FIEB Chapter 54 (Patreon)

Dylan POV

I downshifted the truck and turned onto the main road that led straight to Winslow High. I had traveled this stretch more times than I could count when I still attended school, and little had changed. The asphalt was only moderately maintained, with scattered trash and the occasional pothole along the shoulders.

I had left the apartment the moment Taylor's call ended, barely remembering to grab my suit. Everything else had been left exactly as it was. Dinah Alcott had reached out to her—or rather, Dinah had made contact first. It didn't matter either way. She was one of the strongest Thinkers in the world, even if almost no one realized it yet.

Other than a certain snake...

That was another problem I had to solve, along with all the others that kept popping up. My conversation with Master Fey and even Plageius—wasn't that a surprise—I traced the holocron hanging on my neck while carefully overtaking an old grandma driving her little car. The entire conversation had lightened my heart.

Reputation... public opinion. I was always afraid of it; it had shaped my life ever since I had woken up in this world, especially how people would perceive my powers. At a glance, certain aspects of what I could do resembled the Simurgh's. That alone was enough to cause serious trouble, no matter how carefully I acted.

Maybe mind-tricking those ABB grunts the way I did that night was a mistake, especially with the PRT on watch. But I had been high on adrenaline, and I had deemed the situation too serious and done the deed. Perhaps the powers that be had not seen it that way.

And from their perspective, their action may even be right...

In a way, it was better that the PRT knew what I was capable of. At least it had happened under circumstances I still controlled. Master Fey had been right. I flexed my hands on the steering wheel and let the Force settle around me like a cowl. I did not need to live in fear of other people's opinions. Jedi had once guided entire star systems. How difficult could one city—or even one planet—truly be?

And as for the space whales masquerading as cosmic entities... well. They had never met the Force.

I was getting ahead of myself...

The rest of the drive passed in relative quiet. Eventually, the familiar bulk of Winslow High came into view. The final bell had already rung, and students were spilling out of the main doors. Regardless of what Wildbow's novels said, people did attend the school and not skip it all.

I parked the truck a short distance from the main flow of foot traffic, choosing a spot with fewer people nearby. Then I pulled out my phone and sent Taylor a quick message.

I'm here. Near the old oak by the side lot.

A moment later, her reply came through.

Ok.

I waited, watching the stream of teenagers move past the truck. Most paid me no attention. Then a flash of blonde hair caught my eye, and something tight pulled at my chest.

Victoria.

I needed to talk to her soon and figure out what was going on between us.

But first, this.

A minute later I spotted Taylor weaving through the thinning crowd. Beside her walked a younger girl with curly dark hair and an expression that somehow managed to look both serious and very uncertain.Dinah Alcott. They walked quickly with Taylor leading the way and hopped into the truck.

I flashed the nervous little girl a gentle smile, trying to make her feel less uncomfortable. This entire situation was bizarre, and after all, she was just a very young girl in a possibly dangerous situation.

"So, um, hi there. I'm Dylan. It's nice to meet you," I said, turning to see the girl who was sharing the back seat with Taylor. I gave the older brunette a look.

"Hi..." she whispered. I could feel she was terrified of this entire situation, even if she tried to keep a brave face.

"So you wanted to talk...?" I asked her gently. Dinah nervously looked around, and picking up on her paranoia, I felt through the Force for any danger and found none.

"You're safe here, Dinah," I said quietly.

I glanced at Taylor, silently asking her to take the lead. The girl was clearly more comfortable with her than with a strange man in a truck.

Taylor shifted closer and gently took Dinah's hand.

"Dinah... you said you were in danger, right? And that you wanted to meet both of us. Something about numbers?"

Dinah swallowed and nodded, then looked around the parking lot with clear paranoia.

"Can we go first?" she asked in a small voice.

I met her eyes in the rearview mirror. "You want to leave here?"

"Yes. Please."

I shared a quick look with Taylor. She gave a small nod.

"Alright," I said. "I'll drive."

I pulled slowly away from the curb and headed toward the more crowded downtown streets. If anything did happen, being surrounded by people would at least lower the odds of someone trying something openly.

Once we were moving, I glanced at the mirror again.

"So... how can we help you?"

Dinah was quiet for several long seconds. Then she took a shaky breath.

"I can tell numbers," she said. Her voice trembled. "I... I'm going to be kidnapped soon. Bad men are almost going to get me. And they'll do... bad things to me. And make me use my power."

Taylor's expression went stricken. She clearly hadn't known any of it.

I took a steady breath. "You're safe now, Dinah. We're not going to let that happen, okay?"

The girl nodded and hunched into herself. I gave a sigh, pity welling up inside me.

Taylor squeezed my hand. "He's right. You're safe." I smiled at Taylor; she'd come far from the gangly, timid girl I'd once thought her to be.

"How does your power tell you this?" I asked Dinah carefully. "And why us?"

I already had a strong suspicion, but I wanted to hear it from her.

Dinah explained slowly, with hitched breaths, that it could all be summed up to this: She had triggered, her family hadn't believed her, and every week the numbers around her being kidnapped had climbed higher. She didn't go to the PRT again due to the escalating numbers. Then she had come across posts about Vespera and Vigil on PHO. When she asked if she would be safe with Vespera, the numbers dropped significantly. When she tried asking about me alone, the results came back fuzzy and unclear.

But when she asked about being with Vespera while Vespera was standing next to me... the numbers fell into the single digits.

Taylor frowned slightly. "As Dylan said, you're safe with us, Dinah. But how did you actually find us?"

The little girl flinched, probably thinking about the Unwritten Rules. Taylor immediately pulled her into a gentle side hug, recognizing something of herself in the younger girl.

"The questions... and the numbers," Dinah whispered. "They led me here."

I nodded slowly. "That's okay. We'll figure this out. What about your family?"

I could see her doe eyes via the rearview mirror, filled with stubbornness as she answered my question.

"I left."

I sighed, already feeling another headache forming.

"Your last name is Alcott, right?" I asked carefully. "Any relation to the mayor?"

She mumbled something under her breath.

"...Yes. He's my uncle."

I closed my eyes—figured—as Taylor gave me a wide-eyed look that caused a wry smile to form on my face.

"Okay..." I whispered, calling upon the Force to calm me down. A drive-through appeared on my right. I made a quick decision.

"How about we get something to eat first," I said, glancing back at Dinah. "Then Taylor and I can figure out how best to help you. Sound alright?"

She gave a small nod.

I pulled into the drive-through, ordered a few simple things, and passed the bag back to Taylor. A minute later, I parked in a quieter corner of the lot, far enough from the main flow of cars to give us a little privacy.

Taylor carefully unwrapped a burger and handed it to Dinah. The girl took a few small bites, still tense but clearly hungry.

I turned slightly in my seat.

"Dinah, Taylor and I are going to step outside for a minute to talk. We're not going anywhere. We'll be right outside your door, okay?"

She looked between us, then nodded slowly.

We stepped out of the truck. Taylor folded her arms and looked at me.

"What are we going to do?"

I stared at her for a moment, then exhaled.

"Before that... I need to tell you something."

She looked confused but waited for me to collect my thoughts.

"I can... influence people's minds," I said carefully. "Not fully master them, but I can hypnotize them and push suggestions. Make them forget things or follow simple instructions. I don't use it often, but I used it that night at the ABB warehouse. And I thinkthe PRT is already drawing up contingencies for me because of it. Things could get unpleasant."

Taylor just nodded, almost casually.

"I know. I was there."

I blinked, taken aback at her candor, then asked a little more quietly, "How can you be so calm about it? For all you know, I could have done something terrible with a power like that."

She met my eyes without hesitation.

"You're not someone like that."

The simple certainty in her voice brought a small smile to my face.

"...Thank you."

I sobered again.

"We can't take Dinah with us. That would just be kidnapping."

Taylor nodded and added dryly, "And highly inappropriate."

I nodded. "But we also can't leave her alone. I think I know who's after her."

"Who?"

"Coil."

Taylor frowned. "How do you know?"

"Just a guess. But it fits."

She was quiet for a second. "We need help, don't we?"

"Yes. Especially with Bakuda still out there."

We both stayed silent for a moment before Taylor glanced toward the truck. "Why don't we ask the Thinker in the car?"

That's actually not a bad idea...

We climbed back in as Dinah was still nibbling at her burger.

"Dinah," I said gently, "can you use your power a little more?"

She nodded. "I can answer a few more questions today before it starts to hurt."

"Alright. What are the odds that Taylor and I try to help you on our own... and it doesn't cause some kind of disaster for the city or the public?"

Dinah's eyes unfocused for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was quiet.

"Very low."

I nodded, already expecting that. "And if I take you to the PRT and convincethem to help protect you?"

She focused again. This time the answer came faster.

"Much higher. A lot better."

Taylor let out a breath. "Well. That settles it then."

She looked at me. "We'll be fine though... right? Because of, you know—" She tilted her head slightly, clearly referring to the PRT's wariness of my abilities.

I was silent for a moment.

"If there's a misunderstanding," I said finally, "we face it head-on. And if we have to escalate, we escalate."

Taylor gave a strange little smile and nodded.

"Do you have your suit?" I asked.

She tugged the collar of her sweater down just enough to show the dark fabric of her costume underneath. I nodded and stared at the wheel, then picked up the PRT-issued phone and dialed the liaison number.

The moment the agent answered, I cut across her greeting.

"This is Vigil. Vespera and I will be at the Rig in thirty minutes with someone who needs help."

"Sir, please, we'll need to set up an appointment—"

"We'll be there," I said firmly. "I'm not sure what's going on, but if it's a misunderstanding, we'll clear it up. If Director Piggot can't handle it, or if it's above her paygrade, escalate it. Get me Costa-Brown if you have to. We'll be there in thirty minutes."

There is no fear, there is power.