The Parts We Play - Death of our Demons Part 2
Dragon nodded, getting up from the table and heading through to the other room. "Looking-Glass?" Dragon tapped on the door to the bedroom. "There's a lady from PART here. She needs you to come talk to her, if that's alright?" Spectrum frowned, disapproving, but she didn't say anything. It wasn't really her place to stop the kid from going. Dragon held out his hand, as if to lead her through.
Charlotte was in the middle of enjoying a cup of hot cocoa. It had been a while since the battle with Blacklight, and she had calmed down somewhat. When Dragon arrived with the news, she frowned, but was not particularly surprised - Blacklight was one of the most infamous villains of all time, and she had just ended his life. That in itself was news worthy of investigation, but when one considered her age and background... So yes, she was not surprised.
"Yes, of course," she answered steadily. She was more than prepared for this. She had taken the law into her own hands, and she had no illusions of getting off lightly. From the start, this was a pursuit fueled by vengeance, and she always knew that it would put her at odds with the law, so she ready to accept what needed to be done. She was no hero, but she would not let herself fall and become a villain, even if it was one by small measure.
Spectrum stood, still in her armour, and followed them both through to the table. She sat directly opposite the police officer, radiating Pulsar Red in an angry attempt at intimidation. Dragon sat to her left, pulling out a seat for Looking-Glass.
Regan took in the newcomers. Spectrum, of course, she knew well. If she wasn't mistaken, the red hew of her armor was for offensive purposes. Okay. Regan thought. I can see I'm up against a unified front. I'll have to nip this in the bud. Not like I'm the bad guy here. She nodded at Spectrum and Looking-Glass.
"Thank you for coming out to talk. As I told Dragon. I'm not here to point fingers or look for scapegoats. Blacklight is dead and his death needs to be explained, even with the villain that he was." Regan looked at Looking-Glass uncertain for a moment. It was never easy taking statements from children. Even exceptionally mature ones that probably never had the average childhood most kids had. They were still children somewhere down deep, even if they didn't know it. "Hello, Looking-Glass, I'm Regan. Corporal Regan Murphy with ECPD Part." Regan spared a glance at Spectrum. "Spectrum." She added shortly, nodding at the Epic. "Dragon already told me his perspective on the incident. I would like to hear yours as well. But first..." She looked at Looking-Glass again. "I am obliged to inform you that I cannot question minors without the presence of a parent or a guardian."
"Charlotte." She cut them off before anyone else could speak. She wasn't Looking-Glass at the moment, and she figured she owed at least her name to Dragon Heart and Spectrum. She spoke with a straight face, avoiding anything that would indicate how so very tired she was right now. "Charlotte Lutwidge. And consider Spectrum and Dragon Heart as my guardians for the moment, as no one else qualifies. Don't bother looking up my parents, they're dead -- Blacklight killed them, so I spent the last two years trying put a bullet in his head. I . . . succeeded, as you can see."
A quick summation of the truth, even if it didn't encapsulate the entirety of it. But details could come later, for now, she needed to make the policewoman see that she had no intention of running. Spectrum forced herself to be quiet. While on one hand, she liked the way Charlotte adopted them, she didn't like the fact that she admitted to killing Blacklight. She was supposed to be safe, with that sniper taking the blame. She's a kid. She looked across at Dragon, who had schooled his face into a better mask than hers.
Regan scowled upon hearing the young girl's... confession. This was not what she'd wanted to hear. Locking up kids was not in her job description, damn it! Not especially kids who'd lost their parents to villainy. Epic or otherwise. She thought of Megan, who'd just recently lost her parents because of the Kryptonites. What would have happened to her if she didn't have Teagan and her parents to look after her?
She considered the repercussions of what Charlotte had actually told her. Of planning for two years to kill Blacklight. Killing an Epic villain during a fight in an attempt to prevent them from doing harm was one thing. But premeditation. Even if she was a minor, this would force the court to prosecute her as an adult.
"Charlotte..." Regan began carefully. "I won't insult you by telling you I can imagine what you've been through. Because I couldn't possibly. Still... All three of you just went through a traumatic experience. Taking a life is never easy... Even in the line of duty. While I appreciate your candor, let's not be hasty. Dragon mentioned Blacklight attacked first. And that he was killed by a sniper..." Regan let her sentence hang.
Come on, kid, work with me here. I can't help you if you keep begging for a ticket straight to jail!She shut her eyes at her words. When she opened them again, there was a thankful light in them. Charlotte understood her - for some reason, she was trying to help her. Though it had scarcely been five minutes since they'd met, Charlotte felt like she was a good person. Which was all the more reason for her to be honest; she couldn't lie to her, even if she wanted her to, not in good conscience.
The smile she gave Regan was as distant as it was forlorn. "Blacklight attacked first, yes, but not against me - against Spectrum," she began, glancing at the woman. "Moreover . . ."
It was at this moment that Aida stepped into the room, called in mentally by her mistress. The mannequin was faceless, and still dressed up as a sniper - her gun was even flung over her shoulder. The made radiated hostility and disapproval, her faceless head swiveling back and forth between Charlotte and Regan, and her hand twitching to pull the weapon from her shoulder.
Charlotte shook her head, and gestured for her to calm down.
"This is Aida. The sniper. My ability allows me to give life to inanimate objects, giving them sentience, and powers comparable to an Epic or a Freak." She avoided mentioning the price that came with the power, however. There was no need to burden these three with her problems any more than she had to. "Though she can think and act for herself, Aida is ultimately loyal to me, and as such, was only following my orders. And..." She took a deep breath, the memories of Blacklights' final moments flashing to the forefront of her mind.
"And when I killed him," she breathed, her words practically a whisper. By this point, she was shaking as the emotions of the events that had come to pass came rushing back again, unbidden and unstoppable. "Dragon had already pinned him down. I shot him on the shoulder, before shooting him on the head. I- I... showed him my face. I wanted him to know I did it. And then I . . . shot him. I shot him knowing what that meant for me afterwards but to be honest . . ."
She was crying again, she realized. She rubbed away the tears, willing herself to stare only at Regan, without looking away or hesitating. "I did not expect to survive the attempt." The tears continued to flow, refusing to stop and blurring her vision, and she shook her head violently to drive them away. "Please, officer, I know you want to help me but I understand. I know what I did. I know what this means for me, so please . . . just let it end."
Her feelings were clear: She had no intention to run.
Spectrum wasn't aware she'd let the red fade from her armour to white. Partially out of sympathy for Charlotte, so she put an arm around the girl's shoulder to comfort her. She just wanted to scoop the girl up and cuddle her until everything was better and the world made sense. It hurt her heart to hear this, almost so that she forgot she had also been assaulted.
The mannequin, on the other hand, was just unnatural. She tensed, ready to throw up a shield. Somehow, she knew that Dragon would hit the thing, hard, had Charlotte not stopped it. "So what is this?" Dragon growled. "That's also just a tool you used, like that pistol?" He turned away from the table, kicking a couch with a thump and a shout. Spectrum flinched, but turned back to the faceless thing. She didn't know what to do anymore.
Regan's sigh was heavy and she didn't hide it. This is a hot mess. She thought. Here was a kid who was obviously distraught by the loss of her parents, who was enabled to do what other children in her position would only dream about in their wildest dreams. And at the same time the girl was evidently well mannered and all in all a good kid. She understood what she'd done and the consequences that came with it. Still, Charlotte was too close to it to see, but the drive for vengeance was born out of an unforgivable trauma and the enablement her powers provided her with. Powers she was probably not yet mature enough for at the time of her parent's murder. I child's sorrow was a dangerous thing. Coupled with an Epic power like Charlotte's even more so. I will not allow this girl to go to prison for ending a scumbag like Blacklight! Especially not when she's fully aware of what she's done and the remorse that is evident in her. But what could she do to make this right?
Regan paid no mind to Dragon's outburst. It was more than clear that the three of them were still feeling the effects of what had happened. She couldn't discern quite yet the relationship between Dragon and Spectrum. A romantic liaison was one possibility, of course. But it could also be as innocent as two Epic friends having a quiet evening at home. She looked at Charlotte, nestled under Spectrum's shoulder, like a little bird beneath its mother's wing. I'm sorry kid. I'm sorry, because you're gonna live with this for the rest of your life. But I'm not gonna put you in jail even if it costs me my job. You've paid enough as it is already. Regan remembered her own childhood before she was adopted. She remembered learning about her birth mother, violated by the crazy Epic. What would she have done had she Charlotte's powers. She didn't what to think about it.
"Spectrum." She addressed the armored Epic. "Do you mind taking Charlotte to the other room so she can calm down?" She nodded encouragingly. Then she turned to Dragon. "You and I need to talk some more." Though she'd let his outburst slide, Regan wanted to know the real reason behind it. "Charlotte, please have your... friend, relinquish the weapon and then... they can come with you and Spectrum if you wish." Regan was having a hard time determining how to address Charlotte's homunculus.
"Let's go, Char," Spectrum hoped the girl didn't mind her name being shortened like that. In any case, she stood and held her arms open, inviting the girl to come to her. Dragon, for his part, calmed down enough to sit back at the table. "There's going to be some consequences for this, isn't there?" He asked Murphy, quietly so that neither Spectrum no Charlotte could hear. "We can't keep her from this."
Charlotte nodded, and left them. She gave Spectrum a thankful smile, but shook her head, refusing her offer. Right now, she wanted to be with her companions. There were things that needed to be settled, in the case that she . . . would be separated from them. Chesire and White Knight were waiting for her on the roof. Wordlessly, Aida slung the large sniper rifle and placed it in front of Regan, staring at the woman for a tense moment before nodding, and followed after her mistress.
"I suppose things can only get worse before they get better," commented Charlotte idly, once they were out of the room. The future was so uncertain now, no different from the time Blacklight killed her parents. It seemed the man was determined to inflict pain on her, even from beyond the grave. Spectrum watched her go, then sat again and folded her arms in front of her. This was so bad, she just wanted to run away and hide again. Why was life so complicated? Her head fell into her arms with a lighter-than-it-sounded thunk.
Regan waited for Charlotte to exit the room. She wasn't surprised the girl declined Spectrum's company. She couldn't imagine what she was going through right now. She was so young and yet, with such mature troubles plaguing her.
Upon Dragon's question she looked at him, pensive, trying to formulate an answer. "Children like Charlotte, who've lived through what she's lived through don't stay children for very long afterwards. But at the same time they are still childlike in their emotions and how they deal with them. Because they don't have the experience to process those like an adult." She paused looking first at Dragon Heart and then at Spectrum. "In her case her child rage at losing her parents in the most vile of ways had an outlet that no other child could have. Her powers. Like you I wish to protect her from this. Because she's suffered enough. And she will continue to suffer, because she will carry what she's done for the rest of her life. In here..." Regan tapped her chest where her heart was. "And in here." She finished pointing at her temple. "If her behaviour is any indication, she is a good kid that understands full well what she's done and was prepared to suffer the consequences. And then there is the remorse as well. Even though she might not know she's feeling that quite yet." She sighed heavily. "You're right though, Dragon. There must be some accountability for this. And as much as I want to help Charlotte, I cannot do it unless you give me something to work with."
She stood and pointed at the sniper rifle. "This might be Epic City. But even we don't have legislation for prosecuting a... a... whatever Charlotte's constructs are." She returned her gaze to Dragon and Spectrum. "Give me something." It sounded more like a plea, rather than a demand.
Dragon shrugged. "I have no idea. My people could probably tell you copyright law back to front but..." Spectrum looked up. "What?"
"If you have a lawyer, they could help, right?" Spectrum asked, her eyes widening.
Regan was thoughtful for a long time. If Charlotte cooperated and they kept the premeditation out of the picture they had a chance at keeping her out of jail. The problem was the girl was actually a good kid with her morals in the right place. She new what she'd done and expected full well to pay for it. The PART officer wasn't sure Charlotte would agree to Dragon, Spectrum and herself perjuring themselves by omitting some details from their testimony and Regan from her report.
"Do you think you two can convince Charlotte not to mention she knew who she was fighting before she dealt the final blow. The premeditation would be pretty hard to fight, but it can be explained by the trauma of her parents being killed by Blacklight. If we convince the courts she entered the fight not knowing it was Blacklight and killed him only when she saw him it could get chalked up to the heat of the moment. A good lawyer would be able to get her a suspended sentence with a lot of stipulations, I'm sure." Regan looked Dragon Heart and Spectrum grimly. "It's not ideal, but it would at least keep her out of the adult courts and prison as well." She finished and fell silent.
Dragon nodded. "If she comes back here and doesn't disappear, perhaps." He had started working on his phone, no doubt trying to find some of those "people" he mentioned earlier.
". . . is what they're saying."
Unbeknownst to the trio of people, Cheshire had listened in on their conversation, relaying everything they had discussed to Charlotte. The girl and her children were on the roof of the apartment, with Charlotte herself leaning on the rails, looking down at the street below. The police were examining the scene. Pedestrians looked on with interest, while passing cars honked at the disruption of traffic. Elsewhere, she could see kids playing in a park, and just a bit further from them were college students, out and ready to have a good time.
It felt so strange, that the world could go on, unmoved by the events that had shaken her. For her, it felt as though time had frozen, but from atop the roof she could see that wasn't the case -- life went on, as it always did.
"I suppose I am still just a kid," she murmured.
Cheshire plodded his way to her, rubbing himself at her feet in an attempt to comfort her.
"A remarkable kid, Mistress, a very,
very remarkable and talented and
amazing kid."
"But a kid, nonetheless."
Silence reigned between them, before White Knight broke it with a clear of his throat.
"I- I have yet to see Master Aida. Perchance she is busy with something Mistress?" he said, an obvious attempt to distract them. Unlikely as it seemed, however, it worked. Looking around, Charlotte realized that the maid was indeed nowhere to be found. Attempts to contact her through their mental link came up with nothing.
She was deliberately not replying.
Charlotte frowned. That was strange, Aida never kept secrets from her. She never felt the need to. If she was doing so now, that meant-!
She turned so suddenly that the cat next to her jump about a meter in the air. "Cheshire, listen in on the conversation below us again, now!"
The cat nodded quickly, beginning to do just that when suddenly dark, violent thoughts barged their way into his mind, freezing him in his tracks. 'Don't' it cried out, as a warning and plea in one. Begging him to sit this out, telling him to lie, and promising pain and hell if he didn't. More importantly, those dark and terrifying shadows all screamed with Aida's voice.
He licked his lips to drive away the nerves. This was becoming more complicated by the second . . .
She was her world. Her mother, her daughter, her master, her treasure. She would do
anything for her. She was a light that deserved better than this wretched earth; a pearl among the refuse of swine; a jewel buried under mounds of dirty coal. She believed in the goodness of heroes, and the ability of the righteous to triumph over evil -- she never said so openly, but sometimes, her thoughts slipped, and she caught glimpses of the truth.
She was different. She hated the world, hated what it put her through, hated it for what it will continue to put her through, because so long as there is injustice in the world, her mistress will ever seek to correct it - even in herself. She could care less - if it made her happy, then she would gladly burn the world, slaughter the innocent, and boil children alive. She would tear puppies limb from limb, just the same as she would hang a villain by his fingers, and feed their cohorts to the lions for supper. She would do all that and more, if it meant her happiness.
Despite everything however, despite all that happened to her, her mistress still held fast to her values, still believed in the strength of good and the power of justice. She didn't understand it, but then again, why bother? She wouldn't question it. If that was what her mistress believed in then that would be her mission, and every second since the day she was born she served without questioning it.
Not today, however. Not when the one chance for her to be happy, when she was finally free of Blacklight's haunting shadow, was threatened by the
law of all things. The same inept and
useless law that forced her mistress in that position in the first place. The same law that her mistress would hold up, and would gladly martyr herself to. Not today, not while she still lived.
Aida put on a face - it was the face of Camilla, the fake person that her mistress had commissioned for her identity as a maid - and that face was smoothed into a disciplined expression. Her identity may be fake, but it was real enough for the rest of the world, and that was all that mattered. Without knocking, she walked into the room with Spectrum, Dragon, and Regan, greeting them all with a polite bow. "I've come to talk. I have an idea, and you
will listen. I believe I can get the mistress out of this entirely."
Regan barely suppressed the urge to shoot to her feet and reach for her sidearm upon the sudden arrival of the newcomer. The woman greeted them politely and proceeded to state her intentions to help her mistress. Mistress? Is she talking about Charlotte? Is this the... that homunculus sniper thing that was here a while ago?!? Regan didn't like how forceful the woman was with her words, but if she had an idea about how to get Charlotte out of this mess, she was willing to listen.
The PART officer glanced at Dragon and Spectrum. "There is no need to force us to listen to you. If you are here to talk to us about helping Charlotte we want that as well. She's suffered enough already as it is." Regan fell silent, staring expectantly at the woman.
Without further preamble, Aida continued without pause. "On paper, I am Camilla Anderson. The sniper, Charlotte Lutwidge's head-maid, and current legal guardian. I am also responsible for enabling her to build the resources and develop the mentality necessary to end Blacklight, who killed my employers - her parents - and close friends." She paused for a moment, to let that sink in. The implications of what she was saying should've been obvious. "If anyone is to be taking the blame, then it will be me."
Spectrum blinked, still processing the mannequin being able to walk and talk, more than what it was saying. Dragon, however, was more on top of things. "But you're a dum-" he stopped himself. "You're not a person. You can't prosecute a gun, can you?"
Regan considered the situation carefully. While the homunculus' offer was appealing, they were all missing the point. She stood up and said as much.
"You are all missing the point here." She looked at Dragon and Spectrum... and then at Charlotte's construct. "This is not about assigning blame. If blame is to be attributed, it belongs all to Blacklight. His actions had consequences. And those led to his death. But Charlotte's actions have consequences of their own. The circumstances, of course would be considered. And this is what I'm trying to establish here in the best possible way as to minimize her further suffering." She fixed Camilla with a hard stare. "But make no mistake. Charlotte will pay for the life she took. Even though it might not be in the way you imagine it. Taking a life, no matter the circumstances, is a lifelong punishment in and of itself, if one is a good and caring person. And Charlotte seems to be those."
Regan approached the construct, which was alive for all intents and purposes. She peered into Camilla's eyes. "Even if we could tag you for this, which we couldn't because the evidence will contradict it, you didn't pull the trigger for the killing shot. Nothing you do will change that." The PART officer pulled back. "But I said I'd listen and so I will. What exactly do you propose?"
Dragon put down his phone. "I think I get it. If the mannequin is legally a person, can't it legally stand trial for the crime? You can sue companies, according to Arthur." He started scrolling down his phone's screen, explaining, "Arthur's my lawyer. Arthur Savage. Maybe he can get the legals straightened out here. Lieutenant, are you allowed to be around when the defence is being sorted out?"
Regan sighed. She wasn't getting through to them. "First of all, it's Corporal. Not Lieutenant, but thanks for the promotion. And the only thing Camilla here can stand trial for is assault and grievous bodily harm. The finishing shot came from Charlotte and the evidence will point to that. You cannot transplant this act onto Charlotte's... construct." Regan paused to collect her thoughts and try to explain once again the procedure and what she could do to help the girl. "I'll need to file a report. Evidence will be collected, statements. What we can hope to do and you can ask your lawyer to do, is to keep Charlotte out of the adult courts and push for suspended sentence. Whatever we do must corroborate the evidence collected." She fell silent again. Her gaze shifted from Dragon, to Spectrum, to Camilla. She felt the beginnings of a headache. Frowning she pinched the bridge of her nose and thought of Teagan, bringing her tea. A small smile crept up her lips.
"Make your report,
Corporal," Dragon declared. He hit a number on his phone. "And I'll make my calls. Hello?" He said into the phone. "Put me through to Savage. His favourite client with a big challenge. He'll know what I'm talking about. Listen, kid, you'll put me through and you'll get a pay rise."
Regan stood. "Very well." She nodded at Dragon, electing to forgo his tone of voice. "You do what needs to be done on your end and believe me I'll do whatever I can to keep Charlotte out of jail." She headed for the door, but before she exited Regan turned to look at all of them. "Expect officers to come and take you to the station for your statements. I trust you'll cooperate." The PART officer nodded and left the apartment, closing the door behind her. She sighed heavily, rubbed her eyes and started down the stairs to issue instructions to the uniform officers and the criminology teams. Regan fished out her phone from her front jeans pocket and looked up Teagan's contact.
'
Hey...' She started texting. '
Don't know how much long I'll be. I got a dead Epic villain on may hands and a ton of paperwork to go with it. I'll call you when I have a breath of fresh air. I miss you.' She hit send and went about her business.
