The Protagonist System

234 Choices

I went home briefly to see if my mother was in a cuddling mood. She was, so I stayed there until supper and enjoyed another meal with her. After that, I went to Paige and we spent the rest of the evening working and having a great time making music together. Just because I couldn't sing, that didn't mean I couldn't do anything else.

I even wrote out a few songs that I knew she could sing well and could start up her own career again, since our collaboration song was hitting the top of the charts after only being out for a week. Apparently, it was resonating with a lot of the population, both for the males and females, and everyone loved it.

Paige was delighted to have new material that I had come up with and she added it to the few songs she had been writing and composing herself. She had been busy doing her own projects as well as working on the huge amount of songs I had sung for her.

There was still nothing about the injunction or the PRT trying to do something about me possibly being in violation of it. It made me wonder why there was nothing coming from either the PRT's main office of the Chief Director in Washington D.C. or from the Head of the Protectorate in Los Angeles. I wasn't dumb enough to ask about it again after Lisa already confirmed she couldn't find anything.

*

“Vicky, you're suspended from the team's active roster, effective immediately.” Sarah declared during the emergency family meeting. “Carol and I will be giving you lessons on how to properly represent New Wave and our ideals.”

Both Vicky and Amy were shocked and no one else was, since they all saw this coming.

“I was going to let the situation with Atlas go, after realizing that neither of you can act to save your lives, then today you made the absolutely stupid decision to let a Ward assault him in his civilian identity.” Sarah explained. “That is the exact opposite of our stance on accountability.”

“But... but... we're family! This is a family team!” Vicky exclaimed. “I have to be on it!”

“I'm sorry, Vicky. I have to agree with my sister on this.” Carol said. “You didn't even offer to help, stated you would protect the civilians around them, tried to clear the area, or told them to take it somewhere more private.”

“It happened too fast to do any of that.” Amy said, trying to defend her sister.

“There are several videos online and there were several opportunities for Vicky to intervene and assert a calming influence, even after the slap that echoed in the hallway.” Sarah said. “I should also mention the look of satisfaction both you and Vicky had on your faces after seeing it, which I have to assume is why you stood by and let the entire scene play out without trying to stop it.”

Neither Amy nor Vicky could deny it, since they did feel some satisfaction when Taylor finally confronted Greg over how he had treated her. It wasn't until after Greg explained things to Taylor that they both realized they had completely misread the situation between the two outed capes and that Taylor was the one in the wrong and not Greg.

“I can see on your faces that you know you were wrong to stand aside, and that's good, only it's much too late for it to matter.” Sarah said with a sigh. “The increasingly hostile comments on PHO are dragging us all down because of this and we can't let it go on.”

Carol put an arm over her shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “They started mentioning Fleur, too.”

“N-n-no.” Vicky whispered, shocked. There was no way they could associate her letting Greg handle his own problems with how her aunt was murdered. It took her a few moments before she could think of a response. “I didn't want to interfere in his problems and he didn't need my help. He's Atlas.”

Sarah sighed with disappointment. “Do I have to play the video to quote what he said to Hebert about that?”

Vicky looked embarrassed and shook her head. It had already become a popular meme on PHO and they used a bunch of different pictures of Atlas to put his words at the bottom. 'No matter who you are, how big or how strong, everyone needs someone to reach out to'. The most popular one was the picture on the back of his album cover with him kneeling and holding up a diamond ring.

“You can't blame Vicky for that. None of the Wards stepped up to stop her, either.” Amy said.

Carol gave her a withering look. “The only visible Ward there was Hebert. How exactly was she going to step in and stop herself from doing what she did?”

“As civilians, they legally can't out themselves and break the secret identity clauses of their contracts.” Sarah added, which was odd to hear from her, because she was giving out the legal advice instead of Carol. “In case you didn't notice, Greg also didn't break that clause.”

“Yes, he did. Hebert slapped him so hard it reddened his face and...” Amy started to say.

“He at no point used any visible powers. He stood his ground, yes. His head snapped to the side like anyone's would after a slap. That it was from a 7 foot tall green Amazon-like woman is immaterial.” Carol interrupted. “He didn't catch her hand, flew, punched her, activated his shield, or did anything even close to anything Atlas is known for.”

Both Vicky and Amy caught their breath at being told that. They had completely missed the fact that Greg hasn't had his shield active and Hebert's hand had actually hit his flesh and not bounced off the shield they all knew he had.

“It's one of the reasons they're tearing you up on PHO, because they know you do have an active shield on all the time and could have taken the slap without harm.” Sarah reminded her. “Mind you, I've had Crystal try to claim that Hebert's fist might have stayed a fist if you did interfere.”

Vicky nodded to the concession and had to agree. It would have stayed a fist, because if she was in the way, Hebert wouldn't have been able to slap Greg's face and would have wanted her out of the way first.

“It's mitigated some of the heat on you and that was all we could do on your behalf.” Carol said, sadly. “It's really bothering me why you can't just pretend to be friends with him if you can't be actual friends with him.”

Vicky sighed, because she had already explained it a while ago. She couldn't be anything to him if Amy wasn't going to be anything to him, either. It was too difficult for her sister to be around him, since the danger of just casually touching him would ruin her memories of how good he felt to her power.

Plus, Vicky was back with Dean and she couldn't be close to another guy like that, not realizing she was like that with all of the guys Amy dated on their double dates. Even after Amy admitted that she didn't care and that Vicky was dating both guys, it didn't stop her from dragging them all out on more double dates. She liked the extra attention too much to give it up.

“If you won't let her go out to fight and use her powers, then... then she should join the Wards.” Amy said and surprised everyone in the family meeting. That was not how they thought this was going to go.

“Excuse me?” Carol asked, her voice deadly. “Did you just suggest my daughter sell herself into the corporate machine of the PRT and Protectorate?”

“It's only for a few months until she turns 18.” Amy said to defend her suggestion. “It could also explain why she wasn't interfering with another Ward's business, because she was in the process of joining.”

“And where she goes, so do you.” Carol almost spat and didn't want to admit it was a good cover-up attempt.

Amy blushed from embarrassment. “It... it's the same argument. In a few months I'll be 18.”

“Is that what you both want?” Sarah asked, her voice lacking inflection. “Think about it carefully before you give me your answer.”

Vicky and Amy leaned in and whispered furiously as they discussed it. After a couple of minutes, they sat up straight.

“Amy's right. If I can't patrol on New Wave's behalf, then I should join the Wards and they'll let me patrol with the other Wards.” Vicky said. “At least then I'll have actual backup again, unlike what I've had the last few weeks when I had to patrol alone.”

“You know why we had to reassign Atlas.” Carol said, her voice cool.

“Yeah, the way you were treating him was making you look like a complete bitch and everyone felt sorry for him having to put up with you for hours on end.” Eric said before he realized he shouldn't have said that out loud, because both Vicky and Amy were glaring at him. “I'm shutting up now.”

“It's all right, Eric. This is a family meeting and we're discussing Vicky's behavior, or lack thereof. Your opinion is both valid and true.” Sarah told her son. “I assume you didn't see what happened with your own eyes?”

“Nope. I was a couple hallways away talking to my own friends when we heard the slap.” Eric said and tried to ignore the glares his cousins were giving him. “We joked about it being a clap of thunder on a sunny day, then we went to lunch and someone mentioned the PHO post with the videos.”

“Which was how we found out about it as well.” Sarah said and nodded to Carol, who always checked during her lunch break at work. “Now here we are, trying to deal with it, and Vicky has chosen to run away from her responsibilities to hide behind the PRT's bureaucracy.”

Vicky opened her mouth to argue and stopped when her mother held up her hand.

“Anything you say right now to defend your decision, isn't going to matter. You've chosen to leave the team completely when we were only temporarily suspending you to teach you how to deal with all the negative attention.” Carol said in her courtroom voice. “Instead of accepting your fault and responsibility, which is what we've always stood for, you are joining another organization and becoming a Ward. What else would you call that if not running away?”

Vicky really couldn't argue about it after that.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Then I suppose that's it.” Sarah said and took out her cell phone. She dialed the number to the PRT and waited. “This is Lady Photon. I'd like to speak to Miss Militia about two new members signing up for the Wards.”

Vicky and Amy stared at their aunt as she talked to Miss Militia about signing two standard contracts for the Wards, with no extra negotiations or stipulations. Not surprisingly, Miss Militia tried to argue about Amy's healing ability and her special circumstances. Sarah Pelham countered that it wasn't her responsibility, since once they became Wards, it would be up to Miss Militia what she did with them and their abilities.

“Thank you, Miss Militia. We'll be right over to sign the contracts and will hand over full custody.” Sarah said and both young women gasped. “It's only for a few months and then you can fold the two experienced capes right into the Protectorate, since that is the point of the Wards. Yes, thank you again. See you in an hour.”

Vicky and Amy stared at her with a look of shock on their faces.

“You're almost adults now, so your decisions have weight.” Sarah said and put her cell phone away. “I'm sorry you keep making the wrong ones, despite how much your mother and I have been trying to help you.”

“Well, you made your choice.” Carol said and stood. “As loving and supportive parents, we can do nothing but support you, even if we all know it was the wrong choice to make.”

“I'll help Amy pack while you help Vicky.” Mark offered.

“Thank you.” Carol said with a warm smile.

Sarah picked up Carol's active cell phone. “You heard all of that, Crystal. Go ahead and release the info on PHO and do your best to spin this in a positive way.”

“Will do, mom.” Crystal said and hung up.

Vicky and Amy were led from the living room to their rooms and five suitcases were soon filled, three for Vicky and two for Amy. Neither of them realized their lives could be so easily packed up and moved around.

“I'm really going to miss you.” Mark said and kissed Amy's cheek. “I know I wasn't much of a father with how much my head was screwed up; but, I did try to love you in the only way I was able to.”

Amy had no idea how to respond to that, because her power had felt how perfect Mark was and it distracted her from what he was saying.

“I've done my best for the both of you and I'm disappointed that you would give up your family over something so petty as a suspension.” Carol said as she led them out of the house and helped Mark put the suitcases into the back of the minivan.

“It wasn't supposed to be this way.” Amy tried to argue. “It was just an idea to keep Vicky happy!”

“I'm sure it will.” Carol said and gave Vicky a hug. “You might not be a member of New Wave anymore; but, you are still my daughter. I expect you to comport yourself appropriately.”

Vicky could do nothing but nod at that and didn't flinch at the impersonal kiss on the cheek her mother gave her.

“As for you.” Carol said as she turned to Amy. “I'm sorry you always thought I hated you and didn't treat you fairly, even though I did my best to treat you exactly as you expected me to.”

Amy blinked her eyes at her and was at a loss for words. What did she mean by that?

“You looked at me like I betrayed you or was punishing you when I asked you to do things, like chores or to go to your room when I was busy or had clients to meet in my home office.” Carol said. “I also wasn't ostracizing you when I gave you your own room to stop you from staying up all night and carrying on with Vicky.”

Both girls blushed when they remembered their all night slumber parties coming to an end and how angry they were about that.

“You both need to sleep and you wouldn't listen, so I had to discipline you. It's what a caring parent is supposed to do.” Carol told them. “All I can do now is wish you good luck in your life from now on.”

Amy froze when Carol gave her the same impersonal kiss on the cheek that she had given to Vicky, because her power again felt how perfect Carol was. When did that happen? How did she also get tweaked to perfection like that? Was it Nostrum that did it? How? When? Why?

“Have fun adjusting to living in a crowded dorm area with the other Wards.” Mark said, as a parting shot, because he knew how well off his family was. Going from that to living in a small personal room was going to be a huge shock for both girls.

“B-but... college...” Vicky said as Mark helped her into the passenger side of the van.

“Don't worry, the PRT will take care of all of that. It's part of the standard contract.” Carol said and helped Amy into the back and closed the door. “Be sure to call when you're assigned your alloted time and I'll have Sarah ask when you're allowed to have visitors.”

The look of horror on her daughter's face was worth exaggerating the truth.

Toss me aside, will you? I thought I taught you better than that. Carol thought with satisfaction as her sister Sarah drove away with the two introspective girls.

“That was a little mean on both our parts.” Mark said and didn't try to hug her or tried to take her hand. They hadn't shared any kind of intimate contact in a very long time. He also knew how much she hated unsolicited touches. “Tough love is tough on us, too.”

“It is.” Carol admitted. “It might even make them rethink their decisions in the future, not that they'll have much leeway to make any of their own decisions for a while.”

Mark nodded. “We can only hope for the best.”

“And plan for the worst.” Carol said. “This is definitely the worst.”

Mark nodded again and they stood there until the minivan disappeared from sight. They went back into the house and Carol went to her office and Mark went to the guest room. He had moved his things there right after he had regained his faculties, thanks to Nostrum. He then remembered swearing off blondes for a while and chuckled as he took out his cell phone to check who was at the Palanquin.

I wonder if a redhead will be there tonight? Mark asked himself with a smile.