(Tammi P.O.V)
Tammi seemed to not know how to handle what he just said to her for a moment. The topic that he brought up was both very important and not as dire as she assumed. Still, it was rather difficult to get a response brewing as soon as she was faced with this question.
So she wore a contemplative expression on her face as she tried to parse how she was feeling. Finally she got a handle as she faced Cole with a worried look on her face.
"Would they really just let go of me that easily?" She asked with concern clear on her face. The worry that had been haunting her for the past couple of days could not just be waved away so easily. At least not to her.
Cole reached forward and caressed her face to offer a gesture of support and connection. He gave her a soft smile to tell her that her worries were not as large as she thought.
"They really would. You and I both know that Healers are something sought after. Panacea has people flocking to our city despite it being filled with Nazi's." Cole spoke out and Tammi flinched at the Nazi comment with a sort of sad look on her face.
She was a part of that group and while she had her reasons for being there having it pointed out as a problem still stung. Cole leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly as if to say no matter what she was in the end he loved her all the same.
Which was sadly the truth. Even when she was at her absolute worst spewing hate at people he kept his silence and tried to pull her out of the tar like scenario she got caught up in. It did not really speak well about his moral clarity but she would rather have it this way.
She smiled softly at him in return. Conflicted about the unconditional support when the people in her life certainly did not do that for her. Cole really was the only thing she had and while that was a balm to her soul it also stung.
"Ha, I knew I was the best. Since Healer's are on the top of the heap it would only make sense that my power turned out the way it did." She boasted with a smirk but it was more a falsehood. Her powers were another sore spot for her.
It was powerful, there was no doubt about that. She could save someone with a single flex of her power and she could kill with a thought if she wished. Having that sort of power over life was exhilarating but how she got it still flashed in her mind.
Cole standing protectively over her his stupid cape billowing in the air blinding her to what happened for a brief moment. A gun shot echoing across the the alley as that fucking asshole pulled the trigger. A numb shock as the confident Cole protecting her knelt on the ground. The feel of blood splattering on her face. A splash of red on pristine white.
The fact that the only reason he was hurt was because of her screaming in her mind. The gripping knowledge that was forced in her very being that it was always that way. That he fell apart right in front of her during those heart wrenching visits to her prison and she was the only one to blame. Now he might quite literally be dying and again she was the one to blame.
Cole thought her restless nights were because of Prison because of what happened there. No, seeing him like that was the thing that kept her up at night. The happy moments between them felt like sparks from a burning ember to her. Vivid and oh so intoxicating but fleeting in a way that her memories always reminded her. Only his physical presence was able to push away that dread and pain. A physical reminder that she did not lose him.
She hated to admit it but the reason she was able to get some sleep yesterday was because of Lisa. Those nights spent in the motel were always an illusory fight over whether Cole really was safe or not. Having this place and a person that was affected by Cole herself eased her mood.
That girl was another issue on her mind that she felt conflicted about. Cole finally had someone helping him and Lisa seemed rather competent and her power was something Cole really needed right now. It just stung that she could not offer the same level of support.
She was mighty and in a pinch she could save his life but she could not help Cole plan out his future as good as a Thinker could. She was not arrogant enough to assume otherwise. It was just not something she enjoyed acknowledging.
She also found herself growing slightly fond of the girl, the screwed up scenario that she was in stuck a chord of sympathy in her and her fellow blond was oddly endearing.
"You really are the best. The PRT would sell half of their limbs to get a handle on you. As far as Healers go you are the top of the pile. You beat out healers in Speed, Effect, and cost. You are the ace in the deck that everyone hopes to draw." Cole spoke out with a smug grin of his own.
She could not understand how he could take pride in her own powers. That he could be that genuinely happy for her.
She could not understand it but god did it feel good having it on her side. She blushed and looked away from those eyes that seemed to be so bright lately.
He had always had pretty eyes but today they felt like staring at a star flashing through a bleak night. Then again it was not just the look of those eyes that have changed. Lately Cole has been lighter, easier to smile, easier to laugh. Before it always looked like there was a heavy weight on his chest and while there were moments where that was still true it changed a lot.
"So don't underestimate our value. The PRT would be willing to pardon far worse crimes for a rather mild power like Shadow Stalker. With healing as our back up as long as we don't have a kill order on our head the PRT would be willing to look the other way." Cole spoke out with a wry smile on his face.
There was still some hesitation as she did not want to lose the life she managed to salvage here. Those idyllic moments spent basking in each other's arms, the heart pounding energy that poured out of them as they stared into each other's eyes. That was not something she wanted to give up.
Still, even if she did want that life she knew this was for the best. Having something like this hovering over their head just did not do well for them.
"Besides, it's not like you really were the suspect in those crimes. They threw the book at you because of your last name and because they were able to get a handle on you." Cole spoke out with a grimace on his face.
He was still not happy about how she ended up as she did but she got it. She was not exactly happy with her family either.
She never really thought about her last name being a mark against her in the prison sentence but it made sense. She was able to wield fear and power in the Empire due to her name so there had to be another side of that coin.
She wanted to agree with this idea to take a weight off of Cole' shoulders and to ease her own life but the hesitation was still there. Any step she took forward seemed to be the wrong one so if she did do this would it all end in tragically?
Rationally she knew that made no sense but she still felt it.
"Do you have to?" She asked quietly not looking over at him after a moment. She regretted asking that question as soon as it left her mouth but it slipped past her self control as her mind spun.
Cole looked at her for a good long moment before reaching over and pulling her into a hug. Resting her head on his chest again. A familiar motion that he had been doing a lot.
She was not sure if he noticed but the steady rhythm of his heartbeat really did calm her down as it was more proof of him being alive.
"No, if you feel strongly about this Tammi we don't but I won't lie to you. I am in a rather delicate position in which my options are getting smaller and smaller." His words paused for a moment to showcase the seriousness.
"A part of my power blocks out Thinker abilities when they are used on me. Meaning that the Cape doing all of these thefts and the civilian Cole Diamant will have a linking fact that anyone with a semblance of sense could see. They won't touch that polite fiction due to how Cape Society works but they will know it all the same. So it would be much easier to give them a 'truth' that is not really true. Or at least not the whole truth." Cole continued to explain with a calm voice as he stroked the small of her back to further calm her.
Despite the calming motions he was doing she still felt her stomach drop at that admission. Here she was giving him more grief when the simple answer would lead to the best outcome for the both of them.
Knowing that she bit her lip and gripped onto him tighter as if afraid he would slip out of her reach in any second. She wanted to say so much but she could do nothing but clutch onto Cole as her heart bled.
Cole just hummed softly as he continued his calming motions. Waiting for her. Waiting for the worry and the pain to fade away like a dream. Finally she managed to muster her will to do something.
She was not going to leave him in a worse position for her own complicated mood. Not again, Cole deserved the world and she was not going to let her heart get in the way of that.
"Fine, we can do it." She muttered out quietly with a shaky voice. There was still that fear gripping on her but she had to learn to let go of it.
Instead of saying anything else Cole just continued his actions. He could tell there was something off with her but he could not see what it was. So he did what he always did and quietly stood by her side offering her his unwavering support.
She both loved and hated that.
"Are you interested in joining the PRT with me? It would give us more time to spend with each other. Although, we might have to fib a bit about your power. The PRT would not waste resources by having both of us in the city. Healers are a rare resource after all." Cole spoke out after the shaking in her body finally stilled.
She smiled at the notion of spending more time with him only to have her heart nearly jump out of her chest with the likelihood of them separating the two of them. She looked over at him with a frown as she did not want that obviously.
"If two healers would tip them off, why report yourself as a healer? You could steal a different power and still work out that 'truth'. As long as I show off my healing they will still offer us whatever we want." She asked with a frown on her face. Not quite getting why he was going about it this way.
Hearing her question Cole winced which had her looking over at him with worry and concern bleeding off of her. Seeing her look he looked away and seemed to hesitate over something before he let out a sigh and looked back at her.
"Being a healer will paint a target on your back. Like I said it makes you very valuable and while most sane people refuse to touch Healers as that is the best way to have everyone wanting you dead this world is not just filled with the same. Your Healing is far above mine and it would be far more tempting for those less than sane individuals." Cole explained with a frown flashing on his face.
She nodded along with that as it did make sense but then her heart dropped again. Cole was worried about painting a target on her back but what about his!?
"So you are just going to draw all that attention to yourself instead?" She hissed out in anger not sure how to react. She could tell he was doing it for her but if all she could do was bring him troubles what was she doing with her life!?
She was lashing out at him with her anger but she just needed to let some of these emotions out. He winced at her acquisitions but did not look all that sorry about his actions.
"Well yeah but our situation is a bit different. My healing is not nearly as crazy as yours so it's not going to be that big of a mark and I am able to avoid almost all of the negatives with my Clones and Teleportation. Hell, I don't even have to be this Identity most of the time. Just leaving the danger to my clone instead of dealing with it myself." Cole explained quickly to get rid of the worries plaguing her.
It worked as his reasoning was sound but the swell of emotions had still reached a tipping point so she fumed for a good long while. Cole just let her go through it offering his insufferable support the entire time.
"So how would we lie about my power?" She asked moody once most of her fumes had dissipated. She did not really see how she could avoid showing off how awesome she was.
"Well, we could just take away the storing of injuries part and just let you inflict injuries on others." Cole suggested with a grin on his face. Well, she could see how that worked but eventually she would run out of injuries unless she started storing more which would draw attention to her again.
As if reading her mind Cole cut in again.
"As for the injuries you need to pick up, well I have literally endless clones and they don't really feel pain. So we could cycle whatever injury you want to gain and inflict it on my Clone." Cole offered like that was brilliant but she glared at him.
The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him even if the thing she was hurting was just a clone of him. Seeing her mood he offered another thing.
"Well, you could also sneakily pick up injuries when I am on healing duty. I'm sure the PRT knows I want you by my side constantly so you being there while I heal is not out of the question. I am rather good at distracting people when I want to but Lisa told me something shocking about your power. She said your reach is growing, so you should eventually be able to take injuries while I pretend to heal." Cole spoke out offering a different route and her eyes went wide.
Her powers were growing!?