06-09-2025, 12:00 PM
Marta looked through Jay's file. He was a Marine and on a mission to Mexico killed El Tiburon. It had led to a discharge. He hadn't followed orders. There was something sad about that, and Marta felt her anger flare at it. He had done the right thing, but those in charge had decided he hadn't. He joined the Legion then - fought in Sierra Leone with Jared Vanders. She remembered him - he had talked to her about Batman. It was almost weird how so many people here were connected. Almost as if Nox had a sort of gravity himself.
Marta got to the bottom of the file. The file made references to his family that she didn't follow. Right now, she wanted to know about Jay. There it was - his contact. She could contact him, but what would she say - "hey - I hate the cartels too? Want to go have some cookies?" Besides that, that isn't why Sage had given her access to the database. She could look. She could also use pictures she found as evidence. Anymore than that, and she was abusing what Sage had given her.
Marta closed the file and the app, wondering why she felt so...useless. She felt so strongly about this, but she needed help. She couldn't go against them alone. The words that she had spoken to Matias came back to her. What can a thirteen year old girl do against the might of the cartels. Matias answer was there to - train, study, learn, prepare. Be patient. Marta understood that, but it didn't help those they were hurting now, and it didn't still the feeling inside of her that she had to act, and nothing could calm the feeling of empathy in her heart for the victims who she knew that during the very few times they could feel through their drug addled minds they felt fear and loneliness.
Marta needed allies. She just didn't know how to recruit them or what to do with them. She was sure she could have two - Elyse and Ricky - if they didn't immediately say that it was dangerous and she should stop. Marta tapped the desk in silence as she pondered before finally deciding to tell them in their group text.
Marta sent the message and then put down her wallet as she grabbed her drawing pad and left Elyse's room. She couldn't bear the thought of getting messages telling her to stop. She closed the door quietly and headed down to the TV. She grabbed some milk from the fridge and popped some popcorn before putting it in a bowl. She turned on The Avengers movie - Nox had a catalog of most of the Marvel movies. She kept the volume low. People were probably sleeping. The movie was more background noise as she began to draw.
Drawing was therapeutic for her, and that's what she needed right now. Hayden had given her a task to draw a short comic - with new characters. She had done it, but it didn't seem right to share anymore. It had been a comic of Nox saving a cat from a tree. He had no power and when he got the cat out, he was stuck up there himself. It had been meant to be funny, but then his power went away, and it just seemed in bad taste to show it. She had the drawing in the back of her folder. She had shown no one.
That still meant she had to do Hayden's assignment. Nothing came to mind and she just drew following her instincts. The first picture showed her in a lake, the waves looking strangely like a wolf. In the image, she was barely holding her head above the water, struggling to keep from drowning. The second showed the same image, but with a hand offered to her. The third showed a different perspective, the man reaching for her; Nox. The last showed Marta on the shore with him, water dripping from her clothes, his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. Marta looked at it. It captured her feelings entirely.
Marta took out another page and began to write.
Marta put the note and the drawing in her folder. The time to give them to Nox wasn't here yet. Maybe it would never be here, but she had gotten it out of her head. She put her folder back in her bag and sat back on the couch, pulling her knees close to her chest. She grabbed her bowl of popcorn and began to snack, watching the movie and trying hard not to feel so down.
Marta got to the bottom of the file. The file made references to his family that she didn't follow. Right now, she wanted to know about Jay. There it was - his contact. She could contact him, but what would she say - "hey - I hate the cartels too? Want to go have some cookies?" Besides that, that isn't why Sage had given her access to the database. She could look. She could also use pictures she found as evidence. Anymore than that, and she was abusing what Sage had given her.
Marta closed the file and the app, wondering why she felt so...useless. She felt so strongly about this, but she needed help. She couldn't go against them alone. The words that she had spoken to Matias came back to her. What can a thirteen year old girl do against the might of the cartels. Matias answer was there to - train, study, learn, prepare. Be patient. Marta understood that, but it didn't help those they were hurting now, and it didn't still the feeling inside of her that she had to act, and nothing could calm the feeling of empathy in her heart for the victims who she knew that during the very few times they could feel through their drug addled minds they felt fear and loneliness.
Marta needed allies. She just didn't know how to recruit them or what to do with them. She was sure she could have two - Elyse and Ricky - if they didn't immediately say that it was dangerous and she should stop. Marta tapped the desk in silence as she pondered before finally deciding to tell them in their group text.
Quote:Ricky and Elyse - I've been feeling very strongly about something and feel a need to do something. It's not a want (although I do want it). I can't stop thinking about the cartels and how angry I am that they keep hurting people. I decided to do something about it. I hope you understand that this means a lot to me. I don't know where this will go beyond what I've already done. I hope you're not mad that I didn't tell you.
*attachment - Links to Oracle Posts
Marta sent the message and then put down her wallet as she grabbed her drawing pad and left Elyse's room. She couldn't bear the thought of getting messages telling her to stop. She closed the door quietly and headed down to the TV. She grabbed some milk from the fridge and popped some popcorn before putting it in a bowl. She turned on The Avengers movie - Nox had a catalog of most of the Marvel movies. She kept the volume low. People were probably sleeping. The movie was more background noise as she began to draw.
Drawing was therapeutic for her, and that's what she needed right now. Hayden had given her a task to draw a short comic - with new characters. She had done it, but it didn't seem right to share anymore. It had been a comic of Nox saving a cat from a tree. He had no power and when he got the cat out, he was stuck up there himself. It had been meant to be funny, but then his power went away, and it just seemed in bad taste to show it. She had the drawing in the back of her folder. She had shown no one.
That still meant she had to do Hayden's assignment. Nothing came to mind and she just drew following her instincts. The first picture showed her in a lake, the waves looking strangely like a wolf. In the image, she was barely holding her head above the water, struggling to keep from drowning. The second showed the same image, but with a hand offered to her. The third showed a different perspective, the man reaching for her; Nox. The last showed Marta on the shore with him, water dripping from her clothes, his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. Marta looked at it. It captured her feelings entirely.
Marta took out another page and began to write.
Quote:Nox,
The day you got hurt, you told me that I saved myself. That it hadn't been you that saved me. I hope it doesn't make you mad if I say I think you're wrong on that. I'm not trying to say that I did nothing as well. I worked hard and learned a lot. But that day when you trusted me - a girl you barely knew, with the most precious thing in your life - something happened then.
I had always felt close to drowning. The wolf had always been there, trying to pull me in. That day it became silent. That day, you stretched out your hand and pulled me from water. I couldn't have done that myself. I need that help. It's true - I reached for the hand offered, but had it not been there - well - I might be a very different person today than I am now.
I really hope you don't get mad at me. I just wanted to thank you, and hope you realize what a difference you made to me (and others).
Love,
Marta
Marta put the note and the drawing in her folder. The time to give them to Nox wasn't here yet. Maybe it would never be here, but she had gotten it out of her head. She put her folder back in her bag and sat back on the couch, pulling her knees close to her chest. She grabbed her bowl of popcorn and began to snack, watching the movie and trying hard not to feel so down.