Lilith's Shadow Omnibus: Volume 2, page 32
“The short one. He seemed the weakest-willed, and I hoped that the others would prove better sport. I was wrong,” Black Harbinger replied, a hint of disgruntlement in his metallic voice. “It was boring. The other two submitted before he’d stopped twitching.”
“Unfortunate, but not unexpected… you have particular tastes,” Omega Code admitted, debating for a moment, then asked, “What about Percy? I do have another task for you which you may find more exciting, but Percy takes priority.”
“He’s on his way back from the groomer,” Black Harbinger said, pausing to study Omega Code, then asked, a hint of eagerness in his voice, “What task do you have in mind?”
“I’ve decided that I want Lilith Carpenter. Her nature means that if I can convince any of these so-called heroes that the world needs to burn, it’s her. She hasn’t had a chance to be fully indoctrinated by the miserable excuse for a society that’s around us… and her powers would be perfect for convincing people of what fools they are should the next attempt fail,” Omega Code said, thinking about society venomously. The only solution to humanity’s ills was to wipe them out like the infection they were. “It isn’t going to be easy, but with the Atlanteans, it’ll be simpler than it would be otherwise. I want you to arrange travel to Paragon City, then wait for the opportunity to distract or destroy the Sentinels while your minions abduct her. With the help of the Atlanteans, of course.”
Black Harbinger went silent for several seconds as he thought, then spoke slowly. “A rematch with Warden would be good. However, as she contained my self-destruction last time, I’m uncertain I can cause the devastation I desire with her in the area.”
“True! Which is why you should use the entropic amplifier. That should allow you to give them a very nice surprise,” Omega Code said, grinning even more broadly now, one foot tapping on the floor rhythmically.
“As you wish, it shall be done,” Black Harbinger said, bowing his head slightly, then turned to leave the room.
Watching him go, Omega Code couldn’t help another cackle, as he thought about how the heroes would react to this. Poorly, if he was any judge of their past actions. Regardless, he had more important matters to attend to.
Taking a look at the room, the supervillain considered, then shrugged, deciding that dealing with the foam and centrifuge could wait. He’d figure out the counteragent later, after he soothed Percy’s feelings, and he sprang to his feet.
“Daddy’s on his way, little guy,” Omega Code called out, heading for the garage.
Percy never reacted well to the groomers, but better that they dealt with trimming his claws than Omega Code.
Chapter 40
Monday, August 18th, 2031
Guardian Compound, Paragon City
“Morgan, it’s good to see you!” Decarin said, stepping back to let Morgan into the hallway, and she couldn’t help a wry smile as he continued. “I’ve heard all about things in Vegas from Spark, it sounds like it was a disaster, if you ask me. It makes me a bit surprised to see you on your own, rather than with the others.”
“Unfortunately, events in Vegas have had some… unanticipated consequences,” Morgan replied, grimacing slightly. “I came to speak with all of you now because Warden and I need to deal with those consequences, but we also don’t want to leave Lilith alone when she’s out shopping.”
“Ah,” Decarin replied, though the brown-haired man looked even more confused than he had before. After a moment he shrugged and gestured down the hall. “Anyway, the others have gathered already, so if you want to join us…?”
“That would be perfect,” Morgan said, though when she smiled at him, it felt a little strained. Morgan wasn’t happy about the situation, and when they discussed things with Lilith later… she was afraid of how Lilith was going to react. If it weren’t for having to deal with getting plane tickets back to Paragon City the previous day, they’d probably have had the discussion then.
She shook off the thought, instead focusing on following Decarin as he led the way down the hall and into a room Morgan recognized from previous visits. It was large enough to fit all four of the Sentinels, as well as several guests, so she supposed it made sense to use in the current situation.
Stepping inside, she smiled on seeing the team, her tension easing at how relaxed they were. While Shade was in his usual black robes, he had his hood down to reveal his handsome, native features, and he quickly set down the cup of tea he was drinking before standing and giving her a polite nod. Sitting in her custom chair which allowed her wings to extend comfortably behind her was Archon, her flame-like hair in a braid, while she wore a long, flowing dress that was a nearly eye-searing pink. Last was Spark, clad in her usual armored black and blue suit, and she grinned at Morgan, sitting forward so suddenly her bangs got into her eyes.
“Hi Morgan! Got anything fun planned? Celebrating because we beat the snot out of DC’s plan?” Spark asked quickly, practically bouncing in her chair as she brushed her hair back again.
“Spark, please,” Shade said, a hint of reproach in his voice, and Spark blushed, quickly sitting back in her chair.
“Right, sorry, sorry… pleasantries first,” Spark said, letting out a sigh. “I’m just bored.”
Shade sighed, shaking his head as Decarin pulled out his chair and sat, then looked at Morgan. “Sorry, Morgan. How are you doing? We were a bit surprised by your request for a meeting, but considering the circumstances, it’s the least we could do.”
“Agreed. Considering what we’ve heard about the events on the other side, without the four of you working together, even if they managed to escape that death trap there doubtlessly would have been far heavier casualties,” Archon said, her voice even as she tapped the rim of her mug of coffee.
“Thank you. And Spark… I don’t know how you can be bored, after a weekend like that,” Morgan said, pulling out a chair to sit as well, a little stunned internally at the woman’s reaction. “I think I’m good on excitement for the year.”
Spark shrugged, grinning as she replied. “Maybe it’s just my metabolism! I tend to burn through things like that fast, then I’m ready for the next bit of excitement.”
“Personally, I think she’s just an adrenaline junkie,” Decarin chimed in, but he sat back and said. “Anyway… mind telling us what this is all about? With our luck, a villain will decide to strike any minute, since we’re all occupied.”
Morgan winced at that, as he had a definite point. It always seemed like things would go wrong at the worst possible time, which was why she was concerned about the situation with Gina and Lilith. Sure, they would probably be safe at the mall, but she couldn’t count on that. Still, she needed to stop being afraid of admitting what was going on. She’d have to tell Lilith soon enough, and that wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation.
“I… well, Warden and I have a serious problem,” Morgan said, bracing herself as she took the plunge at last. “We need to leave Paragon City for a while, possibly for several months or more, and we’d like you to keep an eye on Lilith while we’re gone.”
All of the other heroes went still, at least for a moment. Shade froze halfway into his chair, while Archon’s eyebrows rose, and Spark stared at Morgan like she’d grown another head. Decarin opened his mouth, but Spark spoke first.
“Why in the hell would you be leaving?” Spark demanded, her enthusiasm having changed to anger in an instant, and electricity crackled across her fingers. “She was almost murdered in Vegas, and you know that both SMOKE and a bunch of assassins are after her!”
“I know. Believe me, I know, and so does Gina,” Morgan said, not even trying to keep referring to her friend by her hero name anymore, and she reached up to rub her eyes tiredly. “The problem is Shadowmind.”
“Well, that’s certainly ominous,” Archon murmured softly. “Lilith said she’s alive. You have confirmation?”
“Yes, unfortunately,” Morgan said, opening her eyes again and taking care to avoid Spark’s gaze, as the woman was glaring at her. “I noticed something… wrong, after Lilith vanished in Vegas. So I did an in-depth examination of myself, and found that my mind was riddled with psychic energy where changes had been made. Worse, so was Gina’s, and we recognized Shadowmind’s influence. The changes go back as far as the point when we captured her, and there are so many of them, we can’t tell how much she’s… she’s twisted and changed. We know some of it has to do with Lilith, but what? We don’t have the slightest clue, and trying to undo mental effects on yourself is…”
“Damn near impossible,” Shade interjected flatly, sitting back in his chair. “That sort of thing is horrid because you might be making the situation worse even as you think you’re fixing it. I’ve heard of magi losing their minds trying to do that, though I’ve also heard psychics have an easier time rejecting external influences.”
“Exactly,” Morgan agreed, giving him a slight, strained smile. “We cut off the links that she planted, so Shadowmind shouldn’t be able to get into our heads again, but when we can’t even tell what damage was done, what ideas were ours or her machinations… it’s overwhelming. Fortunately, my predecessor has agreed to help us, even if she doesn’t know the details yet, but it means going away. And with trying to fix something like this, most of the recommendations I’ve seen say to avoid anything which reinforces the changes. That’s the main reason we’re leaving, and not taking Lilith with us.”
She could have heard a pin drop after she finished her explanation, and Morgan looked down, studying the table. She wasn’t telling them everything, of course, but some things were too personal to share with strangers like this. Especially when Lilith herself didn’t know.
“Well, that’d be enough to drive me to drinking, if I were the sort to drink.” Decarin said at last, any happiness in his voice long-since fled.
“I don’t blame you,” Morgan replied, shaking her head. “I… do drink, on occasion, but I think I’m going to be avoiding it for a while. I don’t want to think of how it could make this all worse.”
“The question then becomes, why are you asking us to watch Lilith? Do you think she’s involved in this?” Shade asked, and when Morgan looked up quickly, she saw that he looked concerned, to say the least. Maybe suspicious would be a better term.
“Involved? Oh, no, no! You misunderstand me,” Morgan said hastily, shaking her head. “No, the problem is that we’re afraid of how she’ll react to being left alone! We had to do it once before, during the incident with Blue Impulse, and Lilith had… difficulties with it. She doesn’t deal well with being left alone now that she’s used to being out in the world, and… well, she doesn’t really have any friends other than us. She hasn’t had time to make friends, and with how she got hunted after Ocean Shield unmasked her, there hasn’t been much of an opportunity to.”
Shade blinked at her response, opening his mouth, then shut it as he looked at Morgan with a hint of bewilderment. Then he nodded slowly, while Archon spoke.
“Ah. That makes more sense, yes,” the woman said, taking a sip from her mug as she considered, then looked at the others. “Personally, I have no issue with keeping an eye on Lilith. She’s helped us without question, and considering everything else we’ve seen from her, I’d like to give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“Damned right!” Spark said angrily, the words almost bursting out of her at last. “Better that than abandoning her when you know she’ll be in trouble! What does she think of all of this, anyway?”
“I’m… afraid we haven’t had a chance to discuss it yet. That conversation is planned for this afternoon.” Morgan hedged, looking away again.
“Wait just a second!” Decarin interjected incredulously. “Are you saying that you talked to us before you discussed this with her?”
“Ah… yes, but just because we wanted to make sure that things were arranged before breaking the news to her,” Morgan replied, though a feeling of dread washed over her at the way they looked at her.
Anger loomed on Spark’s face, and the younger woman looked like she was biting her tongue. Decarin just looked at her in shock, Archon examined Morgan disapprovingly, and Shade reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose for a moment.
“Morgan, I don’t know what’s happened to you, but would you please stop and think for a few seconds?” Shade asked, his voice so even that Morgan knew it had to be forced. “In the time I’ve known you, you’ve been incredibly protective and considerate of Lilith. And now, you’ve informed people who may as well be complete strangers comparatively that you’re leaving before you told her. If you hadn’t mentioned Shadowmind… no, even with that, I’m having trouble believing my ears.”
“Lilith isn’t a pet which you need to be sure has a good supply of food and people to come by to check on them when you leave,” Spark spat, her tone so scathing that Morgan flinched.
“I… of course she isn’t, it’s just…” Morgan began, her voice trembling, her emotions teetering precariously as she considered what Shade had said… and part of her simply crumbled. “I know! And I just can’t… can’t help it! Whatever was done to me, and Gina… if we aren’t actively thinking about it, now we just neglect her! It’s not anything on purpose, it just… I don’t know what’s real or not, anymore! Did Shadowmind plant the feelings in our heads? Did she just take them away? Did she do both? Is anything I’ve done over the last year and a half my own idea, or is it hers? I don’t know, and I… I can’t trust even myself!”
And with that, Morgan burst into tears in front of the shocked heroes and heroines.
Chapter 41
Monday, August 18th, 2031
Clarkson Mall, Paragon City
“This might not have been the best idea I had,” Lilith said, catching her breath as the crowds ebbed for a moment, thankful that the mall security had seen them getting all but mobbed and had decided to come help.
Her previous visits to the mall had made her think she’d known what to expect, but that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Normally the crowds watched her, yes, but Lilith had known that was due to her power. They also kept their distance for the most part, which she suspected was due to Amber’s part in her creation. Lilith hadn’t expected this visit to be any different, especially after the events in Las Vegas. She’d been completely, totally wrong.
Apparently, the incident had been all over the news, accompanied by footage of the events in the other dimension once they’d returned. Lilith hadn’t realized that there were news crews on site, but they’d caught Lilith and the others going out into the mist, as well as the brilliant beam splitting the sky as the cannon shot down the satellite moments before they returned to Earth. She had to assume that was why the crowds had practically mobbed them, asking about what it was like, complimenting them, and asking for autographs or more.
“You think? I thought I was going to have to put up a shield bubble for a bit, there,” Gina replied dryly, shaking her head in disbelief. “I knew we were going to get more attention than you thought we were, but this? This is nuts.”
“Agreed,” Lilith said, though she couldn’t help feeling slightly strained and nervous. Rachel hadn’t told her that she was going to visit the Sentinels, but Lilith had overheard just enough of Gina and Rachel’s conversation to get a foreboding feeling. Coupled with the meeting they’d arranged for the evening, and how she was expecting to have a meeting with Amber on Wednesday… well, it just made Lilith antsy. She supposed that was part of why she’d decided to go out so quickly. The idea of getting a game console so she didn’t lose all the time when gaming improved her mood, if only slightly.
“Regardless, I think we’ve bought you enough breathing room that you should be able to finish your shopping,” Jenny said, and Lilith looked at the security officer in appreciation. The blond had on a sleek uniform that looked like it was made of some sort of modern bulletproof cloth, and while the uniform looked similar to that of a police officer, it was different enough that Lilith wouldn’t mistake her for police with a solid look. That was likely on purpose, but the woman had been the one to usher them aside, which Lilith was happy about. “Hopefully the crowd will disperse reasonably, but I suspect you’re going to get a lot of attention while you’re here. You did some amazing work down in Vegas, after all. I have a cousin who was at the convention, and she’s been posting about it constantly since Saturday night.”
“Oh, that… would do it,” Gina said, realization dawning in her voice. “I knew it’d be big news, but there were tens of thousands of people in the convention center. If even half of them have been talking about what happened… this is a huge event. I think it might’ve been bigger than any of the incidents I was involved in before.”
“Ah, I suppose that would explain a little of this. I didn’t expect to get attention like this. Even after I helped with the attack on Hill, or when I bought the land, I didn’t get that much attention,” Lilith said, considering for a few seconds herself, then shook her head, smiling wryly as amusement washed through her. She wasn’t fond of this much attention, she decided. “I suppose this is what Circe meant when she told me to be careful when going out. Thank you for all your help, Officer Webb. This has certainly been a more educational trip than I expected.”
“It’s no problem at all, I’m just doing my job,” the woman said, smiling in return as she added. “Besides, even if I think Erika gets overly enthusiastic sometimes, I’m glad you rescued her, which is another reason for me? Anyway, I was told to escort you two while you shop, which will hopefully help you fend off the worst of the crowds.”
Gina perked up at that, brushing back her blonde hair as she smiled. Comparing her blue-tinged skin and lips to Jenny’s normal ones was interesting, Lilith thought. She just wished that things weren’t so uncertain at the moment. The two didn’t look that much alike, though, even if they shared both hair and eye colors, Lilith decided, as Gina was probably prettier on the whole.
