#chapter 15.4

Allegedly unsatisfied with the poem, he crumpled it up and threw it away. Another soldier returned the poem to him and convinced him to keep working on it (again, allegedly). The poem was first published in 1915 and quickly became very popular. McCrae died of pneumonia while serving in the line of duty during January of 1918. Today, the poem is read at countless ceremonies in Canada every November the 11th. Here it is, reproduced in its entirety: 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row That mark our place: and in the sky The larks still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. 

Ironically, I only received three out of five parts (Sharks said part 4 was missing. I don’t know whether she screened part 5 for spoilers or that was missing too.), cutting off the poem from being “reproduced in its entirety”. I found the rest online, though:

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

This really is a beautiful poem.

Not too surprising considering avoiding loneliness is part of why you’re in costume in the first place.

That had been about the same time that I had been riding the high of having friends for the first time, after a couple of years spent in almost total solitude.

Right, she’s talking about their meeting in Hive, rather than when they parted ways in Prey.

Maybe, if the subject had come up again in recent weeks, I might have understood, nodding my head in sympathy.

And that’s largely Coil’s fault, splitting the team up like he has, right?

Powers raised us above the common people.  It was maybe arrogant to think that way, to say I was better than the likes of Sierra, Charlotte or my father, but I sort of was.

...this is very dangerous territory, Taylor.

I hope you get proven wrong soon.

You’re not better. You’re different. You have an extra feature, but it doesn’t make you better. I think that’s the entire point of both the franchise and the in-universe powered people being called Parahumans rather than Superhumans.

I had all the potential they did and then more.

“His power?”

Are you talking about how he’d be able to pursue a potential replacement in one world and only getting rid of Taylor if the replacing succeeded?

Also... nobody’s filled the rest of the team in on what exactly they’re up against?

I paused.  “Tattletale clued me in.  He creates parallel realities.  Makes two different decisions, and he gets to see the outcome of each as they unfold.  Decides which he wants in the end.”

Brian frowned.  “And he’s been doing that with us?”

“Since before I joined the team.  Send us on a job in one reality, keep us back in another.  If we succeed, great.  If we fail… well, nothing lost.  He deletes the reality where he sent us out.”

Pretty solid use of the power, really.

He rubbed his chin.  I noticed he had stubble.  “So he gets two tries at everything.  Including dealing with any of us who cause him any trouble.”

I nodded.  “Which is why we need to play along for as long as possible.”

“Fair.  What’s your plan B?”

“Plan B… well, it’s not so much a plan as a fallback.  If I get found out before we make any headway, it means fighting Coil and his underlings.”

It’s worrying that that’s apparently plan B rather than, like, plan E.

“The Travelers and Circus included.”

“Tattletale and I have talked about how we might approach that.  The problem is that Coil would be backing them up.  Normally I’d suggest we go on the offensive, so they don’t have time to go after our weaknesses, but with Coil at work, we have to assume that it’s all the more likely that the Travelers would get that one lucky hit off, or that they’d pick the plan of attack that would work out for them.”

Howdy! It’s me again!

Last time, *LOUD SHIP HORN NOISE*

This time... morning after, perhaps checking on Taylor’s territory?