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Pearl slipped through the dark city streets unnoticed. Not that it was too difficult, considering she could go invisible. She knew exactly where Scott would be tonight–the same place he was every other Thursday night. The same place she used to be every other Thursday night. And even if she didn’t know, she could all but track him by the way the omnipresent ringing in her ears grew louder.
Was she doing the right thing? Surely, yes. Even if her method of getting there was a little unconventional. The place she’d hit her head pulsed subtly with pain.
She would show him. She would show him that she wasn’t crazy. That their supervisors had done something terrible to them, had been shoveling propaganda into their heads and making them accept it blindly. She was sure she could do it. She could deprogram him.
As she quietly climbed the fire escape to reach the building’s rooftop, she heard Cleo’s voice, and a flare of jealousy shot through her. She shouldn’t feel that way, they used to be a powerful trio–but now Cleo was Scott’s partner in crime, and that was supposed to be her. Scott was supposed to love her.
He still did, of course he did. Even though he’d brushed her off as insane, same as everyone else. Sure, Scott loved Cleo, but not like he loved Pearl. Right?
She peered over the ledge of the building, seeing the two of them chatting. She’d been afraid that they would be talking bad about her, but honestly, the way they seemed not to care at all was worse. It was the same idle gossip the three of them always exchanged–Scar did this, BigB told me this, well Lizzie said this–and she nearly felt at home. Honestly, even if this didn’t work out or she chickened out or whatever… maybe it’d be worth it to sit beside them and hear their conversations again. Even if they didn’t know she was there.
Speaking of. Her boot accidentally scuffed some gravel, and the two froze, on high alert.
“Who’s there?” Cleo commanded.
Okay. Okay, this is fine. She’d just need to accelerate her plan. She picked up a rock and tossed it down the fire escape. It made a loud clatter. The two heroes narrowed their eyes.
“Well, shit,” said Cleo eventually.
“One of us has to go check that out,” Scott said. Then, he quickly put his finger to his nose, “Nose goes.”
Cleo scoffed and rolled their eyes.
“Seriously? Ugh, fine,” she started toward the edge of the building, nearly brushing against Pearl. “You remind me of my students sometimes, you really do. I swear…”
They disappeared down the stairs, and Pearl threw another rock further away to lead them off.
Then it was just her and Scott. He leaned up against an AC unit and took out his phone. Pearl slowly, silently approached. He was so close… she could smell him.
She swallowed. Enough stalling.
In one quick move, she removed a damp rag and zip tie from her hoodie pocket, stuffing the cloth in his mouth and binding his hands as soon as he began to struggle. This all but nullified his powers, and he squirmed helplessly. They were pretty evenly matched strength-wise, but Pearl had the advantage of surprise, position, and not having a rag of chloroform stuffed in her mouth. Scott called out, but it was muffled, and Cleo was too far off to hear.
Pearl became visible. She didn’t know why. Maybe she just wanted to see his reaction.
His eyes widened. She heard a noise that sounded almost like her name. As he slowly grew weaker and his eyes more tired, she was sure he was pleading with her. How very unlike him.
He collapsed into her arms. She felt his breathing go deep and even, just like that. Perfect.
With slight struggle, she hefted his heavy body up and began to carefully descend the stairs. Cleo please don’t come back please don’t see please please–
Once she was a block away, she knew she’d gotten away with it. And as she pushed Scott into the backseat of her car, she heard Cleo call out his name. But by then, it was too late.
Scott had an abysmal headache when he woke up. God, ow. He hadn’t had a hangover this bad since college, holy…
He sat up in whatever chair he was sitting down in, went to rub his face, but discovered he couldn’t. His arms wouldn’t move, why weren’t they…?
Adrenaline shot through his body as he realized exactly what had happened and his current position. He was tied to a chair. Holy shit. And this was–this was Pearl? She really had lost it.
The room was as indescript as could be. Cold, gray cinderblock walls. Plain wood chair with leather straps on the arms and legs. He tried to shimmy around with his telekinesis, but without his full range of motion, he was practically useless. He grunted.
He strained his ears. A dull hum filled the room. Electricity or airflow or something. God, he just needed something to cling onto, something that would get him out of here. But none of the straps would give, and he had no idea where he was. Shit. Shit shit shit.
Time passed.
He didn’t know how much, but he was well past bored and his stomach was starting to hurt. But after what felt like forever, he heard footsteps. He tensed up in preparation. As the door opened, he heard soft humming behind him.
“Oh, Scott!” she said, as if surprised to find him there. “You're up!”
She walked into view, smiling.
“How do you feel?”
Scott stared at her.
“Just lovely,” he said after a moment. “Never better. These restraints are a bit snug, though. Would you mind loosening them?”
Pearl laughed.
“You're funny. Well, clearly you're doing fine! Hungry?”
Scott was torn between the want to resist and the want for food. Eventually, he just said
“Pearl. What is this?”
“Okay, okay,” she put her hands up, “I know how this seems.”
“It seems like you kidnapped me.”
“I know, I know,” Pearl sighed, as if this were some petty argument. “But trust me. This is for your own good.”
Scott just stared at her. Stared at her blue eyes until she faltered.
“Listen, Scott…” she crouched down to be at eye level with him. He looked away. “I know you don't believe me, but I'll show you. Don't worry.”
Scott couldn’t help but worry.
“What do you– what do you even think you're showing me?”
Pearl tapped at Scott’s temple, and he couldn’t suppress his flinch. She'd done it hard.
“You remember,” she said quietly. “When I hit my head. I remembered everything, Scott. Everything that you don't.”
She leaned closer.
“They're brainwashing you, Scott. But don't worry. I'll fix it.”
Scott said nothing. She leaned back.
“Now. Hungry?”
At the thought of food, Scott’s stomach answered for him. She giggled.
“Got it. One minute!”
And she went back up the stairs. Scott let out a deep breath that he didn't know he was holding.
“Brainwashing.” God, what had happened to her?
He remembered the day she hit her head — the sharp crack, the way she clutched his hand and whispered, “My ear won’t stop ringing… what did they do to me?”
After that, nothing was the same. The agency's hospital said she was fine, but she kept hearing things — ringing, whispers, messages. Then the paranoia came. She’d pull him aside between missions, voice trembling: “Scott, they’re brainwashing us, they put chips in our heads—” until pain silenced her again.
They called it a concussion, then paranoid delusions. A week later, she attacked her supervisors. And then she was gone.
Until now.
Part of him felt bad for her. She obviously thought she was doing the right thing. But mostly, he was angry that he'd been abducted. God forbid his sympathy wane when he was strapped to a chair.
Pearl returned with a plate of food. He knew what it was. It was the pasta she always brought to work– the one he'd always steal from her. Unfortunately, it did smell pretty good.
“It's your favorite,” she said. She held a forkful to his face. He resented being fed this way, but the alternative was not being fed at all. He took a bite. It was good.
“See?” Pearl said. “I'm not gonna hurt you, Scott, I promise. You know how much I love you.”
Scott swallowed.
“Sorry, Pearl, I just don't have much confidence in your… mental state right now.”
“What, just because they said–”
“Because I'm tied to a chair!” Scott exclaimed. Pearl said nothing. She held the fork to his mouth again. He ate.
Two bites later, she spoke again.
“Well, you wouldn't listen to me. This is for your own good, Scott. You'll see. You'll thank me.”
“Pearl, that sounds terrifying.”
She said nothing. Another bite.
“And how are you going to ‘deprogram’ me, anyway?” he asked again.
“You'll see,” she repeated. “Just relax, and let it happen.”
Scott looked up to send her a look, but suddenly the room was swimming.
“Wh-what…?” he muttered. He looked around, dazed. “Pearl, what did you–?”
“Shhh…” she hushed.
“What's– what's in this food…?”
“It's okay, Scott. Relax.”
She held another bite to his mouth and, mindlessly, he took it.
“Good. That's good, Scott. Just let it happen.”
Scott's thoughts had gone sideways, all fuzzy and intangible… Where was he? Who was he? Why was he here? The room was going dark…
He felt his head being lowered to the back of his chair.
“Easy does it… Easy does it…”
That was Pearl… Scott likes Pearl.
He smiled unconsciously. He didn't see her smile back.
“Rest now, okay?”
Scott tried to nod, then failed. And just like that, he faded away.
When Scott awoke next, he was still slightly hazy. His vision was bleary, and wouldn't quite focus. He heard quiet humming in front of him.
“There we go…good morning!”
He mumbled something in return.
“Did you have a good nap?”
He narrowed his eyes, and he was able to bring Pearl's face into focus. Right. Right, that's where he is.
“Pearl,” he said. “Let me go.”
Pearl frowned slightly.
“I can't do that,” she said. “I haven't even tried to fix you yet.”
“Fix me?” he asked, incredulous. “You sound crazy!”
“You'll see that I'm not!” she raised her voice, and it made Scott flinch. She never raised her voice like that.
She turned around and took a deep breath. Then she faced him again.
“I'm sorry,” she said. “But I am going to show you. Are you ready?”
“Ready for what?” Scott asked.
“For this.”
Suddenly, before Scott's eyes, sparkling stars appeared. They glowed, enticing and entrancing. He jumped back.
“What the… what the hell is this?” Scott asked. Pearl waved her hand lightly and the night sky before him shimmered.
“The last good thing I got from the agency. Invisibility is all about diversion. That means I can do things like this, and you can't look away.”
“Please, I can look–...” he struggled, “Away… fuck. Fuck, Pearl–”
“Shhh… it's easier to just look. Don't tire your eyes.”
Scott continued to struggle, but the stars laughed at him.
“Oh, poor thing. You're going to make your eyes all heavy…”
“No,” he grunted, “No, you're not gonna… hypnotize me!”
“It's too late Scott, you're already falling.”
Falling…
No…
Scott's falling through space, suspended in a glowing void. The stars shone in his eyes.
“Pearl…” he protested one last time, but his voice was a whisper and his eyes were wide open in artificial wonder.
“Fall, Scott. Deeper, fall deeper, deeper, deeper…”
Scott stared dumbly, mouth falling open.
“Good… just like that. What do you see?”
“Stars…” Scott breathed. “Thousands and thousands of… stars…”
“Do you remember when we used to watch the stars at night? Wasn't that so peaceful?”
“Peace…”
“You feel at peace with the stars. You feel at peace with me.”
“You…”
Machinery hummed and it was like wind rushing past his ears. He was falling faster, sinking deeper…
“Your mind is open to me, isn’t it?”
Scott nodded. He hardly heard her, too lost in the stars.
“Wide open…” Pearl affirmed. “I can just reach in…”
She rested her hand on his head.
“And change whatever I want…”
He nodded again, limp under her touch. She started rubbing his scalp, massaging gently. His eyes all but glazed over… His head began to loll, and it made her grin.
“That's perfect Scott, just like that… your mind is like putty in my hands, slipping through my fingers… look at the stars, Scott.”
How could he ever look away…?
“The constellations… you see them?”
Yes… he knew them well.
“I can make them change.”
Or did he? Pearl turned her hand and the constellations shifted, and suddenly they were all that had ever been.
His head rolled to his shoulder. Pearl kept whispering to him softly, but the words went straight to his subconscious and he hardly heard them. He just stared at the rotating sky until he drooled.
He had no idea how much time passed before her voice began to lead him softly into sleep. He was a feather, slowly floating back to earth and resting on the clouds… his eyes were slipping shut before he realized it. And as he drifted away, everything Pearl had said to him seeped deeper and deeper into his brain.
The next time he was conscious, he was very loopy. He could hardly lift his head for a minute there. But he already heard Pearl's voice fading in.
“My name is Scott Smajor,” she said. “I am a good hero. Good heroes help people. Good heroes help Pearl. Good heroes love Pearl. I love Pearl. My name is Scott Smajor.”
What the…? She was repeating herself like a looping record.
“Pearl?” he asked. She didn't respond.
“... I am a good hero…”
“Pearl, what are you…?”
“... Good heroes help people…”
Why did that feel so familiar? Well, of course. Of course good heroes help people.
“Good heroes help Pearl.”
That's not right…
“Good heroes love Pearl.”
Why was she repeating herself so much?
“I love Pearl.”
Of course he loves Pearl. It's… you know, even with everything that's happened. She's important to him. He loves her.
“My name is Scott Smajor.”
It is.
“I am a good hero.”
He is.
“Good heroes help people.”
Good heroes help people…
“Good heroes help Pearl.”
What's happening? What's…?
“Good heroes love Pearl.”
Is that… it's a recording…?
“I love Pearl.”
He loves Pearl.
Soft footsteps behind him. Another Pearl voice began speaking. This one is richer, more natural.
“Welcome back, Scott. How are you feeling?”
Scott struggled to get the words out of his mouth. It came out as a groan. Pearl just laughed. She stood in front of him, crouching down. Scott felt dizzy as he looked into her dazzling blue eyes. Her smile was so warm…
She held a bottle to his lips, and he almost drank automatically. But he thought better of himself and jerked back.
“Wh…” he got out, “Why can't I focus? You're drugging me…”
“What?” she asked. “No, Scott, that's ridiculous. You were just reeling from our last hypnosis session. The water is to help you focus.”
He blinked at her. In the background, he heard Good heroes love Pearl.
He drank.
Almost immediately, the world turned. Scott couldn’t help the way his heavy head lolled forward.
“There we go… isn't that so much better?”
A grunt.
…
“My name is Scott Smajor,” he heard. “I am a good hero.”
“Do you like the recording?” Pearl asked. “I've had it playing while you were sleeping, so you don't forget.”
Somewhere in his brain, Scott knew this should worry him. He said nothing.
“It's called psychic driving,” her voice was soft. “It's supposed to break your mind down so someone can rebuild it for you. But, see, I'm letting you keep your name. I just want to help you.”
Scott said nothing, but he couldn't fight the way each word hugged his brain.
“And you want to help me, right?”
“Good heroes help Pearl,” the phrase slipped out before he could help it. Before he could suppress it, before he even realized he was saying it. And Pearl grinned.
“That's right. You're here to help me, Scott. We're always on the same side aren't we?”
“Nnh…” was Scott's attempt at protest.
“We trust each other, don't we?”
Scott said nothing.
“Would I lie to you?” Pearl asked. Then her hand was in his hair, and she gently said “Say, ‘No, Pearl.’”
“No, Pearl…” he muttered.
“I'm always right, aren't I?”
A tired nod.
“That's right. You believe everything I tell you, don't you?”
“Every…”
“Everything. You know now that I was right all along. And that's why,” she gently picked up his head so that he could look forward. “You're gonna let me into your head to fix it. Right?”
She used her hand to make him nod.
“Good! Now…”
The stars. The stars returned. Scott slumped over, limp in his chair.
“Just listen to me.”
Scott woke up in a bed.
He sat up. Something felt… off. He didn't know what. He looked around.
This was Pearl's guest room. Oh, okay. He's fine, then.
He tried to sit up, surprised by a cuff on one of his wrists pulling against the bedpost.
What the…?
He stared at it for a moment.
Well, surely Pearl had a good reason for it. It was probably just for his own safety.
That wasn't right. This isn't right.
He sat up regardless, unable to find it in himself to be worried. It was Pearl, after all.
Speaking of.
“Pearl?” he called into the apartment. He heard shuffling, then quick steps on the carpet. She opened the door and smiled when she found him.
“Scott!” she said. “Good, you're finally up. How are you feeling?”
“Um… fine?” he said. “My head kind of hurts…”
“I bet,” Pearl came in, sat at the foot of the bed, and tilted her head. “Don't you remember?”
Scott furrowed his brow.
“Remember what?” he asked.
“Oh, Scott. You hit your head. Like me!”
Suddenly, the slowly growing pulsing pain made sense. And… oh, now that he thought about it, his ear was ringing, just like she'd said hers did.
“Oh. What… how did I get here, though?”
“I brought you,” Pearl said like it was obvious. “I… Well, I've been keeping an eye out for you. On patrols and things. It's dangerous, and– I know you think I'm crazy, but…”
Scott nodded at her, urging her to continue. He was sure he'd understand whatever she had to say.
“But… well. They really did brainwash us, Scott.”
Sudden memories flashed before his eyes, and he was stunned back with a gasp. Images of operating tables, bright lights and flashing screens and things that pried his eyes open as he struggled– all coated in a thick layer of colorful spirals, swirls, halos…
The screen flashed before his eyes, too quick to read, but he knew what they said, somewhere in his head:
GOOD HEROES HELP PEOPLE
GOOD HEROES SERVE US
GOOD HEROES FOLLOW ORDERS
More glimpses, drugs pumped into his system over and over.
Some glimpses seemed out of place, but they were so brief as to be negligible.
A cinder block wall, stars, the hum of an HVAC system, more stars, a glance at what looked to be a hammer coming straight at him–
"Scott,” Pearl's hand was on his leg, her face concerned. “Scott, hey. Can you hear me?”
“Y-Yeah, I–” he blinked hard. “I can hear you, yes. You… you were right…?”
Pearl's always right.
“Unfortunately I was,” she sighed. “But I don't blame you, okay? I'd think I was crazy too. And now they're gonna do the same to you. I already heard. Cleo thinks I kidnapped you.”
Scott scoffed.
“Yeah, right. Cleo's too smart for that. They know you'd never do that.”
“No, really, Scott,” Pearl shook her head. “They seriously brainwashed us.”
Scott thought about that.
“God…” he said.
A moment's pause. Pearl rested her hand on Scott’s cuffed wrist in a way that brought him comfort.
“I had to secure you to make sure you didn't escape. You remember how disoriented I was after my accident, don't you?”
Scott nodded.
“That makes sense,” he said. He trusted Pearl's judgement possibly more than anyone's.
“So I'll have to keep you like this when I'm not here, okay? And you have to stay inside, otherwise they might find you and take you away. You don't want that, do you?”
Scott quickly shook his head.
“No,” he said. “You're safe. I'm safe with you.”
“You are,” Pearl smiled. “Okay, good. Now, let's get you some breakfast, huh?”
She unlocked the cuff, and Scott rubbed the sore red mark it'd left. She had to steady him as he stood, and he clutched his head.
“Don't worry, I can get you something for that headache too. You hit that street hard.”
Scott nodded, muttered a thank you.
The hammer left out on Pearl's counter called a vague memory, but he couldn't recall exactly what. It didn't seem important. All that mattered was that he was safe, and he was with Pearl.