Trusting Heroes

Unmasking was always seen as a taboo, an escalation no one could really afford. If a villain saw they had no recourse even in their civilian life, they wouldn't think of holding back, without regards of any collateral damage. Meanwhile, heroes would end up endangering their friends and families, possibly even needing to leave them permanently in that situation. Rebuilding in a new place, losing all of their previous connections, their relationships.

That didn't mean unmasking never happened. Just mostly on small-timers, people too weak to become part of the top force, the ones known nationally. People without power to back themselves up, or not enough fame or infamy.

I looked at Green Thumb, and I knew I wanted to hook her into my orbit. She had such a versatile power, and the naivety to believe there wasn't a need to hide the true breadth of it. I watched as she threw her seeds, the plant immediately exploding to life the moment it hit the victim. Vines tied would-be muggers, keeping him restrained and unable to do anything else except lying there.

She never tried to take money back from the people she captured, either--unlike other vigilantes I knew of. Heroism didn't really pay, and so people made do. Police looked the other side, because they knew without capes, the villains would end up doing worse. If the unpowered people ended up by the wayside? That wouldn't be their fault then.

I pulled more videos of her exploits. Of how she deliberately never went against any other capes... But most importantly, whenever she finished her patrol of the suburbs, before finally going back to her place, her room.

It was easy to find out who she was, with that knowledge. Kallan Walker, not an orphan, but... her mother was working in another country, barely acknowledging her existence. Meanwhile, her father didn't seem to be recorded anywhere. A result of cheating? Abandonment? I could try to find out, but it wasn't too important right now. I grinned, an idea slowly forming in my head as I thought over her existence.

She was alone, with barely any support pillars around her. She lived by herself, even needing to work, considering the almost insulting amount of stipend her mother sent. With her powers there and active, was it any wonder she turned into capery? It was just a lucky break she chose to be a hero--and that was why I took an interest.

At first, it was just to understand the new vigilante in Barlam. Now though... There was a possessive desire forming in my chest, a want I didn't know could even exist.

Surely she would be happier by my side.

No. I would

ensure

she would be happier.

My eyes looked to the side, to the single headset I was working on, on-and-off. Something a few heroes had whispered to me, of a way to convince villains to turncoat...

Green Thumb might not be a villain, but with what I was planning, the core idea of the headset was sound. As long as she wore it, then I could just... I smiled, liking the idea that was forming in my mind.

--

It was morning when I noticed the email. With barely enough sleep--I only arrived back in my room at 4am--I nearly threw it into the trash. That was when I realized it had

Green Thumb

right in the subject, and I had no choice but to open it, if only to reassure myself that no one had found out.

Someone did.

My heart was beating too loud, blood rushing in my ears as I stared upon the words. I was reading and yet not understand, not getting why did people do this. Like, I was managing to keep myself on the down low! Not really facing any other capes, especially not one of the villains. Maybe one of the muggers I caught...

No, that line of thought was all too much. I shook my head and opened the email properly, hoping I didn't end up downloading a virus or something. With that problem out of the way, I read it properly--and found ice settling inside my veins.

I was glad that even though I shared the apartment rent with four others, all of us have our own room. If anyone else saw me right of this moment, I was certain I would end up spilling everything, and who knew what they would want to do?

Good morning,

May this email found you in good health. Well, I actually do know you are all good, considering yesterday you only found a few muggers to stop. The place you chose to patrol are actually not huge on cape activity... You are such a smart girl for realizing that and deliberately picked that place.

No worries, it's always good to not pick a fight against the bigger fish. In fact, I would love to congratulate you about it, Green Thumb. Why don't you come to my place and we'll have a good chat?

You can refuse the invitation, of course. But the video I had attached might find itself out, somehow finding its way into certain journalists' emails. Social medias are always hungry for more news too, of something

sensational

to be pored over--and this will be perfect.

Nonetheless, I'm sure you'll pick the right choice.

Best Regards,

Your biggest fan <3

A stone had lodged itself in my stomach, heavy and making me wish I could puke it all out. But no, it was all just a psychosomatic, all in my brain and because of stress and worry and anxiety all at once.

No matter how many times I read, closed and read again, even turning my phone off and back on--it didn't change. I prayed it would, but it was the same words taunting me over and over again, telling me that someone was

blackmailing

me as of this moment. I felt sick, and yet I knew I couldn't do anything.

Except checking the video.

I clicked it open, and immediately wished I didn't. I should have just accepted what the person said, I shouldn't have thought that they were lying.

The video cut right onto where I was in my bedroom, already wearing my usual dark pants and heavy-duty boots, even the usual bulky jacket I wore. I was putting off wearing my blank green mask then, instead looking through the pouch with my plant seed--ensuring they were all alive, and would immediately sprout all over the criminal when I threw them. I put it in my inner jacket's pocket, before finally took the last part of my repertoire and put the mask on my face. It looped back to the beginning after this, but one thing for sure was... my face was clear, throughout.

Nausea built up in my throat like the rising tide, and it took all I had not to puke at the sheer

violation

happening. Especially when it was recorded in my room. My skin crawled as I let my eyes roamed all over, the feeling of being watched felt especially prevalent now. I had to check every nook and cranny--

Another message popped in my email, the timing was incredibly suspect. In the depth of my mind, I had a feeling of what it could be, but I still clicked on it anyway.

You can try looking for them, but I might not be as kind, if you decide to destroy them.

Nothing else was written, and I could feel the lump in my throat. It was hard to even swallow, my palms feeling so clammy as I stared at my screen.

Whoever they were, it was clear they had more than one camera in my room. Maybe even elsewhere in this apartment, I had no idea.

Another ping, and I held back my desire to just throw my phone out. To just let it fall out from the window, until it break against the pavement. Or maybe it would hit someone's head and with my current luck, they would then look at my inbox and watch the video. Who knew what my blackmailer would do next then, I didn't want to know.

So I instead opened the next one and it's--oh. They apologized for not giving me the time and place and I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. The meeting would be tonight, and the address... it was one of the rich areas. My stomach flipped, the uncomfortable realization I couldn't do anything becoming realer by the second.

They also asked for me to bring my costume, but not to wear it. That would be for 'later', whatever that meant.

Maybe... maybe I could pretend. Attack them, the moment we meet one another? I had a feeling this wouldn't work. But what else could I do?

At this moment, I wished that I tried to make more than restraining vines. There were so many ideas in the back of my brain, ones I could try to make with more seeds and time--but I never did. I was scared of the possibilities, of what if they fell to someone else's hand? Now I had nothing as an answer, and those fears seemed stupid.

In the end, I had nothing else to do, except preparing to go to my workplace until it was time to go. Changing my clothing felt so much worse, what with the knowledge that at this moment, they could have been looking and seeing me changing. They might have seen before, but the added knowledge... My stomach was churning, barely held back from puking.

Working couldn't really distract me from what would happen later, but I knew I had no choice but to focus on it.

--

My boss wasn't happy with how distracted I was while working, telling me I better be in tip-top shape tomorrow. I wanted to scream, but well... I would meet my blackmailer tonight. One way or another, things should be done today.

I lifted my head up, looking at the massive gate with the symbol of a raven right there at the metal grate, a lone red stone was placed there in its eye, gleaming and glinting with unknown light. A lone camera was on top of the fence too, its black lens seemingly void of life, even as the red dot at the bottom of it showed the fact it was alive. I was sure there were more though, even as my attention turned back to look at the bird, the redness somehow pulling at it. No,

demanding

for me.

My focus was upon it, dragged towards it until everything else fell down. A void of nothingness where it was all I could do to breathe and stare. Trying to find if there was something else, my body frozen even as my thoughts were whirling, wondering and curious of what it was.

The monitor planted right into the brick fence to the side crackled so suddenly I nearly jumped, my head swiveling just as the gray screen turned into the head of a raven. Still the same shimmering red stone in its eyes, now two instead of one.

"Welcome, Kallan. I'm so glad you decided to accept my invitation!" Their words rang in my ears, and I knew this was all puzzle pieces falling together. I was still trying to connect, to understand who they were, but it was hard to think. All I could do was stand as I heard her words, her tones. Excitement. Glee. Both of those mixed in easily with their words, as if I had decided to come because of my own volition. "Now come, there are so many things I wish to do with you."

More flickers came over the screen as I watched, the screen seemingly pulling my attention further. The raven was breaking up, no longer a bird but a kaleidoscope that called up to my thoughts. All pulled together until they were all bundled against one another, pressed and bleeding until I couldn't parse between them all.

This wasn't anything good, I knew that from the moment I started to fall. And yet everything was smooth, my thoughts unwilling to follow my lead. It was easier to let the statics, the colors and buzzing to lead them all combining into a slurry I couldn't understand.

"Ah... I forgot that I put this as part of my self-defense."

The voice was somehow clear, able to penetrate through the white noise in my head. It was hard to understand, but somehow, that didn't feel right. There were enough sadism hidden behind it, a giggle as if it was wonderful I was caught within it. Understanding still didn't bring freedom to me, and my own consciousness refused to be grasped back.

I couldn't do anything, until she said a word--something that seemingly just came to my brain, something I understood and yet unable to retain. Then, and only then, did my thoughts started to settle. Separating themselves into their own lane, an unscrambling that somehow worked.

As if someone was able to separate the yolk and the whites again, despite mixing them all up to make an omelette beforehand.

The gate was open in front of me, the invitation so clear and obvious I didn't have any other choice but to walk in. The cobblestone felt smooth and worn beneath my boots, a part of my costume--it should be fine. After all, they didn't say anything about that when the monitor was on.

I tried to remember what else was said, but it seemed as if the staticky raven had taken roost in my head.

--

The worst part of walking through the long, winding walk from the gate to the manor, was how much

garden

there was outside the walkway. So much fertile soil, all begging for my touch, so I could... I shook my head, not wanting to think of the possibilities that would merely leave me salivating. It would hurt the moment I was back home again, in my tiny apartment and only a few pots I could use to breed my own restraint vines. The only thing I managed to make, because to make anything new, I needed more time and soil than I have access to.

The manor was huge, even from where I was walking through. There was no other way to describe it, with how it seemed to line up from one football sized length to another. Maybe even longer? I didn't know, but at least I could barely see the end of the building.

Took me forever to finally arrive in front of the entrance, and I could feel nervous energy all over my body. My hand fingered the pile of restraint vine seeds I had put in my pockets, trying to calm myself with the feeling. Not only for the seeds, but how each of them was thrumming with energy and ready to be thrown at this villain's face. Once I had them restrained, I could try to interrogate and find out why they had blackmailed me. Setting my jaws, I tried the door, not terribly surprised to find it wasn't locked.

Lights immediately turned on with the door's swing, allowing me to see the big entrance hall, with many doors leading deeper into the house, as well as a huge staircase for going upstairs, where there were even more doors. Pillars could be seen too, swirling, carved with more crows and each of their eyes inlaid with previous gemstones. Rubies, sapphires, diamonds--there were variety, and none of them could have been cheap I was sure.

Paintings of people were also placed all over the walls, and I couldn't help but look at how long the line was. They were the ancestors, the people who had lived here and inherit the building and the land from the one before. Each of the paintings always have one similarity between each other, despite everything. It was a symbol of a crow, perched on a branch, its baleful eyes somehow could be felt despite my distance between the painting and the entrance. This wasn't a mere manor, but it was a sign of an old family. A legacy even...

It had been niggling at the back of my mind, with the crow symbol outside. The sheer amount of corvid, seemingly all over the house. This had to be the main house of Raven, one of the elite in Barlam.

Cold seemed to seep into my stomach upon that realization, an uncomfortable churn I could feel as I realized how fucked I was now. A villain who was part of the elite? Even if I managed to do something to them--there were no way they would stay in the prison. Like, no matter what I found here.

I... No, I couldn't think like that. I was,

am

, Green Thumb. A weak-ass vigilante who only gathered around the suburbs, staying close to Downtown area, not daring to go to the Docks where many gangs still operated despite The Castaways cracking down on them. I was weak, but that didn't mean I backed off. I was still a part of the cape scene in Barlam, despite everything.

"Welcome, Miss Walker. The Mistress of the House has told me to let you walk for a while, before finally telling you to come with me to meet her." A distinguished and, frankly, posh voice made me jump in surprise. A butler had just suddenly popped up in front of me, a polite smile plastered on that old face. He bowed at me, despite the fact I was certain he should still be on top of me, in terms of social hierarchy.

After all, I was from the poor part of the town, and this was the first time I saw someone wearing a butler uniform for real and not doing it as a cosplay. He wore it with dignity, even as he turned, walking to one of the back doors below the stairs. It was obvious where he was bringing me. To the person who had blackmailed me.

Was he in this as well? Considering he had said 'Mistress of the House'... but he didn't seem to think much of me, except as a guest in this place. Rather than ending up doing anything wrong, I decided to not throw the vines at him. Besides, he was the only one who knew the way. I didn't think I would be able to find the right way, even with a month to explore this place.

--

The road was complicated, with turns I didn't expect to happen. The only thing I was certain of was how we were going deeper, further underground than I expected. No other commercial building had such a deep basement, I was sure. Deep, and

wide

. Like, it wasn't just a straight spiral stair going down, but with long ass corridors that made me wonder if we, perhaps, have ended up elsewhere.

Soon enough we arrived in front of a steel door, one the butler unlocked not only with a key, but with some sort of complicated movement and probably his fingerprint. He jiggled the handle a few ways, and I could hear the clicks as it probably unlocked a few more mechanisms. When the door finally opened, he merely moved to the side and gave me another bow, no explanations given.

"You just need to walk down, and you'll arrive where the Mistress wants you, Miss Walker. She has been waiting."

Still as polite as ever, but his expression was unchanged. Still neutral, careful and didn't tell me a single thing of what was running in his mind. He was calm, and I palmed one of my seeds--this would be useful. I would see this 'Mistress' soon, and ensuring the butler was unable to help her would be a great advantage.

"I don't think you'll wish to do that, Miss Walker. Right now you are protected because the Mistress wishes for you to arrive to her unmolested, but if you decide to break the neutrality... She always gave me carte blanche to handle you as I see fit." His voice was flat, even the politeness beforehand was just gone as he stared at me.

I felt pinned, as if I was an insect under the watch of an entomologist. Slowly, with more power than I thought I had, I managed to give him a nod.

He scrutinized me a while further, gray eyes trying to understand whether I was being genuine or not. I could only sigh in relief when he finally closed them and gave me a nod, turning away.

The pressure lessened, and I immediately scrambled through the door. It was a spiral staircase, going straight down, the walls were made of stone and reminding me so much of every horror story with a basement. Or maybe just the eldtrich horror type? I probably was thinking too much. But I was just trying to distract myself from the creepiness of the stairs, with the darkness covering majority of the place and how because it was underground, and the walls were made of stone, it was slightly cooler than the rooms up above.

There was even a music playing throughout, a soft instrumental that so easily wormed its way into my ears. I focused on that, trying not to think on anything else. Just the tunes, not the possibility of horror ahead of me, of what the Mistress might want to do to me. I couldn't do anything to those, but I could stop myself from being so scared I wanted to run back up. Criminals were fine, but ghosts? They were too much, really.

The music helped, especially as I let it lead myself down, the rhythm, the sound somehow made each step easier.

At long last, after... I didn't know how long, I had arrived at the bottom. More stones covered the soil, and I looked at the door suspiciously. It was a nondescript one, solid oak if I was to really guess, but it could be some other wood. Just that after seeing the steel one at the top of the staircase, this seemed too normal.