Fighting Echoes (7/?)
Author: 
serafina19
Title: Fighting Echoes
Summary: As identities and affiliations are exposed, the Justice League begins to form. But once an old foe re-emerges and raises the stakes, Evie is forced to determine how much she is willing to sacrifice to protect everyone she cares about. Sequel to “Notbroken,” and the final multi-chapter in the "Calendar Girl" verse.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Coarse language, violence and adult content.
Special thanks to:
552158 for the amazing banners that I couldn’t stop admiring when you sent them to me. Also, big love to
slytherinpunk, without you, I probably wouldn’t have the guts to try this.
August part 1 August part 2 September part 1 September part 2 October part 1 October part 2
October 7
It wasn't the best couch in the world, but for now, it suited Evie's needs. She had dealt with cold, hard floors, hand tied behind her back, stress positions, shackles, ropes, name it, she had it at least for one night. So at this point in her life, even carpet and a pillow would have sufficed.
She couldn't face... anyone right now. It wasn't her fault, for once it wasn't her fault, but it wasn't enough. Seeing what happened, it shook her, and she didn't want to deal with it. Even though she had been Chloe's guidance through everything, Evie herself couldn't fully process everything that was going through her head. Thankfully, Angie, a co-worker at Metro had a family emergency, so Evie jumped at the chance to work more shifts. It meant that she was away from it, a distraction from the reality of everything that had happened just last week.
Sure, she 'celebrated' Chloe's promotion, did the rounds as necessary, but actual contact and conversation was a minimum at best. But what Evie couldn't explain as to why of all places she'd come here for refuge. Everyone had a key to the place, but more importantly, she died here.
She did die, even if it was momentary, the blood on the floor was still slightly visible, even though Bart had scrubbed like crazy since he dropped Chloe off at Watchtower. The role reversal caught him off-guard too, but he did it all. Scrubbing the floors, even getting Evie a spare set of clothes.
He really was scared that he almost lost her, and she couldn't blame him. To him, she was the last member of the family who actually talked to him, as only Evie saw the true potential of her younger cousin.
In fact, Bart was the only one who knew that she was here. He minded her privacy, other than bonding over his lunch break at QI, a job he took very seriously as he had been previously canned quickly at his last couple of jobs. Other than that, he knew her enough that prying wasn't going to work.
Her phone buzzing brought her back to reality, a really dumb one in her books, but the more she saw her friends, the more the guilt loomed over her, the fact that her decision to fight could cost her one of them.
Sure enough, it was Chloe calling her, and it hurt Evie to press the ignore button, but she honestly didn't feel like talking. Not right now. She turned around, only to find that fate had different plans, as someone stood over the blood outline.
"What are you doing here?"
Victor scoffed at her off-put greeting. "You've been quiet lately... too quiet. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out you're avoiding us."
She rolled her eyes as she tapped her phone in her hand, knowing that her case was made the moment she hung up. "I've been working non-stop, there's no crime against that is there?"
"Evie, someone shot you."
He didn't have to tell her that, that fact was something Evie knew too well. All the things she had gone through, getting shot hadn't been one of them. Holding her index finger over the fingers on her other hand, Evie prepared to count the other things that had happened to her. "And someone injected needles into me and tortured me and treated me like a test subject." With a casual shrug, Evie tried to convince him that he didn't need to worry about her. "Getting shot was a lot better than most of that."
Victor stood up, not buying her excuses for a second. "Torture furthered your resolve, made you stronger. As much as I hate to say it, 33.1 helped make you who you are."
Her eyebrows raised at that comment. "You're saying that I owe LuthorCorp a Christmas card?"
"No, but I'm showing you the difference. I thought... giving up was my M.O."
He watched her eyes widen, but they both knew it was the truth. Back in the day, Victor's resolve was pretty minimal. After all, he was supposed to be dead. So anything he did after being brought back to life as a machine Victor figured was not of his own volition. For months, he believed that he was nothing more than a machine. But not Evie.
You're more than that. You have memories, real memories, Victor. Look, I know I don't know you, and I'm probably just a silly girl to you, but you're no less human than me. That's why you have to keep going, fight for a real second chance, because this isn't it.
She had never seen his face, only heard his voice, likely telling her to shut up, and yet she believed in Victor more than he did. Evie told him later that believing in other people was what kept her going, because to her, all the victims of 33.1 were her equals after she had pushed aside by her family. The truth was that Evie was stronger than most, even if it was in the most irrational terms.
Months of constant yelling, telling their captors that they'd never receive the satisfaction they wanted, and she could die happy knowing that she resisted everything. Evie received the brunt of the pain in the old Smallville facility, as Issac and Victor sat by, astonished by this girl, who had lost everything, fighting on.
If I lost everything, that doesn't mean I can't get it back.
But that didn't mean that Evie's strength didn't come with vulnerability, and Victor had seen plenty of days where she looked just like she did now. It was those days that the guys had to remind her of her own strength, but something told him that convincing Evie to pick herself up was going to take a little more than it did back then.
Plenty had happened, between the safehouse fire, the realization that a normal life was never going to be hers, and now this, Evie put plenty on her shoulders and the weight was starting to show through.
Evie fell on the couch, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling, almost feeling lost. Victor knew her enough, knew when she was lying, but it was happening more and more these days, and Evie was tired of it. She liked being the rock in people's lives, not the girl bringing everyone down. That phase, she thought, was truly over, but Chloe healing her... it allowed her to understand Victor's mentality all those years ago.
She felt the cushion next to her sink down, but she didn't want to look at Victor, not at that moment.
But that didn't stop him from talking. "I talked to Chloe, she said you told her that it was better if you died." He had been by to check on both women, and aside from the odd sigh, Chloe seemed okay, but five times Victor had caught her staring at her phone, waiting for Evie to call back, give her more than a three-word text. "She's getting worried."
Evie continued to look away from him, really not wanting to talk about this. "She doesn't have to be."
Victor never expected Evie to believe that he'd accept that flimsy comment, so he reached his arm forward, trying desperately to get her attention. "Evie, I'm starting to get worried."
Feeling the tips of his fingers collide with the back of her hand sent shivers throughout Evie's body, but she kept her poker face in place otherwise. "There's no need. I'm fine."
"Really?" Victor asked, voice clearly raised in frustration. "That's what you call sitting next to Watchtower's double doors for six hours with your knees pressed to your chest?"
Realizing that he must have talked to Emil as well, Evie bit her lip, as it was the only thing holding back the tears at this point. Victor had been oddly absent during the whole time, and it wasn't until Oliver told her that he was doing damage control that she understood why. But what he was doing right now, he didn't have to be here. He didn't have to care like this. "This is none of your business."
Victor jerked back upon hearing that tone, so he stood again, giving her the space she needed. "It wasn't your business to track me down after 33.1. You didn't have to send Oliver and AC in the right direction."
"But..." Evie shook her head, knowing that he knew the truth, and she owed him the same. "Victor, you saved my life... I wasn't about to allow you to live like that."
"And I'm not going to stand by and watch you isolate yourself when you have friends who give a damn." He cleared his throat before kneeling down in front of her, just trying to see what was going on in her head. "You're not starting to regret coming clean are you?"
She wanted to look at him, but instead, her gaze stayed on her lap, as she honestly answered his question, "I always thought that being honest would make things easier."
"It will, trust me."
"Victor, this wasn't even my fault and I'm starting to crumble." She threaded her fingers through her hair, squeezing her eyes shut as she added, "What happens if Lex finds out I didn't exactly die? What if it's my fault someone else dies?"
"It's never been your fault... ever. The quicker you realize that, the better."
"Then whose is it?"
"That doesn't matter."
"Sure it does," Evie replied with an air of defeat in her words.
"Not when you carry guilt around like you do. Any load off your shoulders allows you to actually live."
Evie took a hard breath in and then finally lifted her head up. "You really believe in me that much?"
"You make it hard not to, seeing how far you've come." Victor dared a smile in her direction. "Do you remember the person you were when we met?"
Did she ever. The first while she spent in 33.1 was spent begging and pleading, telling everyone that it was a big misunderstanding. Eventually Victor snapped, and asked her why she would even bother thinking she was ever getting out. That's when she finally became rational, telling him something she never forgot.
Because living like you do isn't healthy.
She didn't mean anything by it, but it escaped her before she had a chance to take it back. Of course, she did mean it. The guys just figured they'd lean back and take it, and even if Evie acted like an eight-year-old for her first month in 33.1, at least she was fighting it. However, in hindsight, Evie knew that she had to be pretty insufferable back then.
"How did you ever deal with me back then?"
When Victor noticed a hint of the smile on her face, he shrugged, hoping that conversation was heading in the right direction. "Didn't have much of a choice."
Evie scoffed. "Right."
"But that doesn't mean that it wasn't worth it in the end." Victor stood up and walked away from her, thinking that would be enough for now, but he stopped upon seeing her phone buzzing, Oliver this time. Picking it up, Victor smirked as the call went to voicemail, only to pick up again, the caller ID showing Lois' Daily Planet number. "You're always pointing out the lives you destroyed or ended, but you've done plenty of unacknowledged hero work too."
Turning around, Victor looked through the caller log, seeing all the calls Evie had been ignoring over the past couple of days. Seeing Bart's name, Victor turned towards the blood stain on the floor. He remembered the panic in the other man's voice, for as fast as he could do chores, he did this in normal time. It had been just the two of them, as Victor tried to erase the security footage outside of Watchtower because there was enough going on there as it was. Even though Victor could only erase part of the footage, he was glad to be there for Bart, as he much more shaken up than he let on in front of everyone else.
"I seem to know a particular co-worker of mine would be lost without his cousin." Looking back at her, Victor threw the phone towards Evie. It was a bad throw, but Evie pulled it towards her, catching it with her left hand once it got close enough. He watched her close out the call list, swallow hard as she put it beside her. "Chloe needed a friend who understood when to talk and when to listen; Oliver needed someone to call him on his bullshit."
"I'm sure they would have been just fine with Lois."
"Maybe, but I wouldn't have." He stared down at himself, the body part-man, part-machine, but Evie never saw him that way. To her, Victor was always worth saving, no matter what she risked. "You were supposed to leave me behind, start a new life." In a way, both knew that she did, and it had taken Victor a while to narrow down her alias, but when he did, Victor was surprised at how close to his life she still was, regardless of whether or not it was her intention to have it that way. "But you kept tabs in your way, in the shadows, expecting no credit, even when I knew it was you feeding our intel."
Victor had thought about sending a message, telling her thanks, or something, but he always held back. "I thought about reaching out, but I had no idea what to say to you." Even when he knew where she was, Victor maintained the status quo, not wanting to risk her safety. "Finally seeing you at that cafe on Chloe's birthday... you seemed happy, and I didn't want to complicate things."
Evie shook her head, never realizing that he had come that night, only to turn away because of her. It was his unselfish nature, she knew that, but she would have given anything to at least have seen him for a second. "You caught a good moment; life wasn't exactly great at that time."
Victor knew that, as he quickly found out about her mother, and her subsequent break-up. "But you still found a reason to push on."
He was right, she had pushed on. It was because she had other people that needed her, it was because her life had been worse, but more than anything, it was, "Because I was still alive."
There was a moment of silence between the two before Victor replied, "Exactly."
October 9
Chloe paused before opening the doors to Watchtower. She hadn't been here since she died, and part of her still didn't believe that it happened, and while it didn't change her life per say, the fact of how she entered here last time plagued here.
She'd do it again in a heartbeat, but Chloe didn't understand how it happened, that's probably what scared her the most. But she hoped that she'd never have to use it again.
Pushing the door open, Chloe walked in, everyone doing their own thing inside. She had insisted that she was fine, so everyone learned not to consistently make sure that she was okay.
Heading over to the main console, Chloe stood next to Evie. "I've been hoping to talk to you... but you've been radio silence."
Evie stopped her typing, ready to apologize for her recent absentness. "I'm sorry; I had some... unresolved issues." She nodded a single time, and her grin widened slightly. "I'm okay now."
Chloe smiled, grateful for those words. "Well...I never really thanked you for saving me."
Evie chuckled, asking sarcastically. "Did I?"
"Sure, but I'm curious. How did you and Bart handle this op by yourselves?"
"Security detail was pretty lax as they were expecting company a little later in the day." Evie looked over at Bart and Oliver, who were being filled in by Victor about the details they had uncovered. "After hacking into their security feed, Bart scouted the place, taking care of the guards, while also finding your location."
"Unfortunately, there was a little... hiccup in the process of Bart coming to get you, hence how the guard got involved." Evie thought she had found a blind spot on watchguard protocol, but she got caught before she could complete the time lapse on her camera work, because she had to knock one guard unconscious, and use the other one to convince the other guards to hold back. "Eventually my camera work was all for nought and we had to resort to... other techniques. It's what I get for doing what I did."
Chloe sensed the defeat in her friend's voice, and she looked over to the guys, smiling at Oliver as he caught her gaze. "Oliver's forgiven you, you know that."
"I still could have tried harder convincing him that his plan was flawed, but... but I gave up on the first opportunity I had people to help me." Evie smiled genuinely though, trying to convince Chloe that she was ready to move forward. "Lesson learned, right?"
"Right," Chloe replied, looking to the screen, trying to figure out what Evie was analyzing. "Any signs of Lex?"
Evie frowned. "Any clues we had on his location are gone now."
Confused, Chloe took her eyes off the screen. "Why would he reveal himself to me and then just go off the grid?"
"He's waiting for something else, he has to be." Evie shrugged as she gestured for the guys to join them. "Maybe he really does want the company back.
"Regardless," Victor interjected, "the decryption on the 33.1 server has doubled since Chloe came back." Tossing the original thumb drive to Chloe, he added, "We don't have much hope in getting more intelligence than we already have."
Chloe caught the drive with ease, but she looked back up at Victor, wanting more answers. "What do you mean?"
Victor nodded before pointing to the drive in her hand. "Watchtower finished decrypting that the night you were taken. Evie and I have taken some time, figured out the logistics of most of the files."
"And?"
Evie turned back to the console, went back a couple files, showing everyone the extent of the information it held. "Most of the folders overlap with 33.1 subjects and sites, including details about the sites you guys have already destroyed."
"The thing is... we can't link Lex to any of this," Victor explained. "Which means he would have Tess report that paperwork was forged, the footage altered. The story would have died before it got to press."
Oliver jumped in, asking a question on everyone's minds. "So why take Marnie if there was no threat?"
"From what Vic-man said, there's hundreds of files on here... between the sites, the subjects and people of interest." Bart zipped next to Evie, looking through all the names before turning back, "Maybe the accumulation was enough."
"Back up a second." All eyes turned to Chloe, who wasn't convinced that was the reason. "Marnie was an old-school detective, dark alleys, blind corners, phone conversations... not hacking." Moving Bart aside, Chloe began to file through the information, knowing the impossibility of someone like Marnie finding this. "There is no way she could create this kind of decryption or get into the databases we're talking about here."
"That's because she didn't compile this," Evie said, taking back the mouse, scanning through files, freezing only momentarily upon seeing a file with her former name on it, a detail they had decided to neglect mentioning, before clicking on another folder to hide it. "Chloe, you know yourself that Watchtower couldn't completely crack into Lex's 33.1 mainframe. My theory was that this was not to convict Lex, only scare him."
"What makes you so sure?"
Looking at Victor, who just shrugged, Evie continued with her idea. "Because Marnie wasn't the intended receiver of the thumb drive, just the messenger." She knew it was a stretch, but it was the only rational thing she could come up with. "Like we've acknowledged, a story wouldn't do anything, but Marnie had access to someone who could do something."
Seeing Evie look at her promptly after that statement, Chloe blinked. "Me?"
Evie nodded. "It's clear Lex thinks you're some sort of value in the hero world, it wouldn't surprise me if someone tried to use that against him. Unfortunately, the only writer who would take this information seriously with enough credibility with the Daily Planet was Marnie, which meant once the threat was made... it didn't take Lex long to figure it out."
"We're just lucky that Marnie got this to you in time," Victor added.
Chloe shook her head, the pieces not quite fitting together. "Who though... who would threaten Lex with this?"
Again, Evie was the one with her answer. "I'm almost positive that this has Tess Mercer written all over it."
That comment was met with a chorus of, "What?"
Evie smirked momentarily and then explained herself. "They work together, so little suspicion in regards to anyone keeping an eye on Tess, because she couldn't address Chloe directly with this."
Turning around, Evie pulled open a drawer. "The number on your cell... the one you called before you were taken, it was a burner phone bought with cash, but also the last number Marnie called, and the source that gave me your proof of life." Finally finding the call log she had researched once receiving the photo, Evie handed it to Chloe, knowing the highlighted numbers would prove her point. "I know it sounds farfetched, but Tess is one of the few who knew Lex was alive to threaten, and the phone switching hands proves that he got wise to her plans."
"So Tess Mercer?" Bart said skeptically. "Head of LuthorCorp Tess Mercer is behind this?"
"Her stance in all this is a lot more complicated than you think." Evie still remembered the expression on her face upon finding the adoption papers, hidden extremely well, but it explained a lot. Lex played the family card, inviting Tess into her long-lost family before using her for his plan.
But Evie couldn't tell them that, even though Tess was nothing more than a shade of grey. "Lex has been playing her and even though she's technically on our side, she can't completely show her hand. First... she has to find a way out of his clutches."
Oliver narrowed his eyes, trying to understand what that meant. "Care to clarify a little?"
Evie told them what she could. "Before his tragic so-called demise, Lex secretly installed cameras into her optic nerve. One of my final hacks caught the email conversation between Lex and the doctor and I forwarded them onto her... showing her the monster Lex really is." Glancing over to Oliver, Evie added, "Hence your merger."
She took a deep breath before explaining the rest. "Through some careful work by Emil and I, we were able to get them out, but it wasn't the only thing we found. Apparently, Lex implanted a kill chip in her neck, probably as a warning. We were able to get it out, but I have reason to believe that Lex found out and put another one in."
"The last part is all speculation," Victor interjected, knowing they didn't have proof for it.
Giving Victor a discrete glare, Evie pressed on. "Tess disappeared the day after you got back... Lex being onto her is the only explanation that makes sense. If I'm right, and I think I am, I can't risk taking it out without getting on Lex's radar, so for now, she really has no choice."
After that, it was pure silence, but Chloe finally looked up from the phone records in complete disbelief to answer. "We had no idea."
Evie nodded, realizing how much this was to take in. "Tess is as much of a victim in all this. Like I said, she plays that fine line well, because it's the only thing that keeps her alive."
With that, Bart made sure everything was okay before jetting out to grab some food somewhere, but Chloe was stuck on the conversation she had with the redhead earlier this week.
Don't pretend to think you understand me.
"You weren't kidding Tess," she whispered, only catching Oliver's attention, but he would talk to Chloe about that later.
He looked over the folders on the main screen. "What should we do with this?"
Evie moved aside so Oliver could look through them. "It has information for ten additional 33.1 sites. I think the least you guys can do is shut them down. Something tells me that I should lay low for a least a little while."
~0~
When Chloe and Oliver were satisfied with looking the intelligence, they bid Evie and Victor goodnight, leaving them alone in Watchtower to close up.
"You checked out your file yet?" Victor asked, watching the doors close behind the two blondes.
Evie shook her head as she approached the screen again, a folder entitled by her former name the only thing in her eyesight as she hovered the mouse over it. Pausing before clicking on it, Victor said quietly, "I'll give you some time," as he turned to leave the room.
After hearing the door close, Evie took a peek over her shoulder. Victor knew plenty about Evie, but this was something she had to witness alone.
Finally gaining the courage to look at what remained of her existence in 33.1, Evie discovered most of this was from Lionel's private server, which meant it hadn't been wiped when Dr. Lee attempted to erase her from 33.1. It wasn't much, a few details here and there, but there was one document that caught her eyes. It was a comparison document, and as she opened it, she analyzed it, the differences between her and another victim of LuthorCorp.
Lionel Luthor had only compared her to one other so-called meteor freak and that was a long time ago.
Unlike Evie, she had given herself up to save herself and her family, and while 33.1 harvested abilities, she was there because she wanted her ability to be taken out. After she saved Lionel's life, the elder Luthor had isolated her in a particular facility that only one doctor knew about. She was the exception, maybe even the sign of the heart Lionel possibly had. Yet, the irony was that she was probably one of the stronger people with abilities Evie had ever seen.
It was true that Evie could control everyone, but there was a limit. This woman, her only limit was that she needed something that belonged to the person. A long time ago, Evie gave this woman a hair pin of hers, as a memento of their time together, and as a hope they could help each other out one day. Years had passed, but Evie never forgot her name.
Moira.
Last names in 33.1 were pointless, as to the guards you were just a number. Yet it appears that Lex was just as interested in finding Moira as he was in finding her. Various amounts of research, but after he murdered Lionel, the trail was cold, which meant Moira was still undiscovered so far.
"Please be safe," Evie whispered, almost doubtful of her words.
October 17
Finally, Lois thought as she entered the place they called Watchtower. For weeks, she had been wanting to come back, but without a passcode or whatever, she had no hope. But when the guys decided to get out of the city, Evie proposed a girl's night in, and Lois wasn't one to hesitate on the offer.
Of course, that didn't mean that Lois didn't want to double check. "So, it's just us tonight?"
Chloe nodded as she turned on the lights. "Clark's running the patrols while the guys handle a mission in Rio." Turning towards Evie, she asked, "How excited was Bart for the trip?"
Evie laughed, knowing the grin on Bart's face when she stopped by the apartment to make sure he had everything. "He got there before the plane took off, what do you think?"
Setting her purse down by the main console, Chloe turned her head over her shoulder. "It's a bummer you couldn't go."
Evie tilted her head in acknowledgment, as part of her wished she could go, but she knew staying behind was for the best. "Yeah, well...when Lex thinks you're dead, it's actually best to keep it that way."
"You know," Lois said as she stepped in front of Evie, "you still owe me an explanation for whatever it is you can do."
"I do, I know." But she didn't want to get into it right now, as Evie genuinely wanted a fun, light night for the three of them. "Can it wait?"
Lois considered it for a second, but instead she proposed what she considered was a compromise. "At least tell me what you can do."
"Because the wait is driving you insane?" Evie supplied, knowing that, "It's the mental thought you added."
Lois' eyes widened, and while she wanted to know more, she figured it'd do for now. "So what are we watching?"
Evie shrugged as the three girls deliberated. "Don't look at me, if we had it my way, we'd be watching the Hawks-Wings game, but I know you two aren't really hockey fans."
"Football, maybe," Lois replied.
"My second love, but it's not nearly as strong."
"Really?" Lois asked with widened eyes and an air of skepticism. "The biggest loves in your life are sports?"
Finally dropping her bag down, Evie laughed. "There's something wrong with that?" Peering up, Evie realized from the looks she was getting that apparently it was. "I'm sorry ladies, not everyone has your relationship status."
"Which is exactly why I thought we should have gone out tonight, legitimately."
Evie rolled her eyes as she worked through her bag to pull out the snacks. "Chloe's a recognizable figure in the community between her own reputation and being Oliver's girlfriend, we'd never get any peace."
"All the more reason, you'd get best friend dibs," Lois fired back.
Evie furrowed her eyebrows. "I think Chloe's best friend is Clark."
"You know what I mean."
She did, and it was why Evie stopped playing around. "I have enough to figure out without dredging a guy in my life. Besides; I'm not a one-night-only kind of girl."
Looking around Watchtower, an idea struck Lois. "Could date a teammate."
"No," Evie said immediately.
"There," Chloe interjected calmly. "Lois I think Evie's made her point."
"Fine!" Lois said, sounding completely unconvinced. "I'll get the popcorn ready."
Evie silently thanked Chloe as the blonde walked over in her direction. "I think you're her new project."
"God, I hope not," Evie replied. "Trust me, the last thing I'm looking for is a relationship."
November
serafina19
Title: Fighting Echoes
Summary: As identities and affiliations are exposed, the Justice League begins to form. But once an old foe re-emerges and raises the stakes, Evie is forced to determine how much she is willing to sacrifice to protect everyone she cares about. Sequel to “Notbroken,” and the final multi-chapter in the "Calendar Girl" verse.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Coarse language, violence and adult content.
Special thanks to:
552158 for the amazing banners that I couldn’t stop admiring when you sent them to me. Also, big love to
slytherinpunk, without you, I probably wouldn’t have the guts to try this.
August part 1 August part 2 September part 1 September part 2 October part 1 October part 2
October 7
It wasn't the best couch in the world, but for now, it suited Evie's needs. She had dealt with cold, hard floors, hand tied behind her back, stress positions, shackles, ropes, name it, she had it at least for one night. So at this point in her life, even carpet and a pillow would have sufficed.
She couldn't face... anyone right now. It wasn't her fault, for once it wasn't her fault, but it wasn't enough. Seeing what happened, it shook her, and she didn't want to deal with it. Even though she had been Chloe's guidance through everything, Evie herself couldn't fully process everything that was going through her head. Thankfully, Angie, a co-worker at Metro had a family emergency, so Evie jumped at the chance to work more shifts. It meant that she was away from it, a distraction from the reality of everything that had happened just last week.
Sure, she 'celebrated' Chloe's promotion, did the rounds as necessary, but actual contact and conversation was a minimum at best. But what Evie couldn't explain as to why of all places she'd come here for refuge. Everyone had a key to the place, but more importantly, she died here.
She did die, even if it was momentary, the blood on the floor was still slightly visible, even though Bart had scrubbed like crazy since he dropped Chloe off at Watchtower. The role reversal caught him off-guard too, but he did it all. Scrubbing the floors, even getting Evie a spare set of clothes.
He really was scared that he almost lost her, and she couldn't blame him. To him, she was the last member of the family who actually talked to him, as only Evie saw the true potential of her younger cousin.
In fact, Bart was the only one who knew that she was here. He minded her privacy, other than bonding over his lunch break at QI, a job he took very seriously as he had been previously canned quickly at his last couple of jobs. Other than that, he knew her enough that prying wasn't going to work.
Her phone buzzing brought her back to reality, a really dumb one in her books, but the more she saw her friends, the more the guilt loomed over her, the fact that her decision to fight could cost her one of them.
Sure enough, it was Chloe calling her, and it hurt Evie to press the ignore button, but she honestly didn't feel like talking. Not right now. She turned around, only to find that fate had different plans, as someone stood over the blood outline.
"What are you doing here?"
Victor scoffed at her off-put greeting. "You've been quiet lately... too quiet. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out you're avoiding us."
She rolled her eyes as she tapped her phone in her hand, knowing that her case was made the moment she hung up. "I've been working non-stop, there's no crime against that is there?"
"Evie, someone shot you."
He didn't have to tell her that, that fact was something Evie knew too well. All the things she had gone through, getting shot hadn't been one of them. Holding her index finger over the fingers on her other hand, Evie prepared to count the other things that had happened to her. "And someone injected needles into me and tortured me and treated me like a test subject." With a casual shrug, Evie tried to convince him that he didn't need to worry about her. "Getting shot was a lot better than most of that."
Victor stood up, not buying her excuses for a second. "Torture furthered your resolve, made you stronger. As much as I hate to say it, 33.1 helped make you who you are."
Her eyebrows raised at that comment. "You're saying that I owe LuthorCorp a Christmas card?"
"No, but I'm showing you the difference. I thought... giving up was my M.O."
He watched her eyes widen, but they both knew it was the truth. Back in the day, Victor's resolve was pretty minimal. After all, he was supposed to be dead. So anything he did after being brought back to life as a machine Victor figured was not of his own volition. For months, he believed that he was nothing more than a machine. But not Evie.
You're more than that. You have memories, real memories, Victor. Look, I know I don't know you, and I'm probably just a silly girl to you, but you're no less human than me. That's why you have to keep going, fight for a real second chance, because this isn't it.
She had never seen his face, only heard his voice, likely telling her to shut up, and yet she believed in Victor more than he did. Evie told him later that believing in other people was what kept her going, because to her, all the victims of 33.1 were her equals after she had pushed aside by her family. The truth was that Evie was stronger than most, even if it was in the most irrational terms.
Months of constant yelling, telling their captors that they'd never receive the satisfaction they wanted, and she could die happy knowing that she resisted everything. Evie received the brunt of the pain in the old Smallville facility, as Issac and Victor sat by, astonished by this girl, who had lost everything, fighting on.
If I lost everything, that doesn't mean I can't get it back.
But that didn't mean that Evie's strength didn't come with vulnerability, and Victor had seen plenty of days where she looked just like she did now. It was those days that the guys had to remind her of her own strength, but something told him that convincing Evie to pick herself up was going to take a little more than it did back then.
Plenty had happened, between the safehouse fire, the realization that a normal life was never going to be hers, and now this, Evie put plenty on her shoulders and the weight was starting to show through.
Evie fell on the couch, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling, almost feeling lost. Victor knew her enough, knew when she was lying, but it was happening more and more these days, and Evie was tired of it. She liked being the rock in people's lives, not the girl bringing everyone down. That phase, she thought, was truly over, but Chloe healing her... it allowed her to understand Victor's mentality all those years ago.
She felt the cushion next to her sink down, but she didn't want to look at Victor, not at that moment.
But that didn't stop him from talking. "I talked to Chloe, she said you told her that it was better if you died." He had been by to check on both women, and aside from the odd sigh, Chloe seemed okay, but five times Victor had caught her staring at her phone, waiting for Evie to call back, give her more than a three-word text. "She's getting worried."
Evie continued to look away from him, really not wanting to talk about this. "She doesn't have to be."
Victor never expected Evie to believe that he'd accept that flimsy comment, so he reached his arm forward, trying desperately to get her attention. "Evie, I'm starting to get worried."
Feeling the tips of his fingers collide with the back of her hand sent shivers throughout Evie's body, but she kept her poker face in place otherwise. "There's no need. I'm fine."
"Really?" Victor asked, voice clearly raised in frustration. "That's what you call sitting next to Watchtower's double doors for six hours with your knees pressed to your chest?"
Realizing that he must have talked to Emil as well, Evie bit her lip, as it was the only thing holding back the tears at this point. Victor had been oddly absent during the whole time, and it wasn't until Oliver told her that he was doing damage control that she understood why. But what he was doing right now, he didn't have to be here. He didn't have to care like this. "This is none of your business."
Victor jerked back upon hearing that tone, so he stood again, giving her the space she needed. "It wasn't your business to track me down after 33.1. You didn't have to send Oliver and AC in the right direction."
"But..." Evie shook her head, knowing that he knew the truth, and she owed him the same. "Victor, you saved my life... I wasn't about to allow you to live like that."
"And I'm not going to stand by and watch you isolate yourself when you have friends who give a damn." He cleared his throat before kneeling down in front of her, just trying to see what was going on in her head. "You're not starting to regret coming clean are you?"
She wanted to look at him, but instead, her gaze stayed on her lap, as she honestly answered his question, "I always thought that being honest would make things easier."
"It will, trust me."
"Victor, this wasn't even my fault and I'm starting to crumble." She threaded her fingers through her hair, squeezing her eyes shut as she added, "What happens if Lex finds out I didn't exactly die? What if it's my fault someone else dies?"
"It's never been your fault... ever. The quicker you realize that, the better."
"Then whose is it?"
"That doesn't matter."
"Sure it does," Evie replied with an air of defeat in her words.
"Not when you carry guilt around like you do. Any load off your shoulders allows you to actually live."
Evie took a hard breath in and then finally lifted her head up. "You really believe in me that much?"
"You make it hard not to, seeing how far you've come." Victor dared a smile in her direction. "Do you remember the person you were when we met?"
Did she ever. The first while she spent in 33.1 was spent begging and pleading, telling everyone that it was a big misunderstanding. Eventually Victor snapped, and asked her why she would even bother thinking she was ever getting out. That's when she finally became rational, telling him something she never forgot.
Because living like you do isn't healthy.
She didn't mean anything by it, but it escaped her before she had a chance to take it back. Of course, she did mean it. The guys just figured they'd lean back and take it, and even if Evie acted like an eight-year-old for her first month in 33.1, at least she was fighting it. However, in hindsight, Evie knew that she had to be pretty insufferable back then.
"How did you ever deal with me back then?"
When Victor noticed a hint of the smile on her face, he shrugged, hoping that conversation was heading in the right direction. "Didn't have much of a choice."
Evie scoffed. "Right."
"But that doesn't mean that it wasn't worth it in the end." Victor stood up and walked away from her, thinking that would be enough for now, but he stopped upon seeing her phone buzzing, Oliver this time. Picking it up, Victor smirked as the call went to voicemail, only to pick up again, the caller ID showing Lois' Daily Planet number. "You're always pointing out the lives you destroyed or ended, but you've done plenty of unacknowledged hero work too."
Turning around, Victor looked through the caller log, seeing all the calls Evie had been ignoring over the past couple of days. Seeing Bart's name, Victor turned towards the blood stain on the floor. He remembered the panic in the other man's voice, for as fast as he could do chores, he did this in normal time. It had been just the two of them, as Victor tried to erase the security footage outside of Watchtower because there was enough going on there as it was. Even though Victor could only erase part of the footage, he was glad to be there for Bart, as he much more shaken up than he let on in front of everyone else.
"I seem to know a particular co-worker of mine would be lost without his cousin." Looking back at her, Victor threw the phone towards Evie. It was a bad throw, but Evie pulled it towards her, catching it with her left hand once it got close enough. He watched her close out the call list, swallow hard as she put it beside her. "Chloe needed a friend who understood when to talk and when to listen; Oliver needed someone to call him on his bullshit."
"I'm sure they would have been just fine with Lois."
"Maybe, but I wouldn't have." He stared down at himself, the body part-man, part-machine, but Evie never saw him that way. To her, Victor was always worth saving, no matter what she risked. "You were supposed to leave me behind, start a new life." In a way, both knew that she did, and it had taken Victor a while to narrow down her alias, but when he did, Victor was surprised at how close to his life she still was, regardless of whether or not it was her intention to have it that way. "But you kept tabs in your way, in the shadows, expecting no credit, even when I knew it was you feeding our intel."
Victor had thought about sending a message, telling her thanks, or something, but he always held back. "I thought about reaching out, but I had no idea what to say to you." Even when he knew where she was, Victor maintained the status quo, not wanting to risk her safety. "Finally seeing you at that cafe on Chloe's birthday... you seemed happy, and I didn't want to complicate things."
Evie shook her head, never realizing that he had come that night, only to turn away because of her. It was his unselfish nature, she knew that, but she would have given anything to at least have seen him for a second. "You caught a good moment; life wasn't exactly great at that time."
Victor knew that, as he quickly found out about her mother, and her subsequent break-up. "But you still found a reason to push on."
He was right, she had pushed on. It was because she had other people that needed her, it was because her life had been worse, but more than anything, it was, "Because I was still alive."
There was a moment of silence between the two before Victor replied, "Exactly."
October 9
Chloe paused before opening the doors to Watchtower. She hadn't been here since she died, and part of her still didn't believe that it happened, and while it didn't change her life per say, the fact of how she entered here last time plagued here.
She'd do it again in a heartbeat, but Chloe didn't understand how it happened, that's probably what scared her the most. But she hoped that she'd never have to use it again.
Pushing the door open, Chloe walked in, everyone doing their own thing inside. She had insisted that she was fine, so everyone learned not to consistently make sure that she was okay.
Heading over to the main console, Chloe stood next to Evie. "I've been hoping to talk to you... but you've been radio silence."
Evie stopped her typing, ready to apologize for her recent absentness. "I'm sorry; I had some... unresolved issues." She nodded a single time, and her grin widened slightly. "I'm okay now."
Chloe smiled, grateful for those words. "Well...I never really thanked you for saving me."
Evie chuckled, asking sarcastically. "Did I?"
"Sure, but I'm curious. How did you and Bart handle this op by yourselves?"
"Security detail was pretty lax as they were expecting company a little later in the day." Evie looked over at Bart and Oliver, who were being filled in by Victor about the details they had uncovered. "After hacking into their security feed, Bart scouted the place, taking care of the guards, while also finding your location."
"Unfortunately, there was a little... hiccup in the process of Bart coming to get you, hence how the guard got involved." Evie thought she had found a blind spot on watchguard protocol, but she got caught before she could complete the time lapse on her camera work, because she had to knock one guard unconscious, and use the other one to convince the other guards to hold back. "Eventually my camera work was all for nought and we had to resort to... other techniques. It's what I get for doing what I did."
Chloe sensed the defeat in her friend's voice, and she looked over to the guys, smiling at Oliver as he caught her gaze. "Oliver's forgiven you, you know that."
"I still could have tried harder convincing him that his plan was flawed, but... but I gave up on the first opportunity I had people to help me." Evie smiled genuinely though, trying to convince Chloe that she was ready to move forward. "Lesson learned, right?"
"Right," Chloe replied, looking to the screen, trying to figure out what Evie was analyzing. "Any signs of Lex?"
Evie frowned. "Any clues we had on his location are gone now."
Confused, Chloe took her eyes off the screen. "Why would he reveal himself to me and then just go off the grid?"
"He's waiting for something else, he has to be." Evie shrugged as she gestured for the guys to join them. "Maybe he really does want the company back.
"Regardless," Victor interjected, "the decryption on the 33.1 server has doubled since Chloe came back." Tossing the original thumb drive to Chloe, he added, "We don't have much hope in getting more intelligence than we already have."
Chloe caught the drive with ease, but she looked back up at Victor, wanting more answers. "What do you mean?"
Victor nodded before pointing to the drive in her hand. "Watchtower finished decrypting that the night you were taken. Evie and I have taken some time, figured out the logistics of most of the files."
"And?"
Evie turned back to the console, went back a couple files, showing everyone the extent of the information it held. "Most of the folders overlap with 33.1 subjects and sites, including details about the sites you guys have already destroyed."
"The thing is... we can't link Lex to any of this," Victor explained. "Which means he would have Tess report that paperwork was forged, the footage altered. The story would have died before it got to press."
Oliver jumped in, asking a question on everyone's minds. "So why take Marnie if there was no threat?"
"From what Vic-man said, there's hundreds of files on here... between the sites, the subjects and people of interest." Bart zipped next to Evie, looking through all the names before turning back, "Maybe the accumulation was enough."
"Back up a second." All eyes turned to Chloe, who wasn't convinced that was the reason. "Marnie was an old-school detective, dark alleys, blind corners, phone conversations... not hacking." Moving Bart aside, Chloe began to file through the information, knowing the impossibility of someone like Marnie finding this. "There is no way she could create this kind of decryption or get into the databases we're talking about here."
"That's because she didn't compile this," Evie said, taking back the mouse, scanning through files, freezing only momentarily upon seeing a file with her former name on it, a detail they had decided to neglect mentioning, before clicking on another folder to hide it. "Chloe, you know yourself that Watchtower couldn't completely crack into Lex's 33.1 mainframe. My theory was that this was not to convict Lex, only scare him."
"What makes you so sure?"
Looking at Victor, who just shrugged, Evie continued with her idea. "Because Marnie wasn't the intended receiver of the thumb drive, just the messenger." She knew it was a stretch, but it was the only rational thing she could come up with. "Like we've acknowledged, a story wouldn't do anything, but Marnie had access to someone who could do something."
Seeing Evie look at her promptly after that statement, Chloe blinked. "Me?"
Evie nodded. "It's clear Lex thinks you're some sort of value in the hero world, it wouldn't surprise me if someone tried to use that against him. Unfortunately, the only writer who would take this information seriously with enough credibility with the Daily Planet was Marnie, which meant once the threat was made... it didn't take Lex long to figure it out."
"We're just lucky that Marnie got this to you in time," Victor added.
Chloe shook her head, the pieces not quite fitting together. "Who though... who would threaten Lex with this?"
Again, Evie was the one with her answer. "I'm almost positive that this has Tess Mercer written all over it."
That comment was met with a chorus of, "What?"
Evie smirked momentarily and then explained herself. "They work together, so little suspicion in regards to anyone keeping an eye on Tess, because she couldn't address Chloe directly with this."
Turning around, Evie pulled open a drawer. "The number on your cell... the one you called before you were taken, it was a burner phone bought with cash, but also the last number Marnie called, and the source that gave me your proof of life." Finally finding the call log she had researched once receiving the photo, Evie handed it to Chloe, knowing the highlighted numbers would prove her point. "I know it sounds farfetched, but Tess is one of the few who knew Lex was alive to threaten, and the phone switching hands proves that he got wise to her plans."
"So Tess Mercer?" Bart said skeptically. "Head of LuthorCorp Tess Mercer is behind this?"
"Her stance in all this is a lot more complicated than you think." Evie still remembered the expression on her face upon finding the adoption papers, hidden extremely well, but it explained a lot. Lex played the family card, inviting Tess into her long-lost family before using her for his plan.
But Evie couldn't tell them that, even though Tess was nothing more than a shade of grey. "Lex has been playing her and even though she's technically on our side, she can't completely show her hand. First... she has to find a way out of his clutches."
Oliver narrowed his eyes, trying to understand what that meant. "Care to clarify a little?"
Evie told them what she could. "Before his tragic so-called demise, Lex secretly installed cameras into her optic nerve. One of my final hacks caught the email conversation between Lex and the doctor and I forwarded them onto her... showing her the monster Lex really is." Glancing over to Oliver, Evie added, "Hence your merger."
She took a deep breath before explaining the rest. "Through some careful work by Emil and I, we were able to get them out, but it wasn't the only thing we found. Apparently, Lex implanted a kill chip in her neck, probably as a warning. We were able to get it out, but I have reason to believe that Lex found out and put another one in."
"The last part is all speculation," Victor interjected, knowing they didn't have proof for it.
Giving Victor a discrete glare, Evie pressed on. "Tess disappeared the day after you got back... Lex being onto her is the only explanation that makes sense. If I'm right, and I think I am, I can't risk taking it out without getting on Lex's radar, so for now, she really has no choice."
After that, it was pure silence, but Chloe finally looked up from the phone records in complete disbelief to answer. "We had no idea."
Evie nodded, realizing how much this was to take in. "Tess is as much of a victim in all this. Like I said, she plays that fine line well, because it's the only thing that keeps her alive."
With that, Bart made sure everything was okay before jetting out to grab some food somewhere, but Chloe was stuck on the conversation she had with the redhead earlier this week.
Don't pretend to think you understand me.
"You weren't kidding Tess," she whispered, only catching Oliver's attention, but he would talk to Chloe about that later.
He looked over the folders on the main screen. "What should we do with this?"
Evie moved aside so Oliver could look through them. "It has information for ten additional 33.1 sites. I think the least you guys can do is shut them down. Something tells me that I should lay low for a least a little while."
~0~
When Chloe and Oliver were satisfied with looking the intelligence, they bid Evie and Victor goodnight, leaving them alone in Watchtower to close up.
"You checked out your file yet?" Victor asked, watching the doors close behind the two blondes.
Evie shook her head as she approached the screen again, a folder entitled by her former name the only thing in her eyesight as she hovered the mouse over it. Pausing before clicking on it, Victor said quietly, "I'll give you some time," as he turned to leave the room.
After hearing the door close, Evie took a peek over her shoulder. Victor knew plenty about Evie, but this was something she had to witness alone.
Finally gaining the courage to look at what remained of her existence in 33.1, Evie discovered most of this was from Lionel's private server, which meant it hadn't been wiped when Dr. Lee attempted to erase her from 33.1. It wasn't much, a few details here and there, but there was one document that caught her eyes. It was a comparison document, and as she opened it, she analyzed it, the differences between her and another victim of LuthorCorp.
Lionel Luthor had only compared her to one other so-called meteor freak and that was a long time ago.
Unlike Evie, she had given herself up to save herself and her family, and while 33.1 harvested abilities, she was there because she wanted her ability to be taken out. After she saved Lionel's life, the elder Luthor had isolated her in a particular facility that only one doctor knew about. She was the exception, maybe even the sign of the heart Lionel possibly had. Yet, the irony was that she was probably one of the stronger people with abilities Evie had ever seen.
It was true that Evie could control everyone, but there was a limit. This woman, her only limit was that she needed something that belonged to the person. A long time ago, Evie gave this woman a hair pin of hers, as a memento of their time together, and as a hope they could help each other out one day. Years had passed, but Evie never forgot her name.
Moira.
Last names in 33.1 were pointless, as to the guards you were just a number. Yet it appears that Lex was just as interested in finding Moira as he was in finding her. Various amounts of research, but after he murdered Lionel, the trail was cold, which meant Moira was still undiscovered so far.
"Please be safe," Evie whispered, almost doubtful of her words.
October 17
Finally, Lois thought as she entered the place they called Watchtower. For weeks, she had been wanting to come back, but without a passcode or whatever, she had no hope. But when the guys decided to get out of the city, Evie proposed a girl's night in, and Lois wasn't one to hesitate on the offer.
Of course, that didn't mean that Lois didn't want to double check. "So, it's just us tonight?"
Chloe nodded as she turned on the lights. "Clark's running the patrols while the guys handle a mission in Rio." Turning towards Evie, she asked, "How excited was Bart for the trip?"
Evie laughed, knowing the grin on Bart's face when she stopped by the apartment to make sure he had everything. "He got there before the plane took off, what do you think?"
Setting her purse down by the main console, Chloe turned her head over her shoulder. "It's a bummer you couldn't go."
Evie tilted her head in acknowledgment, as part of her wished she could go, but she knew staying behind was for the best. "Yeah, well...when Lex thinks you're dead, it's actually best to keep it that way."
"You know," Lois said as she stepped in front of Evie, "you still owe me an explanation for whatever it is you can do."
"I do, I know." But she didn't want to get into it right now, as Evie genuinely wanted a fun, light night for the three of them. "Can it wait?"
Lois considered it for a second, but instead she proposed what she considered was a compromise. "At least tell me what you can do."
"Because the wait is driving you insane?" Evie supplied, knowing that, "It's the mental thought you added."
Lois' eyes widened, and while she wanted to know more, she figured it'd do for now. "So what are we watching?"
Evie shrugged as the three girls deliberated. "Don't look at me, if we had it my way, we'd be watching the Hawks-Wings game, but I know you two aren't really hockey fans."
"Football, maybe," Lois replied.
"My second love, but it's not nearly as strong."
"Really?" Lois asked with widened eyes and an air of skepticism. "The biggest loves in your life are sports?"
Finally dropping her bag down, Evie laughed. "There's something wrong with that?" Peering up, Evie realized from the looks she was getting that apparently it was. "I'm sorry ladies, not everyone has your relationship status."
"Which is exactly why I thought we should have gone out tonight, legitimately."
Evie rolled her eyes as she worked through her bag to pull out the snacks. "Chloe's a recognizable figure in the community between her own reputation and being Oliver's girlfriend, we'd never get any peace."
"All the more reason, you'd get best friend dibs," Lois fired back.
Evie furrowed her eyebrows. "I think Chloe's best friend is Clark."
"You know what I mean."
She did, and it was why Evie stopped playing around. "I have enough to figure out without dredging a guy in my life. Besides; I'm not a one-night-only kind of girl."
Looking around Watchtower, an idea struck Lois. "Could date a teammate."
"No," Evie said immediately.
"There," Chloe interjected calmly. "Lois I think Evie's made her point."
"Fine!" Lois said, sounding completely unconvinced. "I'll get the popcorn ready."
Evie silently thanked Chloe as the blonde walked over in her direction. "I think you're her new project."
"God, I hope not," Evie replied. "Trust me, the last thing I'm looking for is a relationship."
November