Chapter 34 : Confusion

Hi, everyone ! Good day or good night !

Here's a new chapter with a bit of action. I hope you'll like it ! If you do, please leave a review, a comment or send a few stones my way. If you want, you can also check out my Patréon page. Simply search for Cathbel on the website.

Enjoy !

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I raise up my aching head from on top of something that appears like a mound of gravel from what I can feel on my face. It's uncomfortable… The idle thought crosses my mind before confusion fully sets in : what happened ? Where Am I ?

Then, slowly, the situation comes back to me. Calvin Zabo has finally managed to get his hands on his daughter… Worse yet : unlike the lovable lunatic from the series whose only goal was to reunite with his daughter and wife, this one's agenda was more like a mad scientist's childish and crazy curiosity. All packaged under the veneer of a falsely caring father, and a gentlemanly behavior.

Then… Then, what ? I remember Calvin narrating his relationship with Cory's mother as well as what led him here to this point…

I look around, trying to get my bearing. I can't seem to find the scenery I am expecting to see… The underground area, what Cory called the 'Iron Coffin', the pipes and the single laptop on the only furniture present. Instead, it's like a bomb went off and I was blasted through I don't know how many walls. I'm surprised I'm even alive…

A warm liquid trickles down the side of my head and I try to brush it with a… Tentacle ? I transformed ? I… I don't remember… Unless something much worse has happened. Panicking, I look around trying to find my backpack… I had it safely secured on my back, so logically, it's probably not too far. I hope !

There ! Under a bigger piece of debris, I spot the fabric of my backpack and close in on it. As I drag it from under the rubble, I see that the shoulder straps are torn. Thankfully, the inside is intact, as is my very important notebook.

I sigh, relieved. I really don't want to remake this shit. The code, definitions, my stories, symbols, even my art… It contains everything. My hard drive of sorts. I keep it in case I had an idea and wanted to add it… That'll teach me ! NEVER keep your most important work on your person. You never know what life might throw at you !

Without caring I will a bit of ink to draw my reparation spell on my bag. Instantly, the strap stitched themselves back together, and the tears from the… unknown event, disappeared like illusions.

Annoyed by the trickling liquid on my face about to fall in my eye, I wipe it… And realize that it's blood. The reason why I don't remember what happened… Maybe it's a concussion. The last thing I remember is… Cory's cocoon ! It was cracking…

That's about all I can recall. I think that, maybe, Cory lashed out. Unless another one of the crazy Marvel supervillain, decided to crash this wacky family reunion/intimidation tacti… I mean, negotiation. Am I really that unlucky ?

I hear a boisterous laughter in the distance, and use my hazy vision to peer towards it… I only see a massive silhouette in green. That has to be Hyde ! I think he's looking upward… I'm more interested in why he's so happy however.

As the fog over my thoughts lifts up a bit and my vision clears up, I feel the vibration of the ground. I can even feel how it impacts the already half destroyed building. Gravels and pieces of concrete are slowly moving, like a phone on vibrate over a table. My chest rumbles with it all… I look up and see… Well, I should have expected it in hindsight. I'm still surprised to see her floating like Cole MacGrath over the streets of Empire City. Except she's not using electromagnetism, but vibrations. And she's not gliding, but truly floating.

The pain has to be a bitch though… In the show, she couldn't use her powers without hurting herself and in the comics, I believe she had special wrist-guards made also.

Her focus is entirely on her father and, I don't see why he's laughing so hard : it's clear she's mad as heck ! With her powers, she probably can make even this mountain of muscle blow up in a shower of burst organs, splintered bones, and blood.

Then again, he probably has no idea what he's in for. As a matter of fact, Cory probably has no idea what her power even is… Which makes it surprising that she's able to use them to fly. That's an application she wasn't able to use when she first unlocked her Inhuman heritage in the series.

As I look at her deeply, thinking about her situation, I notice that her eyes, while carrying a certain amount of anger, also seem dilated. She's not in the right frame of mind at the moment. I probably should have figured it out earlier when I realized she was the reason why I almost died by having a building fall on top of me… I blame the concussion !

I sling the backpack over my shoulders again and start to prepare… What ? I'm not even sure. In my mind, there's no doubt the bad guy is still Hyde. If it were any other situation, I would… Actually, what would I do ? Until recently, I would have avoided situations like this altogether… And now, gradually, it seems they are increasing in numbers and frequency.

Should I consider permanently relocating to Nidavellir ? At least, it was somewhat peaceful, there… Until and unless a certain purple titan decides to raid the dwarves workshop.


Back to the present, though… I don't think Cory's fully conscious just yet. Perhaps, whatever process goes on with the Terragenesis isn't completely over yet, thus the reason why she's not… Or perhaps Hyde has been playing with the alien compound, mixing it with experimental chemicals…

Nevertheless, it all resulted in a rampaging teenager with the power to topple the city, at the price of her body. I need to do something… I need to save my sister !

First things first… Given Hyde's state of mind, it's possible he hasn't noticed what happened to me. Even prior to achieving his goal, his only interest in me lied in the fact that I might become a good leverage to use against Cory. I doubt he paid mind to my fate…

So, I create an illusion of my prone form lying under debris a distance away. It basically looks like me, but without the octopus-human form. Actually, illusion might not be the right word. It's corporeal, can bleed, breathe and even expire. It's basically alive, albeit without sentience, or even the basic programming that would make it move. Breathing was the only real thing it could do. It also has a big tattoo on its chest. One I would use to replace it instantaneously by… Well, me !

Then, I change my clothes, hide my bag in a secure place… Finally, I'm ready. And none too soon either ! Cory and Hyde have been fighting ever since and, needless to say, whether it's Hyde or the future Quake, their fighting is causing a lot of destruction. Neither of them seem to pay much mind to their surroundings either, only focusing on their opponent.

The worst thing ? It's how Hyde is laughing and talking like a father playing with his baby daughter… I think it's time to put an end to this farce !