22

Alecia leaned over the side of the bed retching, trying in a vain attempt to remove the foul clear liquid Fey had poured down her throat from her stomach. Fey, who had sat on the bed next to her, was patting her on the back in a comforting manner. Fey was even making soothing sounds, while Owl looked on impassively.

“If you hadn’t fundamentally altered your body chemistry that wouldn’t have tasted nearly as bad.” Fey said, in a voice that was disturbing to hear for Alecia, since it was her own.

“Fuck you, seriously. Fuck you. Human languages don’t contain the words to describe how shit that tasted, literally.” Alecia responded, shooting Fey a glare.

“Yeah, and you’re going to be stuck with that sense of taste. Not going to lie, that is going to suck in the long run.” Fey said, actually sounding somewhat like she cared.

“How the hell did you negate my invulnerability? It was suppose to be perfect.” Alecia asked.

“I’m not the most powerful magic user, but I am the smartest, at least as smart as you. Add Owl’s technical expertise, and we cobbled something together that could temporarily negate it. Very temporary, your skin is already hardening. Take these.” Fey offered Alecia two white pills.

Alecia who was already having trouble moving, everything taking an increasing amount of effort to do. She figured at this point mystery pills wouldn’t make things worse, so she took them. Almost immediately they started working, which was good otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to swallow.

“Ok those were useful, but they will increase my rehab time be like six months.” Aleca said.

“We know, but we think that’s a sacrifice you might be willing to make. Also if you spend most of the time in the gym it will be close to four more months, the pills don’t effect your new muscle structure. You should be capable of moving under your own power in two months even with the pills.” Owl said, before getting to the point. “Besides we needed to have a conversation.”

“I have a phone, and you could have called before I was bedridden.” Alecia said.

“I could have, but we decided to only fill you in after you had changed yourself. That’s about the point you usually have found a real goal in life, or at least conviction.” Owl said.

Alecia picked up on it. “So you two are alternate reality versions. I know Fey is me, but what about you Owl.”

Owl reached up and clawed her face off. It looked like she was ripping off a latex mask of sorts, except one that changed everything, including facial structure. Alecia had known about the glamor, but never really considered it important. Now she did.

“Well shit, hi mom.”

“Hello dear, it’s nice to hear you say that.” Owl replied.

“So uh what happened in your own reality that the two of you jumped ship?” Alecia asked.

“We’re actually from different realities. In mine our parents got killed in a protest against government registration. I got pissed made my version of Keanan, who you call Blackbird, made myself into this. Called myself the Terrorist, and went on a global revenge trip. I won.” Fey said almost with a straight face.

“You didn’t win Fey, everyone lost. Your reality is a hellish wasteland. Not even the cockroaches survived.” Owl said.

“The cockroaches had it coming.” Fey stated proudly.

“Meanwhile, in my reality you died in a riot. Me and your father got so pissed we took over the world.” Owl sounded oddly satisfied about that.

“What about the rest of Mal Meg? Are you all alternates?” Alecia asked.

“We’re pretty sure Nightingale is you, but she won’t tell us for certain. Bluebird is a clone of you. Rose is what happens if you were born a man. And Firebird is me if I got married instead of going to college.” Owl said.

“You got to choose between becoming a phoenix, or going to college. And you chose College?” Alecia asked.

“Apparently, I don’t like to talk about it.” Owl answered.

“So what, you all just travel from reality to reality as members of of our family fuck them up?” Alecia asked. “What happened to the realities of the rest of you?”

“Various different apocalyptic scenarios. Except Nightingale, we don’t know what happened to her reality, we can’t get in. Also it might no longer exist.” Fey answered her second question. “We’ve actually been trying to keep everything copacetic here to prevent the usual fuckups.”

“How is that working?” Alecia asked. Her body was starting to get stiff again, but Fey passed her two pills, that she took.

“Good” Owl answered. “We’re pretty sure this world isn’t going to blow up before the invasion.”

“What invasion.” Alecia asked.

“That would be the other reason we’re here, Owl fucked up and now we need to save the world for the first time from a threat not caused by our family in the currently world we’re inhabiting.” Fey said grinning.

“What did you do?” Alacia asked.

“Well remember how I got pissed and took over the world? Well me and your father didn’t stop there. We took most of the surrounding worlds too, then we started reality hopping for more conquests. Eventually me and Ares split up, it was mutual. He stayed the course and I joined Mal Meg.” Owl said sounding a little sheepish.

“Look we have just over a year before he arrives, so start building weapons. Big ones, you’re going to need them. He’s recruited three versions of us that we know of.” Fey said.

“I’ve send you the instructions on how to manufacture more of the pills, and we’ve left a weeks supply in your lobby. So I think it’s time for us to go, and let you rest.” Owl said. “I can take Ms. Yamada home since you won’t be needing her anymore.”

“Oh thank god, please get rid of that girl. But Fey can’t leave quite yet, we have something else to talk about.”

Owl raised an eyebrow at that as she walked towards the door to Ms. Yamada’s room. “Every time two of you meet you always have something to talk about in private, one day I’ll find out what.”

“No you won’t mom.” Alecia and Fey said in unison.

 

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