Support Team, page 1
part #6 of Damsel Series
Damsel: Book Six
Support Team
P.S. Power
Orange Cat Publishing
Copyright 2022
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
Chapter four
Chapter five
Chapter six
Chapter seven
Chapter eight
Chapter nine
Chapter ten
Chapter eleven
Chapter twelve
Chapter thirteen
Chapter fourteen
Chapter fifteen
Chapter sixteen
Chapter seventeen
Chapter eighteen
Chapter nineteen
Chapter twenty
Chapter twenty-one
Chapter twenty-two
Chapter twenty-three
Chapter twenty-four
Chapter twenty-five
Chapter twenty-six
Chapter one
“The fudge?”
Hannah sat on her cream-colored sofa, in her very favorite spot for meditation or psychic work. Center cushion, back not connecting with anything. Her thin legs were crossed and blue eyes closed, as she sought to connect with a young man from Idaho. Barrow Johnson. The kid, he was only eighteen, was a bit chubby, had a straight ‘A’ average in every class he’d ever taken, and was kind of a pussy.
The kind of boy who, when it came time to be selected for games on the playground, was in the library downloading books onto his pad reader. When it was time to ask for dates to the dance, he’d be at home, studying for his future, instead of risking rejection.
In short, he was a nearly perfect candidate for the new program that was currently allowing him to go to the planet Ryhh. The last person in the group of ten that had been picked, as it turned out and who was currently heading in that direction. Zipping away at many times the speed of light, in fact. Only after a decently friendly alien contact of hers had screwed with his mind first, of course. Which was a thing that had been barely needed at all for one Barrow Johnson. Making him even nicer than he normally would have been, so that he wouldn’t be capable of violence at all, when off planet.
Not that the kid had ever been in a fight in his entire life. He was in fact, kind of special that way. The sort of person who, she realized at that moment, as he whizzed through space in a sparkling silver and white alien energy craft, wasn’t going to be a problem for anyone, at all.
Truly, she didn’t actually even need to check on him again, since Neary Kant, her best alien pal, had already made all of the needed corrections to the guy and taken him, and the rest of the team, away into the beyond. Starting about three hours before. To an alien solar system. The man acting as their personal guide, at least for the first part of things. Given that Earth was pretty much the hellscape world to his people, that meant the timid seeming alien man was kind of hard core.
To Hannah, the ship felt totally solid, inside her mind, even if it was made of energy in a way that she didn’t understand. The passengers were each excited, and prepped as well as any human being could have been at that moment.
Also, doing well and behaving perfectly, without her having to do anything at all. Everyone on the trip, sitting in what was essentially a rented bus of a space ship, was relaxed, happy and a bit nervous, but only enough to ensure they did their best to represent their planet. Hannah was still going to worry like a mother hen, of course. They, all of them, were her responsibility. She’d set the trip up and hand selected them, after months of examination. So, if anything went wrong, it was her fault. Her problem to fix or better, to make certain that nothing bad happened at all, in the first place.
If any of it was even real.
That thought was a small one, buried deep in the recesses of her mind, but it tried to creep in, anyway. Infiltrating the edges of her awareness. Seeping from the depths of her soul, to leave her uncertain that anything she was seeing, hearing or perceiving psychically was real. A ploy meant to disrupt her, or even worse, other, more important people’s, lives. She had to clamp down on that idea, not allowing the sense of uncertainty to grow and flourish, since someone was coming. Possibly, at least. As in, in about a minute, a living being was going to pop into existence, right in front of her. A thing that took place about three times a day, anymore. It was strange, but that faint feeling, a sense more than an image, of a human being teleporting into her apartment was no more unlikely to her than eating a piece of fruit. Both could be faked, but she saw that kind of thing as being about equal, as to if it would be happening to her.
Which, even to her, sounded kind of insane.
Brushing at her mid length blonde hair, currently touching at her shoulders, she uncrossed her legs, and stood anyway. That was her habit when people were coming to visit unexpectantly, in case it was an attack. The problem she had at the moment was that the person coming toward her, alone, was... Reese Kant. The only real issue with that was that her young friend wasn’t able to teleport. Not that she’d ever heard about, at least.
Which got her to nod, considering the idea.
After all, Kate Sinclair was able to do that, and that incredible woman was the boy’s mentor. Teleportation was also an innate human skill, if a very weak one. Hannah had learned to do it herself, even, as only a normal person. A regular human being, more or less. Reese on the other hand had decently powerful time manipulation powers, which were connected in concept to space manipulation, so the idea that Kate might push him to learn that particular skill kind of made sense.
Still, just in case, she pulled her forty-four, which was in a holster over her appendix, on the left-hand side. A cross draw, but she wasn’t a quick draw artist and wearing it that way was more comfortable for her. Having a weapon in two seconds, always on hand was more important, and faster, than waiting to the last moment to get the gun out, but having to run to the other room for it.
She took a stance, arms crossed and locked together for stability, and aimed, directly next to where the cute young guy would be coming in. That way, if she shot by accident, she wouldn’t be murdering an innocent teen boy. The weapon was held steady, her arms balanced, and body twisted to the side, instead of holding it out in front of herself like most people did. It was way more stable, but again, a bit slower to get into position, if the need to hurry was present.
Which, given her ability to see the future, generally wasn’t that important to her.
Not that she didn't practice for that, as well.
There was a soft pop, a sound so low that she could feel it on her skin as a blast of cool air, as Reese appeared in front of her. Nearly dying, as she started to pull the trigger instantly. That was due to the fact that his face was wrong. So, she noticed, was his body. The thin, somewhat in-shape teen boy wasn’t there in front of her at all. Instead, there was a man. One who was taller, kind of jacked, with a nicely groomed beard, and... wearing a decent suit. That was charcoal gray, which really worked with the rest of the look. Only, of course, he looked too old.
Not like a little kid playing dress up might, with the right lighting and makeup, either. She used to do that herself, when she was younger. Trying to get into clubs without simply bribing the bouncers. It had never really worked for her at all, since she was five feet tall. Everyone always thought she was younger than she was, due to that. This man, however, seemed to honestly be about thirty.
Still, she didn’t shoot, since, psychically at least, this was Reese Kant. Her friend and quasi mentee, if that was a thing that anyone could be. She helped with his training a bit, or tried to. Mainly by playing games and insisting he study, but it was what she could pull off, most days, so she did her small part to get him ready for what was coming.
It didn’t hurt that he’d come into the room with his hands held up, over his head, as if knowing what was going to happen. Grinning about it, as well. Then, if he was Reese, he sort of knew her.
“Hannah? It’s Reese.” He shrugged, hands still up. “Just to clarify, it’s me, from the future. This should be the first time we meet this way? You sent me? You know, time travel powers? It’s a thing.”
Hannah wasn’t that certain she wasn’t being tricked, but slowly, hesitating and probably seeming like a bitch, scowling as she was, she put the weapon away, ready to get it out again quickly if it was needed. You didn’t hold your friends at gun point, after all.
The situation was still strange. Which could mean almost anything. That this wasn’t Reese at all, or that she was hallucinating him.
“Ah? I mean, sure, you do have time travel powers, but...”
The man nodded.
“Right, you mentioned that. This is right after the first time Al screwed with your head?”
She tensed, her jaw clenching. Hannah might not have been a super genius, but she was starting to learn to pick up on the subtle clues around her. Especially when they hit her in the face.
“First time?” That didn't sound good. For a moment she wondered how the other side had gotten to him, to make him come at her more than once. She was trying to forgive him for playing with her head the first time still, but if it was going to keep happening... Then she might have to figure out a way to prevent that. It was a dark and dismal thought, and included the idea that she might have to kill the boy, before he could do anything to her again that way. He was far too powerful for her to play with, after all.
Also too good at mind reading to sneak up on.
Reese, seeming to get her thinking, put his hands down.
“Don’t freak on that one. It’s just a part of the training program you two work out. Not just for you, but all of us. To keep us from being messed with that way? It works, too. It isn’t always that fun, but... Well, you’ll figure that out. I’m here to pass some messages, but not about that... Except, of course, you have to step things up, while you still have time. With the kids?”
She closed her eyes, and nodded.
“I’m... not doing that anymore. June sort of kicked me out of the program. Five or six days ago.” In a fit of anger, sure, prompted to do it by Alistair Marks, to mess with Hannah, she thought, but it had still happened.
Reese winked at her. It was charming, and a bit disconcerting. Now that she noticed him for a second without being ready to shoot, the guy had gone from being a pretty good-looking boy, to a really hot, adult man. As in, if she met him in a club, they’d probably be going home together. If he didn’t find someone a lot better looking than she was first, of course. Which, she had to admit, he could do. He was out of her league by a good bit, that way.
It wasn’t what she wanted to be thinking about a kid she knew. It felt icky.
He chuckled, just a bit.
“I have some information on that one, and it honestly won’t matter at all. Go in and just act like that argument never happened. If you do that, June will go with it. So will everyone else. She expects you to get in her face and tell her off if it’s needed. Even if she hates that kind of thing. You helped take out fifty-two of the hardest killers in this time framework a week ago, so to her mind, you’re a potential threat now. Also, on her side. She’s probably weirded out that you’re acting like her words had any impact at all, to be real about it. Go in, ask her to go over what she wants you to know and act like a spat is just a spat and it really will work that way. I know this will be weird for you, but she’s thinking of you as an equal, and that means you have to be ready to fight with her, if you think you’re right about something and she’s wrong.”
That was probably true, but Hannah had to admit that she was feeling just a bit butthurt about it. Like someone had tried to hit her with hard anal by mistake, without proper lube first. In short, even if no one else knew about it yet, she’d been sitting alone in her apartment for five days, sulking like a depressed little bitch. If it wasn’t needed... then she kind of sucked.
A thought which didn't leave her feeling better.
“What about John? Did I send any info about that?”
The man pointed at her, suddenly.
“That is... One of the three things I’m actually supposed to go over with you. The rest of this is just a freebie, because I’m incredible that way? That, or more likely, I’m the worst time agent ever? One of those. You’ve already worked out that you don’t have a demon inside of you? I can assure you that won’t be happening in the next three hundred years, either. Not without a major timeline change. So, you’re cleared that way. That means he was doing something else, right?” He was prompting her, for some reason, instead of telling her what she was supposed to do.
Like a teacher.
“Three hundred years? Are you that old? Wait... Am I? You said I sent you? I figured that I might make it, oh, another ten, maybe twenty years?”
There was a shrug then. It wasn’t lazy, seeming oddly formal, somehow. Sharp and almost military, as if that made any sense. A hard up, followed by a quick and precise downward movement.
The hot guy managed to seem almost serious for a moment.
“Okay, time travel, the brief but handy guide...” He sounded a bit off, grinned and shook his head. “Sorry, I had to practice archaic English for the last week, to get ready for this. Linguistic shift is a thing. It’s still coming back to me. Anyway, yes, I’m from that far in the future, and yes, you’re still alive in my timeline. You can still die, since nothing is written in stone that way. So can I, so don’t throw me at problems here, thinking twenty year old me is immortal like that? I’m almost certainly not from the same line you’re currently in, so, keep that in mind? If Hannah gets lazy, you’ll die way before you need to. You become essentially immortal when the Premier does.”
The man winced, his great looking face going silly for a moment.
“Fuck. I didn’t say that. I meant John Fawks. Don’t... You cannot let him know about that part? His ego is way too big to handle that kind of knowledge in this era. He really does get better? Anyway, you make him immortal, in the next... Um...” He moved his fingers in the air, like she’d seen some of the aliens doing, from time to time. She wasn’t stupid, so got that it was some kind of computer interface that only he was seeing. “Four hours, or so, actually. After you learn to teleport into the Never. Now is the time for that. That, combined, is the first part of this, and... Well, you don’t need to know more than that to get the job done. Deal with it.” He grinned.
She made a face, sneering a little, but ending with a small smile of her own, actually feeling better. Slightly. After all, it didn't sound like she needed to hunt John Fawks down and remove his testicles to get information about the other side in the war or anything.
Also, if Al was working on helping her learn how to protect her thoughts and mind, or would be, then she probably wasn’t his lifelong enemy. She hadn’t thought so, but it was hard to be certain of anything, after reality had been shifted around on her so incredibly well like it had been. She nearly thought about it as having been stolen from her, but that wasn’t true. She’d been tricked, for a while, but she still had everything she had before. It was just up to her to cling to it. Kind of like a baby monkey with her mom.
“Do you know why he did it? John? Claiming that we were both possessed by demons? I knew it wasn’t true at the time. After all, he’d cleared me for that himself. I can see that kind of thing, too, and just in case, I got Lash to go over it for me, to make sure I wasn’t being tricked. Not that I told her what had been said.”
This time she was stared at, but nothing was said for a long time. Finally, she was waved at. The gentle move made a bicep bulge under the suit jacket.
At that point, the man gave her a gentle look that seemed almost loving.
“Work that out? I’m not actually here to hold your hand, Hannah. I’m not even here to give you a pep talk. Though, you know, go our team? Work everyone harder? It will make a difference and you already did it. People will tell you to be nice, kind and soft... but... We all need to be strong, not just well rounded. At least in the short run. Oh, also, Cake Girl... She needs to be working with Carl. Full program. Don’t let her wimp out on it.” The man tightened again, his jaw flexing. “That... Technically I shouldn’t have said that.”
Hannah closed her eyes, getting what it probably meant.
“Got it. I’ll make that happen. Somehow. So, there was more for the real message?”
“There is. The rest isn’t for you, more for you to pass on. You need to get with Marina and tell her that the man in the mask said it’s time. She’ll do her part, or not. Then you need to say the same thing to Patty, in the Never. I mean, help them both, if they want it, but that isn’t your story. Right now, you need to get on training, more than anything. Not just for the kids you know. That... Go insane on it. You’ll feel like it’s enough, but it won’t be. Push everyone. Everyone...”
The man closed his eyes, then opened them, snorting.
“I’m not quick at this, it will be a few minutes. I know that there’s a lot you want to know, but... No? I’ll be back in touch, but it will be a few years. You have this. Well, if you make it happen, of course. If not... Then the world is screwed, Hannah. This doesn’t hinge on you alone, not even mainly, but claiming you aren’t part of what’s needed right now would be a lie. A lot of people are crucial now, but you’re going to be one of the ones getting them involved in the first place.”
Then he closed his eyes again. Hannah didn’t speak. It really did take about two minutes for him to pop out of existence then. She just stood there, watching him. Then, sighing, made herself hold a partial teleportation again. If everyone had to work harder, that meant she needed to do it as well. Probably first and most, as an example, if she could pull it off. Over the last few days, she’d been a little lazy that way, feeling down about everything.
