The Abnormals

Victoria turned off the television.

“I don’t like you wallowing in misery, Rex.”

“Lucky for me, you aren’t in charge of what I do with my moods.”

But she could do her best to change it.

“Do you know how the Tetra respond to death?”

“By being sad about it?”

“You’re not wrong,” she spun a chair around so she could lean her arms on the back, “But after some time, we have a celebration of life.”

Rex grabbed the chair next to her and mimicked her movements. “And you want me to do this with Pete, who we still don’t actually know if he’s dead. Catherine certainly hasn’t let me know.”

Victoria rolled her eyes.

“My mother had us perform the celebration for her before she died, because she knew it was coming.”

“She made her family perform her funeral while she was still alive?”

“My mother’s actions aren’t what we’re discussing. Do you want to know what we do for this celebration of life?”

“Is alcohol involved, because I have beer in the fridge?”

“Sometimes. Not at my mother’s, but I don’t believe your friend had a problem with alcohol.”

“He did not.” Rex headed toward the kitchen, “So aside from maybe alcohol, what else did you do?”

“We tell four stories of their life, showing a different part of who they were.”

“Alright, let’s do it.” Rex handed her a beer and they clinked, “You first, if you have any.”

“A few months after I moved to to America.”

“From…”

“You know where I’m from, Rex.”

“I want the whole story.”

She sighed.

“From Scotland. I had to handle a rogue mage, as is my duty, but in this case, I wasn’t the only one there. There was Electron.”

“You never told me you met Electron.”

“You were busy. I don't need to tell you everything.”

“But Electron…”

“Do you want the story?”

“Absolutely, please.”

“I was focused on incapacitating and sending them back home. I had a job to do, but Electron—”

“Actually cared about the bystanders.”

“You just claimed I never told you this.”

“Yeah, but it’s what he always does—did. He’s not there to beat up the bad guy, he’s here to help those in need.”

“And that’s exactly what I saw. Once I’d handled the problem, he spoke with one of the victims, helped them. I never heard what he said, never got a chance to actually speak with him, but I think about that moment sometimes. If I must be a hero in the eyes of mortals, that's the kind I want to be.”

“That did actually make me feel better, thank you.”

“Now it’s your turn.”

Rex took a deep breath, arms spread for a grand tale.

“When I was 10…”

Tetra didn’t know if she was relieved or not that it was a fire mage.

On the one hand, if it were a real dark mage, she’d be dead or worse by now. On the other, fire mages are among the most destructive mages to fight. At least the reflect shield worked.

“Your sentence can still be negotiated if you haven’t caused any harm,” she shouted as ash sprayed to either side of her. She squished to keep from letting it touch her.

“No will is stronger than mine!” her attacker insisted.

Willpower alone did not make a powerful mage, but Tetra wasn’t in a position to explain that.

Still holding the spell, she felt the shadow draw away from her eyes and form two more selves, forming a triangle around their attacker. She felt Excalibur shrink beneath her hand as her other selves held their own versions with hilts of silver or bronze instead of gold.

The wise self gave a nod to the brave self, who had done this many times before, with the still self staying in her position, readying her sword.

The brave self glided on the shadows, waiting for the fire mage to notice her. If it weren’t for her need to be seen for the final blow, this would only take two people.

The fire mage was so focused on attacking who they thought was the whole Tetra, they didn’t even respond to the brave self tapping their shoulder.

“So that’s the game we’re playing.”

She swung her blade, sending a rush of light to push the fire mage back into the the still self, who slammed them with the pommel of her sword to knock them out.

The wise self ran from her shielded position to draw anti-magek and shield runes around their prisoner.

The three held hands, reuniting, and Tetra stared at her prisoner. She reached her hand in, feeling the power drain from it as the runes took hold, and lightly tapped their face until they finally woke up.

“Whether or not your will is stronger, I have better wile.”

They glared at her.

“Are you even from Magek? This is ordinary to learn, will may let you use your power, but it is not the sole marker of it.”

“I’m from Earth. And where’s your boyfriend in all this?”

“Well that complicates things.” her authority came from Magek, the seven sovereigns, not from anywhere on Earth. “And I don’t have a boyfriend. I suppose I’ll have to send you to the police, then, if you’re from Earth.”

“You’ll never—”

Shadows covered the runes, then the mage, and both transported to a police station with a note. It didn’t generally work in her experience, but it left them off the street a few minutes.

She’d have to let Rex know about the boyfriend comment.

Victoria—Tori, or the second self to be precise—loved Rex's workshop. There weren't many places to sit comfortably, but the many plants, and more importantly the company, made up for it several-fold.

Rex was beautiful, with blue eyes, tanned skin, constantly tousled light brown hair, a sharp jaw, and many more qualities she thought too much about.

“Do you think the others are safe?” he asked.

“If any of them were harmed, I would know. Whatever this is, they’re handling it well.”

“That’s good to hear. What do you think it is?”

Tori shrugged. Her purpose as one of Victoria’s selves was to stay home, relatively, and be safe while the rest weren’t. When she fought, it meant Victoria was unprepared. Occasionally she’d be tasked to help research when necessary.

“Maybe I should have gone with her,” Rex said.

Tori laid her hand on his.

“You had a big order, and I would know if you were needed.”

Victoria stumbled back a moment as her eyes adjusted to the bright light of the flower shop. The second self had gone here again. Maybe she should call her the reckless self instead.

“I’ll turn the lights off,” Rex offered, “It’s good to have you back.”

True to his word, the lights turned off, so she could see outlines.

“I’ll take it that it wasn’t a vampire mage or whatever it is that you call them,” he said.

“Dark mage, and no, just a rogue fire mage using ash to make themself scarier.”

Rex coughed.

“Their lungs are probably dead by now.”

“That might help me in the long run.” It had been a few years since her last wild mage. They were always so much more complicated.

“That’s morbid.”

“I have no authority over Wild Mages, and yet they still claim the immunity provided by Magek. Unless their charges are intense enough, they’ll be sent back to terrorize innocents.”

“And we’ll terrorize them right back.”

“Do you promise?”

Rex nodded.

“Are you still up for tonight then,” he asked, “Or too busy with this guy?”

“Can’t do much good at the moment,” she waved her hand in front of her still too light-sensitive eyes, “So I may as well listen to a play with my friend. Are your parents coming?”

“Nope. This one’s personal.”

“Is one of your friends in the performance this time?”

“My dead friend’s mom, Grace.”

“After a whole year of silence,” the radio suddenly said, “Tesla Coil finally spoke to reporters this morning after saving a diner full of people from an armed shooter.”

“I’m just happy no one’s hurt,” Tesla Coil’s voice said.

“And here I was hoping she wasn’t grabbing for attention,” Rex said.

“We’ve all been ambushed by them before, cut her some slack.”

She knew he wouldn’t. He never cut any slack to people trying to use Electron’s legacy, as if he was the arbiter of it.

“Reporter’s quickly moved to more personal questions, such as the nature of her relationship with Electron, her recent team-up with Nightingale, and her thoughts on anyone else using Electron’s symbol.”

“Well you always have to be careful about them being fakes, but as long as they’re saving people, I don’t know why we care so much about proving if they’re real or not.”

The plants all around them started growing rapidly. Victoria ran to turn the radio off.

“Tesla Coil left the reporters with one final comment on Electron’s legacy.”

“Electron is dead.”

The bin right by Rex set on fire. Victoria reached the radio just in time before the roses cut her off.

“Of course he’s dead,” Rex said, shifting water from one of the vases into the bin to snuff out the flames, “He sacrificed himself. How is that big news?”

“People are sensationalists.” she gave him a pat on the back.

“You cut your cheek.”

She backed away before he could touch her face.

“Probably just the roses. It seems you have some pruning to do.”

Rex looked around. It hadn’t gotten too bad, aside from the flowers pushed down after coming into contact with the ceiling.

“You should go... get ready for tonight. See you later.”

Victoria gave a quick bow, and jumped over the counter to leave through the front door.

Then she remembered, turning around.

“The mage asked where my boyfriend was, probably meant Xer.”

“I’ll let him know.”

Victoria felt her cheek as she stepped out, grateful Rex's family wouldn't be at the performance to ask questions.

Victoria settled her skirt and let out a breath. Something about big crowds scared her. Rex squeezed her hand.

“If they get too annoying, you can always pull out that sword of yours.”

“That sword?” Victoria asked. That sword was Excalibur, the sword of two kings, one of the few weapons that could kill a dark mage. It wasn’t just any sword.

“Your family heirloom. Do you want people leaking random nonsense to the press?”

Victoria didn’t care much about the press at all.

“You forgot the name, didn’t you?”

“Of course not. It’s not just culturally significant to mages, you know.”

“Only because you stole the name.”

“Do you want me to abandon you?”

She grabbed her ticket from his jacket pocket.

“See you at our seats.”

It was probably for the better that she wasn’t seen with him. If any mages recognized her as Victoria while on some mortal’s arm, things could get messy back in Magek.

She squeezed her way around the wall, bumping into a red-haired woman in a white gown.

“Apologies. Aren’t you a little overdressed?” Most other women, Victoria included, were wearing cocktail dresses.

“A little. I’m someone’s repla—Victoria!” the woman’s arms were outstretched.

Victoria finally made eye contact with an unforgettable pair of greys. She finished the hug.

“Mandie. I thought you were a whole state over.”

“I am, but I’m in town for my sister, who had inescapable business to attend to. What’s with the accent?”

She had traded in the Scottish brogue for a posh accent that most Americans would read as English.

“Trying to fit in.”

Mandie gave a quizzical expression.

“What happened to your cheek?”

Of course Mandie had noticed it. It had mostly healed already, and Victoria had covered it with makeup, but Mandie was a sensitive.

“Tried out a new painting method, didn’t work out.”

Mandie’s worried expression reminded Victoria of the other reason it was so hard to keep secrets from her.

“Did you read my mind?”

“You think loud,” she leaned into Victoria’s ear, “Especially when you want to keep a secret.”

“I thought you were a maven of psychic ability.”

Mandie rolled her eyes.

“I’m closer to it than I was back then, but you try keeping everyone in a small radius out of your head some time.”

The crowd started moving, and Mandie effortlessly joined the throng. Victoria followed, awkwardly finding her seat after a minute.

Victoria hadn’t spoken to Rex this whole time. They sat in silence as everyone left for intermission, mostly because the moment the lights went back up, Victoria couldn’t see.

Eventually, Rex took her hand and guided her towards the door, which made a sound but didn’t budge.

“That’s not normal,” Rex said.

“Something’s probably wrong.”

This is why she left her second self back home. Someone had a vendetta against Rex going to the theater, or maybe Victoria was the problem.

They heard a throng of screams from outside the door, and a piercing one from backstage. Victoria snapped in the space between the two of them, enveloping them in shadow. Victoria emerged in her armor as Tetra while Rex emerged in the mask and jacket that marked the change to Xer.

“I can handle backstage,” Xer ordered, “You deal with what’s out there.”

Tetra shook her head.

“I can barely see as it is. I can send a duplicate out there, but teleporting is impossible.”

“I can break down the door.”

“It’s faster if I just duplicate. I’ll probably need a guide if we can’t turn the lights off anyways.”

She ignored any further objections, and made her shadow touch the door, creating another self just outside. She took Xer’s hand and abandoned her self as he made a large plant that pushed them above the orchestra pit and all the way to the backstage.

“Do you know where the scream was?” they asked together. “No, then.”

“It had to be Grace,” Xer said.

“I think we’re the only people here who know who’s mother she is. There are plenty more people back there.”

“I was best friends with that woman’s son. I know what her scream sounds like. I just need you to track her.”

It seemed an unnecessary use of Magek, but Xer was panicked. Victoria already couldn't see anyway.

“I need your eyes.”

He guided her hands over his eyes.

“Invenies Grace Johnson.”

She pulled her hands away, only to have him yank one of them as he ran. They landed outside of a seemingly unmarked dressing room. Xer kicked the door open.

“Who are you?” someone said, gesturing threateningly. The room was far too bright for Tetra to see anything. Why would they light things so much here? She focused on the shadow under the table.

“You probably recognize Tetra,” Xer said, “And I’m her friend—”

“Elemaster.” derision poured from the threatener’s tone.

“Of course, of course.” Xer hated that name. Victoria heard something splashing, then a thunk on the ground. Xer had used water in a vase to smack the knife out of their friend’s hand. “Now we’re on equal footing.”

“I have nothing to defend myself.”

“You have your words,” Tetra said, “The only counter now to our questions.”

She hoped the statement had some effect, but she had no idea of their expression.

“Why are you here?” Xer asked.

“Are you chosen?” the intruder asked.

“Chosen by what?”

“By the great one of course. She is the first chosen,” gesturing, probably toward Grace Johnson, “And the most chosen will be found here too.”

“Chosen by Electron?” Xer asked.

“His name is above our pitiful mouths.”

“The anniversary of his disappearance isn’t faraway, is it?” Tetra said. That’s why Mandie was in town for her sister. Mandie was at the theater in place of Catherine Piec, who got saved by Electron almost once a week for a time. “Whatever you want with Catherine Piec, she isn’t here, and you’re not getting what you want out of Ms. Johnson.”

“We know she had a ticket.”

“She gave it to her sister, who I doubt had the same chosen privilege.”

“If she was first chosen,” Xer had clearly done his own thinking, “Is it because his first appearance was at her party?”

“That is not knowledge for the unchosen.”

“But I am chosen. If being chosen is about Electron saving your life, then I am the first chosen. He saved me when I was just a child, before he ever put on the suit.”

Grace seemed to nod.

“The first chosen…”

Their friend stopped moving. Xer and Tetra readied their positions.

Victoria, Run! a voice said in Tetra's mind.

Tetra gripped her sword as she stepped forward.

Tetra came to help, Mandie.

She stepped into a room empty except for a woman with red hair in the same braid, and a different white dress than earlier, was dodging fireballs. Tetra hit one with Excalibur, water soaking into the carpet a little from impact. This felt a little too familiar, especially with her attacker wearing the same black cloak as last time.

“Tetra, what are you doing here?”

“I was supposed to be enjoying a performance of Much Ado About Nothing, but apparently someone decided to attack a whole theater.” she continued to slash through the fireballs. Now that they weren’t using ash, it was much easier to counter.

“They want to get Catherine Piec!” Nightingale yelled. Mandie, Nightingale this whole time. Considering she didn’t look much different than before, it was a miracle Tetra had never realized until now.

“Where is she?” the fire mage asked—same voice even.

“She didn’t come, you numpty.” Tetra answered, closing the gap.

Keep them busy, Nightingale ordered, I have a plan.

Are you just going to hit them with your stick?

It’s a staff, and yes I plan to knock them out with it.

“How do you know she isn’t here!?” the fire changed from bursts to a long stream surrounding Tetra.

“Repurcussum!”

From the shadows in her cloak, walls formed around her, shading the air. She could see better, but not brilliantly. More importantly, the reflect shield kept the fire at bay, and even threw some of it back, as long as she focused her will on it.

She didn’t know how long she was within it, but the fire seemed to abate.

“How did Nightingale know Catherine Piec wasn’t here,” the mage asked, “Unless she knew her?”

A mental reverberation of surprise hit Tetra’s mind.

“Unless she was someone Catherine would trust to go in her place, like her twi—”

The fire seemed to completely stop. Then a small thud.

“I’ll need to handle that,” Nightingale admitted, collapsing her staff as it put itself away.

“Maybe if you didn’t wear your hair the same way, you would be less obvious.”

Nightingale ignored her, dragging the fire mage to the wall.

“Keep watch while I get that idea out of his head, will you?”

“Why not?”

Tetra turned her gaze around the room, unable to discern most of it under the light.

How are you in darkness? she asked.

I’m in his head, Nightingale answered, I don’t care how bright it is.

It took a moment groping the walls to find a light switch, but eventually Tetra shut off the light. Now she could see.

“What are you doing exactly?” she asked as she came back next to Nightingale, who was crouched down by their fire-mage friend.

“I’m erasing the thought of Mandie Piec being Nightingale from his mind.”

“I thought you were great with memories. Shouldn’t you be done by now?”

“It’s not just memories. I have to take away his ability to make that connection again.”

“Is that part necessary?”

It seemed like a lot of work to protect something Mandie didn’t put a lot of effort into maintaining.

“You recognized him, which means he’s likely to be a menace, if not in league with worse threats. One screw up, and I’ll have a cascade of inconvenient recollections. One enemy knowing enough.”

“Someone whose memory you haven’t erased?”

“Someone whose memory I can’t erase, but maybe right now we could shut up so I could handle this one.”

There was the Mandie she met as a teenager, all business, avoiding anything about herself. Victoria still didn’t know why she even came to Scotland, and they’d spent every spare moment together.

“Think quieter please.”

Tetra put her arms up in surrender and walked over to the bar. She could use a drink, but technically she was now the Master on duty.

Something removed her helmet, and Tetra felt herself disappear.

Tetra stumbled closer to Xer. Everything just got so much brighter. Her other self hadn’t rejoined by choice, and it was giving her a headache.

“Something went wrong out there.”

“How wrong?” Xer asked.

“I just rejoined with that other self.”

“That’s because I called a ride,” the cultist said.

They hadn’t frozen. It was a silent summons.

“Telepath.” they said together, just before something pushed them apart, and their telepath disappeared.

“I think we should talk to Nightingale, don’t you?”

“Nightingale’s here?”

Tetra nodded.