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WD - Chapter 138: Bittersweet truth
🕑 Added 2024-10-31 16:56:30 +0000 UTCLuke was in his new room, gathered with Natasha and Wednesday. It was already night, the door was closed, and the three of them were looking at a four-legged wooden table where a map was spread out, illuminated by candlelight.
"Between Shadyside and Sunnyvale, there’s a distance of 30 km," Natasha said, pointing to several spots on the map.
"How do you know the evidence is hidden there?" Luke asked, his hand on his chin.
Natasha looked up from the map and glanced at Luke with some hesitation, as if unsure how or whether to answer.
"What is it? Why so much mystery?" Luke asked, noting Natasha’s silence.
"The night I separated from your parents was the night you were born. A rainy night with our enemies right on our heels. Your parents decided to split up. They went one way, and I went another with you," Natasha began.
"Why didn’t they give you the evidence?" Luke asked, his tone more serious than before. He knew only a few stories about his late parents.
Natasha had managed to hide Luke and live in the shadows for a long time. If she had had the evidence, they wouldn't be going through such a mess, and his parents that night might as well have been fighting and not looking for a way to get the evidence to safety.
"Splitting into two groups reduced the risk of us all getting caught. If they were pursued by the Spellmans and ended up in a confrontation, you and I would be safe. You would be the last hope for claiming vengeance in the future. If, on the other hand, they followed our trail, your parents could escape with the evidence and continue the fight," Natasha replied.
'What?' Luke thought, a confused expression on his face. This wasn’t what he had believed about his parents. He thought they had heroically sacrificed themselves so Natasha could flee with him and save him.
"So... they just accepted that you and I might die?" Luke murmured incredulously.
"That way, whichever group survived could carry on with the vengeance," Natasha added. Wednesday listened silently, without making a sound.
"They could have drawn attention to themselves, done anything to make sure they were the ones pursued... but they decided to leave it up to chance," Luke said, a hint of pain in his voice.
Ever since he learned about his past and how he nearly died as a baby, he had believed his parents sacrificed themselves so he could escape. But that wasn’t the case.
'If only I had known with my eidetic memory...' Luke thought, touching his temple and frowning.
The gift of eidetic memory allowed him to recall every detail with overwhelming clarity, but at that point in his life, even that wouldn’t have helped. His mind wasn’t ready yet, nor had his powers awakened. Besides, a newborn has dulled senses, and their brain is still forming.
Natasha looked at him, sadness in her eyes. Luke’s parents hadn’t sacrificed everything for him. They had made a strategic, cold, and calculated decision, based on probabilities rather than an instinct to protect their child at all costs.
"I guess that if I died, they could just have another child," Luke commented after a few seconds of silence, staring at the old wooden floor of the room.
"They wanted to make sure that if anything went wrong, at least one group would have a chance to continue the fight," Natasha said in a low voice, her tone slightly trembling.
Luke said nothing for several seconds. His main motivation for avenging himself against the Spellmans was that they had killed his parents, who he thought had given their lives to protect him. Parents who, unlike in his previous life, truly loved him—or so he believed. Another reason was that he had no choice but to continue the fight, as the Spellmans would eventually come for him and try to kill him.
"Let’s go back to the original question. How do you know the evidence was there?" Luke asked, returning to his usual self, though a trace of pain was still visible in his expression.
"We separated at the Ohio border. I headed south with you in my arms, crossing into Kentucky. Your parents, on the other hand, went deeper into Ohio. A few hours after we split, I realized they hadn’t followed my trail. So, in that gamble, it was the two of us who were saved," Natasha continued, pausing to take a breath before going on.
"Your parents, as powerful psychics, managed to hold on. They didn’t die right away and managed to hide the evidence somewhere in Ohio. After hiding it, they moved away from the spot. Maybe they were trying to mislead the Spellmans, to lead them far enough away so they’d never find the hiding place. They used the last of their mental and physical strength to protect that final secret."
"How do you know all that after you separated from them?" Luke asked.
"Remember, your mother was a telepath. Her mental link had a range of about 500 km, though in her weakened state, it was probably less. We stayed connected for a while until the link broke, and I lost contact with them," Natasha replied.
"So, while you were in communication, they kept fleeing. They didn’t have time to tell you where they hid the evidence," Luke said with a slight grimace, and Natasha nodded.
[And Edgar? Wasn’t he with them for a long time before he changed objects?] Luke asked mentally.
Since they arrived at the Addams mansion, Edgar hadn’t left his pendant. He told Luke that in this mansion, if he came out, there was a chance he’d be discovered, and he wanted to avoid that hassle. So they stayed in contact, speaking telepathically.
[No. His change of object happened before the final battle. When your parents realized they were being pursued. In that situation, it was best for him to leave as soon as possible so he could guide you in the future. Even though he’s a ghost only a Poe can see, that doesn’t mean he’s immortal or can’t be harmed,] Natasha responded.
"The Spellmans didn’t suspect anything when they didn’t find the evidence with them?" Wednesday asked, breaking the silence for the first time.
The Spellmans’ goal was likely to eliminate the Poes and destroy the evidence. They must have had at least a slight suspicion that the Poes possessed something incriminating against them.
"They might have suspected it or maybe not. My theory is that John and Sophie left some false evidence with them to make them think the matter was settled. Maybe they even used part of the real evidence to protect the most important pieces," Natasha replied.
By that point, she was already over 500 km away from Sophie, so she couldn’t communicate with her anymore.
"In short, your parents managed to hide the evidence and make sure those bastards didn’t suspect anything. No one knew Sophie was pregnant, so hiding you for many years was relatively simple. They were only looking for me, but I’m a shapeshifter, and they didn’t consider it essential to eliminate me," Natasha concluded.
"How will we get to Ohio without the Spellmans noticing?" Luke asked, resting his hand on his chin.
He and Wednesday weren’t shapeshifters. They had their tricks for moving undetected—Wednesday’s shadow stealth, her observation haki, their mental powers, and a few other small tricks—but it wasn’t as easy as being a shapeshifter.
"The main issue is your fame," Natasha said, looking at Luke. She regretted having let him become a writer.
She hadn’t expected his fame to grow so quickly. Even simple normies could recognize him on the street, complicating things further. If he traveled to a city, someone might take his picture, and suddenly, the internet would be buzzing with where the famous writer Poe was spending his vacation.
As for Wednesday, she's barely known outside of Nevermore. She doesn’t have any social media, so it’s much easier for her to go on a mission incognito."
"However, I’ve found a solution," Natasha added with a slight smile, looking at Luke, who suddenly had a bad feeling.
"What is it?"
"A gender-switching potion," Natasha replied, and Luke’s expression shifted to one of distaste.
Luke already knew potions existed in this world. After all, they were part of witchcraft and wizardry. Although potion-making wasn’t as widespread among outcasts as it was in the Harry Potter universe, where it was taught every year at Hogwarts, in this world, few people actually practiced it, and it was a little-known, even taboo, topic.
"Is it really necessary? I can get to Ohio without those bastards spotting me. I don’t need to drink a gender-switching potion," Luke said, firmly opposed to the idea. In the dim lighting, he missed the faint smirk that appeared on Wednesday’s face at the thought.
"The potion isn’t for the journey to Ohio. You’d use it once we’re in Ohio, since we don’t know how long we might be exploring Sunnyvale and Shadyside," Natasha explained.
She was confident they could reach Ohio without being followed, but once they settled in those two small towns, if Luke were recognized due to his fame, the news would quickly spread online and everywhere.
“I can stay in Ohio in secret, just like the Spellmans stayed in Jericho,” said Luke.
“It’ll be hard to move around, but I’m open to suggestions. If you have a better idea, we can go over it, but it’s late. We have the entire vacation to come up with a solid plan. We’ll talk more tomorrow,” said Natasha, checking the time on an old clock.
She rolled up the map and said goodbye to Luke and Wednesday.
Luke walked over to his bed and collapsed onto it, staring in silence at the high ceiling. His mind wasn’t on the plan to get to Ohio or the possibility of having to use a gender-switching potion. He was thinking about his parents.
Wednesday, who had barely spoken during the discussion, got up from her chair and slowly walked over to Luke’s bed, sitting down near him.
“It’s late. I want to sleep…” Luke said, adjusting his pillow and stretching out.
“There were plenty of times I wanted to be alone in my room at Nevermore, and you wouldn’t leave,” Wednesday replied, and Luke couldn’t argue with that.
After a few moments of silence, she spoke again, “Your parents did what they had to do. It was the most logical decision. By splitting up, they ensured that at least one of the groups would survive. If they’d stayed together and gotten caught, there’d be no one left to avenge them or to fight against the Spellmans. They planned it strategically.” To her, it seemed like a very logical decision.
“If you had been in that situation, do you think your parents would have done the same?” Luke asked, turning the question back to her.
The question hit Wednesday harder than she expected. The answer was clear in her mind. Her mother, Morticia, and her father, Gomez, would never have risked the possibility of her being pursued and killed by their enemies. They would have done anything to draw the enemies’ attention so she could escape and be safe.
“My parents…” Wednesday paused, her voice softer than usual. “No. My parents would have sacrificed themselves for me without a second thought.”
“See? In the Harry Potter scene, when Voldemort enters the house to kill him and he’s just a baby, his parents sacrifice themselves. His mother stands in front of his crib and shields him from a killing curse. My mother, on the other hand, wouldn’t hesitate to jump out the window if the odds were against her. Carrying me would only lower her chances of survival,” Luke said with a slight, self-mocking smile.
“You know I haven’t read Harry Potter…” Wednesday said, turning over and lying down on the bed. They both lay there, looking at each other just inches apart.
“You should. It’s a great story,” Luke said, glancing at Wednesday and then looking away. He didn’t feel like kissing or anything like that.
Wednesday moved a little closer. With a gentle but firm motion, she wrapped her arms around Luke, pulling him toward her. She rested his head on her shoulder, almost cradling him.
Luke was surprised by the sudden gesture, but he didn’t move and let his head rest on Wednesday’s delicate shoulder. He wasn’t used to hugging her; in fact, this was the first time they’d done it.
They both remained silent. Luke felt calmer and stopped dwelling on those troubling, depressing thoughts. Within a few minutes, he fell asleep.
