Rue: Web of Deceit - Part 30

Criminal Activity

Having revealed their powers to Rani as well as a lot more of the sordid details of their life, Rue has a lot to explain on the way back to the Farooq household.

It all happens too quick for them to see, but a loud sound rings out. Not the gunshot that Rue had been expecting, but the wet crunch of an impact, as they see the semisolid form of Blue crash into their assailant at incredible speed, flattening him against the wall and causing no-doubt hideous internal injuries. The man collapses to the floor like a sack of old potatoes, seemingly unable to make a sound beyond a hollow squeak as he attempts to breathe through shattered ribs.   Blue's shape becomes humanoid once more and he directs the formless mask where his face would be towards them as Mister Silva takes off in the other direction, "You okay?" He asks, offering them a hand.   Rue simply gawks at Blue for a second, their ears ringing and disbelief evident on their face, “I…” They stammer, swallowing past the lump in their throat, “I’m getting you a watch. You call that five minutes?!”   The words have no real malice to them, relief clearly coming through. They point at the retreating form of Mister Silva, “You missed one.”   "Hey, you try getting across town at this time," he says, before turning his attention to the fleeing criminal, "Yeah, yeah. Keep your trousers on."   In a swift motion, his arm whips out, extending the full distance between him and Silva in a fraction of a second, before whipping around his ankles and pulling back and up, causing his head to make contact with the road a moment before he makes it to his van, "Better?" He asks, still offering his hand.   “Better,” Rue says, taking his hand. They look at the three men and, satisfied that Blue has matters under control, hurry towards the car.   “Rani! ” They call out, then a little softer, simultaneously removing the balaclava so as to not frighten her further, “Rani, are you alright? You can come out, it’s over.”   After a long moment, the younger teen pops her head over the shattered window of the Dingo's car, her eyes streaked with tears but her expression optimistic as she looks over the human carnage littering the area around them, "A-are we safe?" she asks, her voice cracking.   Rue offers her a small smile, “We are,” They nod, relieved to see Rani relatively unharmed. They point over their shoulder at the hero, “Told you help was on the way.”   Peering over their shoulder, Rani sees the superhero collecting the three men into a convenient pile, her eyes widening in awe, "That's the Blue guy!" she whispers excitedly, as if Rue wouldn't already know, "The one they talk about on the news!"   ''It sure is,'' Rue says, holding out a hand to help Rani climb out of the car. With the adrenaline gradually fading, they start to feel the aches in their muscles, the sting of the scrapes on their foot, but they don't allow themself to relax just yet - not until Rani is home, ''We're going to get you out of here soon, we just need to make sure they're all contained so they can't try to hurt anyone else.''   "So, wait..." she says, standing up and stretching, "So, you know superheroes?" Brief pause, "Are you a superhero!?"   Rani's enthusiasm is like a punch to the gut, guilt clawing at their heart as they look down in shame, ''I'm not...'' They say with a frown, ''What I said to the D- what I said to Ava was true. I work for a man called The Spider... A criminal.''   Rue can sense Blue looking over at the pair, clearly wanting to say something, but holding his tongue (or whatever he uses to speak in that form) out of respect.   "You... what?" Rani days, the look in her eyes turning from adulation, to confusion, "W-why?"   ''It's complicated,'' Rue sighs, hesitating briefly due to the hero's presence before they continue, ''After the Railyard Raid , I was on my own with nowhere to go, so I did what I could to survive... Which included pickpocketing people. I ended up getting caught  pickpocketing one of the Spider's employees, and he wouldn't let me go without paying what I owed... The thing is, once he gets a hold of you, there's no easy way out. He's not exactly the kind of man you say 'no' to," they take a shaky breath, their shoulders slumping in defeat, ''I'm sorry... I'm not proud of what I do.''   "Do you... hurt people?" She says, leaning back slightly as if to make space between her and Rue.   Rue winces at the movement more so than the question itself, their heart aching. They are reminded of the embarrassment  they'd caused for Tara, how they'd helped to bring her back into the Spider's web. They are reminded of the attack  on Detective Upton's friend, how they'd manage to land a blow despite their reluctance. They are reminded how Eli kidnapped  Rachel after they gave  him the information to do so, and the screams as Evelyn's brain got burned by their flames.   ''I'll get Blue to take you home...'' They mutter dejectedly, furthering the distance between Rani and themself. ''I'm sure you'd feel safer with a hero.''   "No way! No. Way." Rani snaps back with uncharacteristic assertiveness. Rue takes a step back, wide eyed, at the sound, "As cool as I'm sure it would be to hang out with an actual superhero," she says, taking a moment to look over at Blue and grin a little before turning back to Rue, "I'm not gonna let you palm me off on someone else! I'm thirteen now, which means I'm getting tired of people keeping things from me because they think they know best!" Her outrage becoming evident as the blood rushes to her face, "Clearly, you're not some villain, or you wouldn't be friends with someone like that, and if you've been lying to me all this time, I deserve to know the truth!" She takes a breath, glancing around the area before continuing, Rue stuck in a stunned silence, "If we're in the Seafaring District, then my house is about a two-hour walk from here. That's plenty of time for you to tell me who you really are, and why you needed to hide it from me. Got it?" They finally finish, their hard stare seeming to pierce straight through to Rue's very soul.   Rue can feel the tips of their ears getting hot, a blush creeping up their neck as no trace is left of the frightened girl from before and they're instead faced with a deceptively strong and fiery person. They clench their jaw, a faint tremor coursing through their body as they try to compose themself.   ''Rani, I- It's just-'' They start and stop a couple of times, getting both increasingly agitated and anxious. Part of them wants to tell Rani the full story, but there is another part of them that's far too afraid of the consequences.   ''I told you who I am - I might not be a villain, but the truth is that I work for one. I may not have wanted to, but I've hurt people, and I'm in way too fucking deep to get out. It's why I couldn't stay at the hostel...''   "That stuff isn't as important as you being honest with me," she says, a few frustrated tears beginning to well up in her eyes, "You're my friend! My pancake buddy..." she mutters, looking away for a moment, "I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt people unless you really had to. It's obvious that you're going through some stuff, and I know you're doing your best, I just... I wanna be there for you, like you were there for me today, because that's what friends are for."   Rue opens their mouth to object, but can’t seem to find the words. They glance across at Blue, but the faceless mask doesn’t give them any indication what to do. They doubt that Detective Upton would give them any help with this either - it is their choice to make.   “Can I at least go get my boot back?” They say softly, a faint quiver in their voice. Despite the clear discomfort etched onto their face, Rue gives the younger teen a nervous smile, “It’s a long walk, after all…”   "I think I can allow that," she says, her flushed face returning to normal and her usual cheeky grin returning to her face as she nods to them before wandering over to Blue, "It's so cool you came to rescue us! Are those guys dead?"   "Not quite, Rani," he says, looking down at the pile of human bean-bags on the floor, "They'll probably need to go to hospital before jail, though."   "You know my name!?" She says, looking up at him in awe.   "Oh yeah," he says, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "My friend, Alec, in the police tells me your mum called when you didn't get home from school. She's worried sick, so you two should probably get going."   ''Rani, do you mind if I have a quick word with Blue?'' Rue asks, hobbling to meet the pair. ''It'll just take a minute.''   "Huh?" Rani mutters, sparing them a glance, "Yeah, sure, but... err... Mister Blue?"   "Yes, Rani?"   "Can I have your autograph?"   Blue chuckles, "Sure, Rani. Have you got a pen?"   "My bag is in the car," she says, heading back in that direction and leaving the two superhumans to talk for a moment.   The moment Rani is out of earshot, Rue turns to Blue, briefly glancing at the woman still tied to the chair and mirroring her scowl.   ''She's going to be a problem...'' Rue says gravely, ''She said she won't stay quiet about my, ummm... powers. If Spider hears about this...''   "Sh-" Blue says, stopping himself as he looks over at the Dingo, "Shoot. That's going to really mess with our whole plan..." he says, taking a moment to think, before turning back to them, "I may have an idea. Back during the Crowd situation, I met a young lady, about the same age as you. She's got some remarkable powers... She may be able to simply pluck the memory of your powers out of her mind."   ''She what now?'' Rue says, momentarily perplexed before they chuckle softly, ''I guess I shouldn't really be surprised anymore by people's powers... That would be a great help, though.''   Seeing Rani jogging back towards them with her bag, Rue telekinetically retrieves the boot from next to the Dingo's chair, wincing slightly at the scrapes on their sole as they wipe off some of the dirt before putting the boot back on. They pull the Dingo's phone out of their pocket and hold it out for Blue to take.   ''If you need any further evidence of her crimes, there was a laptop in the apartment she operated from. I'm not sure if it's still in her bedroom or if she brought it with her in the car, but I can share the address in case it's still there.''   "Thanks, Rue," he says, taking the phone and drawing a big, extravagant signature on one of Rani's textbooks, "Now, you two get going. I'll have my contact tell Rani's mum that she's safe and I'll clean up here," he begins to work as the pair get moving, absorbing the phone into his palm and retrieving a different one before making a call that Rue only hears the beginning of, "Hey, Brainiac? It's me, Blue. Can I ask you a favour?"   The walk home with Rani is slow, the tension between them tangible as they both remain silent. Rue purses their lips, aware that Rani needs them to start the conversation, but fear is clawing at their chest.   ''I...'' They begin eventually, clearing their throat, ''I'm not sure I can tell you everything," Rue holds up a hand when Rani looks like she's about to object, ''I promise I'll tell you whatever I can, but there are some things that I'd rather not talk about... I hope that's okay?''   "You're still my friend," she says, disappointed and shrugging, "So, I guess I've gotta trust you."   Rue nods appreciatively, taking a deep breath, ''What do you want to know first?''   "Hmm..." she ponders the question for a moment, before deciding to start easy, "What powers do you have?"   ''I have telekinesis and can create and control fire,'' Rue says truthfully, honouring their agreement, ''I also have heightened senses - I can see through walls and in the dark, hear things most people can't hear, and track people by scent... Even my sense of taste and touch is enhanced.''   "That's so cool," Rani mutters under her breath, "Have you always had them?"   ''I wasn't born with them, no,'' Rue answers, their gaze downcast as they ponder how much to reveal, ''Someone experimented on me.''   "Oh no," Rani says, noting the expression on Rue's face, "Did they... hurt you?"   “Yeah. They did.” Rue admits sadly, “If it wasn’t for the Raid, I don’t think it would’ve stopped either…”   "I'm sorry to hear that," she says, looking down, "Did they catch the people who did it?"   “I wasn’t entirely sure at first, but no,” Rue says grimly, “He’s still out there. It’s one of the reasons why I try to keep my powers a secret - I don’t want him to find me.”   "That makes sense," she says, nodding as she looks back up at them, "What about your parents? Are they not around?"   “They’re the ones who sold me to him,” Rue scoffs bitterly, “Pretty sure my father got arrested during the raid, not sure what happened to my mother. Not sure I care, either.”   Rani's face is filled with a growing sympathy as she listens on, "So, you were on your own... After the raid, I mean?"   “Pretty much, yeah,” Rue shrugs, remembering how lost they’d felt the first few days, “I realised my powers were pretty handy for pickpocketing, so I got by that way for about a year… I guess I got cocky, cause I spotted the wad of cash in Tara’s purse and I thought I’d hit the jackpot, and like I said before, I got caught and had to repay my debt to the Spider.”   "So, he's blackmailing you?" Her brow furrows with concern.   ''Not exactly,'' Rue says, turning down another road towards the hostel, ''I did the job he gave me well enough that he offered to keep me on as one of his employees. I know it sounds bad, but I was barely surviving as it was, and one thing I knew for sure is that you don't want to cross the Spider, so I agreed.''   "He sounds scary," she says, shuddering slightly at the thought, "What have you been doing for him?"   ''He is scary,'' Rue agrees, giving some thought to the tasks they've fulfilled for Creel, ''He deals in information, so most of the jobs are things like delivering and obtaining documents and flash drives and stuff like that. I've also been sent out to find blackmail material - admittedly the heightened senses have come in useful for that," they hesitate for a moment, but they decide to carry on their explanation, ''I actually ended up meeting some people through that, some more heroic people than me...''   "People like Blue?" She says, perking up slightly after the dearth of cynical information.   ''People like his friend, Detective Upton,'' They correct, ''and Suplex, the Railyard hero.''   "So, let me get this straight. You've met two members of the team that saved the City from that shapeshifter guy, and didn't thing to share it?" She stops in place, seemingly stunned, "That would've been perfect pancake talk!"   ''Technically, I sort of met three.'' Rue smiles sheepishly, stopping as well and waiting for Rani to keep moving, ''Though I was pretty out of it when I met Transonic, so I hardly remember it."   "You have got to be kidding me, Rue," she wails, melodramatically throwing her hands over her face, "I'm sorry, were you dying of awesome overload?"   ''A bullet, actually,'' They admit with a grimace, ''Remember how I had a work related incident before Christmas?''   "You were shot!?" Rani screeches, before realising her volume and covering her mouth, "How did that happen!?"   ''Spider wanted me to dig up some dirt on Detective Upton, so I followed him,'' Rue says, twisting the truth just enough to protect Alec's secret, ''I saw him speaking with Suplex, they were investigating something together it seemed. I lost sight of him at one point but spotted Suplex, so I tailed her without realising that she was about to walk right into some sort of arms dealer's lair. I may have been caught snooping around and put a bit of a spanner into Suplex's plan... I tried to help when all hell broke loose, but got myself shot in the process.''   "Yikes!" She says, taking a moment to process before slowly continuing to walk, "Do you have a cool scar?"   “I… didn’t think scars could be cool.” Rue mutters, looking genuinely puzzled.   "Are you kidding?" she says, nudging Rue's arm as she walks beside them, "Every action hero has some cool scars to show off from all their adventures!"   Rue flinches a little at the nudge, the movement almost entirely unnoticeable as they carry on down the street.   “I’m not a hero, though…” They mumble wearily.   "Maybe not," she says, placing her hands in her pockets, "But you could be. And you saved me tonight," she continues, looking up at the night sky as she mumbles her next sentence, "You became my hero... Just a little bit."   Their head snaps up to look at Rani, disbelief etched on their face, yet any objections seemingly fade before they’re voiced, “I’m not sure about being a hero…” Rue says finally, both of them coming to a stop at the crossing, “but I’m trying to do better.”   "Well, keep trying. You're pretty good at it," she says, as they prepare to part ways, "Wanna come inside? I'm sure Mum is going to want an explanation, and I'm going to need some backup."   “Umm… Yeah, okay…” Rue stammers, visibly nervous. “I don’t think your mum would approve of my employment.”   "Probably not," she says, feeling no need to help her friend feel any less uncomfortable, "She tends to disapprove of villains and blackmailers."   “And thieves…” Rue adds to the list, remembering the day they’d decided to search for a different place to live. Swallowing thickly, they look at the younger teen, “I’m not going to stop you from telling her if you think she deserves to know… She probably should know, I just-“ They can feel the heat colouring their cheeks once again, their voice coming out barely above a whisper, “I’d like to stay friends, if we can… but I’d get it if that’s no longer possible.”   "Hey," Rani says, stepping closer as she notices Rue getting upset, offering her a cheery smile in response, "Don't worry about it. Your secret identity is safe with me."   Rani’s words of reassurance make them feel infinitely lighter, and soon Rue finds themself mirroring her smile, “Thank you,” they say, “Let’s go talk to your mum. I know Blue said he’d get Detective Upton to call her, but she must still be worried sick.”   "Thanks, Rue," she mumbles as the two approach the house, the porch light flickering on as they get closer, "Do you think she'll be asleep?"   They don’t intend to, but they can hear the frantic shuffling inside, recognising the creaky step as someone rushes down the stairs, “I’m pretty sure she’s awake…” They say, nodding towards the door as the footsteps get closer.   The door flies open, with light streaming into both teenagers' eyes as Nadia throws herself at Rani, almost knocking the young girl off her feet. Rue doesn't even recognise her at first, almost blinded by the brightness and with her not wearing her usual head covering, it was only the familiar voice that immediately gave away who was assaulting their friend.   "Oh, Alhamdulillah!" she cries, peppering her daughter's face with kisses as she tries desperately to escape.   "Mum," she chokes out, "Please. I'm fine."   "Oh, my little Gudiya!" Nadia continues, clinging to Rani with every fibre of her being, "I'm so glad you're safe! Don't you ever do this again!"   "It wasn't intentional, Mum," Rani says, her eyes pleading with Rue to tear the sobbing woman off of her before she wakes the neighbours.   They smirk at the sight despite the faint pang of jealousy - not of the hug or kisses, per se, Rani could keep all of those for herself - it’s the reaction that inadvertently stings, the sheer love and affection that Nadia shows for her daughter.   “It really wasn’t her fault.” Rue interjects, taking pity on Rani for enduring such an onslaught of affection. They lock eyes with the mother and notice the puffiness around them, the dried up tear tracks on her cheeks, and it’s like Rue is getting emotional whiplash as they decide that Rani can handle a couple more kisses.   "And you!" Nadia says, pointing towards Rue and barely restraining herself as she drags Rani into the house, taking on the best guise of propriety she can after that little outburst, "You brought my little Gudiya back to me," she says, her smile becoming deathly serious for a moment as she makes herself perfectly clear, "You are family now, Rue. Understand that I don't say that lightly. If there is ever anything you need. You come to us, okay? As long as I am here, there is always a place for you in this house," she lets fall a few happy tears as her smile returns, "Now why don't you come in for some tea?"   Rue jumps back slightly the moment Nadia addresses them, taken aback by her words. They continue to stare at the mother and daughter bewildered, like a deer caught in headlights, "Umm…” They utter eventually, looking every bit as overwhelmed as they feel, “Tea would be nice… Thank you.”   Nadia opens the door wider and ushers Rue inside, determined to find some way to make it up to them.