear Abby-chan, of course I can do that for you. Now watch as the pro works her magic."
This document requires security clearance level 3 or higher to access.
Please enter your username.
>> bestkouhai
Please enter your password.
>> *****************************************************************************
q^gaj+d&(2dg'a@3.
ylj!f;b##fgj;32&b;lrg
Access granted. Welcome, Director.
Incident Report - Salem Pseudo-Singularity
On ██ █████ 20██, Chaldea Security Organization instruments detected an anomalous magical energy signature on the east coast of the United States. Suspecting the involvement of an escaped Demon God Pillar following the destruction of Goetia (see Case File: Grand Order), Director Da Vinci authorized a 72-hour investigation to assess the situation and determine appropriate countermeasures.
Satellite and remote drone observation confirmed that a circular area exactly 7 kilometers in radius had become sealed off via magecraft. A dark material of unknown composition, dubbed "Mist," covered the entire zone, extending upwards to an average altitude of 600 meters. The center of the phenomenon was found to be the town of Salem, Massachusetts.
U.S. Army, Mage's Association, and Chaldea agents organized various attempts at communicating with the 50,000 residents of Salem; all were unsuccessful. However, a single familiar, created without any modern technology, was able to infiltrate the anomaly and return without suffering damage. This 'medieval robot' gathered intel in the form of sketched images, and corroboration with Chaldea's historical records confirmed that these images showed Salem as it was in the late 17th century. Analysis of the familiar itself suggested that the Mist acted as a Bounded Field that destroyed any post-17th century technology.
Additionally, information from the Near-Future Observation Lens, Sheba indicated that the area within the anomaly was a recreation of Salem -- complete with human residents -- during the aforementioned time period. Of note is the fact that Sheba was providing detailed information on present space-time; such activity was unprecedented before this event.
Upon conclusion of the preliminary investigation, a team was assembled to infiltrate the anomaly. The group was tasked with entering the affected area, blending in with the population to investigate, and ultimately eliminating the source. The members selected for the mission included 1 Master, 5 Servants, and 1 assistant: Ritsuka Fujimaru (Master), Robin Hood (Archer), Mata Hari (Assassin), Charles-Henri Sanson (Assassin), Nezha (Lancer), Medea (Caster), and Mash Kyrielight (assistant). As cover, they adopted the role of traveling performers, complete with a book of plays provided by William Shakespeare (Caster) and Hans Christian Andersen (Caster).
At ████ hours on ██ █████ 20██, the team was deployed via Rayshift.
After the Rayshift, the remaining Chaldea staff learned Medea had been knocked out prior to the operation, and the attacker adopted her appearance to accompany the team. The identity of this impostor was unknown at the time, and the issue could not be communicated until the team set up their own hardware. The impostor was later revealed to be Circe (Caster).
The following descriptions of the events within the anomaly were compiled from the survivors' debriefs and after-action reports.
"Miss BB, this is too boring," the little girl complained. "Can we skip to the part about the… other me?"
"Yes, little Abby-chan. Here, let your amazing genius kouhai have the keyboard for a sec."
Addendum 01
Person of Interest 1692-1: Abigail Williams
Abigail Williams is a blond-haired, blue-eyed human girl; she was roughly 12 years of age during Chaldea's presence in the Singularity. Her personality is described as innocent and naive, though the accuracy of this assessment may no longer be valid.
Abigail possessed close relationships with a number of individuals within the Singularity. A list of these individuals is provided below for context.
- Randolph Carter, her uncle. See Addendum 02: POI 1692-2, for more information.
- Tituba, a slave owned by Abigail's parents and later by Carter. She was Abigail's only connection to her lost parents, and the two were close.
- Lavinia Whateley, an albino girl who was Abigail's age. They were best friends, despite the relationship being artificially induced. See Addendum 03 for more information.
When the Chaldea team first arrived, Abigail was performing a "ritual" in the woods with a group of village girls, presumably her friends. The following day, Carter had Tituba punished for teaching Abigail the ritual, and that night the executioner Matthew Hopkins (one of the "visitors" brought in by Raum) detained Tituba for interrogation. Abigail fought to defend the woman, but Tituba was ultimately found guilty of practicing witchcraft and hanged.
Lavinia's grandfather, Absalom Whateley, was one of the next victims of Hopkins' frenzied executions. This led Lavinia to seemingly abandon Abigail, much to the latter's distress.
Abigail was again involved when Mata Hari was tried for witchcraft. She sided with Chaldea to defend their teammate, but the trial was lost and Mata Hari was hanged. The Servant Circe helped Mata Hari fake her death and survive the hanging, but during the execution the Carter household burned to the ground, taking all of Abigail's belongings with it.
Abigail escaped into the woods the next day, intending to "save" the town using an occult ritual Lavinia had taught her. Hopkins, Sanson, and a group of soldiers caught her in the act, but an enraged Lavinia ambushed and killed Hopkins. In the ensuing chaos, Sanson protected Lavinia and Abigail, leading to his arrest.
Once again, Abigail came to Chaldea's aid and defended Sanson in his trial. However, Carter himself intervened to counter Abigail's words; despite the team's best efforts, Sanson was also sentenced to death. Chaldea decided not to intervene at the hanging out of caution regarding the Demon God Pillar's plans and respect for Sanson's own wishes.
Abigail was forced to watch the execution, as well as the townsfolk's subsequent efforts to arrest and try Fujimaru. At this point, Abigail made a last-ditch effort to take the blame upon herself, claiming to be the "real" witch. The Salem residents, including children who were once Abigail's friends, responded by attempting to stone her to death. As she was pelted by rocks, her status as a "vessel" apparently reached a state of at least partial completion -- she manifested Servant-like powers in addition to an extreme personality shift. The Chaldea team was forced to subdue her before she could harm anyone. At the conclusion of the battle, Carter took Abigail while Fujimaru and Circe were arrested.
Carter used his authority as Demon God Pillar to control the proceedings during Circe's trial, eventually dropping all pretenses to begin Abigail's. He placed Abigail in a trance-like state, forcing her to recount every iteration of the Singularity's time-loop. Carter then announced three of Abigail's "sins": triggering the deaths of her parents (through unknown means), suggesting in one loop that Tituba be turned into a ghoul, and asking Carter to provide her with a best friend who was forsaken by God, so that she might love them instead.
Lavinia then entered the courtroom, interrupting Carter. She managed to expose Raum's true identity by covering him in an alchemical reagent, snapping Abigail out of her trance. However, Raum continued on with his "trial," laying forth two additional sins -- inviting the souls of sinners into Salem, and naively placing trust in others.
The Chaldea team finally entered open combat with the Demon God Pillar at this point, and defeated him.
Near death, Raum lashed out and mortally wounded Lavinia. In his last moments, he completed the "trial" by listing one final sin: that Abigail would willingly abandon her humanity. Abigail, driven to madness by the death of her friend, proceeded to crush the Demon God Pillar under her heel.
During the ensuing battle, the "ascended" Abigail demonstrated a plethora of powers, the most potent of which was her apparent ability to resurrect herself ad infinitum. For a full list of her observed capabilities, see Addendum 01-a.
Abigail was eventually defeated, though whether this was due to the efforts of the Chaldea combatants or her own will is unclear.
She left the Singularity with the "real" Randolph Carter, i.e. the man whose body Raum had stolen. He claimed that he would teach her to wield her powers for the benefit of humanity.
Her current whereabouts are unknown.
The blond girl gave the purple-haired woman a small smile.
"Thank you, Miss BB. I can't say I understood all that, but…this means a lot to me."
She gave the woman a hug.
BB laughed, and patted the girl on the head. "Oh, Abby-chan, you never cease to entertain me. Want to head back to your room now?"
"Ah, that would be nice. Would you walk me back, ma'am?"
BB's face morphed into a playful pout, and she placed her hands on her hips.
"Now now, little one, don't go calling me ma'am! Do I look like some old hag to you? I'm not Scathach, you know!"
The little girl suddenly pointed at the space over BB's shoulder.
"What?"
"Umm… you might want to turn around."
Gae Bolg Alternative!!!!!
FGO players, let me know if I missed anything or got details wrong.
For those who feel like Abby's 6 sins are total bullshit... I agree. My headcanon is that Raum is just saying mostly random shit while doing horrible things to Abby's mind, which is why she took it so badly.
In other news, I'm probably going to split the finale of arc 1 into two chapters, 1.7 and 1.8. After that, y'all get to experience the, uh, experience that is 1.b(lades).
FGO players, let me know if I missed anything or got details wrong.
For those who feel like Abby's 6 sins are total bullshit... I agree. My headcanon is that Raum is just saying mostly random shit while doing horrible things to Abby's mind, which is why she took it so badly.
In other news, I'm probably going to split the finale of arc 1 into two chapters, 1.7 and 1.8. After that, y'all get to experience the, uh, experience that is 1.b(lades).
MysteriousTGexp
Ever changing being, genderbending fan.
- Location
- Quebec
... Bitch and Abby are going to be near each other? Not good! Dogs get really agressive when faced with the eldritch and Abby herself has confessed a dislike of dogs, to quite an extent. This will not end well.
Remnants 1.7
Remnants 1.7
"Alright everyone, listen up!" Aegis commanded as he faced the gathered Wards. Except for Vista and Gallant, everyone was still out of costume. "First off, I want to thank you all for assembling so quickly. I know most of us were in the middle of lunch, so I appreciate the hustle."
Vista looked around the room, counting heads. "Um… not to be the party pooper or anything, but I don't see Sophia. Should we portal her over?"
"Good catch, but no," responded Aegis. "I left her out of this on purpose. As for why, well..."
He cleared his throat.
"We've received reports indicating that the Undersiders are behind this little heist. Since Shadow Stalker has a bit of a… problem with Grue, I felt that calling her in would not be wise."
"Fair enough," said Clockblocker. "We sure as heck don't need stray bolts going up our butts today."
There was a murmur of agreement, and a few of the Wards cringed slightly.
Abigail raised her hand. "Excuse me, Carlos," she piped up. "But… the Undersiders? I think I read about them once, on that website Dean showed me. There was… something about them robbing a casino? That's all I really remember, though…"
"No worries," Aegis assured her. "I'm going to quickly brief everyone, especially since we have our newest member with us. Browbeat, you've fought some of the Undersiders before, right?"
The muscled teen nodded. "Yeah, fought Bi… uh, Hellhound, and that other guy with the Ren-faire outfit. Regent, I think."
"Hmm. In that case, feel free to correct me or fill in the blanks about those two. Anyway, the Undersiders are a group of four supervillains specializing in escape. We believe most of them are teenagers like us, but it's difficult to say. First on the list is Grue: he's a decently big guy, wears all black. His most notable feature is his skull-mask, and his power lets him make black smoke that obscures vision. It's likely that he can see through it himself, though."
Aegis paused for a few moments; when there were no questions, he forged ahead. "Next is Hellhound. She tends to wear a bulldog mask, but she's committed a number of crimes out of costume so we know her civilian identity: Rachel Lindt. Her power lets her turn dogs into giant monsters and control them."
Abigail gulped. "Uh… did you say dogs? M-monster dogs?!"
"Yeah… you alright there, Abby?"
She looked down at the table and shivered, as if overcome by a sudden chill. "I… um, I really, really don't like dogs."
"That's… unfortunate," hedged Aegis. "I was hoping you'd be willing to fight them, since you wouldn't need to worry too much about getting injured. If you don't want to deal with dogs, though, Clock and I should be able to handle them."
"...It's okay. If… if you need me to, I'll fight them. I don't want you or Dennis to get hurt because I was too scared."
"No need to force yourself. How about this: Clockblocker and I will face Hellhound, but with your enhancement. That way, we should be able to take the dogs down easily. Only if we somehow fail, then you step in. Sound good?"
Abby nodded shakily. "I can do that, I think. It's just… if I do fight them, I can't promise I'll hold back."
"Well, you probably shouldn't hold back against the dogs anyway," Browbeat commented. "They're big as cars and tough as hell… plus they barely even look like dogs after the transformation. Hellhound is also known to be extremely violent, and that definitely rubs off on her dogs. They won't hold back against you, so treat them in kind."
"Just don't hit Hellhound herself too hard," added Vista. "Even if she's out for blood, we're not going to stoop to her level. We're not killers."
Not killers. Right.
Abigail simply nodded again, and glanced at Aegis to prompt him to continue.
Aegis nodded back with a comforting smile. "Number three would be Regent, then. To be completely honest, I have no idea what his powers are. Browbeat?"
The newest Ward shifted in his seat. "I only fought him once, and Hellhound did most of the work back then. But… I think he might have some sort of weak Master power. There were times during the fight when my body just didn't respond normally. Like, I found myself tripping randomly, or my arm would twitch when trying to throw a punch. No idea exactly what happened though; I could have been imagining things."
"No worries, any info's still helpful," remarked Aegis. "And that just leaves Tattletale. Her name suggests a Thinker power, but that's all I've got. Any takers?"
The rest of the assembled Wards shook their heads.
"Alright, so we've covered Grue and Hellhound, but Regent and Tattletale are still mostly unknowns. I figured as much earlier, which is why I've gathered us all: I think we should deploy as a team. Our greater numbers will let us take them down."
"Uh, Chief? You do realize that even the Protectorate couldn't capture them, right?" asked Clockblocker. "Maybe we should invite backup?"
Aegis conceded with a nod in Clock's direction. "Fair point. I've already contacted Armsmaster, however. He said the Protectorate members are attending a social event at the Augustus Country Club, and that we shouldn't disturb them unless their help becomes absolutely necessary. In other words, he thinks we can handle this ourselves."
"Crap, the whole Protectorate? How'd they convince both Armsmaster and the new guy to go?"
"Who knows?" Kid Win asked rhetorically. "But at least Silver Key can make a portal to the club for help in a pinch, right?"
"Yeah…" Abby responded, placing one hand on her chin in thought. "I think I remember visiting the place on my tour of the city… oh! It was where Victoria bought chocolate mousse for me!"
At the mention of Victoria's name, Gallant suddenly stiffened. "Shi-, uh, shoot," he cursed. "Victoria and I were going on a date later today, and she told me… well, uh, I think Amy's at the bank right now. If she hasn't heard already, I'd better give Vicky a call."
"...I suppose that takes care of backup," Aegis agreed as Gallant pulled out his phone and started dialing. "Let's go over the situation and our plan. From what we know so far, there are thirty or so hostages being kept in the lobby. Grue's power is preventing anyone from seeing the building's interior, but it should be safe to assume the hostages will remain unharmed as long as we don't make any rash moves."
Abigail gave her leader a determined grin. "We'll save them, right?" she asked Aegis. "Make sure the villains won't get the chance to hurt them?"
Aegis smiled in return. "That's the idea. We also want to capture the Undersiders, to prevent them from doing something like this again. Make sense?"
Abby bobbed her head in confirmation.
"So here's the plan. First, we deploy on the street in front of the bank via portal. Going directly inside would be a bad idea -- don't want to spook 'em and get hostages hurt. Once everyone's through, Silver Key can bring in a PRT squad to set up a perimeter while the rest of us get into position in front of the main doors."
He brought up a diagram on one of the console's monitors, showing a bird's eye view of the bank. "We'll assemble here," he continued, drawing an arc on the image, "and wait for the Undersiders to attempt their escape. We'll need one or two people to watch the back entrance."
"I think Vicky can help us there," Gallant said as he looked up from his call. "She says she's on her way now, and she can cover us from the roof."
"Great. In that case, we'll need me and Clockblocker in the center to take on the inevitable escape rush from Hellhound's dogs. Hmm… now that's an idea. Clock, what do you think about us switching costumes?"
"Playing a little prank on them? I like it!" answered a smirking Clockblocker. "That should let us take at least one dog out of action before they can react."
"Awesome, it's settled then. Clock and I will take point, while Silver Key and Vista will provide support and battlefield control. Kid Win and Gallant, you're also on ranged support. Browbeat, since this is your first real mission as a Ward, you can choose to either stay further out as backup or join me and Clock at the center."
"I'll stay to the side, if you don't mind," Browbeat replied. "I can protect the girls… well, protect Vista, since Silver Key probably doesn't need my help."
Abby giggled as Vista crossed her arms and huffed. "Neither of us are babies," she said as she fixed Browbeat with a glare. "We can both protect ourselves."
"Right, right. No need to get mad, it was just a suggestion." Browbeat raised his hands in surrender.
Aegis clapped his hands together to interrupt. "Any objections to the plan? If not, let's suit up and head out!"
As the Wards went to retrieve their costumes, Abigail felt her heart leap in her chest.
Today… I get to be a hero!
-------- <O> --------
The cold rain splashed against her clothes as Abby took her position, towards the side of the line of Wards. She peered at the tall, narrow windows of the bank; dark distortions seemed to crawl over them like tendrils of ghostly ivy. Grue's power, she reasoned.
She was thankful for Eric's foresight in making her leotard waterproof. Despite her powers giving her clothes enhanced toughness, her dress was already soaked through.
Glory Girl descended from the sky, and perched on the roof by one of the stone gargoyles. She and Gallant exchanged a quick wave, then the white-clad heroine moved towards the rear of the building to watch the emergency exit.
They waited for several tense minutes. Abigail glanced around at her teammates, and saw most of them nervously fidgeting. Vista, despite her age, seemed the most calm and collected.
Abby tried her best to imitate her friend's confidence.
My team is counting on me! I have to do my best!
Suddenly, the bank's doors slammed open to reveal darkness so absolute, Abby thought she was looking into the void of space. A moment later, a group of hostages stumbled through.
Clockblocker, in Aegis' costume, stared in mute surprise. He turned to Aegis, who made a frantic 'get down' gesture. Clockblocker took a moment to make sense of his leader's signal before he turned back to the hostages and bellowed, "Everyone leaving the bank! Get down on the ground now!"
Just as he gave the order, darkness occluded the bank's entrance and flooded into the street. As the smoke-like substance approached, Abigail had to leap back to avoid being caught.
"Vista, Silver Key, you're up!" shouted Clockblocker, maintaining his impression of Aegis.
Abby obliged, placing her hands together and channeling her power. She prayed for the hostages' safety, and voiced a wish to grant her friends the strength to protect the innocent.
Her prayer was answered, as these sorts always were -- just not by the God she would have preferred.
The Wards collectively glowed with a soft purple aura, as if bathed in unnatural flame.
At the same time, space twisted as the street and sidewalks were bent into a semicircle, enclosing the clouds of darkness.
The crackling of static in her earpiece caught Abby's attention. "Alright everyone, we've got about three minutes before this wears off," Aegis whispered into the comms. "Get ready."
Everyone shifted into position, and waited.
And waited.
…
"Crap. I'm guessing Tattletale really is a Thinker, since there's no way they could've known about the time limit on our enhancements."
"Maybe it was too obvious?" came Kid Win's voice. "I mean, why wait to use a power-up if it doesn't have a time limit?"
"Damn, didn't think of that. Thanks Kid, we'll need to consider that next time. Silver Key, how long before you can use your ability again?"
Abby pressed a hand to the mic hidden in her scarf, then hesitated. "I'm… not sure. Another few minutes, maybe. I'll try again as soon as I can."
The idea that her prayers could be used like this always gave her pause. It felt wrong, dishonest.
...But if it'll keep my friends safe...
She rubbed her forehead to clear her mind, and re-focused on the bank's entrance.
Another minute passed, and the ethereal purple glow began to fade.
Moments later, a massive beast burst from the darkness, with a much smaller figure astride its back. Bony growths twisted across its body to form wicked spikes and armor, while exposed muscle was visible through the gaps.
Abigail thought it looked like something straight out of hell.
So that's why they call her Hellhound...
The beast was followed by a second monster, and…
...Is that a cloud of insects?!
She didn't have time to contemplate this new development, however. The beast carrying a rider charged straight at Clockblocker, with the swarm in tow.
The second dog-monster turned and made a beeline for her.
No no no…!
As Abby took a step back in fright, space suddenly expanded in front of her. The monster continued its charge unabated, but was now so far away that Abby could barely hear its heavy footfalls.
She glanced at Vista, and the heroine gave Abby a quick thumbs up before resuming her efforts to keep the darkness at bay.
Thanks, Missy!
Abby used the breathing room to assess the situation. She heard Clockblocker shout as he moved to engage Hellhound, while out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed Kid Win move in her direction.
Suddenly, the creature Hellhound was riding diverted its course and leapt for Aegis -- the real Aegis. Gallant ran to assist, while Clockblocker found himself in the midst of the insect swarm.
Yikes! So Hellhound figured out their trick? That's not good…
...And that means Aegis and Clock can't help me now.
She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself. Her focus shifted, and she locked eyes with the charging monster in front of her.
I just need to remember my training with Uncle, and with my new team!
Two lasers suddenly impacted the monster from the side, and Abby looked up to see Kid Win opening fire from a fair distance away. Unfortunately, his attacks didn't seem to have any effect.
"Heads up!" the Tinker shouted. "Move now if you want to get away from it!"
"I'll be alright!" she called back. "D-don't worry! I can take this one!"
The monster was now just twenty feet away from her.
With a cry she unleashed her own swarm, and dozens of indigo butterflies emerged from the fabric of her dress to surround Hellhound's dog. A series of small explosions rattled the beast, followed by a much larger blast of purple energy. Bone fragments flew through the air as the creature's armor was shredded.
Even so, the attack barely slowed it down.
That wasn't enough?!
The monster was now just a few paces in front of her, and Abby could smell blood and rotting meat on its breath. She gagged, and dematerialized her teddy bear.
She wasn't about to soil Hugo by using him to hit this abomination.
As the dog lunged, she shut her eyes tight, screaming in defiance. Memories of time spent training on another world came to the front of her mind. Instinctively, she allowed raw power to cover her arms.
The monster's jaws closed around her.
Still screaming, she lashed out. Enormous tentacles of hazy white light formed around her limbs, catching the dog by surprise. It made a horrible gurgling noise as one tentacle entered its mouth, destroying its fangs, while the second appendage slammed into the top of its head.
The dog crashed into the ground with a mighty crack. A crater formed in the pavement where its head had been violently forced down.
Abigail shouted again, and lifted the creature into the air. Her tentacles gripped the dog's upper jaw, and she flung the monster to the side as if it were a giant ragdoll.
As she released it from her grasp, an idea suddenly occurred to her. Something Armsmaster had helped her train with just a few days prior…
She opened a Gate next to the monster, lining up the opening with her throw's trajectory and widening it enough to fit the massive beast.
The dog flew straight into a PRT holding cell, where it slammed into the concrete floor with a pained cry. Containment foam sprayers immediately blasted it.
The monster struggled in vain, and snarled furiously as it was buried in a mountain of foam. Abigail closed the portal, a savage grin briefly flickering across her face.
She quickly stamped it out.
No! I won't give in, not now!
Abigail allowed the tentacles on her arms to dissipate into motes of light as she backed away from the scene. She pressed a hand against the front of her dress, and gently grasped the silver cross pendant that rested just underneath the fabric.
"I am not a monster. I am a hero. My power… will be used to save people. Not hurt them."
As she whispered to herself, Abby took slow, deep breaths to regain her composure. She forced down the part of her that felt a raw, visceral joy at witnessing the dog's pain, and locked it away in the deepest recesses of her mind.
Her resolve strengthened, she looked around for her teammates to see if they needed help.
-------- <O> --------
Aegis and Gallant were still struggling with Hellhound and another two dogs. Clockblocker was nowhere to be found, and the area where he had previously been standing was filled with Grue's darkness. Closer to Abby's position, Vista was still busy warping the battlefield to keep the darkness away from the rest of the team.
"That was awesome!" came Kid Win's voice. Abigail looked up to see that the Tinker had deployed an absolutely enormous gun, which he was using to blast the swarm of insects. "You're not the only one with new stuff to show off though!"
His bravado came to an abrupt end as flies entered his mouth. He gagged and coughed a few times, but gave Abby a grin regardless. "Go help Aegis! I think Gallant's power isn't working right on Hellhound, so they could use someone else's support. I'll keep the bugs off your backs!"
Abigail gave him a quick nod, and dashed off. As she sprinted, she ran a quick headcount… then realized that she had forgotten about Browbeat. She scanned the street again, but found no sign of the newest Ward.
She was startled from her thoughts by a furious scream.
"Heads up!" came Aegis' voice over the comms. "Hellhound's heading straight for Silver Key! Kid Win and Vista, can you provide support?"
"Negative!" Kid Win responded. "The bug-user keeps harassing me, I can't aim with the swarm blocking my view!"
"I can try to trip the dogs, or at least disorient them," Vista hedged, "But Hellhound's weaving in and out of the darkness, and it's hard for me to predict her movements. Silver Key, what did you do to the other dog?"
"I, uh, threw it into a PRT cell. I can try that again, but-"
"WHERE'S ANGELICA? THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO HER?!"
Abigail was forced to dive out of the way as Hellhound and her mount suddenly charged out of the nearest cloud of darkness. The bulldog-masked villain snarled at Abby, then whistled a command.
The dog turned and swiped with one of its forepaws. Abby was forced to dodge out of the creature's range, putting her back to the wall of shadows.
Reluctantly, Abigail infused her arms with power again, manifesting the ghostly white projections. As she settled into a defensive stance, tentacle-clad arms raised in front of her, there was a loud crash from the direction of the bank.
"Glory Girl just entered the building!" Gallant's voice rang out over the comms. "She's gonna engage the remaining Undersiders and get the hostages out. Let's wrap up out here; I think we can win this!"
Moments after he finished speaking, Abby saw him collapse as his right leg buckled for no apparent reason. The darkness washed over his twitching form before Aegis could make an attempt to grab him.
"DON'T IGNORE ME!"
Abby squeaked in surprise as the dog lunged at her. Another forepaw swipe was intercepted by her tentacles, and she countered with a two-handed overhead strike. The monster took the hit on its grotesquely spiky head, blood and bone flying everywhere.
In retaliation, the creature suddenly swung its tail out, attempting to ensnare Abigail with the serpentine appendage. Abby reacted by opening a Gate when the tip of the tail was inches from her face.
Hellhound cried out in pain as she took the blow instead, the portal's other end having opened just behind her. The dog-monster roared and began retracting its tail.
Too slow.
Abigail felt a heart-pounding exhilaration as she snapped the Gate shut with the dog's tail still threaded through. Blood spurted from the stump, making the creature let loose a deep, rumbling growl. Hellhound shouted another enraged command, and the dog retreated back a few paces.
No, no, not again!
...Why can't I control myself around dogs?!
Shaking like a leaf, she buried the disgusting pleasure that came with inflicting harm on the creature before her.
Then the dog charged again.
She raised her arms to catch the blow-
-only for Hellhound to whistle, and the dog to immediately leap away in response. Abby suddenly felt an odd sensation in her left leg, as if something was building up inside of it.
She shook it off by coursing power through her limb, keeping her focus on the monster and rider in front of her.
Moments later, there was a sudden sharp pain in the other leg.
She gasped in surprise, and looked down to see…
...What is that…?
An oddly shaped projectile, about the size of a pen's cap, was stuck to the back of her lower leg. Colorful red fletching emerged from one end, while the other appeared to be embedded in her skin. Abby quickly yanked it out as she whirled around to find the shooter.
She came face-to-face with a figure in a gaudy white shirt and mask, wielding a scepter in one hand and a pistol in the other. The person -- Regent, she assumed -- gave her a jaunty wave as he holstered the gun and walked backwards into the darkness.
Before the teen villain could slip completely into Grue's inky black veil, Abigail opened a Gate underneath his feet. Regent seemed to anticipate this, however; he dove backwards and out of sight just as the shimmering light appeared beneath him.
The last she saw of him was his free hand, middle finger extended towards the sky.
Abigail ignored the provocation and faced back towards Hellhound… only to find that villain and dog alike had both vanished.
And that the black smoke had nearly surrounded her.
"Silver Key, get out of there!" Vista shouted through the comms. "I think Hellhound's trying to ambush you!"
Heeding the advice of her friend, Abby slipped through a Gate to her initial position from the start of the battle.
"Thanks," Abby said, giving the green-visored girl a sheepish smile. "Got distracted there for a bit."
Vista responded with a thumbs-up. "Sorry I couldn't keep the darkness off your back. Regent and Hellhound got in the way of my power."
"No problem! Your warning was enough. Is there anything I can do to help the others?"
Before Vista could reply, Abby suddenly slumped forward and landed on her knees.
Ughh… what…?
"You alright there?!" Vista asked in alarm. "Silver Key? Hang on, I'm coming to help!"
Abby looked down at the dart still held in her hand, then examined the spot where she had been struck. A tiny bead of blood trickled down from the wound -- somehow, the object had pierced her skin. She took a closer look at it, and found a small half-inch needle at the tip that glowed a faint blue.
This is... a tinkertech needle?
A faint memory surfaced of the medical exam on her first day in this world, and the instrument the doctors used to draw her blood.
She was startled from her thoughts by a gentle shaking motion, and looked up to see Vista giving her a concerned look.
"Shit, they shot you with some kind of tranquilizer? I think I recognize that dart, it's a piece of older tech that Dragon used to give the PRT."
As Abby nodded sluggishly, Vista sighed and kneeled down to give her a shoulder to lean on. "Here, rest for a bit. The drowsiness should wear off in a few hours."
"... I'm not very sleepy, though," Abigail remarked. "Just feeling kinda sore all over, like I ran a really long race."
"Huh. Well, maybe you're resisting the effects somehow. Stay here with me until you feel better; the rest of us can handle the fight."
Vista gave her a reassuring smile, then shifted slightly to keep her eyes on the battlefield.
For her part, Abby decided to lounge against her friend's shoulder. It was surprisingly comfortable.
Fatigue overcame her, and she drifted off…
...For less than a minute, until she was rudely awakened by the sound of a charging monster dog.
Her ear bud crackled to life. "Girls, move!" shouted Aegis. His voice sounded raspy, as if he had inhaled a lungful of smoke.
Abigail felt Vista grab onto her and valiantly haul her along. A blink, and the two were suddenly on top of a nearby building. Frustrated growls sounded from beneath them, followed by dull vibrations as the monster slammed into the concrete structure.
"Nice save. Kid Win and I will handle it from here, just keep the darkness off our backs!"
As Aegis' voice faded out, Abigail blinked and looked up at the frowning face of her friend.
"...Hey, Vista. Um, you can let go now."
"Oh, sorry. You sure you can stand?"
"I think so," Abby replied as she wobbled to her feet. "I'm feeling a lot better now, the soreness is mostly gone."
Vista smiled briefly before returning to her vigil over the street below. "Sounds good. Don't move too much yet, though. You might want to sit out the rest of the fight."
"...Just give me another minute. I can keep going!"
That inspired a small snort, but Vista offered no further commentary.
Kid Win's voice came through. "Hey, don't you think it's been awhile since Glory Girl entered the bank? What's happening in there?"
"No idea," was Aegis' response. "If Gallant were still up and fighting we might be able to call her, but…"
Abigail perked up. "Aegis! Let me go inside the bank! If Victoria needs help, I can grab the hostages and move them outside!"
"Are you absolutely sure you're fine now?" Vista asked. "You were exhausted just a minute ago!"
"I'm feeling great, really!" To demonstrate, Abby hopped up and down a few times, then made a single butterfly orbit her head. "Not sore anymore, I can fight now."
"...If you're really feeling up to it, then I guess taking a peek won't hurt," Aegis said. "Can you enter discreetly? It would be a bad idea to scare whoever's in there and endanger the hostages."
"Yeah, I'll enter from the roof -- I can see it clearly from up here. Heading in now!"
Abigail took a deep breath to strengthen her resolve, and formed a Gate to the bank's stone rooftop. She made sure to keep it far enough from the edge that the Undersiders on the ground wouldn't spot it.
A smile and thumbs-up were sent Vista's way as Silver Key hurried through the Gate.
-------- <O> --------
Abby snuck down the stairwell, listening intently. As she passed the doors on the second and third floors, she picked up soft murmuring and more than a few sobs.
So the hostages escaped up here? ...Then what's Victoria doing?
After another tense minute, she finally found the door leading into the lobby.
She pressed her ear against the thick wood, but couldn't make out a peep. Slowly, carefully, she turned the knob and slid the door open.
"...I'll make you a deal, Glory Hole. You go in the vault, lock yourself in, and I don't speak on the subject. I won't say the one sentence that tears your family apart."
Abby's eyes widened. Someone was… threatening Glory Girl?
She scanned the room, and quickly found the culprit. A blond girl in a skintight black-and-purple outfit was standing next to a desk, facing the New Wave heroine. The two had locked eyes, and neither appeared to notice Abigail enter. Another figure, with long black hair, a black bodysuit, and gray armor, was facing directly away from her.
Glory Girl grimaced, but held the villain's gaze. "I can't do that. I'm calling your bluff, and if I'm wrong, I'll face the consequences of whatever you say."
The black-haired person shifted slightly, and adjusted their hold on something. Abigail realized they were keeping another person in their grip.
...Amy! They've got a knife to Amy's throat!
She stifled a gasp as she carefully crept out through the doorway. A gnat landed on her nose, and she absently brushed it away.
The gray-armored figure suddenly stiffened.
"Tattletale." The voice was surprisingly feminine. "There's someone by the stairway."
The blond girl swiveled her head, and met Abigail's eyes. A wicked grin appeared on the villainess's face.
"Oh, look who wants to join the party! Why don't you come here, make yourself comfy?"
Abby gulped, then moved forward. She started to open a gate under Tattletale's feet-
-only for the other villain to press the knife harder against Amy's neck, making the healer whimper slightly. Creepy yellow lenses turned to look at Abigail, as if daring her to continue.
"Uh uh!" Tattletale teased, wagging her finger. "No tricks, or Panacea gets it. You don't want the friendly miracle worker getting hurt, right?"
"You bitch," spat Glory Girl. "When this is over, I swear I'll break the both of you."
Abby closed the Gate, and shakily walked over to Victoria.
The invincible heroine gave her a pained smile. "Hey kid. Sorry you had to see that. Thanks for showing up, but this is my problem to deal with. Go back and get the hostages out."
"Your problem, is it?" asked Tattletale. "You think the secret and the consequences have to do with you and your overzealous nature? They don't. They have to do with her."
A smug grin graced Tattletale's lips as she marked Amy's forehead with a laser pointer. "And don't think the little rising star of the Wards gets to leave so soon, either. Can't have random portals showing up and ruining our escape."
The villain sighed dramatically as she placed one hand on her hip. "Here's the deal. The two of you are gonna go to the vault and wait, while Bug and I take little sister here with us as insurance. Once we're gone, we'll drop her off somewhere safe for you to find her. How's that for a good deal, eh?"
"Fuck you," Amy growled. "How can we trust you? Your stupid team has-"
"Shut up," interrupted Bug. "You don't get to talk right now."
"Stop it!" Abigail shouted. The piercing gazes of both Undersiders focused on her. "Please don't hurt her anymore! Just leave her with us, and I promise we won't follow-"
"I promise! I promise!" Tattletale mocked. "Really? How old are you, anyway? No one here is stupid enough to fall for that. Now, enough with the chit-chat. Go on, get in the vault."
Abigail felt tears gather at the corners of her eyes. "You… you're just a bunch of bullies. Why do you want to hurt people like this?"
For whatever reason, Bug's knife seemed to lower just a fraction.
Amy certainly noticed, and took the opportunity to wrench herself out of the villain's grasp. Bug pulled the knife away in a panic to avoid slicing the girl's throat, and Amy stumbled away.
Not even a moment later, Glory Girl had closed the distance between herself and Tattletale. The purple-clad girl was shoved up against a wall, mouth covered by the wrathful heroine's palm.
In shock at the sudden turn of events, Abby didn't react until she heard the crack of a baton striking Amy's head.
No!
Abigail rushed forward, placing herself between Bug and the downed healer. Her move was proven unnecessary, however, as with a roar Glory Girl tossed Tattletale into the other Undersider and sent them both tumbling.
The white-clad heroine floated menacingly towards the villains. "Silver Key's right, you know," she said. Abigail felt some sort of power suffuse the room, causing Bug and Tattletale to start shivering. "You're just a bunch of schoolyard bullies. No one's gonna miss you when you get shipped off to the Birdcage."
Glory Girl paused to let the statement sink in. "That's right. You almost fucking killed my sister. Panacea. With my mom as the lawyer on the case, your chances of anything less than the Birdcage are about the same as you killing Alexandria."
Abigail almost missed the whispered response.
"Bugs. Swarm them."
Without warning, thousands of insects and spiders descended upon Abby. They crawled up from the floor, dropped from the ceiling, and buzzed through the air to cover her from head to toe in a writhing mass of tiny bodies.
She tried to scream, but it came out as a shrill squeak as the bugs forced her to shut her mouth. The critters were kept out of her eyes by her mask, but they surrounded her nostrils and covered her mouth, threatening to suffocate her if she moved an inch.
Abigail stood quaking in her silver boots as she tried to come up with a plan.
Glory Girl, fortunately, seemed to be unaffected.
"Idiots," the heroine's muffled voice came amidst the incessant buzzing, "I'm invincible."
New Wave's golden child was proven wrong a moment later when a gunshot went off, followed by the sounds of violent thrashing.
What? How?!
The bugs covering Abby's mask prevented her from seeing anything, but she felt a now-familiar sting as something pierced her left leg.
Not again… did they all bring darts?
She didn't dare ask the question aloud, of course. Instead, she began forming her own butterflies…
"Hold it right there, pipsqueak!" came Tattletale's voice. "Bug, uncover her eyes!"
The skittering insects obediently crawled away, freeing her vision-
-and treating her to the sight of Bug once again holding a knife at the unconscious Amy's throat.
"Look," Tattletale said. She sounded exhausted. "We've all had a long day. So just wait right there while the two of us head outside. We'll be taking Panacea to make sure you don't pursue us, okay?"
No no no! There has to be something I can do…
She began to charge her laser.
"Whoa, whoa! Settle down, kiddo!" Tattletale exclaimed. "Do you want to get Amy killed?"
The villain plastered another wicked grin on her face, though it seemed forced this time. "Tell you what. You turn off the forehead lightbulb, and I won't use my psychic powers to share your dirty secrets with the world. You catch my drift?"
...Psychic powers? No, it doesn't matter. I just need to keep her talking until one of my teammates can come help.
She started opening a Gate behind one of the desks, but stopped herself before the portal was noticed.
Ugh, if only I knew how the others were doing! I can't just open a portal to one of them, what if they're in a fight and one of the dogs comes through?!
She settled on making her 'forehead lightbulb' brighter.
"Suit yourself," Tattletale said with a shrug. "Let's see here… ooh, a religious girl, are you?"
Abigail unconsciously twitched, her arm reaching for her pendant.
"Hah, right on the money. Betcha your parents weren't happy when you got powers. 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live' and all that jazz, yeah?"
Abby stiffened, and had to keep herself from opening her mouth to shout at the other girl.
"Wait… that's not quite right. You hurt them, huh? Your parents? Yikes, that's gotta suck. No wonder you're living full time in the Wards HQ."
"Though the Williams' deaths were caused by a gun misfiring, and a wagon overturning… young Abigail's actions were always ultimately behind them."
Abby felt tears gather in her eyes.
"Had enough yet? Turn off the light show, and I promise I'll stop."
She clenched her fists, crushing several dozen bugs in the process. As the insect guts dripped from her fingers, she was suddenly overcome with fatigue and fell to one knee.
Tattletale rubbed her temples, as if nursing a headache. "Suit yourself. It'll only be a minute before the tranquilizer knocks you out anyway. Now where were we… aha! During the battle earlier, I couldn't help but notice you looked positively ecstatic while beating up Angelica. You're a real piece of work, aren't you?"
No, please no…
"I wonder… Do you enjoy hurting people? Do you enjoy hurting your friends?"
Purple lasers carved through rubble, forcing Robin Hood to flee his cover. The Ringmaster and his assistant desperately dodged scores of nightmarish tentacles. Nezha, bloody and battered, gripped her spear as she futilely charged forward.
And the Witch of Salem smiled through it all.
"Now that's actually rather disturbing. Your parents would call you a sinner, but I'm more inclined to call you a monster."
"Her sixth… sin is… barely worth mentioning…"
Violet light surrounded Abigail as she screamed.
-------- <O> --------
Before the two villains could react, Abigail moved. Her hand blurred as she reached through a Gate, wrenching the knife from Bug. She tossed it to the side, where the blade buried itself in the floor.
Insects and spiders streamed into her mouth and nostrils as she rose from her kneeling position, coursing raw power through her body to remove the fatigue.
She casually walked towards the Undersiders, and stopped in front of Tattletale.
"Wh- wha-? I d-don't understand…"
Abigail gave the girl her best vulpine grin.
Then, she exhaled violently, spewing insects all over the floor. Still smiling, she crushed down with her jaws.
Fluids dribbled from her mouth, and she spit a black, twitching mass at Tattletale's face.
The girl shivered in fear as dying insects splattered over her costume.
Abigail stared down at the helpless Tattletale, and she adjusted the grand witch's hat on her head.
"So we meet again, demon. How is it that you survived all this time?"
There was no answer. The girl merely continued to stare at Abigail's hate-filled crimson eyes.
More bugs crawled up Abigail's boots, and landed on her butterfly-themed ribbons.
"Hmph. Annoying."
With a wave of her hand, both Undersiders collapsed to the ground, twitching and screaming hysterically. The bugs streamed away and swirled around the room, forming impossible fractal patterns as they danced to eldritch harmonies.
"Still no words for your dear niece, Raum? Is your newest vessel really so pitiful?"
An enormous key, black as pitch and longer than she was tall, formed in Abigail's hand. She tapped it against the ground where
"You know, it's funny. A friend of mine once told me how people gain powers in this world."
She sneered down at the disgusting creature that lay at her feet. "They call it a trigger event. When someone goes through their worst nightmare, the most traumatic day of their life… they are blessed with power."
At the edge of her vision, she saw Glory Girl stumble to her feet, grab Amy, and fly out the opening in the wall.
"Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"
Abigail slammed the key into the ground with enough force to shatter the tile. The weapon was buried deep enough that it stood on its own, like an obsidian gravestone.
"I understand now, what you did. As you forced me to live my entire life on repeat, again and again, suffering endlessly."
She shook with building rage. "You set up the worst possible trigger, to give me the greatest possible power. Is that right?"
Silence.
"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION, DEMON! ANSWER ME!"
The thing at her feet finally spoke.
"P-please, I'm not… whoever you think I am. I never-"
"And now you beg for mercy? Disgusting. I expected more from you."
Abigail smiled again. It was cold, cruel.
"Perhaps now you realize your mistake. You wished to torment me with my sins, bring me to despair, so that I would bring forth a new God into this world. A God that would at last pass judgment upon the sinful masses."
She was vaguely aware of someone flying in through the hole in the bank's wall, but ignored the intrusion.
"Yet… you forgot to consider your own sins. And now…"
Her smile grew wider.
"...God's judgment is upon you."
She placed a silver heel atop the
"I will give you a moment to leave this vessel, so that I may spare her life."
"Silver Key, what are you doing?!"
"Hmph, as I thought. You would force me to take an innocent life, so that I may end yours."
Abigail trembled in anticipation, and gripped her key to steady herself.
"Raum. Demon who would be arrogant enough to call himself a god. You stand trial here today, for the sins of your past."
The
"You destroyed the lives of so many. You took my best friend from me. You made me into the monster I am today."
"Silver Key, stop! Please!"
"May the Lord grant you mercy, demon."
She increased the pressure on
"...Because I certainly won't."
"ABBY, STOP!"
...What?
...
That voice…? Missy?
...
Images flashed through her mind. Eating pancakes with her new friends. Laughing at jokes. Training with the team.
Comforting Missy, and being comforted in turn, as they each shared a story about their pasts.
Abigail stumbled back, removing her foot from Tattletale's head. Violet light engulfed her as her Witch's outfit vanished into aether.
She fell into Missy's waiting arms.
What… have I…
"It's okay, Abby. It'll all be okay."
As tears began to stream down her face, she was vaguely aware of a skull-masked man running into the room. He picked up the still-shivering Bug, and moved towards Tattletale; a glare from Missy gave him pause. Nearby, the injured Victoria coughed, making him turn and flee.
Abigail leaned into her friend's embrace and sobbed.
Lisa: looks at ascended Abby
Lisa's Shard: lol no, I'm out
Abby: waves hand
Inside Lisa's head: *metal music starts* I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROOOOOOAAACHING
As I mentioned over on SB, I'll be taking a 2-3 week hiatus to revise my plans for the upcoming arcs. See you next time in 2.1, where Abby gets some much-needed therapy!
Lisa's Shard: lol no, I'm out
Abby: waves hand
Inside Lisa's head: *metal music starts* I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROOOOOOAAACHING
As I mentioned over on SB, I'll be taking a 2-3 week hiatus to revise my plans for the upcoming arcs. See you next time in 2.1, where Abby gets some much-needed therapy!
Nitramy
Love! Snow! Really Magic
- Location
- Home of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage
Atonement 2.a(ftermath)
Atonement 2.a(ftermath)
"Vista, come in please."
Missy gulped in her chair outside the Director's office, watching as Kid Win exited with his head hung in dejection. Losing his Alternator Cannon had clearly done a number on his morale.
She gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder as he passed, then walked into Piggot's office for her own disciplinary review.
A uniformed guard shut the door behind her, and she sat down at the empty seat in front of the Director. The soft clattering of a keyboard alerted her to the presence of a secretary off to the side.
Vista did her best to meet the Director's eyes, despite her visor making such a gesture mostly meaningless. She couldn't help but shiver slightly at Piggot's steely gaze.
"Thank you for your patience," Piggot started. "I know you must be tired and itching to get back to your team, so I'll be blunt: you broke a whole slew of rules by shouting your teammate's civilian name in front of villains. The consequences are a week of console duty and mandatory education, plus a month on probation. This is not a small offense, and we are incredibly fortunate Silver Key has no immediate family members that you might have endangered. The lack of civilian witnesses helps as well, but I cannot stress enough how serious this offense is."
Vista looked down at the desk, trying to hide her irritation with the unfairness of it all. She felt her fists clench at her sides as tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
"I'd also like to thank you for your courageous actions today."
...What?
Taken by surprise, she looked up at the Director with a befuddled expression.
Piggot gave her a rare smile. "You heard me right. Despite what protocol says, I think you made the best possible choice. You were in a tough situation, with limited options, and you made a tough call. That's life, shit happens. If you didn't break the rules today, your friend would have become a murderer. So, thank you. You saved her from a lifetime of guilt, and saved our collective necks at the PRT from a media and legal nightmare."
Vista blinked away tears, then gave her own tentative smile as a mix of relief, pride, and embarrassment flooded through her.
"Unfortunately I can't waive your punishments for this offense, but I can do this: effective immediately, your pay, and yours alone, will not be reduced to compensate for the property damage. To be completely honest, out of all your teammates, I think you were easily the most heroic today."
"Thank you, ma'am," Vista replied softly. "...I couldn't have done it alone, though. Glory Girl was the one who flew me into the bank, even with her injuries. I think she collapsed as soon as she put me down; those bug bites must have really hurt. Not to mention everyone blacking out for a moment there… I think we were all a bit disoriented, but she and I managed to gather ourselves pretty quickly."
"Noted," Piggot said with a curt nod. The portly woman glanced at her secretary. "We'll be sure to send the Dallons a formal thank-you letter… despite the damage she caused to the bank."
Vista winced slightly. "...If you don't mind me asking, what's gonna happen to Silver Key?"
Piggot's smile turned back into a frown. "I've reviewed the audio recordings with Armsmaster, and we've agreed to keep her under close observation for a while. We will be assigning PRT guards to accompany her at all times, and she'll be taken off patrols for the foreseeable future. Ordinarily we would place both her and Tattletale in M/S quarantine, but obviously we don't have a good way of keeping Silver Key in any kind of confinement. Plus, if Miss Dallon's testimony is to be believed, Silver Key was the one doing the Mastering. Regardless, confinement is the last thing your friend needs right now."
The Director sighed, and fixed her gaze on Vista. "After everyone on your team reported a momentary loss of consciousness, we have reason to believe that Silver Key second triggered. She'll need all the support she can get. So, I need to ask you for one more favor: can you continue to be her friend despite what you witnessed today?"
...Second triggered? But that means… oh God.
Vista nodded as she straightened her posture, doing her best to suppress her mounting horror. "Yes, Director. I'd do it even if you never asked. She's my friend, and I'm not going to let her down."
"Good, thank you. Just so you know, you won't be alone in this effort. I've reached out to see if we could get a therapist ahead of the typical rotation, and apparently Doctors Yamada and Sessyoin are available. One of them will be staying around for a bit to give Silver Key the help she needs."
The Director leaned back in her chair. "Additionally, we are… accelerating the process of finding her a civilian family to stay with. I can't share any details at the moment, but I thought I'd let you know. It would probably be better if she heard this news from you instead of a stranger in a suit."
Vista allowed herself a small smile. "That… sounds great! I'll let her know next time I see her. Um… will I get to talk to her later today?"
"Hopefully," Piggot reassured her. "She is currently undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, but I believe she'll be cleared to return in a few hours."
Piggot cleared her throat before continuing. "I suppose I should mention that over the next few weeks, she'll be rotated between here and the PHQ so Armsmaster and Dragon can use their tech for examinations. However, whenever she's around, we won't restrict her interactions with you or any of the other Wards."
"I… thank you, ma'am. I hope we can help her work through this..."
"As do I. You're dismissed, go get some rest. Take care of your friend."
"Right. Thank you again, Director."
Vista rose, gave Piggot one more hesitant smile, and walked out of the office.
-------- <O> --------
Deep within the bowels of the Protectorate Headquarters, the girl called Lisa Wilbourn sat on her cot within an isolated cell.
She took a deep breath as she went over the situation in her head.
Door is outfitted with a keypad-operated lock. Lock can be overridden with a master key if the internal batteries fail. Panel at the bottom of the door opens to allow food and toiletries into the room.
Psychiatrist visits once per day. Examination conducted in a nearby interview room; part of Master/Stranger protocols.
Guards patrol down this corridor once every hour. Pair of guards is always stationed at the elevator.
Hallway outfitted with containment foam sprayers. Deploy automatically if a prisoner escapes; have built-in motion sensors.
One of the guards is an ABB informant. Female, late 20s. Day shift only. Part of a plan to spring Lung from confinement.
Lung is two floors below me.
"Fuck."
She massaged her temples as she felt the beginnings of a headache. After clearing her thoughts, she got up and moved to the small window in her door to take another look at the slate-gray corridor outside. Two guards were walking on their hourly patrol, and they passed her cell just as she got to the window. One of them turned to glance at her before continuing on his way.
Suddenly, she doubled over, gripping her head and moaning.
An infinite expanse, tendrils weaving through the stars, eyes upon eyes upon eyes upon-
She stifled a scream, and divided her mind.
The Lisa currently suffering from visions was relegated to a 'secondary' headspace, where she could recuperate without causing stress to her body. The other Lisa resumed her train of thought.
Another guard is one of Coil's agents. Male, early 40s. Has been ordered to break me out during the chaos of Lung's escape. Has been ordered to kill me if my escape encounters parahuman resistance.
She sighed, then checked on Lisa number two to make sure the visions had subsided. Satisfied, she merged her two selves again. A wince accompanied the slight increase in pain.
As she made her way back to the cot, a not-so-distant memory surfaced…
Of her own screaming and whimpering as she lay helpless on the floor of the bank. Of the crack of a monstrous key as it slammed into the ground next to her head.
And of course, the utter surety that she was going to die, and that she had failed Taylor just as she had her brother.
But…
I'm alive. Against all odds, I survived.
She placed a fist over her heart and adopted a look of grim determination.
I will NOT die here!
Say hello to parallel-processing Tattletale! In case you were wondering exactly when she second-triggered, it was just a few moments after Abby slammed the giant key-staff down next to her head. It's why she took so long to answer Abby's question a few seconds after that.
As for her powers, I'll be exploring those in more depth in the future. For now, I can tell you that essentially, she creates a simulation of herself that exists solely within her Shard. She can choose how much info flows between the two Lisas, and can also shunt certain thought processes and/or Master effects off onto the simulation. It's what saved her from having her brain shorted out by Mass Hysteria B. Taylor, on the other hand, was able to use her bugs to partially offload the worst of the effects, even though the bugs were already under the 'spell' themselves.
Also, for those of you who noticed a certain name come up... do not fear, that was just a little easter egg. (Though I'm not going to completely write off the possibility of a Dr. Sessyoin making small appearances in the future.) Also, a reminder that non-powered non-corrupted Kiara was canonically a genuinely wonderful person and a talented therapist.
As always, be sure to give likes, comments, and critique!
As for her powers, I'll be exploring those in more depth in the future. For now, I can tell you that essentially, she creates a simulation of herself that exists solely within her Shard. She can choose how much info flows between the two Lisas, and can also shunt certain thought processes and/or Master effects off onto the simulation. It's what saved her from having her brain shorted out by Mass Hysteria B. Taylor, on the other hand, was able to use her bugs to partially offload the worst of the effects, even though the bugs were already under the 'spell' themselves.
Also, for those of you who noticed a certain name come up... do not fear, that was just a little easter egg.
As always, be sure to give likes, comments, and critique!
Bunkhead
Let's get down to business...
- Location
- Outside. Now!
*screams internally*
Also, a reminder that non-powered non-corrupted Kiara was replaced with she-who-must-not-be-thought-of.
Any Kiara is bad Kiara just waiting to activate her Trap Card.
I mean...yes? But also no, not really. Since you're doing this from F/GO's perspective, I'm assuming you're referring to the CCC collaboration event version (or at least, who she was before Zepar showed up), and she was certainly described as more genuine ("saintly") and such, but you have to keep in mind: it wasn't the Demon Pillar that turned her into Beast III/R, one of the Evils of Humanity; she did that to herself. That's just the kind of person she is. Yeah, Zepar "opened the door", so to speak, but the rest is still all her. If I didn't feel it would probably be extremely unlikely for her to be able to Trigger, given that she just really isn't able to 'give in' or even feel despair the way a normal person would, I'd fear for the future of this Earth Bet
Edit: Also, forgot to mention: Abby is one of my favorite Servants, so I'm rather happy to see this. Looking forward to seeing where you go with this.
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Garreon
Paldean Top Champion
- Location
- Mesagoza, Paldea
Fgo Kiara was replaced by Thotzilla because Zepar wanted to use her, so the Pillar basically overwrote the ego and memories of good Kiara with Extra Kiara's. In this case its a genuine tragedy that a good person, trying to do actual good, was destroyed.
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Well, it was more like 'linked' than 'overwrote', but yeah. Long and short of things; don't give Kiara power, she'll go crazy with it. She's on her best behavior when she's just a normal person, with no extra bells of whistles.
Still, all these comments so far have been about an easter egg character (maybe), I'm a little curious what's gonna happen with Abby, now. Sure, they think she second triggered, but that's just something she can do in the end. They've already been getting a little bit suspicious, given just how different and varied her 'power set' is, and Cauldron is already starting to take notice, not to mention the general mayhem that is Brockton Bay in a nutshell. On one hand, Abby is "a kid", and thus probably 'shouldn't' have much impact on how things play out, but appearances are oft deceiving and, well, Earth Bet and Parahuman shenanigans usually say otherwise.
Atonement 2.1
Disclaimer: This chapter contains depictions of therapy. I am not a therapist, and have never been to therapy myself, so the scenes may not be reflective of actual therapy.
"So, in summary, you can summon tentacle-like projections, temporarily drive opponents to madness, and create a key-shaped staff out of thin air... And you've always had these powers?"
Abigail nodded glumly.
How did it come to this?
"Yes, Mr. Armsmaster. I just… really don't like using them. I'm sorry I hid all this from you…"
The Protectorate hero sighed. "Very well. Let's stop here for now; we'll continue again tomorrow after I've prepared my equipment for power testing. Go get lunch. You have a therapy session with Yamada at 1:30, don't be late."
"I… okay. Thank you, sir. Um, may I ask a favor before I go?"
Armsmaster nodded. "I suppose so. What is it?"
"...Will I be allowed to see Tattletale? I'd… like to apologize to her. Please?"
There was a beat of silence as Armsmaster stared at Abigail, seemingly dumbfounded. "Apologize? That's… noble of you, I guess. But no. We can't grant you access to prisoners, especially her. Please understand, you've basically admitted to mastering her; further contact would be… problematic, at best."
"Mastering? ...Ah. You mean the madness…"
"Exactly. As I've told you already, you need to be very careful with that in the future. It would be better if you refrained from using that ability at all, if possible. Master powers are… frowned upon, to put it lightly. If word gets out that you're capable of such things…"
Abby clasped her hands in front of her chest. "I swear I won't use it again. At least, not intentionally. I… can't promise anything about the Witch, though. Sorry."
"And that," Armsmaster stated, "is something you should talk to your therapist about."
Abigail nodded again, wincing in anticipation at the reminder of her upcoming meeting with this 'therapist.'
A time to talk about… everything. My… trigger. The Witch.
She shuddered.
I don't think I'm ready for that. Not with anyone other than Ritsuka, at least.
Abby slowly rose from her seat, taking care to nestle Hugo in her left arm. "...If it's alright, could you deliver my apology for me? I know Tattletale's a villain and all, but I-"
Armsmaster interrupted her with a raised hand. "I'll see what I can do. I won't make any promises, but if it doesn't violate protocol, then I may be able to get your message through. Now, hurry to lunch. We've spent enough time here as is."
A small but earnest smile graced Abby's lips.
"Thank you!"
An hour later, Abigail walked into a spacious office near the top of the PRT building. Framed paintings hung from the walls, each portraying natural landscapes. To her right, a large window provided a rather nice view of the bay. At the center of the room sat a wooden coffee table, with a small plate of cookies and mint candies laid out. Two plush armchairs were arranged around the table; they both faced the window, but were angled in such a way that they also partially faced each other.
It was a rather… comfortable place, all things considered. Even so, Abby felt her heart rate quicken as she spotted the woman sitting in one of the chairs.
The woman gave her a smile. "Good afternoon, please come in and have a seat. I'm Jessica Yamada, your therapist for the next few weeks. You can call me Mrs. Yamada, or just Jessica if you'd prefer."
Abby simply nodded back as she fidgeted in place by the doorway. She swallowed, and finally worked up the courage to take the other chair for herself.
It was a very comfy armchair.
"Before we start, what should I call you? Are you more comfortable with your codename, or can I use your real name?"
"Um… please call me Abigail, or Abby. If that's okay, at least."
She received a nod from Yamada in response.
"I'm under oath not to share your secret identity, if that's what you're worried about," the therapist reassured her. "In any case, I generally prefer to use my patients' real names, as long as they're fine with me doing so. It lets these sessions feel less distant, less clinical. I want you to feel safe and comfortable talking to me, and I find it's usually easier when we can avoid the codenames. Anyway, enough of my rambling. It's a pleasure to meet you, Abby."
Abigail hugged Hugo close, and glanced warily at Yamada before looking down at the coffee table. "So… what are we supposed to do now?"
"We talk," answered the therapist. "Feel free to discuss anything you want, this time is yours. Oh, and please help yourself to the cookies and mints."
"...Thank you, ma'am," Abigail murmured. "I just had lunch though, so maybe I'll take some later."
"Certainly. How was lunch, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Oh, it was good! I had, um… I think it's called curry? Whatever the cafeteria was serving today."
Yamada leaned back in her chair and gave Abby a warm smile. "Yes, they were serving Japanese curry today. Quite the treat, I admit. It isn't too often that I see non-American food in PRT cafeterias."
Abby grinned back, some of her happiness from lunch rekindled. "Well, they've been cooking lots of interesting stuff lately. Mis… uh, I mean, Vista said that most of the new items are Japanese food. I don't really know the difference, but I've enjoyed everything I've eaten here so far!"
"That's good to hear; I'm glad you like trying different foods. Have Vista and your other friends been encouraging you to explore, break out of your comfort zone?"
Abby shifted her gaze slightly, not meeting Yamada's eyes. "I… guess you could say that…"
The therapist raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Would you like to tell me what's on your mind?"
"...Do I have to?"
"Not at all. We can keep talking about how you've been doing, keep it simple -- if that's what you'd prefer. But I do want you to consider opening up a bit, at least in the future. Once you start sharing your thoughts with me, I can start helping you."
Abigail sat quietly as she contemplated; Yamada waited patiently for a response.
I suppose… I have to start somewhere, right?
"...Almost everything I've done with the Wards has been… strange and new and a bit scary. But it's also been lots of fun."
Until yesterday.
She shook her head, as if to clear the dark clouds within her mind. "I hope everything will go back to normal soon."
Yamada leaned forward slightly, resting an elbow on one of her chair's cushioned armrests. "And what do you mean by that? What does 'normal' mean to you?"
Abby curled up in her chair, arms wrapped tight around her teddy bear. "I… just don't want to lose my friends. I was happy, sharing meals, laughing together, training with them..."
Yamada scribbled something on a small notepad. "I can't help but notice you said 'was.' Given what you've been through recently, I can understand why you might be upset. But… why are you scared you'll lose your friends?"
"If Miss Piggot told you what happened yesterday, then you… you know I tried to kill someone!" Abby cried, a note of despair entering her voice. "I-I've been a very bad girl! Will I… will I be allowed around the Wards, now? Everyone knows I'm a danger, and I might hurt someone by mistake, and I-"
"No one is taking your friends away from you, or keeping you from seeing them," the therapist consoled gently. "Take deep breaths, don't let panic control you. There we go, slow, deep breaths."
Once Abby had calmed down somewhat, Yamada continued. "Yes, the Director gave me an overview of what happened. I know that you had… an outburst, of sorts. But no one blames you; you've clearly been through a lot. Take your time, gather your thoughts. When you're ready to share, I'm here to listen."
"I… I don't know if I'll ever be ready," Abby confessed, blinking back tears. She gazed out the window, refusing to look directly at Yamada. "Maybe Tattletale was right. I was smiling! I was… enjoying the feeling of killing someone! Am I… am I a monster?"
"I can't say. But I can tell you this: I've seen monsters. Some might simply look monstrous, and others might express monstrosity through their thoughts and actions. Before I take this any further, let me ask you a couple questions."
Yamada put down her notepad and focused her gaze on Abby. "First, do you feel remorse over what you did?"
"Of course I do!"
The therapist nodded sagely. "Second, would you do the same thing again, if you had to relive the situation?"
"No. I… don't know what I'd do, exactly. I don't even know if I could have done anything differently. Maybe I'd lose control anyway. But… I would still try."
"Thank you, Abigail." Yamada picked her pen and notepad back up, and began writing again. "I like to think that everyone has the potential to be a monster. Some choose to follow the path to becoming one. Others do not. Some don't get a choice."
She paused to let Abigail process her words. "In your case… you regret what you did. You know it was wrong, and wouldn't do it again if you could choose. Those are not the thoughts of a monster. Sure, this doesn't change what you did… but you were in a state of extreme stress, and you wouldn't be the first person to lash out in the heat of the moment. So let me ask you now -- do you think you're a monster?"
Abby sniffled. "...I don't know. I want to say no, but if even m-my friends... Um, last night, after everything, Vista came to talk to me, and she said she wanted to help me too, but she seemed so scared, and I realized that maybe she should be scared and I shouldn't stay near her anymore and I-"
"Slow down, Abby," Yamada interrupted her. "You're hyperventilating again. Remember, deep, slow breaths. Panicking won't help you. Now, I want you to search your memory -- did Vista seem scared of you, or scared for you?"
"I'm... not sure," Abigail admitted. "Sorry, I just…"
"There's no need to apologize," Yamada said soothingly. "I spoke with Vista and Aegis yesterday, and I think they're more concerned for your well-being than anything else. Scared of you? Maybe a little, given what happened. But the impression I got from your teammates is that they just want you to be okay, and stay friends."
Abigail looked up in mute surprise, and blinked a few times before speaking. "They… they're not angry with me? They don't want me to go away?"
"No, of course not. Your teammates care about you, and no one I've spoken to wants to see you leave."
While Yamada scribbled on her notepad, Abby sniffled and wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her dress. "…I don't know what to say. Um, thank you for telling me, I guess…"
"Please, there's no need to thank me. Go spend time with your friends after this; let them know how you're feeling. They seem like very supportive people, from what I've seen."
Yamada paused for a minute to jot down more notes. When Abigail didn't speak, the therapist picked up the conversation.
"So, Abby. I know this must be hard for you. Should we continue, or do you want to wait until tomorrow, after you've taken some time to sort your thoughts?"
Abby uncurled herself, and rested her head against the chair's back. She let out a forlorn sigh.
"I… I think I want to keep going, if that's okay."
"Of course. I have more questions for you, then. Based on what I heard, listening to snippets from the bank incident yesterday, it seems like you're aware of what a trigger event is. In that case… have you heard of second triggers?"
"Second triggers? No, but I can guess…"
"A second trigger is when a parahuman has another trigger event, and develops new powers. They tend to require a… stressful situation similar to the original trigger in order to occur. It's very likely you went through one yesterday, and the event has understandably left you scared and confused. Does what happened make more sense, now?"
Abigail stared at her lap. "No. No, that's not it."
"What do you mean?"
"I, um, I just told Armsmaster earlier today, so I guess you haven't heard, but… I've always had those powers. What happened yesterday… has happened before."
Yamada blinked. "...Thank you for sharing that. It paints a different picture, I suppose…"
There was a beat of silence, punctuated only by the soft sound of pen on paper.
"I've read reports from the team of psychiatrists who saw you yesterday, and all of them noted a personality shift during your confrontation with Tattletale. Do you recall what happened, from your perspective?"
"...Yes. That was… the Witch."
"Hmm. That's what you told the doctors yesterday, as well. Abigail, how would you describe this… Witch? In your own words?"
"I… well, she's me. But also not me. The… thing, the false god that my powers come from, it mixes with me to form her, I think…"
"False god? That's an interesting theory about the origin of powers. Would you be able to clarify how you know this?"
Abigail nodded vigorously. "I… I've spoken with it, sort of. It's always there, in the back of my mind, always… watching. I just… don't know how to control it, and when I lose control of myself, it takes over. The Witch takes over."
Yamada frowned briefly, but schooled her expression into a comforting smile an instant later. She flipped to a different page of her notepad before responding. "Alright, let me see here. Abby, the psychiatrists gave you some preliminary diagnoses, including dissociative identity disorder. I initially thought this might be a good explanation for your 'split personalities' -- in this case, your 'normal self' and 'the Witch'. However, what you've told me today doesn't quite fit DID, or any of the doctors' other suggestions. I'm inclined to think we're dealing with something directly related to your powers."
Yamada put down her notepad again, and looked up at Abigail with a gentle smile.
"The good news is you're not alone: there are other parahuman patients in situations like yours, and therapists like myself are the best equipped to help you."
Abby gave the therapist a quizzical look. "Then… how? How do you help… people like me?"
"By discussing your thoughts and feelings, and allowing you to better understand yourself. Generally, we first want to determine what's causing your inner turmoil. Is it solely your powers? Is it memories from your trigger, or perhaps from before then? In your case, we would also need to look more closely at your split personalities -- figure out how this 'Witch' thinks, what makes her distinct from you… if she's truly distinct at all. It will not be easy, but we can take it slow. We have time."
Abby hesitated for a beat, then nodded. "I… I don't know if this will work. But I'm willing to try."
Yamada smiled, and reached into a large purse by her side. "That's all I ask. Here, I have some things to give you."
She pulled out a small book outfitted with a locked clasp and a key. She placed it, along with some pens, on the coffee table in front of Abigail.
"Starting today, I want you to use this diary. You don't need to share what you write with anyone, even me, but I encourage you to record as much as you can about your memories, desires, motivations… and most importantly, what you know about the Witch. Do you think you can do that?"
Abigail reached out and picked up the diary. She unlocked it with a soft click, and took a few seconds to flip through the pages. "I'll give it a try. Thank you, Mrs. Yamada."
"Of course. I hope this prompts you to reflect on yourself, and maybe you'll be willing to share with me in the future. One more thing, then, before we end today's session -- do you enjoy any creative activities? Art, music, or dancing, perhaps?"
"Um, I like drawing, sometimes. Why?"
"There's a technique called creative therapy that I'd like to try. Here, these are also for you."
This time, Yamada retrieved a box of colored pencils from her bag, along with a sketchpad. "When you can't think of something to write in your diary, I suggest you try drawing. You can just doodle anything, really; whatever comes to mind at the moment. Save what you create, even if you feel it doesn't look pretty. We can take a look at your drawings during our sessions, and if you're comfortable you can even share them with your friends. How's that sound?"
"...I can do that. Thank you for the gifts…"
"No need to thank me. Now, we are at the end of our scheduled time, so please use tonight to review what we discussed. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"
Abigail managed a small, hesitant smile. "Okay. I'll do my best. It was… nice talking to you, Mrs. Yamada."
The therapist returned the smile, and helped Abby out of her chair. After gathering the various items -- plus some cookies and mints -- in a small bag, Yamada guided her to the door.
"Remember, we'll have sessions every day except Sundays for the next few weeks. But if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll generally be in my office just across the hall from here. You can also find my phone number on a card inside that bag. Please feel free to visit or call whenever."
Blinking back a tear, Abby accepted the offer with a nod.
"Well, off you go. Your friends should be in by now, go spend some time with them if you want."
"I think… that would be nice. See you tomorrow!"
Abigail squeezed Yamada's hand, gave one more smile in thanks, and ran off down the hall.
Atonement 2.1
"So, in summary, you can summon tentacle-like projections, temporarily drive opponents to madness, and create a key-shaped staff out of thin air... And you've always had these powers?"
Abigail nodded glumly.
How did it come to this?
"Yes, Mr. Armsmaster. I just… really don't like using them. I'm sorry I hid all this from you…"
The Protectorate hero sighed. "Very well. Let's stop here for now; we'll continue again tomorrow after I've prepared my equipment for power testing. Go get lunch. You have a therapy session with Yamada at 1:30, don't be late."
"I… okay. Thank you, sir. Um, may I ask a favor before I go?"
Armsmaster nodded. "I suppose so. What is it?"
"...Will I be allowed to see Tattletale? I'd… like to apologize to her. Please?"
There was a beat of silence as Armsmaster stared at Abigail, seemingly dumbfounded. "Apologize? That's… noble of you, I guess. But no. We can't grant you access to prisoners, especially her. Please understand, you've basically admitted to mastering her; further contact would be… problematic, at best."
"Mastering? ...Ah. You mean the madness…"
"Exactly. As I've told you already, you need to be very careful with that in the future. It would be better if you refrained from using that ability at all, if possible. Master powers are… frowned upon, to put it lightly. If word gets out that you're capable of such things…"
Abby clasped her hands in front of her chest. "I swear I won't use it again. At least, not intentionally. I… can't promise anything about the Witch, though. Sorry."
"And that," Armsmaster stated, "is something you should talk to your therapist about."
Abigail nodded again, wincing in anticipation at the reminder of her upcoming meeting with this 'therapist.'
A time to talk about… everything. My… trigger. The Witch.
She shuddered.
I don't think I'm ready for that. Not with anyone other than Ritsuka, at least.
Abby slowly rose from her seat, taking care to nestle Hugo in her left arm. "...If it's alright, could you deliver my apology for me? I know Tattletale's a villain and all, but I-"
Armsmaster interrupted her with a raised hand. "I'll see what I can do. I won't make any promises, but if it doesn't violate protocol, then I may be able to get your message through. Now, hurry to lunch. We've spent enough time here as is."
A small but earnest smile graced Abby's lips.
"Thank you!"
-------- <O> --------
An hour later, Abigail walked into a spacious office near the top of the PRT building. Framed paintings hung from the walls, each portraying natural landscapes. To her right, a large window provided a rather nice view of the bay. At the center of the room sat a wooden coffee table, with a small plate of cookies and mint candies laid out. Two plush armchairs were arranged around the table; they both faced the window, but were angled in such a way that they also partially faced each other.
It was a rather… comfortable place, all things considered. Even so, Abby felt her heart rate quicken as she spotted the woman sitting in one of the chairs.
The woman gave her a smile. "Good afternoon, please come in and have a seat. I'm Jessica Yamada, your therapist for the next few weeks. You can call me Mrs. Yamada, or just Jessica if you'd prefer."
Abby simply nodded back as she fidgeted in place by the doorway. She swallowed, and finally worked up the courage to take the other chair for herself.
It was a very comfy armchair.
"Before we start, what should I call you? Are you more comfortable with your codename, or can I use your real name?"
"Um… please call me Abigail, or Abby. If that's okay, at least."
She received a nod from Yamada in response.
"I'm under oath not to share your secret identity, if that's what you're worried about," the therapist reassured her. "In any case, I generally prefer to use my patients' real names, as long as they're fine with me doing so. It lets these sessions feel less distant, less clinical. I want you to feel safe and comfortable talking to me, and I find it's usually easier when we can avoid the codenames. Anyway, enough of my rambling. It's a pleasure to meet you, Abby."
Abigail hugged Hugo close, and glanced warily at Yamada before looking down at the coffee table. "So… what are we supposed to do now?"
"We talk," answered the therapist. "Feel free to discuss anything you want, this time is yours. Oh, and please help yourself to the cookies and mints."
"...Thank you, ma'am," Abigail murmured. "I just had lunch though, so maybe I'll take some later."
"Certainly. How was lunch, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Oh, it was good! I had, um… I think it's called curry? Whatever the cafeteria was serving today."
Yamada leaned back in her chair and gave Abby a warm smile. "Yes, they were serving Japanese curry today. Quite the treat, I admit. It isn't too often that I see non-American food in PRT cafeterias."
Abby grinned back, some of her happiness from lunch rekindled. "Well, they've been cooking lots of interesting stuff lately. Mis… uh, I mean, Vista said that most of the new items are Japanese food. I don't really know the difference, but I've enjoyed everything I've eaten here so far!"
"That's good to hear; I'm glad you like trying different foods. Have Vista and your other friends been encouraging you to explore, break out of your comfort zone?"
Abby shifted her gaze slightly, not meeting Yamada's eyes. "I… guess you could say that…"
The therapist raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Would you like to tell me what's on your mind?"
"...Do I have to?"
"Not at all. We can keep talking about how you've been doing, keep it simple -- if that's what you'd prefer. But I do want you to consider opening up a bit, at least in the future. Once you start sharing your thoughts with me, I can start helping you."
Abigail sat quietly as she contemplated; Yamada waited patiently for a response.
I suppose… I have to start somewhere, right?
"...Almost everything I've done with the Wards has been… strange and new and a bit scary. But it's also been lots of fun."
Until yesterday.
She shook her head, as if to clear the dark clouds within her mind. "I hope everything will go back to normal soon."
Yamada leaned forward slightly, resting an elbow on one of her chair's cushioned armrests. "And what do you mean by that? What does 'normal' mean to you?"
Abby curled up in her chair, arms wrapped tight around her teddy bear. "I… just don't want to lose my friends. I was happy, sharing meals, laughing together, training with them..."
Yamada scribbled something on a small notepad. "I can't help but notice you said 'was.' Given what you've been through recently, I can understand why you might be upset. But… why are you scared you'll lose your friends?"
"If Miss Piggot told you what happened yesterday, then you… you know I tried to kill someone!" Abby cried, a note of despair entering her voice. "I-I've been a very bad girl! Will I… will I be allowed around the Wards, now? Everyone knows I'm a danger, and I might hurt someone by mistake, and I-"
"No one is taking your friends away from you, or keeping you from seeing them," the therapist consoled gently. "Take deep breaths, don't let panic control you. There we go, slow, deep breaths."
Once Abby had calmed down somewhat, Yamada continued. "Yes, the Director gave me an overview of what happened. I know that you had… an outburst, of sorts. But no one blames you; you've clearly been through a lot. Take your time, gather your thoughts. When you're ready to share, I'm here to listen."
"I… I don't know if I'll ever be ready," Abby confessed, blinking back tears. She gazed out the window, refusing to look directly at Yamada. "Maybe Tattletale was right. I was smiling! I was… enjoying the feeling of killing someone! Am I… am I a monster?"
"I can't say. But I can tell you this: I've seen monsters. Some might simply look monstrous, and others might express monstrosity through their thoughts and actions. Before I take this any further, let me ask you a couple questions."
Yamada put down her notepad and focused her gaze on Abby. "First, do you feel remorse over what you did?"
"Of course I do!"
The therapist nodded sagely. "Second, would you do the same thing again, if you had to relive the situation?"
"No. I… don't know what I'd do, exactly. I don't even know if I could have done anything differently. Maybe I'd lose control anyway. But… I would still try."
"Thank you, Abigail." Yamada picked her pen and notepad back up, and began writing again. "I like to think that everyone has the potential to be a monster. Some choose to follow the path to becoming one. Others do not. Some don't get a choice."
She paused to let Abigail process her words. "In your case… you regret what you did. You know it was wrong, and wouldn't do it again if you could choose. Those are not the thoughts of a monster. Sure, this doesn't change what you did… but you were in a state of extreme stress, and you wouldn't be the first person to lash out in the heat of the moment. So let me ask you now -- do you think you're a monster?"
Abby sniffled. "...I don't know. I want to say no, but if even m-my friends... Um, last night, after everything, Vista came to talk to me, and she said she wanted to help me too, but she seemed so scared, and I realized that maybe she should be scared and I shouldn't stay near her anymore and I-"
"Slow down, Abby," Yamada interrupted her. "You're hyperventilating again. Remember, deep, slow breaths. Panicking won't help you. Now, I want you to search your memory -- did Vista seem scared of you, or scared for you?"
"I'm... not sure," Abigail admitted. "Sorry, I just…"
"There's no need to apologize," Yamada said soothingly. "I spoke with Vista and Aegis yesterday, and I think they're more concerned for your well-being than anything else. Scared of you? Maybe a little, given what happened. But the impression I got from your teammates is that they just want you to be okay, and stay friends."
Abigail looked up in mute surprise, and blinked a few times before speaking. "They… they're not angry with me? They don't want me to go away?"
"No, of course not. Your teammates care about you, and no one I've spoken to wants to see you leave."
While Yamada scribbled on her notepad, Abby sniffled and wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her dress. "…I don't know what to say. Um, thank you for telling me, I guess…"
"Please, there's no need to thank me. Go spend time with your friends after this; let them know how you're feeling. They seem like very supportive people, from what I've seen."
Yamada paused for a minute to jot down more notes. When Abigail didn't speak, the therapist picked up the conversation.
"So, Abby. I know this must be hard for you. Should we continue, or do you want to wait until tomorrow, after you've taken some time to sort your thoughts?"
Abby uncurled herself, and rested her head against the chair's back. She let out a forlorn sigh.
"I… I think I want to keep going, if that's okay."
"Of course. I have more questions for you, then. Based on what I heard, listening to snippets from the bank incident yesterday, it seems like you're aware of what a trigger event is. In that case… have you heard of second triggers?"
"Second triggers? No, but I can guess…"
"A second trigger is when a parahuman has another trigger event, and develops new powers. They tend to require a… stressful situation similar to the original trigger in order to occur. It's very likely you went through one yesterday, and the event has understandably left you scared and confused. Does what happened make more sense, now?"
Abigail stared at her lap. "No. No, that's not it."
"What do you mean?"
"I, um, I just told Armsmaster earlier today, so I guess you haven't heard, but… I've always had those powers. What happened yesterday… has happened before."
Yamada blinked. "...Thank you for sharing that. It paints a different picture, I suppose…"
There was a beat of silence, punctuated only by the soft sound of pen on paper.
"I've read reports from the team of psychiatrists who saw you yesterday, and all of them noted a personality shift during your confrontation with Tattletale. Do you recall what happened, from your perspective?"
"...Yes. That was… the Witch."
"Hmm. That's what you told the doctors yesterday, as well. Abigail, how would you describe this… Witch? In your own words?"
"I… well, she's me. But also not me. The… thing, the false god that my powers come from, it mixes with me to form her, I think…"
"False god? That's an interesting theory about the origin of powers. Would you be able to clarify how you know this?"
Abigail nodded vigorously. "I… I've spoken with it, sort of. It's always there, in the back of my mind, always… watching. I just… don't know how to control it, and when I lose control of myself, it takes over. The Witch takes over."
Yamada frowned briefly, but schooled her expression into a comforting smile an instant later. She flipped to a different page of her notepad before responding. "Alright, let me see here. Abby, the psychiatrists gave you some preliminary diagnoses, including dissociative identity disorder. I initially thought this might be a good explanation for your 'split personalities' -- in this case, your 'normal self' and 'the Witch'. However, what you've told me today doesn't quite fit DID, or any of the doctors' other suggestions. I'm inclined to think we're dealing with something directly related to your powers."
Yamada put down her notepad again, and looked up at Abigail with a gentle smile.
"The good news is you're not alone: there are other parahuman patients in situations like yours, and therapists like myself are the best equipped to help you."
Abby gave the therapist a quizzical look. "Then… how? How do you help… people like me?"
"By discussing your thoughts and feelings, and allowing you to better understand yourself. Generally, we first want to determine what's causing your inner turmoil. Is it solely your powers? Is it memories from your trigger, or perhaps from before then? In your case, we would also need to look more closely at your split personalities -- figure out how this 'Witch' thinks, what makes her distinct from you… if she's truly distinct at all. It will not be easy, but we can take it slow. We have time."
Abby hesitated for a beat, then nodded. "I… I don't know if this will work. But I'm willing to try."
Yamada smiled, and reached into a large purse by her side. "That's all I ask. Here, I have some things to give you."
She pulled out a small book outfitted with a locked clasp and a key. She placed it, along with some pens, on the coffee table in front of Abigail.
"Starting today, I want you to use this diary. You don't need to share what you write with anyone, even me, but I encourage you to record as much as you can about your memories, desires, motivations… and most importantly, what you know about the Witch. Do you think you can do that?"
Abigail reached out and picked up the diary. She unlocked it with a soft click, and took a few seconds to flip through the pages. "I'll give it a try. Thank you, Mrs. Yamada."
"Of course. I hope this prompts you to reflect on yourself, and maybe you'll be willing to share with me in the future. One more thing, then, before we end today's session -- do you enjoy any creative activities? Art, music, or dancing, perhaps?"
"Um, I like drawing, sometimes. Why?"
"There's a technique called creative therapy that I'd like to try. Here, these are also for you."
This time, Yamada retrieved a box of colored pencils from her bag, along with a sketchpad. "When you can't think of something to write in your diary, I suggest you try drawing. You can just doodle anything, really; whatever comes to mind at the moment. Save what you create, even if you feel it doesn't look pretty. We can take a look at your drawings during our sessions, and if you're comfortable you can even share them with your friends. How's that sound?"
"...I can do that. Thank you for the gifts…"
"No need to thank me. Now, we are at the end of our scheduled time, so please use tonight to review what we discussed. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"
Abigail managed a small, hesitant smile. "Okay. I'll do my best. It was… nice talking to you, Mrs. Yamada."
The therapist returned the smile, and helped Abby out of her chair. After gathering the various items -- plus some cookies and mints -- in a small bag, Yamada guided her to the door.
"Remember, we'll have sessions every day except Sundays for the next few weeks. But if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll generally be in my office just across the hall from here. You can also find my phone number on a card inside that bag. Please feel free to visit or call whenever."
Blinking back a tear, Abby accepted the offer with a nod.
"Well, off you go. Your friends should be in by now, go spend some time with them if you want."
"I think… that would be nice. See you tomorrow!"
Abigail squeezed Yamada's hand, gave one more smile in thanks, and ran off down the hall.
Fluff for the fluff gods!
Remember how I said I'd be going on a 2-3 week hiatus? Well, apparently I'm a filthy liar lol.
To update you all, I finished a preliminary outline of my plans for Arc 4+, and I have detailed outlines for each chapter of Arcs 2 and 3 ready and waiting. I'll still need more time to plan between arcs 3 and 4, but for now I just want to keep scratching that itch to write.
As always, thanks for reading! Remember to give your likes, comments, and critiques!
Remember how I said I'd be going on a 2-3 week hiatus? Well, apparently I'm a filthy liar lol.
To update you all, I finished a preliminary outline of my plans for Arc 4+, and I have detailed outlines for each chapter of Arcs 2 and 3 ready and waiting. I'll still need more time to plan between arcs 3 and 4, but for now I just want to keep scratching that itch to write.
As always, thanks for reading! Remember to give your likes, comments, and critiques!
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It feels like Yamada should be trying to have Abby prove that she isn't a monster by her own definition. I don't think they are supposed to guide the patient too much earlier on, unless there is an urgent need. I suppose this could be considered urgent with yesterday's traumatic incident. Mostly good job, just a bit off on the proper therapy.
Atonement 2.2
Atonement 2.2
Missy leaned over Abigail's shoulder.
"Hey, Abby. Mind if I sit with you?"
Abigail gave her friend a little smile. "No problem, let me get my stuff out of the way."
She pushed aside a stack of papers to clear some space for Missy.
As Missy put her book down, she glanced over at the papers Abby had moved. "Whaddya got there?"
"These are… my drawings. I've just been doodling whatever came to mind."
"Well, they look a lot more detailed than simple doodles. Is it alright if I take a look?"
Abigail fidgeted, mulling it over. "Um, go ahead. I know they're not very good, though…"
"Are you kidding? These are pretty awesome, Abby."
"…Thanks."
Abigail sighed quietly, taking care to hide her exhaustion from Missy. It was Saturday morning, and the Wards had eaten breakfast together just an hour prior. The whole team, Missy especially, had been working to raise Abby's spirits since the previous afternoon. Even Sophia had tried to be encouraging, in her own bizarre way.
While she really did appreciate her friends' efforts, she just… wasn't in the mood. At least Missy had been trying to establish a sense of normalcy -- the others had displayed an over-the-top cheerfulness that made Abby feel worse instead of better. Fortunately, Dean eventually asked them to tone it down. The teenage empath had probably detected her frustration and annoyance, Abby reasoned.
Now only Missy and Abby were left in the Wards HQ, plus Browbeat at the console. The other Wards were all on patrol; apparently, there had been a tip about a large number of ABB members gathering at an old storage facility near the Docks the previous night. Nothing had come of it, but the PRT remained on high alert.
"Is this… a black cat? I love the eyes, they feel pretty lifelike. You've got some real talent with art."
Abby smiled slightly, and felt her cheeks flush with a mix of embarrassment and pride. "Thank you. Honestly, I didn't pay much attention when I was sketching it though…"
Since Abby had been temporarily suspended from patrols and a PRT doctor had written up an excusal from school, she didn't have much to do other than write in her diary or draw. Writing about her past, she had discovered, was incredibly difficult. Painful, even. So instead, she had followed Yamada's advice and tried art.
"Who's this? Someone you know from school?"
Huh?
Abby glanced up from her current artwork to see what Missy was looking at.
It was…
Her first drawing. A little girl, with pale skin and equally pale white hair. A wide, nervous smile, somewhat froglike, but adorable in its own way. Pink eyes, darkened by long, sleepless nights in an alchemy laboratory. And tying it all together, a beautiful black dress.
Unlike in Abby's most recent memories, the dress was clean.
There wasn't a speck of blood on it.
"That… was my best friend."
"Oh. Wait, was…?"
Missy's eyes widened, and she quickly returned the drawing to the stack next to Abby.
"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have intruded like that. I… I'll just go now."
"No, don't go!" Abby grabbed Missy's hand. "You, um... please stay with me."
There was a tense silence. Across the room, Browbeat looked over from his seat at the console, but didn't comment.
"...Alright. Just, don't be afraid to tell me if you don't want me looking at your stuff, okay?"
Abby nodded, only half listening. She released Missy's hand as the girl returned to her seat.
A minute passed. Abigail continued drawing, while Missy watched.
Eventually, Abby put down her pencil. She retrieved the drawing of the albino girl, and placed it on the table between herself and Missy.
"...Her name was Lavinia."
Missy blinked and nodded.
"She was… always an outcast. But, somehow, we became friends. I think it was because we both liked talking about faraway places. We both dreamed about exploring the world."
Abby picked up her pencil again, but dropped it when her hand started shaking.
"...She died in my arms."
Missy placed a hand on Abby's shoulder, but didn't say a word.
"Her last wish… was to watch the whales with me again. I buried her by the sea, in our favorite spot."
A single tear slid down Abby's cheek.
"I don't know what I'd do if I lost another friend."
More tears. She slumped in her chair, not bothering to reach for a tissue.
Missy enveloped her in a tight hug.
"...Then let's make sure that never happens."
-------- <O> --------
That afternoon, Abigail was once again in Yamada's care.
"It seems… that the Witch is a side of you that is less restrained. Both in terms of powers and personality," Yamada remarked. "You mentioned an obsession with pain, yes?"
Abigail nodded slowly.
"It's possible that the Witch is an expression of your inner pain, brought to the surface. This is not unheard of -- a fair number of people who go through traumatic events develop a need for release, or a desire to lash out. It might be in anger, fear, or simply to relieve stress. Does any of that resonate with you?"
"I… don't know," Abigail hedged. "It makes sense, I guess. But… it's not that simple. It can't be."
"Then we just have to keep looking for more clues," Yamada reassured her. "Remember, the goal of this exercise is to help you understand yourself. This will take time. It might even take years, and that's perfectly okay."
"I thought we only have a few weeks together, though?"
Yamada frowned briefly. "That's true. Tell you what: if we make significant progress before my allotted time is up, then I'll submit a formal request to extend my stay here. I can't promise that the folks upstairs will approve it, but I will do my part. Even if I have to leave, you'll get another therapist who will continue what I've started."
"...Okay. Thank you, Mrs. Yamada. I hope you get to stay with me for a while longer."
The therapist gave Abby a gentle smile. "I do too, Abigail. Now, where were we… ah. I've been meaning to ask you, but in order for me to gain a better understanding of the Witch… it would help to speak with her. With the other you. Is that possible?"
Abby gulped.
"I… yes. But… do I have to bring her out? I can't… I can barely control her. Control myself, I mean. I don't want to hurt you, or anyone else…"
"That's fine. I'm not asking you to do it now, just something to keep in mind for the future. If you don't mind me asking, how exactly do you switch with her? Is it typically gradual, or was the incident on Thursday par for the course?"
Abigail hugged Hugo as she stared down at her lap. "...I can do it gradually. I trained with my uncle before, to control my powers. It's hard, but I can sort of… fuse with her? Um, I guess it's like I let some of her bleed through to get more power, but... the more I use, the less control I have."
Yamada nodded in understanding. "So it really is tied to your powers. Curious. I'm beginning to wonder if it might be beneficial to link our therapy sessions to Armsmaster's power testing, and see if we can figure out the nuances of the relationship. Anyway, our time's up for today. You're doing great -- keep drawing and writing in your diary, and I'm certain we'll be making strides in no time."
"...I'll do my best. We meet again on Monday, right?"
"That's right. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I believe you mentioned you have church tomorrow?"
Abigail smiled brightly. "Yeah! Ever since I joined the Wards, I've been going with a small group of PRT people to the local church on Sundays. I'm glad Miss Piggot still lets me join them… Anyway, thank you Mrs. Yamada."
As the two finished packing and rose to leave, there was a loud knocking at the door. Yamada hurried over to open it, and found Armsmaster standing in the hall. The man clasped his hands behind his back and offered a cordial nod.
"Good afternoon, Jessica, Abigail. I apologize for interrupting, but there's been a change of plans."
"No problem at all, we actually just finished up," Yamada replied. "Do you need Abigail for something?"
"Correct. I was scheduled to take her to the PHQ in an hour for power testing, but we've just received word that the BBPD needs to interview her as soon as possible. Since she's technically in my custody for the rest of the afternoon, I figured I'd escort her to the station."
Abigail looked up at the intimidating man in power armor. "Am I… in trouble?"
"No. The police just want to talk to you about a recent case. They believe you might be a witness, as I've been told. It has nothing to do with the bank incident."
"Oh, okay. We're going now?"
"As long as you have no objections."
"Um, I guess not." Abby turned and gave Yamada a gentle handshake. "I'll see you on Monday!"
-------- <O> --------
Abigail sat in a small room, facing two detectives from the Brockton Bay Police Department. One of them, a stern-looking man with graying hair, glanced behind Abby with a frown.
"I presume you've been cleared to join us, Armsmaster? This is supposed to be a confidential interview, unrelated to Protectorate or PRT matters."
"I have," replied the hero standing in the corner. He placed a folder on the table between Abby and the detectives. "This is the paperwork I filled out a few minutes ago. Miss Williams is a minor and currently in Protectorate custody, and as such I am serving as her temporary legal guardian."
The detective sighed, and flipped through the folder's contents. "Very well, can't argue with these. I assume the Protectorate has good reason to keep Abigail in its custody, and I know better than to pry about such things."
The other detective, a younger-looking but no less stern-faced woman, opened a large file folder in front of her. "We can get started then. Miss Williams," she began, "Are you familiar with a girl named Dinah Alcott?"
Abigail blinked. "Yes. She's, um, in my English class at school."
Both detectives nodded, and the older man started typing on his laptop.
"In the past month, did you notice anything unusual about Miss Alcott? Give us every detail you remember, even if you think it's not important."
"...Unusual? Let me think…"
Abigail placed a hand on her chin and looked down at the table. "She was out sick a lot, so I didn't really talk to her much. But… I remember she would sometimes give really weird answers when I asked her about stuff. Like, one time I asked if she thought Mr. Goldstein would let us out early, and she said… I don't remember her exact words, but she told me a bunch of numbers. Or, uh, a percentage?"
While the detective with the laptop kept typing, Abigail twirled a strand of hair around her finger. In a way, she appreciated the distraction from the heavy thoughts earlier in the day.
A few moments later, she recalled another incident. "And there was the time I did badly on my quiz, so I asked if she thought I could still do okay on the essay, and she said… 'purple.' I thought she was making some sort of joke, but she wasn't smiling or laughing at all…"
The female detective cleared her throat. "Thank you, Miss Williams. Did Dinah ever mention anything to you about 'seeing the future,' or something similar?"
"No… not that I remember, anyway."
Armsmaster suddenly shifted behind her. "I am beginning to think," he stated slowly, "that this is an investigation the PRT and Protectorate should have been involved with from the start."
He got a glare from the detectives in response. "We were planning to contact the PRT once we had more evidence," the man with the laptop said. "There is nothing conclusive, as of yet, indicating that Dinah Alcott is actually a parahuman. Our questions today are simply based on conjecture."
Abigail raised her hand. "Um, are you saying Dinah might have powers? Is she… is she okay?"
The woman gave Abby a raised brow. "Miss Alcott was kidnapped on Thursday, April 14th. You didn't know? I assumed all your classmates would have been talking about it…"
Abby gasped. "She was kidnapped?! Let me help find her, please! I can make a portal to her, and help her escape!"
Both detectives stared at her, and she felt Armsmaster shift his gaze to her as well.
The man with the laptop opened his mouth, then closed it again without making a sound. This repeated a few times before he finally managed a cough.
"I don't suppose you'll be handing us NDAs now, Armsmaster?"
The Protectorate hero's gauntlet met his visor as he sighed. "Yes, I'll get the papers after this. Abigail, we are going to have a long talk later. I don't recall you ever mentioning that you can just… make portals to people rather than places. Are you sure you're not making things up?"
"More importantly…" interrupted the female detective, "Can you really make a portal to Dinah? If you're telling the truth, then we should arrange a rescue operation immediately."
Abigail nodded enthusiastically. "I can make portals to people I know well. I, um, didn't mention it before 'cause there wasn't anyone it would work on here, not at first…"
"So you know Dinah well enough for this to work?"
"I… uh… talked to her occasionally in class. And we ate lunch together once or twice…"
"Enough, Abigail," Armsmaster stated. "Even if you do end up helping, this would be a PRT operation. The BBPD does not have jurisdiction over parahuman involvement. I will need to take this to the Director. In the meantime, detectives, I suggest you file the necessary paperwork as soon as possible; perhaps we can arrange a joint op, if your Chief would be amenable to that."
The detectives scowled, but both gave in. "Fine. But we still need Miss Williams to finish the interview now, in case the portal doesn't work as intended and we have to solve this the old-fashioned way. Then we can escalate this to our respective organizations."
"Very well," Armsmaster replied. "By all means, continue."
Abigail focused back on the police detectives as they rattled off more questions.
Maybe… this is my chance to redeem myself!
-------- <O> --------
Abigail was jolted awake by the sound of distant thunder. She rolled over in bed, wrapping the blanket tightly around her.
As she closed her eyes to try and sleep, she recalled the events of her latest power-testing session. Armsmaster had insisted on observing the 'portal-to-person' function that Abby mentioned during her police interview, and used himself as the test subject. The first few attempts were successful -- Armsmaster would travel to a different room in the PHQ, and Abby would make a portal to him.
It was like a bizarre game of hide-and-seek.
There were, however, two incidents where the portals… didn't quite work the right way. Both had occurred when Armsmaster remained in the same room as Abby; she figured her power must have decided on its own that making a portal to the man standing next to her would be useless.
The first 'incident' was a portal opening up to Armsmaster's workshop. The hero had visibly panicked, and spent the next half hour updating the security to prevent a breach like that from happening again.
The second time, Abby's portal had opened up to show a man in green and gold dragon-themed power armor. The man had taken one look at Abby and Armsmaster, shouted something indistinct, and then pointed a weapon at them. Armsmaster had been forced to neutralize a drone the other man deployed, and Abby snapped the portal shut immediately after.
Armsmaster had suspended testing after that, and escorted her to dinner.
Another rumble of thunder jolted Abby from her reminiscing. She rolled over again to stare up through the window.
The stars were beautiful, even through the subtle refraction of the PHQ's forcefield bubble. Abby silently lamented how the city lights prevented most of them from being visible.
Wait… I can see the stars?
The distant rumbling caught her attention again. Abby sat bolt upright in her bed and gazed out the window at the city.
In the midst of the tall buildings, she spotted fire. Explosions.
The city… my friends! They're in danger! I need to-
Before she could complete the thought, she felt a sudden pulse of energy. Her bedside digital clock winked out, as did the forcefield outside her window.
Then she heard the screaming.
Hello, Oni Lee.
Next time: Abby meets an oni, a dragon, and a fox.
As always, your likes, comments, and critiques are appreciated!
Next time: Abby meets an oni, a dragon, and a fox.
As always, your likes, comments, and critiques are appreciated!
clonezero
Is it a bad thing if my t read list keeps growing?
Either Coil being desperate in trying to eliminate Abby or the horrifyingly more likely situation: Behemoth has been sent to deal with the dangerous little girl. Well things about to go badly or horribly good as Abby may need to tap on more of her power.
Bunkhead
Let's get down to business...
- Location
- Outside. Now!
- Location
- Italy
It's probably just Bakuda's bombing spree, considering the timing and everything.