Chapter 7: Aftermath & Regrets

Wednesday, July 8th, 2020

Location: Earth, United States of America, Dallas Texas.

“I love you Pumpkin and I will always be with you.”

The voice of my father when I woke up a few days ago still haunts me. It leaves a pain in my heart that I don’t think will ever go away. I feel the pain of his message every time I see the sunken eyes of my mother whenever she comes to visit. I hear it over and over. Each time felling the pain of it whenever I see the puffy eyed look little Anny gives me as she hugs Onyx to her. It’s like the cat is the last hope this seven-year-old little girl has at keeping things together as the family deals with our grief.

Oddly the cat seems to understand and has been surprisingly cooperative. So much so that Little Anny had managed to sneak the cat into my hospital room. Or maybe the nurses see the grief and ignore the well-behaved cat.

Though I doubt it.

Not that mom noticed as she navigates the world on autopilot.

As for how everyone else is doing.

I don’t know.

Other than being told that they’re fine I know nothing.

Police came by yesterday and took my statement. Informing me that they found six corpses in the aftermath of the explosion and fire. Of the six, I only knew two by name. The first was the withered corpse of my father and the other was the remains of my friend Lesia.

No one knows what happened after daddy ran into the fire. One moment he was hale and full of life only for a husk of a man to be found in the ashes. Add in that I looked only marginally better with my body atrophied into a stick figure that cannot even support my own weight. Then throw the literal magical girls in the middle east on the six o’clock news.

The police weren’t stupid.

I told them everything and gave a formal statement.

It didn’t solve the mystery on why my dad was dead.

Though the pale skin of my arms and legs give me pause. As well as the jagged scar lines at my shoulders and thighs. Scars that I have never had before and ones I cannot explain. Though if I had to give it a voice, my heart points me towards daddy and he somehow made sure I was ok.

The horror I feel of that shout before everything went dark.

“EXPLOSION!”

The fear comes and hits.

Then it is immediately cast away by my father’s voice.

“I love you Pumpkin and I will always be with you.”

Instantly banishing the fear. His voice echoing in my mind whenever the room got to quiet. The felling that somehow, he made sure I was whole hit me. So, in those silent moments when I was alone.

I cried.

Not that I never cry, but I just wasn’t the kind of girl who cried very often. But now I cried every time I was alone. His warmth and love flowed into me as loving memory after memory went on repeat in my mind.

That and the regret.

Lesia hadn’t pushed, but if she had then maybe this wouldn’t have happened? So, as my weakened body would quickly run out of tears. My mind would betray me. Whispering about the offered power and how I had turned it down.

My desire to not get involved.

My hubris at believing that I could take care of myself. That I was strong enough to not need it. Yet now with my father dead, my traitorous heart asks the question.

“If you had taken the power, would daddy be alive today?”

As the beeps of the heart monitor rhythmically sound out their tones to the beat of my heart, I give myself an honest answer.

Yes.

I think my daddy would be alive today if I had taken the power when offered.

And now it’s too late.

Staring at the dark interior of my hospital room. My mind intermixing memories of happier times and the sight of my mother weeping when she thought no one was watching. Struggling to keep up a brave face for us while she death with his funeral.

No.

No more.

If I get this chance one more time, I will take it.

I will grab as much power as I can get and do whatever it takes to make sure that my family never has to go through this again.

That I never have to feel this pain again.

“Ahh, good,” said a familiar voice.

Twisting my head from side to side on the pillow. I couldn’t find anything.

“Whose there?” My voice weak and raspy.

“Who do you think?” said the voice.

Upside-down, to me at least. A feline head popped into view before jumping down to my lap.

“Onyx?”

After a pause the cat jumped down onto the hospital bed in front of me. Tail swishing about in confident little jerks. The giant mix breed, Main Coon sized, black cat looked over its shoulder at me and meowed.

Lavender eyes stared back at me and I could swear the cat smiled.

“Sorry, dearie, but your little friend Onyx isn’t in at the moment,” said that oddly familiar feminine voice.

“Lesia?”

My words soft and hesitant as the cat somehow grinned at me. Or maybe the hospital gave me the good stuff and this was all a hallucination. Though if it meant my dad was back, I’d take that over this. Whatever the cost.

It can’t be worse than this…

Right?

Oblivious to my internal musings the cat sat on my lap, looking at me.

“It’s me,” said Lesia.

“With the death of the simulacrum that I was using to interact with this world. I’ll be forced to borrow your cat’s body until I can do something about it.”

“Are you ok? Are you going to make another?” I asked in confusion as my mind caught back up to current events.

“I’m fine and nope.”

“It’ll be another cat body. I don’t need to stand out like I did the last time.”

“Ok,” I said awkwardly.

Nodding, the cat looked at me, “Enough about me, are you doing ok?”

“I guess I’m ok,” I said while looking at my too pale hands. The hands free of the few scars and callouses I had made over the course of my life. Hands that looked withered and frail rather that vibrant and youthful as they once had.

“I see,” said Lesia.

“You’re still processing the grief over the passing of your father.”

At that I had nothing to say for it was true. My father had been a rock in my life that I had felt would always be there. While intellectually I knew that he would one day pass. I felt that would be long after I had gotten married and had kids. A death surrounded by grand children and maybe even some great grandchildren. A future so far away that I shouldn’t have had to consider it.

Instead my mom was hopping to have him buried before the end of the week.

“Before you ask,” said Lesia. Snapping my attention back to the present.

“No, there is no magic that can revive the dead after so long.”

“Oh,” I said. Not having even considered it.

Her words bringing me back to my previous thoughts.

“But if I had taken you up on your magic before, he might not have died.”

“Correct,” said the cat.

“Not to hurt you, but in an attempt to be as honest as possible. The answer is yes. Your father would not have died if you had magic in that fight. Though the other people would still have died. There is nothing you could have done to change that without foreknowledge of that boy’s power.”

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Shrugging, I look away. My heart sinking at the confirmation of that little voice in my head that blamed myself for my father’s death. Furthermore, I hadn’t even considered the other dead. They hadn’t even crossed my mind and that ashamed me. My dad expects better of me than that.

Or rather, he would have.

After a few, slow, shuddering breaths.

I turn towards the cat.

“I need the power to make sure that I never have to go through this again.”

“So, you want magical powers?” asked the cat in an amused tone of voice.

“Yes.”

“And so, you shall have it.”

“Though, I sincerely doubt you’ll go through that again,” said Lesia as the cat swished its tail and turned away from me.

After hopping off the bed and onto the ground, the cat said, “Afterall, your dad can only give his life for you once.”

. . . . .

Staring at the cat in disbelief. My mouth open and closing without a sound for several seconds before spluttering inconsequential noise. Failing to make a single coherent word in my outrage.

That Bitch!

My attempts to shout my outrage at the that damn cat left me wheezing. Staring at that the door with venom in my eyes. The emotional turmoil weakening me. Bringing on a wave of fatigue that left me flopping back as I glared at the door.

I don’t know how long I stared after that cat.

But slowly, ever so slowly, the anger faded.

Despair and regret had me closing my eyes as tears flowed once more.

Eventually, sleep took me.

~ Ding ~

Welcome to the Tribulation Integration Trial System

The gold bordered, blue box that appeared before me. Awaking me suddenly in my darkened hospital room. Instantly forcing me awake without the usual nightmare or grogginess. My attention transfixed onto the message in front of me as it shifted into a new message.

You have been sponsored by Lesia Mithrilwing

Do you Accept: Yes / No

Heart thrumming along like a blast beat on a drum. I couldn’t help but smile.

The little bitch came through for me After all.

Reaching up I tried to push the ‘Yes’ button but my hand went through it. Breathing heavily, I said it out loud instead.

“Yes.”

Name: Elizabeth; 'Izzy' Swalwell

Please speak your alias:

F.A.Q:

Question: Why do I need an alias?

Answer: An alias is required because all users of the T.I.T.S. will be able to see your name and any title you may have. Due to the Ershenwine indecent. The T.I.T.S. has been updated to prevent, Governments, Extra Dimensional Entities, Creatures, Spirits, Objects, and a host of others from enslaving the users of the T.I.T.S. through the use of a user's true name.

“Supernova,” said a feminine voice from beside me. Causing me to jerk in startlement. Twisting and looking up I found Onyx or rather, Lesia looking down on me.

“Damit! how long have you been there?” I ask through deep, slow breaths as I try to calm down. My weakened state causing a wave of fatigue to wash through me. Forcing added effort to stay on task despite just waking up.

“Since before you woke up.”

“Afterall, the system notified me once it finished its end of the integration which took far longer than normal due to the extensive healing you went through.”

“Wha-” I said in confusion.

“Notified you, healing? What are you talking about?” I said and watched as the cat hopped down onto the bed next to my legs.

“Let’s start with the easy one first,” said Lesia as she patted my leg with a paw.

“The reason your skin looks different on your arms and legs,” said the talking cat as I felt my heart sink. An inkling of what was to come.

“Is because they were blown off and Alesia Copperwing healed you.”

“Oh,” I said. Tension leaving and shoulders slumping as what I had expected didn’t happen. For this time the cat shaped angel didn’t talk about dad.

“As for the sponsorship thing. You do realize that you are likely the only one on earth that has gotten sponsored? Everyone else has gotten a familiar’s pact and I highly doubt there are any mavericks integrated yet.”

“Familiar? Maverick?” I ask.

“A Maverick is someone who manages to catch the attention of the system on their own. Usually by killing a creature that has already integrated with the system. As for a familiar. They are a person who has entered a contract of servitude to a being of a higher realm. The same way a cat or other animal can be a familiar to a person, a person can be a familiar to an angel.”

“So, you mean-” I say, eyes widening as the fight started once more in my mind.

“Yes.”

“Your fight was with Alesia Copperwings familiar’s.”

“Then why did she heal me?” I ask.

Looking up at me, I could see Onyx’s feline face smile as she opened her mouth.

“Because if you had died, I would have had to kill her.”

Staring at the cat with my mouth open, she continued.

“Familiars have up to three rules they must follow from their master and in return they give their master a tithe. Between one and ten percent of what they earn goes to the master. While the familiar gets a few skills from them. Its why I’m confident nearly everyone on earth who has magic is a familiar.”

“Then why aren’t you doing that with me?”

“Because I don’t need the pittance you would otherwise tithe to me. Instead the benefactor title I got will grow in power as you grow and will be worth far more in the long run.”

“Then why didn’t Alesia do the same thing?”

“Child,” said Lesia in a patronizing tone full of mirth.

“You can only plan for long term goals if your assured that you will survive until then. For what she is doing will help her survive. A thinking pattern that you need to start getting in the habit of.”

“Now stop dawdling and tell the system that your name is Supernova. I don’t think picking out your alias is too much to ask for when I give you vast cosmic powers in return.”

Rolling my yes, I turn to the blue screen and say, “S-Supernova.”

Alias: Sensual Supernova

Do you Accept: Yes / No

“No!” I cried as the cat chortled with glee. Only for my dismay to grow as another blue box appeared in front of me. Causing me to burry my face in my hands as I were hiding from the world. Teeth gritted, I forced myself to not cry. My emotional stability not what it would have been before the fourth.

Name: Elizabeth; 'Izzy' Swalwell

Alias: Sensual Supernova

Please Pick an Element:

Fire, Earth, Wind, Water

“You planned this!” I said in a low voice. Onyx meanwhile, or rather, Lesia just flitted her tail at me as she hopped down from the bed.

“Maybe,” said the cat with a laugh.

“But in all seriousness dear, pick fire. You would look a fool with a name like that and any other element.”

My eyes burning with hate I stared at the doorway the cat had escaped from for several minutes before sighing in resignation.

“Fire,” I said. Too tired to care.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Richard Hainsworth sat in the dingy apartment in a rundown part of Houston. Two of his friends from the ambush had joined him as they planned their escape. Knowing full well that the fucked-up mess at the mansion would and did get blamed on them. As confirmed by their pictures on the six o’clock news under the banner of, ‘Armed and dangerous.’

Though they were only considered, ‘persons of interest.’ He knew that the police, from talking with his father about work, that they would hound the two relentlessly so long as there was a trail to follow. It wasn’t as if the place that Marcus blew up was some sort of abandoned building. No, that crazy bastard blew up a mansion filled with important people who would all put pressure on the police to make sure his ass went behind bars.

Good thing he was one of the corpses left behind.

Not that his death would do them any good. Its not like they could explain away that all they wanted to do was beat a girl up to put her in her place. With that platinum blond girl dropping so fast with his first swing.

Staring down at his hands he could still remember the disbelief at how easy it had been to kill her. He’d only wanted to knock her out but his new strength was too much and it had snapped her neck instantly.

“What are we going to do Dick?” said Marty, or rather Shoggoth Tamer, aka, Shogi.

“Don’t use real names Shogi,” said Richard.

“Oh, right, sorry Warhammer,” said Shogi.

“Then what are we going to do?” said Nightlife as he played with a ball of electricity by bouncing it between his palms.

Richard meanwhile looked down at the blood on the floor and the half dozen corpses in the room who had recently been drug dealers. They needed money and killing these guys seemed to be the easiest solution without immediately attracting the cop’s attention.

“What level are yall,” said Richard.

“One.”

“One.”

“Two,” said Richard with a sigh. Disappointed in how little essence they had gained from killing normal people.

“At least we’ve got some money now,” said Shogi.

“True, dat,” said Nightlife.

Picking up the remote, Richard turned up the volume as news story changed.

“BREAKING NEWS.”

A beautiful blond woman in a red dress sat in front of a desk and reads the news. Its contents at least pushing his fiasco off from being the biggest news story of the day. Something that might have bruised his ego somewhat, but ultimately made him feel relieved. For Richard did not want to go to jail or worse. Get cut up in order to figure out how magic ticked.

“The United Nations is calling for all member nations to send as many people as possible to aid in the undead crisis in the middle east. With everything within 100 miles or 160 kilometers lost to the undead swarm. Further pleas have also been made to everyone who has received some form of magic gift to head to your local government office and sign up for the war effort. A one hundred-thousand-dollar bonus has been offered to each and every person who signs up to aid our partners in the middle east.”

“We need to go get us some levels,” said Richard with a grin as he turned off the TV.

“How are we going to do that?” asked Shogi.

“I doubt they will let us just sign up.”

“Naw, we goanna have to go there on our own,” said Nightlife as he let his little ball of electricity dissipate.

“Ya, but where there’s a will, there’s a way,” said Richard as he held up a fist sized wad of drug money.