Lory sighed as she looked at Haley looking at Steve, full of admiration. She stood on the airship as it slowly started parking. She looked at Funk and Abby, “Come with me, we really need to have a chat with each other.”
Haley looked at her, “Where are you going mom? We are about to land.”
“I am just going to talk to my friends, we need to talk about some private matters.”
Haley nodded and looked at Brickton. Lory walked over to Bella, who was busy with stationing the airship, Funk and Abby followed her. They all looked at Lory as she spoke up, “This is a safe space, right? I can share things without them ever blowing up in my face, or you guys blurting them out?”
Bella smiled and nodded, “I am good at keeping secrets.”
Lory scoffed, “And those two are as well.”
Funk crossed his arms, “What is on your mind Lory? It seems to be something heavy.”
Abby nodded, “I am wondering about that as well.”
Lory sighed, “This whole thing with Steve, or should I call him Stevette? Never mind that. I am just not buying it, him having more personalities and stuff like that, this is like, my worst nightmare. It seems more to me like he has unlocked something that belongs to his race. And now he has learned how to use illusions, and he is wandering around as a woman, that is bothering me. If you think I am going to do something with a woman, then that is just a big no, at least, not like this. If you ask me, he has just, cracked. He has become mentally unstable, unfit for fighting and traveling.”
Funk blinked a couple of times, “That are quite some heavy words that you are saying about your husband, should you not talk to him about this?”
Lory looked at Abby, “You can replicate everything with Mimic, right? I mean, he is a parasite, I get that, but could you?”
Abby seemed to be thinking hard, “Yes, but it all looked very real. All those different Steve people in Steve town, how would you explain all the different Steve’s?”
Lory shrugged, “Maybe they are just different versions of how he sees himself. However, Eris is a wildcard. Does he actually have the ability to absorb or eat people, I have not read about it in any book?” And I would know, I have a lot of information that I got from reading and killi-”
Bella looked at Lory as she stopped in the middle of her sentence, “How many people did you kill? As for Steve, it could be an ability, but I have never heard of it, and I as an old angel have seen a lot. Ruby, a friend of mine, has seen a lot as well. You know what? I am going to keep my mouth shut and not interfere with this meeting, I have already lied too much in a few sentences.”
Funk looked at her, “You know something we don’t.”
Bella nodded, “But I promised Ruby, I would keep my mouth shut, I cannot betray a good friend.”
Lory nodded, “I understand Bella. If anyone notices that Steve tries to eat someone, then please tell me. Otherwise, leave him be.”
Abby nodded, “We will not interfere in your marriage, but this seems to be creating friction between the two of you, you should talk to him.”
Lory nodded, “Haley just believes him, and thinks she might have the same ability, I am not sure. But if he has that ability, then there is a chance, she has that ability too. Maybe that is what happened to Alice and Freya?” Bella looked at her, but she remained silent.
Abby looked at her, “You know more about almost everything.”
She looked back to Lory, “Steve is going to wander around as a woman, what is your plan for that?”
Lory seemed to be thinking, “I am just going to pretend that everything is fine. If I'll push this, he is just going to back away from me. Even if having an ability like eating people is a very evil power.” Lory smiled, Evil, well, it would suit me. But the Chosen One being evil, I mean, I am going to shut up now.
Funk looked up ignoring most of what she said, “What makes it evil?”
Lory sighed, “He kills people when he absorbs them. Imagine that, the last thing you see before dying, getting swallowed up”, She mumbled softly under her breath, “Maybe we are more alike than I want, for once, I thought I had a good guy, with a bit of a rage issue.”
Funk nodded, “I can see where you come from, but Abby has problems with needing to eat big meals as well. She almost ate a person.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Abby sighed, “But I stopped myself. It is different for me. It is just food for me.”
Lory nodded, “If Steve can indeed eat people, or absorb them, we need to settle on a term soon. Then he will not just kill them. They will be forced to become a Steve. And I think, Steve is just feeling guilty about what he has done on Stratos Isle, the tentacles. He made up a story and illusions came to live. That way he can live mostly guilt free, it will not even surprise me if he is going to let Eris out soon. Or if he is going to chat with her a lot. He is actually talking to himself, this is all just him. And just because he has energy to look different, like some kind of shapeshifting, does not mean he has all kinds of different people living in his head, he just believes that.”
Lory started pacing back and forth, “I am not going to discredit him because if I do, then he is going to run away and become angry at me. We need to find a way to ground him. We start by containing the shadow world for now. Bella can do that with her rituals, Funk, you need to keep a close eye on Steve. If one of his other illusions start taking over, give him a good beating, but hold back. Abby, if Funk gets his ass kicked because he never uses all of his power, step in. We need to give Steve some space, and let him realize these illusions are not real. If we drop this bomb on him, then he is going to run and hide from us. And Haley cannot know anything about this plan. We all need to act casual, as if we are totally okay with it.”
Lory sat down and shed a few tears, “I feel like he is slipping away from me.”
Abby sat down next to her, “He is not slipping away from you. He is still focusing on you and Haley. He is trying to be a good man, or woman, depending on your view if this illusion is real. You just need to keep him grounded. He is going to be fine, I am sure he will snap out of this in no time. But, if you do find out, that these people are real, or at least, real personalities. Then what will you do Lory?”
Funk walked over, “Indeed, they might be real, you could be holding the stick on the wrong end.”
Bella smiled, “They both make a good point Lory, what if this is real? What if he has indeed multiple people living in his head?”
Lory looked up, “Then I am going to have some trouble with accepting that, I need hard proof. But, I will push through it and try to be there for him. And for Haley, she is just looking at her dad, as if he is even more special at this moment. She does not see the dangers that I see. The temptation of Steve finding out how alluring it can be to eat people, and gain more and more powers.”
Funk sighed, “It is a tricky road. I think it is just Steve in there, and perhaps, Captain might be a real personality, along with his devil, but they have different personalities to battle it out.”
Abby looked at him, “Or Captain and Steve might become friends and keep the devil in check.”
Bella laughed, “That is something I would like to see, but it is an option, we just do not have enough information, except for the fact, Steve is walking around as a woman, and you Lory, even if it is an illusion need to deal with that and make him feel accepted.” Bella looked around, “I just called a woman a him, where is this world going?” Bella smiled, “the airship is parked, and I think Steve is outside. Are you up for this Lory?”
She got up, “Yeah, but are you all with me?” Funk and Abby nodded.
Bella chuckled, “I am neutral.”
Funk looked at Lory, “If he does something that is crossing the line, I will let you know.”
Abby looked at him, “Just don't cross the line yourself to mess up her marriage because I know what your secret is.”
Funk gasped, “You do?”
Lory looked at Funk, “What secret?”
He chuckled, “That is not a conversation for your ears, but Abby is very keen.”
Bella walked to the exit, “Are you guys done with talking? I think Stevette and Talia are waiting for us in the hangar bay.”
Lory looked at them leaving, she found herself, alone. She sighed deeply, how did I get myself into this situation? I could use your guidance now Falcon, you passive asshole. This must be some karmic shit because you were on the other of the stick. When I was swallowing people up. I was very clear to you how it worked. Steve is, different. Why does live hate me like that? It was much easier when I was just slaughtering everyone. She scoffed, I better make sure the others never find out I was a tyrannic dictator who tried to rule the Fairy Kingdom. And this was all a set up to get the Chosen One on my side. But, I really fell for the fucker, I love him so much. I better not let him know I killed Valentine. She started walking to the exit, “This, is shit,”