Seeing is Believing

Unanswered Questions and New Beginnings

Beep Beep the first sound heard when Marco regained consciousness. His foggy eyes gathered focus on an unfamiliar hospital ceiling. He stirred pain pulsating through his bandaged gut. When he finally turned right he was met with an eye-widening sight. Flowers and Confection covered his bedside table more than any one person could reasonably expect. He noticed that some had cards and the one that stuck out most was addressed "to: OUR HERO". "Nice isn't it being acknowledged for the good things we do?" His attention was drawn to the doorway. His eyes met with Chief Maria Wiseman. She strode in, pulling up a chair to sit beside his bed. " The Domino gang had been extorting the people of this area for a while. With your help, we had the evidence needed to put them away for a long time. With their leader incapacitated and then, they discovered several of their men unconscious after facing that terrifying magician. Well, let's just say they didn't have much morale to fight us when my men got there." She finished with a short shrug. Marco turned his head away from her as he spoke." I didn't do it to save anyone. These men attacked what was mine. I knew scaring a few of them off would not be enough to keep it safe.I'm no hero." Her face furrowed in denial of his words." You may say that and that may have been what drove you to action. But that doesn't change what your actions have brought about for other people. To them you're a hero." He had a look in her eyes daring him to debate her otherwise. He measured her expression then spoke." You know I had heard rumors that things like that had been going on. I won't deny it bothered me, but if I were a hero I would have done something then, not when it became my own personal problem."

She wore an expression of near rage but took a deep breath and then calmed herself, then spoke." So, by your standards, a hero isn't a hero until he gets involved in somebody else's problems and rescues them from them." She waited with a slight smirk. He absently nodded in agreement with her assessment of his definition."Good then you are the hero I think you are. Tell me how do you think everyone learned about what you did? We couldn't announce a civilian's involvement in this arrest." He thought about it for a moment. Just as the moment of realization struck his face, Maria continued. " Thats right. You know the moment you got here she came barreling through the door. She wouldn't leave your bedside. She was in tears beside herself thinking that she sent you off to your death. I am a bit ashamed to admit I yelled at her saying you're not dead yet and that those tears wouldn't help you at all. She turned to me and asked me an odd question. Did you say anything to me before you went unconscious? I told her you asked me if I believed you could make it and her attitude shifted almost immediately. It was bizarre." He smirked, knowing that his future student had caught on. She continued." She asked me what an effective use of her time would be. I told her why not spread the word to those oppressed by the Dominos that their saviour does shows on weekends. If that couldn't get you a few customers, nothing would." He wore a scowl and then spoke. "Why would you have her do that? And how does that match up with what we talked about defining a hero?' She smiled and with a large grin she spoke." A girl trying to avenge her parents stumbles into an alleyway and gets in way over her head. A man with no prior attachment. He sees she is being assaulted and he could easily go about his business. No one would blame him, he was out numbered and the men were part of a dangerous gang that could try and hurt him in response. But without so much as a second thought, he jumped into action. With no regard for his own wellbeing." He just stared. He couldn't deny her words that day. He didn't care what came after, he wouldn't let the men hurt the girl in front of him. " Even after saving the girl. He let her spill her heart and, after hearing her story, the man again saved her. He gave her a home and a purpose. Yes, you refused to help her pursue vengeance, but I think that was more out of a fear for her safety than anything. If the people she was after started seeing her as a threat, you weren't certain you could protect her. That being said, like it or not, you are a hero to Rose. As to your other question, her hero was injured and she knew what little money you had went into that theater. I bet you don't even have health insurance, do you?" He looked down, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Thats what I thought. She went around and the thankful people gave her the money they had set aside for the Domino's monthly protection payments. They were just happy they wouldn't have to do it in the future."

He thought about it for a moment, then spoke. "I'll have to find a way to make it up to all those people." before Maria could chastise him, another voice beat her to it. " Jeez you can never just take a thank you can you. Your reacting Just the way aunt Maria said you would. So I have already covered compensating everyone." Rosaline strode in with rolled up papers under one arm. She placed them wedged between some of his thankyou baskets. She began to unfurl one before he could finish asking what she meant. "TADAH!!!!" She held up posters she made with a picture of her and one of his standiees although you wouldn't be able to tell, it looked like the photo had been edited, by the doctor or one of her friends he assumed. It read come see the Magnificent Marco and his new lovely assistant Rosaline. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Lovely assistant, really when did I agree to that?" She just retorted with " Well, your advertising clearly hasn't worked. You already agreed to teach me, so why not up on stage? Not to mention I'm the one who put in the work getting these made." He bit his lip. She knew he mean't. He agreed to teach her real magic, not his stage tricks, but he couldn't clear that up with Maria present. He may need her to meet the requirements for his power in the future. It was clear from Maria's recollection of his rescue that Roseline hadn't explained any specifics that involved his magic.

His vision traveled down to the date given on the poster. "Why are the dates on these posters for next month?" He began to get up, grimacing in pain. Rosealine forced him to sit back down." Thats why, you are in no condition to perform. You are taking that time to recoup. And before you even begin to argue, when I said people were compensated, they were given tickets to this show in exchange for their last payment of protection money. That money has already paid for a few more days of hospital stay and has paid all your past due bills. So there is no refunding it. Whats left will get us by till this show any other complaints?" She wore a smug expression knowing her savior was left no room to argue. "No, but I'm going to make sure they get their moneys worth during that show." She nodded firmly and replied "Just what I wanted to hear." "Not that I'm not enjoying how cute you two bickering is I didn't just come for pleasure. I have a few questions I need to ask Mr. Vanguard if you're willing." He nods and turns to Rosaline." Can you give us a few moments alone?" She is about to protest when she decides better of it. " Fine but you better believe I'm going to interrogate you myself later?" After that she left with a huff. "I'm gonna pay for that later. Anyway, before we get down to business, mind if I ask how long I've been out?" He had been curious. The things they did took time."You've been down for about a week. Rose has been coming here with me everyday. Even that kooky doctor your supposedly friends with came to see you once." He smiled at that. "As I said before, my men arrested Domino's forces. However, the masked figure that ran you through wasn't in the building when we searched." Marco covered his mouth in thought before speaking." I don't believe she was part of their group." The chief responded " What led you to that reasoning?" He grimaced inwardly. He wasn't comfortable discussing the assailant's possible connection to his mentor, so he just said," Her skill was much greater than Domino's. While I didn't see her stab me. When I managed to turn around, her stance was immaculate. As for her speed, I didn't even see her move before she was already kicking me through the window." Maria was impressed by his ability to analyze women while suffering such a wound. "She was smart enough to know I was using tech to augment my abilities. Speaking of which, what happened to the Aegis Phantasma, the little hexagon robots that were scattered around me?" He had to be honest. He never would have expected an EM disrupting device. Normally, when they are severely damaged, they are programmed to fly back to the lab if possible. Professor Weirdwood did this to prevent anyone other than himself finding out how they work. " Well they were laying around everywhere. Honestly, I was going to have my men leave them as crime scene evidence, but then they suddenly whirred to life and flew off. I was going to ask you about them." He was glad he wouldn't have to make it up to the professor. " What to do you want to know?" She returned with, " Well, with all I turned a blind eye too, I don't think I can look past such a dangerous weapon being developed in a private lab. I wanted to confirm its use and abilities with you. I tried getting the old man to explain it but his explanation was a bit too high tech and went over my head." He made an awkward smile as he knew Professor Weirdwood could talk about his inventions for hours and would talk to anyone as though they were his intellectual equal. Marco found it endearing. The old man never looked down on anyone, no matter whether or not they could keep up. " Actually, it's not a weapon at all. At least it's not intended to be one." She gave him a skeptical look, waiting for him to elaborate. " It's intended to be the ultimate magician's assistant. It has a cloaking function for disappearing acts. Individual pieces can be sent out at varying speeds to trigger mechanisms and perform simple commands to allow for optical illusions. It also has a hologram projector so that you can make very elaborate illusion. Everything else is just a safety mechanism to protect the user and the device. In magic, a lot of things can go wrong, such as falls from great heights and being on the wrong end of a sharp object. The device is designed to have units guard against incoming objects by not only getting in the way but also deploying a small impact absorbing cushion on its underside. Finally, if a wound is sustained, they are to act as a makeshift bandage until it is no longer necessary." Maria nodded, accepting his answer. "Very well last question I have for you. You said you don't believe the woman was with Domino. Any idea who she may be affiliated with?" That woman was an ignima. Even now, she has not left his thoughts. He wished he could have his own questions answered. The woman's voice stuck ringing in his head. "What a pathetic excuse for a legacy the vermilion magus has chosen." He was absorbed in thought when Maria caught his attention calling his name. "Oh sorry." She gave him a shrood look "What got you zoning out Marco." He replied with a lie "I'm sorry I was just contemplating your question. I think she may be part of the group that Rosaline is looking for. Her mask fits the description that she gave me." Maria knew that the first part is a lie, but clearly he didn't want to talk about so she decided just to finish the meeting." I see from the glimpse I got of her through the window I agree. If you want to share anything else, my door is always open." She got up and walked towards the door with one last turn towards him. She pulled a ticket out of her pocket.

"Get well soon. I'm looking forward to the show, hero."