140

Amelia, Ch 136

So much for going to bed early, I thought. Eidolon had left, it would be another week before we were finished building his suit. Promises were made about him talking to his associates about letting us Tinker with a few of their formulas, giving us access to their research. To see if we could improve the potency or regenerate the dying powers somehow. We didn't have much hope of that, although Riley said she had some 'exciting ideas'. Something that filled me with equal parts dread and slightly different kids of dread.

"We have an idea of what Dinah's predictions mean, now," Lisa sighed, as she poked around on her bulletin board, moving pictures and pins and strings. The material on that thing was so random and haphazard that I suspected even Lisa had forgotten what half the stuff meant. "Scion. Fuck. I never would have guessed it. It seems so obvious now that I know."

"Taboo," I answered. "Of course he wouldn't want us to know his real motivations. So why don't they lose their memories now that we know?"

"They haven't made the mental connection, or at least not the one the Passengers are looking for," Lisa answered. "None of us really have, nor will we be able to. We can envision Scion. If only as a powerful parahuman. We can't envision the Entity that's controlling him. And he is being controlled. A puppet, not too different from the Siberian or the changelings you build. The Scion we see is not the real him, and the Passengers only care about hiding the real him from us."

"I knew," Taylor muttered. HorrorIntimidation. "I saw him during the Leviathan fight. I felt him, like others have described. He was angry, and disgusted when he looked at Eidolon. I didn't put it together until just now, but on some level I knew he was a threat even then."

"Makes sense," Lisa replied. "Eidolon is powered by the corpse of Scion's girlfriend. Or whatever passes for it in their species. The Entity might think in a nonhuman way, but Scion himself still acts human."

"Of course!" Riley exclaimed. "That's what the 'perfect human DNA' is in the Cauldron vials. It's the remains of the other Entity's avatar! Its version of Scion!"

"We should find a less clunky name for it," I suggested.

"Heiress?" Emma volunteered. She paused and looked abashed before explaining her logic. "Well, I mean, it's basically the same meaning as Scion, and if they were imitating humans and are a mating pair, it's natural to think of the other as a female variant. It'd probably at least choose to look female since Scion chose to look male, right?"

"It's as good as anything," Lisa agreed. "With exception to Emma, we all have Scion shards. Meaning our powers come from him. They're recharging at their natural rate, and have power enough to last until the end of whatever weird lifecycle Entities have. At which point, we all die."

"Chances are we die of old age before then," Riley volunteered. "I mean, sure, my sister can do the whole 'eternal youth' thing for a select number of us, but if they want to be effective about their genetic testing, they'd need to test billions, potentially trillions, of Passengers. It should take centuries at the very least."

"There's also the scale of powers they've given," I added. "Taylor and I have a couple of the truly critical portions of the Entities. Our powers, at full strength, are pretty much the nervous and circulatory systems of their full organism. It's why we can function even at planetary range. Compared to what our Passengers do normally, a planet is barely anything."

"Chances are, Scion has powers dedicated solely to gathering power," Lisa volunteered. "He might be killing entire planets every hour on the hour and we'd never even know it's happening. There's more realities than anyone could hope to guess. They wouldn't pick ones with people on them, probably. Too great a chance of something going wrong, like what happened to Heiress"

ApprehensionShock. "Do you... do you think the dead world we found was one of theirs?" Taylor asked.

"Unlikely," Emma answered. AnnoyanceDistaste. "First, that planet isn't the same kind of 'dead' as an energy sapped world would be. Second, that cataclysm happened a long time ago. If Heiress was killed and is now being harnessed, chances are they've only been here for fifty years, at absolute most."

"They'd put blocks in the way of any dimension that contained Passengers, anyway," Lisa added. "We'll need to find a different way."

"Power interaction?" Taylor asked. "They clearly didn't mean for us to find a way to open holes to other realities in the first place. Surely that means they haven't planned for everything. We should be able to find a way, eventually."

"We'll certainly try," Lisa replied. "Okay, what we need to do now: First, build more Endbringer weapons. Yum knows enough to do the 'forced evolution' without any help, right? They were as effective as we needed last time, they'll still be good enough next fight. We don't waste our efforts upgrading them, unless we can do it enough to make them valid against Scion."

"Yeah, Rey can handle that on his own," Riley agreed. Emma also nodded.

"You two are going to put all your efforts into completely undoing the Taboo," she instructed. "I need a true way through it, instead of just around it. Maybe a way to break Dinah and Accord through as well. Without that, it's like trying figure out what a building looks like using nothing but sense of smell."

"You can use my memories, if you have to," I offered. "I broke through... maybe that's enough to let others."

"It adds more data, if nothing else," Emma agreed. "Lisa, would you mind if we ran the scans on you, too. Between the three of us, maybe there's enough to synthesize a treatment that'll work."

ReluctanceAcceptance. "There's also Miss Militia," Taylor added. "She remembers the Trigger Vision, at least. That might help."

"That's good," Emma agreed eagerly. "Do you know if she had one of those 'third triggers' or anything like that?"

"It's possible," Lisa admitted. "It would explain why she's so... bizarrely reasonable, for a parahuman. Most of us are colossal assholes by default. Only the ones who've broken through the Taboo, one way or another, seem to be able to be, well, sane."

AnnoyanceOffended.

"Yes, Taylor, that includes you," Lisa muttered. "Your link with Amelia is just a layer of cream frosting on top of a god damn iceberg. I've looked at the psych reports the PRT has on both of you. Every one of their thinkers guess wrong. Because your personality is so different thanks to that empathic bond you've got going on that you no longer act like you anymore. And that's not even the most fucked up part."

AnnoyedDefensiveProud. "That's fine, I didn't like me much to begin with."

"That!" Lisa exclaimed. "That right there is the most fucked up part. Most people would be scared to death by this, and you two are over there happy as can be with it."

"We'd do it anyway," I said, coming to Taylor's defense. And my own, I suppose. "Our powers are a whole lot stronger this way. Easier, smoother. Falling back on the link... I dunno... it makes everything clearer."

"Depth," Riley volunteered. "The more attuned you become to your passenger, the more you do what it wants, the less effort it has to devote to manipulating you and forcing you to do what it wants. So it spends its time improving on your abilities. That's part of..." she hesitated. "It's why Jack was so powerful, despite having such a sucky power. Why my powers are so much stronger than most, how it's so easy for me to work with other tinker tech. Because we embrace the impulses our Passengers give us."

"You're saying our Passengers want us... together... like this?" Taylor asked. ConcernDistrust. I felt my stomach drop.

"I don't know," Riley answered. "I don't think they know enough to know you're together. How humans think, how we act normally. They seem to just care about powers being as active as possible for as many different things as possible. You're both using your link constantly, and using your powers with each other to do things that neither of you can do alone. But that's the same for all of us. Rey, Emma, and I get to work on things that otherwise could not exist. We're feeding Lisa a constant stream of information for her to use her power on. It's a sustaining cycle that lets our Passengers prove themselves as the most evolutionarily fit, so they'll be the ones to pass on their traits the most."

"That actually means were less influenced by the Passengers, not more," I concluded. ConfusionHope.

"I don't think that's the message you should be taking from this," Lisa argued.

"No, no, it makes sense." I insisted. "Why do you think we're here, able to discuss a war against, well, them. I think if they were any kind of smart, the idea of killing Entities would be impossible for us to contemplate. But it's not. If they can't figure even that out, I doubt they can figure out human relationships. All they know is that Taylor and I are using our powers actively and almost constantly, so they don't have a need to pressure us into anything." RealizationAcceptanceSoothed.

"We're doing exactly what they want us to do, so they're rewarding us by giving us more power to keep doing what we were already doing. If we break the link... try to avoid using our powers..." I paused. "They will drive us insane if they have to, won't they?" What I did to Victoria... was that me, or what the Passenger manipulating me?

"It makes sense," Emma offered, looking down. "I can't speak for the others, but Taylor, I knew you before you got powers."

AngerDisgustBetrayedImpatience. "Yes, everyone knows this," Taylor said darkly. I started letting the negative emotions in the bond break up. Don't fight. Accept and push through, I reminded myself. Taylor started calming almost immediately.

"This so-called 'new' you isn't new," Emma mumbled, unable to look at any of us. "It's the Taylor I remember. Back before... everything."

ShockPrideCertaintyJoy. Taylor started laughing.

===========

A/N- That was one of the fun ones I was working toward.

... Incidentally, those last two lines were practically the whole reason I included Emma as a major character, here. Sure, maybe I could have used Danny for it. But. Meh. This was a fuckton more natural.

Amelia, Ch 137- Carol

"Okay, you can do this," I told myself yet again. I simply sat there staring at the tree. Fortress. It was a living fortress, and in it Amelia controlled everything. An incredibly humbling thought. 'Pantheon' was an appropriate name. This is the kind of power that gods wield.

I closed my eyes and exhaled painfully. It's true. If I had encouraged her to use her powers to their full extent, she could have saved Victoria. Could have made it so Victoria didn't even need saving. Would the S9 have even dared enter this city if she had that Yggdrasil ready to be used? Khepri's father said that she wouldn't have been able to stop Leviathan with it... but the Slaughterhouse Nine, for all the fear they inspired, were mortal. I fought back the tears.

I started the keys to the car. I can't do this, maybe I'll try again later. Then the most disturbing sound formed beside me. A cacophony of discordant clicks and hums forcing itself into something that mimicked words.

"You can come in if you want," it said. And the voice was most definitely an 'it'. In spite of my years as a hero, in spite of being one of the few that had faced Leviathan in combat, I screamed, and instantly transformed into my invulnerable state.

"Is it really that bad?" the not-voice asked. "Damn, I thought I was getting pretty good at it, too."

"Wh-who are you?" I asked, forming back into a human state just enough to ask.

"Taylor," the swarm answered. "Now would you like to come inside? We can talk in person, so I don't have to communicate through the bugs."

That voice. I was going to go home and scrub down with steel wool later. "Umm, yeah, sure," I agreed. "I'll be there in a couple minutes."

I got out of my car and walked to their home. It was kind of a long walk, actually. They had a lot of unused space available on this plot of land that was once a Leviathan made crater. I was about to walk around the outer wall to the actual entrance, which faced inward to the center of the crater, instead of outward to the street, but the wall itself opened for me. Amy's power.

Wasn't I planning to just go home? I asked myself as I walked through the passageway.

Their home really was built much like a fortress. Now that I was past the first wall, I had another twenty or so feet to walk before I got to an inner wall. There was no escape from this point except to blast your way out. The area was eerily beautiful, lit solely by bioluminescent blues and purples. It could even be romantic, if you came here with the right mindset. I was nowhere near that mindset. Still, it was wondrous in an alien sort of way.

The next set of walls opened. Crystal was there. "Hey, Aunt Carol," she said cheerfully. She was beautiful, a younger version of her mother. She pulled me into a quick hug, and I squeezed her back. It was good to see she was well.

"You cut your hair," I said as I let her go. It was the first thing I could think of to say. She lost most of her smile.

"Yeah," she said, her smile coming back as she offered a shrug. Maybe she could have fooled someone else, but I've known her since she was born. "It... was time for a new 'do. Short hair's trendy these days."

"Okay," I dropped it. I don't want to pry, not now. "You know how out of touch I am with kids' fashions these days."

"Speaking of fashion," she said with her usual energy. "I was just about to take Taylor on a shopping trip. Gotta pack that summer wardrobe away and get stuff for fall and winter. The poor girl thinks 'hoodie' is the only winter wear necessary."

"It should be," another girl argued from around a corner. "It's comfortable and convenient and if you get too warm you can just take it off."

"Giggity!" a boy shouted. A couple seconds later he started coughing. There was a soft thump that sounded something like someone dropped a sack of flour on the ground, and the coughing stopped. "Where do you keep hiding the grasshoppers!"

The girl stepped out where I could see her. She was tall, lanky even. So, this is Taylor, I thought. Not unattractive, but not about to win any prizes. Except maybe for her hair. Long, chocolate brown, and it was obvious she took pride in caring for it. She should give Amy pointers. "Hello, Mrs. Dallon," she said as she walked up to me. "I'm Taylor. It's nice to finally meet you." She paused for a second. "For real, at least," she added awkwardly.

"Pleasure's mine," I said, it what I hoped was a friendly way. The girl had several inches of height on me. Hide her hair and you'd think she was a boy, not a girl. Apparently my daughter liked the androgynous look. "I've heard a lot about you." None of it from Amy.

She offered a smile. "I've heard a lot about you, too." I was sure that, if any of it was good, it had come from Crystal.

"Is Amy available?" I asked. I really didn't know how to talk to this girl. Didn't know how to talk to most people, outside of business. "I'd like to talk to her. Alone, if that's possible?"

"Uh, sure, she's in o... her bedroom," Taylor corrected. I kept my face passive at that slip. It didn't bother me as much as I might have thought to know my underage daughter was sharing a bedroom with her girlfriend. I'd probably have had a minor aneurysm if this were a boyfriend. One more bit of gender bias.. "Just go down the stairs and follow the hall," Taylor gestured while stepping off to the side. "Then turn left where you see the kitchen. The door will be open for you."

"Thanks," I said. "Maybe you can come by some time, talk about things. I've already met your father. You can invite him, too, if you like."

"Sure, okay," she agreed. "That could be nice. I've got to go now."

"Okay," I nodded, pausing for a moment to watch as she fled after Crystal.

I followed her instructions. The entire building smelled, well, alive. A little like the air after a fresh rain. It was all lit by bioluminescence, most of it in bright green tones. Much brighter lighting than the area upstairs. The stairs were deep. Two stories worth, if all my years working in offices had taught me anything. Elevators are for emergencies and people who don't care about staying in shape.

Downstairs had a nice open arrangement. Lounge area off to the left, with a couple couches and some chairs that I realized were made out of the same plant as the walls and floor. There was a couple boys playing a video game at one of the TVs. I wasn't so sure I approved of them living here with all these young girls, but I couldn't say much about what other kids were doing, and I knew I didn't need to be concerned about Amy. What a weird form of gender bias.

The other side had a large meeting room. Complete with what appeared to be a very expensive video system and a lot of chairs. I kept going forward. The kitchen was obvious enough, though larger than I would have expected. Combined with a dining room that set up like a miniature restaurant. I guess when you have miles of space underground, efficiency takes a back seat to the cool factor.

Amy's room was a bit down the side hall, and the door was indeed open. I found Amy standing, in her costume, though lacking the helmet and mask of her usual outfit. In the corner stood another costume, a true full suit of armor. Too large for Amy, must be Taylor's outfit. Amy watched me, as if challenging me to say something about this obvious display of a shared living space. One she could have hidden with ease using her powers.

"You wanted to talk to me?" she asked. I recognized that tone. That's the tone I used when I disapproved of her. It stung, realizing how good she was at using it.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry," I told her. "I've been... I was never much of a mother, was I?"

"Not to me," Amy answered. "You were decent enough to Victoria."

"I know, and I'm sorry for everything," I tried to meet her eyes, but I couldn't. She was angry, accusing. Worse, she was right. "I... when I took you in, it was out of obligation. We had to. We couldn't have put you in foster care without risking... one of your father's enemies getting to you."

"You hated him," Amy said, still cold. "And because you hated him, you hated me."

I couldn't speak, I simply nodded.

"Is that all?"

"No," I managed to say. "I... I wanted to let you know I would take it all back if I could. You're not your father, you never were. You were an innocent and I... I treated you like a monster. Or a ticking time bomb ready to go off. When you got your powers, that just made it worse. I couldn't see the good you might accomplish, only the destruction you could cause. I'm sorry it took this long for me to see you as my daughter."

She sighed. "I wanted to hear you say that for years," Amy admitted. "I... I could have handled everything else. All my other problems. Maybe I wouldn't have been happy, but at least I could have coped with it. Did you know I spent all that time in the hospital just to prove to you I wasn't bad? That I wasn't a monster, that I wouldn't become my father? So I could get your approval? Your love."

I flinched. I hadn't realized. I was too busy being relieved that she wasn't home, reminding me of everything she represented. When I wasn't angrily wondering why she didn't heal Mark's depression. There's an example of being careful what you wish for. "No," I confessed. I didn't elaborate.

"What made you change your mind?" she demanded.

"New Delhi," I said, and this time I didn't fight it as my eyes started to water. "I saw... I thought you died. We thought you were dead. That's when I realized."

"Is that so?" Amy asked, her face still stone. "Fuck, all I needed to do was die. Who woulda thought?"

I flinched. "Please, Amy," I begged. "I know you're angry. You should be angry, I deserve it, but you're my daughter. I love you. You have to see that."

Her gaze locked with mine. Her face was cold, but even through my own tears I could see the ones forming in her eyes. After what felt like an eternity, her eyes fluttered, and her stance relaxed. She muttered something under her breath that I couldn't hear. I doubt it was something I was meant to hear. Was she talking to someone through her armor?

She stepped forward, and the costume simply fell off her back, another step and she embraced me, sobbing. All my remaining self control broke, and I wept while holding my daughter.

Amelia, Ch 138- Taylor

"Carol's back," I told Amelia. I'd just come in to let her know I was about to go off on my shopping trip.

IrritationDejection. "Again?" she asked.

"Yeah," I nodded.

ResolutionExasperation. "Fuck it, just ask her to come in. The first couple times were a little bit cathartic. Now I'm just starting to feel sorry for her. Invite her in, so she can say whatever it is that's pretty much turned her into a stalker."

"I can call off the shopping trip, stick around while you two talk," I offered. "I'm sure Lisa and Crystal will understand."

GratefulSafe. "I appreciate the offer," she smiled as she looked up at me. "But I'll be fine. You've been avoiding this trip since before Chicago. Things are calm, you aren't needed for anything, and I'm not going to let Carol get in the way of Crystal's fun."

"How come it's always me?" I argued. Okay, let's be honest, I was pouting. Meanwhile, I was talking to Carol via bug swarm. "Why don't you ever get dragged off on these shopping trips?"

"First," she smirked. "I already have nice clothes. Second, you're the one who looks amazing in a skirt. And third," a mischievous gleam formed in her eye. AmusementDesire. "They won't let me climb into the changing booth with you, so there's really no point. Now let Crystal and Lisa have fun finding more pretty outfits for you to show off, because you're fooling no one."

I sighed, pretending to be far more annoyed than I really was. Not that I could hide my real feelings from her, any more than she could hers for me. Sometimes, I wondered if it was unfair, the way I was teasing Amelia like this. I had brought that up before, and quickly learned that the idea of stopping actually upset her a lot more than it did me. Oh well, with all of the strange things in our relationship, this one probably wouldn't even make it into the top ten list.

"Carol's at the wall, I'll show you exactly where," I offered, and had a few of the blade beetles slice along the inner wall closest to her. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay and play backup for you?"

She hugged me. "No, it's fine," she insisted, washing the bond with a swirl of happy emotions. "Unless you're offering to show off that elusive 'skimpy bikini' I keep hearing about. In which case, you should have offered before inviting Carol in."

I felt my face heating up. HappyAmused. I also resolved to murder Crystal and Lisa. Speaking of, I also directed Crystal to where she could expect Carol to show up from.

"Alright," I sighed. "Well, guess I'll go up top and talk to her first. Never know, this might be work related and we're just being drama queens." DoubtAmusement.

"Just built a staircase near the living room, go that way," she volunteered. I already knew, but she was being considerate. I felt her reluctance as I moved away from her, then I rushed out to meet Carol at the new door. Crystal was already upstairs, talking to her aunt.

"Gotta pack that summer wardrobe away and get stuff for fall and winter," oh, great, Crystal is talking about me. "The poor girl thinks 'hoodie' is the only winter wear necessary."

"It should be," I insisted, a bit over halfway up the stairs at this point. "It's comfortable and convenient and if you get too warm you can just take it off."

"Giggity!" Zach shouted. I frowned and found one of the grasshoppers I had smuggled in on Theo's shirt. I waited for the perfect moment when he was distracted by his game, and the insect leapt into his mouth. He started coughing and became dust almost immediately. The now freed insect quickly dived behind the couch. I was sure Theo noticed, of course. "Where do you keep hiding the grasshoppers!"

I smiled, and focused on calming myself a bit. Maybe I shouldn't have been so nervous to meet Carol, but I was. She was Amelia's mother. Or closest thing to one that the closest thing I've ever had to a romantic partner had.

Carol was shorter than I had expected. Than I remembered. Maybe her costume had platforms? Maybe I'd grown taller in the last few months? Maybe it was just a trick of memory, as the last time we'd met, there was that blowout between Amelia and New Wave. She looked tired now, I noticed. I felt a little pity for the woman.

"Hello, Mrs. Dallon," I said, approaching Amelia's mom. "I'm Taylor. It's nice to finally meet you. For real, at least." Oh, wow, Taylor, that was smooth. I saw Crystal looking at me from behind her aunt and it was only my link with Amelia that let me stabilize and keep my cool.

"Pleasure's mine," she smiled half heartedly. "I've heard a lot about you." I studiously kept my eyes on Carol instead of glancing back at Crystal.

"I've heard a lot about you, too," I stated. Not much of it was good, but I'd heard plenty.Some conversations with Amelia, a couple with Crystal. It was hard for me to reconcile the difference between their descriptions of the same woman. Lisa had summed it up as Amelia being melodramatic, and Crystal never really seeing how consistently bad Carol was at the whole 'being a parent' thing. She wasn't malicious, she was just incompetent. The rest of the blanks were filled in by Amelia's own hangups. Especially the part about her attraction to Victoria.

"Is Amy available?" Carol asked. I was struck by the oddity of the position. Shouldn't I be the one coming over to her house and asking her that? "I'd like to talk to her. Alone, if that's possible?"

"Uh, sure, she's in o... her bedroom," I almost slipped up. I didn't really have my own room here, anymore. Either I stayed at home, or if I stayed here, I stayed in Amelia's room. I moved to the side. "Just go down the stairs and follow the hall, then turn left where you see the kitchen. The door will be open for you."

"Thanks," she said, forcing more of a smile. Maybe she didn't notice my screwup? "Maybe you can come by some time, talk about things. I've already met your father. You can invite him, too, if you like." Right, they were all together for New Delhi. I still hadn't talked to dad about that. We were still in the 'pretend neither of us know that we both know' stage. He might legitimately believe I don't know, and I would rather wait for him to talk to me about it than to press the issue.

"Are you okay?" Amelia asked. She'd put her armor on, and with it I had voice communication. I can imagine how I feel through the bond right now.

"I'm fine," I answered. "Just a little weirded out, y'know."

"Are you sure?" CompassionWorry.

"Sure, okay," I agreed to Carol's invite. "That could be nice. I've got to go now."

"Okay," Carol nodded to me. I moved past her, unable to make eye contact as I continued speaking with Amelia through the armor.

"Yeah," I said. "Y- Carol just invited me and maybe my dad over for a visit sometime. I just lied and said that sounded nice."

"Oh god," AmusedIncredulous. Amelia chuckled. "That sounds awful."

"It would likely go down in history as a candidate for the most awkward conversation in the history of awkward conversations," I agreed. "I can see it now... 'Hey, girl who's engaged to my daughter, I see you've brought your dad, is he still boning my sister?'"

"She's not my mother," Amelia said, her mood and voice darkening. There was still the undercurrent of longing underneath, however. I thought back to my mom, and how much I missed her. Amelia sighed. "That's not fair and you know it."

"Sorry," I apologized. "I don't think Carol agrees with you on this. She's trying awfully hard to be nice, here. To reach out to me of all possible people. It's hard not to be sympathetic. Like watching a sad puppy. Or Riley after one of her nightmares."

"God damn it, Taylor, for you to feel bad for someone, they have to be really pathetic," Amelia muttered. "Fine. But now you have to do that incredibly awkward 'meet the family shit'. The whole family. Bring Crystal and Sarah. That is your punishment. Deal with it."

I caught up with Crystal, finally. She had made it to her car, and the little garage Amelia had built for it. Sure, we could have gotten there from underground, but Crystal insisted that we needed to go outside and see sunlight every once in a while.

"About time," Lisa teased. "So on a scale of one to ten, how bad is the fallout going to be?"

"I have inadvertently agreed to a 'meet the folks' date with Amelia, her parents, and my dad, and his new girlfriend." I reluctantly admitted. Lisa started laughing.

Crystal cringed. "God damn it, Taylor. This is going to involve me, isn't it?" Apparently, she was just going to ignore Lisa and talk in front of her. Not like my she wouldn't know what the hell was happening anyway. Forcing her to use her power to figure things out just meant less energy used on things that really mattered. Plus it kinda annoyed her that she couldn't play nosy super sleuth with us the way she likes to do.

"Blame your cousin for that one," I insisted. "I was willing to bite the bullet and go it alone, but Amelia is convinced that this is a suffering that must be shared with every possible member of her family. I wouldn't be surprised if she invites Riley along. Just for even more weirdness."

"Stay with me?" Amelia begged me right before Carol walked in.

"Always," I answered back.

"So, still spying on Amelia, right?" Lisa asked.

"She asked me to, so it's not spying," I answered. "But, yes, I am there to lend emotional support to my friend while she deals with her mother." AccusationAngerDisappointment. I cringed.

"She would do the same for me," I insisted. Meanwhile, I started focusing and mirroring the other, less painful, emotions in the link. I couldn't pretend to understand what Amelia's life has been like. I did know what it felt like to long for a mother who wasn't there. That was a common ground. And Amelia, as much as she didn't want to admit it to herself, still wanted her mother.

I didn't push the emotion. That would be a betrayal. I reinforced it, made sure Amelia knew it was there, kept it from getting lost in the storm.

I followed the conversation, watching Carol bare her soul to Amelia. Then they went silent. AngerPityCompassionAnger. Better than before, at least. I didn't need to hold the emotions at this point, they were coming to the fore on their own, now. One of the many things that we shared. We needed that sense of family. However messed up the family itself might have been.

"Thank you," Amelia whispered, seconds before letting the armor fall off. The link was still there, but she didn't need me there in a more direct sense for the rest of this. AcceptanceDeterminationCompassionPeace.

I finally focused back on the 'here and now'. We were already on the road, heading toward wherever it was my shopping experts had determined we would go today. They didn't say anything as I wiped the wetness off my cheeks.

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

A/N- Because that scene deserved a look through another set of eyes. I did, unfortunately, have to lift some dialogue straight off the last chapter. Felt like a scumbag for doing it, but, well, all attempts I made to work around it looked like shit.

I just made it an extra long chapter to make up for the partial rehash.

Amelia, Ch 139- Emma

I went over the neurological copying tech once more, perfecting the last few minor errors. Riley's work was as brilliant, as always, but it had flaws. Rey's, too, although it was better suited for this sort of thing. And the neural mapping system from both Cranial and Rapture were held together by patchwork until I managed to actually integrate them properly. It worked, for a given value of work, but was woefully inefficient. And I was willing to let her copy and paste my mind with this? Holy shit what was wrong with me? To the other side I had the last readings Riley got off of Crawler. I smiled as I compared it to the new tests I ran.

"I got it!" I declared, startling Riley from her work on the actual pathway differences between Amelia's brain, as opposed to mine and Lisa's. It was doubtful my scans would be useful, since my brain was no longer organic, but every point of reference held a chance. She was following a very strict formula, to catch any possible Taboo in her research. Every bit of data, double and triple checked by the computer, and me, and Lisa. Scion is going to end the world. If there was ever a time I might be able to prove myself, prove my value, it will be in stopping the apocalypse.

"What?" Riley asked, still working on her project.

"I've figured out how to perfectly interpret the neural engrams you pulled from Crawler," I explained excitedly. "We can pull people back who got glass bombed. Ooh! I just had a great idea! Do you think the PRT has more of those glass weapons? We could build them and use them on serious threats! Crystallize everyone in the area and only restore the ones that we don't want to stay dead!"

"That's great!" Riley declared. "Ooh! Does it have to be glass? Maybe we could do the same with your ice weapons!"

"We could!" I squealed. "It's perfect!"

Riley frowned. "No. Breaks Rule Two."

"Which one's that?" I asked.

"If the plan starts with 'kill people indiscriminately', it's a bad plan," she replied. "I think that includes glass bombs and flash freezing."

I paused for a second and thought about what I'd just suggested. "Holy f-fudge," I muttered. Did I really just suggest something like that? "I know that's wrong. I knew it when I said it. Why?"

"It's a tinker thing," Riley dismissed. "Don't worry about it too much. You still had one big breakthrough today."

"I did," I agreed. You succeeded again. "They'll have to accept me after this."

Riley looked at me. "What do you mean? You're part of the team, aren't you?"

"Not really," I dismissed. "Sure, I work here, but no one wants me around. If they could find a way to take away my powers and plug them into some random guy they find on the street holding a 'will work for food' sign, they'd do it in a heartbeat. No one really likes me."

"I like you," Riley argued.

"You like everyone," I pointed out. I smiled, however. "Actually, you remind me a lot of Taylor when she was your age."

She beamed at that. "Good!"

"It really is," I agreed.

"Why'd you stop being friends with her?" Riley asked.

I froze... err, shifted into my hybrid state. I couldn't come up with a way to answer that question any other way. In my full power state, things were easier. I was closer to a computer than human in this form. Most of my insides were no longer organic, in any state, and my brain was no exception. It was more like a crystalline electromagnetic computer system. And when in my hybrid state, it became a superconductor. Absurdly easy to think, and close to impossible to feel emotions. "It's because I hated myself. A bad thing happened that made me angry and sad. Those emotions make people hurt other people."

Riley frowned, and I dropped the power state. I couldn't keep it running forever, and I needed it for work. "Mannequin hated himself. I hate myself, sometimes," she answered. "When I think about everyone I hurt, it makes me sad and angry. But I would never hurt Missy."

"You're smarter than I was," I said.

"Do you think Missy would hurt me?" Riley asked.

Probably, if something bad enough happened, I thought. "No," I lied. I was a good liar, and my physiology was so nonhuman that Riley's ability to spot deception wouldn't work on me. Even Rapture's tech didn't work on me. Her power did, yes, but not her equipment. "Missy's smart, too."

Riley nodded, looking relieved. She'd undone a lot of the personality tech she built into herself. I could still see its remnants running in her brain, at least when I went hybrid, but she wasn't faking being cheerful anymore. She had her bad days as well as her good, like everyone else, although she made the bad a lot less bad than it would be if she were relying on normal neurochemistry. Really, it was probably less mind altering than most prescription antidepressants.

"I'm trying to make Taylor my friend again," I informed her. Somehow, she was more well liked around her than I was. And she was fucking Bonesaw. I knew how those spider-bots were made, now. There was a human neurosystem in there. A young one, capable of adapting to the change of circumstances. If she had then the kind of lab she has now, I could be persuaded that it was artificial. She didn't. She had to use a toddle for parts every time she built one of those things. If others could accept what she had done, surely I wasn't so bad?

"How?" she asked. "I don't think she wants to be your friend anymore. And I'm pretty sure she's not going to let you alter that."

"After we restore Glory Girl," I answered. "It means Amelia will have her sister back. After that, Taylor will have to be grateful that we helped her girlfriend with something that monumental. You'll benefit, too. We both know Taylor's still uncomfortable around you."

"I don't mind," Riley responded. "I tried to hurt Taylor really bad. Tried to take her apart, even. Did horrible things to one of her friends. She has every right to be mad at me. She still tries to be nice to me even though she doesn't have to. It's more than I deserve."

"After this, she'll have to," I insisted. "You can't stay mad at someone after they pretty much perform a miracle for you. Taylor will forgive us both, and Amelia will have her sister and it'll be like the bad stuff never happened at all."

"I don't think that's how it works," Riley responded. "Pretending the bad stuff isn't real just makes things worse. Trust me, I lived with the Slaughterhouse Nine. I'm only getting better now because I'm not pretending anymore."

I didn't speak, and Riley took that as an invite to continue.

"And Missy says I'm her friend because she likes being friends with me. She likes being around me, and I like being around her, and we like it when the other is happy. That's why we're friends, and that's why Amelia's my sister. It has nothing to do with what I can do for her or anything I can give her. That's only why we're part of a team together. And because we're both 'badass action babes'."

I froze and thought back. By that definition, I haven't had any friends at all since... since Taylor. I had all the friends at school. Girls who wanted to be popular. Boys who wanted to be seen with me, wanted in my pants, or most likely both.

Sophia was closer, but she had been a mentor. Sure, we spent time together, and shared secrets. In as much as Sophia would share anything with anyone. It hadn't taken me long to discover that she'd get upset if I didn't keep doing what she wanted to do. Namely, torment Taylor, lord popularity over other girls, and her activities as a vigilante. Outside of that, Sophia cared about nothing at all, and made her disinterest known in her own less than subtle way. To claim she cared about whether or not I was happy? For fuck's sake, she was going to watch me get gang raped if I didn't fight back.

"See," I said. "Told you Missy was smart." So much for that idea, I thought. Sure, resurrection technology was a big deal. The biggest deal possible. There was no way to exaggerate how important it was. But she was right. It wouldn't result in Taylor's acceptance. I would deserve it, yes. But that wouldn't mean I'd get it.

"How did you get Amelia to like you? Or Missy? Or all of the others?" I asked. "They know what you've done, and still they accept you."

Riley looked down. "I don't know," she admitted.

Amelia, Ch 140- Taylor

Shopping was, as usual, an exhausting experience. Lisa and/or Crystal would decide what looked good for me, argue with each other for a couple minutes, and then I'd have to argue with them about such things as price and too much of my very not tan skin being shown.

"This is suppose to be winter clothes," I finally declared after the fifth skirt they tried to get me to buy. "I am not wearing a skirt for winter. It happens to be cold during winter. If I'm going to get frostbite, I at least want it somewhere I can tell the doctors about and still look them in the eyes."

"Isn't your fiancée your doctor?" Crystal teased.

"Yes," I said in a carefully neutral tone.

"Well, you heard Taylor," Lisa responded. "She prefers looking Amelia in the eyes."

"If Zach was here," Crystal laughed. "He'd probably say something about a kiss to make it better."

I just sighed and resolved that the next city that Pantheon claimed permanently would be in Alaska. I would assign both Lisa and Crystal to manage that site. Forever. Surely there was a PRT Director up there that would appreciate the help.

"Speaking of Zach," Lisa said, grinning.

Crystal's eyes widened. "No."

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"Find out what?" I asked.

"No. No no no. Don't you fucking dare," Crystal insisted.

"Aww, but you don't want to share your plans for the future?" Lisa smirked.

"I was just being nice!" Crystal exclaimed.

"Oh Ta~ylor, your future step sister promised Za~ch a~ da~te." Lisa sang every 'a' sound, and clicked her tongue at the last 't'.

At last, I thought. Someone else suffers this bullshit! "Oh, really?" I joined in the smirking. "Sorry, Crystal, now I feel bad. Can't be easy on you when your boyfriend tastes like crickets."

"In five years!" She insisted. "I told him that, if we were both single, five years from now, then I'd maybe go on a date with him."

I shrugged. "Y'know, the way he works out, he's going to be buff as hell in five years."

"Taylor's been doing her part to help," Lisa volunteered. "Grasshoppers are really high in protein."

....

"Umm, huh," I muttered as we approached the food court. I was glad for my morning workouts, it's the only reason my feet hadn't fallen off yet. "Guess what?"

"Riley is busy creating yet another abomination against nature and god?" Lisa volunteered.

"No-" I paused. "Actually, yes. But that's not what I was talking about."

"You've decided one Endbringer is enough and want to shop for wedding dresses?" Crystal suggested.

"Close enough," I declared. "Our parents are on a date a couple blocks from here."

"Where? How come you didn't notice earlier? What are they doing?" Crystal asked.

"I dunno," I answered. "Some Italian place, I'm pretty sure. I didn't notice because I'm trying not to be omnispy. And heavy petting. Very heavy petting."

"Eww, gross," Crystal paused. Lisa snickered. "Wait. You're just fucking with me, aren't you?"

"Yep," I admitted, smiling what I was sure was a Lisa-esque smile.. "They just got there. I didn't notice because they came in different vehicles and I didn't realize they were headed to the same place until they were both in the parking lot."

"We should spy on their date!" Crystal declared.

"We are not going to spy on them," I insisted. "It's creepy."

Crystal snickered. "You, of all people, did not just say that."

"No, seriously, it's not cool and I'm not doing it," I insisted. "What they do on their own time is their own business, not ours. I am not going to pry into their relationship by eavesdropping on them without their knowledge or permission."

"They're in Brockton Bay," Crystal countered. "The act of being in this city means they've already given you permission."

"I managed to not know about you and Zach," I pointed out. "You didn't seem too happy when Lisa gave out your secrets to me."

"Fine," she huffed. "But we're their kids, we totally deserve to know. If only so we have a proper warning next time."

"Here's a suggestion," I said. "How about if we just walk right up to them and say hello? Then we can pry to our hearts content without being creepy about it."

"No wonder Amy likes you so much," Crystal complained. "You're the only person on the planet who is better at killing fun than she is. We're going to wind up having that whole 'meet the family' thing with Aunt Carol soon enough, anyway, so let's just let them have their date."

"Good, I was in the mood for cheese fries for lunch, anyway," I said happily. I wasn't going to spy on my dad's date, and volunteering to just show up and interrupt it was a bluff. I was happy he had someone, but I was happier to just let him be happy on his own. Meeting them, seeing them together, made it a bit more real than I wanted it to think about it being right now. It would be easier with Amelia there when that happened the first time.

ConcernProtective. I smiled, dipping into the link.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Crystal said. "But how in the hell are you so skinny? You eat more than anyone I've ever met and you still have the figure of a fashion model."

I shrugged. "My whole family's like that," I answered. It feels so much nicer when Amelia says stuff like that to me, I realized. Probably because I know that she means it. With anyone else, it just made me feel somewhere between 'awkward' and 'meh, whatever'.

"Good genes, then," Crystal concluded. "I am totally jealous, now. I have to watch my diet and work out religiously to keep my figure."

"Your figure comes with boobs," I countered. "So you don't get to complain about anything."

"That sounds like too much work," Lisa dismissed. "I just get Amelia to give me a tune up once every month or so, plus a few bells and whistles to keep certain other biological inconveniences out of my life," She looked at me, and grinned her usual grin. "Whose idea do you think that bikini was?"

"Oh, you cheating bitch," Crystal groaned.

"What?" she asked, feigning shock. "You mean it doesn't count unless you luck into it by genetic accident?" Her smile grew even wider. I was beginning to picture the top of her head falling off. "Well, then, on the subject of optimal figures for genetics, here's a thought: What are the odds either of your parents brought contraceptives to their little afterparty?"

And with those words, lunch was over. Probably dinner as well.