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Eve

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Eve was feeling much better after her nap, not that she would ever admit needing a nap. She wasn't a child!

She resisted the urge to glance at Walter, her face feeling hot just remembering what had been said. "I can't fucking believe I told him all of that! Aaaargh!" The mental screaming was… not childish! She was simply expressing her anger. That's all!

Nevertheless, she was feeling better, and it appeared that Walter had kept his word about not sharing what was said since Stanley still wouldn't, or couldn't, shut the fuck up. Plus, his Soul was as easy to read as ever, still the same overpowered fucking bullshit! "Deep breaths… I am not going to be fuc… be controlled by a goddamn Trait!"

The way Stanley had nearly crushed her Soul before… it was terrifying, and the fuck… the bastard was goddamned oblivious! Ever since he'd woken up, they had gone up against more new and horrifying monsters than she'd seen in the last six months, and Stanley just fucking rolled over them like it was nothing. "It's not fuc… fair."

Now here they were, going to extreme lengths so that Stanley could have a god… a nap because apparently, he was too fuck… too overpowered to even sleep like a normal fucking person!

"You won't fit in here with me," Stanley told Zeke, "it's too small."

"I can squeeze in," Zeke insisted.

Her little brother had come back with more holes in his armor tonight… He wasn't injured, not by the time he returned at least, and while logically Eve knew he was strong, damn near unkillable, in fact, she still hated to see him hurt.

Meanwhile, Stanley was sitting in the cocoon Eve had created and complaining that it wasn't big enough for two people. "Yea, Eve. Why don't you just make it bigger? Why don't you just make the whole truck a cocoon? Why not just make the entire fu… Ahhhh!" Eve dug her nails into her palms and refused to look at Walter, whom she knew was looking her way.

None of them understood the ridiculous feat she had accomplished, how difficult it was to not only absorb someone else's Mana but then convert it into a very specific type of energy, store it in a power cell, and then be able to use it for her own devices! And Stanley didn't even use Mana! It was like comparing a natural gas power plant to plutonium in a nuclear bomb, an unstable bomb at that!

Eve had created something to not only absorb the ridiculous amount of power, but it also had to completely block every iota of that power from escaping past the absorber, then contain it in such a way that didn't melt everything into slag or explode in a mushroom cloud, and then finally use that power without destroying herself or the machines themselves! "Ungrateful idiots!"

A small traitorous voice in the back of her mind reminded Eve that she had never actually explained the difficulty or scale of what she dealt with here. "They should… just know! I'm a goddamn genius miracle worker!"

She 'could' make the entire thing bigger, though it would take the rest of the night and delay the eventual flight plans… but she was well rested now. Eve was going to suggest the delay anyway, but Stanley suggested something else first.

"I could just try sleeping without your power, Zeke. I haven't actually tried it since waking up, and it might be fine," he looked at Eve, "assuming this will hide me without the Soul Shield?"

"Of course it will fucking hide you!" was what she wanted to say, but the feeling of Walter's Domain helped to remind her of… stuff. "It will," she said instead, and then almost exploded anyway when she noticed Stanley noticing her lack of explosion. "So long as you don't destroy it," Eve said very calmly and through gritted teeth.

"If you're sure…" Zeke shrugged and stepped back.

"Caff, you wanna…" Stanley barely gestured at his lap, and the pug bounded into the cocoon to join him.

Eve watched Caffeine curl up in his lap and only realized she'd been smiling at the sight when it faded at Stanley's throat clearing. "Um… goodnight?" Eve kept her mouth shut and closed the cocoon. "Wake me up if anything happens!" Stanley half-yelled past the enveloping metal.

"Yea, yea, 'cause we're all fu… helpless without you!" Walter was still building beds, and he got back to work inside one of his new silence bubbles. Handy thing, those bubbles, as for why he hadn't used them before…

"I can't sleep with you watching like that," Stanley said from his cocoon.

Eve shared a glance with Zeke, the only one still standing there. She couldn't feel Stanley's… touch, so what was he complaining about? Was it the spider on his shoulder?

"Could you just back up a bit?" Stanley asked, and they did. "Thanks, that's good."

Zeke shrugged at Eve's questioning look, and she shook her head. She had no idea what he was talking about, especially when she could still see him and Caffeine through the spider. "Crazy fu… old fart!"

"Good boy, Caff," Stanley spoke a few more soft words to the pug and then fell asleep like a switch had been thrown. Eve knew when it happened because her cocoon was immediately under full assault the moment his Soul Shield dropped. It wasn't unexpected, and Eve moved back in to shore up a couple of weak spots that, while they were holding for now, she didn't think they'd continue to hold for long enough.

As she worked, Eve both saw and felt the slumbering Stanley through the metal between them. It was disturbing… like lurking next to a sleeping titan and feeling its breath shake the very air around her, hearing its heartbeat vibrating the earth in an increasing drumbeat… "Wait, shit!"

Caffeine whined, and Eve saw him licking frantically at Stanley's sleeping face. His snarling and twitching face…

"Zeke!" Her brother was already leaping forward as the fear blossomed from within the cocoon, crashing against her in waves.

Zeke was glowing bright gold, with light spearing out from his hands as they landed on the metal. Eve's spider inside the cocoon saw the complete lack of penetration from his light right before the feed from the spider went dark.

Of course Zeke wouldn't get through. She'd designed the damn thing to block much stronger powers!

Zeke was shouting for Stanley to wake up, his voice barely heard over the ear-piercing whine from Caffeine, and Walter appeared beside her. "I cannot reach him! He is pushing my Domain away." Eve didn't know how Stanley could possibly be sleeping through the racket, and yet he was.

Then her cocoon started failing.

Eve scrambled into action even as it felt like angry, thrashing claws had surrounded her. Invisible razors gliding over her flesh in an almost teasing gentleness… until one sank just a bit deeper and drew blood.

Zeke's brilliant glow healed the tiny scratches as fast as they were made but did little against the hammer blows pounding on her Soul.

"The fucking psycho is tearing it apart!" Eve was struggling to keep the same claws that cut her flesh from carving holes through the shield. The shield that was the only thing protecting them from a quick screaming death at the hands of whatever reached them first: spiders, Acid, or Aliens. Spin the wheel and find out which fantastic death you will win today!

She should have told the fucking lunatic to wait!

Then the fear started shifting into anger, and Eve felt her own terror rising. "He is going to kill us all…"

"Make me a hole, Eve!" Zeke yelled, "I can help him!"

"That won't help if we all drown in a river of acid!" Her brother was an idiot, a generous and caring idiot, but an idiot all the same.

"Let him inside, Miss."

"Did you hear what I just said!?" Apparently, Walter was an idiot as…

"I can block it," Walter said, the conviction strong in his voice, "but we must hurry! It is expanding…"

"Are you absolutely fucking sure about this!?" If he was wrong… they would all die. Of course, at this rate, they would all die anyway…

"I can do it, Miss. One or two seconds at the least!"

Eve spared a glance at her brother. "Go in the top." Walter's Domain thickened, suffocating and choking in its strength.

Zeke nodded and jumped.

"Too high," Eve thought, even as she forced the cocoon to spread open and watched Zeke land feet first on the ceiling before kicking off and diving through the widening gap!

Eve reversed her efforts into slamming the cocoon closed as Zeke's feet vanished inside. She didn't get to see if he just crashed into Stanley, her attention entirely focused on trying to keep the integrity of the cocoon from failing in countless places. She had no idea if Walter had succeeded or if they were all about to die and no time to dwell on it if so.

And then… it all just petered out. The invisible claws faded, Caffeine's whines quieted, and Walter fell to one knee behind her.

Still, Eve didn't relax until her cocoon was once more restored to pristine condition. She watched through a spider as the old butler struggled to stand behind her, his appearance looking slightly… diminished. She only turned once he stood more or less on his feet if a bit unsteadily.

"I… was… successful," Walter said between breaths.

"I'm not seeing any reactions outside," Daryl added, sitting tensely with his eyes closed next to the fiery egg. Beside him, Princess looked on edge as well, her tails lashing at the air.

Adam hid behind the wolves and watched the proceedings with wide eyes while the wolves seemed alert but also the least bothered by the entire ordeal…

"Zeke," Eve said, "how is it in there?" It had to be a tight fit with all three of them inside.

"Um, a bit awkward," her brother's voice came back, "but I can keep this up for as long as necessary." He was too good for these lunatics.

"Excellent work, Master Zeke. I shall… prepare…" Walter actually looked a bit lost, as if unsure what to do. Not something Eve had ever seen from the butler before…

"Take a break, Walter. You earned it," Daryl said, walking to the man and taking his arm. "It's okay," he cajoled the reluctant butler, "Princess and I will keep watch. Please just rest."

"Y… yes, Sir." Walter allowed himself to be led to the couch, at which point he sank onto the cushions. "I… will take a reprieve." His eyes drifted shut as he leaned back. "A short reprieve."

Daryl rejoined Princess, and they both sat with eyes closed, presumably scouting the area with their illusions.

Eve just stood in place for a bit, heart pounding with fading adrenaline, before finally joining Walter on the couch. She'd earned a fucking rest too!

It was quiet in the trailer after that. Eve's spider inside the cocoon had been destroyed but not killed. Her Soul metal was still in there, and she could still feel the connection to it. Stanley had only broken the fragile machine, and so she started working to repair it as well as she could from outside. It was slow and tedious work, but not impossible.

Eve stole glances at Walter as she worked. She knew that he could see her. He could see everything in his Domain. "Stanley just had to point that out!" Stanley hadn't actually said anything about Walter but had gotten Eve thinking, and it was the obvious conclusion after that.

Walter looked more worn in the face now, or at least she thought he did. The guy had already been old as dirt before…

"Is it still worth it?" Eve finally asked, barely above a whisper, "coming out here like this? He almost killed us all again, and in his sleep, for fucks sake!" Her hands were still shaking…

Walter smiled, still with his eyes closed, and nodded once. "Absolutely."

Eve just shook her head. "Blockheaded man!" He was too stubborn to admit a mistake…

"How much is your life worth?" Walter asked.

The question came out of left field, leaving Eve unsure of how to respond, which didn't matter because Walter didn't wait for a reply before continuing.

"Is it worth your brother's life?"

That was a stupid fucking…

"You have saved each other, you and your brother, have you not? How often must you risk your life for him before it is no longer a fair trade?"

"That's… different," Eve protested, and eyed Walter, worried that he might be bringing up things said before.

"A life is a priceless thing," Walter said, ignoring her glance, his eyes open now but gaze unfocused, staring off into the distance, "and I was granted that priceless gift. How can one place a value on something such as this when even the mere act of trying cheapens what was given?"

Eve knew that he wasn't talking only about his own life, and her eyes drifted to Daryl at the other end of the trailer. She didn't have a good argument against what he said… "Bastard!"

Daryl was lucky. So lucky to have someone like Walter. A man who, while maybe not his father, was better than that, and so much better than she'd ever had… It wasn't fair.

Her vision was far away, and gazing upon bitter memories when another hand touched her own. Eve tried to pull away, and Walter's hand held onto hers, not restraining but gently insistent.

"I was granted a number of gifts on that day, some more apparently precious at the time, yet every one of them priceless. I could never imagine a repayment commensurate with what I was given." Walter spoke softly, holding her hand in both of his.

The feel of his hands on hers was rough, almost frail even, worn down by age and life but hiding strength and warmth that brought back distant memories to Eve. Memories of her early childhood and a grandfather, when she was safe and before everything went wrong.

Eve's eyes burned, and she tried to pull away. This was weakness! She wouldn't let anyone see her like this. She had to be…

"They cannot see or hear you," Walter said, still speaking quietly, his voice warm and comforting.

It was a trap! It had to be! She had told him her sins, and now Walter would use the knowledge to crush her! Eve blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision, and saw that the blurriness wasn't coming from her end. Walter had made another barrier…

"I stand behind what was said earlier today," Walter continued in the same calm tone, "my feelings of obligation are my own and only my own."

Walter looked past her, his gaze heavy as he continued, "I fear that we have all become caught up in something much more than any of us could have anticipated." Eve followed his gaze to the cocoon as Walter went on, "that creature that came to warn us… As much as you fear Stanley's power, he is nothing to what we met that day, and yet it claimed to be only a messenger working at the behest of another."

Walter shook his head and looked back to Eve. "As such, I would not begrudge you, nor would I think less of you if you wish to separate yourself from what is coming. I too am afraid, and I fear that not all of us may survive the storm that is building around that man."

Eve shivered just remembering the tentacle-faced thing, but she also knew that Walter was wrong. Sure, Stanley couldn't match the pure power that the monster had given them only a mere glimpse of, but Eve knew that it was only a matter of time at this point, and there was something else… "You've felt it," she whispered, "his Soul. He is that storm, and he won't ever stop, not until it's over and we're all dead."

Eve saw Walter nodding in the corner of her eye. "I have indeed. That is why I would understand if you wish to depart. You have done enough, and you do not owe anyone anything."

Eve repaired the last broken circuit on her spider, and a clear picture came through into her mind.

A giant, wet dog nose sniffing loudly at the camera. Then Caffeine pulled back, and Eve saw what she was looking for.

Zeke.

He was clinging to and half wrapped around the still sleeping Stanley's back as the man sat in a slouched forward position, the dog in his lap, and all three of them glowing with golden light.

Zeke's eyes jumped to the spider as it crawled up from the floor where it had fallen, and he smiled. "Hi, Eve. All good in here," he said from his clearly uncomfortable position. "How's it going out there?" His smiling visage displayed none of the animosity that she thought it should, no anger at the imposition he was forced to endure or recrimination for the danger thrust upon them.

"I…" Eve choked, not on the words but on the realization and understanding of what she was looking at.

Zeke had found exactly what she always wanted for him. A family.

Not the fucked up facsimile of a family they had both grown up with, but the real deal. While she had been floundering around, not even knowing what she really wanted, Zeke had found it, and it was right here.

There was no keeping score in this family, no one-upping each other, no price for admission, and no guilt used as weapons against each other. It was something Eve had dared to dream of but never really believed could exist, especially not for her.

They weren't even related, and yet… somehow, they were a family. Maybe a bit of an unusual one, brought together by extreme circumstances and fighting for their lives on a daily basis, but still a family.

Eve smiled at her realization, a bittersweet smile as she thought of the sacrifices that had been required to bring them here. Sacrifices that had all been worth it for this moment. "I love you, Zeke."

Zeke blinked in surprise, but his smile grew, and his expression softened. "I love you too, Eve."

Eve wanted to run away from this nightmare. She could go back to Boston and live in relative safety. Nate would be glad to have Zeke back and would ensure his safety. They didn't have to be a part of this insane shit show.

But at the same time…

Eve didn't want to run away again. She had spent so much of her life running, and now she might have found something worth holding onto. Something that mattered. Sure, they were trapped in a city-sized den of spiders, surrounded on all sides by a river of sentient acid, and had monsters waiting to pounce at any moment.

But this was her chance to stop running, a chance to stand and fight for what she wanted, and Eve would be damned if she let any fucking monsters, human or otherwise, stop her from claiming what she wanted.

Eve stood up, pulling free from Walter. "I have shit to do, and you're wasting my fucking time with all this emotional bullshit."

Walter stood as well, and he was smiling at her. It was freaky seeing the consistently stoic old man like that, and Eve was about to tell him to quit it…

"Please pardon my forward behavior," Walter said, and then hugged her! "but I am very proud of you."

Eve stiffened as his arms wrapped around her… and she couldn't pull herself free. Not that Walter was too strong, but she didn't want to let go of this feeling. She wanted it, craved it, and hated herself for being so weak as to need comfort.

"Damn you, Walter!" Eve reciprocated the hug, burying her face in the old man's shirt as she allowed silent tears to run free.

Eve couldn't see past the tears in her eyes, but Zeke's smiling face was a crystal clear image in her mind, courtesy of the spider's camera. "A priceless gift…" It wasn't a debt owed or a cost to be repaid. It was a gift. Freely given and freely received, with nothing expected or demanded in return.

"Thank you, Walter," Eve said quietly, and she meant it. Not in the way she always had before, as a transaction that would be repaid, but instead as nothing more than gratitude.

"Always," Walter replied.

"And thank you… Stanley," Eve thought towards the sleeping monster in his cocoon. It wasn't something she could ever repay him for, but that didn't matter because it was never about that. She wasn't in his debt, and she had never been.

Eve felt a small piece of her Soul relax with that thought, an ugly knot of bitter emotions unraveling… and she let it go.

A notification popped up, and Eve smiled through her tears. "Seriously, now?" She gave up and just relaxed into the hug, letting all of her fears and stress melt away. "I wish you could have been my dad," Eve murmured into Walter's now damp shirt, "Daryl is a lucky guy to have you watching out for him."

Walter's hand froze where it rubbed her back, and Eve could hear the smile in his following words. "I would be deeply humbled and honored if you thought of me as such. Forgive my presumption, but I have already begun to consider all of you as my own children."

Eve was worried that he might start crying on her head, and she pulled back from the hug. Walter let her go, and as she suspected, his eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "Hey, don't get all emotional on me now, Walter. Save some of it for Daryl."

Walter had the good grace to look slightly abashed as he straightened. "He knows how I feel, Miss. There is…"

"And how do you feel about him?" Eve interjected.

"Master Daryl knows that I love him as if he were my own son, he…" Walter's voice faltered as he could clearly hear beyond his own barriers and so heard his own words broadcast from the spider at the other end of the trailer.

The barrier vanished to reveal Daryl staring back at Walter.

Eve had overheard more than a few conversations between Zeke and Daryl while they hunted outside, both of whom often forgot about her surveillance spider once it stopped moving. So she knew that both Walter and Daryl felt the same, but that neither man was willing to come out and actually say anything. Men!

"Master Daryl…" Walter said, his voice almost frightened.

"Walter…" Daryl was smiling as he moved to embrace the butler.

They both were crying then. "Looks like it's finally my turn to make you cry," Eve thought, "so go on, cry… cry your little bitch tears."

That was the only reason Eve had done what she did, to get back at Walter for making her get all emotional! It was purely for revenge and no other reason!

"What happened?" Zeke called from inside the cocoon, having heard some of the commotion.

"Nothing," Eve told him, "just men being emotional."

Men! Eve shook her head. Women were clearly the far more rational gender.

Eve left the emotional men to their overdue realization and got back to work. She did have a lot to do, after all. As she did, Eve looked once more at the Notification that had appeared earlier. A Notification that felt like a weight being lifted from her shoulders.

Temporary Trait Removed: [Angry Soul]