The young equestrian ran her horse through the steeplechase as if she and the stallion were one being. In point of fact, this was not far from the truth. Lydia McPherson was no ordinary individual. As she cantered back to the stables, her mind roamed over the estate. As usual, hers was the only human (or metahuman) mind within kilometers. Shed have been surprised to find otherwise, but she hadnt survived this long by taking things for granted.
She took a moment to savor the savage simplicity of a stooping hawk as it attacked its prey - the visceral feel of the birds kill was nearly as satisfying as one of her own. Smiling, she rubbed down and stabled the horse - letting the mechs deal with cleaning the tack (and the stables).
Sometimes, she wondered what her life would have been like if shed been normal - if her parents hadnt been killed in the kidnap attempt. If she hadnt grown up working for the US Governments secret Malta Group as their premier psyop. Psyop, and assassin. While they were always careful never to say it, the thought was often strong enough to read through the mind shields of those she worked with. It used to bother her that they were afraid of her - for a while it had bothered her a lot, but if the price of freedom for the citizens of her country was the fear of her coworkers, she could live with that. The price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance.
The com was ringing as she entered the house. Yes? she spoke to the air. Good afternoon, Mindwrack, we have an operation for you came the reply. I didnt imagine this was a social call, sir. Whats the op? she asked, heading to the showers as she shed her riding clothes. Cleaning mechs scurried after the discarded garments. Support or direct action this time? she asked. Support. We have a lead on a dangerous shipment coming into Independence Port tonight, and intel that there may be metahumans involved. We have a team inbound to intercept the cargo. We need you for early warning and to ensure any interfering metas are properly dealt with. The wall screen in the shower was showing the ops plan at blinding speed.
Got it, sir. she said, toweling her hair as she moved to her ready room. Is the team cleared for knowledge of my presence this time, or do I have to remain covert? I dont need to remind you of last months debacle, do I? National Security imperative or no, I dont appreciate killing our own, sir. Although Id be willing to make an exception for the ops planner involved. My offer to deal with him - in person - remains open. The breezy alto voice had become flat and menacing, and yellow tendrils of psychic potential were swirling around her head.
That will not be necessary, agent Mindwrack. Appropriate disciplinary action has already been taken in that case - as we have discussed. And you have no need-to-know the details, as we have also discussed. I will apologize again for placing you in that situation, and I understand how unpleasant it was - but those men died for their country, patriots all - as every one of them volunteered to do. a pause, Unless explicitly noted, all teams you work with going forward will have clearance for contact if the mission demands it. Of course, all means short of risking the mission should be employed to avoid personal contact. You are too valuable an asset to risk unnecessary exposure.
Lydia had put on her uniform while Command had been pontificating. A brief concentration, and she was floating in midair, magenta and yellow false photons flickering into being around her. Monitors in the estate registered the pulse of psychic energies, noting a seven percent increase from last months reading - Very well, sir. If there is meta involvement, what is the desired level of intervention? Shall I sanction them without warning, warn off the team, or attempt a diversion? The skylight of the room had opened at her thought, and she arrowed into the afternoon sky, bending her course southeast - towards the coast, and Paragon Citys Independence Port. We would prefer a diversion - but if the mission is at-risk, you are authorized to use any means at your disposal to deal with the situation came the reply in her earpiece. Roger that, sir. Mindwrack inbound, Im going silent. and the transmitter went dead just before she left the estates outer bounds.
The Malta control op leaned back, turning to his superior Were not going to be able to keep her in the dark forever, sir. Shes the strongest telepath we have records on, and Im not entirely sure she isnt holding back on the tests - I know for a fact that our current generation mind shields arent sufficient to hide strong surface thoughts from her anymore. Indoctrinated from childhood or not, shes an unstable element in the situation - a disaster waiting to happen, and Im not sure we can take her down without catastrophic damage to North American operations even now. And her power keeps on growing, sir.
Paradox Red Seven Six, Eastern Seaboard Operations Head for the Malta group, looked at the handler. Weve molded her responses very carefully for over two decades, Captain. As we have every personal interaction with her since the age of six. She genuinely believes in our mission, and the rightness of our cause - this isnt the usual brainwashing/blackmailing procedure - she is ours. As long as dont force her into a situation that reveals the inherent contradictions of her worldview, shell interpret everything as we wish her to. The eyes narrowed. As long as you do your job, that wont happen. So do your job, soldier he finished as he stalked out of the communications center.
Mindwrack approached the port, while an aura of compulsion reached out around her - and she just wasnt noticed by anyone. It was possible for her to actually bend light around herself, but that took more effort and generally wasnt worth the trouble. She found the ship heading into dock, and gave it a quick scan. Nothing unusual there - none of the crew seemed aware of anything unusual about their cargo. The mental chatter of the strike team taking positions intruded on her thoughts as she looped back over land, perching on an idle shipping crane. The chaos of the millions of thoughts around her was loud now - it had taken years of training to avoid listening to the din - more years to train her subconscious to filter it for information she wanted, discarding the rest. Monitoring this many people was a bit of a strain, but nobody seemed aware of the strike team; so far, so good.
It was always possible one of those amateur heroes from Paragon City would misinterpret the strike teams actions and, not being cleared, theyd have to be dealt with. More likely, infighting amongst the myriad criminal organizations infesting the port would erupt, some of whom employed meta-level threats - threats the strike team was ill equipped to handle. With luck, though, things would go smoothly, and nobody would ever know she and the Malta team had been here.
Lieutenant Cameron Phillips, leader of Malta Strike Team Seven, reviewed his teams placement with satisfaction. A textbook deployment. Nobody was going to smuggle a nuclear device into the US on his watch. The tugs finished guiding the MCS Palomino to its pier, and the ship was tied up. Intel said the crew would depart, leaving only a skeleton watch - trivial to evade. The materials were in a single container - get in, replace them with the depleted uranium and the tracker, and get out. Simple.
Mindwrack watched the crew leave, nothing but an engineering watch and small vermin remained on the vessel. The strike team moved in using a classic deployment. So far, so... Wait. Seven targets had just teleported onto the vessel; Six human and one mechanical. Sky Raiders. Attention Team Seven - hostiles now present on vessel, seven targets, evaluate as Sky Raider assault squad, one Assault Bot, six soldiers. her voice echoed in the head of the team lead, as she implanted the locations of the targets in the minds of the team. I will continue to monitor - backup available upon your request, Lieutenant. she finished as she floated into the night sky - truly invisible now, in case her support was needed.
..pon your request, Lieutenant. finished the voice in his head. He hated that - But a soldier used any weapon at hand, and accurate intelligence was a gift from the gods - or the devil, in this case - but an officially-sanctioned devil, so hed best be about it. OK, team - we have hostiles. Were dropping from covert, weapons free. Priority is to acquire the material. he went on with target assignments. Hed fought Sky Raiders before, their tech made them annoying, but not overly dangerous. The chatter of small-arms fire broke the night. Not an unusual sound in Independence Port, but it would draw attention. He summoned the extraction vehicle - once he had the target, he was going to want to be out of here ASAP.
Mindwrack watched the battle below. With the Malta squad knowing exactly where the enemies were at all times, the issue was never in doubt. She knew the soldiers didnt like her putting information in their heads that way, but it was efficient, and thats what mattered in the end. The gunfire and occasional rocket from the assault bot was going to draw attention though. She could set up a field of compulsion - a larger version of the dont notice me field shed used on the way in, but this close to Sister Psyche, there was a real chance that large of an expenditure of psychic energies would be, itself, noticed.
The problem was that too many of those amateur heroes were about. They were incoming, and in numbers it would be hard to divert. The situation is destabilizing Lieutenant, I suggest you expedite. Hed not like that either, but he had to know. The field seemed the lesser risk - she exerted herself, and suddenly the dozen heroes whod been thinking about investigating the firefight came up with other, more urgent tasks, the nearby Family gang decided that the Tsoo were trespassing, and the Tsoo decided that their Ancestors had been disrespected by the Family.
And near the Bell Medical Center, Shalice Tilman, better known as Sister Psyche, lost her train of thought as she discussed the nature of mutation with a young hero. Shaking her head, she looked south - there was something... someone... But the young man asked her another question, and she was diverted - for the moment. As the speedster ran off, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Something was there - and that something was trying to keep her from noticing it. And anything capable of doing that to her was worth investigating - especially with the Praetorians meddling in Primal earth affairs. And then with a thought, she was heading south.
Phillips was reasonably satisfied. The last of the Sky raiders was down - the explosion of the Assault bot had injured two of his team however. The extraction sub was alongside the ship, and the materiel was on-board. Hed left the depleted uranium with the tracker in place, just in case anyone came to claim it. He was supervising the lowering of his wounded team members to the sub when the skies above him exploded.
Damn, she thought. The team was almost out - but Psyche had noticed the compulsion. Dropping it, she tried to make herself small, invisible, and harmless, but to no avail. Trying to buy time for the extraction, she launched an attack. The Phalanx were no pushovers, so she let loose with everything she had.
Psyche was approaching a newly-docked vessel, when things went terribly wrong. There was the mental effluvium of recent combat present and something else... as she cautiously descended toward the ship, suddenly she was under psychic attack - an attack of unprecedented power backed by a will of adamant. And it felt like no-one shed ever dealt with before. The surprise of an unknown mind of that level of power was almost as effective as the assault itself. For a moment, she reeled - and then in reflex, she lashed back, and tried to ride back along the attack - she needed to know who, or what this was.
Shalice was shocked to her core. First, by the sheer effort it had taken to ride into the mind of her target. Second, by what she found there - usually, once she was in someones mind their history, their life was an open book to her. Here, she was standing at the base of a mighty storm-wracked fortress - with everything she wanted to know inside, and for the life of her, she didnt see a way in, around, or through. But she wasnt alone, in the night and the storm outside those walls. There was a small girl with blonde hair sitting there, in the dark with her.
Who are you? the child asked. My name is Shalice, dear. Who are you? she asked. My name is Lydia, but Im not supposed to tell it to strangers. Promise you wont tell anyone I told you? the child said, sniffling. But mommy and daddy are gone, and Im scared. The teachers are all afraid of me, I miss my friends, and I miss my puppy. Lydia is a pretty name, Shalice said, sitting down next to the child. And dont worry, I wont tell anyone unless you say its OK. Id like to be your friend. The little girl wiped her nose with the back of her hand. Id like a friend - Ive been alone for a very long time. But Mindwrack is very angry with you, Shalice. I dont think youll be here long. Mindwrack? Shalice asked. Mindwrack the girl replied, gesturing at the fortress. Shes in there - shes always in there. I dont think she likes to remember Im out here at all - so she doesnt. But she wont let you stay out here either.
Shalice spared all the effort she could from the ongoing assault to examine the young girl. Apparently, this was the remnant of her original personality - suppressed and replaced by the indoctrinated personality she was fighting now. A personality that had been carefully crafted since the little girl was... Six? Shalice began to weep. Why are you crying, Shalice? the little girl asked. Because I feel bad for whats happened to you, Lydia, and to whats happening to Mindwrack too. she replled. This shouldnt happen to anyone, and especially not to a little girl. If you want me to, I can try and help you - help you both. she said, cautiously. Help me? How? Mindwrack wont like that one bit, Shalice. the little girl said, doubtfully.
No, Shalice said. But sometimes we dont like what we need. Did you ever have to take medicine that tasted bad, to get better? at the little girls tentative nod, she continued Well, this is the same thing. Mindwrack needs you in order to get better. Needs what you are, what you remember, and what you know. All the things shes been hiding and ignoring for years. She wont like it, but she needs it, and you, more than she knows. She wont let me inside to help, and breaking in will only hurt her more - if I can do it at all. she paused, wincing at a particularly violent mental thrust. But if you take my hand, I think I can let you in. I cant come with you, but you wont be alone out here anymore. And I think it will be better, for the both of you. the little girl thought for a bit, and then smiled shyly up at her. Its been a long time since someone wasnt afraid of us, Shalice. I think you are my friend. And it would be nice if Mindwrack wasnt alone anymore. she held her hand out, and Shalice stood, and took her by the hand.
Mindwrack was in trouble. Psyche was even more able than shed thought - and now she was trying to ride into her mind. Unacceptable. Get. Out. Of. My. Head. she screamed mentally - and sent her entire being into the rejection. Good luck, Lydia. And remember, Ill always be here for you were the last words she heard before there was a moment of intolerable revelation, and everything went black.
As streams of multicolored energies tore through the night sky, Phillips got his men aboard - momentarily mesmerized by the lightshow, he was startled when a young woman in black with purple hair fell out of the skies, landing unconscious at his feet. With the sub beginning to submerge, he made a snap decision - whether this was his support or the opposition, Malta would want her - and unconscious, she wasnt an immediate threat. Dumping her inert form down the hatch, he went below, dogging the hatch just before the waters of the bay covered the submergible.
Shalice watched the submarine dive, with Lydia on board. Shed be walking back to Bell Medical - she hadnt been this drained since the last battle with Ghost Widow. And Marcus would probably disapprove - the suggestion to the Malta operative to save Lydia wasnt his style. Hed have captured the team, the enriched uranium, and handed Lydia over to the Phalanxs experts - and in the process probably destroyed the sub, the ship, a city block and killed several of them. In the process, hed likely have driven Lydia catatonic - or maybe, she admitted to herself, maybe Lydia would have dealt with them both. It had been all too close a thing. No, this was best. If it didnt work, she was aware of Lydia now, and could try again. If it did, well, if it did, the Malta group would probably regret what theyd done to that little girl - those that lived to have regrets, that is. Whatever personality managed to integrate itself in Lydias mind wasnt likely to include turn the other cheek as a basic moral tenet. She looked forward to getting to know Lydia over the coming years - hopefully as an ally, but only time would tell...
Synchrotron, level 50 Radiation/Radiation Defender
Fighting crime on Champion since 2004
The young equestrian ran her horse through the steeplechase as if she and the stallion were one being. In point of fact, this was not far from the truth. Lydia McPherson was no ordinary individual. As she cantered back to the stables, her mind roamed over the estate. As usual, hers was the only human (or metahuman) mind within kilometers. Shed have been surprised to find otherwise, but she hadnt survived this long by taking things for granted.
She took a moment to savor the savage simplicity of a stooping hawk as it attacked its prey - the visceral feel of the birds kill was nearly as satisfying as one of her own. Smiling, she rubbed down and stabled the horse - letting the mechs deal with cleaning the tack (and the stables).
Sometimes, she wondered what her life would have been like if shed been normal - if her parents hadnt been killed in the kidnap attempt. If she hadnt grown up working for the US Governments secret Malta Group as their premier psyop. Psyop, and assassin. While they were always careful never to say it, the thought was often strong enough to read through the mind shields of those she worked with. It used to bother her that they were afraid of her - for a while it had bothered her a lot, but if the price of freedom for the citizens of her country was the fear of her coworkers, she could live with that. The price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance.
The com was ringing as she entered the house. Yes? she spoke to the air. Good afternoon, Mindwrack, we have an operation for you came the reply. I didnt imagine this was a social call, sir. Whats the op? she asked, heading to the showers as she shed her riding clothes. Cleaning mechs scurried after the discarded garments. Support or direct action this time? she asked. Support. We have a lead on a dangerous shipment coming into Independence Port tonight, and intel that there may be metahumans involved. We have a team inbound to intercept the cargo. We need you for early warning and to ensure any interfering metas are properly dealt with. The wall screen in the shower was showing the ops plan at blinding speed.
Got it, sir. she said, toweling her hair as she moved to her ready room. Is the team cleared for knowledge of my presence this time, or do I have to remain covert? I dont need to remind you of last months debacle, do I? National Security imperative or no, I dont appreciate killing our own, sir. Although Id be willing to make an exception for the ops planner involved. My offer to deal with him - in person - remains open. The breezy alto voice had become flat and menacing, and yellow tendrils of psychic potential were swirling around her head.
That will not be necessary, agent Mindwrack. Appropriate disciplinary action has already been taken in that case - as we have discussed. And you have no need-to-know the details, as we have also discussed. I will apologize again for placing you in that situation, and I understand how unpleasant it was - but those men died for their country, patriots all - as every one of them volunteered to do. a pause, Unless explicitly noted, all teams you work with going forward will have clearance for contact if the mission demands it. Of course, all means short of risking the mission should be employed to avoid personal contact. You are too valuable an asset to risk unnecessary exposure.
Lydia had put on her uniform while Command had been pontificating. A brief concentration, and she was floating in midair, magenta and yellow false photons flickering into being around her. Monitors in the estate registered the pulse of psychic energies, noting a seven percent increase from last months reading - Very well, sir. If there is meta involvement, what is the desired level of intervention? Shall I sanction them without warning, warn off the team, or attempt a diversion? The skylight of the room had opened at her thought, and she arrowed into the afternoon sky, bending her course southeast - towards the coast, and Paragon Citys Independence Port. We would prefer a diversion - but if the mission is at-risk, you are authorized to use any means at your disposal to deal with the situation came the reply in her earpiece. Roger that, sir. Mindwrack inbound, Im going silent. and the transmitter went dead just before she left the estates outer bounds.
The Malta control op leaned back, turning to his superior Were not going to be able to keep her in the dark forever, sir. Shes the strongest telepath we have records on, and Im not entirely sure she isnt holding back on the tests - I know for a fact that our current generation mind shields arent sufficient to hide strong surface thoughts from her anymore. Indoctrinated from childhood or not, shes an unstable element in the situation - a disaster waiting to happen, and Im not sure we can take her down without catastrophic damage to North American operations even now. And her power keeps on growing, sir.
Paradox Red Seven Six, Eastern Seaboard Operations Head for the Malta group, looked at the handler. Weve molded her responses very carefully for over two decades, Captain. As we have every personal interaction with her since the age of six. She genuinely believes in our mission, and the rightness of our cause - this isnt the usual brainwashing/blackmailing procedure - she is ours. As long as dont force her into a situation that reveals the inherent contradictions of her worldview, shell interpret everything as we wish her to. The eyes narrowed. As long as you do your job, that wont happen. So do your job, soldier he finished as he stalked out of the communications center.
Mindwrack approached the port, while an aura of compulsion reached out around her - and she just wasnt noticed by anyone. It was possible for her to actually bend light around herself, but that took more effort and generally wasnt worth the trouble. She found the ship heading into dock, and gave it a quick scan. Nothing unusual there - none of the crew seemed aware of anything unusual about their cargo. The mental chatter of the strike team taking positions intruded on her thoughts as she looped back over land, perching on an idle shipping crane. The chaos of the millions of thoughts around her was loud now - it had taken years of training to avoid listening to the din - more years to train her subconscious to filter it for information she wanted, discarding the rest. Monitoring this many people was a bit of a strain, but nobody seemed aware of the strike team; so far, so good.
It was always possible one of those amateur heroes from Paragon City would misinterpret the strike teams actions and, not being cleared, theyd have to be dealt with. More likely, infighting amongst the myriad criminal organizations infesting the port would erupt, some of whom employed meta-level threats - threats the strike team was ill equipped to handle. With luck, though, things would go smoothly, and nobody would ever know she and the Malta team had been here.
Lieutenant Cameron Phillips, leader of Malta Strike Team Seven, reviewed his teams placement with satisfaction. A textbook deployment. Nobody was going to smuggle a nuclear device into the US on his watch. The tugs finished guiding the MCS Palomino to its pier, and the ship was tied up. Intel said the crew would depart, leaving only a skeleton watch - trivial to evade. The materials were in a single container - get in, replace them with the depleted uranium and the tracker, and get out. Simple.
Mindwrack watched the crew leave, nothing but an engineering watch and small vermin remained on the vessel. The strike team moved in using a classic deployment. So far, so... Wait. Seven targets had just teleported onto the vessel; Six human and one mechanical. Sky Raiders. Attention Team Seven - hostiles now present on vessel, seven targets, evaluate as Sky Raider assault squad, one Assault Bot, six soldiers. her voice echoed in the head of the team lead, as she implanted the locations of the targets in the minds of the team. I will continue to monitor - backup available upon your request, Lieutenant. she finished as she floated into the night sky - truly invisible now, in case her support was needed.
..pon your request, Lieutenant. finished the voice in his head. He hated that - But a soldier used any weapon at hand, and accurate intelligence was a gift from the gods - or the devil, in this case - but an officially-sanctioned devil, so hed best be about it. OK, team - we have hostiles. Were dropping from covert, weapons free. Priority is to acquire the material. he went on with target assignments. Hed fought Sky Raiders before, their tech made them annoying, but not overly dangerous. The chatter of small-arms fire broke the night. Not an unusual sound in Independence Port, but it would draw attention. He summoned the extraction vehicle - once he had the target, he was going to want to be out of here ASAP.
Mindwrack watched the battle below. With the Malta squad knowing exactly where the enemies were at all times, the issue was never in doubt. She knew the soldiers didnt like her putting information in their heads that way, but it was efficient, and thats what mattered in the end. The gunfire and occasional rocket from the assault bot was going to draw attention though. She could set up a field of compulsion - a larger version of the dont notice me field shed used on the way in, but this close to Sister Psyche, there was a real chance that large of an expenditure of psychic energies would be, itself, noticed.
The problem was that too many of those amateur heroes were about. They were incoming, and in numbers it would be hard to divert. The situation is destabilizing Lieutenant, I suggest you expedite. Hed not like that either, but he had to know. The field seemed the lesser risk - she exerted herself, and suddenly the dozen heroes whod been thinking about investigating the firefight came up with other, more urgent tasks, the nearby Family gang decided that the Tsoo were trespassing, and the Tsoo decided that their Ancestors had been disrespected by the Family.
And near the Bell Medical Center, Shalice Tilman, better known as Sister Psyche, lost her train of thought as she discussed the nature of mutation with a young hero. Shaking her head, she looked south - there was something... someone... But the young man asked her another question, and she was diverted - for the moment. As the speedster ran off, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Something was there - and that something was trying to keep her from noticing it. And anything capable of doing that to her was worth investigating - especially with the Praetorians meddling in Primal earth affairs. And then with a thought, she was heading south.
Phillips was reasonably satisfied. The last of the Sky raiders was down - the explosion of the Assault bot had injured two of his team however. The extraction sub was alongside the ship, and the materiel was on-board. Hed left the depleted uranium with the tracker in place, just in case anyone came to claim it. He was supervising the lowering of his wounded team members to the sub when the skies above him exploded.
Damn, she thought. The team was almost out - but Psyche had noticed the compulsion. Dropping it, she tried to make herself small, invisible, and harmless, but to no avail. Trying to buy time for the extraction, she launched an attack. The Phalanx were no pushovers, so she let loose with everything she had.
Psyche was approaching a newly-docked vessel, when things went terribly wrong. There was the mental effluvium of recent combat present and something else... as she cautiously descended toward the ship, suddenly she was under psychic attack - an attack of unprecedented power backed by a will of adamant. And it felt like no-one shed ever dealt with before. The surprise of an unknown mind of that level of power was almost as effective as the assault itself. For a moment, she reeled - and then in reflex, she lashed back, and tried to ride back along the attack - she needed to know who, or what this was.
Shalice was shocked to her core. First, by the sheer effort it had taken to ride into the mind of her target. Second, by what she found there - usually, once she was in someones mind their history, their life was an open book to her. Here, she was standing at the base of a mighty storm-wracked fortress - with everything she wanted to know inside, and for the life of her, she didnt see a way in, around, or through. But she wasnt alone, in the night and the storm outside those walls. There was a small girl with blonde hair sitting there, in the dark with her.
Who are you? the child asked. My name is Shalice, dear. Who are you? she asked. My name is Lydia, but Im not supposed to tell it to strangers. Promise you wont tell anyone I told you? the child said, sniffling. But mommy and daddy are gone, and Im scared. The teachers are all afraid of me, I miss my friends, and I miss my puppy. Lydia is a pretty name, Shalice said, sitting down next to the child. And dont worry, I wont tell anyone unless you say its OK. Id like to be your friend. The little girl wiped her nose with the back of her hand. Id like a friend - Ive been alone for a very long time. But Mindwrack is very angry with you, Shalice. I dont think youll be here long. Mindwrack? Shalice asked. Mindwrack the girl replied, gesturing at the fortress. Shes in there - shes always in there. I dont think she likes to remember Im out here at all - so she doesnt. But she wont let you stay out here either.
Shalice spared all the effort she could from the ongoing assault to examine the young girl. Apparently, this was the remnant of her original personality - suppressed and replaced by the indoctrinated personality she was fighting now. A personality that had been carefully crafted since the little girl was... Six? Shalice began to weep. Why are you crying, Shalice? the little girl asked. Because I feel bad for whats happened to you, Lydia, and to whats happening to Mindwrack too. she replled. This shouldnt happen to anyone, and especially not to a little girl. If you want me to, I can try and help you - help you both. she said, cautiously. Help me? How? Mindwrack wont like that one bit, Shalice. the little girl said, doubtfully.
No, Shalice said. But sometimes we dont like what we need. Did you ever have to take medicine that tasted bad, to get better? at the little girls tentative nod, she continued Well, this is the same thing. Mindwrack needs you in order to get better. Needs what you are, what you remember, and what you know. All the things shes been hiding and ignoring for years. She wont like it, but she needs it, and you, more than she knows. She wont let me inside to help, and breaking in will only hurt her more - if I can do it at all. she paused, wincing at a particularly violent mental thrust. But if you take my hand, I think I can let you in. I cant come with you, but you wont be alone out here anymore. And I think it will be better, for the both of you. the little girl thought for a bit, and then smiled shyly up at her. Its been a long time since someone wasnt afraid of us, Shalice. I think you are my friend. And it would be nice if Mindwrack wasnt alone anymore. she held her hand out, and Shalice stood, and took her by the hand.
Mindwrack was in trouble. Psyche was even more able than shed thought - and now she was trying to ride into her mind. Unacceptable. Get. Out. Of. My. Head. she screamed mentally - and sent her entire being into the rejection. Good luck, Lydia. And remember, Ill always be here for you were the last words she heard before there was a moment of intolerable revelation, and everything went black.
As streams of multicolored energies tore through the night sky, Phillips got his men aboard - momentarily mesmerized by the lightshow, he was startled when a young woman in black with purple hair fell out of the skies, landing unconscious at his feet. With the sub beginning to submerge, he made a snap decision - whether this was his support or the opposition, Malta would want her - and unconscious, she wasnt an immediate threat. Dumping her inert form down the hatch, he went below, dogging the hatch just before the waters of the bay covered the submergible.
Shalice watched the submarine dive, with Lydia on board. Shed be walking back to Bell Medical - she hadnt been this drained since the last battle with Ghost Widow. And Marcus would probably disapprove - the suggestion to the Malta operative to save Lydia wasnt his style. Hed have captured the team, the enriched uranium, and handed Lydia over to the Phalanxs experts - and in the process probably destroyed the sub, the ship, a city block and killed several of them. In the process, hed likely have driven Lydia catatonic - or maybe, she admitted to herself, maybe Lydia would have dealt with them both. It had been all too close a thing. No, this was best. If it didnt work, she was aware of Lydia now, and could try again. If it did, well, if it did, the Malta group would probably regret what theyd done to that little girl - those that lived to have regrets, that is. Whatever personality managed to integrate itself in Lydias mind wasnt likely to include turn the other cheek as a basic moral tenet. She looked forward to getting to know Lydia over the coming years - hopefully as an ally, but only time would tell...
Synchrotron, level 50 Radiation/Radiation Defender
Fighting crime on Champion since 2004