Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright - Part Two

Second part of the story.


As the heroes exiting the building, Inago was already standing to one side, throwing up in the corner. Ellie moved away from the others, to one side, and slumped to the ground, her eyes closed as she cried silently.

Next, Lyn stepped from the building, her helmet under her arm, looking drained and far paler than usual. Wiping her mouth she moved to one side and collapsed in a heap on the ground, away from the others. Jess was close behind and moved towards Ellie as she exited.

As Magenta left the warehouse, Remedi alongside her, she walked over towards Inago, "Inny... It's OK." He merely shook his head and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, muttering in Japanese. "Shinpai da.... Acchi ni ike..."

Cain frowned and looked around as he exitted the building, seemingly disturbed by the reactions of his teammates. A moment later, Jester followed, his hands now empty. "Cain, what they did, is not what they do. What they did, they did for the Cirque, be proud of them all tonight."

Cain frowned, "Hrm... It must be a human thing..."

Magenta turned from Inago, looking at the others reactions, a puzzled look on her face. "Really though... The Cirque has had to do things like this before.. Because it NEEDED doing... Can't we all just.. I dunno.. cope?"

Ellie sighed and without opening her eyes, replied. "What was done... had to be done. But that doesn't mean we have to LIKE it Mags..."

Mags turned to face Ellie, "I never said we had to... But this hasn't been the first time, has it?"

Inago straightened up, a frown upon his face. "Cope? Kuso o taberu na! That's what I'm doing? I did what I was told! I went in and commited a massacre!"

Jester looked towards Inago, "You went in and saved souls, Inago. You let daughters return to their fathers, mothers to their children."

Jess nodded, "Doesn't mean it's easy Jester, but still..."

Inago interrupted, the anger clear on his face, "That's what we may have been doing but... look... to some of us, they looked like normal people. I just beat loads of them to death and you expect me to stand here and joke about it?"

Magenta sighed, "No one said joke Inny... At all."

with his ever present frown, Jester turned back to look towards Inago, "There are no jokes here. We must all take a moment to realise, we are not the monsters here."

Inago moved towards Lyn and brushed her hair from her eyes before putting an arm around her shoulders.

Ellie looked up at Inago and finally opened her eyes, her face glistening with tears. "Do I look like I'm laughing Kyo? It had to be done, but..."

Magenta scowled at Ellie as she interrupted, "It had to be done Ellie, yes... So we did it, and it's sorted."

Lyn looked at Inago, but rather than speak, she moved her hand to pat his. Cain walked over to both of them and placed a hand on their shoulders.

Jester pulled back his hood, "Inago, every time we free one, I die inside. Only Magenta knew that. Each time it hurts me so much I wish I were mortal. Yet I do what is needed, and I'm proud of you all for doing it with me. But this is not the end, and we will be better prepared next time."

Lyn placed her hand on Inago's shoulder, and slowly stood up, shakily. At that moment, energy rippled around Ellie's still sitting form as she transformed her armour back to her casual clothes. Pulling the Cirque badge from her jacket lapel, she sat staring at it silently, lost in thought.

Inago glanced at her, they turned back to Jester, a disheartened expression on his face, "What now?"

Jester smiled, "My clowns, the night is yours."

Lyn nodded and turned her back to the group, walking slowly away. As she did, Ellie rose to her feet and slipped the Cirque badge into her jacket pocket. Jess hugged her close, "I'll see you later?"

Ellie nodded before rising slowly into the night sky, "Yeah... Cya in a bit love..." As she rose into the sky, she looked back at those remaining, her mind in a turmoil, then headed towards the tram station. The words of a comic she'd once read flitted through her mind, "With great power comes great responsibility"; silly words for a silly childs comic she'd thought at the time, but now she realised the truth in them. She'd always done her best to be responsible with her powers, never to use too much force; but her actions tonight, and those of her friends, had sickened her. The more she thought about it, the more angry and upset she began to feel; they were supposed to be heroes, not killers! What gave them the right to be judge, jury and executioner? And what gave people the right to expect them to behave that way? At best, they were police; authorised only to arrest wrong doers and bring them in for the legal system to deal with. Acting as they had tonight, they were little better than the dregs of society they were meant to arrest.

As she approached the tram station, she paused for a moment, wondering where she could go. She didn't want to go home just yet, Jess might eb there and she couldn't face her just now. Atlas? No, Sunstorm would be there, poking his big nose in as usual. Galaxy? The statue would likely be crowded this time of night and she really didn't want to see anyone just now. Still, Galaxy... The place usually had a calming effect on her, made her feel safer than anywhere else in this hellhole of a city.

Finally coming to a decision, she floated slowly down to the platform and entered the tram waiting there. A few seconds later, the doors slid shut and the tram rumbled off to it's destination.


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As she stepped from the tram, Ellie almost stumbled, so lost in her own thoughts was she. Stopping herself in time, she walked from the station and rose slowly into the sky. Drifting in the direction of the Galaxy Girl statue for a moment, from habit more than anything; she hovered for a while, watching the assembled heroes. How could she possibly face her friends after what she'd just taken part in? After a few moments hovering, Ellie gave those below a final glance, and floated to the top of the statue to land; sitting down to think where the others wouldn't disturb her.

As she sat there, staring into the night sky, she considered everything she'd been through since becoming a Peacebringer. She thought back to her old life, before the powers, and the names, and the fear, and remembered how much simpler her life had been when her only worry was getting a job. Back when she hadn't spent every waking moment in constant fear, both of what people wanted to do to her, and what she could do to them.


After short while, she spotted a small green form leaping through the air; seconds later, Inago landed beside her. "Ellie-chan.. Are you okay? Wait... That's a stupid question..."

Ellie looked up and tried to smile, "Hi Kyo.. How are you doing?"

Inago looked at Ellie and sighed, "You mind if I sit? I don't wanna be alone..."

"Go ahead..."

As Inago sat next to Ellie, glancing over the side at those below, Ellie reached out and put her arm around his shoulders. Forgetting those beneath them, Inago leaned into Ellie and curled up slightly. "I think they're having a meeting..."

Ellie nodded, "Probably... One was scheduled for afterwards..."

With a nod, Inago replied, "I don't know if that was right or wrong... but I feel awful."

"It's never easy Inny.. but now you understand how I feel a lot of the time..."

Inago looked up at Ellie, the sorrow plain in his eyes, "I'd always thought I wouldn't kill again... But when the order came, I did. It's just the scale it was on..."

Ellie returned Inago's look with the turmoil clear on her face. "It's not quite killing Inny.. From what Jesters' told me, they're already dead... All we did was release their souls. Doesn't make it easier though, not really."

Inago shook his head, "I don't know what I'm gonna tell Carol-chan..."

"Then don't... Not just now anyway. Give yourself time first." Ellie sighed and looked over the statues edge, "I broke the rules Inny..."

Inago looked up at Ellie, worry flickering across his face, "The rules? The Peacebringer ones?"

Ellie nodded, "The ones they imposed on me... I didn't kill, but I aided in it..."

"Will you be punished?"

Ellie shook her head, "I don't know, probably not; they know I'll punish myself enough for this."

"If I knew... Did you have to come? You should have stayed behind!"

Ellie looked down again with a sad smile, "No, I had to come... To help protect Jess, and you. In a normal fight, a fair fight, it's not an issue. But that wasn't a fair fight Inny, that was a rout, a massacre... Those carnies never stood a chance against us."

Inago nodded in agreement, "Makes me wonder... What else would I do if I was ordered to? How far would I go?"

Ellie looked at Inago for a moment, then pulled her Cirque badge from her pocket, staring at it wordlessly. Inago glanced at the badge, his face showing disgust, then he looked at his hands in the same way. Still gazing at the badge, Ellie said, "I wish I could tell you it gets easier Kyo... But it doesn't, and that's a good thing, because if killing ever became easy, then we'd become the monsters we fight."

Inago nodded, "I know... As the masks broke, I saw their faces... I'll never forget them."

"Inny, do you know what I see, every time I see someone die?"

Inago shook his head, "No... What?"

"I... see the face of one of the children I killed..."

Inago winced and hugged Ellie tightly. After a moment, Ellie gently pushed Inago away and her face hardened as she reached the decision she'd been hiding from for so long. "No more... I will NOT be involved in killing again!" As she spoke, she reached into her inside jacket pocket and removed her ID card, her hero license, and gazed at it blankly. Then her eyes flared with light and energy streamed from them, pouring into the card and rendering it into it's component atoms.

"Tiger White... Is gone... She died tonight, in a warehouse in Skyway City. Now, there is only Ellie."

Inago glanced at the smoke rising from Ellie's fingertips, understanding clear on his face, "I considered doing the same... But, it's not the end of Inago's time yet."

Ellie nodded and half smiled at Inago, "Good... You've not been through all the horrors I have Inny... And I pray that you never do. But for me, my time is over... I want to live a normal life again, with Jess."

"Will you be leaving the Cirque as well? I'd say family, but today it doesn't feel like one."

Glancing one more at the badge in her hand, she slipped it back into her pocket. "I don't know... I still have until August as Jester's ward, until then I can't really leave the family. But after that... I just don't know..."

With a sigh, she rose to her feet and hugged Inago. "I'd best go and tell Jess... And the others..."

Inago nodded and clambered up, "Let's get down from this high place."

With a final nod to Inago, Ellie glanced up into the sky, at the bright moon as it worked it's way across the city skyline; then she stepped lightly into the air, her eyes flaring with light, and flew into the night.

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@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Enjoyed both parts of this. Good work FFM!

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You finally released it! I had already read it 3 times.

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