Something else wasn't an option. Jenny was Awesome, she wasn't allowed not to be.
* * *
CHAPTER 8: CONSEQUENCES
* * *
San Diego Citadel Office
"Is that everything?" asked Carl West.
In most of his timelines, he was in the office, sitting in the same chair. A few had taken the chair to his left, some were having a slightly different conversation. Three were walking around the room, examining art on the wall, awards or placards, basically just wasting time. One was still outside, staring at the door in hesitation rather than completing his Citadel application.
"Just two more things." Melody Shift answered. "The simplest is your name."
"Oh," Carl squirmed. Well, most of the hims did, "is that actually necessary? I never really saw the point."
"I'm afraid so. There's a long explanation but it basically boils down to tradition and public perception. "
"It just seems so... silly, I guess."
Melody smiled, wryly, before answering. "If you ever get the opportunity, ask William Power about it. He thinks the whole thing's pretty much his fault."
"Is it?"
She shrugged. "He makes a good argument but I think he might be oversimplifying. Of course, I wasn't around when it started so I don't actually know."
Carl collapsed most of himself back into the main line, just leaving the one where he was still outside.
In the primary line, he sighed.
"Does that mean you haven't decided on one? You can always go with something generic for now and wait until you graduate to field status before you pick a final name."
"No, if I have to I have to. It's just... well, the only one I've thought of seems a bit too on the nose. Does that make sense?"
"Trust me young man, I understand."
"Fractal. Carl Fractal."
A few of the lesser lines gave different answers, or insisted on a better explanation, but only a few. He'd known this one was coming.
Director Shift made one last notation on the forms before her. "Welcome to the Citadel, Carl."
"So, uh, what was the other thing?"
She took a deep breath, steeling herself. "You've read over the materials you were given but I don't know how much research you've done on your own. Do you know what a Nemesis team is?"
"No, I don't think so. Wasn't that the Greek god of vengeance?"
"Goddess, actually, and there was a bit more to it than that but..." She looked away for a moment, then back to his face. "But that's beside the point. What matters in your case is that Nemesis teams are like Intervention but, instead of reacting to crises within a territory, they're put together with a specific goal."
"I think I can guess."
She nodded. "That's right. Each one is assembled to deal with a particular Empowered criminal."
"You mean kill, don't you."
"Yes Carl. Anyone who has a Nemesis team sent after him is too dangerous to try and take alive."
"So once I'm an operative, you want me on one of those teams instead of Stationary or Intervention."
She shook her head. "No Carl, no one works Nemesis full time." The Director's face was still pinched with worry. "And, frankly, I argued against this. There's a faction within Citadel command, and the civilian government, that wants to put together a Nemesis team for Monster." She turned her head and muttered, "Idiots."
He didn't think he'd been supposed to hear that last part. "Do I have to decide now?"
"No Carl, not until you complete field training. Even then, well, deliberately attacking Monster is against current Citadel policy. Anyone involved in this, they'd have to be volunteers."
"Director Shift, can I ask... well, why me?"
"Carl, do you know how many precogs the Citadel gets? Much less ones capable of fieldwork?"
"I know it's a pretty rare power, but I'm not a precog. Not really."
"No Carl, but you're close. For this purpose, you might even be better."
Carl's primary split again before he gave his answer.
* * *
"I'll do it. Anything's worth it if it helps to stop him."
There was a crack of splintered wood, followed almost immediately by a crashing noise. Carl looked over his shoulder to see a man standing in the office doorway. He wore a heavy, metal helmet. It was black and featureless, except for a narrow eye slit. His clothes were black leather, tight fitting, with metal plates crudely attached at seemingly random intervals. The intruder held a heavy hunting knife.
Carl closed the line.
* * *
"I'll think about. I know it has to be done, but Monster..."
There was a crack of splintered wood, followed almost immediately by a crashing noise. Carl turned to look and, between the black clad intruder and the shattered wood frame of the door, he saw the director's assistant. He was sprawled over his own desk, surrounded by a spreading pool of blood and scattered papers.
Carl closed the line.
* * *
"No. I'm sorry, but it's just too dangerous."
There was a crack of splintered wood, followed almost immediately by a crashing noise.
"Shit." he said to himself. It didn't depend on his answer.
Monster moved into the room, stumbling as his head disappeared, and Melody Shift appeared between him and her newest recruit.
Carl sat, outwardly frozen, as he searched the nearest lines. Desperate to find one that didn't include the attack.
Monster recovered almost instantly, returning from headless to normal, complete with helmet. There was no visible transition. His right leg disappeared at the knee just as he stepped onto his left.
At the same time, Melody shifted a foot to her left and shouted over her shoulder. "Run!"
If she hadn't been looking at Carl, she might have seen Monster snatch a placard from the wall and hurl it at her. He advanced, both legs fine, as she staggered from the impact.
Carl watched, horrified, as she looked up just in time to let Monster's knife sink into her eye socket. Amazingly, she still had enough presence to shift back a foot, leaving the knife behind but taking a piece of Monster's chest with her. A moment later, he stood unharmed and she collapsed to the ground.
Carl closed the line.
* * *
"Run!" Director Shift shouted.
Carl split, it'd make finding the safe line harder but he had to buy time. He stood and threw his chair. In one line, it intersected the placard before it could strike the director. While he searched for another weapon, she disappeared and reappeared behind Monster, already facing him.
Monster fell, momentarily missing pieces from both legs.
Carl picked up the other chair and turned to face him, just in time to see the director firing a pistol into Monster's back. Carl heard her shots ricochet off metal.
Monster had twisted as he fell, moving just right to bring one of the scattered metal plates into the perfect position. He kicked out behind himself, blindly, and Carl heard Melody scream as her knee shattered.
Carl closed the line.
* * *
Ignoring the sound of gunfire, Carl charged forward with the chair raised above his head. Director Shift vanished from his line of sight, as did the back of Monster's head.
Monster went limp but his head had recovered before it touched the ground.
Carl swung the chair as hard as he could. He felt it impact but was too busy screaming in pain to notice the effect. Monster had kicked him in the groin.
Carl closed the line.
* * *
He ran towards Monster, the chair held low and in front of him.
Monster threw his knife just before collapsing, missing the rear of his skull.
Carl watched it spin through the air. It struck him in the throat and Carl fell to his knees as blood sprayed. The room went dark while he searched the nearest lines. No matter what he did, dodged left or right, raised the chair, it didn't matter. In each line, Monster threw the kn
ife so that his reaction, or lack of it, allowed it to strike him.
He couldn't win.
Carl closed the line.
* * *
Carl couldn't see the future, but he could fake it. He'd once predicted the lottery numbers by guessing each number, right before it was pulled, and collapsing every line where he was wrong.
This was harder.
No matter what he tried, Monster was winning.
* * *
Carl stopped hesitating.
"Damn. I really thought I could make a difference, do something that mattered."
He turned away from the Citadel office and began the walk home.
* * *
Some time later, Director Shift buzzed her assistant. "Any word from the West boy?"
"No ma'am. It looks like he's a no show."
Melody couldn't suppress a disgusted sigh.
"Sorry ma'am. I know you had high hopes for him."
The Director cut the intercom without answering.
* * *
Private Residence
For the second time in his life, Jason was certain he felt fear. The first had been during Duncan Nightmare's fight against Coach Achala. On that occasion, his reaction had been irrational, an effect of Duncan's power. That was part of the reason he had not recognized it sooner. Now... now his fear made perfect sense.
The door opened to reveal Jenny Awesome, wearing a pair of black shorts and a hot pink tank top. Her face lit up with that strange, familiar mixture of pleasure and need that she had displayed after their training session on Friday.
"Hey Jason, c'mon in." She said, opening the door wider as she stepped back.
"Good morning, Jennifer." he greeted her. Jason followed her into her home and stopped, looking around himself. The layout was similar to the one he shared with his roommates, though it did not appear as well kept.
"Something wrong?"
"No... I, well, I..." He was unsure what to say.
"What is it?" Jennifer asked, her brow furrowed. Despite his uncertainty, Jason took a moment to congratulate himself for recognizing 'concern.' Jenny's expressions were usually easy to read. He liked that.
"I have never been on a date before." Her brow relaxed and her eyes widened, slightly. She smiled, though it was slight. "I do not know what to do next. Hector said..." The smile grew larger. He felt anger, began to clench his fists. He had extended more trust to her than anyone save his parents or Hector, if she mocked him he'd-
"Oh." she interrupted his thoughts. "I didn't know you wanted to... You don't really seem the type." No, not mockery. Was she nervous too? "Jason," she took a deep breath, "I said we could do anything you wanted. I meant it, honestly. Anything." He could not read her expression but Jason did not think he was meant to.
"I... I did not think you wanted a romantic encounter, not initially. But I have little social experience, so I explained to Hector what you had proposed. The date... he suggested that that was what you were likely expecting."
Her gaze moved up and down, over his body. "Is that why you're dressed like that?" He was wearing a charcoal grey, button-down shirt with black slacks and his normal sunglasses.
"No. This is what I prefer to wear, outside of training."
"Okay..." she looked around the room, took a seat on the couch and gestured for him to do the same. "Is that what you want? A date?"
Jason hesitated before sitting. "I do not know." He licked his lips. "I... Jenny, this is outside of my experience." He found himself looking away from her. "I do not understand why you wanted me to come or what you want to do." It was not deliberate. Why had he done those things? "Jenny, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Please help."
She moved a little closer, there was no more than a foot between them. "Jason, it's okay." She reached out, touching the top of his hand with her fingertips. "Calm down." He tore his hand free, looked to a group of flies hovering above the discarded pizza boxes next to her couch and ripped the life from them. He'd been carrying nothing more than a few plants. Feeling his strength increase, Jason removed his glasses with one hand and prepared to strike out with the other.
She met his gaze.
She met his gaze and... she smiled? No, that was not a smile. It was... 'joy.'
"Why did you ask me here?"
The joy remained, just a little faded. "I can't bear to be alone." She spoke slowly. "But, I can't stand being around other people, either." There were tears in her eyes. "I just, the pressure, it's just too much." There was pain, and misery, in her voice. He was familiar with those. Jason had heard them every time his mother spoke of her time in the Citadel. But, there was still joy. It made no sense.
"Do you mean social pressure? The desire to fit in or be accepted? I know how difficult that is." She shook her head. "Then... you must mean your power." She nodded.
"I... I wasn't very popular in high school. I mean, no one stuffed me into a locker or threw orange juice at me, nothing like that." she said. "But, it was like, no one ever seemed to notice me, either. No real friends, nothing I was good at, nowhere that I could stand out. It was so frustrating. I hated it." She looked up, meeting his gaze again, and that sense of joy returned to her face. "It all changed, overnight. It was like, I don't know. Like I just knew what to do, how to make anyone I met like me. All of a sudden, I was the most popular girl in school. I always knew the answer in class. I was good at sports, even though I'd never practiced or anything." She sighed.
"I didn't know what was happening, but I liked it. My parents were worried, though. They knew I'd been unhappy but not what to do about it. When it changed so quickly, when my personality changed, they thought it was drugs or something. Searched my room, gave me all the lectures, you name it. I'd have been upset, but I was still at that stage where I thought it was cool to have a reputation as a 'bad girl,' just a little. Them thinking I was up to something, without me having to actually do anything dangerous? That was perfect." She moved a little closer, just a few inches.
"A few months after they gave up on the drug thing, they saw one of those public service announcements. They had me tested and, obviously, it turned out I was Empowered. I don't really fit any of the classic types, closest thing is a probability manipulator."
"A rare ability." he said.
"Fucking unique, in my case. It was great, when I didn't know what was happening. After... My power wants people to like me, to be excited, impressed. It twists things around to make sure that happens. I get lucky, sometimes. Mostly, situations just sort of come up where I can shine. And, of course, the easiest thing for it to affect is me. What I do or say, what I feel and sometimes even what I think, it twists everything so that anyone watching will think I'm awesome."
"I am not sure I see the downside. Did you not say that that was exactly what you wanted?" Jason asked.
She almost snarled her answer. "Yes. It's exactly what I wanted." The snarl twisted to disgust. "I was an idiot. They don't like me, Jason. They just like this image of me, the one in their heads that does whatever they think someone cool would do, all the time. I used to just go along with it, when I didn't know. Now it feels more like... like I'm being pushed. My power, it could make me do anything. I'm always on stage and I don't even get to decide whether or not to speak my lines. They just come out, whether I want them to or not."
"Ah. I suppose that could be unpleasant." he acknowledged.
"Jason, I hate Kerry."
"What? I do not see what that has to do with-"
"She's smug, entitled and she's a fucking slob. But she's also the strongest girl in our class and that means a lot to everyone else. So I'm nice to her. She thinks of me as some kind of a mix between friendly rival and best friend and I wouldn't even be in the same room as her. Not if I had a choice."
"Oh. I believe I understand."
"So yeah, that's why I hate being around people."
"So why do you not just spend your time alone?"
She laughed but did not seem pleased,
or amused, by his suggestion. "I can't. That wouldn't be cool enough. Awesome girls don't spend time hiding in their rooms."
"But if you are alone, whose perception is pushing you into that mindset?"
"Mine." she said, quietly.
They sat there, neither saying anything, for a short time.
"You said you did not feel anything from me."
"Yeah." He could barely hear her.
"You fear being alone, you fear being around others, but not me. Because I do not find anything exciting."
"Yes." she answered. "Please, like I said, I'll do anything you want. Just... just let me spend some time feeling like myself."
Jason smiled. It was rare for him to show emotional reactions so honestly but, in this case, it did not matter. Jenny was no threat to him and never could be. She might become his best friend of all.
* * *
"I have never done this before. Is this the right way?"
"You're doing fine, Jason. There's not really a right way or a wrong way."
"I must admit, I am enjoying it more than I thought I would."
Jenny smiled. "Well, it's not exactly what I thought we'd end up doing, but I guess it works. Of course, I didn't really have a firm plan or anything, so..."
"What does this mean?" Jason asked.
"Oh, you finished the origin part. Now that you have your starting powers, you have to pick your faction."
"Hero, villain or Citadel operative? Is that correct?"
"Right. Just move your guy to whichever banner you want, then you can enter your name and design your costume." she explained.
"What are the ramifications of each? Is there some advantage to one over the other?"
"Well," Jenny paused before continuing, "Citadel unlocks a bunch of training style quests. You end up with better skills and stuff. Oh, and most of the vendors give you a discount so you'll have better gear than otherwise. Heroes get a popularity boost in the front end. NPCs are more cooperative. That can open up a lot of different options but if you fail a quest you get a huge penalty to your approval. I think villains have some extra power options but you shouldn't take that one."
Citadel (Book 1): Training in Necessity Page 16
