I woke and rose at six-thirty, having allowed myself an extra thirty minutes of laying in bed with my eyes closed, halfway between dream and waking. It hadn't been a nightmare so I'd been loathe to leave it. Despite that, I couldn't remember a thing. Damn, I could have used the comfort of...whatever. Oh well.
I dressed for school, with a nice sweater that was cast with all the shades of the sunset. With it I paired some brown corduroys, the funkiest pants in the closet, and then tied the kerchief around my head. I draped the long lengths of leftover fabric over my shoulders and checked in the mirror. I flipped one back and smiled. Nice, actually a look I would have worn at home. Maybe dressing up here wasn't impossible...oh, right. Well, I could and would now. I headed upstairs with a smile on my face.
“Morning Mom,” I greeted her.
She grunted, holding her head in her hands. Hangover. I'd helped her a bit last night, like the first time. I nodded understandingly and made a pot of coffee to share. I made both with plenty of cream and sugar, then bulled through Mom's weak protest. She perked up after taking a couple sips, as did I. It was...kind of nice.
“I'm sorry Lia,” she said after we'd both finished. “I won't be able to drive you to school today either.”
“The bus is fine,” I reassured her with a smile. “Duty calls, right?”
“Freya knows.” Weird expression, but a smile grew on her lips. “Do you need anything?”
“Money for lunch?” She gave me ten bucks and I thanked her.
Like that I was left to myself. I did a little searching and made myself toast with peanut butter and jam, a great way to follow the coffee. I stared at the coffee machine after finishing, then glanced at the clock. I had just enough time... I made another pot of coffee and dug through the cupboards. I found a thermos and gave it a quick rinse before filling it with a creamy, sugary treat for later.
I packed it in my bag and headed out the door. I was feeling even better than yesterday, after a decent six hours of sleep. The day was colder than the one before, but my sweater kept me cozy as I waited for the bus. It stopped by soon enough and I hopped on, sitting at the back as I usually did. I shut my eyes and dozed peacefully for the ride.
I thanked the scowling bus driver with a smile when we arrived, hopping off and heading into school. Yesterday had gone well after lunch, I'd even managed to pay appreciable attention in class. Sure, Fahrenheit 451 wasn't the deepest piece of literature, but it was plenty to spark a bit of discussion with the teacher. Law had been good too, with a spirited debate over how culpable Heartbreaker's victim was. Playing the devil's advocate in her guilt had been...fun, quite frankly. I was looking forward to more today.
History was first, and I was actually looking forward to it. Last time had been a trip because, well, I was on Earth Bet, but at this point that was hardly the biggest thing on my mind. Now, settling into this world of heroes, villains, and monsters, I hoped to pay more attention. Students began filing in, and the teacher stood and told us to open to a chapter in our texts. My eyes widened when I saw the topic.
The CUI.
Oh god, oh god I had so many fucking questions. How had an old-school imperial system arisen from a post-Cultural Revolution PRC? What dynasty was on the throne? How had Tiananmen gone with capes around? I leaned forward in my seat, more eager to learn than my first day at university. It seemed we were starting in the middle of something, unfortunately. Oh, another Sino-Vietnamese War, but in the 90s?
“In the most decisive action of the war,” the teacher said, setting down the textbook. His green eyes were wide, sparkling almost. “A battalion of CUI troops were transported from Hainan into New Saigon. Not a conventional paradrop, or an amphibious invasion, but the first large-scale parahuman driven deployment.” There was a moment of silence as it sank in. My hand shot up and he pointed.
“Where did they get enough Movers for that many men?” I asked, cocking my head. “And besides that, what about supplies? Even fully loaded they could only carry enough for what, three days each?”
“Good questions Amelia,” he replied. “Now remember that New Saigon was already under siege. The CUIA artillery wasn't able to deal with the Tinkertech defences that the PAVN-P had erected. Moreover, like we talked about last class, the Chinese were mounting an assault as this operation was beginning. Reinforcements and resupply were expected, if they survived.” I nodded, made sense.
“And the Movers?” He shrugged.
“China has a much larger population than us,” he answered. “More people, more parahumans. We have heroes like Strider that can move masses of people, it would hardly be surprising for other powers like that to arise elsewhere.” Another nod. That made sense...though it wasn't more satisfying than anything I could put together.
He continued when there were no more questions, describing the assault in detail. I had a feeling he'd rather be doing military history lectures than high school, but for me this was great. The shock of a thousand heavily armed soldiers, plus parahuman reinforcements, sent the defenders into chaos. The 'Dare to Die' Battalion, as it became known, died to a man, but New Saigon fell within thirty hours and the CUI negotiated favourable terms shortly after.
Well, damn, I actually managed to learn something from high school. I couldn't put it to much use but...hey, if I lived long enough maybe I'd go for a history degree here or something. Oh, no nevermind, there wasn't much of a point. I sighed as the class wound up and the teacher assigned homework that would never come due. Knowing the future was depressing.
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What wasn't was Textiles, my next destination. Something I had to actually focus on, to make sure it didn't go wrong like last time. Couldn't worry about the future if I was worried about my stitches. And anyway, I was still feeling pretty good. I had some kind of skill in this too, so I wasn't going to be frustrated because I had no clue what was going on.
I headed into class and found my machine. After putting my bag down, I took a couple minutes to thread it, knowing that would take me the longest. I managed to get it done before the teacher came out of her office and smiled at me. I smiled back and took my seat as the rest of the class filed in. Amy sat at the machine next to me, and I offered her a smile and a small wave. She returned the wave, then pulled out her thermos, which I answered by pulling out my own.
“Inspired?” Amy asked sarcastically.
“Let's just say I forgot how...taxing school could be.” That earned a wry grin before the teacher spoke up.
She basically just told us how much time we had left for our final projects, three weeks. A little bit of an overestimation, but it wasn't like she knew. God, I should tell these people, tell everyone what's going on. That tomorrow, half the city would be wiped out by an Endbringer. They could escape, evacuate, survive.
If they believed me. Which they wouldn't, of course. I clenched my hands tight and stared at the floor. I was just a kid. Even if I revealed I had superpowers, who would believe my claims about Leviathan? I was a Master, and a shitty one at that. No way they'd take reincarnation as a matter of fact. I'd probably get locked in a psych ward and drowned when that fucking monster hunted me down again and--
“Hey,” Amy muttered, tapping my shoulder. It startled me enough to take the deep breath my lungs had been craving. “Breathe. Take it easy. Turn around.” I did and saw her wearing a concerned frown. “Are you in pain?” Well... “Do you need healing?” she asked when I paused. I shook my head. “Okay. Try some breathing exercises, if you know them. And...maybe lay off the coffee.”
I nodded and let her get back to work. I was...better. Not okay, but not actively panicking. Whether intended or not, Amy snapped me out of it, and I was more than a little grateful. I took a deep breath. I couldn't tell people because a) they wouldn't believe me, 2) they'd think I'm crazy, and iii) they might be right. I let it out slowly. I was okay. I had earned this time to not think about any of this.
A few minutes later, I was able to get on with class, sorting out my various cuts for sewing. Thank god I threaded things before my impromptu panic attack, my hands were still shaking a little too badly for that delicate work. Fortunately, nothing more had to be cut, not for the mockup I was making currently. Out of curiosity, I glanced over at what Amy was working on.
She'd gotten started right after checking on me, it seemed. Right now she was sewing red piping down the seam of some white fabric. She looked focused, engaged, more than she did the other times I'd seen her in class. Despite that, I saw the corners of her lips perk up. Amy was...actually enjoying herself. Huh.
I turned back to my own work and got started, slowly, but quicker and quicker as I became more comfortable. I pulled my foot back and took a deep breath. Slow down girl, remember what happened last time? I did of course, and so I kept a slow pace. Not efficient maybe, but it was kind of relaxing to just...take my time. Easier too, especially when coming to the curved parts. Eventually, the bell rang and we had to pack up. It took less time than getting things ready at least, and before long I was slinging my bag over my back.
“Hey,” Amy said just as I turned towards the door. I turned back and cocked my head. “Remember your lunch?” I shrugged.
“Mom gave me some money,” I replied, then looked at the floor. “Thanks. For earlier I mean, and sorry. Didn't mean to...you know.” She nodded once.
“It's alright, really,” Amy said. “Well, see you.” I nodded and she headed out before me, already having cleaned up her desk.
I finished in short order, said goodbye to the teacher, and headed into the halls. It took a little longer to get to the cafeteria, and I barely snagged the last slice of pizza. My luck was holding, at least. I sighed and ambled through the lunch room, looking for an open table. Maybe somewhere in the corner where--
“Lia!” I froze at the sound of Victoria's voice. “Hey, we got a seat!” I turned and saw them just a table behind me. Victoria and Gallant wore warm grins, Amy was looking anywhere but at me, and everyone else seemed disinterested. With a sigh, I took the seat next to Amy and set my pizza down.
“Uh, thanks,” I mumbled as I took a bite.
“It's fine,” she assured me. “Any friend of Amy's is a friend of mine.” Friend? I frowned.
“We're classmates,” I corrected, waiting for Amy to jump in. She didn't though and I glanced over to see her staring pointedly at the linoleum. Her idea?
“No reason you can't be both, right?” Gallant said with a winning smile. Yeah, no reason besides tomorrow. Oh, he wouldn't...
“I guess,” I replied, taking another bite of pizza. It tasted like ash.
“I don't mind,” Amy mumbled. “Being friends, I mean. You seem...fine.” What a compliment, though considering the circumstances maybe it was.
“Thanks,” I said only a little sarcastically. “I'm sure being friends would be eventful.” The mildest way I could couch it.
“Do you go to a lot of concerts or something then?” Victoria asked, drawing my attention.
“Oh, no,” I said shaking my head.
“What do you mean 'eventful' then?” Okay do you want to be my friend or interrogate me, Vicky?
“You guys are heroes, right?” I said, cocking my head. “You're probably sort of...busy.”
“We still have friends,” she replied with a giggle. “And don't worry, if you get kidnapped I'll save you.” I rolled my eyes.
“Oh please,” I said dryly. “I'm not exactly a damsel in distress.”
“Oh?” Victoria leaned in. “Hidden fighting skills? Maybe secret superpowers up your sleeve?” I felt a chill run up my spine but forced myself to stay still.
“Something like that,” I said, fighting to keep the tension from my voice. “Self-defence classes and pepper spray, nothing special.”
“Good you're keeping safe,” she said with a nod, sitting back down. Disaster averted.
“Brockton Bay, you know?” I replied as casually as I could.
“No kidding,” Amy muttered.
“Ah, sorry.” I grimaced. “You probably see...more than your share.” She just nodded, and the conversation died there.
I went back to chewing on my pizza as the conversation turned away from me. I felt more than a little on edge, being pulled into this group again. It was kind of interesting, hanging out with Amy and her sister, but not worth it with the company they kept. I guess it was fine if I did get outed anyway, since it would all reset tomorrow.
I finished my pizza and gave a quiet goodbye to the table before heading out of the crowded cafeteria. Well, damn, the fun had to stop sometime. Just two more classes before I went home. Just a few hours till I was in bed. Not even a day until I died again. I sure as fuck wasn't looking forward to it but...it had been nice to have a break.
But now, it was back to work.