Whoso comes from the dark ... - Part 3
Caitlyn had never seen a dead body, not even when Uncle Richard had died. A closed casket had been the only sign that her Uncle even lay dead, the injuries he received in the accident far too severe to see. Now, in this rundown apartment only streets away from where Fiend had placed their hideout in Market Town, she saw the aftermath of a suicide and what appeared to be yet another lair of the villain that had attacked Caitlyn and Alaina, and had threatened yet more violence.
Pho-Boy showed no reaction as he passed a flashlight over the scene, where more of Fiend's equipment sat in various corners of the small room. Not so much a lair as the one-room home of someone desperately poor and unloved. Caitlyn could see one of the flying platforms, several of the multi-purpose grenades, a purple unitard and a latex mask that glared at her, foam teeth grinning at Caitlyn's despair.
Harlan Giordano sat, slumped in a chair, thirty-eight pistol dangling from limp fingers, a hole in his head and blood spattered against the wall behind his corpse. A cell phone sat on the table before him, surrounded by half-eaten take-out boxes, ashtrays filled to overflowing and empty beer cans. Kyle tapped the screen and Caitlyn could see a few words. He nodded, allowing the screen to fade.
"It's fake." With a sigh, he swept the light around the room once again, bringing the light to rest back on Giordano's corpse. "An obvious fake, too. The cops will see that easy enough, but I can't help but wonder why. Why even bother to fake a suicide if you're not going to do a good job about it?"
"Fiend is toying with us. With me." She turned away from Giordano's body, wishing she had never decided to become a hero. "Somehow, they knew we were coming here. Maybe Alden did this?"
She lifted a number of lottery scratchcards, noting they were all winners, never collected. Giordano had once occupied a prized position at Ald-Tech, or so Kyle's investigations had shown, but he had clashed with Alden. Taken it upon himself to perform live bio-engineering tests on human subjects. Ald-Tech had fired him immediately and covered up Giordano's indiscretions. No other company would touch him after that.
A promising career cut down by hubris and ambition. And now his life taken away for no other reason than to send a message to her. Or, perhaps, to Raymond Alden? Caitlyn would always think the worst of the man, despite being more than willing to take on the internship. She had had a pragmatic view that working at Ald-Tech would have opened doors for her. She was not averse to using Alden for that. It seemed possible that Fiend had staged this suicide to put Alden off the track of who stole from his company.
"We should get out of here. I'll put in an anonymous tip to NHPD." He headed to the open window they had used to enter the apartment. "Try not to let it get to you. Because, if you do, it'll never stop. You can't save everybody. Not even Principle can do that."
No, she couldn't, but that didn't mean she shouldn't try. The almost silent escape of gas from Kyle's gauntlet told her he had fired his grapple and she headed to the window, ready to follow him. With one leg hooked outside, she took another look at the pitiful, unwashed, unshaven form of Harlan Giordano and could feel nothing but pity for him. She doubted he had anyone that could mourn him.
-+-
Parkside High, days later ...
Her suspension over, Caitlyn dreaded reentering school. For a number of reasons. Alaina, for one and most importantly. The chance of seeing Rayna. Over the last few days, they had exchanged texts but hadn't talked since that day in the diner, when things had taken a turn for the sensuous. Those texts had bordered on flirtation, but didn't cross that line, leaving Caitlyn a little frustrated as to where things stood. Did Rayna like her? Like, 'like her'-like her? Or was it only in Caitlyn's head.
Of course, there were other reasons to dread returning to school. Like the word 'cheat' scrawled on her locker, along with 'bitch' and other, less friendly graffiti. Kids were cruel and the little matter of facts and proof that she hadn't said those things about Alaina were only unimportant details. With her head dipped, she stuffed her things into the locker before heading to her first class.
"I don't think you cheated." The boy before her looked familiar and Caitlyn frowned to remember him. "Eugene? A year below? It doesn't matter. I believe you. I saw the videos. I ... I know what it's like to be bullied."
"Thanks, Eugene. Sorry I didn't remember you. I'm not too good with faces. And names. People. You know?" She frowned again. Something felt different about him, but she couldn't place what. "Have you done something with your hair? No? But, yeah, thanks. I'll be fine. Bullies don't bother me."
"Me either." He smiled and that looked different. He'd grown some confidence. Good for him. "Not anymore. I have a whole new attitude now. If you want, I could ..."
"Eugene, I'm really sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to have to go." She made certain she looked him in the eye, letting him know she wasn't blowing him off. "I really appreciate your support. Thank you."
She couldn't stay talking to Eugene, not when she had seen Alaina and Rayna up ahead. Eugene gave her a half-wave as she moved passed him only for Caitlyn to become swallowed by a crowd of whispering students. Elbows dug into her ribs, shoulders barged into hers and she almost dropped her books. If any one of these idiots knew the power she held inside her, they'd ... No. She couldn't think like that. That was how villains thought.
Alaina and Rayna had vanished, lost in the teeming crowd of teenagers. Even at lunch, Caitlyn found no respite. She couldn't find her paused best friend, or the girl she had feelings for and the incessant snipes, digs and snide remarks started to bring her down. Even Kyle hadn't turned up to school, citing that he was following a lead. She was alone and it wasn't even her fault.
At the end of the day, Caitlyn had taken to sitting in corners, listening to news reports on the almost invisible ear piece given to her by the heroes of Bastion. They had still not returned from space, battling some evil regime so very far from Earth. Closer to home, she had heard nothing about the suicide of a former Ald-Tech employee, even though she knew the NHPD had investigated Giordano's death. She wondered if she should talk to Chief Watson about it?
"Hey." The voice held none of the normal glee and exuberance that marked Alaina out from everyone else. "You looked lonely."
"I was. A bit." With a tap, Caitlyn turned off the ear piece and fastened the fingers of both hands together. Everyone else had already left the class, even Rayna slipping out of the door. "Sorry isn't good enough, I know, but I am. You shouldn't have to suffer for my choices."
"Forget about it." Alaina sat back against the table beside Caitlyn. "Listen, I ... I know it wasn't your fault, okay. This, you know, the 'thing', it was fun. Exciting. But then that creature, Fiend? And, you know, the video. It's all just ... I ... I can't be a part of that anymore. I ... I love you, but you're dangerous to be around. Maybe ..."
"It's okay." Caitlyn started to reach out foe Alaina's hand and stopped. "You have to take care of yourself. I'd be a terrible friend if I continued putting you in danger. It's okay, I promi ..."
The ear piece switched on without Caitlyn touching it and she lifted her hand to her head. Even as she listened to Kyle's excited info-dump, she looked to Alaina only to see a little half-smile cross her face and her mouthing 'go on', waving a hand to usher her out. From what she could hear from Kyle, she needed to move, and fast. Gathering her things, she raced for the door.
"That didn't take long." By the lockers, Rayna leaned back, waiting for Alaina, no doubt. "Is everything okay? Nothing bad happening at home?"
"Oh, no. No. No. I just ..." As she stuffed her books into her bag, slamming her desecrated locker door closed, Caitlyn couldn't think of an excuse for her hurry. "I have an ... appointment ... with the ... uh ... child psychology therapist ... um ... Near the docks?"
Why she even mentioned the docks, Caitlyn couldn't imagine. It was the first thing that came to mind and she could tell from the look on Rayna's face it sounded as odd to her as it had to Caitlyn. But Kyle had found another of Fiend's lairs only, this time, he had managed to disarm the explosive security. And he had found something he said she needed to see. Something important.
She hated racing away, from Alaina or from Rayna. Neither deserved to suffer aborted attempts at talking to her, but Caitlyn couldn't waste any opportunity to find and stop Fiend. They had almost killed Alaina, had ruined her reputation and Caitlyn's, and had blown up a building to cover their tracks. Not to mention murdering and trying to frame Harlan Giordano.
The problem was that it seemed clear Fiend blamed Caitlyn for something. Try as she might, she couldn't begin to think who could hate her so much, or why. Was it her, Caitlyn, they hated, or Blood Obsidian, or both? And for what reason? Out of sight of everybody, she allowed the suit to slough over her, pouring from her exposed skin to cover her body and clothing in an instant.
A leap, a moment of fast-floating and she sent out the suit's version of the grapple, swinging away, toward the docks and the place Caitlyn would never have thought to investigate. Vezzpa's hideout.
-+-
Meanwhile, below ...
In the shadows, they watched as Caitlyn Carter took to the skies. Fast, strong, elegant, powerful. They could admire that. But Carter wasn't the only one with strength, speed and power. Something she would soon realise when they met again.
Soon.