Blood Obsidian

Issue 51

The silence after Gethsemane - Blood Obsidian - Epilogue

The rain cooled and cleansed as it fell upon the mourners. Caitlyn didn't try to count, but, with a crude estimate, she guessed over two hundred people had come to pay their respects to Chief Jim Watson. Many of the mourners were the man's colleagues, giving the accepted, traditional send off to a man many of them looked up to as one of their very best. After the gun salute, the folding of the flag, passed on to his daughter, Stephanie, the lone piper began to play. Amazing Grace. A beautiful piece of music made only more poignant by the mournful instrument.

Alaina's hand squeezed Caitlyn's as they both stepped in line to lay their respective flowers upon the casket, passing by the portrait of Chief Watson in full dress uniform, the black band across one corner. As they moved on, Caitlyn stopped before the statue of an angel at a neighbouring grave, the wings folded, hands held out in supplication, head bowed in deference to the grave the angel guarded for eternity.

She watched as Aunt Mary passed, giving her a little scowl, followed by a tight smile. For days after the events at Ald-Tech headquarters, Aunt Mary had sat in silence, only breaking the silence when the news mentioned Chief Watson, saying how much she respected the man and how much of a loss it was for the city. Caitlyn knew well that cost.

"I can't believe she grounded you. A month? Grounded for a month after saving her, us. After saving how many people? Grounded." Alaina shook her head and then nudged Caitlyn as Kyle filtered past, leaning on a walking stick, accompanying a man that looked like he had eaten a weights machine. "So, tell me. Bohemia City boy breaks an arm and a leg. Is he ... you know ... a you-know-what?"

"A 'you-know-what'? What's a 'you-know-what'?" She held her face straight as Alaina jerked her head toward Kyle, widening her eyes and wiggling her eyebrows. She knew exactly what Alaina meant. "A rich boy that, apparently, can't ski very well? I couldn't possibly say even if he was, so if I said 'no', you wouldn't know if I was telling the truth or keeping a secret. That's how complicated these things are."

"Well, I'm so glad he's not your type. When I find out which college he's going to, I'm stalking him. In a not-at-all-creepy way, of course. Not completely creepy. He will be mine. Oh, yes, he will be mine." She let out a low, throaty growl and Caitlyn couldn't blame her. Kyle was good looking. For a man. "Can we get out of this rain, now? I'm all for showing respects but if there's a million things I hate, having a wet bra is up there in the top hundred thousand."

"You go. I think I'm going to need a minute." Another squeeze. Alaina knew super-powers didn't heal all Caitlyn's wounds. "I'll catch up."

Their hands parted and Alaina bounced away, despite the occasion, toward Aunt Mary, turning her away and taking those watching eyes from Caitlyn, as though Aunt Mary expected her to change to Blood Obsidian if she didn't watch her every minute of the day. Caitlyn looked once more at the angel statue and scrunched down into her sodden black coat, her hands digging in to her pockets.

After a while, she sensed a presence beside her and looked to Kyle. He leaned upon the walking stick, making himself look more pathetic in her presence. He just wasn't going to let that go, reminding her that he had become injured helping her. She glanced across to his adoptive father, Thomas Miller. Fear.

"I take it Bastion returned from their cosmic vacation." The big, sullen looking Mr Miller gave her a curt nod. "Am I to expect another test from him?"

"Nah. He has other things on his mind. Komedy escaped. Again." He adjusted his stance, favouring his other leg. Both the arm and leg were out of their casts, but he still had some recovery to go. "Apparently, they stopped a being trying to eat the multiverse. Actually eat it. Mad. Of course, I'm banned from the satellite. Something about making a mess that'll take industrial cleaners to fix. Oh, and Trooper John is back! He was stuck in a different universe. It happens."