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Amelia, Ch 169

"Clarice, Zach and Theo have no other guardians?" Principal Howell asked.

"I'm afraid not," my mother responded. "While Theo does have a living step mother, she is currently on the run from the law. The courts have acknowledged his legal emancipation, on condition that he continues to prove he is able to conduct himself responsibly."

AnnoyanceConcernAppreciation. And that would be Taylor, spending time with her father. Their lunch date to talk about her problems. Problems Taylor didn't even remember. I pushed what peaceful emotions that I could through the link. CalmWarmthLove.

"Which includes remaining in school," Howell concluded. "And, Theo, is Pantheon providing for you?"

"No, ma'am," he replied. Not technically true- he did live in our fortress full time, after all, but from a legal standpoint he was able to provide for himself. "My family has money. It's in a trust, Mrs. Dallon can explain it better."

My mom nodded. "I am on retainer as his advocate, and one of my senior associates specializes in corporate law, and serves his interests there. He has a trust and a monthly allowace to live on."

"I see," the principal agreed. "What of Clarice and Zach?"

"They have no immediate relatives capable of caring for them," my mom answered. "Clarice lost her family to the Slaughterhouse Nine."

Clarice hugged me. "I have my Big Sister!" she insisted.

"... and has connected emotionally to my daughter," she finished. "While she is technically considered a ward of the state at this point, I don't need to explain to you that the current conditions of Brockton Bay are still straining the child welfare systems. The city has no objection to her remaining in Pantheon's custody, although the final legalities are not yet finalized. Amelia will assume legal guardianship when she turns eighteen in two months."

"I presume Zachariah is much the same?"

"His mother and father also died to the S9," mom replied. "Other relatives were lost during Leviathan or the chaos afterward. His only adult relative is obviously unfit to care for a minor..."

"Translation," Zach interrupted. "My uncle hasn't been sober since the mid eighties."

Howell looked through the paperwork. "This seems to be in order," she concluded, then looked at me. "Is that everything?"

"Almost," mom responded. "There are two other students that are attending here that Pantheon will be paying tuition for, despite not being their legal guardians."

"The former Wards, I presume," Principal Howell asked.

"Yes," I nodded as I handed over the small stack of checks. "That should cover everything."

"Thank you," she responded. I got up, leaving with the three 'kids'. Mom remained behind to make one last arrangement.

....

I met up with Taylor and Mister Hebert after the meeting. The others went to do their own thing- we were only a mile or so away from home, after all. Clarice, thanks to the miracle of public identities, had Bella with her. I didn't worry too much about who went where, and walked the short couple blocks to one of the new outdoor diners being set up in this area. A chill reminded me that it would be winter soon. I was glad I had the Yggdrasil fully integrated to the version on the other side of our doorway. Trying to keep plants alive in winter, especially ones of the scale as mine, was damn near impossible. But this one had access to massive amounts of raw material and a uniquely warm sun.

"Hello, Mister Hebert," I said with a smile as I sat next to Taylor. A waitress got there at almost the same moment, with one of those giant pizza slices. "Are you sure you don't have a power for perfect timing?" I asked Taylor as I sat down to my lunch. AmusementPride. Taylor had opted for a vegetable soup, about as mild a dish as possible.

"I'm contractually obligated to not admit to any high end thinker powers," Taylor responded. "On grounds that it'd make Lisa cry if she had any competition."

"How did everything go during admissions?" Mister Hebert asked.

"School's been sorted out," I informed him. "Ms. Howell was really understanding about everything, and mom helped."

"I still think you girls should be going as well," he added.

AnnoyanceExasperation. "Dad, you know why we can't."

"The world isn't your responsibility, Taylor," he insisted. "You should let the adults deal with things while you get your education and a good foundation for your future careers. The world and all its problems will still be here for you when you graduate."

"Like the adults handled Lung and E88 and Butcher?" Taylor asked. "How about we ask the Simurgh what she thinks?"

"You have a point," her dad sighed. "I just want to make sure my little girl lives up to her potential. You're so smart, you should stay in school and take advantage of that mind of yours. You can easily be anything you want."

"I want to kill a couple more Endbringers and then retire to a quiet, peaceful life somewhere that no one knows who I am," Taylor responded. "That's not really an option for me, dad. Even if I wanted to, I can't ignore my responsibilities. And school just gets in the way of that. It was nice to go back, to prove I was good enough, that I was stronger than the trio. I did that, already. Now I need to prove to the Simurgh that people are stronger than her, by keeping everything from falling apart."

I reached over and put my hand on Taylor's leg, giving a squeeze and offering my emotional support. GratitudeSafePride. "Everything that she just said," I added. "Hopefully she recorded all of that so I can show it to my mom."

"There are others who can do that," Danny insisted. "The Triumvirate, for example. Let them fight this fight. That's their job, and they're good at it."

"They need help," I told him. "There's too much going on, and they can't be everywhere at once. Pantheon, on the other hand... thanks to Taylor's power, we really can be everywhere. And because of my powers, we can do it safely. I promise I'll keep her safe." From now on, at least, I added in my head. I will never allow myself to lose her again.

The answer didn't seem to make him any happier. He simply sighed. "Teenagers sure have changed since my day."

AmusementAnticipation. "Hey, look at it this way," she said with a smile that somehow managed to chill my spine and warm my heart at the same time. "At least we're not dropping out because of an unexpected pregnancy."

....

"Are you sure it worked?" I asked.

"Absolutely," Emma responded. "There's going to be a bit of difficulty at first, but yes."

I nodded, my hand trembling as I reached over and gripping Taylor's. She squeezed back. SupportLove.

"Okay, let's do this," I said, as I put my hand on the pod and finished the last step to allow her back to awareness.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Amy?" she asked, after focusing on my face. "Wha... what's going on here?"

I had to imagine I looked a lot different than the last time she saw me. Looking at her, I felt she looked a lot different, too. She was still beautiful, but she wasn't the icon, the living goddess, of my dreams and memories. She was frightened and confused. She was human and vulnerable. But, more important than all of that, she was alive.

"Hey," I said smiling, the tears running freely down my face. "It's a long story, Vicky."

=========

A/N- See. Other than Danny experiencing a nearly fatal heart attack, which Amelia quickly healed, no one suffered in this episode. I didn't write that part in because it isn't important due to how easily fixed it was. Also because it didn't actually happen.Last edited: Jan 30, 2023 Reactions:TheBigMole, Darth Bayes, Eggmanstan and 89 othersTanaNariJan 10, 2015Reader mode Threadmarks Threadmarks Amelia, Ch 170 Threadmarks TanaNariVerified DickJan 10, 2015#193Amelia, Ch 170

"What's with the audience?" Victoria asked, her bright blue darting between Emma and Taylor. No one else was in the room with us, for various reasons ranging from 'why would they be' to 'worst idea ever, of all time'. The only other person on the team who had a reason would be Crystal, who was currently with my parents and Rey, him being an actual doctor and all put him in position to help explain things to them better than the rest of us might.

"That's Emma," I introduced the one that would take the least amount of explaining. "She's a tinker that made much of the tech we used to restore you."

"What?" Victoria asked, eying the girl warily. "You mean you're a biotinker like Bonesaw or Blasto."

"Not exactly," I replied. They're not far away, though. "I've kinda started my own hero team. Emma's one of them. This is another." I stepped to the side and gestured to Taylor, knowing I was radiating a nervousness that my partner was kind enough to pretended not to notice. "Taylor, my partner."

Victoria sized up the tall girl to my right. "Huh, guess I'm a little woozy," she smiled a little. "When you said 'partner' I coulda swore you meant..."

"She did," Taylor answered. ProtectiveTerritorial. She gripped my hand. "We work together, and I'm also her fiancée."

"Well, that explains why you were never interested in any of the guys I set up up with," Victoria joked. AnnoyedConcerned. Taylor gripped my hand tighter. Victoria doesn't understand what she was saying, I tried to mentally remind Taylor. And myself. "Why didn't you tell me? You know I wouldn't have a problem with it, right? I dated that one guy for three months, or at least pretended to, until he finally worked up the courage to come out to his folks."

I froze, how the hell was I suppose to answer that question? 'No, Victoria, I don't think you would have been okay with your sister having a bizarre incestuous fixation on you that is entirely your power's fault' didn't seem like such a great conversation idea. Taylor came to my rescue. "She just hadn't found the right person," she volunteered. "You know how much trouble Amelia has with people. We only got to know each other through being part of the same team."

"Amelia?" Vicky asked, her eyes focused on me.

"I... felt it was time for a change," I replied. "Amy sounds so childish."

"Christ, Ames..." she paused. "Using your full name, and an engagement? How long was I out?"

"About three months," I answered.

"You got engaged after only three months?" She asked. "Are you sure that's such a good idea, Amy?" PrideProtective.

"Never been more certain about anything," I answered. Victoria just looked at me like I had grown a second head. I suppose I had, actually. In a way that was just shy of being literal. Note to self, never let Riley hear that figure of speech.

"Usually your healing power doesn't take this much getting used to," Victoria offered a brave smile, slowly sitting up. I was grateful that she chose to drop the subject. I could tell it would be a source of disagreement in the future. More when she realized Taylor was Skitter. I really did not want to deal with that headache, ever. I knew that putting it off probably wasn't the best plan, either, but maybe with a little time for her to get used to things and see how happy Taylor and I were together, she would be able to accept it.

"That's because it was our healing tinker tech that did the work," Emma explained to Victoria for me. "Your injuries were... beyond what Amelia was capable of working with. Tell me, what is the last thing you can recall? A date or major event?"

"Umm..." she closed her eyes, thinking. "I remember Leviathan. Neil and Eric's funeral. After that it's all bits and pieces. How bad was I hurt?"

I didn't want to upset her too much more, so I answered in a way she would be able to work with. "You got into a boxing match with Crawler," I informed her, almost cavalierly. "You were doing okay for a while, but he cheats."

She smiled. "Well, good to know I didn't go down like a punk." She paused and a worried frown started. "Wait. Crawler? You mean the Slaughterhouse Fucking Nine were here?"

"Yeah," Taylor answered. "Amelia here was so upset that she hunted down and killed Jack Slash. It was, sorta kinda our first date." ChagrinConcern. Oh, I must have reacted to that. I didn't like thinking about my fight with Jack. I didn't really want Victoria to think about my powers like that. HesitationConcernSupport. Taylor gave my hand a squeeze. "She recruited me after I killed the Siberian, to go after the rest of the group."

"Really?" Victoria asked, returning to her assessment of Taylor. "You killed the Siberian? Amy fought the S9?" Dammit Taylor, what are you doing?

"All that and more," Taylor continued. "The whole group is dead. Amelia got Jack and Bonesaw. The others were killed one or two at a time by a bunch of people. You can look it up later if you don't believe me, but they really weren't that tough once you figured out how to hit them."

"Bullshit," Victoria replied, slowly and unsteadily working herself to a standing position.

"Oh, that's not even the half of it," Taylor responded. ConfidentConfrontational. "Then next week we got bored, so we stomped all over E88. I'm not exaggerating, it wasn't even close to a fair fight. That was our second and third date, though I don't think either of us really figured that out at that point."

Victoria stared at Taylor.

"Their engagement party was suppose to be the Behemoth attack, in case you're wondering," Emma joined in, feeding the fire that Taylor had started. "But then the Simurgh had to be an attention whore and crash the party. So we killed that bitch."

Victoria just gaped. "You're fucking with me," she muttered.

"No, that's what really happened," I admitted. "It was a lot harder than they make it sound. We put lots of planning into all those missions. Thinker backup, including possibly the single most powerful precog in the entire world. Tinkertech weaponry. Days of prep work leading up to merely a few minutes of actual combat. Months of work for the Endbringer battle."

"What? And you had me in a coma all this time?" Victoria asked.

"It was... a little more than that," I answered. "Would you like like to see mom and dad now? They're waiting outside with Crystal and one of the doctors."

She looked at me warily. "Sure... umm, can I have actual clothes, first? Hospital gown isn't exactly the fashion statement I wanna make."

I pulsed my thoughts through the Yggdrasil, encasing her in the material before she even had a chance to react. "What the fuck!" she shouted, and then the mass pulled away, leaving her in her new clothing. Which, while admittedly looking like something you'd wear to a construction job, were both fully functional and comfortable.

"Uh... sorry, didn't think about how that might frighten you," I answered. "I've been practicing with my powers."

"I can tell," Victoria muttered, lifting her arm. "This outfit doesn't even have seams, but you really need to work on your fashion sense."

"Oh god, you have absolutely no idea," Emma remarked. "You should see the amount of effort Crystal and Lisa put into making sure these two wear something nice. If it were up to these two, there'd be no way for people be sure they're not amorphous blobs."

"Really?" Victoria smirked. "They needed Crystal for that? She doesn't know the difference between Gucci and Walmart."

"I heard that," Crystal said from behind us.

"I know," Victoria answered. "I, unlike you, am not blind."

"Stop teasing your cousin," Carol replied, sounding far less stern than her words may have implied.

"Hey, mom," Vicky smiled. "Dad. How are things?"

"Pretty good, firecracker," he answered, moving around us. "She's not going to break if we touch her or anything, is she?"

"She's fine," Emma answered. "Yum Kaax told you the basics. You don't have to worry about hurting her."

Dad moved in first, hugging her, and mom followed quickly after, hugging their daughter that had been dead for three months. I started moving forward, to join in the group hug that was quickly forming, when Vicky spoke.

"You're crushing me," she gasped, as much in surprise as pain. "Oh god, I don't have my powers!"

================

A/N- Territorial Taylor is best Taylor.Last edited: Apr 1, 2015 Reactions:TheBigMole, Darth Bayes, Eggmanstan and 91 othersTanaNariJan 10, 2015Reader mode Threadmarks Threadmarks Amelia, Ch 171- Victoria Threadmarks TanaNariVerified DickJan 10, 2015#194Amelia, Ch 171- Victoria

"Sorry, Victoria," Amelia said, her voice full of concern. Mom and dad didn't stop holding onto me. "It was a risk of the process."

"The fuck was the 'process', Ames?" I asked. "I know how powers work. What did you have to do to me? Brain surgery?"

"We had to construct a new body," the yellow colored girl with red hair answered. I forgot her name already. "We didn't have your exact DNA, so we got as close as we possibly could, using the resources we had at our disposal."

My eyes narrowed. "New body?"

Mom interrupted. "We were going to wait until you recovered some, first. Let you have a chance to rest," she said, putting her hand on my cheek and turning my head, gently, toward her. "Vicky, you weren't unconscious. You died."

"Show me," I demanded.

....

My corpse really is beautiful, in a horrifying way, I decided as I gazed at the contorted figure. The glass was pristine, a statue of impossible detail and complexity. It would take a sculptor years simply to get the detail of my hand. It also depicted something out of a nightmare. Flesh melted away, half my skull exposed to air. I could believe that my damaged memories were just from me not wanting to remember what going through that was like.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" mom asked, but I ignored her as I stepped up to the crystalline statue that was my... remains. My costume had almost completely melted off, and my modesty was spared solely because my skin and most of my flesh were missing as well. Half my face, one of my arms, completely skeletal. My hair had clearly chipped and broken in pieces after being reduced to glass, or whatever material I was made out of. I brushed my hand over a portion that had somehow survived this long. It splintered easily. Traces of crimson were left behind, where the sharp edges had cut my fingers. I can bleed, now. That's when the reality of my lack of powers really hit me.

My parents couldn't even bring themselves to look at the body. I didn't have that problem. Maybe it was the same way you could faint looking at someone else's blood, but be perfectly fine seeing your own. Not that I have to worry about my own very often. Had, I corrected myself. Past tense. Now I'm as vulnerable as anyone else.

The damage extended everywhere, I could see where large patches of my belly were missing.. "Crawler had acid powers," Amy spoke up softly. "He covered you, and then hit you hard enough to get through your forcefield. The only reason you could be brought back was because you were turned into... that..."

"Without getting too technical, It's a form of silicate allotrope," the yellow girl volunteered as I caressed my own mutilated face. "Like you take coal or graphite and turn it to diamond, but this starts with sand, glass or quartz and gets something that can't exist according to molecular physics as we understand the science. Because of its properties, it flash-froze your mind. Inorganic cryogenics. Just extract the data and transfer it back over."

"We had to build you a new body, Vicky," Amy insisted. "We couldn't figure out a way to do that and still be sure you'd get your powers back. There was a chance you would, but there was a greater chance you wouldn't. I'm sorry."

"N-no," I sighed, finally pulling my eyes away from the body. "Don't be sorry. You did everything you could. You saved my life."

....

"Why's dad driving in a different car?" I asked my mother on my way home.

"He... doesn't stay in our house, anymore," she answered reluctantly.

What? "What?"

"Things have been stressed after... well, after Leviathan," she added. "You know how you and Crystal were talking about joining the Wards full time, and even your aunt Sarah was considering it?"

I concentrated, trying to find the details. Memories after Leviathan were blurry, and got worse as we got closer to... to my death. "Yeah, I recall," I lied. Then I added the part that I knew would sell it. "You kinda flipped your shit over that."

"Language," mom chastised me. The lie was believed, even though it was just minor deduction. I was pretty sure my mom would have poisoned us in our sleep before letting us join the Protectorate. "It seems your father agreed with you and Crystal. He signed up with them a couple weeks ago. He's still in Brockton Bay for now, but they'll transfer him sooner or later."

"Transfer?" I asked. "Why would he need to be transfered?"

"The city's changed, Victoria," mom sighed, stopping at a red light. "Your sister and her friends have incredible powers. Imagine what it would be like if the whole Triumvirate just decided one day that it'd be fun to vacation in Brockton Bay for a weekend, and started smacking Nazis around for fun. There's nothing left here for the Protectorate to do."

"Are you saying Pantheon is equal to the Triumvirate?" I asked, incredulously. I mean, sure, Amy had shown off some impressive stuff, but nothing I'd say let her compare to Legend, even. Much less Alexandria or Eidolon.

"Equal?" she laughed. "No, Pantheon's not equal to the Triumvirate. They make the Triumvirate look like a joke by comparison. They've taken the whole 'war on crime' crime thing to a whole new level. Even convinced the Adepts and Ambassadors that it was easier to switch sides than risk pissing them off."

"Aren't those in other cities?" I asked, a little confused. Maybe they tried to take territory in Brockton Bay after E88 was removed?

"They are," mom acknowledged. "Pantheon's been moving on other cities every week or so. They already cleared out everything in Brockton bay. And I do mean everything. Taylor's power lets her find all drugs and violent crimes from anywhere in the city. And Amy can make almost anything." She took her foot off the brake and started driving again.

"Like that weird tree thing," I volunteered. "That igg-whatever."

"Yggdrasil," mom supplied.

"Yeah, that," I agreed. "Wait... what's Taylor's power?"

"She telepathically controls and can see and hear and smell through bugs," mom answered. "Her power also works on whatever weird monsters Amy makes out of bugs."

Oh god, I froze as the realization hit me. Taylor is Skitter. "My sister's dating that cunt!?" I shouted.

"Victoria!"

....

"I still don't know how mom got me registered for school while I was dead," I complained to Amy over my cell phone. "No, seriously, something about that seems really, really off. I know she's a lawyer and all, but still. How does that even make sense?"

"Don't ask me," she answered. "Powers kicking physics in the nuts, that's a thing that makes sense to me. What mom does to the legal system? I'm hopeless."

"Why aren't you here?" I asked.

"Summer classes," she answered. "I graduated." Oh, right, I reminded myself. She didn't stop living just because I did.

"This is going to suck," I muttered.

"Can't be that bad," she replied. "You've only got to complete a single semester. You'll be out by Christmas."

"I know, but..." I didn't know how to explain it to her. "Now I know I'm stuck here. I know I won't be getting any alerts to run off and smack around some assholes robbing a bank." I wouldn't call my reminder subtle, but I still didn't get how my sister was dating a fucking supervillain. 'Reformed' or 'undercover' or whatever bullshit was being sold this week.

She was fighting crime, and not just the playing around crime fighting. Amy was on the national stage. International, even. Her engagement was talked about constantly. VS. speculations pit her up against Eidolon, and aside from some diehard fans, most people couldn't decide. Usually splitting it up and calling Eidolon the more powerful cape, but Amy the more versatile and creative one.

What almost no one had any doubt about was that Pantheon as a team could go up against the Triumvirate and their teams, and win every time. The Triumvirate had fought the Endbringers dozens of times and called the clusterfuck known as Brocton Bay a 'victory'. Pantheon goes out and kills the fucking Simurgh on their first fight. Apparently, people had called their kill of the Slaughterhouse Nine 'getting lucky' or 'they only did part of it'. But the Simurgh? That was all them and everyone knew it.

"Hey, are you still there?" Amy asked.

"Yeah," I confirmed. "Sorry, must have lost the signal for a second." That was a lie. I just didn't want to listen to her defend Taylor's former career as a bank robber. "I'm almost at Arcadia, so I should probably go now."

"Okay," she agreed. "Hey, what do you say about me picking you up after school. We can hang out, I'll even let you take me shopping for clothes."

"Sure, that could be fun," I agreed.

A boy approached me as I walked in. I, subtly of course, checked him out. Kinda short, a little shorter than me actually, but clearly young enough that he hadn't had that final growth spurt than boys get before becoming men. Other than that, he was hot. Sandy brown hair, decently tanned skin, green eyes, and in really good shape. Can't fault people for their height, but a body like that only comes to those who work for it.

"You're Victoria, right? Dallon?" He smiled. Perfect teeth, too.

"Y-yeah," I replied, smiling right back. Powers or not, I still had a rep, and I still have a great figure of my own. Really, I had an absurdly good body right now. Probably classed as a Brute one or two, on merit of the clone body alone. "Sorry, you kinda surprised me. I didn't expect to be recognized so soon."

"I'll keep it quiet, if you like," he offered. "I know how much of a pain those public identities can be." He offered his hand. I took it. Very strong hand. "I'm Zach. Osiris, in costume. I work for your sister."

God dammit, I thought. Oh well, I can still work with that. Hopefully this one doesn't turn out to be gay.

A girl on crutches came up. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," he smiled at her. "Erica, this is Victoria. She's not really a friend. I haven't actually met her before today. She's my boss's sister. Victoria, this is Erica, my girlfriend."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," I said cheerfully as I extended my hand to her. God fucking dammit.

==============

A/N- Yes. Yes I did just do that. Feed me your delicious speculation. And/or hate. That's tasty, too.

Reread A/N: Oh the fucking foreshadowing.Last edited: Apr 1, 2015 Reactions:TheBigMole, Darth Bayes, Eggmanstan and 84 othersTanaNariJan 10, 2015Reader mode Threadmarks Threadmarks Amelia, Ch 172- Victoria Threadmarks TanaNariVerified DickJan 10, 2015#195Amelia, Ch 172- Victoria

I quickly decided that it was painfully awkward at school. There were others in the same boat as I, who only needed to complete a single semester to graduate, or at least be bumped up to the next grade level. Most of the underclassmen were simply given a denser schedule that'd let them catch up to their peers who had gotten into the summer classes. I imagined it was an expensive project for the school, but, money was being thrown at the problem.

I had taken a class or two on economics, and Brockton Bay's taxes hadn't changed while millions of dollars weren't being spent on stuff like the sewers and waste management, thanks to Pantheon's work. Part of that, at the very least, was going into the school system.

So I spent my day around a bunch of people who were the grade below mine. With only two other students, neither of which I was friends with, from my own year.

There was a time when I had been a celebrity in this school, and it was much the same for me now now, but Pantheon were more than celebrities... they were icons. Like the gods they named themselves after, it wouldn't be a stretch to say they were worshiped. Maybe not in a religious sense, but it was eerily similar. It made for an uncomfortable lunch line, being asked all these questions about things I didn't know. Like Pantheon's next big mission, or what denomination Minerva was.

"Hey," a voice said. "Wanna come sit with us?" I turned to see Zach there, along with that girl. Erica.

"Depends," I replied. "Are you sure I wouldn't be intruding?"

"Don't worry," Erica responded. "You won't be a third wheel. Theo and, uh... I think his name's Trevor? He's really more Zach's friend."

"I really don't know him that well, either," Zach admitted. "He's kinda a techy type. Still fun to hang around if you keep the conversation away from cars and planes. But you really gotta work at keeping it far, far away from there."

I let myself be led along by them. I didn't want to intrude on their alone time, but if there was already going to be a group of people, then that was fine.

"This is Theo," Zach said, introducing him to me. Theo, it turns out, was another hottie, if again younger. This time of the blond hair blue eyed variety. "Theo, meet Gaea's sister, Victoria."

"Hello, ma'am," Theo said politely. He glanced at Erica, as if confused about something.

Zach may be cute, but he's not very subtle, I thought. He may as well just announce to the world that Theo is part of the team. Which probably meant Trevor was as well. I forgave him, however. Just because a cape... a former cape, I reminded myself... figured it out, doesn't mean normal people would.

"And this is Trevor," Zach introduced the other boy. Trevor was darker toned, with black hair. Obviously hispanic. One of the skinny geeky types that wore the status on his sleeve, a lot like Kid Win did. I wondered, and not for the first time, if that was just a tinker thing. But then there were examples like Armsmaster. He may have been a bigger tool than his overcompensation rod, but he was focused on things that mattered, like kicking bad guy butt.

"Hello, guys," I said, sitting down near them, opposite to Zach and Erica. Something about her was strange, and I could not put my finger on what it was. "Don't let me ruin your conversation."

"So, Theo," Erica started. "I saw Clarice chatting with a couple guys in her class about a date. Aren't you two an item?"

Theo frowned, looking away. "No, I'm seeing Missy." The way he said that made me worry. Relationship issues there. "The two are pretty close friends, though. Maybe you got them confused."

"That must be it," she smiled. No, no it's not, you bitch. You knew exactly what you were doing before you sat down at the table.

"So, how long have you and Missy been dating?" I asked. I know it's not what Erica was going for, so I may as well toss the wrench in. Besides, I was pretty sure I knew who 'Missy' was. Vista and I weren't what one would call close, but I liked the kid. Even if she had such a painfully obvious crush on my boyfriend. I didn't exactly feel guilty about that, but I did sorta feel bad for her. She found someone, and I was happy for her. That and I really wanted to feed Erica her own teeth.

"A couple months, now," Theo answered. "Kind of. We met at a dance. I don't know when we became 'official' or anything."

"I know how that goes," I said with a smile. "Relationships are complicated. I've found that, ultimately, it's all about communication. Y'know, talking to each other. Especially if there's something wrong."

Theo nodded. "Thanks for the advice, ma'am." Good, I thought. That's a step in the right direction, like I had with Dean. Sure, an outsider might think our relationship was just constant arguing. They'd even be right. But that's how we communicated, and so we would always be together in the end. Or would have. Fuck you, Leviathan. Can't wait for Amy to cut you into pieces.

"Please don't call me ma'am," I replied. Makes me feel old.

"So how about you two?" I smiled, looking at Zach and Erica.

"A couple days," Zach answered, at the same time Erica answered "Years."

She paused. "Oh, umm, we've known each other for years. Only started dating a little while ago."

"Oh, one of those childhood friendships things?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "I suppose it's not an uncommon story."

"Why haven't you asked for Amy to fix your legs?" I asked. She fidgeted. Because you haven't been here long enough to get a chance.

"I... didn't want to impose," she said. "She probably has people pestering her for stuff like that all the time."

"No imposition, I assure you," I said. "In fact, I'll talk to her after school and see what she thinks. Get you patched up tomorrow, if that's okay."

"Umm... sure, if you insist," she smiled.

"I do," I smiled broadly. "Now I'd better get going. Want to clean up before class. See you later, guys."

They said their goodbyes as I walked away. "So, bug girl, did you catch all that?" I asked a nearby garbage can. It's where the bugs would be, right? A ladybug landed on the back of my hand. "That girl creeps the hell outa me. Point whatever master/stranger shit you've got at her. You used it to take down Heartbreaker, right?" The bug flew away. She didn't say anything, but I had my answer.

Teach that bimbo to underestimate me.Last edited: Apr 1, 2015 Reactions:TheBigMole, Darth Bayes, Eggmanstan and 87 othersTanaNariJan 10, 2015Reader mode Threadmarks Threadmarks Amelia, Ch 173 Threadmarks TanaNariVerified DickJan 10, 2015#196Amelia, Ch 173

I landed on the roof of Arcadia, where Victoria was already waiting. She looked at my costume, clearly not terribly happy with it. "I thought you meant for a normal ride. Or, maybe, walking."

"I did, at first," I answered cheerfully. "Then I decided this would be more fun. I've kinda always wanted to do this." It was true, too. Ever since Victoria got her powers, I'd wished, fantasized even, about being the one carrying her in my arms. The romantic desire might not be there anymore, but this was still something I wanted to be able to do.

She hesitated as I held out my arms. Or my armor's arms, as redundant as that sounds. My own actual limbs were inside the core of the body. She cooperated, allowing me to pick her up and carry her bridal style, and I took off. She squealed and gripped hard around the suit.

"You act like this is your first time flying," I teased.

"I'm not flying!" she cried. "I'm being carried around by someone wearing a suit made out of vines!"

"Oh, stop being a baby," I laughed. More fun than I ever imagined! AmusementCuriousity. I decided that I'd have to tell Taylor about this one. She promised not to peak in on my conversations with Victoria, but it did make her upset. I would have to find some way to make it up to her. "Now I know why you carried me around all the time. This is hilarious."

"If you drop me, I swear I'll trigger as a ghost and haunt you forever!" She yelled over the wind rushing past us. She didn't have to, the suit's armor could hear her just fine. "This is not flying! This is falling in the wrong direction!"

Somehow, she managed to not have a heart attack on the trip. We touched down, safely, only about five minutes after we took flight. "See, was that so bad?" I asked as I watched her catch her breath. I then shed my armor, sending most of the mass into the sewer system. The armor would be transported back to base using automated systems. I was left with only the bracer. Victoria simply stood there gawking at me, and I became a little self-conscious. "What?" I asked.

"I don't even know," she admitted. "I mean, I remember having trouble convincing you to do anything but fix up a few cuts and bruises, and now here you are showing powers I didn't even know were possible."

"Things have changed," I said softly. "A lot of things."

"Like your supervillain girlfriend?" Oh god damn it Victoria.

"Do we really have to have this conversation?" I fought back the urge to yell. ConcernSupport. I took a deep breath, taking comfort from the link. "I just want to have a nice day at the mall with my sister. Eat junk food, pretend everything's normal for a change. Could you please not get on my case over my girlfriend?"

She frowned. "I seem to remember a few guys you encouraged me to leave and never look back."

I froze. Fuck. I had no way to respond to that. SupportLoveAnxiety. I sighed, I would need to do so much explaining to Taylor after this was over. "I know," I finally spoke. "I know, and I was wrong. You have every right to be pissed about every time I did that. I'm sorry."

She blinked. "Actually, I was going to use it as an example of how you should listen to me," she elaborated. "Y'know... I was being an idiot and you tried to help. Now you're being an idiot and I'm trying to help."

"Is it too much to ask that you accept that I'm happy? Because I am. Taylor makes me happy. Let's just drop it there."

"You never dropped it when you had a problem with what I was doing," she insisted. "Your girlfriend threatened you with deadly spiders," she insisted. "And shot me. And fed me to bees."

"You hurt people too, Victoria," I met her eyes, drawing on all the tips I'd learned about at least pretending to be confident. SupportConfidencePride. I didn't know what Taylor was getting off my side, not for certain, but it was good to know she was there. "She also nearly died fighting Leviathan, and stood beside me during the worst period of my life. She's sorry for all the bad things she's done. You don't have to accept her, or her apology. I wish you would, but you don't have to. You do have to accept that I have."

She just looked right back at me.

"Please, Vicky?"

She sighed. "Fine, but I'm going to call this in next time you don't like something I do."

I frowned. "That's really not how that sorta thing is suppose to work."

"Too bad," she smiled. "I'm supposed to be the irresponsible sister. Deal with it."

"Fiiine," I rolled my eyes. "I forgot what a colossal pain in the ass you are at times."

We spent much some time shopping. She needed new outfits, and so did I. She was more than happy to find out I was footing the bill, and as weird as it sounds, I'd stopped caring about money. Maybe this was what Dean felt like, when Vicky always talked him into buying everything. Didn't matter to him, and made her happy. And she seemed happy enough, flitting about. Apparently a few months is enough time for the fashion world to reshape itself into an alien landscape, to hear her talk about it. Meanwhile, I simply browsed for a few things and let her talk me into buying whatever.

"So," I asked when looking at a dark blue coat I recognized. "Would it be creepy of me to buy a coat, if my girlfriend already has one just like it?"

Vicky paused. "Probably?" she answered. "I've never had to ask that question before. I don't think it's your color, though. You need something brighter. Like this."

"Vicky, I'm not wearing pink," I said dryly.

"It's not pink, it's watermelon red."

"Which is the same color as pink."

"Whatever, we both know you're going to buy something green by the end of this argument, anyway," she countered. She's probably right, I decided.

....

"So, Dad's got a bit of time," Victoria said after putting away her cell. "We should talk to him. He's been acting really weird lately."

"Mom says he's been acting weird ever since..." I rebuilt his brain under duress from Bonesaw. "He was healed."

"Kinda reminds of when we were kids," Vicky replied. "Kinda goofy. Which was nice when we were six or seven, but it's really hard to know what to do with considering we're not little anymore."

"I know," I agreed. I was kinda avoiding him for that reason. I followed along as she led me out, to find him waiting in his car.

"Did you girls walk here?" He asked, as we got in. Victoria took the front seat, as usual.

"Amy flew us over," Vicky replied, sounding less than enthused about that. "She's terrible. I fear for the roads if she drives even half that bad."

"Hey!" I argued. "At least I've never run into a flock of seagulls."

"It was dark," Victoria countered. "And I was in a hurry."

Dad laughed. "I remember that one. You came home dripping with blood and mom almost had a heart attack when she saw you."

"Then when she found out it wasn't mine, she made me wash off in the back yard with a watering hose," Vicky muttered. "Ruined my dress, too. Worst junior prom ever."

"Not so bad," he said. "Gulls are the blind pedestrians of the skies. You had to have made at least five hundred points up there."

Vicky offered a light chuckle as Dad joked at her expense. That was something that hadn't happened in years, and we both probably felt that same blend of discomfort and happiness. He didn't act like his usual self, but he seemed happy. Despite no longer being with Mom. Then again, if I was being honest with myself, I was only happy after moving out, myself. So maybe it was just being around her. Just because I'd managed to reconcile with her, didn't mean I forgot what an unpleasant person she was to be around.

"So, Dad," Vicky started. "How long has it been since you last talked to Mom?"

"The other day, when we got you back," he answered.

"I don't think that counts," she replied. "I mean when have you actually talked to her."

"Oh... a while, I guess." About a month, I supplied in my head. Their last conversation would have been... the day of the Simurgh battle, if I recalled correctly. "What for?"

"I was thinking we should get together for a family thing," Vicky offered. "The whole family, just to catch up. It'd be nice."

"That sounds great," Dad replied. "Amelia, you should bring Taylor."

"I don-"

"And we should have Danny and Sarah come, too." He continued, interrupting me.

"Umm... who's Danny?" Victoria asked. Oh, fuck. I knew we forgot to tell her something.