Vanished

When I left the church, Sister Magret made sure to show me a hidden entrance through the gardens. She would have given me a Habit, but even with my tall for my age height, there was no way a miniature Nun would have drawn less attention than the oversized Hoddie she gave me to hide my features.

Even that wasn't enough, by the time I had left the block, there where two people following me. Or better, they had been following me and where now loudly wondering where that dead end between us had come from. It seemed like there was more to my inability to get anywhere in a straight line than I thought.

The rest of the way was mostly uneventful, besides the fact that I got lost at least five times because I had allowed my thoughts to stray to the events of the day and the possible ramifications of being outed. I didn't think any gangs would be particularly interested in me, but even I knew that sometimes being special was enough to be targeted. In a city like this even the most minor difference could bring a rage dragon or metal tiger down on you. My new looks didn't help matters.

I would have to look into makeup to tone down my flawless features, while investing in oversized clothes to hide as much as possible. Luckily Brockton Bay had a nasty climate at the best of times, so no-one would take a second look at someone dressed for outdoor survival. Sadly the though of dressing in such ill fitting clothes was an affront to my new sensibility and as such not really a viable long term solution. Snow would not allow me to intentionally look worse than I should, and while Taylor certainly wouldn't mind, I wasn't even sure I would notice, there was no way I would spend any time like that if I could avoid it. I didn't think I would survive the darkness.

The next day I spent the morning cooking, cleaning and avoiding that room on the second floor, but by afternoon I had done what I could for the attic and cellar and while it still didn't look perfect, there wasn't anything more I could do without serious handiwork. I didn't think Dad would miss the fact that I had organized the old stuff we just couldn't get rid of, but it would be a cold day in hell before he left his usual path between his room, the pass out drunk couch and the front door, so I didn't think he would look into those rooms anytime soon.

During my cleaning frenzy I found quite a few interesting things my mother had kept from her youth, Including a helmet and a body protection vest. Maybe she had been part of a neighborhood watch at some point, I remember Dad talking about those when Marquis had still been in town. Apparently there had been quite a few Asian gangs that did not have a Cape so they had to make do with robbery and racketeering, while the bigger gangs controlled the majority of territory. It is a sad fact of life that my part of Brockton Bay had not been regularly patrolled by the Police since before I had been born.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to go out as a Cape, to do heroic deeds, save the innocent and protect my people, but I was painfully aware that ideal housewifely powers are not comparable to even the weakest of Brockton Bay's Capes. Maybe I could support the Heroes by taking care of their chores, but as a minor, there is no way anyone would hire me, when there are better and more legal options available. It also would put me and Dad in the crosshair of the gangs.

By late afternoon I was going stir crazy, I had cleaned everything I could and now spent my time trying not to think about that one room, that was still in desperate need, but which I did not dare to enter. Going around in circles, searching every cupboard for random pieces of food and reordering Moms old things just didn't provide enough stimulation to ban the thoughts of that room from my head. I stop at the door and took one of my old turn shoes, I should have thrown them out long ago, but I have the other slipper.

Suddenly all my doubts where gone and I put one my shoes, combed my long hair into a tight bun and but on my nice blue dress. That gave me pause, if I was going to go out alone I should better were something more inconspicuous. When I locked down again, I was wearing a more standard short brown dress with a high neckline. Even trough the Brockton Bay's summers where not where warm and the dress showed my bare shoulders, there was no way I would allow the weather to stop me from going out and enjoying the day.

When I left the house I wondered about the fact, that I completely didn't mind the state of that room anymore, which was nonsensical. It wasn't my responsibility to clean up after my father and I had done more enough chores this week to last at least a month, so I moved along the streets with a spring in my steps and a bright smile.

On the way to the biggest mall in Brockton Bay and during the entire time on the Bus people where starting at me. Not the nice kind of "I like your beautiful blond hair, what kind of products do you use" stare, but a why the hell is this person walking around with a mouse on her head. It was almost like they had never heard of pet mice before. Thankfully, the stares lessened when I left my new friend find his sister for a visit at the stop before the mall and the rest of the way was much more peaceful.

It really was a beautiful day, even the seagulls where excited because they had spotted a swarm of small fresh water fish entering the bay and seagulls where some of the crankiest birds around. Shortly after entering the mall I managed to overhear that there had been a new change to the recipe of the mainstream Dog Chew brand, which made it taste almost as good as Purina. Dogs who prefer Purina just don't understand protesting against environment destroying companies by not buying their products. Mice are just way more intelligent, they understand that the unique smell of cheese was a important sign of maturation and that certain processes could only be achieved with sufficient time.

I had barely entered the mall when I heard the most beautiful rendition of La Belle Parisienne I had enjoyed in a long time. There, in the middle of the mall, on a small dais where a group of musicians dress like an 18 century orchestra, complete with conductor, awing the crowd of bystanders with a truly inspiring show. Without my notice my feet had moved me to the front of the crowd and my slippers taped in consort with the rhythm. I haven't danced for so long, I barely remembered how to.

Luckily for me an older man, the same older man I recognized from the tea shop offered me a dance and soon we where twirling around in a small open space right in front of the band. I can't remember how long it had been since I had so much fun, but the steps for the dances came to me easily. The older man, who had now finally introduced himself as Jack, was also quite a good dancer and surprisingly springy for his age. We danced for at least an hour without a pause and he wasn't even that winded at the end when the band started to pack up.

I wanted to pay back Jack for the tea last time, but he dad a pressing engagement and so I was left to wander alone, feet pleasantly bruised from the dancing and a big smile on my face. I freed my long blond hair from the tight bun and stared for a bit. I remembered having black hair, when had it changed and what else had changed. A quick duck into a public bathroom to find a mirror solved that question, I had straw blond hair, blue eyes and the hourglass figure of a professional dancer. I was probably taller as well and now that I looked at myself, I couldn't even remember buying this dress, let alone putting it on. It had an old and complicated looking lace fastening and I certainly would have remembered if I had spent hours in front of a mirror to get it right.

The final nail in the coffin was the fact that I did not feel like a Snow anymore, no I was more of an Ella right now, strong will and defiance to authority included. Snow would have never left the house so carelessly, which was not a problem because Snow wasn't here and there certainly was no one looking for an Ella. It looked like there where more to my powers than I had thought and even if this forms powers certainly did not seem any more useful in combat nobody could stop me from dreaming to be a hero. After all, I had my animal friends there to help me. Speaking of that I would have to remember to take my little mouse friend back with me, otherwise his wife would be terribly annoyed with him.

A public bathroom in the middle of a busy mall certainly was not a good place for power testing, so I decided to leave the mall and inform my friend that I would have to head back.