KasperXIII
Sworn To A Great Divide
Turning herself in might've seemed like a means of protection from the first thought. It would take any sort of attention off of her friends and family and redirect it on herself - it would corner herself so Al-Asheera could kill her in prison. Like hell they'd let her live after her betrayal. But if Thalia was gone... was that a guarantee that The Hidden would spare her loved ones? Ra's might've. But she didn't know this successor. So it was anyone's guess. And she did make a promise to keep a watchful eye over Karin and her family. The family that was just about to grow with a young one on the way. After going on about that... this was a terrible time to tell her about her thoughts of self-surrender. Maybe in the beginning, she would've thought of it as protection. But what kind of guardian would she be if she were behind bars? Or worse: dead? Not a chance. And maybe Karin had a point about her family, only being able to see her through a slate of glass on a telephone for the rest of her life. How would her mother see her? Charlie? Would either ever understand? That was something else she couldn't guarantee by admitting to guilt that didn't entirely exist. She listened to her friend's words as they entered the mansion, isolated themselves, and took a seat to discuss this more peacefully.
"I would be in prison for the rest of my life, Karin," she sighed. "Because The Hidden will have me killed in my cell within the first week. So if I go to prison for, as you said, 'the rest of my life'? I won't last. But that's assuming The Hidden has the same mentality as Ra's, who stops after the target is out of the picture, nothing more. But if this new guy had the audacity to set up bombs in the city? He's clearly not like Ra's. He might just...." She took a panicked, uneasy gulp. "He might just kill you and my family anyway. They're legion, and they'd come here in numbers... kill everyone without asking questions. I-I can't let that happen."
And she wouldn't. By now, the idea of self-surrender was clear out of her mind. Never. But Karin had plenty more to say about that. About Charlie and her mother. She bowed her head in shame once more, now further regretting the thought of this plan. No nobility... and maybe Charlie would never forgive her for a crime she never committed. But there was more to it... "I didn't plant a bomb, Karin. Sure... But I did do other terrible things, and you know that. I've robbed people, scared them, witnessed murders... even killed a few people out of rage..." Those people being the man she hacked to pieces in James' garage and the man holding Tony hostage at the port. "Do you seriously think if I went to jail, it'd be unjustified. I'm not a terrorist. But I am a member of Al-Asheera..." Her right hand lifted in a fist shape to cover her mouth as she shook her head. "That's always going to be a part of me. I'm thankful my mother sees more than that in me, but Charlie? Will he ever see me as anything more than a thief? That... I can't know. But I can't know unless I try, right?"
Then Karin delivered the hard-hitter: being there for the newborn coming in nine months. Thalia's eyes began to slightly water as she glared at Karin in shock, still in disbelief that her friend was pregnant. Her eyes flew from her eyes to her belly. There was a child inside her now... and she couldn't forsake her best friend now. "Never, Kar... never. I will be there... I-I mean... I want to be there when you have the baby. I don't know how helpful I'll be, but I'll try. I really well try..."
Thalia might deserve prison in the longrun for her crimes of the past. And how easy would it be for James to get her in the clear? It surely went beyond broadcasting a massive schlong on television during primetime news with a message beneath it to tell the media to fuck off. The bomb? Maybe. She might get out of that. But what about every other crime on her belt as a clanswoman? That was indisputable, and the evidence was inked on her body. But she was going to trust Karin and James. She reached over for her friend for a quick hug, trying her best to put on a smile. "I won't turn myself in.... okay?" She parted from the hug and continued talking to her face. "I'm... scared of prison. I know I'll die in the first week. And I don't know how Charlie would ever think of me in that case. But if you trust that James can make this right... that I don't go to jail? I'll try to trust that too."
But there was plenty more to worry about besides jail time. Something more immediate: the safety of everyone under that roof. Thalia saw Jon in the house not long ago, and once she and Karin were through, she signaled to her friend it was time to ask... what was going on?
"Jon..." she began, obvious concern in her voice. "James said something was up here... like, it wasn't safe? What's going on? Is it Al-Asheera? I-Is my... Charlie and my mom, are they okay?"
Soon, Thalia would learn that her mother was in a semi-trance in her room trying to forget about the sight of that old man's head in the box. A sight Thalia was very used to... but not a woman who'd never been exposed to more violence than a few 8th graders experimenting with graffiti art. This was a new level of cruelty.
"I would be in prison for the rest of my life, Karin," she sighed. "Because The Hidden will have me killed in my cell within the first week. So if I go to prison for, as you said, 'the rest of my life'? I won't last. But that's assuming The Hidden has the same mentality as Ra's, who stops after the target is out of the picture, nothing more. But if this new guy had the audacity to set up bombs in the city? He's clearly not like Ra's. He might just...." She took a panicked, uneasy gulp. "He might just kill you and my family anyway. They're legion, and they'd come here in numbers... kill everyone without asking questions. I-I can't let that happen."
And she wouldn't. By now, the idea of self-surrender was clear out of her mind. Never. But Karin had plenty more to say about that. About Charlie and her mother. She bowed her head in shame once more, now further regretting the thought of this plan. No nobility... and maybe Charlie would never forgive her for a crime she never committed. But there was more to it... "I didn't plant a bomb, Karin. Sure... But I did do other terrible things, and you know that. I've robbed people, scared them, witnessed murders... even killed a few people out of rage..." Those people being the man she hacked to pieces in James' garage and the man holding Tony hostage at the port. "Do you seriously think if I went to jail, it'd be unjustified. I'm not a terrorist. But I am a member of Al-Asheera..." Her right hand lifted in a fist shape to cover her mouth as she shook her head. "That's always going to be a part of me. I'm thankful my mother sees more than that in me, but Charlie? Will he ever see me as anything more than a thief? That... I can't know. But I can't know unless I try, right?"
Then Karin delivered the hard-hitter: being there for the newborn coming in nine months. Thalia's eyes began to slightly water as she glared at Karin in shock, still in disbelief that her friend was pregnant. Her eyes flew from her eyes to her belly. There was a child inside her now... and she couldn't forsake her best friend now. "Never, Kar... never. I will be there... I-I mean... I want to be there when you have the baby. I don't know how helpful I'll be, but I'll try. I really well try..."
Thalia might deserve prison in the longrun for her crimes of the past. And how easy would it be for James to get her in the clear? It surely went beyond broadcasting a massive schlong on television during primetime news with a message beneath it to tell the media to fuck off. The bomb? Maybe. She might get out of that. But what about every other crime on her belt as a clanswoman? That was indisputable, and the evidence was inked on her body. But she was going to trust Karin and James. She reached over for her friend for a quick hug, trying her best to put on a smile. "I won't turn myself in.... okay?" She parted from the hug and continued talking to her face. "I'm... scared of prison. I know I'll die in the first week. And I don't know how Charlie would ever think of me in that case. But if you trust that James can make this right... that I don't go to jail? I'll try to trust that too."
But there was plenty more to worry about besides jail time. Something more immediate: the safety of everyone under that roof. Thalia saw Jon in the house not long ago, and once she and Karin were through, she signaled to her friend it was time to ask... what was going on?
"Jon..." she began, obvious concern in her voice. "James said something was up here... like, it wasn't safe? What's going on? Is it Al-Asheera? I-Is my... Charlie and my mom, are they okay?"
Soon, Thalia would learn that her mother was in a semi-trance in her room trying to forget about the sight of that old man's head in the box. A sight Thalia was very used to... but not a woman who'd never been exposed to more violence than a few 8th graders experimenting with graffiti art. This was a new level of cruelty.