Chapter 10
Edie was someplace she’d never been before.
It was a wide, circular room, with curving metal walls that had large windows set into them. The view outside was blurred, and the only distinct thing she could make out about it were the spots of white, blue, and red that flashed by against a background of dark purple.
She walked up to the nearest window and pressed her hand to the glass. There was no reflection. She breathed on it, but it didn’t fog.
Drawing invisible shapes on the window with no fear of leaving smudges, Edie became aware of a presence at her back. She didn’t turn around to address them when she spoke.
“So, where are we this time?”
In her peripheral vision, she could see tenebrous claws curling around her shoulder as she felt the weight of a giant palm press on her forearm.
“The Turunal system, near Kree-Lar.”
Vivi’s voice was clearer when they took on a distinct form, and the growl-purr of their speech made them feel much more present. Even though Vivi had sounded dissonant and strange to Edie at first, she had quickly grown to find the alien rumble of their words comforting, almost soothing.
“Kree-Lar. That’s the Kree homeworld, right?”
“Not exactly. Hala is where the Kree originated, but for a time, the planet Kree-Lar acted as their base of operations,” Vivi explained.
“Right. They had to move because of their war with the Skrull.”
“Because of one of their wars with the Skrull, yes.”
“Yeah, the Kree and the Skrull went at it a lot, didn’t they?”
“From what I am aware of, they are still ‘going at it.’ They were in the middle of a war when we were brought to Earth.”
Edie glanced around. “Is that what this memory is? You being sent to Earth?”
“I believe so.”
“You’re not sure?”
Edie turned her head so that she could see Vivi’s face, her nose nearly bumping into Vivi’s mouth as she looked up at them.
As she watched them answer, she realized how quickly she’d adjusted to the sight of Vivi’s visage. The white crescents of their paint-splotch eyes, the needle-like teeth set in between their inky cheeks, the flicker of their long, long tongue appearing and disappearing briefly when they talked- it would’ve been grotesque to anyone upon first seeing it. It still should’ve been grotesque. Edie should’ve been at least a little frightened of their unwavering, ever-attentive gaze, or the way their ‘skin’ shifted and moved and pulsed, or the fact that there never seemed to be quite the same amount of teeth there each time they opened their mouth, or…
Wait. What are they saying?
“…since our masters didn’t wish to risk any valuable information we might acquire to be accessible to the enemy, we were trained to seal memories away. In addition to being a method for storing information with less chance of it falling into the wrong hands, it was an effective way of dealing with trauma that could compromise our performance,” Vivi finished.
Edie blinked. “Wait. You’re telling me that Klyntar deal with their PTSD by just…forgetting what caused it?”
“Hm. My kind are utilized as tools, remember? If a tool is too broken, it is thrown out. Given the choice to forget or to die, we chose to forget. Would you have made a different choice?”
“I mean, I would’ve chosen to punch anyone who tried to limit me to those choices, but I’m human. Humans are stubborn, and stupid, and don’t really have a concept of when to just…not. Or maybe that’s just me.”
Vivi’s form rippled, and their eyes curved into a mouthless smile. Even without the wave of warmth that accompanied it, Edie would’ve known Vivi was laughing.
“I cannot say whether you are the only human with those qualities, but I can say that you are one of a kind.”
Edie felt her cheeks pinken. “Uh, well…that’s sweet, but I’m pretty sure that’s not true. Dumb blondes like me are a dime a dozen out there. I’m not exactly unique.”
She was suddenly aware of the hand cradling her cheek, black claw tips resting lightly on her temple.
“Perhaps you aren’t,” Vivi agreed.
Edie felt her chest tighten. Yeah, I’m not special, but I don’t need to hear it from you, too.
“Perhaps you are just another one of many. Every trait you possess, every quality that defines you, everything about you can be found in somebody else. Perhaps there is someone in possession of a similar combination of your qualities, or multiple someones.”
They leaned forward, their forehead pressing against Edie’s, and she realized they had a scent. How could she have not noticed they had a scent? She’d been inhumanly close to them for however long, and never once noticed they had an odor of any kind, but now all she could focus on was how they smelled a little bit like molasses and a bit like hot metal, the slick-but-not-wet warmth of their form pressing against her clothes, and the light scratch of their claws as they traced her cheek.
A single claw came to rest on her bottom lip. She had the random urge to bite it, to see if Vivi had a taste as well as a sound and a scent and a feel.
“But regardless of whether there is anything about you that is unique, I am certain of one thing,” they murmured, their jaw brushing her ear.
Her pulse was throbbing so violently Edie was sure she was shaking with the force of it. The inside of her skull vibrated as Vivi cupped the back of her head with their other hand, slowly running their thumb along the nape of her neck as they whispered.
“You are special to me, Edie.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Vivi cradled Edie’s head as they felt her wake. She didn’t open her eyes, instead reaching up sightlessly so that her hand hovered somewhere above her ear. They slid onto her cheek, pressing up into her palm. She stroked them, her fingers pressing into their form as they relaxed around her touch.
“Are you distressed?” they inquired.
Her mouth curved into a half-smile. “No, I’m Edie.”
“Your heart rate is elevated.”
Her hand paused mid-stroke before resuming its movements. “I’m just…thinking. About stuff.”
Vivi curved around Edie’s cheek, forming a small face so they could face her as she opened her eyes.
“What sort of ‘stuff?’”
Vivi extended a cluster of tendrils, running them over Edie’s scalp. They’d learned fairly early on that Edie found having her head stroked soothing, and the gesture’s effectiveness seemed to have increased with time. Edie pressed into their touch as they had to hers, releasing a deep sigh as she squeezed her fingers into a fist and splayed them open alternately.
“You know…life, death, existence, meaning, purpose, all that junk people contemplate when they have too much time.”
(Or not enough.)
Vivi gently encased her wrist in their form, feeling her pulse throb sharply against her skin.
“Is that what is causing your distress?”
Edie sucked on her lip. “Probably what’s causing some of it, yeah.”
“But not all.”
They focused in on the half-thoughts swimming in the back of her mind.
(How much longer do I have to live?)
(Is Anne looking for me?)
(Is anyone looking for me?)
(Drake had better not get away with this.)
(What will happen when I die?)
(How long has it been?)
(I’m glad Vivi’s here.)
(What will happen to them when I’m gone?)
(I don’t want to leave Vivi.)
I don’t want to leave you.
The last thought was directed at them, fully formed and clear as the blue Earthen sky that they’d only seen in others’ memories.
They threaded tendrils in between her fingers in an imitation of holding hands, squeezing her palm gently.
I don’t want you to leave.
Vivi knew now that it had been foolish to promise they wouldn’t let her die, and the awareness that it was a vow they could not keep only grew with time. Edie had made it clear that she had no intention of holding them to an impossible promise, but somehow that only made it worse.
The guilt ran through them, hot and sharp, pricking at their insides. The wave of emotion carried through their bond, and they glimpsed tears welling up in Edie’s eyes.
She sniffed, wiping her eyes, and pressed her free hand to the side of Vivi’s face.
“Hey. It’s okay.”
They leaned into her warmth, trying to memorize the feel of her skin. More tears formed in Edie’s eyes, but it wasn’t her sadness producing them.
No, it isn’t.
Vivi felt the spark of an impulse jump between their bond, but Edie smothered it before they could ascertain what the thought was.
What was that?
She shrugged, wrapping her arms around them. “It’s nothing.”
It was something.
“Not the right time for it. Anyway, I don’t…well, I’m not sure I should…mnh, never mind.”
And what would be the right time for ‘it,’ whatever ‘it’ is?
“When you’re not upset. Although there might never be a right time for it anyway.”
They gave her a mental nudge. “Now I’m not upset. I’m curious.”
Edie sighed. “Probably was a bad idea. Just…it’s not important, okay?”
“If it’s unimportant, why should it matter if you tell me?”
Edie closed her eyes. “Okay then. Okay. Um. Uh…you know what? Screw it.”
The next moment, Vivi was aware of too many things at once- the heat of Edie’s skin, the rabbit-quick pulse of her heart, the scent of her hair, the press of her lips.
Oh.
She was kissing them. And for some reason, she was nervous about it. As if she was afraid they might find the gesture distasteful, or not return her affections.
They’d known, of course. They were close to her in a way no human ever could’ve been; of course they’d known how she felt about them. They thought they’d been as clear as they could be about their own feelings towards her, but evidently she hadn’t quite grasped the picture yet.
They imitated the press of her lips, pushing her mouth open just enough for them to brush their form against the tip of her tongue before pulling back slightly to gauge her reaction.
Her eyes were wide, her face flushed. Her pulse throbbed visibly in her throat as she gaped.
They grinned at her, a dozen needle-like teeth set in a smirk that should’ve terrified Edie. She did appear quite paralyzed, but fear didn’t seem to be the causal factor.
They purred, letting the rumble of it thrum against curve of her neck. She drew in a sharp breath.
Are you cold? they murmured.
She wasn’t, obviously. Her blood was running so hotly beneath her skin that it almost burned. She hesitated before answering. “Why ask?”
You’re shivering. Here, let me warm you.
They slid around her, embracing her, drinking in the rush of endorphins the act elicited.
Edie let out a shaky breath that trembled into a laugh. “You’re a tease, you know that?”
You like it, don’t you.
She pressed her hand to her heart, catching Vivi’s form between her palm and her chest, and squeezed lightly.
“Twerp. …Will you kiss me again?”
They leaned in, stopping just short of touching her face.
“Say please.”
Edie snorted and closed what little distance there was between them.
They gave another mental nudge. You didn’t say please.
Edie rolled her eyes and pulled them closer. I’m dying, I’ll do what I want.
The guilt rolled back full force, hitting Edie through their bond like a punch to the face.
(I’msorryIwantedtostopitIwanttostopitIwanttohelpIcan’thelpI’muselessIcan’tstopitI’muselessIdon’twantyoutoleaveI’muselessuselessuselesSUSELESS)
The salt of her tears stung against her dry skin, and she pulled away slightly to cough into her hand.
“Hey.”
She gripped them tighter.
“Listen to me. You are not useless. You helped me more than I think you’ll ever know, even if you can read my mind. And…”
Her voice broke. Edie wiped her eyes with her forearm and kept talking.
“I’m not leaving you, okay? I’m never leaving. I’m staying right here, with you, always. Got it?”
Vivi didn’t say anything, but Edie could feel a quiet acceptance bleed through the crushing guilt.
They lay there for a while, curled up in each other, each wondering about a promise made that couldn’t be kept.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Drake was looking out the window when Skirth entered his office. He glimpsed her reflection before she announced her presence.
“You wanted to see me, sir?”
He turned slightly, enough to view her with his peripheral vision but not enough to make direct eye contact. “It’s come to my attention that you’ve been working on a little ‘after-hours’ project, Skirth.”
He glimpsed her stiffening posture, her widening eyes. “Project, sir?”
With a snort, he turned around fully. “I don’t believe I ever gave you permission to use company equipment for anything not relevant to the tests.”
Skirth made a delayed attempt at looking innocent, which accomplished nothing other than proving that it was a good thing she’d gone into science and not acting.
“I wasn’t aware I was doing anything irrelevant to the tests,” she replied, her voice flat. “Sir,” she added belatedly.
Drake raised an eyebrow. “And how, exactly, does tracking energy output relate to our subjects?”
Any weak pretense of ignorance dissolved as Skirth’s face drained of color. She inhaled deeply, steadying herself before answering.
“I’ve been looking for Pullman’s headquarters.”
Whatever response he’d been expecting, that wasn’t it. Drake forced his expression to stay neutral. It wouldn’t do to alert her that she’d caught him off guard.
“Skirth, I have a deal with Pullman. He assists me with my business, and I stay out of his. I’m not about to compromise our arrangement while it’s still in my favor.”
“I understand.” She licked her lips. “But if one of your employees discovered where Pullman operates without your knowledge or consent, you couldn’t be held responsible for that, could you?”
He sniffed. “I’m not sure Pullman would be convinced by that logic. Anyway, why are you so determined to learn where his base of operations lies?”
Skirth stared blankly at the floor. “There’s something…you know he’s hiding something in that cave. I want to find out what.”
Drake crossed his arms. “For what purpose?”
“I…I wanted it for myself. Something outside of all the experiments here, something I could work with for the good of people, not just science.” She clenched her hands into fists briefly before letting her fingers hang limply at her sides. “I wanted to remind myself I’m human, with curiosity and morals…not just a cog in a machine, serving someone else’s goals.”
“The two aren’t mutually exclusive, Dr. Skirth. Whatever your ideals, they are not connected to your work. For all intents and purposes, you are part of a machine here. Express your humanity elsewhere.”
Her eyebrows drew together, creasing her forehead. She inhaled sharply and gave a curt nod.
“Yes, sir.”
He raised a hand to indicate the conversation wasn’t over. “But seeing how you’ve already put so much effort into it, it would be a shame let your little pet project go to waste.”
Her brow wrinkled again, this time in confusion. “So you do want me to find Pullman’s headquarters?”
Drake shrugged. “That is your prerogative. However, as long as you’re aiming to do so, there’s something else you will do for me.”
She scowled, though she tried (and failed) to mask it. “As repayment for using company property, I suppose?”
“Naturally.”
“And how do you intend to repay me for killing my parents?”
Skirth seemed taken aback by her own words, but she exhibited no desire to retract them. Drake regarded her with half-lidded eyes, appearing nearly impressed.
“Your parents died in a car crash, Dr. Skirth. I fail to see how that could link to me in any manner.”
She didn’t hide her scowl this time. “What do you want?”
Skirth was used to seeing Drake smile. He would often assume an amiable manner when being interviewed, and even knowing what he was really like, it was hard not to be drawn in by the understanding tilt of his head, the empathetic attention in his eyes, the slight curve of his lips as if he might laugh any second.
She’d assumed all of it was a front. It was, mostly- all the little mannerisms he’d perfected to seem like a genuine, unpretentious human being vanishing the moment they were no longer needed. But his faint smile remained the same. His fake smile and real smile were so similar as to be indistinguishable.
And yet, as she watched him describe exactly what he wished her to do, both of them knowing she’d comply, she could not doubt that his pleased expression was genuine.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Peter wished he’d come up with a better name.
To be fair, he’d had no idea his escapades would be snapped up by the media. He’d tried to keep a low profile, and in the beginning, it’d worked. He’d been a cryptid, a local myth of sorts, and not even a particularly well-known one.
Then one day a pretty girl he’d rescued from a mugger asked him his name, and he’d had the bright idea to say, “Call me Spider.”
How was he to have known the girl was a reporter? And even if he had known, it wasn’t like there’d been any indication that she’d suggest ‘Spider’ as the next big story to her boss. There certainly hadn’t been any hint that her boss would take that suggestion.
So now whenever he was patrolling, keeping an eye out for those who either needed help or needed to be stopped, people would recognize him as ‘Spider.’
He supposed it wasn’t the worst name. It wasn’t as if it was inaccurate. The problem might’ve been that it was a little too accurate- a constant reminder of what he really was.
Not that Arachnakine and spiders were exactly the same, of course, but there was no denying that ‘spider’ would be the first thing humans would think upon seeing his kind.
“Spider?”
He flinched, looking down from the rooftop from where he was perched to see a blond woman in a police uniform standing on the sidewalk below.
Peter tipped an imaginary cap. “Officer.”
She motioned for him to come closer, and he obeyed, jumping off the roof and sticking to the wall of the building as he skittered down to the sidewalk like the spider he was.
Officer Blond nodded at him. “Can you help me with something?”
He looked up at her as he clung to the wall with his head near the ground. “I’d be happy to, but I’d need to know what the ‘something’ is first. Is it robbing a bank? I’m guessing it’s not robbing a bank.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Good guess. Actually, I am breaking into someplace. That’s why I want your help- I might need some backup.”
Peter unstuck his hands and flipped upright, sticking his back to the wall so he could cross his arms. “I’m guessing this ain’t an official police sting.”
“Nope.”
“Where, hypothetically, would we be breaking into?”
“If my information’s accurate, the secret headquarters of a cult of kidnappers and murderers.”
Peter’s eyes widened. “Yikes. No wonder you want backup.”
The officer held out her hand. “Are you in?”
He considered her, putting a hand on his chin as he took in her determined expression.
“Why are you asking me? Why not ask a cop buddy?”
She blinked. “I…I don’t know exactly, I guess. I have friends on the force, but…we’re not close. They wouldn’t have any reason to help me.”
“They might help you because it’s the right thing to do?”
Officer Goldilocks snorted. “If you think everyone on the force is as altruistic as that, I’ve got news for you, buddy.” She sighed and rubbed her eyes. “I mean, they’re good people, mostly. It’s just…they’re not looking to be heroes. They’ve got their own lives to be concerned about.”
“I do have a life outside of this whole crime-fighting gig, you know,” Peter pointed out.
She shrugged. “Yeah, but from what I can tell, you’re willing to put yourself at risk to help other people, even if there’s nothing in it for you but some good press.”
“Some good press. You might’ve noticed the Daily Bugle doesn’t like me, or at least the editor-in-chief doesn’t. Anyway, that’s not the reason I do this. I do this to help people, and you need help.” He took her hand and shook it firmly. “I’m in.”