Cybil (2018) #projectsuper

Chapter 70: Guardian Trust

For the first time since she was awakened, Marcia Grey found herself legitimately happy.

The best she had gotten up to this point was a sort of uneasy state of contentment. She felt something in her change as she finally got her first look at a Guardian Base.

What she saw was a menagerie of life. Life beyond the human, so to speak. And yet, these people were so... normal.

Twin boys played video games in one room, even as a hot pink girl (literally) studied vigorously in another.

And still more, a boy with six arms and a hulking physique brushed past her, excusing himself without so much as a comment on her appearance.

People like this, who would be portrayed as monsters by the world around them, can live like this?

The thought made her bubble up with an excitement that she had before only vaguely recollected.

"You like what you see?" Ana commented, noticing her change in demeanor.

Marcia was dumbstruck, but in a good way. "That a place like this could even exist..."

"You haven't even seen the man in charge of all this. Well, at least this part of 'all this'."

***

The rough looking, bearded man who greeted them in an office toward the center of the installation seemed a bit on the hurried side, but Marcia couldn't blame him. After all, managing all of this probably wasn't easy.

"This place practically runs on pretty high technology, so to speak," the man, named Luke, explained. "You really have to cater to each case, whether physical or, uh... otherwise."

"Otherwise?" Marcia asked.

"Mental disorders, learning disabilities, the whole nine yards. That "Fog" does a number on anyone it affects. It's pretty much unpredictable, so me and Lisa here..." He gestured to an empty seat from which materialized a young woman who offered a small smile and a wave before fading back out of existence. "...have to kind of adapt to whatever comes up. I'm sure we'll be able to deal with the kid just fine."

The man looked out through the open door, expecting to see Ana come back with Alan (who had tagged along) after he wandered off for the umpteenth time.

They both walked in after about a minute, with the boy's face showing that he had been scolded for his behavior, and that such a thing wasn't new to him.

As Luke talked to Alan and Ana about the different things necessary to take care of him, she heard footsteps coming from back through the hallway to the door.

The buzzer rang, and a boy appeared, all dressed up in cleaning gear. He looked distressed.

"Hiya, Danny," Lisa greeted, turning visible again.

"Y-you didn't happen to get the news about the attack, did you?"

The joyous mood died instantaneously.

"What attack?" Luke asked carefully, while trying to calm the boy's fears.

"The Desert Gem. That restaurant in the middle of nowhere. It was attacked that guy called Power Trip."

"Power Trip?" Ana questioned.

"I-I think that's what the TV reporters called him. He can suck people's powers away."

Luke and Lisa both looked particularly horrified now.

"Sorry. We have to postpone what we're doing here," Luke said to Ana, Marcia, and Alan before turning to Lisa. "We've got to get to them before that monster does.

The two women were quickly rushed out of the room with a quick apology from Lisa. Whatever this "attack" was, Marcia had a bad feeling about it...