Chapter 72
Chapter 72
“So that’s the situation,” Dan said to Abby, after summarizing the events of his latest Academy class. “Thoughts?”
They were sat together in the kitchen of an Austin condominium, while Abby nursed a cup of hot coffee. The place was a rental, just large enough to be called extravagant, and tastefully decorated. Dan doubted that Abby even noticed. She was dressed in lounge-wear and slippers, with her hair pulled into a lazy bun. Dan’s question was answered with a sleepy hum, and a lazy dip of her head. The cup raised up, and caffeine was ingested.
“Well, you gotta go,” she mumbled into her mug. “No telling what she’ll do if you don’t. Not worth the risk.”
Dan nodded in agreement. “Probably true.”
Abby took another draw from her cup, then sat back with a sigh. She turned towards Dan, biting her lip. “Are we being too paranoid here?”
“About Matilda?” Dan asked for clarity.
She nodded nervously. “I mean, would cooperating with her really be so bad? If your professor’s story is true, then she might just be genuinely be interested in natural powers.”
“You’re waffling again, sweetheart,” Dan observed dryly. They’d been back and forth on this topic since it had first come up weeks ago. Abby’s opinion tended to violently swing between advocating Matilda’s utility for Dan’s growth, and wanting to strangle the woman for having the audacity to blackmail him.
Abby groaned into her coffee mug. “I know! This is so annoying!” She set down her beverage, sliding the cup away from herself, then let her head fall onto the table with a thump.
“Ugh.”
Dan snickered at her dramatics, his tension being chased away by her mere presence.
Abby’s face turned so that her cheek laid flat against the wood. Her eyes found Dan, and narrowed accusationally. “This is serious, Danny!”
He held up his hands defensively. “I know, I know.” Though, he couldn’t quite stop his own giggles. “Why— snerk! Why do you think we’re overreacting? Matilda’s been nothing but shady from the very moment I spoke to her.”
“It’s just…” Abby sat up, flailing for an explanation. “Look.” She reached over to him, snagging his hand with her own. Her fingers wound through his. “You’re amazing, Danny. Really.”
“I don’t like the direction this is going,” Dan announced quickly.
“But,” Abby pressed on, “you’re not really all that important.” A moment passed, then her eyes widened. She tugged harder on his hand, quickly exclaiming, “You’re important to me, of course! Just, not to, uh,” her free hand gestured frantically, “to others. Really.” Her rambling explanation was punctuated by a large wince.
Well, that was quite the blow to Dan’s pride. She wasn’t wrong, but still.
“So what you’re trying to say,” Dan attempted to translate her disjointed explanation, “is that she can’t be lying about only being interested in my power, because my power is the only thing for her to be interested in?”
“Not exactly how I’d phrase it, but yes. Basically,” Abby agreed, with another wince. “I mean, nobody else on Earth knows about your special circumstances, so it can’t be that. I guess it could be some sort of convoluted plot to get access to me through you, but I don’t know why anyone would use such a roundabout strategy. Or maybe a retaliation for interfering in those bombings a while ago? I don’t know, it just seems like we’re overthinking this.”
“Well, putting aside the fact that she’s gone about expressing her interest in the most sinister way possible, admitting that I’m a Natural gives her a certain amount of leverage over me,” Dan pointed out. Leverage that he didn’t want in the hands of a complete stranger, especially one who seemed as untrustworthy as Matilda.
“So never admit it,” Abby replied with a shrug. “You’ve already said that you aren’t. Just keep playing the mutate card, but pretend you’re an idiot who hadn’t noticed certain parts of your mutation.
“And, in the meantime, let her coach me?” Dan questioned incredulously. Seems they’d come full circle, and Abby had talked herself back into supporting a fragile accord with Matilda.
She shrugged, confirming Dan’s thoughts. “She uses you, you use her. Everyone’s happy. Or, at least, everyone gets what they want.”
It wasn’t a terrible plan. He might even have to follow it.
But he couldn’t shake the uncertain feeling in his gut.
“This would be so much easier to swallow if she didn’t act like a bad horror movie trope,” Dan said, trying to explain his feelings. “I don’t want to be that moron in a slasher movie who ignores the obvious serial killer.”
Abby giggled, squeezing his hand affectionately. “I don’t think things actually work like that, here in reality, Danny. If all the evil people in the world spent their time cackling and acting creepy, life would be a lot simpler.”
Maybe she was right. Maybe it didn’t work that way. Not always, at least.
But Dan wasn’t about to start second-guessing himself. If he was wrong, then he was wrong, but for now, he’d rather trust his gut and keep the upgrade analyst at arm’s length. He could find a compromise, between Abby’s suggestion and his own intense desire to to have nothing to do with the woman. And if his decision resulted in a less cordial relationship with Matilda than he might otherwise be able to achieve?
Fuck it, he had never liked the woman anyways.
Dan returned Abby’s smile and pulled her close. “I guess we’ll see.”
Dan ended up scheduling his appointment with Matilda for later that week. The devious upgrade analyst had cheerfully provided him a time, a date, and an emailed picture of a small office. The photo was accompanied by a not-at-all subtle hint for him to simply teleport in at the arranged hour.
Dan called Fred, got the address of where she’d held his meeting, then took a cab.
He found himself outside a small strip mall, on the edge of downtown Austin. The buildings were old and run down, with signs of neglect plain to see. A neon red sign hung over the entrance of the largest structure, simply proclaiming DOJO. Dan could see inside the business from where he stood. The walls and floors were scuffed, yet well maintained. They gave off a feeling of wear, of age and experience, contrasting sharply with their decrepit neighbors. Thick mats covered the center of the room, forming an improvised stage. Several punching bags hung from ceiling, slightly deformed. In the corner of the room was a thick wooden door, leading to what appeared to be a manager’s office.
Dan double checked the address, confirming that he was where he should be, then walked inside. A bell jangled as he opened the door, and an unfortunately familiar head poked out of the office.
Matilda Fairbanks wore a scowl for the briefest of moments, before pasting on the least genuine smile that Dan had ever seen.
“Mister Newman,” she greeted with a dry voice and a cordial nod. “I see you’ve ignored my instructions.”
Dan waved at her exuberantly. “Hi there, ma’am! I’m here for my free tutoring session!” He ignored her observation without the slightest bit of shame.
Matilda’s lips pursed, but Dan quickly steamrolled forward. “This place really isn’t what I was imagining. I mean, an old dojo? Really?”
“These are not my usual premises,” Matilda corrected him sourly. She walked towards him, heels clicking against the wooden floor. “My office is temporarily unavailable, so I decided to host these tutoring sessions here, instead. There’s plenty of room available, even if the surroundings are less than optimal.”
“Rented the space, huh?” Dan remarked, seizing upon a new subject with glee. “That must’ve been a hassle. Hope us Academy brats haven’t burdened you too much.”
Matilda shook her head, automatically correcting him. “The owner of this dojo is a former customer, who was grateful enough to accommodate me.” She paused, a thought occurring to her. The older woman’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You’re trying to run down the clock. Clumsily.”
Dan shrugged. That plan hadn’t lasted long.
Matilda ended her stride directly in front of him.
“You realize, Mister Newman, that I expect you to actually try during this session?” she asked coldly. Whatever false cheer she might have had was gone, replaced by pure irritation. She stepped even closer, into his space, somewhat intimidating despite her small stature.
“I feel like I’ve been exceptionally patient with you,” she continued, gesturing to Dan. “My advances have been unobtrusive and gentle.” Her gaze hardened. “That will change very quickly, should you continue to be difficult.”
“It makes it real easy to trust you when you say things like that,” Dan remarked, not even attempting to disguise his sarcasm. He took a long step backwards, away from her.
“This is for your own good,” Matilda emphasized relentlessly, jabbing a finger at him. “Your clumsy use of your power has already given you away once. How long before it happens again? And to someone less inclined to give you such leeway? I can teach you how to properly mimic what you claim to be. I can help you properly develop your power!”
Dan sighed, glancing around the dojo once more. Now that he was closer, he could see the true state of the place. Scorch marks marred the walls in some places, with great gouges torn in others. The floor was scuffed, twisted, burned; the wood warped and haphazardly covered by mats. It looked like someone had been training a damn army.
Matilda seemed content to let him look. He finished his slow examination, turning to face her.
“That sounds like a really good deal,” he commented neutrally. “What do you get out of it?”
“Knowledge,” she stated immediately, with such conviction that Dan actually believed her. The rest of her words paled in comparison to that single all-encompassing statement. Had she left it at that, Dan might’ve caved. In that moment, in light of what he knew about her past, he judged her honest.
Then, she ruined it.
“The secrets of natural powers have always been jealously guarded by the government. Accurate documentation is incredibly rare, even for known villains. All that people have to go by is hearsay, and stories. It’s a travesty!” Her final words became an exclamation, her arms thrown wide energetically. “Why are we told to fear Naturals? Your kind are mere victims of circumstance! Your powers can be controlled, so long as you are taught! This ignorance offends me.”
She clenched a fist in front of her face, glaring daggers at an unseen foe. It was all very dramatic. “I cannot change what is. I can, however, help those who’ve suffered. And, in the process, I can learn.” She sighed, closing her eyes. “One day, I will bring to light the truth. That natural powers are no different than upgrades. That this bias serves no purpose other than to alienate the unlucky.”
She stepped forward, extending her hand with grim purpose. “Will you help me? Will you let me help you?”
Now, Dan understood that he wasn’t a particularly noteworthy person. He was neither the smartest, nor the strongest, nor the most clever person in any given room. Still, he wasn’t a moron, either. It was only in this moment that he realized just how little Matilda thought of him.
He could see what she wanted him to believe. That she sought out those with natural powers. That she helped them. That she’d done this before, and often. That she wanted what was best for him, that she knew better than him. That when she was done with him, he could live life unafraid. That he would blend in seamlessly with the rest of society. That she did all of this in the pursuit of knowledge, and in the name of righteousness.
It might have worked, if Dan had grown up as a Natural. It might have worked if Dan’s power hadn’t been what it was. If he’d spent his life hearing that he should be afraid of himself, of what he could do.
But he wasn’t afraid. And he could smell her bullshit from blocks away.
She was too desperate to have done this before. She wanted to study his power, that much was true. She wanted it badly.
Meaning he had some leverage. For now, he’d play along. Act like the meek, oppressed Natural she seemed to think he was. He’d stall until Grandma Summers finished her investigation, and he could be free of this mess. In the meantime, he’d use her, and she’d use him. Abby was right, in the end.
So, Dan took her hand. “I’ll try my best.”
Matilda smiled back at him. “You won’t regret it.”
They were both liars.