Abnormals

Tesla Coil had called the meeting. Xer already didn’t like that fact, as if she wasn’t the one who people called to start meetings before.

Tetra seemed to know what the meeting was about when she mentioned it, saying it was coming as she told him to change. That was point number two of disliking this.

“Everyone’s found their resolve then?” Tetra announced as much as asked as the two of them appeared, confirming his fears.

“You changed your mind?” he asked Tesla Coil.

“He cursed my son,” she said.

“Then we destroy him,” Nightingale said.

“So all of you women are killers, apparently,” Xer said. He understood why Tesla Coil would change opinions, but that didn’t mean it was actually right.

“I don’t think killing him is the answer either,” Jet said, thankfully, “We need to be strategic about it, and I think the best method is to disrupt his power source.”

“What power source?” Nightingale asked.

“The swords,” Xer said, “We have to make the swords stop working for him.”

This he could get behind.

“That’s a losing battle,” Tetra said, “He is the source of the swords, and they’re too easy to make.”

“But he was well fed,” Tesla Coil said, “He didn’t go after you when you’re the full buffet in front of him. If the swords are the reason he’s fine, then we reduce their numbers so he has to find a larger source again.”

The only source they had with them was Tetra.

“No.” Xer insisted.

“Oh,” a new voice said, coming from an Asian woman in civilian wear, “Now you’re mad at the pacifist route since it involves your friend being bait.”

“She can kill him once he gets close enough,” Jet said, “We just need to make him sloppy first.”

“Who is she?” Xer asked, pointing at the interloper, “We just lost Berserker. We don’t need to bring someone else into this.”

“Hi,” she extended a hand, “Elemaster, right? I’m Alyssa, Berserker’s self-appointed replacement, here to avenge his death.”

“Xer,” he corrected.

“Well that name’s just stupid,” she said. He rolled his eyes. If Berserker’s friend wanted to get herself killed, that was none of his business. He didn’t think she should get a vote though, not that it changed anything.

“Why are you all so insistent on murder?” he asked, returning to the subject, “Why do we have to stoop to his level.”

“Because staying above his level lost your godson his legs,” Tesla Coil snapped, “And his eyes, and who knows what else he’s lost now?”

She was delusional as ever.

“Your son is not my godson.”

“Oh, grow a brain, Rex,” she insisted, “You only have the one godson.”

She removed her mask, revealing the burns that proved her identity. With the mask taking less focus, it was easier to see that the brunette hair was a wig. How could he have been so stupid?

He took a few steps back, his mouth speaking before he could think through a response.

“You’ve been doing this while you have a kid at home?”

Catherine rolled her eye.

“Because something has to be done, and I’m a lot more help to him out here now.”

He disagreed, but there was nothing else to be done.

“Anyone else have something they need to share? It’s a circle of trust right now, I guess.” he removed his mask with a sarcastic flourish.

Nightingale removed her mask, showing what most of the room already knew.

Tetra pulled off her helmet, showing Victoria.

Jet shrugged, already completely in civvies.

“I’d take something off,” Alyssa said, “But I don’t think you guys want me to strip.”

“What do we do now?” Jet asked.

“We find a way to kill this bastard,” Rex said, still watching Catherine, fully understanding what changed her mind, “For Harold, for Tetra, for Berserker.”

“I still think this is a bad idea,” Rex said. They’d all changed into civvies for this particular mission, “And why are you wearing a wire? Can’t you just send everything directly from your head?”

Catherine frowned.

“Typical power suppression doesn’t seem to have much effect on his abilities, so he may have it ready to go for me. Besides, having two recording options isn’t bad.”

“Fine.”

Catherine was apparently friends with Dark Magek this whole time, blindly so. He’d worked with her godfather before he was killed.

“He’s not to be trifled with,” Victoria warned again, “You’ve already seen the damage he can do.”

“He seemed to still care about our friendship, in an ‘evil person who doesn’t realize what friendship actually is’ sort of way. I think we’d be remiss not to try.”

“You shouldn’t be going alone though,” Mandie said, fidgeting with her staff.

“And who could I bring that wouldn’t be suspicious?” Catherine asked, “Certainly not Harold anymore, given what could happen if he’s exposed to this stuff again.”

“Exposed to any Magek,” Victoria corrected, “I won’t be coming for tea any time soon.”

Rex hadn’t seen the damage yet, but Catherine hadn’t been scant on the details. And he got powers. Of course he did given that his parents were both empowered. Rex just never thought…

“What if he decides you’re an obstacle like Berserker?” Rex asked, “Whose job is it to tell Harold his mother died on a reconnaissance mission to a coffee shop?”

“That’s why it’s at the coffee shop. It’s too public. He seems to prefer a low profile.”

“Depends on his reason for the low profile,” Mandie assessed, “Maybe he just wanted to keep your trust, until his hand was forced and he had to reveal himself. If that’s the case, he has no reason to keep you alive in there.”

Catherine looked at her phone.

“Here goes nothing,” she said.

Rex watched the coffee shop through the window Mandie already occupied. Victoria took a different one.

“Why did you want to meet?” Catherine asked after sitting down.

“You’ve seen the effects of your choices. I want to give you a chance to take it back.”

Rex tried to squeeze Catherine’s hand somehow from a distance. Dark Magek didn’t need to act like any of this was her fault.

“Trying to relieve your regrets at hurting a child?” she asked.

“Trying not to lose a friend.”

“We aren’t friends,” Catherine said, “Not anymore.”

“Damn straight,” Mandie muttered.

“He doesn’t seem to be doing anything worth pulling an alarm over,” Victoria said, “But it’s certainly a choice to open with such hostility.”

“He attacked her son,” Mandie said, “A lack of hostility would be more off-putting.”

Rex caught Victoria shaking her heads, as she’d duplicated by this time.

“I’ll ask again,” Catherine said, “What do you want?”

“Same thing I wanted before,” Dark Magek said, “I want you to stop helping Tetra, and I’ll undo the curse your son now suffers from.”

“Take it,” Rex said on impulse. They could manage without Catherine, and Harold deserved saving.

“Think carefully, Catherine.”

Mandie tensed beside Rex.

“Where did he learn that?” she muttered.

“You know,” Catherine replied, “I considered it when you initially offered, but you had to use that phrase. Where did you learn it?”

Apparently she shared her sister’s curiosity.

“Isn’t it a normal phrase? Think carefully, and all that.”

“But you said you knew it wouldn’t work, that you told them it wouldn’t work. Who told you it would?” Catherine insisted. Did she actually care about getting info on Dark Magek, or was she looking into his allies? Rex wasn’t even aware of the possibility he could have partners in this.

“You’ve always been clever, haven’t you, Ms. Piec?” Dark Magek asked, his tone changing. Rex pulled away from the window.

“Do you want to answer the question?” Catherine asked.

“Did you call Tetra in time?” Dark Magek asked, “She ought to have a dispersal potion at the ready given her skills and line of work.”

“Yes,” Catherine said, “What are you going to do about it?”

“Nothing,” Dark Magek said, “I just wanted to ask something of you in trade. The Coven’s held an interest in you and your sister for a long time, and you know exactly who I learned that phrase from.”

Mandie seized up again, no comment this time.

“Why did you kill Berserker?” Catherine asked, “Was it because of his involvement with the Coven?”

The speck that was Dark Magek seemed to lean back comfortably.

“Do you think your husband would be proud of your work?” Dark Magek asked, “Especially considering its impact on your child.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Rex encouraged, as if Catherine hadn’t made this a one way line. He’d thought the same thing, but this man had no right to question her like that.

“He’d be mad if I bothered with the opinions of dead men, or the kind of man who would hurt my son.”

Something told Rex that Dark Magek had a smug expression at the moment.

“Berserker, like the rest of your band, is a threat, except he can’t be reasoned with. A man like him never can. His only tether of emotion is a volatile woman who I’m sure wants me gone worse than you do. Blaster has his roommate, the songbird has you, Tetra and her mortal companion have each other. A little domino pile between the five of you if I remove a necessary piece, such as your son.”

“My son isn’t a piece.”

“No,” Dark Magek said, “But you don’t want him off the board either, not that I think you’ll budge.”

He stood up and left the coffee place, disappearing in a plume of shadow not unlike Tetra’s.

“His stuff looks like yours, Victoria,” Mandie noted, “Has he stolen any from you?”

“Not that I know of,” Victoria said, “He was likely a shadow mage in his previous life.”

They heard the sound of heavy breaths over the speaker.

“Is she alright?” Rex asked Mandie.

“I’m impressed she managed to stave off the panic attack this long.”

The speaker clicked off and Mandie left the room.

“What’s the Coven?” Rex and Victoria asked together, “You don’t know.”

“Whatever it is,” Rex said, “We’re going to kick its ass.”

Despite the lack of mobility, Harold was the same kid, barring hair and eyes. The difference wasn’t as drastic as Catherine made it out to be.

“How did you decide to be a superhero?”

And apparently Harold got access to all his mother’s files, which were invasive.

“That’s a secret,” Rex said, “Like most of the things you’ve been asking about.”

“Don’t you trust me, Uncle Rex?” Harold gave a pitiable face.

“No,” Rex ruffled the boy’s curls, “Not as far as I can throw you. You’ve got to learn to respect people’s privacy, or who knows who might hurt?”

That sobered Harold up.

“I could hurt someone?”

“Yeah, secrets can do that if you reveal them before people are ready.”

“Oh.”

Harold’s mother was busy coming off of her interaction with Dark Magek by building something. Rex hadn’t asked for details, just offered childcare.

“How are you going to stop the bad guy?” Harold asked.

“Excellent question,” the computer that Catherine let talk added, “Because every attempt seems to have made things worse.”

Rex shook his head.

“We trust each other, and that once one of us figures it out, they’ll share it with the team.”

“Do you have a team name?” Harold asked.

“No,” Rex admitted, “Not really. We’re not even much of a team if I’m being honest.”

They knew all of each other’s identities now, not that there was much to know. Rex had been aware of everyone other than Tesla Coil, which he still felt blind about.

Maybe because Catherine always gave him flack for going out untrained, even saying that was why she never planned to go out. What could change her mind like that?

The picture of Pete and her at their wedding offered a simple answer. Grief changes people. As much as Rex missed his friend, Pete had been an external part of his life. His absence mostly left Rex without someone to call, while Catherine lost a partner, in multiple senses of the world.

“What have you figured out about your dad now?” Rex asked Harold, turning the informational tables.

“He was Electron,” Harold said in surprisingly muted tone.

“Isn’t that exciting?” Rex asked, “He was a hero, the best hero.”

“Mom thinks he’s still alive.”

Of course Catherine was still searching for him. Tesla Coil said Electron was dead, but didn’t believe the damn words.

“What’s she doing about it?”

Harold shrugged.

“Checking security cameras near electricity spikes. He has a unique energy signature.”

This seemed like exactly the thing for Harold to get excited about; why wasn’t he?

“Did you lose your interest in xenology all of the sudden?” Rex asked.

Harold shook his head.

“Why didn’t he come back? He’s supposed to be powerful, and Mom thinks he’s still alive, so why hasn’t he—”

Rex saw the beginnings of tears.

“No, please, don’t cry, kiddo. If your mom is right, and your dad’s still alive, then someone is using all their power to stop him, because he’s definitely using all of his power to get here to your family.”

“Really?” Harold asked.

“Really. I know because I was his best friend.”

“You were?” Harold asked.

Rex ruffled Harold’s curls again before pulling him into a hug.

Catherine screamed.

“I think it’s superhero stuff,” Harold said.

Rex ran to Catherine’s workshop, where she was currently glaring at one of the swords.

“You still have that?” Rex asked, “Do you want me to burn it.”

“No!” Catherine settled herself after the outburst, “He already knows I’m working on this, so why stop myself from trying to figure this thing out?”

“Magek is heavily opposed to being an exact science,” Rex paraphrased.

Catherine clenched her whole body in frustration.

“I just can’t do anything apparently, because every time I try to do something, I make things worse. My son is cursed, forever, because I can’t stop figuring things out, not that I can start either.”

“Piec,” Rex warded.

“You and I don’t get along for a reason, and now we have to fight a dark lord or whatever, and the only thing that destroys this stuff is fire for some reason.”

“Catherine.”

“And I actually want to kill a person. I didn’t want to kill anyone before, not even Henry Eisel, and he’s the reason I’m stuck like this.”

Catherine raised her biometal arm.

“And again, I can’t do anything, at all, but I can’t do nothing either, which just leaves me in this state of—”

Rex snapped his finger in her face.

“Hey, Robot. Shut the hell up.”

“Please don’t swear where my child can hear you.”

“Swearing is hardly the worst thing he’s been introduced to in the past 24 hours. He’ll live. You’re doing your fucking best in the middle of a disaster, and if I’m saying that, you can believe it.”

Catherine rolled her eye.

“You’re an okay mom,” Rex admitted, “Not perfect, obviously, but maybe even good. You’re a damn good superhero, maybe better than Pete, because you and I both know he wouldn’t have been Electron without you.”

“I think you have your timeline confused.”

Rex took a breath before reaching his final point.

“You are also not the one who has to figure this out.”

Catherine was a scientist, a xenologist. She knew more than Rex ever would, and she was out of her depth.

“But—”

“Focus on your kid. Leave this to Tetra, and maybe Jet. Join us once we’ve got a solution, but you aren’t going to find it, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner things will be okay. Okay?”

Catherine nodded.

“I’m supposed to know things. It’s what I do.”

“Yeah, well, you’ve gotta accept the abnormals as they come.”

Catherine groaned.

“When did you get that from Pete?”

“Get what?”

“Abnormals. He always shortened abnormalities to that, and then he used it whenever possible when he realized it annoyed me.”

Rex shrugged. He forgot Pete was like that. Nobody got on Rex’s case about it before.

“It’s just a word, Catherine, get over yourself.”

Catherine scowled, then waved a hand in dismissal.

“Go help your friend or whatever. I’m staying with my kid.”

“Will do.”

Rex followed her until she joined Harold, then he took the door outside, giving himself a few feet before calling his home phone.

“Do you need me to pick you up?” Victoria asked.

“Yeah, and then I need you to figure out how we kill this bastard.”