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Debbie leaned back into her bedrest, trying (and failing) to read a prime copy of Heart of Darkness. Nolan had so magnanimously bestowed it upon her, along with two other boxes full of first editions. Debbie preferred her Kindle, but electronics seemed in short supply these days. Not that she particularly liked these days.
Nolan had put her up in a spacious condo in Chicago, and Olga in the condo across from her. When Mark and Nolan first helped her “move in”, the nightmare was only a few days old, and Chicago was, supposedly, one of the safest cities in the country. Illinois' governor had immediately capitulated, and anyone who objected—soldiers, police, college students—had been imprisoned or exterminated, typically the latter after the former.
The city was under martial “law”, and the new mayor was a former GDA Quisling. The streets quiet, but only at the point of his bayonet. Debbie rubbed her temple and placed the book on her nightstand. She for the first two weeks, she didn’t leave the condo. If she shut the blinds and watched the complete collection of Friends that the previous occupant had left behind, she could almost pretend that things hadn’t gone to hell.
In the end, though, she couldn't. So, for the past week (under armed guard), she and Olga got up each day at the crack of dawn and joined the serving line for the daily food ration. Until yesterday, the city looked almost normal. There were no cars and things had gradually swelled with refugees (and too few tents). Neither of them spoke much, but it was something, and these days, a lot of people didn’t even have that. Then, a few days ago, that kaiju came back and leveled half of the city before Mark and Nolan stopped it.
As it did every night, her bedroom door swung open, and Olga stepped in. She said nothing as she pulled up the other bedrest and began a breathing exercise. Debbie understood, and these times—when things were winding down, and sleep finally approached, having the company was almost enough.
“You know,” Olga said quietly, “when that thing attacked, I didn’t want it to destroy the city.”
Debbie pursed her lips. She and Olga had deliberately not watched Mark and Nolan battle the kaiju, but all the same, Debbie couldn’t stop thinking of the tentacle Nolan had brought back the day he stopped it the first time.
“I…” she said slowly, “… you know, for a moment or two, I wasn’t worried. I… I wanted it…”
Olga didn’t look at her, rather the ceiling, but said, “I understand. Josef’s death sent me to dark places. To have to deal with”—she cleared her throat—“I understand.”
Debbie would’ve asked if she was a bad person, but she already knew she wasn’t. She knew what bad people looked like—somehow, she managed to marry one and raise another.
“Before that thing attacked, you gave that little girl an extra biscuit, didn’t you?” Debbie asked.
Olga exhaled out of her nose. "Yes."
“That was your daily good deed, then,” Debbie said. “I’m not sure I got mine in before it all started."
“You were there,” Olga said. “That has to be enough.”
Debbie sighed heavily.
“Do you need some sleeping pills?” she asked. “I have some spare in my bathroom.”
“I’d rather drink,” Olga said darkly. Debbie turned to look at her and squeezed her shoulder.
“Hey,” she said. “We’re keeping each other dry, remember?”
Olga continued to study the ceiling, but she nodded. Then she got up with a slouch and left the room.
Debbie watched her go and had already turned the lights off when her door swung open again. The light from the living room cast him in black, again, and Debbie just about managed to keep it together as he flicked the lights on.
Mark was spattered with blood. Debbie hoped it wasn’t human, but it probably was.
Mark scowled. “Some people kidnapped Amber. This is from them.”
“Amber?” Debbie said. “Is she alright?”
“Yeah,” Mark said. “I saved her and her mom.”
“What about Mr. Bennet?” she asked.
“Some debris,” Mark said, “I’m so sorry that I’m not perfect and can’t save everyone.”
Debbie didn’t really have words. Her thoughts must’ve been obvious, though, because Mark huffed.
“I saved some other people on my way here, by the way,” he said. “Their car fell into a lake. I pulled them out and took them back to their house when they asked. But you don’t care about that, do you?”
Debbie shook her head. “Mark… Mark, this isn’t about that.”
“Yes it is!” Mark threw his arms up. “You, William, everyone—you all just sit there and judge me. Do you know what it’s like to do what I’m meant to do?”
Debbie glared at him. “Are you saying you’re meant to murder people?”
“I’m trying to save lives," Mark groaned.
Debbie scoffed.
“I don’t have to do this,” Mark scowled. “Dad and I could let the other viltrumites come and kill half a million people. We could sit back and watch the world burn.” He surged forward, and Debbie stumbled back, gagging from how awful he smelled. “But I’m not. I care about you, and William, and Eve, and humanity. This is the best option. Otherwise, even more people will die. You care about people, right?”
When Debbie had heard this stuff from Nolan, it broke her heart, but hearing it from Mark shattered it.
“Please, Markie,” she said. “You can stop. You don’t have to do this.”
A white speckle fell off him, and bile rose in her throat when Debbie realized it was a bit of tooth. He stepped forward until he loomed over her, bloody and enraged.
“Do you think the viltrumites will care about Olga?” Mark asked in a low voice. “Or you? No. They’d kill you in a heartbeat for everything you’ve said. Dad and I are the only thing between you, and them.” Mark firmed his lips. “But you don’t care, do you? No, Mark, you kill babies. No, Mark, you’re crazy.” He backed Debbie up until she hit the edge of her bed. “I do everything for you guys, and what do I get?”
Debbie swallowed, and her heart began to jackhammer.
“Do you think I’d hurt you?” he asked.
Debbie was stock-still, but her head inclined, just barely. Mark’s anger faded, and he began to shake. he looked at her with wide, wet eyes.
With trembling hands, he put his mask back on. He hesitated, then flew straight through the wall. Debbie stumbled back onto her bed, feeling numb. Olga came over to see what was wrong, and all Debbie could do was hold onto her for dear life, wracked with silent sobs.