Chapter 6

I stared blankly out at the city.

Your DNA has altered since the last time I looked at you.

It...what? What does that mean?

It's pretty well known that my powers don't work on brains, right? Slightly less well known is that my powers don't work on myself.

Okay…

So I don't know for sure because I've never seen my own DNA but it looks like your power is changing you to make you...well...to make you more like me, so that I can't alter you.

How does one react to that? To finding out that their power is actively working against them?

But that doesn't make any sense! My power protects me from threats, you're not a threat! You're just helping me.

I guess your power doesn't like that I'm undoing all the "beneficial" changes it's made so it's adapting to me. I found a work-around this time, 98% of DNA is junk data anyway and it's not like you've become a carbon copy of me, but I honestly don't know how many more times I can return you to normal. Not with the unchangeable DNA strands that I'm starting to see. Might only be once or it could be five more. All depends on what your power does.

I had gone home and cried myself to sleep. Woke up around midnight and went down to the kitchen to eat and found a note from my dad.

Saw what happened on the news, glad you're okay. You looked exhausted so I let you sleep. Lasagna is in the fridge if you get hungry. Love, Dad.

That note had sent me into another crying fit. It had only been a few days ago that I had talked with Dad on the way to the PRT building about how I was doing better, how things were looking up. He had said I seemed happy, he seemed happy.

I spent the rest of the night reading one of Mom's old novels. I had needed to take my mind off of everything and getting lost in a book was a good time sink. Eventually, Dad woke up to get ready for work. Breakfast was awkward. He could tell something was bothering me but didn't press it when I deflected his questions.

I didn't even bother going to school. With the mood I was in there was no way I would able to put up with everyone there. Ended up riding a bus to one of the less respectable parts of town. Despite growing up in a city that most of the country referred to as 'the armpit of New England' even I had been surprised at how normal a lot of the people seemed. A twenty-something couple selling paintings on the side of the road, a mom pushing a stroller, an old man waiting for the bus, it was weird to see everyone out and about in what was clearly ABB territory.

Eventually, I found myself sitting atop an apartment building next to some storage rental facility. I had shimmied up the fire escape.

The apartment building was the tallest building around so it gave me a nice view of the area, including the street below me.

I bet if I jumped from here the fall wouldn't even kill me, my power would probably kick into effect and turn me into rubber or something.

I suddenly realized where my thoughts were going.

No, I'm not suicidal. I'm just...contemplating my power. Yeah, that's it. Contemplating my amazing, stupid, life-saving, life-ruining, helpful, unhelpful power.

I snorted and stopped looking at the street directly below me. My gaze drifted over to the storage yard.

Sure are a lot of people showing over there. Why are they just hanging around the property line though?

They all looked vaguely Asian but at this height I could easily be wrong. I was able to tell they weren't all ABB though. Not enough red and green showing, too many different ages, not enough posturing in people's body language. So that raised the question of why they were gathered here.

That question was somewhat answered when I saw an explosion somewhere in the storage yard.

That was big, I should go help!

As I was standing up my brain caught up with my thoughts.

Panacea might not be able to revert whatever changes occur if I go down there. I don't even know what's happening so I have no idea how I could end up looking.

There was a loud blast as another explosion lit up the area.

The situation was reminiscent of the bank. Much like how I wouldn't be able to live with myself if one of the Wards was seriously injured when I could have done something, I couldn't sit up here and worry about my appearance when someone might be on the verge of dying.

Might as well go for broke, I thought as I stepped forward off the roof.

I landed feet first.

While I had a strong healing power I wasn't stupid enough to lock my legs up, I went limp as I hit the ground. Didn't want to send my shin bones through my shoulder blades, after all.

It was still an incredibly painful landing. Definitely broke both my legs, probably my hips as well.

I could make out a group of Asian people on the other side of the street pointing at me and arguing.

Hey, I was right, they are Asian...it says something about my situation that I'm able to so easily ignore the pain of multiple broken bones to focus on the fact that I can correctly identify people's race.

I could feel my bones starting to knit back together. I was able to watch my legs straighten out right before my eyes. It wasn't as surreal as it should have been. The fact that it isn't surreal is, in and of itself, kinda surreal.

Once it seemed like my body was done repairing itself I stood up.

Should I be concerned that I don't have a mask? Hmm, don't know how much longer I'll have a face that's still recognizable as me so I guess it would be rather pointless.

One of the Asians ahead of me was actually shoved forward by the rest of the group. It was a middle aged man in a faded business suit. He was clearly nervous and spoke broken English.

"You should leave, not safe here."

I shook my head. "I need to investigate those explosions."

"You cape, it not matter. You should leave, not safe here."

"I need to make sure no one's hurt."

"Bakuda says no one allowed in. We have to stop you. Please leave."

"Bakuda?" That name's familiar… "The bomber Tinker?!"

"Please…leave." I could hear the pleading in the man's voice. I didn't know the situation but he didn't seem to be here by choice.

I could only shake my head. "I can't do that," I said quietly.

Before either of us had the chance to stop the other from doing something there was an...occurrence where the man's group was standing. There was a weird sound and the area lost all of its color. Everything faded to shades or white, grey, and black. All the people stopped moving.

I've seen TV specials about this. That looks like Grey Boy's power...but he's dead!

From around the area of locked time stumbled three very familiar capes.

"Grue, you don't say this enough. My power is a godsend, that could have been us," Regent said, supported by his teammate.

"Just keep moving," Tattletale said from behind the pair. "She'll be looping around the other side of the…" Tattletale trailed off as she saw me.

I honestly didn't know what to say. One of the one hand, three villains stood in front of me who I had fought only yesterday. On the other hand, they were fleeing from a Tinker that was pretty clearly trying to kill them. As much as they deserved to be arrested, they didn't deserve to die which is probably what would happen if I slowed them down right now.

I jerked my head in a 'get moving' motion. Tattletale nodded.

"That cape wants to fight Bakuda for us, that's our cue to run," she said.

Grue actually stopped in his tracks to look at me before glancing at his teammates. Apparently deciding that he needed to get them out of here, he nodded solemnly at me and then hefted Regent a bit and resumed his hurried walk. Regent gave me a thumbs up.

Just like Tattletale had predicted, from around the other side of the time bubble emerged a cape. She had straight black hair and some sort of gas mask. Her costume was militaristic yet feminine, it kinda reminded me of a more armored version of Miss Militia's outfit.

"Where'd those idiots run to?" she shouted.

The Asian man standing next to me pointed at the time bubble and babbled in whatever his language was.

Bakuda glanced over before turning her gaze back on the two of us. "It was the Undersiders fault I missed. Now, I say again, where'd they go?"

The man next to me said something in response. He was clearly nervous but he also sounded...determined? Whatever he said, Bakuda didn't like it because she hefted the gun she was holding, it looked like a cross between a grenade launcher and a revolver pistol, and pointed it at us.

She looked about ready to shoot us when she lowered the gun and smacked herself across the forehead. "Almost wasted perfectly good bomb on him."

And then, without so much as a twitch or hand gesture from Bakuda, the man next to me suddenly liquefied. One second he was fine, the next he was melting into a pile of goop. I tried and failed to not throw up as Bakuda laughed.

"Dumbass made his choice to die, what about you, gaijin? You tell me where they went and you get to live," Bakuda said as she hefted her gun back up and pointed it at me.

Once I stopped heaving I squared my shoulders shook my head. I didn't bother saying anything. It's hard to sound defiant so soon after puking.

Bakuda shrugged. "Your funeral, will be fun finding out how you get to die." She pulled the trigger and the shot arced forward towards me.

Power, I know I've been pissed at you since yesterday but please don't fail me now, I thought just before the bomb exploded.