Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Friday, December 17th, 2010

Riiiinnngg!

The bell jolted me awake from my mundane thoughts and the hubbub of the class. About fucking time.

“Before you leave!” Mr. Gladly started off, only to be met with groans from the class. He chuckled, “Now now, I did say I wasn’t giving you homework but I do want you to think about the impact Parahumans have had on Christmas. We will be-” Even though he was trying to butter up  the popular kids, they didn’t care and wanted to get out just as badly as I did. It was incredibly aggravating. The man barely taught because of his need to be with the in-crowd. Never once did he care about what the rest of us were doing, as long as he looked good, he wouldn’t care. But what did I expect from an authority figure in this cesspool of a school?

At least I had a few weeks away from this hellhole and the problems that haunted me. A blessing from above that I could be home with my books without the troubles that were now in my life.

Going through the motions as quickly as I could, I gathered my notebook, pens, and pencils before putting them into the plastic bag inside my bookbag. It would have been so much nicer if I didn’t need the blasted thing. As I stood up and was about to walk out, hoping to beat everyone else and escape this misery, my feet halted and my hands tightened around my backpack straps when I saw a glimpse of the Trio outside the door. 

They could never leave me alone for one fucking day, could they? Couldn’t they just ignore me like most people? What the hell did I do to them that would make me their living punching bag? Seriously, it wasn’t like I did anything to Emma to warrant this bullshit. I still don’t know why, but she has taken great delight in tormenting me. She was wearing a blue blouse and black jeans, accentuating her curves— curves I would die for— and the smirk on her delicate face did nothing to alleviate my concerns.

 Sophia stood next to her, arms crossed with her varsity jacket on and leaning against the lockers with one of her legs bent against it. Her nearly skin tight jogger pants also left little to the imagination. The last of the three was twisting in place, her denim skirt spinning with her and a pang of want washed through me. Madison, the cutesy pain in the ass who, for some reason, wore a tank top along with her skirt to school. In the Northeast United States. In December.

Deep breath in. Count to three. Deep breath out. You can do this Taylor. Don’t let them get to you. Those words repeated in my head several times, losing the chance of escaping this hellhole before anyone else in the class. How Madison got out so quickly was a mystery of the gods. Not that it mattered; it didn’t change my predicament.

“Taylor.”

The hesitant voice of Mr. Gladly broke my concentration. Would he be actually doing his job for once? I glanced over my shoulder to see the man standing around like a chicken with his head cut off. Nope, probably not. “Yes, Mr. Gladly?” I replied as calmly as I could when I turned to face him. 

His eyes tried to look over me, which was hilarious considering how short the man was, one of the few times I could enjoy my height, and I could only imagine him trying to figure out why I was so bothered. “Is everything ok?” he asked. 

What a stupid question. He knew exactly what was wrong. How many times had I gone to him, or any teacher here, and the results were always the same? I stopped counting around fifty and hadn’t bothered since. A fake smile graced my lips, “everything’s fine,” I lied. What did it matter if it wasn’t.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I deadpanned.

“If you nee-”

“I’m fine,” I cut him off, before turning on the spot and walking out of the room. There was a sigh that could only be interpreted as disappointment. Don’t know why, my life might be shit but it couldn’t be as bad as a grown ass adult trying to be one of the popular kids. 

The door had barely closed before the Trio was on me. “Hey Taylor,” Emma said in her sweet innocent voice.. Sophia and Madison perked up a bit, their eyes landing on me.

I sighed, “What do you want, Emma?”

“Oh, come on, Taylor. Is that any way to treat a friend?”

“What friend?” I deadpanned, not leaving anything to question. She was stunned, not sure why since it wasn’t the first time I’d said that, but it was all I needed to squeeze by and run down the hallway. 

It didn’t take long for her to break out of it and quickly yell, “Taylor!” The squeaking of shoes on the floors chasing me as I cut through the crowd of blank faces. Many stepped aside, not wanting to be part of this sick game. Just more people who didn’t give a shit and were complacent in the blatant acts of bullying. At least it gave me a clear pathway to the stairs. It was a long shot, but I hoped that this trick would work again.

I took the stairs two at a time, racing downwards and landing on the first floor in a sprint towards the bathrooms. The blue door into the girls restroom slammed open when I barreled into it, skidding to a stop to slowly close the door and running into one of the stalls. My fast breathing slowed down as I sat on the toilet and repeated my breathing techniques. My ears listened for any sign of the Trio. 

The few times I did this, they went to the boys bathroom, showing their own bigotry. Once upon a time, Emma had been accepting but that changed. Just like everything else. Best friends to enemies, at least to her, over night. Memories of a time that felt so long ago flashed across my eyes and a shudder left me. How I wish I could have my best friend back. Not this monster that haunts me. 

My head banged the back of the wall as I tried to stop the tears from falling. It was short lived when the door opened and the sound of footsteps grew louder. Thoughts raced through my mind, hoping beyond all hope that it wasn’t the Trio, that it was just another group of girls. The stalls next to me opened and that hope disappeared. Like clockwork, I saw two sets of hands, filled with juice boxes, over the top of the dividing walls. The contents of said juice boxes rained down on me. The sticky… apple juice soaked my clothes, even through my large hoodie. Haha fuckers, my stuff is safe because of the plastic bag.

Wow, that was sad, even for me.

Giggles echoed in the bathroom as the three girls enjoyed their fun . Another deep breath and I picked up my backpack and walked out of the stall. The Trio was standing next to the sinks, their laughter intensifying as their eyes landed on me. “T-T-Taylor,” Madison managed to say in between fits of giggling. Her laugh sounded like a wounded hyena and it irritated the hell out of me. “Yo-you really t-th-think that trick wo-would work?”

“Did you seriously think running into the wrong restroom would fool us again?” Emma scolded, her words hitting their intended mark. “Don’t know why they let you in here, but this is the girls restroom.” She should just shut up . If she only kept her fucking mouth shut. Because of her, I was targeted by the Empire goonies too. And they were not nearly as… ‘kind’ as the three girls standing over me. 

Being the only openly trans person in Winslow sucked . The administration barely allowed me to use the girls restrooms. A feat that still surprised me to this day, but I had a feeling Mom had something to do with it before she passed away. Or Dad was very insistent . And don’t get me started about the gym and the locker rooms.

I suppressed the shudder from that thought.

“Fuck you,” I gritted my teeth and rushed past them. 

Sophia stepped in the way, a veritable brick wall as I collided with her. My wet shoes caught on something, tripping me and before I knew it, all the air in my lungs left and I was staring up at the bright lights of the bathroom. The sound of laughter reached my ears after the ringing dissipated. All three of them leaned over me, their faces filled with joy at my suffering. I wanted to curse, but it was pointless. It always was. 

My mouth remained clamped shut as I sent all my hatred at them with my eyes. The three finally stopped laughing after what felt like minutes. Sophia and Madison left, the smaller of the two waving goodbye over her shoulder as the door closed behind them. Emma stayed, her arms crossed and hips cocked in a way that showed how proud she was of my torment. We used to be best friends. I used to braid her hair and she’d helped me with clothes. She was there for me when I figured out I was trans, even pointed out how obvious it was. 

The person who stood above me was an evil doppelganger. Of my sister. 

I didn’t respond, wouldn’t respond. It was pointless so I just stared. Eventually she let out a huff, “Whatever. See you, loser. Maybe I’ll see you at Christmas .” Emma walked out of the bathroom but not without one more comment before the door closed, “And stop going into the girls bathroom!”

I stayed on the ground, taking a moment from the words of my former best friend. It was an understatement to say that they hurt. No, they cut deep . When shivers started to rack my body from the cold floor, it was time to get up. Grabbing my backpack, I walked through the door, the sign on it making Emma’s words cut a little deeper. It only took a few deep breaths to prevent another spiral. 

The walk through the school was luckily uneventful. None of the Empire were around, a blessing to whatever god would hear it. I was already drenched in juice and I still had to make an errand before I could change. It would only make my day worse if I had to deal with them too. Most of the time I just outran them but they always got more… restless around this time. Some bullshit about being so angry about ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas’. 

As I made it outside the school, I ran as fast as I could when I noticed the bus was about to leave.. Another thing I was grateful for was Mom drilling into me about the importance of exercising. I might not be an athlete like Sophia, but I could hold my own. 

I wish I didn’t have to go so far out of my way for this errand, but it was only once a year and there wasn’t any better place to get it. There were very few shops that weren’t controlled by a gang and as far as I knew, this was one of them. 

Heading to this store was always scary since it was in Empire territory, even when I came with Mom. She was always fearless, something that I wanted to be. She would always say that there was nothing to fear, that death was but the start of another adventure. I still didn’t understand what she meant by that, but I did take it to heart. It was because of it that I opened up to her and Dad about being a girl. 

Dad didn’t know how to take that but Mom was quick to jump in to support me. It was because of her that I had the strength to go through it. Dad took a while but he eventually came around to it with the help of Mom and Aunt Zoe. I think the biggest issue he had was that he thought he was ‘losing a son’ but not realizing he was ‘gaining a daughter’. There was also the fact that I was still the same person which probably helped. 

Ding. Hiss.

The sound of the bus stopping and the doors opening cut through my thoughts like a hot knife. I noticed that the we were near the shop when I saw several stylized graffiti of the Empire’s symbol on the walls. Taking a deep breath to prepare myself, I quickly hopped off the bus and started walking down the street. The shop was only around the corner, so I didn’t have to worry too much. 

When I turned the corner, the worn sign written in a strange font that I didn’t often see was the first thing in my line of sight. Crystals and Stones ; it was like the letters were written with only straight lines in mind. I’d seen it in Mom’s handwriting from time to time. The windows were fairly dark, where one could barely see the outlines of the interior. The very vibe of the store gave off this forbidden sense that scared people away. Even a few bystanders walked closer to the street rather than be near the store. But I knew how homely and welcoming it was.

The door let off a soft chime as I opened it. The store became brighter, like stepping through a portal back to the middle ages. Halogen lights above cast deep shadows over the rows of random knick knacks and herbs, categorized by their uses and not for flavor. Bookshelves filled to the brim with tattered and worn books. An array of candles in myriad of colors. Many were a bright contrast to the rest of the dark store. A section of tarot cards that, while cool, did little in my opinion. 

An occult shop, the only one in the Bay. And one I’d been coming to for years with Mom. 

“Now who enters my domain,” a gravelly and hoarse voice said slowly. A moment later, a figure popped out from one of the rows of herbs. A tall elderly woman with gold jewelry threaded through each grey braid, looked around with dark sunken eyes before they settled on me. There was a brief moment of confusion before recognition hit. “Oh! If it isn’t little Taylor!” Her excitement was infectious as she tapped her intricate cane on the ground. It also helped that I didn’t feel tall in her presence because she was tall - at least a head’s height between us.

“Hi Elli,” I waved at her.

Elli was the sole owner and employee of the shop. She'd had this shop for decades and not once had she buckled under any of the gangs in that time. How she made money when I couldn't remember seeing anyone besides me coming into the store was beyond me. Mom seemed to know her from somewhere, but neither would tell me when I'd asked.

Elli smiled, “It’s so great to see you, my dear. I wish you’d come by more often!” Her accent was one I still couldn’t pinpoint. It was familiar in a way that reminded me of Mom’s to some degree. It wasn’t often, but when Mom got angry, her Scandinavian roots kicked in. She'd never told me where exactly they were from and she'd always stopped me from digging further. Dad always said that she had a lot of trauma from her past but it felt like… he didn’t know either.

“I’m sorry. I’ve just been busy.”

She was quiet for a moment before she sighed. “It's painful, isn’t it?”

I didn’t answer. It was. Coming here always reminded me of Mom.

Elli tapped her cane again and held it in front of her. “Well, what can I help you with then?”

Grateful for the change of topics, I replied, “I need a Yule log.”

That made the old woman smile. “I can certainly do that. I’m glad you are keeping up the tradition.” There was something unspoken that I couldn’t decipher. Not that I had time to as she waved for me to follow and started walking down the row of store goods. 

“Of course I do. It would feel wrong if I didn’t.”

She didn’t reply as I quickly caught up. I took a moment to peruse through the items; various jars of different sizes and lengths, candles with wicks that seemed older than the wax itself, and herbs you would find at a grocery store but with little tags underneath for their purpose. To anyone not accustomed to the store, they would think that the claim that Lavender would eliminate envy was hogwash. To some degree, it was. But there had to be something behind it if our ancestors used it. 

“Now, what size did you need? I can never remember. Getting old has frazzled my brain.”

“That’s not true. You are sharper than most people I know.”

She stopped and glanced over her shoulder, a wide, nearly toothless smile was on her face. “You are too kind, child.” She continued walking without missing a beat after that. Elli might be one of the few adults I could trust. 

Elli led me to a dark corner of the store where a neat pile of oak logs was located. Their sizes ranged from just larger than my hand to some as long as my arms. Next to them was a basket for the other decorations for the log, like holly and ivy, but I still had some mistletoe from last year. “Here we are. Just pick the one you like.”

I looked at the smaller selection and picked one that would fit in my backpack. There was a reason that I'd packed light today.

“That’s the one you want?” she asked, her question more like a judgment. Her stare didn’t help either.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Hmm.” A slight pout on her face. “You used to get bigger ones, if I remember correctly.” And here she thought she didn’t remember.

“We did but,” I started as I pulled my soaked backpack around and pointed at it. “It wouldn’t fit in here.”

She eyed me intently, her incredulous stare boring deep into my soul. They looked down at my backpack just as a drip of juice dropped.

“Is something going on, Taylor?”

“No.” My voice nearly croaked. No matter how many voice lessons I went through, my shitty old one would sometimes leak through. Especially when an old woman is staring at you with the eyes of a hawk. “Just an accident,” I managed to squeak out a sorry excuse of a response.

“Taylor.”

“It’s fine.” It was more forced than I wanted, but she couldn’t know the truth.

Elli stared at me for what felt like hours before she huffed. She mosied over to the counter before sitting in the chair. “You best be off, then. No need to keep an old woman like myself company.”

“Wha- but-” I blurted before walking over to the counter and pulling out my wallet. “I still need to-”

She waved me off. “Consider it a Yule gift, if you will.” She placed her cane in her lap and leaned back in the wicker chair, her eyes closed as she started to tap her foot on the ground.

I would never say it to her face, but she could be odd at times. It bothered me that she didn’t want me to pay for the log, but I knew her. She wouldn’t take it. It happened numerous times with Mom, and I really shouldn’t be surprised that it happened with me. I fought the sigh that wanted to escape my lips.

“Alright. Have a Happy Yule, Elli.” I turned and started to walk out of the store.

There was a muttering that I didn’t quite catch and I had to turn around. Her eyes were open, a smile on her face as she said, “You as well, Dearie. Be safe.”

I smiled. With everything that had happened since Mom’s death, I was glad that there was still someone who was looking out for me. Between Dad taking a depressing spiral, my best friend betraying me, and the tribulations of my transition, it was nice to know that I wasn’t fully alone. Especially with someone who was linked to Mom.

The same chime reached my ears when I left the store, a calm reminder to my ears. People still veered away from the store but it did nothing to detract from the happiness that bloomed in my chest. Maybe I would have the courage to finally venture into the basement after all this time.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ 

Hopping off the bus, I walked down the street towards home. The ride was uneventful, a blessing on its own considering the city. Brockton Bay had one of the highest populations of capes in the city and it seemed like not a day went by without some sort of incident. Luckily there were several rules that had persisted since the days of the Marque. The buses were off-limits when it came to capes. Women and children too, but that wasn’t always the case obviously. 

But even with those rules, the gangs had caused the city to wither over the years. No matter how hard the heroes tried, the villains always escaped and continued their ruination. It probably didn’t help that the villains outnumbered the heroes. I could only imagine that with their numbers, it would be easy to retrieve any of their capes. 

Mom had hated the Empire, and she wasn’t alone. There were a few times she'd had this look like she was going to get into a brawl. And she didn’t like violence! It shouldn’t be a surprise considering she was one of Lustrum’s lieutenants back in the day. I felt like there was more to it, that it wasn’t just for their fascism.

That was one of the many reasons why I wished I had powers. Not like I wasn’t the only kid, but I'd always dreamed of being able to fly, having super-strength, or shooting lasers out of my hands. Even before realizing I was trans, I wanted to be Alexandria. Kind of a big hint there now that I thought about it, but it didn’t change the fact that I wanted powers to help Brockton Bay, if not the world. 

My musings were cut short when I realized that I had made it home. Dad wasn’t home, not that I expected him to be. Hopefully he didn’t work late tonight like he tended to around this time of year. He wanted to make sure the Dock Workers had extra cash for the holidays, which was already hard enough to do. I fished out my keys from my pocket after hopping over the broken step. 

I was hit with a wall of warmth as I stepped inside the house, another reminder that my clothes were still soaked and in a desperate need of a change. Before running up the stairs to do that, I looked around the house briefly and saw nothing had changed. A small Christmas tree was in the corner next to the television, a scant few ornaments and lights on it. The kitchen was still untouched since this morning, not that I expected it to be anything different. A few pictures scattered around the house of Dad and I, some of them I sorely wished he would take down. 

No matter how many times I tried to tell him why, he would put them back up. I stopped fighting him on it after I saw how happy he was when he put them up. As annoyed as I was, I would rather see him out of his depressive funk, even for a few minutes.

“ Meow ,”,“ mrow .”

I looked around and saw Bee and Treacle near the fireplace. Bee was in the cat house, his smaller frame poking out of the hole where one could see his lighter shade of brown. Treacle’s larger and darker brown body was on the mantle next to one of the candles. He had a mischievous eye on the candle and I really hoped he didn’t knock it over. Again. Mom never told me which of the two was older and I liked to play a game with them about it. They usually got into a fight and it was like a comedy show about two siblings with drastically different personalities. 

The two Norwegian Forest cats stared at me with their emerald green eyes. A small smile grew on my lips. Mom had had them when she met Dad and they'd been with me growing up. At least that was the story they told me. If that was true, then the two cats would be very old which didn’t match their youthful appearance. Not that it changed anything, I loved them no matter what.

I walked over to the two, reaching a hand out to them. Bee poked his head out of the house, allowing me to start scratching their heads with ease. “Now what are you two boys doing?”

“ Meow ,” Bee replied, his eyes looking up at me for a few seconds before closing them and starting to purr. Treacle took a few more scritches before he followed his brother. 

“I know, I know. You don’t like it when I'm covered in… juice.”

Treacle started to purr from my constant petting but had a very pointed stare at me. “ Mrrrrroooowww.”

“I’m fine .”

“ Mrruh ,” Bee let out. 

I sighed, “Yes I am. Not like it matters.”

“ Mrrh?”

“You're a cat . It’s nothing .”

Treacle twisted in place and sat up, my hand moving to scratch underneath his chin, his spoon and treacle tag jiggling. “ Mrrrrrr ,” he gently nudged me, for more attention. Bee had a custom tag too, of a bee.

I sighed after a short staring contest, “I miss her, you know? She was always there when I needed help, for anything . She was my role model. With her gone…” I forced my tears away and failed. “Dad tried, still tries, but he could never fill the void.”

Both cats moved, leaving my wavering scratches and started to circle me while crying out in unison, “ mew .”

I crouched and they pounced, jumping me. “Gah!” My body hit the edge of the couch with a soft thud. Both of them sat on my lap, their tails swishing back and forth while they started to rub their faces against my nonexistent chest.

“I love you two rascals too.”

We sat there for a few minutes, a few minutes of them purring into my chest and me petting them. 

With a sigh, I ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. When I walked into my room, my eyes landed on one of the very few pictures of Mom not in the basement on my nightstand. My hand grazed the smooth edge of the frame and gently lifted it. It was taken shortly after I had come out and she had taken me to get some new clothes. Mom had a big smile on her face, her beautiful mane of hair in a braid and love in her eyes. I might have gotten Dad’s hair color, but I definitely got Mom’s hair. It might not be as long, but I had her curls. It was when I got to wear my first skirt and blouse and the feeling of wearing those was one of the most affirming I had ever had. 

To think that I once had those in my wardrobe seemed like a fevered dream. Ever since Emma started her campaign, I’d never bothered. It was just more fuel to her fire and wasn’t worth the hassle. Not with being in the Empire’s crosshairs. There were only so many times I could deal with the whole ‘boy in a skirt’ bullshit. 

My thumb grazed over the image of Mom and I fought the tears that desperately wanted to fall. Dad wasn’t the only one who wished she was still around. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t miss my biggest supporter and role model. Her death left a hole in our family that hadn’t been filled.

Gently returning the picture to my bedside, I plopped my backpack on my bed and walked to my drawer, grabbing a new set of clothes. The hoodie came off first and goosebumps covered my arms when the warm crisp air grazed my skin. Taking a deep breath, I took off my shirt and pants. My focus shifted to the wall as I quickly took off my underwear and quickly grabbed a fresh pair, followed by a clean shirt and pair of pants. Today wasn’t too bad but I didn’t need to be reminded of my flat chest and my… other parts. 

With a sigh of relief, and actually feeling warm, I grabbed my wet clothes and noticed the nearly full hamper. I tossed them with the rest and grabbed the hamper before heading down the stairs and into the basement while ignoring the two cats staring at me intently. When I stood at the basement door, I stared at its white painted wood for what felt like hours. It wasn't  like I hadn’t been down there— I had been plenty of times actually— but every time I did, the intrusive thought of looking at Mom’s things was always there.

There wasn’t anything special about them; countless books and materials from her class at Brockton Bay University. But I knew there was more. She always had this little section of the basement that had been covered by a heavy blanket with explicit ‘ Do Not Touch’ sign on it. Even with her gone, neither Dad or I had tried to see what was under those. I’d seen the cats go there, much to our dismay since it was a perfect hiding place from us, but we'd never ventured that far. 

Maybe it was time. Maybe I should see what Mom felt was so important to keep away from us. All I ever wanted was to know more about her. There was so much she kept from us, from me. She'd tried to hide it, but I knew there was more. It went beyond her accent and our mysterious ancestry. She knew more about the world than she'd let on. It would slip from time to time and she always acted like I didn’t notice. But I did. Always did. There was the fact that I was pretty sure she could beat Dad in a fight if she wanted to. She had no fear when we walked through the city, which was incredibly odd for a woman in the bay without powers or the backing of a gang. 

No, there was definitely something else with Mom and I wanted to know. Had to know.

I dropped the hamper next to the washing machine and strode to the forbidden corner. As always, there was a large fur blanket on top of what seemed like an assortment of items. A written red sign to deter anyone from looking, but it wasn’t going to stop me this time. 

My hand grasped the blanket and it was warm to the touch. I ignored the layer of dust on it and quickly pulled it off. 

“Ughhh.” Or tried to since it proved far heavier than I expected. It flopped on the ground with a pitiful smack. Go Taylor. At least it was a bit of validation that my hormones were working since I was sure I would have been able to move it before them. With another heave— more like painful dragging— I pulled the blanket off and a cloud of dust blinded my vision.

When the dust settled, my eyes landed on things I never expected to see. There were several plastic crates filled with books, scrolls, and other parchments that seemed aged beyond their time. Beside them were a few cardboard boxes with sharpie written all over them. As curious as that was, what caught my eye was the large ornate wooden and gold chest. There was a small note on top and I slowly walked towards it. I swiped some dust away and read the note.

Taylor,

You will know when the time is right and when that comes, the chest will open to you.

“Huh, that's… interesting.”  

Chapter Text

Friday, December 17th, 2010

The note was strange in so many ways. Mom knew I would look at her forbidden stuff and planned for it. It was like she was a Thinker, but she wasn’t… right? Capes go under the radar all the time. Who knows if anyone at Winslow might be a cape and it wouldn’t surprise me if I knew one. The idea of Mom being a cape wasn’t that out of line. 

Still, even with that in mind, I found it hard to believe that she was a cape. I might not know the full extent of Lustrum’s group and her involvement with them, but I had never heard of a Thinker in their ranks. 

I looked over at the containers filled with scrolls and books for a moment before my eyes settled on the chest. According to the note, it won’t open for me unless the time was right. When was that? My eyes grazed over the front where the clasp was locked by an extravagant lock that lacked a keyhole. Strange. 

Lifting it up was easy and far lighter than I expected. It was real silver, there was no way it wasn’t since the chest was gold. We were never rich but we weren’t poor. Yet this was well outside our range of income, even when Mom was around. The chest was something you would find in a mansion. 

After inspecting it for a few seconds with nothing happening, I dropped the lock, which caused it to rattle and clang against the chest. According to the note, I wasn’t ready apparently. Not sure how a lock with no way to open was going to magically unlock itself. And bolt cutters wouldn’t work, it seemed way too thick for that. 

With a sigh, I moved over to the containers that weren’t locked. Gently picking up one of the scrolls, I slowly unrolled it and read. Or tried to since it was all in a language I didn’t know. What I did notice was that the letters were in straight lines again. Just like Elli’s shop. There were notes in the margins that were definitely in Mom’s handwriting. Most were in that language, but I did notice a few in English. 

Not that it helped since the notes were pointing out how important one underlined section was or to refer to ‘The Compendium’. I set the scroll down and looked for anything that was labeled as such. The problem was there were a few crates filled to the brim with documents and I hoped it wasn’t in the chest. This could be a small breakthrough to learn about Mom’s past. 

Leafing through the containers, I was noticing a striking similarity between them. The language. Mom was an English professor and while I knew that we had Scandinavian roots, I’d never heard her speak another language. Different accents, sure, but not an entirely different language. Just how much was she hiding from us?

After the third crate, I came across a large ancient-looking book. It was hard to tell if it was ‘The Compendium’ I was looking for, but it was a closer fit than the others. I wiped off the layer of dust and saw some intricate designs, at least those that weren’t worn off from the passage of time. There was a title but as expected, I didn’t understand it. 

I opened the front cover and tried to decipher any of the words but it was a no point. There did seem like a large index but that didn’t help me. Leafing through the pages was pointless, but there seemed like a lot of information in this book. If only I knew its language.

A sigh of defeat left my lips. “This is frustrating,” I said into the void. There had to be someone who knew the language, who could read and possibly teach me. As much as I didn’t want some random person to read my mom’s stuff, I needed to know what this all meant. Maybe I coul–

“Taylor?” I heard a feminine voice from upstairs. “Are you here?”

I knew that voice, knew it quite well. “Shit!” I muttered and dropped the book with a thud as I looked at Mom’s stuff. There wasn’t enough time to cover it again. I would have to make sure she doesn’t go into the basement. 

On my way towards the stairs, I saw my hamper, still full of its contents, next to the washing machine. Good, an excuse. Once I dumped it in the machine haphazardly, I finished running up the stairs. 

“I’m here! I was just doing my laundry,” I said as I appeared in the living room. Across the room kneeling down next to the couch was none other than my aunt. Zoe Barnes. Talk about awkward , having the mom of your former best friend in your house like it was normal. In fact, it was normal. 

After Mom passed away, Zoe started coming around from time to time to check up on Dad and I. It usually wasn’t anything long, which was nice, but she did ask questions and prod incessantly. 

As always, she looked good. She wore black boots, tan slacks, and a black trench coat that was hiding a blue blouse. One look and you knew she was Emma’s mom. They looked nearly identical besides their eye color. She was in front of the cats who sat on the couch and ferociously petted them. Even from here, I heard the loud purring from the spoiled cats. Aunt Zoe finally noticed me when she looked over her shoulder. 

“Oh, Taylor!” She cried out and stopped giving attention to the two cats, much to their annoyance. “I seemed to have gotten a little… preoccupied,” she added, her cheeks tinged with redness. “You know how much I love cats and since we can’t have them…”

“Because Emma’s allergic.”

“Sadly, yes,” She sighed. She smiled but was strained as a disappointed look crossed her face. “How have you been? You never come by anymore.”

She speaks as if it wasn’t over a year ago since I visited the Barnes house. Even under her scrutinizing gaze, I couldn’t tell her why. It wouldn’t matter like always. It was her daughter's word over mine. “Sorry, Aunt Zoe, Things have been…”

“Oh honey,” She said gently, a relieve from having to come up with an answer. The next thing I knew, she wrapped her arms around me in a hug and I did everything in my power not to flinch. “I know things haven’t been easy for you. Emma’s told me that you’ve been having problems at school.”

She was the fucking problem! If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be in the Empire’s crosshairs!

She pulled away from the hug.“It hasn’t been easy, has it?”

“Huh?”

“Since your Mom…” She trailed off, her eyes turned glossy. 

It was no surprise that she missed my mom. They were close, very close. Like Emma and I used to be. It wasn’t lost on me about the similarities but that didn’t matter since Emma gave that up by betraying me. 

“Yeah,” my mind drifted off to Mom, how much I missed her and how badly I wished she was here. She might be gone— as it pains me to admit it— but not all of her was gone. She was always in our memories. There was also the chest and documents in the basement that were a link to her past. 

Aunt Zoe sniffled and released me finally, looking at her watch and sighed. “Looks like I need to go. Before I forget,” She said as she walked over to the couch where I noticed a decorative bag.“These are for you and your Dad, for Christmas.” She handed me the bag and I peeked inside. 

There were two packages, about the size of my hand. One was with your generic santa with gold paper, the other one was blue with white words that spelled out ‘Blessed Yule’. I looked back up at her to see a beaming smile. “Uhh, thank you.”

“You’re welcome! I am sorry that I have to leave so quickly,” She squeezed my arm one last time. “Merr- Ahem, Happy Yule, Taylor.”

I smiled, a weak one. “Thank you. Merry Christmas, Aunt Zoe.”

Aunt Zoe opened the door and looked back one last time. “Oh, and let your dad know that I will talk to him later.”

I nodded and she went out the door, giving one more wave goodbye to me and the cats. My eyes watched the cats for a moment before walking over to the tree and setting down the presents. Aunt Zoe did this last year. She’d stop by before the holidays and give us presents. It was how I got a new laptop that wasn’t a piece of junk like the family computer. 

It wasn’t that out of the ordinary, just different. We used to go over to the Barnes for Christmas and we’d exchanged gifts. We just don’t do that part anymore, but she still wanted to keep up the tradition.

With that interruption over with, it was time to learn more about Mom. And I knew just where to start.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Why did I wait till Tuesday to go to the college? Oh right, Dad took the day off yesterday and we spent the day together at The Market. Not that I was complaining, I was able to get ingredients for the Christmas lasagna. We also spent the weekend together, watching old movies and spending time with Bee and Treacle. 

Still, it delayed my plans to look into the book. Once Dad went to work today, I took the earliest bus ride I could to the campus. The day was short, it was the Winter Solstice after all, and I needed to get back home before nightfall. 

I had only been here a few times with Mom, but I knew the layout of the campus well enough that I could find one of her colleagues who might give me insight about the book. 

The campus was rather beautiful, even when covered in a thin layer of snow. It won’t last and would melt in a few hours, but it was still nice. The college was divided into six buildings, each separated by large walkways that led to the center where a memorial to the founder, Wayland Smith, was located. The center was more like an auditorium where the memorial stood in front of. It was where college students liked to congregate when it wasn’t too cold out. All of the trees had lost their leaves, but I knew how beautiful the campus looked when they bloomed. 

The college had seen some renovation, parts of it in stages of modernizing. One building had been entirely changed, one side was entirely made of glass. There were a few people inside going about their business. Besides that, the rest of the campus still had the same rustic feel to it.

The semester was over but there were still college kids here, either they lived here in Brockton Bay or weren’t going home for the holidays. I hoped that some of the professors were here, I’d rather not had to come all this way for nothing. 

I walked into the English Department building where I found that not much had changed since I had last been here two years ago. The off white color walls with stained wooden tresses, the cheap decorative art, and the squeaky linoleum floors that grated your ears, especially whenever it rained or snowed. On one side of the large building was the library where I used to spend time whenever Mom had a class. The countless books I read while I waited fueled so many fantasies of mine. 

Sadly, that was not where I was going today, at least at first. Instead, I went up the stairs towards the staff offices. There were a few strange looks in my direction as I weaved around the older students, but I ignored them. They were no different than the ones at Winslow.

I passed a few doors and stoped when I passed a familiar door. There was a different name on the placard and there weren’t any fun— embarrassing— drawings, but I knew it quite well. Mom’s old office. If I had a guess, the inside wouldn’t be the same either. Whomever AJ Watson was, they wouldn’t be Mom. Doubt they would be as good as her either.

“Well, if it isn’t Taylor!”

A very energetic and upbeat voice said behind me. One I remembered. Turning around I saw Mr. Fitzpatrick. He was a skinny man who had a full head of brown hair and a thick beard. He wore a tie dye shirt that oddly reminded me of a spiral shell and brown cardigan pants. He had on rather nice moccasins that matched well with his outfit. On his wrist were a myriad of bracelets from countless charities and events he attended. 

Was he a hippy? Yes. Was it cool? Yes it was.

“Hi, Mr. Fitzpatrick,” I waved.

He placed his hands on his hips and had a happy grin on his face. “I can’t believe it! It’s been so long!” 

“It has.”

“What are yo-” He stopped and his face fell. “Ah.” He nodded towards the door. 

I didn’t need any clarification. There were many ways I could have answered but instead I let silence fill the void. He sighed sorrowfully. “Come,” He waved and started walking down the hallway. 

Following him, we passed a few more doors before he opened one with a key. The front had his name on it and a few flyers of campus activities and outreach programs. We stepped inside the office and I took a moment to look around at all the books he had on his shelves and the countless pictures from events he’d been to. Many of them were with students and his partner. 

He walked around his desk and plopped in it, gesturing for me to sit. Once I was in the rather comfortable plush chair, he started talking. “How are you, Taylor?”

He didn’t stand around on ceremony, he went straight for the jugular. “Good,” I lied. “School’s been… school. Dad’s been doing well.”

He nodded. “And the whole,” he waved his hand up and down, “transition?”

“Good,” I said again not wanting to divulge too much.

He smiled, “I’m glad! Now what brought you to the university? It can’t be for little ole me.”

I shook my head, “I’m afraid not.”

“Oh, you wound me!” He put his hand over his heart. It was exaggerated enough that I had to laugh. “Ah, there’s that big smile. I know it could be… rough going by your Mom’s old office, it happens to me all the time.”

Mr. Fitzpatrick, Sean Fitzpatrick to be exact, was one of my mom’s closest colleagues and friends outside of the Barnes as far as I knew. They both taught various levels of English courses and often had debates over the issues of the language itself. Mom always won but the two always renewed their friendly rivalry of the genre. 

“Yeah, it was,” I replied as I looked down at my hands as I clenched them. “Looks like the college is going through some renovations,” I said, changing topic. 

“Taylor.” When the silence continued, he sighed. “Yes, much to my chagrin. Modernizing the college is… poor taste. Even if the only building so far is the Technology Department.”

I nodded, “It doesn’t feel right.”

“No it doesn’t.” He clapped his hands and readjusted himself. “So what brought you to the campus?”

I opened my backpack and pulled out the ancient book from the basement. Mr. Fitzpatrick let out a small gasp as I placed it on his desk. “I want to find out what language this is in and how to learn it.”

He gently took the book and inspected it. His fingers danced across the engravings as if he was reading with them. Then he opened the cover and looked inside. A few seconds later he said, “This is a rather fascinating book!”

“Imagine my reaction!”

Mr. Fitzpatrick looked up with a fond smile on his face, “It’s Old Norse, if you’re wondering.” He pointed to a section of the page where the strange letters were. “See, these are Runes. Futhark to be precise. Early Proto-Norse. Maybe even older if the age of the book was any indication.”

I nearly smacked myself for how stupid I was. Of course it was Old Norse. How did I not recognize the runes from my ancestry? “Are you able to read it?” I asked.

“A little bit,” He waved his hand in a so-so manner. “Some of these are not words I recognize but it’s definitely your mom’s handwriting.” He closed the book and ran his finger across the top. “The Compendium,” He read. He flipped the cover and continued, “This is an index of sorts. Ranging from Gods, presumably Norse Gods, the nine realms, to even fauna. Your mom was quite the researcher into Norse Mythology it seems.” 

“Wow,” I said in disbelief. It made sense why she would research Norse Mythology, but not to this extent. “I never knew…”

“Your mom had a knack for languages, not just English.”

I nodded. Mom’s secrets keep piling up. What else did she have hidden? “Are you able to find anything else?”

Mr. Fitzpatrick started flipping through the pages but slowly grew frustrated. He shook his head. “No. The further I go, the more incomprehensible it becomes. Not sure if that’s because of my limited knowledge of the language or if it’s changing to a different dialect.” He closed the book and handed it back to me. “You might have better luck going to the library and finding something on the language itself.”

“Is there a professor who could read it?” Not that I was against going to the library and learning the language, but I needed to find answers and what was in that chest. The Compendium might be an index of knowledge, but there could be something about her. 

He sighed, “There is but…” He trailed off as he mused over his statement. “It would be better if you learned it yourself.”

“Why?”

“Trust me, Taylor, you don’t want to talk to that professor.”

Trust was hard to come by, even from the few that didn’t ignore me, but his determined look was enough for me to relent. “Ok. but wait, I can’t learn a lan-”

He laughed and gave me a small slip. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”

I looked at the slip like it was cursed. The last time I was given something like this, I got detention. Mr. Fitzpatrick became more incessant and I took the slip so he wouldn’t push further. 

“Enjoy the vast library again, Taylor! Try not to knock over any book piles!”

Heat crept up my cheeks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He smirked, “Sure you don’t. Don’t be a stranger and come by more often.”

I stopped myself from sighing, nodding in return instead. “Ok, thank you, Mr. Fitzpatrick.”

“Please, Taylor, call me Sean. I think we both deserve that much.”

Standing up, I nodded where my voice failed. I waved him goodbye as I walked out of the door, his smile never wavered as he watched me leave. As the door closed, he put his feet on his desk in the most casual manner I’d ever seen. I had to shake my head at that. 

Retracing my steps, I returned to the entrance of the building and went straight towards the library. A clock on the way told me it was around noon, plenty of time to find a book and crack into it. 

As I neared the entrance to the library, I came upon two large wooden oak doors. Upon entering, I was floored once again as I gazed upon the university’s library. Much hadn’t changed. Like the doors; the shelves, banisters, and stairs had that same wooden oak. There were three floors that were easily traversed through the large spiral stairs on either side. Each floor was divided with their own genre. A countless sea of tables and chairs, an occasional college student sitting alone or with a few friends in the center. At the far end was a section of public computers that had to be decades old.

Then there was the smell. There was something about the smell of a good book that always enticed me and it immersed me in its aroma. 

Though I had only been here a few times, I had a vague idea of where I needed to go. I headed towards the stairs and made my way to the second floor. Following the signs, I found the section for languages and started perusing through the rows looking for a book on Old Norse. 

About an hour later as I was going through the books on early Germanic and Scandanavian etymology, I discovered an aged book with the title ‘Futhark Runes’. Upon finding it, there were a slew of other books on Old Norse. I couldn’t stop the smile that grew on my face as I picked a few interesting ones. As usual, I had a stack of books in my arms that I could barely see over. 

I slowly made my way over to a corner where a table was nestled. Just as I was about to take another step to drop off the stack, my tower was toppled and I was knocked backwards by something hard.

“Oh shit! I’m so sorry!”

I moved one of the books off of my face and blinked away the dots. Standing above me was a tall woman wearing a black skirt, black leggings and a white shirt with a pretty flower pattern that fit her quite nicely. The blue jacket on her arms did little to stop me from staring at them. She definitely worked out if her muscles were any indication. Her other hand was over her mouth and her bright blue eyes stared at me with shock. She had a blue headband in her blonde straight hair that cascaded down her shoulders. 

She knelt down, “I am sosososo sorry!”

“It’s uh- it’s ok.”

She started to move books off of me and out of the way, “Here, let me help you.”

I pushed a few books off and before I knew it, I was free. The one’s she grabbed were in a neat pile to the side. At least she cared about them. As I was getting up, I was met with bright blue eyes mere inches in front of me. They were so filled with life, happiness, and were mesmerizing. It took me a few seconds to realize how close we were. “Uhh, thanks.”

She smiled, “No problem, it’s my fault anyway. I really should have been paying attention of where I was going.”

“I… probably shouldn’t have grabbed so many books.” She still hadn’t backed away and I wasn’t sure if I should or or stay still. I was on the ground after all. 

Luckily I didn’t have to wait long. “Oh! Let me help you up.” She rose in a grace that surprised me and held her hand out. I grabbed it— it was warm — and she lifted me up like I weighed nothing. Which wasn’t much considering my stick thin figure, but still. 

“Thanks… again.”

Her laughter was like a beautiful song, “No problem!” We stood there in silence for a moment before her eyes went wide in remembrance. “I’m Vicky, by the way!”

“Taylor,” I responded back. Why did she seem familiar?

“Well, Taylor, do you need any help with these books?” She held up a book and looked at it curiously.

“I shouldn’t keep yo-”

“Please, it’s no big deal. I was just… wandering the library.” 

Vicky didn’t wait for me to respond as she picked up the pile of books without an ounce of strain. “Where to?” She asked. 

She didn’t give me a chance to protest. I sighed, picking up the rest of the books and pointing towards the table a few feet away. Vicky nodded and walked there, plopping the books with a thud on the table. “Thanks,” I said as I gently dropped the books in my hands. 

“Don’t mention it!” She looked at the books with a curious eye again, for just a moment. “So, what brings you to the library? The semester is over and you seem a little young to be in college.”

“Because I’m not. I’m still in high school.”

“Ah, that makes sense. But why…”

“I was researching.”

“Well clearly!” She laughed as she waved at the books. “What about?” 

It was kind of obvious what I was researching but I’d indulge her anyway. “Old Norse.”

“Obviously,” She snarked as she sat at the table and pointed at the books again. 

Two can play it that way. “You did ask.”

“Touche. But really, besides ‘Old Norse’, what made you pick… ten books?” Vicky leaned on the table with interest.

“Well,” I said as I sat down on the opposite side. I contemplated skirting around the book but with how curious she was, I felt like I couldn’t not tell her. ‘The Compendium’ came out with a quick grab and was in the center of the table as I continued, “I found this in my mom’s old things. I figured I’d come here to learn what was in it.”

Her eyes filled with delight as she gazed at the old book. Her hands zipped out but she stopped mere inches away from the book. She looked up and asked, “May I?”

That… was a surprise. “Uhh, sure,” I said, not sure how to respond.

Vicky gently picked up the book and I watched her finger graze the cover where I knew the runes were. With careful fingers, she opened the cover, her eyes darted across the page. “Wow,” she said in disbelief. 

“It’s something, isn’t it?”

“Mhmm,” her tongue poked out a little as she inspected the book. “This is nothing I’ve ever seen.”

“I know right?” My eyes looked at the pile of books and I leafed through them, looking for one to begin with. Sliding the chosen one out of the stack, I opened it and skimmed through the pages till I found an interesting one. Twisting in place, I showed the page to her. “See this,” I said pointing to one of the runes in the book that was also in the book.

She tore away from the book and leaned over to read the page while handing me mom’s book. I turned the pages in ‘The Compendium’ to the beginning and pointed to the rune while looking at the same in the library’s book. “Oh, they match!”

I nodded and translated, “Ansuz, the F with two downward diagonal lines instead of horizontal. Symbolizes mouth, communication, and understanding.”

“And since this index goes to this page,” She gently flipped the pages to the one it indicated. “Maybe this section is about communication? Of what?” She said as she looked up at me.

We both looked at the page again and couldn’t comprehend any of it. I went to another book just as Vicky did the same, our hands touching for a brief moment.

“Sorry,”, “Sorry,” we both said. We stared at each other before erupting in laughter. Eventually we grabbed different books and started trying to solve this puzzle.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Vicky leaned back in her chair and cracked her neck. “We got through… a page. Wow, trying to learn Old Norse is not easy.”

I stretched and nodded. “No it’s not. Apparently my mom was quite fluent since many of these notes on the side are her handwriting.”

We had been cross referencing several books and ‘The Compendium’ for a few hours, even though it only felt like minutes. Each sentence we had to stop and find another reference. It became a challenge when several books had different meanings for each rune or how they strung together to form words or sentences. Turns out Old Norse was both similar and very different from modern Scandanavian languages. 

“Why don’t you ask her?” She asked innocently.

Her question, while a good one, hurt. “I-I can’t.” My hand grazed over ‘The Compendium’ where her notes were. 

“You can- Oh! Shi-! I’m so sorry, I didn-”

I shook my head, “It’s fine. You didn’t know.” Deep breathes. “It’s why I’m researching. I want to know more about her. I feel like there’s a lot I don’t know about her and this is where I start.”

“Does… is your Dad…?” She hesitated, careful around the subject.

“I doubt he knows anything.” 

She nodded solemnly. “Well, I think this is a great way to learn about your Mom.”

I looked up to see a soft smile on her face. It was infectious. “Thanks.”

“Don-”

A ringing from her side of the table interrupted her. Vicky rifled through her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. “Crap! I was-” She looked up at me with pleading eyes. “I have to go. Sorry.”

“It’s ok,” I waved her off. 

She started typing on her phone. That’s right, you can text with them. “What’s your phone number?” She asked like it was the most mundane question ever.

Except it wasn’t. Not for me. “I-I don’t have a cell phone.”

Her head snapped up and her eyes landed on me like a deer in headlights. The pure surprise in them was startling. “You don- you know what, that’s fine. Got a home phone?”

I nodded and gave her the number. She typed along and I guessed saved it in her phone. “I’ll give you a call. We should hang out again. I… this was fun.”

“It was!” I nodded again. 

Vicky rose from the table and started walking down the isle, “See ya, Taylor!” She waved back before she started hovering…

Hovering?!

The next second, she was in the air and flew down the center of the library and was gone. 

I stared at the empty space where she once was. She just flew. Without a care in the world of who would see her. She just—

Fuck. No wonder why she was familiar. That was Victoria Dallon. Glory Girl. The Alexandria package of the city. 

Did… did I just have a research jam with a hero? Evidently, I did. My eyes landed on the book and I gently ran my fingers over it. 

As much as I wanted to continue, daylight was waning and I didn’t want to continue without her. She seemed really invested in this. Like I was. 

I sighed as I looked through the mess of books we made and tried to find the one that I could take home to read. Since I wasn’t a student here, there was only so much that slip would allow and it was one book. Finding the one Vicky and I referenced the most, I started gathering the others and placing them back on the shelves. 

Then I placed ‘The Compendium’ in my backpack and took the one I was checking out with me to the ground floor. In the center was an older woman who was picking up papers that were scattered all across the floor. She was shaking her head angrily. “Capes…”

Guess Vicky made a mess. She should be a little smarter about that, especially in a library. Something to bring up next time we meet. “I wanted to check out this book,” I said, unsure how to ask an angry librarian.

She frozed for a moment before looking up. Her eyes zeroed in on me and I felt like my soul was bared for her to see. “Over there,” She pointed to the desk that said ‘Checkout’. 

I gulped and nodded, backing away from the scary woman. Once I was there, another person, a young man with short black hair and not so cheery attitude appeared. “Checking out?” He said, dully. 

Another curse from behind made me look over my shoulder to see papers flying all over the place.

“Don’t mind her. She gets like that whenever someone knocks over paper.”

“I can tell.”

He looked up after taking the book and asked, “Student ID?”

I pulled out the slip Mr. Fitzpatrick gave me and the man eyed me curiously. After an awkward few seconds, he scanned that and the book. “You have to return it in two weeks.”

“Ok.”

Then as quickly as he appeared, he slumped away and I was left with the book and slip in hand. Odd. I looked at the large clock on the wall and realized I only had a few minutes to make it across campus and to the bus stop. Shit!

Running as fast as my feet could take me, I ran across the campus, thanking the gods that there were no students around to see a high schooler running like an idiot. When I made it to the edge, I saw the bus rolling away from the stop.

“Fuck!” That was the last one for the day since the semester was over. I had to walk home and it was a long trek. The sun was still in the sky but it wouldn’t be for long. There was only one choice. 

I had to run, and it would take me through parts of the city I’d rather not go to. But I had to be home before the sunset if I wanted to follow tradition for Yule and there was no way I would break that. 

Taking a few deep breaths, I started jogging. 

About thirty minutes into my jog, I was running through a downtrodden and dark part of the city. At every alley, I quickly looked down before running across. At every door, I prepared myself for anyone to come out. 

It had been peaceful. 

Till I turned a corner and into a shortcut that happened to be a dark alley. The times I’d been there, it was during the day and not at dusk. How it changed the instant the sun was nearing its set. 

I stopped and gathered my breath. It would only be a short break, I promised myself. Just walk the alley and resume running on the other side. 

Then I heard voices from behind. I glanced over my shoulder to see a group of four people. Each of them had shaved heads and were sporting tattoos I’d remember anywhere. When I put my hood up, I noticed the stylized red graffiti number on the wall and knew how bad it was. 

Empire Eighty-Eight.

I had to get the hell out of there.

Ignoring my burning lungs, I started running again and I heard an angry and deep cry from behind. “Hey, stop!” Their footsteps increased as they chased me. 

Just as I was about to exit the alley, another person appeared, bigger than the others. I skidded on the pavement and backed away. A quick glance over my shoulder told me that the others were closing in. I had nowhere to go with no one to help me. The gods weren’t answering me, not that they ever did. The walls were closing in and I was sandwiched between the Empire. 

I didn’t feel the first punch,  not really. I felt my elbow hitting the pavement and my head following afterwards. There was a yank from my backpack but I held onto it with everything I had. They weren’t getting mom’s book. They were speaking but were drowned out by the ringing in my ears. 

For a moment I felt like I was airborne and I thought I was flying but that washed away when I saw the man's face through bleary eyes. He was spewing something, hateful things no doubt. It was no different than what everyone said at school. There was another next to him, a familiar one. Was he from school?

It didn’t matter when I felt my back hit the wall and all the air escaped my lungs. 

No one was coming. I was going to die in that dark alley. Mom’s secrets were going to remain secrets.

Maybe I would see her again.

Then I saw a bright light.

Chapter Text

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

“Shit, Cape! Run!”

I was unceremoniously dropped as my ass exploded in pain as the Empire goons ran down the alley at breakneck speed. There wasn’t time to process what the hell had just happened when the bright light drew closer. When I looked up, my jaw dropped, and not from the pain of being punched.

A tall glowing being descended from above, her white figure outlined by shadowy wisps. At first I thought it was Purity but that fear was gone when I got a good look at her. She was armored in a plated chest with fur around her collar and chainmail underneath. Her head was completely covered, wings sprouting from the sides while the face looked slightly avian, like an eagle. A one-sided cloth open short skirt was wrapped around her thigh while metal greaves with an incredibly sharp point at the toe went up to the middle of her thigh. She had a lopsided belt with a circular buckle that looked similar to her shield. 

The armor did little to hide her muscular figure as her arms were nearly twice the size of my own. In her left hand was a large circular shield and in her right was a spear. Massive wings sprouted from her back but produced no gust of wind. 

Who was this? I didn’t know any cape who looked like a Valkyrie. The twins certainly tried to but they didn’t have wings, but just changed sizes. At first I thought it might be Vicky but she didn’t glow. 

The woman landed on the ground with grace; a dull thud rang in the alley when she tapped the butt of her spear on the ground. She bowed her head and looked at me, expectantly. 

“Uh-” I coughed into my hand and saw blood. Wonderful. “Thanks,” I said earnestly. 

The woman bowed her head again but didn’t say anything. Odd. 

“You’re new, aren’t you?”

No response. She continued to stare at me. 

I was perplexed by her. There were many able to fly with the help of their powers, but none of them had wings of their own. There also weren't many capes who glowed like her. The few that come to mind were Legend and Purity and she didn’t look anything like them. Purity wouldn’t scare or stop her people from nearly killing me. 

“Are you new?”

She nodded. Finally an answer!

“Huh, cool.”

She didn’t respond. 

“What’s your name?”

Again, no response.

She stared at me and didn’t say anything but at this point I didn’t think she could. It’d be helpful if she talked but at this point I think she wanted me to leave.

“I guess I’ll be going now. Thanks again for saving me.”

The woman continued her deathly stare as I slowly got up. Sitting for so long made me acutely aware of my pain. “Hrrmph,” I grunted as I used the wall as leverage. The cape didn’t help me but that was fine. Saving me was more than enough.

I started walking down the alley and it was a few steps in that I noticed the glow behind me had not diminished. I glanced over my shoulder to see the woman hovering behind me. “You don’t have to follow me. I know my way home and it should be safe.”

The woman, once again, did not respond. 

“Go, go save some other woman in a dark alley. There are plenty in this city, that’s for sure.”

Silence.

This was starting to annoy me. This woman, this cape, was still following me. As thankful as I was to her, she didn’t want to leave my side. “Go! Get out of here!”

The woman only tilted her head.

“Seriously?!” I didn’t bother to control my volume. “I don’t need any more help!”

She continued to stare.

It was now that I was noticing a peculiar thing. The way she was standing, it reminded me of something. Like a soldier waiting for orders. Her spear was held up vertically and her shield at her side while her chin was lifted up a little. All that time, she never took her ‘eyes’ off me.

I had this idea, one that seriously questioned my sanity but there was a spark of something in me that said it would work. “Move over there,” I pointed a little down the alley.

The woman’s feet lifted off the ground and her wings flapped in accordance to the movement and in a moment, she was standing right where I pointed. 

No, don’t tell me. “Fly five feet in the air.”

Just like that, she was flying five feet above the spot I had indicated.

“Come to me.”

I realized I’d made a mistake when she barreled right into me. She was tougher than I imagined a light construct would be. In fact, her body felt like a brick wall had flung itself at me. Luckily my body didn’t undergo another meeting with the ground as she held me in her arms. How with the spear and shield? Well, I wasn’t going to question it.

When I looked up, I saw her helmed face staring at me, waiting for more orders. I had to know. I had to find out if this was… 

Let me down gently , I thought in my head.

Just like that, She lowered herself and let go of me, allowing my feet to touch the ground first. 

It confirmed what I suspected. I was a cape. I had powers. 

At one point of my life, I’d have been ecstatic but after what I just went through, I had nothing but ambivalence. It wasn’t someone else coming to save me, it was me. I had manifested this… woman and scared off the goons. On one hand, I was happy to be alive and have powers. It just wasn’t what I expected.

The woman, my constructed… Valkyrie, if you will, stood at attention. I looked up in the sky to see it was well past sunset. The sight just made me feel exhausted and a large sigh escaped my lips. Just my fucking luck. My gaze landed on the woman again. She could fly. She wasn’t just a simple image that would blow away in the wind. 

It was stupid but it would work. 

I pulled my hood over my head, noticing it was significantly stretched out from being grabbed, and tightened it a little. Hopefully that  would hide enough of my face. Then I looked at my Valkyrie and thought of a command.

Pick me up and fly me home.

The construct picked me up, bridal style, and hovered a few feet above the ground but didn’t go anywhere. Was home not a good enough order? I pictured my home and tried to send it to the woman.

And just like that, she rose in the air at an incredible speed that had me grabbing my hood so it didn’t fly off. Once I got my bearings, I looked around to see that we were flying past the buildings, her wings flapping silently. One look down showed we were high up in the air and one drop would be my death. Considering how fast we were going, I wouldn’t worry too much about anyone noticing me.

It took me a few minutes to relax and enjoy the wind whipping through my hoodie. Watching the cityscape pass by and everyone going about their business on the ground was an incredible feeling. I might not be able to fly personally, but having a power that could, in theory, exhibit a similar feeling was great. 

Before I knew it, we were nearing home and I realized that I had to land before getting home. Dad could be home and the neighbors would notice a giant flying, and glowing woman in the air. 

Take me down there . 

With a clear line of where I wanted to land, the woman flew down towards the rundown park near my house. No one came here anymore and it was close enough that getting home shouldn’t be an issue. It would also be a suitable place to figure out how to get rid of her. 

The construct gently let me down after a quick order, and I pondered how I was going to make her disappear. There wasn’t any sort of switch I could turn off as far as I can tell, and she had appeared out of nowhere. No one really talked about their powers, justifiably so, but I would think once you have one, how to use it would be more obvious. All I felt was an inkling in the back of my head that could easily be ignored.

It would require more testing but there wasn’t any time— nor energy— for it now. 

She seemed to follow orders to the tee. Maybe if I…

Make yourself disappear . 

She gave a solemn nod and the wisps that drifted off of her started floating into the air in increasing masses. Her white body started to disintegrate and soon all that was left were a few strands of shadows.

Interesting. That feeling in the back of my head hadn’t left and waving my hands where she once stood proved that she wasn’t there. I felt that I could summon her again without any problems. Probably just order her back. 

With one problem solved but more questions arising, I decided it was time to get home and try to salvage as much of my holiday as I could. Hopefully Dad wasn’t home. That could be problematic.

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Turns out… It was problematic.

“Taylor!” Dad yelled as I opened the door. Apparently he had come home early today. “Where ha- what the- are you ok?!” He ran up to me and was about to start touching me but stopped. 

“I’m fine.” 

“You’re fine? You’re covered in bruises! You have cuts all over your face and your nose is bleeding! Where did you go?”

“I-” any excuse I had died in my throat. There was no getting out of it. I couldn’t tell him about the book nor what I was researching. I couldn’t even tell him I was a cape now. But I could tell him enough to satisfy his questions. I sighed, “I went to the college today.”

“I- what?”

“I…I wanted to see Mr. Fitzpatrick and…”

Dad blinked at me and took a step back, my words slowly registering as the seconds passed by. I could see him calm down, his breathing slowing and his shoulders relaxing from their tense position— clearly remembering who Mr. Fitzpatrick was and why I would go there. “Oh Little Owl…” He moved forward, his arms stretched out in a hug. 

I nodded and was enveloped in his warm embrace. It wasn’t a secret that Mom and I were closer, closer than I was with Dad. Dad tried, but Mom and I had a connection that was different. We just understood each other better. That didn’t mean I didn’t love my dad, we just had a different relationship.

When he released me, he looked me in the eyes and asked gently, “Did it go well?”

“Yeah, it did. I-I even made a friend when I went to the library.”

He chuckled, “Only you would find a friend in the library. Did you knock over another stack of books?”

“No!” I technically wasn’t lying. Vicky had.

He chuckled, “Well, I’m glad. But what happened?” He gestured to my face.

I took a deep breath. “I missed the last bus and had to walk home. Since I wanted to get home for Yule, I… ran.”

“And…”

Why did he have to be home early? I’d have cleaned up quickly and not dealt with this if he had come home at his usual time. “It’s nothing. I’m fine now.”

“Taylor.”

“I was saved by a cape.” Also not a lie. 

He stared at me for a few seconds before he nodded, resigned to my story. “Ok. But Taylor, you really shouldn’t be out at night. Especially in…”

“I know.” 

Dad always made it clear how bad the gangs were, especially the Empire in my case. 

“I know you know, but you have to be careful! If something were to happen to you…” He looked like he was about to cry but he wrestled himself, turning more angry instead. “Don’t ever do that again! Find a payphone! Call me, or Kurt, or Lacey! Or even Zoe! That woman… if she ever heard abo-”

The sound of glass shattering broke Dad from his rant. We both looked over to the table where Treacle was perched on top, his paw stretched out while his tail swished. Below him was a glass cup, shattered to smithereens, and water splattered everywhere. “ Mrrowr? ” He said, acting innocent.

Bee started walking over to the cup and looked as if he was about to start licking up the water. “Oh no you don’t!” Dad and I both said simultaneously. 

Bee looked up as we both marched over there. “ Mrrw?”

Dad got there before me and started to gently pick up the bigger chunks of glass. “Let me take care of this. Go…go light your log.” The anger had simmered in his voice but I knew he was still angry. 

“Ok.” I walked over to the fire place where a partially burnt Yule log was located, one end still decorated with a mistletoe and powdered dust. It always felt weird that you start burning the log a day before the solstice but I guess the twelve days of Yule started a day earlier back then. The log would end up lasting till New Years, marking the twelfth day.

I picked up the lighter and took some kindling, setting it below the log and igniting it. In an instant, the log was lit and warmth surged forth. 

It might be later than I liked, but the tradition would continue. It had to, for Mom. 

I heard the sound of glass being tossed into the trash can and footsteps getting closer. A warm hand touched my shoulder and I looked up. Dad was staring at me with mixed emotions. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

I nodded, not bothering to fight it. It had been a long night after all.

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Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

The moment I woke up in the morning, I wanted to figure out my powers. While I wanted to research more, I wanted to do it with Vicky. She was incredibly smart and the two of us were able to translate the text far quicker together. I would say, it’s nice to have someone to research with again. 

Dad made me promise not to go anywhere today after what happened yesterday. Because of that, I decided to wait until he fell asleep at night to test my powers. I had made the right choice too since he had called a few times during the day. At first I thought it was Vicky but my hopes were dashed the instant I heard his voice. 

Throughout the day, I felt that feeling I had first felt with the Valkyrie, but it never wavered. Just a presence in the back of my head. It was surprising that it didn’t bother me but that must be common for Parahumans. Even so, I wanted to see what else I could do. If I had powers, especially with a large construct like before, then I could help Brockton Bay. 

When I arrived at the dark and creepy park, I focused on that presence and pushed it forward but nothing happened. Was there something else to it? Did I need to form an image in my head? The picture of the same woman from last night came to mind and I focused on the presence. Then I felt a rush through my body and in reverse from last night, shadowy wisps started to coalesce in a single point until it started to glow bright, its form growing until it hit the size of the woman. In a flash of light, she appeared, fully detailed and standing at attention. 

Neat.

A few more orders were sent to the construct and I concluded that everything was the same as last night. I pulled out a scarf from my hoodie and wrapped it around the lower part of my face, like Miss Militia, and put my hood up. 

Pick me up and fly me to the Boat Graveyard . 

My construct… Valkyrie, let’s go with that. She reminded me a lot of the Valkyries in Norse mythology. My Valkyrie carried me across the city once again, heading north towards the Boat Graveyard. 

Brockton Bay seemed like a different city in the middle of the night, and up in the air. There were barely any lights on unless you looked towards the waterfront or downtown. I was surprised that I didn’t see any cape activity but it wasn’t like they went out every night and with it being so close to Christmas, I doubt they would. 

We arrived at the Boat Graveyard, the place where hopes and dreams died. I’d heard the stories, how some of the Dock Workers had staged a strike back in the day and how poorly it had turned out. In the end, it hadn’t mattered since sea trade was reduced to the bare minimum because of Leviathan. Since then, Brockton Bay had been declining.

Many liked to blame the capes or gangs, which to a degree, they were. But they ignored an important fact about Brockton Bay, what its economy was based on. The gangs made it hard for companies to make a foothold that would help the city. Medhall Corporation was the largest company in the city and I doubted the pharmaceutical corporation stayed out of the gang's hands. 

I directed my Valkyrie to take us near the center of the graveyard where a large barge was mostly intact. When I landed, I turned to look at her and figured out what I could do. So far, I could summon her and order her around, but what else?

I dismissed her and she was gone. With a thought, she was back and the presence remained in the back of my head. Could I summon more?

The spear wielding construct came back out again and I tried to summon another one, to no effect. No matter how hard I tried, pushing that presence didn’t bring forth another maiden of war. 

“Guess that’s not it,” I said to my construct.

She just stared at me with her blank, helmeted face, waiting for orders.

I walked up to her and touched her. While she might have carried me, I hadn’t had a chance to feel what my powers made. She was warm and the details on her armor weren’t just a fabrication. Each and every dimple, connection, and strap felt like it was real. Getting a closer look at the shield and spear showed how intricately designed they were. In the center of the shield was a nasty looking spike. On either side of it were wings that sprouted outwards, their centers coming down to reach a point at the edge of the shield. 

That shaft of her spear had intricate details, like a metallic weave that criss-crossed, and both ends had a sharp point. The pointed head had an arrow-like design that if one was pierced by it, pulling it out would cause significant damage. 

My hand grazed her wings and was disappointed when I didn’t feel the softness I was expecting. They were feathers, but were a light construct and were hard and unforgiving. A pang of jealousy ran through me as I stared at the massive wings.

A deep sigh escaped my lips. If summoning another one didn't work, I might as well see how strong she was. I ordered her to pick up some rusted metal that was in a pile on the deck. She walked over, her spear disappearing in a flash of light and picked up the metal like it was nothing. 

Then I ordered her to throw it.

Once again, I should have clarified since she threw it far . As the metal flew in the air, I stared gobsmacked at my construct. A moment later, a loud clang and a small plume of dust could be seen at the edge of the graveyard. 

Very strong. Check. 

I looked around for something to hit her with and found a piece of wood. Lining up the strike, I looked up at my Valkyrie to notice that she was watching my every move. That didn’t make this test any easier on me. Steeling myself, I swung the wood at her. 

The moment of contact, I felt the wood rebound and shatter against her body. My arms shook with vigor and I involuntarily let go of the wood. She stumbled backwards slightly but looked unharmed. 

Looked like physics still worked on her. At least she appeared unharmed, not that I expected her to be considering she was just a construct. I wouldn’t know the extent of how much she could withstand until she was out in action. 

I had her summon her spear again and strike the cabin of the ship. The spear met metal and an angry white line was left in its place. The spear didn’t slice through it like I thought it would, but the results weren’t anything I was going to complain about. The spear was unaffected by the strike as I took a moment to look at it. 

Thoughts whirled in my head as I wondered what else I could test but very few were worth pursuing. Instead, I decided that since so much of my powers involved giving commands, I would go through some training simulations to better understand my connection to her. 

Fly up and towards the ocean as fast and as far as you can.

My Valkyrie flapped her strong wings and rose in the air, the next second, she was streaming across the sky at high-speed. Before I knew it, she was just a white dot on the pitch black horizon. One thing I noticed that I didn’t before was that I knew the direction of where she was.

Come back and hover in front of me .

At the same speed, she flew back, her spear pointed out and her shield in front of her. As she neared, she slowed down and hovered in front of me as I ordered. 

The next test was to see how she would do while weaving in between the boats.

Fly low between the ships and weave between them. Start out from here and make your way towards the far north end . 

She flew up and then down over the side. I ran to the side and saw her swerving low in the ground between the boats. It was surprising how graceful she was since I expected her to be rigid and run into things. After about thirty seconds, I felt her stop at the end of the graveyard and I could practically feel the need for orders from here. 

With that success, I planned out a few more routines and simulations before calling it a night. The next step before I could go out was to work on a costume. I might be able to do everything through her, but I wouldn’t be a very good hero if I did it from the shadows. But that could wait until after the holidays.

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Saturday, December 25th 2010

I wiped my bleary eyes as I sat up in my bed. Two fluffy lumps started moving under the blanket until two heads poked out and let out synchronized meows. Their pleading faces were all they needed before I gave them head scratches. 

After a few minutes of headpats, I grabbed my water and took my pills quickly. I pulled my blanket off, much to the cats’ dismay, and went about my usual morning routine. We didn’t celebrate Christmas like you see in the movies. Sure, we got up and opened presents, but not at the break of dawn. Emma and I tried once; it didn’t go well. We celebrated in a different house and both of my parents had wanted to sleep in a little. 

My eyes landed on the two books next to my laptop on my desk. I had spent a few hours last night reading through the one from the library since I had been neglecting a bit of my research. With Dad home, I hadn’t had time for that and I started going out at night to work on my powers. 

I’d slowly been working on refining my orders so I didn’t have to do it on the spot. While my construct didn’t retain the information, it helped me formulate orders that worked best and on the fly. There was also more testing involved and I could say that my construct was stronger than I originally thought. She was a Brute all on her own and it wasn’t lost on me how similar she was to Alexandria. Sure, she wasn’t on the same level, and was a summoned construct to boot, but an Alexandria package at my beck and call was the closest I was going to get. 

It didn’t stop the pang of jealousy that ran through me whenever I looked at her.

Because of that, my research had been lacking but that was okay. While I hadn’t heard from Vicky, which was both a little disappointing and understandable considering the holidays, I’d still rather have continued with her. 

When I opened my door, the cats scrambled out in a hurry and down the stairs, their tags jingling along the way. I watched them with an amused smile on my face before going to the bathroom. The sound of Dad moving about when I left was all I needed to know that he was up. 

Walking down the stairs, I saw the two cats sitting by their food bowls, waiting. I opened the refrigerator and grabbed the meat specifically for them. For whatever reason, Bee and Treacle did not like cat food, only meat and not the pet version. Real red meat. Luckily the local grocery store butcher knew us because of this and always has some ready for the two. 

Once a few cubes were in their bowls, they started chowing down. 

I started heating up some tea and prepared breakfast for Dad and I. Nothing special like we used to do when we celebrated with the Barnes. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Simple. 

My tea had finished steeping when Dad came down, his hair skewed and glasses slightly lopsided. He wobbled for a moment, acting like a zombie before he headed straight for the coffee. “Morning, Dad. Merry Christmas,” I said behind my mug. 

Dad stopped and looked at me for a second before his lips turned upwards slightly. “Morning, Little Owl. Merry Christmas.”

The rest of the morning went on as usual. I continued to cook breakfast while Dad slowly woke up. We talked very little, mostly about the weather and what the plan for the day was. Nothing special. Dad didn’t have any plans after we opened the presents and I certainly didn’t. 

We both ate in silence while Bee and Treacle looked for any scraps. For cats who only ate red meat, they sure did like other foods as long as they weren’t specifically made for cats. I seriously wondered where Mom found these two and why she had raised them as such. 

Nonetheless, they still got a piece of bacon each.

“Why don’t you go over and start opening presents while I wash these up real quick,” Dad said as he picked up the plates. 

I nodded and walked over to the tree where a few presents were located. There wasn’t a lot; we never went crazy on presents like some families do. Bee and Treacle sauntered over and started sniffing the presents before they laid down, Bee on the fireplace and Treacle on the couch. 

Looking at the presents, I set the ones for me to one side and the other for Dad. I picked up one and started tearing into the paper. Dad walked over and sat down on the couch, careful not to upset Treacle. He picked up a present of his own.

One by one, we opened the presents, thanking one another. He was happy about the anchor key chain I got him. His old one had broken and knew he would love it when I found it at the boardwalk. It even functioned as a bottle opener but he didn’t drink that much anymore. Not since his spiral after Mom’s death.

We finally got to the last two presents, the ones Aunt Zoe had given to us. We both looked at each other and there was an apprehensive look on Dad’s face. I felt the same but for different reasons. When she gave me the laptop last year, there was a bit of an argument between the two because of how much it was. 

The Barnes weren’t strapped for cash and while we weren’t poor, the laptop was well outside our price range. So I could only imagine that these were in a similar boat.

We both started unwrapping the presents to reveal nondescript cardboard boxes. We shared a look before I opened it. Inside was something we were both surprised and scared of.

A cell phone. 

Red and green lights reflected off the shiny black screen from the Christmas tree. My hands were frozen as I stared at the dreaded machine in my lap. Memories of that dreaded night came back and I did everything in my power to push them away.

A night I regret oh so much. 

“God damn it, Zoe!” Dad cursed as he picked the cell phone up and was about to throw it, only to stop halfway. 

I stared at him as he took a deep breath, swept his dark hair back, and stood up, walking over to the house phone and furiously dialed it.

“Zoe what is the meaning of…”

I drowned out Dad’s rant and looked down at the phone and inched my hand towards it. When I stopped, I heard a quiet, “ Meow ,” next to me. Bee gently nudged my leg with his head. It was a small comfort but did little to the emotions that roiled within me.

If you had asked me last week about having a cell phone, I would have denied it to oblivion. But things had changed, I had changed.

Not only was the night that I had triggered scary, I was a Parahuman now. Dad would want to be able to contact me, and vice versa, if it came down to it. Even if I didn’t like that idea. With a cell phone, I would be able to contact the people I needed without the hassle of finding a landline. 

How embarrassing would it be if I captured Hookwolf and had to find a phone booth just to call the PRT?

I picked up the phone and noticed there was a note on the inside.

Taylor,

I know this might come as a surprise but I figured it was time for both you and your Dad to get over your fears. As justified as they were, it’s time that you both can be easily contacted if it comes to it. Below will be your new phone number and a few numbers have already been programmed in. 

Merry Christmas

Love,

Aunt Zoe

As she wrote, below was the string of numbers that were my new phone number. I feared what she meant about some numbers already being in there. Taking out the manual, I quickly skimmed through it and found out how to turn the damn thing on. The front screen lit up and went through the boot up process before it showed the main screen.

I started scrolling through it and found the contacts and my fears did come true. There was a contact number for Emma and I doubt it was only one. There had to be a way to get rid of it. Block it maybe. That thought went away when I realized it could backfire. Damn it.

Dad was still arguing with Aunt Zoe. It was pointless. Aunt Zoe was stubborn, especially when it came to the safety of those she cared about. It was startling how similar she was to Dad…and Mom. 

Bee hopped into my lap now that the box was out of the way and Treacle jumped from the couch and took his place. Both cats gave me comforting cuddles all while I started toying with the phone. Better get used to it now, I supposed.

A sigh escaped my lips as Dad started another rant. Way to go, Aunt Zoe. Another Christmas with an explosive ending. 

Chapter Text

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

I knew today was going to be shit the moment I stepped into the school.

It wasn’t the stares; those were normal. 

It wasn’t the comments I heard as I passed by. Surprisingly, most of them weren’t about me. 

And it wasn’t even my locker. For once, it wasn’t tampered with. 

No, it was when I saw the kids who could be spotted from a mile away practically waving the Empire flag. They stood by the stairs, out of the way but easily seen. Not all of them had shaved heads, but a few did. It still surprised me that women would actually join the Empire but there were a few girls who did. 

Even from this distance, I could feel their eyes on me. As I (sadly) had to walk past them, I heard all the remarks they made.

“ Look at the– ” I definitely ignored the rest of that.

“ He’s so disgusting.” Fuck you too.

“ Can’t believe he survived .”

It was that last comment that nearly made me stop in my tracks. Most of the time I ignored them, it was better that way, but after what happened a few weeks ago, I couldn’t. It seemed the Empire was actively targeting me.

Sure, that night they waylaid me could be pure coincidence, but that thought went away when I saw a familiar boy. Recently shaved head, brown eyes, and the fake gang tattoo barely peeking out from his t-shirt. While those features weren’t anything special among them, it was the mixture of surprise and anger on his face that sparked the memory.

He had been part of the attack. The one who had stood to the side and watched me being choked to death. Leo Murphy. He was in a few of my classes and, as far as I knew, was only a recent addition to the Winslow Empire group. 

A part of me wanted to summon my construct and make them scatter but that would be so incredibly stupid . Let’s go ahead and out myself before I’ve even had a chance to be a hero. Great idea. I withheld the exasperated sigh that wanted to escape. 

It doesn’t matter, he wasn’t worth it.

Bzzzt!

I ignored the vibration in my pants. There was only one person who that could be and that was also not worth the effort. Emma can shove whatever, possibly true, comment she might have up her ass. 

As I continued towards my first class, I saw a curious pair of eyes down the hallway. They were looking in my direction but I could tell they looked past me. Sophia wasn’t really hiding but I doubted the Empire kids had noticed her given how laser focused they were on me.

Our eyes briefly met and I saw a strained look on her face. I couldn’t blame her for being a little more cautious around them. The fact that I was empathizing with her sickened me, but it was the Empire.

Her eyes returned to the kids down the hallway. For once, I was glad not to be the focus of that gaze. 

I stepped into the classroom without another look. She can watch the Empire all she wants, I wanted nothing to do with them. If they ever tried anything, anything truly bad, I wouldn’t be alone. Not anymore.

Sitting at a desk in the back, I took out my phone and saw the slew of messages from not only Emma, but countless others that I didn’t recognize. I sighed and started deleting the messages knowing that she had given out my new number to the entire school. It almost felt like I was never going to get rid of them with how quickly they were arriving, including some threats from the Empire. A little bit of digging and I was able to set my phone to ignore any unknown phone numbers and make hers not give me a notification. They would still reach my phone, if the illuminated name and new string of words was any clue, but I wouldn’t see them unless I wanted to. 

If Aunt Zoe ever asked, I could feign ignorance or something. Having little knowledge about cell phones worked to my advantage for once. 

…Or she would end up finding all the threats I was being sent.

Everyone slowly piled into the classroom, many bleary eyed and barely awake kids, a veritable group of zombies if I’d ever seen one. No one was truly awake this early in the morning, even the teacher was yawning. 

I unraveled my plastic bag and pulled out a notebook and pencil. Flipping to a blank page, I started sketching out ideas. There were several concepts I had in mind for my costume and many of them were well outside my ability to make. 

Considering that my construct is essentially a Valkyrie of Norse Mythology, I wanted something to match. The problem was that she wore what counted as plate or chain mail. Something that would need to be crafted by an armorer or smithy if I wanted something authentic. That’s not to say that capes didn’t wear armor like that, as many had similar designs like Dauntless who looked like a roman soldier.

I just didn’t have the resources or money to get something of that quality.

It would need to be something simple. Something that would still evoke a Valkyrie or viking impression. Maybe I could look up some references online or in the documents Mom left behind. Surely one of them would have information about the armaments of Norse Mythology. 

While I might be a master and my construct could act as a proxy for me, I couldn’t speak through it and thus couldn’t just pretend the projection was me.  I would need some protection of my own to act as the voice for my winged muscle. Brockton Bay was not a safe city, I knew that all too well, and I needed to be cautious. There were capes who could become dragons, meat blenders, and shoot massive beams that could level buildings. Even just a little bit of protection could save my life. 

With that in mind, I decided I should bump up my workout routine beyond running. I could use the weight room during gym class, but all the jocks would be in there and I’d rather not deal with that bullshit. Though… there might be something in the basement. Both Dad and Mom had a weight set they had used quite a bit. Well Mom had. Dad had tried, with her encouragement, but always fell behind. 

Actually… When was the last time I went into the basement? Was it when-

“Alright class,” the teacher said loudly, breaking my concentration. “Let’s get started.”

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“Remember class,” The Teacher yelled as everyone started to gather their things to leave for the day. “Be prepared for the project on Friday! We will be pairing into groups, so make sure to pick your partners well!”

Another project. As always, I would end up with Greg and someone else. If the Trio was up to any shenanigans, then Madison would join. By the gods, I really hoped that wouldn’t happen. I’d already been on edge today with the lack of activity among them. Apart from seeing Sophia in the morning, they hadn’t done anything . 

Emma had stayed with her groupies in the back of the classes we shared. Besides the occasional glance with a knowing smile and a buzz in my pocket, she was relatively passive. Madison hadn’t stuck gum or pencil shavings in my hair. Neither of them sent me any crude remarks or gestures. 

Then there was Sophia. The one class we shared, she kept glancing at me and not in the same way as Emma. It looked… concerned. Which didn’t make sense. Why would Sophia be concerned? Especially about me? She’s never had that face when looking at me. There was always a sneer on it.

Since then I’d been on edge. Something was going on and it bothered me. The presence in the back of my head was barely a comfort against whatever they could do. I might have powers now but it didn’t mean I’d use them. There was the fact that I hadn’t even made an appearance or stopped any crime. Revealing myself to Trio would be the biggest mistake and would only make things worse.

I quickly put away my notebook and pencils into the plastic bag and zipped up my backpack. Madison walked by just as I finished and I expected her to do something but she simply continued without a glance. She skipped past in her denim skirt and blouse, her backpack jumping up and down, and was out of the classroom mere seconds later. 

Taking deep breaths, I walked out and looked down both sides of the hallway. No sign of the Trio. Cautiously, I walked down the hallway and down the stairs. When I saw a horde of teenagers in the hallway, I stopped like a deer in headlights. At the front of the group was none other than Emma and Madison. Emma turned around and saw me. A smirk grew on her face and she nudged Madison. 

 At that moment, I knew something was up and didn’t want to deal with it. Taking the doors next to me, I escaped out of the school and into the nearby narrow alley. I hated going down this alley, but considering my last experience with them I think it was warranted. 

I quickly went to the back of the school where the track field was and saw it completely devoid of teenagers. Guess the track team was away. Strange considering Sophia wasn’t with Emma and Madison like normal. If she wasn’t with them, she was usually with the team.

It was when I walked by the bleachers, that I knew something was up. Standing underneath them was the same group I walked by this morning. The Empire kids. 

At first I didn’t think anything of it. They were huddled together, cracking jokes about some racist bullshit no doubt. When I passed them, I heard their laughter stop and one of them said, “It’s the–.” Once again, I tuned out the insult and increased my pace.

Fuck. I glanced over my shoulder to see the group walking towards me with a purpose, at the lead was Leo. They picked up speed and I booked it. “Tom!” I heard Leo yell just as I was about to turn the corner. 

Out of nowhere, a tall towering teenager appeared, his arm stretched out. My head hit that arm and suddenly I was engulfed in them. I fought against the crushing hold but it did little when a fist drove all the air from my lungs.  I coughed, trying to get some breath back in me when one of them began to speak. 

“Little tranny isn’t so tough now, is he?” I tried to focus, but the ringing in my ears made it difficult. “No cape to save your faggot ass this time.”

I looked up to see that they had circled me and Leo was in front. He was the one that had been speaking and his fist was balled, ready to throw another punch. 

“Fuck you!” I yelled defiantly, then spat in his face. 

Stars lit up in my eyes and a wave of vertigo washed over me as his fist collided with my nose. I didn’t even have time to cry out before another knocked the wind from me once more. 

The assault continued and as much as I tried, I couldn’t free myself from Tom’s hold. There was a brief moment when Leo stopped and I heard a click but I was too focused on my struggle to free myself from the asshole holding me up like a human pinata. 

“I think it was about time someone put the little tranny out of his misery,” Leo snarled, the anger in his voice made me stop and stare at him. “If it wasn’t for that cape, I would’ve been in the Empire. No matter, after this, I will be part of a great movement.”

He was holding a knife. He had brought a knife to school. I shouldn’t have been surprised; it wasn’t like Winslow had any security or checked for weapons. But it finally clicked the danger I was in now. If it wasn’t for that night, I would have been terrified, and while I still was, I had a way out. It might out me, but I wasn’t going to die to some wannabe gang member. 

Just as I was about to summon my construct to get out of this situation, someone barreled into one of the guys on the outside. A fist hit the man square in the jaw and he collapsed. Everyone stopped but the assailant continued, sending another to the ground with ease. 

It finally dawned on me who it was. Sophia?! What the hell was she doing here?!

“It’s the fucking nig-!” He exclaimed, only to be cut off as Sophia kicked his shins out from under him before finishing the job with a swift downward jab to his face.

Sophia had stunned everyone, including Tom, which afforded me the chance to drive my elbow into his stomach. He grunted and his hold on me weakened to the point that I could escape. Following Sophia’s example, I decked Tom straight in the nose. Pain exploded through my hand but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. 

He was rocked back by the hit, his hands covering his face. Small droplets of blood dribbled down as he pulled them away. He blinked his eyes a few times before he focused on me and charged. 

I didn’t have the chance to dodge out of the way, but I was able to land a punch, or at least I thought I did. That moment was a little foggy given he slammed me into a brick wall. Tom wound back for another blow but I pushed forward, bashing my head into his before he could. 

While I saw countless stars and my forehead was radiating pain, it was nowhere near as bad as Tom. He stood unsteadily, stumbling backwards a little as crimson gushed from the nose I had likely broken. I threw another punch into the bloody mess for good measure. Asshole deserved it.

I turned to look at the rest only to see Sophia knocking the lights out of another kid while the others scrambled away, not wanting to fight Sophia or I. Cowards. 

There was only one person left; Leo. He held his knife out in front of him, pure shock on his face. When he realized that everyone had abandoned him or was on the ground, he held the knife higher. “Stay the fuck away!”

“Fuck you,” I spat at him again. “You just tried to-” 

He slashed the knife, keeping the two of us away as he was backed into a corner. When his back touched the wall, his movements became more erratic. I looked around and found a hefty rock on the ground. Following the instructions Dad once told me when he tried to teach me baseball, I threw the rock and nailed him right in his junk. 

His knife clattered to the ground as he dropped to his knees, gripping what remained of his manhood as tears ran down his face.  Before I could think what to do next, Sophia kicked him upside the head, sending him to the dirt in a heap.

My heavy breathing was the first thing I noticed after everything fell silent.Well, relatively silent given the groaning racists littering the ground around us. My eyes landed on Sophia just as she wiped some blood from her lips. Our eyes met and there was something in them I couldn’t comprehend. 

Then just like that, she turned and began to walk away.

“Sophia!” I yelled, trying to stop her.

She didn’t say anything, still walking away like nothing happened. 

“Seriously?”

She stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “What?” She snarled. 

“You just…” I gestured erratically, “Come here, save me from the Empire and leave?”

She shrugged her shoulders and continued walking away. By the time I formulated the words to hopefully get some sort of response, she was gone. 

What the fuck was going on? Never in a million years would I have expected her to jump in my defense. She was the one who usually caused the bruises in the first place! My thoughts tumbled through the day's events and I remembered that she had been watching them earlier in the day. Did she know what they were going to do? It still didn’t explain why she helped me in the first place.

I never expected her to extend some sort of solidarity. No one did, not with me. Especially not her. 

Ignoring the growing headache, I walked over to Leo and an impulsive thought to give him a nice well deserved kick came to mind. I stopped myself before I did though. It wouldn’t be right. He was down and defenseless. Where was the honor in that? He had the piss—literally— knocked out of him and his friends. By two girls. He would have to live with that embarrassment for the rest of his life. Hopefully he learned something from it, but I doubted it. The knife next to him might get him suspended if they found him.

Instead, I walked to my fallen backpack and headed towards the bus, hoping it hadn’t left yet. Along the way, I felt liquid on my lips and I tested the taste to confirm it was blood. I wiped my nose with my sleeve and ignored the crimson staining the black fabric. When I looked up, relief filled me when I saw the bus had just arrived. 

Quickly hopping on, and ignoring the looks sent my way, I found a spot away from everyone. A distant ding rang and the bus started rolling down the street. My head leaned against the glass window, enjoying its cold comfort. Even after what happened, I wasn’t as exhausted as I expected. I’d thought that after being nearly killed I would be drained, but instead was invigorated. 

Just a new normal in my life that seemed to be rapidly changing. 

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

“ Meow ,” I heard one of the cats cry out as I entered the house. A quick glance showed they weren’t in their usual spots until I saw Bee perched on the stairs, his tail swishing back and forth as he watched me. 

I quickly made my way to the stairs and stopped next to him. “Sorry, Bee, but I can’t pet you right now. I have some… let’s say I need to clean up first.” Not that I expected him to understand, but it was the truth. 

Those big green eyes stared up at me with expectant want. I had to shake my head at the pleading face he gave me. No matter how badly I wanted to give in, there were more important things to take care of first.

Depositing my backpack on my bed, I made my way to the bathroom and rummaged through the medicine closet for bandages. As I went to wash my hands, I got a good look at my face. My small braids on one side were still intact but the rest of my curly hair was a mess. The blood around my swelling nose had dried up and a bruise had begun to form around it nevermind my cheek. I tried to ignore the squareish jaw but it was hard when you had to clean yourself up.

A shuddered breath escaped my lips as I focused on the task at hand rather than the fact that I would never be a pretty girl. 

The cuts were cleansed and fresh bandages were applied a few moments later. Giving them a quick inspection, I gave myself a small pat on the back and cleaned after myself. 

When I left the bathroom, I heard the house phone ringing. I ran down the stairs, ignoring the plea’s from Bee, and answered the phone. “Hello?”

“ Taylor?”

“Vicky?” I couldn’t hold my surprise. 

We were both silent for a bit, neither of us wanting to break it. She broke the awkward silence first. “ So… sorry about taking so long to call you. Things have been busy for me .”

“It’s fine,” I said a little too quickly. “With the holidays and all…”

“ Yeah… anyway! So I’ve been thinking about meeting up again so we can delve deeper into that book .”

“O-oh really?” Damn voice cracking. “I was thinking about the same but I didn’t have a way to call you.”

She sighed, “ Yeah, that’s my bad. I should’ve given you my number. Anyway , I was curious if the book was the only thing you had of your Mom’s? Maybe if we had more references that weren't from an index, we might have better luck. Maybe something a little…newer .”

I hadn’t noticed that I had weaved my fingers through the coiled line of the phone and quickly undid that. Dad would be upset if I messed that up. Again. “There’s actually a lot. Several scrolls, leafs of papers, and a few small journals.” I looked over to the basement door and tried to envision the quantity in the containers. “There’s probably close to fifty, maybe a hundred, documents. I can try to look through them for anything that might be of interest.”

“ I’m sorry, did you say fifty, maybe a hundred? Just how much did your Mom– you know what, yeah, see if you can find anything .”

I was curious what she was going to say, but decided against asking. “Sure! Where do you want to meet up? The University library again?”

“ No, we can go somewhere closer. Boardwalk Tea? The tea shop on the –”
“Boardwalk?” I couldn’t hold the smirk back.

I could feel her roll her eyes. “ Yeah. It’s not far from the public library and I already have a few books with me .”

“I also have the one we looked at the most from the university.” I had to check it out again, but it was the best one we had.

“ Cool! Does Wednesday after school work ?”

The question made me think about my schedule for a moment before I realized there were no plans. I wanted to go out and make my debut as a cape, but it wasn’t like I couldn’t do both. One during the day, the other at night. “That works!”

“ Great! I’ll see you then !”

I hadn’t realized there was a smile on my face. When was the last time I was this excited? A thought came to me and I quickly said, “oh, by the way, I have a cell phone now.”

“ Is that so ?” She was wiggling her eyebrows wasn’t she? 

It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Yes, it is. Here, let me give you my number.” After I cited the digits that were now memorized, I added, “I don’t know a whole lot about cell phones so bear with me.” Then I remembered what I did earlier and quickly said, “Uhh… I should also write down your number.”

“ That’s no biggie! Here let me send you a text so you have my number .”

“Wait!”

She was quiet on the other end and muttered, “ what ?”

“I uhh,” I tried to figure out a way to explain or get out of this situation. “Let me send you one instead.”

“Alright…”

She said her number and I quickly added it to my contacts, then I sent her a quick text and I heard a ping from her end. “ Got it. ” 

“Good. So… uhh, see you Wednesday?” This was awkward, wasn’t it?

“ Yeah, see ya then !”

“See ya, Vicky.”

There was a click on the other side of the phone and I put it back in the receiver. After everything that happened today, it was nice to have a silver lining. 

“ Mrrrw ,” I felt a furry body rub itself against my leg. Looking down, I saw Treacle had finally appeared and a quick look showed that Bee was still on the stairs, but closer. After giving Treacle a little scratch, I walked over to the basement.

I removed the blanket again, which seemed easier this time, and started looking through the containers again. Now I had two objectives: find designs that could be used for my outfit and anything that would be useful for our research. 

Container by container, document by document, I sifted through them for anything of interest. With the little—very little— knowledge of the language I had now, I could at least figure out what it was about. For the most part. 

It was painstaking, but I had gone through the first container without finding anything that would help. There were a few things that I thought were about some foreign cultures I didn’t recognize and wildlife I never knew existed. I assumed it was related to Norse Mythology. From what I knew, there were nine realms with completely different people and animals. Maybe these were notes about that.

If Mom’s notes were that extensive on the mythology, why the hell was she an English professor?

The next two containers didn’t have anything as well. One was about ecosystems and the other was a mystery. In either case, I continued to the next container. When I started rifling through it, I finally found something for one of my objectives. Designs on armor. A few seemed to be on what I assumed were historically accurate armors of the time. Most were leathers and furs but I found a few designs with metal and what seemed like linked plates. Isameller if I was reading it correctly. 

But the others… they were like nothing I’d ever seen before.

Each page seemed to have a different design. One was elegant that seemed to wrap around a body rather than be a standalone piece. I wasn’t sure if it was made of cloth or metal based on the sketching and it certainly seemed like it wasn’t designed for your average person. The torso seemed longer if that made sense. 

Flipping through the pages, each one had a unique design and I wondered if these were based on the different people of the nine realms in Norse Mythology. Mom seemed to have quite the imagination for being able to picture what they looked like and design armor around them. 

Again, she surprised me with a talent I never knew she had. 

As I studied one of the pages that had a design where the backs were more open, for what, I didn’t know, and I accidentally leaned too much and fell. The book went flying and I tried to grab onto something before I landed on something important. My hand grazed a weirdly warm metal and I thought I heard something click. 

When I prevented myself from falling, I took a look at where my hand was and noticed it was on the chest where the keyless lock was dangling precariously from the clasp. 

Wait… what?

Kneeling in front of the chest, I lifted the lock to see it… unlocked. But how? As my mind started reeling through everything I did, I realized that the lock was still in place when I had unveiled Mom’s stash and started looking. So when did it unlock itself?

Then it clicked. I grabbed the note again, reading over memorized words to see if what I was concluding did in fact happen. “The chest would open when the time is right,” I said aloud, not exactly verbatim. Was that time now? 

I tossed the note to the side and carefully took the lock out and flipped the clasp. My hands were clammy as anxiety rose within me. She hid something important in this large chest, I knew it. A keyless lock that I couldn’t unlock a few weeks ago but can now? What changed? 

It smacked me in the face like a mack truck. I was a cape now. How Mom was able to make a lock that could distinguish if I was a cape or not, let alone her mysterious future sight that I would even become one, would remain a mystery for now. Unless the answer was in this chest. 

With slightly slick hands, I opened it. 

And a large puff of dust hit me square in the face. 

“What the-!” I yelled as I wiped the dust from my face. When I was no longer blinded, I looked inside the chest. What I saw surprised me. 

The chest seemed larger on the inside. On top of what seemed like feathers was a large blue polaroid photo book with golden letters spelling ‘The Movement’ and a leather bound journal with no description on it. I picked up the photo book and started rifling through it. At first I didn’t know what to make of it. It was a bunch of women standing with each other and at other various events. Then it hit me, once again, when I saw my mom and a woman I’d seen before in the news.

Lustrum. 

A long blonde haired woman with a matronly face had a smile on it. She was rather muscular, but not in a bad way and it fit her quite well. Like one of those mothers who would beat the shit out of anyone who would harm her kids. Sort of like Mom, to be honest.

The two of them seemed to be thick as thieves. Each photo, Mom was next to her, a bright smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye whenever she was looking at her. They had to be best friends, I’d seen a similar look with Aunt Zoe. Mom had the same look with many women in the photos. Why had I never heard of this before?

Setting the photo book to the side, I picked up the journal and skimmed through it. Surprisingly, this was actually in English. Based on the quick read, it was about her time with Lustrum. Parts of it were vague about what she was doing, but it seemed Mom was a bigger part of the movement than I thought. She always told me that she was just a lieutenant, but not what that had involved. That was apparently a lie if the photos and her own words were any indication. 

Oh look, another note specifically for me. 

Taylor,

I’m sorry I lied.

That was it. Mom was a Thinker, there’s no other explanation for this. She knew that she lied and that I was going to look at this at some point. The lock had to be some sort of Tinkertech that she procured and was tailored specifically to me. 

What made it interesting was why our powers were so different. There’s some evidence that children of capes often have similar powers, just look at New Wave for an example. I was a Master and all evidence led towards Mom being a Thinker, maybe a Tinker. It didn’t make sense.

As frustrated as I was, I continued to go through the life my mom had experienced in Lustrum’s group. There wasn't any indication that she was a cape. Not in the photos or her journal. I’d have to read deeper later.

Setting the photo book and journal to the side, I looked inside the chest once again. There was something under the feathers, the lumps gave it away. When my fingers grazed the brownish feathers, I felt an incredible softness that I was not expecting. I gently caressed the plumage, mesmerized by their fluffiness, before I realized what it was. Grabbing hold of them, and surprised none came loose, I pulled them out from the chest. A cloak of some kind!

I stood up, holding the feathered cloak in its full glory and found the clasps at the front, I realized that it wasn’t brown but pitch black like the night sky. There was something about the feathers that reminded me of something.

Wait.

They were similar to an owl! I wasn’t sure what kind of owl, but definitely from an owl. We had a few feathers when I went to the summer camp. They had intrigued me for many reasons, one of them being my fascinations with birds, particularly owls. Mom nicknamed me after I watched an entire marathon on them. I would hate for these feathers to be forcefully taken, so I hoped they had been shed naturally.

Looking at the cloak now, I realized it would fit me perfectly and then I noticed something shining inside the chest. 

It was metal, gold and silver, and it was connected to what looked like red cloth. On top of it was a helmet that was oddly similar to my construct’s helmet, but the silver face was more obvious and had elegant gold and red horns that swept upwards instead of wings. I picked it up and realized it was about the size of my own head. I wasn’t sure where my hair was supposed to go, but I wouldn’t know how it fit till I put it on.

 Setting the amazing cloak and helmet to the side, I picked up the gleaming silver and quickly realized it was armor. It was surprisingly light and shimmered in the dim light, as if it was glowing. There were shoulder guards, made of predominantly silver with gold trim. The red I had noticed before was actually a tunic that was attached to the chainmail underneath. A single black sash came across from the right shoulder to the gold or bronze belt with a large circular belt buckle. 

It was beautiful, that’s the only way I could describe it. I’d never seen anything like it and it wasn’t like any of the drawings in the armor book. 

I turned it around and saw that it was mostly open. Awkward. Why was that? Holding it up, I realized that it was the perfect size for me, as though  it were made just for me. If that was the case, then Mom had it made in preparation like everything else.

What intrigued me was that the feathered cloak fit perfectly in between the shoulder guard and neck. 

Setting aside both the armor and cloak, I peered inside the chest one more time. There were only three more items. An ancient looking book, which looked as old if not older than ‘The Compendium’, a large metal key, and a sword. 

A sword?!

What in the hell was Mom doing with a sword? Let alone one as beautifully crafted as this one? It gleamed in the low light, the engravings standing out far more than they naturally should have. I was mesmerized by the design and how the darker center seemed to radiate out into the lighter edge like veins through a leaf. A golden leaf. The circular pommel seemed to be missing something unless the hole was there by design. The handle was made of what looked like a deep red oak with gold inlaid in the center. The crossguard seemed smaller than I expected; it was shaped like a diamond instead of a T. 

It was stunning, magnificent. As my hand reached inside to grab the hilt, I noticed that the sword wasn’t very large. Maybe reaching three-quarters of my arm. The handle was warm, just like most of the metal I touched here, and I easily picked up the sword. It was far too light and I overcompensated, my hand going over my head accidentally.

Luckily I didn’t let go and accounted for the weight quickly. I held it out in front of me and stared at it closely. “You’re beautiful, but what was Mom doing with you?”

The sword obviously didn’t respond so I was left with my own thoughts. While I could chalk the armor and cloak up to Mom’s mysterious powers, the sword didn’t match those. There was no reason to have a sword. If she knew I was a Master, then why would I need a weapon? 

Sadly, that question would never be answered but if Mom wanted me to use it, then I would. I’d need to train with it and look at countless videos on how to wield a sword, but it wasn’t a bad idea. I was defenseless without my construct. 

I carefully set the sword down on top of the armor and looked inside the chest once again. The key wasn’t anything special. It was a storage key with a blue tag, labeled with the number thirteen on it. Just another hint for me to trace it seemed. The book, on the other hand, was more interesting. It had Old Norse written on it but I didn’t know enough to decipher it. 

It was made of bound leather that came across as ancient and I feared it might just crumble in my hands. As I carefully opened and leafed through the tome, I was surprised that the parchment seemed pristine. There were pages upon pages of words that might depict instructions for something. On some pages there were lines connecting runes and circles and I couldn’t even begin to grasp what they meant. Just another mystery that needed to be solved. It was rather fascinating and seemed well organized by section. Learning more Old Norse was quickly becoming the priority, just so I could read and learn more. 

In fact, as I gazed over all of Mom’s stuff, I became very excited for Wednesday. Not only would Vicky and I continue to unravel this mystery, I had a means to go out without spending any money for my costume. My eyes lingered on the armor, helmet, and cloak. Yeah, they would do nicely. 

Chapter Text

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

The cool January breeze whipped across my cheek as I walked down the wooden path of the Boardwalk. Yesterday and today were weird to say the least. After Leo and his Empire goons had tried to kill me, it had been rather quiet, unsettlingly so. Emma continued to scowl at me but there seemed to be some sort of calculating look in her eyes that I couldn’t figure out.

Sophia on the other hand seemed to be giving me even stranger looks. I wasn’t sure what they were about and I wasn’t sure if they were worse than what she used to send my way. I could only imagine they were plotting their next prank.

Leo on the other hand, hadn’t been seen since I threw the rock at him. I wondered if he was trying to save face or if the administration had actually done something about him. Since the incident, I’ve stayed away from anyone associated with the Empire as best as I could. It would only be a matter of time before they tried it again.

 Voices caused my eyes to gaze across the unique shops that scattered along the length of the Boardwalk, a few shop owners trying to sell their wares. I couldn’t help but feel a little nostalgia of days long gone. When my family, including Zoe and Emma, would spend our day here. Whether it was perusing the shops, and being jealous of clothes I couldn’t wear, or down at the beach where I wore a t-shirt because I couldn’t stand looking down at myself, there were many memories. Now that I looked back, they weren’t that good. 

I think Mom knew then, about my gender identity. She would often redirect me away from the clothing stores to look out into the ocean. She often told me vague stories of her time with Lustrum, like the places she visited. There wasn’t a whole lot, the movement ended before it could really get anywhere because of a few who decided that men were trash and needed… pruning. 

I wondered if Lustrum would’ve accepted me. Mom obviously did, but how would the rest of the women have responded? Would they see me as a boy trying to hide or invade? A shudder wracked my body before I could stop it. It was a constant fear of mine and it hadn’t been helped with the Trio’s needling. Mom never gave me an answer but always assured me that it wouldn’t matter, that she’d protect me. That…probably meant there were a few who would’ve raised the issue.

The Boardwalk was the tourist attraction in Brockton Bay, and it was a place any Brocktonite should be proud of. That people would still come to this city, even with the gangs’ ever looming presence, should attest to the wonders of the Boardwalk. One of the few places that one could see true Brockton Bay culture. With the Enforcers out on patrol and the PRT not far, especially with the floating barge out in the bay, it was one of the few places the gangs hadn’t slipped their grimy fingers into. Where else would you find cheesy keychains, boring t-shirts with shapes of the bay on them, and photo filtered postcards? 

Walking to the railing, I looked out into the bay. Standing like a bastion of light, the Protectorate HQ was glowing bright with its cerulean dome Tinkertech shield. There was no passageway there unless by boat or if they activated the bridge, which created a Tinkertech light construct walkway that touched the mainland. 

It always amazed me that the local Protectorate took an old floating barge and repurposed it as an HQ. It was a shining wonder on the dismal coastline. It was once a dream to visit just so I can see what the heroes called home. A little city all on its own, what’s not to like?

How wondrous was Armsmaster’s workshop? There were stories of the high tech gadgets stored there but they couldn’t all be true. PHO was known to stretch the truth. A few had been debunked by Assault or one of the Wards anyway. The Wards might not be stationed there, but they were there all the time. Clockblocker liked to brag about it online whenever he got a chance. Much to the other’s chagrin. I wondered how many times he was reprimanded for those comments.

The feeling was different as I gazed at the structure. I was a cape now and I was going to be a hero. There’s a good chance that sometime in the future, I would be on that barge with the heroes. Never as a Ward, I’d given up that dream long ago. If authorities and how important their images were, it was no surprise they got nothing done.

There was a shift of the wind nearby and a friendly voice called out, “Hey, Taylor!”

I barely had the time to turn when a familiar person landed-slash-walked up next to me. Vicky gracefully leaned against the railing and turned to face me. Her smile, easily as infectious as the last time. She was wearing simple jeans that, like before, accentuated her curves and had a few ripped holes and I wasn’t quite sure if they were real or fabricated. Even if she was a Brute, I can’t imagine her clothes survived the harsh winds. She had a rather nice blue long-sleeve shirt with a slim gray jacket that was zipped up halfway, the logo of Arcadia’s basketball varsity team on the left breast. Straps of her backpack were barely peeking over her shoulders.

Her blue eyes seemed to brighten when I met them. Huh, I didn’t realize we’re about the same height. Her platinum blonde hair blew lazily in the cool air and it surprised me that it never went into her face. How? I had to braid my hair to stop that.

“Hey, Vicky!” I barely managed not to croak.

Her smile seemed to grow. She looked out into the bay before returning her gaze. “Looking to get into The Rig?”

“Huh?”

“I can getcha in, if you want.”

“Wh-wha?” I was stunned for a moment before I processed her words. “Wait, really?”

Her smile reached her eyes as she hummed. “Mhmm! I visit there all the time whenever we have a debriefing. The meetings are boring, but it’s a pretty cool place! Too bad they stopped any tours because of the recent breach.”

There was a breach? I guess that could happen. They probably don’t do background checks for the public tours. “You don’t have to…”

She waved her hand nonchalantly, “Please, it's no big deal. I mean…” She trailed off as her finger started tapping her chin. “Armsy might have an issue with it, but he can get over it. It's not like you’re in one of the gangs.” Her eyes never wavered as she said that. 

“No, I’m not,” I said honestly. “It’s no big deal…” I would rather go there as a fellow cape than a supposed civilian. As nice as Vicky’s offer was… I just couldn’t accept it. 

“You're sure?”

I nodded.

“Alright,” she shrugged her shoulders, “maybe some other day then.”

We were silent for an awkward minute that made me thread my fingers repeatedly in my hoodie before she turned her head to the tea shop and pointed her thumb at it. “Wanna head inside?”

“Definitely, it’s getting a little chilly,” there was a cold front coming and I could feel it. 

Vicky didn’t seem to notice and I wondered if her powers helped her from getting cold while flying. I know I did when my Valkyrie carried me. 

We ventured into Boardwalk Tea and a swarm of different aromas from different teas hit me. It’d been a while since I was here, probably the last time was with Emma. The cafe itself had a long counter with a clear glass display with several delicious baked goods on display. Behind it was a large wall with a large array of tea selections, labeled appropriately. Scattered in the center were  rainbow colored tables and the booths were along the walls. Serene art covered the walls, giving a nice cozy and calm atmosphere. A few booths had privacy curtains; generally used for capes. 

As my eyes scanned the few patrons, I noticed that everyone was minding their own business, except for one. There was a lean blonde girl wearing skinny jeans and a lavender blouse that showed how… lucky she was, in the corner of the tea shop, her green eyes zeroed in on me like a hawk. When our eyes met, there was a brief moment before she winked and a sly little smirk grew on her lips. 

I turned my gaze away and ignored the heat that crept up my cheeks. Vicky was already at the counter, finishing her order and waiting patiently for me. “What do you want?” She asked when I stepped up to the counter.

Reading all of the labels, I placed my order and much to my chagrin, Vicky paid. “Please, it’s no big deal,” She said as she swiped her card like a ninja. 

I thought she already paid for herself and was just being nice waiting for me. “Vicky…I could’ve paid for myself.” She continued to smile at me without a care in the world and waved her hand nonchalantly.  A sigh escaped my lips. Vicky was stubborn , in the sweetest way possible. 

“Come on,” She gestured for me to follow. She went straight for one of the booths with a curtain and took off her backpack, putting it in the corner as she slid in.

I copied her and sat on the other side, gently pulling out ‘The Compendium’ and a few other texts that were in the basement. Particularly the one with the armor and another I found in my sleuthing yesterday… when I originally went to get the weights. 

Vicky’s eyes lit up when they landed on the books I set on the table. She was about to speak when a waitress came and dropped Vicky’s pastry right in the center of the table with two forks. It looked like a croissant but with something inside. Chocolate maybe? “Here ya go ladies!” The woman said, enthusiastically with a slight drawl. “Your tea should be ready in a few!” 

“Thank you!” Vicky replied just as energetically.

The waitress beamed, her eyes bouncing between the two of us before she walked away. Weird. 

Vicky grabbed a fork and took a bite of the pastry. Why were there two forks? Did Vicky request it? She hummed happily as she chewed, clearly savoring the flavors. When she finished, she said, “I always love the pastries here. Especially the croissants.” 

“I can tell.”

Her cheeks started to turn red in embarrassment. “That obvious?”

I nodded and gestured, “Just a little.” 

Vicky shook her head and looked at the books. “You weren’t kidding about there being more.” 

“No I wasn’t and there’s a lot more.”

She was about to grab one but was once again interrupted by the waitress. “And here are your teas!” She gently placed each of our teas next to us. “Do you need anything else?” She said as she looked at the two of us.

Vicky and I looked at each other and I saw she shook her head. Apparently she liked her tea black too. “No thank you,” I said politely.

“Alright! Just let me know if you need anything!”

As she walked away, Vicky grabbed the curtain and closed it. “Finally! I was wondering when she was going to leave us alone. Can’t people stay out of other people’s business?”

Huh?

“Don’t worry about it,” Vicky said as if she heard me. By the way she was looking at me, she might just have. “But now, we have some privacy.” She took her mug, blew on it a little before taking a sip. She released another joyful hum. 

She was very animated, wasn’t she? I really shouldn’t be surprised considering who she was. “I only did a little research…” She watched me intently while hiding her mouth in the cup. “So we are still where we left off before the holidays.”

A smile was on her face when she placed her tea on the table. Her eyes looked over at the books I placed on the table and I could feel a question coming. “So, how is having a cell phone?” There was a smirk on her face as she grabbed a book and started flipping through the pages. 

I gave her the side eye as I took a sip of my tea. She knew exactly how I was doing with the blasted thing. Well not everything, but enough. I thought that Emma had been bad back before Winslow, but Vicky texted like a mad dog. It wasn’t even anything of value either. Random photos of dogs, cats, or some funny sign, and some videos of the same things. At first I thought we were going to be chatting about our research, and we were, but that quickly devolved into other things. 

“It’s annoying.” I huffed.

“Oh, it’s not that bad.”

I continued to stare at her which did nothing to her bright smile. Deciding it was about time, I picked up a book and started deciphering what I could, ignoring the snicker from the other side. We eventually had to get started on what we came here for after all. 

It was about a few minutes of silence beyond the occasional flipping of pages and book shuffling when Vicky broke the silence. “So… why do you hate phones?”

I had a page half turned when she spoke and my arm went rigid as my mind raced for an answer. Anyone who I would normally talk to, which was… pretty much no one, already knew. It sort of became this unspoken reality around me and sometimes it felt like everyone forgot what happened, even if I knew that was not the case. Maybe telling Vicky the truth could help. She’s been helping me research into Mom’s past in the first place. 

“-llo, Earth Bet to Tayl-”

“My mom died in a car crash while on the phone,” I blurted out quickly. 

Vicky stared at me, her mouth still opened from the interruption before she finally processed what I said. “I- wow. I’m sorry, Taylor.”

My hands went for the tea, the heat grounding me as I started rambling. “Since then, my dad and I have sort of… sworn off cell phones. It’s stupid, I know, but it always brings back memories of that night.”

Vicky was silent for a bit. “Was… Was she on the phone with you?”

I sat in silence for a moment, mentally cursing how intuitive Vicky could be. “Yeah,” The hot mug was probably burning my hands, but it was helping me from completely breaking down. “She was on her way from the university and…” My words faltered, unable to say more. I wasn’t open about my transition, at least to anyone that Emma hadn’t already told. It wasn’t anything extravagant but it did seem like Mom was going to tell me something important before I heard the phone disconnect. 

I felt a warm hand on my arm, causing me to look up. Vicky was giving me a reassuring smile. “It’s ok, you don’t need to say more.”

But I wanted to for some reason. There was something about her that made me feel like I could trust her. Just not with everything. “There wasn’t a body. The crash had completely engulfed the car in flames, leaving only charred metal behind. We had…”

“Shh,” She soothed me, rubbing my wrist with gentle ministrations. It was calming and I wasn’t sure why she was being so nice. Hell, I still don’t know why I even opened up to her in the first place. A part in the back of my mind knew she was going to use this against me, how opening up even a little was going to bite me in the ass. 

Vicky seemed so sincere in her questions and was genuinely nice to me. She was a hero after all; it couldn’t all be a hoax. Glory Girl was well known, even if the rest of New Wave seemed to be focused on anything but the cape world. Well, besides her sister. Panacea was still very active in the hospitals as far as I was aware. 

A few minutes passed by and I eventually calmed. I hadn’t even realized that I was crying till I tried to look up and felt tears run down my face. “Thanks,” I whispered. 

“Don’t mention it. I could tell that your Mom meant a lot to you.”

I nodded, “She… we were close.”

She didn’t say anything at first, instead I felt her warm hand leave my arm and I saw her rummage through her backpack. She pulled out a few books and laid them down on the table before her bright and cheery smile grew and her eyes lit up. “We can continue. If you want! Don’t want to pressure you or anything but I did bring more books to help. Though I’m not entirely sure how useful they will be…”

Just the way she said it, how she went from such a caring demeanor, then cheerful, and finally uncertainty, just seemed to hit a chord in me. I laughed. I laughed at her dorkiness and how real it made her seem. Not that I ever noticed, but I’d heard that people act differently around capes, but I didn’t with her. Especially before I realized who she was and I became one myself. 

Vicky had the biggest goofiest grin on her face before she started laughing too.

When our laughter finally died down, we started researching. It only took a near breakdown, but we quickly made progress. More than we did in the library in fact. It seemed that Vicky did more than just get a few books from the public library because she was clearly far more knowledgeable than last time. 

The hours passed by like a blink of an eye. The croissant was gone, both of us picking at it as we read and took notes. Several pages were scattered across the table with scribbled notes in both our handwriting. We hadn’t even noticed how long we were at it till Vicky got a message. 

She stared at her phone for a while before she sighed and tucked her phone away. When she looked up, she must have noticed my stare. “It’s nothing.” That was a lie.

Vicky was bothered by it; her happy attitude had wilted. “You sure?”

She nodded and closed the book in her hands. “You know what I just realized,” She said, changing topics. Even if I noticed, I indulged her, allowing her to continue.“You rarely need to reference a book or our notes a second time.”

“Huh?” I thought over what she said and realized that she was right. “I didn’t even notice…”

Most of the notes and reference books were on her side of the table and I had a book from my mom’s collection and practically read it without too much of a problem. That wasn’t to say I fully understood it, but I knew the alphabet and how to string it together to form words now. 

“Really?” She asked. There was something else that was in that question that I couldn’t figure out. “Well, I figured you were smart, but damn girl!”

My cheeks lit up at her words. “I’m not that smart…” I muttered.

“Tay,” Huh, I hadn’t heard that nickname in a while. “This stuff isn’t easy,” She held the book with her forefinger and thumb. That book wasn’t light. “Yet you pick it up as if you just needed to be reminded or something.  Do you have an eidetic memory?”

“You’re not dumb either, Vicky,” I deflected.

“Flatterer, but I’m serious, Taylor.”

It was odd, being complimented. When was the last time someone told me I was smart and meant it? Mom? Usually I was called dumb or an idiot. If the word ‘smart’ and ‘Taylor’ were used in a sentence, it was done sarcastically. My grades even reflected that. Not that it was my fault.

Another ring broke my concentration and this… moment, which I was grateful for. Vicky had already opened things I never expected anyone to see. Vicky looked at her phone again and picked it up. “Yeah, Ames?”

Ames? Oh, wait, her sister.

“Now? Hmmm,” Vicky looked around for a moment before continuing, “Alright. Give me a few minutes.” She closed her phone and let out a sigh. “Sorry, Tay, I have to go pick up my sister. I hadn’t realized how late it was and she’s getting off her shift.”

I pulled out my own phone and realized the time. It wasn’t late , but I did want to be home before Dad and prepare myself for tonight. “It’s fine. We can continue another day.”

Vicky started gathering everything she brought, including the notes. That’s fair, I didn’t actually need them as she pointed out. “Definitely, I’ll text you when I have a moment, but Friday should work.”

I briefly thought over my plans and quickly realized that I didn’t have any… again. It sort of hinged on what happened tonight. Even then, it’s not like there’s a schedule for heroing. “Works for me.  If you rescue any cats from trees, send me their pictures.”

She picked up her backpack with an aborted laugh and pulled away the privacy curtain. “See ya, Tay!” She quickly walked out of the shop with everyone’s eyes on her and flew out before the door had a chance to close. She really knew how to make an exit didn’t she? Though it was the same for entrances too.

There were only a few patrons left in the tea shop and they were all stunned by Vicky. I noticed that the one girl with green eyes wasn’t around anymore, not that I should have been surprised given how many hours we had been at things. The waitress’s eyes landed on me and there was a knowing smile on her face. I wasn’t sure what that was about so I ignored it. 

I started gathering my stuff and thought of what I needed for tonight. Plenty of time to prepare.

And the cats couldn’t feed themselves. Maybe I should introduce them to Vicky sometime, when I was ready to show her everything in Mom’s stockpile.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

I quietly snuck out of my window and traversed down the roof. Waiting until Dad fell asleep was annoying but I didn’t want to risk him learning about this, not yet. Considering how…protective he got when I triggered, not that he knew about that part, I couldn’t fathom how bad it would get if he found out I was going out to fight crime.

The armor was surprisingly easy to pack, flexible in just the right ways that I could fit it into my backpack. The sword on the other hand, was a different story. There was no scabbard much to my chagrin and it was incredibly sharp. The myriad of healing cuts on my hands could attest to that. 

Once I made it to the park, I found a safe and secluded spot and quickly changed. A feat I had mastered because of my own issues. The armor was easy to figure out how to put it on, which was surprising considering all the tales I heard about ancient armor needing help to do that. Then again, Mom probably designed it like that given I wouldn’t have a squire or something like that to help. 

They fit snuggly and I could move with ease. It honestly felt like I wasn’t wearing anything heavier or more restrictive than a shirt and pants. I wasn’t sure how protective it was, but it couldn’t be as bad as wearing street clothes like I planned originally. When I slowly put the helm on, darkness enveloped me before I found the eye holes and it felt like the world opened back up. Wearing the helmet was strange; my entire head was encased and a little claustrophobia crept in yet I could see as if I wasn’t wearing anything. I reached around the back to notice my hair was completely covered somehow. Guess that’s one way to hide my obvious curly hair. Tinkertech, it had to be.

Doing a few stretches, I concluded that I was good to go. Now if only I had a place– oh there’s a small pocket in the armor. Perfect for my phone. It occurred to me that I should have checked all of this earlier. Impatience was getting the better of me.

There was a brisk breeze, sending shivers down my spine at how vulnerable my back was. I quickly found the feather cloak and wrapped it around my body. Warmth enveloped my body and a sense of familiarity washed over me. A phantom sensation not unlike what I felt when Mom was hugging me. The cloak felt right and I wasn’t sure why. It fit me perfectly and its midnight feathers shimmered in the night. 

I hid the backpack with my spare clothes and quickly summoned my Valkyrie. She appeared in her radiant glory and I couldn’t stop comparing her to the known mythos of Valkyries. There was something different, maybe more avian, but I could see the resemblance.

It bothered me how much my powers and my heritage had been taken and used by the Empire for their nefarious purpose. I doubt any of them had any roots to the Nordic countries like I did. I might not have known which one, but at least I knew that much thanks to Mom. So while I knew my power and armor would make people think I was one of them, I would be doing my damndest to prove them wrong. I would pry my heritage from the racist bastards whatever the cost. 

With that thought, I ordered my Valkyrie to carry me and we started flying towards the busy areas. 

I didn’t have a plan, per se. Nothing beyond finding criminals and taking them down. There had to be plenty of crime in the city, it always seemed like there was. How many times did I see the news go on about a Merchant crime wave or the ABB abducting women in the streets? Sure, I would prefer to focus on the Empire for their bullshit and causing my trigger but for the first night, I was ok with just about anything.

We flew through the air for what felt like hours before I heard a commotion below. “Stop,” I ordered.

She stopped on a dime. It was a good thing she had a good grip on me or else I would have plummeted to the ground. I looked around before I saw a van parked outside a convenient store. With a point of my finger and a telepathic order, I had my Valkyrie land on top of the adjacent building. She disappeared in a blip and I watched carefully from above. 

A loud scratchy, “ CAW ,” startled me. Looking around at the nearby buildings, I saw a massive raven perched on the chimney. Its eyes seemed to glimmer in the darkness. They weren’t quite black, but there was something ethereal about them. Our eyes met and I felt a chill. It didn’t move, didn’t breath, and didn’t make a sound. 

It was just watching.

“ CAW !” It said again before letting out a gurgling croak. 

I was tempted to resummon my Valkyrie and fly over there, but the commotion from below grabbed my attention. 

“Just get the goods! We gotta go before the cops come!”

A man covered in black clothes with a dark ski mask over his head stepped out of the store. He looked up and down the street, checking to see if anyone was around. Good thing no one looks above. 

I quickly glanced over to the raven to find it missing. How the-

“Jared, shut the fuck up! Ya only gonna get us caught!” Another whispered voice said from within the building. A head popped out of what I presumed to be the window. He looked around as well before he whispered, “get the fucking van ready.”

‘Jared’ grumbled and walked over to the van, hopping into the front seat. There was a rumble as the van came to life. 

Now was the time to strike. 

I summoned my Valkyrie on top of the roof before ordering it to fly me down behind the van. When she landed, I told her to fly back up into the sky but to remain hidden. Hopefully my training with her had been enough so that she understood my intent. By the looks of it, she did, my knowledge of her location on a nearby rooftop the only indication of her whereabouts.

Slowly, I walked up to the van and readied my sword. It still surprised me how light it was in my hands. I barely knew how to use it, even the few videos I found did little to help since they were all geared towards swords actually having a weight to them. Nonetheless, I was going to be careful.

With a quick swipe of the blade, a hissing sound from the back tire echoed in the alley. I quickly moved to the other side and repeated the action.

“What the-” I heard the robber cry out from within. 

I hid behind the van as it slowly started sinking on its back tires, silently walking towards the front of the van as he got out. When the door closed, I dashed, quickly cutting the third tire. 

The fool ran all the way around the back of the van, allowing me to get the last tire. With their getaway vehicle taken care of and Jared scrambling around the van, I ran across the street. It surprised me how silent the armor was, let alone how easy it was to move around in. I would have thought that they would have heard me from a mile away but considering I just played chicken with one of them, that wasn’t the case.

And I really should focus. 

I hid in the dark alley across the street before Jared could get to the front of the van. “What the fuck?!” 

“Jared, shut the fuck up!” The guy who previously scolded Jared, came marching out of the store. He smacked him in the back of the head with his gun.

Oh shit, he had a gun.

“Don’tcha know anything about bein quiet?!”

“But, Don…” He pointed to the tires. 

‘Don’ followed his finger and I could practically see the wheels turning in his head. “Fuck! Someone’s here. Look around!” He ordered before he walked to the smashed window front of the store. “Kevin, get out here.”

Another man came out as Jared started looking around. They all wore matching outfits and I wondered if there was any diversity in attire for crooks. They would eventually find me, there was no way they couldn’t see me on the other side of the street.

No point procrastinating.

My eyes looked to where my Valkyrie was hiding and sent a silent command to hover above the street. Then I stepped forward.

“A little late to be shopping, don’tcha think?” I said with a slight drawl.

“Who the-” The leader started to say before cutting himself off. “Fuck, a cape!” 

Even though I expected it, it still scared the living hell out of me when the gun was pointed at me. As if in slow motion, he squeezed the trigger and a flash ignited in the barrel. At that moment, my Valkyrie swooped in.

The gun shot was jarring, and I kept expecting the impact at any moment. Instead, there was a small tink down the street and in front of me was my Valkyrie, her shield held high, blocking the gun shot.

The crooks were stunned but it wouldn’t last long. I had to act now. 

Go low and sweep the man’s feet with your spear. Don’t use the blade. Knock him out, gently. Go for the other one afterwards.

As my Valkyrie went to the left, I went to the right. My cape rippled behind me as I closed the distance to the third man, Kevin I believe. He had barely a moment to react as I came up and decked him in his beanie covered nose. 

“Fwruk!”

I didn’t let the hilarious attempt at a curse stop me and followed up with a feint, swiping my sword at him while making sure it wouldn’t actually connect. Kevin stumbled back, his hand flying to his presumably bloodied nose. 

A quick glance to the side showed my Valkyrie had knocked Jared out, his body limp on the ground,  and was readying to throw her shield at the leader who tried to aim his gun at her but the shield was faster than he expected. An aborted curse escaped his lips as he cradled his bloodied and gnarled hand. The gun clattered to the ground a dozen feet away and I directed the Valkyrie to retrieve it without touching the trigger. My attention was brought back to my current opponent when I heard the sound of something metallic clicking open. I expected another gun and was ready to call my Valkyrie over when I saw he was only holding a switchblade. 

I stared at him for a brief moment before I lifted my sword and said, “Mine’s bigger.” 

Did I really just say that? 

His eyes bulged and he froze, the knife clattering on the ground when he saw the blade in my hand. He frantically looked around and started running before my Valkyrie dropped down with her arms crossed. His head slowly craned upwards and I heard a whimper before I had her bonk him over the head with the spear, taking him out of the fight..

With all three knocked out, I looked at my Valkyrie. “Good job!” I held my hand up for a high five. Since my construct stared at me with her blank eyes and had no idea what to do, I sent an order.

My hand stung like a motherfucker when she slapped it. Note to self, high fiving a power made construct that needed more precise orders was not the best idea. 

I was still rubbing my covered hand when I heard a groan. Kneeling down, I looked at the leader, who’s eyes barely opened and when they looked up, I saw the same fear as before. My Valkyrie was standing behind me and just to be cheeky I waved at him and had my Valkyrie mirror it. “Fuuuuuc-” and his eyes rolled up and he was out like a light. 

Giving myself a metaphorical pat on the back, I pulled out my phone and made the call.

“Hi, this is nine-one-one, how may we assist you today?” A kind woman said on the other side.

“Hi, I need the police on-” I looked around and rattled off the address. “There was a robbery.”

There was a pause for a moment before she spoke. “Are you a cape, ma’am?”

Enjoying the happiness at being ma’amed, I replied, “yes, I am.” 

“Cape name please?” 

“Uhhh-” Funny how I practiced this at home and still hesitated. “Gondul. I’m new.” I could imagine the operator just wondering what kind of name that was. It wasn’t an obvious reference and I doubt anyone would be able to figure it out. Vicky might, but that’s why I left that specific book at home today. If she ever saw those pages, she would know who I was instantly. I would tell her eventually, but I wanted to make a name for myself as a hero first, if for no other reason than to prevent a knee jerk reaction of Empire association.

I heard the typing of a keyboard on the other side before she said, “The PRT will be there in a few minutes.” 

The PRT? For some convenience store robbers? Ok. “Uhh, ok. Thank you.”

The line went dead quickly after and I stood watching the three crooks, making sure they wouldn’t escape. A few minutes later, I saw a large black van coming down the road that I almost thought was one of Squealer’s monstrosities until it slowed down and turned sharply so the side was facing me. The large white letters of ‘P.R.T.’ written on the side. The back doors flung open and I saw a few troops hop out of the back.

Then two figures appeared from a rooftop and took in the scene: Dauntless and Shadow Stalker. Shadow Stalker seemingly blended into the landscape while Dauntless stood out with his golden armor and glowing armaments. There was a brief moment before the two descended from the roof, Shadow Stalker turning to barely visible wisps and Dauntless floated down, his boots crackling with life.

When they touched the ground, the dim light of the distant lamppost allowed me to see them fully. Shadowstalker was wearing black body armor with gauntlets, knee pads, and combat boots to match. Her black cloak was worn in a similar fashion as my own besides the hood but seemed heavier than I imagined. She had a small crossbow in each hand, cocked and ready to fire at a moment’s notice. Her mask was a featureless face and I couldn’t stop comparing it to my own. If it wasn’t for my horns, the two would be pretty damn close to copying.

Dauntless on the other hand, had the air of heroism about him. The way he carried himself helped with that image; his back was straight, his head held high, and a seemingly calm demeanor that could placate a terrified civilian. His gold armor glittered in the yellow light of his powered armaments. 

“Villain or Hero?” The deep voice asked behind the helmet and I was thrown off by not only the question, but how cold it sounded. Did they not see me as a Hero? I did take down the robbers, but I had half expected it given the theme of my powers.

I guess it was time to prove it to them that I was one of them and not a member of the Empire.

Chapter Text

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Sophia was pissed. Some might say she was always pissed, but this was on another level. The scrawny and weak teenagers she stormed past could attest with their scared and wide eyed looks. She had a feeling that her friend, Emma, was going to do something incredibly stupid and she was right. The moment she got to school, one of Emma’s groupies ran up to her to let her know about the nefarious plan Emma had in store for Hebert. 

To this day, Sophia still didn’t understand why Emma was so focused on Hebert, and she was at the point she didn’t want to bother with asking. Emma wanted Hebert to not be weak, at least that's what she told Sophia. Not that she believed the redhead. But that changed when she heard what Emma had come up with. 

What was Emma thinking? Going to the Empire was too far , Sophia thought, repeatedly. Did Emma not realize that Sophia was targeted by them too? She might not understand all the shit Emma spouted on a daily basis about the girl, but the fact that the Empire repeated the same things had never sat well with Sophia. 

She was fine when it was just the bad name calling and the occasional jab at the shoulder or tripping of her feet, but the moment Emma revealed to not only her, but the whole school that Taylor was transgender, that was when it started to turn her stomach. And the longer she thought about it, the more she really didn’t like what was happening. 

With that thought in mind, Sophia raced through the hallways of the shitty school of Winslow to try and find the Nazis that her friend had set on someone. She couldn’t believe that she was actually doing this. They might be a bunch of weaklings, but the cowards were never alone. 

Sophia’s shoulder bumped into a boy and she barely glanced over to see the hurt and fear in his eyes. All she saw was how weak he was and knew that he would shrink away like a little rat. She didn’t have time for him; she had more important things to do.

When she walked away and came upon a corner, she heard the distinctive slurs that only one group would openly say and knew she was in the right place. 

“ We hang in the back and wait for the faggot to show. Then we- ”

Sophia peeked around the corner to see Leo and his cronies, huddled up together with their backs to her. It annoyed her how much they got away with in this school. They weren’t even strong or smart, but because of their connections, they were never punished for the racist shit they committed. 

But then again, neither was she. She knew Hebert had made several complaints to the administration but none of them ever led to her getting reprimanded. She never knew why and while it was feeble of Hebert to run to the adults, Sophia couldn’t understand why they didn’t do anything. 

And speak of the devil, Sophia saw Hebert walk into the school. 

The instant Sophia laid eyes on her, she knew something was different. Hebert always seemed to draw in on herself and try to appear small, which was ironic considering how tall she was. Yet now, Taylor seemed to be standing straighter, with some degree of confidence. Sure, her shoulders were still pushed forward and she kept her hood over her head, but there was something about the way she walked and how she gazed over the hallway that screamed to Sophia that she’d changed. 

Looking now, Sophia couldn’t understand why Emma was so insistent on calling Taylor a boy. There wasn’t anything boyish about Taylor, unless you took into account the height or the slightly off voice. She might not have much in the chest department, even if she wore the hoodie all the damn time. But as Sophia stared at her, she couldn’t see anything other than a girl. Black hair, bound in thick braids where the curls weren’t left free, framed an angular face. Emma would pick at her wide lips, or her eyes, but it all fit together. 

If Sophia was never told that Taylor was born a boy, she wouldn’t have noticed. Not that she would ever admit that. Though with the bullshit Emma’s been doing lately, she considered making those thoughts more vocal. 

But none of that explained why she seemed so much more confident. Even as Hebert glanced over at Leo and the others, not an ounce of fear was shown towards them. Sophia’s stare changed when she heard them start whispering their insults.

“Look at the tranny.”

“He’s so disgusting.”

“Can’t believe he survived.”

That last one sent warning bells in Sophia’s head. Taylor survived? What did she survive? Her mind was racing to figure out what they could have meant. If it was the Empire, that meant only one thing. She was attacked over the holiday break. She survived .

While Sophia wouldn’t put much on their word, for them to actually admit that meant a great deal in many ways. Not only was Hebert a fighter who had lived through one attack, but that meant they were going to try again. It matched up perfectly with how easy it was for Emma to talk them into this. They were just looking for an excuse. 

Sophia glanced over at Taylor and their eyes met. There was a strange sense of understanding that passed over Sophia, that while their circumstances weren’t quite the same, there was enough in common to reach an understanding. If the Empire lackeys were going to do what Sophia thought they were going to do, she would get a good look at how much of a fighter Hebert really was. 

With Emma going to the Empire for a ‘prank’, she had half a mind to throw Emma under the bus. Regardless, she wasn’t going to sit back and watch, not this time.

Sophia looked down the hallway again and started planning her move. Even if Hebert wasn’t a fighter, which she apparently was, she was going to save Taylor. No one deserved to be lynched by the Empire. And if Sophia was right in what she’d heard, she didn’t want Taylor to be executed by them.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

“Fuck!” Sophia cursed as she ran through the school at breakneck speed. Why did her coach want to talk to her? They didn’t even have practice today! She wanted to follow Hebert after the last class. She didn’t have a whole lot of time before Emma’s plan was set into motion.

As she ran through the hallway, she saw the massive group of teenagers with Emma standing in front with a knowing smile on her face. Emma’s eyes landed on her and that grin grew larger. Sophia narrowed her eyes at the redhead which caused her facade to crack, her expression faltering ever so slightly. Emma was clearly confused by her response but Sophia wasn’t going to let her ‘friend’ know why. She didn’t have the time.

Sophia ran across the intersection and slammed through the doors. Her head whipped back and forth, trying to find any sign of the tall ravenette. Unsure where she went, she picked a direction and hoped she was at the back of the school, the Empire rats tended to congregate there from her experience and Emma likely herded Hebert towards them. When she turned the corner, she saw a glimpse of one of the Empire cronies cursed in relief that she was right. 

Taking a moment to think, Sophia took the route of going the long way around to get the jump on them. As she did, she saw Hebert trapped in the hold of a large jock that she recognized from the football team. She was struggling, and the idiot wasn’t having an easy time keeping hold of her. But once the first of them landed a gut shot, the fight started to bleed out of Hebert.

Sophia raced towards the group, silent but furious as she saw Leo pull out a knife from his pocket. Taylor froze yet there was something in her eyes that Sophia couldn’t quite recognize, but she believed she’d seen it before. Not from her, but from someone else.

Sohpia planted her front foot and threw her momentum into a punch straight in the jaw of the first kid she saw. She didn’t didn’t even bother to watch him collapse, more concerned with her likely fractured knuckles. She was thankful for the rush of adrenaline, taking advantage of her ambush to nail the next slack jawed idiot in line.

A fleeting glance back at Hebert almost caused her to miss an easy block, because Taylor had broken free and was holding her own. Satisfied she didn’t need saving, she ducked under a wild swing and buried her fist in the guy’s diaphragm. Unfortunately kung-fu logic didn’t apply in a real fight, a heavy foot slammed into her thigh, knocking her back. Sophia rolled with the hit, the pain a distant companion and just managed to move her head enough to avoid the brass knuckles that would have smashed her nose.

Everyone that knew her, really knew her, would tell you she was in her element.  The rush of blood as she took a punch in exchange for a kick that broke a knee.  The thrill of a good fight, she lived for that, so she was almost disappointed when the ranks broke and they began to run, leaving their fallen buddies where they lay.

Spitting blood, she turned and saw that Leo was the only one that remained and all Sophia could feel was burning rage at the kid. He was waving his knife like a fucking amateur for all to see. Sophia knew she didn’t need to rush, he wasn’t a threat to either of them. 

“Stay the fuck away!” 

“Fuck you!” The tall girl bit back with a surprising anger that Sophia had never seen, not like this anyway. “You just tried to—”

The idiot slashed his knife weakly through the air. His back touched the wall and he became more erratic with his thrashing. Sophia knew better than to step into his reach, even if she could disarm him easily enough. It was always better to assume you would be cut if you fought someone with a knife. Instead, she wanted to see what Hebert was going to do. 

Taylor picked up a hefty rock, testing its weight before she pulled her arm back like a baseball pitcher and threw it. The rock hit Leo square in the nuts and he dropped the knife, falling to his knees and clutched his shattered manhood. Sophia couldn’t stop the satisfying smirk even as she stifled her laughter as he whimpered like a beaten puppy. She quickly removed it by swiping the blood from her lips and looking at Taylor. 

The girl looked like she’d been through hell. A bloodied nose was the least of her worries  given the growing bruise around her eye. Busted knuckles showed how inexperienced she was, yet there was some sort of satisfaction on her face that Sophia couldn’t fully decipher. In the end, it didn’t matter, Hebert was a fighter and a survivor. For some reason, she had no doubt that if she hadn’t shown up, that Taylor would have made it out alive. 

Sophia did what she needed to do and saw the truth about Hebert . There was no need to linger. She turned on her heels and started walking away. 

“Sophia!”

She had no reason to reply. They weren’t friends nor would this make them friends. But it did change Sophia’s entire opinion about the girl and she needed to reflect on that. Especially where it concerned Emma. 

“Seriously?” Hebert croaked.

Sophia felt like it bothered the other girl and glanced over her shoulder to see what Taylor wanted. “What?”

“You just…” Hebert’s hands waved at the mess of Empire kids crying for their mommies. “Come here, save me from the Empire and leave?”

Sophia didn’t feel the need to justify her actions. They were the Empire and while Taylor would have been fine, for a reason Sophia didn’t know, she wasn’t going to let her face them alone. No one deserves to deal with the Empire’s shit on their own.

She shrugged her shoulders and continued on her path. She had much to contemplate about her place at Winslow and who she was going to consider friends because right now, Emma was not acting like one. Not after this. 

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

“There’s word of a new cape,” Dauntless said as he and Sophia, as Shadow Stalker, made their way down the street to their first checkpoint. 

“Oh?” Shadow Stalker said, feigning interest. Being lumped into the Wards and the PRT was a thorn in her side. They restricted her from being able to take down the real problems in the city. Though as much as she disliked them, she knew she had to stay within the terms of her damn probation. If they caught her taking one step out of line… Well, she didn’t want to go to juvie. 

Dauntless hummed. “There’ve been sightings of a glowing woman flying through the city since Christmas.”

“Sounds like Purity.”

“But Purity doesn’t have weapons.”

That both intrigued and worried Sophia a little. Capes sprouting from nowhere in Brockton Bay was nothing new, but they were usually picked up by a gang or killed quickly. No, what worried Sophia was another cape being added to the already far too large list that the Empire already had. While Lung was strong, the ABB only had the two. There were rumors the Merchants might have a third, but nothing was confirmed. But the Empire… They had so many capes that their numbers surpassed the Protectorate and Wards combined. The last major clash required them to call in New Wave as well just to even the odds.

“Any word of their allegiance?” She glanced over to Dauntless as they walked near a building.

He shook his head. “None so far. If we find them, we follow protocol and attempt to recruit them.” Dauntless looked up at the building, his yellow glowing armaments flickering in the night. “Let’s get a better view,” He said as he looked at Shadow Stalker.

Sophia nodded and jumped while activating her power, her body turning to shadows and drifted up to the rooftop. Dauntless followed along, even if she wished that she didn’t have a leash. They’ve been recently pairing her with someone who could keep up ever since she slipped away from Gallant while he was texting Glory Girl and it irked her tremendously. 

Once on top, they quickly made it from rooftop to rooftop, loosely following their assigned patrol route. Sophia made it a bit of a game, going just a little faster, trying to see if Dauntless could keep up. In truth, she knew he would.

It was about an hour into their patrol that the both of them heard from Console.

“ Dispatched contacted us. There’s a new cape who stopped a robbery, ” Carlos’ voice echoed in Sophia’s ear. 

“Where?” Dauntless asked through the earpiece. 

Carlos rattled off the location and all Sophia could think about was what part of town it was. Dead center in Empire territory. Not many capes ventured that far into the territory, but this new cape had. It made Sophia wonder if the new cape was already in the Empire and rubbing it in, or if they didn’t know the ramification of what they were doing.

Really shows how green they are , Sophia thought.

“We’ll be on our way.” Dauntless turned to her. “Let’s move. PRT is on their way,” He said in a playful tone as if he knew that she hadn’t listened to the rest of the conversation.

She scoffed and nodded, running along the rooftop before jumping and turning into barely visible wisps in the night. The sound of a low hum was all she needed to know that Dauntless was right behind her. 

As the two landed on a building, Sophia noticed something odd. A bird- no -a raven as large as her arm, was perched on a nearby roof chimney. While she hadn’t seen one in person before, she was certain they didn’t get so damn big.. She thought at first that it was just a stuffed figure or toy since it didn’t move or appear to breathe, but when she inched a little closer to it, its head snapped in her direction causing her to jump. 

“Down there,” Dauntless whispered from the ledge of the roof, pulling Sophia’s eyes away from the strange bird. After she moved to stand by the Protectorate cape, she quickly glanced back to where the bird was only to find it missing. 

Deciding to ignore the strange occurrence, she looked down at the road to see the new cape. 

At first glance, Sophia thought the glowing figure was their new cape but changed her mind on seeing a second person lacking the telltale glow. Their armor glittered in the dim light, a mixture of golds and silvers with a red cloth front. They wore a long black cloak and had a strange helmet that Sophia couldn’t see the details from her current vantage. 

What really caught Sophia’s eye was the sword. It looked like any other blade from an ornate leaf-like design but the way the light hit it seemed to draw her in. It still struck her as odd that people would choose a melee weapon.  Getting close was always a risk, ranged just made more sense. 

As for the glowing figure, which had to be a projection with how motionless they were standing, it was watching over the three downed criminals that Sophia only now noticed. It had an elegant looking spear and a shield with an unfamiliar design she couldn’t bring herself to care about. Unlike the cape, Sophia was able to get a good look at the oddly avian helmet with sweeping wings and a sloped nose guard that resembled a beak. Nevermind the massive folded wings on their back that prickled memories in the back of her mind.

Sophia’s observations were cut short when she heard the sound of a van coming and one quick look was all she needed to know it was the PRT. They stayed on the roof while the van drove up and parked in the street and troopers started spreading out as they exited. 

It was at that moment the armored cape looked up and noticed the two of them, the light of the winged figure illuminating the featureless face of the helmet. Sophia couldn’t even see the eyes in the black sockets. It would have reminded Sophia of her own mask if it wasn’t for the large horns. 

The whole image gave Sophia the creeps and she had a distinct feeling this cape was under the Empire's control. The image they gave off seemed right up their alley and in the center of their territory? How could it not be an Empire cape?

Dauntless glanced over at Sophia and whispered, “Let’s meet this new cape…” He didn’t seem all too thrilled and Sophia wondered if he was thinking the same thing as she did. She cocked her crossbows just to be sure.

The two of them floated down to the ground and landed not far from the PRT van. Sophia let Dauntless take the lead and opted to watch the exchange. The armored cape walked a few steps, their sword pointed down and in a confident stance that sent warning bells in Sophia’s head while the winged projection stood behind, as motionless as ever.

“Villain or Hero?” Dauntless asked in a colder tone than Sophia expected. 

The armored cape seemed slightly surprised and that confidence faltered for an instant before returning.

“Hero,” the person said, their voice echoing in the helmet slightly, and Sophia had to blink several times as she listened. “Name’s Gondul.”

“Interesting name,” Dauntless muttered, next to Sophia. “You do realize the image you portray, right?” Dauntless replied.

There was a resounding sigh from the person before they said, “Yes, I’m aware, but I’m not with the Empire.”

There was something familiar about the voice that Sophia couldn’t pinpoint. 

“Kind of hard to prove that when you are dressed up like a viking, you have a glowing winged woman behind you that resembles a Valkyrie, a nordic sounding name, and took down Merchant mooks in the middle of Empire territory.”

Sophia saw the cape’s fist tighten around their sword and the projection moved, stepping around the cape but they held a hand up which stopped the spear wielding being in their tracks. 

“I would never be with the Empire. It was they who stole my heritage.”

The cape’s reply and conviction, the way they reacted to just the thought of being with the Empire, along with the familiar voice, was all Sophia needed to know who it was. It hit her like a truck and it all clicked. 

This cape was Hebert. She figured that Hebert had some sort of ancestry to that culture, why else would she wear braids that resembled the pictures of vikings that Sophia saw. The fact that she had powers that looked like some Valkyrie, let alone the voice sounding so familiar, it all seemed to make sense in Sophia’s head. Sophia remembered what the wanna-be Nazi prick said about Hebert having survived the attack. Taylor must’ve triggered then and they thought the projection was a cape. 

But there was something different about that too. Why did she hold up a hand to stop it? If she was a Master, wouldn’t she have full control over her projection? Maybe that was all part of the act, faking a limit she didn’t have.

Sophia wondered how Taylor was healing from her injuries on Monday. She’d noticed that her hand was no longer covered in bandages but her face was still sporting a tinge of the bruise she had. In fact, she had seemed to heal a lot quicker than Sophia would’ve thought. Sophia wondered if she had gained a slight Brute power along with her projection, or at least some kind of regeneration. She knew the Empire kids they beat the crap out of were still broken up and Leo hadn’t been seen since Monday. She knew he would be back, but he was probably trying to regain some pride or something.

One of the criminals started to move slightly and the projection moved like lightning, placing a foot on top of the person with a firm weight that would prevent them from running.

Sophia watched in awe and wondered how Gondul knew the Merchant goon was moving and acted quickly enough for her projection to stop him. To say Sophia was impressed was an understatement. She snapped out of it when Dauntless glanced at her for her input.

“I don’t think she is with the Empire,” She muttered low enough for only the two of them. She didn’t want to reveal to him that she knew who the cape was and the fact that she would never be with the Empire. Gondul would be dead before that ever happened.

The way he looked at her seemed curious, despite his helmet. He nodded, waved his hand for the PRT to round up the Merchants. The troopers moved quickly, some setting a perimeter and others preparing to handcuff the goons. Hebert noticed, her projection moved, falling back to stand beside Gondul, spear held up and shield at her side. 

Sophia had to admit, her projection was incredibly detailed and Gondul controlled her almost like a real person, something she’d never seen a Master do before. 

Dauntless walked up to Gondul and Sophia was right behind while the PRT did their thing. “I wish to apologize for the… questioning. You have to admit though, anyone who took a look at you would presume—”

“That I was an Empire cape, I know.” She nodded a bit solemnly in agreement. “I knew that once I sa— made my armor, that with my power combined I was going to be linked to that wretched gang.”

Sophia’s curiosity was piqued at the slight mishap in Gondul’s words and wondered what she was about to say. She also didn’t believe one ounce that Hebert made the armor, especially after that near slip, which meant she had someone helping her.  

“Made? It must have taken a long time to do that,” Dauntless grilled her a little. It seemed Sophia wasn’t the only one to notice the slip up.

“I-I’ve been working on it since I… triggered.”

While Sophia knew that was a lie, Gondul saying that stopped the conversation cold. No cape wanted to discuss their trigger. She was barely aware of how tight she was holding her crossbows, and focused on the pain it brought. She wouldn’t be weak again.

Dauntless was silent for a moment but nodded. “It looks good. Well made. Like a viking warrior or-”

“Valkyrie,” She interrupted the veteran. “The armor and my powers relate to Valkyries. Like how yours resembles a Roman soldier.”

Sophia’s eyes widened at what Gondul just said. She knew this wasn’t going to be good. Dauntless hated it whenever someone referred to his armor as ‘roman’.

“Greek,” Sophia could hear his teeth grinding . “At least my image doesn’t elicit an immediate thought of Nazis.”

“Please, Greek and Roman societies have been used by fascists for years . Look at World War II.”

Gondul was seriously not helping her case and if she kept it up, she doubted it would help her into the Wards. Sophia noticed the tense stance Dauntless had and it was comical how unfazed Gondul seemed, as she stood relaxed next to her projection while one of the most powerful capes in the Bay was getting annoyed at her.

“But that’s nothing compared to how modern Nazis use Norse culture to their advantage.”

“Not unless you start to look at how modern fascism looked to the Greco-Roman cultures to fuel their patriarchal and toxic masculinity ideals to divide the people into groups through fear.”

Even Sophia had to blink a few times at the string of words Gondul had just said. She never knew Taylor could be a rambler and yet she felt like she was telling the truth. 

“And is Norse culture any different? Their society divided men and women too.”

“No they didn’t. Women fought alongside men regularly, and not only that, but women often had more rights than other societies of the time. There were even a sect of women who could have full independence beside marriage. Can you say the same for Ancient Greece?”

Sophia continued to be baffled by this repartee and if she wasn’t so shocked, she might be laughing at the trouncing she was giving Dauntless. She knew that Dauntless was never going to forget this. 

“Ancient Greece had numerous city states that had their own-”

“Just… Ask her about joining,” Aegis’ voice rang in Sophia’s ear and she knew Dauntless heard it too. She guessed that he must have been tired of hearing Dauntless argue, or more like being humiliated, in Sophia’s opinion. 

Dauntless took a deep breath in and Sophia decided to strike up the same bullshit pitch about the Wards to Gondul. Even if she had a feeling of what her response was going to be. “Ever thought of joining the Wards?”

Gondul was slightly surprised  at the question, if her reaction was anything to go by. She stood there and pondered it for a moment before she said, “No, I haven’t.”

“It’s not a bad deal,” Sophia continued, reciting the words the PR team wanted her to say when it came to new capes. “You get a trust and salary, and your cumulative years of service roll over when you graduate to the Protectorate, almost makes me jealous of Vista. You also get access to power testing facilities and workout rooms. There’s also the fact you get to be a hero and work alongside the Protectorate,” She pointed her thumb to Dauntless. 

As cheery as she was making it seemed, the entire thing made Sophia sick to her stomach. So much of it was a lie. Sure, you got access to the workout rooms and there was the good ol buddy system if you screwed up. There was also the whole PR thing that Sophia despised with a passion and the restrictions that brought with it. 

Dauntless nodded and continued for Sophia, which she was all too happy about. “She’s correct. It’s a good deal and the PR team can certainly help with your image. They might have to alter your armo—”

“Not happening,” Gondul interrupted the Protectorate cape again.

Dauntless looked at Sophia briefly. “...alright. I’m sure something can be worked out about that. In any case, I would recommend it.”

Sophia watched Gondul ponder the idea and she wondered how the tall girl ever thought the helmet would mask her voice at all. Sure, the slight echo gave off an eerie effect to her voice but it did nothing to disguise it. 

“I’m afraid I won’t be joining.”

“Are you sure? It’s not safe for Independents, especially one with your… appearance.”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Sophia knew Gondul was gritting her teeth if the strained reply was any indication. 

Dauntless nodded solemnly. “Very well. Know that the offer is always available. Have a good night, Gondul.” 

“You too, Dauntless, Shadow Stalker.”

Dauntless looked at the PRT finishing up rounding the Merchants and putting them in the van before his helmet looked at Sophia. “I think it’s time to go.”

Sophia nodded, unsure what else to say in this exchange. 

The two of them stepped back and watched as Gondul was gently picked up by the projection and flew into the air faster than she’d imagined was possible. Dauntless turned to Sophia and whispered, “Chances the Empire would pick her up?”

“Zero,” Was all Sophia said because she knew there was no chance.

Dauntless didn’t seem to agree, but that was because he didn’t know what she did and there was no way she was going to tell him or the PRT. That would break the Rules and she honestly preferred Taylor not being lumped into it like she was.

She would have to see how the tall girl operated in the days to come. Especially with the Empire gunning for her at school.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

Sophia slammed her locker shut, done with swapping her books out, and leaned against it as Madison, Emma, and their groupies prattled about some inane bullshit that Sophia had no interest in. Not anymore. She was starting to hate the things they did. It was so pointless in Sophia’s opinion. 

The past week had been nothing but interesting for Sophia. Since that first night, Hebert had gained more confidence in her appearance. It wasn’t anything in her clothes or how she acted, but there was an aura about the girl that Sophia could tell that she was happy about her first night out. Sophia knew that feeling herself and could understand the ravenette. 

Then there was the annoyance next to her that she had yet to determine what to do with. Emma’s idea of having the Empire attack Hebert was something she’d never thought the redhead would do and yet she did. It was a wedge that Sophia would not budge on and Emma had yet to notice. Emma hadn’t even noticed that Sophia was only paying her lip service ever since she enacted that plan. But none of that helped the constant anger she felt that needed to release. She sorely hoped the Empire kids would try something again soon.

Sophia looked down the hallway and noticed Leo and his Empire friends gathered around. They hadn’t done anything since the attempted murder but she knew it would only be a matter of time. Leo wanted into the gang and Sophia knew that he needed to kill for that to happen. Sadly, Hebert was his target. She didn’t doubt Taylor could deal with whatever bullshit they planned. If the Empire tried to force a recruitment, or worse, Leo forced her to out herself, things would get messy fast.

Sophia looked in the other direction and saw the tall ravenette walking down the hallway. It baffled her how everyone seemed to part for Hebert , as if she was some villain that everyone knew to avoid. The word about Gondul has been making waves in the city and at school ever since the media branded her a new Empire cape.  Not even two nights later they had to redact that when she busted a lynching in progress near the Docks. That forced the PRT’s hand and they admitted she was an independant hero. Dauntless had been fuming the entire meeting once that clarification was made and Piggot was cross with him for not giving her own opinion more weight in the reports. Sophia remembered the debriefing on Gondul and the speculations on her power. While she figured many of them were farfetched, since the PRT liked to cover all their bases, she wondered if any of them were true. The current hypothesis was that her projection was a stronger, more durable version of Crusader’s but limited to only one instance. Time would tell if any of what they predicted panned out. 

“ Ok, just act natural, I’m going to try and trip her when she walks by ,” Sophia heard from next to her. She held the sigh that wanted to escape her lips. She was really tired of this crap.

Sophia watched Hebert go to her locker and swap her books around. Without Sophia, Emma couldn’t break in anymore, which she knew irked the redhead. The last time they did anything with it, it was to steal the flute. 

Her brow furrowed. That flute just raised more questions. Taylor had insisted on ‘her heritage’; and her mother had owned a hand-carved flute unlike anything she’d seen before. She wondered if she could return it to Taylor without tipping off Emma, somehow. 

She’d stopped Emma from throwing it out, and with her power… She’d just have to go retrieve it from where they had stashed it.

Sophia looked over to Emma when she noticed that Hebert had closed her locker and started walking by them. She saw Emma’s leg come out and out of the corner of her eye, and she wasn’t the only one as Hebert had already readied herself for it.

But Sophia held her hand out to Emma before the leg could go any further. Emma looked at Sophia with such ire and anger that if she had powers, Sophia was sure she would’ve lost her head. So she sent her own anger at her ‘friend’ for the ridiculous shit she was trying to pull. Sophia felt like Emma was trying to convey some sort of conversation to her, but she didn’t care as she continued to stare her down with her own fury. 

Emma finally relented, looking away and biting her lip slightly before the fake mask came back up. She turned to Hebert with a false cheerful attitude. “Oh, Taylor! What a surprise! Why haven’t you messaged me back? Mom is going to be so disappointed… It surely isn’t because of what happened with Aunt Annette? You do know how to use a cell phone, right?”

Sophia wanted to smack the redhead so badly. She knew that Taylor was being inundated with a constant flow of hate and slurs from the Empire kids and a good portion of the school. She honestly wished she could have stopped her from giving Hebert’s phone number to everyone, but that had been done without her input. 

She pulled out her own phone and saw some of the rough draft messages the girls had put together… and it now made her sick to read. 

Hebert sighed, “Is that all you can come up with, Emma?”

The corner of Sophia’s lips lifted slightly. 

Emma had the audacity to feign ignorance. “Whatever do you mean, Taylor? I just wanted to-”

At this point, Sophia was done with hearing Emma’s voice and whatever prank she was trying to pull. “Cut the crap, Emma,” Sophia snarled, not bothering to look up as she let the anger of the texts she was reading fuel it.

She knew what message this would send throughout the school. It wasn’t subtle like stopping Emma from tripping Taylor. No, this was making a statement to the school with a hallway full of teenagers who all stopped talking to watch. 

To say she enjoyed making her ‘friends’ mouth gape like a fish out of water was an understatement. She knew she was going to get an earful later, but she wanted everyone to know that she was tired of this bullshit. There were bigger problems in this school and city that needed to be beaten, not some tall girl who wasn’t weak like the redhead thought she was.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Just the thought of it made Sophia want to punch something and her ‘friend’ was looking like a good target right now.

The tension continued to grow until someone in the crowded said, “Did Sophia just-”

She didn’t want to be there anymore. Sophia began to feel goosebumps on her skin and her clothes started to irritate her from all the eyes that were on her. She needed to leave.

With a strong leg pushing her forward, she stomped away, knocking aside a small, brown haired girl as she went. She looked back and saw Taylor step in to help said girl but she didn’t see what happened afterwards as the hallway parted before her and she made her way outside. Maybe one of the Empire kids would follow her so she could work through her issues.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

The brick of the school’s wall was little comfort to Sophia as she saw Emma and Madison march towards her with an angry purpose. Sophia let out a small sigh as she prepared herself for whatever thrashing the redhead thought she was going to give. 

“What the fuck was that?!” Emma screamed, her face red and angry. “Do you have any idea what you did today?

Sophia shrugged her shoulders in a nonchalant attitude that she knew would ire the redhead more.

Emma narrowed her eyes at Sophia while Madison seemed a little more contemplative, as if she was trying to decipher her. “Are you just going to stand there silently?” Madison asked, not anywhere as furious as Emma. 

The earnest question was what Sophia was waiting for. “What do you want me to say?” Sophia asked, letting her anger seep into her words. “That these pranks are fucking old and pointless?”

“They are not-”

“But they fucking are. Seriously, Emma. There’s no point to them. Find someone else to be your prank bitch.”

“I-wha- but you were helping with it too?! What changed?” Emma sputtered, confused by Sophia’s words. 

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out,” Sophia bit back. 

While Emma was still mad as hell, there was a look on her face that Sophia couldn’t describe. “What happened last week?” Emma whispered low enough for only the three of them to hear. 

“Do you really need to ask that?” Sophia was getting increasingly tired of Emma missing the entire point. Not that Madison was any better if her clueless look was any indication. It wasn’t like Madison knew half the shit Emma planned that Sophia knew. 

“She fought, didn’t she?”

Sophia didn’t bother to answer her, because Emma just didn’t get it.  It wasn’t about Hebert fighting back, it was about Emma going to the fucking Nazis for help bullying a trans girl. Rather than spell that out, she stood and dusted her pants off. 

“I need to go.” 

She really did need to go, she had a patrol she needed to be on time for. Hopefully she would get the chance to fight a Nazi or someone. But knowing the PRT, she doubted it. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she stomped off.

“SOPHIA!” Emma cried out, trying to elicit a response but getting none. 

She heard Emma yell her name a few more times but ignored it. As she walked out of the school grounds, she saw Hebert with the short brunette from earlier who seemed rather happy and cheerful next to the taller girl. Sophia wondered if something more happened after she left that somehow sparked a friendship between the girls. She knew that the other girl was targeted by Emma all the time, so maybe she could run interference on that too.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Monday, January 17th, 2011

Sophia walked down the Boardwalk, bored out of her mind. She had originally come here with Emma and Madison, but she quickly realized how stupid it was of her to join them. It didn’t help that Emma practically guilt tripped her into coming in some way of repairing their failing friendship. It was pointless since Emma continued to do asinine shit, especially with Leo. Sooner or later, that was going to bite her in the ass and Sophia wasn’t going to help her when it did.

So at the first chance she could, Sophia left the group and wandered the Boardwalk. It wasn’t hard, they had been completely consumed with clothes and doubt they would notice her disappearance. The whole thing made Sophia want to grab her spare gear and go looking for some Nazis but she really didn’t want to deal with the PRT coming down on her. She’d been reprimanded enough and juvie was not on her list of future places to visit. 

As her mind wandered to the problems of the Bay, she couldn’t stop thinking about Hebert and her impact on the bay so far. There had only been a few reports of Gondul taking down minor criminals, nothing about a big cape fight. From what she’d read, most of them had been Merchant or ABB, aside from that one fight where she took down some of the Empire to show she wasn’t with them. Taylor was not making it easy on herself with her chosen persona, but hitting the Empire would only help her image. 

So the people were waiting for when Gondul would end up in a cape fight, since her stirring up nests would only cause some of the hornets to retaliate. Some believed she would show her colors as one with the Empire. While Sophia knew that was impossible, she was still  curious. She had yet to see how Gondul fought with her projection and was eager to see how their fighting style worked. 

A particularly cold wind chilled Sophia to the bone and she saw a tea shop that looked promising. She wasn’t a tea drinker, but the shop looked warmer than the others nearby and it might be a place to hide from Emma and the group. They wouldn’t think to find her in a tea shop of all places. 

The doorbell dinged as she opened the door and looked around. It seemed like a welcoming place, even with the few patrons inside. She briefly looked at the menu and figured she might as well get something; it would be weird to be in the shop without a beverage. 

A quick order of hot chocolate later and Sophia was sitting at a booth, fiddling with her phone trying to distract herself long enough before she decided she could leave. She heard the front door open by the sound of the bell and briefly looked up, almost immediately having to school her expression of shock. 

Hebert walked in, wearing her usual black hoodie and skinny jeans, her braids in exactly the same styles that always astounded Sophia with their elegance. She also had a backpack that looked like it was bursting with something. 

But she wasn’t alone. Standing right behind her was none other than Victoria Dallon, Glory Girl. The blonde Brute was wearing a cozy blue sweater and black leggings but what really surprised her was that she also had a loaded down backpack. 

Victoria said something, causing Taylor to look behind her and there was a small smile on the ravenette’s face. Sophia didn’t think she’d ever seen her smile before. As strange as it was, it did confirm that the two knew each other. They continued to talk as they walked towards the counter. 

It was about halfway there when Taylor and Sophia’s eyes locked on each other, causing the tall girl to stop. Victoria noticed and Hebert whispered something to her. Victoria looked at her for a moment before nodding and going to the counter. 

Taylor and Sophia stared at each other for what felt like forever before Hebert turned on her heel and went to one of the booths with a privacy curtain. Sophia glanced over at Victoria and saw her place an order as if it was routine before sitting at the booth with Taylor, their backpacks set aside as Victoria said something she couldn’t hear. 

Hebert glanced at Sophia once again before she closed the curtain in a hurry. 

The whole thing made Sophia wonder just what kind of life Taylor had outside of school besides being Gondul. All that she had heard from Emma was that she had no friends but that was evidently untrue considering she was apparently friends with one of the strongest Brutes in the Bay. She didn’t know how the two became acquainted and it was clear they were doing something that pertained to whatever was in their backpacks.

It did mean that she knew that Hebert wasn’t entirely alone in the cape world. Whether Victoria knew about Gondul or not, Taylor at least knew Victoria was a hero, so being friends with her was better than being solo. Like how she had been before the PRT got her.  

Sophia took another sip of her hot chocolate before she looked at her phone again, seeing the slew of messages from Emma and Madison. She sighed deeply and ignored the messages. Maybe one day they would get the hint and stop bothering her. That or she would just break things off herself, but that would only invite more attention from the Empire. No doubt Emma was feeding them some stories about her, and if she did break things off, it would be open season. Hell, Emma might even go as far as outing her as Shadow Stalker. 

Putting that surprisingly terrifying thought aside, she continued to think about all the things Emma said about Taylor and questioned what was true and what was a lie. Because so far, it seemed most of it was a lie and that only irked Sophia more. She had some decisions to make, and contingencies to plan for, because things couldn’t continue as they had been.

Chapter Text

Friday, January 21st, 2011

The past few weeks went by in the blink of an eye. Ever since my first night out, it seemed like I was either out at night taking down criminals or spending time with Vicky as we slowly unraveled the knowledge my mom kept behind. It was to the point that every other day we were meeting up at the public library or at our favorite hang out, the tea shop. 

I felt like we had a better grasp on the language now. We had numerous notes on the alphabet and the structure of the language, but I doubted we were speaking it properly given the lack of a pronunciation guide. Not that it really mattered since no one we knew spoke the dead language. It was still incredibly fun to have someone who would delve into the mystery and Vicky always had a cheerful outlook on it. 

As for my cape career, It wasn’t going like I wished it would. I glared at the phone in hand as I reread the article the local news station published just the other day. 

‘ Gondul; Misguided Idealist or Ideal Misdirection?’

Articles similarly titled since my first night had been printed each day. Not a day went by that I didn’t curse the Empire for co-opting Norse mythology for their sick and twisted ways. The fact that they were still printing articles like this one, even after I had arrested a few Empire goonies, showed the testament the media would go for a quick buck, that or they were on the Empire’s payroll. This article even had the PRT statement that the PRT finally released a few days ago.

‘ “We have been watching Gondul and the Protectorate has met with her in person,” the PRT Director Piggot said. “She is an independent hero and not with the Empire.”’

There were more quotes by other members of the PRT and even one from Dauntless, which felt forced, yet no matter how many times the PRT was quoted, it didn’t stop the tone the articles continued to take. Clickbait, Vicky had called them.  

Those assholes sure took their time unfortunately. I was surprised the Empire hadn’t tried to recruit me based on the reporting. I was expecting them to try at some point regardless, even after taking down several of their mooks. Luckily the plan for today should help with my public perception. 

Yesterday, Vicky had mentioned going on patrol after school today, so I knew she would be out. It was a risk since it could hardly be called a coincidence if Gondul happened to meet with her after I found out about the patrol yesterday. I could only hope that she wouldn’t recognize me.

I just had to hope that no one from the Protectorate showed up, especially after my meeting with Dauntless and Shadow Stalker. Considering how long it took them to inform the media that I was an Independent, I was sure he had soured the report. But I couldn’t let him win that argument. The man wasn’t nearly as informed on his history and the fact that he was so adamant that Ancient Greece was better had irritated me. I even did more research just so I could smack it against his not-roman helmet and prove I was right. The Viking era was a better time, even if it didn’t seem like it from our modern cultural view, than Ancient Greco-Roman. It didn’t help that Europeans had such a negative view of bathing that their women were swooning over Viking men (and women). Once you took away the shiny veneer, you noticed that their societies weren’t so different. 

Honestly, the same could be said for modern times.

“-know what the Trio is going to be doing?”

And then there was school. To say it had been strange was an understatement. Ever since Sophia stopped Emma from trying to trip me, there’s been this sort of… amicable truce between Sophia and I. No, that was a lie. It started the day she saved me but there was a shift in the dynamic between us. There was also Charlotte, who I had helped from being trampled that one day Sophia stormed off and since then she’d been hanging around me nonstop.

It was… different to say the least.

“I doubt Sophia is going to do anything,” I answered honestly as I twirled one of my braids. Even with the tacit truce, Sophia was still an enigma. Seeing her at the tea shop had been no small surprise and I feared she would tell Emma about one of the few retreats I had. I was starting to get the impression that Sophia never told Emma. I wasn’t quite sure what to think of that, nor did I want to get my hopes up.

“Really?” Charlotte asked as she moved some of her cafeteria mac and cheese around on the styrofoam tray that sat on her lap. She didn’t seem to mind that we were in the courtyard instead of the cafeteria. She seemed happier actually. “She still hangs out with those girls.”

That was true but it still didn’t seem right. Sophia was drifting away from them, slowly but surely. At first she had been vicious, leaving multicolored bruises anywhere she could land a hit, but once I was outed things began to shift. She no longer seemed invested in the pranks, especially when I was involved. Now it seemed like she wasn’t even present for the pranks and when she was, she stepped in. It was perplexing. The only thing I could think of was that Sophia was pissed that Emma resorted to using the Empire for a ‘prank’. 

Not that I could blame her. Even I would have never imagined Emma could sink that low, but she had.

“I don’t know why Sophia still hangs with them,” I commented. “But if it means we get a reprieve, then I’m all for it.” Picking up my sandwich, I took a bite. Charlotte was quiet for a moment, her mac and cheese resembling a modern art piece with how she had been layering and stacking the overcooked noodles on her plate. “Will the Empire do anything again?” She said, more muted and a tinge of fear in her voice.

I contemplated my response. It didn’t take a genius to know that answer but I didn’t want to scare Charlotte anymore than she was. Yet, I knew that hiding the truth would only make things worse and this… thing with her was still new. Taking a deep breath for what I was about to say, I answered. “Yeah, they will.”

Charlotte fell silent and somber and I couldn’t blame her. Since she started hanging around me, I’d learned a fair bit about my new friend. She was Jewish and that made her a frequent target of the Empire. For whatever reason, Emma had targeted her in the past, but their instigation was nothing like Leo and lackeys. Religion was one thing I had yet to be targeted for. Emma had never used my religion and it wasn’t like I hadn’t told her. It would only take one text from Emma and the Nazis would be breathing down my neck for ‘appropriating’ or some asinine bullshit. 

So while I didn’t know exactly what Charlotte had been through, I could sympathize and I hoped it wasn’t anything like I what I had endured since coming to Winslow.

“I wish this school did something about them,” Charlotte muttered, a slight bit of anger in her tone.

“That would never happen.”

She sighed, “Yeah, you’re right.” There was a few seconds of silence before she continued. “Fuck this school.”

I chuckled. That was a statement we could all get behind.

The bell rang, signaling that our lunch was over. We gathered our things and left the quiet courtyard and moved into the buzzing hallway. As we walked towards our next classroom, I kept an eye out for Emma, Madison, or any of the Empire wannabes. For once, I was happy for my height and the advantage it gave me.

“Are you doing anything after school?” Charlotte asked.

The question startled me slightly. Why would she want to know? How I was going to answer bounced around in my head for a bit. She couldn’t know the truth, that much was obvious. There was still much I didn’t know about Charlotte and it was way too soon for her to find out my cape persona. Even Vicky didn’t know yet. Neither did Dad for that matter. 

That was a thought I really didn’t want embedding itself in my brain right now. I had plans for the day and needed to be on my A game.

“Uhh, yeah. I’m a bit busy,” I finally replied.

“Oh,” she deflated. “Ok. Well, let’s get to class.”

I nodded, unsure how to respond to the subdued girl. We both hurried to class and I planned out my route after school. Hopefully this appearance would cement Gondul’s allegiance. 

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

After getting home, I changed and was out of the house in mere minutes, much to the cats’ annoyance. This would be my first time out during the day and flying was a different experience. Seeing the city below me in full view was incredibly breathtaking. 

My Valkyrie carried me through the air as I looked for any trouble and for Glory Girl. Unlike my forays at night, I could tell that people below could see me. It was hard to gauge their reactions, but I did see the occasional person, mostly children, point up at me. Hopefully it wasn’t with any negativity; my Valkyrie was distinguishable enough that she shouldn’t be confused with Purity. 

It wasn’t long before I felt the air shift in a way I couldn’t comprehend. A figure dropped from the clouds and I mentally prepared a few orders in case it was a villain. 

Luckily it was the very person I was looking for.

Flying in her signature outfit was none other than Glory Girl. Her white dress that went to the middle of her thigh and her over the shoulder cape, both of which whipped in the wind as she flew towards me. The golden belt and the V-shaped stripes on her chest along with her matching tiara atop her head presented a rather radiant visage. Even in the air, she still held herself with the same dignity and grace that I noticed she always carried with her. 

She had a wide grin on her face as she went through a brief spiral on approach and I could tell she loved being in the air every bit as much as I did. There was nothing quite like the feeling of one's hair whipping from the wind, even if I had to be carried to experience it. Then there was the freedom of just not being on the ground which was liberating in a way I couldn’t put into words. Being away from the bustle of the streets was true bliss. 

She slowed her approach before she came to a resting hover in front of me. It was a few seconds later when she spoke. “Let me guess, you’re the damsel in distress and this kind… viking woman happened to save you?”

I snorted. She wasn’t that far off technically. “If only. Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to fly on their own.”

She nodded her head, “Fair. So…” she trailed off for dramatic pause. “Gondul, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“I’ve heard quite a bit about you! You do realize the image you give in this city right?”

“Yeah… I know. But I want to prove that I’m not with the Empire, no matter how I look.”

Glory Girl nodded with an appreciative look. “Then I hope it works out for you. The news had a different idea, even with the PRT stepping in to verify you.”

“You’re not wrong.” I grumbled. Thanks for the reminder, Vicky.

 A small giggle escaped her lips. “Welcome to the cape world, it isn’t always like they depict it.”

“You are definitely not wrong there.”

The sound of the wind passing between us was the only thing that prevented total silence. Before it got too awkward, Vicky spoke up. “I have to admit, your… armor? It seems advanced for someone new on the scene. And is that a real sword?”

“Yes, it’s real and I’ve been working on them for a while,” I lied. It was a question I was prepared for. “I don’t plan on using it against people, if that’s what you were thinking. Not everyone is a Brute.”

“Touche.” There was a familiar look on her face, and her eyes wandered. “So why Gondul? You could’ve gone with Valkyrie and still be on theme and people would at least know that name.”

“Way too obvious and doesn’t quite fit.”

She snorted but there was something in her eye that I couldn’t quite understand. I tried to keep my cool, but her scrutinizing gaze was not helping. It wasn’t my fault that I triggered with powers that represent Valkyries and we’d been studying Old Norse. Valkyries were probably the most well known figures from Norse mythology. 

“Makes sense.” She stopped as she looked around for a moment before continuing. “So I’m currently on patrol, want to join in?”

A smile, one she couldn’t see, graced my lips. “That sounds like a plan to me.” My very first patrol with a hero! Words couldn’t describe the giddiness in me. 

“Great! I plan on,” I she pointed her finger out towards the edge of downtown. “Going on the outside edge of downtown and circle around, zipping in and out? Sounds good?”

“Works for me.” The route seemed like it was limited to downtown and avoided the more problematic parts of the city. I usually ended up going the length of the city before circling back home when I went out alone.

Glory Girl nodded and started flying. I ordered my Valkyrie to follow along with her it didn’t take long before we were zipping along beside her. I turned a bit to take a look at the ground.

“So,” Glory Girl said to strike up a conversation after a few minutes of flying. “What can you do? Besides, well…”

“Summon a light construct in a Valkyrie form?”

“I would have said projection, but it’s your power.”

I facepalmed so hard that I’m sure the metallic clang was loud enough for the people below to hear. Even Glory Girl giggled, which really didn’t help how I was feeling.  

“Ok, projection,” I sighed with a resigned feeling of how uninformed I was on cape terminology. When she stopped giggling, I said, “To be honest, I’m pretty sure that’s all I could do.” Yet saying those words seemed wrong to me… somehow. “I can summon her and… control her.” Even to Vicky, I knew I couldn’t tell her the truth. Letting others, including fellow heroes, know that I had to use orders could end poorly if it was ever used against me. 

“I can tell.”

My eye roll must’ve been obvious enough to cause her to laugh. 

“How strong is she?”

“Hmm, not sure.  A Brute of sorts. Won’t know till she sees more action. She can fly fast though.”

“Oh yeah? Wanna race?”

Did… did she just challenge me to a flying race? Weren’t we on patrol? “Uhh, but what about-”

“Oh, it’s fine. It doesn’t seem like there’s any trouble around here.”

I just stared at her but when I saw the puppy dog eyes she was making, I couldn’t say no. Those damn eyes. Why did she share a power with my cats?

I sighed, “Alright. Where to?”

“Yes!” She jumped in the air while flying. At that moment, the world around me seemed to fade. The cityscape seemed to blur, melting away from my view. The distant and chaotic sounds of the world below becoming muted before disappearing. All I could see in crystal clear focus was Glory Girl and how excited she was. 

Then as quickly as the world had withdrawn from my peripherals, it came back when she hovered back down and was looking at me with a big bright smile. “Alright, let’s race to the edge of the city.” She pointed to the north side of the city.

I nodded, though still perplexed by what just happened, “Whenever you’re ready.” The order on the tip of my mind, waiting for when Vicky signaled the start of the race.

A competitive smirk appeared on Glory Girl’s face. “three… two…one…” There was a dramatic pause where we both stared at each other. “GO!”

Fly to the north of the city as fast as you can and do not drop me.

And like a rocket, we were gone, the sound of my cape flapping in the air as the wind furiously blew past us. I was surprised that my eyes weren’t burning from the rush of air. There had to be something about the aerodynamics of the helmet that helped with that.

Glory Girl was doing her best to keep up, but after we passed the limits of downtown, she was tailing behind. The city zoomed by and I wondered what everyone on the ground thought of us. Two capes flying in the air probably raised a lot of suspicion. 

Before I knew it, we were at the edge of the city and my Valkyrie came to a stop. A few seconds later, Glory Girl caught back up. 

“Wow, your projection flies fast, ” She said after a few seconds with a wide grin on her face.

“Told you,” I said smugly. 

“Yeah, you did. Anyway, we shoul—”

An explosion cracked through the air and we both scanned the ground to find the source, our previous excitement gone in an instant. It only took me a few seconds before I saw a massive vehicle, which more resembled a tank than a car, racing down the street as it crashed into the corner of a building. Cries and screams could be heard from our altitude. We exchanged determined looks before we heard the sound of the engine roaring once again and the tank speeding off down the street. 

“We need to help, let’s go!” Glory Girl yelled, flying down before I had a chance to process her departure. 

Giving the order, my Valkyrie easily caught up to Glory Girl. Then both of us raced after the high-speed death machine on wheels. 

Glory Girl flew ahead of the armored car and the instant she got there, a gun popped out of a metal covering and started shooting. Glory Girl opted to tank the blows before she began dodging, allowing her to retreat. 

The tank had to be Squealer from the Merchants; the presence of such a large hunking monstrosity could only be from one Tinker. Any sort of vehicle that looked like it could withstand guns and cape attacks, there was a good chance it was one of hers. The kitted out artillery and durability meant there was a great threat to civilians and property. It needed to be taken off the street. And with luck, her with it. 

Since Glory Girl was distracting the driver, I ordered my Valkyrie to let me land on top of the tank with a follow up order to hinder or stop the vehicle in any way. I wasn’t sure how much damage her spear could inflict, but it was better than nothing.

The instant my feet touched the spiked roof, the vehicle jerked to the side. On pure instinct, my hand grabbed onto one of the many sharp spikes on the top before being flung off. I thanked the gods and Mom for properly armored gloves as I dangled off the side, armor scraping against the myriad of spikes.

The screeching of metal caused me to glance to the side where my Valkyrie struck with a mighty blow, white sparks showering her from the impact. When she retreated, her head looked towards me as if she was prepared to catch me.

Ignoring it, I ordered her to strike the tires while I planned my route back up to the roof. Sadly, the opportunity was taken away from me when the vehicle suddenly stopped, my grip was yanked away and the world spun. 

Then, just as it felt like my stomach wanted to release its contents inside my helmet, everything stopped. I looked down to see the ground mere inches away from my face. Looking up, I saw my Valkyrie gripping me by my leg. 

Did I order her to save me or was that just an automatic response?

There wasn’t time to question what had happened when I heard a thunder of the engine revving. My Valkyrie gently let me down and the sound of straining metal caused me to glance over at the vehicle.  Glory Girl’s legs were buried to the calf in asphalt at the front of the vehicle, her hands warping the spiked grill as she used her strength to hold the tank in place. Even with that, the vehicle was proving quite the match to her.

Before I could order my Valkyrie to attack, the tank reversed. Glory Girl lost her grip and nearly fell forwards before catching herself with her flight. Glory Girl and I only had a brief moment of eye contact before she raced after it. A thought came to mind, so I ordered my Valkyrie to get ahead of it. It was time to test a theory.

As my Valkyrie passed Glory Girl and the vehicle, She launched her spear into the ground embedding itself into the asphalt. The death trap of a vehicle hit the spear with tremendous force, causing it to spin out of control while shattering the spear in the process. The next second, the spear was in her hand once again. Screams for help reached my ears as the car spun out of control before slamming into a building. A massive plume of smoke, dust, and debris showered the street.

As I caught up to Glory Girl, she glanced at me. There was an impressed look on her face before she nodded towards the plume. I nodded back and then we both headed towards the tank. Just as we got to the edge of the dust cloud, the vehicle came to life with a thunderous roar. Then it surged forward heading straight towards me.

Like a deer in the headlights, I couldn’t think, couldn’t formulate a plan to get out of its way. My Valkyrie was in motion, shooting over the dust cloud, yet too far to save me from being flattened by the large vehicle.

Then just as I started praying to the gods, a solid mass slammed into my side and I was in the air. I looked up to see Glory Girl staring down at me. The look of shock and fear was etched on her face but it slowly melted into relief. 

The heavy thumping of her heart was what made me realize the position we were in. I knew her eyes were still on me as I looked around for Squealer’s machine. Once we found it, I briefly glanced at Glory Girl and said, “We need to take out the engine!”

She snapped out of her haze and nodded. She flew low to the ground, barely giving me the time to land before rocketing towards the vehicle. A large window opened up and an enormous gun emerged, its sights aimed at Glory Girl. The end of the barrel turned bright red and a salvo of bullets started streaming through the air. 

Protect her!

My Valkyrie flew in front of Glory Girl, her shield held up high. The bullets pinged against it while the rest struck her body. With each bullet, her body started to disintegrate but withstood the assault long enough for Glory Girl to escape the line of fire by darting up into the air.

The gun started to sputter, the barrels whirling without any ammunition but at that point, my Valkyrie had already drifted apart in wisps. There was a muted, “What the fu-” before Glory Girl drove her fist through the hood of the vehicle from above. The back wheels lifted a good few feet into the air before slamming back down onto the pavement. She wrenched her arm free, and took to the air.

My resummoned Valkyrie followed up with a nose dive, her spear aimed straight at the gaping hole that Glory Girl made. Sparks flew into the air and the sound of metal groaning echoed from the vehicle upon impact. Then there was a loud crunch followed by a plume of black smoke as the engine sputtered before falling silent.

There was an eerie calmness in the air as the sounds of the battle halted. Glory Girl hovered near me and my Valkyrie stood on the hood like a legend of old— her chin held high, spear standing straight up and her shield at her side. And here I was watching it from the streets like a bystander. I certainly didn’t feel like a hero in comparison to my Valkyrie. 

The moment was broken when the side door flung out, heading straight towards me. Dodging to the side, I watched the heavy metal door tumble down the road. “Alright Fucksticks,” a caustic voice pulled my attention back to the vehicle.  As the smoke disappeared, a figure appeared in the place where the door once was. “You cumstains dicked with the wrong cockhole today!” The smoke disappeared to reveal the mismatched clothes and nasty looking hair of Skidmark, the leader of the Merchants. He waved his hands, the middle finger pointed in the air at everyone and everything, his movements showing he was clearly high on something . 

Skidmark looked around before his eyes zeroed in on me. His smiled through chapped lips revealing his teeth. “Especially you, dicklips! Come get some from a real man!” 

A blue strip appeared underneath me and I was flung backwards, my back slammed into something hard enough to knock the air out of my lungs. When I got my bearings, I sent an order to my Valkyrie.

Take down Skidmark-

My order was halted as I was yanked once again to the side by the villain, landing roughly on the ground. There was a distant laughter that only kindled my anger but was halted by what I assumed was my Valkyrie. When I looked up, I confirmed that my Valkyrie was clumsily attempting to spear him but was having issues with the multicolored fields all around Skidmark. Another field appeared, redirecting the spear to strike the armored vehicle instead.  But that didn’t stop the shield slamming into him, knocking him against the vehicle. 

Glory Girl closed in on him but he was within a veritable maze of his own power. “Alright, fuck you cunts!” He layered more strips and turned his head, “Babe! Get the gun!”

Well, now we knew Squealer was around. I was surprised they both decided to take a joy ride in the middle of the day, but they were probably both intoxicated. Not that it mattered. If Glory Girl and I could take them down, we might be able to shut down the Merchants entirely. 

The Tinker came out, wielding the same massive gun that destroyed my Valkyrie before. “That was my pride and joy you asswipes! Eat lead.” She pointed the gun straight up into the air, a stream of bullets flying into the sky. She started aiming it downwards before the salvo was pointed at my Valkyrie. She quickly brought her shield up, deflecting the attack, which only irritated the Tinker. Squealer scowled and leveled the gun at me. 

I quickly jumped to the side, the snap of bullets whistling mere inches past me. A few pinged off my armor as I ran towards a nearby alley and ordered my Valkyrie to take out the gun. The bullets continued to trail after me and when I made it to safety, the corner of the building was slowly being destroyed before I heard the screech of metal rending and a cry. “DAMN IT!”

Taking the opportunity, I ran out from my cover and straight towards the two villains. Glory Girl was still engaged with Skidmark, his focus on her as he continued to fling projectiles skyward. They moved far too slowly to hit her, though she did have to backhand a tire away when bits of the destroyed tank were added to his ammunition. She had to keep taking the brunt of his attack or dodge out of the way, and so she was barely making any headway. My Valkyrie on the other hand, slammed her shield into Squealer as the villain stared dumbfounded at the sliced barrel of her gun.

Knowing my Valkyrie could handle herself against a Tinker with no weapon, I ran up with my sword in hand. Skidmark did a double take, falling back in panic as my blade cut through the scrap he was preparing to send towards Glory Girl. I saw the field appear underneath me and I tried to side step it but still found myself sprawling from the sudden jerk of acceleration. 

There was a distant thud while the world spun around me and once it stopped, even if I was still a little woozy, I saw Glory Girl had shoulder checked Skidmark into the vehicle. 

“You think that’s funny!” Glory Girl yelled as she lifted him up and pinned him back to the tank. It was a terrifying sight to be honest and a part of me wanted to look or run away. She held him up higher and stared at the man.

For a man being choked by a Brute, he seemed to weirdly enjoy what was happening if his manic smile was any indication. “Is that all ya got! My girl does it better than you!”

The comment made Glory Girl pause and I couldn’t blame her. What in the worl-

The distant sound of sirens and a loud motorcycle broke the horrible mental thought. My head turned down the street and I saw nothing but I could tell the noise was getting louder. I hoped that was our backup.

Another roaring sound came from around the corner, more familiar this time and not in a good way, and in my brief moment of distraction while I looked, I was flung backwards again. What felt like a common occurrence today, I saw the world spin before I hit a car. The shattering of the glass and its alarm blared in my ear. 

Blinking the stars away, I pulled myself out of the window and looked around. Glory Girl and my Valkyrie were knocked back as well while Skidmark and Squealer ran around the vehicle and headed towards what looked like another monstrosity. Both of them turned their heads, and flipped us off. “Fuck you cumstains!” Skidmark added.

They were going to get away. I had to do something . 

I gave a quick command to make my Valkyrie disappear and then another one for her to reappear right in front of them. Skidmark had noticed first and was able to fumble out of the way, but not Squealer. 

The Tinker slammed head first into my projection and was sent backwards, gripping her nose as she did. Another order and my Valkyrie easily snatched her up, hugging tight to the struggling Tinker as she gained altitude. “Fuckin- SKIDDY!” She tried to wriggle free, but she was locked in and already a hundred feet up.

I saw Skidmark glance over his shoulders, something akin to fear in his eyes as he saw Squealer dangling in the air. Glory Girl managed to reorient herself and saw what was happening and quickly zoomed after the leader.

His eyes went wide as saucers. With renewed vigor he laid multiple tracks of his power, using them to increase his speed before hopping into the new vehicle and driving away 

“SKIDDY!” Squealer screamed once again, thrashing for a few seconds before going limp with defeat. A hand slipped into her pocket and I prepared myself for another weapon to come out but instead she pulled out a small device. 

At a click of a button, a beeping noise started emitting from the wrecked vehicle before it exploded, resulting in another wave of force which disoriented me.

Even though she was midair, Glory Girl was blasted backwards, unable to catch herself before slamming back into the building. Bits of brick and mortar fell as she impacted the structure. A deafening calmness washed over me as I stared at the utter destruction that the explosion caused. A large crater deeper than I was tall, lay smoldering in the wake of the blast where Squealer’s monstrosity once stood. A massive chunk of the building was gone, floors and offices torn apart and opened to the world. 

Sound slowly began to come back to me and I noticed that Glory Girl had pried herself out of the building and was just as mystified as I was at the resultant detonation. Looking down the street showed that Skidmark had made his getaway in the blast. Glory Girl flew down, even though her flight was not as smooth as it previously was. There was an annoyed look on her face but it was quickly replaced with concern when she looked at me. “Are you alright?” She asked. 

“Yeah, just a little… disoriented.”

“You were tossed around like a bean bag.”

“Don’t remind me.”

She snorted. “But hey, we did a good job! We caught Squealer!” She sounded upbeat, but her eyes said otherwise. She was just as bothered as I was that we didn’t get both of them.

“Fuckin shit,” Squealer let out another string of curses inbetween our conversation, still being held by my Valkyrie.

“Yeah, we did,” I couldn’t stop the small smile that grew on my face. Even if it felt like I didn’t do anything, I was able to help capture Squealer. With her being put behind bars and fighting alongside Glory Girl, a glimmer of hope rose up in me that my name would finally be seen among the heroes instead of another Empire cape. 

My musings were cut short when I heard the sound of the motorcycle approaching. I looked behind me to see Armsmaster slowly getting off of his signature bike. A few police officers had arrived but hung back, focusing on creating the perimeter around the destruction than anything else. 

I nearly forgot to breathe when I saw my childhood hero walking towards us, his signature halberd in hand, which strikingly looked like my Valkyrie’s spear with an axe at the end but I knew it could do far more than just slash at things. 

He had an air about him that made you understand why he was the leader of the local Protectorate. There was something about his sleek dark blue body armor and the helmet that gave that impression. 

No matter how I felt about seeing my childhood hero standing in front of me, I couldn’t stop the sadness of being halted by said hero. 

He looked around at the carnage, one that was mostly caused by the destroyed armored vehicle, his eyes landed on my Valkyrie holding a limp, but still cursing, Squealer for a moment. Then his eyes landed on Glory Girl and me. “Are you alright?” He asked in a rather monotone voice. 

“Of course I’m-” Someone was just as annoyed as me. 

A pointed look from Armsmaster made her change her reply.

“Yes, we’re fine.”

He turned his gaze back to me.

I nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine. A little disoriented but fine.” The night of my trigger and the attempted murder at school had hurt more than the two capes. Though I was wearing armor this time. A quick glance below showed my armor was still pristine as the day I found it even after taking a few cars broadside and multiple bullets. Odd.

“Good. It’s also good you didn’t try to chase after Skidmark. Capturing Squealer-”

“FUCK YOU!” Said woman cursed at us.

“-is quite the achievement. Especially for someone as new onto the scene as you, Gondul.”

That surprised me. “Uhh, thanks. I hadn’t realized the Protectorate leader would know about me.”

He nodded. “I make sure to know the capes in the city, especially new ones. You’ve been making a name for yourself with non-parahuman gang members and now with this fight and capture, your name will be on tomorrow’s headlines.”

I tried very hard not to react to hearing that. It shouldn’t be a surprise but hearing the leader of the local Protectorate say that to me hit harder than I expected. All this time I was just a whisper on the people’s lips but now that Glory Girl and I had caught a villain, that would change. Not only that, but it would help my image too.

A hard slap on my back nearly made me keel over. “We do good work, Gondul!” Glory Girl exuberantly said, a beaming smile on her face. She held her fist out and I couldn’t not fist bump her. The stinging was expected when gesturing with a Brute, but it wasn’t too bad.

Ignoring the heat that crept up my cheeks– not that it mattered since no one could see it– I said, “Yeah, yeah we do.” It was the truth. Glory Girl and I were able to fight against the two Merchant capes.

Armsmaster’s hand went up to his ear as a PRT van rolled up. The troops came out and started taking in the scene with the police officers. A few went towards my Valkyrie and Squealer, who started swinging her limbs to keep them away.

“Gondul, can you have your projection place Squealer in the middle of the street?” Armsmaster asked.

“I can dispel my projection right as you contain her.”

Armsmaster thought it over before nodding, gesturing for the PRT to circle around my Valkyrie when she was barely hovering above the street. The PRT troopers were ready with weirdly shaped guns that looked like a flamethrower. After Squealer was in place, the troopers barely gave a warning before orange foam started spouting from the guns. I dismissed my Valkyrie, leaving Squealer to be covered as she cursed and screamed. A moment later, a foamy hardened mass was where Squealer once stood. 

My Valkyrie was resummoned to my side as Armsmaster turned towards us again. “You know, I read the report of your first night once it was made, along with the others. Three robbers and their getaway van. You do know the police had to get a tow truck to move that, right?”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to the sudden change in topics. He was just praising me and now it seemed like he was berating me. “Uhh… sorry. I didn’t want them to get away.”

“What did you- oh.” Glory Girl started to say before she pointed to the sword. “Makes sense.”

“Is it real?” Armsmaster asked.

“Yeah, it is.” I held the blade up, the sun reflecting off its surface like a glowing beacon. 

“You didn’t…”

“No,” I shook my head. “I’m careful with it.”

“She really is,” Glory Girl backed me. “Even as she was being tossed arou- ahem, yeah, she’s careful.”

“You’re telling the truth,” He said as if it was the most common thing in the world. A PRT trooper came over to talk to him and they were in a quiet conversation before the hero said, “Find whatever pieces you can. I’ll take them with me to analyze.”

The Trooper nodded and set about the task of picking up whatever debris from Squealer's monstrosity they could find. The police officers were in charge of cordoning and calming nearby civilians. It was only now that I realized I was on the other side of the fence instead of looking in.

“I know you were told, but I do want to extend the invitation to the Wards program,” He said offhandedly.

Glory Girl floated down before landing. “Yeah, it’s not a bad gig. I mean, I’m not a Ward-”

“Though we have offered…”

“But it’s still not a bad idea.”

“I-” The words stopped forming in my mouth for a moment. I had thought about joining the Wards, especially after Dauntless and Shadow Stalker had offered it. While I was still annoyed from the debate I had with the hero, I realized that it wouldn’t work for me. They might be heroes but I couldn’t get over what they represent nor could I ever let them change my appearance. The PRT and Protectorate as a whole cared more about their image than actually taking care of the problem. Just like Mr. Gladly. The fact that I was comparing the two was disappointing, but it felt apt. It wasn’t like they helped the city a whole lot in general.

I’m sorry,” I finally said, “My answer remains the same. I know you would want me to change my name or image and that’s something I will not do.  I’d rather be on my own.”

My Valkyrie fluttered her wings and tapped her spear on the ground. She placed a hand on my shoulder like I ordered. “Well, never truly alone.”

“You know Independents don’t live long on their own,” Armsmaster stated rather bluntly. “With the Wards, you would have support and protection from any altercation. That is not a guarantee on your own.” 

“I’m aware, my answer remains the same.”

Armsmaster continued to stare at me and when it became clear that I wasn’t backing down, he relented. “Very well. The offer will always be available if you want it.” 

“Noted.”

“Can you both tell me what exactly happened here? There is considerable collateral damage, and I will need to justify it in my reports.”

Glory Girl and I recalled the events of the fight, omitting the little detail of our race. Glory Girl took over for most of the conversation with me chiming in helpful details. The whole time Armsmaster simply listened. 

“Then he knocked Gondul back along with her Valkyrie and me. Next thing we knew-”

“They were running away and got onto a getaway vehicle. I made my Valkyrie get Squealer but Skidmark had sped away before Glory Girl could get him and then he escaped on a getaway vehicle.”

Armsmaster nodded. “Good work, both of you and I’m glad neither of you were hurt. Skidmark and Squealer are not easy to take down and the fact that you managed to capture one of them and take one of Squealer’s vehicles off the street shows how well you two work together.”

Glory Girl and I looked at each other, a large smile on her face which was just as infectious as always. “Yeah, we do,” She said in a cheerful tone, yet I felt there was something else that I couldn’t decipher. 

Another trooper came up to Armsmaster and asked another series of questions and inquiries. When he was done, Armsmaster spoke again. “Now I have to take care of something. Gondul, remember the option to join the Wards is always available and if you ever need help, call the PRT.”

“Or me!” Glory Girl added. “I can give you my phone number.”

Armsmaster watched us for a moment before he walked towards the area where the vehicle once stood and started investigating.

I looked at Glory Girl and said, “I al-” I stopped myself before I made a big mistake. “Sure. What’s your phone number?”

She smiled and rattled off her number and I acted like I was memorizing it, which I already had. A few repeated numbers later, she seemed happy with it. 

“Let me know when you want to patrol together, Gondul. We… We do make a good team.”

I nodded, she wasn’t wrong. “We do.”

We said our goodbyes and I ordered my Valkyrie to carry me. We slowly flew in the air before I felt the pocket vibrate. Carefully fishing out my phone from its safe place, I saw a text message from Vicky. Did she really– who am I kidding, of course she did. 

Vicky: Wnt 2 meet @ t shp tmrrw?

As the adrenaline started to die down in my system, all I wanted to do was sleep now but I did want to see her again. Even if her texting was horrific and I just saw her.

Taylor: Yeah, same time?

The thumbs up emoji reply was all I got and I took that as a good thing. With that done, I looked up at my Valkyrie and said, “Let’s go home.”

Her cold neutral eyes didn’t convey anything, but I felt like she agreed.

Chapter Text

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

I blew the hot steam from my tea cup and continued to peruse through one of the books from my mom’s library. It was an incredibly fascinating read that piqued my curiosity. The contents of the book were unlike anything I’d ever read, the story of the gods alone defied everything commonly known. 

Grabbing a piece of paper, I jotted down some notes before I took a sip of my tea: marking the differences between what I’d been taught and what was in the book. The sparse bit of history we learned of Norse Mythology aligned with what the Empire used for their symbolism. Yet this book had a completely different account of the pantheon. If it hadn’t been written in old Norse, I would have assumed it was something Mom wrote from her own imagination instead.

Odin, for example, was actually a manipulative asshole who was trying to find the answers of the universe and would do anything to get his way, even if it meant genocide of an entire people — such as the Jötunn. There were several discrepancies, but how he ‘handled’ them seemed to stick out in this version. This was no kind elderly father; this was a brutal tyrant who killed anyone who questioned him.

The same could be said for virtually everyone in the pantheon. Thor was a lapdog to Odin and was willing to kill the Jötunn without a care. Loki seemed the voice of reason and was ignored by everyone. Heimdall could see all and apparently didn’t do anything about the horrific atrocities. 

The list went on. Mom apparently had a lot to say about Freyja based on her notes. Especially the spelling of her name. She really didn’t like the name Frigg apparently. Several of the Vanir gods had extensive notes and several references to other books, which only made my curiosity deepen.

There was an entire page inserted that seemed to depict a horrific forced marriage between Freyja and Odin as part of the reparations for the Aesir-Vanir war. A war I had no knowledge of to begin with. The lengths that Mom made to specifically point out what happened to Freyja during that time seemed so real. It was almost as if—

The chime on the door rang, alerting me to someone entering the tea shop. Looking away from the book, I saw Vicky walk in clad in a white skirt with golden stars scattered across its surface and long, thigh high white socks that I imagined were for warmth considering the cold temperature outside. She was in a pretty pink sweater embroidered with the head of a white cat with a red bow next to one of its ears. Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath and held it, a small smile gracing her lips. She opened her eyes and looked around for a moment before they landed on me. Her radiant smile caused the corner of mine to lift.

There was a brief moment while we stared at each other that the tea shop disappeared in the background. Like it was just the two of us. Then the person behind Vicky bumped into her, breaking the trance and Vicky’s smile with it. Vicky turned around and started fussing at the other person. They started talking, the sounds of the cafe prevented me from overhearing what they were saying, but it didn’t seem like it was anything bad based on their faces.

It was then that I realized who the other person was. It was hard to recognize her without the signature white gown and red stripes, but it was in fact Panacea: Amy Dallon. I wasn’t surprised that nobody seemed to notice the healer in her faded jeans and navy blue hoodie that would have been right at home in my own closet. Even from here, I could see the dark circles under her eyes that overshadowed the myriad of freckles that dotted her face which was framed by curly hair that put mine to shame as it twisted and knotted within itself. 

The two sisters were so different from one another. Vicky had an angular and heart-shaped face with high cheekbones that were incredibly impressive to look at and rather expressive eyes. Amy on the other hand had a more rounded face and her eyes seemed overwhelmed with exhaustion.

Vicky was the epitome of a bundle of boundless cheerleader energy while Amy seemed to be a walking dismal rain cloud. They were practically opposites of one another. Maybe there had been an emergency or something and she didn’t get enough sleep.

I didn’t know why she was here, but it seemed like I would find out soon since they had stopped talking and had started walking towards me. 

“Hey, Tay!” Vicky said as walked to the table while Amy walked over to the counter. “Sorry I’m late. I hope you don’t mind Amy joining us, I sent you a text about it last night.”

“You did?”

Vicky raised an eyebrow, “Did you check your phone?”

I pulled out my phone to see a slew of messages, mostly from Emma and probably Leo’s lackeys, but as I went through them, I saw a new one from Vicky. “I should check this more often, shouldn’t I?”

She let out a harmonious giggle, “Yeah, you should. Still getting used to it?”

“I’m not used to it at all,” I lied. There was no way she was finding out about the fact that I often ignored my phone because of the death threats I constantly received. 

“You will eventually.”

“As long as I don’t end up typing like you. Why do you type like that?” I asked incredulously. “It’s horrible grammar.”

“ But it's quicker !”

“How?!”

“Try as much as you want, I’ve been trying to get her to actually type words out for years,” Amy said as she walked up with two cups of tea. 

“It hasn’t been that long,” Vicky tried to say in a small, innocent voice.

Her sister gave her the most deadpan stare I had ever seen. I couldn’t stop wincing for Vicky’s sake, it was a look that made Jotunheim seem warm by comparison. 

“Ok, maybe it has. Anyway ,” she quickly changed topics away from herself. “Taylor, this is my sister, Amy, who I’m sure needs no introduction.”

“Umm, hi,” I waved my hand shyly at the shorter girl. Amy stared at me with a blank face. It was… unsettling.

“Amy, this is my friend Taylor.” 

Friend? Now that I thought about it, we did act like friends, didn’t we? I always thought we were akin to study pals or research buddies rather than friends. But it wasn’t like we couldn’t be both. 

“Hi,” She said in a monotone voice. 

I had always thought she would be more cheery, like Vicky. From what I’d seen of New Wave, they always seemed so upbeat and positive. Vicky had been a perfect example of the energy that New Wave seemed to project, yet here was the resident healer who was anything but that. Goes to show how different siblings could be, not that I would ever know since I was an only child.

Amy looked back to her sister and said, “Are we going to stand here or are you getting in?”

That was rather a grouchy response, and only solidified my earlier thoughts of her not getting enough sleep. Vicky blinked her eyes a few times before she realized the truth of her sister’s words. “Uhh, right. You want the outside or in-”

“Outside.”

Vicky nodded, sliding into the booth while pulling off her backpack. There were a few books I recognized from our last meeting along with the notebook she always had with her. Amy placed the teas on the table before sitting down herself, opting to plop instead of gracefully gliding in like her sister. Vicky was about to speak before her eyes looked up at the pastries I got for us. The look of interest and hunger overcame her before she said, “You got an entire basket of croissants?”

“Uhh… yeah. Considering how much you like them—”

“I’m not the only one.”

“So I got a small basket. For you,” I said, ignoring her comment.

“Aww.” There was something in her eyes that I couldn’t pinpoint, but she seemed happy I got her the pastries.

“You can have some too, Amy,” I added, glancing at the healer. The comment seemed to surprise her a little, but as I thought about it more something occurred to me. In fact, her attitude since she walked in, no when she saw me, was sour. Did I do something wrong? I didn’t think so, as far as I knew. Her presence was still a mystery to me since it wasn’t like she was learning Old Norse like Vicky and I were. 

After a few seconds, that strained look on her face went away and she said, “thanks.”

“Oh, come on, Ames, have a bite! It’s really good!”

Amy’s eyes became slits as she looked at her sister before she grabbed a pastry and started to tear into it. Not even the yummy chocolate could cool the glare within her eyes. Only a moment later, they were focused back on me and that fire seemed to burn brighter as she continued to tear into the pastry.

After she polished off the pastry in record time, she looked at the two of us. “Aren’t you guys supposed to… read or something?”

Vicky and I glanced at each other for a moment before her words sunk in and we chuckled. Opting to ignore the look Amy was giving me, I turned the book I was reading over to Vicky for her to see. “So I was reading this book and I found something very peculiar about it.”

Vicky’s focus snapped from her notebook to me in an instant. “Wait, you can actually read it? Last time it seemed like you were still translating most of it.”

I looked back down at the book, a little confused by her question. Since when did I start to read it instead of having to translate it? The question wracked my brain a little before I answered her question, “Uhh… yeah, I can. I don’t know exactly when I could read it, but this was the first book I picked up that I realized I could. There are still some things that are foreign and would need another quick look at our notes, but otherwise I can read it without any help.”

Vicky stared at me for several seconds, her eyes blinking owlishly in astonishment. After the few weeks we’d known each other, surprising her was one of my favorite things to do. She was incredibly intelligent and knew quite a bit, oftentimes stunning me with the depths of her knowledge. The image she projected of being a jock or cheerleader was just that, an image. 

Just as I was about to gush about the passages I had read before they walked in, Amy interjected. “What exactly is it you two are doing?”

Had Vicky never told her sister? Was that actually a thing between siblings? I know with Emma, we had told each other everything, much to my detriment. Though, we weren’t actually siblings so it could be different between real siblings. Vicky and I looked at each other again before she answered her sister’s question. “Learning Old Norse. Taylor has a bunch of books and documents from her Mom. We bump-”

“You bumped into me at the library.”

“Yeah,” She said, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. “Anyway, Taylor had a bunch of books with her, one of which was a book called ‘The Compendium’,  which was from her Mom’s old things. I got… curious and since then we’ve been trying to learn the language so we could read the books her Mom had. But someone here,” She pointed her finger that would be menacingly if it wasn’t for the mischievous look in her eye, “could apparently do that already!”

Ignoring the heat on my cheeks, I said, “I didn’t mean to! It just… happened.”

“In any case, that’s what we’ve been doing.”

Amy stared at us for a bit before she said, “You bonded over some language and books? Both of which seemed like something the Empire would be interested in?”

As sharp as she said it, she wasn’t wrong. The first thing people thought of when it came to anything Norse would be the Empire, at least in the United States. It was why my image was such a problem. No matter how many times I’d tell people, they would think Gondul was part of that wretched gang. I could only imagine the mess that would come if the media ever caught on that Victoria Dallon was learning Old Norse. No doubt they would have a field day printing stories all about how Glory Girl was becoming a Nazi. 

That thought made me realize how dangerous it was for Vicky to be doing this with me, especially out in the open as we have been. It was… touching that she was willing to risk learning this stuff with me, even if she was just as invested as I was in solving the mysteries. 

“True, but just because one gang decided to claim an entire society and mythology for their nefarious purpose doesn’t mean it isn’t interesting to learn, Amy,” Vicky said as she took a croissant and took a quick bite from it before setting it on a small plate. “We live in a world where capes get inspiration from countless cultures and societies for their images. One gang shouldn’t have the sole claim over one culture or another and I think that’s what Gondul is trying to prove.”

Vicky glanced over to me for a brief moment before taking another bite of her pastry. I barely missed the look since her explanation was so thorough and concise, especially with how close her reasoning was to how I viewed my cape persona. Sure, a good part of it was the fact that Mom left me armor that worked perfectly for my heroing, but it was also my heritage. I actually had Nordic roots unlike most, if not all, Empire members. 

“She’s not wrong,” I added, Amy’s face showing more confusion. “Gondul might evoke the image of an Empire cape, but I think she’s trying really hard to be seen as a hero. Just because she hasn’t joined the Protectorate doesn’t mean she’s automatically embracing literal Nazis.” It was a little strange to be talking to myself in the third person, but I think I got my point across.

“Do you really believe that Gondul is a hero? No self respecting cape would choose to look like some Norse legend.”

Amy’s response surprised me. Did people really believe that? 

Before I could respond, Vicky spoke. “Just because a cape chooses one form of history or mythology for their image, does not mean it decides their morals. Ancient Greece has plenty of known figures that have some fuc-dged up stuff.”

I nodded, “I don’t see anyone telling Dauntless to ditch his armor, or Myrddin to rebrand just because their mythologies have bad things or villains associated with them.”

Amy stared at us, a look of disbelief etched on her face. There was more to it, like the slight irritation and annoyance, and a little bit of surprise by the response from the two of us. Hell, Vicky’s passionate response had surprised me. After a few seconds, she rolled her eyes and said, “Nerds.”

It was the way she said it that reminded me of one of Emma’s barbs. The taunts, the name calling, the years of torment and bullying all came flooding back. Vicky wouldn’t want to be friends with a nerd like me. She had an image to uphold, she was a known cape and everyone would think differently of her if they found out she was friends with someone like me.

The heat wafting from the vents, the counter, and my tea all became too much. My palms became clammy and the voices of the shop grew deafening, every sensation prickling at me from all angles. I distantly felt my soft hair running along my fingers before I realized I’d been fiddling with my braid. It had to be a mess because of it. My other hand was running along the book cover and if I continued, the book could get ruined but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Mom’s words echoed in my head; deep breath in, deep breath out.

It wasn’t until I heard a voice break through the cacophony that I felt my body start to calm down. “Oh come on, Ames. What’s so bad about being a nerd? It’s not often I get to just… do that.”

She… wasn’t bothered about being seen as a nerd? Vicky seemed like the kind of person I would’ve thought who would hate to be associated with nerds, even if she was one. How many times had I been bullied by Emma because of my tendency to be head first in a book? 

The relief that filled me from the thought of still being Vicky’s friend felt like cold fresh air in my lungs. 

“I-I didn’t mean it like that,” Amy replied, her eyes turning away from her sister. 

“Good. Remember you wanted to get away from the hospital.”

Amy sighed and nodded, opting to take it out on another croissant instead of replying. 

There were a few awkward seconds between the three of us before Vicky said, “Hey, Taylor. Can you close the curtain?”

With a weak nod, I grabbed the edge of the fabric and pulled it along the ring, finally giving us the privacy I craved for. When I looked back at the two of them, Vicky caught my eye. I saw her looking at the book I had shown her earlier while Amy was taking a sip of her tea. Vicky looked up, a twinkle of interest in her eyes.

“So what did you find?”

With the tension ebbing away and any remnants of panic dissipating, I was able to smile at her. “Well, this book describes the Norse gods in exquisite detail.”

“Ok…but that isn’t anything new. We already know about them.”

“Not like this.” I held my hand out for the book. She handed it back to me and I quickly flipped through the pages till I found the one I wanted. “What we know of those gods is vastly different from what’s in here. For instance, we were told Odin was a kind, loving old man who was the leader of the pantheon.”

“Uh huh.”

“Well, this book says he’s not.”

“What?” She blinked a few times, shock evidently written on her face. 

“Apparently,” I started as I pointed at the line of text. “He was a manipulative asshole who would make people do his bidding. He started a war with the Vanir and even committed genocide of the Jötunn.”

“That’s…” She looked a little shocked at what I was telling her. She looked at her notes and worked to translate the page herself for a few minutes before she said, “Holy shit.”

“Vicky…” Amy started to scold her for cursing, which I didn’t know was a thing, but it made sense why Vicky stopped a lot of her curses midway. 

“No, Ames. Everything we know about Odin and Freyja is completely different from what this book is saying!”

“That doesn’t mean you get to—”

“Talyor, how did your mom get this?”

“I don’t know. I wondered that as well,” I said, a deep sense of yearning to know the truth overcame me. Everything Mom had was so different from what we’d learn or been told. At first I thought the texts were just an older version, like the original text of the mythology, but now…

“What about the other Earths?” Amy commented nonchalantly as she gestured with her croissant. “I mean, maybe the folklore of the Norse Mythology is different between each Earth? I’d imagine it would be the same for other ones too.”

“Hmm, maybe?” Vicky said, picking up a fork and finally digging into the pastry I got her. “Did your mom come from another Earth?”

I shook my head. “I didn’t think that was possible. Wouldn’t the PRT keep track of anyone who’s from another Earth?”

Vicky and Amy looked at each other, the croissant still in Vicky’s mouth while Amy rolled her eyes at her sister. It was actually kind of funny. “I don’t know. Honestly,” The healer replied.

“But you’re-”

“An affiliate. We don’t know all the deep, dark secrets the government has. It’s possible they do, but I wouldn’t bet on it.”

The possibility made me question everything I knew about Mom. If Mom came from another Earth, which one? I wracked my brain for an answer that I knew wouldn’t come. In the end, it didn’t matter. Mom was gone and it was up to me—us—to find those answers with what she left behind. She hid it in the veritable library she left behind, I just knew it. She was hiding it in this new and fascinating information to try and throw people off if anyone else found it, but I knew her. 

That along with knowing I would become a cape and had made armor specifically for me. She gave me the tools, I just needed to use them to find out her legacy. My legacy. 

Shuffling from the other side of the table broke me from my reverie. “While you two think on that, I’m going to the bathroom,” Amy said as she undid the privacy curtain and left.

Vicky and I watched her leave for a moment before she scooted over and closed the curtain. When she looked at me, there was a look in her eye I couldn’t decipher. “Since she’s gone… I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What about?”

“Anything new about you?”

Huh? What a weird question to ask. “Not really?”

“ Really ?”

There was a smirk on her face and I had no idea as to why. Did she know something I didn’t? “Uhh, yeah.”

Vicky leaned over the table, cupped her hands, and whispered, “Taylor, I know you're a cape.”

“What?!” I said a little louder than I wanted.

“Shh! Not so loud!”

How did she know?! My costume was flawless and the helmet should’ve altered my voice enough to be unrecognizable. There’s no way—

“Did you really think I wouldn’t figure out who Gondul was? It took me a moment, but I found the reference.” She grabbed ‘The Compendium’, gently flipping through the pages until she stopped at one that showed the short description of the Valkyries. The page went into detail about several known Valkyries along with a vague description of one named Gondul, my cape namesake. I had thought that with so little information in that Compendium, that I would be safe as long as I didn’t bring the book that actually went into detail on the Valkyries away from her. She must’ve looked at this page at some point in our time together and figured it out. “You also answered my text to Taylor while I could still see Gondul.”

My head slumped and I punched the wall. “Damn it!”

“Hey, it’s ok!” She urgently said in a calming and reassuring voice. “I doubt anyone else would figure it out without spending weeks immersed in this stuff with you. Amy might after today, but I wanted her here in case you were still hurt. Do you have a Brute rating or regeneration? Some of those hits you took looked rough.”

“But… It’s supposed to…” The words didn’t want to form in my mouth. I read this was like, the biggest breach a cape could make. Identities were secret for a reason.

Vicky was able to put the pieces of my broken words together, her eyes going wide and her mouth gaped. “Oh fuck. Taylor, I didn’t—it was supposed to—there wasn—” Vicky took a big deep breath in and I tried to fight the instinct to run away. “Taylor, I’m sorry. I really am. From the bottom of my heart, I didn’t mean to…” She sighed, running her hand down her face. “I just wanted to help. You're new on the scene and since I kind of figured out who you were, I thought I could… reach out. And after yesterday, maybe have Amy take a look at you, since you became a human pinball.”

I looked everywhere except for those blue eyes. Her intentions were good, but it didn’t sit well with me. I was nowhere near ready for anyone to know about me being a cape, certainly not my friend. The last time I told a friend something that important, it was broadcasted to the school filled with Nazis. 

There was a… pressure that I felt that made me want to look at Vicky. Once again, the cafe disappeared as the feeling persisted before I finally relented, looking straight into those sparkling eyes of hers. Whatever she might have done would be a mystery, it didn’t make me say a word to her. 

As the seconds passed by, Vicky started getting anxious. “Taylor, please say something. I really feel bad for what I did and… I really should—”

“The last time I told someone something this important, it bit me in the ass.”

“Hu-what?”

The words seemed a thousand times harder now that I had her full attention. A part of me really hoped Amy would come back so we could ignore this and maybe get back to research. Anything to get my mind off of what I was about to say. “I- it’s hard for me to trust people… No matter how altruistic you were trying to be, I wasn’t ready to tell anyone about my… powers.” For once I was extremely glad for the noise canceling the privacy curtain had. 

“Shit… Taylor, I-” Vicky stopped for a moment and I noticed there was a flash of something across her eyes. She was about to speak but seemed to have changed her mind. Eventually she said, “I promise I won’t tell anyone that you're a cape. No one will know.”

“We’ll see.”

It was quiet between the two of us and I tried my best to ignore the worried look on Vicky’s face. What was taking Amy so long? 

“Well, with the cat out of the bag, how are you feeling? Are you alright?”

I looked down at my hands, slightly red from yesterday’s events. In all, I was more sore than anything. There were a few bruises, but nothing major and seemingly healing already. “A little sore, but not the worst I’ve had.”

“What.”

It was the way her gaze seemed to pierce into me, how her body went entirely rigid and tense, and how she was desperately trying not to break the table as her muscles flexed and bulged that I knew I had said too much. Fuck. 

I-”

Vicky closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her body relaxing before her eyes opened. “Taylor, who hurt you?”

The question took me off guard. No one had ever asked before. How many times had I come home bruised and beaten only to be met with silence from Dad? Zoe would have said something if she was around more often, but the days she came were when no one bothered me or the pranks were so miniscule that there was no evidence.

The thing was, the thought of telling her was becoming more compelling. It’s not like it would actually change anything; Emma always seemed to get away scott free. 

“My… my former best friend has been… bullying me since the start of high school.”

"What- wait, former ?”

“Yeah… out of nowhere, she just… started bullying me at the start of high school. Along with two other girls.” I didn’t want to make an exception for Sophia. She might’ve saved me and was distancing herself from Emma, but that doesn’t make up for the past year of bullying. Besides, I still fully expected her to stab me in the back once it no longer benefited the Nazis to abstain.

“And the school doesn’t do anything about it?”

A nasty scoff left my lips before I could stop it. “Like anyone at Winslow would actually stop what was going on there. They didn’t even stop the Empire from-” I stopped when I realized what I was about to say.

Victoria’s eyes sharpened as she leaned forward. “The Empire… Taylor, what the hell is going on?”

I looked away. “Nothing, it’s fine.”

That presence was pressing down on me again and this time it felt different. Like a raging hurricane that only made me freeze in place again. Like I was trapped in the booth with no way to move or get away. It didn’t help that I felt my power pounding in my head wanting to be released, to help. 

Luckily, I was saved from both Vicky and the looming presence when the curtains were yanked open, revealing a very disgruntled Amy. She whispered angrily, “Vicky! Aura!”

I looked over to Vicky to see her blink her eyes before she smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, Ames.”

“Don’t.”

Aura? What Aura? Did Vicky have another set of powers beyond being an Alexandria package? It seemed like another mystery about Victoria Dallon was unraveled to me today and it was only the prologue. I’d felt it before, the first time when the world disappeared after I saw how excited she was to race. Yet they didn’t feel the same. Like there was something more to that power than most people knew about, if they knew anything at all.

Vicky seemed to sink further into her seat as Amy continued glaring at her. Then, Amy huffed and slowly got into the booth before closing the curtain. “What took you so long?” Vicky asked, hoping to diffuse whatever tension was in the air.

Her hopes were dashed when Amy gave her the most pointed look I’d ever seen and if Amy had laser powers that shot from her eyes, Vicky might’ve been dead. “Apparently it was a good thing I was here. Someone nearly choked to death.”

“Oh shi-, really?”

Amy nodded. “And a host of other things,” She grumbled.

I wanted to ask what she meant by that but she clearly didn’t want to continue the conversation. Vicky stared down Amy for several moments before she relented, “Well… since you are here, could you do me a favor?”

Amy glanced at Vicky from the corner of her eyes. “What?” She asked sharply. 

“You know the thing we talked about last night…”

Vicky was being vague but it didn’t take long for Amy to figure out what her sister meant. “Are you sure?” It sounded like she really didn’t want to do whatever it was that Vicky wanted her to do.

“Yes. I mean—” Vicky looked over to me, that pleading look in her eyes. “If Taylor is ok with it.”

“With what?” I asked, completely confused by the interaction. 

Vicky looked a little embarrassed and didn’t seem like she wanted to respond. Amy on the other hand just let out a deep sigh. “She wants me to touch you.”

“I’m sorry?” I didn’t like the sound of where this was going. 

“I want Amy to look at you, make sure you are fine and all,” Vicky blurted, still being vague, which I appreciated since she didn't tell her sister why she wanted to look me over.

“Oh.”

I wasn’t entirely sure how I wanted to answer that. It’s not like I was in any serious pain and it would heal quickly. There were amazing stories about Panacea and the fact that she was sitting across the table baffled me.

Still unsure, I answered their awaiting looks. “Uhh, sure.”

Amy held her hand out, an exasperated look on her face as if she’d done this a million times, which was probably an accurate number, and waited impatiently. Not wanting to annoy the healer any further, I pulled my hand out of my hoodie pocket and reached across the table. When our fingers met, I saw Amy go still and her eyes widened. 

Was that how her power always worked? All I knew was that she was one of the best healers in the world and was very busy. I wasn’t even sure what she was doing. My body still felt sore in places and slight movement told me that my bruising persisted. 

Time ticked by and Amy remained frozen. It was long enough that even Vicky was getting a little antsy. Then I saw Amy blink and the soreness began to melt away in sharp spurts as if there was a struggle happening. Eventually my injuries were simply gone.

Amy pulled away first, furiously blinking her eyes while rubbing her hand as if she’d touched something cold. My hand wasn’t that cold. 

“Everything alright?” Vicky asked, the question directed at both of us.

“I think so?” I said, a little unsure in my answer. The whole thing was weird.

Vicky turned to look at her sister, who shook her head and said, “Yeah, everything’s fine. She’s healed.”

Vicky looked just as confused as I felt about the whole thing while Amy didn’t seem worried at all. In fact, as I watched her, she kept subtly glancing at me with a look I couldn’t figure out. It wasn’t with any of the malice or annoyance she previously had. 

When I glanced over at Vicky, she seemed to have a soft smile on her face as she looked at me. She noticed my stare and said, “Good. I just—” She quickly glanced over at Amy and whatever she was about to say, changed. “Good. Now, are there any other mysteries you’ve found?”

Not wanting to go any deeper into that conversation, I indulged her as I slid the book about the gods over. “Well, there’s a lot of stuff my mom talked about Freyja, but other than that, no. This volume isn’t an outlier either, there’s countless others like it in the stash.”

She turned the pages till she found the one I assume was about Freyja. Her eyes went wide and she gaped a little. “Wow. Your mom had a lot to say, didn’t she?” She looked up, astounded at the numerous notes on the pages. She looked down at her own notes and started translating the page.

“Yeah, she did. And there’s more.”

Vicky looked back up, pursing her lips in a cute way and said, “I think I need to see this ‘stash’ for myself.” She paused for a brief moment before she quickly added, “If that’s not too much to ask. I don’t want to push you or anything.”

Her request was not something I was prepared for, much like a lot of today’s events. The last time anyone, especially a friend, came over to the house was… before highschool. She might have said she didn’t want to push me, but I could see the curiosity and enthusiasm all over her face. She really wanted to see it herself. Unlike the Trio, Vicky had apologized for her mistake and based on all her actions, she seemed to mean well. 

I tossed the idea in my head for a moment before deciding to bite the bullet, but I would have a stipulation. “Yeah, we can do that. My mom had so much there that I’ve barely managed to scratch the surface—”

“YES!” Vicky pumped her fist.

“But you need to finish learning the language,” I added, pointing to the notes and books on the table. “At least to the point where you can read it without pouring over your notes every other word.”

Vicky deflated slightly. I knew she actually wasn’t completely disappointed since she enjoyed learning the language, but I could tell she wanted to rush straight to my house. “Fine,” She said, picking up some notes. “I’ll redouble my efforts.”

“Please, like you won’t enjoy every moment of it.”

A sparkling smile on Vicky’s face proved my point. “ Then will you invite me over so I can see this hoard of books?”

I chuckled at her enthusiasm. It was rather contagious. “Yes, then I will invite you over.”

A large smile grew on her face and a twinkle was in her eye. I was barely able to notice the world slowly disappearing from my view again and that pressure on my body, yet it didn’t seem overwhelming like the last time. 

“VICKY, AURA!”

Then it was gone like a blink of an eye. 

“SORRY!”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed.

Chapter Text

Saturday, January 29th, 2011

The sweet aroma of berries and bergamot oil hit my nose as my tea finished steeping. The scent helped soothe my anxiety for what I was about to ask Dad. It wasn’t anything major, but no matter how many times I told myself it would be fine, it wouldn’t quell my roiling anxiety.

I finished making breakfast and then quickly placed the two plates on the table. Dad started to eat slowly, the morning newspaper taking much of his focus, while I took a sip of my tea before starting on my breakfast. It wasn’t anything special; slightly burnt bacon, dry scrambled eggs with a little bit of seasoning, and buttered toast. Some days we even ventured into the realm of waffles, yippee.

About halfway through breakfast, I couldn’t stop playing with my food as I tried to come up with the words to say to Dad. It’d been a week since Vicky accepted my challenge and she’d succeeded spectacularly. She spent the entire week studying, even going so far as to skip out on patrols. 

It did mean that our planned joint patrols were effectively on hold.  The idea had been to allow Gondul to be seen with a well known hero and cement my place as one in the public eye.  Now that she had passed my test, I hoped we could get out and do some good together. 

But that did little to detract from the fact that it’d been a long time since someone came over to the house. I didn’t know what Vicky would think about the state of our home and its slight neglect since Mom’s passing. Every so often, I would look around, try to find anything that might reveal too much, but it seemed like a moot point sometimes because of Dad. 

I still wasn’t sure how he would react about someone coming over to the house. Eventually I just had to speak my mind. “Hey, Dad?”

“Hmm?” He half hummed, half grunted. 

“Is…is it alright if-if I had a friend c-come over on Tuesday?” Vicky would be busy over the weekend with family stuff making Tuesday the earliest I knew she was available. It worked for me since it gave me a few days to prepare myself.

Dad blinked a few times, the zombie-like stare ebbing away as he processed my question. He cleared his throat and said, “Of course, Honey. Is it Emma? She hasn’t been around for quite some time.”

I tried not to wince at her name. “Uhh, no. It’s a new friend.”

That seemed to have gotten his attention. “Oh? Is this a boy ‘friend’?”

“DAD!”

“Girl ‘friend’?”

“By the gods, no! She’s just a friend.”

The amused smile on his face was filled with so much smug that I had to roll my eyes at it. He laughed and said, “Alright, alright. So who is this mysterious girl.”

“Vicky… Victoria Dallon.” Wow, it was weird to say her full name. I was so used to calling her just Vicky.

“Victoria… wait, as in-”

“Yes, as in Glory Girl.”

I seemed to have his full attention now as he set the newspaper aside. “How did you become friends with her?”

“She bumped into me.”

He blinked owlishly. “I’m sorry, she ‘bumped’ into you?”

I rubbed the back of my head as I looked away, seeing a shelf that would need dusting. “Well… you know how you asked me if I knocked over any books?”

He nodded his head and gestured for me to continue.

“Well, I technically didn’t. She did, as well as me.”

Dad’s blank face and stare was broken mere seconds later as he let out a bellow of a laugh. To say I was embarrassed was an understatement. I crossed my arms and huffed, trying to ignore the heat on my cheeks. Eventually he calmed and muttered, “Just like how I met your mother.”

“What?” I asked, wanting to know if he said what I thought he said.

“Oh, nothing, honey,” He lied. I squinted my eyes at him but he kept smiling. “Anyway, of course she can come over. Just make sure to do your homework but otherwise, you have free range of the house.” He did a weird eyebrow thing that I couldn’t figure out.

Then it hit me. “DAD!”

He laughed again, much to my displeasure. That he would sugges- no I wasn’t going to think about that. It was better for my mental health if I didn’t.

Treacle hopped onto the table and sat near my plate, “ Mowww. ” 

“No, you aren’t getting any,” I said. He and his brother already had their breakfast.

Treacle continued to give me what equated to the cat version of ‘puppy dog eyes’ before he turned to Dad. Unlike me, he relented and gave the beggar a piece of bacon.

Spoiled cat.

Ignoring the pointed looks he was sending me as I quickly finished my breakfast and raced upstairs. A quick text message to Vicky along with my address and I started getting ready for the day.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

I finished setting the last candle down on the altar when the doorbell rang. With one last look at the picture, I turned around and went to the front door. My eyes glanced over to the cats on the sofa, their eyes lazily following me as I walked across the living room. 

Vicky hovered above the ground for a second before setting down. She was wearing a gray cardigan with blue stars in varying sizes that cascaded down from her shoulder. She had a nice white shirt with white letters on it that faded into the shirt. Who thought white text on white shirt was a good idea? Her light colored jeans had a few rips and holes seemed to be purposely made. It looked really good on her though, just like everything she wore. 

I wished I could pull that off.

“Hey Tay!” She said energetically with a smile on her face. “Did you know that the step-”

“I know,” I sighed. 

Vicky blinked a few times at my interruption and I felt a little guilty. We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity and I wasn’t sure what to say. Should I apologize? Should I clarify about the stupid step? Questions like these bounced in my head when I finally realized that she was still outside. “Uhh, right. Come on in.”

She snickered and walked inside with a slight bounce in her step. She looked around the house, “You have a nice home!”

“Thanks, we’ve been here all my life. There’s… a lot of memories here.”

She didn’t say anything but continued to look around. At that moment, I noticed there was a photo that I really wished Dad didn’t put back up. I raced towards it and slammed it down onto the table with a resounding crack. My finger grazed along the side and I noticed it had shattered the frame. Oh well.

Vicky watched me with a raised eyebrow and I let out a fake laugh. “Uhh… I saw a bug.”

“And you used the picture to kill it?”

“Yup!”

She continued to stare at me with those piercing blue eyes and I tried to keep my fake smile on my face. Luckily, I was saved from further embarrassment.

“ Mrrw ,” “ Mew .”

Both Vicky and I looked over to the couch to see both of my cats watching with inquisitive eyes. I heard a sharp intake of air from Vicky before she screamed, “KITTIES!” It wasn’t even a second before she was kneeling down in front of the cats and giving them furious, yet gentle, head scratches. “Who are cute cats? You are!”

I could hear their purrs from where I was standing. Spoiled cats. I walked over to the couch and sat down next to Bee. “This one is Bee and that one is Treacle.”

“Aww! What adorable names you have!” She looked up at me and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you had cats? I would have come sooner!”

“I-uhh, it didn’t seem relevant? How was I supposed to know you like cats?”

She stared at me and said, “How many cat pictures and videos do I send you?”

“Too many to count.”

The smile on her face slowly grew into a cheshire grin. “And what was I wearing the last time we were at Boardwalk Tea?” 

“A pink sweater with a white cat on it.”

Her eyebrow raised again and then it dawned on me. 

“Oh.”

A harmonious giggle erupted from her lips. She looked back at the cats and suddenly became more somber. “Mom wouldn’t let us have cats. Said they would ruin the house.”

“She’s not wrong about that.”

“ Mrrow ,” Treacle said with almost a sarcastic twist as he looked up.

“Don’t give me that mister. You knocked over a glass a few weeks ago.”

“ Mow ,” at least he sounded sorry.

“They’re quite talkative, aren’t they?” Vicky asked as she watched the exchange.

“You have no idea.” She seemed entirely engrossed in giving the cats their demanded tribute. “Uhh, do you want anything to drink? I have some tea…” I really was not used to having friends over.

A small smile graced her lips. “If you don’t mind, that sounds great!”

I nodded and walked into the kitchen and got the kettle going. As I got mugs together, I heard her say, “So where is this mysterious stash your mom left?”

Watching the kettle, I said, “Downstairs in the basement.”

“Can the cats come?”

No matter how hard I tried to hold it, I snorted. The question was so ridiculous that I couldn’t stop myself. “Yes, they can come. They usually don’t venture into the basement often.”

“Do they just stay in the living room?”

“Or my room. Even when Mom was around, they tended to sleep with me.”

“When did you get them?”

“Not sure actually. The stories I heard was that Mom had them when she met my dad, but they aren’t that old. My guess is that she had gotten Bee and Treacle when I was younger and I never noticed the difference,” I replied honestly. The kettle started whistling so I took it off the burner and started pouring it into the cups. “What tea do you want? I have green, earl grey, raspberry, and a special blend from Norway. That one is my favorite.” 

“Hmm,” She said at first, clearly deep in thought. “I’ll try the special blend.”

I put the blend into the filters and placed them in the water. As they steeped, I saw Vicky watching the two cats with an inquisitive eye. Bee let out a calm, “ Meow .” Which seemed to snap Vicky out of it and resumed her petting.

A small ding rang next to me, alerting me that the tea was ready. Removing the filters, I grabbed both cups and walked over to the couch. Vicky finally took her hands off the cats, much to their chagrin if their cries were any indication, and took her cup. She blew the hot steam away and took a cautious sip.

Her eyes opened wide as I could imagine the myriad of flavors that assaulted her senses. “Wow, this is really good.”

I smiled, “I’m glad you like it! Mom turned me onto it and I’ve always made sure to have it ever since. Even if it's expensive.”

She nodded and took another sip. She looked around the house again and I saw her eyes stop at the altar on the small table where several family photos used to be. She walked towards it and set her cup to the side. “What is all this? Is this your mom?”

Moving to stand next to her, I started my explanation. “Yeah, that’s her. This is an altar.”

“An altar?” I could see the gears turned in her head.

“Yeah, it's used for specific holidays as a means of prayer or chants and depending on the belief, for spells, but for the most part it’s for symbolism.”

Vicky turned to face me. “Wait, are you… you’re not Christian, are you.”

I shook my head. “No, I’m not. Dad sort of is, but Mom and I were Pagan, specifically Norse.”

Vicky stared at me with such surprise and wonderment that it was like she was discovering a piece of the text we’ve been researching that we never knew about before. “I never thought you were… wow. I thought your phrases and what not were just, I don’t know, appearances or something.”

My palms started to sweat a little as the conversation continued. I never imagined it would be a big deal, but the way she was reacting seemed to be a problem. Emma never had an issue with it, but we did grow up together… I also shouldn’t use her as a reference in the first place. 

“This isn’t a problem, is it?” I barely noticed that one of my hands had gone to my braid to twirl it while the other was tapping the side of the cup.

That seemed to snap Vicky out of whatever fog she was in. “What? Oh no! Not at all! I just… it sort of makes sense now. I know a few times you mentioned your heritage and all that and I never thought about the actual meaning behind that.”

My fingers stopped twirling my braid and scratched the back of my head. “Yeah, it’s not like I worship a specific Norse god or anything. Mom didn’t either. The phrase ‘by the gods’ is more of an open ended sort of thing.”

“Do you worship all of them then? I imagine the revelation of finding out that our mythos of them and what was in the book would’ve had a significant impact.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Not really? Mom used to always say certain things about them that now make a lot more sense because of that book, but I never really took account of the differences. We mostly focused on the moon's cycle, solstices, certain days that have significant meaning. Like today.”

“What’s today?”

Setting my cup down on the table, I pointed towards the altar that had a calendar on it if you knew what to look for. “This symbol means Distings for Norse Paganism, or in the Celtic and modern Paganism, Imbolc. It is a day to prepare oneself, the cattle, and the seeds for the coming spring. It also means a day of purification. But specifically for Distings, it is a time to honor and revere the women ancestors of our family.” It was also called Dísablót, but I didn’t want to tell her that. Vicky at this point knew enough of the language to pick up on the holiday’s previous roots in human sacrifice and that wasn’t really a topic I felt like discussing.

Vicky pointed to the picture of Mom. “That’s why you have a picture of your mom.”

“Correct. At sundown, I light the candles and it’s supposed to be sort of a… sign to the departed that we still remember them.”

She continued to stare at the picture and I wondered what was going on in her head. After a few moments, she turned her head and looked at me, a soft smile on her face and eyes glistening slightly. “That’s beautiful.”

A small cough came unhindered in my throat at the pure emotion she put behind that. “Yeah, it is. A lot of Paganism is like that.”

“So there's no sacrifices?”

I shook my head. “Gods no. Back in the day, superstition like that was common, but sacrifices don't really do anything. At least that’s what Mom always told me. There was no point in sacrificing a living thing to try and talk to the gods. She said that no matter what you tried, the gods don’t always hear the pleas of man. That they had bigger issues to deal with.”

Vicky grabbed her cup and took a sip out of it. A look of contempt was on her face as she savored the flavors. “That’s not ominous at all.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “We live in a world where there’s people who can level buildings, control fire, or lift a truck with their bare hands. Lets not forget about the fact that we know there’s other Earths out there. Believing that the gods are too preoccupied to help is not too far-fetched.”

She raised an eyebrow at me, but it seemed her reply wasn’t about my reference to her strength. “I guess you’re not wrong.” She looked at the picture again. “That’s a pretty necklace.”

“She always wore that necklace,” I said as I looked at it. It was one of the few pictures that I had of her that displayed it out in the open. It was a magnificent golden torc with a large amber gemstone in the center. She said it was unique and I believed her, it wasn’t like I’d seen anything like it. “She never mentioned where she got it, but according to Dad, she had it before they met.”

“Interesting…”She trailed off, looking at the picture for a few more seconds. Then she looked at me. “I see where you got your looks. And hair.”

I scoffed and was about to say that I didn’t, but I didn’t want to tell her too much. There was no way I could ever be as pretty as Mom. She wasn’t born in the wrong body like I had been. I knew I would never look as good as she did. Instead, I settled on something I did agree with. “I got her hair while I got my Dad’s hair color.”

Vicky looked around and her eyes landed on one of the pictures on the wall. It was one of my parents, as well as Aunt Zoe, standing next to each other in front of the Liberty Bell. They had gone on a trip to Philadelphia to visit the national monuments. It was one of the many trips they went on without me. Emma and I weren’t that bothered by it since we had a school field trip to Boston at the time. 

That trip was one of the scary ones. Emma and I were only five at the time and it was when the Siberian had killed Hero in the same city and I feared that our family was there. Luckily they happened to be in a different part of the town far from the scene. They came home just hours after that incident but it would always be a reminder of the close call whenever they went on their vacations. 

“Who’s the redhead?”

“That’s my Aunt Zoe. Well, not my actual aunt. My family has always been close to the Barnes since we were children.”

“Wait, Barnes?” Victoria did a double take. “As in Alan Barnes, the divorce lawyer?”

Furrowing my eyebrows, I said, “Uhh, yeah. You know him?”

“He works in my Mom’s firm. I’ve met his daughter, Emma.”

“Oh.”

“She’s a bitch.”

I couldn’t help it, I snorted. “Yeah, she is. There was a time when she wasn’t but—”

“You’re not friends with her, right?”

My head furiously shook at the question and it only took me a few seconds to realize I did. “Not anymore.”

Vicky eyed me and I tried my best not to squirm under her scrutinizing gaze. She looked back at the picture. “I guess her mom isn’t like that?”

“No, she’s… she’s nothing like her daughter.” A fond smile grew on my lips. 

“That’s good.” She looked back at me and I had to turn my gaze. Attempting to school my face, I took a hearty gulp of my tea before looking back up at her. I noticed she was still staring at me with a look of someone deep in thought. It was getting a little uncomfortable as the seconds passed so I tried to snap her out of it by waving my hand in front of her. “Earth Bet to Vicky.”

She shook her head and blinked a few times, looking away for a moment and clearing her throat before her eyes landed on me again. “Well, black hair suits you.”

There was something in her look that was different from what she had before and it caused my cheeks to heat up and I wasn’t sure why . It wasn’t the first time she’d done it and everytime I wasn’t sure how to react. Curse my body for betraying me.

Ignoring my body for several different reasons, I changed the topic. “So, do you want to see my mom’s stash? It’s practically a library down there.”

Her eyebrows raised slightly but whatever was on her mind seemed to disappear when she looked for her tea. “In a moment. There’s… something I want to talk to you about.”

The instant the words left her lips, my body grew tense and I mentally prepared myself for the worst. Whatever she was about to say couldn’t be any worse than what the Trio has done. What Emma has said. At least that’s what I told myself. 

“Wh-what is it?”

“So… alright, my sister told me something about you that I don’t think you intended to let out.”

The panic started to settle in and I was barely able to speak as my mouth dried, “Wh-what?”

“...She told me you were trans. Basically outed you to me,” There was an irritated look on her face and all my fears started crashing down on me. I started biting the inside of my cheek, a habit I thought I had broken years ago. My hands fidgeted, playing with the loose thread on the inside of the hoodie, knowing all too well that it would ruin it. 

Then the tension snapped as she took on a more caring look, her eyes trying to convey something I didn’t know. “But I gave her a stern talking to about that. It wasn’t for her to tell me that and she should’ve known better given all the medical training she has. For that, I’m sorry.”

She… she did what? Everything felt like it was in slow motion. My heart slowed from its jackhammer pace and the panic was receding. She seemed entirely unbothered that I was trans. In fact, she was more bothered by her own sister.

“How- you don’t care?”

Vicky furrowed her eyebrows. “No? It’s who you are. Honestly, I didn’t even know until my sister said something and it still didn’t change how I view you. Why would it?”

To say I was shocked was an understatement. “I-I- but in the pas- people have alwa-”

Concern grew in Vicky’s eyes and in a moment's notice, I felt the weight of her hands on my shoulders, “Hey, it’s ok,” She said, her face mere inches away from mine. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re friends, Taylor, and friends stick together, no matter what.”

Words couldn’t form to express how I felt at that moment. She wasn’t scared of me nor was she distancing herself and calling me gross. She was touching me, consoling me in a way I hadn’t felt since Mom passed away. 

I couldn’t help it, I cried. Tears fell unabated and I felt arms wrap themselves around me, pulling me into a warm hug. Vicky was whispering something, but I couldn’t hear her words as the world drowned out in relief. All I could think about was the fact that Vicky had been a better friend than Emma, or anyone for that matter barring Mom. It always felt like a field of landmines that if I made one wrong step, it was over. Not that I had a lot of experience with friends in the first place.

An eternity went by before I felt myself calm down. I was distinctly aware that Vicky was rubbing my back in gentle patterns long before I heard her whispering in my ear. “It’s ok,” She said, soothingly. 

I relaxed my grip on her, unsure when I did so in the first place, and noticed the soft fabric of her cardigan. “Th-thank y-” A hiccup, the one of many, stopped me from finishing my gratitude.

“Shh, it’s ok. I’m here for you.”

I nodded weakly. She slowly pulled away and through blurred eyes, I could see the caring and compassionate person who had wormed her way into my life. In the short amount of time since I’d known Victoria Dallon, she’d been a better friend, no person, than anyone I’d ever met. Mom would always be an outlier, but Vicky was definitely in that same level as her. 

My hiccups slowly went away before they were gone altogether. All that time, she continued to rub my arms, a small caring smile on her face that made her cerulean eyes twinkle.

“Than-thank you, for…”

“Always, Taylor,” She said it in such a carefree manner that if I didn’t know her, I would think it would be nonchalant, except it was anything but that. 

Several seconds passed as we stood in silence. My eyes glanced at the photo of my parents and Aunt Zoe, the thought of how different Emma and Vicky were when it came to my identity at the forefront of my mind. 

Vicky noticed my gaze and in a small voice, asked, “Emma was the former friend, wasn’t she? The one that’s bullying you?”

“...Yeah.”

“Ok,” She said. It sounded calm, but there was a fire in her eyes that made me very glad to be her friend, because it was a look that would strike fear into the heart of the most fearless of men. As quickly as it came, it was gone and replaced with care. “Feeling better?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I am. Thank you, for… not caring about-”

“It should never be a big deal, Taylor. You’re a girl and if anyone doesn’t see that, they are blind as hell.” 

I snorted even if I didn’t fully believe her. There could be countless reasons why she didn’t realize I was trans but I couldn’t find the argument against her at that moment. 

“Now, let’s move onto a more cheery topic and see what this ‘library’ your mom kept.”

Smiling, I nodded. She gave my arms a squeeze, moving to pick up our cups of cold tea before we walked to the basement door. Once the door opened, scurrying from behind was the only notice I had when I saw two cats run by us and down the stairs. 

“They move fast,” Vicky commented. 

“Yeah they do. Come on.”

We ventured down the stairs and I quickly flipped on the lights. The cats were sitting on top of the washer and dryer, their tails swishing back and forth while they watched us with curious eyes. In one corner was the weight set I had started using. They used to be covered in a layer of dust—like everything else in here— but they were still in good condition. It also reminded me that I hadn’t put them away this morning. Vicky seemed to have noticed those first. “I see where you work out,” She glanced at me.

“Yeah,” I scratched the back of my head. “Haven’t been at it for long. I’ve mostly been running the past few years.”

“You’re joking, right?”

I furrowed my eyebrows at the question. “Why would I joke about that?”

Vicky blinked her eyes a few times but shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.” Before I could press her any further, she said, “Is the giant blanket with the sign ‘Do Not Touch’ where your Mom’s stuff is hiding?”

“Yeah,” I walked over and removed the blanket with ease. The many crates and the chest were now revealed. 

“Holy sh- there really is a library down here.”

“I told you.”

“I didn’t expect this!” She waved her hand over the mountain of crates. “And this!” She pointed at the chest. “What’s in it?”

I looked down at the chest, the lock preventing anyone from opening. After I opened it the first time, I had worried I wouldn’t be able to secure it again, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy to replace it. At least the chances of Dad noticing a difference if he ever came down here remained small. “My armor.”

She stared at me in disbelief. “Are you saying your armor, sword and all, was in the chest?”

“Yes.” A thought came to mind and I wanted to test a theory. “Actually, I want to see something.”

She looked at me with a little hesitation but with curious eyes. “Alright, what do you want me to do?”

“See if you can open that lock.”

Her eyebrow furrowed as her eyes bounced between me and the lock. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “Sure.”

She knelt down and grasped the lock. Immediately I knew it wasn’t going to open like it did for me. Vicky looked up and said, “Do… how much do you want me to try?”

I thought over the question before I answered. “Try not to break the chest or lock, but I’d say go for it.”

She nodded and started to pull and twist at the lock. At first I thought it was going to bend under her mighty strength, as evident by her muscles bulging, but all the lock did was jungle against the latch. “The fuck?!” Vicky cursed as she tried to bend the lock.

“Huh, not what I expected,” I said, calmly.

She stood up again, wiping her hands and staring at the lock with an intense look. “How is that possible?”

A smirk grew on my lips when I glanced at her and said, “If you’re stumped by that, check this out.”

I knelt down and tapped on the lock. Like always, the lock sprung open and dangled on the clasp. Looking up, I saw just how dumbfounded she was. 

“How- That’s not- I- Ok, seriously. How is that possible?”

“I have no clue,” I said honestly. “All of this,” I said gesturing to the entire stockpile, “has had me fascinated beyond belief. Not only had my mom created armor for me, two years in advance, she somehow had or made a lock that was designed to only open to my touch.” 

“What about your dad?”

“He-” I looked away from her. “He doesn’t know about any of this.”

“Taylor,” She said with a tone that I half expected to feel her ‘aura’ but it never came. In any case, it was enough for me to look at her. Concern was written all over her face. “Does he even know that you have powers?”

I didn’t want to answer, but I had already opened the proverbial cookie jar and might as well tell her. “No, he doesn’t. He doesn’t even know that I’ve been coming down here and looking at her old stuff. All he knows is that I use the weights.”

“Taylor…” She trailed off, her voice filled with concern again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as I stood motionless. “I don’t know what it’s like to keep your powers a secret from your family, but I think out of everyone, he should know.”

“But-”

“Taylor, you could be killed out there. Being a hero is not easy, no matter how tough you are. You might have some sort of regeneration or something, but there will always be a way for someone to hurt you. Kill you. We are heroes. There are so many people who want us dead, especially you, for many reasons.”

I looked away, unable to withstand her intense gaze. She was right, I knew she was. My life was already on the line just by being trans and outed at school. My cape image was one that sparked the immediate thought of a Nazi gang. The fact that I was a hero meant villains would want to take care of me because I stopped them. 

“I-I will.” I just didn’t say when. Any day seemed too soon but it was a promise that I would tell him eventually. Dad was overprotective; how he had acted when I came home after triggering showed that. If he knew that I was Gondul, the ‘Idealistic Hero’ of the bay, then he would have objections . He would most certainly try to get me to join the Wards and there was no way I wanted that to happen. I’d rather join New Wave and have an open identity, as dangerous as that could be, than be part of the PR team. 

She nodded, “Good, I would hate to be the person to tell him if something ever happened to you, which god forbid—” Her gaze moved to the chest, which was a relief, and said, “You mentioned your armor was in there?”

“Well…” I flipped the latch and opened the chest. Since I had started going out as Gondul, I had left my armor in one of my old backpacks. It was stained and fraying at the edges, but it worked well when I needed to grab and go. Laying next to it in its glory was my sword. I had learned to keep the blade away from my backpack, its sharp edge had cut through the side and I had to duct tape it to prevent my armor from spilling. 

“Woah,” Vicky said as she knelt down and looked inside. “I assume the backpack has your armor?”

“Yeah.”

“Cloak too?” When I gave her an affirmative hum, she added, “How the hell did you fit it all in there?”

“It folds up fairly compact,” I answered, unzipping the top for her.

She quickly peeked inside the backpack to see the neatly packed armor fit inside. “Wow. I was not expecting that. Did your mom actually have all of this in here? Just for you?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I think so. I’m the only person who could open it and the armor fits me perfectly. I just don’t know how.”

“That is so strange.” Vicky leaned back and scratched her head. “Like none of this makes sense.”

“Want me to add more to this mystery?” Her furrowed eyebrows was all the answer she needed for me to continue. “The lock didn’t open until I got powers.”

“You’re joking,” She gave me the most disbelieving look I’d ever seen on her.

“No, I’m not.”

“Taylor.” She said seriously. “Your mom is a cape, she had to be. There’s no way she couldn’t be if she knew all this. I just…”

“What?” I asked, trying to find out what she was thinking. After all, she’d been in the cape scene longer than I had been and was taking courses at the university on Parahumans.

“It just doesn’t make sense. You’re a Master with the power to summon a Valkyrie. You’d fit in as the daughter of Crusader.”

We both shared disgusted faces at that thought.

“Yet,” she continued, “all of this; having armor made for you, knowing that you would get powers, and having what I assume to be a Tinker made lock so only you could open it, seemed to be pointing at a high powered Thinker. Like seriously high powered. I don’t think the Protectorate has a Thinker that strong in the WEDGDG division.”

“WEDGDG?”

“Watchdog, a subgroup within the Protectorate. Mainly to stop economic or political manipulation by Parahumans.”

“Oh. Never knew that.” Learn something new everyday. 

“Most people don’t. But the point stands, your mom had to be one hell of a precog or knew a powerful Tinker.”

“I honestly don’t know how though. The only group she was ever part of was Lustrum in college.” I picked up the photo book and handed it to Vicky.

Her eyes opened wide as she stared at the photo. “Your mom was with Lustrum?” She slowly started turning the pages.

“Yeah. All she ever said was that she was a lieutenant, but not much more than that.”

“Taylor,” She said, the book on the page that had Mom and Lustrum looking at each other.

“Hmm?”

“Your mom was with Lustrum.”

Confused by the repeated words, I said, “Yea, I just said that.”

“No, Taylor.” She looked up and pointed at the picture again. “She was with Lustrum.”

I blinked a few times, still befuddled by what she meant. There had to be something she was trying to say but no matter how many times I tried to figure it out, it didn’t make sense.

Vicky groaned and smacked her face with the palm of her hand. “Your mom was dating Lustrum.”

“What? No she wasn’t.”

“Taylor, Lustrum literally has her hand on your moms ass. Actually, your mom is doing it too.”

Snatching the picture, I looked at it more closely. As Vicky said, they both were grabbing each other's asses. “But that doesn’t mean-”

“Tay.”

The simple nickname and her tone was all I needed to know that my excuse wasn’t going to work. I started flipping through the pages, looking for similar occurrences. 

And to my surprise, there was. Many more, actually. Several pictures, Mom had that same twinkling eye and bright smile at several members of the movement. To say my mind was blown was an understatement. It was shattered. Did Dad know about this? Did he know that Mom was dating other women, before or during their time together?

“You ok?” Vicky asked, breaking me from my reverie. 

“I don’t know. I never…”

Vicky looked at some of the pictures in the book and whistled. “Your mom got around.”

“VICTORIA!” I was so aghast at the idea that I hadn’t realized I used her full name. 

“What?” She said, acting innocent. “I’m just saying…”

“I really don’t need to think that my mom… got around.”

“Please, Taylor. That’s the least of your worries.” Her voice became more serious and I sobered at that. 

“What do you mean?”

Vicky gently closed the book and set it down. I noticed that she grabbed the note of Mom saying she was sorry about lying and laid it on top. “Lustum’s movement was poised to make massive changes in the world. Not just for women, but for so much more. At its front, the movement was for women’s rights.”

“I knew that.”

“But did you know that the movement was also for LGBT rights, racial equality, and was one of the first recorded movements to stand up to the Reagan administration, who started politicizing Parahumans into ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’.”

I was a little surprised by how much the movement involved, and how much Vicky knew about it. How did a feminist organization cover so many things? How come she never told me? “I… I never knew that. She didn’t really tell me a whole lot.” 

 She nodded solemnly, “I’m not surprised. Very little is known of that time, but it left a lasting effect on the cape world. It’s why New Wave cares so much about transparency and openness. That we take responsibility for our actions and don’t wish to hide what we do. Heroes don’t have to be part of the government.”

“I commend that. Gondul’s image is twisted because of the Empire and I’m trying to change that.”

Vicky nodded, “Yeah… if you were to unmask, it would make it a lot easier for people to realize you’d never be with the Empire.” She sounded like she was joking but I had a feeling she wasn’t. “But back to Lustrum, if it wasn’t for the strange occurrence of emasculation, they could have made significant changes to the country. The modus operandi of the movement didn’t include removing… that , yet out of nowhere, some women started torturing men. Maybe it was misconstrued or used for imprisoning Lustrum since her movement was incredibly supportive of trans rights. Quite advanced at the time.”

She wasn’t wrong. From what I knew, the movement seemed completely peaceful, even if it was armed to the teeth. Then out of nowhere, the emasculations happened and Lustrum graciously stepped up and took responsibility. No fuss, no fighting. 

Vicky picked up the note and held it out. “Do you know what this means?”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t. The only thing I could think it could be about was how involved she was with the movement.” 

“So she never told you what she did? Who was involved? Did you know that all of Lustrum’s lieutenants were capes? If your mom was among them, she had to have powers.” She waved the note around. “This is probably proof of that.”

I grabbed the piece of paper and tried to see if there was anything else on the letter but try as I might, nothing changed. “I didn’t know… I guess this is proof that she was a cape and this chest, all of this,” I gestured to all the documents and books, “was done around then. Did Lustrum have any inclination to old Norse?” She seemed to be far more knowledgeable of the movement, which bothered me slightly. An annoyance more directed at myself since I knew so little of my own mom’s past. 

Vicky pondered the question for a moment before shaking her head. “I don’t think so. You said all the notes were your mom’s handwriting.”

“I guess that’s a question only Lustrum or any of the capes from her movement could answer.”

“Which is nearly impossible. Lustrum is in the Birdcage and no one knows where the other lieutenants went.” She picked up the photo book again, flipped a few pages before she stopped on one that had Lustrum and the lieutenants next to each other. I had only briefly glanced at the photo before, but now that Vicky was looking at it, I felt the need to take a closer look.

Mom stood next to Lustrum, and on the other side was a woman who looked the youngest of them all and seemed to have an air of superiority to her. It wasn’t because of how she was dressed. Just like the others, she was wearing simple jeans and a faded tee shirt with a logo I couldn’t figure out. Nor was it the way she leaned against Lustrum, her blonde hair done up in a messy bun.

No, it was the piercing green eyes that held a fierce determination that reminded me a lot of Mom. The more I looked at her, the more I wondered who she was. I tried to recall  pictures with this mystery woman, but I couldn’t remember any. It seemed I needed to add another branch of research to the pile of things to do. 

Vicky’s finger traced over each member in the photo and she stopped on that fierce woman. Looking at my friend, I saw her deep in thought and I wondered if she knew something. “Recognize her?” I asked, hoping we might have a lead.

She looked at the photo for a moment before shaking her head. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t recognize any of these women. They must’ve all gone underground and finding them would be next to impossible.”

With a defeated sigh, she closed the photo book and handed it to me. I kind of wished I could dive right into the research, but Vicky’s voice broke my thought.

“Shit, these are unmasked capes… Taylor, this should stay in the chest with the rest of the stuff.”

Fuck, she was right. I quickly put the photo book into the chest where it probably should have been all along. A moment later, Vicky was looking into the chest once more. 

She reached out for the sword but stopped short. “I am quite worried about your sword just laying here unprotected. How come you don’t have a sheath?”

“I don’t know. There wasn’t one inside.”

“Strange. If she had all this ready for you, why wouldn’t there be a sheath too?” Her rhetorical question went unanswered. Vicky viewed the rest of the chest and picked up the key. “And this?”

“Don’t know. There was no note but it looks like a key to a storage unit.”

She nodded in agreement. “It does. Finding which one would be like finding a needle in a haystack, but it is at least one thing we could look into. I could probably look into that without too much suspicion if you let me borrow it one day.”

I wasn’t sure about letting her run off with it, but it would help immensely. My trust issues aside, I probably should let her try. Victoria had proven herself trustworthy, I needed to remind myself of that, so rather than trust my voice I just nodded.  She smiled and I felt my heart flutter as I looked away.

While Vicky set the key down, I peered into the chest again to grab the last item; the book. Gently picking up the ancient looking text, I placed it in my lap and traced the front, the raised edges of the lettering as I read the cover. “Seiðr,” I said slowly, my tongue contorting to the correct pronunciation with ease.

“Seiðr?” Vicky asked, her curiosity piqued tenfold. “The magic of the Norse Gods?”

“Not just Norse Gods, of Norse society,” I started babbling from the books we’d read. “An incredibly hard practice and one only done by women. It was said that it could alter reality and predict the future.”

“Why would your mom have that in the chest, separated from everything else?”

“I don’t know.” I opened the cover and started flipping the pages slowly. Vicky shifted, sitting next to me. I moved the book so we could both read it. 

My finger went to move the page, but she put her hand out and said, “Wait! Too fast.”

I chuckled and halted, letting her read. Unlike the last time I perused through the book, I was actually understanding it. It was a spellbook, one that went into excruciating detail on how to cast spells. But as I read it, I knew there was more to it. There seemed to be a fundamental aspect of how that process started, missing. 

Not that I believed that I would cast spells, since magic didn’t exist, but the concept of Seiðr was incredibly fascinating. Even Victoria seemed interested but I learned quickly that I read far faster than her.

“Wait,” she said, her tone harsher than she probably wanted but the way her eyes darted across the page was far too thrilling to watch than to care about her tone. “Ok, go ahead.”

I smiled and gently turned the page and we both started reading the next set of passages. 

We read in silence, seated on a rug near a lamp and were nearly a quarter through the book when I heard the front door close. Vicky and I looked at each other, eyes blinking before we realized that we had spent the rest of the day reading a single book.

“There’s something I’ve been noticing,” Vicky commented, breaking my focus.

“Hmm?” I hummed, forcing my eyes away from the captivating text. I saw her pick up one of the books nearby, one of which was ‘The Compendium’ and the book on the Norse Gods. Then she picked up the note that was in the photo book.

She turned her head, a perplexed look on her face. “Have you noticed that your Mom’s writing here,” she lifted the note, “Is similar here?” She pointed to the notes in the margins of the Norse Gods book. 

I nodded, “Yes, I did. Why?”

“Well, have you noticed that…” Vicky picked up ‘The Compendium’. “That this book has a very simila—”

“Taylor?”

“Shit,” I muttered, quickly closing the book and shoving everything back into the chest. Vicky stood and dusted off her clothes. She watched closely as I shut the chest and placed the lock back in its spot. Victoria grabbed one side of the blanket and helped cover the stash far faster than I managed on my own.

She gave me a smile, but I could tell she didn’t like the idea of having to hide the stuff. “Uhh, yeah?” I said, loud enough that he hopefully heard me. I looked back at Vicky and gestured for her to follow. The cats quickly hopped off their chosen perches and ran up the stairs ahead of us.

“Oh, you were in the basement?” He said as we both walked through the door.

“Yeah,” I stepped out of the way for Vicky to see my dad. We stood there in awkward silence before I realized I should do a greeting. “Uhh, Dad, this is Vick-Victoria.” Embarrassment filled me at the near fuck up. “Victoria, this is my Dad.”

She rolled her eyes playfully. “Just call me Vicky. Victoria sounds far too formal.” She held her hand out to Dad. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Hebert!”

Dad eyed her up and down, his eyebrow raising a little higher as he looked at the extended hand. He grabbed her hand and said, “Nice to meet my daughter’s friend. I hope she hasn’t rambled you to death.”

“DAD!” 

“I find it rather endearing actually,” Vicky winked at me, which didn’t help the heat that encompassed my face.

The two still hadn’t released their hands and I could see a slight strain in Dad’s arm. Was he- oh for gods sake. “Seriously?”

That snapped the two out of it, both of them looking sheepish at the fact that they were trying to one up one another. It was pointless considering Vicky was a Brute, but he still tried and she had humored him. 

Dad scratched the back of his head in embarrassment before coughing. “So, Victoria, will you be staying for dinner? I figured we could order pizza.”

Vicky looked at me, a small smile on her lips before she nodded. “If you don’t mind.”

“Of course not! Let me go change and I’ll place the order. Taylor, I- I’m not sure when you need to perform your… ritual, but you should know that it's almost sundown.”

Looking out the window and saw that he was right. “Thank you!” I said, quickly running to the altar. I heard Dad go up the stairs as Vicky stood besides me.

“So, what do you need to do?” She asked curiously.

I pulled out the matches and lit the stick. One by one, I started lighting the candles. “I’ll light the candles and say a small prayer. Then let the candles burn till they’re done.”

“Anything I could do to help?”

The question was so out of the blue and filled with so much care that I paused just as I was about to light another. Never once had anyone ever asked to help with one of my rituals. It was always Mom and I while Dad watched or did something else. Even Emma never bothered and usually left when the time came. 

“Do-Do you want to say the prayer with me?”

I finally looked up at her, flicking the match to blow out the flame. There was an indecipherable look on her face as her eyes seemed to pierce my very soul. As the seconds passed by, I started getting uncomfortable by it before she seemed to snap out of it, a big smile on her face. “Yeah, I would like that. Though, I don’t know what to do. Do I need to say specific words?” Her eyes went wide. “Wait, what if I say the wrong thing? I don’t want whatever Pagan gods there are to like, smite me or something. Though that would be amazing if they could do that through my-”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed and if the smirk on her face was any indication, she was doing it on purpose. “Ok, no nothing bad will happen,” I wheezed. “Mom never told me if there was a specific prayer, but the one I know is the one we used to do together. Do you have any women in your family who’ve passed that you miss dearly?”

Vicky nodded and looked deep in thought, her eyes turned distant and I could tell she had someone in mind. I wondered who but I didn’t want to pry. The Dallons and the Pelhams might be an open book, but there could be extended family members that wanted to keep their lives a secret. 

“What’s the prayer?” She asked after she recomposed herself.

I smiled and recited the prayer to her. She repeated the prayer a few times before she had it memorized. When she was ready, I went to light another match, only for her to pick it up and ignite it herself. She did the rest and when they were all lit, I glanced at her. 

She gave me a nod and I started the prayer. “On this night of Distings,” Vicky quickly repeated my words and we both started saying the rest of the prayer in unison. My eyes never strayed from Mom’s picture, memories of her coming to the forefront of my mind. “We prepare ourselves for the coming spring and know that winter’s grasp is slowly loosening. On this night, we also wish to honor the women ancestors of our line. For while they might be gone, they will never be forgotten, for their legacy lives on in us. As we honor our loved one, we hope that the coming year will be prosperous and hope to be renewed.”

It wasn’t until I finished that I noticed the tears running down my cheeks. A small hiccup escaped my lips and I felt warm hands wrap around me. I didn’t need to look to know that Vicky was holding me. When I turned my head to look at her, I saw that she had tears of her own dotting her eyes. 

The two of us stood there in silence before Dad came down the stairs and called in the pizza. I thought about asking him about Mom and her… love life, but I figured it could wait. Prepare myself for that kind of conversation as well as the other that I needed to have with him. When the pizza guy showed up at the door, we finally broke from our silence and had dinner. 

The three of us quickly grabbed our slices and started eating. Vicky’s presence eroded any awkwardness and for the first time in a long time, dinner felt nice.

Chapter Text

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

I knelt down on the roof and leaned against the raised edge of the rooftop. My gloved hand tapped on the cement in boredom. As I gazed to the street below, I couldn’t stop the onset of a yawn. 

Who knew the day I skipped school would be a day where absolutely nothing happened in the city. I didn’t know if Mom would have been disappointed or if she would’ve laughed at my predicament. Vicky couldn’t come; she was in school. Not that she knew I was out patrolling. If she did, she would’ve dissuaded me from going out. We still hadn’t managed a joint patrol since that first one, but I had a good feeling about the coming weekend. 

In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have gone out, but I didn’t want to deal with the bullshit at school. Sophia might not be causing any further issues, but Emma had only redoubled her efforts and the amount of messages in my inbox was a constant reminder. It seemed like the threats were non stop today and I didn’t want to risk it. Not when Leo wanted me dead. 

As happy as I was to ditch school for the day, I wished Vicky was here to alleviate the boredom. Ever since she had been at my house, we’d been discussing possible leads about my Mom and her past. The entire Lustrum leadership situation had us puzzled and we wanted to find more information about them. Sadly, all the leads we’d found so far were dead ends. All information about Lustrum had been scrubbed away, except for the fact that she was in the Birdcage. 

I could only imagine the blackout was caused by someone looking to protect the remaining members. Mom wouldn’t want anything getting back to us and I’d imagine it was the same for the other women. One question that needled my mind was what had happened to necessitate the information lockdown?  Why did all of the women need to hide after the fallout that sent Lustrum to the Cage?

It felt like I was poking at one big conspiracy.

Nonetheless, this new mystery had halted all progress to our usual studies. In addition Vicky was busy yesterday, and coordinating our investigations over text and calls was proving to be frustrating. She had said something big was going to happen with her family soon but she didn’t elaborate and I wasn’t sure what it could be. I hadn’t heard of anything noteworthy happening with her family recently, so maybe New Wave had a big announcement planned?

A beeping of a horn from below broke my thoughts and I quickly leaned over the side. All I saw was just a disgruntled driver blaring his horn at the car in front of him, who was waiting for the pedestrians to cross. I could go down there and show myself, but with how my image was still evoking the Empire’s name, I knew it wouldn’t go as well as I hoped. 

With a deep sigh, I summoned my Valkyrie, her body slowly forming as the wisps joined together. When she was fully manifested, she snapped her spear, awaiting my command. No matter how many times I’d seen her, it still amazed me that she was my power. Powers were bullshit. That I was able to make an incredibly detailed projection that looked like a real person was complete and utter bullshit. And let’s not forget how realistic she tended to be sometimes.

Ready to rid myself of my boredom, I sent an order to my Valkyrie.

Pick me up and take off into the air. Conduct patrol route five.

In one fluid motion, my Valkyrie’s spear disappeared and she flew straight at me, her arms scooping me into a bridal carry, and rocketing into the air. As the weeks had passed, I’d gotten used to the feeling of being carried by her but there was still a longing in my heart to be able to soar on my own. Several dreams of mine involved flying alongside Vicky and my Valkyrie that I desperately wished were real. 

We flew through the air, weaving between the buildings before we were just outside of downtown. My Valkyrie continued for a little bit before I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Ordering her to land on one of the offices, she gently let me out of her hand, her spear appearing in her hand in a flash of light. I walked to the edge to get a closer look. 

On the taller building nearby, I saw a familiar sight. A large white raven. It was different from the one I saw on my first outing. Same size, but it had pristine pearlish white feathers instead of midnight black the other one had. Its eyes were different too, a light blue, nearly silver, that seemed to glow in the sunlight. But just like the other one, it was staring at me. This one didn’t caw or trill, but it just as eerily watched like a silent arbiter. 

Two ravens in a city with no ravens? It was as if Odi—

Before I could finish that thought, I heard a cough from behind.

I twisted, my sword coming out in a flourish. I had spent many hours in the basement practicing with my impossibly light blade, and it was starting to pay off. At the same time, my Valkyrie readied herself and we both faced the newcomer. 

Floating in the air with a layer of a white body double or clone, was Crusader. He was wearing what looked like chainmail armor and had a large spear in his hand. It wasn’t nearly as cool as my Valkyrie’s, and the fact that it was ten feet long made me think he was compensating for something. 

It wasn’t lost on me how similar our powers were and I’d actively tried to put it out of my mind. It’d be some twisted sick game by Loki if we were related in any capacity. When the media first started their smear campaign and compared me to Crusader, I had looked into the neo-Nazi. Turns out, his clones were Manton limited, able to pass through inorganic matter and interact with organic matter. But unlike his clones, my Valkyrie could interact with both. And my Valkyrie could take a punch. 

“Gondul,” His voice was filled with a man who was too full of himself. “You are a surprisingly hard woman to contact.”

I tightened my grip on my sword and my Valkyrie did the same.

“Whoa, now!” He said, holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture. “No need to get all uppity. I’m just here to chat.”

“What do you want, Nazi.”

“Now, now, is that any way to talk to a fellow cape using the Nors-”

“We are nothing alike,” I snarled, interrupting the Empire cape. He looked more like a medieval knight cosplayer reject than some figure from Norse mythology. 

Crusader was quiet for a few seconds, motionless in the air while being ‘carried’ by his clones. His helmet made it quite hard to read his emotions but I’d imagine he didn’t like being interrupted, not that I cared.

“Well, that’s rather rude. I’m just here to have a friendly chat.”

Friendly. Yeah right. I knew why he was here. It was only a matter of time before the Empire would try to recruit Gondul. It made sense that they would send the cape with a similar powerset as some sort of comradery. Even if it was a moot point.

When I didn’t reply, Crusader continued. “Alright, I’ll cut to the chase. We want you to join the Empire. You would be a good addition to the cause, to make the American Dream come true. You’d fit right into the Empire, and with your image and powers you exemplify a Valkyrie of Norse Mythology, and we appreciate that. Unlike the PRT, we wouldn’t want you to change your image.”

I scoffed and tried to ignore the fact that he was at least right about the PRT, “Because unlike the Empire, it’s my heritage. I doubt anyone in your gang could say they were Scandinavian.”

“Strong blood runs through your veins, I like that.” It sounded like he didn’t believe that either. Probably a common talking point among them. “So you wou-”

“But there's a few things you're wrong about.” I took a step closer, “The American Dream is a farce, pure propaganda. It’s only a smoke screen created by the rich elites to give a glimmer of hope for the poor lives everyone has. But then again, you’re a Nazi, you’d agree to the poor, non-white people to remain in destitute or worse, dead, just so you can keep trying to chase that ridiculous idea.”

“How-”

“Secondly, your entire concept of Norse Mythology is incorrect.” I knew I was only speaking from the text Mom left behind, but I’d rather believe those than what the Empire parroted and what our world knew. “I know that it is naive idealism to think I could reclaim the legacy you’ve stained.  I do, however, intend to do just that.”

“But-”

“And thirdly, one you won’t know, but there is no way in the Nine Realms would I ever join the Empire. You are a blight on this city, country, and world. I would never align myself with fascists and to be frank, you people have already tried to kill me and I doubt that will ever change.”

“Who is-”

“Are you seriously going to ask that question? What? In some vain attempt to stop whoever is trying to kill me just so I could join you? Stop and ask yourself the simple question first, why would they be trying to kill me?”

He growled at that, and it was risking my identity a bit, but it seemed he was finally getting the fact that I wouldn’t join. I had wondered just how much leeway Kaiser had given him when making his pitch, but I wasn’t even going to entertain his offer long enough to find out. “Alright, bitch-”

I chuckled ruefully. “Ah, there’s the Nazi I was expecting. The proverbial mask has fallen off.”

He didn’t say anything. Instead, I saw three clones appear from his body and start floating towards me, spears pointed at me as they started their charge.

Destroy the clones and go after the villain.

My Valkyrie, quick as lightning, leapt into the air, powerful wings rocketing her into the first clone. Two of the clones aimed their spears at her, but she easily batted them out of the way with her shield. Her own spear struck the first clone in the chest, piercing through the body like it was paper before the clone evaporated.

In truth, I didn’t expect my Valkyrie to be able to interact with them in any way considering she wasn’t organic, yet I was just as surprised as Crusader. Even his remaining clones stopped midway in shock. But not my Valkyrie.

She twisted in the air, her spear twirling above her head before the blade slashed through the second clone from shoulder to hip. 

Crusader finally realized the threat I posed and started creating more of his clones, a stream of them coming towards us. My Valkyrie blocked the previous clone, her spear disappearing in her hand as she moved right up next to it. Holding her hand out, she summoned her spear again, the weapon appearing within the clone. With a quick pull, the clone was destroyed. 

As astonished as I was at my Valkyrie’s fighting prowess, I had my own problems to contend with as I saw three clones break off, their spears aimed at me. The first one jabbed with its spear, an easy enough attack to dodge. The second one tried the same, but was met with air instead. 

Before the third could hit me, I flicked the sword in an attempt to parry the spear even though it wouldn’t work. The sword was metal and would pass through it.

Much to my surprise, there was a dull thud as my sword hit the shaft of the spear, knocking it away. With no time to unravel the mystery behind that, I rushed in and stabbed the clone with my sword. In a swirl of light, the clone evaporated before my eyes.

Before I could even mentally celebrate, I felt piercing pain in my side and liquid started to run down my skin. Wincing as I twisted, I swiped my sword at the clone that dared to hit me and beheaded the projection before it disappeared. A glance down told me all I needed to know, Crusader’s ghost had managed to hit a gap in my armor.

I made short work of the third one, dodging out of the way of its attack and destroying it with a simple stab. When I looked over at my Valkyrie, I saw most of the clones were gone. She had faint lines on her where wisps of light were drifting off into the air. Crusader had yet to move, but I could tell from his stance that he had not been expecting me to dispatch the clones anywhere near this quickly. 

Not wanting him to continue sending more clones, I dashed past the remaining clones with my sword poised to strike. Crusader realized what I was planning seconds before I was upon him and summoned a clone to stop me, only for a simple swing of my sword to destroy it before it could fully form. 

“Shit—” He rose into the air and away from my reach. “How— that’s not—”

“Get down here! Are all Nazis cowards like you!?”

I looked over to my Valkyrie and gave her an order.

Finish the clones and chase after him!

My Valkyrie didn’t need clarification as she cut down the remainder in a single  flourish and was ready to fly but when I looked back to where the villain was, he had disappeared. I looked around, even venturing to the edge of the building but there was no sign of him. There wasn’t a shift in the air, so he couldn’t have gotten help. 

When I looked down the street, I saw a dimly glowing body swerving between cars and pedestrians several blocks away before he took a turn. My Valkyrie was about to fly but I held up my hand. “Stop. He’s too far and I’d rather not risk anyone getting hurt.”

My Valkyrie relaxed and returned to her stoic stance while I looked around to see if Crusader had caused any damage or hurt anyone. People looked up in my direction and I knew this was going to be all over PHO. A defeated sigh escaped my lips. “This is going to be a shitshow,” I commented to my Valkyrie.

She continued to look at me but I felt like she understood what I meant. 

“Let’s go home,” I said. One meeting with the Empire was enough. I looked over to where the raven had been, already knowing I wouldn’t see it upon the rooftop perch. 

Shaking my head, I looked at my Valkyrie, who nodded. Her spear disappeared and she held out her hands. We were flying in the air not a moment later and we were on our way back to the park where I could change and take care of the cut on my side.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

As I came upon the house, I knew something bad was going to happen. Seeing Aunt Zoe’s car in the driveway this early was not a good sign. Steeling myself, I skipped over the step and entered the house. 

Sitting on the couch with both cats was Aunt Zoe. Her jacket was hanging over the sofa and she was wearing skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. She had her phone in her free hand, scrolling through it with disinterest. When the door opened, she looked up, setting the phone aside. 

“Taylor,” She said in her ‘I’m not happy with you’ voice. 

“Uhh, Hi, Aunt Zoe.”

“Don’t act so innocent, Taylor. Is there a reason why you weren’t at school? Why did I have to get a phone call from the school about you skipping? And why are you ignoring Emma’s texts?”

Emma. This was just another way to torture me; get her mom to confront me for something as dumb as missing school or not ‘responding’ to her texts. “I’m sorry, Aunt Zoe, I just… there’s… I-I’m still getting used to the phone.” It was a weak response, but I didn’t have anything better.

Aunt Zoe let out a deep breath and slowly stood. The cats meowed their annoyance but that didn’t deter the women. “Taylor,” She said as she walked up to me, “You’re a smart girl. I don’t believe one instant that you couldn’t figure out how to use the phone. If your father could, so can you. You figured out the laptop rather quickly. And why were you skipping school?” 

Fuck.  “I-uhh— you see— the thing is—” No matter what sort of way out of this I could think of, they all fell flat when her blue eyes continued to bore into me. 

“Taylor, what’s going on,” She prodded. 

So much was going through my mind and it was made worse not only by her flinty stare but the presence in the back of my head trying to break free. As thankful as I was for my powers being there for me, I couldn’t do that. Especially not to Aunt Zoe. A single thought rang through my mind that I feared would make this worse, just like it always did whenever I told someone about the bullying. This might be the moment I lost Aunt Zoe and I had to hold back the tears at the thought.

I pulled out my phone and went to the messages, showing her a glimpse of my reasoning for skipping school.

Zoe’s eyes bulged as they darted across the small screen. “May I?” She asked, her hand out to hold the phone. 

I dropped it into her hand and let her search. Her face showed concern as she continued to read the messages. “Taylor…” She said as she glanced up. “Are these—”

“I don’t know who they’re from, but I get them all the time and this morning I got a particularly bad one that I didn’t want to risk something happening. Out of all of those, there’s only one person I ever gave my number to, and that's Vicky.”

“Taylor, these are threats. Death threats. Ones that should be taken seriously.”

“It’s no different than what I hear at school all the time.”

“And what is Emma—” She stopped as she continued to scroll through the messages. She must have found something because her eyes bugged out and her mouth gaped. “Are these… I knew you should have gone to Arcadia. You would have been saf—”

Then all of a sudden, an intense cold anger roiled off of her. I burrowed into my hoodie as I waited for the lashing that was coming. She was going to blame me for what was happening, that it was my fault that I was being bullied by everyone at school.

When I thought she was going to explode, she took a deep breath and asked, “Taylor, can I borrow your phone for a moment?”

“Not like I really have a choice,” She had my phone in her hand and she was the one who gave it to me, so it wasn’t like she couldn’t just take it anyway. Emma made threats like that all the time. 

“I— what? Honey, of course you have a choice. I promise I will be right back with it if you let me.”

That… was not what I was expecting. “Uhh, ok?”

A small but strained smile was on her face. “I will be right back.” She grabbed her jacket and walked out of the house. I heard her car start up and leave the driveway in a hurry. 

“What the hell just happened?” I asked no one in particular. 

“ Mrrrw ,” Treacle replied.

I sighed and sat on the couch. Both cats instantly leapt into my lap and nudged me for attention. There was not much else I could do at the moment. Since Aunt Zoe was not going to come back, I would need to call Vicky to let her know about it. Good thing I had memorized her number. 

A sudden pressure on my shoulder nearly made me jump. Looking up I saw my Valkyrie standing behind the couch and awkwardly patting my shoulder with more force than was comfortable. It was a bumbling attempt, meant to be reassuring, but she had no idea what she was doing. 

Filing the somewhat alarming automatic summoning for later, I said, “Thank you.”

The Valkyrie nodded stiffly and continued her ministrations.

Some time later, I heard a vehicle pull up. I quickly dismissed my projection right before the door opened. To my surprise, Aunt Zoe came strolling in. She was furious , beat red and fuming at the ears. When her eyes landed on me, she calmed down. “Here you go, honey,” She handed me my phone back. “I will be talking to the provider about changing your number, so we can stop those nasty messages once and for all.”

I was stunned into silence. Since when has anyone actually helped me? What just happened that caused this? Was it really because of the threats? All those questions spiraled in my head and I was barely able to squeak out a response. “Ok.”

“I’m going to be talking to the administration about this. One way or another, this is going to stop. I promised to watch over you, Taylor, and I am going to keep that promise.” She muttered something else that I couldn’t hear.

There was no response I could scrounge up to that. For the past year and a half, I’d been doing things on my own. I had never expected someone to actually give a damn.

“Oh, and Taylor?” She added.

“Hmm?”

“If Emma does anything, let me know.”

Again I couldn’t find the words to respond. All I could do was nod. This whole thing was bizarre. Since when did anyone care about me? I honestly doubt she’s going to do anything about Emma but that statement told me she saw the messages Emma had sent. 

Only time would tell if something would actually be done about it.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Friday, February 4th, 2011

My phone nearly bounced out of my hand as the bus hit a particularly big pothole. I wasn’t the only one disoriented by the event as several teenagers were shouting their own displeasure at the bus driver. The poor woman was so frazzled by the rants and was desperately trying to keep the bus on the road. Ignoring the chatter, I returned to the post I had just found that disturbed me.

‘Squealer has escaped from the PRT holding cell’

Disappointment couldn’t describe how I was feeling when I first read the title. At some point last night, Skidmark had made a move on the PRT, breaking his girlfriend out with a group of Merchant mooks. There wasn’t a lot of detail about how the escape had transpired, but the fact that it happened annoyed me. I knew the PRT was a revolving door, but this felt ridiculous. Not only that, but if I had decided to go to school yesterday and patrolled at night, I might’ve stopped it. 

Leaving that article, I continued my search for any information about me from yesterday. Surprisingly, I hadn’t found any new articles about my meeting with Crusader. I half expected to see numerous news outlets proclaiming my allegiance to the Empire once more, but surprisingly, there weren’t any. Did no one notice Crusader leaving the building that I was on top of? Did they not notice me? 

Maybe it would only be a matter of time before the media incorrectly assumed Gondul was with the Empire, again.

The bus came to a sudden stop and I looked up, noticing that we’d arrived at school. Everyone started hopping off the bus, cursing the bus driver on their way out. It was despicable. I slowly rose from my seat, mouthing ‘sorry’ to her before I stepped off myself. 

Nothing seemed different as I walked into the building, but I felt something was going to happen. I kept an eye out for Leo and his groupies. But as I walked through the halls, they weren’t anywhere to be seen. Keeping my fears in check of anything they might do, I opened my locker without a hitch and quickly swapped my books around.

My locker hadn’t been tampered with in quite some time and I found myself relieved that particular game had run its course. My musings were cut short when I heard someone cry out my name from down the hallway. “TAYLOR, YOU FUCKING BITCH!”

I slammed my locker and looked down the hall, students parting like Jörmungandr had awakened from his slumber to reveal a very angry Emma. She came marching towards me, her face the same red as her hair and there was a glint in her eye that I hadn’t seen before. Madison was hopelessly trying to keep up, but she eventually stopped and stood to the side, her face filled with surprise and apprehension. 

“What, Emma.” I said, keeping my tone even.

Emma didn’t respond with words. Instead, I saw her hand come up and a stinging sensation lit up my cheeks before I realized she had slapped me in the face. 

I leveled my gaze down at the redhead as I rubbed my cheek, the chatter in the hallway becoming white noise in the background. Taking a deep breath, I said, “Was that necessary?”

“Don’t you DARE act like you don’t know.”

I furrowed my eyebrow. “What the hell are you talking about?”

She didn’t like that response as her fist balled and she tried to punch me. It was a lousy attempt and I saw it coming from a mile away. Her fist headed straight for my face and I easily caught it within my grasp. 

The hallway went silent, several people gasping in surprise. Even Emma was shocked for a moment before her face turned into a snarl. “FUCK YOU!”

I had never seen her so unhinged before. Countless times I’d seen her angry, but it was always cold. This… this was hot, burning with fiery hatred. It surprised me enough that she managed to pull her fist from my grip.

Emma tried to punch again, a quick block stopped that attempt. She tried to kick my shin, which I easily stepped aside and her foot hitting the lockers with a loud clang. She winced but her anger overpowered any pain she felt.

“What. Is. Wrong. With. You?” I said in between hits. 

She stepped back, winded by the exertion. Bewilderment etched on her face. “How can you possibly not know!”

All I could do was continue to be confused. “Not know what?”

My reply was apparently not what she wanted to hear if the deep snarling growl was any indication. “You’re such a fucking idiot! You stole my mom! You-you-you-” She didn’t—couldn’t—say anymore. She instead started flailing her arms again. 

I was too shocked to block or dodge the attacks by her admittance. I stole her mom? How could I— then it hit me. Aunt Zoe had left in a hurry after seeing the contents of my phone. Did she go home? Was that why she wanted me to tell her if Emma did anything again? Something bad must’ve happened since Emma was actively trying to hurt me in the middle of the hallway before the first period. 

While most of her punches—which were really slaps at this point— felt like bee stings, one in particular hit me in the eye, temporarily blinding me from the impact. It was enough for me to snap out of it and focus on her. “Seriously Emma,” I said as I blinked my eyes a few times. “This was all your own damn fault. You gave everyone my phone number, you started sending me threats. Did you really think Aunt Zoe wouldn’t look at my phone when you tried to sic her on me because I didn’t respond to them? Get a fucking break. You deserve whatever punishment she gave you.”

“You-you-you- Paganistic faggot!” She screamed out even as she continued her flimsy attempts to hurt me. Another few slaps to the cheek and insults were nothing compared to the torment she’d given me. Not only that, but they paled in comparison to the bullshit I had to deal with as a cape. Being seen as a Nazi was far more tortuous than her finally using my religion as a means to offend me.

Over her incessant buzzing, I heard a few whispers among the crowd.

“ He’s Pagan? ”

“ Is that a thing? That’s not right.”

“No wonder he’s so weird.”

Besides the misgendering, it honestly wasn’t as bad as I thought. Sure, it wasn’t great, but I expected far worse. It could be that they didn’t understand the ramifications of it yet. If Leo and his goonies heard it though… they would be after me for not being a Christian pretty quickly. Some people like to believe that you could have the freedom to express your religion in this country, but that’s only true in certain areas. Here in Brockton Bay, you were a walking target by the Empire if you didn’t hide that you weren’t a Christian.

It’s why it always surprised me that Elli’s shop hadn’t been destroyed, considering it was dead center of Empire territory and was clearly not Christian. 

“You fucking asshole!” Emma yelled again. “You couldn’t just be the piece of shit you are and stay down! You and your freakishness ruined my family! Why couldn’t you have been normal!?”

I was stunned. That was the most honest thing I’d heard from her in a long time. Whatever her grievances were with me, they seemed to stem back to some point in the past. Could it really be dated back to my transition? She hadn’t seemed bothered by it back then, why would she have an issue now? These were questions I knew I wouldn’t get an answer to, but it did allow me a chance to glimpse what caused her to betray me.

Sadly, due to my astonishment, I’d become numb to her attacks until she landed a particularly low blow. Right to my groin. The pain that erupted burned like a thousand suns and I couldn’t stop myself from kneeling. A part of my body that I despised so much, was used against me. As much as I tried, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling, whether from physical pain or mental anguish, it was too much for me. 

“Seriously? What the fuck!” I dimly heard a new voice over the chatter and laughter from teenagers before I realized who said it. Sophia. Looking up, I saw Sophia standing in front of me, holding Emma back. 

“Get the fuck out of the way you bitc—” Emma stopped herself, her eyes going wide as she stared at Sophia who had caught her flailing arm by the wrist. The entire hallway fell silent besides the scuffling I heard from the side.

Then I felt hands on my shoulders, causing me to turn to see Charlotte with worry filled eyes. “Are you ok?” She whispered.

I nodded mutely, unable to say words because of the lingering ache. Turning my gaze back up to Emma and Sophia, I waited to see what was about to happen.

“What did you just say?” Sophia growled. 

“I-Uhh- It was jus—”

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Emma. I’ve had enough of it. For far too long I stood to the side while you pulled this… I don’t even know what to call it. It’s so fucking pointless.”

“Soph—”

“Don’t.” Sophia snarled, interrupting Emma again. “You don’t get to try and justify your stupid reasoning.”

“But, I was just…”

“Just what? Whatever you were about to say went out the door the instant you decided to use the Empire for your own sick pleasure.”

“That’s not what I was—” Emma halted again. Whatever she was seeing in Sophia’s face was enough to make her realize it was pointless.

“Honestly, Emma, you’re practically with the Empire already.”

Several gasps in the hallway was nothing compared to the ramification Sophia just laid out. The physical pain in my groin might have subsided, but I couldn’t make myself stand up. The crushing weight of hate I had for my body kept me down. 

“Our friendship is over, if it even was one,” Sophia said after several seconds of silence. 

“You— but—we can—” Emma stammered but couldn’t respond properly. Before she could try and say a word, a loud authoritative voice spoke above everyone.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

The hallway parted much as it had before and marching down the passage was none other than Principal Blackwell. Dressed in a formal black suit jacket and skirt, she strode down the hallway with purpose. An irritated look in her eye, she stopped just before the four of us. “What is going on?!”

None of us said anything, scared of what could happen because of her. The few times I’d interacted with her, it never went well. Whenever I brought up the bullying, she dismissed it since I didn’t have concrete evidence. But nothing was going to stop the scene she came upon with me on my knees, slightly beaten, while Sophia was blocking Emma. 

“Emma started it!” Someone yelled out from the crowd. Many others joined in and suddenly the hallway was bustling with noise.

Principal Blackwell was not having any of it of course and said, “All of you, go to class.” Her eyes zeroed in on us and continued, “You four, to my office. Now.”

Everyone in the hallway scattered, not wanting to face the wrath of the principal. Funny how everyone was scared of her yet she did nothing to stop the problems of this school. The principal waited a few seconds before turning around and walking back to her office. 

Emma let out a huff and marched down the hallway, probably to hopefully smooth this over before any of us got there. Sophia wasn’t far behind her but stopped a few feet away before glancing over her shoulder. Her intervention had surprised me, nevermind how she apparently ended her friendship with Emma. 

I half expected her to say something but instead she came back and held a hand out. I stared at the hand, wondering what she was doing, fearing that this was just another attempt to hit me, but as I looked up into her eyes, all I saw was determination mixed with slight worry.

Charlotte's voice pulled my gaze away from the hand for a moment. “You ok to stand?”

My eyes landed on her and I nodded. “Yeah.”

Sophia stepped back slightly as I reached out and grabbed the offered limb. Rough callous fingers grasped my palm and I felt the strength in them. Sophia easily helped me to my feet. I stood on unsteady feet and closed my eyes, a shudder of a sigh escaping my lips. Breathe in, breathe out. I mentally prepared myself for any remarks from Sophia but none came. When the crushing feeling subsided, I started forward. Sophia and Charlotte walked besides me, both staying close to me. 

The few stragglers in the hallway had their eyes on us the entire time. I tried not to let it affect me, but that was easier said than done. Having my groin kicked, a big reminder of my own body problems, in front of the whole school was something I really didn’t like. Sophia and Charlotte acted like a shield, though that was more of Sophia’s doing than Charlotte’s. It was… odd, the act taking me by complete surprise. I never expected Sophia to do these things, let alone for me. Even the simple gesture of pulling me up was a completely foreign concept when it was from Sophia. Something had changed between us and I wasn’t hating it. 

Maybe I should make a habit of fighting Nazis with her?

We made it to the office in silence, only my two companion’s concerned eyes glancing at me on occasion. Sophia opened the door for me and I nodded my thanks. Sitting in the chairs outside of the office was Emma. A brief glance inside the office showed Principal Blackwell was on the phone with someone. 

Sophia sat down first, a chair apart from Emma acting as a buffer. Charlotte and I sat in the seats next to Sophia, as far away as possible from Emma. The four of us sat in silence as the bell rang for the first period. What felt like hours passed before a familiar person appeared.

Aunt Zoe. 

She had a furious gaze as her eyes swept over the four of us. When they were upon me, they softened a little. Principal Blackwell walked out of her office and met Aunt Zoe at the door. “Mrs. Barnes. Thank you for coming on short notice. Considering that you were on the contact list for two of these girls, I figured you’d be best to call.”

Aunt Zoe looked at the principal and didn’t seem that impressed with her. “Thank you for calling me. When you told me that Emma and Taylor were in a fight… Well, I had to come down.” Her eyes wandered towards me and there was something in them I couldn’t describe. Could it be about what she told me yesterday?

Principal Blackwell nodded. “Then feel free to come in,” She looked at us and said, “You four as well. I want a full account of this altercation.”

There was a brief moment of silence where no one moved before the sound of chairs scraping on the linoleum floor signaled the four of us getting up and walking into the Principal’s office. 

The office itself wasn’t anything spectacular. Several filing cabinets on one side, labels depicting the alphabet on the outside for each section. On the other wall hung a few placards of accolades that Principal Blackwell accumulated over the years. Not that it showed in how she ran Winslow. In the center was a large desk with a computer on it with several folders already set out. I briefly saw my name on one of them and the thickness of it was not encouraging.

There were only two chairs inside and the Principal quickly directed who’d sit where. “Miss Barnes, Miss Hebert, please have a seat.”

My hands went into the pocket of my hoodie so nobody would see my nervous fidgeting from the building anxiety that was close to boiling over. Plopping into the indicated seat, I waited for whatever punishment I was going to be given, only dimly aware of the three standing behind me. Emma would get her wish and Aunt Zoe would finally stop coming by. She too would forsake me. 

“Now,” Principal Blackwell said as she sat in her own chair and crossed her arms, her eyes on Emma and I. “What happened?”

Emma was quick to spin her fabricated story. “I was minding my own business when Taylor marched up to me and punched me out of the blue. She was so angry and spouting nonsense—”

I tuned out the rest of her story. It didn’t matter, not anymore. All I felt was numbness. Eventually Emma stopped and Principal Blackwell looked at me with expectant eyes. 

“Well? Have anything to say for yourself?”

“What does it matter,” I muttered, trying not to think about the turmoil of emotions in me. “Not like what I said mattered in the past.”

There was an awkward silence before Principal Blackwell said, “Well, if that’s your ca—”

“Emma’s lying,” Charlotte spoke up, surprising everyone. I saw Principal Blackwell look over my head.

“Well, what’s your side of the story, Miss Hoffman?”

I glanced over my shoulder to see Charlotte squirming in place as everyone’s attention was on her. “I— Well, I was trying to meet Taylor in the morning like we always do only to find everyone had gathered in the hallway, making it hard to get through. Whe-when I got through, I saw Emma hitting Taylor like a maniac and yelling things before she kicked Taylor in a… not so pleasant place.” Charlotte looked everywhere except for me and I appreciated that she was being nice about the whole thing.

“Not so pleasant place?” Principal Blackwell’s eyebrows furrowed. “Care to elaborate?”

“Uhh…” Charlotte finally looked at me but it wasn’t me who spoke.

“Emma kicked her in the crotch,” Sophia snapped, shocking everyone into silence for a moment.

“I see…” Principal Blackwall said, breaking the silence. “And I am to assume that Taylor is innocent in this exchange? I am hearing different stories that don’t match up and if I don’t get a proper account, I will have to punish both of you—”

“Taylor’s innocent,” Aunt Zoe said with such conviction and fire in her voice that it reminded me of yesterday.

“How so? You weren’t there and there are many times she has come to me, beyond the…issues she has, and never once has it been verified by anyone else. This is the first time that two students appear to be doing so and that’s a little suspicious. Especially since Miss Hess was once one of those who she complained about.”

Sophia looked away, opting to stare at the wall at that bit of information. Good. She should feel something considering the torment she put me through. One act of decency didn’t erase the multitude of things she had done to me in the past.

“Because,” Aunt Zoe said, “Emma was grounded last night. For reasons that trace back to your very school. At this rate, I am seeing a gross negligence on the administration if you allow a student to not only be punished when she was beaten, but to have been sent death threats from other students. I’m honestly ashamed of you.”

“I’m sorry, but death threats? This is the first time I’m hearing this.”

Aunt Zoe walked to stand right behind Emma and I. She put a hand on both of us but I could tell that Emma was not getting the comforting squeeze I was since she winced. 

“Considering the lack of action from previous complaints, I wonder why.” Aunt Zoe stopped her ministrations and pointed to my file. “May I see her file?”

Principal Blackwell Placed her hand on top of the file and held it there. “I’m afraid I can’t. You are not her legal guardia—”

“Except I am.” She said with such surety that it stopped Principal Blackwell cold. It surprised me too since I never heard of that. “After Taylor’s mother’s death, her father and I went through the process to ensure she had a guardian should anything happen to him. It should be in her file.”

I briefly saw Emma glance my way and the look of pure hatred nearly made me flinch. If it wasn’t for the comforting presence in the back of my head, I would have. Principal Blackwell was flabbergasted and opened my file, flipping through the pages at a furious pace. She stopped and read one particular page before she slammed the file closed.

“I see, but that still doesn’t—”

“The file please.”

Principal Blackwell was not prepared for the fury that was Aunt Zoe. She handed it over with a bit of hesitation, only momentarily holding onto it before Aunt Zoe ripped it from her grasp.

Aunt Zoe quickly opened it and flipped to a section of the file and started reading. It didn’t take her long before an angry huff escaped her lips and she snapped the file closed. “What I am reading proves my point, Principal Blackwell. In each case, three girls were involved and each time you took their word.”

“But without eviden—”

“The fact that it happened numerous times should be enough for a proper investigation!”

At least Principal Blackwell had the decency to pretend she was penitent under the cold fury being directed at her. I was still in shock that Aunt Zoe was taking my side over Emma’s, protecting me in the process.

“So you want me to punish your daughter?” She asked in a muted tone. 

“Considering if a fraction of this is true? She should have been a long time ago.”

“Interesting homelife,” Principal Blackwell muttered under her breath that I think no one heard except for myself. I had to admit, I was curious too. “Very well. But I’m afraid I can’t have Taylor entirely—” She stopped briefly before sighing. No doubt Aunt Zoe was giving her quite the look. “Miss Barnes, you will be suspended for the next three school days.”

“Wha-but—”

“No buts. As for the rest of you, especially you Miss Hebert and Miss Hess, you will be monitored. Step one foot out of line and you will receive detention.”

“Yes, Principal Blackwell,” I said begrudgingly.

Sophia’s response was a bit more gruff and nonchalant. “Yeah, whatever.”

“Then please leave my office. Mrs. Barnes, take your daughter.”

Aunt Zoe nodded, “I will. Come, Emma. We need to have a talk.”

Emma slumped before getting up, she looked completely shell shocked as she walked out of the office while Charlotte, Sophia, and I followed behind Aunt Zoe. I had barely stepped outside the office before Principal Blackwell slammed the door behind me. 

When we gathered outside, Aunt Zoe turned to me, a worried look on her face. “Taylor, I hope the rest of the day goes well for you. I will be talking to you later about… what has transpired in the past.”

I nodded. “Ok, Aunt Zoe.”

She nodded and turned to Emma. “To the car. Now.”

Emma didn’t dignify her mom with a response, instead she started walking towards the exit. Aunt Zoe followed her and before she walked through the doors, she glanced over her shoulder. She mouthed, “Be safe.” Then she was gone, leaving the three of us in the hallway.

Charlotte and I looked at each other before our eyes landed on Sophia. She was doing her best to not look like this event affected her, but I could tell she was shaken. I don’t think she knew that I complained about her as much as I did and the fact that Emma finally got some justice, she was probably worrying she was next.

But the thing was, I wasn’t really worried about her. Not anymore. She’d stopped her bullying, of me at least, and I hadn’t heard Charlotte say anything about the athlete. She also told the entire school that she was done being friends with Emma, which reinforced her recent actions, or inactions I should say. 

“Come on,” I said, breaking the two out of their stupor. “Let’s go to class.”

Neither of them complained and we quickly made it to class before the end of first period.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

The cacophony of voices reached my ears when I braved the cafeteria for lunch. Charlotte went into line to grab what passed for food while I tried to find a spot for us to eat. Without Emma here, it felt safer, if only a little. The only thorn would be Leo and his lackeys, but after what happened with Emma, I hoped they wouldn’t be that dumb.

As I looked around, you could tell what tables were for which groupies and wannabe gang members. It was rather comical how you could tell that the gang members were the furthest from each other; whether on purpose or by accident. I’d imagine that if they were any closer, there would be more attacks and attempted murders at the school. 

Near the center of the cafeteria was Madison and whatever groupies that hung with her and Emma. She looked completely out of her element without Emma around to direct things. She was poking at her tray, barely talking to the other girls and nearly jumped at someone making a sudden move. Whatever, it was her own fault that she was in that situation, she had chosen to lump herself in with Emma and that was all there was to it. 

As I looked around, I saw Sophia sitting by herself at a nearby table, as far from the Empire delegation as she could get without running into ABB colors. She was playing with her food while she leaned against the table. It was so odd seeing her by herself. She seemed so different without Emma or Madison. She seemed almost docile, which felt ridiculous given how I had seen her almost every other time. There was still an air of annoyance or anger around her, but it didn’t seem directed at anyone. Not anymore. Sometimes I wished I could read minds just so I could find out what the hell was going on in her head.

As if she could , she turned and our eyes met. There was something in those eyes I couldn’t decipher but it wasn’t the disappointed or malicious look that I once saw. The mystery that surrounded Sophia was starting to intrigue me almost as much as the old Norse books. 

And just as quickly as it happened, Sophia turned her gaze towards another part of the cafeteria focusing her attention on some new, far more interesting sight.

Deciding to ignore her, I found an empty space and pulled out my sandwich. Charlotte quickly found me and sat down while I grabbed my phone and sent a text to Vicky. I hadn’t told her about my meeting with Crusader and hopefully she would be able to help me find if there was any information about that, or if I should get ahead of the media. 

As I was about to hit send, I heard a scuffing sound on the linoleum near me. 

“ Faggot .” 

The whispered mutter from the boy who passed was my only warning. I pulled my phone away just as a bottle of orange juice was dumped on the table. My sandwich was ruined but at least the phone was safe. 

The entire cafeteria went silent as everyone looked in my direction, their curious eyes adding to the weight of the moment. Charlotte had a fearful look on her face as she stared up at the boy. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sophia was laser focused on us, almost ready to pounce.

As I glared at the boy who had ruined my lunch, my blood began to boil when I realized who it was: Leo. I’d never thought anyone would surpass Emma but Leo had easily done so once he started threatening me with death. 

“Did you have to waste perfectly good orange juice?” The orange juice actually sucked, but that was besides the point.

A few people laughed which only made Leo’s murderous glare intensify. “And people like you shoul—”

“Is there a problem here?” I heard from next to me, only to be surprised that it was Sophia. How did she—.

“Fuck you, nig—”

She had a hand around his throat in an instant, cutting the slur off before it was fully voiced.

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” She said with quiet intensity. “Unless you want a repeat performance? Tell me, would your balls handle another crushing? And to think it would be in front of the entire school this time.”

Just to punctuate her statement, I cracked a few of my knuckles. It was weird, seeing Sophia menace someone that wasn’t me, but  given our mutual hatred of the Nazis, I could put aside any misgivings for the time being. After all, I would be more than happy to remind Leo, because I was done being walked over. 

It took a few seconds for Leo to process what Sophia said, but once it did, he started grinding his teeth as he snarled at the two of us. Several agonizing seconds went by and I could feel the eyes of the entire cafeteria upon us, waiting with bated breath to see what would happen. Eventually Leo relented, scoffing as he left to be with his other gang wannabes. 

Breathing a sigh of relief, I looked back only to see Sophia already halfway out the cafeteria. Frustrated, I took a look at what remained of my lunch and decided it wasn’t worth dealing with. I slipped my phone into my pocket and stood.

“Where are you going?” Charlotte asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” my response was a little more blunt than I wanted. “I just need to ask something. You might want to go to our spot.”

Charlotte stared at me for a moment before sighing, a slow nod of her head before she picked up her things as I made my way out of the cafeteria.

I looked down the halls for Sophia, barely catching sight of her as she slipped out of the building. I didn’t quite chase after, but I did want to catch up with her. When I emerged outside, I saw her leaning against the wall, looking up into the sky. 

“What do you want, Hebert?” Her tone was neutral, yet commanding. 

I walked up to her and tried to copy her, failing miserably as my foot slid down the wall. Her eyes glanced over and there was just the tiny bit of her lips turning upwards. 

“Thanks. For what you did this morning and what you did back there. Also when the Nazis attacked me a few weeks ago.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “No one deserves that bullshit.”

“If by bullshit, you mean dying, sure.”

“Leo couldn’t harm a fly, let alone kill someone.”

“Doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have ended poorly. How many kids end up severely beaten to the point of hospitalization here?” I tried very hard not to look at her to add on to the fact that she was one of those who beat kids. 

Mainly me. 

She didn’t say anything, instead she tapped on the brick wall of the school in a rhythmic pattern. I could push it, find more answers about her change in behavior, but I was honestly ok with how she was acting. For once, I wasn’t worried about her. 

“You know Emma’s the one who sent them after me, right?” 

The tapping stopped. “I know.”

“That’s it?”

“What do you want me to say, Hebert? That I could’ve stopped her? She didn’t tell me all the little aggravating shit she did until it was already in motion. It’s why—” She stopped herself, not saying another word as she continued her tapping.

That— really? I would’ve thought Emma told her everything. If she didn’t know half the stuff they did to me, then how much of it could be on her shoulders? By the looks of it, she really didn’t want to discuss it further.

Instead, I opted to keep this truce between us. “Leo’s going to try again.”

“No shit, sherlock. You’re his target and he’s working his way into the Nazis rank. Don’t be surprised if Emma does too.”

That wasn’t disturbing at all. “Wunderbar.”

Sophia snorted, but didn’t say anything else and I didn’t have anything else to add. What happened today had cemented the changed dynamic between us. One where I didn’t feel the need to worry about how she acted, at least where I was concerned. Even that short conversation had been more than I ever expected the two of us to share, yet we had.

No matter what happened in the future when it came to Emma or Leo, I felt that Sophia would be there, in my corner. I just knew that I would do the same for her if it ever came to it. We weren’t friends, far from it, but I knew I didn’t need to be afraid of her anymore. 

And for the moment, that was enough.

Chapter Text

Monday, February 7th, 2011

My finger ran across the spine of the book as I read through the latest tome from my mom’s library. I glanced up as I saw Vicky walk over with a stack of books in her hands. We had decided to come to the public library since we wanted to search for more discrepancies between what we knew and what was in my mom’s texts. 

A deep yawn escaped my lips and I rubbed my forehead. I had gotten very little sleep over the weekend and it was taking its toll. After the events at school on Friday, I’d been waiting for Aunt Zoe to confront me about what happened, yet she hadn’t. 

Keyword; Yet . 

While I was still surprised things had gone so well, I still half expected my feet to be swept from underneath me. Even if Aunt Zoe was apparently my legal guardian, I still expected her to take her daughter’s side.

I knew it would only be a matter of time until she would tell me that the contents of my file were a lie and leave me too.

“You ok?” Vicky asked as she set the books down and sat down next to me. 

I contemplated if I should tell her what had happened; I had already told her so much  and she knew more than most. Vicky was becoming my confidant and I was only just now realizing it. Not that it was bad, just different. “Not really,” I muttered before another yawn came out.

Vicky leaned forward, her varsity jacket puffing out slightly, and placed a hand gingerly on my knee. “What’s wrong?”

My eyes scanned the open area of the library before setting the book down. “Just…” I sighed, “So you know that Emma used to be my friend?”

Vicky nodded, “Yeah, what about her?”

“Well…” The events of Friday came spilling out of me, while Vicky’s face flashed through a series of emotions. She really didn’t like that I had gotten kicked in the groin nor that I was almost punished.

“I-I just can’t—” Vicky’s anger was making it hard for her to speak properly. I felt a burning hot pressure from her and knew it was her aura. 

I gave a quick look around to ensure that no one else was being affected by her and whispered harshly, “Vicky.”

The pressure didn’t let up at first until my words registered and she blinked her eyes a few times. She exhaled slowly and her aura receded. “Sorry, I just—”

“It’s ok, I appreciate it.”

She smiled softly. “I don’t like it when you get hurt. Especially for bullsh— for something like that. I can’t pretend to know how you felt. I just… Winslow really is a shithole, isn’t it?”

I nodded. “It is. I could’ve gone to Arcadia, but I wanted to be with Emma. A decision made before she betrayed me.”

“Huh, we could’ve known each other at school then.”

There was a goofy grin that I knew she was using to cheer me up. It was working. “Yeah, we could have.”

A few seconds passed while we stared at each other before Vicky spoke. “Well, I don’t think anything bad will happen to you.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“It sounds like your aunt might be building a case to transfer you out.”

That surprised me. “You really think so?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe? It’s hard to know. She could just want to know all the things her daughter did to you. It’s hard to tell since I’ve never met her, but from what I heard, she might be trying to get you out of that hellhole.” She scratched the back of her head in slight embarrassment. “It’s something my mom would do, anyway.”

As much as I wanted to dispute her, that there was no way Aunt Zoe was trying to get me out of Winslow, it did make sense. Aunt Zoe’s words echoed in my mind, how she didn’t want me to go there in the first place both because of its poor academic programs and its lack of safety.  It sounded so plausible now that Vicky had reframed it that way.

“Huh, I guess that’s possible.”

“See!” Vicky said cheerfully. “You just have to wait and see.” She contemplated the pile of books for a moment before she spoke. “So, I did want to ask you something.”

For once, the tone in her voice didn’t sound alarm bells ringing in my head. “Mhmm?”

“There’s this museum exhibit that’s opening up on Saturday that I think you might be interested in.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“It’s an exhibit on Viking Culture and Norse Mythology. Now I know that what we see there might not coincide with what we’ve read, but I figured it would be neat if we went. You know, together.”

There was something in the way she said it that I couldn’t figure out, but the prospects of learning more intrigued me to no end. “That sounds nice. Yeah, I would like that.”

Her shoulders relaxed a little and she exhaled. “Oh good! I figured you would be interested but I wasn’t sure…” She leaned back against the chair and her apprehensive returned. “There’s also, well, my family is having a barbecue on Friday and I was wondering if you wanted to come. We do it every year as a tradition for the first warm day of the year. You could even stay over at my house, like a sleepover, before we go to the museum the next day.” She started fiddling with the wrist of her jacket as she tried not to look at me directly.

I don’t think I’d ever seen her that nervous before. Not to say I wasn’t either, as the question had thrown me into a loop. This would not only be the first time going over to her house, but also meeting her entire family. Who were all capes. Amy was the only one I’d met and of the rest, I’d only heard stories from Vicky or read about them. But as anxious as that made me, her plan was logical. It would be smart to just go to the museum from one place instead of meeting up there.

“Uhh, sure. That sounds nice.”

Vicky relaxed and a huge smile grew on her face. “Oh good! It’ll be fun, I promise! Aunt Sarah is really nice and you will get to meet my cousins and Uncle Neil makes some amazing grilled chicken.”

I couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at my lips. When was the last time I experienced anything like this? Back when Mom was alive? It had to be. As nervous as I was at the idea of a sleepover, for various reasons, I couldn’t deny that I was a little excited about the barbecue and the museum. “I can’t wait.”

Her eyes twinkled as she beamed. She grew somber as she looked at the books. “Good. Now, we should probably get to researching.”

I nodded and picked up my book. We both started reading and easily got lost in the words and hushed whispers of shared observations. All that time, my anxiety of the sleepover stayed nestled in my chest and I hoped it would die down before the end of the week came. 

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

I jotted down some notes as I read another passage from the book I had in front of me. It was a rather detailed bestiary of the various wildlife in the Nine Realms and had extensive detail on their strengths, where to find them, and how to fight and capture them. When I had first read this book, it was with a lack of proper understanding of the language. I had basically looked at the pretty pictures and continued on to the next book. 

This time I was reading in-depth descriptions of creatures I’d never heard of before. Because of that new tidbit of information, I had started jotting down the differences between what we have in historical records and my mom’s books. Vicky and I had started this process recently and the number of discrepancies we’d found were astounding. 

Besides the gods, what we know of nine realms seemed entirely different. Asgard alone seemed more vast than just Valhalla. All I had been taught was that Valhalla was basically Asgard but the few books I’d read depicted the grand city of the Aesir showed that Valhalla was just a single city, the capital, of the entire realm.  Nevermind references to numerous other cities made throughout the vast library. 

It honestly made me more curious of the differences between the Valhalla of Earth Bet’s mythand the one in Mom’s book. Victoria had even checked some Aleph sources and confirmed their version was the same as ours. 

“ Mrrw, ” Bee said as he voiced his discomfort at me moving around.

“Sorry, Bee. But you did hop into my lap while I was working.”

“ Meow .”

I rolled my eyes and was about to look further into Valhalla before the sound of a rattling old truck pulling into the driveway pulled my thoughts away. Dad was home. No matter how many times I rehearsed the lines in my head, my anxiety continued to rise. I quickly closed the book, my notebook, and my laptop before tapping on Bee so I could sit up. Bee hopped off my lap and ran down the stairs, my footsteps following close behind.  In the cathouse, I saw Treacle playing with one of the cat toys. 

Dad opened the door and walked into the house with a tired expression on his face. In a weird twist of fate, he was home earlier than usual. “Hi, Dad.”

He stopped fussing with his lunchbox to look up, a smile on his face. “Hi, Little Owl.”

“How was your day?” Start off with something small before going into the big question. 

He continued to walk into the house, setting down his lunchbox and taking off his shoes. “It wasn’t too bad, well, other than the Empire trying to worm their way into the Dockworkers…again.”

My hair stood on end at the thought of the Empire getting control of the Dockworkers. They had tried before, several times, and the Dockworkers had always rebuffed them but I felt it would only be a matter of time before they upped their game. 

Maybe I could convince Vicky to patrol around the docks with me. I’m sure if I told her why , she wouldn’t have any issues with it.

“I’m sorry to hear that. That’s so…”

“I know, kiddo.” He let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Let me put my stuff away and change and we can figure out what we are going to have for dinner.” 

I nodded, “Sounds good.” Ok, I just need to control my anxiety. I knew it shouldn’t be an issue, asking him about staying over at Vicky’s. He and Vicky seemed to have gotten along well enough when she was over, but it’d been so long since I’d gone somewhere else for the night. 

He smiled and started putting his stuff away before going upstairs. I opted to sit on the couch, both cats pouncing at the chance to be on my lap, a short scuffle breaking out over who got first dibs. After a few minutes of scratching and petting, Dad came downstairs, looking more comfortable. “So, what do you want for dinner?”

I shrugged, I didn’t actually care. “I don’t know. Chinese food?”

He thought over the request. “Works for me. Dumplings?”

I nodded, “Please!”

He smiled and walked to the house phone and started making the order. Even with a cell phone, he was still accustomed to using the landline. In a few minutes, he had placed the order and walked over to the couch.

He plopped, disturbing the cats. We sat in silence for a minute or so before my anxiety couldn’t take it anymore and I asked. “Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah, kiddo?”

“I was wondering…”

“Mhmm?” His eyebrow furrowed as he glanced at me.

“Could… well… ok, so Vicky’s family is doing a barbecue on Friday and there’s a museum opening on Saturday and Vicky was wondering if I could stay over there for the night so we can go to the museum early in the morning and-”

“Taylor! Calm down,” He laughed, much to my chagrin. “Of course you can go over to Vicky’s.”

Relief spread quickly through my body. “Oh good.”

“So…” Dad said after a few seconds of silence. “Vicky asked you to go to the museum?”

“Yeah, she did.”

“I see…”

His voice had a tone that sounded like he was alluding to something but I couldn’t figure out what. Before I could ask to clarify, a knock at the front door pulled our attention.

Dad looked at me briefly. “That’s too quick…” He got up from the couch and walked over to the door. He opened it and revealed not the Chinese delivery guy, but Aunt Zoe. 

“Hi, Danny,” She leaned to the side, revealing a manila folder. My school file. “Hi, Taylor.” She waved at the two of us. “I hope I’m not intruding on anything…”

Dad briefly looked at me before saying, “No, not at all.” He smiled at Zoe. “We had just ordered Chinese and Taylor was telling me about the barbecue she’s going to on Friday.”

That piqued Aunt Zoe’s interests. “Oh really?”

Dad nodded, “Yup. Her friend , Victoria, invited her to the party and a sleepover before going to the museum on Saturday.”

“ Friend, you say?” There was a grin like a Cheshire cat on her face and I couldn’t help sinking further into the couch. Aunt Zoe gave a look to Dad, silent communication happening between them that I did not follow before Aunt Zoe nodded. “May I?” Aunt Zoe asked, gesturing to enter the house.

Dad snapped out of it. “Oh! Of course. You know you can always come in, Zo.”

That nickname. I hadn’t heard it since Mom passed away. My parents always called her that, and she loved it. 

“I know… I just,” She sighed and stepped into the house. Aunt Zoe walked into the living while Dad closed the door. She sat down on the couch next to me and set the folder aside. “Anyway, before I grill my lovely niece about this ‘visit’, there’s something I want to discuss.”

My fingers started playing with the loose threads on my hoodie and I tried not to squirm as my breathing started to increase. Take deep breaths.

Dad had curious eyes and furrowed his brow. “And that would be?”

I glanced over at Aunt Zoe and I saw her eye me with piercing eyes. There was a few seconds of silence before she spoke. “Danny, I can tell you later. Taylor and I need some privacy.”

Dad had an inquisitive look on his face before he nodded. “Very well. I’ll be…upstairs?”

“Thank you.” Aunt Zoe’s simple yet heartfelt reply was all that Dad needed before he walked up the stairs. When we heard his feet above us, Aunt Zoe spoke again. “He doesn’t know, does he?”

The question threw me off that I had trouble forming words to reply. “N-no,” I shook my head. 

Aunt Zoe closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. “Ok. I can see why you might have issues with that. But Taylor,” Her tone turned serious and I wished I could sink further into the couch. At least the cats were a small comfort. “You really should’ve told him. He might have—”

“Done nothing?” I blurted. “You saw what the administration is like. What would Dad be able to do?”

Aunt Zoe chewed her lip, her eyes seemingly seeing through me, before she picked up the folder and opened it. “I know. I’ve been going over this and knowing my daughter ,” the dripping anger in her voice was telling. “Every bit of it is true. What surprises me is Sophia Hess.”

I wasn’t surprised if she knew her; Sophia probably went over to the house a few times. “I was at first too.”

Aunt Zoe furrowed her eyebrows, a question on the tip of her tongue but I beat her before she could ask. “She… helped me. Sophia stopped bullying some time ago and hasn’t been totally involved with all the things that… Emma has been doing.” 

“How so?”

Shit. I really shouldn’t have said anything. How in the gods was I going to get out of this. “There’s this boy… he-he doesn’t like me,” That was putting it lightly. “And Sophia has been stopping him from doing anything… worse.”

“I see…” She glanced down at the folder for a few seconds before closing it. “I want you to know that I’m going to get you transferred to Arcadia,” She said with such conviction and confidence that I actually felt it would come true. “As for Sophia… I would advise caution. But I don’t think I need to tell you that.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m aware.”

“Good. I won’t push you any further.” Which was a great relief to my beating heart. “So I want to move onto something more light hearted. What’s this about you going to a party? With this Victoria?” She had that same look in her eyes that spoke of danger, but of the playful sort. 

“Uhh, yeah…? A barbecue and a trip to the museum. She invited me.” I desperately tried to ignore the rising heat in my cheeks. 

“ Invited , you say? Do you happen to have an outfit picked out for this?”

Uh oh. “Uhh. no…”

A massive smirk grew on her face, a glint in her eye that I knew I was in trouble. “Then my dear Little Owl, we will be rectifying that.”

There was no way out, I couldn’t run fast enough and there was no way in hell I was going to summon my Valkyrie, as much as my power seemed to want to help. Any way out would raise more questions that I didn’t want to answer. Aunt Zoe had me cornered.

Shit. 

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Friday, February 11th, 2011

I hopped off the bus, adjusting my backpack as a surprisingly warm breeze brushed against my cheek. Just as Vicky had mentioned, the weather had improved, most of the snow was melting and there were no surprise storms forecasted for a few days. That meant barbecue in New Wave speak, a reclaiming of the outdoors from the cold grasp of winter. 

I knew it had been a risk to bring both changes of clothes to school, but recently the odds had turned in my favor. When I had seen Emma for the first time since the meeting, she was quite somber. Whatever Aunt Zoe had done with Emma seemed to have stuck since she hadn’t lashed out or even aimed a dirty look in my direction. And if the whispers I overheard were correct, she was on a short leash with the principal. Only time would tell how long that would last, but at least I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about it for long if Aunt Zoe could pull off her promised miracle. 

Still, I didn’t dare wear my choice of outfit for the barbecue to school, instead I had changed into it after leaving. There was no way Leo and his cronies would have passed up an opportunity to target me if I hadn’t. 

Looking around, I quickly pulled out my phone to find the directions Vicky gave me. She wasn’t going to be able to pick me up after school because she needed to get home as quickly as possible and to be honest, I was fine with that.

Memorizing the directions, I headed east. It was only a short walk before I came upon the house just as Vicky had described it. It was a large two story house with black roof identical to many others on the street. The lawn looked perfectly cut and the hedges were trimmed to precise dimensions. The soft sound of music thumping from the backyard confirmed this was the place. I knew I was early, but I didn’t want to wait around. Besides, Vicky had said it was fine if I got there ahead of schedule.

Steeling myself, I walked up to the door and gave a few hearty knocks. There was a shuffling on the other side of the door before it opened. When the door opened, I saw a clean shaven, fit man about as tall as I was with a curious look on his face. He looked me up and down, and I was briefly conscious of my ‘choice’ of clothing before a small smile appeared on his face. “Hi, would you happen to be Taylor?”

I nodded, “Uhh, yes, I am.”

“Nice to meet you! I’m Mark, Victoria’s father. Come on in!” He opened the door wide and I processed the fact that I had just been invited in by Flashbang. I knew I was going to be meeting a lot of other heroes today, but it was another thing altogether to actually meet them and in such a casual manner. 

I stepped into the house and briefly looked around. The house was in pristine order, nothing was out of place. The white walls had not a single scuff and the pictures seemed perfectly level. The furniture I could see looked uncomfortable but I knew that looks could be deceiving. The stairs next to the door took a sharp turn leading to the second floor and at the landing was a family photo on the wall. Vicky had a big smile on her face although it didn’t seem to reach her eyes. Mr. Dallon had a similar face while both Mrs. Dallon and Amy had curt smiles. 

“Victoria is still getting ready,” Mr. Dallon said as he closed the door behind me, breaking my concentration. “But she’ll be down soon. She’s been driving herself crazy. Let me show you around.”

I was a little confused about why Vicky was ‘driving herself crazy’ but I ignored it and let her dad give me the tour. “Okay.”

“So upstairs is where the girls’ bedrooms are as well as the guest bedroom. I’m sure you will see it later today,” He gestured up the stairs before moving down the hallway. “Through here is where the office is and the master bedroom,” He pointed down a hallway on the side. Then he stopped at an open doorway and gestured inside. “Here is the living room.”

I took a brief look and noticed the furniture I saw before was centered in the room in front of a large T.V. Off to the side I saw a spacious countertop lined with various kinds of food and snacks, prepped for the party. 

As if reading my mind, Mr. Dallon pointed in that direction. “Over there, is the kitchen where the stack of food is.”

Their kitchen was larger than what we had at home, with what looked like a center island counter, and several appliances on the far counter. A straight haired blonde woman entered the kitchen through the double glass door from the backyard, grabbing one of the plates filled with snacks before looking up. “Oh! Hi there!”

“Sarah, this is Taylor. Vicky invited her over.”

Sarah. Lady Photon. She looked like a kind and caring mother, a pensive look on her face as she looked me up and down before a smile grew on her lips. Her simple, yet elegant, blue polka-dotted dress matched well with her eyes and hair color. “Nice to meet you! Victoria has told us quite a bit about you. I’m Sarah.”

I wasn’t sure how to process the fact that Vicky told her family about me. What was it that she told them? Did they know I was a cape? That I was Gondul? Or could they know I was trans? The last one seemed more far-fetched since Vicky had made a big deal out of Amy outing me, but I couldn’t help it rolling around in my head even though I knew she wasn’t that much of a hypocrite.

“Nice to meet you,” I said.

“Was Mark giving you the tour?”

I nodded, “He was.”

“I was just about to show her the backyard…” Mr. Dallon trailed off, uncertainty heavy in his voice. Where did that come from?

Sarah looked over to him, a curious look on her face before it went away with a smile. “I can show her,” She looked at me. “Taylor, would you mind helping me with some of the snacks? We need to get these out onto the tables.”

“Uhh, sure.” I walked through the doorway and remembered I still had my backpack on. “W-where can I put-”

“Oh, just set it on the couch, honey,” She said quickly before Mr. Dallon could say anything. 

Watching the two adults exchange looks that I couldn’t understand, I walked over to the couch and placed my backpack on it. When I turned around, the two adults quickly changed their faces and looked at me. “Could you please grab the chips and deviled eggs?” Sarah asked.

I nodded, walking over to the kitchen, taking another brief look at the pristine brushed aluminum appliances before picking up the two big trays with ease. She smiled and carried another big tray with her outside.

Quickly following her, I was assaulted with loud sounds of music, chatter, and the sweet smell of hickory smoke. Looking around, I saw a fairly spacious backyard, easily twice, if not three, times as large as my own. There were a pair of trees, one near each of the far corners of the yard. On one side of the yard where a few tables had been laid out, a flower printed cloth on top of each one. On the other side was a large metal tank , also known as a smoker. I had only heard of them but it looked like the real deal.

There was an enormous man made of pure muscle standing next to it with a pair of tongs in his hand. Next to him was a plate covered in aluminum foil, I could only imagine that it had meat or whatever. He briefly turned his body, the white apron covered in dark brown spots from what I could only assume to be from the food. He had a big smile on his face and he waved his tongs in the air. “Honey! The vegetables should be ready soon!”

Sarah stopped and turned around. “Good! How long till the chicken is done?”

The man turned around and opened the hatch, sending a large plume of smoke wafting into the air as I saw racks of food in the smoker. He gave the chicken a look before he answered. “About two hours.”

“Ok good! Let’s not upset Carol too much. Oh, and honey, this is Taylor! Vicky’s friend.” Sarah faced me and said, “Taylor, this is my husband, Neil.”

Neil waved, “Hi, Taylor! Nice of you to come! I hope you like your meat smoked!”

An awkward chuckle escaped my lips. “Yeah, I do. Haven’t had it in a while.” The last time we had barbecue, true barbecue, was years ago. Mom had a special talent for it and taught it to Dad. We didn’t have the same equipment like the large smoker the Dallons had, but Mom had a way with just a simple fire.

“Well, I hope I don’t disappoint!” He said cheerfully as he closed the hatch. 

“Taylor,” Sarah said, pulling me away from the smoker. “You can set the trays here.” She set her own tray on the table and pointed next to it.

I nodded and quickly caught up, placing them down neatly next to the other. “Come on, let’s get the—”

A shift in the air caused me to look into the sky. Two figures flew down and gently landed onto the grass. I was so astounded by the open display of power that by the time I realized who it was, they had already started talking. “Hi, Mom and Dad!” They both said. 

“Eric, Crystal!” Neil waved his tongs in the air. “Was wondering when you were going to show up!”

I saw Crystal roll her eyes before heading towards us. Like her mom, she had long straight blonde hair and blue eyes. She tucked her hands in the pockets of her dark navy jeans. A long necklace with a teardrop dangled low, drawing my eye to the strange floral and star patterns on her blouse. 

Eric on the other hand, started walking towards his dad, bright blue hair fluttering in the breeze as the two clasped their hands together before Neil pulled his son into a hug. He then opened the hatch and showed Eric what was going on. It was a sight I remembered, one not too fondly. 

It was something Dad used to do before I transitioned. Showing me how to cook food on the grill was a standard father/son bonding activity and he tried to make it work. Dad was wanting to be a good father to a son, but it never felt right. It wasn’t his fault, Mom had told me that Dad had a rough childhood with grandpa and was trying to be better. I didn’t really have any memories of his dad, as he passed away when I was young, but I knew that Dad didn’t have a good relationship with him.

It wasn’t until I came out and Mom sitting down with him to explain things that he started treating me like a daughter. Things got better after that. He wasn’t perfect as there were some things he would say or do that would cause me some discomfort, but he was quick to realize his mistakes and apologize for them. 

“Crystal,” Sarah said, breaking me out of my thoughts. “This is Taylor, Victoria invited her.”

Crystal looked me up and down, a reminder of my clothing of choice, before the corner of her lips lifted and something flashing across her face. “So you’re the girl Vicky has been hanging around so much!”

A blush grew on my face. “I hadn’t realized she talked about me…” I really wished I had one of my hoodies. Not only would it cover my body, but it made it a lot harder to hide my wringing hands without it.

“Oh, she goes on and on about you. Vicky doesn’t normally go to the lengths to talk about someone like she does with you.”

“I hope it’s good things.”

Crystal snorted. “Please, my cousin sings your praises.”

Before I could properly process the fact that Vicky had told them about me, and in a good light, we were interrupted by Eric with a tray in his hands. “Excuse me, just need to set this over here,” He said as he set the steaming hot tray down on the table.

“No, put that inside, in the oven. It’ll get cold before everything’s ready,” Sarah quickly said as she pointed towards the house. 

“But Mom-”

“Eric, please. I know we will be bringing it out soon, but I really don’t want to hear it from my sister.” The next part she muttered under her breath, “Who should’ve been home by now…”

It seemed like no one noticed her tone, but it made me wonder why she seemed upset. Was Mrs. Dallon supposed to be here already but wasn’t? The chances of getting that answer were slim and I decided not to pry.

Eric sighed and picked up the tray before walking towards the house. Before he got too far, Sarah said, “Oh, and can you bring out the potato salad?”

He looked over his shoulder, “Sure, Mom!” He was going to have some trouble with opening the door, but luckily, he didn’t have to. Two figures appeared as the sliding glass door opened. 

The first one was Amy, wearing a long sleeved white shirt, the three buttons at the top opened for comfort. She quickly stepped out of the way for Eric before walking into the backyard. Her body language screamed that she would rather be somewhere else if her hunched shoulders and downcast face was any clue. She walked out into the backyard and headed towards one of the trees. As she passed by, her eyes found mine and I wasn’t sure if she was surprised to see me or annoyed that I was there. Amy’s jaw tightened to what I assumed was her biting down on something as she moved past me. 

Before I could figure out what that meant, I heard a familiar voice that forced my eyes away and searched for the source of the cheerful sounds. When I looked back at the house, I was floored.

Vicky’s hair had the most wonderful waves and curls that shaped her face beautifully. A breeze passed through the backyard, and like a scene from a movie, she pushed her hair back to keep it from getting in her face. For the first time since I’d known her, she was showing more skin. She was wearing a white crop top shirt that revealed a set of soft yet well defined abs. As my eyes ventured further down, I noticed that she had legs for days . The sporty gray short shorts didn’t even make it to the middle of her thighs, her extremely well defined thighs. Her costume might have a skirt, but her long boots covered most of her legs and with them so… exposed , I could tell that Vicky was fit . 

Then when my eyes gazed back up and upon her face, I noticed her makeup. It might not seem like much, but seeing her many times before, I knew that each mark was done with exquisite care. She had a slight blush on her cheeks. A simple eyeshadow that accentuated her eyes. The sheen of her lip gloss glittered in the sunlight. 

Vicky turned her head and our eyes met briefly before I saw them trail down my body. A shiver coursed through me as I imagined what she saw. Aunt Zoe had gotten me a few outfits for today and tomorrow, depending on the weather and she made sure that I brought them. She even had me take pictures of myself to prove I was wearing it as promised. The indignity of it all.

So as Vicky’s eyes trailed down, I knew they landed on the black halter top that crossed over my flat chest and tied at the back of my neck. It only reminded me how open my back was and the breeze did not help. There was an owl on the front of the top that Aunt Zoe said I had to have. 

Her eyes traveled lower to the pink skirt with black polka dots on it. It was nowhere near as short as Vicky’s shorts, for several reasons. Aunt Zoe really wanted to have me wear something shorter, said it would show off my long legs, but I was avidly against it. I needed to wear shorts underneath for a reason. 

Her eyes continued to traverse downward and there was something in them that I usually only saw when we were studying and I knew she was extremely deep in thought. Her eyes traveled back up and met mine once again, a beaming smile on her face but that look in her twinkling blue eyes never went away. 

Reality came crashing back when Eric took Vicky’s attention and she shook her head. She pointed into the house and said something to him, low enough that I didn’t catch it, before she turned towards me. 

“Taylor, I-” She said when she stood in front of me. “Wow, you look amazing!”

I squirmed under her gaze, but my eyes did another survey over her. “Thanks, I had some help with getting an outfit. You look really good.”

She giggled, “I’m glad you like it! I’m also happy you came. Though I didn’t expect you to show up so early.”

“I, uhh, came here right after school.”

“Well, I’m glad you're here. I’m assuming you’ve met everyone?” Her head scanned the backyard. I followed her gaze to Sarah setting the trays in a particular order while Crystal had pulled out her phone and was typing. Amy was sitting underneath the tree, her hands on the ground while her head was down. She looked like she was sleeping. Eric was coming out of the house and headed towards his dad who called for him. The smoker opened up again and they started taking meat out. 

Her eyes finally landed on me again and I nodded, “I have. You have a nice family.”

A smile that didn’t seem to reach her eyes grew on her face. “Yeah, they are. Uncle Neil and Aunt Sarah are amazing and have been planning this family get together for some time. They even took the day off so they could get everything cooked.” There was something she wasn’t saying, something that was bothering her.

I tried to come up with the words to ask what it was, the sound of a car pulled up into the driveway. Vicky’s head snapped to the front and said, “Mom’s home!” 

“About time,” Sarah muttered.

Vicky turned to me and said, “Come, let me introduce you to my mom.” 

Her tone didn’t sound as enthusiastic as I thought it would be.

I quickly followed her into the house when the front door opened. A woman who looked like an older version of Vicky with shorter hair stepped inside. The resemblance wasn’t hard to spot between the women of the family. She took off her outer coat, which looked far too heavy for the warm weather we were having, to show the clean cut blazer and skirt she was wearing. She dusted herself off before her eyes landed on us.

Her eyes zeroed in on me for a moment, an indescribable look on her face before her gaze went to Vicky. The hardened look softened and she said, “Victoria, is this the friend you mentioned?”

It was a little startling that was the first thing she said, but Vicky seemed to roll with it. “Yeah, this is Taylor.” She turned to me and said, “Taylor, this is my mom, Carol.”

“N-nice to meet you,” I said, cursing my stutter. 

‘Hmm,” She hummed, before she walked further into the house. “Is everything ready?”

“I believe so,” Vicky said, her voice wavering slightly. “Aunt Sarah and Uncle Neil have been cooking all day.”

Mrs. Dallon sighed, “I hope there’s not a mess.” She walked into the living room and not a second went by before she said, “Whose bag is this?”

Vicky and I quickly rounded the corner and my eyes landed on my backpack. “Uhh, mine.”

“Don’t worry, Mom! I’ll bring it upstairs.”

Mrs. Dallon didn’t glance in our direction as she said, “Thank you. I’m going to go change real quick.” She set her bag down on the counter, before going through the doorway and down the hallway. 

I looked at Vicky as she picked up my backpack and a question was at the tip of my tongue. But before I could voice it, the front door opened again.  My head turned, not having expected someone else to arrive only to see a boy standing in the doorway.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Vicky snapped, her eyes menacingly staring at the doorway with an anger I’d barely ever seen.

Chapter Text

Friday, February 11th, 2011

I looked through the front door to see an athletic boy with blonde tousled hair, only a few inches taller than Vicky, standing at the doorway with a bouquet of flowers and a card in his hands. He awkwardly shifted, a slight grimace on his face from Vicky’s outburst, but his eyes seemed to convey a sense of embarrassment. 

The three of us stood there in silence, Vicky was tense and rearing to tear into the boy. I just had no idea who he was. Vicky recognized him, if the reaction was any indication, and she was not happy that he was here. 

I heard marching from the hallway before Vicky’s mom appeared in between us, still dressed in her suit, her eyes widening in alarm. “What is going on?” She asked, the hardened exterior cracking for a moment.

Vicky’s head snapped to her mom. “Did you—” She stopped herself, her fist clenching in anger. The pressure settled on my body and I knew what it was.

I did a small sidestep and gave her a comforting squeeze on her shoulder. “Aura,” I whispered low enough for her to hear. Vicky’s shoulder stiffened, only for her to let out a shaky breath.  The tension slowly ebbed away with her calming breaths and the pressure faded. Her eyes glanced at me briefly, softening a little, before they returned to their former fierceness.

Vicky’s mom was able to put together the rest of her daughter's words. “Did I invite him? Yes, I did. I figured—”

“Mom, why would you?!”

“Because I thought you could mend…”

The pressure started building once more and I had to give her a gentle squeeze to remind her to keep her cool. At least there was something I could do in this tense situation. 

“Vicky…” The boy said as he stepped into the house, gently closing the door behind him. “I know this is a little sudden—”

“Ya think?”

He winced. “But I wanted to apologize. You don’t really give me the chance to—”

“Victoria, he has good intentions,” Her mom added when the boy stopped himself, “Can’t you at least give him a chance?”

Vicky stood there, my backpack in her hands and a fury in her eyes. For a moment, I thought she was going to clobber the boy, but instead she turned around on the spot, dropped my backpack, and walked out of the living room. I briefly looked at the other two before deciding to go after Vicky, unsure of what I could do to help. 

She marched through the kitchen, through the open door and out into the backyard, our sudden appearance startling the rest of the family. She went to the middle of the backyard and I could see her body start to shift, preparing to take off. 

“Vicky!”

I knew I could follow her easy enough, and would if it came down to it without hesitation, even if it revealed my identity to her entire family.

She stopped, the tension dying in her body. She briefly looked around before she exhaled. “I-how could she do that?!”

“Do what?” I asked.

“Bring him here?” She said as if I would know what was going on.

“Who is he?”

That seemed to snap her out of whatever anger induced haze she was in. “He’s… Dean’s my ex-boyfriend.”

Ex-boyfriend? That explained a bit. I never knew she had an ex-boyfriend. 

“That’s…awkward.”

“You’re telling me? How could she do this?” She waved her arms back towards the house in frustration. 

I took a ginger step towards her, “I-I don’t know.”

“It’s just… Ughh!” She threw her hands into the air in exasperation. “I want to—”

“Hey, hey,” I closed the distance and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She relaxed somewhat. “Look, can we, just… ask him to leave?”

“It-no. Mom would have a fit. Which would cause more drama. I’d never hear the end of it.”

“Ok,” I whispered. “Then… let's stay away from him. You don’t have to engage with him if you don’t want to.”

I had no idea if what I was saying was helpful or the right thing, but Vicky was clearly stressed over this.

Vicky stared at me for a few seconds, the hushed whispers from her other family members doing little to fill the silence between us. Vicky exhaled slowly, “You’re right. I don’t need to interact with him, I think I’ll just hang out with you instead.” 

It wasn’t just the way she said it that seemed to cause a slight shiver to course through my body, but the way she looked at me. Her eyes glinted in the sunlight as I regarded her. It would’ve been intimidating if it wasn’t for the fact that I knew her, knew that she wasn’t trying to frighten me.

I swallowed and desperately ignored the heat on my cheeks. “T-that works.”

Vicky beamed, “Good, now let’s—”

“It’s all ready!” I heard Neil yell.

Vicky and I looked around to see that the family had gathered around the tables where trays of food had been set out. Some of them were looking in our direction, whispering to one another. I shifted on my feet as I tried to ignore their attention.

I saw Dean standing next to Eric and Vicky’s dad, having a small conversation. But I caught his eyes periodically wandering over to us with a look I couldn’t decipher. I knew Vicky noticed it as well since I heard her release a small grunt. 

Amy hovered on the outside of the group, her eyes darting towards us as well. Was everyone looking at us? It seemed like it. Maybe it was Vicky’s Aura? When she used it, I knew I tended to be drawn to her. 

Vicky’s mom walked out of the house, now dressed in simple slacks and a black blouse. Her eyes scanned the backyard before they landed on us as well. I glanced over at Vicky and saw that she was staring at her mom with a look that I was sure if she could shoot lasers from her eyes her mom would be burnt to a crisp.

The staredown was broken when Neil walked in between the two and headed towards the table with a piping hot tray of food. The family parted, letting him set the tray down on the table carefully. Vicky slowly walked towards the group and I quickly followed her.

The sweet smell of smoked meat hit my nose and a low grumble from my stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten much in anticipation of the day’s promised feast. I had been too nervous to eat breakfast and decided against making a sandwich. And there was no way in the Nine Realms I was going to go to the cafeteria for food. This day wasn’t going to be ruined by Leo or his lackeys. 

Before Vicky and I even had a chance to get there, the family dove in. In what to my eyes was pure chaos, plates and utensils were sent out and everyone started plopping food on their plates. I wasn’t sure how, but a plate ended up in my hands as Vicky slowly made headway to the food. Eventually, the family dispersed, letting me breathe and choose what I wanted.

Not too long after, I had a plate filled with food and was standing next to Vicky, slowly digging in with my surprisingly sturdy plastic fork. Each bite of food left a wonderful flavor in its wake, the taste of smoke from the chicken bringing me back to the camping trips my family used to go on. Mom’s flute playing a beautiful tune and a hymn at the tip of my memory. The nights I would get lost in the song, the way Mom would lose herself to the music, the emotion that I felt. It was something I would never forget.

I desperately longed for the flute, a wish I knew would never be granted.

“What is it that you’re humming?” Vicky whispered.

I blinked my eyes a few times and looked at her. Did I– no matter. “It… it was an old song Mom used to play at the campfire. The smoke sort of… brought me back.”

Vicky smiled, “It’s beautiful.” I couldn’t help but blush as it sounded like the compliment wasn’t fully directed at the song. “It sounds old and folkish. Which given your heritage…”

A small smile grew on my face, even as I tried to ignore the heat on my cheeks. “Thanks, I doubt I’m doing it right…nor realized I was doing it in the first place.”

Vicky giggled, “Knowing you? You were.”

The blush intensified and I glanced around to the others in some feigned hope of reducing it. It was a moot point, but I did notice that Dean was still watching us with intensely focused eyes. I couldn’t quite puzzle out the expression on his face. Deciding it was best to ignore him, I attempted to distract myself only to notice that Amy was nearby and was also watching us. 

She didn’t seem as bothered compared to when I first met her, but she still had those dark circles under her eyes and was heavily leaning against the table as she ate her food. She wasn’t tearing through it like the croissants she had destroyed, but she didn’t seem to be enjoying it as much as the rest of the family. 

She noticed my gaze and quickly averted hers. Before I could ponder it further, a question was directed at me.

“So, Taylor,” Sarah asked, causing everyone to look at me. I tried not to shirk away from their gaze, though hiding behind Vicky was very tempting. “Tell us a little about yourself. Vicky has told us some things, but we want to hear it from you.” The rest of the family nodded, emphasizing the pressure.

“Uhh, I’m sure Vicky exaggerated–”

“Nope!” Vicky said, nudging me with a bright smile.

“But, uhh. Well, I’ve lived in the Bay all my life. My Dad and I live somewhat close to the Boardwalk. I like books, like a lot,” I added the last bit when I saw Vicky was about to comment. “I have two cats, Bee and Treacle, they are spoiled rotten and…” I trailed off, unable to add anymore besides the fact that I was Gondul.

Honestly, stopping there made me so pathetic. Had I really lost so many of my interests because of Emma?

“I’m sorry if this seems a little… forward, but what about your mom?” Sarah gingerly asked.

My gaze lowered to my food that I’d only realized I had been playing around with. It looked like a mixed concoction or casserole at this point. “She passed away almost two years ago. From a horrible car crash.”

“Horrible…” Sarah said, deep in thought. “Wait, was it the—”

“Yes, Aunt Sarah,” Vicky interjected harshly, surprising me slightly. “ That one.”

I knew what she meant. It wasn’t surprising that she would figure it out from what I’d told her. Mom’s accident was no small car crash and subsequent vehicular fire. The flames had been hot enough to turn metal into ash. There had been suspicion that capes were involved, but the initial investigation by the PRT hadn’t been able to turn up any evidence or even an explanation for what had happened. 

With little consolation from the initial results, Dad hadn’t bothered probing for answers. At least that’s what I was told. By that time I was already at the summer camp that Mom had signed me up for.

Everyone settled into silence after Vicky’s comment and I was thankful for it. After an abysmal description of myself, and then all of everything about Mom, I’d really put a downer on everyone hadn’t I. 

“So what books do you read?” The question broke through silence and pulled my attention to Dean. His voice was quieter than before.

“Well, recently I’ve been focused on a research project with Vicky.”

“We’ve been learning a language!” Vicky chimed in enthusiastically. “It’s been fun!”

The Pelhams chuckled and it looked like Vicky’s dad was about to say something but stopped himself. Dean didn’t seem nearly as amused and Vicky’s mom was staring at us with a look that I was not expecting. It wasn’t displeasure, but contemplative instead. Did she not know what Vicky had been up to? I wasn’t one to talk since Dad didn’t know any details either, but Vicky always seemed so open about herself.

“What are you learning?” Dean asked again, pressing the topic while everyone else was slowly finishing their food.

I glanced at Vicky just as she said, “Old Norse.” She looked at me and with that, I knew what she wanted to ask. I nodded and she continued. “Taylor has a treasure trove of old texts left by her mom. It was how we met actually. We bumped—”

“You knocked me over,” I corrected.

That caused a round of laughter from everyone except Vicky's ex-boyfriend. “Ok, I might have bumped into you. Anyway , since then, we started learning the language and reading some amazing stuff.”

Besides Dean, Amy, and Vicky’s mom, everyone had positive reactions to what Vicky said. I’d feared that any conversation about Old Norse might immediately link me to the Empire, but other than Dean and Vicky’s mom, they didn’t care. As for those two, Dean was the only one who seemed bothered by it but I honestly didn’t care about him. 

I started going into comprehensive detail about what we had learned while everyone finished their meal. Vicky took over a few times so I could actually eat my food, which I hadn’t noticed was going cold. I quickly finished my plate before tossing it in the trash. When I turned around, it seemed most of the adults had started cleaning up. Crystal approached however and from the first words out of her mouth, she was clearly heavily interested in what we were learning.

“Wait, so the books your mom has depict a pantheon with different morals and history?”

I nodded, “Yeah, it does. Our theory is that these books could be from another Earth that’s not Earth Aleph or Earth Bet, but I have no idea how my mom would’ve gotten ahold of them.”

“Hmm,” She pondered. “It’s not unheard of for items like books to go in between us and Aleph. There’s an entire agreement about it. So it’s possible your mom got them that way.”

“That would be a lot of transferring,” Vicky added. “I’ve seen the veritable library in her basement. It’s massive, not to mention, hand written.”

Crystal shrugged her shoulders. “Just a suggestion. Either way, I’m interested to see the differences. Is there any chance I could look at one of these books?”

“I have some of my notes in my room,” Vicky said before I could answer.

“There’s that and I happen to have a book with me.”

Vicky looked at me with a furrowed brow. “You do?”

I nodded. “But I don’t think it would be a good one for her to read.” It was the spellbook. I’d been reading it on the side, often bringing the book to school. There was something about it that pulled me in, that made me want to discover its secrets. 

Vicky stared at me for a few seconds before it dawned on her. “Oh, that one. Yeah, that wouldn’t do. Anyway,” She said, looking at her cousin. “I could go get—”

“Who wants to play some flag football?” Neil yelled, holding up a football.

Interest filled both Vicky’s and Crystal’s eyes, a smile growing on my friend’s face. Everyone except Vicky’s mom and Amy seemed excited to join the game. A part of me was too, but not only was I wearing an outfit that was not conducive to a game, but I’d be playing against capes who weren’t hiding their powers. 

Vicky looked at me, “Do you want to…”

I shook my head. “I didn’t really wear the right clothes for that.”

Her eyes raked across my body, eliciting another pleasant shudder. “Not really, but you do look amazing .”

The heat from before settled on my cheeks again. Crystal looked between Vicky and I, and when her mouth opened she was cut off by Neil calling out again, urging the two of them to rush off to the center of the backyard. Vicky stopped midway, glancing over her shoulder and I had to wave her to go so she wouldn’t miss the game. She smiled, quickly catching up with the rest of her family.

I took the moment to walk over to one of the trees, carefully sitting down the way Mom had taught me when I was wearing a skirt. Leaning against the tree, I watched the family set up the game. It was both strange and a delight to see Vicky in her element. She was a jock, I knew that with how fit she was and the varsity jackets she wore. If Arcadia was anything like Winslow, then only varsity players could get those. 

They picked their teams and were off, not bothering to play the game normally and fully intending to use their powers. Vicky flew up into the air and chased after her younger cousin who had the ball. She managed to grab the flag, which stopped the current play and everyone settled back down on the ground. 

It was fascinating to watch, but I couldn’t help but glance over at those who weren’t playing. Vicky’s mom was off to the side, an analytical eye as she surveyed the entire backyard. Her eyes landed on me for a moment and the look she gave me almost felt like I was doing something wrong. It was only a second, but I felt relief when her eyes moved on.

I saw Dean standing off to the side, opting to not play as well but watching the game with interest. His entire appearance seemed like a big slap in the face, especially to Vicky. Inviting your daughter’s ex-boyfriend to a family event seemed like a cruel move, in my opinion. What was her mom trying to do? Set them back up again? Why? So many questions that I knew I wouldn’t get to dig into while sitting underneath the tree, but I didn’t want to bother Vicky any further. She already had enough issues and me trying to find those answers wasn’t going to help.

Vicky grabbed the football and jumped into the air, dodging her family as she weaved through them. It was a beautiful sight to watch as she made it through the defense and slammed down onto the ground at the other side of the yard, scoring a touchdown.

Cheers erupted from everyone and I couldn’t stop myself from joining in, clapping my hands enthusiastically. Vicky turned her head and her eyes landed on me, a beaming smile grew on her lips and a glint in her eye. A second later, she winked at me and I blushed again. She was doing that a lot today, wasn’t she?

Amy had wandered away from the family, back to the tree I saw her previously. It seemed to be her favorite. She looked like she didn’t want to partake in any of the family activities and looked rather despondent. Even with the excitement of a family gathering, she didn’t seem any less morose than usual.

I heard another round of cheers and groans come from the family and I had to see if Vicky scored another touchdown. When I looked, she did and was flaunting it. I couldn’t help but giggle at her antics. 

The game continued for some time before the family took a break. Vicky had scored the most touchdowns, easily getting through whatever defense her family set up. They split up, going straight for the drinks and talking in between sips. Vicky gave up the idea, instead heading towards me instead.

“You were amazing, Vicky!” I said when she was close enough.

“Heh,” She scratched the back of her neck. “I’m glad you think so, I was just…”

I stood up as she stopped in front of me. “You were great, Vicky. Really. I’ve never seen you like that, well besides the race.”

“Which you beat me in,” She said as she took another step forward, a glint in her eye. “You know I want a rematch.”

A smirk grew on my lips all on its own. “So I could beat you again?”

“Nah, I’ll beat your projection.”

“You sound so sure about yourself.”

“Oh, I am.”

It wasn’t until my back hit the trunk of the tree, that I realized that she had been taking steps forward and I backwards. Her arm reached over my shoulder and she leaned against the tree, the heat of her breath on my face not making the situation any easier. Her intense gaze caused me to look down, only for me to look at her exposed legs and travel upwards. The closeness between us was another factor that definitely didn’t help my rapid heart and the heat on my cheeks. 

My eyes darted further upwards, noticing the lip gloss on her lips and I had to swallow from the glistening shine on them. When our eyes met again, there was something in those marvelous pools that pulled me in. I was only slightly aware of the smile on her face.

“Hi,” She whispered. 

“H-hi,” I stuttered.

“Enjoying yourself?”

“Y-yeah. Your family is fun, interesting.”

She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Was there something I was missing? “Good. I’m sorry about earlier. With my ex…”

“It’s no big deal.”

“Yeah it is, you don’t–”

“Vicky!”

Both of our heads turned to the voice, Vicky stepped away and a part of me missed the closeness but that went away quickly when I saw Dean marching towards us with an angry look on his face.

I furrowed my eyebrows at the change. He’d been so calm and composed during the whole day, what had changed? Vicky turned to face him and crossed her arms. “Yes, Dean?”

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“What am I doing? Why does that matter to you?”

“Because…Because…”

“Last I remember, we weren’t dating.”

“That’s not— it was just—” He tried to stammer out a reply but was interrupted by Vicky.

“And then my mom had the audacity to invite you when she knew we broke up.”

“It’s not like we haven’t done this before!”

“Once. We’d broken up once before this last one.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t keep—”

Vicky sighed loudly. It sounded like she had prepared for this. “Couples fight, I get that. But we’d already broken up twice now. Dean, that’s not a good sign. I know my mom tried to set us up again all because we ‘look good together’. Do you honestly believe we should be together?”

I noticed that Vicky was clenching her fist repeatedly and I quickly put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She didn’t look at me, but I noticed that her fist unclenched. Whatever reason her mom had for inviting him bothered her a lot. Whatever ‘looking good together’ meant, it was something I’d never seen from her. It felt like a deeper problem that I was only now getting a chance to see.

Dean was silent for a while and I wondered if he was ever going to answer Vicky’s question. Finally he said, “But what about all those times—”

“Dean, remember, our relationship was arranged at first. I wasn’t the one who wanted it. You know that.” Vicky sighed quickly before continuing, “That doesn’t mean I didn’t like our time together, but you have to admit that we weren’t meant for each other.”

Dean simmered for a bit before he sighed. “I-I just…”

“Look, I still want to be friends, but if you need space…”

He nodded somberly. “Ok.” He had such a crestfallen look on his face that I felt sorry for him. But Vicky didn’t want to be with him and it was wrong to force someone to be in a relationship they don’t want to be in. Dean slowly turned around and walked towards the house. Vicky’s family stopped and watched the boy, curiosity in their eyes but no one wanted to voice their questions. 

Vicky’s mom was walking out of the backdoor when Dean got there, there was an exchange of words before she stepped aside before following the boy inside. After a few moments, the family returned to what they were doing before. 

Vicky closed her eyes and took a deep, but shuddering, breath, her fists white from the strain of her clenching. I squeezed her shoulder again. “Are you ok?” I asked.

She took a few more deep breaths before responding. “Yeah,” She said as she opened her eyes. It was a lie since there was no way she was ok after that, but I wasn’t going to push her. “Already made a mess of this family event, better not make it worse,” She muttered.

“I-I don’t think you made a mess of it.”

Her eyes landed on me with a look of conflicted emotions. A slight shake and it was gone, replaced with a joyous smile. “Anyway, we should… help out and spend some time with my family before they leave.”

Whatever…playfulness she’d had before was gone as she walked towards her family. The entire thing left me stumped as to how to help her. As uncomfortable as it was before Dean came over, I really didn’t like it when Vicky was down like that. 

Quickly following her, I helped her family as best as I could. There was only so much I was able to assist with given the outfit I was wearing, as long as I wanted to keep my cape identity hidden, but I helped bring food in and get it packaged up. I quickly noticed that Vicky’s mom wasn’t anywhere in sight, so I imagined she must’ve taken Dean home. 

It wasn’t long after that that the Pelhams prepared to leave. They got their share of the leftovers, placing them in the pickup truck they brought. Neil picked up the smoker like it weighed nothing before setting it down in the front right behind the truck. 

It left me with a longing to not care about showing my powers. New Wave had shown me what it would be like not having to hide them. It made me increasingly tempted to see about joining, but I knew that I couldn’t. Not only was it a family group, but I wasn’t ready to tell Dad nor did I want to put him at risk. 

Just as they were about to leave, the four stood in front of the house and said their goodbyes. “It was nice meeting you, Taylor!” Sarah said, causing the rest of the family to repeat after her. 

“It was nice meeting you too!” I said politely. 

I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to shake their hands, but the question was taken away from me when Sarah pulled me into a hug. It was one of those awkward hugs where you weren’t sure where to put your hands and it seemed far too soon for it in the first place. “If you need anything, let us know,” Sarah whispered.

I was a little shocked and all I could do was nod. She eventually let me go and hopped into the truck with Neil. They waved at us as they left, the two adults driving off in the truck while Crystal and Eric flew above them. 

When we walked back inside, Amy quickly went upstairs, not bothering to say anything like she’d been staying away from the family for most of the day. Vicky’s dad was much the same, sitting down on the couch and turning on the T.V. 

Vicky, on the other hand, stayed with me and said, “Let me show you upstairs and my room.”

“Ok.”

We walked up the stairs and came into a hallway with several doors and sparse family photos on the wall. As we went down, I glanced at each photo and noticed something that puzzled me. Most of the photos had the family front and center, Vicky in the middle, but Amy always seemed to be off to the side. That was an unusual arrangement, but maybe Amy was shy.

I didn’t have the time to ponder more in depth when Vicky started rattling off what each room was. “-and that’s the guest bedroom. This one is mine.” She gestured to the door with her name on it. I’d half expected it to be covered in stars, but there was not a mark on it besides the sticky note. It wasn’t even taped. 

She opened the door and walked inside. Following her, I surveyed the room. The large bed with a powdered blue comforter had many pillows on it, each one with a different design or pattern. There was a large laptop on it, covered in stickers of various basketball teams. 

My eyes landed on each picture on the walls; a few of Vicky in a basketball jersey in various positions on the court, some with just her and Amy, and the rest were nature pictures of the Bay. I hadn’t realized that she was a basketball player, the varsity jackets told me she was in sports but not which one. Though, I didn’t think she could participate anymore considering she was a cape; she did look younger in the pictures however.

There were a few textbooks and notes on her desk and from what I could see, they were not all for school. She had a neat pile of notes that I recognized as the ones she used to translate Old Norse. It looked like she was slowly organizing them into a binder. A variety of books in the bookshelf next to the desk caused the bookworm in me to be intrigued. There were a few from the public library and it seemed she hadn’t returned some of the Norse Mythology books back yet.

“So… this is my room!” Vicky flew her hands out and twisted a little. She sounded a little embarrassed. “Through there,” she pointed to the darkened room through the open door, “is my bathroom…” From what I was able to see, there was a lot of makeup on the counter. As if she was in a rush and didn’t put it away. 

“I-it’s nice.” It really was. Nicer than mine, that was for sure. I looked up and caught the glow from the dark stars plastered on her ceiling. So that’s where the stars were. 

Vicky smiled, a small sigh escaping her lips, “Oh good. I thought—” she stopped herself and centered herself, becoming more serious. “Anyway, did Amy ever talk to you?”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Uhh, no. I’ve barely talked to her today.”

Vicky released a deep sigh. “Ok… I will be right back. She was supposed to…” She trailed off as she opened her door and walked out, leaving me alone in her room. It was a little awkward since I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, but luckily I didn’t have to wait long.

Vicky appeared in the doorway with Amy in tow. Amy looked exhausted, like she wanted to be anywhere but at Vicky’s door. She was looking everywhere but at Vicky or myself. Vicky crossed her arms and had a stern look on her face while facing Amy. 

There were a few awkward seconds between the three of us and I thought Vicky was about to say something before Amy spoke. “I’m sorry for… outing you, Taylor,” She said solemnly.

I was shocked by the apology since I thought Vicky had already done it for her. “Uhh… it’s ok.”

“And–” Vicky started but was interrupted by the door opening.

“Victoria!” Vicky’s mom yelled, startling us.

“I’ll… be right back,” Vicky said calmly, but there was an unsettled look in her eyes. She quickly turned around and walked down the stairs, leaving Amy and I alone together.

There was another awkward pause and neither one of us wanted to talk. I started fiddling with the edge of my skirt and I knew I should probably say something. “It’s ok, Amy. I wasn’t… happy, but I probably should’ve realized the resident healer could find that out.”

Amy shook her head, “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Well, what’s done is done and it didn’t change anything.” There was something in her eyes that I couldn’t decipher but it didn’t stay long before a look of relief filled her face.

“Ok,” Amy held her hand out. “Can we… start over?”

My hand met hers and I gently shook it. “Uhh, sure,” I said.

Amy seemed entirely lost in thought, her eyes glazing over and her hand squeezing mine a little harder than I expected from the healer. It sounded like it wasn't a sincere apology but the corners of her lips lifted slightly. Unlike last time, I didn’t feel any sort of weirdness but she also wasn’t healing me so that was probably it. It made me wonder what it would be like if she had to regrow limbs or appendages. 

The moment was broken when I saw Vicky step into the hallway in the corner of my eyes. There was an exasperated look on her face before she looked at us, a small smile on her face. She had my backpack in her hands, holding it by the strap. “I see you apologized.”

Amy released my hand quickly and I blinked a few times at the recoil. “Yeah, she did.” I said, still a little baffled by the exchange. 

Amy nodded, “I did.”

“Good,” Vicky said with a short nod. 

“I’m going to… go back to my room now,” Amy said with a little bit of hesitance. She turned around and opened the next door over and quickly closed it. 

I looked back at Vicky and she shrugged her shoulders. She lifted my backpack up and said, “I got your backpack.” An infectious smile on her face caused me to join her. 

Closing the door behind me, I set my backpack onto her bed. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do at this point. It’d been so long since I’d been in a sleepover and it didn’t really count since it was with Emma. I didn’t even know where I was supposed to sleep. There was a guest bedroom, I assumed I was sleeping in there. 

“So…” Vicky said, breaking the silence, “I have a few ideas for the night, but I wasn’t sure what you might be comfortable with.”

“Uhh, I’m not sure… it’s been a while since I had a sleepover.”

“Oh! So you’ve had one before?”

“Sort of… if you count the ones with Emma.”

“Oh…” She trailed off. “Ok, but have you had a girl sleepover?”

I blinked a few times before it dawned on me. “No.”

A beaming smile appeared on her face. “Ok, great! Then I know what we can do.” She enthusiastically clapped her hands. “So, first, let’s get changed into our pajamas. You did bring those right?”

“Yeah…” I wasn’t sure where she was going with this. It was already awkward enough. 

“Then let’s get changed.” She walked over to her dresser and riffled through it. 

“Are… are you sure?”

“Hmm?” She hummed as she pulled white and pink pajamas with what looked like a cat on them. It looked like they were short shorts and a simple tank top. 

“I—” The words died in my throat and I wasn’t sure what to say about how weird it was. I knew she was fine with me being trans, but there was a whole other level to it. 

She must have noticed my discomfort. “Hey, hey.” She said as she closed the gap and put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “It’s ok. Taylor, you’re a girl, remember that. If you need to, change in the bathroom. I’m not bothered either way. Whatever makes you comfortable.”

I nodded silently, not trusting myself to speak. With one hand, she grabbed my backpack and handed it to me. “And if you need to sleep in your cute outfit, that’s fine too,” She quickly added, causing heat to consume my cheeks. 

“Thanks, for… understanding.”

“Of course, Tay. Now go change,” She said with a slight smirk.

I rushed into the bathroom and flicked on the light. With illumination, my previous assumptions were correct, her counter was covered in makeup. Because of that, I didn’t bother trying to put my clothes on it, opting for the floor instead.

When I came out, I noticed she had already changed. Her pajamas had a large tired cat on the front with the words ‘Feline Sleepy’ on it. The ears were placed in the right place that they covered her… oh. I quickly looked up to her face to find that she was looking me up and down as well. 

My pajamas weren’t anything special. The bottoms were striped black and gray with little frills at the end and I had a simple black tank top that showed just how flat my chest was. It wasn’t anywhere as cute as the ones I just changed out of. 

She levitated off the bed, maneuvering in a way so she stood in front of me as she landed, and said, “Cute.” She said it in such a way that it didn’t seem like she was referring to my pajamas. “So, have you ever had your makeup done?”

I furrowed my eyebrow while ignoring the way my cheeks were burning. “Uhh, no. Not even before…”

She nodded understandably, “Ok, then would you like it if I did your makeup? I’d imagine you’d look really pretty with some eyeliner and eyeshadow. Maybe some lipstick.”

As embarrassing as it was with the way she was saying it, I sort of wanted to do just that. I’d never had someone show me how to do makeup and I didn’t trust myself with video tutorials either. “That sounds… nice.”

A great big smile grew on her face that lit up her glittering blue eyes. “Great. Let me go get some stuff, go ahead and sit on the bed.” She walked into the bathroom and started rummaging through her counter and large makeup bag.

I sat down on the bed and admired the soft blue comforter. A moment later, she came in with a few things in her hand and a towel. She placed them on the bed carefully before she looked at me with a contemplative look. That quickly changed when something crossed her face that I couldn’t decipher. “Hmmm, why don’t you lay down on the bed. Here, let me grab a pillow.”

I was confused as to what Vicky was doing, but I complied. She was more experienced in this sort of thing after all and I didn’t want to argue. She moved a pillow and let me lay down on it. It was surprisingly soft. Then she put the towel and makeup next to my head, which was odd. 

“Give me a moment,” Vicky said as she hopped onto the bed and I suddenly found her on my lap. My cheeks were blazing hot as she leaned over, her tank top hanging slightly loose. She grabbed a tube of some kind before her eyes met mine. “Hi,” She said breathlessly and cheerfully. The closeness made me realize the small, nearly hidden mole on the right side of her cheek. 

“H-h-hi,” I squeaked out.

She didn’t say anything, the depths of her eyes conveying some unreadable message. One corner of her mouth lifted, the beginnings of a smirk but it went away when she lifted the tube, twisting the cap off and held it above my head. “Ok, so I’m going to first put some black eyeliner on you. Close your eyes and don’t move them.”

I swallowed and did as she asked. I felt the cold liquid on my eyelid and I desperately wanted to blink a few times from the feeling but resisted the temptation. She finished one eye, I think, before the door suddenly opened. 

“I brought some—” I heard Vicky’s mom start to say before she stopped. I felt Vicky lean back and I opened my eyes slowly. Turning my head, I saw that she had a small tray with an assortment of snacks on them. She looked like a deer in the headlights as her eyes stared at us and I could only imagine what was going on in her head. 

“Can you leave those on the dresser please? I’m trying to figure something out.” Vicky sounded harsh, but I could imagine she was still bothered by what happened with Dean. 

Figure out? What was she trying to… I wasn’t going to question it. Vicky’s mom snapped out of it with a small shake of her head. “Ok…” She sounded like she was in disbelief, slowly putting the tray on the dresser. “I will just… close the door.”

Vicky looked back at me, the eyeliner in hand, “thanks.” 

When the door clicked softly, Vicky leaned back down. “Ok, let me do the other side now.”

I nodded slowly as I tried not to look down at… her position. A lump in my throat caused me to swallow and I tried to ignore the buzzling pit in my stomach. I closed my eyes and she quickly finished applying the eyeliner to my other eye. 

Afterwards she applied some sort of paste on my eyelids that I felt should’ve been the first thing applied, but I didn’t really know the first thing about makeup. Then there were bristles of a brush on my eyelids. There were a few more swipes before Vicky said, “Ok, you can open your eyes.”

I did so and saw a small mirror in her hands, facing me. Looking into the mirror, I saw the light black shading of eyeshadow on my eyelids and the darker liner just above my eyelashes. It was… amazing. It made my eyes pop out and didn’t seem to make them bigger like I thought it would. “Wow…”

“You like?” She bit her lip in embarrassment. 

I nodded. “Yeah, it looks really good.”

A warm smile grew on her lips and my stomach seemingly dropped but not in a bad way. “I’m glad. Let me put some lipstick on you.” she set the mirror down and the clinking of containers reached my ear for a second before she held up another tube. “This should do nicely.” 

She leaned back down, the heat of her body reminding me of our closeness and position. A look crossed her face before she opened the lipstick and held the pink end towards me. “Puff your lips a bit.”

The look of determination and whatever else was on her face made me gulp again, nodding. She held the lipstick to my mouth and I felt my lips grab onto it for a moment before the weird texture was applied. 

“Do this,” She said as she made a movement with her mouth, popping her lips. It was hard to copy her as my eyes zeroed in on her lips, a slight sheen on them after her tongue darted out to lick them. 

As I was doing that, a daunting realization hit me like a Brute as I realized just how pretty she was. She had always been there for me, always made sure I was comfortable. She never cared about me being trans and even defended me without even being asked. She went so far as to make her sister apologize for outing me. She’d been a better friend to me than anyone I had ever known. 

With all that, all of her remarks for the past day, no few weeks, and with how beautiful she was, it finally dawned on me. The buzzing in my stomach became a raging storm.

A small smile grew on Vicky’s lips. “About time you figured it out.”

“I-uhh-but-”

“Shh, Tay. Don’t try to look down on yourself. I find you endearing. You’re a good, caring person. You’re incredibly smart, like holy shit. And to top it off, you’re breathtaking .”

“How… how long?”

“How long have I had a crush on you?” she asked, sitting back a bit.  The movement only  reminded me of the position we were in. “For a while, I think. The first time I invited you to the tea shop was kind of supposed to be a date.”

“But that means—”

“Yeah,” She said, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. “But I didn’t want to push you. Then I realized I really had to be up front and even that didn’t seem to clue you into it. I… probably should have just said it.”

I nodded. “So tomorrow…”

“Is a date, yes.”

“Oh.”

“That’s not a problem, is it?”

I thought over the question, knowing that I couldn’t take long to respond. I’d never really thought about my sexuality or romance. It’s not like it was a big deal, especially since Mom was so open and had been with women in the past. Dad wouldn’t care, especially since I realized that some of the comments he made weren’t that far off. Aunt Zoe was in the same boat if all her help and advice was indicative. 

So really, I just needed to actually be in that position for it to actually happen. A position where Vicky was sitting in my lap. 

I swallowed again. “No, not at all.”

She beamed. “Good. Now… I don’t want to push you but…” She looked around for a brief moment before leaning down close enough that I could feel her breath on my face. “Can I kiss you?”

The question shocked me yet I appreciated it all the same. I nodded, “Y-y-ye-yeah.”

There was a happy look on her face and a glint of something else before she leaned down, her lips approaching mine. I wasn’t sure what to do and decided to let her take the reins. She closed her eyes and I copied her. Then I felt warm, moist lips on my own and time seemed to freeze. Like there wasn’t anything special about it, yet knowing that it was Vicky made it feel special. The storm within me threatened to overwhelm me, yet it didn’t.

Then the need for air overcame me and it seemed Vicky knew as she broke the kiss, both of us panting hard. I felt her forehead on my own, a comfortable weight even if it wasn’t at all. “What do you think?”

“That was— wow.”

A breathless giggle escaped her lips. It was a wonderful sound. “Good. Good. I—” She stopped and I realized something very embarrassing. “Want me to ign—”

“Please,” I said as I grabbed the pillow and covered my face.

“Ok.” She gently removed the pillow from my grasp. “But overall, good?”

I nodded, not wanting to speak. 

“Good, because I want to kiss you again.”

I bit my lip a little and I knew she was looking at them. “I’d like that.”

She smiled before we were lost in another kiss. 

I think this might have been the best sleepover I’d ever had. 

Chapter Text

Saturday, February 12th, 2011

I took a sip of the tea that Vicky had managed to conjure out of nowhere, watching with amusement as she bustled around the kitchen trying to make breakfast. She was in a rush to make something since we woke up later than we had planned.

When you spent all night talking about the museum in between makeout sessions, I guess time seemed to slip by. Oh well.

“Ok, I just need to find… Aha! It was behind the potato salad!” Vicky enthusiastically cheered as she lifted a carton of eggs as if she had managed to lift Mjölnir. It was so comical that I couldn’t help but laugh. 

She turned around, a goofy smile on her face. “Ok, so how do you want your eggs?”

“Scrambled is fine,” I said between bouts of laughter.

“Very well, my lady,” She bowed.

I snorted. “Really?”

“What? I can’t be polite to my girlfriend .” 

My cheeks heated up instantly at the remark. We extensively talked about the whole… thing last night. I wasn’t against us being girlfriends, not at all, it was just something new. So we decided to take it easy. She agreed to take things slowly and check in before pushing, which I greatly appreciated. 

“Well-I mean- not that I’m—” I rambled.

Vicky was about to say something, but the words died in her mouth when someone walked into the kitchen. I looked away from Vicky and saw Amy mosey towards the coffee machine. She grunted when Vicky was slightly in her way, which prompted Vicky to move and say, “Mornin’ Ames!”

Amy grunted again, grabbing a cup and turning on the machine. 

“Want anything to eat?”

Amy grunted again.

Vicky and I looked at each other for a moment. “Uhh, alright. Just let me know if you do. Taylor and I will be heading out soon. Do you need a lift along the way?”

I wasn’t sure how Vicky was going to carry both of us if we were flying to the museum, but my worries were pointless since Amy shook her head.

“Noitsfine,” she mumbled quickly.

“You sure?”

She nodded, waiting impatiently for the coffee. Her sunken eyes darted between Vicky and I a few times as if she was expecting something. Awkward silence reigned until the ding of the coffee machine mercifully sounded. .

Amy turned around and quickly filled her cup before walking out of the kitchen in a hurry. Vicky and I stared at her retreating form for a moment before she said, “So… scrambled?”

I nodded again, “Yes please.”

Vicky went about making breakfast while I watched her and drank my tea. She started humming a nursery rhyme and shifting her weight from side to side, the rhythmic sway captivated me. I hadn’t realized that she’d finished until a plate of eggs was in front of me and she had a big grin on her face. 

“Voila!” She said, “One plate of eggs.”

“Dork,” I snorted.

“Me? A dork?” She said, giving me an incredulous look. “And I thought you liked me.”

A little panic welled up in me at her words and I feared I said something I shouldn’t. “Uhh, well– I didn’t–”

“That was a joke, Tay.” She said calmly, allaying the fear I had. 

“Oh.”

There was an awkward silence between the two of us for a few seconds, before Vicky said, “Anyway, once we eat, we can go. The joys of waking up late is that the museum should be open already.”

“You’re not wrong. Are we flying?”

“We could,” Vicky said slowly. “It’d be quicker and I’d get to carry you,” a slight smirk on her lips as she said that caused me to blush… again. “But I was originally thinking about driving us. I do have a license.”

My eyebrow furrowed. “Have you actually used it?” She flew everywhere. Honestly, I would too if I was an unmasked cape. 

“Uhh…” She said, scratching the back of her head. “Not really. But that doesn’t mean I can’t drive!”

I rolled my eyes but I made sure she noticed the smirk on my lips. “Well, I’m fine with either of those choices.” 

“Great!” She said as she finally started to dig into her own breakfast. “Then let’s finish quic-”

Vicky stopped when someone walked into the kitchen again. Glancing in that direction, Vicky’s mom stop for a moment when she realized that we were here, before continuing. “Good morning, girls.” She said in a polite manner.

“Mornin’ Mom,” Vicky said, taking a quick bite.

“Good morning, Mrs. Dallon,” I replied.

She looked a little thrown off but recovered her composure quickly and made her way towards the coffee machine. “What…what time do you girls plan to leave?”

I looked at Vicky but she was already responding to her mom. “After we finish eating. We got a late start this morning.”

“Oh, I see…” She trailed off. It was almost as if she wanted to say more. “Well, be careful. There’s been… rumors and I don’t want you to get hurt.” I frowned, because it sounded to me like I was excluded from that statement. 

Vicky and I glanced at one another, worry etched on her face. “What do you mean?”

“There’s…rumors of the Empire taking a special interest in this exhibit. For obvious reasons. Some even say Gondul might finally make her debut as one of their own.”

I had to hold myself from correcting her, but Vicky didn’t. “Gondul would never join the Empire.”

“Dear, just because you fought alongside the cape, doesn’t mean their allegiance is proven.”

“Trust me, Mom. There’s absolutely no way she would join the Empire. She even fought Crusader when they tried to recruit her.”

My eyes widened. Somehow, no one knew about Crusader’s attempt to recruit me, but I had told Vicky, and now she was telling her mom. I quickly calmed my features so as not to give anything away. 

Vicky’s mom turned around, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at her daughter. “And how do you know that? I haven’t heard of any recruitment attempts.”

“I am in contact with Gondul, she told me.” Vicky said smoothly, not once did her eyes look my way. 

“Why am I only hearing about this now?”

“Because it wasn’t that important.”

“But, Victoria–”

“She’s not a villain, Mom. Trust me.”

The certainty with which she said it was startling, even if it was the full truth. If it wasn’t for the fact that she was talking about me, I would have agreed with her too. But it seemed her mom was not as convinced as I hoped she would be.

“And if I’m right?” She asked

“Huh?”

“What if Gondul does make an appearance at the museum?”

“Seriously, Mom? Of course a cape, who’s entire identity revolves around Norse mythology, is going to be at a museum of Norse mythology. She just might be in civilian clothes.”

“And how many other Empire capes are going to be there in the same state?” Vicky’s mom crossed her arms. “I really shouldn’t hav—”

“Mom.”

The mother-daughter stare down filled the air with tension that could be cut with a knife. Neither one of them wanted to back down, and I could see where Vicky got some of her stubbornness. The seconds passed by and I feared if I took a breath, it would break whatever spell was over the kitchen.

Eventually, Vicky’s mom sighed. “Just… be careful. And clean up after yourself.” 

Without another word, she grabbed her cup and walked out of the room. When she was out of eyesight, Vicky exhaled loudly. “Fu-”

I shook my head and held up my finger to my lips, silencing her as I heard the footsteps stop for a brief moment. Then they continued before a door opened and closed. Then I nodded.

“-ck…Thanks. I really didn’t need her coming after me again. The things—”

“I know. I don’t make it easy with my identity.”

“Tay, it’s not that. I get why you need to remain hidden. We don’t need the Empire going after your Dad and Aunt.” The next part she muttered under her breath, “Though it would make it very clear that you aren’t part of the Empire. If only New Wav—” She stopped herself when she noticed my furrowed eyebrows.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing!” She lied in that sweet and innocent tone.

I narrowed my eyes but she continued to smile and say nothing. Deciding to let it slide, I said, “We should get going.”

Vicky gave a curt nod. “Yeah, we should. Here, let me get that for you.” She quickly grabbed my plate before I could respond along with her own and put them in the sink, grabbing the pan at the same time. 

“Vicky…”

“Nope! I’m doing them.”

I sighed and watched her as she scrubbed the dishes and loaded the dishwasher. Vicky cleaned herself up and put her hands on her hips as she turned around. “Alright, all done. Ready?”

Drinking the dregs of my tea, I nodded and handed her the empty mug, which she quickly put in the dishwasher. “Let’s go.”

She smiled as we both walked out of the house. She held out her hands in a way I had become quite familiar with and I had to roll my eyes at her. 

She smirked. “What? You do it all the time?” 

“I guess I can compare who is better,” I snarked back.

Vicky gasped, but there was a determined look on her face. “Challenge accepted.”

Before I had a chance to prepare myself, I was suddenly swept up into her arms and we were flying into the sky as she whooped in joy and I laughed, cradled in my girlfriend’s arms.

The wind against my face wasn’t as harsh as I had expected without my helmet. Vicky either knew how to fly with a passenger, or maybe her powers somehow protected me from it. Given how often she seemed to fly Amy places, it was probably the former.

Or I could just be distracted by being in her warm arms as we soared through the skies of Brockton Bay. Either way, I wasn’t complaining. I don’t think anyone could if they were in the arms of their girlfriend while cruising through the air. 

“So, do I pass?” Vicky said.

I looked up at her and saw a small smile but apprehension in her eyes. “Yeah, I think you do. You’re warm.”

Relief filled her as she giggled. “Oh, glad to keep you warm! Good thing you didn’t wear yesterday's outfit, even if it looked amazing.”

Even as my cheeks heated up, I couldn’t disagree. Being up in the air in a skirt, even though I was wearing shorts underneath, would be terrifying. How Vicky did it all the time was beyond me. In any case, wearing black jeans and a dark green long sleeve shirt that had a…lower neckline than I usually wore, well it was warmer than the skirt and top I had on yesterday. 

In fact, I wasn’t the only one who had more skin covered than the day before. My eyes lowered as I inspected the white zipped up hoodie she was wearing, the black tank peeking through the top. As my gaze went further down, a pair of tastefully ripped jeans I’d seen her wear before. She certainly knew how to put together an outfit.

When my eyes met hers, I got lost in the intensity of them for a split second before remembering her comment about the previous day’s skirt. “Yeah… don’t know how you do it all the time.”

She shrugged her shoulders, which jostled me slightly. “I don’t know, I just put on the costume and sort of become Glory Girl. A hero. The shorts help.” She had a goofy smile on her face. 

I couldn’t help it, I giggled. “Ok, fair,” I said in between breaths. “Anyway, I’ll stick to full body armor.”

“Which looks amazing on you,” She added, not holding back apparently.

“I—” Words failed me as her intense gaze continued to bore into me with a mix of that same look she had when she first saw me yesterday. It wasn’t anything bad, especially after yesterday, but I didn’t know how to process it. Luckily, I was saved when the museum appear in the distance. “Oh, there it is!”

Vicky looked away from me following my finger. The Bay Museum was one of the Bay’s oldest buildings, dating back to the days of America’s colonization. Historians said it was as old as the college, created by an unknown founder from the early days. Unlike the college though, the museum still had its old charm, and it didn’t look like that was going to change anytime soon. 

It wasn’t one of those museums that catered to only a specific type of creativity or history; it borrowed venues from other museums. It was why we hadn’t gone here before for the exhibit; today was the first time it would be shown. I’d visited the museum countless times in the past with Mom and Aunt Zoe. We’d seen exhibits spanning multiple ancient societies which led to my continued fascination with history. Mom would even help me dive deeper into research once we got home, uncovering the misconceptions and lost truths together. 

As I gazed upon the museum, it was impossible to miss the crowds already gathered in a sprawling line that nearly circled the block.

“Damn it,” Vicky said, echoing my thoughts. “So much for getting here before the crowd.”

“It’s not a big deal. We have all day.”

She looked at me, a smile forming on her face. “I guess you’re right.”

We landed on the sidewalk and quickly got into line. I surveyed the crowd and it was hard to miss the pattern. The majority of the people coming to the exhibit were clearly Empire affiliated instead of the usual high school or college students. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to me, but I was taken aback. I’d hoped that they wouldn’t be as interested in it given the more academic nature.

My thoughts were jarred when I felt a warm hand worm its way into my own. My head snapped to the side and noticed Vicky standing there with a warm smile on her face. My eyes glanced down at our joined hands and I felt heat creep up my cheeks but I still returned the smile.

We stood in line for what felt like hours but was only a fraction of that. It helped that Vicky was holding my hand, a warm comfort when surrounded by Nazis. Holding hands with Vicky who was a known cape, which the glances around us confirmed people recognized her, helped curb any issues that might have arisen. 

Once we reached the front of the line, Vicky quickly paid for our tickets, much to my chagrin, and we were walking into the museum foyer in no time. The opening display was similar to other museums in that it was built to be impressive and eye-catching. A massive whale skeleton hung in the air, held up by thick wire. There were a few art pieces and sculptures scattered around the room, but everyone was heading straight to the side door where they had two fake stones with Futhark runes running down the center.

“That doesn’t spell anything,” Vicky pointed out.

“No it doesn’t. Unless we missed the word kbghy.”

Vicky giggled, but was interrupted by someone walking by and muttering, “Fuckin dykes, no appreciation…”

Vicky was about to punch the guy, but I held her arm back. With fire burning in her eyes, she looked at me, confusion on her face. I shook my head and whispered, “Not worth it. He’s just a bacraut .”

She didn’t say anything and her eyes flicker between my face and my hand holding her arm back before she relaxed. I let go of her arm and she sighed. “Alright, let’s go.”

Just as we were about to head into the exhibit, two figures came strolling out of the main office from the other side. The first was a shorter man with long dark brown dreadlocks with a few little jewelry pieces in them. It was a cool offset to the nice black and gray suit he was wearing. The second was a taller woman, about a few inches over the man, with an earthy dress that reached down to her ankles. Several types of flowers were embroidered in the dress, ranging from daisies to roses. Her brown hair was braided into twin braids, each on the side of her face. 

They both walked straight to the exhibit entrance. As they approached the man angrily gestured at the fake stones. “What? How could they even deem such gibberish as Old Norse?”

“Just calm down, just because Boston’s Museum of–”

“How can I be calm?! This is far from correct! I just–”

I walked a little closer, surprising Vicky as I waved with my free hand. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Argi.”

My voice stopped their conversation cold as they turned, eyes wide with surprise and a smile quickly pulled at both their lips when they saw me. “Little Taylor!” They both said happily, the anger they had a moment prior now forgotten. 

As they walked up to us, Vicky leaned into me and whispered, “You know them?”

I nodded, “Yeah, Mom was close to them and we visited the museum all the time.”

“Huh,” She said as if she had discovered a new mystery.

I turned back to Mr. and Mrs. Argi as they got close. “It’s so good to see you, dear!” Mrs. Argi said. 

“It has been a while…” 

It had only been a few days before her passing that we’d visited the museum where she had a lengthy conversation with the couple while I was exploring the museum. The pair lowered their heads in a moment of silence, their thoughts no doubt similar to my own. 

“She was a wonderful woman,” Mr. Argi said, articulating his words.

“Yeah, she was.”

A few seconds of silence passed with Vicky soothingly squeezing my hand. Eventually, Mrs. Argi said, “So what brings you to our neck of the woods, Little Taylor.”

I glanced over to Vicky who was already looking back. After another comforting squeeze of our hands, I gathered my resolve and spoke the truth. 

“We are on a date.” 

Vicky’s cheeks darkened as her smile grew and I turned back to the couple.  Both had matching grins as their eyes practically sparkled.

“Aww!” Mrs. Argi squealed, clapping her hands happily. “Honey, Little Owl is on a date!”

The heat on my cheeks was hot enough to warm Niflheim. 

“That’s adorable,” Mr. Argi said, adding more fuel to the fire. 

“Annette would be so proud of her little girl.” 

He looked over at his wife, a look in his eye I couldn’t describe. 

“Yeah, she would be,” Mr. Argi agreed. “In any case,” He said as he looked over at the runes. “They can’t even spell correctly.”

“I noticed that too,” I said. “Clearly no one knows proper Old Norse and Futhark Runes. Unless I missed kbghy as a word.”

Mrs. Argi snorted. “No, it’s not.” She looked at me with a curious look. “When did you learn Old Norse?”

“We,” Vicky and I quickly glanced at each other for a brief moment before continuing, “Started learning it after I found some of Mom’s old stuff.”

“I knocked her over,” Vicky added with a slight smirk on her face. “But yeah, we’ve been learning it for a month and a half.”

“I see…” Mr. Argi said, a look exchanged between him and his wife. “How long did it take you to learn it?”

“Taylor learned it super quick.”

“I wasn’t that quick…” I said, scratching the back of my head. 

“Really?” She said with a raised eyebrow. 

That caused the couple to laugh. “I’m not surprised. Taylor was always a bookworm, surprising even her mother with what she learned,” Mrs. Argi said, causing everyone to laugh. 

Pretty sure Niflheim was a tropical paradise from the heat of my embarrassment. Luckily, a cleared throat from behind helped relieve that as everyone stopped.

“Director Barley, Curator Bean. We have an issue.”

I glanced over my shoulder to see a man with a clipboard.

“Yes, Jensen?” Both Mr. and Mrs. Argi replied, respectfully. 

“We need you both on the second floor.”

Mr. Argi sighed while Mrs. Argi rolled her eyes. “Oh very well,” Mrs. Argi said. “Let’s go deal with whatever could be happening. Have a good date, you two. There’s a lot of interesting things in there. Keep an eye out for some of the smaller ones.” Before I had a chance to question her about what she meant, Mr. Argi had walked away. Mrs. Argi sighed and went to follow. She quickly glanced over her shoulder and said, “Oh and please come by more often, Taylor. We miss you visiting the museum.”

“I-I will.”

A warm smile dotted her face. “Good. Now I have to be off.” She walked past us, a pep in her step. 

When they were out of eyeshot, Vicky squeezed my hand, garnering my attention. “Who are they?”

“Besides the owners of the museum?”

Vicky rolled her eyes and I giggled. “Yes, besides that.”

“They were friends of my mom. They live on a farm just outside the outskirts of the city and grow a lot of exotic fruits and vegetables that Mom loved.”

“Interesting…” It seemed like there was something else that she wanted to say but she held her tongue. “Anyway, we should go in.”

I nodded. “Yeah, we should.”

My arm was almost yanked out of its socket when she pulled me by our joined hands and we walked into the exhibit. Due to my brief reunion with the Argis, the crowd had died down enough that we weren’t being trampled on. 

Vicky and I stopped at each of the exhibits, reading the descriptions of Viking society and how the ancient people of Scandinavia used to live. Most of it I’d already known, thanks to Mom, but Vicky was picking up a lot more. “Oooh, I didn’t know that Vikings had three castes… and that they had slaves.”

“Most civilizations back then had slaves, Vicky. It was… common.”

She sighed, leaning away from the plaque, “I wish that wasn’t the case. I’d hoped that the ancient Norse were better than that.”

“They were,” I said, her questioning eyes causing me to clarify. “Women had more freedom.”

“Oh really?” She said as she stepped back. Sadly, she accidentally hit someone.

“Hey! Watch your fuckin step!” A familiar voice yelled out, filled with anger.

My eyes widened as my head snapped in that direction. Vicky was quick to apologize, “Oh, I’m so sor-” She stopped when she noticed the pure hatred in the boy’s eyes.

“What the fuck are you doing here, faggot .”

“Leo,” I said through gritted teeth.

“You tranny-”

“ The fuck did you say ,” Vicky snarled.

The look of pure fear in Leo’s eyes as he finally realized who he had bumped into would have been hilarious if it wasn’t for the fact that Vicky looked ready to kill the boy. 

“I-I-look- it was just—”

“Oh, I heard you perfectly clear,” She said, taking a step closer to the boy. “And if I’m to guess, you were one of the bullies.” I noticed her eyes had landed on the temporary tattoo on his arm. “Oh, you have some fucking gall -”

“Vicky, don’t.” I said, quickly moving to stop her as she raised a fist.

“Taylor, he—”

Our eyes met and I could see the mixed emotions roil in her eyes. I knew what she wanted to do and I couldn’t blame her. The presence in the back of my head fully agreed.

“Fine. But if he—”

“I know.” I turned to the terrified looking Leo and said, “Get the hell out of here, Leo.”

His face contorted into a mixture of animosity, rage, and fear. “This isn’t over, tranny boy.” He looked over at Vicky and said, “Who knew you were a dyke ?”

His insults were honestly contradictory, but it didn’t matter. They were still insults and dug. Vicky went swing on him, but I quickly grabbed her arm. “Vicky, no!”

“How—” Vicky said, her head snapping to me. “But he—”

“He doesn’t have powers,” I whispered. I knew how strong she was. I’d seen her bend metal from a slap . Leo wouldn’t survive a punch from her and I wasn’t going to have that on her conscience. 

My arm struggled against her fist, but it slowly weakened as the fight left her. “Fine.” She was angry, I knew she was and it wasn’t all aimed towards Leo. She pulled back and released a deep breath, stomping away. 

I quickly glance at Leo and said, “Get the fuck out of here. Unless you want me to call her back.”

His eyes widened with fear, but that didn’t remove the snarl on his face. He backed away before turning around and running around the corner, glancing off of a wooden sculpture of Viking architecture with a hiss of pain that I couldn’t help but smirk over. 

Releasing a sigh, I quickly rushed after Vicky, finding her near one of the displays of Thor. Somehow she had wandered into the Norse Gods area.

“Vicky!” I called out, worried.

She was pacing back and forth, wringing her fists before shaking them loose. She looked up, conflict heavy in those blue eyes. 

“How can you—”

Stepping up to her, I glanced aside. “Look, I don’t like it anymore than you.”

“I hope not!”

“But I deal with it on a daily basis,” I said honestly. “I go to Winslow, Vicky. It’s a swimming pool of Nazis, druggies, and assholes.”

“That doesn’t mean you should just… take it.”

“And do what? Fight back?” I moved closer and whispered, “I’m not out like you. I can’t just use my powers to protect myself.”

“But you could… and should. They want you dead, Tay. The last thing I want is for you to be hurt.” She looked away, not wanting to meet my eyes.

The emotion packed into her words stopped anything I had prepared. I thought over what she said and it made me realize something. Something I’d been ignoring for a long time. When it seemed like she wasn’t going to look at me, I took a step closer and tried to grab her hands but she wasn’t having any of it. 

“Vicky…” I sighed, “I-I- you’re right.”

Finally she looked up. “I am?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never told you how… bad it is at school. Sure, tidbits here and there but not the full—” A few people came into the area, people who really didn’t need to hear this story. “Let’s find some privacy.”

She looked around and saw the same group and nodded. We walked away from the Thor display and went around the corner, coming across a golden room filled with light. The good thing, there was no one inside. 

“You did mention the Empire,” Vicky started off before I could speak.

I sighed and nodded. “Yeah. Leo has… targeted me.” I didn’t want to tell her, but I already knew she wouldn’t let it go until she had the truth.

“Targeted you?”

“He’s already tried to kill me. Twice, actually.” The night of my trigger flashed through my head. “One was…” I tried to stop my fidgeting hands but all I could think of was to play with my braid. Taking a deep breath,  I said, “when I triggered.”

“Shit. Tay…”

“And he’s tried again but I didn’t-”

“Tay, you can’t just—”

“Vicky, you were going to kill him. That punch—”

“I wouldn’t have—”

“Yes you would have,” I said with certainty. “I know how hard you can punch, he would’ve died.” 

It was either the way I said it or what I had said that made her realize that I was right. 

“I—” She looked down at her now trembling hands as tears began to well up in her eyes. “But—” 

“Hey, hey, it’s ok.” I got close and gently wrapped my hands around hers.

Vicky looked up, meeting my eyes. “Tay— I—” She stopped, unable to say anymore. The two of us instead stared at each other and I wished I knew what was going on in her head.

Eventually the awkward silence needed to end. We were in the middle of an exhibit when anyone could walk in on us and neither of us needed that. 

“Quite the date, isn’t it?”

She blinked her eyes a few times before snorting. “Like none I’ve had before.”

“You ok?” I asked.

“Are you?”

The question startled me and I wasn’t sure how to answer. I shrugged my shoulders, “I’m fine, I suppose. I was more worried about you.”

“Tay…” Her voice, so filled with emotion that I felt my chest cave in. She looked away and before I could process that , one of her hands left mine and she pointed to the side. “Wait, isn’t that your mom’s necklace?”

I furrowed my eyebrows at the sudden shift in topic and looked to where she was pointing. On one of the sculptures,  Frigg from a quick glance, was an exact copy of my mom’s necklace. My eyes scanned the rest of the room and I realized we were in Frigg’s area of the exhibit. “Interesting.” I let go of her hands and headed towards the display. 

The closer I got, the more drawn I felt to the copy. It couldn’t be my mom’s, it was lost in the fire and if the car couldn’t survive, a necklace definitely wouldn’t. My eyes roamed down the statue and for some reason, all I could feel was revulsion for the piece. I knew that trying to use my mom’s books as a main source of information wasn’t the best way to think about it, but I felt that Mom had to be onto something. Why else would she have such an extensive library?

So the thought of Frigg caused my stomach to churn. Like it was a false depiction of Freyja. At the base of the statue was a sheath, one made of a golden leather with bright gold inlaid down the center. It looked to be the same length as my sword. 

It seemed so strange that something so similar to my mom’s was here in the exhibit. Where did the exhibit come from? Who owned it and brought it here? Was my mom’s necklace a copy of Freyja’s? So many questions that would remain unanswered. 

I was about to turn and face Vicky when a loud boom echoed in the museum. 

“What the fuck!” Vicky cursed as a cacophony of screams reached our ears.

We looked at each other before we raced out of the room, but not before I glanced over my shoulder one last time to stare at the two pieces. Another earth shattering boom broke my haze and I ran after Vicky.

Along the way, I noticed several people attempting to rob the place, a quick look and I realized they were from the Empire. Rage filled me that these guys would stoop so low to rob an exhibit but I didn’t have any way to stop them. Luckily I didn’t have to.

“You Nazi bastards! Stop stealing from the museum!” Vicky yelled out, floating into the air to get around the people feeling towards the exit. I felt a pressure on me, her Aura reaching out. It wasn’t the calm soothing touch like most times, it felt like a hammer banging against me. Those who were stuffing their pockets of trinkets stopped, their eyes going wide as they went up into the air. 

“Oh shit! It’s Glory Girl!”

“Run for it!”

The robbers scrammed in a hurry, the items they were stealing forgotten where they fell as they ran towards the exit and trampled over people. “Fucker—” I cursed, only to be interrupted by another earth shattering crash. 

I tried to make it to the entrance of the exhibit, but the stream of people kept bumping into me, slowing my progress. When I finally made it, chaos was an understatement of what had become of the foyer.

Floating on a piece of sidewalk was a girl in a black robe, Futhark Runes running down the middle. The hilarious part? It still didn’t spell anything coherent. That had to be Rune. She floated to the side, touching one of the Egyptian statues on the second floor. The statue rose into the air, only to be hurled to the other side of the museum. The wall exploded on impact, raining debris across the room as countless artifacts were destroyed.

Standing in the center of the room was a man with no shirt on, puffy pants, and a tiger mask. Air swirled around Stormtiger as he snapped out an arm, sending a wave of pressure that carved through the room before impacting the far wall, leaving several paintings blown to shreds.The third and final member of the Empire that I could see was Cricket. She was standing off to the side, rummaging through one of the desks near the back, her signature cage mask over her face hiding her features. The gymnast showed her capabilities by somersaulting over the desk, a glint of metal flashing in an instant for her weapons to slash down into wood. 

The destruction of the museum boiled my blood and Vicky flew out and took a moment to appraise the scene. “Did you really need to stoop so low as to rob a museum? Kind of sad really,” She said, voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“Well, well, well,” Stormtiger started. “I’d heard you were here but I thought they were just rumors. Looking to join, GG? I think you’d make a fine addition.”

“How about, fuck you?”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

I had to bite down the revulsion of the comment. It was so fucked up— I needed to focus. Vicky couldn’t handle them all on her own. She was an excellent cape, but it was three versus one. The presence in the back of my head was practically banging against its confines. I was tired of the Empire and their shit and this was just another nail in the coffin. I summoned my Valkyrie.

Wisps slowly formed on the second floor, not far from Rune. Before she fully formed, I sent a command.

Fight the Nazi capes, don’t hold back and protect the museum.

My projection didn’t hesitate, the moment she formed, her spear flew into the air, nearly striking Rune in the head. “The fuck!” She cried, ducking just in time for the spear to miss her.

Whatever conversation was going on between Vicky and the Tiger wannabe had stopped. Rune quickly flew away as my Valkyrie took off after her. “Gondul! This is your last chance to join! You’d do well!” Stormtiger yelled.

There was no way I was going to respond, not when I didn’t have my armor. But I knew that even with my Valkyrie joining into the fray, it wouldn’t be enough. Stormtiger could easily keep Vicky at bay. But there was no way I could get home, get my armor, and get back before the fight was over.

My thoughts were cut when I heard Stormtiger let out a raunchy laugh, “Find Gondul.” 

I peeked around the corner and saw Cricket nod, her eyes seemingly looking right at me and I knew I had little choice but to run. Backing away, I turned around, my feet taking me in whatever direction I felt feasible in the veritable maze of displays. Luckily everyone had already fled, so I didn’t have a crowd to contend with. 

As I delved deeper into the exhibit, I felt myself stop, something drawing me to the right. When I looked in that direction, I saw the statue of Frigg, the amber of the necklace gleaming in the dim light. There was something about it that told me I needed it. It couldn’t have been Mom’s, there’s no way, but the necklace was so unique.

Against my better judgment, I walked towards the necklace. The distant sounds of battle melting away, the museum around me becoming a blur with each step. When I stood in front of the display, I didn’t even notice the statue, as though the piece of jewelry was now floating in the air. I reached out with a hesitant hand, afraid of what might happen. Time wasn’t on my side, and being so focused on a single object couldn’t be a good sign, but still I couldn’t help how I was drawn to it.

When my hand touched the amber, I noticed it was warm. I blinked a few times and gently lifted the necklace over the head. The jewelry was light in my hands and as I brought it closer, I took a closer look. Underneath the strip of metal was something that brought up a hundred more questions. 

If there was any doubt that this was Mom’s necklace, then it was gone in an instant. ‘Taylor’ inscribed on the inside. It was my name, written with a runic font. There was another one, but it was illegible, worn to the sands of time. 

But that only deepened the mystery. Why was Mom’s necklace in a museum exhibit? Who was the faded name? Could the sheath below be the one for my sword?

Those questions would remain unanswered as I heard rapid footsteps approaching. I glanced back at the necklace, something telling me that putting it on would help. With little option, I followed that feeling and placed the torc around my neck.

The instant the metal and amber touched my skin, I felt a surge course through my veins like a cleansing flame, only it wasn’t painful. The world seemed to brighten, a myriad of colors flashing across my eyes. My body went stiff as a prickling and itchy sensation crossed across my skin. 

Then as fast as it came, it was gone. The world returned to normal and my body came down from whatever high was induced. A thought crossed my mind, one I doubted would work but I had to try.

I imagined my armor.

The instant I did, I felt the comfortable weight settle on my body, my head encased in protective metal. The soft feathers caressed my back like a warm blanket. A familiar weight in hand, I glanced down to see my sword, the metal glowing for but a second, golden sparks glittering for but a second before disappearing. 

As much as I wanted to question what in Hel’s name had just happened, the footsteps grew close and I knew Cricket was around the corner. I grabbed the sheath, not having the time to place it on my body, before two boots flew through the air, the woman grabbing the edge of the doorway in a feat of acrobatic mastery. 

She landed gracefully, her sharp weapons held out ready to fight. She tilted her head, a curious stance, for but a moment before she tightened her grip on her scythe-like weapons. I rotated my wrist, my sword performing figure eights as I quickly adjusted before squaring off against her. My other hand had the sheathe in a reverse grip. If it was like the armor and sword, I had no doubt it would be strong enough to act like a second weapon. 

The brief moment of silence passed between us before she made the first move. An ear shattering screech deafened my eardrums, the distant ringing only a minor distraction as I centered myself and parried the first strike of her weapon. My sword easily took the brunt of the attack.

Her other weapon was right behind it and I brought the sheathe up, the gold inlaid meeting the steel of her scythe blade. There wasn’t a moment to ponder the amazement that I’d block the attacks so well before she attacked again. The blades came slashing from the sides. A step back and I narrowly dodged the attack but the woman was relentless. 

My hearing returned and I noticed there was still a high pitch squealing in the air and it only took me a moment to realize it was from her. 

I didn’t have time to ponder her powers when she came at me again. “You know,” I said as I blocked her attacks again, her unrelenting assault putting me on my back foot. “If this is your idea of recruitment, it’s not very convincing.”

My attempt at throwing Cricket off was pointless since she rushed in, going for my legs. I felt my back touch something hard and I knew I had nowhere else to go except up. Using the pedestal as a jumping board, I leapt up into the air, her weapons narrowly missing and striking stone. With an awkward twist, my metal covered foot struck her in the head. 

Another high pitch squeal reached my ear before she started hissing as she backed away, one of her hands going to her caged covered face where I had dented it. I landed roughly, my kick throwing me off, but when I looked up she moved her hand away. Furious eyes looked back through the slits of her cage. 

At that moment, I felt my Valkyrie disappear, whatever was going on in the foyer had destroyed her. Quickly formulating a plan, I summoned my Valkyrie behind Cricket as quietly as I could. 

Sadly, the attempt at trying to surprise her failed as Cricket noticed the light from behind. Her eyes widened and she glanced over her shoulder to see my Valkyrie hovering. She pivoted, her head looking between the two of us. Before I could send a command to my projection, she let out a noise. My eyes started to blur and it felt like I was on rough seas as everything shifted around me. 

I honestly felt like I wanted to throw up. 

Screeching was followed by a deafening crash as I was knocked aside by a blow to my helm. With a rough shake of my head, I looked about in an attempt to regain my bearings.  The statue of Frigg looked back at me with lifeless eyes, the head having been knocked clean when my Valkyrie crashed into it. 

I snarled at the sight of Cricket rounding the corner in retreat and moved to pursue the cape. The world was still unsteady from whatever her power had done to me, but I wasn’t about to leave Vicky alone to deal with the three of them while I recovered. My Valkyrie trailed behind, but I didn’t need her here, I needed her back in the foyer.

An idea struck me, and I imagined my Valkyrie vanishing from behind me and reappearing where she had been at the start of the battle. 

It must’ve worked since I felt her in that same location as before. 

Continue fighting the Empire and protecting Vicky.

After what felt like an approval from my projection, I raced after Cricket through the maze of the exhibit. Each turn was met with no sign of her and after a minute of searching, I decided to head towards the exit instead. 

When I came upon the foyer, it was in complete shambles . The desks were merely splinters at this point and several pillars had been destroyed. The fact that the second floor walkways were still intact was a testament to the engineering that went into the museum. 

Stormtiger was surrounded by a whirlwind of air, deterring Vicky from getting close. Rune was on a new piece of debris, a large slab of marble from one of the shattered pillars. She was ducking between the few remaining pillars as my Valkyrie pursued, throwing her spear whenever she had a clear shot. Cricket was nowhere to be seen, but that didn’t matter at the moment. 

We needed to end this fight before more of the museum was destroyed.

Vicky flew over to one of the kiosks, her arms wrapping around it before she started to lift with her Brute strength. With a mighty yank, the kiosk was pulled free, taking it with her as she floated into the air. 

While I didn’t like that she was using parts of the museum for the fight, it was better than a pillar. Stormtiger was focused on Vicky and noticed that with each attack he made at her, a small break in the currents around him was formed. Racing forward, I used the moment of distraction to get in close. When he noticed, he redirected his wind, but it did nothing more than glance off my armor

My sword lashed out, Stormtiger barely managing to back away while he raised an arm in a feeble attempt to block the blow. A deep cut and a spew of crimson followed my sword arc as his arm flopped to the ground with a meaty thump. 

“FUCK!” He screamed as I stared in horror at his now stump. 

His head raised, a look of pure hatred in his eyes as he flimsily flailed his remaining arm. A blast of air crashed into me, staggering me as he ran. It took a moment to realize that the only reason I hadn’t been thrown farther was because Vicky had caught me. 

“How—”

“Not the time,” I said, ignoring the concern in her voice. “We need to get them out of here.”

She was taken aback for a moment but nodded. “Yeah.” She looked up and I followed her gaze. In that instant, I knew what she was thinking.

“No.”

“But, Gon-”

“No, that’s a priceless—”

“It’ll get them out of here.”

I hated that she was right. The plan would cause them to run, but I hated it with all my heart.

“Fine, but I’m not happy with this.”

She nodded solemnly, and set me down quickly before flying up. I sent a command to my Valkyrie to enact her idiot plan.

Go for the support wires and be quick about it.

For a moment, my Valkyrie hesitated in response to my orders, but it stopped chasing after Rune and flew to the top where the wires were suspending the giant whale skeleton. Mr. and Mrs. Angi, all the gods, Mom, please forgive me for what I was about to do. I ran towards the exhibit entrance, where Stormtiger had stopped to bandage his arm. His head slowly went up and as if in slow motion, no doubt seeing exactly what Vicky had in mind. 

“SHIT! MOVE!”

Rune stopped, only for her eyes to widen, she wasted little time darting out a broken window, shards of glass falling as the marble forced its way through. 

The steel wires snapped under Vicky’s strength and my Valkyrie’s sharp spear. The skeleton of the whale released a groaning noise as the last of the supports tore free and it all came crashing down. 

Bonedust filled the air as the ground shook on impact, my feet giving out as I fell back.

I tried to hold back the tears of breaking such a priceless piece, but they still fell. Never would I’d have imagined that I’d be part of such destruction in a historic museum, yet here I was. A groan from the side reminded me of the task at hand. My eyes landed on Stormtiger, body seemingly slammed against the wall. He coughed, pained and raspy. He tried to get up, but the blow had taken a lot out of him. 

Vicky flew down, heading straight towards the downed Nazi, but someone else got there first. A quick figure, no Cricket, sprinted across the foyer. She knelt down next to Stormtiger, glanced up and saw Vicky barreling right for them, and released an ear shattering screech. 

My hands reached for my ears, the helmet getting in my way of protecting my eardrums. When the ringing had subsided, the two were gone and Vicky was on the ground in a small crater, cupping her ears. Not wasting a breath, I ran straight to her.

I was only somewhat aware of my Valkyrie flying down and hovering above me as I knelt down next to Vicky. Her gritted teeth and the tears streaming down her cheeks made my heart ache. I cupped her cheek, gently letting her know I was here. Her eyes briefly opened, the shimmering orbs quivering as she looked back at me. 

We sat there for several moments, my hand gently running up and down her back as the shock faded. Slowly, she sat up, pulling her hands away from her bleeding ears.

“You ok?” I asked.

She took a few seconds to respond, taking deep breaths before answering. “I-I think s-so.”

I nodded, only now realizing I was Gondul and showing too much could reveal my identity. Especially since I heard the distant sounds of sirens approaching. Standing up, I held my hand out for her to grab. A confused look crossed her face before realization dawned on her. She grabbed my hand and I hoisted her up. 

When she dusted herself off, I heard a saddened cry. “Oh dear.”

I looked in the direction of the voice to see Mr. and Mrs. Argi approached us, both with shocked looks on their faces. “How did this happen?” Mr. Argi asked.

“The Empire,” I answered. “I don’t know why, but they were here to cause problems.”

“I-I think they were here to recruit Gondul again,” Vicky said, wiping the tears from her face. “They must’ve known you’d be here,” She glanced at me, a look in her eyes that I couldn’t describe.

“Yes,” Mr. Agri said, something glimmering in his eyes as he looked at the necklace I now wore. “There truly is no way that Gondul would join, is there?”

Realization crashed into me that they knew who I was. Had they known the attack would happen, planned for me to be here to claim what I now knew to be my mother’s necklace? I closed my eyes, not wanting to go down that particular rabbit hole at the moment and when they opened, they landed on the shattered remains of the whale. A shuddered breath escaping my lips. “I’m…sorry. I hadn—”

“Oh, if you’re worried about the whale, don’t be. It’s fake,” Mrs. Argi said cheerfully.

“What?”

“Do you really think a real giant whale skeleton could be suspended thirty feet in the air? It’s plaster.”

I stared at the couple in disbelief, that all my fear and wishing for forgiveness were for naught as it was apparently fake. “Are you—”

“But that said, we thank you for taking care of those Nazi bastards. It was already bad enough with how many had showed up, but with you two here, you helped protect the museum.”

Vicky and I glanced at each other, shocked at the weird turn. “Uhh, no problem,” Vicky said and I nodded. 

“Good, now,” Mr. Argi said before looking at his wife. “Let’s go talk to the police, I’m sure this will be a fun conversation.” 

Mrs. Argi nodded and walked away, leaving the two of us in complete disbelief. When they were out of earshot, Vicky leaned closer and whispered, “How did you get your armor?”

“If I told you, I don’t think you would believe me.”

She stared at me for several seconds before sighing. “The Empire is becoming a problem for you, aren’t they?”

“It seems that way.”

“Well, I’m not letting my girlfriend fight them alone.”

The surety of her voice was enough for me to know what she meant. No matter how the media might twist this battle, there was one thing for sure. The two of us were going after the Empire. It was time for Brockton Bay to realize that I wasn’t a Nazi and would never be one. 

I looked down at my sword and the sheath in my hands. With a quick flick of my wrist, I sheathed the sword and it felt just a bit more whole than before. Looking at how the sheath straps presented themselves, there was only one place I could put the sword.

I moved my cloak out of the way and hooked the sheath on my back, the handle of the blade poking out from the side of the cloak. My hand grazed the handle when I reached behind me and I knew I could easily pull out my sword. With that taken care of, I looked at Victoria and nodded. 

We had work to do.

Chapter Text

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Victoria was furious. It was stupid and asinine, but she was furious. There were many things she could ignore and let slide, but for some reason this one had seriously pissed her off. It shouldn’t be a problem for a boyfriend to have his eyes linger on a girl, hell she’d done it a few times herself, but something about this particular time had set her off.. 

She flew through the air, enjoying the freedom in multiple ways. It was the one place where she could truly feel free from the weight and stress that rested on her shoulders, even through her Brute strength. Though there was a little less on them now.

Her mom might not be happy, but Victoria was done trying to make things work with Dean, not when he wasn’t willing to put that same effort in. They’d broken up once before, only to get back together because she didn’t want to deal with her family’s disappointment. 

But now she didn’t care. 

Victoria landed on the concrete, her destination set but with no goal in mind. For once, she just wanted to wander through the countless rows of paper and take it all in. It was the one place she wished she could go to more often that didn’t involve schoolwork.

She walked past the memorial, stopping briefly to read the description again. No matter how many times she’d read it, something had always been off about Wayland Smith that she couldn’t put her finger on. He was among one of the Brockton Bay Founders, a group of settlers that found this portion of the coast and called it home. 

If it wasn’t for them, Brockton Bay might not have been created in the first place. It was because of them that a metropolis had been born and become a thriving city in the middle of New England. Yet as much as they knew the founders had built the city, they had no idea who they actually were. There was so little information about their lives and their family; it was as if it had been struck from history for no one to know.

Victoria had tried, she really had tried to uncover anything on them. When she had first learned about the Founders in elementary school, she realized how little was actually known about them. Since then, she’d decided to try to look more into the mystery. Not that she often had the time to, but she had the time now, and it was one of those things she liked to indulge from time to time.

Her fingers trailed the engraving as she started walking away, the name etched into her brain. One day she would crack the mystery, perhaps today would be that day. Victoria walked towards the English Department, her mind elsewhere as she let the dull conversations of college students wash over her. When she entered the building, she briefly looked around, seeing a tall black haired person with a black hoodie walk up the stairs to offices. Just another college student among many.

Victoria went the opposite direction and walked into the library. The smell of paper and a tinge of mold hit her as she entered. A quick glance was all she needed to know that she had already garnered an audience and she wasn’t even using her powers. There were a few times she wished she had a separate identity, that she could just hide among the crowd. For so long she’d wanted— No , she thought. She wasn’t going to go down that dark passage. She flew to the second floor to take her mind off of that. She ignored the sudden clamor she left in her wake. She went down one row of books, not really looking for anything in particular. 

Overall, she preferred being known, like most of her family. It was less stress and worry, even if there was the constant threat of villains. Victoria knew that it was unlikely, that they wouldn’t attack her while she was just going about her life, she was a Brute after all. But after what had happened with her Aunt Jess, especially with the Empire getting away with it, she worried about the rest of her family constantly.

The thought of her aunt caused a pang of sorrow, a hollowness in her heart that would never fill. She missed Aunt Jess. Victoria might not have been super close to Uncle Mike, but Aunt Jess always felt like she was part of the family, even if they never were married. From what she gathered, they had been engaged, and planned to tell the family, only for her to be murdered just days before the announcement. The memories of when Aunt Jess brough her to the park, pushed her on the swing, and said she was flying, had flashed across her mind's eye. A brief smile graced her lips at the thought. 

Victoria skimmed one of the spines along the shelf and noticed she had ended up in the language section of the library, but it didn’t really matter. She started walking again, still with no direction in mind just yet, she’d end up in the history section eventually. 

She had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t heard the footsteps from around the corner. Next thing she knew, she felt heavy books and a body slam into her, heard the sound of several large objects flying through the air before panic filled her as she now saw a person sprawled on their back with a sizable number of  books having landed on them.

“Oh shit!” She cursed, not bothering with decorum. “I am so sorry!” 

The person removed the book and Victoria realized they were a girl. A cute girl now that she had a moment to really look. She had rather angular features and remarkable brown eyes. Victoria could get lost in the depth of those earthy orbs. She knelt down to help the girl and realized the charming braids she had on the side of her head. 

“I’m sosososo sorry!”

Victoria picked up a book and moved it out of the way. Her eyes read the title and wondered why the girl had books on Old Norse. Snapping out of it, she said, “Here, let me help you up.” She gently placed the books to the side, cataloging what each one was about. Her curiosity grew with each book and she wondered if the girl was with the Empire. There was no other reason why she would have so many books about Old Norse. She’d seen the Old Norse professor and knew he was in the gang. The tattoo sort of gave it away, and even if he wasn’t, he was a sympathizer.

“Uhh, thanks,” The girl said awkwardly. 

I really hope she isn’t a Nazi , Victoria thought as she smiled at her. “No problem, it’s my fault anyway. I really should have been paying attention to where I was going.”

She would just have to see where this went, maybe she could talk the girl out of it and hopefully make a friend out of it. Anything she could do to reduce the gang’s numbers. They were becoming an increasing threat.

Victoria flexed her mental muscles and prepared to help the girl and do what she could to sway her away. It’s what a hero would do after all.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

As Vicky hovered above the ground, she saw the shocked look of Taylor’s face and couldn’t stop the smile that grew on her own. She quickly flew up and over the railing, flying low to the ground and rustling papers along the way. Opening the door, she went high again before landing to open another door. There were times where she wished some buildings had a quicker exit. This was one of those times. It felt like a fire hazard in her opinion.

Once outside, she skyrocketed into the air, heading towards the hospital. Along the way, she couldn’t get her mind off of Taylor. At first she had thought she was a Nazi sympathizer, but that all came crashing down when she learned about her Mom. Not only that, but she genuinely didn’t seem like the kind of person who would learn this language just to get in good with the local Nazi gang. All she wanted to do was be able to read a book her Mom had left behind.

While Victoria didn’t believe that Taylor was a Nazi sympathizer, she wanted to make sure. She really didn’t want to get caught off guard by the Empire. Her family already had a history with those monsters, and she wanted nothing more than to remove them from the city permanently. Still, she needed to tread carefully, her family had already felt the sting of loss once and didn’t need to feel it again. 

So she really hoped Taylor wasn’t with the Empire. It was the last thing she wanted. Victoria genuinely liked the girl and she was interesting to be around. It wasn’t often that she found herself pulled into a mystery and the desire to uncover it overtook her. There was something that Victoria loved about learning and researching and having someone fun to do it with was just icing on the cake. 

That Taylor happened to be cute certainly didn’t hurt.

Victoria’s ruminations were interrupted when she realized she had arrived at the hospital, her sister already on the roof, sitting in the worn collapsible chair looking like she was seconds from dozing off. Victoria landed on the roof and started apologizing. “I am sooooo sorry, Ames. I got caught up and—” 

“It’s whatever,” Amy muttered. “Not sure how your date went for so—”

“Oh, Dean and I broke up,” Victoria blurted, almost nonchalantly.

“You… broke up?” Amy asked, dumbfounded.

“Mhmm. Anyway, no, I met this girl at the university.”

“A girl?”

“Yeah. I might have… bumped into her.”

“Do I want to—”

Victoria quickly continued, “and knocked over a stack of books. Anyway , she was kind of cool and I think I made a new friend.”

Amy stared at her sister, blinking slowly before shaking her head. “Can we go home now?”

Victoria snapped out of it and said, “Oh, yeah! Sure thing.” She walked up to her sister, whose arms uncrossed just as Victoria went to pick her up. Her sister released a sigh as soon as she was nestled into her sister's arms and the two were off. As the pair flew through the air Victoria found her head filled with Taylor and the mysteries she had added to Victoria’s growing list of things to solve.

She wanted to talk to Taylor again, that much was certain. Whether to turn her away or to learn more about the mystery book. Victoria had never seen anything like it and it had intrigued her. There was something there, and she wanted to know more about what it might contain. It might not have been about the Founders, but that mystery wasn’t going anywhere.

As for Taylor, Victoria was going to do everything in her power to make sure the girl wasn’t a Nazi, or even a sympathizer. And if she wasn’t already, then it was just icing on the cake. 

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Saturday, December 25th, 2010

Victoria released a sigh before taking a sip of her drink, wishing it was something stronger . She looked around and saw her family enjoying the festivities. Her parents were in a deep conversation with her aunt and uncle, which was a blessing since that meant her mom wasn’t paying attention to the rest of them. Eric was over by the food, taking bites from a variety of homemade dishes. It looked like he really liked the biscuits she made. Her sister was on the couch, phone out as she scrolled through it furiously. Victoria knew that if her mom was paying attention, Amy would get yelled at. Again. And she wasn’t sure where Crystal was.

When Victoria looked at her family, she knew there was something missing. Or someone. Uncle Mike. Another year, another invitation ignored. She tried not to be disappointed, that she fully understood why he didn’t want anything to do with the rest of the family, but it was still painful. The New Wave movement hadn’t been unanimously accepted, and aunt Jess had paid the price.

Another sad part? Barely anyone even went out anymore. Her parents, uncle, and Aunt had been consumed by their own lives, only going out to fight on a few occasions. The only ones who really did anything were her and her sister. Even her cousins barely went out and she knew Crystal’s opinion on the matter. She felt it had nothing to do with their powers and everything to do with what New Wave represented. 

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw her mom’s eyes about to scan the room before the conversation pulled her back in. Victoria’s back went slightly rigid and she needed to think of something better, more positive. Her mom couldn’t find out what had her down; if she did, it could cause problems. Instead, she put a smile on her face and walked over to her sister to help shield her from her mom’s gaze. She didn’t want Amy yelled at either.

Victoria hadn’t seen her older cousin walk over as well until she walked right in front of her. “Hey, Vicky,” Crystal said, her eyebrows knitted together. “You ok?”

“Yeah,” Vicky said, not even convincing herself.

“Really,” Crystal said, shifting the weight of her legs and crossing her arms. “Because you looked pretty down.”

“What? No.” 

“Victoria, what’s up?”

Victoria considered the question for a moment. She knew what happened when she brought up Uncle Mike and there was no point in bringing the others down with her. She also didn’t want to talk about the fact that New Wave was barely a superhero team, because that would just be its own set of issues. 

So, Vicky bottled it up. “I was just… I met this girl at college and I think she’s an Empire sympathizer.” She really didn’t like roping Taylor into her issues, but it was a genuine concern she had.

Confusion crossed Crystal’s face. “A sympathizer? Why would that matter? Just let her be. You don’t need to be the her—”

“But I think I can talk her out of it. Hell, I don’t even know if she is one in the first place.”

“What makes you think so?” she asked.

“Well, the only proof I have is that she’s interested in Old Norse and has cute braids.”

“Braids? Seriously, Vicky?” Crystal rolled her eyes.

Victoria’s shoulders lifted and gestured, “What? It’s a thing.”

“No, it’s not,” Crystal sighed. “Still, you don’t have any idea do you? This is all just an assumption.”

“A good one.”

Crystal rolled her eyes and put a hand on Victoria’s shoulder, gently squeezing as she said, “You don’t need to be a hero all the time, Vicky.”

“But—”

“Victoria!” Her mom yelled, grabbing both Victoria and Crystal’s attention. Amy had nearly dropped her phone. When Victoria looked over at her mom, she saw, no felt , the gaze of all the adults. She quickly put on her smile before walking over to them, acting as if she was just fine about the interruption. 

Surely whatever it was they needed couldn’t be that bad. Her Aunt and Uncle were involved. Crystal looked at her as if she was going to continue the conversation later, but Victoria didn’t care. It would honestly be better than whatever she was walking into.

“Yes?” Victoria said with a cheerful tone.

Her mom looked at her for a moment and Victoria made sure not to feel the pressure of the gaze. Luckily, she was saved, even if the question was one she’d been averting for the past few days. 

“Where’s Dean?” Aunt Sarah asked, with genuine concern in her voice.

Victoria quickly thought of one of the responses she’d made when the question came up, but she was ready for the worse. At least she hoped she was. “He’s… He couldn’t make it.”

“Is something wrong with him?” Uncle Neil asked.

“His family was—” Victoria was about to give some bullshit reason, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mom’s stare and it became increasingly difficult to speak. Eventually, she swallowed the lie and spoke the truth. “We broke up.”

The adults gave their disappointed responses. “Oh, Victoria,” Her aunt and uncle said at the same time. “I’m sorry to hear—”

“Why?” Her mom’s voice cut through the others, not as curt as Victoria expected.

“It’s… it’s stupid. We’re just better off as friends,” Victoria said noncommittally. It really was stupid, now that she thought about it, but what’s done was done. She didn’t want to get back with him again, even if he was a gentleman. 

“Are you sure?” Her mom asked. 

Victoria nodded. “Yeah.”

The adults didn’t say anything and it was awkward enough for Victoria. She stepped away, not caring about politeness and went to the food to hopefully get her mind off of things. 

It didn’t help.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Victoria paced in her room, trying to think of the words of how to go about this. She had made up her mind and she felt a little guilty for how long it took for her to do it. She felt that Taylor had been waiting for her to respond but with the holidays and all the family, her school work, and everything else, she lost track of time. It didn’t help that she wanted to make sure that she didn’t scare Taylor away. The girl seemed so flighty that if Victoria even brought up the possibility of her being in the Empire, she might run. 

She released a deep breath, taking a moment to center herself before she pulled out her phone and looked for Taylor’s phone number.

She still couldn’t believe that Taylor didn’t have a cell phone, “Like really, who doesn’t have a cell phone?” She said out loud as she scrolled through her far too long contact list. She barely even cared about most of them, just numbers she’d collected for no reason other than to collect them. She found Taylor’s phone number, her thumb hovering over the name and reciting her lines in her head. 

Finally, she pressed it. She heard the ring for a few seconds before she heard a familiar voice, “ Hello ?”

Don’t fuck this up, Victoria , She ‘encouraged’ herself. “Taylor?”

“ Vicky ?”

Then the awkward silence came. All of Victoria’s attempts to be ready for this conversation went away when she heard Taylor’s slightly deeper voice. She knew one of them needed to say something and she knew Taylor wouldn’t be the one to start. So she did. “So… sorry about taking so long to call you. Things have been busy for me.”

The rest of the conversation went by in a blur from what she remembered. She was honestly amazed that she was able to keep the conversation going and when she heard that Taylor had more material to read, she became interested . She rattled off Boardwalk Tea, one of her favorite places to go. Then she got her cell phone number, which surprised Victoria. There was a fear that it had been a gift from a Nazi who planned to trace it back to her. In any case, she wasn’t sure how she was going to deal with having to resort to calling all the time, but she would’ve done it.

Victoria did think it weird that Taylor wanted to send her a text, but she went along with it. That only raised more flags in Victoria’s head about the source of the phone, but she’d wait and see.

When Victoria took the phone away from her head, she released a deep breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding. She took a moment to gather herself before walking out of her room. She saw her sister moseying about in the kitchen, surprised to see her considering last she remembered, she was at the hospital. Again. “Hey, Ames,” Victoria said cheerfully.

Amy’s back went rigid and she nearly jumped at Victoria’s voice. She pivoted on her feet, her body calming when her eyes landed on Victoria. “Vicky?”

“Uhh… yeah, who else?”

Amy blinked her eyes a few times at the question before shaking her head. “Good point…”

“So, I thought you went to the hospital?”

“I changed my mind,” She said curtly. 

“Oh, ok.” Victoria didn’t want to push her sister, she knew she worked too much at the hospital and she was glad that she changed her mind. 

“What were you doing? Homework again?”

Victoria waved her off. “Only about half. I’ll finish the rest later.”

“You know Carol is going to complain if you—”

“I know.”

The sisters awkwardly stood there and Victoria’s mind wandered to the upcoming meetup with Taylor on Wednesday. A beeping noise caused her sister to stop the machine and grab a mug. Her head glanced over her shoulder.

“What are you so happy about?” Amy grouchily asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“Huh? Oh, just that I’ll be going to Boardwalk Tea on Wednesday.”

Amy raised an eyebrow. “What for?”

“I'm seeing Taylor again. The girl I met at college.”

“Really?” Amy’s inquisitive eye’s stared at Victoria and her tone hinted at something else. 

“Yeah.”

“And you’re happy about it.” Victoria noticed it wasn’t a question.

Victoria thought over the not-actually-a-question and said, “I am. And I think I might have an outfit that’d work for it too.” Victoria started imagining all of her clothes and what she could wear.

“Vicky,” Amy said with surety, “It sounds like a date.”

Vicky’s thoughts halted and she did a double take. “Huh-what? No it’s not.”

Amy slowly closed her eyes, a sigh escaping her lips, and opening them, giving her sister a pointed look. “Really? You’re taking this girl to your favorite tea place in the city. And you’re already thinking about outfits. Vicky, that’s a date.”

Victoria’s mind was racing, rethinking everything she had said and was going to do for Wednesday, trying to come up with an excuse to prove that it wasn’t a date. Yet every single time it only came down to one conclusion. “Shit.”

“Vicky!” Amy yelled.

“Sorry! I hadn’t— that wasn’t—” Victoria sighed, resigning herself. “Ok, so it’s a date.”

There was silence between the sisters. Victoria didn’t have anything else to add and as she thought about it, she wasn’t against the idea. The only hitch was whether or not Taylor was a nazi sympathizer or not.

Now knowing that, Victoria needed to think about what she was going to do and say for that day. If it was a date, she was going to do her damndest to make it good and hope that it could pull Taylor away from the fascists. “I should go do the rest of my homework,” Victoria said, breaking the silence.

“Ok,” Amy said, her tone neutral.

Victoria turned around and went up the stairs. She was on a mission now.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

Victoria flew in the air, feeling both elated and conflicted at the same time. Each and every time she’d seen Taylor, it sparked something inside her she’d never experienced yet each of those times she’d learn something new about the girl. Something that wasn’t always good, like that look she had given Shadow Stalker when she entered the teashop. They were in civvies, but it was obvious the two knew each other, not that Victoria could remember her civilian name.

After the fight against the Merchants, she found out that Taylor was the new cape, Gondul. Being new to the scene, Taylor made the rookie mistake of looking at her phone after Victoria had texted to meet. In truth, she knew Gondul was Taylor the moment she met her. Her voice wasn’t altered by the helmet except for a slight tinny sound. Then there was the fact that Gondul had powers resembling Valkyries from Norse Mythology and her own armor looked like some of the armor Victoria had seen in some of the books reinforced that.

There was also the fact that no one knew who the mythological being Gondul was outside ‘The Compendium’. Victoria wasn’t sure if there was another account of Gondul in another book, since the one she had found had so little on her. She had to admit, it was a little surprising when she first found the name the last time they’d met, and how soon it was after that Gondul appeared. 

Nonetheless, Victoria had to confront Taylor, even if it meant breaking the ‘Rules’ that most capes lived by. It was her best friend and she wanted her safe, not that she actually thought about it until Taylor nearly had a breakdown. In hindsight, Victoria should’ve handled it more delicately and she regretted how she approached it, but she was glad about the outcome. 

But it only led to her finding out several disturbing things. Finding out that Taylor’s former best friend was bullying her and that there was something with the Empire that she didn’t elaborate on, all really upset Victoria. 

“Hey Vicky,” Amy said, her voice hesitant, interrupting Victoria’s thoughts.

“Hmm?” Victoria hummed, looking down at her sister who rested in her arms. It was the quickest way home and Amy really needed to relax more and she only assumed that being off her feet might help.

“You need to know something about Taylor.”

That intrigued Victoria, because with her power, she might have noticed some things, like the fact Taylor was a cape. She stifled a laugh at the idea of waving her sister off because it was old news to her. “And what’s that?” 

Amy seemed to contemplate for a few seconds, biting her lip and her eyes never quite meeting Victoria’s. “She’s transgender,” She said, abruptly.

Victoria stopped abruptly, her mind rolling over those two words Amy had just spoken. A cold anger kindled deep within her, but not at Taylor, that hadn’t bothered her a bit. Several details clicked into place, like why her former friend had started to bully her, or how the Empire was out to get her. Victoria knew a few trans people at school and they were all amazing people. That Taylor’s former friend had stooped so low as to bully her over it, well, she was getting some unpleasant ideas for what she wanted to do to that so-called friend .

Yet, all of that was distant compared to the simmering feeling that was aimed solely at her sister in that moment. “Amy…” Victoria tried her best to remain calm, she didn’t think she was very successful.

“Y-yeah?” Victoria could barely feel her sister start to tremble in her arms.

“Did you seriously just tell me something that should’ve been kept a secret ?”

“B-but I- you should know—”

Victoria snapped, “Do you really think I care about her being trans? Come on, Amy what the fuck were you thinking? You just broke an oath you made.”

“But—”

“No buts. I can’t believe—” A slow shuddering breath escaped Victoria’s lips and she tried to control herself. She kept telling herself that this was her sister and not some low life scum. When she felt she’d calmed down enough, she continued, “Was that why you seemed off when you touched her?”

“N-yes.” Amy tried to sink further away from Victoria but she knew she had nowhere to go, they were at least a hundred feet in the air. 

“Seriously?! You probably touch trans people all the time! This shouldn’t be a surprise! And since when was my sister a transpho—”

“I’m not transphobic okay! It’s just…she’s going to bring a lot of attention if you date her, especially from the Empire. I don’t want to see what happened to Aunt Jess repeated, with her or especially with you. I just don’t want to see someone I love hurt.”

Victoria sat there, a hundred feet in the air and held her trembling sister even as she began to sob against her chest. As much as it stung, Amy did have a point, but Taylor had been alone long enough and lost too many people just because of how she had been born.

While her anger had been cooled, it hadn’t been extinguished. “Let’s just go home, but this isn’t over. We are going to talk about this.”

Amy didn’t say anything and Victoria was fine with that. She didn’t have anything else to say to her sister. Victoria was incredibly disappointed and pissed at her sister despite her reasoning. She couldn’t believe that she would just blurt that out, not only breaking her oath, even to her sister, but as if it would change anything. She wasn’t sure what made Amy decide to do that, but she’d find out.

The flight home was draped in awkward silence and for once, Victoria didn’t mind it one bit. 

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

“What do you think about Gondul?” Eric’s voice asked, breaking Victoria’s train of thought. 

She blinked her eyes and looked around the tea shop they were in. It still looked slow but that was fine, it wasn’t like they didn’t get enough business from her and her family. She saw her older cousin Crystal taking a sip of her tea while considering the question from her brother, and her own sister looked like she was about to fall asleep. She wished that Amy would stop overworking herself, it was the entire reason she’d brought her to relax with their cousins. Even if she was still mad about what Amy had told her about Taylor.

If Victoria was being perfectly honest with herself, she needed it too. She’d been working nonstop to learn Old Norse so she could see the treasure trove that Taylor had in her house. She had no idea how Taylor learned it so goddamn fast, it was almost as if she had a Thinker ability on top of things. Victoria liked to think of herself as intelligent, but Taylor had smoked her. 

It was rather endearing, if she was being honest with herself. It’d been a while since she found someone who could match her wits, and Taylor sure seemed like she was keeping up. And she couldn’t back down from a challenge. She was going to learn Old Norse like the back of her hand if it was the last thing she did.

“Vicky fought alongside… them?” Crystal said. 

“Her,” Vicky corrected her cousin. “She’s not bad. New, but not bad. Her projection is strong and it seems she has no issues summoning her repeatedly.”

“And you’re sure she’s not…with the Empire? She honestly seems like Crusader’s daughter.”

Victoria couldn’t help herself, she snorted. “Fuck no—”

“Vicky…” Her sister warned, her eyes opening up slightly only to send a pointed glare at her.

Victoria rolled her eyes and continued, “No, she’s not. She hates the Empire.”

“You got that much from your race?” Crystal said, a smirk playing on her lips.

Victoria couldn’t stop the blush on her cheeks. “I had to see how fast her projection was ok!”

This caused her cousins to laugh. “So who won?” Eric barely asked, taking a few breaths between words. 

Victoria hung her head. “She did.”

Another round of laughter at her expense, but she didn’t mind. If it meant that her family was having a good time, then it was all in good fun.

Crystal’s giggles died down and she took a hearty drink of her tea. “But anyway, you really think she’s not with the Empire?”

Victoria vigorously shook her head. “No, she’s not. It’s rare to find someone as passionately against them as… we tend to be.”

Crystal winced, then frowned. “Why doesn’t she change her image then? The media is having a field day calling her one and the PRT hid their own clarification at the bottom of a press release.”

Victoria mulled over the question for a few seconds, taking a sip of her tea before setting it back on the table. “My guess? It’s important to her. Her projection really is a Valkyrie, it’s not something she actively creates.”

Eric smirked. “Sounds like you know more about her than almost anyone else.”

Amy scoffed and Victoria tried her best not to glare at her sister. It would raise too many questions if she did. Of course she knew more than anyone, Taylor was her friend. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “Just been following her ever since she showed up on the scene. There’s not a report about her summoning anything other than that Valkyrie, and with the fight against the Merchants there could’ve been many other options that would be more relevant against them, but it was always the same form.”

Her cousins stared at her for a few seconds and she was trying not to squirm under their gaze. She hoped she didn’t say anything that would give off that she knew the cape personally. Crystal snorted, breaking the panic in Victoria. “Ever the cape geek, Vicky.”

Victoria shrugged, playing it off. “What can I say, I like to be in the know and see how it all works.” 

“Still,” Eric said, his finger on his chin. “Why the armor? I’m honestly surprised that a Master like her is going into the heat of things.”

“That I don’t know,” Victoria answered honestly. She didn’t know why Taylor was so gung ho about being in the thick of things. Sure she had armor and a sword, for whatever reason, but she didn’t need to be. She’d learned a little about Taylor’s powers and knew that Taylor could be anywhere in the city and still do her thing. That still baffled her, the range at which she could work with, but Victoria felt like there was something Taylor wasn’t telling her about her power. That there was more of a reason she needed to be close.

The group became silent at that, no one had anything else to say or comment. Victoria took another sip of her tea, letting the aroma wash over her. It helped calm her nerves and take the edge off. 

“So…” Crystal started off, breaking the silence. “Have you seen that girl from college yet?”

“Oh, Taylor?” Victoria said, unabashedly.

“So you have a name,” There was a playful smirk and an eyebrow wiggle.

“She’s known her name,” Amy commented quietly. 

Crystal and Eric only glanced at Amy for a moment before Crystal asked the question while Eric looked on curiously. “So who is she? Is she—” She leaned closer and whispered, “A Nazi sympathizer?”

Victoria fought the eye roll and merely sighed. “Her name is Taylor and no, she’s not. Far from it actually.” She glanced over to her sister. At least Amy had the audacity to shrink into the booth a little. She didn’t care that Taylor was trans, she wouldn’t have known had her sister not blabbered it out, and that was really Taylor’s place to say something. She still saw Taylor as the awkward nerdy girl with a Nordic flair and a penchant to say the most fascinating things.

“See! I told you so!” Crystal said, pointing her finger at Victoria.

“Yeah, yeah, rub it in.” Victoria wasn’t that bothered about being wrong. It meant she didn’t have to worry about Taylor falling to the propaganda of the Empire Eighty-Eight. 

While Crystal was gloating at being right, and being smug about it, Eric asked, “Are you two still learning this… Old Norse?”

Victoria nodded, “Já ek. I’m not close to as fluent as Taylor, but I’m getting there.”

“She challenged Vicky to be able to read without her notes so she could see whatever hoard of books she has,” Amy said, flippantly. 

“Did she now?” Crystal asked, intrigued. “How close are you?”

Victoria smiled, “Taylor keeps quizzing me, pushing me to improve. It’s not easy, especially since it’s both similar and different from modern Scandinavian languages. How some words are said in one language can be just slightly different in another. It made it quite hard to learn it since we were referencing different languages at first before we were able to find some sources on actual Old Norse. Then there is the—”

“Wow,” Crystal said, accidentally interrupting Victoria, not that she minded. “I never knew that. And to think you learned all this, and made a new friend , because you bumped into a girl at college.”

Victoria blushed for several reasons. Not only was her cousin mentioning about the incident that caused her to stumble into her amazing friendship with Taylor, but she very much understood what her cousin’s intonation of ‘friend’ meant. 

“Yeah,” Victoria said, a smile growing on her face. “And I don’t regret it at all.”

That caused a round of chuckles from her cousins, but Victoria noticed that her sister didn’t seem to share their joviality. She sighed internally and hoped she could cheer her sister up soon. No matter how angry she was at her sister, she didn’t want Amy to be so damn down about things. 

A ding came from Victoria’s pocket and she pulled out her phone. She took only a glance to know who it was from and she couldn’t stop the smile from growing. Any sadness she had was washed away when she saw the text message delivered in perfect grammar and complete sentences with punctuation. She had just lucked out that Taylor hadn’t been able to find a reliable phone keyboard that supported Futhark runes. She had already been told to drop the Roman alphabet crutch a week prior and dreaded trying to text with that same precision.

“Taylor,” Crystal said, a smirk on her face again. 

“Shush you,” Victoria said, her blush intensifying.

That caused her cousins to laugh even louder, but she ignored them. She quickly typed her reply back to Taylor, even going the extra length for typing everything out instead of her usual shorthand. She’d bet Taylor would be happy about that. 

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Victoria surveyed the house, taking in the comforting atmosphere. It was welcoming in a way her own home wasn’t and she could practically feel the memories that had been lovingly created and shared over the years. The many pictures on the walls of Taylor’s family helped with that and she could tell the family loved one another.

Her thoughts were stopped when she heard a slam and the sound of glass shattering. Victoria’s head snapped to Taylor to see her standing beside a table, her hand on a picture frame, Taylor’s eyes met hers and she let out a fake laugh. “Uhh… I saw a bug.”

“And you used the picture frame to kill it?”

“Yup!”

Victoria stared at Taylor, wondering why she was lying to her. Taylor couldn’t lie, not really, that she figured out early on in their friendship. She knew that if Taylor was trying to lie, it was because she was trying to hide something, something potentially embarrassing. If it was the picture, could it be that—

“ Mrrw ,” “ Mew .”

Victoria’s eyes snapped to the sound of cats, landing on the two fluffy, and large, cats on the couch and a big smile grew on her face. “KITTIES!” She screamed, rushing to the cats and kneeling in front of them. Petting them with vigor, she stared in their big green eyes, watching them as they closed their eyes in contempt. “Who are cute cats? You are!”

The cats began to purr and Victoria couldn’t contain the giddiness she felt when she heard the adorable names that Taylor gave. She bantered with Taylor and found out that she did in fact pay attention to what she wore. She put that little note in a special place for later. 

Sadly, the happiness wasn’t to last when she longed to have a cat of her own. “Mom wouldn’t let us have cats. Said they would ruin the house.” There were times it really bothered her of all the little things she couldn’t have or do in the house yet her parents would ignore all the other things. 

Taylor and one of the cats, Treacle, Victoria believed, had a small exchange and she realized she’d never seen cats so expressive and talkative. Her friend walked to the kitchen and started making tea for the two of them. They talked for a bit but Victoria was focused on the adorable felines. There was something off about the way they acted that only grew more pronounced the longer she paid attention. That mystery deepened when Taylor mentioned their age. Surely she would’ve noticed the cats being replaced, even if it happened when she was younger, they didn’t act old at all.

“Hmm,” She hummed, not really paying attention to what Taylor was saying and more to the cats. “I’ll try the special blend.” There was something in their eyes, something more… intelligent. Victoria couldn’t place her finger on it, but she felt that these cats weren’t your ordinary house cats. 

Bee let out a calm, “ Meow. ” Breaking her concentration and she continued to administer their due scritches. 

Taylor handed her a cup and she blew on it, cooling it a little before taking a sip. The flavor astonished her and she couldn’t help but hum in satisfaction. “Wow, this is really good.” 

Taylor broke into an excited explanation of the origins of the blend that had her hiding a smile behind the cup. She absorbed every word, even as her eyes drifted across the room, taking everything in before she saw something she had missed on her cursory glances. To her, it seemed like a stone circular slab with engraving on it. In the center was a picture that was the splitting image of Taylor, if she were actually college aged, and had lighter hair. “What is all this? Is this your mom?”

Victoria stared at the picture when Taylor responded, “Yeah, that’s her. This is an altar.”

The revelation that Taylor was Pagan, and not Christian came as more of a surprise than it probably should have for her. Victoria didn’t really consider herself religious, but she knew that her family celebrated Christmas and Easter so to hear that her friend didn’t really celebrate those as she understood them threw her for a loop. It wasn’t a bad thing, far from it actually. It honestly made sense as Victoria thought about it.

“This isn’t a problem, is it?”

Victoria glanced over to see Taylor fiddling with her braid, very pointedly looking away as if she expected something bad was about to happen. “What? Oh no! Not at all! I just… it sort of makes sense now. I know a few times you mentioned your heritage and all that and I never thought about the actual meaning behind that.”

Taylor immediately let out a relieved breath and it eased Victoria’s heart by seeing that. She didn’t like seeing Taylor frightened, especially when it was something that she held dear about herself. Victoria’s heart then proceeded to skip a beat as Taylor excitedly broke down Distings and all it represented.. 

She knew she found Taylor attractive, but whenever she went into detail about a topic that she was passionate about, she couldn’t help but hang off of her every word.

Quickly so as not to appear like something was off, she focused on the picture of Taylor’s mom and noticed the resemblances between the two. To say that her mom was attractive was an understatement, she was beauty defined and Victoria knew that Taylor would meet that mark, if not surpass it. Their angular faces and their striking cheekbones, down to their prominent noses and wide lips; it was hard not to like, in Victoria’s opinion. Taylor didn’t get her mom’s hair color, but she did get its curliness. She could see where Taylor got her braiding from since her mom had several braids, each with a special piece of jewelry with words etched into each. Victoria couldn’t see it clearly enough to know what they said.

What garnered Victoria’s attention next was the necklace. It was fairly unique. She’d felt like she’d seen it before but not sure where. “That’s a pretty necklace,” She commented.

“She always wore that necklace,” Taylor said, looking at the picture with intensity. “She never mentioned where she got it, but according to Dad, she had it before they met.”

“Interesting…” Victoria trailed off, her mind a whirl because she knew she had seen that necklace before, and recently at that. Deciding to shelve that for later, Victoria changed topics. “I see where you got your looks. And hair.”

Taylor scoffed and Victoria knew she was going to deflect her compliment. It wasn’t the first time she’d noticed Taylor doing that. She could only guess her self-esteem issues stemmed from the bullying and being trans, but she couldn’t assume. When Victoria looked around and saw a picture of Taylor’s parents with another woman, she noticed instantly that there was something deeper going on in the picture. 

When Victoria asked about the red head, it sparked a memory of an event she’d gone to a few months ago that her mom’s firm had been invited to. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen Mr. Barnes, and her assessment of the man being a coward hadn’t changed. Seeing their family, especially the youngest daughter, she knew the man didn’t put his foot down. 

Though she knew what it felt like when that foot was put down.

In any event she’d seen Mrs. Barnes, who had seemed aloof, almost like she didn’t want to be around her husband. The few times she had tried to rein her daughter in, Mr. Barnes intervened and stopped her. It didn’t look like a healthy relationship.

She verified with Taylor about her mom and was glad that Mrs. Barnes wasn’t like her daughter, considering she was around Taylor often enough. 

Victoria glanced at the picture again, focusing on Taylor’s parents, particularly her dad. She noticed that her dad had glasses and it seemed Taylor lucked out without needing them. Though when Victoria’s eyes landed on Taylor again, she couldn’t help but imagine what Taylor would look like with glasses. The stark image of a librarian crossed her mind and couldn’t help but see how cute Taylor would look like. A few fantasies crossed her mind that she had to actively fight the blush that wanted to appear on her face.

“Earth Bet to Vicky.”

Victoria snapped out of it, shaking her head and clearing her throat. “Well, black hair suits you.” Victoria noticed the slight blush on Taylor’s face and she couldn’t help but be happy at being the cause of that. She always enjoyed seeing the blush on Taylor’s face and knowing full well that she was the one who made it happen.

Taylor was about to change subjects, but there was something Victoria needed to come clean about. “So… alright, my sister told me something about you that I don’t think you intended to let out.”

She noticed Taylor froze and Victoria waited patiently for her to speak. “Wh-what?” Taylor stuttered.

Victoria thought about how she wanted to tell Taylor about her sister spilling her identity, but nothing she could come up with seemed good. “...She told me you were trans. Basically outed you to me.” Victoria didn’t try to hide the disappointment she had for her sister. She didn’t say anything for a moment, gauging Taylor’s reaction and she knew she wasn’t handling it well. Taylor had started fidgeting and could see her hands move in the pocket of her hoodie. Knowing if she didn’t explain further, it was going to make it worse for her friend, she pressed on. “But I gave her a stern talking to about that. It wasn’t for her to tell me that and she should’ve known better given all the medical training she has. For that, I’m sorry.”

Taylor’s shoulder’s slackened as the tension bled away, and Victoria was determined to see that it took. She had never dealt with someone who was terrified over their own identity before, and she was determined to make sure that Taylor knew she was there for her. When Taylor began to weep, well, Victoria couldn’t not give the girl a hug. 

It wasn’t the first time that she’d seen the girl break down, but it did remind Victoria that Taylor put up a good front, a mask so to speak. And the way she held herself with an actual mask, it was like a completely different person. But in the end, she’d always be there for her friend. 

It made her blood boil knowing that Emma, Taylor’s former friend and what had seemed almost like a sister, had been the one who bullied her and if she ever saw the redhead, she felt she wouldn’t hold herself back. Not when it came to Taylor. 

Knowing that Taylor needed a change of scenery, she said, “Now, let’s move onto a more cheery topic and see what’s in this ‘library’ your mom kept.”

Taylor smiled, and it was one of the most heartfelt smiles Victoria had ever seen on the girl. It made Victoria’s heart swell when she saw the smile reach those brown eyes. The two of them walked to the door and Taylor opened it.

Victoria felt a surge of giddiness, not only from seeing the cats scamper down the stairs, but finally seeing this hoard Taylor had. When they reached the bottom, Taylor flicked on the light and Victoria scanned the basement. It wasn’t anything special, as far as basements went. It was dusty, nothing like her own basement that seemed cleaned all the time, but she did notice the weights. What intrigued her was how much weight was set out. The bar alone had sixty-five pounds on each side. She glanced over at Taylor and said, “I see where you work out.”

When she heard that Taylor had only recently started, she couldn’t believe her. There was no way Taylor could lift that much as someone who recently started. She wondered if Taylor was a Brute or if she was a Regenerator, but the only person who could answer that was someone she wasn’t happy with at the moment. 

They moved onto the blanket covered pile and she noticed how easily Taylor moved the hefty quilt. When Victoria’s eyes landed on the hoard, her eyes shot open as wide as they could.

They spoke as Taylor sorted through things, and at first she was bothered that Taylor hadn’t told her dad that she was a cape, but she felt like after everything she’d gone through, Taylor would break the news eventually. Hopefully soon. She didn’t understand what it must be like to have a secret identity and hiding it from her parents, but she knew it wouldn’t end well if something were to happen to Taylor. The last thing she wanted was to be the one to tell him his daughter wouldn’t be coming home.

Taylor moved on to the chest, and there was a spark of mischief in her eye when she asked her to open it. That she couldn’t even budge the metal when steel crumpled like aluminum foil in her hands had her hackles up. Then Taylor just smirked and tapped the lock, opening it with no effort. 

Then came the photo book that contained pictures of Lustrum and her lieutenants, all unmasked, and Taylor’s mom right in the middle of them. She did get to point out something Taylor missed, much to her own amusement.. Poor Taylor didn’t even know about her mom’s past relationships and Victoria had to practically drill it into her head.

The woman in the picture, in fact several women, stuck out to Victoria. There was something about one blonde in particular that was so familiar in a way that told her she should be afraid of her, but she couldn’t place it. She didn’t know if it was power bullshit or something else. Nonetheless, she filed it away for her own personal research for the future, a pile that seemed ever expanding of late. She’d try to find the remaining lieutenants, if only to finally solve the mysteries that the movement had left behind.

The fact that Taylor’s armor could fit in a backpack was something that made her want to cry Tinker bullshit and she was fighting back an eye twitch at how the sword was just laying there without a sheath. The key was something Victoria didn’t even have a starting point for, so that one could go to the bottom of the list. 

And when the two of them sat on the ground, reading the book on Seiðr, well, Victoria couldn’t help but feel warm and cozy inside. Sitting next to Taylor while they read an ancient book… it was something she’d never felt before. It was another one of those things that constantly drew Victoria to her friend and she couldn’t deny how she felt about it. 

She did notice something about the writing in the books that seemed oddly similar. Like they were written in the same handwriting. She was about to point that out when a noise above startled the pair. Taylor was quick to recover the stash of books before her father came down looking for them. 

It still surprised her when a man attempted to out squeeze her in a hand shake, because even most Brutes didn’t register to her shield. Still, she didn’t want to leave a poor impression, so she played along just a bit. Luckily Taylor was able to snap them out of it so they could move on to the ritual that Taylor wanted to perform.

Listening as Taylor explained how it worked, Victoria found she wanted to participate. She might not know what to do, but it was important to her friend and she was going to be there with her. 

“Ok, nothing bad will happen,” Taylor wheezed, still cracking up at the small joke Victoria made and Victoria couldn’t help but be happy at that. “Mom never told me if there was a specific prayer, but the one I know is the one we used together. Do you have any women in your family who’ve passed that you miss dearly?”

Victoria knew instantly who she wished to speak to again. Aunt Jess. She might not have made it to the altar with Uncle Mike, but she was family all the same. As the memories of her time with her flashed across her mind, she took a moment to center herself before Taylor led her through the prayer they would be using. 

Then Taylor began the ritual and Victoria repeated the words of the prayer with Taylor, her mind returning back to her aunt. As each candle was lit, Victoria felt as if she was a little lighter and she felt a breeze across her cheek and for a brief moment, it was as though Aunt Jess was there with them. It was so startling that she couldn’t hold it in anymore, countless moments with her aunt flashing through her mind and she felt tears on her cheeks. She looked over to her friend and saw Taylor was crying as well. 

She wrapped her arms around the taller girl and that allowed the two to stand in silence and decompress. Victoria might not have been religious, but this moment might’ve changed that. It might not be ‘real’ but there had been something there, something she couldn’t just dismiss.

It was Taylor’s dad that broke the moment but neither of them cared. Especially the rumbling stomachs they had. But it left Victoria to think on many things. 

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Friday, February 11th, 2011

Victoria dashed over to her drawer, rifling through it, trying to find something to wear. She’d tried to choose last night, but after several hours, she couldn’t decide. Throughout the day, she tried to come up with an outfit for the barbecue, something to show off to Taylor and she even went as far as to ignore most of her classes and jot down ideas. Yet she still couldn’t find an outfit. 

“Think, Victoria,” She said in the chaotic mess of her room, her hands bunched up in her hair. It took her a moment to realize that she now needed to fix her hair. “Fuck.”

She ran into the bathroom, her makeup strewn across the counter. If her mom ever saw it, she’d get a stern talking to. Not that she really cared at that moment, her mom didn’t really enter her room.

Victoria looked up at her hair and decided that it wasn’t as bad as she thought it was. In fact, Taylor might like it. She had curled it in the morning and it had mostly stayed, and the flurry of activity a moment ago had given it some oomph. Victoria pondered it for a moment before she looked down and realized she was still in her underwear. “Shit!”

She ran back into her room and rummaged once again for an outfit before she found something that she felt would garner Taylor’s eye, even if it was a bit lacking in tact. Victoria just hoped that Talyor might finally get the hint. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she smoothed some of her clothes before deeming her crop top and short shorts worthy of a party. 

Victoria quickly left her room and walked down the stairs. She saw her sister standing in the kitchen, looking at the assortment of food her family had made for the party. She doubted they would get through it all and would have leftovers for days , but that wasn’t a bad thing. “Hey, Ames, you heading outside?”

Her sister looked at her, the exhaustion in her eyes and while Victoria still couldn’t get rid of the anger she had for what Amy had done to Taylor, she didn’t like seeing those sunken eyes and slumped shoulders. There was a time when she remembered Amy being not nearly as tired as she was now, back before she got powers. 

“Yeah, was just…”

“Taking stock of the food?” Victoria said, a small smirk on her face. She felt like Amy wasn’t purposefully hanging out in the kitchen instead of going outside. 

“Uhh…”

Victoria rolled her eyes, “Come on, let’s go join the party.”

Amy let out a resigned sigh and walked to the sliding glass door where Victoria saw Eric with a covered pan in hand, fighting with the door. Victoria quickly maneuvered around Amy and opened the door for him. “Here you go,” She said to her cousin.

“Thanks, Vicky,” Eric said, a large smile on his face. 

Victoria smiled at him just as Amy slipped around Eric and headed outside. Victoria made a note to talk to Amy later, but she had other things on her mind. She let her cousin enter the house so he could set the food in the oven. 

Victoria walked outside and was momentarily blinded from the bright sun and swift breeze that had caused her hair to fly into her face. A quick brush of her hand helped bring her hair back under control and her eyes adjusted quickly to the outside brightness. When she looked around, her eyes zeroed in on the person she was most excited to see at the party.

Their eyes locked for a brief moment before Victoria’s wandering eye trailed down Taylor’s body. In the first time since she’d known the girl, she actually got to see Taylor’s arms and she was not disappointed at all . While she still didn’t believe that Taylor had only recently started weightlifting, but now that she could see her arms, she could see how Taylor was able to lift so much. 

While subtle, Victoria could see the definition of her muscles. When Taylor moved her arms, she was mesmerized by the way they flexed ever so slightly. Then when she saw the cute black halter top, Victoria couldn’t stop the hitch in her breath. Taylor might not be large up top, not that it mattered to Victoria, but the halter top helped showcase what she did have. 

Then when her eyes grazed lower, she lingered on the sight of Taylor’s abs, subtle and soft but still there. Victoria had to stop her tongue from wanting to escape and lick her lips. Then she looked lower and saw the cute skirt Taylor was wearing but what really got her attention was the long, muscular , legs . The images that flashed across her mind about those legs were far from innocent and she had to keep herself in check. This was her friend, even if she wanted more. 

She quickly brought her eyes back up to meet Taylor’s and a large smile grew on her face. In her mind, all she could think about was enacting the plan she’d been working on to finally show Taylor what she thought of her and hoped it went well. The last thing Victoria wanted to do was scare her friend, and she knew there was a possibility of that happening.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

“Victoria!”

Victoria heard her name being yelled at from below and she momentarily froze, countless scenarios flashing across her mind before she collected herself and said, “I’ll… be right back.”

She quickly walked halfway down the stairs, stopping when she saw her mom standing in the hallway, a disgruntled look on her face. She sighed and thought about her entire situation with Dean as a means to focus herself. Victoria took the last few steps before she stopped and said, “Yeah, Mom?”

Her mom’s head snapped in her direction and a conflicted look overcame her as she stared at Victoria. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot, waiting for Victoria to come to her. Begrudgingly, Victoria walked over to her mom and waited for the inevitable tongue lashing she was about to experience. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Her mom sternly said, causing the hairs to raise on Victoria’s arms. 

“Meaning of what?” Victoria lied, acting innocently.

“You know very well what I mean. What happened with Dean? I thought it was just—”

Victoria’s blood boiled. “Thought what? That we would get back together like last time?”

“But I thought—” Her mom tried to respond but Victoria was not letting her.

“That we were a match made in heaven? I didn’t even want to date him, Mom! It was you who arranged it!”

Victoria stared at her mother, fire in her eyes at the audacity she had for confronting her about their break up given she had engineered it in the first place. Victoria’s mom was silent for several seconds, and each passing moment only increased the tension in Victoria’s eyes.

Eventually, her mom said, “I thought you two had great chemistry. He seemed so nice and you both hit it off at the gala.”

“But it was arranged ,” Victoria pointed out. “I had no choice.” Like always , Victoria thought. “And he was nice , but you insisted on us being together. It made things very awkward between us and I couldn’t stand it. That’s why we broke up the first time. Then we tried to start anew, but that evidently didn’t work out.” Victoria took a deep breath and her mom looked like she was about to speak again but she beat her to it. “Then you brought him here . When I didn’t want to see him again.”

Her mom closed her eyes for a brief moment. “He said he was coming just as a friend.”

“Flowers and a card doesn’t mean that, does it?” In fact, Victoria had mostly been ignoring Dean. She knew he’d been trying to remedy their relationship, possibly trying to rekindle something, but Victoria wasn’t having it. 

Victoria’s mom sighed, “No, it doesn’t. I guess that explains why I had to take him home, doesn’t it?”

Victoria crossed her arms and looked away. “He confronted me while I was talking to Taylor. It was rude and selfish, only made matters worse between us.”

Victoria didn’t hear her mom say anything for a while and she glanced over at her. She was shifting on her feet, eyes shut as if she were  solving a complex problem. As if there was anything complicated about it. 

When her eyes opened again, her voice was soft. “Ok. I won’t… do that again.”

Her mom’s words were strained, as if she wasn’t sure if she was saying the right thing. To Victoria, the fact that her mom was backing down was the biggest surprise. Carol Dallon never gave ground like that. 

After getting over that, Victoria said, “Thank you. I didn’t mean for you to take him home, I just…”

“I know, Victoria,” Her mom said, taking an awkward step closer. 

Victoria guessed what her mom was trying to do and she accepted the attempt for what it was. She opened her arms and allowed her mom to hug her. As always, there was a distance there, even with the close contact. It was nothing like the hugs she shared with Taylor.

When they parted, Victoria’s mom had the beginnings of a smile but it didn’t quite make it there. Instead, she said, “Why don’t you go back up to your friend and I’ll… get you some snacks.”

It was strange to Victoria to hear her mom trying to be a mom. Nonetheless, she took it for what it was. “Thank you.” She turned around and walked up the stairs, stopping halfway up to look back at her mom. There was a strange look on her face, like her mom was conflicted with something but she didn’t want to break this tenuous moment between them. 

Victoria quickly went the rest of the way up the stairs and readied herself for what she had in store for Taylor. Considering the tree plan hadn’t worked, thanks to Dean, she went on to the next step which she was sure was going to finally get it across to Taylor what her intentions were.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Monday, February 14th, 2011

The second time Victoria came over to her girlfriend’s house was still as interesting as the first, though they had an entirely different agenda. When Victoria had first brought up the idea of Valentine’s Day, she noticed that Taylor was completely out of her element. The museum hadn’t gone nearly as planned, and Taylor wasn’t taking the aftermath well. She’d warned her girlfriend that being a cape was not for the faint of heart and she got to see just how real it gets. She wanted to sit down and talk, maybe even tell her about the time she had caved in a man’s rib cage via high velocity dumpster.

So while Victoria knew it wasn’t what she’d call an ideal Valentine’s Day, she wanted to be there for Taylor which was why both had called out of school. That her mom had actually understood and made the call to Arcadia herself had been the weirdest part of the entire thing.

Taylor opened the door and Victoria’s heart dropped at the disheveled sight of her girlfriend. Her braids were not nearly as neat as they usually were and there were dark bags under her eyes.. Even the sight of her new necklace wasn’t enough to offset the rest.

“Hey, Tay. Happy Valentine’s Day!” Victoria held up a small bouquet of flowers, a box of dark chocolates, and a card with a pink heart in the center. 

Taylor smiled, or tried to as it didn’t reach her eyes. “Hey, Vicky. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“I got you these, I figured you might do with a pick-me-up.”

Taylor’s eyes glanced down at the items Victoria had in her hands and her smile grew just a little bigger. “Thanks, Vicky.”

“Can I come in?”

Taylor blinked her eyes a few times before a mirthless chuckle escaped her lips. “Yeah, come in.”

Victoria walked in and handed her gift to her girlfriend. Taylor gingerly took it in one hand while she closed the door behind Victoria. She looked around and saw the cats were perched on the stairs, watching while their tails swished behind them. Victoria could tell the cats looked concerned and she didn’t know how she knew that. 

“Let me… get a vase,” Taylor said as she quickly walked past Victoria and into the kitchen. All the while, Victoria watched her with inquisitive eyes. She noticed the delay in Taylor’s movements and how slumped she was. It broke Victoria’s heart seeing her girlfriend so dejected. 

“Dad’s so going to tease me,” She muttered, filling a glass vase with water as she did.

“Yeah he is. Probably your aunt too.”

Taylor blushed, “You heard me.”

Victoria nodded, “Yeah, you weren’t as quiet as you thought you were.”

“Fuck.”

Victoria couldn’t handle it, she giggled.

Taylor set the vase on the table, careful to preserve the arrangement as she did. There was a moment of silence as Taylor stared off into nothing, as if looking through the flowers. One of the cats meowed loudly as it hopped on the table, snapping her out of the moment. 

“Bee, you know you’re not allowed up here,” Taylor said, though the ghost of a smile had come to her face. The cat then headbutted her, earning a chuckle from her girlfriend. “Okay you brat, be that way.” 

Not to be outdone, Treacle had come over to Victoria and began to rub against her legs. Not one to deny the affections of such a cutie, she scooped the mischievous feline up, the rumbles of a gentle purr soothing her very soul. 

“We should… go up to my room.” 

Victoria looked up, there was an oddly determined expression on Taylor’s face. Victoria had an idea of what was going through her mind, and while she wasn’t opposed, she didn’t want Taylor to rush things. 

Still, Victoria smiled, “Whatever you want.”

She set her cat down on the back of the couch, and it was soon joined by Bee. The two of them seemed as if they were holding a vigil for their human, as if entrusting her to Victoria’s care. The intelligence those cats displayed was more than a little unnerving at times.

Victoria followed Taylor up into her room, and took a quick look around as Taylor shut the door behind them. The first thing that her eyes gravitated to was the picture of Taylor and her mom. Once again, Victoria was captivated by how alike the two were, there was no doubt that Taylor was her mother’s daughter. 

Her girlfriend sat on the bed and let out an exhausted sigh. She gently set the chocolates on her nightstand and flipped the card in her hands. With nimble fingers that caused Victoria to stare in wonderment, Taylor opened the card and began to read it. 

Tears started welling up in Taylor’s eyes and she looked up at Victoria. “Vicky…” Her voice strain, barely holding it in as she wiped her eyes. 

Victoria didn’t hesitate, she lunged to her girlfriend, enveloping her in a hug. “Hey, hey, it’s okay.”

“B-but– I–”

“Shhh,” Victoria moved so she could rub Taylor’s cheek, her hand wiping away her girlfriend’s tears. “I know.”

“H-h-how? You’ve never cut someone’s arm off! H-how c-could you s-stand to look at me?”

Seeing her girlfriend so distraught caused Victoria’s heart to ache. “Tay, I would never look down on you. You did what you had to do. If you didn’t Stormtiger would’ve—” Victoria had been on the ropes, Stormtiger was popping her shield with increasing frequency and it was only a matter of time before she lost a limb herself, or worse. “You saved me.”

Taylor looked down at her hands, Victoria’s eyes followed and noticed how Taylor kept fiddling with the edge of her hoodie. She pulled her girlfriend close, one hand coming to rest atop Taylor’s own.

A few minutes passed in silence, the tension slowly bleeding away. She felt Taylor shift, and looked up to find eyes staring back at her with an intensity and resolve she hadn’t seen before. If Victoria Hadn’t known her so well, she would have been scared.

She was so enamored by those eyes that she didn’t notice when Taylor moved in and kissed her. Victoria’s eyes closed and she succumbed to the feeling of having Taylor’s lips on her own. Victoria’s hand slowly left Taylor’s arms and wormed its way up to cup her cheek. 

After what felt like hours, they parted, out of breath. Taylor’s eyes were half lidded and full of desire. Victoria knew that look and the two of them have only talked a little about this part of their relationship. “Tay, are you sure?” 

Victoria wasn’t sure if this was the time to explore that . Especially with the trauma that Taylor was working through. Vicky had been on the other side of that before, it didn’t really work except as a distraction.

Taylor’s breath hitched as she glanced away. “I-I don’t know. I don’t want to think about…the arm.”

Victoria looked at Taylor, gently tilting her head to look back at her. The shiver that ran through Taylor almost made her lose her resolve and throw caution to the wind. “If we do this…” Victoria said hesitantly. “Then we do this slowly. And I want to know if anything is uncomfortable. If you need to stop for anything, we stop.”

Taylor nodded. “Okay.”

Victoria looked into those earthy brown eyes for a moment, etching them into her mind, before she moved in and kissed her girlfriend, deeply. Taylor’s hands went to Victoria’s sides, gently grabbing on to her arms. 

She knew that she was Taylor’s first partner and would be far too easy to overwhelm her. Victoria gently guided Taylor down on the bed, ending in a familiar position for the both of them.

She couldn’t help herself. “Hi.” 

Taylor rolled her eyes, but there was a smile there before their lips were again occupied. A gentle nudge and the pair rolled onto their sides. Victoria was so lost in the make out that she barely noticed Taylor’s hands had wrapped themselves around her. It still surprised her how strong Taylor could be, even after the event at the museum, but at this point of time, she let it go. There were more important things to focus on.

Victoria’s fingers played with the edge of Taylor’s hoodie and it took a few seconds before Taylor realized what she was doing. The hoodie came off that instant and Victoria couldn’t stop staring at Taylor’s abs that had been shown when her shirt was caught. Taylor was about to push it down, but Victoria’s hand reached out and gently rested on them. 

Taylor froze, a tiny shiver running through her and Victoria backed off, waiting to see if Taylor was uncomfortable. Her hand remained, hovering just an inch away, waiting to see if that had been too much. A few moments later, Taylor nodded and Victoria resumed, letting her fingers run over skin. The shiver was more pronounced this time and Victoria pulled her girlfriend into another deep and long kiss while her fingers slowly inched their way up. 

Victoria didn’t even realize that she’d wormed her knee in between Taylor’s thighs because not a second later, Taylor froze. Victoria immediately backed off the contact, making sure that Taylor didn’t feel trapped even for an instant.

“You okay?” She asked with all the tenderness she could muster. 

She finally realized the death grip Taylor had on her as she felt her girlfriend’s nails dig into her skin. It took everything she had to not hiss in pain or even let it show on her face, because Taylor had just punched through her shield.

Taylor had a far away look, her pupils were dilated and her breathing turned shallow. After a painstaking moment, her grip relaxed and Victoria let out a breath as Taylor shook her head. 

“Hey, it’s okay!” Victoria was quick to console her girlfriend. “It’s okay.”

“But—”

“No buts.” Victoria booped Taylor on the nose. “I told you, if it’s too much, then it’s too much. I’m not going to force or coerce you and never will.”

Taylor looked away, her eyes downcast as tears began to run down her cheeks. “But Valentine’s Day…”

Victoria pulled her close, in a gentle, but reaffirming hug. “Tay, being here with you is enough for me. We don’t have to do anything . Not if you don’t want to.” 

Victoria wasn’t sure if it was the right time but she wanted to be there for her girlfriend. She was happy that Taylor hadn’t tried to force herself before she was ready. 

Victoria noticed tears welling in Taylor’s eyes. “Thanks.”

Victoria smiled, slowly caressing the side of Taylor’s face, rubbing small circles on Taylor’s cheek with her thumb. “Always,” Victoria moved in a little and whispered, “Can I kiss you?”

Taylor smiled, a beautiful smile that was reflected in her eyes, and nodded.

A gentle kiss followed, one that she hoped conveyed the feelings she had for Taylor. She cradled Taylor in her arm as her girlfriend nestled into her neck. She kissed Taylor on her forehead before letting herself relax into the cuddle.

Considering the soft contented sighs from Taylor, she did too.

ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ  - ᛒ

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Victoria scanned the skyline, looking for any signs of the Empire. After the attack at the museum, and after what Taylor had explained about her circumstances at school, Victoria couldn’t stand on the sidelines and let that happen to her girlfriend. It would help Taylor feel like she was doing something as well, rather than dwelling on what she had done at the museum. 

When Taylor told her that she’d been targeted and nearly killed at school by the Nazi punk who interrupted their date, who Victoria guessed had also called the capes in? That just made her blood boil. It was either a direct attack on her, or he had gone overboard and wanted Taylor dead, badly .

In either case, she had convinced Taylor that they needed to take the fight to the Empire. While the museum fight might seem like good PR for Gondul, it only caused the media to label her part of the Empire again. Apparently dropping the whale on them was not heroic enough and was just an act of destruction. Even though Mr. and Mrs. Argi had been rather vehement that it had been essential in ending the fight and saving the remaining artifacts.

The memory of that fight was still etched vividly in Victoria’s mind. She knew going in that she might be on her own. Taylor could summon her Valkyrie, but she herself couldn’t do anything to help. When Cricket had run off, she had felt cold fear take hold even as she fought for her life.

Her girlfriend’s projection had done good work to keep Rune off her back, but Stormtiger had been relentless in his assault, never presenting the chance for her to turn the tide of the battle. Then Taylor’s projection vanished and she feared the worst. 

She threw herself at Stormtiger, who was now supported by Rune without the Valkyrie there to harry her. Just as it looked like she was going to die, the Valkyrie returned with a vengeance, alone with Taylor, who had been fully clad in her armor.

Armor that had been stored in a locked box halfway across the city. Taylor had tried to explain it, but it made no sense. Even when she had demonstrated it just hours earlier, Victoria found it difficult to believe. 

There was something about that necklace that was unnatural, or rather, supernatural… Paranatural? Whatever, it was just weird that it could do point to point teleportation that could also allow her to don the armor with a mere thought!

It didn’t matter if her name was inscribed on it in Old Futhark, or that it had apparently belonged to her mother. It still felt like stealing in a way, even if it was clear it had been meant for her. That the sheath to her sword had been right there with it just cemented in her mind that someone was playing some sort of game.

The Argi's as a family line had been around since the founding of the city, right alongside Wayland Smith. There was a connection there, she knew it in her bones. How was Taylor’s own family line connected, given how close the Argi's were to her? 

Victoria wanted nothing more than to continue that research, but at the moment they needed to take the fight to the Empire, and for once Taylor had agreed. She wished she could have explained the urgency to her family, brought them in to help, but none of them wanted anything to do with helping Gondul after the museum.

So, Victoria hatched a plan. Find an Empire cape, take them down and make sure Gondul got to be front and center on the takedown. Maybe then the media would get the hint and she could finally get her family off their collective asses and do what should have been done when Aunt Jess died.

Victoria took a quick look around before resuming her patrol route. Nothing was happening and it made her regret skipping school a second day, because classes had let out an hour prior and they didn’t have a single takedown to show for it. Her mom might have been understanding about wanting to spend Valentines with her girlfriend, but going out to hunt Nazis with Gondul would have been a completely different matter. She had skipped out as soon as homeroom was over. 

A buzz in her pocket had her slowing down to check her phone, and she smiled when she saw the notification was from Taylor.

TayTay <3: See anything?

Victoria:  Nothing.

Victoria let out a sigh at the fact that she typed out the whole word. 

TayTay <3: Ok, I’m going to head to the north.

Victoria: Sounds good. I’ll stay near downtown.

She received a thumbs up from Taylor and smiled at her girlfriend actually using emojis. Victoria put her phone back in her pocket and flew down, staying closer to the ground. As she slowly hovered in the air at an intersection, her eyes looking over the civilians going about their day, she was once more disappointed at the lack of activity.

“ CAW!”

Victoria’s head snapped to the obnoxious sound, a large black bird sat atop the chimney of the building beside her. When Victoria took a closer look, she saw that it was a raven, a large midnight black raven. Its inky black eyes stared right at her. It let out another croak before cawing again.

Victoria blinked her eyes a few times and thought about flying closer to the strange bird before something appeared in her periphery.

“ CAAAAWW !” A deeper bird call hit her ears  as a large white raven flew down and landed beside the black one. The contrast between the two was startling, and Victoria was aptly aware that they were both looking at her.

Something pulled at the depths of her mind. Two ravens in a city where ravens didn’t actually live. She knew it to be an omen of some sort, she didn’t know how she knew, but she did. Before Victoria could question it any further, she heard a voice from below, one she’d heard many times before.

“Get rid of the bodies and get the haul. Kaiser wants us back.” Victoria looked down to see a shirtless man with a silver wolf mask on his face. Hookwolf. Several men were around him and they quickly scattered to carry out his orders. Hookwolf then started walking down the street, wiping his hands with a rag before discarding it, red from blood.

Victoria knew that Hookwolf had a birdcage sentence and that he didn’t have any qualms about killing. The man had killed more independents personally than any other cape group combined. She was in over her head, she knew that, but after everything, she couldn’t just let him walk away. 

It would be one hell of a feather in their cap if they could bring him down together, and nobody would doubt about Gondul’s allegiances. She took her phone back out and sent Taylor a message that she had eyes on even as the ravens squawked at her. Once Taylor replied with a panicked message, she decided she could at least make sure he didn’t get away first. 

Unfortunately, a car had already pulled up while she was messaging Taylor, one that had the door opened for him. Hookwolf climbed in, and the car began to pull away. She couldn’t let their golden opportunity just leave like that. She rushed after the vehicle, pulling ahead with ease, then dropped with her full force down on the hood, driving it into the concrete and sending the occupants tumbling within.

Hookwolf burst into twisted metallic blades in an instant, shredding the vehicle, and driver in the process. She took back to the air, horrified that he had just casually killed his own driver like that. People were screaming, running from the battle to come.

She hovered above the air as Hookwolf finished his transformation, his shifting blades and hooks flowing like fluid. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Glory Girl. If you wanted a fight, all you had to do was ask.”

“Oh, I want a fight alright,” Victoria snarled, her aura roiling off of her.

A toothy grin grew on the wolf's head, “Then come and get it!”

Victoria burst into motion, flaring her aura as she dove. Hookwolf’s charge faltered as it hit him and she took the opportunity to turn the leering wolf head into scrap. Hookwolf flipped with the impact, bits of metal flying across the now deserted street.

She wasted little time, just enough for her shield to recover, before closing the short distance to kick the mass of metal. Just as she made contact, a whip like protrusion shot out and caught her leg. She hissed as her shield winked out and blades cut into flesh before she was snapped across the street. Her shield recovered, and she caught herself in the air inches before she smashed through a storefront.

Crimson dripped down her leg, boot now stained red as Hookwolf just laughed at her. She had fought him too many times, he knew her weakness. The smart play would be to bait him until Taylor arrived to provide backup. She knew that, and yet… 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a fancy lamp post. She ripped it from the ground at the same time that Hookwolf charged across the street.

She waited a single heartbeat, then swung with all she had. It connected with Hookwolf’s mass of blades and sent him soaring a full block down the road, crashing through several parked cars in the process. She winced at the ache in her leg as she discarded the ruined lamp post and took to the air in pursuit.

Hookwolf shook his head before his eyes zeroed in on Victoria, a toothy grin on his metallic face. “Now this is a fight!” His teeth grew menacingly and his voice lowered, “My turn now.” His body flew through the air like a whirling torrent of metallic blades, the wolf’s head at the front. She dodged to the side, almost insulted at the attempt before two paws landed on the ground and his body whipped around, slamming into her.

Victoria’s forcefield took the brunt of the impact, only briefly blipping out. The moment it came back was when her back smacked into the building with enough force to crater the side of the cement. A plume of pulverized concrete dust covered her. 

She coughed as the dust settled, only to freeze when she saw Hookwolf prowling in front of her, the blades ever shifting, a constant blender of sharpness and promised death. Victoria knew that she needed something with range if she wanted to keep the fight going long enough for help to arrive. When she looked to the side, she saw a piece of rebar sticking out from the side of her crater. An idea came to mind and she was sure Taylor would appreciate it. 

She grabbed onto the rebar and yanked on it. The steel rod slid out of the cement with ease, the impact having loosened its grip on the metal. She felt the rod stop and with a quick yank, the rest of it came out along with parts of the wall. Victoria then flew up into the air to inspect her weapon from the safety of the sky as Hookwolf seemed to watch with amusement. 

The steel rod was long and still had a chunk of concrete at the end. She grabbed that part and with a quick flick of her wrist, she snapped the rebar, creating a sharp point at the end. With a new weapon in hand, She looked down at Hookwolf and an odd sense washed over her as she felt like Taylor’s Valkyrie with a makeshift spear in hand. All she needed was the shield.

She floated back, resting her good leg against the side of the ruined building as she stared down the monster before her. Not a moment later, she struck, diving down at the Empire cape with her weapon aimed at him. Hookwolf tried to slither away, but Victoria shifted with his motion. Her ‘spear’ struck, the sharp point striking driven deep within his metallic body. The shrieking of metal grated on Victoria’s ears, then she felt the spear give.

She pulled back, having lost less than a foot of the length to his whirling mass. Her weapon would be good for another exchange, maybe two before it was little more than a thin club of twisted steel. 

Hookwolf’s steps faltered for a moment, and she could almost have sworn he had favored that side for the barest of instants. Then she saw it, the broken piece she had stuck him with, just a hint of red on it. 

She remembered a cheesy line from an old movie and smiled. He can bleed, which means he can die. She didn’t want to kill him, but she also knew he wasn’t going to return the courtesy. She readied her spear and began to circle around the wounded predator, the shifting mass moving to follow her every motion. 

Victoria aimed her ‘spear’ and launched herself at Hookwolf once again. Hookwolf didn’t move, and Victoria realized why all too late as another whip of metal shot forward, winding around her spear and arm alike. Just as she feared her shield was going to give again, she was yanked back.

Victoria attempted to overcome it with her flight, only to slam into the ground with a deafening crash, her shield gave on impact and she screamed as the metal dug into her flesh and bone, tearing into it like a warm knife through butter.

Hookwolf used this moment to pounce, his mass landed on her, popping her shield again just as it had recovered and for one frightfully still moment of clarity, she knew exactly what was about to happen. A hundred blades cut deep into her arms and legs, while her torso and face was left unmarred. 

Her shield returned and she knocked him off with a swing of her arm, blood sprayed as it impacted, and she looked on in horror at the damage. The pain that had been there magnified a thousand fold at seeing the damage and the distraction cost her. The chained whip smacked across her and sent her tumbling down the road, her shield flickering with each impact. Hookwold however was relentless, and caught her once more. Her vision was hazy and she wanted nothing more than to curl up and for it all to be over. The barbed whip wrapped around what was left of her leg and held her up. A mocking rictus of serrated teeth smiled at her and she knew that would be it, he was about to kill her. 

She spat in his eye, one last act of defiance. All it did was make him laugh as he raised her into the air. Then she felt a sharp snap as Hookwolf was thrown by a massive impact. His chain was still wrapped around her leg, however and she found herself launched into a tumbling roll down the street, her shield popping off again and again with each impact until at last she crashed into that same wall and all the breath was driven from her lungs. She felt an immense urge to throw up but held it in. She tried to focus on what had happened, but her eyes were blurred with blood, sweat, and tears. 

Her vision was clouded, and darkening at the edges, but she forced them to remain open as she beheld an avenging angel hovering protectively over her. Her spear was at the ready and shield up in the event of an attack.

Down the street, carefully getting up from the attack, was Hookwolf. He shook his head with a screech of metal before looking at the glowing figure. “Gondul! Come to change your mind? Or are you protecting your little girlfriend ?”

Victoria didn’t have the mental capacity to process what he meant by that but Victoria knew that Taylor wasn’t here. Not yet. Not only that, but she really didn’t want her girlfriend near the murderous meat blender anymore. No matter how strange her armor was, she doubted it could stand against the relentless attacks from Hookwolf. Her forcefield hadn’t. 

Taylor’s Valkyrie hovered protectively, unmoving in the face of his taunts. A fluttering of wings caught her ear, causing her to look up where a large black bird desperately flapped towards her. At first she thought it was the black raven from before, but as it got closer, she saw it was an owl. A rather large black owl. It constantly dipped as it flapped its wings harder to gain elevation. 

Then just as it got close to Hookwolf, it let out a loud hoot before its body was encased in a blindingly white light. She forced her eyes closed for a moment, only to open them abruptly when unconsciousness almost claimed her. She forced air into her lungs, the pain and pressure in her chest magnifying as she did. 

There, between the Valkyrie and Hookwolf, Taylor stood, armor clad and with sword in hand. Victoria didn’t believe it, as much as she wanted to. She had to be in the midst of a fever dream just before death. Hookwolf snarled and lashed out with a hooked whip, which Taylor sidestepped and with a flick of her sword, severed it. Hookwolf let out a howl and Victoria took great joy in watching the Nazi in pain, smiling ever so slightly as she huffed a bitter laugh.

The movement jostled something and Victoria coughed, globs of liquid coming up with it. It made her realize just how battered and beaten she was. How her breathing was strained and how much it hurt to breathe. Victoria knew what that meant, she’d heard enough from her sister. She knew better than to look down, it was better to remain ignorant. 

Instead of focusing on that morbid thought, she focused on Taylor’s battle as she squared off against Hookwolf.

“Not gonna say anything, Gondul? A shame, I’ve heard so much about you.”

Victoria watched as Taylor’s grip tightened and she shifted just enough so she could look back without letting Hookwolf out of her periphery. Only a fool would think she was vulnerable in that moment, but all Victoria saw was how she cut a heroic figure with her cloak fluttering in the wind. 

Taylor let out a growl, low and guttural, menacing all on its own. Hookwolf took a step back rearing for another charge. When he leaped forward, wisps of light strung themselves together in a blink. She thought Taylor was summoning her Valkyrie to her for a surprise attack, but Victoria  the protection was still hovering above her protectively.

Before they had fully formed, a mass struck out, sending Hookwolf reeling back as metal flaked away. He shook it off, clearing bits of twisted metal from his shifting mass. Hookwolf snarled defiantly at the Valkyrie that now stood alongside Taylor.

This Valkyrie was unfamiliar compared to the one that Victoria was so familiar with. She was noticeably less armored, with straps of leather crossing her body, connecting to what look like fur and metal plates. Her helmet had three horns jutting out while still retaining that avian-like appearance. What wasn’t covered was pure muscle, like a bodybuilder. The new Valkyrie held out her hand and in a flash of light, a flail appeared. A wicked mace head dangled at the end of the chain, large spikes poking out in all directions. 

“The fu—” Hookwolf didn’t have the time to finish his sentence as the new Valkyrie rocketed towards him, her flail driven down in a deadly arc. Hookwolf dodged back, but wasn’t quick enough. The flail caved his metal skull and Taylor was right on her heel, shearing right through the neck and the pulped head dropped.

The Valkyrie was already in motion, flail being driven down into his central mass as the monster cried out. The flail vanished into motes of light as the muscular Valkyrie grabbed hold of the shifting mass of blades and heaved the entire thing into the air with heavy flaps of her wings.

Hookwolf whipped his tail, the chain whipping around and wrapping itself around her neck. That did little to perturb the projection as she slammed Hookwolf into the ground, cratering the asphalt with the heavy impact. Another chain snapped out, knocking her back even as Taylor sliced through it. 

His respite was short lived as the Valkyrie above her moved like lightning, her spear shot through the changer and he screamed in pain only for it to be cut off by a flail strike that ripped the bloodied spear free.

At this point, the Valkyries were playing with him. Whatever the new Valkyrie was, it was brutal . She found it touching how fiercely her girlfriend was fighting to protect her. She just wished she’d finish him off, the darkness was steadily creeping across  her vision.

Hookwolf staggered to his feet, metal retreating back into his bloodied body, a large crack across his signature mask. He laughed, which turned into a hacking cough that only made Victoria cough as well, more pain and red liquid following. 

He let out a painful laugh as he stood and she could feel the bastard’s eyes on her. “You might want to—” He coughed again. “You have two choices. Kill me or save her, because you can’t have both.” He transformed again, slower this time and he slowly backed away.

Victoria could see the hesitation in Taylor’s form and she wanted nothing more than to tell her to take him down. She opened her mouth, tried to draw the air in, but all it amounted to was another hacking cough. The motion jostled something loose and she fell to the side with a dull thump that sounded a thousand miles away.

She stared up into the dark sky, trying to count the stars in the night but failing to find a single one. The two ravens she saw before were circling above her in a dance of black and white that reminded her of Coi for some reason only for them to burst into feathers that vanished in the wind. A pressure settled on her stomach, some distant metal ringing far away as her near blackened vision was filled by Taylor’s tearstained face. Her curly hair had fallen loose, a few of  the braids catching her eye. 

Victoria’s thoughts were consumed with how pretty her girlfriend was and how badly she wanted to kiss her one more time. 

“Hang on, Vicky, I’ll get you help.” Taylor tried to get an arm under her, but something moved inside and she let out a shrill scream. “Shit! Fuck! Okay, think Taylor.”

She watched as her girlfriend panicked and there were other words that came out of Talyor’s mouth, but Victoria couldn’t hear them anymore, they sounded so far away now. Taylor had jostled her head just enough for her to see the rebar jutting from her chest. She almost wanted to laugh, but didn’t have the strength left to even draw breath. Her vision was almost gone, only the vaguest of outlines left and try as she might, she couldn’t drive the darkness back. Her body had gone cold and numb, the pain a distant memory now and Victoria knew what that meant. She wouldn’t blame Talyor, she had done everything she could. Only her sister could save her and she would be miles away with no flyer that could carry her fast enough. 

Instead, Victoria focused on her girlfriend in her final moments, her only regret being that they hadn’t had more time to explore what they had together. Even if the past two months had been nothing but joy, the happiest Victoria had ever been in fact. She just wished she could have spent  more of it with Taylor.

Her vision was gone, darkness claimed her and yet  she saw Taylor’s lips move, two bright white eyes alighting her silhouette that now bore a pair of beautiful, black wings.

End of The Berkanan Saga

Chapter Text

????, ????, ????

White lights and inky shadows flashed across my eyes, my arms flailing as I tried to stop whatever crazy train I was on. No matter how I tried to move, something kept pushing back at me, forcing my focus on the corridor ahead. One of my fingers grazed the edge only to snap back to my sides. 

How in Hel’s name did I go from trying to save my girlfriend to this?!

So much was on my mind, turning into an owl, the fight against Hookwolf, the new Valkyrie. Vicky. My thoughts were a jumbled mess and I just wanted a moment to myself so I could process it all but the instant I tried to help Vicky, this had happened.

The thought of Vicky brought forth the image of the rusted steel rod sticking through her chest, the image of my girlfriend bloodied and in pain. Horror was just the start of a long list of emotions that raged inside me. 

When it felt like I’d been in the tunnel for an eternity, I saw an opening appear at the end. A sense of relief came over me, but along with it came dread. Whatever was happening was finally coming to an end, yet something told me that this was just the beginning.

The tunnel disappeared in a flash to reveal about a hundred feet between me and the ground. Ground that was rapidly approaching. My arms flailed and I kicked my legs to slow my descent but nothing worked. It was pointless and I knew it. Whatever my power decided to do that caused all this—

Oh! My powe—

I hit the ground… hard. Air was forced from my lungs as an eruption of dirt covered me from the impact of my glorious crash. Rolling over, I took a deep breath as a rock smacked my face, only to ding off of my now returned helmet. 

I laid there for several seconds, wondering how in the Nine Realms I wasn’t dead from the fall. A distant ringing was in my ears that slowly faded as I tried to gain my bearings. Nothing felt broken, nor was I in the pain I would have expected after what felt like a drop from orbit.  Once I was sure I was intact, I sat up, waiting for pain that never came.

The land seemed empty, completely devoid of vegetation besides the sparse grass. Rocky outcrops dotted the landscape and in the distance far away I could see massive snow covered mountains. The sky was captivating as a stream of blue and green weaved itself in the sky. An aurora cutting through the air like nothing I had ever seen before. 

Water crashed, starling me as a wave splashed over a nearby sheer cliff that overlooked a vast and turbulent sea that stretched to the horizon.

As strange and beautiful it was, it was no Brockton Bay and I had no idea how I had arrived. I now understood how Dorthy must have felt, dropped into some strange and distant landscape. One minute I was trying to help Vicky, my power screaming at me that I could do something , and then the next I was falling through a tunnel that made me question if I had gotten second hand exposure to a Merchant’s stash.

I got up and dusted myself off, my cloak pulled oddly at my shoulders but there was something far more pressing that grabbed my attention. In the distance, there was another body sprawled out across the rocks. A familiar body.

“VICKY!” I yelled, taking off in a mad sprint at the sight of my girlfriend. I slid to my knees beside her, prepared to administer first aid only to pause.

It was Vicky, there was no doubt about that, but she wasn’t bruised and bloodied. She didn’t have rebar sticking through her chest. Her costume was still destroyed from the fight; tattered and stained crimson red from her blood. Where steel had punched through her, now only healed flesh remained. Even the fingers that had been stripped to the bone were completely restored. Her chest rose slowly before falling, she was breathing, that was good. I knelt down and checked her as best I could. 

Besides her costume, she looked completely fine and I had no idea why . When I was kneeling down next to Vicky, something in me told me I could help her, that I could save her. But the moment I used it, I knew I was too late. I knew she had died. 

I had no idea how, but I just did.

Tears came unbidden as I looked on, just, watching my girlfriend breathe. A ragged breath left my lips and my body began to tremble. Vicky warned me about how dangerous being a cape was, I’ve experienced enough battles now that can fully attest to that. Even knowing that, it was different watching someone I know, that I care about, in so much pain and seeing her—

A groan came from Vicky as she stirred, and any rational thought fled. She started to push herself up, which I immediately moved to help her with. Rubbing her eyes with her formerly mangled hand, she blinked her eyes before she finally looked back and I felt my stomach drop at what looked back.

Instead of the sparkling cerulean eyes that brought such comfort with them, glowing solid bright blue sclera and gold irises with lack of pupils greeted me. Vicky briefly took in the surrounding area before she turned back to me. The hairs on my arms rose at how ghostly her gaze felt, almost as if it was staring into my soul. “Taylor!” She was about to hug me but stopped. “What’s wrong? Where are we? Is Hookwolf—” Victoria tilted her head and her eyes looked above me. “Taylor.”

“Y-yes?” My voice, hesitant at the weirdness of the situation.

“Do you know you have wings?”

“What?!” 

I spun around and saw nothing and Vicky snorted, but it didn’t lighten the mood. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw two magnificent black wings sprouting from my back, pushing my cloak back. Reaching behind, I realized there was plenty of space where my wings were within the open back of my armor. Mom knew I was going to get these wings, how else would the armor have been designed to accommodate them?

I could only stare at them, and how they looked so much like the wings I had when I turned into an owl. It was just another mystery. I tried to move my…wings, but they stood motionless. Then I tried to flex my back, realizing there were muscles I’d never thought I had and my wings fluttered. Further flexing only made them twitch. 

Sighing in defeat, I turned back to Vicky who watched with amusement. “So… I have wings now.”

“So it seems,” She smiled, far too cheerful for the circumstances. She looked around briefly and then asked, “So…what happened?”

Right, the matter at hand. As strange it was to have wings now, there were still more important things that needed to be discussed. Like what happened before we appeared in this strange land. “Vicky… do you—” I stopped, the words unable to be formed as the ramification hit me.

Any sign of the earlier happiness was gone when she asked, “Do I what?” 

I swallowed the lump in my throat and said, “Do you remember…what happened?”

She stared at me, confused. “What do you mea—” Then realization hit her face, turning into abject horror and her body froze. Pain flashed across her ethereal eyes in a way that I wasn’t expecting. The edges where gold met blue swirl like a raging storm. She was reliving the fight. “W-what h-happened a-after…”

She didn’t need to continue, I knew what she meant. “Vicky… I don’t know how to tell you this.”

“Tell me.” 

She looked at me, red flashing across her ghostly eyes and a slight shimmer of gold surrounded her for a brief moment before receding.

I sighed, knowing full well how this was going to sound. By the gods, it was strange and horrific just thinking about it yet I knew it to be true. “You died.”

Vicky was silent for a while. As the seconds ticked by, I found myself fidgeting and I feared she would lash out. 

“Then how am I alive?” She asked, breaking the silence. “And where the hell are we?” She gestured her hands wide to the strange new landscape we found ourselves in.

“I don’t know…”

“Okay,” She took a deep breath. “I… remember you trying to help me. You said something but at that point…” A shudder escaped her lips and she hugged herself. 

I wanted to hold her, console her in any way I could but I was frozen. The entire conversation was harder than I’d ever expected. So I put a gentle and consoling hand on her arm. 

“I—” The words came to mind instantly and with it, the image of Vicky’s broken body. I took a moment to compose myself, fighting back the image that would forever haunt me. 

“ You will reach your destination ,” I said in Old Norse. It felt fluid, even a second time, and I hadn’t realized I said it until I was in the tunnel.

Vicky stared at me and I tried not to squirm under her gaze. “What destination?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well we are somewhere! Whatever the fuck we are, you brought us here!” She yelled at me, anger roiling off her body. 

“I was just trying to save you!”

“I—”

Tears fell unrelenting now. “When I stared at you, I didn’t know what to do! I had to do something, I don’t know what I did, but something inside me told me I could help!” I blurted as the rush of emotions flooded my body.

Vicky stared at me, shock written all over her face. She stared down at her hands for a moment before she quietly said, “So we have no idea where we are or what happened after that?”

“No, no we don’t.”

She sighed,  “What now?”

There was nothing around us, the landscape barren and devoid of meaningful life. Using the sun as a marker was the best I could think of, and I looked off towards what I hoped was north. There was a pull to that direction, as if something was drawing me towards it, an instinct I couldn’t explain. The thing that unnerved me about it was that it was that same feeling that led to me speaking those words over Vicky’s broken body. 

I was hesitant to trust it, but we had no nothing else to go on. “We should head in that direction.”

“Are you sure?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “No, not really. That’s where North is and I—” I sighed, “Something is telling me we should go in that direction.”

“Something,” Vicky deadpanned, not amused. “Like what.”

“I don’t know, that’s the thing. It’s the same feeling I felt when I… brought us here.”

Vicky rolled her eyes and gestured widely, “Oh great, so this mysterious feeling you have that brought us here is telling us to go there? Guess I’ll actually die this time.”

“Vicky, come on.”

She looked at me and I could see the conflict in her new strange eyes. They wavered ever so slightly but I noticed it. She sighed, “Ok, I- I’m sorry. I just—”

“I know, it’s a shitty position we’re in.”

She crossed her arms, “That’s one way of putting it.” She relaxed and put her hands to her side. Vicky’s eyes looked up at my wings and said, “Think you can fly on your own now?”

I glanced back at my wings and tried to move them again, only for them to twitch in the air. Shaking my head, I said, “No, but I cou—” Then I remembered what happened with the owl thing. “I think I have a way. At least without my Valkyrie.”

She nodded, “Which reminds me, where did that other one come from? I thought you could only summon one?”

The presence in the back of my head made itself known again, as if it wanted to show off. I summoned the two Valkyries next to me. The spear maiden standing as stoic as ever, her shield at her side and spear planted into the ground. She turned her head to me and looked as if she was waiting for orders.

The new one on the other hand looked ready for a fight. She was wearing less armor than the spear maiden but far deadlier. She had a flail in one hand and she paced back and forth, her eyes on me as she waited for my order to attack. Her wings kept fluttering, ready to leap to the sky in an instant.

She was… menacing to say the least. I hadn’t realized I had summoned her until I saw Vicky’s beaten and bloodied body on the ground and Hookwolf standing between us. Everything had become red at that point, how my anger filled my veins and all I wanted to do was hurt Hookwolf. Lo and behold, a Valkyrie was summoned that did just that. 

“I thought so too,” I finally answered, “But when I saw you— and when Hookwolf was— I couldn’t…” I sighed, “She came out of nowhere when all I wanted was to rip Hookwolf apart. After that, well, that was all her.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, “All her? Don’t you control them?”

I shook my head and prepared myself to tell her the truth. “No, not really. I give my Valkyries orders, but the rest is up to them.”

“No shit,” She cursed, something I’d realized she wasn’t holding back anymore. I guess death would do that. “All this time… they’re like soldiers and you’re the commander.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess so. But yeah, I don’t know where she came from and the thing is? I feel like it’s not just those two. I… still feel this presence in the back of my head.”

That only made her more confused. “Weird…”

“Do you not also feel that?”

She stared off into the distance for a brief moment before shaking her head. “Maybe? Not that I noticed before anyway.”

Weird. Just another notch. I shook my head and dismissed my Valkyries. “Well, anyway, we should get moving while we still have daylight.”

She nodded and hovered, a slight golden shimmer wrapping itself around her body. She held up her hand, the glow leaving a slight trail as she did before she shook it off, waiting for me to follow suit. 

I closed my eyes and focused on the feeling of freedom and the wind blowing my feathers. Warmth surged through my veins, starting from my necklace and cascading through my body. My cloak seemed to wrap itself around me and in the space between one breath and the next, I was much smaller. I looked up at a poleaxed Vicky, and spread my wings with some pride.

“You turned into an owl,” She said in disbelief. 

I ruffled my feathers and went to respond, but all that came out was a single hoot.

She blinked her eyes a few times, the glow disappearing briefly, before she shook her head. “Alllriiiight, I’m not even going to question it. This whole thing is weird anyway.” She sighed, “Let’s go.”

I nodded and flapped my wings. Just like before, it was awkward and I had no idea how to properly lift off, I started running on my scrawny legs and continued flapping before I got enough lift and took to the air. I heard Vicky snort but followed after me and we started flying North. To whatever our unknown destination could be.

ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ

The sun began to set and my wings were beginning to ache despite my getting the hang of flying with actual wings. At least in that time we had started to see some signs of life, though mostly just small creatures like foxes and rabbits. Trees had started to appear and we were no longer in a cold hellish landscape. We’d been able to find rivers to get water, but with nothing to contain it, we were at the whims of following it to stay hydrated. 

I looked over to Vicky to see her deep in thought but unhindered by the length we’d traveled so far. Moving closer to her, I tried to get her attention, “ Hoot .”

She didn’t notice me so I tried again. “ Hoot! ”

Vicky snapped out of whatever thought she had and looked at me, “What?”

“ Hoot hoot. ”

“Taylor, I don’t speak bird.” 

Well, that was annoying. I pointed my head down towards the ground to try and tell her what I wanted to do. When that didn’t prompt anything, I decided to just land instead. The transformation back to human was as seamless as before, feathers turning into white motes as I started walking and stretching my arms while taking my helmet off. 

“What is it?” Vicky said, landing not far from me. 

“Sorry, I was getting tired and it’s getting late. We should set up a camp for the night. Maybe get some food.”

Vicky stared at me and it looked like she wanted to refute me but decided against it. Instead, she sighed. “You’re right.”

“Okay, so what we need is some firewood and something to eat. I’ll have my Valkyries go hunting. Why don’t you find some wood while I set up camp?”

Vicky looked at me strangely. Her head tilted and her eyebrows furrowed. “...What kind of wood?”

“Any, really, just make sure it’s dry. There’s plenty of kindling to start a fire.”

“Okay,” she nodded and flew off, a slower speed than usual as she started looking. I summoned my Valkyries and sent them both an order. 

Hunt for any wildlife and kill it, bring it back intact.

I had to include the last part because I knew that the flail wielding maiden would destroy anything she attacked. They both nodded and flew away. With that taken care of, I took my helmet off and started setting up the area, making sure we wouldn’t start a brushfire. 

Not long after, both Vicky and my Valkyries returned with their haul. The Valkyries dropped their dead animals in a pile; a few rabbits and a fox. I tried to ignore how cute they were. Vicky looked at me with questioning eyes and I pointed to the small hole I dug in the ground. “Right there.”

She nodded and dropped the wood. I started setting up the campfire, preparing to use my sword to strike a fire, when Vicky asked a question. “How do you know all this stuff?”

I briefly looked up at her before grabbing a rock and getting myself ready. “My mom always signed me up to a summer camp each year since I was old enough to go. The last one I went to was after she passed away and both Aunt Zoe and Dad made me go, saying it would help get my mind off of things. It didn’t, but it eased the pain a little. I always felt more… at home in the wilderness and those camps helped me know how to survive in it.”

“Huh, well, it’s coming in handy now.”

I smiled up at her. “Yeah, never thought I’d actually need to use those skills but here we are.” 

Positioning my sword and the rock, I struck, causing sparks to fly from my blade. After a few more strikes, the kindling ignited and I moved to feed more leaves and small twigs to the flames.  A few minutes later I was tossing some logs onto the growing blaze.

Vicky sat down on the ground next to fire and put her hands up to warm them. That led me to the next task, preparing the animals to be cooked. I desperately tried to ignore the fact that I was going to have to skin these cute, and now dead, animals. Steeling myself, I got to work.

During that time, Vicky remained quiet. When I looked over at her from time to time I saw her deep in thought. I could only imagine what was going through her head; I knew I wished I could forget what happened. 

After a few trips to the river to clean the meat and a bit of prep, I had everything on sticks cooking over the fire. Vicky and I settled into an awkward silence as we stared into the flames. Neither one of us wanted to speak and I didn’t know what to do in this situation. Nearly an hour later the sun had settled below the horizon and the rabbits were ready. I gave Vicky the first piece and she slowly picked at it. I couldn’t blame her, it was an unseasoned rabbit cooked over a campfire. 

When we finished, night had fully settled in this strange new land. It reminded me a bit of pictures I had seen of Norway, so we might be somewhere in Scandinavia, although the aurora above was different from the pictures I’d seen. It moved more frequently, more quickly than the sky should move. There was no chance I was going to get any sleep, nevermind that I had no idea how I would do so with my new wings. Considering what Vicky went through, I knew she needed some rest. 

“Why don’t you get some sleep,” I said.

“Are you sure?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, I can take the first watch, and someone needs to keep tending to the fire,” I smiled. It was fake and I could tell she didn’t believe me but she nodded. At least I didn’t need to worry about keeping watch personally, since my Valkyries kept an eye on the area. I just didn’t know if they would continue to do so if I did end up passing out.

Victoria laid her head down and before I knew it, I heard soft snores coming from her. A smile grew on my face, a genuine one. Vicky finally looked like she had found some peace, the worries and trauma that had plagued her no longer eating away at her. 

This whole thing was insane and I couldn’t piece it together in any fashion. In my attempt to save my girlfriend, I had somehow transported us to an unknown land and grown wings in the process. 

I tasked my Valkyries to keep alert for any signs of threats while I looked up at the sky. There were more stars than I’d ever seen before. The aurora kept rebounding, whipping its band across the night sky in a beautiful show of natural art. I tried to search for any constellation that I knew, but I couldn’t find any. 

Before I could ponder it any more, I heard a whimper from Vicky. My eyes snapped onto her form and saw  she had curled into a ball. Her face contorted in agony and she started thrashing. 

“Hey, hey,” I said, trying to console her but it was pointless.

I moved beside her and tried to wake her, only to get a fist straight into my face. The punch dazed me and my vision blurred but I shook it off. Wrapping my arms around her thrashing form, I held her tightly and whispered into her ear, trying to calm her. None of it worked so I tried something that Mom did when I was having nightmares; I sang a lullaby. 

“Vargen ylar i nattens skog,” I sang softly, humming the tune of the song. She calmed somewhat so I continued. “Han vill men kan inte sova…” Each line of the song drained the tension from her before she finally relaxed and fell back into a calm slumber in my arms. 

I gently laid the both of us down and moved my wings so I could be as comfortable as I could. Her soft snores reached my ears and I let that soothed me as I gently stroked her hair. There was no chance I was going to get any sleep, but I was content knowing she wasn’t going to have more nightmares.

ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ

The next day dawned and with it a new saga to our adventures. I sent a silent prayer to the gods for guidance as I put my gauntlets and helm back on. We set about getting ready and I cleaned up what I could of our campsite. I went to the river briefly to get my fill of water and when I came back, something was off.

It wasn’t anything in the way Vicky was standing restlessly or something wrong with our small campsite. I felt a shift in the air, a wind bristle in the leaves from the sparse trees that surrounded us. Then I heard a stick break and my eyes went wide. “Move!”

Vicky’s eyes widened as I dove aside, pulling her with me only for a beast to snap it’s jaws where we had just been. Vicky’s flight kicked in and pulled us a dozen feet away in a heartbeat before  setting me down. I drew my sword and summoned my Valkyries as I finally got a look at the creature. 

It was as large as a wolf, if not larger, with a pointed snout that resembled a beak. Feathers surrounded its head and it whipped its serpentine body, its large furry tail wagging slowly. Its manic beady eyes landed on me, murderous intentions filling them. I’d remember reading something about this and I couldn’t place where.

Vicky spun, backhanding another of the creatures as it pounced. Its neck snapped and Vicky pulled into the sky.. More of the creatures emerged from the shadows of trees and rocks and it quickly became clear that we were surrounded, worse, it finally clicked where I had read about them and that only served to raise further questions.

“They’re Gulons!” I yelled before dodging another bite from one of them and slashing it broadside with my sword.

Kill the beasts and protect us .

The Valkyries moved in unison, splitting up and diving to attack the beasts from above. Vicky did the same, snatching one of them up and tossing it like a rock at a tree. The tree shook and branches fell, but the Gulon was perfectly fine. 

Being the only person on the ground, I was quickly surrounded by three of them. The first leapt at me, but a quick slash of my sword saw blood spray across the ground. The beast seemed unfazed by my attack, instead it licked its chops. 

I was noticing a difference in how my body weighed, how it moved. It was like my center of gravity wasn’t in my navel like it should be. It felt higher. It was awkward and having to compensate wasn’t making this fight easy.

Another one came at me and I ducked under its attack, bringing my sword up and gutting the beast.  It howled in pain and I ignored the gore that nearly fell on me. There was a thump behind me but the window to verify closed as another Gulon came sprinting towards me. It lunged with its mouth wide open, moving too fast for me to dodge.

It grabbed my arm, sinking its teeth around my armor.  It began thrashing about furiously as it tried to yank my arm out of its socket. I fought against it but the beasts were stronger than I had anticipated. Its hideous breath hit my nose and I fought the urge to vomit. Using my strength and leverage, I slammed the beast onto the ground. It briefly lost its grip which was all I needed to impale my sword into its skull. A gurgle of a cry and that was all that was left of that Gulon.

There was still one left and it was looking directly at me. It was different from the others, red plumage instead of green and its intelligent eyes were calculating every move. Because of that, it gave me a brief moment to take stock of my surroundings. What had originally been six Gulons had now doubled despite several kills. Also, I was finding out that they could climb. At least three of them had already scaled the lowest branches of the trees surrounding us and they crouched, ready to attack. “They’re in the trees!” I yelled, letting my girlfriend know.

Victoria looked up just as one jumped at her, jaws snapping in the air. She grabbed the beast's jaws and rather than throw it, pulled its jaws apart with a sickening crunch before letting it fall.

My Valkyries were holding their own and the new one had beaten one into a pulp, but they were not unscathed. Both had their own light motes blowing in the breeze where the beasts had struck, like small bullet holes. Luckily, I could summon them again if the need arose. 

My moment of respite was over as two more joined the one already looking at me like a juicy piece of meat. I was in for a tough fight. Its eyes briefly looked around before it let out a croaky trill, its feathers ruffling. As if they were answering the call, numerous others replied with the same trill. Then they attacked.

One of the new ones jumped, its jaws snapping at the air. I stepped aside and tried to get a strike in with my sword but my footing was off and the beast moved quick. The next one came in low, its serpentine body flowing like a snake in water. It stopped suddenly only to pivot on its forelegs and swing its large tail right at my torso. 

The impact was jarring and made it clear how vulnerable I was as another slammed into me headfirst and knocked me to my back. I hit the ground hard and lances of fire shot through me from what could only be my wings. The air was driven from my lungs and I was left staring at the dripping maw of a predator about to make a meal of me. 

Time seemed to slow down as the two Gulons reared their hindlegs and attacked, their maws wide open and ready to tear into me. I didn’t want to test the limits of my armor and I certainly didn’t want to be a meal to these beasts. A thought came to mind and I knew how risky it was, but it was worth it. 

I became an owl.

Both Gulons missed, butting heads instead in a heaping clash. The smart one had noticed my new appearance and watched me keenly, letting out another trill. It was terrifying how intelligent these beasts were. Especially that one. 

I heard movement from my side and it was all I had to swoop out of the way as one of the ones in the trees leapt to get a bite out of me. It missed and landed in a pile with the other two. 

At this point, I noticed how outnumbered we were and knew this wasn’t going well for us. There were only a handful dead and the rest were ambushing us at every chance they could. I almost transformed out so I could tell Vicky that we should leave them in the dust before I heard a bellow from beyond the trees. A bellow in Old Norse.

“ NOW THIS IS A PARTY !”

Out of nowhere, a stream of light, not so unsimilar to my Valkyries, appeared before an explosion of brightness washed over the area. I had to look away, but I heard several whines and howls of pain from the Gulons. When the brightness receded, standing tall and proud was a man built much like Neil. Seven feet tall and pure muscle. He had familiar brown hair and several scars on his arms, but they were covered up by the intricate and detailed tattoos of different figures and runes. His eyes glowed for a moment but when the light dissipated, they revealed brown eyes. The tattoos on his body also dimmed in intensity before disappearing. 

“ Who wants some more ?” He said, egging the beasts. 

The smart one shook its head and looked at its remaining pack and let out a howl. All at once, the remaining Gulons surged forth, ready to face the newcomer head on. 

Vicky and I exchanged a quick glance, confirming we both had the same idea. We weren’t going to let this new person, new cape, get eviscerated by these beasts. A quick order sent my Valkyries into a dive, weapons aimed for maximum lethality. Vicky flew down, picking up one just underneath its head and pulling it into the air. 

I swooped down, gaining speed before transforming with my sword poised to strike. The Gulon never had any chance to get out of my way as my sword went straight into its open jaw, piercing the skull as the blade exploded through the other side of its head as I rolled with the now limp body. A quick pull and the beast was dead before it hit the ground.

The new cape dodged out of the way of one of the beasts, his power flashing for a brief moment and blinding the beast. Another Gulon attacked him and he was unable to get out of the way. Its jaw grabbed onto his arm, thrashing about in an attempt to pull him down. A fruitless attempt as the cape seemed unbothered by the beast. I saw the eyes on the Gulon go wide as the cape swung it up, then snapped it back down to the ground with a hard crunch. 

Then the cape spun and struck in the same motion, sending a second Gulon through the air. It impacted a tree, snapping it in half and left the creature impaled and bleeding on splintered wood.

“ That wasn’t very nice, ” The new cape said, his voice filled with sadness.

How sincere he sounded at seeing the dead beast threw me off, allowing one of the beasts to slam into me again. It had grabbed onto my midsection and was about to lift me into the air before I started bashing it in the eye with the pommel of my sword. It growled and whined with each hit, but it did not relent. 

Anger washed through me and I started bashing the thing harder and harder, to no seeming avail.  Gritting my teeth, I spun my sword around and stabbed the beast through the eye. The jaws around me fell slack and the beast flopped to the ground, releasing me. I stabbed it again for good measure. 

“ Valkyrie! Behind you! ”

I was confused why the new man was calling to my Valkyries but that went away when I felt a shift in the air and the crunching of twigs behind me. Instincts took over and I ducked just as a Gulon sailed over me. It was the smart one from earlier. It landed gracefully before turning around, a menacing growl erupting from it.

I prepared myself for its next attack, but it wasn’t needed as the new cape appeared in a flash of light, blinding us briefly. I recovered first and lunged forward, driving my sword through the creature’s open maw. The beast had just a moment to realize its demise punched clean through and out the back of its head, killing it instantly. I ripped my sword free, sending crimson blood everywhere.

The newcomer stepped up, red blood dripping from him as he patted my shoulder with a wide grin.  

“ Well fought, Valkyrie! ” 

I blinked in confusion at the name but was distracted as he looked at his hands and body, his grin falling somewhat. He wiped his hands, only smearing more blood everywhere. Frown deepening, he looked down at his clothes, an exquisite brown tunic with blue and gold etchings that I’d seen in one of the books from Mom’s library, then to his blue, dirtied and blood soaked pants.

“ Such a waste, and a mess besides. ”

The Gulons were thankfully in full retreat after their pack leader had been killed. Vicky landed next to me, the swirl of her ethereal eyes giving off a curious vibe. A quick order saw my Valkyries landing beside us. We took a moment to catch our breaths, all while watching the new cape prancing about like a fool. I took off my helmet and let the cold air cool down my sweat drenched face. 

When it felt like enough time had passed, I had to say something. “Thanks for the save. We were about to fly away but your intervention certainly helped.”

The man took a moment to realize I had spoken and looked at me with a sincere look on his face. “ You’re welcome! ” 

There was a sincerity there, but also a deep regret as he turned back to the dead beast. He muttered something under his breath before reaching down and closing its eyes. The display caught me off guard, that someone could show respect to an animal that just moments before was trying to rip our throats out was completely unexpected. 

“ Oh! ” The cape said, clearing his throat and continued in English, with a thick Nordic accent, “Mother told me I needed to head this way. She said something about a…” He stopped to think for a moment, his finger tapping on his chin. “Newcomer? I think that’s what she said,” He shrugged. “Anyway, when I heard the sounds of battle and figured I’d check it out. Killed two stones with one bird.”

“Uhh,” Vicky and I looked at each other and I didn’t have the heart to correct the man. “Thanks. Who are you by the way? I’d never heard of a cape like you. Especially without a costume.”

“Cape? I don’t wear a cape. And what’s a costume?” He looked between us in bewilderment but even with that it didn’t give me a clue as to where we were. “OH! Introductions! My name is Baldr.”

No, that couldn’t be. “Baldr, the god of light?”

He nodded so furiously that I felt his neck was going to snap. “Yeah! Heard of me?”

“You could say that,” I muttered. This had to be a trick. There was no way this man was the god of light. This had to be some cruel joke. I was dreaming wasn’t I? That’s the only way. But I had to find out if it was. “Then… where are we?”

He looked at me, clearly confused. “Why, we are in Asgard. How could you not know, Valkyrie?”

Vicky and I both shouted, “WHAT?!”

Chapter Text

????, ????, ????

“WHAT?!”

That couldn’t be. There was no way. How in the Nine Realms—which were apparently real—could I have brought us here?! It didn’t make any sense! 

“I agree! It’s always great to behold Asgard, it’s a wonderful place!” Baldr said, placing his hands on his hips and nodding enthusiastically. 

“I—”

Vicky cut me off, “Let me get this straight.” She said, inching closer to the god. “You’re Baldr, the god of light and we’re in Asgard.”

He looked down at Vicky and the difference in height really showed. “Yes.”

“Okay…” Vicky said slowly. She turned to me with a scowl, “How in the living hell did you get us here?!”

I held up my hands, shaking my head. “Vicky, I am just as surprised as you here!”

“She brought you here,” Baldr said, interrupting both of us.

“How,” I asked when I looked at him. 

He looked at me with those wide earthy eyes and simply said, “You’re a Valkyrie. It’s your job to bring warriors to Valhalla.”

I took a long deep breath while I processed that. “Don’t I need to die in order to become a Valkyrie?”

He blinked, furrowed his eyebrows as he thought over the question. “Uhh, I think so?”

“Okay, that didn’t happen.”

“Oh.”

There was an awkward silence between us for a few seconds before Vicky broke the silence. “You said your mother sent you, Freyja, right?” I knew in some accounts it was Frigg who was Baldr’s mother, but we tended to follow Mom’s notes on these matters.

Baldr looked over at her and nodded. “Yes she— OH! She can answer that question! We should go see her.”

“Yes, we should,” I said. “How far are we from her?”

He pondered the question for a moment before answering. “Valhalla, about a day's travel North. We can stop at Breidblikk along the way. Mother wouldn’t like it if I forgot the paperwork again.”

“Is that a day's travel flying or on the ground?” Vicky asked, glancing at me, her eyes looking up at what I assumed were my wings. That simple look was all I needed to remember their presence. The weight wasn’t taxing, even if it did throw off my fighting and seemingly moved on their own. If only I knew how to actually use them. 

“I do fly when I jump with all my strength, but then I come down again.”

I stared at him as I processed what he said. The thing was, he wasn’t wrong. Technically, flying was sort of like a big jump and then you eventually came down. Turning my gaze away from the god and to my girlfriend, I said, “I guess we have to walk.”

“I guess so,” She muttered. She looked around at the carnage before letting out a sigh. “Do we need anything?”

I shrugged, “We didn’t really have anything to begin with.”

She solemnly nodded her head but didn’t say anything else. I couldn’t blame her. This was so bizarre and felt like a fevered dream. It made me question reality, like I was Alice in Wonderland, but there wasn’t anything I could do other than continue on. If Freyja had the answers we sought, then getting in contact with her was our best course of action. 

I looked back at the god of light and said, “Alright, lead the way.” 

Baldr beamed, his smile radiating like a thousand suns. “Great! This way!” He started walking in the direction we came from. 

“Uhh, Baldr,” I said.

He continued walking but glanced over his shoulder. “Hmm?”

“Wrong way.”

He stopped, looked around before realization came over. “Right! This way!” He pointed in the correct direction and started marching. He carefully stepped around the dead Gulons like he was skulking around and all I could do was look at Vicky. Our eyes met and all I could tell from her eyes was the resignation of the situation. A feeling that resonated within me.

I started following the god. This was going to be interesting.

ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ

What I assumed was an hour had passed by and the three of us were walking through a great ravine between the mountains. Vicky and I had made great progress yesterday towards the massive peaks we’d seen when we first arrived but now we were walking through them. The aurora above us had never disappeared, instead it continued weaving its vibrant colors through the sky. There was something otherworldly about the auroras, but that was to be expected considering we were in a completely different world. 

During this time, the three of us stayed in relative silence. None of us spoke unless it was Baldr pointing out landmarks, at least in his own manner.

“And that is the tree I broke when I took down a Roc after my tenth summer.”

Stuff like that.

“Interesting,” I said, feigning interest. I looked over at Vicky to see her deep in thought, barely paying attention to where she was going. Ever since we were dropped into Asgard, she’d been quiet. It was… unsettling. I assumed it was because she died, but it still weighed on my mind. It wasn’t the same Vicky I was used to and all I wanted to do was console her but I had no idea how . By the gods, I still couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that she died practically in my arms. 

I tried not to look at my gloves where they were once stained with Vicky’s blood. The first chance we had, I vigorously washed them but it was still visible in my mind’s eye, each drop and smear, the crimson refusing to—. I shivered, rubbing absently at the stains as I tried to shake away the worst of the intrusive thoughts.

Rather than reopen that still fresh wound, I glanced back at Vicky and thought of a way to try to get her to talk, at least on something that wouldn’t be about the big elephant in the room. 

Stepping closer to her, I tried to get her attention. “Psst.”

Vicky continued to stare forward, seemingly ignoring me.

“PSST,” I said a little louder.

Once again, she didn’t respond.

Sighing, I bit the bullet, “Hey, Vicky.”

Still nothing and at this point I was getting annoyed at being ignored. 

“Victoria.”

That seemed to snap her out of whatever thought she was in. She looked at me, those ethereal eyes, eyes that would always remind me of the truth. It wasn’t lost on me that Vicky was an Einherjar now, it was the only reason why Baldr kept calling me a Valkyrie. Whatever that feeling I had deep within me that told me that I could help Vicky had lied to me. How was turning her into this saving her?

“What?” She asked.

My throat constricted and anything I might have said fled from me. It didn’t help that the thoughts from a moment ago were still pushing their way to the forefront. I glanced away, making sure we were still following Baldr, but that was just a delaying tactic and I knew it.

“I-uhh- what do you think about all this?”

She stared at me, her eyes seemingly peering into my soul and I hoped she didn’t get some power to see my thoughts. They narrowed for just a brief moment before she looked at Baldr. “Honestly,” She said after a few seconds, “I have no clue. This is so… insane. Never in a million years would I believe that the Norse Gods actually existed. The fact that we’re in Asgard…” She waved to the mountains that surround us and the shining aurora above us. “At one point I might’ve—”She shook her head, ”Well it doesn’t matter now. We just have to get to Freyja and get answers.”

I nodded, “I agree. Baldr doesn’t seem to know what’s going on,” I glanced at him briefly and saw that he was still talking about landmarks and the adventure’s he had when he was younger. “But he seems like a nice guy and he did pull us out of a sticky situation.”

“Well, we could’ve flown away,” Vicky pointed out.

“Yeah, I know, but how often could you say you walked with a god?”

“Fair,” She said slowly. She sighed, “I just—” She stopped herself from saying anymore, looking away from me.

“Just what?” I asked, concerned for why she looked away.

She shook her head again, “It’s nothing.”

I was about to push it because I knew she was bothered by something but Baldr interrupted my attempt.

“Home! Ah, always a beautiful sight!” 

Vicky and I turned, and the view stole my breath away. The mountains broke to reveal a sprawling valley, split by a snaking river that was flanked by trees and emptied into a plain that stretched for what looked like miles before meeting even larger mountains on the horizon. In the distance, I could see a few flying creatures rise into the distant sky. From our vantage, I couldn’t make out what they were, just that the scale of what I was seeing even with the distance told me they were absolutely massive. I couldn’t help but remove my helmet to take it all in.

Nestled in that valley was a town, split in two by the river.. Large bridges spanned the river connecting the banks together. There was a single large building peaked over the rest in its radiance, much as a cathedral might back on earth. Only time would tell if Baldr’s home, Breidblikk, was as marvelous as the tales said.

The snowy peaks overshadowing the valley seemed to glisten with gold, which made sense if the stories of Valhalla were even remotely true. A city of gold would need to source it from somewhere after all, but even that paled compared to the shadow of a tree branch that fell across the mountain and into the valley itself.

Yggdrasil; the world tree. My jaw hung loose at how the tree seemed to shimmer in the sky. It might not be the real thing, Mom’s books said that the tree existed on another plane of existence but certain realms would be able to see it where the veil was thin. Since the feeling I had was telling me to go there and seemed like the direction Baldr was taking us, Valhalla had to be there.

“Wow,” Vicky said, mystified by the scenery.

Baldr had his hands on his hips, full of pride. “This is the Breidblikk Plains, my home. The safest place on Asgard.” Then he quickly said, “Well, besides Valhalla.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, curious about why he said it was the safest place. I would think that all of Asgard would be safe, baring the occasional wildlife wanting to eat you.

He scratched the side of his head. “The realms have become a more dangerous place of late.”

“Why?”

“Uhh,” Baldr started to fidget and squirm in place as he seemed to mull over his options. “It’s best if Mother explains. She’s better at history than I am, even if it was recent.”

Vicky and I shared a look, one that I knew well as we both so desperately wanted to push for answers but I certainly didn’t want to anger the god. He was our guide to Valhalla and Freyja herself. Besides, when a god says something was recent, it could still be a millenia past.

“Yeah, you said that,” Vicky muttered under her breath.

“Okaaaayyy,” I said, ignoring Vicky’s comment. “And I’m assuming that Valhalla is past those mountains then?”

Baldr nodded. “Aye, it is. Nestled in the mountains under the upper most bough of Yggdrasil.”

“Yggdrasil…” Vicky said as she looked out into the distance. It took a moment but I think she saw it. “Oh, there it is.”

Baldr glanced in that direction and nodded. “Aye. Not the actual tree, but we see its presence here in Asgard. Other places in the realm could too. Mother mentioned that more of the tree could be seen at her home in Vanaheimr.”

“Makes sense,” I said. Then I looked at Vicky and added, “The book did mention it could be seen where the veil was thin.”

Baldr’s head snapped in my direction, his earthy eyes landing on me in an instant. “Book? What book?”

“Uhh,” I looked over at Vicky and could tell she was wondering the same thing I was, of whether or not we should tell him. She didn’t voice any opinion but I decided there was no harm that could be done. “My mom had a bunch of texts and documents on Nors- well, you guys. Aesir, Vanir, the Nine Realms.” I said, looking back at him. “They went into great detail and one of them described that the world tree could be seen in different parts of the realms, where the veil between Yggdrasil and the Nine Realms is thin. We’d only recently begun to dive deeper till…”

“I see,” Baldr said slowly. “Sounds fascinating! To know that the glory of the gods was written for others to read. Why, I can hardly believe it! Mother would be so interested in this knowledge!”

Then he started running down the hill and it took Vicky and I a moment to realize that he just ran off without warning. “Shit!” Vicky cursed before flying after him, her form shimmering gold as she lifted off. 

I raced after them, quickly putting on my helmet and not bothering to turn into an owl. While I seemed to have gotten the knack of doing it, I didn’t want to deal with the flying creatures in the sky. There were several that could eat an owl whole and I didn’t know if my armor transferred its durability. Plus, I would get to the scenery as I ran after them.

The previous worn dirt path that we’d walk on had turned into a light sandy cobbled road. A crude wooden fence on both sides acted as a simple barrier to the untamed wilderness that lay on the other side. Every so often, I would see something scurry between the bushes and up the tree. I never thought I’d see a squirrel in Asgard, but there were enough of them. After the rabbits we had for dinner, I shouldn’t have been all that surprised. There hadn’t been a sighting of one of the more exotic creatures I read in Mom’s collection like the Gulons, but I’d take what I could get. I’d rather not get into another big fight, even if Baldr was on our side.

As for the god, he kept running at full bore. His pace was what I’d expect from a god. Vicky and I struggled to match his pace, even with her flight being used to cheat. We ran for what felt like an hour, and never had I been more thankful for Mom’s insistence on daily runs. The road had shifted the closer we got to the city as well.

Where light stone cobble was, was now replaced with pristine cut white rocks, maybe shale or quartz, it was hard to tell and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was one not known to anyone outside of Asgard. The wooden fences had been replaced with proper metal and stone. There were lampposts scattered along the way, their light not what I expected. I figured I’d see a wick or candle, but instead I saw a white orb floating inside. It was off if the lack of brightness was any clue, but it was still strange.

Baldr finally slowed down and we were able to catch up to him. He came to a halt in what looked like an intersection where he turned to the East, a gleaming smile on his face. When Vicky and I approached, I looked in the direction of where he was looking.

Standing tall and resolute was an immaculate gate made of white wood, a golden sun on the front, the light gleaming off of its surface. On either side were two towers, watching over the open area with unlit braziers on top. I noticed a few figures in each tower, and saw a man wearing silver and white armor poke his head out to gaze at us.

“Who goes– Oh! It’s the Lord of Light! Open the gate!”

Baldr calmly walked forward, his steps not as confident as they once were. He looked back at us, his posture not as straight and not as sure as it was before. The sudden change in attitude was shocking and I wondered where it stemmed from. He waved his hand for us to follow before continuing through the gate. Vicky and I glanced at each other, her eyebrows furrowing in curiosity and I felt the same. I shrugged my shoulders and followed the god, wondering what could lay inside an Asgardian city.

With the gate open wide, I took no time in surveying the path as we walked. It wasn’t anything grand, essentially what you’d expect from a recounted medieval city. Right at the entrance was the stables, surprisingly clean considering I’d heard they tended to be covered in hay and…other things. The buildings themselves were made of that same stone or of the white wood the gate was made of, each with intricate details and structures I’d expect from ancient Viking architecture but modernized in some abstract way. A few buildings down there was a sign over the entrance of another building, written in a language I didn’t know. Yet I knew it said ‘General Store’. 

But what really surprised me were the people who were milling about the road. If it wasn’t for Mom’s collection, I would’ve assumed like everyone that Asgard was home of the Aesir and just the gods that we knew yet I was seeing all shapes of life. There were people who looked human and I assumed were Aesir based on how they held themselves, confident and strong. There were a few who looked similar, human, but seemed more grounded to the earth. Honestly, I’d say they were like hippies from Earth based on how they dressed and seemed almost carefree. They reminded me of Mom a lot actually.

Yet as interesting as that was, what got me were the people who didn’t look human. One in particular had just walked out of the general store, their tall lithe figure standing proud. Their incredibly pale skin seemed to glow in the sunlight and out from their nearly white hair were two pointed ears. Their eyes didn’t have any whites to them, just pure glowing sapphyric orbs looking about the road. Their clothes were different too, finer and more exquisite than everyone else here. The delicate lines that seemed to sway as the subtle curve of their body twisted as they scanned.

All of a sudden, their attention was on us and it felt like I had stepped into a ritzy party and spilled the wine on the white table cloth as their elegant head turned upright and they started to walk towards us. “ Lord, Baldr . Where have you been ?”

The accent was hard to describe as the language felt so ethereal, like it was in a different wavelength yet I was able to understand every word they said. 

“Helping my Mother, Galan,” Baldr said in English, a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

They scoffed. “ Of course you were. Ever since she came back, she’s bee– ”

Baldr snapped, his body tensing and he looked ready to throttle this person. “I’d watch what you say about her.”

They stared at the god with a calculating look before sighing. “ Very well, I apologize. But you are needed here, my lord. Remember that .” 

“I know .” He glanced over his shoulder and stared at us before continuing. “I need to get the paperwork before I continue to Valhalla.”

“ And what would your –” They looked over Baldr’s shoulder and processed what the errand could be. “ Ah, I see ,” They said with realization on their face. “ Very well, let me escort you back to your home then .”

Baldr was about to speak but it seemed Galan was not having it, opting to march forward and forcing Baldr to follow. As such, Vicky and I had to as well. 

I glanced over at my girlfriend and saw her already leaning into me to whisper. “Did you understand that?”

I nodded, “Yeah, I did. You?”

She nodded, “Yeah. Any idea what language that was?”

I shook my head. “No, not at all.”

She took on an inquisitive look, pondering over the strangeness of the language, and I was thinking about it too until I heard a few whispers in Old Norse from the people that loitered the road. 

“ Is that a Valkyrie?” One person whispered.

“It can’t be. They’re all gone. Dust in the winds.” A second person responded. 

“Did Freyja anoint a new one?”

“ Couldn’t be. I heard she hasn’t left Valhalla since she last returned. ”

The rumors made me question what exactly was going on in the Nine Realms. It was clear that everyone thought I was a Valkyrie. Baldr said it first and the common folk of Asgard seemed to believe that too. The wings were a dead give away and I could understand that but there had to be more about my appearance that sparked those whispers. I looked down at my armor, my eyes staring at the sash that crossed my torso, perhaps that was part of it?

Shaking my head, I looked up and out of the corner of my eye, Vicky was staring at me, concern writ in her glowing eyes. “Everything okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah, just more questions with no answers.”

She stared at me for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”

We followed Baldr and Galan down the main road, doing my best to focus on the fascinating city rather than the whispered comments that surrounded us. Me. Each block we passed, more unique individuals that I thought were only fictional in the books I’d read. It took me a moment but I realized that Galan was Ljósálfar, a Light Elf, and they weren’t alone. I’d seen a few more around the city as well as some dwarves. Someone would come up, compliment Baldr and he would wave at them, a goofy smile on his face. It wasn’t fake as far as I could tell but whatever was bothering him was still a shadow in his eye.

What I also noticed was how different this city seemed to cities on Earth or even what I’d read in terms of medieval villages. While it had that same feel and look as a medieval city, it was anything but. It had this air of modernity. Lampposts dotted each corner of the street and every house had one outside their door. Each building had what looked to be tempered glass, with neat curtains hanging on each side. What I was able to see inside showed a more homey room but the lights and placement, even the beds, were more advanced than what I would have expected. 

After a few more blocks, we came upon a hill that had the huge building I saw before, resting in stalwart glory. It looked like a white longhouse, except with large panes of glass precisely located on the side of the house where the sun would hit it the most. Just like the rest of the city, it was clean and pristine in appearance and there was not a hedge out of place from what I could tell.

Galan opened the gate with a flick of their wrist and we slowly walked up the small path leading up to the home. Galan was about to open the doors but Baldr beat them to it, pushing on it with all his might. The large doors slowly opened, revealing a white and warm room. I’d half expected it to be hollow like most longhouses, but there were walls besides us the instant we walked in and large stars that led to the second floor.

Baldr looked at us and said, “I’ll be right back.” He walked up the stairs quickly and was out of sight before we properly noticed.

I was about to step beside Vicky to see how she was doing, but Galan interrupted us. “ How did the Lord meet you ?” Their eyes on the two of us, but I could feel them zero in on me. 

“Well,” I said, hesitantly. A thought crossed my mind and I tried to speak in the same language as them. “ We were dropped into Asgard and he saved us when we were attacked by a pack of Gulons first thing in the morning .”

It was… strange. Like my tongue was moving in a way I was not used to and I felt my body vibrate in a way that felt weird.

Their eyes widened for a moment but they shook it off and scoffed. “ Of course Lord Baldr would scramble to aid anyone. These are troubling times and even after the years, he still hasn’t changed .” The next part was said so quietly that I almost didn’t hear it. “ If only he wasn’t so— ” They stopped midway when they noticed me stare at them. Galan cleared their throat and continued, “ In any case, I’m sure Freyja would want you back. Though how you don’t know your way or seemingly as clueless as Lord Bal — ”

“Got them!” Baldr yelled as he rushed down the stairs, the glee back in his eyes and a smile on his lips. “We can go now!”

“ Lord Baldr — ”

“No time, Galan. Keep Breidblikk safe!” He said as he walked past us and waved for us to follow. “Come on, we have to get to Valhalla before dusk!”

Vicky and I looked at each other before we ran after the god. I was confused by the whole thing but I went with it since he was our guide to Valhalla. 

“ Lord— ” Galan didn’t have a chance to say anything as Baldr’s eyes lit up and the door closed on the Light Elf.

Baldr didn’t slow down and everyone in the city seemed used to this as they easily stopped and watched us go by. As unhindered as we were, it didn’t take long to travel through the city on the main road and before I knew it, we were outside the gates. Baldr didn’t need to inform the guards about the gate as it started to close after us without a prompt.

When the gate closed, Baldr stopped and lifted his hand into the air in victory. “Wohoo! That was a rush.” He looked back at us and said, “Sorry about that. Galan’s always on me about things and it’s annoying.”

“Who are they exactly?” Vicky asked.

“He’s my advisor. When the city grew around my home, he saw fit to help around. But he’s always there, doing things and asking things. He doesn’t like it when I leave the city. Especially nowadays.”

I blinked a few times and realized that he didn’t know what an advisor actually did. As much as I wanted to correct him, I decided to let it be. 

“I see,” I said, looking in the direction of where I felt Valhalla had to be. If Galan thinks I should know, then that feeling must be it. Quickly looking up into the sky, I added, “We should get going then. It’s just past the middle of the day and I’m not sure how long of a trip we have.”

Baldr nodded. “Yes, let’s go! Valhalla is just on the other side of the Valhallan Peaks.”

Vicky and I shared a nod and the three of us started walking again, continuing the trip to Valhalla and hopefully towards the answers Vicky and I so desperately sought. Freyja was the one who seemed to have all the answers, which was surprising since I’d expect it to be Tyr, but I wasn’t going to complain about getting our answers from the Goddess of Love and Magic.

ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ

As we walked through the mountains, I couldn’t help but feel like we were nearing Valhalla. The feeling inside me was swelling, like when one comes home from a long trip. I honestly couldn’t wait to see the famed legendary hall of the gods. Never in my life would I have imagined that I’d get to see it.

Baldr was rambling about one of his adventures when he was younger and Vicky had fallen silent once more. I knew that she was every bit as curious about Valhalla as I was, but I couldn’t fault her for falling back on her own thoughts. 

I turned my gaze away from the road while Baldr was telling a story where he claimed to have made a friend with a wyvern, and looked up at the mountains that surrounded us. Dark and angry golden lines ran crisscrossed along their surface. At a distance, I had at first thought they were gold metal veins, but that was not the case at all. It looked like a series of powerful attacks made by Purity if she was gold instead of white. 

But considering the reality of gods, it was probably magic or their own power. Other than Odin, Aesir didn’t have access to Magic, only the Vanir did. And as far as the books Vicky and I read, the Aesir-Vanir war never got this close to Valhalla. I could only imagine that it was due to a squabble of some sorts between the gods. It was well known that they often fought each other over even the pettiest of things. 

At least that was what Mom’s books had said. 

We walked under a rocky arch that led into a small tunnel. On the inside, runes were carved into the stone. I trailed my fingers along the side, feeling the deep groove. What I was not expecting was for the runes to start glowing white. They dimed when I stopped touching them but it was still surprising to say the least. 

When we exited the tunnel, I was stunned at what I saw. 

In the receding sunlight and perched on top of a lone outcrop surrounded by mountains was one of the glorious cities I’d ever seen. I’d thought that Breidblikk was magnificent for what it was, I’d visited New York, but this city put both to shame.

Valhalla, standing in all its golden glory as though it were the last bastion of humanity. Gleaming walls surrounded the city and tall buildings stood resolute within. Golden metal glowed, whether by magic or the dim sunlight, and it gave a whole other meaning to the world supernatural. There was this haze over the city that it only took me a moment to realize it was due to a thinness I couldn’t describe. Like the air was tinged with an energy that I could practically touch. It wasn’t until I noticed how close Yggdrasil was and how it loomed over Valhalla. The aurora that’d been above us the entire trip converged at the tree, where several more bands of the mystical atmospheric event met. 

A slight shimmer crossed over the city and I realized it was a mythical shield that covered Valhalla. What surprised me was that it didn’t feel as strong as I expected. Not that I understood how I knew that, but when it shimmered again, I noticed holes in the hexagonal patterns. 

Baldr took a big deep breath and said, “Ah, Valhalla! In all its amazing glory!” He turned around and faced us. “We should get into the city before it gets dark. Being so close to the tree brings the more dangerous creatures of the Nine Realms.”

“Like what?” Vicky asked hesitantly. 

“Like dragons. Especially Níðhöggr. In the past decades, he’s been more…agitated.”

“Níðhöggr?” I blurted, eyes wide at the prospects of such a being. “As in the dragon who chewed Yggdrasil?”

Baldr nodded, “Yes. According to Mother, he escaped his prison from the tree’s roots decades ago and has been rampaging across the realms.”

Dragons. Live actual dragons and not a Tinker who made dragon-like crafts or a man who turned into one when he was angry. The very beings I used to read in books were real and were an active threat. Even to the gods. I felt a shiver run down my spine at the thought of such a creature and couldn’t help but wonder how it compared to the Endbringers.

Vicky gasped. “Wow. That’s…” She took a deep breath and continued, “Okay, well, we should get in then.”

Baldr nodded. “It’s not far now.”

He started walking and we followed. As he said, it wasn’t far. The path was a worn cobble and not an extravagant road like at Breidblikk. It felt older, from a time when practicality mattered more than appearance. We came upon a series of golden bridges, an arch or tower breaking up the long distance to the city, and a part of me wondered if it was the Bifröst, but that couldn’t be since it wasn’t a rainbow. We walked up to the gate, a magnificent golden Valknut in the center, and I saw the shield shimmer in front of us. I feared it would reject my girlfriend and I but I felt a warmth wrap itself around me for a brief moment before it disappeared.

Baldr walked up to the gate, touched it with the palm of his hand and the Valknut lit up, blazing golden fire, before it cracked in the center. As if by slow motion, the gates of Valhalla opened and revealed the legendary city to us. 

Baldr strode forward and it took a few seconds for Vicky and I to snap out of our reverie and follow. No sooner than we cleared the gate, it closed behind us with a dull ring and a flash of light. The first thing I noticed when I surveyed the area was how empty it was. There wasn’t a person or god in sight. 

The buildings nearby looked like they’d seen better days; their windows dark and the golden surface dulled more than I originally thought. Unlike Breidblikk, there wasn’t any clear signage on the buildings or a storefront. They appeared more like homes than anything else. That made sense since I’d imagine the Einherjar of Valhalla would need a place to live.

We walked for what felt like half an hour and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of eeriness. This wasn’t the famed legendary city the gods met, it felt like a ghost town. It wasn’t till we came upon a large square that we saw the first signs of life. 

As I surveyed the area, centered on a large memorial with countless names written on it, I realized that the buildings were the stores I’d been expecting at the entrance like Breidblikk, and they weren’t deserted. A few people were moving inside, going about their business. One person was carrying a tray of still steaming bread, piping hot from the oven. The bang of metal turned my gaze towards a woman who was in mid swing of her hammer sparks flying as she struck her anvil. She was a larger woman, her muscles bulging as she swung the hammer with all her force. Setting her hammer aside, she plunged the metal into a bath of sorts, the steam wafting into her angular face. She wiped her dirty blonde hair out of the way before taking the metal out and inspecting it.

A commotion from the other side, steered my gaze away and saw two people, one marching after the other. “ Seriously, Dad ?!” The woman– no girl, yelled in Old Norse as she practically ran after the man. She looked about the same age as I was yet I could see that she’d seen a lot in that time. She was wearing a nice set of black trousers with blue etchings on the side. As she ran, I saw the handles of a pair of axes on her side, their silver metal glinting in the dim light. They weren’t small and considering how… fit she was, her loose shirt did nothing to hide her physique, I don’t think they were a problem for her. Strands of long blonde hair blew into her face, but she wiped them back.

The man on the other hand looked battle worn and scarred as he stumbled away. Like the girl, who I assume was his daughter, he wore similar trousers but no shirt, allowing the world to see the array of golden scars seared into his flesh. One arm was completely gone from the elbow down and the other had a flagon filled with liquid that sloshed around as he nearly ran into a lamppost with his belly. “ Go –” He hiccuped and took another swig of his drink, “ Away. You do-don’t needs to– ”

“Like the cold pits of Helheim I am,” She shot back. “It’s barely dusk and your sloshed as fuck!”

“Thrud, don’t– ”

“ Don’t ,” She–Thrud, said, a menacing look on her face. She caught up to him and yanked his arm, causing his drink to splatter across the ground. “ Mom doesn’t need to deal with this now !”

“ But –”

Thrud wasn’t having it and started pulling him with even more force, eventually getting him to follow, nearly stumbling on top of her. I hadn’t noticed the size difference between the two but I had to give the girl credit, she was strong enough to pull a drunken giant of a man.

“I see my brother started early,” Baldr said. “I wonder when he’ll stop partying.”

I took one quick glance at the man, which took me a few seconds to realize was Thor , and that Thor was definitely not partying. It was a similar situation to how Dad was in the aftermath of Mom’s death and my heart ached for Thrud. 

“Come on, Mother’s not far.” 

Baldr continued to walk and Vicky followed, but I stared at Thrud and Thor for a moment longer. That short time was just enough for Thrud to glance over her shoulder and our eyes met. An intense look, filled with interests and wonderment. It was gone the instant her Dad tried to walk down an alley and she had to corral him again.

I watched them for a moment longer before trying to find where Baldr and Vicky continued off to. Chasing after them, I caught up just before they started walking up the hill that led to the large and extravagant golden building. As I stared up at it, I realized how similar it was in shape as The White House. In the center was an angular point facing the city, as if reaching into the heavens, with large panes of glass that showed the three levels of the building.

On either side was what I’d expect from a longhouse, but more angular, more sharp. What I noticed as we got closer was the runes that were carved into the side of the building, words and deeds of fallen heroes etched on the side. At the end was another viewing area, or maybe a balcony.

Baldr walked up to the front door and opened it. Immediately we were met with a large fire in the center of the atrium, its smoke wafting up through the space between each floor and into an opening in the roof. On the far end of the room were stairs that led up to the other floors as well as an opening that led to another part of the hall. On each side were massive doors that led to the wings. Vicky and I didn’t have the time to gaze at the numerous arts on the walls, depictions of battles and wars from many of the heroes in Norse Mythology as Baldr quickly walked up the stairs.

We chased after him and continued to the third floor before he turned around and went towards the back to the wing that was facing away from the city. We passed by several rooms, each with a placard on them, names of the gods. Most of them had a slash through them which I found confusing.

We finally came upon two golden double doors where I heard voices from within. 

“ You know that won’t work, Lass ,” A masculine voice said, almost like an Icelandic accent and surprisingly in English.

“ But I have to. If not then– we can talk about this another time. They’re here. ”

That voice. How can—

Baldr opened the door and said, “Hello, Mother! I have brought the Valkyrie and her charge.”

My vision narrowed as my eyes landed on a single person in the room. My heart sped up and my breathing quickened as she turned around and faced us.

The way she stood, the way she held herself. The same brown curly hair, twisted into braids and filled with jewelry. The light from the magical orb attached to the ceiling shined down on her as if she was blessed by the gods. The clothes were different, a simple earthy dress that reminded me of a toga with leaves and small flowers. It left little to the imagination and I couldn’t hold the revulsion at the mere thought of that. Especially with the flowery vine tattoos that ran across her body. 

But what really did it was the smile that reached her earthy brown eyes.

“Hello, my Little Owl,” She said, smile widening ever more.

Chapter Text

Odal 2.3

????, ????, ????

“MOM?!” I screamed, staring at the woman who was supposed to be dead. It shouldn’t be possible. No matter how many times I blinked my eyes, she wasn’t disappearing. 

“H-how?” Vicky sputtered, just as shocked as I was.

Baldr walked to the side and his head kept bouncing back and forth like it was a tennis match as he looked between us. “Mom? Mother, what does she mean?”

Mom sighed, “You know, no matter how many times I envisioned this reunion, words still can’t describe it.”

“What did you expect, lass?” I heard the masculine voice say again and it took me a moment to realize there was a head on the desk that was littered with papers and books. 

Mom sighed again. She lifted the head by the white hair and twisted him around. That’s not something you see everyday. As the head faced us, I saw a man with a short beard and whose eyes were pure gold, glowing like bright suns. He blinked a few times before he looked up at Mom. “She looks like you.”

Mom rolled her eyes. “Gee, I wonder why.”

“Mother, what is going on?” Baldr asked again, voice harder and insistent.

She looked over at him and said, “Baldr, meet Taylor, your sister. Half-sister technically, but sister nonetheless.”

“What?!” I yelled again.

Mom walked around the desk and slowly came towards us. At the same time, Baldr said, “I…have a sister?” He looked at me briefly before a big smile grew on his lips. “SISTER!” He was about to run up to me, his arms open wide for what I knew was going to be a hug, but Mom held up a hand. 

“Not now, Baldr. Taylor and her… friend have been through a lot and it's late.”

“Oh,” He said, arms dropping to his sides as he hung his head. 

Mom twisted her head, her jewelry jingling against each other. “Why don’t you leave your paperwork on the desk while I have a word with your sister and her friend .”

“Okay!” He said happily. Baldr dropped the stack of parchment on the desk and then stood to the side not far from the head. 

“Privately, please,” Mom said with a little more force.

“Oh!” Baldr slowly walked through the room and through the door behind us. He gently closed the door and when the door clicked, Mom waited a few seconds before speaking.

“As much as I love him…” She shook her head, before her eyes landed on me. “Hi, Honey. It’s been a long time.”

I was stunned into silence. It was like I was taken back just a few years ago when Mom was ali– around . All the days she would comfort and console me, when she would always find a way to brighten my day. How she was always there for me and all the adventures we had together. All of it came crashing down and I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. 

She grunted when I slammed into her, wrapping my arms around her and burying my head into her shoulder. I felt gentle arms embrace me as I started bawling on her shoulder.

“There, there. I’m here now. Momma’s here.” She cooed into my ear. And then she started humming. The gentle titillating tune of a hymn she sang when I was younger. I tightened my grip, her humming hitched for a moment but she never stopped. 

Time ceased to have meaning, and my tears had long since run dry, reduced to hiccups and sniffling. I relaxed my grip on her and I realized she had been soothingly caressing my back in between my wings. 

“I’m here now, I’m here.” She whispered.

Reality came crashing down again and I leaned back, looking at her again. “H-how– b-but– I thought–”

“Shh,” She said, stopping me in my tracks. “I know you have a million and one questions and I will do my best to answer what I can, but it’s late and I know you didn’t sleep last night.” She looked over my shoulder and said, “I’m sure you’re in the same boat, Victoria.”

I couldn’t see her, but I heard her. “I–” Vicky tried to speak, but she was also at a loss of words. 

“Good, I’ve had rooms prepared for both of you. Though if you want to share a roo– nevermind about that. We have a lot to discuss and I’m sure you both would like some food before bed. I doubt you had a chance to eat in Breidblikk.”

At that moment, my stomach made itself known and Mom smiled. I shook my head, “No we didn’t. Baldr wanted to leave as quickly as possible.”

“That’s not surprising. He hasn’t been at his home of late and I can name a few reasons why,” Mom sighed. “Come.”

Mom walked around me, a flick of her wrist and the doors opened. I glanced at my girlfriend for a brief moment to see her look just as surprised as I was if her wide eyes and gaping mouth was any indication. Mom glanced over her shoulder, a small smile on her face and a single raised eyebrow before she said, “Coming?”

We followed her out, ignoring the grumbling from the head on the desk. Mom guided us to a nearby room where she handed us pieces of bread and butter. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I started eating it. She’d mention that a proper meal would be served in the morning, but I didn’t care. The bread was better than the charred rabbit and fox from the night before. 

After we ate, she guided us out and before we knew it, we were in front of a door without a placard on it. “Victoria,” Mom said as she gently opened the door. “This will be your room. If you need anything , don’t hesitate to ask. And no, I don’t care if you choose to stay with my daughter. Her room is over there,” She pointed to a room not far down the hallway where a placard was. 

She had a room made for me already?

Vicky’s mouth moved for a moment, but nothing came out, so all she did was nod her head before going into the room. When the door clicked closed, I turned to Mom only to be met with an intensive focus. Her jaw tightened and she barely blinked. It was only for a few seconds before she noticed that I’d been staring at her and the look disappeared. She smiled and gestured for me to follow, “This way. We have a few things to discuss before you go to bed.” 

“Okay…” I said absently, still trying to process everything that was going on and I knew it was only going to get worse tomorrow.

She walked over to the door that she pointed at earlier and when I came up to it, I saw my name written in the same runic script that was on the necklace. Mom opened the door. “Go on,” She smiled. “It’s yours. I had it prepared… a while ago. You can do with it as you please.”

I looked inside and took a step forward. 

“Watch out for your–” 

A sharp pain ran through my wings that cascaded down my spine as they smacked the door frame. 

“Wing. Yeah, I have a lot to show you, including how not to do that.”

More carefully, as in ducking and twisting in a way that I knew would make me a laughing stock if anyone other than Mom saw, I stepped into the room and took a look at my room.

On the far wall was a large window, big enough for me to open and fly out of, even with my human body. Standing in the center of the room was a bed big enough for four of me with a hand carved wooden frame and a nightstand on either side. The bed itself didn’t look like something from Earth, like it didn’t have springs in it, but it did look comfortable. Along both sides of the walls were bookshelves, mostly empty but there were a few books that I suspected Mom had placed there with me in mind. There was a closet in between some of the bookshelves and on the other side was a door that I hoped led to the bathroom. 

The door closed behind me and Mom spoke as she flipped a switch and the orb in the center of the ceiling illuminated a soft blue light, “I hope you like it.” She sounded hesitant. “If not, we can always change it. It’s yours now.”

I turned around to face her. “I– Mom, I–” 

“I know. I promise I will answer what I can tomorrow. Just know that my intentions were never to hurt you.”

I nodded slowly.

“Good. Now, let me help you make your wings disappear. I know you didn’t sleep last night and that’s partly why.” 

“I can make them disappear?” I blurted, surprised that was a possibility.

She nodded, “Yes.” She walked around me and said, “I see my old armor has been working well for you.”

My thoughts halted as I looked down at my armor. “Wait, it was yours?”

She nodded. “Yes, back during the Aesir-Vanir war and a few years after. I got new armor after I had your brother.” Then I felt fingers around my neck and she easily unclasped the cloak. “And my cloak…” She trailed off as I felt the cloak slip free from between my wings.

I turned my head to see her hold the cloak, the midnight black feathers turning brown in her hands. The same brown that it was before I picked it up. I thought it was just the lighting. “It’s–wait– but—”

She held up a hand to stop me. “I know. Tomorrow.” She walked over to the closet and opened it. I saw a few clothes hanging as she quickly placed the cloak on a hanger. “Now let me show you how to make your wings disappear.”

I stood silent as she walked back, going around me and placed a hand between my wings. “Notice my hand?”

I nodded.

“Feel the muscles around there. Feel the tension underneath my hand. This area is where you will also be able to learn how to fly with them, but that’s a lesson for another time. What I want you to do is envision the wings retreating into you. Have those muscles relax and imagine them pulling back.”

It was completely insane to even think of what she was saying but I followed her guidance. Under the palm of her hand, I realized just how tense I was. I started by relaxing the muscles, my wings slowly drooped. Then I did as Mom said and imagined the wings going back into me. At first I didn’t think anything happened but all of a sudden I felt the lack of weight on my back and Mom pulling her hand away. 

She smiled. “See! Now you can hopefully get a good night's rest. Because trust me, I know it’s not easy to sleep with wings. There’s a change of clothes in the closet that I know you saw. They should be your size and would be more comfortable than the armor to sleep in.”

It felt like there was a story behind that. One of many that she had kept from me, from Dad. All I could do was nod.

Mom stared at me for a few seconds before she closed her eyes for longer than a normal blink. “I’m so happy to see you again, Little Owl. It’s been… Well, too long.” 

She held her arms open and I knew what that meant. I wrapped my arms around her and hers quickly encased me in a hug. I felt her hand rubbing circles on my back. “I love you, Taylor,” She whispered in my ear.

“I love you too, Mom.”

ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ

Anger burned through my veins as I stared at Hookwolf, beaten and bruised from my new Valkyrie. I wanted him dead, I wanted to kill him. What he did to Vicky– I hated that he was in the way. 

“You have two choices. Kill me or save her, because you can’t have both.” Hookwolf said as he slowly started backing away. 

I heard Vicky cough, it sounded rough and I needed to get to her. A stray thought of sending my Valkyries after Hookwolf came to me, so I turned and ran, my Valkyrie ensuring he didn’t stab me in the back even as he made his own cowardly escape. It burned, but Vicky needed me more.. 

The moment I arrived, I pulled off my helmet and stared at the metal sticking out of Vicky’s chest. I was not a doctor, but I knew it was bad . Her white costume was stained red and her blood pooled on the sidewalk. I placed a hand around the wound and applied pressure, and looked at her face. 

She was staring up into the sky for a moment before her eyes lazily drifted to me. She looked tired- no, exhausted , and she was doing everything in her power to stay awake. I desperately tried to ignore the blood around her lips, but I couldn’t stop myself from shaking at the thought.

“Hang on, Vicky, I’ll get you help,” I said as I tried to formulate a plan to get her to a hospital. No Amy would be better. Amy could heal her. My eyes landed on the rebar. There was no way I could move her with that there.

As if my body was on autopilot, my hand wrapped around it but the moment I did, Vicky let out a horrifying scream. “Shit! Fuck! Okay, think Taylor.”

I stared at Vicky’s body and I felt her growing weak. My heart thumped in my body and I felt as if time slowed. Each second that passed felt like a minute and for a moment I felt as if time had stopped altogether. A boiling rush was coursing through my veins and the air around me shifted. Something inside me told me I could help her. I didn’t know how nor why, but something did. 

I laid my other hand on her chest and stared at Vicky, words leaving my lips unabided nor under my control, “ You will reach your destination .” It took me a moment to realize I spoke in Old Norse but the moment I did, the boiling blood within my veins seemed to ignite.

And that moment my eyes met Vicky’s and I knew instantly.

She was dead. 

Her lifeless body staring up at me, a slim smile on her face and a fond look in her lifeless  eyes.

“VICKY!” I screamed, my breath ragged and my hand clutching my chest. My blood pumping through my veins and a constant ringing in my ears that made it hard to focus. Minutes passed by before I felt my body start to calm down. 

I looked around and it took me a moment to realize that I wasn’t home in my small room with a desk and laptop, a picture of Mom and I on the nightstand. No, I was in a large bedroom, mostly empty and void of any personal effects and memories. It quickly dawned on me that the events of the past two days did in fact happen. That the nightmare wasn’t just a nightmare.

That happened. 

My breath shuddered as I closed my eyes and tried to ignore Vicky’s face that haunted me. Even the thought of her being here, in Asgard of all places, couldn’t alleviate the fact that she died. And it was my fault. 

A heavy weight was on my back and a quick glance showed that my wings had appeared. Focusing on that, and ignoring the shakiness of my hands, I remembered what Mom taught me what could only be a few hours ago. A few seconds passed before I was able to relax and the weight on my back disappeared.

I rubbed my face, exhausted, but I knew I wouldn’t be getting more sleep. Any time I closed my eyes, I saw my girlfriend’s face. Looking down, I noticed the loose brown tunic I was wearing and how itchy it was. A part of me wanted to take it off, but it wasn’t worth it. Not like I had any other options at this point.

Releasing a deep sigh, I lifted the blanket and stepped out of the bed, my eyes inclining to look out of the window. I quickly realized the moment we arrived here that Asgard did not get as dark as Bet at night. With the otherworldly aurora above always providing what was essentially a natural nightlight, I could still see over Valhalla. 

I gingerly got out of bed and walked to the window and looked over the city. Most of the buildings were dark, seemingly long since abandoned by whatever mystery this world had. Near the center of the city, there were two buildings still lit late at night. The forge that I saw earlier, and what I could assume was the bar based on the rowdy patrons outside. Or tavern I guess, if using more medieval terms. 

It was a large building, one of the largest and I tried to scour my knowledge of Valhalla. All recounts of the famed city and hall depicted all the feast and drinking that happened, and that might still be the case. The tavern at the city square might be a smaller one and it only left me with more questions. 

A dim light caught the corner of my eye and I glanced over. If I remember the placement of the floor plan of this place, that was the study I re-met Mom. I didn’t know how late at night it was, but it seemed like she was still up. The shadows moving around was all I needed to know that it was true. 

It reminded me of when I was younger and how late she would stay up doing work. How each time I woke up because of a nightmare or had to go to the bathroom only for her to be there and console me. They were fond memories and it wasn’t till now I realized how often she was up late into the night. I guess things never changed, even if everything did on a cosmic level. 

The light went out and I heard a muted door close and footsteps down the hallway. They stopped right outside my door and dead silence for a few seconds before I heard Mom say, “Nightmare.”

It wasn’t a question. I sighed and walked to the door and gently opened it. The first thing I saw was Mom’s tired face. She had bags under her eyes and she wasn’t trying to hold appearances anymore. “Yeah,” I whispered. 

Seeing her standing there, exhausted and tired, acting like it was two years ago. It brought things I buried deep inside me, to the surface. My arm shook as I held myself from slamming the door in her face. A few seconds passed as she stared at me, where I tried to calm myself but it seemed to be for naught. There was a… worry in her exhausted, dull eyes. They darted to my hand quickly before returning to meet mine.

When I finally felt myself relax, she nodded slowly.

 “Okay, try to get some rest if you can. I know…” She closed her eyes and rubbed her face. “I know it's not easy, especially after…”

“Yeah,” I repeated, more solemnly as Vicky’s face came to the forefront of my mind.

I felt a soothing and comforting hand on my shoulder. “I know. It’s not easy, it never is. I wish I could say it gets easier, but I’d be lying.”

The way she said it, I knew she was speaking from experience. Considering all the stories and myths I’d read of Frey– Mom, then she definitely understood exactly what I was feeling. 

I nodded mutely.

She squeezed my shoulder again. “See if you can have a good night, Taylor.”

“You too, Mom.”

A ghost of a smile graced Mom’s lips before she left. The feeling of her hand still lingering on my shoulder, and I wondered if this was all a nightmare too. That Mom being alive and being in this mythical land was all a figment of my imagination.

Then there was the part of me, a darker part, that made me wish that I slammed the door in her face. 

Only tomorrow would tell if that was the case.

I turned around and closed the door, deciding that I’d try to sleep again, I headed to my bed.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow would be when I get some answers.

ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ

????, ????, ????

I took a bite of the toasted bread. It was a different taste than I was expecting and it wasn’t because of it being oven roasted. I hadn’t noticed it last night, due to how hungry I was, but it wasn’t anything I’d had before.

 Quickly surveying around the room, it was more what I’d expect from the stories of Valhalla, but it still wasn’t the great feast hall. Mom had brought us to a room with a large fire pit in the center and a table next to it. There were a few pictures around the room, depictions of heroic acts like I’d seen scattered throughout the building. 

I was wearing the clothes that were in the closet, they weren’t that uncomfortable, but I still wore my cloak for some semblance of normality. As strange as that was. It gave me a sense of warmth and comfort, a constant reminder of Mom even though she was sitting across from me. 

Glancing over to Vicky, I could see that she wasn’t eating much as she continued to push her food around. My heart lurched at the sight and all I wanted to do was console her, but I knew it wouldn’t do much. 

Her blue and golden eyes looked up and they met mine. It took everything in me to not let her lifeless face from my nightmare take over, instead I focused on the here and now. She was here in front of me, alive, yet wasn’t, here in Asgard.

There was a myriad of emotion in those ethereal eyes, but I could tell that she didn’t get any sleep either. The bags under her eyes were the biggest clue, but the glow from her eyes were not nearly as bright as they were the past few days. There was a slowness in her movement that had to be from exhaustion. 

I reached over and put a hand on hers, gently squeezing it. Vicky looked down and a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. She dropped her fork and placed a hand on mine, returning the gesture. 

“Aww,” Mom cooed, causing both of us to blush. 

I looked over at her as she put her utensils down and crossed her arms, a fond smile on her face as she looked at us. “I always wondered what it would be like to watch you fall in love, Little Owl. I will have to say, it suits you. Like it does for any Vanir.”

The blush on my cheeks became an inferno. “ Mom !”

Mom had the audacity to laugh.

I crossed my arms and pouted, which only made both Mom and Vicky giggle. It was still strange that Mom was sitting in front of me and acting in such a manner that I had only seen glimpses of in the past. She would always tease, that never changed, but it was the way she teased and what she said. How easy it was for her to say Vanir like it was an everyday thing. Which I guess it was, considering where we were. 

Mom cleared her throat and I hadn’t realized that a strange blue potion vial had appeared on the table in front of me. I looked up at Mom and asked, “What’s this?”

“Well, you’ve been in Asgard for three days now without your medication.”

My eyes went wide as it dawned on me that I hadn’t been on any hormones for the past few days. “Oh no.”

“Hey,” Mom said, her hands reaching across the table and quickly taking mine in a comforting manner. “It’s okay. That’s what the potion is for. Take a small sip of it and you’ll be fine.”

I stared at Mom for a few seconds before I glanced down at the vial. The potion itself wasn’t large, maybe as big as a shot glass, if oddly shaped. It shimmered in the sunlight, a silvery swirl in the vast blue liquid. A part of me didn’t want to drink it, the idea of drinking something that blue was unsettling. But if Mom made it , then it would be safe enough.

Uncorking the potion, I grabbed it by the stem and gently took a sip. The liquid hit my tongue and I tasted a familiar chalkiness. Pulling the potion away, I stared at it for a few seconds before putting the cork back in. 

When I looked up at Mom, she was smiling. “See, nothing bad.”

“Mom,” I sighed, “I think it’s time you give us some answers.”

Vicky nodded, “I agree. As nice as it’s been watching Taylor see you again, we need to know what’s going on. What happened?”

Mom stared at us for a few seconds, her finger tapping the table as she thought. She let out a long sigh before crossing her arms. “You’re right. I think it's time I give you an explanation of what happened and what’s going on.”

A quick glance at Vicky showed curiosity and concern on her face, her ethereal eyes never blinking as she stared at my mom. She made herself comfortable on the wooden bench and I followed suit. 

When Mom noticed both of us were ready, she started her explanation. “As you know, I’m Freyja. The Norse gods and just about everything you’ve read from my collection about Norse mythology is true. We do exist and the Nine Realms are real.”

“We gathered that much,” I said. “I just… how did I not realize it? Looking back, there were so many clues.” Mom had a big smirk on her face, which wasn’t helping me process all the little things that made it all come together. “The documents, the extensive notes, the things you say, the cats— THE CATS!”

Mom giggled, “And how are fluffballs; Bee and Treacle, or should I say Bygul and Trjegul?”

My jaw went slack at her candor attitude about the cats and their real names. “That’s why they didn’t age. You didn’t replace them…”

Mom shook her head. “No, Honey. I asked them to watch and take care of you and your father. It was rather easy considering they seemed to have taken a liking to you. They did sleep on the bed with you.”

I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I processed what she said. My cats had been ancient cats that carried Mom on her chariot. Wait a minute. “Is… is that key for the chariot?”

Mom smirked again, “So you haven’t discovered what the key is for…”

“No, no we haven’t.”

“Then I’ll let you find out on your own.”

“Are you serious?” I deadpanned.

She nodded, “I am. Just because you have learned who I am and your heritage, doesn’t mean I’m giving you everything .”

I groaned, my head hitting the table with a solid thud. It was just like when I was a kid. She always made me work for things that I so desperately desired. 

Mom couldn’t help but chuckle and even my girlfriend started giggling. I glared at her, “Not you too!”

“S-s-sorry, it’s just—” Vicky went into a full gigglefest.

“Sure, laugh it up,” I crossed my arms and pouted. I wasn’t that bothered by it, not if it meant seeing Vicky laugh.

While they continued to laugh at my expense, I pondered over what I’d learned so far. I always wondered what my heritage was and it explains why Mom never gave an exact answer. For so long I thought we were Scandinavian but it turned out we weren’t even from Earth. But it certainly had a deeper meaning when my heritage was referenced before. It only made me want to fight harder on it. 

It was amazing how many clues there were that told me what my true heritage was. What other clues were there that should’ve made it obvious who Mom was? I looked down at my lap to notice a glinting around my neck. “The necklace…”

“That’s currently around your neck…” Mom said after she stopped laughing, pointing at it.

I blushed, feeling embarrassed that I was wearing her necklace. Brísingamen. I knew the origin of the necklace and I didn’t want to dwell on the idea of Mom spending quality time with four dwarves for its creation. 

Before I could respond, Vicky spoke. “Which… why was it in a museum?”

Mom had a little smirk on her face. “The Argi’s are good friends of mine. Practically family, considering who they are. I had given my necklace to them and arranged that if you ever went to the museum, then they should put it on display.”

“So you had the necklace and sheath placed there,” Vicky said, clarifying Mom’s words.

Mom started to nod but stopped half way. “Well, not the sheath. They did that. I didn’t even know where the sheath was.”

“That explains why it wasn’t in the chest,” I said.

Mom nodded again. “Yes. I gathered what I had and what you needed to know in the chest.”

“A chest that I couldn’t even open with my Brute strength,” Vicky quipped again.

Mom smirked and waved her hands, “Magic.”

I couldn’t stop the deadpan stare, which only caused her to laugh.

“Okay, and some enchanting. Let’s say I called in a last favor with a famous blacksmith, to create the chest and lock and enchant it for me.”

I slowly nodded and looked away. An enchantment would explain why I couldn’t open it when I first unveiled Mom’s stash and was later able to after I got my powers. It was obvious she planned all of that and I didn’t need a further explanation. But I did have questions about the Argi’s.

“Who are the Argi’s anyway?” I asked. If they were that close to Mom, I wanted to know them better. We were close with them anyway, but it seemed to run far deeper than I first thought.

Mom had a brief look of being lost in thought before she said, “I think it’s best if you hear it from them. It’s not my secret to tell.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. If they wanted to keep their identity a secret, then I wasn’t the one to push for it. The Argi’s were good friends and I didn’t want to lose that trust. 

There was silence between the three of us for several seconds and I wasn’t sure if I had any more questions at the time. There were too many things and I knew we weren’t going to cover it all today. 

Finally, Mom broke the silence. “But anyway, the two of you got a crash course in our world. I didn’t expect you to be at the edge of the continent but it was just a minor miscalculation. Should’ve known that you would have no idea where Valhalla was. Nonetheless, I was not expecting the two of you to be here so soon. I had estimated that Taylor would be here either in a few days or next month. Not bring her girlfriend with her.”

“It’s not like we planned on it,” Vicky muttered darkly.

Mom sighed, “No, no you didn’t. While I’d have some words about rushing into a fight with Hookwolf with you, Miss Dallon,” Vicky shrunk a little under Mom’s scrutinizing gaze, “I won’t. You’ve been through enough, just like a lot of Einherjar. It’s why I created Fólkvangr for those tired and weary from their life as warriors.”

“So it’s true,” Vicky said as she focused on Mom. “I did die.”

“Yes, you did. Which Taylor no doubt felt and knows is very true. As one would expect considering her powers.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “My powers? What do my powers have to do with anything?”

“Well, there’s a few things about your powers. But I should start off by saying that Taylor is not a human, if it isn’t obvious. She’s Vanir, half-Vanir technically, not that it actually matters—”

“Wait,” I said, interrupting Mom, but she didn’t seem to mind. “So I’m not human?”

Mom shook her head. “No, you’re not. Your bloodline stems from Ymir through Alvaldi, my great-grandfather.”

I took a deep breath. “Okay, wow.” Not the time to have an identity crisis, Taylor. There’s still much more that Mom needs to explain.

“Take your time, Little Owl,” Mom said as if she was reading my mind. “I knew this conversation was not going to be easy on you. Your worldview has changed significantly. For both of you.” She looked at Vicky for the last part.

Vicky nodded but didn’t say anything. None of us did for what felt like a few minutes. It was crazy to process. Never would I have thought that I wasn’t human and considering what I knew about Aesir and Vanir, it made sense. Both appeared to be human but weren’t. There were differences, plenty of differences. Vanir were always at home with nature and Mom certainly fit that description, it’s why there were so many trips and vacations to national parks and forests. “Is that why you made me go to the summer camps?”

Mom nodded, “Yes. Being in a city is… stuffy for us Vanir. Even I get cooped up here in Valhalla, and I could go wherever I wanted.”

I couldn’t help myself, I snorted. Mom smiled. 

“And since I couldn’t bring you back to Vanaheimr, I had to do the alternative. A lot of family vacations and spending time at a summer camp.”

A smile grew unabided on my face and I’d never realized how much thought she put into that. I never realized that being in a city was… confining. It explains why I always wanted to fly, though I guess that had multiple facets as well since I had wings. 

“Why couldn’t you bring her to Vanaheimr?” Vicky asked.

Mom stared at us for a few seconds and I could see the wheels turning in her head. She sighed and said, “Now that is quite the question.” She paused, tapping her chin while she pondered again. “Well, I’d imagine you realized that Asgard isn’t quite what you thought it was, and I have no doubt that your brother,” Her eyes darted over to me as she said that. “Has spoken a little, even if I told him not to.”

“The realms are in disarray, even parts of Asgard are not in good shape. There seems to be a lack of people in Valhalla in general and Níðhöggr escaped his confines,” I said as I listed off the things we observed.

“Oh, honey, that’s barely scratching the surface.”

My eyes went wide and a quick glance showed that Vicky had the same reaction. “What.”

Mom took a deep breath. But as she was about to speak, two familiar caws echoed through the room. Through one of the open windows, two large ravens flew through. Black and white. They circled above the table before landing next to Mom.

Wait a minute.

“I’ve seen those ravens!” Vicky said as she pointed at the two birds. “They were—”

Mom chuckled, “Yes, this is Huginn,” She said, giving a gentle chin rub on the midnight black raven. “And this is Muninn,” She said, giving a gentle pet on the head of the white raven. 

“Odin’s ravens,” I said, mystified. Both of the raven’s eyes looked at me and it once again felt like they were staring into my soul.

Mom bit her lip and gave sort of a half nod. “Sort of. Not anymore. Let’s say they have their own free will now and like to help me out. It’s because of them that I knew what was going on with you two.”

Muninn gave a contended trill while Huginn cawed loudly.

“What do you mean, not anymore?” Vicky asked.

Mom held up a piece of bread for both ravens, who easily snatched the offered food. Huginn turned his head and looked at Mom and I felt there was some sort of connection being made. Mom nodded and did the same with Muninn. Afterwards both ravens squawked and I expected them to fly away but they didn’t. 

Huginn looked over at Vicky, tilted his head, then hopped over to her. Vicky was taken aback by the approaching large raven, but when the bird was in front of her, he let out a sorrowful trill before rubbing his head on her hand.

“Interesting,” Mom muttered low enough that I barely heard her.

Vicky remained frozen but relaxed a little. Huginn cawed, looked over to Muninn and there was a silent conversation between the two before they nodded. Then in a strong flap of wings, the two ravens flew out through the window.

We were silent for a few seconds, mystified by what had just happened. I noticed that Mom had closed her eyes for a brief moment, inhaling deeply and opening her eyes before bringing us back to the topic at hand. “Close to forty years ago, based on Bet years, a great and terrible war happened. One that encompassed much of the realms. The outcome left most of the gods that you know, dead.”

“What?!” I blurted. How can that be? “What war? I thought—”

“It’s not the Aesir-Vanir war, if that’s what you’re thinking. That happened a long time ago. I stopped counting the aftermath of that war. No, it’s what some people of the realms refer to as Ragnarök .”

Ragnarök. The End Times according to Norse Mythology. When the Norse gods fight the jötnar in a final clash that would consume the Nine Realms, leaving behind nothing but the ashes of Yggdrasil and a few survivors left in its wake. Stories, both the ones I grew up with and the ones from Mom’s notes, tell of the event in the same way. It first started with the death of the God of Light by Loki’s trickery, the awakening of Jörmungandr, and the start of Fimbulvetr. Accounts of whether Fimbulvetr affects just Midgard or all the realms are varied, but climate change is the prelude to what would be the end of the world three years later. 

But that didn’t make sense since Baldr was still very much alive.

“You said ‘refer’, was it not actually The End Times?” Vicky asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

Mom shook her head. “No it wasn’t, but Odin and many gods certainly believed it was. It led to their downfall.” Mom’s fist clenched when she said Odin’s name and the image of the page on Freyja came to mind. She really did have a lot to say about herself and what she wrote about Odin wasn’t flattering at all. Mom sighed, “It was around the time we found out about the multiple versions of Midgard. Of Earth Bet.”

“Wait what?” I blurted.

“We didn’t know about other versions of Earth, Taylor. We only knew of Midgard, what we now call Earth Prime. No, it’s not Aleph as you know. Most versions of Earth have been touched by… Parahumans, but not Earth Prime. That version has remained untouched, possibly due to Yggdrasil, but we don’t know for sure.”

My mind reeled at the implications. It never occurred to me how the different versions of earth could play into the cosmology of Norse Mythology and even as Mom sort of explained it, it still didn’t make sense. The fact that there’s an Earth, a Midgard, that didn’t have Parahumans was completely baffling to me.

But even as I pondered that, I couldn’t help but notice something. “But what killed the gods? I thought they were immortal?”

“You are too, Taylor. Or will be. Don’t forget that.”

Oh, right. That’s not strange at all to think about. 

“To answer your question, I don’t know. My…” Tears welled up in Mom’s eyes, “Brother, your uncle, created a portal and shoved me through it. Next thing I knew, I was on Earth Bet and had no way back.”

“Does… does that mean—”

Mom nodded solemnly. “Yes, Little Owl, your uncle is dead.” She took a moment to center herself, using the same breathing techniques she taught me. “I knew he was gone the instant he threw me in the portal. But I couldn’t confirm it till I came back.”

I leaned back while I processed that, nearly falling due to the lack of back support. It was hard to fathom what it must feel like for Mom to lose her twin. Yet I also couldn’t really comprehend what it must be like since I never knew him. I had an uncle that I never met and would never get to meet. It’s like my body wanted to process that he was gone yet I couldn’t really feel that emotion. 

As weird as that was, I couldn’t discount the loss Mom has had. I reached over the table and placed my hand on hers. She looked up, tears slowly falling down her cheeks, a slim smile on her face when she noticed. “Thank you, Little Owl. Even though I’ve known for decades, it’s still hard. We were close.”

“If any of the stories about you two are true,” Vicky said hesitantly, “Then I could only imagine what it must feel like.”

Mom nodded. “We went through a lot growing up and with the Aesir-Vanir war, his role as a leader in Alfheimr, and then— yeah, it hasn’t been easy.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “Then of course I came back to a tremendous trainwreck of a mess, but I had to come back.”

Her words struck a particularly hurtful coord within me. She had to come back. That she had to leave Dad and I. And Aunt Zoe. That even though she had all this planned, it meant she planned to leave. The feelings, the emotions that I buried deep, the memory of last night, it all came flooding. Her words hit hard and I couldn’t stop the pit in my chest from growing deeper.

“Why?” I asked, my voice strained from the emotions welling up inside me.

“Hmm?” Mom hummed as she looked at me, crossing her arms again.

“Why did you leave?”

That got Mom’s attention and a caring and gentle look came over her face. “Honey, I—” She sighed, “I had to. There was no one else that could keep things together. You’ve met your brother and Thor is– well, I won’t get too much about what’s going on with him. Nonetheless, I had to leave, and delayed it as long as I safely could, even if it meant leaving you behind.”

I hadn’t realized I was holding onto the nice wooden table with a vice-like grip until I heard a slight crunch from underneath it. “But why?! Why couldn’t I have known? Why couldn’t I have come with you?! Why all the secrecy? Just why?!”

Mom’s eyes went wide. “Little Owl, you need to— look I couldn’t bring you. My method of travel was not safe in the first place since I didn’t— without your divin— it would’ve killed you.”

“But why did you have to fake your death?! We spent years knowing you were dead, yet you were perfectly alive and healthy! Do you have any idea what that’s like? To have the one person who supported you, the one person who was always there for you, the one person who I try to model myself after; be alive when you thought she was dead?!”

“I– Tay– Little Owl, I couldn’t just– there’s—” Mom sputtered but it seemed she didn’t have a good answer.

All I saw was red. Something inside me wanted to fight, wanted Mom to know just what it felt like to know that she was dead. Nearly all rationale was gone at this point and I used that little bit I had left to stand up and ignore her pleas. The next instant I transformed into an owl and flew towards the window the ravens came through.

Before I crossed the threshold, I barely heard the scraping of wood on stone and a muted, “Let her be.”

The moment I was outside, I flew high. I didn’t want to be anywhere near Freyja right now. 

Chapter Text

Frjádagr (Friday), Þorri (February), Odinfall

The wind buffeted through my feathers, the sense of weightlessness doing little to calm the rage burning inside of me. The midday sun’s rays warmed my feathers in their attempt to pacify my anger. My thoughts churned like a tornado and all I wanted to do was punch that ethereal tree in the background.

I just couldn’t believe that Mo–Freyja abandoned us—me. All this time I thought she was dead, but there she was. The long nights I spent under the stars at summer camp, just wishing that when the time came to return home that she would be there, greeting me with a bright smile and an enveloping embrace.

I felt like a gods be damned fool.

No, instead I went home to a Dad who was deep into a bottle and cared little about what was going on around him. Aunt Zoe was trying her best, but even she had trouble keeping it together after Mom’s ‘death’ and her business starting off. It was Lacey and Kurt who pulled Dad out of his funk, which helped lower Aunt Zoe’s stress.

I tried my best to ignore those times, they were among my lowest. It certainly didn’t help that Emma told me she was done being by friend right after I returned from camp. And then when school started, so did the bullying. After Aunt Zoe and Dad had the conversation with Blackwell about my bathroom access and a private room for changing, Emma began her campaign against me.

All of that would’ve been easier to handle, by the gods, it wouldn’t have happened if Mo–Freyja didn’t abandon us for… this.

It became apparent how pointless of any hope that flying would alleviate the boiling heat in my veins. I swerved downwards, diving down back into the city to find a secluded area away from the glorious building on the hill. There was a row of raised stones and the closer I got, I realized that they were cairns, and there were a lot of them.

I transformed as I reached the ground and took a good look at the cairns. Each pile of stone reached up to my shoulders, made of several layers of smooth flat gray rocks, and the visage of the world tree in the background. Stepping closer to the raised monuments, I noticed a slight shimmer on their surfaces. With my curiosity piqued, I inched closer.

The shimmering intensified and an illusory image appeared on each of the stone cairns. The images became clearer and I noticed that they were people. The very gods of which each cairn was devoted to. I’d wondered why there were no plaques, but I guess that answered it.

The first one I came upon was a tall woman with brown heavy furs and a hood covering her head. She had a simple yet elegant wooden bow at her side, glowing runes etched on its surface. My eyes traveled back up to the face and saw a stern looking woman with two lines from the tip of her hairline to her right eye, two more lines running underneath the same eye. She was quite pale and her white hair only gave the image a more ghostly look.

It didn’t take me long to realize that this cairn was dedicated to Skaði. I looked down at the rest of the cairns and it surprised me how many there were. Freyja mentioned that whatever happened forty years ago led to the downfall of many gods, and now it really hit me just how bad it had been.

There were easily a dozen cairns, each with their images on the surface. I scanned my memory for a list of the gods and compared it to the illusions in front of me and I came to a startling realization. There were only a small handful of them left. Sif, Thor, Thrud, Baldr, Loki, and Mom. Well, and Mímir too if a severed head counts. Nearly all of the Aesir gods were dead. Even Odin, the older looking man with what I assumed was a gray or white beard and one eye, the leader of the Aesir, had a cairn. His had numerous flowers and tributes in front of it, showing how much people revered the man, even in death.

As far as the Vanir gods go, there weren’t a whole lot. From my calculations, there was one missing. Njörðr. Freyja’s dad. My grandpa. Why he didn’t have one, I didn’t know. Possibly he died before the event that killed the other gods.

Or he was still alive. 

My eyes landed on another figure, a man standing with his hands on his hips and his chest puffed out. Taking a few steps to stand in front of him, I noticed a bouquet of colorful flowers at the foot of the cairn, a tradition that was not common among nordic people as far as I knew. I looked back up at the man and I took in his features. There was something familiar about his face. It took me a moment, but I realized why. 

He looked like Freyja. The facial features were more squarish, more hard than hers, but the resemblance was there. I looked at the tattoos trailing down his arms and I noticed they were a mirror image to the ones Freyja had. In his hand was a sword, a sword I knew very well.

It was my sword.

The leaf shaped metal was too unique for it to be a coincidence and since Mo-Freyja had put the items in the chest, it wasn’t a surprise that the sword once belonged to her brother. My gaze traced the sword and every little detail was an exact copy, save for one. The only difference was the pummel. In my… uncle's hand, the sword had some sort of gem that glowed bright gold, something my own did not.  If anything, the blade depicted in the illusion almost seemed as if it were alive. 

Just another mystery that my mom was probably keeping from me. 

“Freyr, always the positive one,” a masculine voice said from the side.

My head snapped to the right to see an older gentleman standing underneath the roof of the building by the large golden gate that I hadn’t noticed. I must’ve been so lost in thought that I hadn’t realized that I wasn’t alone. 

He walked out from underneath the shade, the sun revealed a graying beard and shoulder length loose hair but a small smile on his lips. There was a twinkle in his blue eyes as they landed on me for a brief moment before they landed on the cairn. He had a white long sleeve shirt, with a blue sash that connected to the black pants he wore. His staff tapped on the stones with each step. 

When he stopped in front of my unc–Freyr’s cairn, he planted his staff in front of him and placed his hands on top of it, using it as a place to rest his chin. 

“Out of all those we lost here, his was the one that will be sorely missed.”

“How so?” It took me a second to realize that it was my own voice that spoke.

“Because unlike most of them, he didn’t care what his ‘place’ was in the universe, or had some vendetta against Odin or another god like most did. He only cared for the people and the betterment of their lives.” 

“I hadn’t known…”

“Few did, especially after the war that took place decades ago, ushering in a new era called Odinfall. While the gods rushed to battle with the entire host of Valhalla Einherjar and Valkyries, Freyr sought to get the people to safety.”

So that’s why there were no Einherjar and Valkyries. It also explained the comments from the people in Breidblikk about my appearance. Whatever killed the gods, also killed them as well. Which was odd considering Einherjar should come back at each dawn, but I wondered if it was linked to Odin. If that was the case…

Where were the Einherjar that resided in Fólkvangr?

He cleared his throat and continued, “Each realm, barring Midgard, has only a few cities that were untouched by the ravages of war. Vanaheimr and Asgard being hit the hardest. It was because of him that those remaining cities became what they are today. Breidblikk wouldn’t be more than an outpost that surrounded Baldr’s home if it wasn’t for Freyr.”

“I– wow, I had no idea,” I said, a little surprised. I had no idea my uncle—Frey— oh whatever, had gone out of his way to save people like that. That only added to the questions I had about the events that saw him send his sister off to Bet.

“Most don’t,” He said with a gruff surety. “Even after his death, many think it was Odin who saved them.”

Based on his tone, he wasn’t very fond of the man. 

Given how upset I was with Freyja at the moment, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask more about the uncle I never knew, and if this man was willing to talk… “What else do you know of Freyr?”

There was a glint in his eye and the corner of his lips twitched. “Well, much like his twin, he enjoyed nature and the simpler things in life. He was a jokester— not like Loki, mind you— often making jokes at his own expense to bring a smile to people's lips. He was also one not to shy away in the face of responsibility, even if he didn’t want to. His rulership over Alfheimr and his desire to bring the elves together could attest to that.” Then the man glanced at me through his hair and said, “Much like your mother.”

My eyes went wide at his words and what that meant. “Wait, you know…”

He nodded and turned to face me fully. Taking him in, he didn’t give the impression of someone his supposed age, he came across as someone almost ancient. “I do, Taylor Freyjadóttir.”

My eyebrow furrowed at my ‘surname’. “Shouldn’t it be based on my dad’s name?”

He shrugged, “I do not know your father and I doubt he is a god like your mother.”

Well, that was either rude, progressive, or both. I also didn’t like how he assumed my dad was not a god. When I was about to voice my annoyance, he spoke up again.

“But the fact of the matter remains, you will do great things, Taylor. It will be interesting to see how the winds of fate and time blow with your presence.” He turned around and started walking.

“Who are you?”

He briefly stopped, glanced over his shoulder and said, “Hmm. Just call me… Mundi.” And without another word, he continued his walk.

“That’s an interesting name, Mundi.” I muttered. By the time I realized that I still had questions, he was at the gate. “Hey wait!” 

I tried to call out, to stop him and help figure out what he means about fate and I, but it fell on deaf ears as the golden gate seemingly opened for him, and not a moment later there was a ripple in the air, and he was suddenly gone while I stood there, dumbfounded. Then it hit me, through the entire conversation we hadn’t spoken Old Norse once, it had all been in English.

Releasing a deep sigh, I took one more glance at the monuments to dead gods, particularly my uncle. There was more going on than what Freyja had told us. The anger in my veins hadn’t quelled during this brief reprieve and the thought that there was still more that Freyja was hiding, only caused it to flare up. I wanted to hit something badly. The thought of punching one of the cairns did cross my mind but I quickly squashed it. I was angry but refused to disrespect the dead, just the thought of it felt as if it was anathema to all I was. 

I walked towards the golden gate, glancing over my shoulder one last time. My eyes lingered on my uncle. While the strange man had given me a spoonful of information, it left me craving for the whole truth.

When I reached the gate, it didn’t open like it did for the man. Frustrated at that, I touched the gate, it’s cold metal was a shock, as was the glow that rippled out on my touch. The gate didn’t protest as I pushed it open. A low creaking noise from the hinges echoed across the deserted alley. 

Pulling up my cloak in close to cover my body, I walked down the empty street, making a point to avoid the main road of the city. 

One thing I noticed as I walked was how each building and home had a sense of uniqueness. As if each of them displayed a little piece of the owner and where they came from. Even with a layer of dust, there was a mixture of cultures from Midgard and other realms. They weren’t divided based on that like I’d expect on Bet. It made me wonder what life was like in Valhalla before the false Ragnarök. 

It was said, both in the common texts on Bet and in Mom’s collection, that the Einherjar in Valhalla spent most of their days fighting, dying, and coming back the next day. I hadn’t seen an arena in the city but I’d also hadn’t seen the rest of the hall either. For all I knew, there was an arena there or somewhere else in the city. 

Nonetheless, being here showed that there was another side of the Einherjars’ lives. That they had their own homes and slept in their own beds. Well, as long as they didn’t die the day before. 

So engrossed in my musings, I hadn’t realized where I was and where I was walking. My shoulder hit something hard .

“Fuck yo–” I stopped when I realized who I bumped into.

“ What did you say?” The large man said in Old Norse as he turned around, the smell of stale ale heavy in the air. The scars, some old, others new with a tinge of gold coursing through them on his body and the missing limb was all I needed to know who I had bumped into. Who I had just cursed at.

“ Uhh– w-well– it’s j-just–” I tried to explain, stuttering my Old Norse.

“ Think yourself tough? You’re nothing but a soaken girl with barely any meat on your bones! Why don’t you run along to whatever pathetic mother you have. ”

The candid way he spoke about Mom, how he insulted her, it sparked something inside me. No matter how angry I was at her and what she did, she didn’t deserve to be talked to like that. Even if Thor clearly didn’t know who I was and who my mom was, I wasn’t going to let that stand. 

“No one talks about my mom that way,” I hissed in English, my eyes narrowing.

Thor let out a mirthless chuckle. “Oh, so the little pup thinks she has bark? How pathet—”

I didn’t give him the chance to finish. My fist connected with his jaw, a crack resounding in the street and he jolted back slightly. 

His hand went up to his jaw, rubbing it soothingly. Thor’s eyes landed on me, a murderous glint in them as a sinister smile grew on his face. “Is that how it is?”

There wasn’t even a chance for my eyes to widen as his fist hit me like lightning, my body going airborne through one of the overhangs of a building and down the street. I tumbled roughly, through an abandoned cart before I came to an abrupt stop against something that drove the breath from my lungs. Dots danced across my vision as I struggled to get up from the rubble.. There were a few gasps I heard through my muted hearing, then fell silent as footsteps calmly approached. 

Thor stood about twenty feet away, slowly walking towards me with a slight wobble, that glint in his eye and a smirk that infuriated me. “Is that all you got, brat ?”

Anger flared and the haze receded as I pulled myself free, dusting my clothes off as I stood. I was determined to wipe that smug grin off his face. Slowly, I walked towards him before it turned into a sprint. By the time I reached him, it was a full on run and readied a hook.

It was clearly telegraphed yet he let it hit him all the same. He stumbled on impact, and my other hand lashed out into his vulnerable side. He took the hit with an almost skip to his step, stumbling but he never quite fell. I watched as he seemed to stretch his beck, a hand to the side I had struck. 

A belch escaped his lips, echoing off the walls, before he smiled. “Pathetic.”

I didn’t notice my hands had curled into fists until I felt my fingernails dig into my palms. “Lousy drunk,” I growled, anger coming deep from within.

“Oh, does the little twig think she has a bite?” He taunted, gesturing his hand out wide. “Come,” He belched, “get it!”

I rushed forward, glaring at the grinning god even as he seemed to sway with the gentle breeze. I struck left, baiting him into a block, instinct told me he wouldn’t let me get away with the same strike twice. I ducked his retaliatory strike and was rewarded with my fist buried itself in his gut. 

He grunted, and belched right into my face. His body stumbled backwards a little even as I tried to get away from the rancid smell, but the moment his eyes opened, they zeroed in on me. “Well, there’s more to you than just a kitten lapping at her mother’s milk.”

I was getting seriously tired of all his insults, especially those directed at Mom. My mouth opened to respond, but Thor leaned forward and exploded forward, stone cracked behind him and his shoulder caught me faster than I could blink

The air in my lungs was expunged and I felt myself going airborne only for a vice to clamp down on my leg. Thor slammed me into the stone, and I had nothing left in my lungs to scream with. He cracked my body like a whip, slamming me against another surface then threw me.

The world spun and I felt deja vu as I tumbled down the stone street. The amusing thought that asphalt was more comfortable than stone crossed my mind as I tried to get some air back into my lungs. My ears rang worse than that time Aunt Zoe took Emma and I to a metal concert. I opened my eyes only for the world to spin and nausea well up within me. 

I forced myself up anyway, my body protesting each movement with lancing pain. Somehow, I was only a few feet away from the gleaming monument in the center of the square. Numerous people, a few I remember seeing and many others completely new, were gathered around the outer edges. Wide eyes and gaped mouths were staring at me and all I wanted to do was curl up and hide. But there was no way to do that.

I just had to pick a fight with a god.

The ground trembled, my attention now fully on the looming god that was stalking towards me. “I have to admit, you’re tough to survive that, but I think this time you should run home with your tail between your legs. You’re no drengr .”

The presence in the back of my head was pounding, my power desperately wishing to aid me. As I glared at the asshole of a god, my blood pumping through my veins continued to simmer.

I rose, never taking my eyes off of him and said, “And you’re nothing but a drunken sop . ”

Thor scoffed. “So be it.” He started his charge, but I didn’t give him a chance. 

White wisps amassed, swirling in a whirlwind of light before the vicious Valkyrie appeared and flew like a speeding bullet, barreling into him and smashing him into a wooden cart. Bits of vegetables, fruit, and broken wood went soaring into the air. Next to me, more wisps combined, forming the spear maiden Valkyrie, the butt of her spear slamming into the ground with a resounding thud.

A round of gasps came from everyone watching, but I focused on the broken food cart. I focused my thoughts on the berserker Valkyrie.

Come back.

In an explosion of wood, my Valkyrie retreated backward, facing Thor the entire time, as she came to a stop just above me. Her wings flapped lazily in the air but there was a tension in her, like a coiled snake ready to strike.

“W-what fu-fucking wall did I hit?” Thor grunted. I saw a hand from among the wreck reach up and back down, assumingly rubbing his head. He leaned forward, shredded cabbage clinging to his shoulders and a few pieces of wood in his blonde hair. He dropped his hand, his eyes landing on me for a brief moment before they landed on my Valkyries.

“A seiðkonur,” Thor said in slight disbelief. “How—” He shook his head for a moment, before I heard a low rumble from him. “Vanir cow,” He spat as he brushed off the food and pulled himself out of the rubble. “That you would stoop so low…”

A ripple of confusion rang through me. What did he mean by that? The insult I could ignore, that didn’t have nearly as much of an impact as he thought it did. But what did he mean by stooping low?

I didn’t have the chance to ponder that as I noticed lightning start to dance across his skin. “You made a big mistake, tree hugger,” He said so low, so menacingly, that I felt a chill run down my spine and the hairs on my arm stand on end. His eyes glowed with such brightness that I could see the bits of plasma were escaping and landing on his skin.

 I might not know why he was so pissed off at me, but I wasn’t going to let him walk over me. No matter how many horrific stories and tales I heard of the man, no matter if any of them were true or not, I wasn’t going to lay down and beg. I refused to ever do so again.

My first order was directed at the berserker Valkyrie.

Attack.

The next to the spearmaiden.

Protect me .

In unison, both Valkyries leapt into action just as the lightning on Thor’s body coalesced in his hand and he sent a stream at me. The spearmaiden swept me off my feet with one arm, the other deflecting the lightning as she took us into the air while the berserker surged towards Thor with a swinging spike ball of pain. The lightning struck the monument, arcing across the surface with an intense glow that hurt my eyes. 

My Valkyrie set me down but stayed close, her shield up and spear at the ready. My berserker was trading blows with Thor, neither seeming to care about the hits they were taking in the exchange. Snarling, I sent another command and her flail materialized, already swinging towards Thor’s head. 

The god snarled, lightning rippling down his arm as he sent it into my Valkyrie who didn’t deviate from her strike.The lightning bolt tore through her chest, sending her airborne as sparks jumped away from her now limp form. Her wings barely curled in, protecting herself as she landed on top of a building. Shingles came undone and dust plumed into the air as she tumbled along the roof. Just before she was going to fall, her wings unfurled and she grabbed the edge. 

Her head snapped over to Thor, her featureless helmet giving no evidence of what she was feeling. Not that she could. She was just a projection.

She let go of the edge and landed gracefully. She stretched her wings and started walking towards Thor again, uncaring of the gaping hole in her chest from the strike. I winced at how wisps of light were drifting off into nothingness even as she held out her hand and summoned her flail once more.

Thor didn’t seem to care about my Valkyries, his eyes now focused squarely upon me, leaming with a murderous glint.

“You have no honor,” He said coldly.

Again with the statements that made no damn sense. A plan quickly formulated in my head, hoping to buy some time. I was going to teach him that he shouldn’t underestimate my projections. 

“ I have no honor?” I said. “Says the man who’s walking around town drunk as fuck and think everyone should bow to him.” I sent an order to both Valkyries to attack him while he responded.

Another round of gasps erupted from the crowd and I saw the smirk that Thor’s had this entire time slowly disappear. “You sure think you are some—”

Both Valkyries struck. A spear sailed at him as a flail came soaring from the side. He didn’t have a chance to be surprised when he batted the spear out of the way only to be met with a flail to the back of his head. 

A loud crunch echoed from the impact and he careened forwards. That was all the distraction I needed as a second spear was already tearing through the air. He noticed, attempting to knock it aside but it still cut through his thigh.

Thor hissed in pain as he pulled the spear from where it had embedded itself in the stone. He whipped it back, knocking my injured berserker aside from her next strike before pulling his arm back for a throw. With a thought, the spear vanished just as he shifted himself and he stumbled. Glaring at his now empty hand, Thor inhaled deeply, his blue eyes seemingly glowing brighter. As he exhaled, a growl escaped his lips. He held his hand up.

The world seemingly grew dark as thunderous clouds circled Valhalla. Lightning coursed through the clouds, thunder cracked the sky. Arcing energy danced along Thor’s hand, growing more furiously as the seconds passed. The lightning in the clouds converged into a single point before striking where Thor stood.

The blinding light forced me to look away. Deafening thunder slowly faded into distant rumbles as I turned back to the angry god.

My eyes widened, because there was no mistaking the mythical hammer Mjölnir in his hands. Arcs of lightning continuously danced across its gray metal surface. The intricate runes and the triquetra on the head of the weapon. It wasn’t a block of metal like I thought it would be, instead having smaller faces with a throat that curved to a meeting point. It looked more akin to a hammer you’d find in a hardware store back at home than most popular depictions back on Bet. 

He swung the hammer around like it was nothing, each snap releasing a crackle of thunder and lightning arcing to the ground. If the legends of that weapon were true, I knew how deadly it was.

“I’ve had enough of you, you motherless cur,” He said again. The insult was contradictory to what he said before, but that wasn’t the point.

No, I was standing in front of the famed God of Thunder and he was showing every bit of it. The drunken stupor he had before was gone, the battle having sobered him up. 

I couldn’t help but swallow, my dry throat screaming for water. 

If he was going to bring the hammer, then I wasn’t going to fight him unarmed with only my Valkyries.

My eyes closed as I envisioned my armor and weapon. The blood rushing through my veins turned into a raging inferno. I opened my eyes. For a brief moment there was a look of confusion that flashed across his face before I felt the weight of my armor on my body. The next instant I flexed the muscles and surged the power in my veins towards that spot. My wings sprouted in a glorious spread, easily stretching out eight feet on either side. I might not know how to fly with them, but I could make a show. Dismissing my Valkyries, I summoned them again, next to me. Fresh and new.

A series of gasps and cries rang out from the crowd. A few mutters in various languages that I didn’t even know I knew, reached my ears.

“ A Valkyrie?”

“But how?”

“Isn’t that Freyja’s armor?”

“That sword—”

At that, I raised my sword, light hitting it just right that it twinkled, even garnering my eyes. I slashed the sword to my side in a flourish and turned harsh eyes upon the God of Thunder. His eyes went wide for just a brief moment. Like he was remembering something. Then he shook his head, a mischievous smile grew on his face, like a kid finally getting the candy they were crying for. But the look of him deep in thought of trying to remember lingered on his face. None of that mattered when he threw his hammer in the air and it instantly came back to his hand like a magnet.

“So, a Valkyrie. This fight just got interesting,” He said in a challenging tone, yet there was a hint of curiosity in it.

There was no point in responding to him, it was just pointless jabber. I closed my eyes, inhaled deeping, feeling myself growing refreshed, before I opened them again, shifting the weight on my feet to prepare my attack. Thor seemed to catch on and whatever glint in his eye was gone as he started swinging his legendary hammer. 

I didn’t stand on ceremony, I launched myself at him, ordering my Valkyries to flank him. He spun Mjölnir, lightning arcing with each pass before he hurled it at me. 

My spear wielding Valkyrie cut in front of me, raising her shield and deflecting the hammer. Her shield disintegrated, but the hammer shot off to the side. Not that it lasted long as I saw the weapon come zooming back at me. 

I dropped, letting my momentum carry me as I slid across on the stoney road, the hammer whizzing above me so close that I could feel the lightning crackle against my armor. I sprung back to my feet and kept moving, only to quickly realize the folly of the attempt. Mjölnir stopped mid air and spun back towards me. Bracing myself, I raised my sword using both hands.

The hammer struck, a thunderous clang of metal striking metal. At first I thought my sword was going to shatter, but it held and I had to twist to deflect the hammer away. It was good timing too as a cackle of lightning released from the hammer just before it hit the ground. The weapon rebounded from the crater it made in the road and returned to Thor’s hand just as he swung to hit the flail wielding Valkyrie square in the chest. 

She disintegrated instantly, motes of white light drifted off into the air before disappearing. A flare of annoyance flashed through me before I summoned her again, behind him. The plan was going to work too as he was about to be attacked from three sides as the spearmaiden had darted to the side while I continued the head on assault. 

Keyword, was.

He knew and lifted the hammer into the air. Then using the hammer’s own magic, he was lifted off into the air in a thunderous boom that blasted the three of us away. A jolt of electricity shocked my system for a brief moment before I shook it away. When I recovered, I saw him floating by the hammer a good fifteen feet above. 

Thor narrowed his eyes at me before he swung the hammer down, letting go of it and fell freely. My eyes widened as Mjölnir was heading straight for me again and neither of my Valkyries were near me.

I attempted to deflect with my sword again, but it was moot as the hammer came low and smacked me in the stomach. The air escaped my lungs and I was airborne, flying backwards for what felt like the millionth time against the god. Once again, my back hit something hard, except this time it gave way. Pain exploded in my stomach and back as the monument was shattered, large pieces flying through the air along with my sword and helmet. 

My saving grace, if you could call it that, was when I crashed through a window and tore through a room. My back hit something that broke the instant I crashed into it, but it wasn’t as hard as I expected. Then I felt the pressure on my stomach ease and I could finally breathe again. Strangled gasps of air was all I could muster for a few seconds before I could inhale properly. 

After a brief reprieve and opening my eyes, I looked down and saw the armor was still intact, though I did see a few scratches on it. I guess whatever Mom did to it could withstand a lot of stress and trauma, but not against an artifact like Mjölnir. Surveying the room I was plowed through, I noticed I was curled into a destroyed bed against a wall. The house was rather quaint; a few knick knacks here and there of what I’d expect from ancient Vikings, a few weapon stands that were mostly empty, and pelts of several animals that I could recognize from Earth.

I shook my head and pried myself out of the destroyed bed. Taking a deep breath, I broke into a fit of coughs from all the dust. I didn’t wait for that to stop, and walked out of the hole my body had created. 

Standing in the center was Thor, who was still being hassled by my Valkyries, but it didn’t look like he was having a hard time. He let out a bellowing laugh as he swung his hammer again, letting go of it mid swing. The weapon hit the shieldmaiden in the head, knocking her back. Unlike the other one, she withstood the attack.

Shelving that mystery of her surviving the attack for another time, I stepped onto the stone road, my armored feet clanging as I landed and slowly walked towards him. A few more gasps rang from the crowd, eliciting Thor’s attention.

“Huh,” He said, a little mystified. “You survived. How interesting. Though I expected better from a Valkyrie. ” He bowed his head and narrowed his glowing eyes. “Shall we try something else?”

Before I had time to process what he meant, Mjölnir flew through the air like a speeding bullet at me. Without my sword to deflect the attack and little chance to step out of the way, I went with the only solution I could think of. 

Just as the legendary hammer was going to hit, I held my hands out and braced for impact, fully expecting it to shatter my arms. 

Only it didn’t. 

The head of the hammer met the palm of my hands as I slid a few feet back, my heels digging into the stone. An immense amount of pressure was forced upon my muscles and it took all my strength to hold it back. A surge came from the hammer and I grunted as I felt my feet dig deeper into the stones. Another surge and I practically moonwalked backwards. My foot caught the edge of something and I used it to help brace from the weapon.

I briefly look over the hammer to see Thor standing there with a shit eating grin on his face. There was something about it that bothered me so much , that I knew I had to show him. God or no, I wasn’t going to be pushed around. Never again.

A third surge from Mjölnir came forth and my eyes opened wide, but not in surprise from the attack. The burning inside my veins, coursing through my body, ignited like a raging inferno and a font of power filled me. Thor’s grin vanished as I gathered my strength and took a step forward, pushing the hammer back.

A thought came to mind, a stupid, idiotic thought. But if it worked, it might end the fight.

One of my hands let go, the strain from the hammer increased but I could manage it. I reached around with my free hand and grasped the handle. Instantly, my whole body lit up like I’d grabbed hold of lightning itself. My jaw clenched and I felt like I’d just drank three hundred espressos at once. My limbs wanted to seize up, I could feel it, but the fire in my veins wasn’t willing to submit to the foreign power coursing through me from Mjölnir. 

Then I yanked on the handle with all my might, the strain on my other hand easing as I fought for control of the artifact even as electricity lit my armor up like a disco ball.I took aim, fighting the hammer for every inch and wondered if I would have anything left in me after this.

With the last of my newfound strength, I tossed the hammer at the God of Thunder. 

Thor didn’t even attempt to dodge, or try to prevent what was to come as the hammer smashed him square in the head.  Thor fell. Hard. The hammer went flying to the side, landing on the stone road with a heavy thud. 

“Please stay down,” I muttered, gasping for breath as my muscles spasmed from the residual shocks.  “I don’t have it in me to do that again.” 

For a moment, seeing him laying there, unmoving, I thought it was over. I was about to start looking for my sword and helm when he stirred. I groaned, forcing myself to stand straight as the stubborn god sat back up. 

“How—” Thor said as he looked about, his eyes settling on me. Crimson trailed down the side of his face from where he had gripped his wound as he stared with wide eyes. “That’s impossible—”

Whatever he said was snuffed out as the chatter of the crowd grew louder. 

“ Those glowing eyes, there’s no way. But who is she ?” An old woman's voice said, her voice gravely and shocked.

She wasn’t talking about Thor’s, those had stopped glowing the instant I hit him. No, she was talking about me.

A man spoke next. “ An immortal .”

“ A goddess ,” The voice of a little girl said, completely in awe.

The man spoke again, “ Is she someone’s daughter?” 

“That’s the only way as far as I know,” The old woman said again.

Well, I hoped Mom didn’t want to keep that a secret. 

Thor lowered his hand. Half of his face was red and bruising was starting to form around his other eye. He held his hand off to the side, summoning his hammer to him. Not to be outdone, I held out my hand and did the same. As if my magic, the sword lifted from where it was buried and flipped through the air towards me. Actually, it probably was magic now that I thought about it.

The instant it was in my grasp, I knew something was different. The sword didn’t change or anything, but it felt more… comfortable. I didn’t have time to dwell on it as a roar made my eyes widened. 

Thor crashed into me, my body floating in the air for a brief moment before I hit the ground. My sword went flying once again and before I could have a chance to retrieve it, I felt a fist hit my cheek. Another one to even out the sides. I brought my hands up to form a defense against the large man on top of me only to realize my mistake far too late. He pinned my arms with his knee and grabbed one of my wings.

His grip tightened and a sharp pain shot down my spine. Then all I could do was watch as he lifted his other hand, Mjölnir held firm in its grip, the meaning clear in my mind.

I thrashed as much as I could, trying to stop him from doing anything but that. I ordered my Valkyries to protect me, stop him, but it was a jumbled mess that I doubt they would understand. 

Thor brought the hammer down, I felt the pain before I heard the crack. My back seized and tears welled in my eyes as the pain overwhelmed me. Nausea built up and I barely had the mind to hold it in. My vision blurred and all I could do was gasp for air.

Through tear filled eyes, I watched him raise his weapon again. Just as he was about to break my other wing, a golden blur barreled into him. The figure zipped back around and landed right in front of me. It took me a moment, but I realized who it was.

Vicky.

Surrounding her was the golden shimmer, blazing brightly. The edges frayed like the surface of the sun and it looked like it wanted to reach out, escape the confines of her person.

“Leave her the fuck alone, asshole.”

Thor recovered quickly, gently rubbing his bloodied lips with the back of his hand. He narrowed his eyes and scoffed before raising his hammer into the air again. But he wasn’t able to get far before the very nature around me came to life. The flowers bloomed and the bushes turned bright green. Vines wormed their way from gardens through the ground underneath the stone. How I knew that, I couldn’t answer. 

Thick vines burst free, tangling themselves around Thor’s feet and pulled his body up into the air. In a manner of seconds, his arms and legs were completely bound and one had even risen to close off his mouth. Thor began to spark, and thousands of thorns burst from the vines in answer. The threat was clear and the energy ceased, the storm overhead clearing unnaturally swift and allowing the sun to shine once more.

“How dare you attack my daughter,” Mom said as she seemingly glided down the steps, her loose dress billowing in the breeze. 

My fist clenched tighter, because despite the physical pain, it somehow hurt more that she had to save me.

Another round of chatter amongst the crowd erupted in the city center, but I ignored it as Vicky turned around, dropping to her knees. Her ethereal eyes swirling in a maelstrom of worry. My body slowly relaxed as I stared up at her. “Tay, are you okay?” She asked, frantically as she looked at me over, her hands reaching out to touch me but stopping short. 

I nodded, “Yeah, just a little winded.” 

Vicky’s eyebrow arched and she glared at me. “ Winded ? Taylor, have you seen the square? You’re nothing but a giant bruise, nevermind your wing!”

“I’m fine,” I said as I tried to get up, but failed horribly. Stumbling back onto my back, causing another surge of agony coursed through my spine.

“Like hell you are.”

Another voice, familiar and in Old Norse, broke through the chatter, easing the deathglare Vicky was giving me with her ethereal golden eyes.

“ What the fuck is going on ?”

 I turned my head and saw the girl from yesterday. Thrud. She was the one who just spoke if the frustrated look on her face was any indication. There was a woman with her. Extremely long and beautiful golden hair that seemed to glow in the light. A crown of flowers perched on her head; an array of pink, yellow, and orange that seemed to grow bigger the instant she stepped into the center. Unlike Thrud, she was wearing a long white silk dress that did little to hide her… assets. 

She looked around for a brief moment, her eyes landing on me for a second, before they moved over to Thor who was wrapped in vines. An exasperated look overcame her. She looked tired . She slowly walked towards Thor, Thrud following close behind with the same angry look. 

If the missing monuments were any indication, that meant she had to be Sif. 

“ What mess have you gotten yourself into now, my husband ?” Sif said, her voice would’ve sounded like a melody if it wasn’t for the exhaustion in it. 

“MHM HMM,” He mumbled into the vine, his eyes landing on me with a menacing glare. 

“Don’t you dare accuse my daughter,” Mom said, her braided hair flying in the breeze. “Knowing you, you started it.”

“ Daughter… ” Sif said, her voice trailing for a brief moment in Old Norse as she looked at Mom and then right at me. “ Oh, I see. I never knew you had another , Frig—”

“Don’t,” Mom snapped at the other goddess.

“ Apologies , Freyja. But I didn’t know you had another .”

“I did,” Mom said curtly. 

“ Interesting .” 

Sif stared at me for a little longer but it wasn’t her that interested me. Thrud’s previous look had morphed. The snarl she had worn when first arriving had relaxed. Her fingers drifted away from the weapon at her side and she took a deep breath. Her eyes fell back upon me with a look I couldn’t quite describe. If I had to guess, learning that there was another young god had something to do with it. 

“ Could you let my husband down ?” Sif asked Mom.

“Why should I? He’s just going to cause issues like he always does. And look at what he did to my daughter’s—”

Sif didn’t say anything, instead she stared at Mom and sighed.

“Please,” Thrud voice said, in English this time. A pleading tone that I’d never expected from the daughter of Thor. 

Mom looked at her for a brief moment before letting out a deep breath. The vines wrapped around Thor loosened, and before I knew it, he fell to the ground in a heap. He grunted but didn’t say or do anything quickly. 

At the same time, Vicky slowly helped me stand up, my broken wing hanging limp at my side, dragging on the ground. With so much pain, I didn’t even feel the stones. My body ached like a motherfucker and it hurt to breathe. 

“ Thank you , Freyja,” Sif said as she walked over to her husband. 

Mom shook her head and walked past the family, heading straight towards me. Her eyes briefly looked up into the air where my Valkyries were and she stopped cold, she wasn’t even breathing as she just watched them. She mouthed something that I couldn’t quite hear before she shook her head again. “Don’t dismiss them, please,” She said when she looked at me and continued walking. 

“Uhh, okay,” I said, hesitantly. More out of pain than anything else. 

When she stood in front of me, Vicky backed away and crossed her arms. Her eyes were solely on me and I felt their scrutinizing gaze. Mom coughed, causing me to look at her again. 

“We…have a lot to discuss, I have a lot to discuss, but first, are you okay?” Her face looked stern at first, but her eyes conveyed worry. 

“Yeah, just a little winded.”

“Not that bullshit again, Tay. No she isn’t,” Vicky cut in. “Her wing is broken.”

Mom glanced over at Vicky for a moment before her eyes landed on my limp wing. She put a hand on her hip and then another on her forehead. “Let’s… go back inside. I’ll take a look and mend you… and tell you about what you are, and about your powers.”

She glanced over her shoulder and I could tell she was looking at Thor as Sif helped him stand up. Thrud stood to the side, arms crossed and her head slightly shaking. Her eyes met mine briefly before Thor mumbled something, drawing her gaze away. 

Mom’s eyes landed on me again. “Before another mishap happens again.”

Chapter Text

Frjádagr (Friday), Þorri (February), Odinfall 

“Fuck!” I hissed in pain as I felt bone being snapped into place and a dull throb ache through my wing.

“I warned you it was going to hurt. Not the first time I’ve administered first aid to a broken wing. Even know what it feels like.” I heard Mom's voice just over my shoulder as her hands worked along the length of my wing. A wave of coldness, maybe energy, crept into the broken area and the throbbing eased. “And you fought Thor, what did you expect?”

I grumbled, it’s not like I went looking for a fight. My eyes glanced to the side where my armor was laid out across the floor. It was strange to be on my bed wearing only my underwear while Mom was administering first aid behind me. Mom had sent Vicky on an errand of some sort, I wasn’t sure what it was. I had already been ushered into my room by that point and could only hear muffled words exchange between them. 

“Not like I wanted to,” I muttered. It was still odd how… caring she was. Especially after I bolted out from the conversation.

She chuckled, “No one wants to fight Thor.” Her laughter died quickly. “Well, actually, that’s not true. Many people wanted to fight Thor in the past and learned why he’s a legendary warrior. But in any case, I’m happy you are still whole. Most don’t do this and live to tell about it.”

“I wasn’t going to let him treat me like a doormat. I’m done with that.”

Mom hummed noncommittally. I was curious how much she knew about what happened after she ‘died’. Especially with school and Emma. 

“I would’ve had him too—”

A hearty laugh bellowed from behind, one that reminded me of my childhood. When Mom would laugh at Dad for something so inconsequential. “Oh, please, Little Owl, you were nowhere close to beating him. Thor has thousands of years of fighting experience, participated in countless wars, and he was drunk to top it off. Even in his… state, you were no match for him. He was playing with you. You’ve been at it for what, a year?”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “No, two months.”

“Oh, even less than I thought.”

Her comment made me wonder and I couldn’t stop myself from asking. “Mom, how long has it been since you… left?”

 She stopped her ministrations, the energy seeping out of my bones and the ache taking its place. “Time works… differently here. It’s not always linear like it is on Midgard. I assume it’s because Midgard is at the center of the tree. Nonetheless, the last time I saw you was four and a half years ago.”

“Oh,” 

I didn’t know what else to say. Four years. It’d been four and a half years since she last saw us. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. It had only been half of that to me and yet she knew it down to the exact month if I calculated it correctly. Thinking that, to say I felt conflicted would be an understatement.

I didn’t have to worry about it for long when a knock on my door pulled my thoughts. “Come in, Victoria,” Mom said over my shoulder.

The door inched open and I saw my girlfriend peek her head through the crack. “Are you su—” Vicky’s eyes landed on me and they went wide. 

Her stare made me acutely aware of my current state of undress. I felt heat creep up my cheeks and I looked away. The floor pattern was interesting with its alternating stone hues and zig zag lines. 

I didn’t even know why I was so bothered by this. We almost went… to the next level on Valentine’s Day. It was my idea in the first place. I wanted to forget maiming Stormtiger and I figured that since we’d become official, that we needed to do that . It was Valentine’s day after all, isn’t that what couples are supposed to do?

It was with great relief that she didn’t push me. Vicky was incredibly sweet and caring, it meant a lot to me. I had enough issues that I didn’t want to… be a problem. Even if she was unbothered by it.

How bittersweet those days seemed now.

There was a shifting of weight on the bed while the door creaked. The soft pad of soles on the floor and the closing of the door told me that Vicky was walking into the room. 

“Thank you, Victoria. This should help with the bruising,” Mom said. “Her wing is almost healed. That needed magic, but her bruises can be healed with a simple topical gel.”

“No problem. It took a while to find it, there were a lot of… similar jars.”

Mom sighed, “I know. I’ve been meaning to clean out the several decades expired concoctions and potions, but I’m only one woman trying to keep the Nine Realms together.”

That was a strange comment. Was that why she had to leave? That without her, everything would fall apart?

Why ?

That brought forth emotions that led me to this predicament in the first place. The pain and sorrow, the anger and resentment. The abandonment. Emotions that made the fire in my veins roil like raging rapids because she was— 

“Oh, stop being so shy, Taylor,” Mom whispered into my ear, which definitely didn’t help the heat on my cheeks. “She’s just your girlfriend. I’m sure that you—”

“MOM!” I snapped my head over my shoulder to see her with a massive grin on her face and a shadow of something crossed over her eyes that I would’ve chased after if I hadn’t noticed the pretty shade of pink on Vicky’s face. She was looking everywhere except at me, which wasn’t helping the situation.

“Relax. And jerking around like that isn’t going to help your injuries. Especially for your wing.”

Her words reminded me of the stinging pain coursing through my body, mainly at my back and left wing. I turned my head, looking at the empty bookcase again and crossed my arms. 

Mom chuckled as Vicky seemed to shuffle on her feet behind me before I felt the soothing energy, or I guess magic, return to my wing. Not a few minutes later, the magic receded and the pain in my wing was gone. I nearly jerked away when something cold touched my back, but relaxed as Mom began to spread it across my bruises. 

It was a shock, but it at least took my mind off of how long it had been for Mom since she last saw me. I looked down at my body at the bruises that littered my flesh. It was strange that I didn’t feel like I got beaten that badly… but the evidence said otherwise. The bruises themselves had appeared fairly quickly and didn’t seem to get as black and blue as I expected. It must have something to do with whatever regenerative property I had.

No wonder why Vicky asked if I was a Brute or had some sort of regenerative power.

Looking up, both of my Valkyries were standing by one of the bookshelves. The spearmaiden was stalwart as ever, but the berserker looked bored as all can be. Their presence reminded me of what Mom mentioned before she dragged me back here.

“Hey, Mom?”

“Mhmm?” She hummed while she applied whatever ointment or potion on my back.

“What was it you were wanting to talk about? About me and my powers?”

Her hand stopped, the pressure easing off my back and the sting from the pressure lifted with it. I looked over my shoulders and I was about to make my wings disappear since she had healed the broken one, but she gave me a stern look. 

“Don’t. That will be extremely painful.”

I swallowed and nodded. Guess they weren’t fully healed or something.

There was movement on the bed. Then soft fabric touched my shoulders, nearly scaring me half to death before I realized what it was. I grabbed the blanket and wrapped around me as best as I could with my wings out. 

It helped relieve some of my discomfort from being so exposed. 

Mom then sat next to me, her head looked up, her eyes landing on the projections in the room. There was something in them, like a look of longing or a memory from a long time ago. My eyebrows furrowed. She might’ve had a long life, a life I barely knew anything about besides the books which could be widely misconstrued. I doubted she would know much of anything about my powers besides what she observed. 

I glanced aside, watching as Vicky moved to the desk and claimed the seat. There was a hunger in her eyes, and not like the one she had when looking at me sometimes. It was the one she wore whenever we started delving into a mystery. She wanted to know just as badly as I did.

Mom took a deep breath and slowly stood. She walked over to the Valkyries, her steps graceful and with purpose. When she approached the first projection, the spearmaiden, she held up a hand. The tattoos on her arm pulled my attention for a brief moment, their green vines and brown runes were so incredibly unique… and just another thing she hid from Dad and I.

There was a… shift as her hand drew mere inches away from my projection. Mom stared so intensely at the Valkyrie that it was quite startling. Several seconds passed in total silence as I watched her do… nothing. Though even as I thought that, I knew that wasn’t true. She was doing something , I just didn’t know what. 

She withdrew her hand and looked at me. “Taylor, have you seen what their faces looked like?”

Confusion filled me and I asked, “what? Why?”

“So that’s a no.”

“Why would I have any reason to do that?”

Mom sighed, “See if you could, please.”

My eyes briefly glanced over at Vicky and she seemed just as confused as I was if her furrowed eyebrows and the way the lights of her eyes swirled. I don’t think I was ever going to get used to that.

I looked at my first Valkyrie and the night when I got my powers flashed across my mind. The fear, the isolation, that need for help or protection. Emotions that cascaded into the maelstrom that was already swirling within me. 

Remove your helmet , I ordered directly to the spearmaiden.

At first she followed my order but stopped mid way. There was a hesitancy that shouldn’t be there. When I thought she was actually going to defy me—which shouldn’t be possible considering she was my power— her hands went up and grasped around the helmet. Mom took a step back and watched. A hand on her hip and the other under her chin. Then my projection lifted the helmet.

The helmet came clean off, strands of light and wisps trailing the helmet, and left behind… nothing. Just empty space like the headless horsemen, helmet in hands a few inches above where it once was.

“Interesting,” Mom said. “That doesn’t quite make sense…”

“What do you mean?” Vicky and I blurted out at the same time. We exchanged looks and I saw a small smile on her face. It was nice to see such a thing, especially after everything that had happened. That smile went away when Mom started speaking again.

“Taylor,” She said as she turned to face me. “Your powers… These Valkyries are summons. It’s Seiðr.”

“What? How?” I said, my mind racing. If that was true, Thor’s comments made sense. At least pertaining to the Valkyries.

“I’m pretty sure they’re projections, Parahuman projections,” Vicky said.

Mom shook her head. “No, it’s Seiðr. The magic is there, if one can sense it. But that shouldn’t be possible considering Taylor hasn’t had any training. She doesn’t know how to use magic, maybe sense it or have a little intuition—”

“How could I ‘sense’ it?” I asked, interrupting her. “I didn’t even know I could .” According to Mom’s text, Seiðr was a practice that only women could perform. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, men could , but they didn’t. The only known man in Norse Mythology to wield it was Odin. And apparently my uncle if what Mom said was correct about the portal.

So how could I, someone who wasn’t… born a girl, be able to perform it? I tried to ignore the nausea that rose in my throat at the mere thought of it.

Mom’s eyes softened, eyes I remember all too much, and she quickly rushed to me. Her hands went to my knees as she lowered to the ground. “Oh, honey, of course you can use Seiðr. You’re my daughter ,” I could feel the emotion and emphasis she put on those words. “You were always going to have an inclination to magic. Unlike your brother, you actually have a knack for it.”

I didn’t meet her eyes and instead focused on my hands as they played with the blanket. “How do you know,” I muttered, trying to bury  my feelings.

“Honey, Little Owl,” She tried to coax me into looking up, but I just couldn’t, my eyes stinging as my chest constricted. “Have you ever… felt something different? For example, I can feel the shift in nature, in plants, when magic acts on its own, by another, or when I’m about to receive a glimpse into the future. It could be something like feeling the earth move, or the energy from fire.”

“Air current shifting?” I said as I looked up and met her eyes. 

The concerned look on her face was quickly replaced with a big smile. “Yes, like air currents shifting. I shouldn’t be surprised that my daughter is aligned with air.” Her eyes darted up towards my wings. 

That made me scour my memories for any signs of that. There were too many possibilities. Air currents and pressure change all the time. But there were a few that were memorable. When I first met Vicky as Gondul, Crystal and Eric arriving at the bar-b-que, and the Gulon attack. Each one had a noticeable shift in the air that somehow alerted me that something was going to happen. There were a few more, more minor ones like right before Vicky sent the text that she was going to fight Hookwolf and occasionally feeling gusts of wind from my Valkyrie when they produced none, but it was those three events that I remember vividly.

“You’ve felt it, haven’t you?” Mom asked with a knowing look.

I nodded, “Yeah.”

“Seiðr is not what you’d expect from fanciful stories, Taylor. Most of the time, it’s subtle. Being able to create fire in the palm of your hands or have vines sprout in between rocks are just the more… obvious ways, but they are not the most common. Seiðr is the magic of nature and of spirit, the way we feel the world. It’s why, out of all the people in the Nine Realms, the Vanir practice it. We are acutely attuned to nature. Very few outside are able to attain that.”

“Wait,” Vicky said as she stood up and walked over to us. “Are you saying that Taylor can do magic?”

Mom looked over her head. “Yes, and she already has. Somehow. It’s not uncommon for young Vanir to feel magic, even get a little premonition, but summoning like the Valkyries? That’s advanced, very advanced considering it's a form of Necromancy.”

“WHAT?” I blurted.

I was performing… necromancy everytime I summon my Valkyries? A magic so vile, so heinous that—

“Honey! Calm down before you have a panic attack. It’s okay! There’s nothing wrong with summoning.”

“But—”

“Christian propaganda,” Mom said without blinking an eye. 

“But—”

“Little Owl, Necromancy isn’t evil.”

We were quiet for what felt like hours but was probably only a minute. I knew that Freyja meant well, but it still felt… wrong. All my life, things like Necromancy were always evil, even if I grew up a Pagan. The very idea of doing things like raising the dead seemed like you were disrespecting the dead. From what I knew of summoning…

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Vicky walking around the Valkyries with an inquisitive look on her face. Mom looked over her shoulder and broke the silence. “Could you please have her put her… helmet back on.”

“Uhh, sure.” I sent the order to the spearmaiden and she quickly and fluidly put her helmet back on. The wisps fused together like before becoming a seamless neck. It was oddly fascinating. 

“Thank you,” Mom said as she looked back at me, her eyes conveying gratitude. Did the spearmaiden not having a head truly spook her? Why? 

Then I remembered the way both Thor and her had looked at the Valkyries. As if they’ve known them.

“Mom.”

“Mhmm,” She hummed. “Yes, Little Owl?” She asked sweetly and comfortingly.

“Do… did you know them?” I pointed to the Valkyries. 

If they were summons, which according to the books she left us, was the act of bringing a spirit into the waking world. These spirits were real people once, or still are. It gets muddled according to the books and doesn't give an accurate answer of what the spirits actually were.

Mom took a deep breath before slowly standing from her kneeling position in front of me. She walked over to the Valkyries. Vicky took a step back and watched from the side, her face hard and unreadable. 

When Mom got there, she turned and gestured her hand. “Come and be cautious with your wing. It’s still fragile.”

I blinked owlishly for a few seconds before adjusting the blanket so I could hold it and slowly got up. Soreness coursed through my body, causing me to wince, but I fought through it and walked over to Mom. I became acutely aware of how my back was left open but I tried to ignore it as best as I could.

When I was a few feet away, I focused on the Valkyries, seeing if I could sense the magic like Mom said I could. I closed my eyes and for a brief moment, I felt a flutter of wind coming from their direction. It was faint, barely noticeable, but it was there.

“To answer your question,” She said as I stood next to her. “Yes, I do. I know each and every Valkyrie that was under my command.”

“Wait, what?”

Mom nodded. “Her,” Freyja said as she pointed to the spearmaiden. “That is Geirskögul. She was one of my lieutenants. A master with a spear and a dauntless protector. She always seemed to have a knack of knowing when to save others and when to strike with precision with her spear.”

I tried to say something, but the words refused to come. If Vicky’s open mouth and wide eyes were anything to go by, she wasn’t any better off. The Valkyrie, Geirskögul, looked at Freyja but there was no recognition in her face… helmet. A look I’d seen before many times. 

“As for her,” Mom’s voice turned more hard, almost angry. “That is Sanngriðr, probably the biggest pain in my ass I ever had as a lieutenant.” She walked over to the berserker and while that one had a little more… emotion with the way she moved and how energetic she was, she didn’t display any recognition in her cold eyes either. “Sanngriðr would always rush into battle, wade into the bloodiest of messes, and was always the cruelest of my Valkyrja,” She spoke the last word in Old Norse rather than the modern English Vicky and I tended to use for them..

While Mom stood there, trying to scold a Valkyrie that wasn’t fazed by it, I was glad that look wasn’t pointed in my direction. I remembered that look plenty of times whenever Emma and I caused trouble. Though, now it makes sense why the vase that we shattered was fixed the next day. I thought she just replaced it but she must’ve fixed it with magic.

Countless questions floated through my mind about the Valkyries, how they were her lieutenants.

“Mom,” I said, interrupting her scolding.

Her hands fell to her side and she turned to face me, a small smile forming on her face. “Yes, Honey?”

“You knew them.”

She blinked her eyes and looked at me as if it was the most obvious thing. “Well, of course I did. They, among all the Valkyries, were under my command. I had an army of Valkyries, women I chose throughout the ages who I believed would shepard dead souls to their rightful places. Some weren’t quite what I had envisioned, but they were oathbound to follow my orders. These two were among the lieutenants, those who took my orders and passed it onto the others if I couldn’t directly order them.”

Mom closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I remember each and every one of them. Two thousand one-hundred and ninety-seven. All of them, dead.”

The way she said it, it was so full of sorrow and there were no words I could offer in the face of such a loss. She had this entire life that I had no clue existed and it was all… gone. It wasn’t lost on me that if the near Ragnarök didn’t happen, then Mom wouldn’t have met Dad. Which meant…

I tried not to dwell on that.

“But how does that pertain to Taylor’s power?” Vicky asked, breaking me from my depressive spiral. 

Mom blinked, snapping out of her own thoughts. “Well, somehow, she is able to summon them, at least the lieutenants so far. With no experience whatsoever. Like I said, it shouldn’t be possible. But…” She trailed off, eyes turning distant once more.

“What?” I said, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Mom looked up at me, then glanced over at the Valkyries, and then back at me. She then sighed, “That couldn’t be…”

“Mom, what is it?”

“What is it, Mrs. He– actually, what should I call you?” Vicky asked, her curiosity turned into confusion. 

Mom looked over her shoulder, “Oh, Freyja’s fine, Victoria. But you can call me Annette or Mrs. Hebert. Whatever works for you. Not the first time I’ve taken a different name.”

I didn’t want to think about how many lives she had. The possibilities were endless and I’d rather not dwell on it.

“Uhh,” Vicky looked over at me and I shrugged. “Okay.”

“Anyway,” Mom said without missing a beat. “It’s possible that…” Mom exhaled, her eyes met mine. “When you were born, I knew you had something you shouldn’t.” I was about to speak but she quickly continued, “Not that, Little Owl. I knew you were trans when you were still in me. Don’t ask how I knew, it’s something you’d probably learn as time goes on, since you’re Vanir and we are fertility beings.”

I desperately tried to ignore the blazing heat on my cheeks. That was something I really didn’t need to know.

“No, what I mean is that you had what I’ve been calling a parasite in your head.”

Vicky walked over, her steps filled with purpose. “Wait, parasite? What do you mean by that?”

I nodded in agreement. I wanted to know too. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my Valkyries shifted slightly, a little out of character than their usual. Geirskögul’s wings twitched and she shifted on her feet. Sanngriðr on the other hand seemed to freeze, the bored look as she stood straight. 

Odd.

Mom’s eyes darted to her, then I saw them briefly go higher than I expected, like she was looking at her head. “It was a phenomenon I noticed a few years after I crash landed into Bet. People started to get powers, a new term for these people who have the potential for powers.”

“Parahumans,” Vicky and I said, dumbfounded.

“Correct. Before that time, no one had what became known as the Corona Pollentia. Everyone on Midgard was human, natural.”

I felt a stab of pain at her calling me unnatural, even in a different context it brought back far too many memories of the Nazis saying the same thing. It would take time to get used to the fact that Mom was around when the rise of Parahumans began. Even if it had only been a few decades, I always thought Mom was a little kid back when the first capes started to appear. It was going to take time to adjust to the idea that she had been an adult the entire time.

It was a minor detail, but it really threw off everything I thought I knew about Mom. It was no wonder she never talked about her family. She’d watched the entire age of capes sprout and grow into what it was today.

“Not sure how I feel about calling the Corona Pollentia and the Gemma a ‘parasite’, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with them,” Vicky said. I could tell she was starting to get fired up, the gears turning in her head. We’d had a few conversations about Parahumans and Vicky knew her stuff. “Some researchers say its an evolutionary step forward for Humans—”

“Sure, having the ability to gain powers on your worst possible day is a wonderful evolutionary step,” Mom cut Vicky off.

“I didn’t say I agree with it.”

“The point being,” Mom said as she crossed her arms. “That the phenomenon is only present in versions of Earth that aren’t Earth Prime. Earth Prime is the only one that doesn’t have Parahumans and to top it off, Bet is the one that has the highest density of them.”

“Really?” I asked. Thinking of all the knowledge she seemed to possess, it made me question why she decided to be an English professor instead of something else.

Mom looked at me and nodded. “Yes. I don’t know why, maybe something to do with the terrible situation Bet has with the Endbringers or if Parahumans are an exponential curve. Where the more Parahumans there are, the more chances a Trigger Event will occur because of them. But my point being, it isn’t some sort of evolutionary jump for Humans because it happened out of nowhere. Evolution happens slowly, it starts off with one small change for adaptation purposes. Then it requires constant pressure from whatever extraneous force that requires that adaptation to the point where the species requires that change. The Corona Pollentia came suddenly. Any and all evidence points to this growth as a parasite. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, or anything like it, but it’s a parasite.”

I had a blink a few times as I processed everything Mom said. Her rant brought me back to the countless times she’d get into similar arguments or discussions. Mom was intelligent, there was no doubt about that and this was just another example of how broad her knowledge truly was.

Vicky let out a small chortle. “I can see where Taylor gets that from.”

“Hey!” Mom and I blurted out at the same time. We looked at each other and I saw the corner of her lips twitch upwards.

“My point stands.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at my girlfriend. She wasn’t wrong. Vicky mentioned on several occasions that I’d… ramble just like Mom did about certain topics. She said it was cute. I really should’ve noticed that was her flirting since it was before we started dating.

Mom cleared her throat. “To get back on the original topic, Taylor has one too. I knew right away that she did.”

“And how does that affect anything?” I asked.

“A few things,” Mom sighed. “Considering your father is Human, it’s a… fifty-fifty chance of whether you would be immortal or not. It depended on whether the blood of Ymir ran through your veins and that’s something I can’t determine. As I said, the Corona Pollentia only shows up in Humans, the other races of the Nine Realms do not get it.”

“You feared she was just a Human?” Vicky said slowly. There was something in the way her eyes swirled that seemed to convey something. Irritation? Annoyance?

Mom took a few seconds to respond, the gears turning in her head. Slowly she nodded, “Yes, I did.” 

“Why?” 

“Because…” Mom trailed off, her eyes looking anywhere but at me. “I wanted her to have the safety of her Divinity. If you haven’t noticed, most of the gods are dead.”

“All but you, Baldr, Sif, Thor, Loki, and Thrud,” I said, informing Vicky. “Well, and Mímir.”

Freyja finally looked up at me, her eyes slightly wide. “You saw…”

I nodded. “Yeah, I did.”

“What?” Vicky asked, curiosity brimming in her ethereal eyes.

“There’s a memorial to all of the fallen gods on the west side of the city, overlooking one side of the chasm and the visage of the world tree.”

Mom nodded. “Yes. Sif had it made during my absence. And I wouldn’t count Thrud among them. She’s your age, Taylor. Slightly older. ”

My eyebrows furrowed. “She is? Then how is she…”

“In some books? I don’t know, honestly. I can tell you that she isn’t anything like the books describe, making me think she might have been named after this figure that never lived, or something else was afoot, a seer perhaps. I was genuinely surprised to meet her when I came back.” Mom took a deep breath and continued, “Nonetheless, I feared for Taylor’s safety. Being an immortal means that only the gods could kill or hurt her. Or from Odinfall. And we all know how dangerous it is to live in Brockton Bay, and for Taylor’s sake, more so.”

The way she said it, it almost sounded as if she had done something. That she wanted to ensure that I would become an immortal. Was her leaving a way for that to happen? I wasn’t sure if I should be bothered by that or not. 

“Mom, what did you do?”

Mom didn’t meet my eye, instead they were solely on the Valkyries.

“Mom.”

Mom sighed and held up a finger as she turned to face me. “Before… before I answer that. I have a question. You don’t have to answer it because I know how… taboo it is, but I would like to know.”

I gestured flippantly at her, “Okay.”

“Taylor, what happened the first time one of the Valkyries appeared?”

I froze at the question. I tried not to think of that night. Of my Trigger Event. It was one of the worst moments of my life and I did what I could to not dwell on it. I hadn’t even told Vicky how I got powers. If she knew…

“Tay, you don’t need to answer,” Vicky said soothingly. She floated over to me, a gold shimmer wrapped around her body. She placed a hand on my shoulder, comforting me. 

“Yes, Little Owl, you don’t have to,” Mom said, her voice calm and caring. “I probably shouldn’t hav—”

I shook my head, my braids nearly smacking me in the face. “No… no it’s okay. I—” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “The spear-Geirskögul appeared the night I had to walk home from… from the university.”

‘The university…” Vicky slowly said, and then it dawned on her. “When we met…”

“Yeah,” I said sheepishly. “I was… waylaid by the Empire.” I tried not thinking about the smug face on Leo during that moment. “When I thought I was going to die, she appeared.”

“Interesting,” Mom said. The caring motherly voice was gone and a more calculated one took over. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “Did you experience a blackout at all?”

I shook my head. “No, not at all. Just a bright light and then she descended from above.”

“A bright light… Victoria, did you experience anything like this?”

Vicky shook her head. “No… I was playing basketball of all things and got fouled. Next thing I knew I was flying.”

I could remember the media blitz following her trigger. A lot of people made a big deal over it because not only was it a public trigger, it was recorded and even showed her family black out momentarily. They interviewed her over and over, asking for details, talking about how it was proof that second gen capes had it easier despite her terse answers when they suggested it. 

Mom hummed before snapping out of her reverie. “Sorry, I don’t mean to make light… Taylor, what you went through… that’s why I wanted your Divinity to spark.”

I nodded solemnly.

“But your trigger, something about it seems off. You didn’t ‘blackout’, not that you needed to, but you did end up being blinded by light.”

“Mom, what does that have to do with anything?” I asked. 

She held a finger. “In a moment. So I assume then that after that event, you were able to open the chest?”

I furrowed my eyebrows and then nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay, so that means that event was when your Divinity ignited.”

“Umm, what exactly is ‘Divinity’,” I asked, using one hand for quotation marks while the other held the blanket.

Mom took a deep breath. “So Divinity is… it’s when the blood of Ymir, for those that have it, ignites and slowly changes our body. It’s why we are immortal, why we have our own unique abilities that go above and beyond the average kin. It’s why my magic would always be far greater than any other Vanir. It’s because I have a bloodline that dates back to the creation of time. And by blood, does Taylor.”

That was… wow, I had no words for what that meant. I knew Ymir was the first being and his existence was what created the Nine Realms and the gods, but I never expected it to go further than that. It explained why some Aesir and Vanir were far greater than others. Not that I knew about other Aesir and Vanir until I read Mom’s books. But there was something that didn’t make sense to me.

“Mom, the first time I’ve felt something coursing through my veins was when I put your necklace on.”

Mom’s face displayed pure confusion. “Really? I left the necklace for you, well in the Argi’s care which would eventually be given to you, so you could have a magical focus.” Mom hummed and thought for a moment, “Maybe a weird interaction then? Something to do with the Corona Pollentia?”

It sounded more like she was talking to herself than to Vicky or myself. I hoped I didn’t do that. But one glance at Vicky and the pointed look she gave me and darted over to Mom, said as much. Fuck.

Mom shook her head. “Anyway, the point is your Divinity is alive. That being said, you are still early in your growth. Your body is still changing, like another layer of puberty, to becoming immortal. That makes it hard to alter it in any manner since it does its own thing.  You can still be killed by some guy with a gun if it was a high enough caliber and had armor piercing rounds, so you would still need to be careful. For example… not getting into a fight with a god !”

I shrunk as her somewhat normal and calm explanation turned into a scolding. Her eyes had narrowed and she was angrily pointing her finger at me. There was a shift in the air and considering our previous topic about magic, I knew that it was swirling around us like a raging storm.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to!” I apologized, hoping to quench that withering gaze. “I was just defending you! He insulted you!”

Slowly, the unseen force died down and Mom relaxed, the tension bleeding from her features. Mom sighed, “While I appreciate it, Thor didn’t know you were my child and was just throwing drunken insults.” The next words were said almost so quietly that I imagined that I heard them. “Not that it would change anything now considering…”

Mom noticed my stare and stopped.

She cleared her throat and said, “Anyway, just don’t do it again.”

I nodded furiously. The corner of her lips lifted but she didn’t speak again.

We were quiet for a minute or two, no one saying or doing anything in particular. Vicky was shifting the weight on her legs and Mom was staring at me, while on occasions looking at the Valkyries. 

I, on the other hand, had a niggling thought. Like she was trying to turn the conversation away from something before we got onto the topic of Trigger Events and Divinity. While as fascinating as it was that the two seem oddly similar yet in different contexts, I wanted to know what she didn’t want to talk about.

“Mom,” I said, hesitantly. 

“Yes, Little Owl?” She replied as she turned her head away from the Valkyries and to me. 

“What did you do to me? Because it sounded like you did something to me.”

I—” Mom started to speak but clamped her mouth shut. So it was true, she didn’t want to talk about it.

“Mom.”

She sighed. “Okay, what I did was not… the smartest thing.” She quickly perked up and held a finger out, “But it was with good intentions.”

“Mom.”

“Let me explain before you ruffle your feathers.”

I glared at her for a few seconds before relaxing. It didn’t help that Vicky had snorted at the phrasing. There were plenty of things to be mad at her about, but I couldn’t let myself judge her for something she hadn’t told me yet. 

When I had calmed down sufficiently, she spoke again. “Names and titles have importance in the Nine Realms. There’s a reason why I don’t like the name Frigg. While my time with Odin wasn’t bad, that name… wasn’t who I was. But there was a title I carried for a significant portion of my existence. A title that has considerable meaning in the way our world is structured. How life and death are intertwined.”

I had a feeling I knew what she was about to say, but I let her continue. Vicky had leaned forward, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, likely having caught onto the same thought I had. 

Mom took a deep breath and said, “I was the Queen of the Valkyries. While Odin laid claim to half the souls, I had the other half. But it was up to me and my chosen to ferry them to their final destination.”

“Okay, but how does that have to do with what you supposedly did to me?”

“Before I… ‘died’, I wanted another assurance that your Divinity would spark. I thought that if I gave you power, that it would jump start it. Then when I left, you would get your Divinity and have that semblance of protection before you would appear here. I wasn’t expecting it to be nearly two years later on Bet, but—”

“Mom.”

She sighed again, “I bestowed you the title. You are the Queen of the Valkyries now, Taylor.”

“I’m sorry. What .”

Mom winced at the flat tone my voice had taken. She hung her head in resignation as she continued. “One night before I left, I went into your room while you were sleeping and… gave you the title. Sort of like an inauguration. You inherited the title.”

All I could do was stare at her. Not only did she go into my room on some night before she faked her death, but she gave me a title, had me inherit a power that I had no knowledge of. Not once had she ever gone into my room without knocking first. Dad was the same way. It was an unspoken rule in our family. It was my refuge, my safe space, a place nobody would intrude upon without my permission.

I knew it was such a minor detail, such a small thing, but I never would’ve thought she would break it. 

It was only amplified by the title and power.

Just how many things had she done without me knowing? The thought scared me. It angered me.

“What does it mean,” I said coldly.

“Wha— you mean the title?”

I glared at her, hoping my silence would convey my feelings.

Mom sighed and rubbed her forehead. “The title is pretty self explanatory. You are the queen, the leader, of all Valkyries. Your voice, your every word, the Valkyries will listen to. You give an order, they will follow it. They will look up to you as their leader. If there were any Valkyries that is…”

“Is that all?”

Mom shook her head. “No. I will be honest, I don’t know what giving the title to you before you obtained your Divinity would do. Along with your parasite and Trigger Event, it somehow caused you to be able to manifest my departed and forgotten lieutenants. No amount of peering into the future could tell what would happen.”

Mom’s eyes darted over to the side. “There’s also the fact that because the title came from me, the power to dictate where the dead go had transferred to you. Like all Valkyries.” 

I followed her line of sight to see them land on Vicky. “I-I brought—”

“Yes, Honey. It’s because of the title that you both arrived in Asgard. How you knew she passed on.”

My eyes lingered on Vicky for a while, an unreadable, cold look on her face. Her eyes lazily drifted over to me, our eyes meeting. The stare was too much and I had to look away, down at the palms of my hands. I’d known. I knew that she died. But that feeling? Watching as the life slowly ebbed away from her eyes, how the energy in her body dwindled.

That the sudden feeling I had wasn’t to help her, but that it was time to take her away. 

A responsibility I didn’t want. 

The tears flowed freely as I turned a cold anger upon my mother. “ Take it back. ”

Mo— Freyja recoiled as if I had slapped her. “Wha– Honey?”

“Take the title back. I don’t want it.”

Freyja fell silent. As the seconds passed, I felt a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach.

“I-I can’t,” She stuttered, her voice filled with sorrow.

“Why. Can’t. You.” I gritted my teeth with each word. 

“...Because I don’t think you would be able to.”

Her words struck something in me. It hurt. At first, I didn’t know what she meant by that. What did she mean I wouldn’t be able to? How hard could it be? But the more I thought about it, the more bothered I was. 

She thought she knew me. Who I was.

“No, all I have to do is give it back right? I just have to say something right?”

Freyja shook her head. “Honey, it’s more complicated than that.”

“Then explain it!”

“It’s because I know you, Taylor.”

I scoffed. “How could you? You abandoned me. Me, Dad, Aunt Zoe. How dare you say you know me when you faked your death and sauntered off to another world, another realm?”

Freyja didn’t respond. She continued to stare at me with a sorrowful look in her eyes. There was a sharp pain in the palm of my hands and a quick look showed I had been clenching them. Crimson blood slowly oozed out of the cuts only for tears to splash, bringing fresh pain with each drop. A quick look over at Vicky was almost too much.

There was a glimmer of sympathy in the swirls of her eyes. It reminded me that it was because of Freyja that we were here. That while it was because of her that I met Vicky and our friendship grew and eventually became a relationship, it was because of her that Vicky died. If I had never pulled the blanket off, I wouldn’t have looked further into it. All I would have to deal with was Emma and the wannabe Nazis at school.

I hated how indecisive my feelings were about it.

After a significant amount of time had passed, Freyja broke the silence. “Look, I know… I know you're angry with me.” What a fucking understatement that was. “And it is fully warranted for what I’ve done. But there is a reason I wanted you here in Asgard.”

I crossed my arms under the blanket and snapped at her, “What? Other than having to deal with the fact that my girlfriend died a horrific death in my arms?”

I immediately regretted what I said when I saw the hurt and pain flash across Vicky’s face, the reminder of what happened clear as day in her eyes and the way she looked down at the hem of her tunic where her fingers were playing with the edge. There was a slight glimmer around her form that I was starting to assume was her aura.

Freyja sighed, “No, never that. I wanted to help you with your magic, help you attune yourself to the will of nature. Show you how to fly with your wings. I never wanted to keep you here. I know that Brockton Bay is and will always be your home. I was never going to keep you here.”

I uncrossed my arms, which I had to clumsily grab the blanket when I felt a bit of a draft. “There’s a way home?”

Freyja nodded, “Yes. We’ve recently discovered a way to the other versions of Earth. I promise that I will show you that way if you stay here for a little while. Get attuned to the Nine Realms and learn some basic magic, then I can send you home.”

I looked over at Vicky. There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “Will Vicky be able to go home?”

Freyja’s eyes darted over to her. “That’s… complicated. She’s not… you know she’s…”

“I’m aware,” Vicky coldly said.

Frejya sighed, “We can discuss that at a later point, but don’t think of it as a no. Just be aware it isn’t something to do lightly or without cost.”

Vicky and I glanced at each other. If there was a way back home and I could bring her with me, that would be the best outcome from all this. I feared that we would never be able to go home, but if there was a way, we would take it. 

The thought of Dad, Aunt Zoe, school… Vicky’s family came to mind. Freyja mentioned time being different, how long would we be here, how long would we be away from home? I really didn’t want to think of the aftermath of the Hookwolf fight and a part of me didn’t want to know. But I didn’t want to let my home be abandoned. I still wanted to help bring about change. 

I glanced over at Freyja. “Okay. Fine. We will stay until I learn how to use magic and fly. Then you need to show us how to get home.” Not like we had a way home ourselves.

A small, muted smile grew on Freya’s lips. “Thank you. I promise it will be worth it. For both of you.”

I didn’t know what she meant by that and at this point I didn’t care. My shoulders sagged and I winced as I realized I had been ignoring the pain in my body.

Mo— Freyja’s eyes widened and she quickly walked over to me. “Here, let me help you to the bed. We should finish applying the ointment so you can heal properly. You’ll be sleeping on your stomach until you can retract your wings again.”

I nodded mutely, letting her guide me. There was much on my mind and only time would tell where all of this would go. It was easy to ignore the blanket being taken off and the cold liquid on my body. 

My eyes wandered over to Vicky, a range of conflicting emotions in her face and eyes, the maelstrom of energy in them that left me wishing I could wrap her in a hug. I tried to smile at her, to help, but she seemed to be staring into space.

I sighed.

What a wonderful journey this was adding up to be.

Chapter Text

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

“DON’T YOU DARE BELIEVE THAT FOR ONE SECOND—”

Missy sighed. Another day at home, another day she wished she hadn’t gone home. Why did I come home? She thought to herself. She knew it would be the same song and dance. Whether it was with her dad or her mom, it was always the same. They would need to contact one another for some reason which would only lead to them having a fight. She knew how many of them started because of her; she kept a tally in a notebook in her room at the Wards Base. 

This one made five-hundred and seventy-six since the one that made her trigger. 

“NO, FUCK YOU—”

Missy winced at the curse, it was filled with anger and hatred. It wasn’t the first time she heard her Mom yell like that. It certainly wouldn’t be the last time.

She looked at the clock in her sparse room. With the divorce and her parents vying over her for who was the better parent, she rarely got a chance to keep her belongings at either of her parent’s places. She just kept it all at the Wards Base. Her desk only had a few pens and some stupid coloring books her mom got her. Why she thought she was a little kid, Missy would never know. She literally went out and fought criminals who would want nothing more than to kill her!

Her closet was mostly devoid of clothes, at least the clothes she actually liked. Though not for a lack of trying. Whenever she was with her mom, she always brought her to clothing stores to ‘spruce’ up her wardrobe. She honestly hated all the bright and colorful clothing her mom always made her wear, not that her dad was any better. Just another thing they tried to one up each other on. 

Missy counted the ticks as the seconds passed by. She knew she still had an hour before she was supposed to go to the base, but she didn’t want to be here anymore. Plus, she knew she was needed there. With what happened with Victoria and all. 

A pang of guilt and remorse washed over Missy and she couldn’t help but stare down at her hands as she thought about her rival. She thought about all the times she wished that Victoria wasn’t around anymore so she could have her shot at Dean. She wasn’t fooling herself, she had imagined the possibility that something bad would happen to Victoria and she would finally be with Dean.

She had to take a cold shower after that one. She liked Victoria, she really did. Sophia was the only other girl in the Wards and Victoria helped balance things out, even if she wasn’t a proper Ward, she was around enough Missy could pretend. Plus, she knew a lot about powers. Victoria was a veritable well of knowledge on parahuman powers and Missy couldn’t help but admire that about her. 

But when Dean did become available, he seemed off. Like he wasn’t as bright like the Sun like he used to be. The way he would always have a warm smile on his face and would try to uplift everyone? That hadn’t been there for a few months. Missy knew the moment the two broke up but she never made a move, not just because of her inexperience, but because she knew the two would get back together. Just like before.

But when they didn’t after a few weeks of the new year? She knew that she could make her move on the cute boy. But all of her…awkward attempts failed in one way or another. It wasn’t long after that she noticed that Dean wasn’t over Victoria and that irked her.

So Missy played the long con and waited. Eventually he would see that she was there for him during his dark times. 

Then the events from yesterday happened. 

Missy hated to think what he looked like after Victoria’s death. She hadn’t been on duty, much to her ire. She had to be with her dad. One of her ‘days off to spend with family’. It still didn’t stop her from getting the alert on her phone that Glory Girl was dead and Gondul had gone missing. Missy hadn’t gotten the full story yet, only what she’d seen on PHO, but she knew it wasn’t good. 

“IF YOU THINK FOR ONE SECOND THAT I WOULD—”

Missy tuned out the rest of her mom’s rant, just like she always did. She would have to go up to her in a moment to tell her that she wanted to go to the base. The last time she left without telling anyone, it did not go well. Missy could still feel the ringing in her ears from that argument between her parents once they realized she spent the weekend at the base.

A minute passed as Missy gathered her essentials that weren’t already at the base before she realized that her mom wasn’t yelling anymore. She knew she only had a small window before something else would cause her parents to start fighting again. Neither one of them could stand down and had to have the final word. She put on her backpack and gently opened her door. 

Missy peaked around the door, looking down the white walled hallway towards the living room. She hated that her mom always argued in the living room, right next to the kitchen. Every time her parents got into a tussle at her mom’s, she would have to wait it out unless her physical presence started another reason for the two to yell at each other. It was why she kept snacks and soda in her desk drawer. 

At least when she was at her dad’s, he would go into his room and close the door. Not that it was any better since he would then smash things. At least there she could pretend.

Missy slowly opened the door and walked into the short hallway and into the living room where her mom was sitting on the couch, ruffling a stack of papers like there was a purpose to it. Missy didn’t miss that her phone was on the ground, presumably where she threw it. It still looked intact and Missy wished otherwise. 

“Hey, Mom?” Missy said with slight hesitation.

Her mom snapped out of whatever trance or thought she had and looked up. “Oh, Missy. I—” She sighed. “You heard all that, didn’t you?” 

She sounded defeated.

“Not really…” Missy lied. She knew that if she said she did, it would only cause her mom to spiral into another rant. “I was listening to music.” 

She hated how fluidly she could lie.

“Oh, okay,” Her mom said with a weak smile. She rubbed her face before adding, “Is there something I can do for you, Honey?”

“Can you take me to the Ward’s Base?” 

Her mom blinked her eyes and looked at her watch on her wrist. “But you don’t need to be there for an hour.”

“I…got a message. There’s going to be a debriefing about what happened…” Missy trailed off, not wanting to say the words to her lie. She knew her mom kept up to date on cape activity in the city. Mainly to keep an eye on her. 

“Ah,” her Mom said, looking over to the side where a newspaper was haphazardly opened. She didn’t need to look at it to know what the title was. “It–it’s a sad day. I just can’t believe…” Her mom sighed and looked at Missy. “Are you sure you have to be there?”

“Yes, Mom.” Missy fought the urge to sigh. 

Her mom stared at her and Missy stood completely still. She’d faced down worse threats, her mom wasn’t anything to worry about. Her mom was nothing compared to Hookwolf, she just wasn’t. She just didn’t like all the yelling her parents did. 

“Okay, let me grab my keys. I really wished they wouldn’t involve you in all those…meetings. There are things you don’t nee—”

Missy tuned out the rest of her mom’s rant as she went to get her things. Sometimes it amazed her how focused her mom was when she was on a tirade. Probably why her parents continued to fight, her dad was so stubborn that he would never stop while her mom just never stopped.

Her mom came out from the kitchen, her purse strapped around her shoulder and keys in hand. “Ready, Sweetie?”

Missy fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Yes, Mom.”

Her mom smiled and walked out the door, Missy quickly followed. The moment she got into the car, another phone call came from her mom’s cell phone. Missy braced herself for it to be her dad again, but the instant her mom looked at the phone and didn’t explode into anger, Missy was able to relax. 

The drive to the Ward’s Base was uneventful except for the call that Missy spent the drive ignoring, looking out at the city as it flew by. Everything seemed so peaceful during the day, even if Missy knew it to be the opposite. Brockton Bay wouldn’t recover from the shock anytime soon. 

Missy pulled out her phone and scrolled through some local news sites and articles. All of them had a single topic in mind. Victoria Dallon’s death. The speculations were as wild as they could come and it made Missy wonder how anyone would believe them. Sure, she could understand the Empire pointing the blame at Gondul, but to claim it was because they were lesbians was so ridiculous.

Thoroughly disappointed in that news outlet, Missy looked at a few more before concluding that nothing of worth or inspiration would be found. She did notice that many of them seemed to suggest that the full story hasn’t been released and to keep an open mind which was not suspicious whatsoever in Missy’s eyes. She knew that Brockton Bay was the Nazi capital of the United States, but she’d think they wouldn’t be that obvious about it. Her phone went into her pocket just as the car came to a halt in front of the toy shop next to the headquarters.

“Okay, Honey, here we are,” Her mom said, a strained smile on her face. 

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Now remember, if you want to stay with me, all you need to do is say it.”

Missy tried to ignore the pleading look on her mom’s face. It was always the same with her parents. They fought for hours, screamed at one another, blamed each other for stupid asinine shit. Then it was like a switch was flipped and they would be so sickening sweet, trying to gain her approval. She was tired of this game. If she didn’t have to spend at least three days with her parents, she’d stay at the base instead of going to either of her parent’s homes. 

“Okay, Mom,” Missy said as she opened the door and walked onto the sidewalk. She forced herself to smile as she made eye contact with her mom as she was closing the car door. Then she turned around and towards the entrance of the toy shop. 

The moment she heard the car drive off, Missy finally felt herself relax. Then tension in her shoulders bled away and slowly lowered from her neck. She took a deep breath before opening the door to the unique toy shop. Ran’s Toy Chest of Wonders.

When in civilian guise, the Wards either needed to enter through the toy shop or from the Salty Sea Ice Cream shop on the other side of the headquarters. Missy didn’t know how they ended up part of the PRT’s secret entrances, but she knew from her history class that the two shops had been around for a long time.

The sounds of kids laughter and squealing hit Missy’s ears and she winced. She hated that the PRT wanted her to go through this entrance more than the ice cream shop. All because she was twelve . Her eyes looked around at the pirate themed toy shop. Countless little ‘islands’ where toys were stacked in large chests. On one side, she could see a line of video game consoles where a bunch of kids of varying ages were playing.

Taking a deep breath, Missy started traversing the store towards the bathroom. She expanded her power, letting it touch vast inorganic materials in the store. It gave her a layout of the area and allowed her to navigate if she didn’t want to look. It wavered when a group of kids came running at her. She hated when she was crowded, it made her powers itch wanting to touch anything nearby and expand outward just to give her space. Luckily she had more control over her power than she did the last time she reacted poorly due to overcrowding. Missy still resented Piggot for that one, she didn’t need a lecture about power control just because two parents yelling at their kids set her off.

She dodged out of their way and found herself next to the counter where a motherly looking woman was leaning on. 

“Hello, Missy,” She said, her eyes never leaving whatever they were looking at.

“Hi, Mrs. Ran.” Missy didn’t know who she was married to nor her last name, but Ran always told her that she was in fact married. She also never got an answer why her name was Ran, but Missy didn’t want to pry.

She finally looked down at Missy, allowing her a good look at the woman. She had dark brown hair, almost black, and was braided so tightly that Missy thought it was in dreadlocks. There were no wrinkles on her face and Missy wondered if Ran inherited the shop from her family. The thing that always garnered her attention was the seafoam green colored eyes. 

Snapping out of it, Missy replied, “Yes. Is anyone…”

Mrs. Ran shook her head. “Nope!” She popped the p. “Entrance should be safe. Run along, little one. They need you.”

Missy blinked her eyes a few times and always wondered how the woman always knew what was going on but dismissed it. She wanted to get to the base.

Waving her hand goodbye, she walked to the side where the bathrooms were. In the hallway were several doors, two of which were the public bathrooms. She passed those and went to the third door, labeled the janitor’s closet. It wasn’t actually and she checked the hallway one more time before lifting her Wards phone to a section of the wall which popped the door open.

A dark hallway greeted her. Missy quickly walked down the stairs and opened the door at the end. Once she opened it, she was in the PRT Headquarters. This entrance brought her straight to a hallway that only those with proper clearance could access as it led straight to the elevator that would take someone to the Ward’s Base entrance. 

As she walked down the hallway she contemplated how much of a mess the entire situation had to be. Shortly after the news broke, the Wards were all contacted, an information blackout was in effect until the official briefing and all Wards were off duty until then. Her patrol scheduled for that afternoon was still on the schedule, so it didn’t seem to be a long term thing at least. She didn’t want to be sent home after the meeting, to either parent.

She turned the corner and walked up to what was supposed to be rather impressive steel doors and pressed her phone to the reader. The doors slid open in a marvelous display of Tinkertech. It became rather boring after the thirteenth time. The elevator ride down was smooth and it gave Missy a moment to herself.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. She walked down the long corridor that was way too shiny in Missy’s opinion. Then she walked up to the security terminal and once again used her phone to authenticate herself. She then waited five seconds before putting in a series of numbers on the touch pad. The scanner above lit up and a red beam shot out above her. Missy quickly stepped back and stood as straight as possible. It was always a pain when the scanner didn’t find her and she had to do the whole thing again.

The red light swept the area, narrowing when it found her and let out a sigh of relief when it beeped, turning green. The door unlocked and slid open, revealing the Wards Base.

It wasn’t anything extravagant in Missy’s eyes. It was functional and did its purpose. The main room of the base was dome-shaped, with walls that could be easily changed out depending on how many Wards they had. Two hallways led to their personal rooms and bathrooms-slash-showers. In one alcove was a large couch with a T.V, a console sat in front of it with the controllers splayed out on the carpet and coffee table. In another was a row of computers, most used for Ward related business, like when one was assigned to Console, but two of them were meant for helping them do their homework, not that anyone used them for that even if Dennis insisted they were monitored.

Missy didn’t understand what he meant by that, but when Chris nodded along with him, she trusted their word. 

The kitchenette was in one of the bigger alcoves and was mostly neat, bearing the few wrappers that she guessed Dennis or Chris had left behind. There was a small stove that was barely used and a refrigerator that the team kept a few drinks in. 

She was the one who used the kitchenette the most, at least until more recently when Sophia started hanging around the base more often. Missy didn’t know why, but she had noticed a shift in Sophia’s behavior and attitude of late. That’s not to say she wasn’t a bitch anymore, but she wasn’t telling Dennis to jump off a building anymore so that had to account for something. 

Missy unslung her backpack and opened the refrigerator as she contemplated her fellow Ward while looking for a soda. None of them knew a whole lot about her other than the fact that she went to Winslow and had two siblings; an older brother and a younger sister. She knew that Winslow was a shithole and she wondered how Sophia got through it. If any of the stories she heard were true, then Missy felt that Sophia must’ve been threatened constantly.

Maybe that’s why she’s so angry all the time , Missy concluded. 

She heard a beep echo from the monitor by the elevator. Missy knew what that sound meant, hearing it many times in her career as a Ward. She glanced over to the monitor, a yellow light on its face. Not a tour, not that she expected it to be one. They were canceled as of yesterday. With the coast clear, she opened her soda and took a sip.

The doors slid open to reveal the very person she was thinking about. Sophia. She waltzed in with a backpack on her shoulders much like herself. Sophia looked around for a brief moment before her eyes landed on Missy. The first thing she saw were the dark circles under Sophia’s eyes. Then she realized just how exhausted the older girl looked. 

Her shoulders were scrunched up and her back was hunched, and not because of her backpack. She was wearing a simple black hoodie, which was a stark difference than what Missy had seen her in. It was wrinkled and looked dirtier than she’d seen before. 

“Hey, Sophia,” Missy said cordially.

Sophia glared at her, took a deep breath, before saying, “Hey, Missy.”

Missy had to do a double take at hearing Sophia actually refer to her by her name, let alone respond. Did Victoria’s death affect Sophia that much? She never would’ve thought that to be the case, Sophia always hated the girl and stayed away from Victoria whenever she showed up on base. Not that Sophia stuck around when the Wards and the New Wave kids hung out. 

“You okay?” Missy blurted, not even realizing she said it.

Sophia stared at her for a brief moment, her hand squeezing the strap of her backpack in a deathgrip before relaxing. Sophia didn’t bother speaking and quickly headed to her room.

That’s more like the Sophia I know , Missy thought. It was still a strange interaction and a part of Missy wanted to know what the hell just happened, but thought against it. It would only antagonize the older girl more. Missy really wished that Sophia wasn’t the only other girl in the Wards, she wanted someone she could talk with that didn’t smell like stale onions or have the personality of one. 

Sighing deeply, Missy grabbed her bag and with soda in hand, went to her room. Along the hallway, Missy glanced at the doors and the placards on each one. It wasn’t anything special, just their cape names, but each one of the Wards had livened their doors. Except for Sophia’s.

Missy stopped at her door, a few Vista stickers, her own green costume being the only colorful thing on the door, and a handful of sticky notes. She looked at each one and shook her head. More of Dennis’s jokes. She couldn’t help but smile at them. They were dumb and completely unprofessional, but she knew his heart was in it.

She opened her door and walked into her room. A quick glance around showed nothing had changed, not that she expected it to. Most of her clothes, along with her costume, were hung up in the closet and she had a desk next to her bed with a few notes and books on it. It wasn’t a big room, but it was all Missy needed. It was more of a home to her than either of her parent’s places.

Missy set her bag on the bed and plopped onto it, splaying out. The bed was far bigger than what she needed, and as much as it bothered her that it was because of her small stature, she couldn’t deny how nice it was. She loved that they actually let her have a queen size bed when she asked, even if it did mean she had less room for other things.

After what felt like hours, Missy sat up and looked at her costume hanging up in the closet. She really wished she didn’t have to wear a skirt. No matter how many times she demanded to have some practical pants, the image department insisted. It was demeaning in so many ways, especially when the compromise reached was a set of matching tights to wear under it, but only in the colder months. At least she didn’t mind the white and forest green swooping lines, but that was a small consolation. 

Staring at it for a minute, Missy sighed and got up. She needed to straighten her hair and get ready. Even if it was only a debriefing, she wanted to be suited up and ready to go. She had to go on patrol afterwards.

ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ - ᛟ

Vista walked out of her room, her visor in one hand and the empty soda can in the other. She always felt more comfortable being Vista than Missy, as if she could be more herself. There weren’t any parents constantly arguing over her, even when it had nothing to do with her. She didn’t have to put on any fronts, fake it for people that only pretended to care when they thought it won them points in some game she didn’t want to play. They still treated her like a twelve year old, but it was better than anything she got out of her home life. 

She looked down at the visor, a small smile gracing her lips. Her thumb rubbed the lens, smudging it more than anything else, but it comforted her. 

Chatter from down the hallway turned Vista’s attention from her visor and towards the living room. A few of her teammates were standing around, but she could only see Carlos, who wore a sorrowful grimace. The smile fell from Vista’s face as reality hit her once again and she couldn’t help but swallow. 

Vista took a deep breath and started walking down the hallway, schooling her features. As much as a hole was carved from her chest, she wasn’t going to let Victoria down. She would help New Wave and do everything within her capacity to take down the Empire. It was the least she could do for Victoria. 

Neither Dennis nor Chris noticed her presence as she slipped in beside them. 

“How bad was it, Carlos?” Chris said as he scratched the back of his brown hair.

Vista knew that Chris wasn’t handling it well. She tried to look for him earlier and learned to find that he’d been in his workshop all day. No one knew what he was working on, but he was trying to get his mind off of it. He might not have been close to Victoria, but she was a shining beacon to the team. Even if she wasn’t on it.

Carlos had his hand on his mouth as he looked away from the group. He briefly looked up, noticed Vista’s appearance, before returning it to the ground.

“Bad,” He said, his voice giving no chance of misinterpretation. There was a haunted look in his eyes. Vista couldn’t imagine what it must be like to carry… a friend's body to the hospital.

“And Dean?”

Vista didn’t realize that she had blurted the words out until all three of them leveled an intense gaze at her. 

Carlos looked between Dennis and Chris, no obvious signs of an answer being shown from the exchange. Carlos sighed, “We don’t know. No one’s been able to contact him beside’s Armsmaster. He’s supposed to be at the debriefing.”

“He’s going to be a wreck,” Dennis deadpanned.

“Dennis!” Carlos scolded him.

“What? It’s the truth. He’s been off ever since Victoria broke up with him.”

“Which we don’t even know the story behind,” Carlos bit back, getting a little closer to Dennis.

“Oh please,” Dennis said as he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. “Like we didn’t expect this to happen. They broke up once before and we all know that doesn’t go well for relationships.”

Carlos growled and took another step forward. The calm and cool leader was gone and Carlos was getting angry. A side Vista hasn’t seen often. 

“Dennis, back off.” 

“No, why should we have to deal with a mop—”

“Guys!” Chris interjected, getting between the two before it could escalate. “Seriously?”

Both of them stared at each other over Chris’s shoulder before both turned their gaze. Vista felt there was more going on between the two than just a small spat about Dean. She knew that it hasn’t been easy on the team ever since Victoria broke up with him. Especially in the past few days. It seemed to have gotten worse after New Wave’s annual barbecue last week. 

There was a few seconds of silence where no one wanted to talk. Vista wasn’t sure what to do in this situation and considering the reason why they were there, she didn’t want to step over a line. 

The awkward silence was broken when a door down the hallway opened. Vista looked over her shoulder, finding Sophia stepping out of her room, dressed in her costume except for her mask. Her hood was up, covering her head where only her eyes and lower jaw were visible. She had her mask hooked to her belt and she quickly shoved her hands into the side pockets of her black pants.

Her eyes darted between the various heights, before she looked down at the ground. Sophia walked over to them and Vista waited for the scathing comment, but Sophia didn’t say a word. At least by now she would’ve insulted one of them. She didn’t know why, but Vista suspected that Sophia was hit hard by Victoria’s death, but it didn’t make sense to her since Sophia barely interacted with the older girl. With any of them for that matter.

When Sophia stopped, she looked up again, a brief look of confusion crossing her face before it turned into an angry snarl. “What?” 

Vista blinked her eyes and looked at the boys to see they were just as shocked as her. 

“Are you—” 

Carlos was about to ask but was interrupted by Dennis.

“Nothing!” 

Sophia scoffed and shook her head while crossing her arms. “When’s this meeting supposed to start?”

Vista looked up at the clock on the wall. “In five minutes,” She said.

“Then why are we standing around here?”

The boys looked at each other for a second before Carlos spoke up. “We’re waiting for Dean.”

Vista furrowed her eyebrows. “Isn’t he supposed to meet us at the debriefing?”

“Originally, yeah. But apparently he’s stopping by here.” He looked at the elevator. “He should be here by—”

The warning chimed again, the monitor showing a yellow light.

“Now…”

Vista didn’t bother fiddling with her visor because she knew it had to be Dean, if it was one of the Protectorate a different warning would have sounded. When the elevator’s doors slid open, her assumption was proven correct.

Dean looked…awful to Vista’s eye. He wasn’t even in costume, wearing his nice street clothes instead. Though, nice was not the correct word as Vista stared at her crush. There were dark rings under his eyes, his well kept blonde hair was in disarray, his clothes were wrinkled to the point that Vista guessed that he slept in them. Then there was the lifelessness in his eyes that haunted Vista. It was a look she’d never seen from the older boy and it was startling. 

“Hey, Dean,” Vista blurted out again, cursing herself at how cheerful it sounded. There was nothing cheerful about what happened.

Dean barely grazed over her with his eyes before they landed on the group as a whole, an attempted smile on his face that everyone could tell was fake. It fell fast and his head slumped. His shoulders started bobbing and Vista knew instantly what was happening.

The space between her and Dean seemingly compressed as she wrapped her arms around him, a faint sobbing escaped his lips. She snapped reality back to normal, allowing the rest of the team to huddle around their teammate. 

No matter what had happened between Dean and Victoria, Dean was their teammate and they weren’t going to let him handle it alone. Vista did notice that Sophia was a little hesitant, hanging outside of the group, but felt a faint smile pull at her lips when Sophia put a hand on the older boy’s shoulder and gave him an awkward pat. 

“T-thanks g-guys,” Dean stuttered. 

No one said anything in response, as far as Vista could tell. It wasn’t until a simultaneous chime sounded from all of their phones that the hug broke up. Vista pulled out her phone and read the message quickly.

“Looks like it's time,” Carlos said, solemnly.

“Yeah…” Vista said, a heavy weight settled on her shoulders. As much as she wanted to know more of what was going on, it caused reality to come crashing back onto her. 

She knew that being a cape was dangerous, but this was the first time it had happened to someone she was close to. 

The Wards slowly went into the elevator and Vista joined her fellow Wards in not commenting that Dean was the only one out of costume, though he had slipped on a generic domino mask. They rode the elevator in silence as they went up the building. When they reached the top, there was a ding before the elevator doors slid open. One by one, the Wards walked out and into the short hallway where the debriefing room was located.

When Vista walked in, she watched as Armsmaster stood in front of a white board and was marking down a few notes. Vista quickly read what was already there and it didn’t fill her with any hope. It was a timetable with events that happened yesterday. 

Miss Militia was sitting in a chair, the fingers of one hand tapping on the table while she held a piece of paper in the other. With her bandana on, it was hard for Vista to know what was on her mind, but she had an idea based on how strained her face was around her eyes.

Vista wasn’t surprised that not all members of the Protectorate weren’t there. One, it was a bad idea to have all heroes in one location and two, with the death of a local hero, they needed to show a strong front in the city. But she didn’t expect Dauntless to be there. He was among one of the strongest of them and should be out patrolling. Yet from what she could see from his helmet, he was sitting with a look of satisfaction on his face. His head looked up and if Vista was judging the line of sight correctly, it was directed at Sophia.

Sophia froze, her face twisting into a snarl as she reached for a weapon that wasn’t there. The grin fell away from Dauntless’ face when he realized she was ready to attack him and he looked away. Sophia huffed and made her way to her usual seat closest to the door.

Vista briefly wondered what that was about until she remembered that the two were patrolling when Gondul first came onto the scene. If she recalled correctly, Dauntless got his ass handed to him and failed to recruit the girl. She remembered Shadow Stalker coming into the Wards Base that night, muttering about the report and how idiotic the Protectorate member was. And how they were going to ignore all her warnings and it would backfire.

And how right she was.

Director Piggot looked up from her stack of papers that she’d been going through while waiting for everyone to get into their seats. Vista could tell that she was as tired as everyone else. Her bleached blonde bob-style haircut was not as neat as it usually was and her navy blue jacket was a little askew. Like always, she had a stern look on her face, but it seemed deeper than usual. Vista knew what that meant. It wasn’t good.

“Good afternoon, Wards,” She said, calmly. 

It sounded… rehearsed.

“Good afternoon, Ma’am,” Vista said in unison with her fellow Wards. They all had a range of tones and it sounded like a horrible quartet group.

Director Piggot and the Protectorate gave cordial nods. The director looked over to Armsmaster and said, “Let’s start, there’s a lot we have to cover.”

Armsmaster turned away from the whiteboard and nodded. “Very well.” He put the marker down and stood at attention.

Director Piggot nodded and set the papers down, crossing her arms and releasing a deep breath. “As I’m sure you all know, yesterday was… not a good day for Brockton Bay.” She paused and looked over to Dean. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Dean looked a little startled, like a deer in the headlights that finally realized it should move. “Thank you,” He said. “Ma’am,” He added quickly.

Director Piggot nodded and continued. “I will let Armsmaster take over what the current state of the Bay is.”

Armsmaster nodded, “Thank you, Director,” and turned towards the white board. Vista took a closer look and wondered if it was the same board they had that was made when Gondul first showed up. Armsmaster had rewritten everything they knew about Gondul in his neat handwriting, and then some. The board had considerably more details on it than before, including what looked to be a civilian name. 

But that wasn’t what Armsmaster was looking at. Instead it was the timetable next to it. “We received reports that Victoria and Gondul were patrolling downtown from twelve twenty-three in the afternoon until three forty-five. When we received the first notification of a cape battle happening.”

Armsmaster stopped and took a deep breath. To Vista, it looked like he was even a little shaken by what happened. “Aegis and Miss Militia were the first to arrive on scene where the battle took place.” He looked over to Aegis and Miss Militia, both with haunted looks on their faces. “That was where they found Glory Girl, civilian identity Victoria Dallon, deceased on the sidewalk.”

Vista couldn’t stop herself from squeezing on the arm of the chair. She knew it was only going to get more descriptive. 

“Be aware, this will be graphic. She had numerous lacerations, the flesh on her hands were stripped to the bone, a piece of rebar, which after examination bore her hand prints, through her—”

“STOP!” Dean yelled, practically hyperventilating.

Everyone was startled by the outburst, but no one scolded him. Not even Director Piggot, to Vista’s surprise. 

“Apologies,” Armsmaster said softly after a few seconds. He turned to the whiteboard again and pointed to a few bullet points. “We canvassed the surrounding area for any witnesses and all came to the same conclusion. Glory Girl engaged Hookwolf on her own. Her phone that we recovered from the scene concluded that as well.”

“Why didn’t she wait for Gondul?” Chris asked. “If they were so… close, why did she rush in? And where was she during the fight? She showed up but supposedly disappeared?”