The Weaving Force: Chapter 18 (Patreon)

Chapter 18:

Alexandria:

It was easier, in that moment, to focus on the goings on in front of her, easier to block out the eyes burning holes in the back of her head, easier to push aside the knowledge that the instant they had any semblance of privacy a conversation needed to be had.

She liked to think she avoided easy. That she wasn’t afraid of doing the hard things when it was needed. But for right now, she was grateful for the temporary delay.

The ‘Mandalorians’ (as Rugess told her the armored terrorists were called) - or what was left of them - were corralled by the police. Most were unconscious, and would stay unconscious for a good long while given their injuries. But a few were still aware enough.

Their helmets had been removed, their guns and backup auxiliaries as well. The pile of wrist mounted flamethrowers, jetpacks, combat knives, and such was impressive.

With their helmets off, Alexandria could see their faces, and, oh, what a story she could read there.

They were angry - most of them anyway - resigned to their fate but proud that they’d tried all the same. Not mercenaries then. Not hired thugs. Those types didn’t feel pride. No. It was just a job.

This was more than a job for them.

Idealogues. This was for a cause of some kind.

Some looked at her, fearful and afraid, muttering under their breath about ‘tech’ or that she was a freak of some kind. Strictly speaking she was; but that wasn’t relevant right now.

More than that a few kept looking around them, searching. Expecting something. A second attack? Some kind of rescue?

She didn’t have enough information to tell. Not yet.

…

Perhaps she should have left more than two of the ground team members aware and alert. The aggregate information might have been useful in filling in the blanks.

“Excuse me.”

The voice brought Rebecca’s attention towards a man, guard captain if she were judging the embroidery on his armor correctly compared to his fellows; along with the woman behind him.

“I’m captain Cadera, of the Mandalore Royal Guard. This is Duchess Satine Kryze, of house Kryze.”

“I would like to extend my thanks for your timely intervention.” The woman, blonde, sharp featured; but wary, careful and on guard. “Your display was… unique”

Concerned. She was concerned.

Alexandria didn’t regret her display, not really. With no knowledge of how Militia’s fight was going on in the ship she needed to eliminate the ground forces quickly in case her intervention was needed above- and if her powers were going to become known, might as well use it to get some clout with the local that merited an assassination squadron to try and take her down.

Still, concern and fear were not ideal but not wholly unworkable.

“We’ve also received various statements from the passengers regarding your compatriots.” Captain Cadera muttered. “They say you… locked a man’s boot to the floors?”

“We’re just full of surprises.” Dennis smiled, but it could barely be called such. It was almost a sneer, and the expression sent alarm bells flashing across Rebecca’s mind.

The boy was close to his proverbial limit. Wether it was seeing Rebecca’s face and the pseudo confirmation he seemed to dread of the memories in his head, the attack, the situation in general, or more likely than not a combination of everything she didn’t have the time to discern right now- what she needed to do was make sure this went over ‘well enough’ to keep their doors of communication open.

“I understand if you have questions.” She cut in carefully, making her voice sound softer as she watched the two. “We’ll be more than happy to answer any of them but it has been a very… trying trip. Might we perhaps get treated for our injuries, rest and meet at your convenience tomorrow”

She watched the two of them carefully, Cadera looked to the Duchess, waiting on her choice and Alexandria made certain to note that for the future, he was obedient; at least for now.

The Duchess herself was interesting, a slight narrowing of her eyes that could be mistaken for her features softening as the rest of her face did exactly that. She did feel indebted, she understood and agreed with the reasoning.

But she knew she was being played.

She knew something wasn’t adding up here, with Alexandria herself.

Something she’d seen in the fight? Perhaps in Clockblocker or Militia’s faces behind her? Or Rugess?

Regardless, the woman felt as though Alexandria was playing her false, good instincts on the whole.

Then again, she was a duchess, powerplays and false faces might very well be par for the course.

“I understand and indeed, you should be allowed to rest.” The Duchess nodded. “You are travelers, yes? Do you have accommodations for the night? If not- the least I could do in repayment for your help would be to offer you rooms in the palace.”

Alexandria hesitated. Satine’s expression told her the offer was, on the whole, genuine- but the woman wanted to keep them close in the way one kept close a poisonous insect so you wouldn’t lose it crawling around the room.

Taking her offer had advantages, guaranteeing further conversation and thus, room to manipulate an important ruling figure. But if the conversation with Militia and Dennis took a sour turn, which it likely would, there might be far far too many eyes and ears overhearing such for her to feel comfortable with it.

Ruggess babbled something rapidly behind her, vaguely she recognized his words as something positive about New Mandalorian Hospitality.

The Duchess seemed to take his words as accepting the invitation; smiling as she bowed ever so slightly; “Then I welcome you as guests of house Kyrze.”

Alexandria schooled her expression, wondering if she should argue against it, the impending discussion with Militia and Clockblocker looming large in her mind beore she decided against it.

After all, if they went and found some sort of hotel, who’s to say the Duchess wouldn’t simply have spies sent there.

It’s what she would have done in the Duchess’ place at any rate.

(X)(X)(X)

Guards escorted them to the palace; the Duchess stayed behind to stay informed on what the investigators found and the information extracted from the prisoners; that was fine, ideal even. If she was over there she had potentially, less eyes on them in her own palace.

But the silence between the three of them was tense as they traveled with the guards. A thousand questions brewed behind Militia’s eyes, all regarding her identity, the betrayal to the laws and ideals of the Protectorate and the PRT, the betrayal of what Militia had thought they stood for, was almost plainly naked on her face.

A part of Alexandria felt, genuine remorse for this turn of events. How it would affect the way Militia saw her. Her one time Ward’s admiration was something she’d never wanted to betray.

But more concerning was what she could see in the boy, Clockblocker. He stewed in his silence; bubbling like a simmering pressure cooker ready to explode with every passing second. He was seething in his chair and whatever thoughts were circling round and round in his head was making it actively worse.

The grandeur of the palace was almost lost on them, preoccupied as they all were, but it was a large structure, Number Man could have likely spent an hour measuring the place just by the size of the doorway and the width of the halls.

The Guards moved without a word of their own save brief instructions for places they could and could not go while they remained here, but even to them it was obvious that their little group had far too much to discuss and they didn’t linger long past giving them the access codes to their individual rooms.

She opened the doors to her room first, and both Militia and Clock forewent exploring their own spaces, rather choosing to follow after her. Whatever conversation they were going to have about Rebecca Costa Brown; they were going to have it right now.

As she opened the door, the room was expansive, a large bed, sitting area, even a balcony; it would be considered a hotel VIP suite back home. The square foot measure of Shmi’s entire home could fit just in this room

Alexandria used the space to gain some distance, stepping away from Militia and Clockblocker behind her. Rugess had been left with the medics, finally getting his hands properly treated for the time being granting them some much needed privacy.

“I take it you have questions.” she opened.

“Nah seems really fucking clear to me.”

Clockblocker’s voice came out as a laugh, high in its pitch and high strung in its tone. Not quite hysterics, but edging somewhere uncomfortably close to it.

“Dennis?” Militia called, reaching hesitantly towards him.

But the boy brought his eyes up, staring at Alexandria with what was undoubtedly loathing in his gaze, disgust and anger and just the faintest hint of desperation warring within them. “Tell me something-” He chuckled, “Is this shit about Cauldron in my head real too?”

He said it so blase so carelessly it almost made her flinch. Her eyes flickered towards Militia, seeing the confusion there-

“Don’t say anything el-”

“Or what?” He laughed, and there was nothing funny there, nothing kind. The boy had reached the edge of his patience; reached the end of his threshold of whatever it had been that had allowed him to hold onto his composure until this moment.

It seemed now that the worst of his fears were seemingly confirmed he was ready to let loose. “You’ll kill us?” He sneered as he laughed again under his breath. “Not like any of us are in line for a long and full life.”

“Dennis stop.” Militia was suddenly in front of the boy, hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look at her and break his gaze away from Alexandria. “You’re scaring me, what is this?”

The roiling, resentful anger frothing inside the boy seemed to calm, to go still, even as he looked away from the both of them.

Then he spoke again, his voice softer this time but no less cutting “What is it Chief Director? How much time do we got? Two years? Five tops? Those rumors make a lot more sense now. You knew. You must’ve known how we’d all die-”

“Stop talking.” She barked finding her voice, one of her fists clenching tightly.

“You-” He snarled, face whipping back towards her in a rictus of rage and hate that might have genuinely scared her had she been anyone else. “-don’t get to give me orders!”

“STOP!” Militia shouted, planting herself between Alexandria and her Ward. “Both of you Stop! I don’t know what the hell either of you are going on about but someone is going to give me answers and then we’re going to talk through this. Not scream at eachother like idiots!”

“Scion is a ticking time bomb.” The boy blurts out, staring right at Alexandria, just to see if she would flinch. But she’s ready this time; she doesn’t. “In a few years he’s set to go off. Kill everyone on earth. Me included.” He chirped the last sentence, like someone delivering a ‘neat’ little factoid.

Militia’s eyes widen, something incredulous flashing there and Rebecca saw the opportunity for damage control.

“Your Ward has lost his mind.” She drawled, as calmly as she could force herself to be.

Dennis fixed his eyes on her again, and this time she felt the very real need to brace herself.

“You die, drowning in webs”

She couldn’t help it; the memory flashed before her mind, perfect recollection allowing her to nearly physically relive the sickening, horrifying sensation; chittering legs scratching at her throat, mandibles biting at her tissues, muscles sucking down air that would not come.

She flinched, and Militia could see the truth of the words on Alexandria’s own face even if she wasn’t sure how to quite believe them.

Dennis marched across the room, nearly collapsing in a chair, as his fingers rose to curl through his messy hair.

Silence drowned the room for several seconds.

“You weren’t surprised.”

It’s Militia who breaks the quiet, soft vocals almost hesitating to do so. “I saw a lot of emotions on your face when we saw Alexandria’s identity…” She confessed. “-but I didn’t see surprise.”

Dennis’ laugh sounded more like a sob this time.

The boy lifted his head. “I wanted to be wrong.” He whispered. “Because if I was wrong about her ID, I could be wrong about everything else I remember too.”

He sucked down a shaking, broken breath of air and this time he was crying, tears trailing down his cheeks as they glimmered in his eyes turning to look up at Militia as though pleading for some kind of forgiveness. “But I wasn’t wrong.” He whispered; as though his words would make it all the more true.

He turned, returning his eyes to Alexandria. “Its all true isn’t it? Everything in my head. “You, Legend, Eidolon. You guys are Cauldron. You give out powers, made the case 53’s. Did you know? Did you know he’d eventually kill us all?”

Militia’s eyes darted to her, watching her, and Alexandria knew that she could still fight this… she could still… salvage this.

She could gaslight her, gaslight them both. On the face of it, what Dennis was saying was crazy; conspiracy theories, raving about the end of the world.

It may not be easy but it was doable; she would have to walk a very fine line but…

A thought occurred to her then- a stray dangerous… curiosity.

She paused, hesitating.

Then her hand reached down, towards the tablet they’d been using to learn the language on the ship beforehand.

“Alexandria-”

“Give me…” She interrupted Militia, fingers pausing, deathly still over the screen, almost afraid to touch it.

She didn’t.

She set the device down, backing away from it as she turned and stared out of the balcony of their room to the city and deserts of Mandalore beyond the glass..

But the thought, the question of that insidious curiosity, had taken root, writhing in her mind like a snake leaking poison from its fangs.

Silence reigned over them.

It was heavy. Oppressive. Suffocating almost as much as…

“Yes.” She finally said, the confession falling from her lips like a lead weight. “It's true.”

She didn’t turn to look at Militia’s face, didn’t need to. The betrayal she would find there was obvious enough.

“I became the chief director because we needed the world and the protectorate on the same page. Cauldron is an agency that sells powers, to both heroes and villains. Case 53’s are a result of our experiments… and we’ve been preparing for the inevitability of Scion’s rampage and the extinction of humanity at his hands since the founding of the protectorate.”

Every word felt like a deathknell falling onto their heads. Rarely did Cauldron allow for anyone to know of who and what they were, let alone the reality of Scion.

If not Contessa, Number Man would eliminate them, the more people knew, the more his calculations could be thrown off, the more possibilities Scion could rampage early blossomed.

Even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t be able to protect them. Not really.

And yet… she wondered as her eyes trailed up towards the still orange sky above.

-did any of it… actually matter???

The silence returned. A stillness in the room.

Militia broke it. The only one here still… her. Still true and almost innocent.

“We have to warn-”

“Warnings wouldn’t have mattered.” It was Dennis who interrupted Militia this time. “There was nowhere to go. Nowhere to run… It wouldn’t have mattered.” He muttered.

His thoughts were a grim echo to Alexandria’s own.

Militia swallowed, clearly reeling with the revelations before she seemed to rally, steadying herself as she stepped forward, hands placing themselves over Dennis’ shoulders.

The boy didn’t look up.

“Dennis…” She swallowed again, her throat bobbing as she forced down whatever doubts, whatever emotions threatened to reach up and silence her. “We’re gonna figure this out… Ok?”

Hopeful words. Pretty… but useless.

Were it so easy-

“Were they fighting?” Alexandria asked, perhaps choosing to stop the boy from tossing Militia’s pretty words back in her face… perhaps… her curiosity getting the better of her. “I know I was gone… But Eidolon, Legend… Did we even slow him down?”

She didn’t get an answer, and that was answer enough.

Even so, she looked at him, hoping, fleetingly, that perhaps she might be wrong.

Dennis gave her no such false hopes.

“He whispered something in Eidolon’s ear.” The boy shrugged. “Then he killed him.” Dennis shrugged.

“So, congratulations… you bought us like ten minutes.” He stood from his chair, marching towards the door-

“Hope it was worth it.”

He stepped out of the room and Alexandria waited until he was out of earshot.

“Follow him.” She demanded of Militia. “Don’t leave him alone.”

Her former Ward had too many questions, too many doubts, more than ever before, but still she followed these orders.

Not because she was compelled to, not because it was in her nature. But because she saw the same thing Alexandria saw.

If they left the boy alone now- well… It was a tall building.

Militia left and when Alexandria fell into her chair she felt… heavy… powerless.

Ten Minutes.

The efforts of her life…

It all amounted to ten minutes.

(X)(X)(X)

This chapter was *fun* to write. Alexandria is one of the most underused characters in the fandom. Everything you can DO with a character that has so much *potential* is just oodles of fun.

Also, as a bonus, a slight edit was made to chapter 16.

One of my Betas told me "Hey, I know you can't make the fight through Alexandria's Pov interesting, why not use a Mando Pov.

And like that I realized I was an idiot; missed the forest for all the trees getting in the way.

So Alexandria gets to show properly how scary she is in chapter 16 now, head on over there to enjoy that along with this chapter :D