Wired: Metta's Story

THE PROGRAMMING WILL CONTINUE AFTER THESE SHORT MESSAGES!

Mistral

The Lab - December 8, 2012 - 10:46 AM

Rose's plan was, in Mistral's opinion, genius. Seemingly trying the exact same thing again, for a third time, only for Metta to use his power to amplify everything and trap Bill? It was perfect! And tomorrow was the day they would put it into action.

You're ready, right? Mistral sent a thought over to Metta.

Of course I am! Metta insisted. I kinda have to be. It's all on me, after all.

Well, I know you've been pushing yourself pretty hard to master your powers. Rose wants me to tell you to take it easy today.

I am! Metta seemed almost giddy with excitement. Mistral hadn't felt him like that for a long time. Felix is going to show me something! I do have to sneak him out, though.

Be careful. Mistral bit her lip. That was risky. What if Bill...? No, they still had the upper hand. It was fine.

Of course, darling. Metta sent Mistral some feelings of warm comfort. She felt better already.

"Metta's having a good day," She turned to Rose, who was taking notes in a notepad across the table from her. "And he's taking a break, it seems."

"Oh, good." Rose smiled, but it seemed strained. "I didn't know he was capable."

"He usually isn't." Mistral snorted. "Pretty sure this is your dad's doing."

"...I didn't know he was capable." Rose looked thoughtful for a moment and then went back to writing.

"What are you writing?" Mistral cocked her head, curious.

"My thoughts. Keeping them organized." Rose murmured. "I have to make sure nothing goes wrong tomorrow."

"We've accounted for everything, haven't we?"

"Maybe," Rose looked at Mistral with a serious look in her green eyes. "But Bill Cipher is an unpredictable agent of chaos. As is Metta. Any number of things could happen here. And I just..."

"Just... what?" Mistral shifted uncomfortably. She couldn't help but think of Metta's habit of improvising that he'd had even before the chaos.

"I just have a feeling." Rose admitted. "That something bad might happen."

"Well..." Mistral didn't like the sound of that. Rose was an empath, after all. Her hunches were more than reliable. "Keep at it, then..."

She stood up suddenly, heading for the doors out of the lab. She really needed to clear her head. And also get out of this lab, please. Rose didn't try to stop her, thankfully. Someone else did.

"Mistral!!!" It was her mother's voice. "Where are you going?? It's not safe!!"

"Not safe for most people." Mistral shrugged, trying to suppress her annoyance. "I'm untouchable."

"No one's untouchable, darling." Ellen Pines knelt down to look her daughter in the eye. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I can't..."

I can't lose you too. Mistral finished in her head. She understood how her mom felt. She wasn't the only one scared to death of losing more family.

"I'll be fine." Mistral smiled, trying to seem comforting. "Nothing bad will happen to Bill Cipher's spy."

"I can't wait for things to go back to normal..." Ellen hugged Mistral tight and then stood up. "Soon, right?"

"Soon." Mistral nodded. This time her mother let her leave the lab.

The air wasn't exactly fresh, being all chaos-y, but Mistral honestly didn't care anymore. It would be gone soon anyway. Like Metta, she was feeling better today than she had in quite a while, thinking about how soon her life would go back to how it had been. ...well, mostly. Nothing was going to bring her dad back. And she didn't quite feel like the same person she had been. But still.

She noticed a small figure floating on the roof, looking up at the Fearamid. Blooky. They were probably wondering about Metta. Mistral felt bad for them and resolved to go see if she could help. She parkoured herself up to the roof, something she was getting a lot better at, and landed behind Napstablook.

"Hey," she spoke hesitantly. "You okay?"

"oh....... yeah...... sort of....." Blooky didn't look at her. They just kept staring up at the Fearamid. "i just keep thinking about metta....... sorry, i don't want to be a bother to you mistral......."

"You aren't!" Mistral reassured them. "I'd like to be able to... put your mind at ease, if I can. Since I'm connected to your cousin, I might be able to help?"

"well..... if you're sure......" Blooky glanced at her, seeming hesitant. "metta is...... okay? before now, i kept worrying about how to rescue him..... and i was really worried i'd have to.... do something....... before everyone else would kill him....... but....... he doesn't..... need to be rescued?"

"No." Mistral shook her head. "No rescue required."

"wow......." Blooky almost smiled. "he's so..... strong......."

"I'm sure he'd be really happy to hear you say that." Mistral actually did smile at them. "He doesn't think he is. Metta feels like he's... weak for letting this all happen. His mind is actually pretty messed up from all this."

"tell him......." Blooky took a deep breath. "that if he feels bad......... he should lay down on the ground and feel like garbage."

"Family tradition!" Mistral laughed, surprised. "If it can be called that."

"it always..... helped when we were little..... to lie down on the ground and feel like garbage....." Blooky continued. "so if it can help him now...... i want him to remember....."

"I'll tell him." Mistral nodded. "And don't worry. You'll see him again soon."

"i....... i hope so......" Blooky nodded, sort of. "thanks mistral...... you're really helpful...... bye......"

"Bye." Mistral said awkwardly as Blooky floated down into the lab. They always left so abruptly... Oh well. Mistral would be sure to pass the message along to Metta when she was sure he wasn't busy focusing on making sure Bill ddin't notice him breaking the rules.

She couldn't stop thinking about Rose's bad feeling. Maybe it was just the fact that Rose had said that, but now Mistral had a bad feeling herself that she couldn't shake. Was something about to go horribly wrong? It almost made her feel the way she'd felt the day her father had been killed. If something like that happened again... her mother...

No, she had to stop thinking about this. She'd come out here to clear her head, not make everything worse. Everything would be fine. They had a plan. And Cipher didn't have any idea.

CIPHER DOESN'T HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT WHAT?

Mistral jumped. She hadn't expected... he was supposed to be busy partying or whatever! Why was he... and why did he feel so... dangerously calm?

Nothing important. She put her walls back up, cursing herself for letting them drop in the first place. She couldn't afford that in her situation. I don't have any new information for you.

OH, I BEG TO DIFFER. It felt like Bill was closing his claw fingers around Mistral and she had no way out. WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME ABOUT YOU AND LIGHTNING BOLT? THAT OUR DEAL SHOULD HAVE ENDED BY NOW?

You're complaining about me continuing to feed you Rebel secrets even though I don't have to?

I'M COMPLAINING ABOUT BEING DOUBLE-CROSSED!

Mistral flinched. She didn't say anything.

AND I'M WILLING TO BET YOU HAVE MORE SECRETS FROM ME... Bill's voice was so loud in her brain yet still so dangerously quiet. She could... feel him searching her mind. She strained to keep him out of it. C'MON, LITTLE LIGHTNING STAR... JUST LET ME IN...

His power was too much for her. She couldn't take the... loudness. Mistral dropped to her knees, tears coming to her eyes. She knew Bill had won. She knew that she'd failed. That in the end, she was completely and utterly useless. She couldn't help anyone. She couldn't even stand up to Bill for more than a few seconds.

I'm so sorry, Metta...