Amelia, Ch 253- Victoria
Ames up Debrief Then your folks 2 hrs
A text message? I just stared at the phone.
I get told my sister's back from the dead by a text message. What the actual fuck?
I sighed and hopped over to the next rooftop, then made another jump to stick to the wall of a building. With Emma dedicated to finding a way to heal Zach, and the kids in school, and most of my other friends in Europe, I had suddenly found my life was very boring. On what passed for the 'plus side', with Taylor no longer allowed to play omnipresent crime deterrent, there were plenty of scumbags I could smack around for fun.
My power was a godsend for snooping out scumbags, now. Lifesign detection didn't have a problem with things like walls, unless the walls were alive like Amelia's constructs. They were also really good for spotting things like drug and alcohol abuse. So a woman on meth having sex with some man in an alleyway? All kinds of red flags. Some of which I really would have preferred to avoid, but such is life in the streets of Brockton Bay once again.
Eh, don't even care, cops can have this one. I flipped open my phone and hit the speed dial. "Non emergency police hotline, please report your call," I woman responded.
"This is Victoria," I replied. "Got drug abuse, public indecency, and probably prostitution. Alleyway behind the liquor store on 8th and Washington. You got about, I'd say, four minutes to bust them. When the cops get there, ask them to be sure and let the guy know there's a good chance he now has herpes. Oh, and the woman needs to be treated for mild frostbite. It's way too cold out to be doing what she's doing and those drugs are not helping her any."
"How do you know all that?" she asked.
"It's how my power works," I answered back. She must be new.
"Understood," the woman replied. "If you don't mind me saying so, that is disturbingly specific."
"Alexandria calls it the worst most amazing power," I replied, then I hung up the phone.
So now I have two hours to kill. Video games weren't fun without Zach complaining about getting his ass handed to him.
What ever happened to Hookwolf? Oh, right, he's in the Birdcage somewhere. Guess I could stop by the Palanquin. Annoy Faultline a bit. No, still in Europe.
Fuck it. I returned home.
Aunt Sarah's car was already there when I got close. So, for that matter, was Dad's.
My death breaks them up, Amy's death gets them back together again. Yay, world. That's one of the things I should be happy about, right? Nope, can't have that.
I opened the door. "Hey, Vicky, did you hear they woke up Amy?" Crystal asked.
I watched her die. And Zach. And the kids. And they don't even remember it happening. To them it was just getting out of the chair.
I'd been through it, too, of course. But watching it happen to someone else... especially watching it happen to Zach, who we all thought was immortal. He wasn't suppose to be able to die, and his power was doing its damnedest to make sure he didn't even when it would have been kinder if he could.
I didn't think Dean would die, either. He was a ranged fighter. Fuck, his power didn't even work on Endbringers, and everyone knew it. He didn't have to be out there. He shouldn't have been fighting Leviathan at all.
"Yeah, got the text," I replied. "Something about a debrief and then a family get together."
"Well, don't sound so excited," Crystal muttered. "I thought you'd be happy about."
"Fuck," I muttered. "Sorry. I am. It's just that I have a lot on my mind." If Zach were here he'd probably say something like how I was having trouble deciding how many people to invite to a threesome. Then Riley, Emma or I would give him a good smack and the mood would be magically lightened. If Dean were here, he'd pull me aside and ask me if I was okay. I'd lie and say I was fine. And he'd pretend to believe me while making it clear that if I actually wanted to talk, he'd be there to listen. I could go for either of those right about now.
Crystal just looked at me and decided not to say anything at all.
"Welcome to the party, firecracker," Dad exclaimed from the living room.
"Hey, Dad," I replied, forcing a smile as I walked into room. And when I forced it, I did it on the full level, using my powers to make every muscle behave as I commanded. Another trick my Passenger picked up from its 'mother'. "So, how long are you planning to be in town this time?"
"A couple days," he replied. "Things are pretty calm right now. I think it's the gateways. All the groups worth remembering the name of are still trying to figure out what to do with them. Trying to get their fingers into the proverbial pie."
"Yeah," I agreed. "Assholes are already making a mess of Europe."
"At least Amy's world won't have that problem," he laughed. "That 'we are the biosphere' line. Priceless. I can't wait to see the look on the first schmuck's face that thinks it's a bluff."
"So, Dad," I smiled. "Does that mean you plan on moving to Avalon?"
"Not even a consideration," he replied. "Don't get me wrong, I love my daughter and I wish her the best, but I think I'd hate living on Avalon."
I blinked.
That's a surprise. Judging by the biosense, we were all surprised. Crystal was actually a little on the offended side, she still hadn't decided to make the move, but she was strongly considering it.
"What do you mean, Mark?" Aunt Sarah asked cautiously.
"Avalon's a great idea, but it won't work," he explained. "People don't do well like that. We need things to strive for, things to fight against. Human beings are at their best when there's a goal, and struggles. Something to strive for. We fall apart when you take that away. Spoiled rich kids that have never had to work in their lives. Welfare systems that take away a need to work to survive. Refugee camps. Reservations. They take away self sufficiency, and with it self respect. No matter how beautiful they make their garden, it's still their world and everyone on it will be dependent upon them."
"You think they'll fail?" Carol asked.
"No, it'll work," Mark answered. "But when it works, it's going to be their accomplishment and no one else's. Some people will be okay with that. But being dependent on others for all my successes in life? I've been there, and I can't go back."
Huh. There's a way to put it. "Yeah," I admitted. "I feel the same way. I love what my sister's trying to accomplish. But I'd rather earn it myself than let someone else give it to me. But you said it way better."
"Maybe when I was younger," Sarah replied. "I've been through too much in the last few years. I'm all for fighting the good fight, don't get me wrong. But I've paid too high a price, too often. If Amy and Taylor can achieve what I never could, then I'm happy for them. Let me live my life in peace."
"I think I fall somewhere between," Carol replied. "You're right, Mark. It wouldn't feel right to let others do the work for me. But there are things I can do for myself without needing to fight. Normal people have careers while letting the police keep them safe. I can do the same. All that being said, I'm happy with my life and career here. I have no reason to leave."
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Crystal replied. "There's still plenty of fighting to be done. All those new Endbringers are still out there. Until that problem is solved, no one can truly be safe."
That killed the mood pretty thoroughly.
And they don't even know the threat that is Scion.
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A/N- Only gonna be the one chapter today, folks. Been feeling under the weather. Should be fine tomorrow.
and the moon is a great place to use because it has large and untaped rare mineral called helium 3 that could be used to power a fusion reactor...