All the Time to Lose (Wormverse)

Ch 14: A Party in Hell

Despite the initial shock, Castle, Fulgur, and Vigilant are more than happy to answer each of my questions in turn. Fulgur is especially helpful in explaining what each thing is for in the shower. For eight years I have been on my own and on the move.

I knew English even before I was on my own, but I'm not entirely sure where I learned it. I learned to read and write from people in shelters. I'm not great, but it's legible. I normally just ate food whenever it was handed to me.

I couldn't afford to be picky. My memory is shotty at best, but I clearly remember the fear, the adrenaline, and the power I used to get away from the source of my fear. The memories of that day, or lack thereof, still haunt me.

I must say, a shower is much more enjoyable than the concept suggested. Although, according to Fulgur, it will take a few more of these 'showers' for me to be considered 'clean'. I wouldn't know. The 'dinner' was enjoyable too, though I could not tell you what it is that I ate.

I can feel the medicine work on my migraine, relieving my brain of its pain, if only marginally. I am not sure about the 'bed'. I have seen similar constructs in the hospital thing and have only ever been in one for healing...not sleeping.

I sit down on the bed, legs folded in front of me as I face the window. It's not that my power sees Coil's...but it does react when he uses his. He uses it so often that I'd be amazed if he ever makes any decision without exerting his power.

I focus my power on him and Dinah. Dinah. I'm so sorry. You know why I can't help you. I can almost hear her voice, like an echo in my mind. Or maybe it's our powers talking. She does understand. She doesn't want me here.

No. That's not a strong enough emotion for what she's feeling. That's it. I can't be there. If Coil had me instead of Dinah, there's over a 40% chance that he'd already control Brockton Bay. If he had both Dinah and myself...he'd control Brockton Bay by the end of the month.

I can't free her without handing Coil Brockton Bay. He can't be allowed to hold it when the Slaughterhouse Nine make their move. Too many would die. It is not that I can actually see Dinah or speak with her.

But, when we view the same timeline, we are both present in that moment, giving us the briefest of interactions before the vision changes. Dinah doesn't get affected by Coil's power the way I do. Like everyone else, she forgets about the timeline that Coil collapses and discards.

I don't. I remember. Even when I wasn't in the same city as him, there were a few times when his power had such a large impact, that it affected people in other cities. I fear what Coil could do if he compounded his own power with my own.

After all, my power includes his in its calculations of probabilities. Dinah's can change its statistics faster than mine and considers data from further in the future, but mine is a bit more precise.

I can feel it. He's looking for me. My power is normally very broad ranging. It gets easier to process when I focus it. Normally, I force it to show me the 5 most likely scenarios. But, I can also focus it using other parameters. It's how I know where and when Endbringers will attack.

I can focus it on an area, on a person, etc. It's easier the broader the topic. For example, it's easier to see the events of a city than it is to focus it to a single house within that city. Therefore, focusing on Dinah and Coil is easier than just watching Coil.

He's asked her a few times over the past 3 days about the probability that he'll find me. The number's been getting lower each time he asks and with each decision I make. In a way, Dinah is telling me the same thing.

Granted, I see all the numbers she can give him based on what Coil and I do. I hear the probabilities before Coil can even ask for them, and then adjust my own actions to create the outcome in which Coil has the lowest probability of finding me.