The last two days had been almost restful for Lilith, though the rest of the city would likely have disagreed vehemently. The usual paparazzi who lurked around her home had largely been drawn off by Ivanova, which had made her shopping trip the previous day much easier, as she’d only been tailed by two reporters through the fabric store.
As for the rest of the city… well, there had been at least fifteen incidents that Lilith was aware of, the most impressive of which was when Glass Cannon had managed to encase the office building where Ivanova had been attending meetings downtown in a two-foot layer of bullet-proof glass, then had demanded an enormous amount of money to release her. Unfortunately for the villain, he’d neglected to notice that Archon had been nearby. He’d barely finished voicing his demands when she’d proved that even if his glass was bullet-proof, it wasn’t Archon-proof. Not even when he tried putting a bubble five feet thick around himself.
Lilith had mostly been keeping an eye on the news so that she could keep track of Archon and Spark, if she was being honest, all the while wondering why Daemonia had told her not to accept their advances. For that matter, she wondered why she was actually listening to the woman… other than the minor fact Daemonia could break Lilith over her knee like a twig, which was a disconcerting thought.
If she’d had the chance, she would have talked with Archon or Spark about the situation, but they were so busy that she hadn’t dared interrupt. Maybe she would’ve been able to talk to them over the phone, but Lilith didn’t trust the network, and using the superhero communicators didn’t feel right either, not with there being nearly two hundred more heroes on the Sentinel comms these days.
Finding the right page distracted Lilith, though, and she ran her finger down the diagram, and promptly scowled at it. The layout was almost the same as what she’d done, but she’d transposed two threads, which was what had messed up the feed. She considered for a moment, then decided that trying to detangle the mass wasn’t worth it. Setting the instructions aside, Lilith picked up the scissors sitting next to the sewing machine and used them to carefully cut the thread free, which made it necessary to remove most of the thread all the way to the needle, but that didn’t take long. Then Lilith threaded the sewing machine properly, and murmured, “There. Hopefully it works this time.”
Lilith wasn’t sure if she’d even have a chance to use the costume she was trying to make, but she was trying to pay closer attention to holidays, and while Halloween might be almost two months away, that gave her time to learn from her mistakes. Like this one, for instance.
She’d only just picked up the cut-out pattern for the first of the wristbands when the doorbell rang, and Lilith paused, blinking in surprise.
“What in the world?” Lilith murmured, frowning for a moment, then sighed and shook her head.
She stood up, setting the pattern aside as she turned off the sewing machine, wondering who could possibly be at the door. She hadn’t had a reporter ring the bell recently, and the neighborhood children had gotten bored of it eventually. No, the most likely candidate was Emily, she decided, heading downstairs at a decent clip. It’d be odd, since she’d been busy lately, but Lilith couldn’t think of who else it might be.
Lilith was almost the entire way to the door before she paused, considering another possibility, and frowned. “It couldn’t be Daemonia, could it? She… didn’t change her mind, did she?”
That possibility caused Lilith’s heartbeat to quicken a little, as she remembered the woman’s smile when she was only inches away. Still, she didn’t want to jump to conclusions, and there wasn’t much point in delaying. If it was Daemonia, there was no way that Lilith could keep her out if she really wanted inside, even if the building could hold her off for quite some time. That was the thing about Class S superhumans, from what Lilith had heard. Each of them was about the equivalent of a natural disaster, like a hurricane or volcano.
The doorbell rang again, and Lilith shook herself, breaking into a faster walk as she approached the door. She’d have called out for them to wait, but the house’s soundproofing would make that an exercise in futility. Still, after her time in Las Vegas and all of the times she’d been attacked, Lilith wasn’t about to open the door without making sure it wasn’t yet another attempt to kidnap or kill her.
She hit a button next to the door, which caused the small screen to light up above it, showing Lilith’s visitors, and it was all she could do not to gape in disbelief.
Standing on her doorstep was a woman of modest height, straight blonde hair which ended in a precise cut just past her shoulder blades, and with blue eyes set in a face that was pretty, though there was a severe cast to her facial structure. She also wore an outfit that reminded Lilith of one of the historical films Gina had watched set in the early 1900s, with a wool jacket and thin black hat. Lilith almost missed the basket the woman was carrying, she was so focused on everything else. Really, Ivanova’s appearance startled Lilith less than the fact that she was standing outside Lilith’s front door. Her guards were almost a side note in comparison, and the hints of a crowded street Lilith could make out in the small image didn’t surprise her at all.
“And here I was, thinking that things had gotten restful,” Lilith muttered, briefly considering not opening the door. It would be nice to pretend that the woman didn’t exist, and Lilith really, really didn’t need more complications in her life. Yet the simple fact Ivanova was outside would complicate her life, she decided a moment later. Lilith let out a sigh, then reluctantly opened the door.
“Hello, Mrs. Cheresk. I must say, this is a surprise,” Lilith said, not even blinking as she heard the sounds of cameras clicking. The man and woman to either side of Ivanova blocked a good deal of their view, but Lilith knew better than to expect them to block all of it.
The bodyguards looked Lilith over quickly, and the examination made Lilith extremely uncomfortable, as there was something about the big man and the shorter, black-haired woman that made her hair feel like it was standing on end. They were dangerous, and weren’t shy about showing it. Conversely, Ivanova smiled slightly, looking more amused than anything else.
“How very polite of you, Ms. Carpenter, and you are much more impressive in person than you are on the news,” Ivanova replied. Her voice wasn’t anything exceptional, except for in the sheer control she possessed. Every syllable was measured and precise, and Lilith adjusted her expectations of Ivanova slightly. Anyone who’d taken the time to train their voice to that extent was someone to pay attention to. Ivanova continued, seemingly unaware of Lilith’s thoughts. “May I come in? I brought a gift for you, and wished to speak with the heroine of Las Vegas.”
“I… what?” Lilith asked, pausing as she focused on the woman, then protested, flustered. “I’m not the heroine there! There were tons of people who helped, from the targeting data Chrome Tinker got me to Spark powering the cannon. I don’t deserve much credit, since I didn’t even know I had the gun!”
“Perhaps not, but you put yourself in danger, and while your previous actions were impressive, I do not believe they drew as much attention. An attack on a military base does not have the same impact as an attack on a convention center full of tens of thousands of civilians,” Ivanova replied evenly, watching Lilith curiously the entire time. “Regardless, whether you believe you deserve the credit or not, the media will portray you how they wish. You would have as much luck fighting the tides.”
Lilith was about to reply, but restrained herself, not quite biting her tongue as she studied the other woman, then nodded slightly. While she wasn’t entirely sure she agreed, having the discussion outside, in clear view of the media, wasn’t what she’d consider a good idea. Especially after reviewing the suggestions she’d gotten so far from Edna, the public image manager Osmar had put her in contact with.
“Well, it would be rude of me to turn you away, especially under the circumstances. Come in,” Lilith said, stepping back to allow them in. The man came first, taking a quick look a
round before he nodded.
Ivanova waited until he was done to enter, the woman right behind her. Lilith closed the door after them, and as she did so, she saw the woman pull out a small device and press a button.
“May I ask what that was?” Lilith asked, slightly concerned.
“A jammer, to prevent anyone from recording us. Whether Shadowmind’s AI, reporters, or others,” the big man rumbled in reply, nodding slightly to Lilith.
“Ah, my apologies, Lilith. These are two of my bodyguards, Grigore and Natasha. My beloved has entrusted my safety to them, and they take it quite seriously,” Ivanova said, taking a step closer and offered Lilith the basket, a playful smirk on her lips. “Here. A bottle of wine, some proper chocolate, and some prunes. I would have brought fresh plums, but the local authorities might have been upset if they found out.”
“Ah, thank you. I don’t drink alcohol, but I suppose I’ll save that part for a special occasion with someone who does,” Lilith said, blinking as she took a look at the contents of the basket. She had to assume that Ivanova was correct, since she couldn’t read any of the packaging. “I… may I ask why you are here? I knew you were in the city, but everything I saw indicated you were here to visit with the authorities, some of the heroes, and to heal some of those who’d been injured.”
“Yes, but are you not a hero?” Ivanova countered with a raised eyebrow, looking Lilith over. “You’ve registered with SuperNet and you’ve acted like a hero. Why wouldn’t I meet with you?”
That brought Lilith up short for a moment, as she tried to think of how she could argue with Ivanova, and didn’t come up with anything. After a few seconds, she simply sighed and shook her head, stepping away to set the basket on the coffee table as a surge of weariness washed over her, along with a bit of… irritation, she thought. It took a moment for Lilith to realize why she was irritated, and she turned to examine her guests again, crossing her arms as she did so.
“May I ask why everyone seems to think that surprising me is good right now? I’ve been through an enormous amount of stress in the last two weeks, and I…” Lilith paused, inhaling slowly as she brought herself fully under control, then spoke, her voice tight. “I’m having enough trouble with things as it is. My apologies, but your visit seems to be the tipping point for me.”
Neither of the guards visibly changed, but despite that, Lilith could practically feel how they’d focused on her, and she suspected that she’d done something dangerous. She also didn’t much care under the circumstances, instead looking at Ivanova directly.
The woman was studying Lilith closely, and the expression on her face surprised Lilith. Ivanova looked more amused than anything else, as well as contemplative. She met Lilith’s gaze, then reached up to rest a hand on Grigore’s shoulder as she spoke.
“Relax, Grigore, Natasha. Perhaps my joke was in bad taste under these circumstances.” Ivanova said, her voice turning a bit gentler as she spoke to Lilith. “As to your frustration, I believe I understand somewhat, and you have my apologies, Miss Carpenter. I should not have teased you.”
Lilith relaxed slowly, inhaling slowly, then let her breath out as she shook her head. Then she settled into a chair as she replied. “Thank you… please, sit if you like. I’m sorry about my frustration, but between Gina and Rachel leaving, the chaos in Las Vegas, meeting a few gods, Amber showing her true personality, Archon and Spark, then Daemonia deciding to interfere, and now you… I’m exhausted.”
Ivanova listened closely, circling the nearest table as she examined the chairs and sofa, then settled onto the sofa, extending one arm to lay along the back of it. She nodded as Lilith finished her explanation, pursing her lips for a moment.
“I believe I understand, though not fully. While my husband has been keeping an eye on you, he hasn’t been trying to intrude into your life directly,” Ivanova replied calmly, though her words sent a jolt of shock through Lilith. The idea of Dracula watching her was… disturbing. Ivanova was still speaking, though, which distracted her further. “If I’m to be perfectly honest, you are the entire reason for my trip. Oh, healing some of the injured is the least I can do, and it is important to have face to face meetings at times, but was there a need for me to come halfway around the world? Not truly. No, Vlad asked me to check on you, Lilith. He was concerned, considering your meeting with Ra.”
Lilith looked at Ivanova for a couple of seconds, reeling that Ivanova had made the entire trip, causing so much chaos in Paragon City, just to meet her. It was mind-boggling… though she focused on a slightly different point first.
“You… believe me? Most people have been skeptical at best,” Lilith said, frowning at the woman.
“Of course,” Ivanova replied simply, smiling again. “He keeps track of all the great powers in the world, and Ra is too powerful to ignore. There are many others that are far more active, however, and he has spoken with me about them at length. Sometimes too much length.”
“Oh. I suppose that would explain it,” Lilith admitted. She hesitated for a couple more seconds, then asked the important question with some trepidation. “Why? Why does he want you to meet with me? Is this another thing that’s going to make my life more complicated?”
To Lilith’s surprise, Ivanova laughed. It wasn’t much of a laugh, only lasting for a couple of seconds, but the sound was startling, considering the recent quiet of Lilith’s home. It made Lilith miss the others even more. She missed the sound of Rachel’s pen scraping on paper as she muttered arcane words under her breath, or Gina swearing when she realized she’d left some of her paints uncapped. Not that Ivanova seemed to notice when Lilith’s fingers dug into the armrests for a moment.
“Make it more complicated? No, of course not. Perhaps it will give you a bit of foreknowledge, but I don’t think that’s what you’re speaking of,” Ivanova said after suppressing her laughter, her eyes dancing with amusement. “No, one of the items that Vlad possesses gives him a… glimpse of the future, you might say. It’s much more complicated than that, of course, and recent events have forced him to set it aside entirely, as the board is so complex that even he can’t make sense of it.
“What it does give him is a good idea of individuals who have an important role to play in the future,” Ivanova said, her smile fading slightly as she leaned forward to examine Lilith closely. “I won’t speak of anyone else, but you are important. What role you have to play… neither of us truly know what it is. Myself less than him. He wished for me to check on you, and ensure that you are doing well, because of how important you are. You’re at the nexus of a great many events, and while experiences like that can make some people stronger, others it can shatter.”
“I…” Lilith began, then paused, trying to make sense of what she felt. It was hard to focus with the three visitors watching her, and Lilith closed her eyes, trying to shut them out. It helped her focus, if only a little, and Lilith could practically hear herself breathing as she considered.
The idea of being important was… terrifying, in many ways. Considering everything that Lilith had been through since she’d been decanted, she could hardly imagine how bad it would be if things got more complex. She’d been nearly shot in the back of the head, fought multiple villains at the same time, been stabbed and sent to a mythical afterlife, and had her only friends torn away from her by a vindictive creator… Her being important to the future seemed almost laughable, and she couldn’t help her incredulity, yet at the same time, it made a horrible sort of sense. She’d been trying not to get involved with heroes originally, and it hadn’t done her much good.
“I hate that you’re right,” Lilith said at last, opening her eyes again to look at Ivanova, and smiled sadly. “I haven’t tried to be in the middle of all of this, but I’ve been the target of several of the most powerful villainous organizations in the world several times, and even if their most powerful members haven’t come after me, it’s been difficult enough even when I had more powerful friends near me. I just don’t know how
I’m supposed to survive something like what you’re talking about. I’m so much weaker than many others.”
“On a personal level, yes, you are. However, your ability allows you to make others stronger, and that is nothing to belittle. I believe that your… limitations are more psychological in nature than real, from what Vlad has said,” Ivanova replied, her smile turning reassuring. “Besides, playing an important role has nothing to do with simple power. I was a powerless young woman in my youth, and I played a key role in Vlad’s awakening. For all I know, it turned the tide of the war, and I certainly didn’t have powers at the time.”
That made Lilith pause, since it was difficult to think of the confident woman in front of her as powerless. It also reminded her that despite Ivanova’s appearance, the woman was over a hundred years old.
“Perhaps you’re right,” Lilith admitted, looking downward as she considered for a couple of seconds, then shrugged. “However, to answer your question as best I can, I think I’m doing alright. I’d be better if I didn’t feel abandoned and if people would stop trying to knock my figurative feet out from under me, but I can’t do anything about that. I’m just trying to regain my balance and make my way forward. Meeting with a therapist is looking like a better and better idea, and I have no idea what I’m going to do about Archon and Spark.”
“Whatever you want to, of course,” Ivanova replied, reaching up to tap her lips. “As for therapy… I’ll be honest, I’ve participated in such myself, but it wasn’t truly something people talked about when I was killed. It took me a lot of time to come to terms with what happened, and I had a great deal of anger to resolve. It might not be a bad idea for you, but I am not the person to talk to about such. However, before we go any further, may I touch you?”
Queen's Journey (Lilith's Shadow Book 5) Page 14