I sit across from Victoria, and a chill runs down my spine. How can this be? I'm dead? But I'm Butcher Fifteen, I have tough skin, incredible regeneration, battle precognition, and I can teleport anywhere within the range of my insects! How could I possibly be killed… although, yes, a armor-piercing bullet to the head, or some toxin that acts instantly… maybe one of Bakuda's bombs…
"Taylor? What's wrong?" Victoria Dallon, Glory Girl, asks me, concern etched on her face.
"I… wait a second. I need to gather my thoughts," I say, hitting the end call button. I put my phone in my backpack and press my lips together. My ant queens, Kunoichi, immediately swarm over my phone, typing a message to Tattletale.
"'Are you sure?'" I type: "'She's sitting across from me, there's nothing dangerous about her. And there's no one around with weapons.'"
"'I'm on my way to you,'" comes the immediate reply: "'stall her for a couple of minutes. But remember – NO TOUCHING!'"
"'Okay,'" I type back. Victoria watches me, frowning. I guess it's all written on my face. I'm not good at keeping a poker face.
"Don't mind me," I say: "let's continue our conversation. What would you like to ask me?" I mentally tell myself to relax. Tattletale doesn't yet understand where the threat is coming from, but she has already identified the trigger. I will die if I touch Victoria Dallon. Fine, but if I die… I still have the Butcher's ability… does that mean I would transfer into Victoria's body? Or would someone else kill me and I'd transfer into another cape's body? But who could kill me? Panacea. Of course, Panacea. "Cui bono? Cui prodest?" – who benefits from this? No, she doesn't benefit, but she's just obsessed with her sister, and considering her abilities… I remember how easily she grew vocal cords on my tracker. So, she's a bioconstruct, she can do anything with organic matter. Even if she were just a genius healer – it would still be scary, because someone who can heal knows perfectly how to kill. But she's not just a healer. She has control over all organisms… like microbes, viruses… and if she can grow a complex organ on a worm that wasn't originally suited for it, then modifying a virus would be nothing for her. Fine, not a virus, mold. Or even Victoria Dallon herself. Make her extremely allergic to me. Why? The trigger – touch. A clear message: "You must not touch her, or death will follow." Although, what kind of message is that? It's a trap. A message warns, but here…
"You know, I've been thinking…" Victoria says: "I really overreacted. I just got so scared when Amy showed me this… and said it used to be inside me! It was just awful! I already dislike all kinds of worms. The thought that this thing was just inside me almost made me throw up… tell me – why did you do this?"
"It's not a worm. It's a tracker. Within the range of my power, it shows the location of everyone; I can track movements. Overall, I was trying to do this primarily for my safety, but now, after what I've seen in the APP's underground brothels – I think these trackers could be useful for finding people or during rescue operations. It can't reproduce, it doesn't release toxins into the body, it just needs body heat. It just sleeps and sends a signal 'I'm here.' That's all."
"And it eavesdrops," Victoria squints.
"And… yes. It eavesdrops," I sigh: "sorry."
"Did you learn a lot about me?" she asks challengingly: "enjoying peeking and eavesdropping, huh?"
"Honestly, I didn't learn anything. Amy pulled it out right away and carried it with her. So I learned more about Amy. And yes… it actually looks like this." I extend my hand and show her my index finger. A small pink thread barely moves at the tip.
"But… I saw this terrifying thing with a bunch of antennas sticking out in all directions, spikes, and other disgusting things! And it was all moving! And it even talked!" she jabs a finger at me: "What was that?"
"I promised not to lie to you anymore, Vicky. And I'm not lying. This is what my trackers look like. No more. Everything that happened to it afterward was your sister's doing. She grew it to that size."
"What nonsense! Why would she do that?!"
"Because the range of my power is a maximum of one and a half blocks. And I live near the Docks. When I called out to you – I was at home. Do you know what that means? It means Amy just wanted to talk to me and grew herself a living radio. And for me to be able to talk to her – she grew an organ on it that can speak. I think if she wanted, she could grow another Taylor from that worm. Yoursister is incredible."
"What nonsense! Amy's power only works on people!"
"Or she tells everyone that it's exactly like that. I think she's afraid that such a power would raise concerns. How does it go – you can count to ten, stop at seven. She doesn't even count to seven, but to three. And she can count to a hundred."
"I… don't believe you, Taylor," Victoria says, moving closer: "You've lied to me before, more than once. And Amy always tells me the truth, even if it's bitter. She's my sister, and you… you're still a villain! You want to drive a wedge between us! Why would you do that? Do you just take joy in someone else's pain?"
"Yes, I've lied to you. That's true. But right now, I'm telling the truth. I have no reason to lie to you. I'm no longer a wanted criminal. Officially, I'm part of the city's militia, self-defense forces. You saw that neither the Armory nor Miss Militia arrested me; I just gave my testimony, signed the protocol, and left. They even thanked me for my cooperation."
"You've confused them. Just like you're confusing me right now," she says: "If I believe you, it means my only sister has been lying to me all this time. What choice do I have? Either you're the villain, and she is, or my sister is a complete hypocrite who has been deceiving me all this time. I'm sorry, Taylor, but I choose my sister. Thanks for the coffee." She stands up and looks down at me: "Yes, you're strong, and I can't defeat you in a fair fight. You're smart and cunning, and that's why the law doesn't apply to you. That means I'll leave you alone. Because I abide by the laws, even if someone like you can abuse them. But I hope that one day everyone will see who you really are. And even then, you'll probably be able to escape responsibility. The PRT told me that you're their golden girl in case of a battle with the Slaughterhouse Nine. For that, they'll forgive you everything. The PRT, the government, the people. But I'm not going to forgive you, Taylor. Not only did you plant a parasite in me, but you're also still slandering Amy!"
"Vicky!"
"Here's the thing, Taylor," she leans in and looks me straight in the eyes: "screw you. I don't want to see you." She straightens up and leaves, almost colliding with Lisa in her Tattletale costume. For a second, she stops, sizes her up, and nods.
"Another one," she says: "a toad and a viper. I wish you luck in your family life!" And she exits, slamming the door so hard that the plaster from the ceiling almost falls.
"Oh… fiery girl," Tattletale whistles after her and turns her head to me: "You really know how to charm the ladies, Taylor. Just a natural talent."
"Don't rub salt in the wound," I reply: "I wanted to tell her the truth…"
"The truth? About her precious sister? Three times ha, darling." She sits down next to me and removes her mask, becoming just Lisa: "Your reputation isn't such that she would believe you. She's been with her sister since childhood; they grew up together, and here you are – 'your sister is a monster!' No one will believe you. Especially… especially that Panacea was going to kill you… by the way – not kill."
"What do you mean? Oh, right, the Butcher's gift…"
"Yeah. She wanted to put you in a coma, but something went wrong. Vicky immediately called the PRT, said you touched her and dropped dead. And Coil tracks calls to the PRT. So he dropped the line and informed me." Lisa shook her head: "Well, look at that, that jerk saved your life. I don't even know how to feel about it. Maybe I won't annoy him for a couple of days."
"And of course, no one will believe me now," I say bitterly.
"Ha. The only evidence you could use to prove anything is if you touch her in front of everyone and die. Then… then maybe they'll believe you. But it's not worth it. Just stay away from the Dallon sisters. You just can't get along with people, what can you do…"
"I'm not the one at fault! And… look at yourself!"
"Mmm…?" She glances at herself as if seeing it for the first time: "What's wrong with me? I'm perfectly fine. It's not me that the bioconstructor wants to kill with a specially designed plague. Everyone loves me."
"…" I sigh. She's right. I couldn't explain myself to Victoria. Although, it seemed simple – just tell the truth and shame the devil. But no. I had to lie, approach from a distance… soften the edges… the main thing is to keep talking. After all, she was ready to talk, she came to meet me, she was set not to be hostile, more skeptical and with humor, even joking. But as soon as I mentioned Amy – she immediately shut down. Well, what did I expect, idiot? It's like if Kaiser came to me and said that my father had always lied to me and wanted to sell me to an underground brothel, but the price didn't match. Would I believe him? Of course not. Even if he showed video recordings or documents – I still wouldn't believe it. No way. Because to believe such a thing means to destroy my world, everything I believe in. You're such a fool, Taylor…
"Hey. Don't beat yourself up like that," Lisa softens: "Don't worry. Everything will be fine between you two. Nothing terrible happened."
"It's easy for you to say… I just realized that I wouldn't believe such a thing for anything in the world," I reply: "So I made… as Tyleran said – it's worse than a crime, it's a mistake."
"Pff… come on, the mighty Administrator doesn't make mistakes. Her strikes are deadly, and her words always hit the mark." A sly smile crosses her lips: "I thought I'd torment you some more, but you've already completely broken down. You know where our Glory Girl just rushed off to on her second rocket?"
"Home, of course… where else? To her sister, whom I was trying to slander."
"Correct. Because neither you nor she will believe such a thing… right away. What would you do if someone told you that your loved one was lying to you so big?"
"I… I would call the person a liar and spit in their face!"
"Okay," she waves her hand: "okay, and then? After the spit? You'd rush home to ask that question to your loved one, right? And… since you're close, just by asking the question – you'd see the answer in their eyes…" she says, looking at me: "Do you understand? Right now, Victoria is racing home to confront Panacea and ask her that very important question – whether she's been lying to her. And… I've seen Amy Dallon. She's a simpleton. She'll give herself away. Especially to her beloved sister. She won't be able to lie. I could… but that's me. You, by the way – you wouldn't be able to either. You can't lie, Taylor…"
"... I'd smack you…" I grumble at her, but more for show. I feel a little lighter inside.
"But… you know…" Lisa's voice suddenly becomes quieter: "I… for some reason my chest hurts so much. Victoria – her poster hangs on your bedroom wall, I saw it. She's a hero in shining armor, and I'm just a mangy cat you picked up from a dumpster and saved from a terrible fate. How can I compete with her in your heart…" she turns away, and I look at her in confusion. My God, I think, what a fool I am! Vicky this, Vicky that, but that Vicky doesn't give a damn about me. I have Lisa, she's always on my side, and I…
"Lisa…" I say, and my voice suddenly breaks. I cough, swallowing the lump in my throat: "Lisa, what are you saying? You… you said yourself that you don't mind and that we need to befriend her and… Lisa!"
"Uh-huh!" She turns to me, beaming: "You fell for it! That's how you lie, Taylor. With feeling."
"Lisa!"
"I'm already a big girl, Taylor." She smiles like a satisfied cat: "Did you really think I'd be jealous? Ha, naive girl, who would be jealous of whom? I could seduce anyone in Brockton Bay overnight. For example, the Armsmaster. Want to bet?"
"God, Lisa, stop. I'm completely out of strength right now." I sigh: "It's been a tough day. Leave me alone, let me die in peace."
"If you wanted to die, you should have groped Vicky. You'd have died happy." She squints: "And if you're still alive with me – suffer."
"One day, young lady, I will tie you up and punish you so that you forget your name." I say, shaking my head. Her jokes, however, do their job – I feel a little lighter and brighter inside. Friendly banter with Tattletale is a remedy for depression because she won't leave you alone until you chase her with a broom!
"One day… I'll whip you so hard…"
"Promises, promises…" she squints: "words, words. This girl is tired of believing words."
"Alright, we've joked enough." At that moment, the door opens, and a waiter enters, calmly laying out the utensils and placing cups of coffee in front of us.
"Oh, caramel latte. Of course. She's Barbie…" Lisa grumbles, lifting her cup: "What a shame for good coffee to go to waste. How about we spend the evening together today?"
"I…"
"And I already called your dad and invited myself over." She smiles: "You can't leave me alone tonight; I'll just engage in self-reflection. So we'll watch a comedy together. And then – we'll crawl into your bed and count the stars until we fall asleep. But I'll take the poster of Glory off your wall, just so you know!"
"It costs eighteen dollars."
"I'll compensate." She shakes her head: "I wouldn't want her staring at us from the wall."
"Fine." I agree: "You'll insist on your way anyway. And… if you really made plans with Danny, who am I to stop you? Just know, we have strict rules at home. Whoever finishes eating last – does the dishes."
"What a ridiculous thing. Forcing these well-groomed fingers to wash dishes. Look at my manicure… want me to hire a maid for you? One of those, you know, figure-skating types. Your dad would appreciate it."
"For you, he's Mr. Hebert. He's my dad."
"Pff… and he's not bad. Such experienced men for me… kkhaha! Fly! Taylor!"
"Shut up already. Do you hear…" I stand up and listen. A chill runs down my spine. A low, penetrating hum that seeps into my bones. It can be heard even here, in a separate, soundproof booth. A siren. No way?
"The Slaughterhouse Nine." Lisa says, paling like a sheet: "The Slaughterhouse is heading to Brockton Bay. It's Leviathan's turn."