Seras little snippet thread

Of course time never stops passing. I continued my work at TPU, and only my inability to complete the practical work without something exploding, kept me from graduating.

If my theory work was taken without considering the practical, I’d have been Valedictorian. I’d learned everything I could from this place. Only practical function kept me back, and of course I was learning at Dr. Beetles heel.

I might only record numbers, and data, but I got to watch him work.

But I’d promised myself, I wouldn’t let this continue forever.

So it was time. A week before my sixteenth birthday. There was no emergency today to run off too. I had an off day and as I came down for breakfast, I placed my usual kisses on Lilith and Adams cheek before settling down.

I started eating all of us enjoying the companionship, when I cleared my throat.

“Lilith… Adam. I know this is going to be sudden, but I’ve decided that it’s time.” I tried my best to sound confident and gentle, but I was still getting a little choked up.

There was something comforting in living an easy life. I could stay here. In two years all I had to do was not run into an alley, not lose my locket, not being breaking through with the Baron overhead.

Oh sure Dr. Beetle might still die, but we could live a continued quiet life.

But that wasn’t for me.

As odd as it was. I knew about Mechanicsburg, knew some of the people. Knew that my family had been… Well their tyrants for centuries, for generations, but more than that. I knew they waited for their Heterodyne still.

The Jagers alone… Not being allowed to enter their own home city because of some stupid rule with their agreement with the Baron?

No. I had to fix that.

I had to fix everything.

Of course while my mind was growing serious, Lilith had other ideas.

“Agatha, we still aren’t letting you enter that establishment.”

“I DIDN’T KNOW IT-” I cut myself off the surge of emotion already bringing on a headache.

Fuck this stupid locket.

When I opened my eyes Lilith was looking apologetic.

“You know I didn’t know that it was a… Burlesque establishment. I just heard the music and wanted to listen.” I grumbled out, tamping down on my irritation. The YEARS of embarrassment because I’d heard a catchy song!

“Of course dear.” Lilith agreed, and I noticed Adam pointedly not looking at me, as his shoulders shook silently.

Traitors the both of them.

I slapped the table lightly. “Focus. I’m trying to be serious… This isn’t a joke.” I said the last part probably sounded a little desperate.

“Agatha, what is it?”

“My birthday is in a week… I’m going to take off my locket on my birthday, and I’m never wearing it again.”

“What? Agatha! You have to-”

“Lilith. I know that it’s not just a locket. That it keeps me from breaking through. I know that Uncle Barry made it to protect me, and I have worn it for eleven years! I’ll be sixteen. That’s adult enough. Aware enough. It’s time for me to stop hiding… I’m going to Mechanicsburg.”

Both of my parents looked… Stricken.

Looking to each other and talking with their eyes like people who have known each other for so long.

They turned to look at me.

“That’s… Why would you want to go there! Surely not.”

“Barry Heterodyne is my uncle. My father is William Heterodyne, and my mother is Lucrezia Mongfish, may whatever hell she’s half stuck in chew her up.” I cursed her name before calming myself. I was getting worked up. “I know Lilith. I’ve always known.”

“But… Barry told us! He-”

“Uncle Barry is someone I love, truly, I still remember in some vague sense him rescuing me… I remember the first time I heterodyned. How terrified he sounded… I still remember his pleading with me to stop, that it was too soon.” I whispered and Lilith’s mismatched eyes were wide in horror.

Adam acted, his large arms holding Lilith, and reaching out for me. Which I quickly accepted, walking around the table and joining him in a hug.

“I’ve always known. Deep down. I kept it to myself, I understood the dangers. The things that are chasing me, and what horrors they intend… But I’m not a child anymore. And I can’t, Lilith, Adam, I can’t live with this thing clamping down on my mind all day every day. I’ve learned everything I can from TPU. I’ll be sixteen, and I’m ready… I’ve been gathering parts for years for my breakthrough… It’s time.”

“That’s why. I always wondered why you collected so much scrap.” Lilith whispered and I nodded.

“Well, it has come in handy for Adam a few times, but that’s the real reason… I love you. Both of you, you’re my parents, and you always will be. But I have to do this.”

“C-Can’t you wait a little longer? Barry will return, and-”

“Lilith.” I cut her off, my eyes were gentle as I reached out and hugged her. “I don’t know if Uncle Barry is alive or dead, but if he is alive, something happened to make sure he can’t come back. I’m done waiting.”

“It’s dangerous, more than you know. All of it, it’s not like the Heterodyne Boy shows, it’s-”

“Lilith. I am Agatha Heterodyne. I started breaking through when I was five. I’ve made sure to ground myself with every bit of theory on science that I could get. Europa is not the danger, I am the danger.” I said the last bit, barely raising my voice, a hiss escaping through my teeth. “No. I’ve cowered enough… I have people that I’m responsible for. I know there are Jagers that want to go home. That are injured, and need their Heterodyne. I know Mechanicsburg needs a Heterodyne… And maybe Europa needs one too.”

I looked up and Lilith was looking at me with… Fear.

Not for me, but because of me.

“I don’t want to be like my grandfather, or the old Heterodynes Lilith. I’m not so stupid as to want to challenge all of Europe… But I’m not my father or my Uncle either. I want… I want to take care of my people, and stop hiding who I am… No, honestly, because of this thing… I just want to know who I am.” I whispered, clutching the locket.

“We-We can tell Dr. Beetle. He can set up a quiet way to let you breakthrough, and give you time before you-.”

“I’m not telling Dr. Beetle. I love the man, but he doesn’t have my best interests at heart. He has his interests. For now that means being kind to me… And I will always appreciate that, but I’m just a tool for him. Lilith. I need you and Adam to understand. I can’t…” I felt tears coming to my eyes.

I didn’t want her to fear me, or hate me, or- I just wanted my mom to support me. To stop this daily pain and let me grow up.

“Please don’t be disappointed Lilith.”

“Never.” She told me, tilting my head up, and her eyes were watering alongside mine. Adam reached up, his massive hands so gentle as he ran a thumb across my cheeks. He couldn’t speak, but I never failed to understand him.

“I promise I’ll be okay. I’ll be in my breakthrough when I leave, and I’ll have a cart and all the parts… I’ll be more dangerous to anything I run into then they will be to me. So it’ll be okay. I’ll… write to you when I get to Mechanicsburg, and-”

“Oh honey, don’t be silly.” Lilith said. “I don’t… I wish you would wait. I wish Master Barry would be here. This should never have been something he left on your shoulders, but I can’t and won’t stop you, but I’ll never leave you to something like this alone. We’ll come with you.”

“But… This is your home. You’ve been here for years, even before you took me in. You don’t have to abandon everything here!”

“Nonsense. You’re our daughter. We’ll never leave you to face the wasteland and a breakthrough alone. Or Mechanicsburg You’ll need help to fix the castle. We’ll help you, and… Perhaps it’s time for us to stop running from Mechanicsburg. Anyway.”

“Are you sure? You don’t have to! You have your whole life here, and-” I stopped as Adam’s large finger was pressed to my lips. He smiled down at me, and then leaned down kissing my forehead.

“We’re sure.” Lilith spoke for Adam, and I had no response besides to start crying even harder and hug them.

I’d honestly never expected them to come with me. The two members of the Clay family had always been so… Content. This was what they wanted after adventuring with the Heterodyne Boys, with my Uncle and Father.

“It’s gonna be tough. I’m probably gonna go crazy.”

“Yes dear, you aren’t the first Spark we helped through Breakthrough.”

“Okay… Then, I guess my plans will change. I was thinking of leaving on my birthday, and using you to hide the fact I was gone from Dr. Beetle for a while.”

“If we get far enough it’ll be fine Agatha, Dr. Beetle is a strong spark, but he doesn’t wander from his territory, as long as we are far enough we won’t have to worry about him. Speaking of. Adam, I suppose it’s time for us to use some of our old skills.”

Adam just smirked and threw me a wink when I looked at him questioning what Lilith meant.

Fine be sneaky. I stepped away from the family hug and rubbed at my eyes a bit.

“I expected a lot more… Arguing, and fighting and-”

“Well, you’re determined to do this, and… If you refuse to wear the locket it’s not like we can force you.” Lilith said as she reached out and stroked a finger down the brass. “I always wanted to tell you Agatha, to tear this thing from your neck, so you wouldn’t be in pain anymore. I’m… I’m sorry if you ever-”

“I knew why, you always comforted me, loved me. I couldn’t have asked for more.”

She sighed and took off her glasses, rubbing them a bit. “I wish I had known you knew. It would have certainly saved me some stress.”

“Sorry Lilith. I figured it was best to just… Never talk about it.”

“It was the right thing to do… I think.” She offered an honest moment of regret.

“I think it was.” I replied back. I hated it, but… It had definitely saved my life up until now.

—--

The next week was busy. Only once did I head in to assist Dr. Beetle. Instead I was packing up things I would take with me, and the boxes of parts, and personal effects would disappear by morning, Lilith and Adam smirking at me without a single hair out of place my only answer as to what they had done.

Thankfully since I didn’t have to do this alone, Adam and Lilith had gathered a Clank Cart, and hidden it away outside the city.

Nearly everything was ready.

I woke up and instead of putting on my locket, I reached over and opened it.

The seam had been so perfect, for years despite knowing it wasn’t solid I had never been able to find it.

But brute force was capable of getting it open, and I looked upon… complexity. Madness. I tore my eyes away for a moment, and instead. Turned it off. A single gear was now missing and it all stopped.

I put the cover back together, and the gear and locket were placed in the bag I had near my bed.

I would never wear that thing again, but I wanted to learn from it. To study it. One day.

I looked around my room. It was emptier. Everything was packed away and stored. Maybe someday Lilith and Adam would come back, but for now, it was simply…

Locked into my memory, this room, this place. My childhood home.

Then I got dressed, packed my linens away, and grabbed my bag. When I stepped out I had no locket. It would take time for me to be free, but it was the start.

Adam and Lilith like always were already up, waiting for me. Both in heavy coats, and there was almost an instinctual call from Lilith, to put on my locket before stopping, and looking at me, not as Agatha the little girl, but Agatha Heterodyne, the woman.

Lilith nodded.

“Well… I’m sixteen.” I offered and got a smile from my parents as they pulled me into a group hug.

Only once I was fully and properly hugged. Adam could bench press a steam engine if he wanted, he gave amazing hugs. Did Lillith pull away and wipe a hand through my bangs for a moment. “Alright Agatha, just follow us, we’ve got everything sorted, but we want to avoid Dr. Beetles Clanks, so we’ll be going through the side paths.”

“I’ll keep up. I didn’t mention it much, but I did a lot of running around when I could.”

Lilith’s lips twitched a bit as she looked at Adam, who was crinkling his eyes telling me he was cackling inside.

“That’s good, but we’ll make sure you stay close, just try not to make too much noise.”

Why do I suddenly have a feeling my construct parents were going to do ninja shit, and expect me, the rather lazy teenage student to keep up?

Dang.

—--

“F-Finally.” I gasped out as we came out of an old sewer line. The smell was bad enough, but we’d been jogging for almost half an hour. Through alleys, sewers, even through the back room of a smoke room once.

And yet through it all no one had really noticed us. Until finally we were out of the city, and I was exhausted.

“Take a break Agatha. Adam the cart?” He nodded at Liliths request and vanished forward as I found a rock to sit on and just gasped for air. This was unfair. I was going to ban exercise or something when I was Queen of Europa! My Tyranny would last forever!

Right after I caught my breath.

“You did amazing Agatha, do you need some water?”

“N-No. I’m okay.” I continued gasping, until finally Adam returned riding at the head of an old Clank carriage.

Its four wheels had a leg that flexed to push each wheel, and I looked at it in disgust. They could have just used the motor for the legs to just attach to the wheels itself! They lost probably 90% of their power from this FOOLISH WASTE OF ENGINEERING I WOULD STRING UP THE FOOL THAT CONSTRUCTED SOMETHING SO OFFENSIVE BY THEIR TOES UNTIL ALL THEIR STUPIDITY CAME DROOLING OUT OF THEIR EARS!

“Agatha.” Lilith whispered to me, shaking me, and I realized I’d been humming.

Heterodyning.

My head still heart, sympathetic feedback from before, or aftershocks?

“I… I need to sit and stare at anything but engineering right now.” I whispered. Lilith nodded, and hurried me on, sitting me next to Adam, as she climbed into the back which I realized was practically packed to the brim with all the stuff we were bringing…

I’d have to expand the cart wi-

I shook it off. Not the time. We were still too close to Beetleburg. Instead I nestled into Adam’s bulk as he pulled the levers.

Honestly this thing had FOUR CLUTCHES!? WHAT FOOL-”This is going to be a long day.” I whispered, shutting my eyes and turning away from the controls. It could take anywhere from a week to a month to travel to Mechanicsburg from here. Likely longer as I broke through, but I needed to hold that off for a while.

I felt so tired. My brain was on overdrive. So I kept my eye shut and just rested against Adam as the scenery slowly passed me by.

—--

I realized that something was wrong as I slowly blinked myself back away.

There was no warmth of Adam, quite the opposite. It was a bit cold, and as I opened my eyes I realized I was inside the back of the cart. I looked down where a mess of tools and parts covered my stomach… Had I been sleep constructing? Well at least I wasn’t half naked.

But… I looked down, it looked up.

“Hello Dingbot.” I greeted the small clank, which happily did just that. Dinging at me. I put the screwdriver I’d had gripped in one hand down so I wouldn’t stab myself and looked around. I was literally laying inside the cart, boxes of parts and tools half opened an utter disaster, but here I was.

“Agatha? Are you awake? If you are saying something. I don’t want you throwing things again.”

“Throwing things?” I gasped as I sat up, wincing at the fact I’d been laying among boxes of parts and tools and plenty of sharp things.

I really hoped I wasn’t bleeding anywhere. I grumbled, and fought a bit to get myself free, but ended up managing to stick my head out the back of the cart.

The cart that was now parked. It was dark, and a fire and cooking pot were happily cooking as Adam and Lilith both sat around the campsite.

“I’m awake?”

“Thanks the Masters. Honestly, that was not what I expected.” Lilith called out and I stumbled a bit as I made to exit the cart, only to yelp as my boot slipped into something catching me and causing me to stumble forward.

Hanging from your ankle half out the back of a cart was not comfortable.

“Help?” I begged, wincing as my nose now stung from smashing it into the cart.

Strong hands grabbed me and with a bit of finangling I managed to slip my ankle free and actually be placed back on the ground. I looked around and smiled at Adam in thanks.

All the while I still clutched my prize. My treasure.

My first Clank.

I sat down next to Lilith, and then opened my palms. Earning an annoyed Ding from my little clank at how I’d been holding him as he gathered himself on my palms.

He looked like a pocket watch with legs, and a single large eye. He shifted around looking at Adam and Lilith before seemingly deciding they weren’t important, instead he carried a screwdriver with authority. He had a job to do.

“Oh Agatha.” Lilith whispered as she looked over the little clank. “It’s wonderful.”

“It’s… A helper.” I confirmed looking him over. No doubt I’d felt like I needed more hands. I could still remember the idea for the Dingbots in my notebook. How to make them better, what I would need.

“Well I’m glad you went from what you were doing before to making that little thing. Adam had to drag you away from the cart, and… Well we both feared you were making a Death Ray.”

“I would never hurt either of you.” I argued because of course I wouldn’-

Adam was rubbing his head, and… Oh. “I threw a wrench at Adam didn’t I?”

“Yes dear. It’s alright. Expected. Honestly the fact you’re this coherent is… Startling.”

“I’m easing through.” I whispered, something that had been mentioned in the comic. “Keeping my Breakthrough at bay for so long. It’s more like easing through now instead.” I could feel my brain processing this knowledge, taking it in.

Could I use this knowledge? Yes oh yes. Knowledge of the Spark was precious, difficult to verify, but I KNEW. I KNEW THIS MADE BREAKING THROUGH EASIER, AND NOT JUST THIS. WHAT WAS IT SHE SAID? IGNITE MY SPARK INTO A BONFIRE?

I instantly not only smothered but crushed and battered the thought. Rage seeped through me as I snarled.

I would not be like that WOMAN.

Lucrezia Mongfish was a monster, and I would be better than her.

I looked down at Dingbot which was looking up at me. “I’ll need more.” I told it, and there was a nod. I rose and walked to the cart before dropping him inside.

He’d get started, and I’d make more as well later.

But first… “I don’t suppose there’s food in that pot?”

“There is.” Lilith laughed and opened the pot filling the air with the smell of warm meat.

I was hungry. Starving. Famished.

And my mind was full of so many… IDEAS.

—--

I spent most of the next few days making dingbots, or random bits.

Adam kept me from the cart which is the only reason that MISERABLE PIECE OF ROTTEN SPARKWORK WAS STILL DARING TO EXIST!

But I was getting the hang of the whole spark thing.

Already calmed down from the surge.

I could… Feel. Happy, angry, and more. I never realized just how well the damned locket had trained my brain to suppress everything and anything.

I really wished Lilith had brought her piano, she had left it behind too heavy, but the urge to play was… Intense.

I was GOOD at music now. Really good.

It’s fine. The Castle had an organ, I’d play my heart out later.

Then finally we pulled off the road into a small wooded area, and Adam had finally let me loose on the Cart.

I ended up needing his help to hold the cart up as I tore it apart, but soon those STUPID SQUIRMING LEGS WERE RIPPED APART! A PROPER GEARBOX! A VEHICLE DIDN’T NEED SEVENTEEN FUCKING LEVERS! A STEERING WHEEL A GEARBOX AND SOME PEDALS! PROPER VEHICLE SETUP!

NOW THIS!? THE ENGINE WAS TERRIBLE! I TORE INTO IT RIPPING OUT IT’S ENTRAILS AS I LAUGHED AT THE PATHETIC INNARDS, FIRST I NEEDED… YES! DINGBOT BRING ME THAT ELECTROCOMPLEX! IT WOULD SERVE WELL AS THE POWER ADJUSTER! THESE FOOLS! THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND SPEED OR POWER!

“Agatha, make sure not to get too carried away. It’s just a cart.” Liliths voice intruded, and I spun giving her a look for a moment before nodded.

OF COURSE. I DON’T NEED PERFECTION HERE. THIS WAS JUST A CART… YES, THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PARTS, THE MAXIMUM EFFECT! EFFICIENCY! BELOVED EFFICIENCY HOW WONDEROUS HOW SUBLIME!

“MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“She’s cackling.” Lilith muttered behind me and I could see out of the corner of my vision in a metallic reflection Adam shrug.