Going Full Circle

Sarrain

Sarrain

The Salt Sea
Inactive
Supporter
Jan 30, 2016
6,703
Arizona
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Daily, Weekly
Rory watched Jude. Gah. She was working on that stupid intensity thing. But it seemed like when she was too soft people missed it? Jeesh. Life was hard.

"Mmm. I 'wear him out, and not in the good way' by his own admission." She shook her head. "I'll try, but, I don't know, Jude. I keep thinking about you too, but also everyone else. People died, right? And... fuck. Even out in the hallway, she was just talking about being scared Broen could have died. What about those other people who died? What about you?"
 
Romi

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
Jude paused, thinking about the bodies. That was the trick with his memory--it remembered the good and the bad. Useful, but also screwed up. He'd gone from Zora's office (no bodies there) through the entrance and back into the staff area. He'd seen everything.

"Two," he said. "Two from work. But the way they died... That wasn't something the leader could have done. No one in the area could have. But it's also the way some of the attackers in the alley had died. I think they were working together. That they died the same way, from the same thing, because they were also Black Wings. So... plants."

People he'd worked with. People who predated him at the office. Spies, but spies willing to get everyone killed.
 
Sarrain

Sarrain

The Salt Sea
Inactive
Supporter
Jan 30, 2016
6,703
Arizona
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Daily, Weekly
"No one innocent hurt? Besides you? Broen wasn't innocent. Zora didn't seem to have a scratch on her. Shit, Jude, I know I probably shouldn't be as angry as I am, but it feels wastefully reckless. I just... I couldn't be there and I can barely be here for either of you now. The best I got is getting her to see it was fucking stupid. She should be shaken up. I'm struggling to feel sorry when your hand is fucked up and Broen has stitches in his side and she came out without a scratch on her.

"I don't even know how much anyone else was hurt, but they could have all died. They could have died easily, so why does only Broen seem to matter? Why was he the only one who gets verbal worry? I care about the both of you more than I do those random people, but... I still wonder about them. I still want to--"

She clenched her fist. Heh. Cool it on the intensity. Rory looked away from him, scrunched her face to hold back any more tears. It wasn't as bad as when Jude's arm got exploded, she reminded herself. That was a fucking weak solace, though. Rory had been so upset then, she couldn't cry. She'd felt... dead inside.
 
Romi

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
Jude didn't know. Not really. He thought they were dirty--it would explain the positioning, and how they'd died--but he didn't know.

"You're right," Jude said. "But she... I don't know. She likes him, I guess, so her mind went to them. I don't think it's hit her that the business is toast, or that all those employees could have died. Maybe she's paranoid. She doesn't know which of them is really a spy."

That was a very real possibility, and one that alarmed Jude greatly: The possibility that there were more spies. More than just the ones that had no doubt been cleared out. He could trust Broen. But who else?

Maybe no one. He didn't know them well enough.

"But I'm okay," he wanted to remind her of that. "Some bruising. If I wasn't wearing my suit, I could have got this kind of bruising from tripping. It's not a big deal. So I'm alright, okay?" He hadn't died. He'd been okay.

"I didn't even get shot. I kept waiting for it, but it didn't happen."
 
Sarrain

Sarrain

The Salt Sea
Inactive
Supporter
Jan 30, 2016
6,703
Arizona
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Daily, Weekly
"You wanted a normal life," Rory said as if that countered the idea that he hadn't really been hurt. And while Rory desperately hoped all her friends didn't leave her for a normal life, she wasn't about to stop them.

Rory wondered why Jude was so desperate to defend Zora, but she figured... "What exactly do you think I'm going to do, Jude? I don't plan on yelling or punching any walls. You can trust me to talk calmly. If I get too angry, I'll leave. Shit, you think I want all of you coming down on me for making her cry?"

She didn't want (or probably need) to admit it, but Rory wanted to find these bastards. Not even for Zora's sake anymore. They'd fucked with her people. Zora had once mentioned her brother and Rory considered the option of finding him and fucking him up.

Only, that was illegal here and she lived with a fucking cop. She was also on a magical island and her powers hadn't skyrocketed to some terrifying full compacity. That or she was just nothing compared to most of the citizens here.
 
Romi

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
Jude actually smiled a bit at that.

"Maybe no job for me for a while," Jude said. "I missed the money, but... maybe it's better to be hands off. I don't know. And for the record, I don't know what I think you'll be doing. I just know you're scary-intense at times. And Zora..."

Well, Zora hadn't been through as much as them before, Jude was pretty sure. Maybe he was infantalizing her, but it still felt like she needed guarding. From Rory. But maybe also the consequences of her... ignorance? Inaction? He didn't know.
 
Sarrain

Sarrain

The Salt Sea
Inactive
Supporter
Jan 30, 2016
6,703
Arizona
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Daily, Weekly
"I know I am, but sometimes people need scary-intense to get their head out of their ass. I wish — Well, shit, I wish I could have done that with people back home when I needed to."

But Rory firmly did not mean 'people' she meant 'Breakneck' or 'mom.' She'd been a fucking coward there and it'd taught her to never be a coward like that again. Don't leave shit unsaid.

"Zora is a grown woman. A grown woman with a business. She should be fine and if she's not, the worst she'll have is some tears. I don't know what kind of business got her involved in these people, but you can bet your ass I'm going to find out. No more pussyfooting around. If you guys are getting mixed up in this shit, I need to know. You know as well as I do that there's no backing out from people like.... like those."
 
Romi

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
God did he know. He knew how it worked.

"The leader got away," Jude said. "Maybe not the leader overall, but maybe. She definitely had it out for Zora in particular. This wasn't an attack the business, this was attack Zora by ruining her business. They're gunning for her, and honestly? I... I can't help but feel like the best way to be safe is to pull away from her. I'm just not sure who she's really got. Her son? Only he's in danger. Did anyone warn him?"

That was a thought that jerked Jude's brain to a halt. Zora didn't have many people, but she did have a kid.
 
Sarrain

Sarrain

The Salt Sea
Inactive
Supporter
Jan 30, 2016
6,703
Arizona
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Daily, Weekly
"I'm sorry. Hold on. Back the hell up. She has a son? How old is this son? And you're right, backing away is the best way to be safe..." There was that unspoken 'can you though? Are you willing to?'
 
Romi

Romi

Secretly a Bird
Administrator
Supporter
Jun 18, 2015
10,109
Gender
Female
Pronouns
She/Her
Posting Status
Irregularly
Back at home? The answer might have been no. He'd wanted to help people. Wanted to protect them. That was one of the reasons he'd started running around in a costume, playing at being hero. Here though?

"He's up at the school. He's our age, and he's... nice? Jeremiah. They only recently met for the first time, I don't know the whole story. He showed up around the time this all started happening, so... I don't know. He's definitely related to her? But that's all I can guess."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Forgot your password?