"Carrie had an ability, but she was a person, not a monster. She had hopes and fears, and we pushed her. You can only push a person so far before they break."
A dark veil fell over Chamberlain, Maine, after tragedy struck the quiet town at the hands...
Orchid sat upon the collapsed arc at the Night Guard base, wearing a pair of earphones connected to an MP3 player. The latest mission was a success, but the basement remained in her mind. She let the song drown the mental images when something tapped her shoulder.
Carrie stared at her, prompting Orchid to remove the right earpiece. "Thunder told me of the mission. Are Sue and her baby going to die?"
Orchid paused the music. "The doctors will monitor her; the same goes for Sariel, George, and Rita."
"I wanted to hurt Sue for the pain I endured until I peered into her mind after the...destruction. I never understood why she wanted to help me."
"Sue was true to atoning for her sins. She also defended your name during the Black Prom Commission, which convinced me to spare her when I intended to punish the Ultras for what they did to you. Once I learned of their deaths, I had my agents target the parents instead."
"That's dark, even for you."
"Still, someone had to answer the injustice you suffered, as I was. Yeah, I had bullies too, although my experience was not as severe as yours."
"But...your dad was a soldier. I figured you'd be popular."
"Is that what kids strive for? If so, they're idiots. Being popular or having a social status doesn't define who you are; it's your actions on how you want to live your life." Orchid pressed the play button on her MP3 player to resume the song. "I'm listening to Fix You by Coldplay. Want to listen?"
Carrie nodded. Orchid wiped the right earpiece and handed it to Carrie. She inserted the speaker against her ear, hearing the mix of drums, guitars, and piano. Only when the singers joined in the music that Carrie was enthralled, and she moved closer to Orchid, surprising the agent. Orchid wrapped an arm around Carrie, and the two women viewed the Milky Way stars.
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The next day, while the gang scoured for missions, an alert rang on the central computer. Orchid clicked on it, showing a video picture of the doctor she, Thunder, and Eagle met emerged on the screen.
"Morning. This is Dr. Hansen from the GCF Medical Facility. I'm calling to inform you about Ms. Snell. Both mother and child...have passed through the dire hours." This news had the group relieved; a few cheered. "Don't get your hopes up yet. They survived the night but still under intensive care. Also, Lucy Bombay-the head of Artifact Forensics-has requested an audience from you about the items from the church mission."
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