Innocent Bystander #10: Time Spent Away Part 1 of 2

[Whitney Taylor]

Savannah, June 1994


"You seem rather drained, apprentice. And we have yet to complete the formula. Are your studies at home so arduous?"


Stefan rubbed his eyes. "Your advice about distractions left me a little short on sleep. My younger daughter has been screaming and dancing in circles around me while I try to meditate. I think it has sharpened my ability to focus, but she's using it as an excuse to act like that any time she wants."


Doctor Kelley laughed, a little maliciously. "Another troublemaker in the making, eh? This would be young Mina?" His humor faded, and he became thoughtful. "Short for Wilhelmina, is it?"


"Yes." Stefan rubbed his eyes. Kelley had never expressed interest in his youngest child before. Stefan wasn't sure he wanted the man more interested in his family than he was already. "Why?"


"Unusual name. I know a Wilhelm. Professionally. There couldn't possibly be a connection...?"


"She's named after a character in a book. I *don't* know a Wilhelm, or a mage outside of this house."


Kelley nodded. "Of course. Coincidences do happen, despite what some would have you believe. Still, one notices things, this close to the end... Speaking of which, I have been working on something in my spare time. You may find it of interest." He brought forth a small stack of parchment and passed it across to Stefan, who took it hesitantly. Fortunately, the notes seemed to be on paper rather than some kind of skin, and sturdier than they looked.


He flipped through the procedure, unable to suppress a spike of pleasure at how much he was now able to understand compared to when he had begun his studies. Xanthosis... Azoth... Sophic Spam... Was this another test? He delved deeper, grateful for the distraction as the potion he had most recently prepared bubbled and cooled.


"You mean to do this instead of what we've been practicing all this time?" He asked finally, trying not to show how disturbed he was. "Estella is becoming more and more active. She might even get into more trouble than Mina soon. The potion is working. She CAN have a normal life... I just have to perfect my technique."


Kelley shrugged. "It was more of an intellectual exercise for me, but I thought the alternative method might appeal to you if you find the current one too... draining." He smiled, looking pleased as he took his papers back. "You deserved to know your options at least. Your preparation looks almost acceptable, apprentice. I'm even starting to think that this collaboration may be more than a total waste of both our time."


Stefan ignored the jab, as he did all the small indignities, exhausting exercises, and apparently pointless games. It was a small price to pay for something for which he would have given everything. "Is it good enough to keep my daughter alive when you aren't around to make it for me?"


The mage removed the two vials of cloudy liquid from the heating apparatus, placing them on the scarred surface of the bench. "Let us make a test. Your hand, Stefan Lightborne."


The normalguy stretched out his left arm, palm up, wincing a little. Although in truth this way was less painful than all but the most skillfully wielded syringe, it was a good deal more unnerving. A bead of blood formed on his wrist, pooling right over the vein. Kelley motioned with a finger, and a thin stream arched up and over, pouring itself into the vial closest to the archmage. The liquid hissed in reaction, changing color immediately to a violent, brilliant red. He lifted the vial, swirling it precisely five times. Each time, the color shifted, until the concoction was a rich golden color, shedding a faint light.


The mage smiled thinly. "Repeat that, if you can."


Stefan bit his lip, carefully moved his bleeding arm until it was over a nearby beaker, then turned it until the blood dripped in. Taking up a pipette (strange how much of this alchemical equipment looked like it belonged in a modern laboratory) he measured out the required amount, then squirted it into his own vial. He let out his breath in an involuntary sigh of relief as the contents turned bright red. Was it the exact right shade? A glance at Kelley proved inconclusive. Stefan cleared his mind as best as he could, falling deep into himself until he felt the faint flicker he had been taught to recognize as his own magic, and reached for the vial…


... And then everything seemed so much heavier. Stefan's body felt lethargic as if he'd run a marathon, every nerve numb except the tips of his fingers where they touched the smooth glass of the vial; there, his skin still tingled.


With an effort, the last of his energy and courage, he cracked his eyes open to see the fruit of his labors.


"Well." stated Theodore Kelley, a smug smile twitching through his beard. "It looks like the child may live to adulthood, after all."


Stefan, his exhausted and wondering eyes reflecting a golden glow, could barely nod.


*****


Savannah, present


Mina was about three hits away from finishing her little brother off when he asked her, "So when are we going out to investigate the Five Candles Fire?"


She gasped. Onscreen, the She-Devil faltered, receiving a pizza in the face from Flatphoot that knocked her down, ending the round. Incensed, Mina turned to Drew. "How did you know? You--you've been going through my things--"


"You left this in MY bedroom," he pointed out, bringing forth an old spiral notebook. "I thought it was a present! Here we go, five pages for five dead chicks and some names and notes underneath. I had to look them up. You looking to solve a fifteen year old cold case? That's some detective shit and I want in."


"Watch your mouth, punk!" Mina snatched her notebook back. "I'm not solving any cases. It's just... something I'm curious about."


"One of those addresses is here in Savannah. We should go get some clues."


"Andrew." She paused, knowing that to voice her true concern would be to let him know she was investigating something potentially dangerous at the whim of a being who was definitely dangerous. Then there would be no way to shut him up about it. "It's pretty boring, actually... The building I work in was built over the Five Mystical Candles Esoteric Shoppe--you know, the place where it happened. I was just curious about, you know, the women who died there. I wanted to know what sort of people they were, before..." She trailed off, suddenly feeling a little sad.


Drew examined her skeptically. "Ooo-kay... you're off the hook... but if I see you doing superguy stuff you better let me in on it."


"Only if you stop cheating in video games, you wanna-be villain--what's that?" For there came from downstairs a 'fsss fsss fsss' noise, as of someone running their hands forcefully across a wooden surface


"What the--" came her father's voice, and then the sound of the front door opening. Then a startled yelp, and a series of rapid thumps coming up the stairs, and a growling, if growling could be happy. Then Maow was through the door and on her.


"Mmmmmmminnnnnnnaaaaaaa!"


*****


San Francisco, present


Daniel Sersy strode into the lobby of MetaStasis, nodding to the peons at the security desk. They knew who he was, but it never hurt to be magnanimous. They did let him through without question, although all he got were cool looks. Daniel clenched his fists, plastering a pleasant, tolerant expression onto his face. If they didn't respect him now, they would learn to someday.


His mood did not improve as the elevator doors opened, disgorging the exuberant smugness of Ron Simpkins. "Danny boy!" Exclaimed the unwelcome addition, thumping Daniel hard on the shoulder. "Enjoying things down in regulation-free utopia?"


"I get results." Daniel said stiffly. "How about you? That Zoomah managerial prototype lasted a whole five minutes against a real threat, didn't it? At least that's what I heard. I warned you Jacksonville was a dangerous city." You failed, he wanted to rail, you stepped on my turf and you couldn't hold your own. What do you have to be so happy about?


"All part of the trial process, Danny-boy! We got loads of useful data. And it wasn't just the combat. The commercial mode was a big hit with the clients. In fact, we've got even more on board to expand the project! The next one won't go down so easy. Next time some bozo in third-hand armor down your way tries to mess with one of them, he'll be dealing with... well." He winked. "Don't want to spoil the surprise. Just enjoy your front row seat! Unless... you want in on this? Heard you had some security problems of--"


"No! Thank you." Daniel made himself relax. It was perfectly natural to not want to be in debt to a rival. "That incident won't be repeated. Thank you anyway."


"Haven't got any secrets left worth stealing, eh?" Ron chuckled. "Well, if you change your mind, try and catch me on a good day. So long, Danny-boy!" And he strode out through the lobby


Secrets worth stealing, Daniel seethed, I have secrets oh yes I do but they won't be stolen by your robot spies. He did regret, somewhat, not being privy to the details of the new Zoomah upgrades. He should have known that it would be too much to ask for the interloper's project to be canceled after a single setback, and it would be much harder to arrange the next.


He used the elevator ride to collect his thoughts, returning them to the situation at hand.


Stepping out on the top floor, he walked past the offices of the vice president, senior vice president, executive development vice president, senior managerial president, junior managerial president, and the president of creative innovation productiveness seminar presentations.


Finally he reached the end of the hall and opened the door at the end to reveal a receptionist behind a desk, whom he favored with a smile.


"Hello, Daniel!"


"Hello, Matilda."


"Your father is waiting for you. Here," she pushed forward a glass bowl, "have a caramel."


"Thank you, Matilda." Daniel said, taking three. He cursed the woman silently as he unwrapped the first one; she knew his weakness. Popping it into his mouth and chewing rapidly, he retracted the curse. The caramel was delicious, and he would need his strength. Matilda, he decided, could live and prosper.


Smiling at her to show his lack of ill-will, he pushed through the doors into his father's office and took in the people inside it...  and bent over choking as the remnants of caramel candy were sucked abruptly down his windpipe.


A single finger tapped his back once, lightly. To his surprise, Daniel began to get his breath back immediately. He looked up to the figure sitting behind the desk, to see John Sersy's leathery face frowning at him as usual. He forced himself to stand up straight. "Sorry. Hello, dad." He croaked. Swallowed. "Is this the guy you wanted to introduce me to?" He let his eyes wander to the leather couch tucked in a corner, and the dark-haired figure on it, who didn't look up from his phone or acknowledge the question. This silence might have been due to the large noise canceling headphones the figure sported, but Daniel suspected, with a wariness born of familiarity, a more deliberate recalcitrance.


"Fixated on the irrelevant as usual, eh, Danny-boy?" His father smirked. "That's just another assistant of mine, no one you need to know. You should be more interested in Blago, here, who's already saved your life just now."


His line of inquiry thus severed, Daniel was forced to table his burning curiosity for the moment. When John Sersy said you didn't need to know, you had to go elsewhere to find out... quietly. Instead, he looked behind him to his unexpected savior, a square bodied, square headed man, hairy necked underneath a fruity looking robe, who stared at him expressionlessly. "Yes. Thanks, um, Blago."


Blago bowed slightly.


"Off to a great start. Blago is going to be your new best friend. He's a mage. Within the month, he's going to get every holding of ours in Florida locked down like the voodoo equivalent of Fort Knox. Or do they also use voodoo at Fort Knox? Huh. Something to look into."


"A mage?" Daniel blurted. "But I'm a scientist! I run a science lab!" He regretted the outburst. At the word 'scientist' his father's lips twisted in a grimace.


"You do such a good job running a science lab that you lost a valuable prototype which, you told me, could revolutionize the nature of advertising!"


"We can rebuild--"


His father slammed a fist on the desk. Daniel flinched, Blago didn't move, and on the couch, the assistant's eyes flicked up only briefly. "Do you think high tech do-dads made of rare earth metals grow on trees? Hoo!" he puffed out a breath of air, deserting his leather office chair to go to a sideboard, where he poured and downed a glass of brown fluid. Turning around, he shook his head, disappointed. "That's the kind of thinking I'd expect out of a son who majored in Science instead of Business against my wishes. I suppose I should just be grateful you didn't choose to study something like history. Or, Elvis save us, English! But that's water under the bridge. What you'll do now is escort your new mage back to Jacksonville, show him the works, do everything he recommends, and send me the itemized bill like you always do."


"Why, sir?" Daniel asked meekly.


"I've found out some interesting things about what's going on in that city." His father grew calmer, as they moved to another topic. "In the state of Florida, frankly. Now, they respect innovation down there. Practically no regulation on development of supertech as long as you can get people to sign the right forms. That's why we kept the Jacksonville branch open after that genetic engineering debacle. The spandex brigade down there was never more than local flavor and occasional testing material, until they started stealing our prototypes. That city's a bit of an anomaly in that regard. All supervillains and no heroes! Did you ever hear of anything like it?


"No," he continued as Daniel shook his head, "because it doesn't happen anywhere else. If anything, the villains follow the heroes! For some reason, though, in Jacksonville, every superhuman and science nut popping up since the 90s has taken a look at old ladies with groceries and kittens in trees and said, 'Nah, not for me!' Does that strike you as odd?"


"They're looking out for number one." Daniel said reflexively. "Like you always told me. Maybe they're just smarter than the rest."


A sad, disappointed look. "Son. If they were really smart, they'd stay on the right side of the law and make their living off the gratitude of society. That's what all the real smart ones do. Just look at that Spoonman fellow! Now there's a real model of entrepreneurial spirit!"


"So you've been telling me," Daniel said sullenly, "since I was a boy. So they're smart enough to look out for number one but perhaps they're... not well suited to being bound by the constraints of the law?"


"All of them? And none even tried out being a boy scout? No, it's an anomaly. And not just that." John Sersy studied his son. Then the derisive smile, that made Daniel's blood boil as it rendered him wordless. "Never mind, son. Just know that I've been looking into it, and I've made some discoveries. Just keep the mage close and trust him to do what he's being paid for. And son? Stay out of Georgia until I give you the all-clear. Especially Savannah."


*****


Savannah, present


"You got this, girl! I'm rooting for ya!" cheered Drew, who had retreated to the other side of the room.


"What *is* all this?" Demanded James, rushing in to the sight of a hairy beast in denim determinedly rubbing the side of her face against his stepdaughter's head. "Get off of her!"


Mina pushed aside the furry chin enough to speak. "Dad, it's okay! It's Maow! She's a friend of mine from Jacksonville!"


Drew carefully put down the desk lamp he had taken up. "A catgirl!"


Apparently having scent-marked Mina to her satisfaction, Maow stood up to examine her family, nose twitching. If she felt the awkwardness of the situation, she didn't show it. "Mmmina's nestmates. I grrreeet you human fashion." Daintily, she reached out a hand. James hesitated, looking her up and down, and while he did so his son popped in front of him, taking the offered digits and giving them a pump.


"Wow, soft! I'm Drew, by the way."


Maow made a polite feline noise, almost bringing her palm up to her face for a lick before she caught herself. She turned her appealing eyes to the other human in the room, who took her hand grudgingly. "James. Remind me to show you where the doorbell is before you leave." He looked reprovingly at Mina. "A little advance warning would have been nice."


"She didn't tell me, either!" Mina protested, dusting cat hairs off her clothes.


James lifted an eyebrow. "I see. And how long were you going to be staying, Maow?"


"How... looonnnng?" Maow looked startled by the question, and Mina groaned inwardly.


"Maow, what are you doing here? Did you drive, or...?" Mina trailed off, wondering what the alternatives to driving were for catgirls.


"Mmmmmmmissed you." She blinked her blue eyes, slowly.


The slow blink had its intended effect, and Mina smiled, letting a little bit of adrenaline drain away. "I'm actually glad you're here. I--"


"I'd like to have a talk with you myself. About the polite way to ask someone for something you want. I'm Sophie. Pleasure to meet you." She stepped into the room, boldly holding out her hand. Maow hesitated, then took it.


Hours later, Maow emerged from her verbal examination by Mina's mother wide eyed, flat eared and puffy furred. As Sophie bustled off, apparently satisfied, to join her husband in the kitchen, Mina escorted the frazzled catgirl into the living room, stroking her soothingly. "She can be a little overprotective. I told her about all that stuff, you know, where you and your friends were trying to get that missing machine part and kind of terrorized me. Well, you did! But then you came to rescue me and that counts for a lot." Maow's ears were starting to lift a little, and Mina ventured a scratch behind the closest one, which the catgirl leaned into.


"I did nnnot flee. Nor scratch. Though she frrrrightened me! Inayya would be proud."


Drew looked up from the table where he had been pretending to do schoolwork. "You're cute, but you better not scratch my mom. Though I bet she'd take you in a fight."


"I do nnnooot scratch! Except to fight villains. And I knnnow how to uuuuse your human toilet! I have a real haaairbrush--what is sooo funny, kitten? If you laugh at me I willlll sit on you!" Her tail lashed, but her ears were up now and she was starting to purr.


"You're doing really well, Maow. But maybe don't talk about the toilet stuff?" Mina tried to hide her own smirk.


"Stuuupid human taboos!"


"Give her a break, Mimi. I was really proud of going potty once. When I was like, two."


"I mmmmentioned it," said Maow, dignified, "because Mina once voiced a concerrrn--"


"When I didn't know you so well!"


"Hey, it's cool. Whatever floats your boat. So are you here to help Mina with this ghost hunt she's doing?"


"I'm not hunting ghosts!" Mina said, so shrilly Maow's ears swiveled away from her. "Where did you get the idea I was hunting ghosts?"


"Ghosts? Yyyyou mean the innnnedible part of a dead human?"


"I thought you didn't do that!"


"No, that's the skeleton." Drew thought about it. "You probably can't eat ghosts, either. They're all incorporeal and shit."


"Cannnn't eat human skeleton? I haaaave eaten deer skeletonnnn, cow skeleton whennnnnn it doesn't explode firrrrrst. Not pigeon or chickennnn. Do humans have a splinterrrrry skeleton like chicken? I'll have to ask mmmmmy sisters. Iiiii," she patted Mina's hand reassuringly, "have nnnnnever eaten human, including the bones. Have seen ghosts. Caaaaannnnot touch or bite, but I have seen them."


Mina was still processing the first part of Maow's statement, so there were a few seconds of silence before she managed to react to the second. "Wait! You can see ghosts? Are there any here right now?"


Maow's eyes became wide and reproachful. "Minaaaa. I would let you knnnow!"


Mina sighed as a tension she had been carrying since she had first been accosted by Elemental's disembodied voice left her. "Oh thank Elvis!" She sank back on the couch.


"I wooould fix it with mmmmmy stare," Maow continued, snuggling her body against Mina's comfortingly, "and perrrrrhaps scream, to frrrrrighten it. When I seeeee one it always flees. Is it the sinnnnging one, who killed the sad mmmmman? It won't come for you while I'm here."


"Wait, you're really looking for ghosts? I was joking about that!" Drew gaped.


Mina sighed again, in exasperation this time. "Andrew, I don't want you tagging along. It'll be really boring and I'll have to listen to you whine the whole time and I'm really not in the mood--"


"She just said that ghost killed someone!"


"I'm not going to look for the ghost, I'm just gonna go around talking to some people! It will be super boring, Drew, I swear!"


"Boring, my ass! I want in!"


"Andrew! Watch your language. There's a guest in the house." James said, pushing the door open. He nodded to Maow, more at ease than he had been before. "Since you're here, we'd like to get to know you. Mina hasn't had friends over to meet us since she was in middle school. Fortunately, we had already planned to eat steak tonight, which is something I suppose you can eat?" Maow nodded, adding a happy "brrrp" noise. "You've also found the couch. You'll be sleeping on it tonight. We can't afford to feed you steak every night, so if you want to stay any longer we'll have to find some alternatives. You do know, er..." he paused in his pronouncements, giving Mina an embarrassed look, "you know how to eat from a plate, right?"


"I haaaad lessons." Maow said primly.


"You're gonna do fine!" Mina told her. "Dad, Maow and I are going out tomorrow morning so I can show her the city."


"Tomorrow's a school day!" Drew protested.


Mina only smirked.


*****


Continued in part 2
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