1.3

Brockton Bay docks.

It is quite unfortunate, Taylor Hebert thinks distractedly, that they have fallen into such a state. The collapse of Atlantic shipping thanks to Leviathan really hit the area hard, and with the main source of industry disappearing over the space of just a few months the warehouses and cranes of the docks fell silent.

It is amazing that her father has managed to keep things sort of going, really.

'Focus!'

At once she snaps back to alertness.

Keep her mind clear.

There could be Merchants or other gang members anywhere, and if she is going to defend herself and act like a hero then she needs to remain constantly aware.

Anything could happen at any moment.

A careful look around her.

Nothing.

There is nobody in sight, not even a dockworker hurrying back home after an extended shift.

The docks are completely devoid of any life.

During the day there would be people running about or strolling along, the daylight giving the false impression of safety from the various gang members that are constantly on the look-out for some way to rise up the ranks of the criminal underworld, whether through drugs or violence.

Taking a breath, she reaches down and tightens the belt of her gi.

She does not have a costume yet but her martial arts outfit should be enough, at least that way her dad won't question if she comes back with a bit of blood on it. Tied around the lower part of her face is an old scarf. She needs to find something more appropriate before she can properly become a hero, but the urge to fight, to try out her new strength was just too strong, and the murderous instinct has only been getting stronger.

Still, at this rate she will not find any crime to interrupt-

A flash of light.

Even with her nerves on tentahooks she cannot move out of it, and in a moment the dark dockyards are gone, and she is left blinking into darkness.

She is not contained, that is for certain, but where in the hell is she?

Already she can feel the first hints of that instinct taking over, the adrenaline filling her veins and hands curling into fists.

"Well folks it seems we have a new challenger!"

The voice, amplified by a set of gigantic speakers is accompanied by a burst of light. High above Taylor a dozen stadium lights turn on to illuminate the room she is in. All of it is metal, the walls ceiling and floor all unpainted, rough sheet metal and columns. Four huge, bunker like doors are set in the walls, but bar that there is nothing else present. High above the ring a pair of young men sit dressed as commentators in a sealed glass booth.

"Well Leet, I have no idea just who our new challenger is but she seems raring to go! Just look at that expression, the fearsome determination to give the fans a fight of a lifetime! I feel like we might have somebody who can beat the current winning streak of three!"

Dimly, Taylor realises just who she has been caught by. Uber and Leet, both small time criminals who create situations based around videogames and upload their various antics online.

They never get more than a slap on the wrist for their antics.

Somehow, she has managed to get embroiled in one of their schemes.

"Damn right Uber. For anybody just joining in, our lucky competitor here will be taking part in a tribute to the old Beat 'em Up games, she has to fight for her life against stronger and stronger waves of enemies created by my follow commentator's latest creation! When she's beaten, she'll be returned safe and sound to where she was found, no injuries incurred, no fuss no muss!" he enthusiastically shouts.

If Taylor had something heavy to hand she would throw it at the man.

"Competitor, do you have anything to say before the games begin?" Leet demands.

"When I get hold of you both I'm kicking your asses."

Her voice is a growl.

A hiss from a phantom audience.

"Uber and Leet TV takes no responsibility for the statements of our competitors! Anyway, our last competitor managed to kill three mooks before he was brought down, let's see how our new challenger fares!"

With that a phantom audience roars as the four huge blast doors raise.

Behind each is a black void filled with rapidly cycling numbers from which four identical muscled figures emerge.

Nondescript with featureless faces and bodies covered in bulging muscle.

"Round one. Fight!"

With that the four charge.

...

"I think that Uber and Leet have bitten off more than they can chew."

"What have those two clowns done this time?" Gallant asks with a sigh.

"You know that 'Smash TV' game they do?"

"Unfortunately, we still have yet to track them down for it. Definitely should be an assault, kidnapping and several other charges on top of that."

"Yeah well, it seems they trapped a cape this time. She's on wave thirteen and it doesn't seem like she wants to stop."

Now that gets his attention.

Focusing on the screen the first thing he notices is the bodies. There is at least a few dozen of them, and the injuries are not pretty. On top of the pile of dead mooks stands a female figure shrouded in dark red mist, eyes white and glowing with a barely controlled fury.

She is also covered in blood.

"Does Piggot know about this?" he asks, struggling to take his eyes off the bloodbath on the screen.

"She's watching it in her office, has Miss Militia trying to work out just who the newbie is. Dragon is trying to track it but it seems like a new piece of tinkertech to jam their signal," Kid Win replies.

On screen one of the remaining enemies for the wave tries to attack her from behind.

Gallant blinks as, in a movement more like a blur the cape turns and punches the enemy in the head.

The mook is propelled backwards as though hit by a car.

"Striker?" he asks Kid Win, who has taken the box of popcorn that was formally in Clockblockers hands.

"Probably. Got some brute in there as well, she took a crowbar to the back of the head earlier and it just made her angrier."

"Any other powers?"

"She's terrifying."

Gallant looks sharply towards Vista, who has just emerged from her own room and is making her way towards the sofa to watch as well.

"You shouldn't watch this Missy."

The look he receives from the thirteen-year-old Ward is not impressed.

"She's not fighting real people."

"It's still not something someone young should watch, she's still effectively fighting for her life out there!"

Yet instead of leaving Vista crosses her arms.

"I'm not going, she threatened to hunt down Uber and Leet and I want to see it happen."

Gallant sighs and lets it slide.

With a morbid curiosity he watches as the cape onscreen grabs a mook and uses him to beat another one to death before throwing him across the room with all the ease of a child petulantly throwing a toy.

"Err, well it seems our friend has cleared another wave! Well bring another one out soon folks, Leet just has to do a few repairs to the machine!" Uber promises, the worry in his voice evident as the girl looks towards the camera.

Gallants heart skips a beat and instinctively he pushes himself into his seat.

"See? Terrifying," Vista states bluntly.

"Some sort of master effect?"

"Yes. Piggot thinks she may be the mysterious cape from a few months ago, good at fighting and can cause fear with that aura of hers. The effect only lasted as long as the aura was there though."

Gallant nods.

No doubt they will all have to go through stranger/master protocols after this. The logical part of his mind tells him that he should probably be in them right now.

Just looking at the girl makes him feel uneasy!

"Shit, Uber its breaking up!"

...

Taylor grits her teeth as she puts down the last opponent of the wave.

She feels exhausted, her body aching where it has been struck Her lips are cut, knuckles split and bloody.

But she feels alive.

The adrenaline pumping through her veins is the best thing she has felt for ages, the sensation of punching the mooks as close as she can get to hitting real people without concern for the damage she will do to them. She can strike without fear, can kick a man so hard his insides rupture.

She cannot think about anything else other then the next few moments, and everything else is gone and meaningless.

That murderous instinct is both satisfied and demanding more, demanding that she push herself further and see just how far she can go.

She wants to keep fighting until there is nothing left.

Looking up at the presenter's box she spies the panicking form of her captors. Leet is desperately working to repair the heavily smoking machine that has generated this illusion or pocket dimension they are inhabiting. Right now she doesn't care how it works, only that it is still functioning.

That instinct is calling to her, but this time it is different.

She brings her hands back to her waist, fingers apart and facing one another to form a sort of cage.

Acting more according to instinct than any knowledge she imagines that murderous instinct flowing to her hands. It condenses, pulses. Were Taylor to look she would see a sphere the size of a fist burst into being between her hands, one which steadily grows as she focuses.

"Hadouken!"

The ball of energy shoots forward, straight from her hands towards the target, the machine beside Leet.

It is only at the last moment that Uber spots the rapidly approaching ball of light and energy and pulls his companion away from the machine and drags him to the floor.

The ball smashes into the machine.

Metal distorts, and whilst it does not do a great deal of damage it is still sufficient to tip the machine over the edge. Smoke billows forth as sparks fly, and after a few seconds it stops working all together.

Taylor frowns.

She was expecting… more.

That murderous instinct flares.

It can do more.

She just needs to train more, needs to grow stronger and push forward.

The illusion dissolves and with a yelp the two capes fall from their disappearing commentators box, as do the dozes of bodies. The smooth metal walls fade to reveal the dilapidated form of a warehouse interior.

"Was that a fireball!"

"We're fucked and that's the first question you think of! The machines busted and the cameras still running!"

Taylor glances the cameras way. No need for that now.

Another 'hadouken' sees its lens shattered and the camera toppled away from them. Again, the effort feels off. Raw, unhoned.

Turning her attention back to the two capes she begins to walk up to them, releasing her murderous aura in full.

Both freeze in place like deer caught in headlights.

She should make good of her promise and rough the two of them up, show them not to mess with her. She should give them such a beating they will never even think of harming another person with their stunts.

Her aura flares.

She should kill them.

The instinct is egging her on. Just one good punch each and she could remove her two opponents from the fight, stop them from ever challenging her again. It would be easy, as easy as killing all those that the machine generated,

But… she came out tonight to become a hero.

She has allowed herself to give in to that murderous instinct. Forcibly she restrains herself, through pushing down the desire to kill and destroy the two parahumans in front of her.

She needs more control. She needs more self-restraint.

"I'm going to give you a choice."

"W-What?"

"You help me and I let you go," she growls.

"And the other option?"

She cracks her knuckles.

"W-We'll help!"

...

"Piggot to Armsmaster, head down to the docks at once. Ignore the previous orders to find Uber and Leet."

"What's the situation?"

"Lung, early reports indicate the Undersiders are involved. We're sending reinforcements."