Worldkiller, p.46
Worldkiller, page 46
part #7 of Variant Series
"It's a warm day, Ford," Kira returned quickly. "I think we'll all be glowing today."
We laughed together, as I glanced around. My eyes fell on one person, above all. The source, as Ford would say, of my aforementioned nerves.
"So, that's her, is it?" Ford asked, seeing the direction of my eyes. "Brie?"
Kira nodded. "That's the one. The famous Brie." She grinned. "Come on over, I'll introduce you."
I drew a steadying breath, as Kira moved gracefully away. Ahead, across the gardens, Brie was speaking with Amber, who looked typically gorgeous herself, draped in fine, gold Olympian clothing. In fact, there were quite a few fashion styles on display around us, the various cultures of the nations of the alliance on show.
That alliance, now, had been expanded to include Steinwand, and our own city of London. Ever since the war, we had reverted to its original name. There was no Northbank or Southbank anymore. No Bends. It was London, on the island of Britain. The walls that once blocked out the world had been torn down. And that world, just as I'd always hoped, was knitting itself back together.
The two young women noticed us as we closed in, Amber smiling broadly as she saw us approach. She had come down from Olympus, and I hadn't seen her in a while. I felt a thrill, seeing that gorgeous smile of hers again.
"Well look at you two," she said, stepping over, eyes glowing with a golden light. "You look so good. I love that dress on you, Paige. The colour really suits you." She turned to Ford. "Ford, you're reaching, my friend. How the hell did you bag such a beauty?"
"You know, Amber, I ask myself that question everyday."
"You should get a ring on that finger, and fast."
"Oh, I know. But, we're young still, Amber." He winked at me. "No rush."
Amber grinned and drew him into a hug, their exchanges always playful, then did the same with me. Behind us, Kira had stepped over to Brie's side.
"Come on, then," she said. "Come and meet, you two."
"Two?" said Ford. "What, I don't matter here?"
All three girls looked at him sympathetically, like he was the last kid being picked in gym. Even Brie, who had never met either of us. I liked that. I liked the expression on her face. Easy, comfortable, relaxed. And those eyes of hers, hazel with a ring of blue. They were stunning.
"Well I...I suppose I'll make myself scarce, then," Ford said, glancing around. "A pleasure to meet you, Brie. I'll, um, just go and find some trouble...."
"Nice to meet you too, Ford," Brie said, her accent much like Kira's, holding Ford back a moment. "The boys are over there."
She nodded over toward the barbecue, where Domitian and Elian were gathered, along with a man I took to be Brie's husband, Adryan. They were drinking beer, by the looks of things. Beer and burgers. I loved the simplicity of it all.
"Right," said Ford. "I'll go chat, then."
He stepped away, as Brie's attention turned on me. "Hi, Paige," she said. "I've been dying to meet you for some time."
I let out a slightly awkward laugh. "So have I," I said. "I've heard so much about you. It's...kinda weird, finally meeting you. But, in a good way."
"I feel the same," she said. "People have been talking about your exploits here for the last year. Have you walked the streets yet, had a chance to explore?"
I shook my head. "We only got in yesterday," I said, looking at Kira.
"Of course," said Brie. "Well, perhaps I could show you around, give you a tour, tell you some of our history. Tomorrow, perhaps?"
"I'd love that," I said, smiling.
"Great."
We moved to sit down, the four of us taking a seat around a table, an umbrella helping to shade us from the hot sun. There was some wine on the table, sitting in a cooler, with several glasses grouped around it. Amber immediately began serving, handing them out.
"You having any?" she asked Kira. "You can have one, right?"
Kira made a face, seeming unsure.
"Oh, come on, Red," said Brie. "One isn't going to do any harm, especially not with your blood. I mean, we're all together," she said, looking around. "All four of us. We have to toast this moment. It's important."
Kira relented, knowing a small glass wouldn't hurt. We took them in our hands, and raised the glasses to the air. The girls glanced around, as though wondering who would make the toast. It wasn't overly surprising that both Amber and Brie looked at Kira to perform the duty. She was a mentor to them both, as she was me. An older sister to all of us, helping guide us along our paths.
The Empress thought for a moment, before speaking. And when she spoke, her words were simple.
"To us," she said. "For doing our part, in making the world a better place."
We took the glasses to our lips, and sipped.
"Simple," Amber said, pursing her lips. "But nice."
"I think it sums it up quite nicely," Brie noted.
They looked at me. I nodded. "Yes, good," I said, trying to find my way into the group. "Very nice, Kira."
Kira shrugged. "I'm not one for words, really," she said. "We'd need Leyton here for that. Or your grandmother, Brie." She looked at me. "Have you met her yet, Paige? The President?"
I shook my head. "Not yet. I was hoping to ease myself in, meet Brie first and then...well, see how things went." I looked around, feeling a bit more confident after that single sip of wine. "Is she here?"
"That's her over there," said Brie, nodding to an elderly woman in a simple grey dress across the rooftop garden. "You'll get your chance to meet her later."
"Who's that with her?" I asked. "Is that..." There was another woman of similar age talking with the President, holding an infant child. "Is that your son, Brie?"
She smiled, a look of blissful affection in her eyes. "That's him," she nodded. "My pride and joy." We all smiled adoringly at the look on her face. "And that, holding him, is my guardian, Brenda."
"Oh, of course," I said, remembering the name. "Merk's partner."
"Yes," Brie laughed. "They are quite the pair, I have to say. And where is the old sailor, Red?"
Kira shrugged, as though he could be anywhere. "He'll be lurking around, annoying someone, no doubt," she said.
Brie smiled. "And how are things back in your city, Paige?" She glanced over, toward the protective wall that surrounded the roof. Beyond, the city of New Haven spread out, fairly modern in design, and a great deal more like London than Neorome was. "It took us a long time to rebuild here, and work is still being done to this day. Are you managing to piece things back together OK?"
I nodded energetically. "Yes, very much so," I said. "It hasn't all been easy, but mostly things have gone well. Ford's dad is head of the government now, though we're all doing our part. We're kinda lucky, really, to have followed in your footsteps. And yours, Amber. You've set the guidelines for how to turn a city around after a war."
"And...Ford's father? Has he had his powers returned?" Brie went on.
I shook my head. "No. He...well, he chose not to," I said, still finding myself mildly surprised by that. "He thought it would be a more effective way of bringing the people together, if he remained...normal. You know, once a Variant, now a normal person. He kinda of bridges the divide a bit, helps placate those who still don't really like our kind. And, well, I suppose he doesn't need his powers anymore. And if another war were to happen, he could always have Scissor's serum then."
"Oh yeah," said Amber. "And how is Scissors? Is he enjoying his newfound fame and fortune?"
I chuckled at the thought of the boy, who had become, and deservedly so, an international sensation. His serum had worked wonders, reversing the effects of the virus that Henry Vance had spread through our army. And while we had managed to largely contain the spread on the mainland, the virus was still lingering, in places, with the occasional outbreak. With Scissors's patented new serum, it wasn't a problem.
The people, as I'd told Henry, had a choice, now, of who and what they wanted to be.
"He's good," I said, taking a sip of wine. "He wanted me to go into business with him, actually. Unfortunately, we couldn't agree on the company name. I don't know. For some reason, ScissorsCorp didn't appeal to me."
The girls laughed.
"No," said Kira, face incredulous. "That's the name of his company? ScissorsCorp. That's ridiculous."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Thankfully he came to his senses and chose something else. After VanceCorp, I think the whole 'corp' thing leaves a bad taste in the mouth."
"Right. And the whole 'Scissors' thing is fine?" said Amber. "Don't tell me. It's ScissorTech instead."
I nodded, impressed. "Close, actually. He went with EdTech." I looked at Brie. "Edward's his real name."
"And...why Scissors?" she asked.
"Did you ever see an old movie called Edward Scissorhands?"
She shook her head. Clearly, she'd never heard of it.
"Well, the kid's obsessed with it. Hence, Scissors."
Brie laughed. "And he didn't come with you? I'd love to meet this boy genius. He’s almost as famous as you are, Paige,” she added with a pleasant, playful little smile.
"Oh no," said Kira. "Scissors is far too busy and important to come to a little shindig like this. He's off saving the world, Brie, didn't you hear?"
The brunette frowned. "I thought we already did that," she quipped.
"We?" asked Amber, teasingly. "I don't recall you being there?"
"Hey, I did my bit already," returned Brie. "I do seem to remember that I helped save your city, Amber, as well as my own.“
"Fine,” Amber admitted, graciously. “I guess I'll give you that."
"And anyway, I was sort of involved," Brie went on. "They came here to kill me, after all."
"They...what?" asked Amber. "Who did?"
"Some Northbank soldiers," Brie said. "They came, when you were all off fighting. Tried to kill me in my sleep."
"Jesus," I said. "I'm so sorry."
"Oh, it's not your fault, Paige," Brie said. "I suppose it was because they saw me as threat or something, being a telepath. I understand that Henry Vance didn't exactly trust my type.”
"Er, no," I said. "That's putting it lightly."
"So...what the hell, Brie?" Amber continued. "What happened?" She looked at Kira. "You knew about this?"
Kira nodded.
"It's really not a big deal," Brie said. "We fought them off easily enough. You get things like that sometimes. Attacks and whatnot. I know how to deal with them."
I smiled at her dismissiveness of the threat. Though, given her vast power, I didn't imagine she was an easy person to kill. I'd seen what powerful telepaths could do, after all.
We sat, for a while longer, exchanging stories under the early afternoon sun, as others arrived into the gardens. My father was here with us, along with my mother. They stepped out, hand in hand, my mother's former beauty fully restored, though now in a more mature package. They looked blissful together, their love renewed, along with their marriage vows - only a couple of months ago, they'd shared a private ceremony, with only a few of us along to witness.
Others arrived too, Marcus and Columbus coming along with the travelling party from Neorome. I smiled broadly as the brothers appeared, Columbus once more sporting a beard, though not quite as shaggy and large as it once was. He moved with a limp, owing to his injuries during the war, his right leg badly damaged during the fighting in the city. Only the magical, healing hands of Lady Eloise had been enough to save both his leg, and his life.
It was an experience that had brought the brothers back together again, their growing cooperation through the final days of the war, soon turning to something more. Saving someone's life did tend to have that effect. And Columbus had done just that, pushing Marcus out of the way of a rampaging mech, and taking the full force of its attack for himself.
Now, the brothers were as close as ever, and Columbus had been duly pardoned of his crimes, for all the good he'd done during the war.
More faces I knew well continued to appear, either coming from the stairs, or arriving from another part of the gardens. Secretary Burns, Cicero, and Polus were here, the latter making a rare-long distance voyage to visit New Haven for the first time. Ares was present - he knew this city well, apparently, having been stationed here once before. Perses had come down with the Olympian contingent, the various leaders gathering for a summit in the coming days. Even Kaiser Konig had made the trip, in order to represent Steinwand.
And then, there were the more miscellaneous offerings, those who had been invited here, as thanks for the help they provided during the war. Among them, were the former gang bosses of the Bends. Gatsby, here to ogle Kira, no doubt. O'Sullivan, trying to build up his business contacts for his burgeoning booze business. Windsor, who was the most outlandishly dressed person of all, and seemed to be inviting everyone he met to come and visit him in his castle. Only Gunner, of the former bosses, wasn't present. He had, now, taken up a role helping Carson bridge the divide.
Carson himself, meanwhile, had elected to stay in London, given the work that still needed to be done, Cash and the others remaining there with him. That included Bates, Fudge, and Peaky, who’d all somehow survived the war and now found themselves employed in legitimate, even important work, much to our continual amusement.
That had left Ford - and to a lesser extent, me - to represent us during the upcoming summit. The man I loved, I knew, would not let his father down. Those days were long gone. And Carson knew that as well as anyone.
The earth began to shake a little bit, as Ares, Perses, and Kaiser Konig all gathered together into a trio, strolling through the gardens, reminiscing about more troublesome times. Despite the many luminaries present, they still drew the eye on account of their extraordinary size.
"OK, let's play a game," said Amber, grinning as she saw them. "Ares vs Perses vs Konig. Who you got?"
"Ares," said Kira immediately, loyal as always. "Of course, Ares."
"Wrong," said Amber. "It's Perses. It's been proven."
"Well," said Brie, "that's not strictly true. It wasn't a fair fight, Amber. We were all there, remember."
Amber looked at me. "OK, Paige, what do you think? You saw them all in action, didn't you? Who's your winner?"
"I didn't see Konig fight," I said. "So, I can't really answer that."
"You didn't?"
I shook my head.
"Oh," she said. "Well, he's definitely in the debate, from what I saw."
I raised my eyes. "That good?"
"Oh, for sure," she said. "I mean, maybe not quite as good as the other two, but...I don't know, he'd have a chance against them at least."
I laughed, as I saw another individual appear - Blair, walking out with Becca, eyes scanning as they stepped into the sun. The two looked adorable together, as always.
"Blair claimed she could beat Konig once," I said, the reason for my laughter becoming clear to the others.
Amber sniggered loudly at the idea. Enough, in fact, to draw the girl's attention. She spotted us, and came marching over, looking very pretty in a white summer dress. Becs looked equally so, looking like a cute, bookish schoolgirl, as she clung to a little parcel in her arms.
"What's so funny?" Blair asked immediately. She looked at me. "I heard you say my name. Don't think I didn't hear you, Paige."
"Not everything is about you, Blair," I said. "You must have misheard. I said 'pear', not Blair."
I gestured to a bowl of fruit on a side table, assuming there would be some pears in there. The girls giggled softy around the table.
"Whatever," Blair said, turning to Brie. "So, I hear this is your little get-together? Brie, right?"
Brie stood, taking her hand. "Nice to meet you, Blair. Your reputation precedes you. I think I'm seeing it on show already."
"In a good way, I hope."
"Of course. I like people who are direct."
"Well, that's me. Direct." Blair lifted her chin, proudly.
"And...you're Becca, right?" Brie went on, as Becs stepped in.
My best friend nodded, and took Brie's hand. She was a completely different girl to the one from over a year ago, confident and assertive, unfazed when meeting new people.
"Nice to meet you, Brie," she said. "And thanks for inviting us. It's really beautiful up here."
"It's my pleasure," said Brie, "but I shouldn't take too much credit. Adryan's doing most of the work, as you can see."
We all looked over, to find Adryan still working away at the barbecue, flipping burgers and turning sausages, as he chatted with Domitian, Elian, and Ford. Marcus and Columbus had both joined them too. Typical men, I thought, enjoying the sight. All gathering around the meat.
Blair and Becs moved in to take their seats, joining our gathering, Blair quickly attacking the wine. She had become quite the connoisseur over the last few months, learning all about it as Becca worked on her book. There was nowhere better for it than Neorome. And her time in the Imperial Palace had, clearly made her into a bit of a snob.
"Verdict?" asked Kira, as Blair settled next to her. Kira, of course, had a good nose for the stuff herself.
Blair swirled the wine, sniffed it, and went through all the motions. Only after an insufferably pompous display did she finally take a sip, consider her thoughts, and then place the glass back down on the table.
"Lovely," she said, smiling at Brie.
I sensed she was just being polite. Brie, given the little grin on her face, probably sensed it too. She was a telepath, after all.
We fell into conversation once more, the six of us at the table now splitting into smaller groups. Kira and Blair continued to discuss the wine, drawing a reluctant Amber into the conversation. I sat, quite happily, with Becca and Brie, enjoying the easy company of the former, and getting to know the latter.
I noticed, as we talked, Brie looking at Becca in a slightly curious way. Becca noticed it too.
"Oh, my eyes, right?" she asked. "I have heterochromia."
"I know," smiled Brie. "It's not the heterochromia. It's the dormant genes inside you." She frowned. "I'm sensing mild Hawk genes. I haven't done this for a while, Becca, but would you like me to awaken them for you?"
