String - Identity Interlude: Eleanor

“In other news, relations between the general public and the ECU break down further as a lack of relief funding for the homes, businesses, and families affected by Grim’s rampage in Bayside continue to pile up—”

Eleanor switched off the TV and stared blankly at the black screen. The only sound that interrupted the serenity was the gentle hum from the kitchen appliances in the next room. When she was certain there wouldn’t be any more interruptions, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes to further bask in the quiet.

If only her children could appreciate the peace silence brought. 

A light tremor cascaded through the house, breaking Eleanor’s concentration. It lasted only a second, but it was enough to shake the loose items around the house. She opened her eyes, turning her head to scan the room, making sure nothing had fallen. The earthquakes were starting to get more frequent, and with each subsequent one, her worry increased along with their intensity.

Since New Elpis had risen from the sea, it had been no stranger to tremors, but if these were purely geological, The Mountain would have stepped in by now. That left only unfavorable options to consider, and none of them would bode well for the people of New Elpis.

So much for a peaceful existence…

When the doorbell rang, Eleanor cursed under her breath at the further disturbance. She wheeled herself to the front door to peer through the looking glass she had installed for her own convenience at her seated height. She saw a familiar woman standing with an air of authority, clad in a black corporate pantsuit.

“Eleanor,” Catherine called out. “I know you’re in there. Can I come in? We need to talk.”

“You know the rules. Birthday parties and social gatherings I’ll tolerate for Maxis. No exceptions beyond that, especially not for private visits.” Eleanor recited the words like they were lines in a play. “Go away, or I’ll call your superiors.”

“I am here because of them,” Catherine replied neutrally. “I’m well aware of your rules, and to my credit, I’ve played by them. I’m sure you’ve realized things are changing, especially with Ajax here,” she took a deep breath to calm any nerves. “You know I wouldn’t be here if this wasn’t serious. I wasn’t exactly given a choice in this. Jessamine ordered it.”

“Yes, I am very well aware how good you are at following orders. Sparrow was a different affair. I’m surprised someone like her wasn’t informed to stay away from me.” Eleanor replied, not bothered by the spiteful undertone. She reached up and opened the deadlock before swinging open the door. Catherine stood with a binder in her hand that looked like it was overflowing with paper. “Come in then, since I know you’ll just stand outside like a whipped dog until I open up.”

Catherine scowled, but took the shot with dignity. She stepped through and closed the door before following Eleanor back to the living room. It had been a while since she had last set foot in this house. She remembered how this place used to be a regular getaway from work until the incident. Then everything changed.

“I trust you remember how I like my tea?” Eleanor asked. Catherine dismissed her concerns with a wave of her hand. The kettle in the kitchen switched itself on, and two cups were prepared without a single finger being lifted. “Good to know you haven’t forgotten everything.”

Catherine didn’t rise to the bait.

“I suppose I’ll get the request out of the way so I can note down that I at least made an attempt. That way I can’t be reprimanded for disobedience,” Catherine crossed her legs. “General Jessamine has commanded me to pull you out of retirement…” She paused for a moment and sighed. “…That’s the nicest way I can think to put it.”

Eleanor snorted and shook her head.

“No.”

Catherine didn’t look surprised in the slightest.

“I thought so.”

“Why even bother?” Eleanor narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t come here just so you could hear me tell you what you already know. Last I checked, the ECU did everything in their power to throw me out, and now you’re saying they want me back?”

“I don’t think I need to say that your dismissal was handled unethically. Everyone knows you were the easiest one to blame,” Catherine didn’t bother to hide the physical pain those words inflicted on her. “Nothing was ever processed officially, so the General was taken aback to hear what happened. Not that any of this changes anything, but they seem to think you are willing to forgive and forget for the greater good.”

“How very totalitarian of her,” Eleanor remarked dryly. “Her ability to get results is commendable at the very least. Regardless, I hope you will deliver my answer to her.”

“I will, but you know her,” Catherine said with a knowing tone. “It won’t be me she sends next time. She’ll keep hounding you until she gets what she wants. Your power is needed to reinforce our cyber security. We are painfully vulnerable, and we have been for years. The ECU is falling behind all across the world—apparently so much so that we’re outsourcing the work to dubious third-parties.”

Eleanor laughed with unapologetic enthusiasm.

“That is sad. I almost feel sorry for you, being at the mercy of so many ambiguous entities…” the handicapped woman’s voice trailed off in amusement. “I can’t say that I wasn’t aware of the ECU’s painful incompetence, but the specifics have been lost on me. Yes, those systems are horrendously outdated. I imagine it wouldn’t take long for a newly awakened code monkey to break in if they really put their mind to it.”

“We’ve had several in the last year alone.” Catherine remarked flatly, not sharing any of Eleanor’s enthusiasm. “We are lucky that Ajax is quite skilled at identifying those intrusions and taking action.”

“Is he now?” Eleanor’s amusement faded like a dying flame. “That’s quite interesting.”

“Eleanor,” Catherine’s tone turned sharp. “I know you owe us nothing, but please. I’m asking for your help. We need your help. Those with powers similar to yours are not easy to come by, and the ones we have interacted with have all proved hostile. If something isn’t done soon…” she took a breath to try and control how desperate she was starting to sound. “Someone’s going to do some real damage—damage we won’t be able to recover from. We’ll be crippled, and you know what will happen then.”

“Don’t beg, Catherine,” Eleanor scowled and dismissed her with a wave. “Of all the spiteful little rats that scurry around inside the ECU, you are among the very few I feel like I can tolerate.”

“Then what will it take?” Catherine asked, sounding hopeless. “I couldn’t—” she gripped the armrests of her chair until her knuckles turned white. “—I did all I could. I stood by your side right until the end. I apologized. I—”

“I don’t want an apology.” Eleanor sneered. “I never did. I wanted JUSTICE! I did all I could for them, and how was I repaid? Accusations and attempts on my life, all because of a suspicion. LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!” She raged, gesturing to the wheelchair. “This was my reward for my work. If it were up to me, I would see everything they stand for reduced to cinders. The nerve—!” Eleanor’s anger peaked, and she stopped to take a moment to recollect herself. Catherine hadn’t seen her so worked up for years, but she had expected this. This topic was always going to open up old wounds. “The nerve of you to come here and ask me to go back…”

Catherine cursed General Jessamine for this, but she couldn’t risk disobedience. Not at a time like this.

With the uncomfortable silence hanging in the atmosphere, Catherine took that moment to bring the tea out. The sight of it seemed to calm her peer down, but the anger didn’t disappear from her face. The rage still burned just as fiercely as it did six years ago.

“The nerve… Yes, I have the nerve. I have the nerve to ask for your help despite everything the ECU did to you, because I want to see this city repaired and prosper. I want to see its people be able to freely walk the streets without fear. I want my daughter to—” Catherine paused, allowing the tension she was holding to be washed away. “Despite her power, I want her to be able to live the life she desperately craves. She can’t do that if the ECU isn’t strong.”

“Wrong,” Eleanor countered sharply. “She can, she just doesn’t know it. All she knows is the ECU because that’s what you’ve drilled into her. You never gave her the opportunity to choose what she really wanted.”

“What opportunity?!” Catherine snapped, her anger igniting in a sharp blaze. “What other opportunity is there? The ECU is the only place where Evohumans can legally use their powers for good. There is no other way. Every other avenue leads to discord and… and lawlessness. Do you expect me to cast away my responsibilities and join Pandora? What is this nonsense? You know as well as I do that—”

“The ECU is not the definitive path!” Eleanor boomed.

Catherine inhaled sharply.

“Is that what you’ve told Maxis?”

Eleanor’s visage darkened, her grip around her tea tightening.

“What does any of this have to do with my son?”

Catherine’s gaze hardened.

“You can’t seriously expect me to believe you haven’t seen the signs. I already went through it once with Abby, so I know what it looks like. I don’t have concrete proof, but my hunches have often proved to be correct. I want to be wrong because our lives will become so much easier if I am,” Catherine maintained eye contact, her body so tense she forgot how to blink. “Maxis has Awakened, and he acts against us, putting him in more danger than he realizes. Tell me, Eleanor. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Eleanor’s features gave nothing away, and Catherine expected nothing less from the woman. When push came to shove, Eleanor had the poker face of a brick wall.

“Even if I did know, why would I tell you?”

“Do you not care what will happen?” Catherine asked, horrified at Eleanor’s undisguised spite. “Do you not care what will happen to your son if Jessamine discovers he is openly opposing ECU at a time like this? Don’t play the fool! You know the repercussions!”

“I am aware of the repercussions, and I am not concerned in the slightest. Whether or not Maxis has powers is something I am not privy to, and I am not in any position to be forcing information out of him. I am his mother, he is supposed to be able to confide in me.” Eleanor said flatly. “I do care—more than you realize.”

“Then I am wrong, am I?” Catherine challenged. “A sixteen-year-old boy cracked and gained unauthorized access to his school’s encrypted database—one that was protected by several of your security measures—and I’m just supposed to believe he managed it by skill alone? Then, said sixteen-year-old boy survives a deadly encounter with a Pandora member? My daughter might be allowing the wool to cover her eyes, but I am not so easily convinced.”

“Maxis has the same penchant for technology as I do. Is it any surprise that I’ve taught him a thing or two about my speciality?” Eleanor arched a brow at Catherine’s insinuation. “Now, I can’t speak for the latter part of your suspicion, but breaking into Minerva’s database is something he would easily be able to do, even if you fools are using my outdated security software to protect against intrusions.”

Catherine let out a defeated sigh.

Eleanor continued to stare at her, and after a minute of silence, Catherine wondered if this debate was even worth continuing.

“You are going to persist in playing the part of an ignorant mother. That might work on anyone else, but I know you know. I can see it in your face,” Catherine said softly. “Lie to me all you want. I’ve always been able to see through you.”

“Have you now?” Eleanor’s simmering anger dissipated somewhat. “I suppose to a certain degree, you have. Fine, I’ll forfeit this little exchange since I don’t see any point in dying on this hill,” Eleanor took a sip of her tea. “Maxis does have powers, but my answer remains the same. I. Will not. Help.”

“Why?” Catherine whispered. Even having her suspicions confirmed felt hollow at this point. Eleanor knew what the consequences were if Maxis was caught. It didn’t make any sense. Everything about this woman was so contradictory… unless… she really didn’t have a reason to be concerned. “If it was justice you wanted, it's long been served. Seismic Shock is imprisoned. Director Brighton is dead.”

“Yes, dead.” Eleanor couldn’t hide her smile, and Catherine paled. “How unfortunate for her. I wonder what happened.”

“Y-You…” Catherine stumbled over her words as alarm bells started ringing in her head. “You—”

“I what?” Eleanor’s gaze was void of emotion. “Killed her? Come on, Cat. You know me better than that.”

“I know how deep your spite can run,” Catherine said through gritted teeth. “Why, Eleanor—”

“WHY?” The handicapped woman snapped. “I saw everyone’s true colors when Seismic Shock attacked me. He thought he had it all figured out. I got lucky that day—lucky that incompetent fool couldn’t follow through when all the screaming started. I am fortunate this is all I have to deal with,” Eleanor gestured to her wheelchair. “And I count my blessings every day that Maxis came out of it unscathed. He could have died. If he had…” She inhaled sharply and met Catherine’s eyes without a shred of fear. “I would have done so much more.”

Catherine’s jaw tightened, and a wave of telekinetic energy rippled through the room. Eleanor shifted in her wheelchair as the force pressed against her. Slowly, she put her cup of tea to the side as she prepared herself to deal with her guest’s mounting anger.

“Do you have any idea what kind of chaos you created?” Catherine hissed. “I should take you in.”

“You won’t,” Eleanor said, harnessing her anger and channeling it into a quiet rage. “Because you don’t want to know what I’ll do if you bring me in, and that extends to my son as well. If you so much as touch him, I will ensure everyone loses.”

Catherine shot to her feet, unable to contain her frustration anymore.

“Jessamine is going to kill him! Open your eyes! If he and anyone else following him oversteps and intrudes on the ECU’s efforts to contain this chaos, she will issue Termination Directives. At that point, my hands will be tied.”

“Then choose,” Eleanor retorted plainly. “Your duty, or my scorn.”

Anger danced like a wildfire in each woman’s eyes, and it became clear after a few more seconds of silence that neither of them was going to budge.

Catherine turned and walked out of the room, stopping only for a moment to linger in the doorway. Her fingers dug into the wood as she tried to regain control over her emotions. After a few deep breaths, the hero managed to lock away her anger and establish her composure.

“I took you for a better person than this.”

“And I took you for a better friend,” Eleanor replied bitterly. “After all this time, you still can’t see what they truly are. You blindly follow and carry out their orders without question.”

“If that’s what you think, then you don’t know me at all,” Catherine looked over her shoulder at the disabled woman who, once upon a time, was her best friend. “I’ve fought for change. I’ve bled to keep this city breathing. What have you done?” She muttered. “Stew in your own anger, passing down your vitriol and rage. I should have told Maxis the truth.”

“That is not for you to decide.”

“If not me, then who else? You?” Catherine scowled. “You’ve allowed him to continue down this path to sate your own hate. It’s no wonder Alex left.”

“Get out. Get out and remember my warning.” Eleanor growled. “You breathe a word of this to anyone, and Jessamine won’t be the only person you need to worry about.”

Catherine turned away just in time to mask her grief. She left without another word, and once she made it outside, the tears almost overflowed. Decades of hardened training were the only thing that stopped her from cracking and falling apart at the seams.

Eleanor sat in silence, her chest slowly rising and falling. The wound she had desperately tried to nurse over the last six years had reopened. It felt fresh and raw, and the anger within her bubbled with renewed vigor.

“I told you.”

Eleanor regarded the disembodied voice with quiet disdain.

“I know.”

/------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/

After Catherine’s surprise visit, Eleanor noted how quickly things seemed to devolve.

The protests outside the ECU gained more traction, and general unrest was at an all-time high with Ajax’s occupation and curfew. There was violence in the air, and things ultimately culminated with a dinner her son had seemingly set up. Unfortunately, the situation took a turn for the worse, despite reassurances that things would be kept under control.

“How could you let this happen?” Eleanor’s voice was no louder than a whisper. 

She sat alone in a penthouse suite, in front of a giant window that presented a beautiful view across Bayside—although beautiful was not the word Eleanor would have used to describe what she was seeing right now. War machines marching everywhere, and fires igniting across Pandora's territory. Despite the chaotic display, her thoughts lingered on another matter entirely.

“This was necessary.”

Cyberspace’s nonchalance lit the fuse within Eleanor.

“Necessary?” Her jaw tightened so hard that her teeth ground against each other. “You allowed that farce to go forward, knowing the danger Maxis and I were put in? Have you lost your MIND?”

“I…” Cyberspace’s words trailed off in a brief moment of uncertainty. “I was confident I had the situation under control. My agents were close, along with Madhouse to ensure yours and Maxis’s safety—”

“Comet. Wildfire. Seraphim. Right in the middle of our living room.” Eleanor seethed as she listed off the names. “You placed us right there with all three of them without any tools to defend ourselves. You gambled. Do not try to convince me you have things under control when all you cared about was ensuring your preferred outcome. We could have died. DIED!”

“You are both alive,” Cyberspace said slowly, like that was supposed to placate Eleanor’s anger. “Maxis sustained various injuries in the battle, and he is currently recovering from a surgery that Samantha performed at his behest. He has replaced several of his bones with artificial ones that he has enhanced with his power.” They paused, carefully observing Eleanor’s unusual stillness. “He will make a full recovery and be back on his feet come morning.”

“Is that supposed to put me at ease? Our home is gone. Wildfire is dead, and it won’t be long till Pandora’s Mentalists point the entire cult in the right direction. Do you have any idea what you’ve allowed to happen?” Eleanor growled. “After all this time, all your promises that you wouldn’t dive further into this obsession… meaningless words to satisfy me—”

“NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU HAD SIMPLY LISTENED TO ME FROM THE START!” Cyberspace roared, their voice becoming more distorted and twisted. Eleanor was stunned into silence at the outburst. “HOW DARE YOU! ‘Give him a normal life,’ you said! He was never going to have one and you know it! All I am doing—have done—is clean up the mess you’ve made since the moment this all began!”

“My mess?” Eleanor’s stunned expression morphed into a scowl. “I never wanted any of this! You told me this would all stop after your last blunder. I shouldn’t need to remind you that I warned you what the consequences would be for brazenly attacking the ECU, yet you did it anyway. WHAT PART OF ‘FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS’ DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?!”

“Your ‘instructions’ weren’t instructions at all. You couldn’t see what I saw—the data I salvaged continues to be relevant to our operations even now. I couldn’t let you patch that flaw in their security with how useful it was. Why could you not see the potential?” Cyberspace snarled. “Your hesitation and unwillingness to commit gave birth to the charade that followed, and yet you still blame me! If we hadn’t wasted so much time squabbling over meaningless nonsense, none of this would have happened!”

“Enough.” Eleanor muttered, shaking her head. “Enough of this. Enough of all of your scheming and plotting. How can you still stand by and justify what happened tonight? I’m supposed to be able to trust you. You promised,” her voice cracked as she looked down at the ground. “How am I supposed to trust you when you keep secrets from me? How is Max? What is to become of us if we stay on this course?”

Cyberspace answered with silence, followed by a heavy, lengthy sigh.

“If I had things my way from the start, there wouldn’t be any secrets. You’ve perpetuated this by wanting to give him a normal life. The life we lead is not normal. To expect him to acquire what we cannot is fruitless. You refuse—you persist in following this foolish, stupid hope that things are just going to work out. They will not.”

“Look where this life leads. Look at what it does to people,” Eleanor growled, gesturing out the window. “Bloodshed and hatred, clawing at every scrap of power and influence they can find. This is not the life I wanted for Maxis.”

“Well, life doesn't always go to plan…” Eleanor’s hands balled against the armrests of her wheelchair. “Turn around and look at me. I can’t stand it when we argue like this. I’ve had enough, and I know you don’t want to hear it, but we’ve reached a point of no return.”

Eleanor’s muscles didn’t want to comply. Her hands shook at the idea of confronting the TV mounted on the wall.

“Face me!”

Slowly, Eleanor turned, expecting to be greeted by the usual staticy impression of a face. Instead, Cyberspace’s solemn, yet stern expression met her gaze.

“You shouldn’t be broadcasting yourself like this. Ajax could be watching.”

A woman she knew all too well sat before her, except all her typical quirkiness had been gutted. Gone was the apartment with the view of the Eiffel Tower, and in its place, a black screen.

“Alexis, please…”

“You let me worry about that, I am more than aware of his current capabilities. Don’t try to change the subject. We can’t keep doing this,” Alex said evenly. “We’ve been battling back and forth for too long and it’s led us here. I can’t sustain this illusion you’ve demanded I maintain. My agents are beginning to question my methods, all because I refuse to punish Maxis.”

“Deal with them then. You’ve proven repeatedly how good you are at that,” Eleanor said darkly. “Maxis doesn’t need to learn the truth. Once you’ve dealt with all of these problems, things will go back—”

“No.” Alex cut her off. “No, they won’t. You don’t understand. As much as you want to bury your head in the sand and pretend like everything is okay, things have changed now. They changed the moment Maxis got his powers. He’s going to find out,” she let out a forlorn sigh. “Without direct intervention, this is an illusion that’s going to break.”

“Then intervene. Stop letting your ambition cloud what’s actually important.” Eleanor said. “Why do you hesitate?”

“Why do I hesitate?” Alex looked confused before anger took over. “I have been trying to protect Maxis and keep everything we’ve built running like a well oiled machine, but I’ve reached a point where those two interests are colliding. What happened tonight..?” Alex’s video froze for a moment before it resumed with the woman staring down. “I needed this to happen. Pandora crippled with all the scrutiny on the ECU and Ajax. Public opinion will be at an all time low, and that will gut their morale. I wasn’t going to allow an opportunity like this to slip by. Not when I’m so close.”

“We could have died,” Eleanor glowered. “What purpose is your goal if we’re dead? What is there left in this world for you to build if we are not around to celebrate your success?”

“You would not have died,” Alex replied. “I will admit I played a heavy hand. I put your lives at risk. It was… It was—!”

“Say it,” Eleanor whispered. “Say our lives were worth that risk. I know you want to say it. I know how deep your obsession runs, and you promised me you would control it. Lucy certainly suffered for it.”

“Don’t pretend you care about the girl. What of your obsession, mother?” Alex snapped. “We would not be in this position if you had decided not to keep secrets. Maxis didn’t need to grow up like he did. This life you’ve allowed him to lead has poisoned his mind. All you’ve done is set him up to oppose us!” Alex ran her hands through her hair in frustration. “His friendships have skewed his moral compass and you’ve forced me to play along with and encourage it!”

“If you were able, I would have had the same for you,” Eleanor’s anger subsided briefly as grief flashed across her face. “I will never forgive myself for you—depriving you of this. You… you’re too much like me.”

“You did me a favor,” Alex denied. “It’s Maxis who you should be apologizing to. He’s confused, angry, and I don’t know how to redirect it now that it’s focused on me,” she rubbed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. “When he finds out—and he will—it’s going to break him. It’s going to break you, and I’m the one that’s going to have to pick up the pieces. Fix your mistake.”

“It won’t come to that.”

“More of your delusion!” Alex growled in frustration. “Put an end to this. Let me tell him and fix things before it's too late.”

“No.” Eleanor shook her head. “I won’t let you do that.”

The TV glitched out some more as Alex’s frustration boiled over.

“Your stupidity is going to ruin everything!” Alex snapped, her voice crackling like electricity. “It’s going to ruin our operations, and it’s going to get Maxis killed. You don’t even realize what he’s planning, do you? He and the rest of Madhouse are going to try and break away. If that happens, we’ll lose him completely!”

“As a result of your actions!” Eleanor countered. “You should have thought about what this would mean for us before pushing for it. You are the one pushing him away!”

Eleanor watched as Alex struggled to come up with a retort. Various emotions flashed across her face as the screen continued to flicker like it was about to short-circuit. When Alex finally found her voice, the screen stopped and returned to normal.

“I admired you and followed your example—took up your mantle when you cast it aside. You got cold feet, claiming we were flying too close to the sun, when in reality, you were just scared. You couldn’t commit when I shattered the ECU’s systems, and you still can’t commit now.” Her tone was downright vicious. “That is why we are here.”

“You can’t even admit it,” Eleanor said softly with a hint of sadness. “I can shoulder the burden of my own shortcomings. All I wanted was for my children to live peaceful lives. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. You are right that the fault does lie with me, but… I am not solely to blame,” her gaze hardened as she stared down Alex. “You can choose just as well as I can. You are the one that’s choosing to indulge in your obsession to reshape humanity. You got it from me, and now you can’t let it go.”

“Why should I let it go when there is so much promise in the outcome?” Alex countered before her expression turned cruel. “And don’t throw those empty words at me either. I can’t choose. I want to tell Maxis the truth and save us all this pain, but I can’t. You won’t let me. I can only choose as long as that criteria is fulfilled.”

“Telling him will only cause him pain.”

“Continuing to hide things now, after everything that’s happened, is only going to foster more resentment.” Alex lectured. “You’re starting to recycle excuses. The longer you force us to delay, the worse things are going to get. This game has gone on for far too long.”

“You just… you don’t understand,” Eleanor mumbled. “I don’t know if you ever will.”

“What I understand is that this illusion will continue on to our own detriment, all because you are too much of a coward to face the consequences of your lies. When Maxis discovers the truth, I’ll be sure to point him to the mastermind behind it all.” Alex said, not bothering to mask her disappointment. “However, knowing how he is… he’ll probably end up blaming me anyway.”

Silence hung in the air as Eleanor refused to respond.

“You know,” Alex continued. “Part of me wonders if that’s what you’ve wanted all along. Have him grow up just like the rest so he can eventually turn around and cut me down. I know we’ve never quite seen eye to eye since my birth, but that seems rather cruel, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Never.” Eleanor went rigid, her teeth bared. “The fact you would even consider… How dare you!”

“What am I supposed to think?” Alex sneered, unable to hide how vulnerable she felt. “I am becoming the source of all of his grief, and when the pin finally drops, the facts won’t matter. He’ll see me as the enemy because that’s all he will know.”

“That is only because you are obsessed with continuing my work!” Eleanor snapped. “Following a dream that is better off dead and forgotten. Who was I to play God with the future? Who are you to try the same?”

“I am hope.” Alex determined without hesitation. “Realizing a future where mankind no longer needs to fight amongst themselves to discover their true potential. You see it just as much as I do. Maxis would be able to see it too if you hadn’t given up.”

“I never gave up,” Eleanor murmured. “I saw the madness wrought by my ambition.”

“You call it madness. I call it salvation, and I intend to prove it to you.” Alex replied. “In time, Maxis will see it too. He may hate me for it, but he’ll see it. I know he will.”

“You’re wrong,” Eleanor replied with confidence. “I think you’ll find that he will be the one that will prove you wrong.”

“So, that’s your plan is it?”

“There was never a plan. You give me too much credit,” Eleanor laughed bitterly. “All I can do now is hope.”

“Then prepare to be disappointed.”

The TV shut off, leaving Eleanor in silence. She closed her eyes, but the peace never came.