There is no casket here. Because there is no body.
There are only the photographs of her, the other items of memorabilia, and the tributes left by her friends, family and colleagues.
Ben then looks out at those who have gathered in the small room. Only her relatives and the close friends with the proper clearance are present. Given the former, Ben knows he won't be able to discuss exact details, but he wanted them to know how it happened. Because without a body, you're always wondering, unless you hear it right from the source.
He looks back at his notes. They were approved reading.
After a moment, he sets them aside.
He knows he has some latitude, and besides, he isn't liable to go into detail on key aspects of her missions. Better to focus on the positives in her life, rather than how the cosms are continuing to alter reality, despite Avril's astounding selfless action.
Ben finally clears his throat. "Avril Carroll," he begins. "We all know her. In as much as any one person can. Could. Can." Damn it. He plunges onward. "She was a lot of things to different people. And so, I want to take my few moments here to pull those threads together. Forgive me if, at some point, you feel I'm stating the obvious as I review her life."
He briefly scanned over those gathered once again, then stepped out from behind the podium, completely away from his notes.
"Avril was a native resident of Earth. Fascinated by magic at an early age, and captivated by the animation style that made girls magical, she gravitated towards studies in the performing arts. Wanting to learn sleight of hand and methods of entertainment. Her ability to Detect Magic meant that she could even tell the charlatans from the real deal, though this was an unconscious ability at first. Much like her telepathy."
Ben was pretty sure that everyone in the room was someone that Avril had previously communicated with mentally, and even if that wasn't the case, they deserved to know. Indeed, no one was looking surprised, though her mother looked a bit confused.
"By that, I meant she wasn't always aware she could use telepathy on her own," Ben clarified. "Because of course, magic was her passion, with perhaps a side interest in hypnosis. Psionics was secondary. Though as I found out, there was at least one person in her circle of friends as she was growing up who had a similar ability. Meaning that this power was always a part of her life. Possibly even a source of silent mischief making in her teens."
Mrs. Carroll's face cleared as she nodded. Ben's eyes went over towards Elspeth Fletcher, one of the people he'd spoken with while compiling Avril's biography.
The dark haired woman hinted at a smile back at him, and he felt her mind brush against his own with a hint of laughter. She was what people called a canny lass, that one. Ben coughed and quickly looked away, beginning to pace across the front of the room as he continued.
"Avril's moment of crisis, when she was first recruited to the cause, came when her magic mentor, Lewis, was attacked during what became his final show. It was a gospog attack, designed to be a distraction from events happening nearby. As such, there was one Storm Knight dispatched to help clear out civilians, but Lewis was knocked unconscious on the stage."
Ben's eyes went towards his teammates. At this point, he was pretty sure everyone who had been close to Avril back then had known about this incident, but he wasn't sure if she had spoken about it to anyone more recently. Perhaps, but Hotspur, Gaja, Murmur, Sam, Symon, Zephyr, Edmund... they all were listening attentively.
"Standing backstage, Avril acted to save Lewis. After calling out to bring the creature into range, she dropped a fly bar onto it. Some lights exploded, starting a small fire. The gospog was defeated, and she got Lewis to safety."
Ben realized he was still pacing back and forth, and made himself stop.
"Lewis retired from showmanship after that, while Avril became aware of her full potential. And perhaps more importantly, she became aware of ways that actual magic existed out in the various cosms. Perhaps that, more than anything, is what led her to become a Storm Knight."
Ben found his gaze drawn back to the large picture of Avril by the table.
"She loved magic. She loved learning that some of what she'd once performed had been actual magic. In a way, she was magic incarnate..."
Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, Ben pulled his attention back to everyone in the room.
"Ahem. Her magic sensor scrambler ability was helpful in an early mission when visiting Pan Pacifica. That may have been when her psionics were fully awoken as well, for after that, she began to develop them in tandem with her spells. It was shortly after that when I had occasion to meet her, in the Living Lands."
Ben belatedly wondered whether he'd mentioned specific cosms in his approved speech. Maybe? If not, surely it wasn't a problem to mention them. And if it was, screw it.
"We were on a mission together. Despite her telepathy being of use, I wondered about her assignment to this cosm, which had low social ability and an even lower magic rating. As I recall, her response was something to the effect of 'That's why they won't see me coming'."
Someone in the audience chuckled.
"And though she was still perfecting it back then, this was when I learned about Avril's signature move," Ben added. "And it wasn't one that required her wand."
He reached into his pocket, pulling out the loonie he had brought. A one dollar coin. He held it between his thumb and index finger as he extended his arm out in front of him, and sighted down it, as if lining up a shot.
It was a pale imitation of the original, but it would serve to spark everyone's imagination. Because they knew what he was doing. If you knew Avril, you knew.
Of course, Ben couldn't fire off a magic bullet here, even if he had the capability. The hall was rented.
With his thumb, he instead flicked the coin into the air, caught it, and put it back into his pocket. Mrs. Carroll blew her nose. Ben wondered if she'd visualized her daughter in that moment.
"I never thought much about Avril after that mission," Ben admitted. "Until she took my place."
The Nile Empire mission. The beginning of her end.
"She had levelled up by then, of course," Ben continued. "Having become a spell slinger, capable of dodging through her apportation ability. And she could broadcast confusion and fear in equal measures, depending on the situation, while refining her clarity of mind, to dispel any mental affects."
He had, of course, also gained new skills in that time, of the Weird Science variety. Life was weird.
"Part of her reassignment to the team was my concern that I'd become a liability visiting my home cosm. I also wanted to pursue a certain scientific investigation. So Avril went with Mayhem Unlimited --" At the moniker, Ben gave a brief sidelong glance to Hotspur. "-- while I remained in the labs."
Ben hesitated then, and found his gaze being drawn down to the floor. "That mission was, fortunately, a rousing success. Though I was told that, when faced with a nine headed demonic being, Avril's first instinct was to attempt a form of telepathic reassurance. Which went about as well as you might expect."
"The luck on that battle was much better than anyone had expected," someone murmured.
Ben looked up, but instead of seeking out the voice, his gaze went right to the ceiling. "It had been my intention to return to the field after those events. But it was thought that telepathy would be handy for the mission to Akasha. So... Avril volunteered again."
Oops. He probably shouldn't have said Akasha. But whatever. He could pretend it had been a sneeze.
"I didn't insist on going myself," Ben admitted. "I didn't speak up in her place."
When he should have. It should have been him.
"I merely scienced up an unbreakable shield for her to use. And possibly leaned a bit on the supply chain to get her a Rainbow Moonstone Crystal. She hadn't been granted one on the prior mission."
He stared again at the floor. Of course, if it had been him on the mission, it might have failed. As he wouldn't have been able to act as she had, since he didn't have telepathy. But he should have done more for her. Somehow. Why hadn't he?
"And from what I've read in the reports," Ben continued, his voice starting to shake, "and heard in discussions after the fact, she handled herself admirably. Right up until the end. And even then, her sacrifice was... was admirable..."
Ben's palms curled into fists. No. He couldn't do this. Why had he insisted on doing this? He hadn't even had the foresight to take her DNA to create a clone of her or anything. No, Avril was simply GONE, and HE had been the one to send her to her death, and she was NEVER coming back, EVER...
'HEY.'
Ben jerked his gaze back up and over to Elspeth.
'Look at us,' her voice rang out in his mind. 'Look, and you'll see that no one here blames you. Her life, her choice. You couldn't have stopped Avril Carroll. We ALL know that there was no stopping that woman once she set her mind to something. All that remains here is to honour her. Right?'
Startled, Ben once more swept his gaze back over the group who had assembled. And of course, Elspeth was right. Everyone was merely looking at him expectantly. There was no hint of any form of accusation.
Granted, it was a little disconcerting that Avril's childhood friend had decided to read his thoughts right then.
'Try guilt written all over your face,' her voice came again. 'I mean, okay, ever since your talk of our childhood antics, you basically let me in. Still, get a grip, and I'll get gone again. Okay?'
Ben cleared his throat. "Sorry, I... yes, sorry. Give me a second."
He jumped back towards the podium, pushing off with a bit more force than was necessary. The amulet of Isis glowed faintly beneath his shirt as a small shower of sparkles glittered on the carpet where he'd formerly stood.
Ben quickly reached back for his prepared speech, but even as he took it in his hands, and fumbled with the sheets to find his place, he shook his head. He folded it up.
"Avril handled herself admirably," Ben resumed. "As she always did. And I suppose her involvement was inevitable, after she tapped into the Possibility Chalice. She was, perhaps, the only one among us who could."
This time, he made a point of looking at everyone as he spoke.
"On her last mission, she helped to keep her assigned soldier alive, Ana Graham. Not to mention my old friend Pascale Petit, who had been kidnapped to use as a pawn. She survived an attack by a centuries old vampire. She resisted corruption. And she used her bullet attack to bring down a large view screen on the head of their greatest foe, when damage would be maximized. Just before a Maelstrom occurred to seal the deal."
He smiled at the thought of it. She had been a resourceful woman. In much the same way he was.
"And through it all, somehow, Avril never found occasion to use my shield. She used her wits and cunning to pursue the mission instead. And then, at the end, when the Akashan crown telepathically told her there was a way to keep the Gaunt Man imprisoned for years? That's when she made the split second decision."
This last bit REALLY hadn't been in his prepared notes. He was so fired.
"She made him pay. She accomplished something that few could ever dream of accomplishing. In fact, I was told that Avril's last words were to him, and I quote: 'I know this won't be permanent for you. But when you return, they'll be even stronger.'"
Ben took in a deep breath.
"So, going forwards, we'll be doing all we can to live up to her promise. For my part, I know that every time my unbreakable shield functions to save a life, it will be because Avril saved those charges for someone else to use. Thank you all for your time, and --" Ben turned to look at the photograph one last time. "-- thank you Avril. Godspeed."
He hurriedly moved to sit down, as a musical selection began to play... Magic Sunday. <I will be with you, now and forever>... weirdly poignant.
It took several seconds for Ben's heart rate to resume a more normal pace.
'Pssst.'
Ben didn't even turn this time, just reaching up to rub his forehead. 'What now, Elspeth?' he thought back. The music played on.
'Just a good news/bad news kind of deal. Any preference for the first?'
Ben gestured vaguely in the air, certain that she could see him.
'Fine. Good news, I'm pretty sure everyone without the proper clearance didn't QUITE catch the naughty bits there, because of some phantom coughing in the back of the room. Courtesy me. Meaning your job is secure.'
'Oh. Thanks.'
'Don't mention it. Wouldn't have been a proper eulogy without those parts, really, so thank you for being so straightforward. Avril would be pleased, I think. You did right by her.'
Ben smiled, despite himself. 'Thanks again. Truly.' He looked towards Avril's photograph once more. She seemed to smile back. 'Then what's the bad news?'
'Ah, yes, that would be the circumstances under which your team now has an opening for a telepathic Storm Knight. I will apologize in advance there? I don't have the magic skills of my friend.'
Ben began to gesture vaguely again, when the full weight of what Elspeth had just broadcast fell upon him. He spun in his chair at that point to regard the dark haired woman once more, now seeing her in a completely new light.
Elspeth Fletcher merely returned his look with another quiet smile.
(RIP Avril Carroll, Jan 2021 - Jan 2023)
No comments:
Post a Comment