Lilith's Shadow Omnibus: Volume 2, page 51
“Unless you need to take out a DC Reaper,” Emily said, frowning. “I don’t like the idea of you not having a good gun.”
“If I’m fighting a Reaper, having the biggest man-portable gun in Whispering Darkness’s arsenal wouldn’t do me any good. It’d just bounce off,” Lilith replied absently, organizing each component as she pulled the gun apart.
Most of the pieces seemed to be perfectly fine, but one bit was scorched, and she examined it closely, then relaxed. It was part of the sensor for the trigger, which would be easy to replace, as that was one of the off the shelf parts Whispering Darkness used. Well, not quite, since he built them himself, but he used a standard design. As he’d put it, if the design is good, why mess with it?
“She’s not wrong! Heck, that armor wouldn’t be much good in that kind of fight, either,” Decarin chimed in, turning away from his project at last, and pulled up his goggles. “That armor might be alright if you were fighting a Class A villain, depending on their power set, but much more than that and Lilith would be in trouble, even if other people are backing her up.”
“I’m not Class A, either,” Lilith said, shrugging as she disassembled the last pieces of her gun. “It means that if I’m in a knock-down fight against someone who’s up there, I’ll be in trouble. I had enough problems with Mountain Razor, and he was Class B.”
“Right. So… is that the reason you’re building in the shield system? It doesn’t look like it’d stop much, as small as it is,” Emily said, peering at the chest piece, and Lilith laughed.
“No, it won’t. This is… well, the problem is power, really. Even with the batteries I’ve come up with, the shields will only run for about twenty minutes,” Lilith said, gently patting the stack of batteries she was going to put into the backplate.
“Which is about fifteen minutes longer than any other non-supertech battery on the market.” Decarin said, shrugging. “I could probably do a bit better, but Lilith is trying to improve on her own, so I’m keeping my nose out of her work. I’ll look it over when she’s done, then give all my suggestions.”
“Okay, I was just wondering,” Emily said, watching Lilith pick through the parts for a few seconds, then she admitted. “I… I’ve never been fond of this sort of thing. Probably because I ruined everything I touched after I awakened.”
Lilith paused, looking at Emily for a few seconds, then set down the last piece of the narc gun. She spoke after a moment, her tone turning gentle as she did so. “I wouldn’t say ruined. You might have fried the trigger sensor, but that can be fixed easily, and hasn’t Decarin built a bunch of devices you can use?”
“Yes, but that puts all of the work on him. It isn’t fair to do that,” Emily replied, her expression turning slightly stubborn. Lilith glanced at Decarin, who opened his mouth, then shut it, obviously unsure of what to say. Which, of course, left the issue to Lilith, who was still working on her confidence. Just lovely.
“Is it fair that Gina and Rachel were mind controlled by Amber?” Lilith asked, sitting back in her chair as she looked at Emily, who looked a little startled.
“No, of course not!” Emily protested.
“What about Archon growing wings? Or Destruction Corps abducting an entire convention center with the intent of killing all of us?” Lilith continued patiently.
“I… no, they aren’t fair,” Emily replied, looking more confused than anything else.
“So, if Decarin chooses to build things that you can’t accidentally short out, why is that unfair? I’d say it’s only unfair if he doesn’t want to build them,” Lilith explained, hoping that she wasn’t completely destroying her argument as she looked at the man.
“Hey, I consider it doing my part. You know how few times I’ve actually been in danger, when the three of you are out in the face of some jerk with an ego the size of the planet?” Decarin said, frowning. “I build you guys stuff, and I rarely feel like I’m pulling my own weight. I’d rather help you out where I can, and I like tinkering with stuff. It’s why I’m usually in my shop to begin with.”
“Okay, okay, I get the point! I just don’t like to impose too much. It makes me uncomfortable,” Emily said, looking away as she shifted from one foot to the other. That amused Lilith, and she smiled at the heroine, shrugging.
“If you say so. That said… I had an idea,” Lilith said, amusement bubbling through her as she glanced at the parts of the pistol, then focused on her armor again, laying a hand on it.
“Oh? What kind of idea?” Emily asked, perking up almost immediately.
“Dec… do you think you could build a lightweight shield generator and power converter into Spark’s suit without weighing her down much?” Lilith asked, turning her head to look at him.
“Well, sure, I could do that, but it wouldn’t do much good without… oh. I’m an idiot.” Decarin’s expression turned from contemplative to chagrined as he shook his head. “Damn it, I’ve gotten so used to having her guns operate off her energy, but I never considered doing the same for shields. They used to be so bulky that it wasn’t an option at first, but now…”
Decarin sighed heavily, and Lilith resisted the urge to laugh at him, as that would be rather rude. Still, he looked so dismayed that it was hard. For her part, Emily blinked several times, looking at Lilith, then Decarin.
“I… well, defenses are always good, but isn’t the best idea to just, you know… not get hit?” Emily asked, frowning.
“Sure, but there’s always the chance of things like the incident with Acheron Dreadnaught and the trap Dreamer set up for you. If you’d had shields, he might not have hurt you as much as he did, or you might’ve been able to get through the explosion without getting knocked unconscious,” Decarin said, sitting back in his chair as he spoke, his mind almost visibly working as he did so. “Not getting hit is the best defense, sure, but all it takes is one stray bullet to ruin your day. Or are you objecting to the idea?”
“I didn’t say that!” Emily shot back, suddenly bristling. “I just didn’t understand why it was coming up all of a sudden.”
“Mostly it’s because of what happened in Las Vegas,” Lilith interjected gently, sitting back in her chair as their attention turned to her. “I got shot on the very first day, and I was saved by the shield generator built into the undersuit. Admittedly, I don’t have that suit anymore, but it was enough to block a single shot from the android that attacked me. However, then you powered the RV when we went to take out the satellite, and it stuck in my head. If we could combine both, you could get a shield to protect you in emergencies without slowing you down much, if at all.”
Decarin nodded slowly, looking between them, then he smiled. “Well, since I’ve got the schematics of her suit, I suppose that means it’s up to me to see how feasible it is. I’ll take a look.”
He turned back to his computer, and as he did, Lilith added, “I’d be happy to help if I can, though I know that under the circumstances that might not be the best idea. Who knows if Amber has done something to me? Not directly, but indirectly.”
“Oh, bullshit,” Emily said almost instantly. “If she was going to do something, she’d have already done it. Sure, she can be a manipulative bitch, but she’s really short-tempered. I doubt you’d have come back from your meeting with her if she wanted to do anything.”
“I don’t know about that, but you almost certainly wouldn’t have told us about the meeting. Her status being in doubt had to be useful to her,” Decarin agreed. “Besides, I can always look over the work you do and see if there’s anything wrong. The one nice thing about her not using super-tech is that it means that anything she changes has to be mundane.”
“True enough,” Lilith admitted, relaxing a little at their reassurances, and she couldn’t help a smile, considering her project for a moment, then said. “Anyway… maybe we should take a break for lunch. I need to get a new trigger sensor, and it is about that time.”
Emily smiled, practically bouncing in place as she replied. “Oh, that’d be great! There’s a place I’ve been thinking we could try out when you had time, and they make the best lunches! The only problem is that they can be pretty busy… but we could get on the wait list if we call them. What do you think?”
“Order takeout for me if you do. My usual,” Decarin said, causing Lilith’s eyebrows to rise.
“You’re not coming with?” Lilith asked, considering carefully. “And what sort of food is it?”
“Me? Oh, heck no. I don’t want to get zapped later for interrupting what she’s obviously hoping will be a lunch date,” Decarin said, looking away from his screen as he grinned sheepishly. “I’m not great with social stuff, but even I can pick up that sort of thing. Anyway, if Spark’s thinking of the place I’m sure she is, they have good pub food, despite not being a pub. Plus, I can manufacture you a new sensor while you’re out.”
Lilith nodded, and glanced at Emily as she smiled. “Well, Emily… if you really want a lunch date, you’ve got one. Thanks, Dec.”
“Yay!” Emily exclaimed, and exploded into motion, leaving a trail of lightning in her wake as she almost slammed into the doors on her way out.
Decarin laughed and nodded at Lilith as he smiled. “You two have fun, then. I’ll see you later, and try not to get electrocuted, would you?”
“I’ll do my best,” Lilith assured him, taking the fuser and setting it to the side with the other tools she’d borrowed, then got up and moved to follow Emily.
The bigger question was where the excitable woman had gone.
Skyrail Grill, Paragon City
“Okay, this is neat,” Lilith said, looking out the window as another person went whizzing past, propelled upward on a gust of air.
The skyrail, as it was called, was an interesting building built into the mall. It had some sort of supertech that allowed them to reduce the effects of gravity, then they’d used the usual skydiving chambers to allow them to launch people upward, giving them the impression of being able to fly. There was even an entire room that had an obstacle course, which Lilith thought might actually be useful for teaching people how to not run into buildings if they awakened as a super.
The restaurant they were in was on the third floor of the mall, and it had windows directly adjacent to the skyrail, allowing guests to watch as people did their best to control their flight. Some of them were rather skilled, while others could use a lot of work. But that was why the flyers were all wearing safety gear, she suspected.
“Isn’t it? I’ve tried it a few times, but it’s really hard to keep your balance in there, and with my speed, I tend to overcorrect a lot,” Emily said, leaning forward to look through the window wistfully. “I guess I could do it with the suppressor, but I don’t know that I want to. I’m used to being able to react fast, and it’d probably screw up my reflexes.”
“You’d know better than me,” Lilith replied, smiling as she admitted. “I ran into a similar problem when learning to pilot the power armor, as it couldn’t react as quickly as my reflexes. I ruined a large section of the obstacle course until I managed to figure it out… likely as not, it’s just a matter of time and practice.”
“If you say so. I’m just not willing to pay through the nose to get the practice when there’s no real point to it. It’s not like I’m ever going to be able to fly, at least not without power armor,” Emily replied, letting out a sigh as she leaned back, and Lilith considered her for a moment.
“You know, it is possible that you could go through another awakening and get that sort of ability,” Lilith pointed out gently, her gaze turning to examine the rest of the restaurant.
The majority of the room was paneled in warm-colored wood, and there was a distinct jungle theme to the décor. Lilith wasn’t sure why there were nets on the walls, particularly when there wasn’t any sign of a water theme, but she wasn’t going to argue. She was sure it was some sort of reference she didn’t understand. The tables and chairs looked roughly cut, but were comfortable despite that, and each of the tables were widely spaced, even if the entire restaurant was packed with people.
The waiters and waitresses were amusing, though. Some of them were dressed in old aviators’ uniforms, while others were wearing just the trousers and white shirts, and one woman had a cap that Lilith would have sworn should have come out of a world war one movie, complete with aviator goggles. It was an interesting theme that fit the skyrail, that was for certain.
“Pfft. I’ve never heard of someone actually going through another awakening, other than you,” Emily replied, shaking her head as she settled back, the fingers on her left hand drumming nervously on the back of the booth. “Oh, I’ve heard that it’s happened, but I’ve never gotten any details. Most of us awaken, and then we’re stuck with what we’ve got pretty much permanently. If we weren’t, you’d see a lot less people researching how to adjust powers.”
Lilith nodded in understanding, even as she grew even more conscious of the ankh hanging around her neck. It was reasonably heavy to begin with, so she normally noticed it, but knowing what she did about it… it made her a little uncomfortable. She could trigger an awakening whenever she wanted due to Ra’s gift, and that was something she hadn’t shared publicly.
She paused for a minute, then asked, “So… how did you awaken?”
“That’s… not really that exciting of a story?” Spark said, frowning. “I mean, I was on the track team in high school. The one-hundred-meter dash, relay race, those sorts of things. Anyway, one day I was in a race, and one of the other girls accidently knocked me over. I know it was an accident, ‘cause she’s the type who is all about doing things fairly, but that didn’t matter to me. I was on the ground, and pissed. I was determined to catch up and pass everyone else… and then I did. I nearly electrocuted a couple of the other runners in the process, but fortunately I didn’t get too close. Then I got disqualified, since powers aren’t allowed in those races.”
“Interesting. I always wondered, and it seems like, other than with mages, most people develop their powers when stressed.” Lilith murmured thoughtfully.
“Pretty much, yeah. I mean, sometimes that ‘stress’ is just studying, but considering school these days, that means anyone who’s going to awaken probably will around that time,” Emily agreed, grinning. “Archon said hers was brought on by a raven flying directly at her face after school one day. One second wings coming at her face, the next, her hair is on fire and wings tore through the back of her shirt.”
Lilith winced, shaking her head. “Well, that would be unpleasant, if you ask me. I always wondered about some of those physical transformations, but… ah.”
Their waiter approaching distracted Lilith, and she fell silent. The handsome, brown-haired man grinned at them and spoke, sliding the plates in front of them. “Here’s your food, ladies! I have one French dip, no cheese, and a side of fries, and three barbeque burgers with cheese and a side of fries. Does everything look correct?”
The man had neglected to comment on the aus jus that was served with her food, Lilith noted, but she didn’t mention it, instead examining the rest of her food. The fries had large flecks of salt and pepper scattered across them, with some other seasoning she couldn’t identify, and the sandwich itself looked like it was served on garlic bread, like the menu had said it was. It looked good to her, and she smiled, nodding.
“It looks quite good, thank you,” Lilith told the server, who smiled a little more brightly.
“Yep, looks like we’re good to go! Oh, and if you’d put in a to-go order for when we leave? A number six with fries and extra fry sauce,” Emily added quickly, rearranging her burgers on the plate so she had better access to the fries.
“I’ll get that in for you. Will there be anything else?” the man asked hopefully. When they shook their heads he looked slightly disappointed, but added. “Well, I’ll be back if you need anything.”
He wasn’t quite as quick about walking away, and Emily clicked her tongue, then said. “Looks like you’ve got an admirer, Lil. They never act quite like that when it’s just me.”
“Maybe so, but a lot of people seem to forget that I’m a lesbian,” Lilith replied, shaking her head.
“Eh, it doesn’t matter to some people,” Emily replied, picking up a burger and taking a bite. Her eyes half-closed as she chewed, then swallowed, sighing happily. “Oh, that’s good. Anyway, some guys seem to think that lesbians haven’t met the right guy yet. Or girls think a gay guy hasn’t met the right girl, or whatever else. I swear, being bi is the best of both worlds.”
Lilith couldn’t help a smile as she considered, eating one of the fries. It was rather good, and made her curious to try the sandwich. Before she got into that, though, she had another question, and finally she asked it. “So… I have to ask. Why did you order three burgers, rather than a single one of the bigger ones? They’re a bit less expensive.”
“Yeah, but there’s just one problem with that.” Emily replied, grinning broadly.
“Oh?” Lilith asked, tilting her head.
“I may talk a lot, but I don’t actually have a big mouth.” Emily replied succinctly, her smile widening even more, and Lilith couldn’t suppress a laugh.
“That… is an interesting way to put it,” Lilith said, chuckling softly.
“True, though,” Emily said, and with that bit into her burger again.
Lilith took it as a sign that talking was done for the moment, and she picked up her sandwich and dipped it into the juice, curious how it would taste.
As it happened, the flavor was absolutely wonderful, and Lilith immediately decided to learn how to make something similar at home. If nothing else, it certainly gave her something to work on that wasn’t fighting with the sewing machine.
