The rest of the eting left Noble feeling as out of her depth as the beginning. There was so much she didn't know. Of course, no one could know everything.
But knowing that fact and facing it were very different. She left the governnt headquarters at the end of the day both exhausted and determined.
'I was right. I didn't get nearly as much done as I wanted. But at least I have so things to consider.'
Hovering over her seat on the train, Noble paid no attention to the people around her. She held out her hand and silently summoned a small but familiar mory.
In a rain of sparks, the Portcullis Key ford in her palm.
On her rides ho, it had beco Noble's habit to study the mysterious mory. Today, it provided the extra advantage of being a distraction from her other problems.
After so many trips to and from the governnt office, Noble had morized all of the ups and downs of the train. She barely registered its motion as it flew over the city before descending at each stop.
The ominous energy of the ball in her hand made those closest to her on the train shift away uncomfortably. It was just as well. Noble wasn't in the mood to talk just now.
'I would really appreciate it if I could solve one mystery today.'
Studying the little ball, Noble ran her fingers over the smooth surface.
It was made of a single piece of stone, but every ti she looked at it, the obsidian looked slightly different.
It wasn't sothing Noble could clearly put into words, but if she was forced to explain it, the professor would have said it was like the inside of the ball was always shifting, revealing a different pattern each ti it was summoned.
To another's naked eye, nothing was different. However, Noble could sense the change and trace the varying patterns with her fingers.
Occasionally she could even get her essence to sift through it, but never with any consistency.
'If you weren't still putting off that strange feeling, I would think you are completely broken...' Noble shook her head.
"What is that thing?"
Noble looked up and saw a man gripping one of the handles hanging from the ceiling.
"A mory..." Noble had no interest in explaining, so she gave the shortest answer she could.
The man shivered. "Weird little thing. Why would anything want sothing as ugly as that? What does it even do?"
Noble did not like the ball being belittled. She opened her mouth to make a biting reply when the train lurched to a stop.
People went crashing into one another, Noble included. Unprepared for the sudden change, she overcorrected and ca into contact with the padded seat.
She scread, pain shooting through her thigh and hip where both collided with the train car. Her cry mixed among the others, lost in the panic of the train car.
"What is happening?"
"These trains never stop!"
"Are you alright?"
The professor didn't think the last question was aid at her, but it could have been. Noble didn't answer.
She was too busy controlling her pain and fear. As her vision cleared, she reflexively checked herself for injury. Looking down at her palms, her eyes opened wide.
"Oh!"
The Portcullis Key was glowing darkly in her hand. She had only managed to activate it once before. This ti, the pull was much stronger. Strands like spiderwebs shimred across the surface in a dizzying display.
Her heart raced as she tried to morize the patterns.
With an irresistible urge, Noble lifted the ball to the wall of the train car. Her hand passed through the glass window as if it were not there at all.
Her heart skipped a beat. Staring at her arm outside the train was surreal. She could feel a chill in the air against her skin as she gripped the ball tightly.
The power of the mory filled her with a sudden heat. A compulsion to push the rest of her body into the open air overtook her. What would it feel like for all of her to slide through the tal and glass like it was made of air?
It didn't matter that the train was stranded on tracks far off of the ground. Noble was always floating, though most people had no idea this was the case.
'I better not,' Noble resisted the urge at the last possible mont. There was already enough chaos without an Awakened doing her best impression of a ghost.
It was strange that no one had said anything as it was.
Then again, all around her, people were still in shock. She could feel their fear and worry boiling over like an unwatched pot.
"Argh!" One scream rose above the rest.
The man who had been talking to her just before everything stopped lay on the ground writhing. His foot was twisted at an odd angle as he shouted obscenities.
"What in the blazes possessed them to stop the blasted train," he finished on a tar note as his face burned.
With a slight crackle, a voice ca out over the loudspeaker, "Sorry, ladies and gentlen. We have encountered a problem with our braking system. Prepare for manual override. We will pull into the next station and everyone will make an orderly exit. As always, thank you for using NQSC public transit!"
The crowd groaned and began muttering. Only those closest to the injured man tried not to react too strongly to the ssage. Though none of them seed sure what to do about the ankle.
Noble looked at the ball. The dark light was fading. She pulled in her hand back inside before it was forever stuck as part of the train car. Or would the glass reform and try to sever her arm?
'It's better not to find out right here.'
Sighing, Noble dismissed the mory and went over to the injured gentleman.
"Did you trip on your briefcase?" the professor asked calmly.
"Of course I did! I was distracted by your little toy and didn't have ti to steady myself." The man let out a string of curses that made a nearby mother cover her child's ears.
Noble swallowed and forced a smile. "I am going to assu that is the pain talking. You were so delightful before this happened." She bent down and examined the man's foot. "I think you may have broken your ankle."
"A fool can see that! I need a doctor."
Everyone around the man suddenly averted their gaze.
'A lot of help all of you are.' Noble rubbed her forehead.
She pulled out her communicator. "Allow to call soone to get you. I will help you off the train when you arrive."
"You better! This is your fault!" he snipped as he struggled to sit up.
"I am sorry you feel that way," the professor knew better than to give into his anger.
'How miserable must he be to work so hard to make others unhappy?'
While the train slowly rode down the track and pulled into the station, Noble called a dic to et them on the platform. The businessman spent the entire ti berating everyone who offered him any help at all.
By the ti the doors opened, the man had made more than fifty new enemies.
He looked around angrily. "What?! Will no one help get off this death trap?"
When no one volunteered, the professor rolled her eyes. "Fine. I will be nice and get you to the dic."
Rather than use her power to lift the man gently, she offered the man her hand. He rose to one foot and hopped with her help to the door.
Thankfully, the dics were already there to take him off her hands.
"This isn't over! Don't think just because you were a little kind that I'll forget this was your fault."
"I'm sure you won't. I do hope you feel better very soon." Noble waved her fingers and the man was ushered away.
Those still watching began to gasp and gossip. Noble watched with mild amusent.
"Shouldn't you tell him?" A young woman asked her quietly.
The professor chuckled softly as the woman pointed to the rip in the back of the complainer's pants. The lovely Cupid pattern of his underwear peeked out in a fantastic display.
Noble allowed one corner of her mouth to tip up slightly. "Are you kidding? I'm nice but I'm not a Saint."
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