Looking Glass (Darkest Secrets Volume 2)

Part 4 - Surviving the Stream

Twenty million people. That was the biggest difference between Lilith's life three weeks ago and today.

All she had to do was write a post and click her cam on, and suddenly her trip to the coffee shop had more viewers than half the news channels in the world. Combined.

After the Sentinels were shut down by the government, Lilith started streaming. With all the memories of her dad the Net Star ingrained in her head, she told herself she'd never do it, but she had no choice. The people had to know what was going on - the Chancellor was taking over and she had to be stopped.

There wasn't much Lilith could have said outright without being taken in for 'inciting rebellion' or something, so she'd played it safe just documenting their day-to-day and showing people around the Spire, but after today she'd never have to worry about that again.

Her whole team would be branded fugitive vigilantes after acting on this hostage situation. At least there was a sizable chunk of Netizens that had tangible proof of their recent actions. The same people would bear witness to what happened today. What little Lilith could do to prove their innocence in the eyes of the people.

By now the audience had figured out where she was and why. There was wild speculation about what Red Global might do to them once they interfered. Lilith tuned that out and focussed on following Gabriel through the sky. She'd gotten used to the jet-boots Gabriel had made her pretty quickly. Using them felt natural and every time she flew, a tiny spark in her heart would flutter. The little girl inside that cried herself to sleep when she learned she wouldn't be able to fly like her dad was finally satisfied.

Today was different. She was struggling to keep pace. Gabriel's gaudy power armor was much faster than her boots, and he was having trouble staying patient. She pushed her boots as far as they'd go, wobbling as she smashed through an air current.

"Slow down Gabe! You know Quartz has issues with flying!" She yelled into her comm.

Gabriel was carrying Rosenquartz by the arms, and the big man was shaking. Lilith could hear him mumbling his mantra to stay calm.

"I wouldn't break. I wouldn't break. I wouldn't break." His hands were gripping the power armor so tight it bent and tore beneath his fingers. The armor's nanobots were fixing the damage as it occurred.

The Captain angled down and hit the breaks. "We're here. Sorry Quartz, I just don't want to be late again."

Lilith bit her lip. Rosenquartz was sensitive about making the team late because of his fear of heights. Something about a recurring nightmare. The man wouldn't break even if he fell from orbit, but he still froze up sometimes.

To Lilith's surprise Rosenquartz just grunted in acceptance, he was fixated on the city below.

"Is that it?" He asked of the five-story old-world-styled building they were descending to.

Gabriel's reply was interrupted by a chime from Lilith's Wrist Pad. She glanced down and almost crapped herself. Out of all the outlandish things to do, Red Global was sending a request to merge streams.

The look on her face made Gabriel laugh. "There's no way a call could be that bad. Nice ringtone by the way."

Lilith tried her best not to cringe at his attempts to make nice with her. They hadn't spoken in close to a month and now it almost felt like they were strangers. It didn't help the suit made his voice sound like when he got all seductive.

Lilith put her feelings aside and shook her head. "No. Look"

Gabriel did a double-take at the WristPad. "You should answer that, right? I don't really get streamer politics, but it might be better to talk to her first before we do something that makes her come down from on high and crack our skulls open."

He had a point. Lilith took a deep breath and prepared herself. Not to speak to Red Global, but to show her face On Net for the first time. Nervousness wasn't something she dealt often when  99.9% of the planet couldn't lay a finger on her. 

Public online interactions were something else entirely. She'd never felt comfortable with people seeing her face without her being able to see them back.

Memories of the comments about that old centerfold rushed through her mind, each nasty opinion another an imaginary drive-by on her self-esteem. She didn't move, the ongoing chime of the NetCall started to overpower every other noise in her world.

Today would be different, she told herself. Get on with it Lilly - Gabriel and Quartz will think you're frozen in fear. But you are frozen in fear. Shut up subconscious. Not until you accept the call.

Ugh, fine!

Click.

Red Global's show was in full swing, multiple drone cameras had three or four different angles to switch from. Red Global floated high in the clouds, so high the darkness of space loomed above her and the curve of the Earth decorated the horizon behind. The petite blonde twirled through the air like a dancer. "Finally! Alright everybody, look who we have visiting us today! My friends, I present you to Lilith! How are you today, darling?"

The smile and frivolity caught Lilith off guard. The dictator's personality was known to be at odds with her grisly reputation, but Lilith expected some level of seriousness, given the situation. Officially, Red Global was pushing the limits of whatever diplomatic immunity she legally held. 

Unofficially, the woman was dangling the threat of war with the Republic over their heads. It wasn't just Munich; she had around half the global population hostage. Lilith used to think Red Global's name was stupid. Now she knew it was a blunt and blatant warning.

Over her shoulder, through her peripheral, Lilith caught Gabriel tensing up. He could probably calculate where she was from the details in the slideshow camera angles alone. Was he planning how long to wait before disappearing in a thunderclap? 

No, he wasn't that dumb, it was just that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach making her paranoid. 

This wouldn't turn into a bloodbath - Lilith wouldn't let it. This was all politics, fake smiles, and well-angled poses. The Paladin did this like clockwork, and whatever complaints she'd had to watch him present, she'd still watched, still learned. She could do this.

Come on Lilly, go to work momma.

She pulled one of her father's old, forgotten birthday presents from her pocket, something every Netizen who was anyone wanted, but almost no one had. She dumped the bag out into the open air.

Lilith knew Red Global would call, but it was still a surprise when it actually happened. Luckily this was exactly what Lilith wanted. All she had to do was give Falco enough time to sneak away with his Grandmother.

The drones that dropped from the bag swarmed around, searching for their home. Lilith's black bracelet lit up with a command screen. A swipe and two taps, and the drones were in place. Her camera feed went full studio. The cameras angled out above her group.

Lilith spread her arms and floated back up toward the camera, channeling her father's magnanimous tone and carefully working the toe controls of her hover boots. "Hello, Ms. Global. I see you're getting some fresh air! What a pleasure to see you out and about today."

The drones began to glow, and a large hologram of a stage and seating flickered to life beneath them, and a catchy pop song began to play in the background. Dozens of private messages zipped to WristPads across the Net, and as Lilith floated down to the stage, holograms of viewers from both streams filled the audience.

Red Global's hologram was one of the last to appear. She looked at the surroundings appreciatively, and let out a low whistle. "A Net Stage. I've looked for one of these for years. I'm impressed. How about you guys?" She turned to the audience and the viewers all cheered.

A satisfied grin spread across the Villains features as she turned back to Lilith, tapping her foot on the floor. "It actually feels like it's there. Huh, wicked... Okay, Hon, you had my interest, now you might have my attention. Why are you here, Sentinel?"

Lilith's pulse slowed a fraction. This might be easier-

"If I like your answer I might let you live - I mean leave." She broke into a cackle with the audience while cracker her knuckles.

Lilith heard her own viewers laugh as the throbbing aches of a head-splitting migraine came on.