Amelia, Worm AU [Complete]

Amelia, Ch 264- Sabah


"From who?" Vicky asked. "Everyone knew. And I do mean everyone. Show of hands, did anyone in this room not know?" I didn't know. I glanced at Lily, but she didn't raise her hand, either.


Eric was the only one who did. "Guess I've been a bit out of the loop," he dismissed his lack of awareness. Is that what I am? Out of the loop? It made sense, I was never really 'part of the group' to begin with, and lately I spent my time roaming Europe with Lily and Eric. A habit I need to break.


Eventually the groups started breaking apart. Crystal and Vicky dipped off into a side room. Emma followed Zach, doing her best impression of a mother hen. He didn't seem to mind. Lily and I don't act like that. Eric drifted back over to us after everyone started going off to do their thing. Yum Kaax and Tir went to do their thing as well.


"So," I started once the three of us were more or less out of earshot. "You knew about that?" I was asking Lily, of course.


"Yeah," Lily shrugged. "Heard about it."


"Who told you?" I asked.


"Victoria," she answered. "We try to keep up on what's going on in Missy's life. I think Vicky feels a bit guilty for the whole business with Dean. I just think she's a good kid, and us former Wards have to stick together in this organization full of indies and former villains. Vicky says she's happy with their arrangement. As far as Theo goes... eh, like father, like son."


I glanced toward where Missy had left. "Think she might be bi?" I asked.


"Who knows," Lily shrugged. "But with the tech this group has, it's not exactly like that's hard to change." Right. That tech. The same stuff that brought me back from the dead, complete with a new body that was in absurdly good shape. If I'd been given the chance to use it at thirteen to make myself straight, I would have taken it. If I'd been given the chance at nineteen, I probably still would have. Only after my father's death, and my Trigger, and meeting Lily, did I accept that part of myself.


Even still, there was a part of me that would consider it, a chance to have a normal life. But I was a parahuman, so that was impossible. Maybe I should have asked for my backup to have a different genetic code so I wouldn't get my powers back.


"I think I'm missing some context here," Eric interrupted my thoughts. "Who's Dean? And what's that about Theo's father?"


"Dean is Vicky's old boyfriend," Lily answered. "I don't know the whole story, just that he died in the Leviathan attack on Brockton Bay. The way I understand it, Missy was crushing on him hard for a year before that happened. Vicky and Dean both knew about it, but... well, Vicky's default solution to problems..."


"Punch the nearest acceptable target, and if that doesn't help, then either steamroll or ignore it?" Eric suggested.


"The Wards used to call her Hurricane Victoria," Lily confirmed. "So, yeah, they pretty much pretended they didn't notice. I think Vicky feels a little guilty about that, now. Especially with her new powers letting her know just how deep Missy's feelings ran, but that's just my guess. It's not like she's going to talk about it. But, yeah, she's keeping an eye on Missy, in her own way, I feel nothing but pity for anyone who hurts that girl."


"So that just leaves Theo's father," Eric prompted. "I know he was some asshole Nazi supervillain who's dead now. That's about it."


"That's about all I know, too," Lily admitted. "Leviathan, again. Just goes to show you that Endbringers don't discriminate. But he had these twin sister girlfriends that weren't too much older than us. I'd feel worse for them, but they were supervillains, too. So, y'know, no sympathies there. Guess it's in the genes. Or maybe it's just because he grew up around it."


"What about Riley?" he asked.


Lily shrugged. "I'm sure Amelia and Vicky are keeping an eye out." Translation: she's Bonesaw, who cares what happens to her? "Besides, as protective as Missy is over her, you'd be better off picking a fight with Vicky. At least when she rearranges your insides, they still obey the laws of physics. No matter how you look at it, though, it's their business. They can do whatever they like with their personal lives."


Lily had gotten pretty big on the 'social equality' front. Going through Europe and seeing how gays and transgendered individuals were treated outside the USA and western Europe given her a mission. I envied her in that. What mission do I have? I dropped out of engineering. I took a hiatus from fashion, and the more I thought about it the less I wanted to go back. Everyone else had these grand hopes and dreams. Changing the world, creating whole new worlds of their own, killing the Endbringers. What do I have? Sure, I get to help with all these amazing things. But that's all I do. Help. I was never one of the important ones, never needed, not since the Simurgh, at least.


My thoughts were interrupted by Lisa's voice on Eric's com. "Victoria, Eki, Janus, need you in the main office."


"Well, ladies," Eric smiled. Hard to believe he was ever a girl. "The bosses need me. Maybe then we can go home and get some sleep."


"You just want to get back to your fire breathing girlfriend," Lily teased.


"I don't like the idea that they might be attacked without us there to protect them," he replied before rushing off to the meeting.


"He's pretty transparent, isn't he?" Lily smirked at his retreating form.


"Yeah," I agreed. "I kinda envy him, actually."


"If you tell me you have a crush on Spitfire, I'm going to have to slap you," she smiled.


"Not about that," I smiled. "She's no competition for you. It's just... he knew from twelve years old that he was different, and he embraced it pretty much right away. More than that, he didn't even have a role model like Legend to say it was okay. How long did it take us to come to terms?"


"Seventeen," Lily admitted. "Plus some disastrous attempts at relationships with men."


"Twenty," I replied. "Although I guess in my case it meant less to me. Career was always first, relationships were suppose to wait until I had my degree." Even now, I can't say I've embraced it. I accept it as a reality, but I don't feel any pride in it the way Lily and Eric seem to. Just one more thing Sabah does that doesn't really matter. Even my relationship with Lily, when it started, was as much about having an ally as anything. Fuck, that sounds horrible when put that way.


"Penny for your thoughts?" Lily asked.


"You'd end up overpaying," I answered. "I'm just daydreaming. Nothing important."


"If you insist," she answered. "Seriously, though. Talk to me."


"Just thinking about school," I half lied. "I really should go back. This semester is a flop, but putting it off makes it easier and easier to just not go back."


"You're right," she agreed. "But I think your designs are already brilliant. Not everyone is cut out for school. Some people just have natural talent to work with. Besides, you've already made more money off your designs than any of your teachers ever will."


I smiled. "Thanks, that means a lot," I hugged her. Our costumes made it hard to kiss without partially undressing.


"Anything you need," she replied. "Just let me know."


"Thanks," I answered. I just wish I knew what I needed.


Eventually Crystal returned, looking more than a little unhappy. "What's wrong?" Lily asked.


"Oh, the usual," Crystal sighed. "Vicky's going off to Philly, no surprise. Leaves us even more short handed in LA. I'm stuck in charge of a group without my cousin to be our poster girl anymore. And no one even asked me if I was okay with all this."


"Oh, wow, that sucks," Lily agreed.


"I have no idea what to do," she sighed. "We were already having trouble pulling recruits. It was already a pain in the ass, when Alexandria's right there being Alexandria. Hard to compete for potential heroes when someone that prestigious is right there in the city with you. Vicky made it happen, as best as she could, but we were barely making any progress. And now? Fuck."


I hesitated, then finally spoke up. "I'll go!" I exclaimed. Oh shit, that sounded way too enthusiastic. "I... I mean, this is important, right?"


"Sabah, are you sure about this?" Lily asked.


"Yeah," I insisted. "LA's got some pretty prestigious design schools. I can do classes again. And Crystal's talking about needing someone to draw in members. I can do that, too. I'm an Endslayer, even Alexandria can't put that on her resume. Plus I'm still mostly a rogue. I can draw that crowd as well. And with Tapestry, I'm about as heavy hitter as heavy hitters get. You can use all that, right?"


"Honestly?" Crystal replied. "I really could. Might even be what sells Anima on joining. Possibly the most powerful projection user this side of the Siberian, and she uses her abilities to be a one person special effects crew for plays and concerts."


"See, it's a good idea," I told Lily.


"But... what about the portals?" she asked.


"I don't do anything for those," I pointed out. My only function is to be your arm candy, and rubbing it in all these countries proverbial faces that they need a lesbian girl to help solve their problems. I'm not happy doing that. "I can make an actual impact in LA. Don't worry, we'll still see each other plenty," I told her. "Eric ferries us about all the time, already."


"But when school starts up again," she argued.


"By that time, the portal networks will be done, and every country will have at least one," except China. "Then you can stay with me in LA, right?"


"I guess," she agreed reluctantly. Sorry, Lily, I have to at least try this.


===============


A/N- Ah, Sabah, one day she'll figure out what makes her happy.

... The day after she can no longer have it...


Also. 'Hurricane Victoria' amuses me in a special way. Because I have a sister named Victoria. And another one named Katrina. Heh. Speaking of, their facebooks are now full of photos of my nephews.