VELVETEEN PRESENTS ACTION DUDE vs. Doing the Right Thing #4
“They decided that the problem was the power set. All animus-type heroes are required to register with the government, and either agree to power suppression or to a certain amount of community service. For the greater good.”
Velveteen frowned. “But I’m the only one.”
“That’s how they got the law passed in the first place.
It didn’t actually affect any real people.
Only once it was there, they started changing what it meant.
Technopaths are considered part of the animus class now.
So are plant-manipulators. Polychrome and Victory Anna went rogue, rather than allow Torrey to be registered.
They’ve been officially considered villains for over a year now.
There’s going to be a hearing next month, about the psychometrists and the matter-manipulators, and Uncertainty says the probability manipulators and the psychics are next. ”
“We’ve lost,” said Velveteen. She sounded faintly amazed. Looking at the IV in her arm, she asked, “Is that why you didn’t wake me up to tell me what was going on? You’re invoking Dairy Keen v. Wisconsin?”
“Yeah,” he said.
“I’m awake now.”
“I know.” He took a deep breath. “What comes next is up to you, Vel. It’s your play. If you want to hide here, you can. If you want to turn yourself in, I’ll let you. And if you want to run, I’ll unlock all the doors.”
“I don’t want to run, but I need some time to understand.” Velveteen looked at her folded hands for a moment before looking back to Action Dude. “Can you get me a mirror?”
“Yeah.” He nodded before he rose, walked to the small attached bathroom, and wrenched the medicine cabinet off the wall above the sink. The action came with a ripping, splintering sound. Velveteen put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. Some things never changed.
“I own the building now, or at least a third of it,” he said, coming back and propping his pilfered medicine cabinet against the foot of her bed. “I figure I can break stuff if I want.”
Velveteen didn’t say anything. She was busy staring at her own reflection.
When she’d seen herself in Halloween, she had been so overcome by the fact that she had skin again that she hadn’t really looked at her reflection.
Or maybe she had, and Halloween had still been throwing masks, keeping her from losing her focus on the task at hand.
Regardless, she looked at the woman in the mirror, who was thin to the point of seeming skeletal, with dark circles around her fever-glazed eyes, and barely knew her.
She swallowed her dismay. This wasn’t the time. “Mirror, mirror, from the wall,” she said. “Please will you connect my call? I need to talk to the Princess, in the Crystal Glitter Unicorn Cloud Castle.”
Her reflection exploded into cartoon fireworks. Action Dude sat back down.
“Do those words actually go in a specific order, or do you guys always just make it up as you’re going along?
” he asked. His tone was light: he was trying to distract her.
Part of her remembered why she’d loved him, all those years ago.
“I always wondered, but the Princess doesn’t really talk to us corporate heroes. ”
“She’s a smart girl,” said Velveteen. She reached over, putting her hand on his, and waited.
The fireworks cleared, resolving into the face of a beautiful blonde woman in a high-necked red gown.
Her hair was pulled back in a style that was more severe than Velveteen was used to, and there was a certain promise to the cut of her dress, like it was whispering of an Evil Queen yet to come.
Velveteen blinked. The Princess blinked back.
“Vel?” she asked, in a voice that quivered and shook. “Honey, is that really you?”
“I think so,” said Velveteen. “It’s been sort of hard to tell lately. Princess, what’s going on? Why are you dressed like that?”
“That’s a story that’s going to take some time telling, and maybe isn’t for all ears.
” The Princess’s eyes darted toward Action Dude, making her meaning perfectly clear.
She focused back on Velveteen. “Sugar, we need to get you out of there, and back here to the Cloud Castle, where you can recuperate. You look like twenty miles of bad road, and you’re about to drive it with a broken carriage axle. ”
“That’s why I called,” said Velveteen. “Can I get a ride? I don’t think I can exactly take a commercial flight home, given that I’m apparently illegal.”
“Honey, you only ever have to ask.” The Princess raised her hand, fingers poised to snap.
“Wait!” Action Dude reached for the mirror with his free hand, like he could somehow physically change the reflection. It worked, in a sense: the Princess stopped what she was doing in order to turn and look at him, visibly bemused. He pulled his hand back, cheeks flushing. “Um,” he said.
“Did you have something to contribute, honey, or can I get back to getting Vel out of there before somebody decides to collect the ransom on her pretty little head?”
This was it: this was his last chance to back out. He’d spent his entire life taking the path of least resistance, doing what other people wanted him to do. He’d done it because it was easy, and because it was safe, and because he didn’t know what other options he had.
He knew now.
“Take me too,” he said.
“Aaron—” said Vel.
He shook his head. “No. I’m done sitting back and letting things fall apart. I want to help. Take me too.”
The Princess smiled.
When Imagineer came to check the room some ten minutes later, it was empty, save for the beeping machines and the medicine cabinet lying on the bed. She looked at it and sighed.
“Good luck, Aaron,” she said, and closed the door.