Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 5: The Asylum

Sam stepped through the swirling vortex of chilling darkness and into the downstairs room of Eclipse. She looked around at the lounge, the bar, and the stage off in the distance with fond memories of disbelief. Jake and the others had clearly been busy working on repurposing things, but the club still had the same aesthetic appeal from the first night that Zoey had brought her here. A lot of the tables, chairs, and booths had been moved around to be used as either barricades or new tables. There was a workbench nestled off in the corner, a makeshift computer near the stage, and what looked like a dining area around the bar. 

“Welcome home,” Beth sighed, pulling her mask off and walking towards the bar, “It’s not much, but we’ve been scrambling to stay stocked up and ready. We don’t have a ton of the non-essentials, but we’re making due well enough.”

Sam watched as Beth was suddenly stopped by a tendril of dark energy. She suppressed a chill at the sight of it stretching out from Pam’s hand. Magic, especially the darker kind that Pam and Rebecca often implored, still unsettled her. “Which is why you should be saving some of our amenities for our new arrivals,” Pam said, “Jason went through a lot of trouble finding those sodas, and he didn’t do it for you to drink them all.”

“Oh, come on!” Beth huffed, yanking her arm free from Pam’s spectral grip, “I’ve only had one. Jay brought back a friggin’ case!”

“And I didn’t bring it back to listen to you two argue,” Jason remarked, brushing past them, “Drink it, but don’t come crying to me when it’s all gone.”

“Let her have one, Pamela,” Rebecca remarked, sauntering around the group and walking towards the bar, “Elizabeth may be a lot of things, but I doubt she’d guzzle an entire case without offering one to the others.”

“Did you just…” Beth started, staring at Rebecca as she walked towards the bar, “Are you feeling alright?”

“Peachy,” Rebecca replied, “I was just noting that even animals have some restraint.”

“Okay, there it is,” Beth rolled her eyes, looking back at Pam, “I’m not gonna push it, I swear.”

“How long have you guys been here?” Zoey asked, speaking up and walking around the lounge.

“Maybe a month, give or take a week,” Jake answered, walking towards the console set up near the stage, “We spent the first week and a half rearranging, looking for supply caches that hadn’t been raided, and securing the place. Luckily, most of the private rooms were easy to convert intot into living quarters. Beth and Jason have been rounding up the weapons you and Sam stashed, but I don’t know if they’ve gotten them all or not.”

“I can help you guys find them,” Sam said, “Well, I guess I should say I can help you check the places where I stashed ‘em.”

“Later,” Pam shook her head, “You all need to rest. Take your pick of the rooms and make yourselves comfortable.”

“But I want to help,” Sam said, “Come on, we’ve been-”

“Abused, tortured, and all but alone for a year,” Pam cut her off, “Do not think that you can fool me with your bluster and bravado, Samantha. I’m an empath, remember? I can feel the nerves you’re trying to hide. I can appreciate the brave face, but you can let your guard down here.”

“I’m not trying to put on some kind of front,” Sam said, stepping forward, “I’m not gonna stand here and say that I’m not rattled and afraid after everything that we’ve been through, but we’re not the only ones who’ve been through hell. Kait, Addy, and Sal are still out there, and we need to find them. I’ve been getting used as a fucking sweat rag, a sex-slave, and have been forced to watch my girlfriend be abused for the last year. Yeah, I’m shook up, yeah I’m pissed, but I’m done letting the people I care about suffer. I let Zoey and Bruce down, but I finally have a chance to help others.”

“Sammie, I get it,” Beth said, walking back towards the group with an extra soda in hand that she tossed to her friend, “Believe me, I know where you’re coming from. You spend a year lying down, taking shit, getting shit on, and knowing that people you care about are suffering and going through hell. There’s a feeling of regret, fear, and unease in you that makes you question whether or not you’re good enough, whether or not you’ve failed them. Then there’s the feeling of rage that comes afterwards, right? That white, hot sense of anger and outrage that comes on the heels of that. It drives you to act, to jump in, and to get back out there.”

“Yeah, you’re damn right,” Sam nodded, catching the can that Beth tossed to her, “I need to get out there and find Sal and the others.”

“I get where you’re coming from, but you need to take a step back for a minute,” Beth shook her head, “Take it from someone who knows what you’re going through. Revenge is hot on your mind, and it’s coming from a place of care. However, if you rush into it without a proper plan you’re going to get your ass handed to you again. All that’s going to happen is that you’re going either wind up joining Sal and the others, or you’re going to cost everyone more than they’ve already lost.”

“What’d you say?” Sam asked, her shoulders bunching up in ire, “You wanna say that again, Catgirl?”

Beth sighed and set her drink down, “Sam, I’m talking from experience here. I’m not trying to insult you, I swear. That line of thinking is what got your brother nearly broken, cost me legs, and got me turned into a fucking vampire. I got lucky because of Pam in the beginning, but don’t think that’s always gonna be the case.”

“I’m not some half-cocked chick with a hero complex, Beth,” Sam growled, “I’m a pissed off and scorned gal with an axe to grind.”

“What do you think I was, dumbass?” Beth asked, “You’ve seen me work. You’ve heard all the stories from after I made the change to using lethal force. I took out the bulk of Goth’s operation, killed one of Metropolis’ longest running villains, and was ready to burn down Citiville to get even with her.”

“I am not going to sit on the side-lines and-” Sam began.

“Samantha, that’s enough!” Zoey snapped, finding her voice after listening to her girlfriend raise hers, “You are in no shape to go back out there right now and you know it. None of us are, okay? You heard what Heidi and Hannah said, what Amelia said about the city. It’s overrun.The Brunswicks are holding all the cards, and everything is being routed through them and their board of directors. Nothing happens in this city without their knowledge, and yet Jason, Jake, Beth, Pam, and even Rebecca have been back for a month and have been working without getting caught. We can do this and make a difference, but we can’t do anything if we don’t have a proper plan.”

Beth didn’t say a word. Once again, she knew from experience that sometimes the best person to talk sense was the person closest, especially when that person was the alpha in the relationship. She couldn’t count the number of times that Pam had taken a similar tone with her to talk out of doing something stupid. “Zoey, I-” Sam started

“I know you want to help,” Zoey sighed, softening her tone, “Believe me, I do too. I don’t like being a liability any more than you do, but we have to be smart about our moves from here on out. We need to rest and do what we can here. We can help arm up, fortify this place, and get back into fighting shape for when the time comes. Please, baby, think this through for a minute. We don’t even know where the others are. I know how much Sally means to you, but we need as much information as possible before we jump back into the fray.”

“Take the time you have while you can,” Pam added, speaking softly, “There is still a lot that you can do around here, but you don’t need to throw yourself to the wolves, Samantha.”

“When was the last time we had more than a few moments together over the last year?” Zoey asked, walking up and gently caressing Sam’s cheek, “Remember the last time we were here? We can look at recreating some of those special moments.”

Sam flinched for a second and felt her cheeks heat up. She shook it off before she could completely lose her nerve. “We can’t just hide away here, Zoe,” Sam said.

“Don’t think of it like that,” Jake said, deciding to join the conversation,  “You’re not hiding, you’re resting and recuperating. You can and will join us when the time comes, but you need to regain your strength. I promise you that we’ll find them and bring them back.”

“You promise?” Sam asked, adding when Jake nodded, “So tell me what your next move is, Jake.”

“Once I get this drive loaded and the extraction process started, I’m going to try to find Alexis,” Jake replied, “I’m not sure where she’s been, but Jay is pretty sure she isn’t working with Eva and the others. We need all the help we can get, and a touch of crazy might not be such a bad thing from where we’re currently standing. Alexis and Miri can give us a competitive edge if we can bring them back into the fold, and maybe they know something about where Sally and the others are being held.”

“What makes you so sure about that?” Sam asked, “That sociopathic whacko is barely operating on the same planet, and she sure as shit didn’t give a fuck about helping us while you guys were gone.”

“She’s unhinged already, and she along with everyone else thought that Jake was dead,” Beth shrugged, “She’s crazy, yeah, but the thing is she’s still a damn genius. When I first crossed the line from hero to a lethal vigilante, she was the one that gave me the information on where to strike and when. I’ve never understood how she gets her intel, but it doesn’t make it any less reliable or real. We can use her help, and I’m willing to bet she at least has a lead on where the others are at or have been.”

“Exhausting as she may be, we need her,” Pam agreed.

“Going against the Brunswicks and their citywide clusterfuck is already crazy,” Jason added, “We could use a little actual crazy in our corner. Besides, if we’re gonna pull this off then we need as much of the old band back together as possible. Take a day, Sam, I’d say you’ve earned it.”

“Jay, you’re not actually serious are you?” Sam asked, surprised to hear the same thing coming from their typically stoic and harsh leader.

“Sam, I spent the last year running around working and trying to strike back and make a dent,” Jason sighed, “I got nowhere fast. I ran around out there like a dog chasing his tail. The little bits and pieces I was able to pick up were like crumbs that led to nothing. Every single time I’d get close, either one of their zombie workers, those drones, or another one of their damn guards would throw a wrench into my plans. The success we’ve had over the last month has come from us working the angles like a shell game. We’ve had to split it into shifts, shuffle around the city between curfews, and work slow and smart.”

“Ugh, fine,” Sam groaned, “But I still want to be involved in helping out. I don’t care if it’s fixing this place up, gathering intel, planning routes, I don’t give a damn. I want to help any way I can.”

“We will, Sam, I promise,” Zoey said, putting a hand on her girlfriend’s forearm, “We can start by running through the stashes that we made, yeah? We can start slow by making a list, and then we can work through it together with Jason and Beth. Please, Sammie, take a breath and think. We can’t help if we’re starving, exhausted, and frustrated.”

Beth could see Sam’s resolve wavering every-so slightly. She knew how important it was for Sam to join the fight. Hell, she couldn’t imagine sitting on the side-lines anymore than Sam likely could. She could still remember what it was like after Ashley had infected her with that damn curse. Afterward, Jake and Pam had insisted that she take additional time off to recover. Sam finally nodded and relaxed, “Okay, I guess I don’t have much of a choice,” Sam sighed as she conceded.

“Just enjoy the time you’ve got,” Beth offered, “These days you need to take these moments when they're available.”

Jake finished installing the drive into their computer system and began the process to mine the data. He sighed as he turned around and walked over to join his friends and half-sister, “I promise not to keep you locked up here. Trust me, there is plenty to do around here. Go ahead and work out the list of caches you and Zoey made here, but start compiling anything you can think of that we might need. Food, medical supplies, hardware, ammo, whatever you can think of write it down. If you have any ideas on what we can do to fortify this place, write it down and run it by one of us so we can get to work.”

“It seems like busy work,” Sam frowned, putting her hands behind her head and sighing, “But I know it's not. You wanna turn this place into something like your cave, right?”

“Eventually,” Jake shrugged, “That'll require more planning, but if things ever go back to normal I'll definitely be purchasing this property. I've never owned or ran a BDSM club before, but-”

“Fuck knows you've got plenty of experience in them,” Beth teased with a snicker.

“Didn't you and Pam actually get up on stage here?” Zoey asked, giving Jake an encouraging look as Beth's cheeks turned scarlet.

“Woah, woah, what?” Sam asked, “You never told me that!”

“That was quite the afternoon,” Pam smiled, “You were such a good girl.”

“I was impressed,” Zoey admitted, savoring Beth's embarrassment as much as Jake and Pam were.

“Interesting,” Rebecca hummed, joining the conversation, much to Beth's irritation, “I would have thought you'd have a case of stagefright, Elizabeth.”

“Okay, this is not a topic I wanna hear about,” Jason sighed, leaving the room, “Blackridge, you're heading out to search for Alexis, right?”

“Yeah, once we're good here I'll be heading into the suburbs where she was last hiding out,” Jake nodded.

“I'll come with,” Beth cleared her throat, happy to move away from her time on stage, “I can point out where it is.”

“Sounds good,” Jake agreed, “Rebecca, are you coming this time?”

“No, I think it might be best if I stay behind,” she replied, looking over at Bruce who'd been standing silent and still by the bar, “I believe that my talents might be more useful here, and I have a few matters that need to be dealt with. I trust you all will be fine without me.”

“I'll make sure they're safe and sound,” Pam cut in, “I don't foresee us needing a quick escape, but things have been rather sporadic and chaotic lately. I used to write luck off as nothing more than superstition, but after working alongside Jake, I’ve started to believe there may be some credence to it.”

“Bad timing and coincidence,” Jake defended as he walked past, “Superstition and luck don’t have anything to do with anything that’s happened.”

“I don’t know about that,” Beth said, “I’m pretty sure I’ve heard you say the words bad luck more than once, and I can name at least five scenarios where your luck in particular was total crap. I wanna say we make our own, but-”

“Sometimes the universe is against you,” Rebecca interected, surprising everyone, “I can attest to that on a personal level…”

Beth didn’t say anything in response. A blanket of silence fell over the room. It wasn’t as though Rebecca had said anything damming or controversial, but something about what she’d said resonated with everyone in the room. Pam nodded solemnly and ushered Sam and Zoey to follow her, “Jake, if you’ll give me a few moments, we can get moving. I want to show Samantha and Zoey our living quarters and the workspace.”

“Yeah, take your time,” Jake said, walking over to the bar, “I need to get something on my stomach before we leave. Beth, why don’t you go with them? Sam said she wanted to go over weapon stashes, and you’ve been working with Jason to catalogue what we’ve found. Maybe you can save her some time.”

“Yeah, sure,” Beth nodded, trailing after the trio, “We’ll be back and then we can head out.”

Jake watched out of the corner of his eye while Pam led everyone down the hall. He hadn’t been lying about needing something to eat, but that wasn’t the only reason he wanted to take some extra time before hitting the road again. Bruce, his oldest friend, father-figure, and butler, had taken a seat by the bar shortly after they’d arrived back at Eclipse. Barely anyone had noticed, but Jake had been watching him while Sam had been arguing with everyone. He hadn’t had the chance to speak with him since the Manor, but Jake had noticed the somewhat shattered psyche of his friend. If anyone knew what that was like, it was Jake from his time serving under Rebecca while she was still the Goth Goddess.

Jake wasn’t entirely sure what to say as he walked up to the bar beside his friend. He could practically see the tension rolling off of Bruce. Bruce had taught him nearly everything he knew. Bruce had trained him to hone his senses from an early age. Bruce had sensed his approach, but he didn’t make a move to acknowledge him. Jake hopped over the bar and went to grab one of the cans of ravioli Jason had found on one of his outings. He pulled the tab up and the top off of the can and grabbed a spoon while he searched for the right words. Jake frowned and decided to try offering an olive branch. He set the can down and slid it over to Bruce before grabbing another one from behind the bar.

Bruce caught it without looking up, but he didn’t move to take a bite. “Penny for your thoughts?” Jake asked, deciding on an old cliche as an ice-breaker.

Jake’s frown deepened as he watched his friend remain stoic and silent. He spotted Rebecca making her way closer without a word. He wasn’t sure what she was doing, but maybe she was hungry or thirsty. “Pardon me,” she cleared her throat and stopped beside Bruce, “I was wondering if I could possibly lend a hand here.”

“Rebecca, I don’t know if this is the best-” Jake began.

“I won’t do anything without consent,” she cut him off, “I taught Pamela many of the magics that she has used to soothe Elizabeth. There are ways to alleviate some of the stress that I know he’s carrying around that are less intimate than you'd think.”

“You want to jump straight to casting spells on him?” Jake asked, visibly uneasy with the idea.

“I am merely offering a service, should he feel so inclined,” Rebecca replied.

“Rebecca, I really doubt that's something he's going to have any interest in,” Jake sighed.

“Don't presume one way or another, Jake,” Bruce frowned, his voice hoarse from an evident lack of use, “Hesitant and reserved as I am, I can still speak for myself.”

There was an edge of hostility in his voice that Jake hadn't heard in a long time. He was reminded of times when he was scolded as a boy, or some of their more rigorous and intense training sessions. He noticed that Bruce still hadn't raised his eyes as he spoke. “Bruce, I wasn't…I didn't mean anything like that.”

“He's worried about you,” Rebecca clarified, stopping on Bruce's right, “Despite my best intentions, I cannot undo my past. As a result-”

“He doesn't trust you with my mind,” Bruce scoffed, taking a seat on one of the stools and shaking his head, “I can't say that I blame him. Hell, I'm not so sure that I do right now. Then again, I'm not so sure I trust my mind at all. I'm half expecting to wake up under one of the twins’ feet any second now. This isn't the first dream of hope I've had, although you're certainly a first…”

Jake looked down as he began to piece together just what was happening with his friend. It wasn't just trauma that was keeping him so tight lipped, it was disbelief. Hearing it was yet another reminder and example of the extent of his failures. Bruce had always been someone he could count on to keep his spirits up and his focus on task. His mentor had always been more of a realist, but he'd taught Jake that even realists could find the bright side. To see him now, stoic, fractured, and trapped in a state of shock, was painfully harrowing. Jake railed against the possibility of getting caught in the cycle of failure as he looked at his mentor.

“Bruce, this is real,” he said, opening his can and fishing out a fork, “I know this isn’t exactly ideal, but I swear this is as real as it gets. You, me, Beth, Pam, all of us are right here together. I’m sorry it took so long, old friend, but I swear, this is real. Eat, man, I can tell that…that they weren’t feeding any of you properly.”

Bruce looked up at Jake, a hefty load of sorrow and suffering lay behind his eyes and it nearly broke Jake’s heart. He frowned and aggressively snatched the open can, thrust his fork into the can, and took a bite. A brief flash of relief washed over Bruce’s face at the taste of processed tomato sauce and cold raviolis. It was far from top-shelf, but it was one of the better meals he’d had over the last year. It was gone as quickly as it came, but Jake had seen it and decided to up the ante by sliding one of Beth’s sodas over to him. Bruce caught it without looking up, popped the tab, and nodded at Jake as he took a large gulp of the sugary drink.

“Bruce, I’m so sorry,” Jake sighed, stirring his can, “I shouldn’t have let this happen, any of it. I let my guard down and Courtney got the jump on me. It’s because of that-”

“That’s enough, boy,” Bruce cleared his throat, his voice carrying an old and familiar assertiveness, “I won’t hear any of this self-loathing and pity over something that you couldn’t help. It was something that was unfortunate, trying, and tragic, but none of it is your fault. That is not how you were raised.”

“This is my city,” Jake argued, “My people, and it’s my responsibility to make sure that-”

“That’s enough,” Bruce repeated, shaking his head, “This is a dangerous line of thought, Jake. Your mother and father were guilty of falling into this sort of negativity, but they had one another, or myself, to pull them out of the depression and anxiety that accompanies this. Dwelling on mistakes and mishaps will do nothing besides cause you grief and cause you to hesitate when it truly counts. Assuming that this isn’t another dream, we cannot afford an ounce of hesitation in what lies ahead…I wish I could say that I believed it beyond a shadow of a doubt, but I still need time.”

“If I may be so bold,” Rebecca quietly cleared her throat, “My offer still stands to lend a hand. I can assure you that my magic will do nothing more than ease your burden.”

Bruce frowned and looked at the shelves behind Jake, “Grab me that bottle of vodka, will you, Jake? I’m going to need more to go on than that, madame. Surely you understand given your history.”

Rebecca frowned but nodded as Jake grabbed the nearly empty fifth of liquor and handed it to Bruce along with a glass. “I suppose that’s fair,” she admitted as Bruce poured himself a half glass and took a sip, “There are a myriad of ways and spells that I can use that range from outright removing the memories of this past year to compartmentalizing them for you. The prior can be done either through erasing the last year, or through putting the worst memories and putting them behind a metaphysical wall. The latter, on the other hand, will simply reorganize your memories and place the more negative ones in the back. Think of it like a rolodex of sorts, and your memories as the cards within. I’d be rotating the most painful ones to the back. They’d still be there, but they wouldn’t be at the forefront of your mind.”

“Rebecca, I’m not so sure that tampering with his mind is the best idea,” Jake admitted, “Bruce, I’m not trying to speak for you, but this is uncharted territory we’re talking about.”

“If you’re worried about me handling a few spells, relax,” Bruce assured Jake, “Your mother used similar magics on your father and I. It isn’t something that I relied on, but your mother helped me to deal with lingering PTSD from my time in the service. Tell me something, Miss…why the sudden interest in lending a hand?”

“Call me by my given name: Rebecca,” she began, “I know what it’s like to carry around the weight of something like this. Trauma, pain, suffering, and the like are all things that I know more intimately than most. Between my time as a frail mortal, and my time sharing a mind with a demon, I learned what nightmares can do to someone.”

“All well and good, Miss Rebecca, but that doesn’t answer my question,” Bruce said, looking down at his glass, “While I appreciate the glimpse and insight into your past, it doesn’t answer why you suddenly care.”

“I suppose it doesn’t,” Rebecca sighed, “I’ve done a lot of wrong, caused a lot of pain, over the centuries I’ve lived with a monster lurking within my head. I cannot undo what I’ve done, but perhaps there’s a way to use what I’ve learned for something good. Pamela took my teachings and ran in another direction, so why can’t I give it a try? Admittedly, it’s all new to me, but am I not entitled to an attempt or two?”

“Honesty from a woman that nearly destroyed my home and the lives of people I care about,” Bruce chuckled, swirling his drink before downing it, “I suppose these are strange times indeed. I can respect your desire to right the wrongs of the past, Miss Rebecca. Forgiveness takes time, and turning over a new leaf isn’t something that happens over night. However, that isn’t to say that it can’t be done. Take it from someone who was once a trained killer, it is indeed possible for people to change. Trust is a two way street, and it is something that is incredibly fragile. With that in mind, I’ll extend mine to you for the time being.”

“That means more to me than words can convey,” Rebecca said, “I will do my best to both earn and honor that trust. Does this mean you’re interested in my offer?”

“As long as it isn’t invasive and will leave my mind intact, yes” Bruce answered, “I suppose I should get to figuring out where I’ll be staying. If this is a dream, I may as well enjoy it while I can.”

“Indeed,” Rebecca nodded, looking at Jake, “I’ll remain here while you and the others go to investigate…her home. It’s probably for the best that I not be around her given our mutual interests.”

“Ms. Hamilton,” Bruce said, “It will be interesting to see how the two of you share a space, assuming Master Jake finds her at her hideout. Consider it a test for this new direction you’re attempting.”

“Interesting is one way to describe it,” Rebecca grumbled, envisioning a reunion with her longstanding rival for her lover.

“I don’t expect we’ll find her,” Jake admitted, “I’ll settle for leads on her and anyone else. If Alexis isn’t working with them, then she’ll be working against them in her own warped way. Knowing her, she’s likely playing a shell game and moving around to keep from getting caught.”

“I’ll…trust your judgment on whatever you find,” Rebecca said, seeming to struggle with the last bit, “While you’re away, I’ll see if I can’t help my new…friend get settled.”

“A step in the right direction,” Bruce nodded, getting to his feet as Pam and Beth walked back in.

“Dude, are you still eating?” Beth asked, eying Jake’s can of food, “Save some for the rest of us. It’s not exactly easy to get supplies these days.”

“Kitten, leave him be,” Pam said, walking forward and into the center of the room, “He’s been through enough, and we still have an entire day to get through. Save some of that sarcasm for the rest of the day.”

“Fine,” Beth sighed.

Pam could see and sense the change in Bruce’s demeanor. The way he was sitting and the ghost of a smile on his face spoke volumes even without her empathic ability. “Ms. Pamela, Ms. Thompson, I never thanked you for your part in saving us,” Bruce cleared his throat.

“Think nothing of it,” Pam offered him a small smile, “It’s just good to hear you speak again and to see you back on your feet.”

“Yeah, don’t mention it,” Beth added, “I just hate that it took us so long.”

“Better late than never, Ms. Thompson,” Bruce said, getting back to his feet, “I’m simply relieved to see you all back in one piece. Ms. Rebecca, if you would be so kind as to show me where I’ll be laying my head we can begin.”

“Of course,” Rebecca nodded, taking the lead, “Pamela, take care of them while you’re out there. Somebody has to remain rational in the face of reckless abandon.”

“Trust us, Rebecca,” Pam said, “We have worked together for a long time now, just the three of us. Our guards will remain up, we will be vigilant, and we will be back before you know it.”

“Hopefully with another box of canned goods and some damn ammo,” Beth chimed in, joining Pam in the center of the room.

“We’ll be alright, I promise,” Jake added, finishing his food, hopping over the bar, and joining Pam, “Let’s get going. We’ll see you all soon.”

A black circle formed around the trio. The shadows around the room began to creep closer and surrounded them. A bubble of inky darkness formed around them and they began to sink into it. They were gone again within seconds, and Rebecca was left alone with Bruce. She led him down the hall to show him where they’d been staying in hopes of finding a safe place where he could rest and recover.