by Alana Melos
Rebekah nodded in agreement, her face becoming like stone. “What about Adira?” Rory asked, elbowing me lightly to urge me to get to what he wanted to know.
“She’s still ‘alive’, so far as Alistair can tell,” I said. “Richter’s probably still using her for his body. Probably. Alistair says it’s impossible for a person to live without their soul.” My face stayed straight when I said that, but the annoyance I felt rippled across my mind. There were too many unknowns, too many ‘this has never happened before!’s to be comfortable with the situation. And I lived without a soul just fine, but I supposed that clause only applied to people who started with one.
“Then we’ll bring her out,” he said, his voice cheerful.
“Alive,” I stressed, looking at the others. Lee nodded with a half a shrug--he didn’t care either way, though I didn’t think he was ready to kill someone. I guess we’d see in a few hours. Richard nodded as well, looking lost in thought.
“Is there a way to disable her?” he asked. “And do you have a picture?”
“Don’t have a picture,” I said, frowning at the question. Had I taken any pictures of anyone I worked with… ever? There hadn’t been a need before. “But if you don’t mind my projecting a little telepathically, I can show you what she looks like.”
The sudden distaste on his face told me all I needed to know. He opened his mouth to respond, but Rory stepped in front of me. “You have your telepathy back? That’s great!” He seized me in an unexpected hug, and I pushed him away. The hurt look on his face told me all I needed to know there too.
“It just happened,” I said. “A few days ago.” The Clarity seemed to be burning a hole in my pocket. I wasn’t sure if it was because of that, or because of the mental ‘fixing’ Kiandra had done. Perhaps it had been a combination of both.
“You should have said something,” he admonished. I raised a brow at him, and he frowned, doubling down on his stance. “You’re not alone. Your decisions affect all of the pack, all of us. You should have told us.”
“I hadn’t gotten around to it yet,” I replied, brushing him off. I looked around his bulk to Richard. “Either way, she’ll be easy to spot. She’ll probably be the one throwing around red bolts of whatever it is mages use.”
“I see,” Richard said. “I had best prepare. Have you any particular place you want to put me?”
“Not yet. Check back in a half hour, here in the courtyard,” I told him. “We’ll get organized, go over the plan, adjust if necessary, and go.”
The man gave me a tight-lipped smile, inclined his head, and moved away, his silver robot in tow. I looked at Lee, who talked with Rebekah enthusiastically. “Hey, du--Lee,” I said, correcting myself before I could call him a dumbass. “Is there anything I should know about you while I plan this out?” Half hour or so for an attack plan. Well, I always did like working fast and loose.
“Oh, yeah, my sister is sort of monitoring this?” he said offhandedly. “From the other side. In case we fuck it up, she wants to know if they’ll be expecting Nazis.”
I blinked, but bit back a response. That was the smart play, and I saw Rory bob his head in agreement with Lee’s statements. “She was the one who opened the portal,” he clarified. “Under that condition. Considering how protective you are of Imperial City, I figured you’d be OK with it.”
“I am, and it’s a good plan,” I agreed, letting my irritation subside. There were too many things I couldn’t control. I realized that. Didn’t like it, but I realized it. That was a step up from a lot of would be emperors and rulers and other super villain tropes. Maybe not a huge one, but still a step.
“Can I talk to you, privately?” he asked, quirking one of his brows.
I nodded. “Sure.” When we retreated away from Alistair, Rebekah, and Lee, I asked, “What is it?”
“I can smell how tense you are,” he said. When my face screwed up, he held up a hand. “It’s not like I’m trying to. Enhanced senses aren’t always fun.”
Running a hand through my hair, I nodded. “What about it?”
“I keep expecting you to explode on someone, and you haven’t,” he said. “So I wanted to say that it’s a good thing you’re keeping your temper in check, and if you need to hit something or vent, I’m here.”
“I’m fine, Rory,” I told him, though the tension in me kept stretching out. It felt like something was going to break, but every time I was able to let go of the tension, until the next time. Sooner or later, I was going to snap.
“As your lieutenant,” he went on to say, “I also want to make sure you’re not overreaching, or keeping shit to yourself.” He paused, studying me with those bright green eyes of his. “You look a lot calmer than you smell.”
“I’m keeping things under control,” I said, then paused. “But just in case we don’t get another chance, I do have some things to tell you.” It’s a long story, and you have read most of it already, so I won’t go over it again save to say I told him about Harry, Emily, Richter, and Jorde working together, about the base and how if I was a lost cause to make sure the Siren got out since she was the only other one able to get in, and… I told him about the clone thing. My words stumbled there as his frown deepened. Even I wasn’t really at ease with it, but I couldn’t change it, so I had to let it go. I had a feeling that would come back and bite me in the ass when things slowed down.
I couldn’t tell him about the Clarity though. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him. The pull of it was strong, and I spent much of my mental resources simply trying to ignore my want to take it, to taste that power again. Maybe that was why I wasn’t getting too upset over anything else right now. Who knew?
When I finished, he nodded. “Well, you’re the same Caprice to me, so who cares?” He grinned his wolfy grin and bumped my shoulder with his gently as we sat side by side on a bench, faces turned towards the sunset.
“Knowing it makes me feel… less special,” I said, my words turning bitter. “I’m just a copy of someone else.”
“You’re not a copy,” he said. “And if you are? So what? Kids get their traits from their parents. It’s no different.”
“Thanks.” My fingers twitched, and I moved a hand over to grasp his lightly. The feel of his presence was a comfort, as warm as Adira was cool. Maybe… maybe it was because of her I kept my cool, knowing it wouldn’t help to rage and thrash against what was. I could only sit and plan how to fix it, then set that plan into motion. He squeezed my hand in response, and we sat there silently, watching the sky turn bright reds and oranges, then deeper into rich purples and blues as the sun sank below the horizon.
A disturbing thought came to me. I received comfort from him. What did he get from me? My nose wrinkled up that I thought of it at all, and I pulled away to stand, bothered by the fact that I was bothered.
“The others are coming back,” I pointed out, nodding to where Erasmus came alone. Thomas and Kiandra, our liaisons to the Empire, entered into the courtyard from a different direction. The other three were still present, talking amongst themselves. During the last twenty or so minutes, I saw the look on Alistair’s face which told me he was losing his patience with Lee, but before he blew his top, Rebekah intervened every time. It was good that she had friends.
I shook my head to rid myself of these extraneous thoughts. When I walked over, Rory joined me. Lights sprang into life around us, hidden decorative lampposts turning on by themselves as the day deepened into night. I focused on the task at hand, finding it easier to shove my emotions aside as I had a specific thing to bend my mind to.
Thomas nodded to me. In one hand, he held a rolled up map, which he laid upon a stone table meant to house picnic baskets. In the other, he had a bottle of wine which he set down. Kiandra smiled and did that air ‘kiss-kiss’ thing she did before seating herself at the table, her dress bright blue today, off shoulder and beautiful, if a touch gaudy. A shadowstep for effect, and Rebekah was suddenly in her working uniform. The lights gleamed off t
he black leather, highlighting her in yellows and oranges. Erasmus looked much the same, as did Lee and Alistair. I glanced to Rory.
“You switching yet?”
He shook his head, his dark green ponytail bouncing. “Nah, not yet. The other guy’s listening though. He’s eager to spill blood.”
“All for a vampire,” I mused.
“He hates simians,” Rory corrected. “Dead simians who still move most of all.”
“Not really helping my case there,” I said.
“She’s one vampire,” he explained. “Richter has lots of dead things, and the ability to make more. Which is the bigger threat?”
“As long as he plays nice with us, then he can rip apart all the undead Nazis to his little wolfy heart’s content.”
The tall green man chuckled and nodded. “He’s agreed.”
I smiled, breathing a small sigh of relief. It had to be exhausting to have someone else in your head like that. Being telepathic was one thing. Yeah, the noise of a crowd could wear you down. But to have another consciousness there all the time? Uck. At least they seemed to work well together, like Adira and Huraiva, and Michael and Nosferatu.
Turning to the gathered group, I cleared my throat. “Alright, we’re going to have to play this pretty loose as we’re not sure exactly what’s going to be there. Richter for sure, who’s an accomplished mage. Likely he’ll have some assistants or apprentices, researchers at the very least. At least one or two vampires under his control, augmented in some way. And, my very favorite, robo-zombies.”
“Robo-zombies?” Erasmus asked, arching a brow coolly.
“Dead bodies walking around with drills and crap for hands,” I clarified. Rebekah nodded in agreement as I added, “They’re not fun and they don’t give up, but they’re not super tough once you cut off their limbs, or, I’d imagine in your case, blow them to bits.”
“I see,” he replied, his voice thoughtful. “How dreadfully Frankensteinesque.”
“You could say that,” I nodded. “I think that’s where he got his inspiration from. He’s a necromancer, first and above all. Expect a lot of dead things.”
“Zombies don’t move if they’re frozen,” Lee said as he made a shooting gesture with his finger, and blew across the tops of them, his cool breath making a puff of white in the air.
“In addition to that, he’s an oberst, pretty high up, head of their occult military… so expect heavy troops, of all kinds,” I continued, then fixed Lee with a look. “Are you ready to kill?”
At that, he looked a little squeamish, but put on his bravado face and shrugged it off. “I can do what’s necessary.” I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I’m sure he was thinking of himself as the star of some action movie, but he wasn’t my weak link here. He had some power, sure, but I didn’t know if he had that killer instinct to stay alive. I shifted my gaze to Alistair for a moment, then back around the table. The mage worried me. If he got too stressed and lost it, we could have a much bigger problem on our hands than Richter.
“Right,” I said. “We’ll still keep you on the zombies. Even if the cold can’t kill them outright, as you said, if they’re frozen, they can’t do anything.” I upnodded to Rebekah, “I want you to stay with him until most of them are gone.” And we know he’s not going to freak out, I added mentally to myself. I’d yet to see him in actual combat. She smiled and nodded, clapping him on the shoulder.
“It’ll be good! I know you can work under pressure, Lee, and this won’t be nearly as scary as the byakhee!”
As the what? I pushed on, reminding myself to ask Rebekah about it later. “Erasmus, I want you with me. I’m going straight for Richter to neutralize him, but there’s going to be a fuckton of guys covering him. Your ‘bots will run interference for us.” After he nodded, I looked at Alistair, “I want you and Wolf to work together. Keep to the edges of the fight and see where your help is needed most, and keep an eye on any mages, Richter included. Fuck up those spells if you can, or protect the rest of us from them.”
“I think I’d be better facing him directly,” Alistair said, though his lips were pressed together, turning white with the force of his expression. He looked paler than normal. Unhappy to be participating at all, he still volunteered for what was the most dangerous part… especially for him. He had the power to take Richter, but the cost would be too high for everyone. I browbeat him back from the edge once, but I didn’t know if I could do it again.
Shaking my head, I gave him a stern look. “You’re support. If people get hurt, haul them out. If you can protect us, do it. Go where you’re needed, but don’t strain yourself. If things go bad, we’re gonna be counting on you to get us out.”
He nodded, and I glanced at Rory for a second. Seeing the motion of his nod from the corner of my eye, I took in everyone at a glance. “Remember, things might change once we get there. Rory, Rebekah, I need to talk to you two for a sec in private.”
When I left the table, they followed. It didn’t have to be far away. So far as I knew, no one else had super human hearing. Still, when I spoke, I lowered my voice just in case. “Rory, tell your other to keep an eye on Alistair,” I said. “If he looks like he’s going to lose it--”
“The ‘other’ is already having a fit with that,” he said, grimacing. “That guy Alistair gives me the creepin’ willies. Nice enough, but strange. Smells bad.”
“Creep--” Rebekah started, but I cut her off.
“Jitters,” I supplied. “Nerves. And just do it. We don’t need him to bring his nuclear solution to the table. If he starts looking power mad and saying a whole bunch of stuff that makes no sense, knock him out.” I paused, giving Rebekah a glance, “Kill him if you have to.”
“Kill?!” Rebekah squeaked. Her face darkened. “Over my dead body.”
“That’s what will probably trigger that, Bekah,” I told her. “I think if he stays out of the main battle and just helps, he should be fine. But if he sees you go down, he’s going to lose it. He hates Richter enough already, which is why I’m keeping him away.” I paused, “I don’t want him to die, but if it’s him or the world… even this world… I have to choose him.”
She chewed her lower lip for a moment, then heaved a sigh. “I understand,” she said, her voice weary, but only for a second. She smiled, “It won’t come to that, though!”
“I hope not,” I replied. “Now, this, uh, hand. It’s… it’s not going to interfere or come alive and make you try to kill us or anything, is it?”
The Siren shook her head. “They didn’t find anything, hmm, harmful in it, other than it being, uh, attached to me,” she said. She pressed her lips together, her determination winning out over her trauma. “I want to shove it through his stupid face!”
“So long as it’ll be alright,” I said. “I trust you. But magic. You know.”
Rory hooted, nodding. “It’s got its own rules, that’s for sure.”
“I’m fine, it’s fine, we’re all fine,” she said with her pixie like smile. “Now, can we go kick some Nazi butt?” The smile turned into a grin, and I imagined what her buoyant optimism felt like. I bet it was nice, something to rely on. All I had was my realist point of view. It could be bad, really bad. But we had to try. That, or retire here in Italy. There could be worse fates.
When we stepped away from each other, Thomas stepped forward. “Could I speak to you a moment, please? It won’t take long, I promise.”
“Alright, just make it quick,” I said as I checked my o-wakizashi. There’s no way I would forget it, but the motion helped keep me at ease.
He waited for Rory and Rebekah to move away, then gave me a square look. “There is not much we can do to help,” he stated, keeping it all matter-of-fact. “If you fail and return, you will not have much time here as a haven. The Reich will want you as prisoners, and given the treaty we have, we will be forced to turn you over. We don’t wish to risk a war. It may not turn out favorably.”
“Tell me something I don’t kno
w,” I said, impatient.
“I wish to give you a blessing before you leave,” he said. In the middle of my long, annoyed sigh, he held up a hand. “Of sorts. I have an ability to make a person more than what they are. It is not magic; it’s a natural ability I have. It may give a small boost, at a critical time.”
The familiarity and the kiss, the Italian heritage, and now the metahuman ability suddenly locked into place where I knew this guy from. “Holy shit,” I breathed. “You’re Tommy Cortex!” When he looked confused, I explained, “A gangster from Prime. You’re his Axis equivalent.” The idea of it stunned me. He’d been dead long before my time, so I never thought about meeting a doppelganger of his.
“I am pleased this pleases you, but it means nothing to me,” he said, giving me a small smile which crinkled the corner of his eyes. He was older than he looked, with a good reason. He boosted people, making them smarter, stronger, more powerful. Why wouldn’t he use it on himself to age more slowly?
“I’m sorry,” I said, studying him. “It’s… like meeting someone famous. An actor or something.”
“Ah, well, in that case, do you want my autograph?” he asked with a teasing grin.
Laughing softly at the joke, blood rushed to my face. In another heartbeat, I realized I was flirting with him and forced the laugh to stop. It still wanted to bubble up in me, like an effervescent drink. The urge to touch him to see if he was really real was so strong, I had to shove my hands in my pockets.
“No, no, we need to get moving,” I said, with reluctance. “Do what you need to do, and we’ll split.”
