Rue: Web of Deceit - Part 10

Life, Crime

Given their new task by The Spider, Rue follows Alec Upton and Suplex into The Railyard, where they come face-to-face with a burnt-out shell of their past.

Rue heads down the stairs and into the night, speaking briefly to Doug to tell him to drive home without them, as they suspect they might be out for a while. With the snow still lightly falling, they put up their hood, sniffing the crisp air for a trace of Detective Upton's scent.   They can't help but wonder about the content of the tape, especially since Creel seems eager to be rid of it. Whatever it is, it could be valuable, but without a VHS player at their disposal, they won't know for certain. Despite their orders to get rid of the item first, Rue keeps the tape in their pocket for now, instead focusing on the second part of their task.   The snow crunches under their boots as they continue to walk, the streets becoming less crowded as the night goes on. People are seeking refuge against the cold in bars and clubs, the Christmas lights keeping out the dark of winter. Rue treads on, keeping their eyes and ears peeled as they search for their target.   Much to Rue's surprise, the Detective's trail doesn't lead back to the safety of the inner-city, but further into the slums, towards the Railyard. They have to wonder whether he's brave or stupid as a police officer alone and at night, to head into one of the places most hostile to his kind.   Rue picks up the pace, realising that the scent was getting weaker by the moment amid the slowly increasing wind. It becomes a challenge to stay on target as the scent becomes increasingly mixed with the other familiar scents of the Railyard.   Having to rely less on their sense of smell, Rue navigates their way between the railcars, scanning their surroundings for the detective. To their right, they can see a small group of people huddled around a small fire set in an oil drum, reminding them of the unforgiving cold of last winter. They carry on through the slums, looking through the cars and listening out for any sign of him.   It doesn't take long for Rue to catch up, finding him not being kicked out of the Railyard like they'd expected, but talking to the occupants and smiling, accompanied by none other than Suplex herself.   Rue ducks behind one of the train cars before anyone got the chance to see them and begins to train their superhuman hearing on their conversation. "And you say that it all stopped after the raid?" Alec asks a huddled woman, clutching her blanket close to her chest.   "Yeah, when everyone moved out the first time. Can't stay hidden when the whole place is being searched." She responds.   "Looks like your fellow boys in blue did a bang-up job cleaning this place up, Alec," Rachel chimes, jokingly but with an underlying annoyance.   "It was something to do with the new Chief," he responded, "Once he took office, he redirected our people away from the area."   "Well, a good thing he did, too," the woman replies, "We had nowhere else to go after that."   "Hmm..." Alec pondered for a moment, handing the woman a little bit of money for her trouble, "Thanks for your time, Ma'am."   "Wanna go check it out then?" Rachel asked, following behind him as he began to walk, his footfalls coming closer and closer to where Rue was hiding.   Mindful of the approaching footsteps, Rue takes a few steps back, quietly slipping into the slightly ajar railcar. They wait for the footsteps to pass by them, looking through the car to ensure they're in the clear. Clearly the detective was working on something bigger than the missing girl. Their curiosity piqued, Rue waits a little longer to keep a good distance between them, then promptly follows the familiar scents.   The pair walk towards the lower end of the Railyard, near the docks, where some of the old warehouses stand. The area is less inhabited, with many of the Railyard's more superstitious residents believing it's haunted, having heard the wails of the departed echoing nearby, while the more practical types see the old ruined buildings as little more than death traps. The wind seems to die down suddenly as the group continue onwards.   "What address did she say it was?" Alec asks, looking between the decaying shells.   "18215 Everbrook Hill," Rachel replied, following close behind.   The area is familiar to Rue, and it sends a chill down their spine. There is a distinct feeling in their gut telling them to turn back now, that no good can come from this place. The air is too still and the night is too cold. They could easily just tell Spider that they'd failed. No-one would doubt them, right?   Thoughts are racing through their mind, their instincts screaming at them to stay as far away from this place as possible. It feels as though their feet are rooting themself to the spot, refusing to carry them further. As the footsteps are getting fainter, the pair ahead of them walking further away, Rue wonders about the detective and his relationship with the Railyard hero. While it makes sense for heroes and law enforcement to work together, there must be something much bigger at play if Upton is recruiting a super's aid.   Pushing past the fear building up inside their chest, Rue follows the pair, sticking to the shadows. It takes every ounce of willpower in their body to continue going, with even the snow beneath their feet feeling like a sign to turn back now. The two had gotten a little bit ahead by the time Rue musters up the strength to continue, so they have to double-time it to catch up.   From the outside, 18215 Everbrook Hill looks like almost any other warehouse in the area, with a corrugated sheet metal exterior and large hanger doors accompanied by smaller personnel entrances. The big difference is in its state. The metal had sagged and parts had been blackened as it looks to have weathered a fairly intense fire. Parts of the building had caved in, leaving it all-but-inaccessable, and what other parts remain generally feature large melted holes through which the evening's snowfall filtered through.   The hero's reaction is predictable, "Well, I guess we can see why the disappearances stopped."   The Detective's is justified, "Christ. There's barely anything left."   But Rue knows this place well, and their mind felt like it was being torn to shreds as they realised what it was. They'd come here as a telekinetic runaway after Spider had decided they weren't working out as a waitress. No, they'd come here as an investigative reporter with a nose for both tracking and trouble. No, they'd come here when they heard the sounds of screaming from a mile away. No, they'd come here to take fiery revenge on a man who'd wronged them. No, they'd come here as a small girl in need of help, whose bodily autonomy their parents saw as another belonging to be sold for quick cash.   Rue places a hand over their mouth to muffle the whimper that escapes their lips, the bile rising up in their throat as they stumble backwards on shaky legs. The scars on their body feel like they're burning, their mind overflowing with agony and despair.   Their breathing is shallow and quick, every fibre of their being telling them to run. They knew then, that they were the key to Detective Upton's investigation. The kidney they'd received, the organ that both saved their life and changed it forever, it was Katie's. Sliding down against the wall, Rue hugs their trembling frame, their head spinning as they try to pull themself back together.   The inevitable panic attack comes on fast and without anything to help them through it, Rue quickly finds themselves barely able to think. But the body can only panic for so long, and eventually the worst of their symptoms begin to subside, leaving them alone in the cold with the horrible truth and a decision to make. They look back towards the building, feeling the eyes of old ghosts bearing down on them, but not seeing the Detective or Suplex anywhere. Only a cleared area in the rubble that wasn't there before.   Rue's heart sinks at the prospect of having to go inside. Back to where their nightmares began and several people's lives came to a sudden and unexpected end.   To be continued...