spin_kick_snap | The Mount, Ex-Los Angeles, Sunday Afternoon

Kathy was starting to really like Captain Freedom. He was a lot less smothering than the other heroes were, most of whom saw her as something like 'our former comrade we let die.' Even Stealth, who admitted to being terrible with people, made it a habit to check in on Kathy several times a day for various 'reasons.' But Captain Freedom didn't hover, didn't accidentally call her Banzai, didn't seem like he was always about one pep talk away from asking her to team up.

On that of that, he was just...calm. He was thoughtful and patient and disciplined. By her second week in the Mount, Kathy had realized that she'd rather spend time talking to him than pretty much anybody else behind the Big Wall.

Today, they'd met up by accident heading over to lunch. Walking with the captain, Kathy had noticed, helped keep the whispers down and the randos away. More and more people were taking guesses at who she was--had been?--and the excuses to come up and talk to her were getting pretty thin. She could imagine why people would be so excited to talk to an ex-hero come back to life, but some people were getting pretty creepy about it.

Captain John Carter Freedom	A trio farther up the street stepped off the sidewalk and started walking towards them. Two men flanking a woman. They were half a block away when Freedom recognized the woman as Christian Nguyen, the former councilwoman of LA now running for mayor of the Mount. The two men were familiar, but the officer couldn’t place their names. All three of them were carrying Bibles. Kathy hunched as they got closer, the practiced slouch of someone trying not to be noticed. Freedom glanced down at her sharply, wondering when she'd learned how to do that – and if she needed to practice it a lot recently.
Christian Nguyen	"It is you," beamed Christian when they got within speaking distance. She walked over to them quickly, the two men with her slowing down so she could approach alone. "I was hoping I might run into you. What a lucky coincidence!"
Freedom	It was a rehearsed enough move that Freedom doubted that claim of 'coincidence.' The men were both tall, but still stood a head below him and weren't half as broad. He took a single step, which placed him right behind Kathy. "Good morning, Ms. Nguyen."
Christian	"Captain." She tipped her head, the barest of courtesies, then refocused on her target. "If I could just take a moment of your time," she said, focusing entirely on Kathy, "I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Christian Nguyen."
Kathy	She held out her hand. Kathy looked at it for a moment, then flicked her eyes back up to Christian. Her body language screamed ‘uneasy’. “A pleasure,” she said quietly, finally reaching out to shake, then reclaimed her hand as soon as she could within the bounds of politeness.
Christian	"It's okay," Christian said, with syrupy sympathy. "I know you’ve had a hell of a time so far. A few of my friends among the guard have been talking about you nonstop for days now. I was hoping I’d get a chance to meet you."
Kathy	Kathy glanced up at Freedom, then back to Christian. "I don't know why," she mumbled, though after her conversation with Todd, she could hazard a few guesses. "I'm just Kathy. No one special."
Christian	The older woman just kept beaming at her. "That's not true, you're amazing. So many of us have hoped to see someone like you, but we weren't sure it would happen in our lifetimes."
Kathy	Kathy shifted on her feet, her discomfort palpable. "Someone like me?" she asked, tonelessly. "You mean a Koreatown native? Yeah, I hear we’re pretty thin on the ground these days…" C'mon lady, take the hint.
Christian	Christian tittered and gripped her Bible a little tighter. "Oh, you're funny. But you know what I mean. Someone who came back."
Kathy	Yup. There it was. Kathy looked around the street, wondering how many people were listening. “Came back?” she repeated.
Christian	Christian's smile faltered, but she caught it before it fell. "From the mindless dead. Your souls’s risen again in your body."
Kathy	"Oh," Kathy said. "That. Thanks? I guess? Not that I did much.”
Christian	"My companions and I--" Christian gestured to the two men and they took a single step forward, faces also wreathed in smiles, "—were just heading to evening services now. Would you like to join us?"
Kathy	"Oh, umm," Kathy said, "I'm not really a believer? My dad was lapsed Catholic, but Mom raised us Buddhist. But I didn’t really take to either?"
Christian	"Oh, that's not really important," Christian assured her, waving that tidbit away. "There is room for all faiths in the After Death congregation. And I'm sure everybody there would love to hear about your experience."
Kathy	Kathy paled. The idea of talking about her experience as a zombie with anyone made her want to vomit, never mind lecturing perfect strangers about it. "I don't really know you. Or them. No offense."
Christian	"We're a good group," said Christian. Her smile, a rare thing in the past few years, was beaming at news-conference brilliance. "People can depend on us when things get tough."
Kathy	"Oh," Kathy said with an agonized smile. "That’s, uhh, cool?" She looked up at Freedom again, practically begging for him to step in.
Freedom	Which he did. Clearing his throat, he said, "I'm afraid Ms. Li isn't going to have a lot of free time for a while. Stealth and Dr. Connolly have her on a fairly extensive schedule." Which was a bald-faced lie several times over, but he didn't particularly care.
Christian	The smile wavered again. It came back just as quick, but this time it didn't touch Christian’s eyes. "Of course they do," she said. "It's a waste of time, though, isn't it? Trying to explain a miracle with science?"
Kathy	"If it can be explained with science, it isn't a miracle," said Kathy. When those cold eyes flicked at her, she added, "That's something my dad used to say." She shrugged. "That lapsed Catholic thing again."
Christian	"Of course," said the older woman. Her smile warmed. "You're still probably in shock from all of this anyway. But there's still hope." “Yeah,” Kathy said. “Cool. Thanks.” "Well, we must be going or we'll be late," Christian said briskly. "It's been a pleasure meeting you. I hope you'll take me up on my offer and visit our congregation sometime soon. You'll think about it, won't you?"
Kathy	"I'll keep it in mind," said Kathy. "Thanks again." At this point, she didn't know what she was thanking Christian for. Leaving?
Christian	"Thank you for being so understanding. I know everyone wants to meet you." Christian nodded to Captain Freedom again and walked past them. The two men fell in step behind her like good assistants. One of them echoed Christian's nod. The other gave Kathy a long look.
Kathy	The trio walked on for a full block before Kathy spun around backwards to face Freedom. "What was that all about?" "It’s complex." "Was I wrong, or was she completely giving me a creepy 'chosen one' vibe back there?"
Freedom	"It's complex," repeated Freedom. "There are some people who've come to believe certain things about the ex-humans. Your existence…well, like Christian said, they've been hoping to see someone like you."
Kathy	"I came back because of a wish," Kathy said, shaking her head. "Magic. The kind of stuff that makes Max Hale look like a fourth grader with a book on card tricks. It's not because of religion that I'm here. If anything, it's a cosmic bad joke." Above her, Freedom's eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Kathy spun back around. Another trio, two women and a man this time, headed for them. Beyond them were two couples, looking and pointing at her. "Seriously?" Kathy whispered. "I don't— I can't—”
Freedom	Freedom shook his head and then offered his arm to Kathy. "Ms. Li," he said, courtly and old-fashioned, "I believe I promised you a tour of the Unbreakables' barracks?" He’d done nothing of the sort, but it was a restricted area, no civilians allowed in without an escort.
Kathy	Kathy's eyes were still locked on the approaching people, all of them carrying Bibles, and she swallowed heavily. "You did?" She shook herself. "I mean, you did. Yes." She looked from her hand, so tiny when tucked into his giant arm up to him and gave him a tremulous smile. "Lay on, MacDuff." She didn't think she could handle another well-meaning evangelizing right now.
Freedome	"And damned be him who first cries, 'Hold!'" Freedom agreed as he led her away, enjoying the expressions of surprise and dismay they left behind them.