Rue/Blue - In the Family

Gathering / Conference

With The Spider now aware of the events  that occured at Blackmoore Hospital and the identity of Null, Rue decides to get ahead of the information before he can use it to harm anyone.

After a harrowing day , Rue says their goodbyes to Emma in the lobby to Vigilant Tower.   Looking down at themself, they sadly note that their clothes are in dire need of replacement; a few rips and an uncomfortable amount of dried blood still noticeable under the leftover grime from the rubble. At least the excruciating headache had settled to a dull ache - something they no doubt had Emma’s healing magic to thank for.   Pulling their destroyed phone out of their pocket, Rue remembers the increasingly frantic buzzing coming from their pocket earlier that day before the device met its untimely demise. They run a hand through their hair, a small cloud of dust emanating from the movement, determined to try to clean up the mess they made today, but hesitant about their approach. Still, feeling a strong sense of urgency, they walk over to the reception, reaching over the desk for the landline and dialling a number they memorised years ago.   The phone rings a couple of times, but the man Rue had originally come to know as Detective Alec Upton was always quick to answer his phone, ready to respond to whatever the newest crisis might be, "Hello?"   “It’s Rue,” They start, not wasting any time, “We’ve got a problem. I need to meet with you and your sister. Now.”   "Well, that's easier said than done, Rue," he says, seemingly surprised that they'd be calling, "I'm not even sure if she's free tonight, let alone willing to drive back into the city for an impromptu evening meet-up."   “We can meet at Blackmoore if she’s there,” Rue says, surprising even themself a little. “It really can’t wait…”   "Alright, fine," he says, sighing like someone who'd just gotten home and slipped into his coziest pair of slippers, "I'll give her a call and meet you back at the hospital."   “Thank you… and I’m sorry.” Ending the call, Rue puts the phone back where they found it, exiting the building with a mixed sense of dread and determination.   Hailing a taxi a few streets down, Rue sits in the back of the car (ignoring the confused glances from the driver), the events of that day running through their mind over and over again. The anxiety of going to a hospital is muted compared to the turmoil they’d felt all day, the fear making them jittery and perhaps a little paranoid. Their senses are almost painfully sharp, each noise amplified, the tiniest shadows drawing their attention, smells blending together into a nauseating concoction that their brain can’t help but try to dissect.   Along the way, they reach into their back pocket, fishing out a tattered old wallet that contains little more than a handful of coins and their hero ID. In one of the compartments, they find a slightly damaged business card, a plan forming in their head as they near the hospital.   Having paid the cabbie the fare (plus a tip upon realising they were leaving dust on his seats), Rue doesn't stop at reception, merely holding up their hero ID and shooting the receptionist a glance daring him to halt them as they storm past.   Their heart racing in their chest, they continue through the hallway, hearing some muted chatter from the office of Dr. Indigo Upton as they approach the door. Rue takes a deep breath, turning the knob and stepping inside, interrupting the siblings' conversation.   Sure enough, inside looking a little less than fresh are Indigo and Alec Upton, the former sat behind her desk with the latter on one of the guest chairs opposite. The two look up at them as they walk through the door, with Indigo giving little more than her usual professional greeting, while Alec quickly stands up in alarm.   "My God, Rue! What happened to you?" He says, taking a step closer but keeping a respectful distance, having likely heard about Rue's history.   ''I'm alright, we got blown up a little but Emma mostly healed me,'' They explain, giving a curt nod in Indigo's direction. ''We've got bigger problems than me needing a shower, though...''   Pursing their lips, Rue takes a moment to collect themself. They know they need to get this sorted urgently, but that didn't make it any easier, ''The Spider knows about Null and the experiments Dr. Suguti performed on her patients.''   Alec's face suddenly goes dark, and he pauses for a moment to consider what's just been said. Meanwhile, Indigo, less informed about matters of superheroes and The Railyard sighs heavily before asking, "So who, or what, is the Spider?"   Seeing Alec's reaction, Rue feels the heat rising up to their cheeks, ''He's bad news...'' They mumble tensely. ''An information broker, a mobster, a supervillain - whatever you want to call him. His philosophy is that knowledge is power...'' Locking eyes with Blue, they swallow thickly, ''I had to make a trade, I'm sorry.''   "I'm sure you did what you thought was necessary," Alec says quietly, still thinking about their next move, but Rue can see the disappointment in his face. He turns his attention to his sister, "He's the one who outed me  a few years ago. Probably wants to use the information to blackmail you, Go."   "Wonderful," she says, rolling her eyes and sitting back in her chair, seemingly more irritated than scared about the whole thing, "Al, I told you I didn't want anything to do with your cape and cowl nonsense-"   "I know, Go. I know," He says, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thinks, "Rue, what exactly did you tell him?" The disapproval feels like a punch to the gut, regardless of the fact that they were fully expecting it.   ''I told him that she performed unauthorised experiments on her patients,'' Rue starts, a faint quiver to their voice. ''And that she succumbed to her own experimentation, that she's been caught , and-'' They glance between the siblings, wincing at the mess they'd created, ''And I mentioned Dr. Upton by name. He knows you're related and I'm guessing he knows this information can hurt you. Both of you.''   "Well, we've not hidden that much," Indigo says, looking to her brother, "What's he likely to do?"   "Spider's a blackmailer first-and-foremost," Alec says, the famous detective within him starting to emerge, "It doesn't suit him to just out this information just to smear us. He'll want something first."   "So, what?" she says, leaning forward and raising a brow, "We just wait for the blackmail letter?"   "We stall him." Alec continues, "Just keep him sitting on the information long enough for us to get an official report out there. Maybe some news coverage. Get you in front of the press and get ahead of the story before it breaks."   ''He can't use the information against you if it's public knowledge,'' Rue jumps in, pushing their personal qualms aside for the time being in favour of getting a solution in place, ''People won't be happy about what happened, but it'd be worse if it got leaked by Spider. In terms of news coverage...'' They pull Michelle Van Quinn's business card from their pocket and place it on the desk. ''I know she can be... Harsh... But I think she could really help here.''   "Michelle Van Quinn?" Indigo says, taking the card and looking it over, "Where do I know that name?"   "She's the one who went after Transonic a few years ago," Alec interjects, looking up at Rue, "She's the reason he was relegated to rescue duty. She did a whole hit piece on the aftermath of hypersonic beatings. Are you sure she's the right person for the job?"   ''Don't get me wrong, she'll tear us to shreds if she believes it to be just,'' Rue says with a grimace. ''But that's the thing - as far as I can tell, she really values that justice is served. It's a gamble, but as long as we can show her that Dr. Suguti's wrongs are being righted, that it's not getting swept under the rug and that people are being held accountable... I think she might be our best bet.''   "Alright, Rue," Indigo says, offering them back the card as Alec ramains mostly quiet, "She knows you though. Would you make the call, ask her when she can come talk to me?"   ''Sure-'' Rue says, reaching down into their pocket, then pausing. They look at the pair sheepishly. ''Don't suppose I could borrow a phone? Mine sort of got destroyed in the explosion.''   "Uh, sure," Indigo replies, taking the cordless handset from the desk and passing it over to Rue, "Here."   ''Thanks...'' Rue takes the phone, putting in the number on the card. For a moment, they debate taking the call elsewhere, feeling a little out of place, but seeing little point in doing so, they hit the dial button, waiting with bated breath for the reporter to answer.   After a protracted series of rings, the phone is picked up, and the less-than-chipper voice of Michelle Van Quinn rattles through the receiver, "This had better be good."   ''Ms van Quinn, it's Rue, we met at the octocentennary celebrations ,'' Rue answers neutrally, unbothered that they likely woke the woman up. ''You said you're only interested in reporting anything noteworthy... I believe we have something that fits the bill.''   The woman chuckles slightly down the phone line, "It's sweet, Rue, that you think I wouldn't know exactly who you are as soon as you said your name. There's really no need to be so modest," she takes a moment to collect herself, before her voice picks up again with the zeal they'd expected of the newshound, "So, what have you got for me, Rue?"   ''I'm both flattered and concerned that I've left that much of an impression already,'' Rue quips, only half-joking. ''Something happened at Blackmoore hospital a little while ago. How would you feel about getting an exclusive interview with Dr. Upton? To be the first person to cover it?''   "Well, shit, Rue. Something that would get the likes of you involved?" she says, and Rue can practically hear her salivating at the prospect, "And I didn't get you anything. When?"   ''When can you get to Blackmoore?'' Rue asks in return, shooting a quick glance at Alec and Indigo.   "I can be there in an hour," she says, clearly not prepared to let an opportunity like this pass her by, "Will she be there?"   ''Yeah, she'll be here.'' Rue confirms, sending a silent prayer out to the universe that they weren't just making matters worse.   "Alright, I'm on my way," she says, not bothering to say goodbye before hanging up the phone.   Ending the call, Rue passes the phone back to Indigo, ''She'll be here in an hour...'' They say, ''I don't suppose I could take that shower now?''   "You can use one of the unused patient rooms," Indigo says, standing from her desk and leading Rue into the hallway, "Number 26 is Free," she says, pointing down the stretch of identical doors, "Unfortunately, there's not a lot we can do about your clothes before Van Quinn gets here. You gonna be alright?"   ''Patient room shower, love it.'' Rue deadpans, their anxiety spiking a little at the prospect. They look down at their ruined clothes, mumbling ''That clothes rewind  button would've been handy...'' before they start down the hallway, scanning over the numbers until they get to the room Indigo pointed out.   Upon entering the empty room, Rue takes a moment to look at the unoccupied hospital bed, the crisp linen sheets neatly folded on top of the mattress. The smell is awfully sterile, and they choose to leave the lights off as they rapidly navigate towards the en-suite bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before they throw up the last bit of bile left in their stomach. Wiping their mouth with the back of their hand, they flush the bile away, shakily removing their tattered clothes.   Eager to not spend too much time within the room by themself, Rue steps under the water before it's fully heated, lathering themself in soap and scrubbing harshly at their skin as they futilely try to wash away some of the events of the day. They watch as the dirt circles down the drain, stepping out again once the water finally runs clear.   They grab a towel from the small cabinet in the corner, using their power to slightly heat up the room as they dry themself off and get dressed again. Catching a glimpse of themself in the mirror, they realise they still look far from presentable, but at least they no longer look like they'd freshly climbed out of a grave, so they consider it a win.   Uncertain just how much or how little time they'd spent getting cleaned up, Rue quickly walks back towards the office, ready to get this shit show of a day over and done with. As they walk back towards Dr Upton's office, they hear the telltale clack of a sturdy heel on the varnished floors and look up. There she was, confidently striding towards them, hair and makeup looking immaculate, outfit beautifully tailored, and a smile on her face that could be excitement or arrogance depending on the light.   ''Ms Van Quinn, thank you for joining us so quickly,'' Rue says, making themself stand a bit more upright in the hopes of looking a little less dishevelled than they feel. Hesitating briefly, they extend their hand out for her to shake. ''Dr. Upton's office is just down this way.''   "A pleasure to see you again, Rue," the reporter says, clasping her hand firmly and giving a single, sharp shake before releasing, "I've been watching your escapades with rapt attention. You're making waves out there, kid." The way she says that leaves a question as to whether that's a good thing or not, but her smile seems genuine as she follows Rue's lead towards the office, "You know, I was quite surprised to hear from you quite so late, Rue. Must be something important..."   “It’s very… flattering, I suppose, to know you’ve taken an interest.” Rue says politely, pausing in front of the office to ponder her latter remark, “I apologise for the late hour, but I promise you it is important, and… Well, to be honest, based on the articles of yours that I’ve read, I think you’re the right person for this.”   Knocking on the door to announce their arrival, Rue turns the knob to the office once again that night, poking their head in and stating “Ms Van Quinn is here, may we come in?”   "Please do, Rue," Indigo says from her position much the same as they'd seen her in before, sighing as she gives her brother a grim look, "Better get this over with."   Barely waiting for Rue to step out of the doorframe, Michelle makes her way into the office, holding her hand out to the brother and sister in turn, "Mister Upton, a pleasure to see you again, and Doctor Upton, I don't believe we've had the pleasure."   Rue can suddenly see the resemblance between the two in the way that they smile politely though reluctantly at the reporter, "Thank you for joining us, Ms Van Quinn," Indigo says, offering her the other seat at the desk and leaving Rue without, "We appreciate your... expediency."   "Of course," Michelle replies, sitting down and pulling out her trusty notebook and a beautiful fountain pen, "In my field, when a member of any Vigil squad tells you they've got a story you'd be interested in, you come running."   Rue quietly closes the door behind them, taking a step to the side and leaning against the wall, crossing their arms in front of their chest. They feel a sense of unease in the entire room, the only person who appears to be unfazed being the poised reporter.   “I’d like to be candid with you before we start, Ms Van Quinn,” They start, shooting a glance at Alec and Indigo before carrying on, “I’m sure that, being the investigative journalist that you are, you will want to understand the full situation before you decide to report on something. I also don’t think it would be fair to drag you into this without making you aware of what you are getting yourself into…”   Pursing their lips, they seek the right words to express the precarious situation they find themself in without making a further mess of things, “…the incident that we’re about to discuss is delicate, and frankly, it’s still being investigated and dealt with…” Scratching the back of their head thoughtfully, Rue decides to bite the bullet, “The Spider knows about the incident we’re about to share with you. It is information that he could use against several people, so we agreed it’s best to come forward now, for us to bring it to light instead of letting someone like him use it for his personal gains.”   "PR 101," she remarks, "Best to get ahead of the story before someone else outs it," she chuckles, apparently finding the whole situation rather quaint, "Glad to hear you're taking a stand against that old insect, though. Always happy to get one over the Spider," she casts a knowing look in Alec's direction before continuing, "So, let's get on with it. What have you got for me?"   Rue blinks at the blasé response, equally impressed and dumbfounded by Michelle’s confidence and fearlessness, “I…” They stammer, a bemused smile tugging at the corners of their mouth. “I think it’s best if Dr. Upton explains the matters at Blackmoore, but I suppose we should start with the situation at city hall …”   Rue thinks back to the first proper assignment that they’d completed as part of the newly formed hero team, a dull ache making itself known in their chest as they recount the events.   “When we stopped the hostage situation, one of the attackersl mentioned something about finding evidence of the experiments performed on them… I spoke to some of the others we’d arrested, and they pointed us in the direction of Blackmoore. Harmony and I decided to look into the matter, since we believed that whilst they went about it the wrong way, if there was any truth to their story, then more people needed to be held accountable - that’s when we met Dr. Upton.”   "I agreed to a meeting with the two heroes at the behest of our mutual friend, Rachel Stephens," Indigo continues.   "Suplex?" Michelle enquires, interrupting as she begins to write several notes in her book.   "The very same," Indigo responds, taking a moment to allow for any follow-up questions before continuing, Her explanation is dry and lacking in all the bluster of most people talking about conflicts involving superhumans. She somehow manages to make a story about a woman turning herself into a superpower-sucking monster seem positively mundane.   Before long, the reporter closes her notebook and looks at each of the other people in the room, sitting back in the chair and crossing her arms over her chest, "This is quite the story," she says, taking a moment to collect her thoughts, "And where is the esteemed Doctor Suguti now?"   “She’s being held at the Century Holding Facility.” Rue explains, absentmindedly flexing the hand they broke in their first encounter with Null. Their chest constricts once more, flashes of the incident at the holding facility involuntarily running through their mind, “Any other questions?” They ask after a beat, forcing themself to focus on the matter at hand.   "I guess I have just one more," She says, placing her notebook back in the bag and preparing to stand up, "How are the rest of the Drug Lords?"   "Maria and Lucille have been released into the custody of family," Indigo says, smiling as she checks her files, "Meanwhile, Gary and Lucas are still residing here in the hospital. Their recovery is taking a little longer, but they're well on their way."   "Well that's good," Michelle continues, preparing to leave, "And, Rue? Have you gone to see any of them recently?"   “I last spoke to Maria and Lucille a little under two weeks ago,” Rue says truthfully, silently relieved to hear that they have been discharged from the hospital, “I made a promise to visit again soon, but I haven’t had an opportunity to stop by for a little while.”   "Well, make sure you do. It sounds like you really helped them," she says, in an uncharacteristic display of compassion as she heads towards the door, "It'd be a shame if you couldn't capitalise on that." With that, and a statement laugh for emphasis, the reporter disappeared from view, closing the door behind her and clacking her heels back towards the hospital entrance.   "I guess, now we wait..." Alec says, leaning forward with a grim expression on his face.   Rue releases a breath they didn’t know they’d been holding, sliding down along the wall and pulling their knees to their chest, “I guess so…” They run a shaky hand over their face, a headache slowly forming behind their eye, “I’m really sorry…” Rue mutters again, leaning their head back against the wall, “I keep making a mess of things…”   "Alright, Rue. Come on," Alec says, slapping his knees and standing up, "I'll walk them out. Go, it's always a pleasure to see you," he says, the siblings sharing a brief squeeze of the hand before he opens the door to guide Rue out.   Indigo's expression drops slightly as she looks over to the younger superhuman, "You did the right thing, Rue. We'll get through this," she gives her best comforting if somewhat clinical smile.   Rue offers her a weak smile in return, pulling themself up from the ground and following Alec out of the office. Despite being keen to leave the hospital, they can't help but drag their feet a little behind the hero, still feeling the sting from his disappointment.   As the two pace down the corridors of Blackmoore, Alec glances back at Rue and notes their dejected look, slowing his pace to fall in step next to them as he begins to speak once again, "Rue, do you have any idea why I started The Vigil? I mean, it was during the Crowd attacks, sure, but we could've just teamed up like we'd done before and went our separate ways. Do you know why I decided to form an actual team of superheroes?"   ''Actually, I don't...'' Rue admits uncertainly, a little taken aback by the question.   "Well, I'll tell you," he says, beginning his narrative as they exit the building into the cool night air, "Those early days of superheroing were rough, Rue. We were considered outlaws and often people didn't understand what we were trying to achieve, but I had a friend. One of the first other heroes I met, a woman who went by Shade. She'd record her adventures and post them online, trying to turn public opinion in our favour.   "She was good. A technopath with enough skill and determination to really make a difference in the city. We started to even make some headway in exposing what Bradyn Mannering and Joseph Schurk had been up to, but..." he trails off a little, taking a breath before continuing.   "She called me one night. She was going to sneak into a Schurk Industries blacksite. Apparently they had some sort of big presentation or experiment going on there, and she knew that if she could expose it, they'd be in serious hot water. But I was still a police officer at the time. I was out on the night shift, and I didn't get her voicemail until the following morning. I... never heard from her again."   Rue listens to Alec's story with bated breath, worried that they might somehow mess things up further if they say anything.   "I tried everything I could to find her," Alec continues and, despite the detective's hardened demeanour and years of experience, Rue can still see the slightest pang of sorrow in the older hero's eye, "Even ended up in a fight with Bradyn Mannering himself at one point and, I have no shame in admitting, had I not decided to retreat when I did, I'd have definitely been killed. Even after Schurk Industries was taken down and the Half-Bone Lord imprisoned, I still found no trace of her, and even Brainiac couldn't get anything out of him. Apparently his mind is full of so much chaos magic that he's practically immune to mental attack.   "Regardless, it was after that fight that I made a decision; that no hero, no-one who'd risk themselves so selflessly, should ever have to do so alone. It's from that day that I started putting together a... network, of sorts. That's what the Vigil was originally meant to be. A network where heroes can call for help if they need it and rest assured that their pleas would be answered. It's why I originally heard out Rachel when we first met, it's why I spread my contact details around the superhero community, and it's why I pushed to have more teams like your own and the Vanguard be created."   "Now, the reason I'm telling you all of this, if you haven't worked it out already. I can see that look in your eye, Rue. I've seen it on so many heroes before you. I call it "Atlas Eyes", because I can see that you're trying to bear the weight of the world on your shoulders. We're a pretty obsessive people, superheroes, prone to thinking that if we don't do everything perfectly, we've committed a cardinal sin. But we're no more than any of the people we save. We're simply a little better-equipped.   "My point is, you're not going through this alone, Rue. There's people around you here to ease some of the pressure, not just your teammates either, us in the Vigil, a whole wider heroing community. It's there if you need it.   "So, don't beat yourself up trying to think of how it should've been done differently. Sometimes we have to contend with difficult situations in this line of work. And I, for one, think you're doing a great job." With that, he smiles at them, his expression radiating a warmth and comfort honed over years of pulling delicate people out of precarious situations.   ''Atlas eyes, huh?'' Rue says thoughtfully, stopping just outside of the hospital. ''What about Gorgon's eyes? I'm sure Brainiac told you Combat took them - because we let him go with them, of course. Turns out he exchanged them with Creel in exchange for some evil statue, and then Creel gave the eyes to Quade.''   They start pacing back and forth as they ramble on.   ''I'm sorry what happened to Shade, but what point is there to a team if we can't even protect each other? All that 'backup' that Harmony had did her little good, we failed her, we failed to stop Combat, and Zaebos, and it seems like each time I try to fix part of the mess we created, either by myself or with the team, I just make matters worse!''   "Well, if there hadn't been a team, do you think Blaze would be free of Zaebos' influence?" He says, his voice maintaining the same cool and collected demeanour that his sister often speaks with, "And what about all the children she possessed? And the Century staff? What about Amelia? And even the supervillains she corrupted? Did you make things worse for them, or did your team save, not only their lives, but possibly their souls too? And last I checked in with Jeremy at the hospital, he told me that you've been working on a way  to get Harmony back and take care of the demon permanently."   He sighs, the compassion in his face holding strong, "We've only lost when we give up, Rue. And for every failure or setback, we always take great strides forward. Something about what Brainiac and Rachel have been telling me, shows me that you're far from giving up quite yet. Or am I mistaken?"   “I’m not giving up,” Rue says determinedly, “I promised I won’t stop until I get her back and I intend to keep that promise, it’s why I’ve been trying to get all the pieces together whilst I frankly feel like everything just keeps falling apart…”   "Keeping the pieces together while everything falls apart might as well be the Vigil's motto," he says, chuckling to himself as he thinks back over all the near-catastrophes he's seen in his time, "That's good though, Rue. Keep ahold of that. It'll keep you strong. Just don't forget that you're not in it alone. We've all got your back. You need only ask."   “I know, it’s just…” Rue purses their lips, their head hanging low as they mumble “What if we lose someone else?”   "Hey," he says, gently and leaning down to catch their gaze in a manner similar to Jasmine, "It happens. I'm not going to lie to you. But that's why we do this, isn't it? To protect people. We save who we can, and for those we can't we keep trying to be better... To live up to their example."   “I suppose…” Rue says with a shrug, not entirely convinced, but appreciating the support regardless. “I will try to remember to lean on the rest of the team a little… not carry it all on my own.”   "Come on, no need to mutter like you've just been told off" he says, chuckling a little, trying to relieve the tension, "Now, shall I give you a lift home?"   ''That'd be great, thanks.'' Rue says, a thought popping into their head as they follow Alec to his car. ''Speaking of asking for help... I'm sure we'll be contacted about it, but is there a direct alert in place in case of any sightings of Harmony?'' They briefly hesitate before adding ''Or... You know... If anything happens that could be linked back to Zaebos, would we get notified? It's kind of hard to track someone who teleports, but anything like that might help us figure out her next steps.''   "We've got a Vigil emergency alert out with a picture and instructions not to engage her going out to the police, century group and any affiliated heroes in the city," he says as he unlocks the car, "If anyone spots her, the call will go out to all of us. You guys won't have to face her alone."   “Good,” Rue says softly, opening the door to the passenger seat. “That’s good…”   The alert is both a relief and deeply troubling. Rue knows that it is necessary to have Zaebos - and by extension Harmony - listed as a threat for only heroes to engage with (and even then, not to do so alone), but the thought still leaves a bitter taste in their mouth.   They continue to mull over the situation during the ride home, the drive going by in what feels like a flash. Thanking Alec for the lift, Rue says their goodbyes to the hero, quietly slipping into the apartment for a change of clothes before heading back out. After all, judging by the buzzing under their skin, sleep won’t be coming for them tonight.