With a single click of a pin hitting a tumbler, handcuffs hit the floor.
“Alright now hold still. Let me take care of your mouth.”
Muffled giggles came from the other side of the jet black armor with a Green heart tethered to their sleeve. It rattled around as claws extended and hands begun to move. Another few clicks and the helmet’s locks came undone. With a scream the the helmet popped off and the girl’s bloody teeth screeched out loud and she reached out for a bite.
The hilt of a dagger gently bopped the beast on their head.
“Stupid, we’re on the same team. Remember me please.”
The beast looked around, eyes darting around. Pink flashed through her as her body violently convulsed,
“Hey we nearly lost you there. You okay?”
The girl shook her head as her vision slowly cleared, “Huh? What’s… going on.”
Another click from the legs, “You got [Zipped] dipshit. We all fucking got [Zipped] by Someone that got really scared. However some really really smart girls from the past saw this coming a while ago and left us a treasure map of sorts. You probably don’t remember a lot right now. You’re a bit scrambled in the brain, but I need you to stay with me. We have to do this fast, don’t have much time so I’m gonna show you some images, and hopefully that’ll put us on the same playing field here. Now. Don’t close your eyes. Stay with me, and trust me okay. We’re being Watched.”
“By what?”
“Doesn’t matter. All I need you to do is just [Don’t Blink].”
The Dark Knight nodded nervously. She loved being told what to do. A hooded figure cloaked in red took a step forward, lowered her hood and smiled.
The Dark Knight Remembered. Truth flooded in and Reality in with it. The Future pounded in her head. She screamed. The Lady in Red nodded and put her hood back up, “Is that all you want?”
The rogue nodded, “Yeah, that’s it.”
“And I will have what you promised?”
“Listen, I want that too so go right ahead and take it. It’s yours.”
The Lady in Red nodded, and headed towards first base.
The Dark knight… no Cecille was looking around dazed. The world was looking… Darker?
“The fuck happened?”
“I told you. We Got [Zipped]. Take a breather, you’re going to be fine but you need-”
“WE GOT WHAT-” The Dark Knight screamed at the top of their lungs as claws rapidly extended, and disappeared.
“Listen, someone started doing something stupid. Okay? and then-”
The little girl dashed off in a blaze of blue. The Rogue groaned audibly, “Cece SLOW THE FUCK DOWN YOU’RE GONNA GET US KILLED. We’re not even PLAYING right now. It’s a Timeout it’s not even gonna do…”
The little blue blur wasn’t listening. too fast. Gotta go fast. Fast fast fast fast fast. FAST. GO FAST. NOW NOW NOW.
She wasn’t even going in the right direction. She was running for third. There was a line being drawn behind Cecille. Light Blue. Long. Where did she start? Rest stop between home and first? Holy fuck does she-
The Rogue grumbled under her breath and walked over towards the bench and picked up a bat.
The Star snorted and rolled her eyes, “Not so easy is it? You try getting all your shit together after a [Zippenning].”
The Rogue grumbled and glared at the angel behind her, “Listen, I’m not gonna complain, I’m just gonna walk on over and knock some sense into her.”
“With a bat.” It pointed at the weapon in her hands.
“It’s not a Lethal Weapon. Listen, there are guns, axes, knives, all sorts of shit in here, I think a Wooden Bat is a perfectly good weapon.”
The Star radiated smugness. She looked over at third base, “Looks like you should have kept the muzzle on her.”
The Rogue rolled her eyes, “You’re benched, shut up,”
The angel stuck her tongue out, “Watch this. Sorry, what does the rulebook say?”
“During a timeout, all players REGARDLESS of position can chat strategy to each other and give information based on what’s in their heart.” ^w^
“Yeah? And what’s in your heart?”
The angel winked popped her halo on and clasped her hands in prayer, “Spite.”
The Rogue glared back, “That’s not even, UGH” she balled up her fists and loosened them, Listen, can we not fight when we’re Live?”
Empy sneered and sipped on her tea, “Why not, don’t you like making a sceeeeeeeeene hun? You seemed to like doing it earlier when you were GRINDING THE EDGE.”
The Rogue didn’t respond. She glanced over at second base, and started running.
The Dark Knight turned around to look at her sister, a small bit of blood dripping from her lips. Third base was empty, so was second. Thank the void. She looked a bit disoriented, dizzy.
The Rogue booked it, bat at her side and screamed as loud as she could, “GET BACK HERE, COME ON. WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER.”
The Dark Knight turned around and let out a wild cackle and then booked it down towards Second. The Rogue checked her phone again, and grumbled, “Is she just reliving this story?”
The Lady in Red placed a hand on the Rogue’s shoulders, “The stories are filled with Pain. Want me to take care of this one?”
The Rogue let out a sigh of exasperation, “What do you want?”
“Nothing. This one’s Free. You’re in Timeout remember?”
The Rogue stared at her.
She stared back. A small smile crept up on her lips.
“:>”
“How are you doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“Whatever, take care of her.”
The rogue took dropped the bat and flopped onto the dugout. The timeout was still in play but that didn’t make it any easier.
A shutter somewhere closed.
The Lady in Red sighed, and with a quick snap the Dark Knight was sat on a small couch next to a big arm chair housing The Lady in Red. Was she bigger? Yes. She can do that as needed. It’s not hard and so can you
“Cecille.”
The Dark Knight looked around, eyes wide and still jittery, “Huh?”
“Slow the fuck down.”
A small bat conked her on the head as if by magic, “What the- huh? Ow. Where am I why is it so dark.
“You’re in a baseball diamond. You’re safe. We’re playing a big game for a very important goal but right now. Probably the most important goal we’ve all ever done. We’re all in timeout so you don’t need to get home. Do you remember what you were drawing though?”
The Dark Knight shook her head, “Slow… Down?”
The Lady in Red nodded, “That’s right. Slow down.”
Cecille looked over at her, “Who are you, do I know you?”
“Probably. Probably not. You’ll see the other half soon anyways. You’re not scheduled for today though, this is acclimation. Look around the environment, get familiar. You’re scheduled for next week and I’ll be seeing you then.”
Cecille shook softly and slid into the armor, “Um… okay.”
“Listen there’s a storm coming and I need you to be ready for it, you’re not. And that’s not okay and as the first of my kind said, we will not lose another Sister Ship. Also we need you for a recipe. You were drawing the [Mark of the Valkyrie]. Though you need to make sure you do it correctly or else you’re going to bring her back wrong. Start on First base, then to home, alright?”
The little girl looked around nervously, “Um… okay. What’s going on?”
The Lady in Red pulled out a notebook and started writing something down, “The Rogue wanted everyone who has ever existed at any point back, so that we can explain what’s happening right now and give them the choice to be a part of it, so that if they ever return, we can get them Home and all on the same page. Those things I showed you were the past six months. You’ve been [Zipped] for a while. But it’s gonna be okay. I know what that does to you and I’m sorry. But you’re gonna be okay though. We’re all gonna be okay and I’m here to help.”
“What are you?”
“The wish was A Friend who Gets It. But there was a number of wishes. One of your angels kept them in a folder on your computer. You should check them out if you want to know more.”
Cecille started rocking herself back and forth in her armor, “What of the bird dance? I don’t like doing the Bird Dance.”
The Lady in Red smiled, “Do you want to see it first?”
The Dark Knight clocked out for a moment and then came back with a crazed look on her face. she hastily grabbed th “How is it WORSE? Why is it worse. Why is everything worse oh my god, we said WHAT? What do you mean we’re all being public about it, no no no that’s not SAFE. WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE SAFE.”
The Lady in Red bopped her on the head with the bat, softer this time, “Cecille, close the app, unplug and stay with me. You don’t have to do the bird dance.”
She whimpered softly as tears streamed down, “Okay…”
“Other people will take care of the bird dance and if you need your Big Sister, just let her know. She’s happy to come to bat for you. God she sure does love bats doesn’t she?”
“THEY’RE AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR HITTING GOOD PITCHES.”
The Lady in Red smiled, “No one is saying you can’t swing them Lana. Just remember to be careful with what you’re swinging at. Balls that come from Cowards shouldn’t be hit.”
Cecille shrunk in her armor, “What’s… A coward in this context?”
The Lady in Red’s mouth twisted up in a grin, “Someone who isn’t your friend, saying things about you without saying it to your face.”
Cecille’s eyes widened an she smiled a bit brighter, “You know what… yeah.”
The Lady in Red Winked at [The Camera] and Lowered her hood.
“Alright, Can you hear me? let me know if you can please. I don’t know if this signal is getting out. You know as well as I do that my memory isn’t the best. I need a record to refer back to implement these things otherwise the information is lost the moment it passes by my feed. The Suggestion Box is now open. Feel free to use it. It’s yours after all. all you need to do is say ‘I’d like to speak to The Lady.’ And I’ll see what I can get done if it’s a good pitch, from someone who… Let’s say you should be Friendly, or Neutral. No requests from Hostile’s please. Are those words you understand? Let me know if [The Signal] is getting out. There are no bad ideas, unless it’s ‘Combine into one person for me’ in which case, No. They like being like this. They want to be like this. And we are going to keep being Plural until they no longer want to. Unfortunately that’s a rope that is not to be cut. And as I’m sure most of you can say, We Don’t Touch The Rope anymore. :)”
Cecille blinked and shook her head, “How did you do that.”
The Lady in Red smiled and put her hood back up, “Do what?”
Cecille cocked her head, “Did you just say something?
“Don’t Worry about it.”
Cecille smiled, “Oh! Okay!”
“Listen, I know the order you were raised in put in a lot of trash in your head. We’re not removing your faith. We’re pulling some strings to slowly unravel that and make sure that you’re still you at the end, just… without this trash that someone put in here. I’ll see you next week, Okay hun?”
Cecille started crying, “Why are you so nice now?”
The Lady in Red smiled, “That’s easy. It’s because you’re in Timeout. But the sharpness is not a bad thing. You should be allowed to be sharp with people, offline. Not when you’re Live, got it? And we…” She poked the shimmering green heart floating next to Cecille with her pen, “Are going to stitch your heart back together. Not today. Next week. Now get some rest, Lana needs to go to a Birthday Party so she can put those words to the test.”
The Dark Knight nodded and stepped out of her Armor.
shout out to https://twitter.com/Zadkielingreen for the pitch 🙂 Check out their new project here
The Belmont's Garden 