Mercy- 001 x OC

Chapter 6- True North

Valerie awoke later than usually, she normally awoke later on patrol nights. So this was normal, however she didn't expect she would wake up at ten thirty. Valerie yawned and looked at the clock, "Oh, for god's sake!" She exclaimed, rushing out of bed. Leaving her gloves behind in her room.

She rushed down the hall, opening the doors to the rainbow room. Looking around the room for Henry, she spotted him sitting cross-legged next to who she could assume to be Eleven.

"I spent years with One and Three. Right here. In this very room." Henry stated.

"Where are they?" Eleven asked, eagerly.

"Maybe we'll save that story for another day. It doesn't have a happy ending. I'm afraid. But they were a lot like you. Everything was hard for them. Then out of nowhere, they walked in here and it was like something had changed. And I asked them what was different, One said, he'd figured it out. He had found his strength in a memory from his past. Something that made him sad. But also angry. Do you maybe have a memory like that?" Henry turned to me, "Do you remember the day a strange woman came to see you? This would've been when Eight was still here. The woman. She was calling a name to you. That... was your mother."

She could hear the faintest of something, a heart. No a heart beating. She hadn't felt that in a long time. She glanced down at her hands, realizing she wasn't wearing gloves.

"Mama is dead. She died making me."

"And who told you that?"

"Papa. Who doesn't always tell the truth."

"This place... and the people here are not who you think."

Was it the gloves that minimized my powers? She wondered, turning on her heel, she was about to walk back to her room and grab them. Henry appeared in front of her.

"Henry, I-"

"Shh- I know, I saw the look on your face. Come on." Henry took her by the hand and dragged her into a closet. The light flickered on.

"I don't understand, Henry. What's happening?"

"Neither do I, but I can take a guess." Henry's breaths were heavy, "I'm guessing that your gloves reduced your power to the extent that you didn't know they were even there. Since you only took them off at night, you didn't feel anything. No heartbeat except for your own."

Valerie looked at the ground, "Maybe it was for my own good."

"Maybe it wasn't. Can you try-" His hand guides hers to his heart, "Try speeding mine up then slowing it down, I'll tell you when to stop."

She takes a small step back, breathing in, then out. Her fingers over lapped, as she felt his heart beating, "Look at me, you aren't going to kill me." He whispered.

Turning her hands over, still overlapping in the same manner. Her eyes closed, then she slowly pulled her right hand to her side. Turning left hand to the right, she could hear his heart beating faster in loud as if it was her own in her ear. Tilting her hand in the other way. His heart beated slowed.

"You can stop now," said Henry, looking like he'd seen a ghost.

Valerie slowly opened her eyes, "I don't understand." She muttered, looking at the light seeping through the closed door.

"Neither do I right now. Besides, don't worry about it right now. We have bigger things to worry about right now." They held eye contact, "Look, when I told you about true north. I was talking about you. You are my true north and I can see my way to you now."

"Was that an, 'I love you?' Or were you saying something else?" Valerie asked.

"You are my true north, Valerie. And I would be lost without you."

Valerie bit her lip, wiping the blood from her nose,"We should go, Papa wouldn't want us to keep him waiting."

Henry scowled, muttering, "No, that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" Valerie's hand was hovering over the door knob.

He inched closer to her.     His eyes trailed down her face. He leaned closer. The door flung open.

Valerie let a scream out, "Christ!" She exclaimed, stepping back, her hand over her heart.

"Sorry, uh- how do I put this in a good way, but Papa needs you." The guard said.

How did he find us? Valerie questioned, thrusting her hands to her heart, slowing her own heart beat.

"I have to get something from my room. Stall for me, okay?" She whispered to Henry.

"Okay."He replied, as he followed the guard.