Summus Proelium

“But why do we have to move?” Emilee Nilsen protested while squirming in the back seat of the sedan that had been sent by Ten Towers to deliver the eight-year-old, her two older siblings, and Murphy (who was basically an older sister to the girl anyway) to what was apparently going to be their brand new home. “I like our apartment. The people there are nice, and I didn’t even get to say goodbye to all of them.” The small brown-haired girl, who seemed to be completely drowning in a large gray sweatshirt that was a couple sizes too big for her, pointed back the way they had come. Or at least, she tried to. The jacket was big enough that her hand had vanished entirely within the sleeve. And the motion made that sleeve almost smack Murphy as it whipped around before the girl quickly yanked her head out of the way. She and Roald were seated on either side of Emilee in the backseat, while Rubi was in the front passenger side next to their driver.

“I didn’t get tah say g’bye to Mrs. Donaldson, or Mr. Larris, or Benny and Clover, or--” she began to recite. Which, knowing the outgoing and almost dangerously friendly girl the way her siblings did, could amount to simply listing every single occupant of their entire building. And probably a fair number of the neighboring buildings as well.

“It’s okay, Ems,” Rubi quickly assured her while turning a bit in her front passenger seat to look that way. “We’re not going that far, I promise. We’ll go back and visit, and you can walk through the whole building telling everyone goodbye and that you’ll come back and visit.” It was tempting for Rubi to tell the girl they never had to go back to that too-small, too-dangerous, rundown place again. But that would be a mistake. Emilee was right, the place had been their home for a long time. All her friends were there, every memory she had took place in that neighborhood. Emilee was too young to appreciate how dangerous the place was, how hard it was to keep it heated or cooled, how much they had to scrape and save only to barely get by month after month. She was a kid, with a kid’s perception of things. As far as she knew, that apartment was a perfect, cozy little home, and now she was being forced to leave it behind.

Roald gave a quick nod and put his hand on his little sister's shoulder. “Yeah, we’ll go back. We're still staying in the city, Emilee. And you can have some of your friends come visit as soon as we're settled, right?”

“Right,” Rubi confirmed. “You’ll have your own room, and a yard to play in.”

Shifting uncertainly at that little revelation, the younger girl asked, “A yard? Like, our own yard? We're not going to another apartment?” It seemed she had been under the impression that they would be going to a place roughly equivalent to the one they had been in. Of course, Rubi had explained what was going on before, but she was pretty sure her little sister hadn’t been listening that well. She had been too busy dwelling on the fear of not wanting to leave her home.

In that moment, Rubi couldn't keep the bright smile off her face. Despite everything that had happened and all the dangers that were surely in front of them, this was the good part that would make everything worth it. “That's right, your own backyard. Wait until you see it. There's a whole swingset and a big tree just for you. And your friends.” Truthfully, Rubi herself had only seen the place once on a quick walkthrough a couple hours earlier as the man from Ten Towers made sure it was acceptable. And boy was it ever that. She was still completely overwhelmed by all this. None of it had actually managed to sink in yet, and probably wouldn't for a long time. She was a Touched now. More than that, she was going to be a member of Ten Towers.

Only a couple days ago, she had been emptying trash cans as a simple no-name member of the housekeeping service for a law firm she almost certainly had had no chance of ever actually working as a lawyer at. The bills were piling up, she was a nineteen-year-old girl with three younger siblings to take care of and get through their own schooling, and things had seemed, if not bleak, at least not very bright.

Now she had powers. And more importantly, she had a future. The people from Ten Towers were leasing this house for them, in a good neighborhood. She was going to be paid as a law clerk to look up cases for precedent, help write briefs, and everything else she needed to know about in order to actually get through law school. Speaking of which, she would be attending classes on that as well, to get an actual degree so she could take the bar exam. Sure, it would take quite awhile to get through while she was taking care of her other responsibilities. Very dangerous responsibilities in some cases. But it was more forward momentum in a single day than she’d had in a long time. And more importantly, it was forward momentum with solid ground under her feet.

Yeah, it was a lot. Putting all that together with the idea that they were moving to a new home already with very little warning and it was no wonder it all felt so overwhelming. But also good. It felt good. Rubi couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so optimistic. It was… it was weird. Especially considering the dangerous things she was going to be a part of now. And sure, she felt nervous about that. But she could handle it. She had a future now, a way to properly provide for her siblings and invest in her own future. No matter what happened next, that was so incredibly important. The whole idea of not having to worry about their heating or electricity being turned off, or having enough food in the fridge to stop them from slowly starving, was worth any amount of danger she had to throw herself into. At least she wouldn’t be facing it on a half-empty stomach. Or worse, while knowing that her siblings could end up on the streets.

That had been the most important point that Rubi made sure was included in the contract she signed to join Ten Towers. If anything happened to her, then Emilee, Roald, and even Murphy would be taken care of for the rest of their lives. They would be given an education, housing, helped to find jobs, anything they needed. That was what made this whole thing worth it, and the reason why she wasn't nearly as worried as she had been, despite the added danger. Knowing that the people she cared about would be taken care of no matter what was worth more than she could possibly explain.

By that point, the car had stopped in front of the house in question. To most people, it probably wouldn't stand out at all. It looked like any ordinary middle class home, a two-story brick house with a simple front yard that had a single tree, a patio that wrapped around the front and left side of the building, and a fence that was low and chainlink in the front before switching to a taller wooden variety to encase the backyard. There was space for a flower garden under the windows in front, though nothing was there at the moment. Many might've called the place a little rundown even, just because it needed a new coat of paint and the driveway could stand to be repaved. But to Rubi, it was the single most beautiful and amazing house she'd ever seen in her life. Because it was hers. Yes technically it was owned by Ten Towers for the time being, but the paperwork had made it clear that the home belonged to her in every way that mattered. As long as she fulfilled her part of the contract, she could do anything she wanted with it. They could redecorate, renovate, anything and everything. They had space here, real actual space. All of them would have their own rooms, even Murphy. They had the yards, both front and back, a driveway, a garage, a full kitchen and dining room. Hell, they had a basement. There was nothing in it at the moment, but they had a basement! The whole idea made Rubi want to fall over laughing, and maybe crying a little. But happy tears.

Together, they all stepped out of the car. Emilee was still a little hesitant about the whole thing, but seemed a bit more curious than she had before the whole idea of having an actual yard had come up. Now, she stared in awe. “Is… is that gonna be our house?”

“Uh, Ems?” Murphy coughed before reaching out to put both hands on the girl’s shoulders to turn her a bit. “That’s the garage. That’s the house.” She was suitably rewarded with an astonished gasp from Emilee, whose eyes widened in disbelief.

That, right there, made the whole thing worth it. Yes, things were moving quickly. Yes, Rubi was throwing herself into all of this, she was agreeing to do some very dangerous things. But then, she had gotten into this by falling into something dangerous to begin with. This entire situation had started because she had almost managed to get herself killed by the Scions simply by walking through the wrong apartment building at the wrong time. Which proved there was no such thing as being perfectly safe. There hadn’t been before she had powers and there certainly wouldn’t be now. So she might as well have people around her who knew how to help with the dangerous situations that would pop up. And while she was at it, they might as well be the type of people who could put that expression on her little sister’s face.

And, of course, she couldn’t forget about the Ministry. They were out there, still manipulating things, still secretly controlling who was given a break and who wasn’t, who lost everything and who was given a free pass. They were beholden to no one except themselves, had no oversight, no one else to answer to. They hid themselves from the public while profiting off everything they did. She couldn’t--wouldn’t forget about that. Not after being on the side of the forgotten for so long.

But for now, all that mattered was seeing more of that look. No, seeing more of those looks. Because the same wide-eyed expression of awe was written across Roald and Murphy’s faces as well.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Rubi prompted, stepping up to open the waist-high gate before gesturing to the house.

“Let’s go home.”

*********

“So, how are the kids liking their new place?”

“How are they liking it?” Echoing that as she walked through a utilitarian-looking cement tunnel a few hours after taking her family through their home, Rubi glanced over at the woman who had asked it. Her companion on this walk was an athletic-looking Asian woman in her twenties, with close-cropped hair that had been dyed white. “I think they’re probably still jumping on the beds, uh, Ms Caishen.”

A snort escaped the woman in question. “Yes, well, if they end up breaking them, let us know. I feel like we can… spring for that.” She smiled a bit at her own pun before adding, “And I told you, it’s Natsuki when we’re not in costume. You’re part of the team, Rubi. We look after each other. Anything you need, even if it’s just someone to talk to about the insanity you’re bound to run into.”

Even then, Rubi still almost referred to her as Ms. Quinlan, the woman’s last name. She had to cough and correct herself. “Ah, sure, Natsuki. Sorry, this is just--it’s a lot.”

“Oh I know, believe me,” Natsuki informed her with a light chuckle. “I certainly didn’t see myself in this sort of position back before…” She paused, then shook her head. “Sorry, we’re supposed to be focusing on you. Remind me to tell you how I ended up here someday. Just make sure you have time and that we’ve got plenty to drink.” With that added murmur at the end, she stopped as the two of them had reached the end of the tunnel and were standing in front of an elevator door. “Right, so we started at the other end back there in the restroom of that old shoe store.”

Rubi gave a short nod before stepping into the elevator with the other woman as a nearby red light turned green and the doors slid open. “I guess the employees are your people? Do they all know who you are?” And by extension, she thought but didn’t ask, did they now know who she was?

Clearly understanding what she was getting at, Natsuki leaned against the wall of the elevator as it started to rise with a smooth whooshing sound. “Only one employee, Mrs. O’Hannigan. She can be trusted, I promise. She’s also paid quite well to ignore you. Unless there’s a problem. Then there’s almost no Prev I’d rather have on my side. Mrs. O’Hannigan was a nurse in LA back in the nineties. Not a good neighborhood either. But she kept her apartment building safe. The gangs steered clear, because Nurse O’Hannigan had a shotgun, plenty of beer bottles for her wicked throwing arm, and she absolutely did not fight fair. She retired from nursing after Touched started becoming a thing, and moved up here to be around her son when he went into college. Our people vetted and hired her, and now she watches over one of a dozen different tunnels we have scattered around the neighborhoods surrounding Towers Plaza. That’s the one nearest your house. You can walk there within a couple minutes. I suggest you do so a few times and check out the nearby shops so people get used to seeing you in the area. Better if you don’t stand out the next time you need to make an official trip.”

By that point, the elevator had stopped. Once again, they had to wait for the red light on the wall to turn green, indicating that they had been scanned and identified. Then the doors opened, and they stepped into a semi-circular hallway. The floor was soft white carpet while the walls had wood paneling. Natsuki pointed to the left, then the right. “If you go that way, you'll find a kitchen with everything you need to make a nice meal, a locker room leading to a fully-equipped gym and sauna, and a pool with a hot tub. Go the other way and you'll find our equipment room, entertainment lounge, and briefing room. The locker room is co-ed but there are individual, enclosed changing areas and showers. This entire floor is only accessible by members of our team.”

“I thought you said there were a dozen tunnels that the team uses to get up here from the outside,” Rubi pointed out while looking back over her shoulder. “There's only one elevator.”

The older woman winked at her. “Touched-Tech. Each tunnel brings you just barely within the plaza grounds. Well, underneath the plaza. Those doors you saw down there actually opened into a portal. You step through the portal and into the elevator, which is actually in the center of one of the towers. And trust me, that would be a much further walk if you had to do it on foot. That takes you up to this floor. Before you ask why we don’t just step from the tunnel straight into this place--”

“Safety measure,” Rubi guessed. “More scans to make sure you are who you’re supposed to be. If not, it locks down.”

Natsuki grinned. “See, I knew you’d do well around here. Now come on, I’ll give you the full walkthrough and then we can check out the suit concepts some of the R&D people have been working up. I think you’ll get a kick out of some of them. Have you thought at all about what sort of name you'd like to use?”

Before Rubi could respond to that, there was a soft chiming sound and a young, excited voice rang out from some sort of unseen intercom. “Mommy can we come see the new person? Kenny’s really excited.”

“Ah, that would be my daughter. She’s allowed here as well, but only with permission.” Natsuki glanced that way, hesitating slightly. “Don’t worry, she can’t hear us right now. If you’d rather she didn’t--”

“It’s okay,” Rubi quickly assured her. “I don’t mind. I--” She paused. “I guess I don’t know what her name is. Besides Lightning Bug. Wait, who’s Kenny?”

“Well first, Kenny is Kenobee, her--well, bee. And as far as her name goes, there’s another one on her birth certificate,” the other woman remarked with a light chuckle. “But I don’t think she’d even recognize it, to be honest. Her name is Lightning Bug. Though she prefers LB.” The way she pronounced it came out like Elbie. “Or just Bug. Speaking of which…” She turned toward the wall, raising her voice a bit. “Intercom Reply. Come on in, Bug, she can’t wait to meet you. And your friends.” She grimaced a bit after ordering the connection to end. “Sorry, I guess I didn’t actually ask how you feel about giant bugs.”

“We’ll find out pretty quick!” With that, Rubi chuckled despite herself. Then she frowned. “I just thought of something horrific. What would happen to your daughter if… if her bugs were hurt? There’s some sick freaks out there. And--well, accidents happen too.”

“And they are bugs, even if they’re big ones,” Natsuki agreed. “First, if those big bug bodies are broken, they pop apart and leave the little bug versions. And second, the insect friends are… sort of templates. If they actually die, Bug can put that template onto another, identical insect. She transfers their memories, personality, everything into the new body. Before you ask, no one’s ever actually intentionally hurt them. But it took awhile to fully understand how her powers worked, how strong they were, and… well, other things. A couple accidents happened.”

The sound of a lot of running feet filled the hallway then, before the small, red-skinned and white-haired little five-year-old came sprinting around the bend. She was accompanied by a neon-green beetle the size of a very large dog, a metallic purple bee as large as a cat, and a praying mantis that was over five feet tall.

The girl skidded to a stop right in front of them. Her mouth opened, and yet as she looked up to meet Rubi’s gaze, her nerve seemed to leap back out of her body, spin around, and retreat the way they’d come. She froze, staring silently for a moment before immediately ducking behind the large praying mantis. Only once she was safely out of sight did her voice emerge. “Um, h-hello, Miss.”

“Why hello there, to all of you.” Rubi politely greeted Bug as well as her friends. “You can call me Rubi. Is it okay if I call you Elbie?”

The very top of that little red face with the shock of white hair above rose just enough for her compound eyes to be visible. “Uh huh. Rubi’s a pretty name. Snugglebug likes it.” The nearby beetle bounced back and forth on either set of legs like an excited puppy.

“Aww, thank you, Snugglebug.” Rubi smiled, going down on one knee and reached out to pat him on the hard shell, which he seemed to enjoy. As the colorful Kenobee hovered closer, she gently brushed her fingers over him as well. “You know, I could use a little help. I’m supposed to come up with a superhero name, and I’m just having a little trouble. I bet you know a lot of good words. Can you share some?”

It started out with Elbie simply responding to her from behind the mantis, whose name was Simminin. Gradually, she came out into the open, and even started walking with her mother and Rubi to tour the facilities. By the time the tour was over, she had helped give the newest member of the Ten Towers Touched team her name.

And very soon the world would be officially introduced to Flurry.