And just as quickly as that focus and composure showed up, they dropped. “Fuck.Fuck. Fuck. FUUUUUUCK.” I stopped the car on the side of the road, and hit the steering wheel with my head ever so anxiously. “I haven’t spoken with her since Grandpa’s funeral. And she tried to rip the dress I was wearing off of me at it.”
“Bridget, that sounds horrible. We better get this collar thing back though, there must be a reason she stole it” Was Cy’s response. Truth be told I was surprised somewhat she had a response. I sighed, straightened myself out and rubbed my face in frustration.
“Yeah. We better get it back. And I’m going to give her a piece of my mind.” I replied and started driving again. And that’s when a familiar synthesised voice spoke up.
“You know this is why I asked you to give me fire breath.” Dare had managed to sneak onboard, probably during the handover of Non. “So I could roast her verbally and literally.” Dare climbed into Cy’s lap and was enjoying the attention Cy as giving her.
“Thats a point, does Dare have any abilities Bridget?” Cy asked, definitely enjoying Dare in her lap, and I shrugged.
“She’s a completely sentient Autonomous Digital Entity, in a body designed for agility and speed, with wings that permit gliding, and connectivity through wi-fi and bluetooth if she so decides.” I shot a quick glare at the fox dragon. “The reason I didn’t give her fire breath is logistical. Also I don’t think flamethrowers are easily hidden, compared to stuff like a shock glove.” I reached my hand out to give Dare a scratch as well. “Plus I’d effectively need to perform surgery now to upgrade her, and the idea of that is making me queasy.” I could see Dare shiver a bit.
“So what's the plan then?” Cy asked, and I took a deep breath. I noticed Dare glaring up at Cy, about to give her gentle nibbling on her metal arm. Not sure what was going on there. She bit down and growled. First time she did that. And now Cy is whispering something to her? Ah well, let the two radios sort stuff out between themselves.
“Klára’s waiting outside for us. That’s my younger sister, absolute sweetheart, but completely useless when it comes to dating. The clumsy butch. She’ll then ollie outta there after handing me the keys.” I quickly looked down before focusing back on the road. “And then I’m walking in, giving my mother severe verbal abuse, and beating the information out of her.”
“I guess I’ll keep watch outside or something, then... your familial issues aren’t my business” Cy looked out the window. Probably enjoying the countryside. Maybe all the old Škoda cars folks have.
“Oh no you don’t. I want you to punch her in the tit. With your metal arm. Blunt weapon without fingerprints that you’ll be taking out of the crime scene? You think I WOULDN’T use something like that?” I pulled up the car near a house, my sister leaning against it outside, as she walked over to me and handed me some keys.
“She went out to Church again for some reason, even though mass already finished. So you can prepare a spook.” Klára patted the car and started walking away down the road. I hope she doesn’t get into worse trouble than what I’m getting into.
“Bridget shouldn’t we hide the van if this is going to take her by surprise?” Cy’s suggestion was more than reasonable. “Back there would be good I think” I saw her point to the overgrown lot. I scratched my chin and drove us over there, jumping out the car as Dare climbed on my back.
“Guess I gotta figure out cloaking tech as well. Hell at this point might as well have you steal a really fancy new van for me to fuck around with, ey miss villain?” I chuckled a bit, walking over to mom’s house, and hesitating in front of the door. “I haven’t stepped foot in here in five years. And the memories I have of this place hurt. So much. Can you imagine your mother, someone who’s supposed to care about you and protect you, just deciding your life saving medication is preventing you from being a good slave and taking it? Can you imagine her constant toxicity with making it obvious she thinks you’re possessed by the devil?” When Cy gave me a pat on the shoulder, I shakily reached out for the door handle, unlock the door and open it, taking a couple anxious breaths. “I’m excited to go to hell, because it won’t be half as bad as this place.” The entrance way was clean, well kept, a couple pair of shoes on the side, and coats on hangers, the rest of the house further in. I passed the threshold, as Dare nuzzled my face to calm me down. “Let’s play a game to ease the tension. Count the Christs and Crosses.”
“I think I’ve seen at least 6 in the entry hall alone” Cy adjusted her hair, and I proceeded inside.
“Generally in Czech households you take off your shoes. I do not give two shits about this place though, so don’t bother.” I sit down on the rotating armchair mom has in the living room, with Dare jumping on my lap. “Please close the door and stand to the side so you’re not visible from the hall. We’re going to Bond her.” Cy takes her position, before pointing to a photo album on the coffee table
“Bridget have you seen this? I think she’s gone off the deep end” Oh Cy you don’t know the half of it.
“I thought she had gone off the deep end when she decided HRT was making me lazy, before Grandpa Václav took me in at 18. Or when she tried to strip me at his funeral because I was in a dress, and she thought I was disrespecting the dead.” I turned the chair so it’s back was facing the entryway to the living room, and waited.
When I heard the door open, I signaled to Cynthia to turn on the light in the living room before mom had a chance to do so. I heard the steps approaching, and when they got close enough, I spun around, petting Dare like a villain might. “Evening, Mother. I wasn’t aware you had gained a hobby in robbery.” I shoot a glance to Cy, hoping she understands from just the quick look that I want her to grab my mother. Cy did not only grab my mother, she stepped behind her, twisted her arm behind her back and shocked her legs so my mother was now kneeling before me. Good cyborg friend. Hell this was making me feel even more like a Bond villain.
“Why are you here Marek-” The she-devil began. I had no patience for her deadnaming me.
“Bridget. It’s Bridget. My name is Bridget. I told you. Every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month.” I backhand slapped her face. “MY NAME IS BRIDGET. AND IF YOU REFUSE TO USE IT I SWEAR TO YOUR VERSION OF CHRIST I’LL MARTYR YOUR ASS SO FAST HEAVEN AND HELL WILL HAVE A TUG OF WAR FOR YOUR SOUL.” I was standing above her, fire in my eyes, my ears at attention, my tail straightened in an attack position. I noticed Cy give her arm a squeeze. Good. “Now. What did you do with The Collar. Why’d you use Non to steal it.” I leaned over her and grabbed her chin, staring straight into her eyes, my other arm lifted and crackling with lightning from the shock glove in her peripheral vision.
“I took it so His Holiness can replicate it. So that he can make you all confess, that you’re possessed by demons that changed you. Oh Marek, my boy, you shouldn’t be like this, look what they did to you.” I gave her a headbutt for deadnaming me again. Cy shot me a panicked look.
“It’s Bridget. And if demons could change me. If demons could change me, you would have turned me into fucking Cthulhu years ago. You’re poison. You’re a toxin. You’re a cancer and a plague on the minds and bodies of children like me. You fucked me over more than you can imagine. And you don’t even have the balls to admit that it was all you.” I let go of her face and slap her again. “YOUR OWN FAULT. Not a higher calling from God. Not a Divine Purpose. No. You stuck your head up your ass, went to an oldass house, got validated in your preconceived notions, and used that to hurt me. To hurt Klára.” I turned down the intensity of the shock glove. “Cy I suggest you let go for a second.” I waited for Cy to lose her grip on my mother, and the moment she did, I grabbed mom’s neck with the shock glove. It wasn’t to stun her, it was a continuous stream of electricity to hurt her, like an old game people dared themselves with, but turned up to 11. “I have a daughter now. Trans like myself. And I suggest you watch how to properly raise a child. You want to know the one holy thing you ever did? You performed a miracle. The miracle that I and Klára didn’t turn out like you, because of how evil you are. Although, I should credit Grandpa Václav with that one, being a positive influence and all.” I let go of her neck and stepped back. “Cynthia. Please break her nose and arm in such a way it looks like she tripped down the stairs. And then put her in front of the stairs.” I could see Cynthia hesitate. I was not surprised. Hell, probably felt she was going to kill the woman. I half wished she COULD. The bitch had fallen off a ladder when I was ten. Fell hard on her back from the second floor. And shrugged it out with just her breath being knocked out.
“Okay Bridget, but if the shock kills her...I’m not responsible” Cynthia grabbed dear old mother, gave her a love tap in the old nose, breaking it, along with a couple teeth, before twisting her arm and smashing her hand. “That should do it” She added. I gave mom one last shock to make sure she was knocked out, punched her head and motioned for Cy to move her into position. “Remind me not to get on your bad side….although you don’t exactly have anyone like me...other than me” Cy dropped mother into position, and when she did, I picked up my phone to call Klára.
“Hey so the deed is done, I need you to come back home and call mom an ambulance.”
“An ambulance? Bridget, what did you do?” I could hear her anxious on the other side.
“I had the cyborg lady you saw in the van with me, Cynthia, break her arm and nose to make it look like she fell down the stairs. So I need you to come back home to quote unquote find her on the floor unconscious with a broken arm and nose and a concussion.” I could hear Klára groan on the other end of the phone.
“Fiiiiiiiiine. But I’m hanging out at your place tonight afterwards, you owe me.”
“Of course I do. Hell, could use an extra pair of hands. I’m gonna be converting the old van into a hovervan.” I chuckled, and heard Klára snort.
“No more roads for Magda? Shame. See you soon.” Klára hung up, and I saw Cynthia working on cleaning the floor in the living room. True, there was some blood from the nose and teeth. Good thinking minion. Cy showed me some bloodied tissues.
“We should probably burn these” I nodded at her suggestion.
“Not here though. Come on, time to go. Gonna hang around in the Van until Klára returns.” I stepped outside, Dare on my shoulder again, unlocked and locked the door once all of us had left the house, and made my way over to the van to wait. Cynthia had already jumped inside to sit there.
Klára was approaching the van not much later after that. I handed her the keys, she went to the house, I could hear her fake an amazing surprised shriek. God the pipes on her. And then half an hour later an ambulance rolled around, got my mother in a stretcher and into the ambulance, Klára gave her statement, the ambulance drove off, Klára locked the house and skipped over to the van, jumping inside to the middle seat through the driver’s side. “I’m Klára. Cool arm, love the hair.” She extended her hand to shake Cynthia’s.
“I like your hair too” Cynthia shook Klára’s hand, and I rolled my eyes before climbing in and closing the door.
“She’s 19 Cy, and I don’t know how old you are, keep it professional.” I start the van and drive us off back home.
“I’m Klára. Cool arm, love the hair.” She extended her hand to shake Cynthia’s.
Not too useless, maybe? How old was Cy again?