Wilderness Hannah, page 25
part #3 of Damsel Series
It wasn’t until after they’d eaten, with Vidya doing the cooking for that, actually having some skills that way, with Hannah helping her as best she could, that anyone pointed out what should have been the obvious.
Vidya did that one.
“So, I don’t know if I still have a job. The Society might not want it out that I’m linked to a super villain. I should call that in, I guess.”
Veronica had a similar thing going on. Except that she had always been more or less out, as to who she was. Not to the police, or online, but the people in her new group already knew her real origin story, so they weren’t going to be too worked up over a press conference, Hannah knew.
Kate just called Lashondra and cleared her throat.
“Hey, Lash. So... I pretty much scuttled Wisp, earlier...”
What was said wasn’t a thing that Hannah could hear, but Kate nodded, and smiled, a bit sadly.
“Thanks. I knew that, of course. It changes some things, but nothing that big. Oh, can we get Diaspora a job with us, if she gets fired from The Society?”
That, apparently, was a real thing. Even if it was going to take work to make sure the woman didn’t kill or maim too many people. She had a reputation that way. No-one mentioned it.
When Vidya made her own call...
No-one with her group was thinking about getting rid of her. They did want her to change her name, but only to something that made more sense. They had a toy line after all, so showing her as an alien was going to be a problem, after that. On the good side her old merch was suddenly going to be worth more, if anyone still had it in the box, apparently.
The call, which was not to Superion or any of the others on the team, but to a government handler, changed in tone when she mentioned sitting in Damsel’s living room. That had been done as a simple report of where she was, at the moment. It didn’t include the address, but whoever ran The Society behind the scenes apparently knew that already.
“Wait, you have to tell them where you are? All the time, or only when you hang with obvious bad influences, like me?”
Vidya had hung up already, since Hannah wasn’t so rude as to break into a business call. Not for something like she was going on about. The attractive woman brushed at her hair, which was pulled back from her lean face in a tail. It was black, like what the rest of her sisters had going on, but seemed a bit straighter.
“Every six hours, unless we’ve logged in that we’re going to be in one place. So we don’t have to get up in the middle of the night for that or anything. It’s a pain, but it means we can be reached, even if our phones go down. They keep tabs on what we’re doing as well. So we don’t plot against them too easily?”
Hannah just looked at Veronica, who was seeming more than a bit grumpy, suddenly. No-one spoke for a moment, until Kate did.
“So, I imagine that my show is done now?”
The others seemed downcast, but Hannah grinned.
“I’ll bet you half my pay for the next season that they actually expedite the whole thing. Now, you will lose about half your socialite friends... Which isn’t fun, but you know, you lied to them and even if they spend half their lives saying things that aren’t true, doing that to them will be a big issue. I mean, how dare you?”
Vidya tightened down, as if that were a real thing, and Veronica looked worried and a little sad. Kate just rolled her eyes.
There was a soft, almost playful, snort as well.
“I care about four or five people that way. I still get to keep you. I’m not sure how Lara will roll that way. She can be a bit picky on certain topics. Then there’s Ty and Terry. That... well, I don’t know about that.”
Hannah didn’t really, either.
“Call and ask? Doing it now will be better than waiting. Ty and Terry both had a heads up about some things, so won’t be as shocked as all that, I bet. Pond let that drop, not any of the rest of us.”
It wasn’t her business what was said that way, so when Katherine left the room, she stayed with the others, talking about things that she wouldn’t have figured coming up. Not given the day. They probably needed a distraction though.
Veronica moved in, settling directly next to Hannah, holding her hand.
“You made an impression in all this, didn’t you?”
She shook her head, not getting the idea. Vidya did, and smiled.
“Considering the plan to take out Superion X if he ever starts to go off the rails will probably destroy several states, I’d have to say so. At work the bet was that he’d murder all of us, if we got in his way and start killing people at random, one by one, until he found Sendra. Instead, you undid what had happened, at least enough to get him to be reasonable and then took care of the rest of it. I’m a bit hurt that you didn’t let me kill Sendra, but you didn’t know to call on me for that. Really, I blame Kate for that. We didn’t mention it, but half of the worst things to happen in all of our lives came from Sendra, not Father.”
Hannah could sort of see that, though she only knew her own little part of things. That woman had clearly been evil, after all. Possibly created that way, but it not being her fault didn’t excuse the crimes. Not to the people who had suffered from them.
Vidya went on.
“Superion X told us that you ordered him to leave Sendra alive. He got what you meant, and agrees, even if he was angry at the time. He’s so powerful that he can’t be seen to kill anyone. Even on a thing like this, where everyone in the world would understand. He didn’t think you and Wisp would finish the job, like you did. We’re hiding that, by the way. Murder is still illegal, even if it was the right thing to do in this case. If anyone asks, Sendra teleported away and escaped as you tried to take her to the lab to be locked up.”
That made sense to her, not wanting to sit in prison for the next twenty years.
“That’s really what happened. At the end she teleported away.” Into space. Then came back the hard way. No-one was going to buy an escape that way as being the real situation, but Hannah understood that rule well enough.
Once you lied, keep lying.
Vidya nodded, her face rather serious.
“Exactly. You also got healing for that man from the other day. That helped me out at work, a lot. I’m not supposed to maim people, after they’re subdued. Not that he was in cuffs or custody at the time. Thanks for that. I kind of told them that I’d asked you to see to that? As far as they know you did it from a distance, using magic of some sort. I get how it’s done, but didn’t mention the whole thing.” She seemed uneasy, but Hannah thought that was fine enough.
After all, she’d kidnapped the man. It did help her to know it was for his own good, but only to a certain extent. Not having to talk about that in the press or in court was simply going to be better for her own peace of mind.
“Not a problem, pal. Now, this was a day and a half. Everyone I care about still has their lives, for now, and I have no clue as to what else I’m supposed to see to, so I’m going to kick back for an evening and just chill. After all, I deserve it. Me... Meeee.”
As she said that, pretending to be entitled, her phone rang. The business one. She nearly blanched, since her little bit of lying about the food bank donors at the end of her public speech might not have gone over with everyone very well.
“Hello? Hannah de Peyser here.”
“Hannah? This is Bill Payton, from the studio? I saw the press conference with Kate and her... What are we calling them? Clones?”
Hannah didn’t bother taking offense. Bill wasn’t a nice guy, being kind of a shark, but the question wasn’t really rude, just him asking how to say something that was odd, so he didn’t make too many mistakes, later. She took it to mean that, anyway.
“Sisters. Except for Samantha Sinclair, who’s their mom.”
The other two in the room stared at her then, but didn’t say anything.
“Got it. I’ll make a note and send a memo to everyone on that. Now, we’re thinking a four-part mini-series on this. We showcase Kate, follow her doing some of her superhero work, have her sisters in on the side and then interview everyone, about how weird this is, how they feel about her now and all that? This is back of the envelope stuff, so feel free to toss out ideas. You’re in? I saw you there, so you aren’t going to abandon her now, right? We need to stand by our people, when things get tough.”
“Plus make money?”
“Of course! You mentioned a jobs program. This program will make jobs. At least forty of them. Maybe more. Hmm?”
Hannah let her head move side to side.
“Let me see who we can get for this? Also, if we do this, it’s going to be all about taking down Henry Pond. Can we agree on that?”
There was a long pause then a growl.
“The weird pedophile rapist and mad scientist? I think we can do that, yes. Especially if it’s not going to get the lighting guy killed. Can you get that to happen?”
She didn’t know, but figured it was actually likely.
“Let me see? I’ll get back with you as soon as I can. Let me make a few calls?”
“Love ya, babe! Call whenever. I’ll wake up for this. Especially if it’s good news. I want this to be going up inside a month, if we can pull that off. Don’t take too long.”
He hung up first, so she tabbed off and shrugged.
“A new television show. Possibly. Starring Kate, since she’s famous, but you two as well, if you want in? We have a red-light to go after your dad, if you want to take it. This won’t really destroy him, but it won’t help his reputation, either, not if we do it right.”
Vidya gave an almost evil looking grin.
“I’ll get with the others? Who else do we need for this? The Requiem? The Society needs to be in on this, too. Your new crew as well, Veronica? The Underground?”
Veronica gave her a sassy look then and rolled her eyes.
“The Underdogs. I’ll ask. They might not be interested in that kind of exposure. We’re new and haven’t done anything yet.”
Hannah didn’t care about most of those people. A few of them, in different groups, being friends of hers, but the rest were pretty much strangers.
“Tyler and Terry. Lara as well. Kate is calling them right now, so we should wait on that. If they decide to cut her off, then... Well, I hope not?” She liked all of them, after all.
If they tried to cut Kate out of their lives, that would mean cutting her out as well. Even Bill had mentioned that they couldn’t do that kind of thing. Sure, he didn’t really mean it, but that didn’t make the words wrong.
The phones came out, and everyone who might be needed for such a program was called. Everyone, each person talked to, was on the side of the sisters. Not all of them wanted to be on a cheesy hit piece television show, for some reason. About half of them were willing to, however. Hannah was kind of shocked. She was willing to do it, but she was also willing to not be on camera and just go and get the snacks, if her friends needed her to do that.
When Kate came out, about half an hour later, Hannah didn’t get to explain. Because people had come. Friends, as it turned out. Lara, Terry and Tyler.
“You mean he hasn’t even broken up with you, after finding out that you dress up like a guy and go out to fight crime?” She was teasing, but Kate didn’t crack a grin.
“I know. I’m amazed, too. Now, there’s something going on?”
“A new show. Let me get with Bill on that? We have most of the needed people. Lara and Terry... You’re both in?”
That got Kate hugged. Veronica as well. By everyone, since she was a friend of theirs, from the show if nothing else. Lara did that and stepped back. It was clear that she’d been taking something in the last day, from her red nose and bloodshot eyes. At the same time, she didn’t seem incredibly high. Not at the moment.
“I’m in. Now... Veronica, you’re actually Kate’s sister? That’s unexpected.”
She nodded.
“We’re closer than that. Pretty much twins, really, since we’re genetically altered clones of the same woman. It’s nice, being able to just say that now, instead of having to keep it secret. It was hard, pretending not to know my own sisters, when we met. This is going to be better. That way, at least.”
Hannah gave her another hug, needing one herself. The day was tense, after all.
Then she called Bill from the studio, who was surprised to hear from her that quickly.
“We have pretty much everyone you could want. Not every superhero in the world, but all of Kate’s friends. We should see if Max from the last show wants to be in on this, too. Just in case he needs the work.”
The man laughed over the phone.
“Good point. I’ll work that end. We’ll send the contracts out for all of you, ASAP. Plan to start shooting in... Four days?”
That was so fast she doubted it would really be happening, but she spoke the words to the room. Just in case. Then she hung up again and sighed.
“Well, that will make things all better, I’m certain. Then, it gives us a chance to get our story out, the one we pick that is, much more loudly than the other side can.”
They planned things out, then, because it was the obvious direction to go, they all ended up talking about the video game that Tyler was working on with Terry and Hannah.
Lara pretended to be incensed, not having been invited in at all.
“I mean, I can do, um, game stuff. Be a body double for the shower scene or something?”
Hannah snorted. It was a thing that sounded so funny half the room laughed at her for making it. Nearly a choked grunt really.
“This is about teaching people to fight against a person with a knife. Though... We could get her to do the mocap for the very beginning levels? That way it will be all awkward and clumsy? Goofy looking and all that?”
She was joking, making fun of her friend a bit, but Lara, and oddly, Tyler, both started nodding. The man seemed to love the idea, in fact.
“That could actually work? You don’t get paid, since this is being done for about the same amount that you’d find in your couch cushions if you bothered to look, but you’ll get your name in the credits, if we use anything you produce? We even have a guy coming in who can show you what to do, so it won’t be as bad as all that. Robin was a bit worried about that part, actually. He knows we need variety that way, in movement, and he kind of only does things well that way. You can start in a few days? This new project might get in the way...”
Hannah shrugged.
“It shouldn’t. I mean, you don’t have to do most of it. Some interviews and all that. We, us four, can pretty much focus on my training program.”
“Us five?” That came from Vidya, who, it turned out, had more than a passing interest in knife fighting.
She was also willing to be used as a model, for a character.
Which was fine, but she’d have to be a bad guy. It was the only way people could be fit into the game, really.
Chapter seventeen
Two days later, Hannah realized something that she wouldn’t have suspected, from the previous events of the last week. It was a very bizarre thing, but her life, how she lived part of the time, had suddenly changed. Not for the obvious reasons, either.
At least they weren’t obvious to her.
No, it was Reese. The boy had taken her seriously, for some reason. Probably thinking he could at least cop a feel or something on occasion if they were working together, and had made appointments to come and see her, twice a week. For actual training, as if she knew how to do that kind of thing.
That meant she had to scramble to make sure he was getting real lessons in things, and not just wasting all his valuable practice time, playing video games with her. Not that they wouldn’t do that. She’d already ordered a VR rig for him and a new computer, to be set up at his house, so he could put in an hour or two a day that way.
Just so she’d be taken seriously, each day she called him up, which she made a point of doing that day as well.
“Hey.”
“Reese, this is Hannah. Is your homework done?”
“Um, no... Almost. I just have to finish some math.”
She tried to sound adult about the whole thing. In charge.
“Hit that, then run for an hour. Not too fast. We need to let you build up, not thrash your body. You’re over here early on Saturday. For about two hours? We’ll be exercising, and hitting VR. On Sunday I want a few hours as well. I’m going to see about unarmed combat lessons then.” That wouldn’t really do a lot for her, but practicing that kind of thing wouldn’t hurt her, once a week or so.
The boy, who should have told her to either put out or stop bothering him, seemed fine with her being pushy and annoying, so far.
“Got it, coach. I’ll get to that now.”
That he was really doing it, she was taking on faith. He could have lied to her for a long time about that kind of thing, really. Especially the homework parts. Except that she was trying to make sure he didn’t die too easily, which he seemed to be all in on. Even Megan was, though in her own way. She was coming out five days a week for exercise, so far, at least.
Keeping up her own portion of things was important, given that. Asking other people to do things and then being lazy wasn’t going to work. Not for her, anyway. It wasn’t until later that night when she had the next idea as to what she needed to get done in life. How to get that done, anyway. It was when Max Wellard called that she hit on it, really.
The man sounded like himself, so his white bearded face popped up in her head as he said hello.
“Max? Good to hear from you! Say, do you know anything about escape and evasion?” She was about to go into the kind of things she meant, since it was kind of a strange way to start a conversation.
“I do. I used to teach it, to special forces operatives. Do you have need of that kind of thing?”
“I hope not, but... Really, kind of. It could come up. It has before, for me. Can we put together a class on that? For, call it ten people?” She held her breath then, wondering if the man would just tell her no.
“Sure? I was actually just calling you, to make sure you and Kate are all right? I just got word about that thing with her, but her phone didn’t pick up. I have a cabin you can use, if you need to get away for a while. It’s not a palace, but it’s not a lean-to, either. You know, running water, electric... All those fancy things a soft person might want.”
