Save State -CH3- (Patreon)

“What? What the fuck? Are you joking? It just… it just ends with her dying? What the actual fuck? What piece of shit douche bag wrote this?” shrieked Romina. “This is terrible! It’s awful! They should just fucking die!”

“I mean… it’s a story… if they’re trying to provoke a response from you in the telling, I’d say they managed that. They’re not out to hurt you, just get an emotional reaction. You’d forget it if it was boring otherwise,” admonished Edmund. He’d actually looked into story telling a great deal.

Making stories was one of the few things he could accomplish even without anything else to his name.

“Err… I guess? I guess. Still. Fucking shitty. Shitty!” Romina yelled.

“Maybe. Or maybe it’s to illustrate a greater need or goal,” Edmund countered. “Maybe there’ll be a sequel where their loss is the driving point for everything else. Or they just get a magic do-over and suddenly aren’t dead.”

“Magic do-overs are almost worse. You almost come to expect them.”

“So you’d rather have the character you loved remain dead?”

“I-I don’t… I don’t know? Guh. Now I don’t really know. I want her back but in the same breath that negates the entirety of the weight of the blow.”

Romina huffed, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned back into the couch. They were currently at her place rather than his. She’d taken him up on his offer to stay indoors rather than going out.

Everything he’d wanted to fix today, had been fixed.

“I mean, at least you’re being honest with your answer. Some people just—”

“Ooooh nooo,” chimed Edmund’s phone from the side-table next to the couch.

Snickering, he looked over to the screen and froze.

It was a simple message.

A single period.

The number was unknown and blocked as well.

He knew what it meant though as well as who it was from.

It was a code from his sister to meet up so they could talk tonight. Preferably at the normal time that they’d previously established.

“Looks like spam,” Romina curiously said, staring over his shoulder.

“Doesn’t it?” Edmund answered and then sighed. He picked up his phone, deleted the message and then put his phone back down. “Eh… it serves as a good interruption point for us. Movie’s over and you said you wanted to record an unboxing video.

“If it’s a gun, you should just text Andrea and have her do it with you, or do it by herself. You know how she gets about weapons.”

Romina blinked, then nodded her head rapidly. She practically leapt out of her seat and scurried over to the counter and her cell phone.

“That’s perfect, I’ll text her right now. I’m sure she’ll send an Other over immediately,” Romina said.

“Yeah, do that. You should also tell her that dragging the corpse of an Other through the lobby is a problem and makes a mess for others to clean up,” offered Edmund, getting to his feet.

He partly wanted to linger to see if he could move the conversation about “Them” with Romina. They’d been seeing each other like this for a while and while it felt comfortable, it also felt lacking to him.

Being friends wasn’t his goal with her. Admittedly he hadn’t brought it up, or what he wanted, with her yet, but he’d almost worked up the nerve to broach the subject.

Almost, at least.

They’d skirted it a bit and Romina had seemed interested, but hadn’t pushed either.

For all he knew, they were both dancing around the subject.

Despite wanting to linger, he needed to go. His sister would only have a short window of time where she could get away and talk to him.

When their dad was almost blackout drunk in a recliner and their mom was as high as the moon somewhere in the trailer. Often trying to claw a hole through some part of her body as she dealt with the itchies.

***

Edmund really didn’t like coming back home.

Not at all.

This trailer parker was where he hadn’t spent most of his time. This had never really been home for him in any way.

“More like a prison. Yeah,” Edmund whispered to himself while nodding his head. He was sitting on a partly broken table and attached bench.

Waiting for his sister to show up as soon as their dad dipped out of being coherent. Chances were their mom was already out of her mind.

Pulling his phone out, Edmund began to casually flip through the forum that was part of the Legion Encampment app. It was more or less a massive all encompasing program that you did your time cards, benefits, socialized, sent email, messages, and even got advice from Tribue the master-class VI that would gladly kick your ass in chess if you asked her.

The glory of working for a Super Villain. When even your work apps are decades beyond what the government can even contemplate.

“Ah! You’re here!” came a hushed voice.

Looking up from his phone and tucking it into his pocket, Edmund saw his younger sister. She was moving quickly over to him at a fast walk.

They didn’t look much alike in any way. To the point that Edmund really wasn’t even sure if they were siblings or half-siblings.

He wouldn’t put his past his mom to be unfaithful.

Wouldn’t blame her either.

His sister was short, twelve-years old, long-brown hair, and pale brown eyes. She was cute and would probably grow into an attractive woman.

If she managed to survive the trailer park and their parents without getting pregnant, murdered, or homeless.

“Course I am. I got your message. I’ve never missed a meeting and won’t miss one,” Edmund said with a grin. Very few people knew his sister existed or that he was related to her. Fewer still that he’d make things happen just to make sure she was safe and sound.

Err… I’m sure Felix and Faith know.

I’d bet on it, in fact.

There’s no way they wouldn’t.

“Thanks. I… thanks,” his sister said and then hugged him as he got down off the park table. She held onto him for several seconds and then released him. She pointed at the bench and sat down. “I needed to talk to you.

“Well… not needed, I guess. I just wanted to talk to you. I missed you and things are the same as always. I feel like I get a break from reality whenever you come back.”

“Well, I’ll just have to make a greater effort to come back,” Edmund answered with a chuckle. “Real talk, I’ll do what I can Lee to come by more often. It’s just hard because I’ve already used all my vacation time to see you. I made a deal with my boss that’ll let me stay out here for a few days to make sure things are alright before going back to the office. Over the weekend, really.

“I get to ‘work at home’ I guess. It works. I’m going to rent a hotel room nearby and just do my thing there.”

“You are? That’s great!” said Earline with a bright smile. “Oh that’s so great. I’ll have to whip up some excuse so I can go out and visit you. Can we go get food and stuff?”

“Sure, we can go get food and stuff,” Edmund agreed, grinning at her. “So nothing’s wrong? Everything’s okay? Didn’t need me, just wanted me?”

“Yeah… yeah. Kinda that,” hedged his sister.

“Kinda that, kinda not? Than what’s the not?”

Earline scowled, then looked off into the distance.

“Is it mom and dad?”

Earline shook her head, looking even more angry.

“Then… what? Do you need something?”

Once again Earline didn’t respond. She let her eyes slowly drop down to the ground before she finally clicked her tongue, and sighed.

“Clyde wants to ‘date me’ he says. I told him no ‘cause that’s just stupid. The last thing I wanna do is tie myself down to most of the people around here. I’m going to escape. Just like you did.

“Get out there and be somebody and never look back. Never ever.”

“Right. I mean, I get that. I get that a lot. You don’t have to wait for any of that though, Lee. We could always just have you separated from mom and dad. Come live with me. There’s some great schools nearby where I work. Wouldn’t even be that hard to make it happen. Just some legal stuff and then it’d be all set,” Edmund offered for perhaps the hundredth time. The sooner he could get her away from their parents the better.

“I-ah… no. No,” declined Earline with a slow shake of her head. “No. Soon though. Soon. Promise. Real soon.”

Edmund had no idea why Earline always said no. It didn’t make a lick of sense to him. Even Earline couldn’t logically explain it.

For whatever reason, she just wasn’t willing to move in with him just yet. It was the same answer every time for the last four or so years.

“Well, as far as Clyde goes, just keep telling him no. If he gets up to more than that, tell the teachers. If they don’t listen, tell me,” Edmund offered. “I can make things happen. I can make anything happen. You just have to tell me what you want.”

Edmund would go straight to Felix and Faith in a flash if it would get Earline out of this shit-hole. Get her away from everything that was going wrong here and away from the dangers.

“I will! I will. I promise. Just because I don’t want to leave yet doesn’t mean I’m going to be stupid. After you spoke to the principal last time the teachers have been willing to help me.”

Edmund had called the principal after Lee had been bullied by a number of kids in class. He’d leaned on his Legion credentials a bit.

Even going so far as to have her tune in to Romina’s broadcast so he could walk into the background and wave at the camera.

With the phone next to his ear.

After that the principal had been far more receptive to his requests for help for Lee. Reaching out to her teachers to make sure that the bullying and problems would stop.

At least for Lee.

If it starts going sideways again I’m not going to wait for Lee to give me the go ahead. I’m going to push ahead with my court case anyways.

Waiting too long could be worse than not waiting at all.

“How’re things with you?” Earline asked, changing the subject. Edmund decided it wasn’t worth pushing at. “Are you dating Romina now? You guys having sex yet?”

“Oh my hell that’s not something my twelve year old sister should be asking me!” Edmund sputtered out with a laugh. He knew first hand that his parents didn’t give a damn for anything and he’d learned first hand what sex was very early.

They didn’t believe in closing or locking doors inside the trailer, either.

“Are you?” prompted Earline.

“No. I asked if we could hang out today and we watched a movie together. Drank a little beer. Nothing big,” Edmund answered with a rueful shake of his head.

“Okay, but… that’s just friend stuff. You need to get her to see you as something more than just a friend. So ask her out on a date, not to hang out. Those are two different things,” Earline declared with a firmness that shouldn’t belong to a pre-teen.

“Yeah, yeah. Got it. You sound like Faith,” muttered Edmund with a roll of his eyes. “She keeps telling me I just need to ask her out.”

“She’s right! You should. You’re wasting time and letting other guys get close. Push it and get in there!”

“Uh huh,” Edmund muttered and glanced down to Lee’s shoes. He noted they were looking a bit worn. He’d have to buy her a new used pair of shoes.

They’d learned early on that if he got her anything new, their parents would just confiscate it and sell it or trade it away. Used items were a lot less likely to get taken.

Glancing at her clothes he also noted that it was the same outfit she’d worn the last time they’d talked. That meant she didn’t have anything else she wanted him to see her in.

New used clothes, too.

Probably means she’ll need a bag and supplies.

Ugh… why are our parents so wretched.

***

“I feel like a man dying of thirst watching another man drown,” Edmund’s phone stated.

“Oh… time’s up?” Earline asked.

“Yeah. This is about when dad wakes up and then pushes mom to the bedroom. Not always but enough that you really should be home,” Edmund confirmed but felt rather bad in saying it.

No sooner than the words were spoken than Earline’s face fell. Her entire countenance turning sour and fearful.

Much as he’d experienced when he lived there, it was like being told you had to go back into solitary confinement.

“Hey, I’ll be around. Remember? I’m not leaving till the weekend’s over. That’s tomorrow and the next day. Go ahead and head back. I’ll be back tomorrow,” Edmund promised.

Earline hopped off the bench and paused there.

“I do want to move in with you, brother,” Lee murmured. “Don’t… don’t think I don’t want to. I do. I’m just-I need to have things sorted out in my head first. Soon as it’s sorted, I’ll say yes and you can get me out of here.”

“Alright. I’ll hold you to that,” Edmund murmured as Earline stepped in close and hugged him. She held onto him tightly.

“Thanks… Ed. Thank you. I know that out of everyone in the world, you’re the one I can count on,” whispered Earline. Clinging to him. “You’re my brother and without you I’d be without-without anything. I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m your Ed-boy as you used to call me when you were little,” Edmund grumbled, hugging Earline in return.

His sister released him, patted him on the shoulder, than walked off.

“And you’re still my Ed-boy,” Earline threw over her shoulder as she left. She did end up betraying her “strong” attitude when she glanced over her shoulder to see he was still there.

Ayup.

Same Earline.

Stepping up and away from the bench, Edmund began walking back to his car. He’d parked near the leasing office since it was one of the few places that’d have a camera.

His car wasn’t exactly an overly expensive model, but it was still something that a drunk would gladly break into if only to see if there was anything to steal out of the center console.

Or just throw up in it.

Before he’d taken ten steps, Edmund heard it.

The slow ugly chuckle of people who he recognized and really didn’t want to deal with. People who’d never had a single good intention to him.

Pulling on his power he made a split second decision to make a save point right here and now. He’d over-write the save he’d made this morning and use it for this moment in time.

If worst came to worst, he could load his weekly save and start over from there.

“Look who’s here,” hissed a female voice. “It’s Edmund. All growed up, dressed nice, and looking… like a fat wallet.”

“You got something for us, fat wallet?” asked a second voice.

Edmund couldn’t see them, they were all shrouded in the dark of the area. In fact, he couldn’t see very much of anything.

They’d caught him out in between areas where there was almost no light at all.

Waiting not a second longer, Edmund dove fully into his power.

Yanking up the save file from this morning, he dropped a new save down on top of it. Overwriting it completely with the world-state.

A second later and he was back in his body and wondering what would happen first. Who would approach and in what direction.

“Sorry, Harper,” Edmund said, knowing exactly who the original speaker was. “Don’t have shit on me you’d want. No cash and the credit cards I have, are all blocked by a pin and have a picture on the back of them.

“Pretty sure you can’t pass for me. Nothing other than that that you could use.”

“Your phone. I could use that,” muttered Harper. He couldn't see her but he could see the vague shape of her drawing closer to him.

“Sorry, need that. Probably best if we just go separate ways at this point,” Edmund offered, trying to defuse the situation entirely. He didn’t want this escalating here and now if he could stop it.

It’d only bring the cops and might even lead back to Earline somehow in some fashion. You didn’t ever want the cops coming around unless you could prevent it.

“Shut the fuck up, wallet,” growled someone else a second before a fist came flying at Edmund’s face.

Damnit. I didn’t want to get into this.

Without another thought, he loaded up the save state he’d just dropped.

There was an flash of movement and then the world was as it had been only seconds before. Leaving Edmund right back where he was when he’d saved everything.

No sooner than he could discern all the enemies closing in on him, then he realized this would be a perfect time to get a number count. To see who was all here and what weaponry he’d be dealing with.

Pulling out the pistol he had tucked away behind him, inside his waistband, Edmund backed up quickly. He lined up the sights on the person who’d attacked him and pulled the trigger. He began cycling it left and right, pulling the trigger over and over.

In no time at all he’d expended the entirety of the magazine of his concealed carry weapon. The slide racking back and held in place.

There wasn’t anyone standing now.

“Okay. Numbers check and weapons check” Edmund muttered and then moved over to the dead and dying. He needed to collect info and there was no time to waste.