Chapter Text
Vista dropped us off in front of the radiant white shield that concealed the Boardwalk from casual observers, yet failed to muffle the uproar of people screaming and yelling, while an authoritative voice declared the commencement of the Gun Game.
"Uber and Leet," Vista groused. "We'll have to call this in. Console, I've got Uber and Leet set up on the Boardwalk for something called a Gun Game? Yes. Yes…. Yes. We can wait for backup." Vista looked back up, frustrated.
That's when the gunshots started.
"Or we can go in right now," I offered. "I am technically part of the Protectorate." It was a stupid decision, one that would reveal my power of escape, but I heard the gunshots and screams growing louder and I needed to do something. I had powers, good powers and I was supposed to be a hero.
"But how?" Clockblocker asked. "We need someone like Armsmaster or Kid Win to pull this shield down even temporarily. When Leet's stuff works, it works, until it doesn't…"
"I may have hidden a teensy little aspect of my powers." Vista raised an eyebrow at me, cutely. "I can travel to other dimensions. I can pop over to another Earth, take a couple steps, and pop back in inside the shield, and stop this Gun Game from killing anyone."
Both of them stare wide-eyed at me. "You're like, your own personal Haywire violation!" Clockblocker said, laughing. "Like, Christ, dude. How many other powers do you have?"
"At least thirteen," I said confidently. "And growing."
"And you think that will be enough to take out Uber and Leet?" Vista said, frowning at me. "They may seem incompetent, but they're pretty good at escaping."
"I don't need to defeat them, just distract them long enough for the actual Protectorate to arrive."
"Hey, if you want to get a reaming out from Piggy, that's on you," Clockblocker said.
[Friend Host can defeat Optimize and Prototype] my power chimed in.
Well, that settles it.
Two minutes later I was in a deserted Boardwalk, bloodstains and bullet shells littering the ground. Occasional gun shot, and spray interrupted the evening silence.
"A new challenger appears," a sonorous voice boomed out. "What is your name, hero?"
"Call me Dylan."
A gun appeared in my hand, and suddenly a scoreboard flickered into my vision. All the way down at the bottom, was my score of 0.
"Well, 'Dylan' I'm not sure how you got through the shield, but welcome to the Gun Game. Kill other participants to upgrade your gun, but be careful! You only have two lives. Spend them wisely, and most of all, have fun!"
I was about to say something, when my Reaction power kicked in, alerting me to the man slowly pulling a bead on me with an AK-47 from a nearby store. I took a step dimensionally to the left into an untouched Earth and return from the pristine beach after a few seconds, about twenty feet closer, and within grasping distance of his gun. I wrench it out of his hands, and it burst into light. I gain a 'kill' on the scoreboard, and the man rapidly turns into light as well, looking mournfully at his hands.
So taking the gun counts as a kill. Good to know.
Three more times I'm ambushed and three times I take to another dimension and then remove the gun from their hands, while Uber nattered on, until he noticed me.
"It's the Gun Game, not the Grab Game. Looks like someone doesn't know how to play well with others! Leet, can we get a Penalty Box for Dylan?" boomed Uber.
"Kinda busy," came the whiney reply, more distant.
"It'll only take a second."
"His tracker is weird, keeps bugging out and saying he's not there and then he pops up again, like twenty feet to the north, and he's gotten four kills without firing his gun. What the fuck? We're squashing this hacker, he ain't playin' right."
While they decided my fate I climbed the leaderboards three more times, until suddenly a glowing blue tube surrounded me, blocking my way.
"You really think this is enough to stop me?" I asked to the sky.
"Leet, we got inbound, and two Wards hanging outside the game. Kick him out and lets finish."
As Leet replied, I stepped to the left, into a pristine beach untouched by human hands, took a couple steps and came back to, "and he's gone again…. No wait, he's back and… three steps to the left. Outside the Penalty Box. What the fuck?"
"It's a tube, you moron," I shouted. "Incompetent hack can't even name shit right."
Instead of responding, the blue tube suddenly moved, positioning itself over me again. I stepped to the left and ran down the beach for a couple seconds, before stepping back onto Earth Bet.
"-to capture him and its like he's teleporting without teleporting! He should be blocked in the Penalty Box. That's the entire fucking point of it! He's back and he's getting closer."
I can see the wash of electronic information starting to rise again from the north, and I monitored it, as I take a step to the left of Earth Bet, into Earth Pristine. The electromagnetic spectrum was awash, most of it centering around a building near the north end of the Boardwalk. That must be where they were holed up, or what they were robbing. I flew straight for it, and the man-shaped electrical signals, and popped back out onto Earth Bet in front of a man in a ghillie suit, muttering invectives as his fingers flew across a keyboard.
I slapped the side of his head mildly, and it sent him crashing into the wall, before he slumped unconscious.
"Where the fuck is he?" muttered Uber's voice. "Leet, it's like he disappeared. I can't pick up any tracks. Must be some kind of Stranger—" He walked into the back office only to stop and stare at me. "You're not Leet."
"I'm Dylan. You might have heard about me? I'm from another Earth."
"Oh shit! Yeah, Liveleak Dylan! Wow, and you decided for your first act of heroism to stop us?" he said, suddenly excitedly, as he stepped closer. "That's really cool, man. What's your cape name, again?"
"Crystallus."
"Oh, right?" Then his face changed, growing angry. "And like a crystal, I'm gonna fucking shatter you, bro. Bring it, noob."
He put his hands up in a boxing position, lightly hopping from foot to foot. Instinctually, I flinched, not used to fighting, and a rabbit punch lit out, bopping me in the chest. It felt like nothing. Oh, right, this dude cannot hurt me without some kind of tinkertech, and instead the idiot is boxing a Brute. So I brought my fists up, and began casually boxing with Uber for about a minute, trying to scan what his Power was doing, until there was a horrible screech and the silvery grey box that had been humming relatively silently shuddered and groaned. There was a sound like ripping paper from outside. Both of us stopped and stared out the window.
"Fuck. That was the shield."
"Surrender yet?" I asked.
"Never. Surrendering is for chucklefucks. Team Rocket is—" I enter Bullet Time. Okay, one, that's for sure a way for them to escape. Two, I need to stop them from escaping. Three, I haven't actually tested using other powers under Bullet Time. Carefully, very carefully, I began to releasing energy as sound waves, raising and lowering the pitch slowly, very slowly. I can see the air ripple in front of me, and I wait until they reach Uber before time resumes as a blaring siren echoes from my hand, covering whatever Uber had been about to say.
I can see him mouthing curses at me, and trying to shout over me, but I keep it up for nearly a minute until the blue and silver armor of Armsmaster enters the room. In the silence of ringing ears, he efficiently raises his halberd as a spray of containment foam covers Uber from head to toe. I motion to Leet, and he is promptly doused as well.
"I should have guessed you would have a dimensional travel power, given your Trigger," was the first words out of the hero's mouth. "The Director is quite upset with you, but given your success, I have a feeling she'll only bench you for a week or two. You did well, Crystallus. Your first patrol and you helped nab two villainous Parahumans. Points deducted, however, for leaving the two Wards behind. Can you not take others with you?"
"I have absolutely no idea, and didn't want to risk it. I knew I could take myself, and that is it."
Armsmaster nodded. "Better to risk yourself, than risk the Wards. I would have done the same in the circumstances, but others may not see it that way."
Our conversation ends as PRT troopers began filing into the electronics store the two had been robbing, and he motions for me to follow him.
"Did you get anything from either Parahuman?"
I shook my head. "I was too busy trying to figure out what to do, to examine them too closely for power insights."
"A shame. Well, at least you'll have plenty of time in the next week or two to observe the Protectorate and the Wards in action."
The Boardwalk was filled with PRT troopers and agents helping up various people who lay scattered, moaning and groaning, clutching body parts and chests. There was no blood, no bullet casings.
I grimaced at the sight. "Any deaths?"
"Older woman, heart attack, and a young man too close to the shield when it tore. Leet's tech is too dangerous for use. There are always injuries, and sometimes fatalities, like today. You didn't… have anything to do with the shield?" He paused, seeming to check something. "It isn't your fault, if you did. It's Leet's fault for using faulty tech."
"No, it just burnt out while we were fighting. Just bad luck." Still, I felt awful.
Armsmaster put a tentative hand on my shoulder. "It isn't your fault."
I sighed. "I know, I just cannot help thinking, would he have died if I didn't act?"
"Or maybe more would have died. Maybe Uber and Leet would have gotten away with only a single death and whatever they planned to steal. It does not matter though. What happened, happened. You intervened, because you are a hero, and now Uber and Leet will be put away, maybe for good."
We finally had made our way to where Vista, Clockblocker and Miss Militia stood waiting. Her green, expressive eyes gave me a look of disappointment that hurt a surprising amount.
"Between myself and Crystallus, Uber and Leet have been apprehended, and their stolen goods seized. How are things here?"
"We're ready to go when you are, Armsmaster. Do you mind if Crystallus rides with me? I have a couple things I'd like to discuss with him," Miss Militia said cooly.
Armsmaster frowned, but nodded. "I'll meet you two at the Rig."
Miss Militia smized at him, and put a hand around my arm, and gently began guiding me to her motorcycle. It was a silent walk until we were far enough away that no one else could hear. Then she spoke. She had a soft voice, but the tone was hard.
"I'm disappointed. I didn't think you would be one to leave two Wards behind, let alone go up against two villains by yourself. Do we have another gloryhound on staff I need to watch out for?"
I needed to explain. "When I heard the gunshots and screams, I knew I had to do something. Hell, I revealed a power I had kept secret this entire time, knowing how you people feel about dimensional travelling. It wasn't about glory, or defeating the villains, it was about making sure more people weren't hurt and doing what needed to be done. And still people died."
She nodded at that, and settled herself onto the motorcycle, pulling a helmet from a bag and handing it to me. I put it on, and the world became a fishbowl. Once she fit her own helmet on, her voice rang softly from a speaker inside.
"I can understand that, and I even think what you did was heroic in that context. Going in without real training, just because you're the only one who can at the moment. But anything could have happened to the Wards, and you would have been responsible, because you're the adult, and they're the children. When you're working with the Wards, they take precedence, over everything else, even civilians. Understood?" I nodded. That made sense. "Good. Now, take a seat, and hold on tight. We'll be making some tight turns."
I put my arms around Miss Militia, holding tight and we flew through the night, and across the oilslick rainbow bridge to the Rig. It was my first time seeing it at night, the shield like a fuzzy soapbubble, reflecting the night sky, an oil rig converted into a near-future fortress, with graceful arches and spires.
Armsmaster turned out to be correct in the end. I was benched for two weeks.
"Lets talk about our newest recruit. It's been two weeks and his benching ends tomorrow. Where is he at, what can we work on, is he ready for primetime?" Emily asked at the weekly meeting of the PRT and the Protectorate. Only a certain Strike Captain was missing, and the thought of horrid man, locked up a dozen floors below them, filled her shriveled heart with glee.
Hannah stood, eyes beaming. "Dylan seems to understand fully what he did wrong, while also not dismissing what he did right—eliminate the Tinker, and keep the Thinker occupied for backup to arrive—while also recognizing he has a lot of room for improvement. He has been keeping up with basic Law Enforcement classes, and continually improves in his sparring, despite low starting skill."
"That is… good." At least he is competent enough to parrot the right words back to Hannah, Emily thought. We'll see if that gets us anywhere with Eidolon's latest pet project. "What else?"
"Dylan has regularly been taking his medication, and insists on a therapy appointment as soon as possible, which is honestly astounding for a Parahuman. Usually getting anyone to go is like pulling teeth." Hannah glanced at her colleagues, disapprovingly. "Apparently he was involved in therapy before his… summoning, and would like to continue. He has shown interest in creative pursuits, though stays aboard the Rig for most of his day, only occasionally going out into the wider city."
So he wasn't a complete nut, and knew he needed help. Good for him. Anyone who experienced what he did, losing his whole world, would need mental health appointments. Emily's just glad she finally found a powerful Parahuman who seems halfway reasonable.
Hannah sat down, apparently finished, while Colin stood up, taking over.
"Seventeen. That is how many powers Dylan claims to have, now. A list and their descriptions are included in your packets. The most important ones are highlighted in red, and the ones upgraded by his analysis of our Wards and fellow Protectorate members are highlighted in blue. As you can see, there are a number of purple powers. Let us take the newest power, for example. Shadow Figures was created first by studying Shadow Sidereal of the OKC Wards, and was barely viable, creating a shadowy figure that vanishes as soon as it appears. Then he analyzed Shadow Stalker, before she left us for Madison, and now he can create multiple shadowy figures that last for a few seconds and can take a single hit before popping into a cloud of smoke. When he analyzes Crusader, who knows how this power will change, but what this highlights is that each chance of Parahuman analysis makes Dylan more powerful, more versatile and more useful. The same happened with the power, Kinetic Snap, his analysis of Assault and Battery turning a power only a strong Brute could use into something that Velocity could use to great effect. The one thing he consistently lacks, though, is strong ranged attacks. I propose we approach New Wave, let them know of Dylan's abilities, and offer incentives to let him study their families."
"And you believe Brandish will go for this?" Emily was skeptical. Letting a Trump into your home, a power-copying Trump to boot, was something the paranoid woman would not stand for.
"Lady Photon is the more important figure to get on board, as their leader. If Dylan could analyze the Pelham's, I think it would bring him remarkable clarity on how to 'build' a Blaster power. His current one is weak, energy intensive and slow, and he claims he has no idea how the one Blaster he's actually witnessed worked. I've started him on basic physics and engineering textbooks, in case it is a matter of his knowledge being too little to properly emulate the physics needed. It's really quite fascinating, and his voracious reading appetite has kept up. I'd almost say he had a Thinker power he didn't know about, for reading."
"And you believe he's ready for patrols now? No chance of going AWOL again?"
Shawn took that question, answering lazily. "Dylan's competent enough to scuffle, and he's passed his tests. I'd say let him try again, and hope his first patrol was a fluke. He's polite, listens and is good with the Wards. I don't think we'll see him make the same mistake. Maybe a different one, but not the same."
Colin added, "I was thinking about taking him on patrol in New Wave territory, and stopping by the Pelham's and the Dallon's so they can officially meet, this weekend. It will be good to establish a rapport with his fellow Open Capes, perhaps he can even befriend them. I have noticed he has been isolating himself in the Rig, somewhat recently as Miss Militia noted."
Why did I think it was a good idea to leave my family again? This was just like Kansas, and just like Kansas I was isolating myself again. I had discovered a voracious hunger for knowledge, started reading Colin's old physics and engineering textbooks, and lost myself in words and understanding. The two weeks of nothing but reading, analyzing Parahuman powers, and sleeping had seemed like a dream at first, but now I was practically itching to leave the Rig at the same time I never wanted to leave my room again. To go back home, and chill with myself.
So of course Colin invited me over to visit New Wave without telling me and now I was engulfed in the MILF hug of Lady Photon and all I was doing was missing my own mom instead of enjoying the beautiful woman before me. It was a real travesty.
"It's so nice to finally meet you, Dylan. Trust me, when Carol heard the Protectorate of all places was going to have an Open Cape, she was astounded. Don't let her needle you too hard about choosing the Protectorate over us, I am sure you had your reasons. Come in, come in. Don't mind the mess, Neil is always refurbishing something."
Wood paneling lay against a wall, next to a tub of varnish.
"The reason he chose the Protectorate is something I wanted to speak with you all about. Are your daughter or son home?" Colin asked, as she led us to the kitchen.
"Sit down, sit down. Crystal! Eric! We've got company!" she calls out. Soon the Pelham siblings pile into the kitchen, and Neil, Manpower, makes his way up from the basement where he had been working.
I introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Dylan, also known as the hero Crystallus, and I'm here because of my power. So I guess the, well not the best way, but the most interesting way to explain my power is I'm like an alien caveman," I start, and Eric snorts, causing the women to glare at him, before Sarah gave me a look to continue. "Trust me, it'll make sense. I'm like a caveman, and other powers are like animals or acts of nature, if that makes sense? I study them, and can replicate them, not well, but competently, with enough analysis and time, like a caveman discovering fire from a lightning strike by making a spark banging two rocks together, or learning to be stealthy from watching animals hunt." I activate my Shadow Figures, and do a little twirl, leaving a swirl of shadowy black humanoid figures that surrounded me, before slowly fading away. "Like this power I learned from Sidereal Shadow and Shadow Stalker, two Wards I've met and studied. It is neither of their powers, but something I learned from watching them."
"Okay, that actually does make a sort of sense," Eric said. "Still, alien caveman?"
I shrugged.
"And you want to learn from watching us, now," Sarah mused. "How many powers have you made this way?"
"Four, one of which is a terrible Blaster power. I was hoping from watching you and your family, I would learn how to make real laser beams, and not weird tubes of heat and light that move at a running pace."
"I can assure you there is no risk involved," Colin added, "and we would be willing to offer you incentives in a number of forms."
"Containment foam," Neil said immediately, and Colin sighed.
"Yes, including limited amounts of containment foam grenades. But would you not rather fly, Manpower? Or have your children be Brutes in the heat of battle? Crystallus can create Power crystals, containing eight minutes of any one of his numerous powers. Mover powers, Brute powers, Thinker powers, maybe even Blaster powers soon enough? And they have no danger of Mastering you, guaranteed by the Think Tank, gave an all clear."
Neil's eyes grew wider as Colin spoke. "Let me try out the flight, and you got yourself a deal, Armsmaster."
"Neil!" his wife groused, "You can't just make that decision by yourself. You may be the man of the house, but I am New Wave's leader. But let's head to the backyard, so you can see what the big deal is with flying. And then, maybe, maybe we'll agree to the deal, once I discuss it with Carol."
Neil looked suitably admonished as we trooped out into the sprawling backyard of the Pelham's while I made a flight crystal.
Neil had his eight minutes of fun, before he came tumbling down from the sky, laughing. "Drives like a bison, but once you get moving, woowhee!" The other Pelham's, who had taken to the sky with their father, landed much more gracefully.
"Nice flying, dad!" Eric laughed. "But maybe learn to land first."
"It was nice to fly as the whole family, but how many crystals would we be talking about, Armsmaster?"
"Three crystals per family member studied that provides useful analysis, once a week, for the next three months," he said, as if reading it off a card.
"Five crystals per family member, regardless of whether they provide a 'useful analysis', for the next half year," Sarah shot back.
"Four crystals, four months, and they have to provide analysis that contributes to the upgrade or creation of a power."
"The same, but for half a year."
"Deal."
They shook on it.
"Now to convince Carol this was the right decision," Sarah muttered.
A few phonecalls later, and the Dallons had arrived, with the Pelham's piling back in the house to make the case to Carol. There was just three of us still outside.
"You WHAT?!" came the shout from inside the house.
"Just ignore Mom, she'll get over whatever decision Sarah made without her, once she realizes how awesome it is to fly," Victoria Dallon was saying, while Amy Dallon meanmugged me. Victoria's power was always on, and it was the one specifically described as possible to copy in its whole by a caveman like me, so I was analyzing her pretty hard. The forcefield that surrounded her seemed almost curious, occasionally reaching out towards me.
What's up with that? I asked Prehistoric Wisdom.
[Fragile One seeks communication, embrace Host]
I can't just ask for a hug… can I?
[AFFIRMATIVE]
I winced. Alright, alright, I'll do it.
"Hey, Victoria, this is weird and all because we barely know each other, but I think your forcefield wants to touch me. Swear to god this is not a pickup line. Do you mind if I give you a brief hug?"
Amy's face soured even further, and even Victoria looked put off, but she nodded, and looked at Amy. "It's not as if he can do anything, Ames. No need to be a grouch," before she spread her arms.
Gently, briefly I hugged her and for a second my mind churned with NOISE in an endless, unending moment and energy flashed before my senses, before I passed out.
I woke up to the grouchy face of Amy Dallon hanging over me like a freckled moon.
"He's awake."
"Ask him the question!" came Victoria's voice from somewhere behind me. I sat up, and wiped the wet from my nose, only to stop when I saw blood on my hand. What the fuck, PW. What did you do?
[Communication]
"Victoria want's to know—" Hurricane Victoria butted in. "Is your power named Prehistoric Wisdom? Does it talk to you?"
Well, that explains what my power did. Somehow it let Victoria's power talk to her. "Yes. Is yours named the Fragile One?"
"Oh wow. Wow. Wow wow wow." She was walking in circles, wincing every few seconds.
"If you tell them to be quieter, it might help with the headache," I offered.
"How?"
"Just think at your power, and it'll know."
"Oh wow. Thank you, Dylan!" She beamed a smile at me, and I smiled back, feeling honestly great. Why was I even worried? "Okay, this is crazy. This is the craziest day in the whole damn world. Ames, Passenger Theory is real. I'm talking to my power, right now. What the hell!"
Amy was looking increasingly worried, the more Victoria spoke. "Are you certain it's your power you're talking to? And not this strange guy mastering you?"
Victoria frowned "He's not strange, I met Dylan a couple times at the PRT headquarters, while he was studying Dean's power. He's like a crazy Trump, the Trumpiest Trump that ever Trumped this side of Houston, but not actually crazy. And he doesn't have any Master powers, I asked Dean. What's crazy is we've proven a wildly outlandish theory is true."
"Are you even listening to yourself, Vicky? This stranger touches you and suddenly you can talk to your power?"
"I'd rather not be in M/S protocols for the rest of my adult life, so maybe we should ixnay the owertalkpay. There's a reason I have yet to tell anyone about the voice in my head, and I'd rather keep it that way," I said.
"Shouldn't have hugged me, then," Victoria said with a grin, looping an arm around mine to the blood boiling gaze of Amy. "But I understand, beautiful girls like me are hard to resist."
I gave her a withering look, hiding my smile, while Amy glared daggers at me. Then I turned the look on Amy, and she startled, not expecting it.
"What's your problem, Groucho Marx?" I asked, condescendingly.
"Men, obviously," she bit back.
Victoria laughed, pulling on my arm. "Stop it, you two. Ames, touch me, and you'll see I'm not being Mastered."
She did just that and frowned. "Your Corona Pollentia grew, colonized your Weirnicke's area. That's the part of the brain responsible for comprehending language. Strange. And its lighting up like crazy."
"Yeah, apparently your power is mean and won't talk back to the Fragile One."
Amy frowned. "Maybe your power's just annoying."
Victoria gasped, and tugged on me "Take that back, Ames! My power's not annoying, it's the best!"
The two bickered like sisters for a bit before Victoria turned back to me.
"I heard you can make people fly. I wanna fly with Ames. Please? Pretty please?"
"Quit hanging on me, and I'll consider it."
She gave a moue of distaste, but let my arm go. "There, now the pretty girl isn't hanging around and giving you cooties."
I sighed, very put upon and started making a flight crystal, while chatting with my power.
So what the fuck was that?
[Fragile One wanted communication]
I get that. But why?
[Fragile One wanted communication with Fragile Host]
[Fragile Host is best Host for Fragile One, Friend Host is best Host for Prehistoric Wisdom]
"Are you talking to your power," Victoria asked.
[Prehistoric Wisdom helps Fragile One, Fragile Host helps Friend Host]
I nodded, "Yeah, figuring out why this all happened."
[competent deal?]
I… okay. Not a bad deal, but maybe some unintended consequences.
"Oh, do tell?"
I finished the flight crystal, but kept it in my palm.
[Fragile One already deviant, Prehistoric Wisdom already deviant, Cycle is aberrant]
"Well, apparently our powers are deviants, my power helped your power, so now you are supposed to help me, and our powers like us. We are the 'best Hosts.'"
I mean, consequences for me, given I don't think Victoria will keep quiet about the Fragile One, and she inevitably will reveal I am in communication with you as well. That will cause me trouble.
[deviancy will cause trouble with other Hosts?]
Uh, yeah. Voices in your head are a sign you are crazy.
"That matches what mine told me. Apparently it is 'simple' enough to be emulated?"
[apologies, Host culture not sufficiently analyzed due to outside Restrictions, apologies]
I sighed. Apology accepted.
"And apparently PW didn't know voices in your head were a sign of madness. And yeah, that's what I'm led to believe. Hard to think of your power as 'simple' or 'easy' but it is elegant."
"Why thank you, kind sir. Speaking of powers, is it ready?"
I held out the quartz lit by an inner blue light to Amy, who had been watching our exchange with a pinched look. She didn't take it.
"Come on, Amy, I've tried them before. I got superspeed and ran around at like sixty miles an hour. It was brilliant."
"You tried these? Does Mom know?"
"Eheheh, not exactly."
Amy snatched the crystal, and said, "Fine, I'll try it. What do I need to do?"
"Just, fly."
And she did, ascending first slowly, but rapidly gaining speed. Her sister darted into the air and took Amy's hand, tugging her futher into the sky. "Come on, let's see how fast you can go. It last's for eight minutes."
"Ten minutes now. I managed to squeeze in some more energy after studying Dauntless."
Amy nodded reluctantly, squealing as her sister dragged her through the air.