Chapter 276 : Drake and James (Patreon)

Doctor Drake gently closed the door behind her, giving her patient some privacy. Few people came to her this late, so it wasn't too much trouble to have the vampire take a nap in her consultation room. Examination tables weren't the comfiest, but when someone was really exhausted, well, even the pavement and some cardboard would do. And Karssya was absolutely that. Apparently she'd been sleeping a bit before her savior brought her, and that still wasn't enough. Such a need for recuperation could be a side effect of her... change.

Speaking of, shadows swirled and fused back into a familiar shape, returning from escorting his workers back to their stations after she had a quick look at them. The Infused man had been the most relevant, since she could compare his results to a baseline human. The rat - and she had not expected an actual rat - was less useful for direct comparisons, but the little trick with his shadow paw certainly got her interest.

Limb loss was not that uncommon in the slums, considering the sanitary conditions and hostile environment. The ability to regrow those lost limbs for possibly free was one that would certainly interest those concerned, even if it came at the cost of a bond to a powerful entity. She met plenty of people who would sell their very soul for something along these lines.

After taking a quick glance over her shoulder back to the door, she sighed. For the sake of her patient, she'd try to resolve this situation... diplomatically. No shouting. At least not before getting further away.

"So, what is your verdict, Doctor?"

She held back a scoff at that otherworldly voice he put on. But diagnosis first, critics second.

"She's fine. Well, as fine as someone in her state can be. She'll need to increase her nutrient intake. A blood diet would benefit her a lot, but make sure to keep normal on the menu as well. Some vampires can develop an addiction to blood, with mood shifts that can get quite dangerous for all involved."

"An addiction to their natural diet?"

"I wouldn't exactly call vampires natural. But yes. Any species that requires some sort of lifeforce drainage to survive runs the risk of going berserk if they take too much too often. The same way a snake can kill itself by overeating. All creatures can make mistakes by being a little gluttonous."

"Gluttony? Is that an official medical term now?"

"It's a negative behavior with long-lasting health consequences. Same as drinking or smoking. And it is distinct from stress-induced binge eating. So, make sure our vampire eats her greens alongside her glass of blood."

"I will. Anything else?"

"I'm worried about her brain. I'd like to get it scanned, but I don't have the equipment here, and frankly, I'm not sure anyone would take a recommendation from a slum doctor seriously back in the city."

"You still have a medical license, don't you?"

"Yes, but do you think they'll believe it's worth it to schedule an appointment for some slum woman who's going to die before she hits her fifties when they could service a good citizen instead? That's how many of them think back there. Not all, but enough to get in the way. It's a miracle I still get supplies at all. Well, less a miracle and more of the city being aware that not offering medical help at all would only incite the locals to join Villains in attacks on the city."

"Give them crumbs so they don't steal the loaf?"

"Something along these lines. It's not quite as nefarious and malicious as you make it sound to be, just... cold and calculating bureaucracy. But if what I heard is true, then maybe you could use your own friends to get that scan done. Then again, that would mean exposing your secret Aspect to more people. Not your only or even biggest secret, of course, James."

He stayed silent for a moment. And when he next spoke, it was with the first voice she'd ever heard him use. His real one - at least she assumed so.

"I had a feeling you'd figure it out."

"And I'm sure Sam told you as much."

"Ah. He certainly made it clear I wasn't wrong. I'm sorry for the way things ended last time. I hope you understand why I couldn't..."

"I know. Frankly, with all the time I've had to think about it, I've come to understand why you were so flighty. Why you stole those testing crystals. You are right. Your circumstances would make you quite the target if the information spread. That being said, I am still angry you didn't go to the Union. They could have helped."

"Maybe. I have a better opinion of them now, even if it still isn't perfect. I still feel I did the right thing at the time, and by now, it's too late to change."

"It isn't. Have you thought about the consequences? You're an impossibility. And impossibilities are just that for a reason. For you to exist is a miracle or a cosmic mistake, and those rarely last. Something could happen at any moment. You could lose your powers. Vanish. Maybe explode and take the entire city with you. You need to have someone look into you to make sure everything is alright and stable."

"The same way they're supposed to defend this city and yet leave this place be?"

"I thought you said you had a good opinion of them now?"

"Just because I like a cat doesn't mean I trust it not to act like one and eat a mouse. The Union isn't just composed of Heroes who help people. They are part of the government. And every government wants stability, power, and control. Even if it's to help. And me? I am a wild card. Look at everything I've done. If they knew what I could really do, I wouldn't have a choice in my future ventures. I'm sure of it."

"You think people like Serpent would enslave you?"

"I think the people Serpent works for could. And it doesn't need to be true slavery. It could be restrictions on the uses of my powers. Limiters. Surveillance. Community service, maybe. A service required to compensate for the energy they put into protecting me from all the big bad things out there. Things that wouldn't know about me if it weren't for the Union's leaks."

"I still think you're making a mistake."

"You're free to do so. And who knows, maybe you're right. But you're not the one in my position. With what I have. I am. And as per our contract, that means you will keep this between us."

"It's not like I have a choice now, do I? Honestly, I really shouldn't have signed that thing. I thought I was just entertaining a scared kid, not... keeping my mouth shut about information that would make state secrets blush."

The two stayed silent for a long moment after that, simply facing each other.

Beatrice ultimately let out a soft sigh and looked away, running her scaled hand through her head feathers. The small and casual gesture took more care and work for her than it did for most people, as she had to navigate around the pair of horns growing from her scalp. The unwieldy things were at least useful to give her something for her glasses to stay put, what with the lack of external ears. The joys of being a hybrid of reptilian and avian anatomy.

"Just... Don't do anything stupid."

"That is something I try to keep in mind, yes."

"Don't sass me. I mean it. You could... do a lot. Hell, you already did. A lot of good, I won't deny. But I've also seen how many of those 'Infused' run around your places. I doubt most of them were as happy about their situation as our friend in the other room."

"I don't go around attacking innocent people. I defend myself."

"Sure, sure. It's what every wannabe crime boss says. Some believe it, some don't, and I'm sure you're of the latter. But the real difference between them and you is that you have the firepower to impact way more people than the average idiot with a few Cored and gun-wielding goons and the occasional Super can do. If you mess up, the entire city is going to feel it. And people will be hurt."

"Which is why I have people I rely on. People I can ask for help and advice. Friends. Experts."

"And how many of them are confident they'd be safe if they disagreed with you?"

"I like to think that all of them do. Feel confident, that is. I'm not a violent person. Nor am I some prick who thinks he has the answer to everything. I was lost and afraid when I arrived here. I'm still afraid. Do you have any idea of the number of people who've come after me without me doing anything to warrant that? Every second, every moment, I am ready to be jumped by the next maniac with a stupid reason to hate my guts."

"Sounds like paranoia, kid."

"Is it paranoia if I've been proven right time and time again? Hell, you said it yourself: this very body could collapse and kill me at any moment. I have to constantly prepare just in case I won't live to see the next day, to be sure that what I've built and the people I care about will survive and be fine without me. For now, Penumbra still needs Silhouette to hold it together. And I need to make sure that changes."

Doctor Drake tilted her head, studying the black mass in front of her a little closer. It was hard to determine his current state given he just looked like a vaguely person-shaped black blob, and the shift in his voice told her he might be a better actor than she gave him credit for, considering how... theatrical Silhouette could be, but... She had a feeling this, right now, wasn't a performance. 

"When did you last take a day off?"

"I don't. I can't. I told you, I need to be ready for anything. And that means preparing."

"That's not healthy, James."

"Neither is a spell cast by Abrakaboom, a man who made it clear he wasn't too happy with what happened when I confronted his friend. Neither is an attack by one of the Empress' drones, and she has announced her interest in me publicly. Neither is the wrath of the Hivines, and the Biflora's been pretty hostile about me in his latest known appearances. Neither is-"

"I get it, I get it, you're more worried about the next death beam than heart failure. I can't say that's a wrong way of thinking, either. Many of the locals are just the same. Why worry about long-term lead poisoning or joint damage when the only other available choice is contaminated food or starvation? It's a survival-focused mindset. But are you sure you really need to do as much as you claim?"

"Doctor Drake. As we're talking right now, I'm also having one of my other selves learn magic under a wizard while yet another fends off an assault from some rag-tag third-rate Villain team on one of my properties. And I can't delegate defense to Sam or my other elites because they're all busy doing something else, such as dealing with more hostiles or preparing themselves for the next level of escalation."

"Oh."

"And this? This is all with my secret kept under wraps. The minute it leaks? I would get the attention of things that would make Sunburn look like a kitten. And we both know it would leak the minute I shared it with the Union or the police. No. What I need to do is keep going as I have. Get better, get bigger, get stronger. Make sure I'm too much trouble for anyone in this city to take on without a very good reason."

"And what happens when that catches the attention of people outside the city instead?"

"They haven't come for any of the powers we have now. If I play my cards right, they won't feel the need to do so for me either."

"Technically, the Empress is part of the Tarot gang."

"And from what I've learned, they're all Villains with vaguely Tarot-related names who only work together once in a while, and even generally only two or three members at a time. In other words, opportunists who only happen to work together because they almost have a gimmick. If that's the worst thing to come my way, if I prepare well enough, that's within my reach. I've dealt with Wicked Witchcraft, I just need to be ready to do the same for a group closer to the Empress in skill, though with none of the established territory and resources."

"You say that like it's easy."

"It isn't. I know. But it's what I have to do. And once it's done, I can finally relax. At least until the next flavor of trouble comes my way."

"Flavor? Really?"

"Alright, I could have worded that one better."

"I'm not someone you have to convince that you're this big spooky guy, you know. You can be frank here. Normal. I've seen you before Silhouette was even a thing after all."

"Oh, it was. Only a handful of people knew, but the persona was ready."

"Now you have me curious."

"It's a story for another time, I fear."

"Hey. I told you to stop that."

"Sorry, sorry. Force of habit. You try switching between two very different ways of speaking on the regular."

"I'm a doctor, James. It's already what I do. My casual mode and doctor mode are very different."

"Oh? And how many friends do you have to be casual with, around here? And patients, for that matter?"

"Don't push your luck, shadow boy. And that's private anyway. And I still think you're making a mistake, but I understand you don't care about my opinion."

"Alright, alright. And I do care. I just disagree with it when it comes to my life plans. Though you're still my main reference when it comes to medical matters. Speaking of. Anything else you can tell me about Karssya? Beyond watching her diet, that is."

"Well, normally, I'd watch the teeth to tell if she was born a vampire or turned into one, to help identify her strain. Teeth naturally move and get damaged as you live, so a turned vampire's canines tend to be too clean or to displace the rest of the teeth. But since your Transformation shifted her into what I assume is an improved version of herself - at least as best as she could be while starved - her teeth are perfect. I have the same problem with many of the other checks."

"Sorry about that."

"It's annoying, but I understand that without it, I wouldn't have a patient in the first place. From what you described about the state of her brain, chances are she would have never recovered from that feral state you found her in without your intervention. So, the best thing I can do to tell what kind of vampire she is is to get her blood tested, and that will take some time. I would have loved to ask her directly, but..."

"The amnesia."

"I'm not sure it's amnesia. It's not like the memories are missing, per se. Rather, that accessing them is too painful for her to handle. That's generally more of a magic thing, but I've heard some forms of trauma can get similar results. The best thing we can do is just... support her as she recovers. Maybe a healthier body will let her brain be... more stable? Or at the very least less sensitive. So. What's your plan for her?"

"I don't plan to put her to work day and night, if that's what you're asking."

"Good, but I need more."

"I think I'll send her to one of my holdings in the Sunken City. A former orphanage, a quiet place with plenty of people who are also there to recuperate"

"Where you keep your Grafted, I assume?"

"Most of them. A few are spread here and there since they felt the place was too crowded, or we managed to get them back to their families. We also have some ghost orphans there. And ghost nuns. It's... a place with plenty of history. Anyway, as I said, the plan is to have her rest there, meet the others, maybe help out a bit here and there if she feels like it. A nice, quiet, and friendly place away from the sun."

"Mhm. Good plan. Do you think I could visit?"

"Why?"

"Well, it'd be easier on her for me to go down than for you to drag her here every time. Considering her state, minimizing trips like this, even through teleportation or whatever you call it, would be best. And while she isn't from a vampire strain that turns to ashes in the sun, she does find it uncomfortable, and I'm not about to start having open hours at night, bar emergencies. Besides, it'd allow me to take a look at your Grafted. I doubt they've had much medical attention, hm?"

"We did our best."

"And I won't fault you for that. And I understand why you didn't feel safe having other doctors look at them. But I've already signed a magical contract with you."

"That... would be appreciated, Doctor."

"Don't thank me yet. There are... a few revisions I'd like to make to our existing deal..."