Malignance 1.04

Run.

That single word pretty much described the situation we were in.

There was no time to watch how the crowd would react, because suddenly the door exploded into splinters and two figures came charging in. My feet were pounding against the ground in a second.

Through the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Runaway slicing his hands down against the wall in a diagonal arc. The stone cracked even before he finished the cut. Suddenly, the whole building trembled dangerously, the whole front wall cracking and slumping with the sound of splintering.

Runaway barely had time to move as suddenly two hovering, flickering projectiles burst towards him and exploded, sending him flying backwards with a concussive blasts.

I was still sprinting, but I never made it three metres before suddenly a strong hand grabbed my leg and dragged me down. I twisted around and kicked upwards, but it felt like my foot was repelled backwards even before I collided with anything solid.

I gasped as I suddenly recognised the two heroes that had came through the door. Manpower and Lightstar. The only two non-fliers of the group, I thought suddenly. Of course they would send those two into the building.

Manpower grabbed me, and he was too strong. He was seven foot tall, athletic build, white costume, and with a revolving electromagnetic shield around him granting enhanced strength and durability. I thrashed and kicked, but it felt like trying to kick a brick wall as he roughly grabbed me up.

I glimpsed Runaway staggering to his feet, just as another two projectile orbs from Lightstar knocked him down again.

The building was still cracking, dust flying of the ceiling dangerously. I heard Lightstar scream something at Manpower, but I could make it out over the noise of the collapsing structure and the roar of the crowd outside. I thrashed and struggled, but Manpower was holding me from behind, arms pinning mine to my torso, as he lifted me physically off the ground.

"Hey!" Tattletale screamed suddenly, glaring at Manpower as she hoisted up her gun. "Your marriage is falling apart! She stopped loving you years ago – she's only staying with you for the children and even they're growing up."

The words cut through the air. I felt Manpower hesitate slightly, and that was just enough for me to twist into a better position. My legs kicked off against a nearby crate, pushing backwards, as Manpower lost his footing. Super-strength didn't mean super-leverage, I thought furiously, as we both toppled backwards.

The fall didn't hurt him at all, but it took him by surprise and I recovered first. As soon as Manpower tried to get to his feet again, my hand was in his face as I squeezed down on the nozzle of my pepper spray. He screamed as the capsicum hit his eyes, and he struggled off the floor.

"Sarah lied to you!" Tattletale bellowed at Lightstar, while firing her handgun at him in quick succession. She deliberately shot wide, aiming at the wall, but Lightstar never realised that and he still jumped back through the doorway for cover. He tried to return fire with his projectile orbs, but the gun was faster. "New Wave hasn't changed at all – she just lied to get you to come back because she was scared the team might disband!"

I gasped for breath, but there was no time. Runaway was staggering to his feet, and with a click Tattletale was suddenly out of bullets. All three of us were sprinting towards the far wall, when instantly Lightstar was behind us, generating half a dozen shots of flickering orbs that shot towards us in a furious onslaught.

I jumped up onto the crates, bracing myself for impact against the wall as suddenly the orbs detonated. The force lifted me straight off the ground and slammed roughly into the wall, but the bricks just toppled easily. The wall had already been cut apart – the brick were more just resting on each rather than being held together.

Still, the impact hurt. A lot.

I gasped in pain, my whole body wincing as I dragged myself up over the rubble and onto the alleyway outside. Tattletale was behind me, and I helped pull her out just as Lightstar unleashed another shot towards Tattletale and I.

For a second, I was frozen as I saw the orb shoot towards me, but then suddenly Runaway was in front of Tattletale like a human shield. The detonation sent him crashing backwards, but he was dragging himself up a minute later, panting furiously.

He can take a punch, that's for sure, I thought suddenly, as I struggled to heave Tattletale upwards. I only took one of Lightstar's explosions and even that it felt like it pulverised my organs. Runaway must have just taken several in short succession but he was still getting up again.

Then, I saw Runaway drag his hands across the nearby wall as he rushed to the hole leading to the alley. There was no time to think anymore as suddenly the building shuddered and cracked louder than ever before. The whole building was coming down fast.

I saw the doubt and panic flashing through Lightstar's face. Manpower was still on the floor, cursing as he tried to wipe his eyes, but then again Manpower had super-durability. Lightstar didn't. He wouldn't survive the building coming down, and his explosions weren't helping the structural stability either. After a brief moment of hesitation, Lightstar abandoned the attack and turned and ran, doubtlessly trying to reach the main entrance before things started to crash around him.

It was a smart move. I could already see the wooden supports giving way, even as I reached down to try and pull Runaway out. Instead, he completely ignored my hand with a grunt, and struggled as he dragged himself up by himself.

Outside was complete chaos. The crowd had officially turned into a mob. Laserdream and Lady Photon were both struggling with crowd control, but reasoning was useless here. All of that anger that had been brewing in the neighbourhood had just boiled over. I had only given it an excuse.

I had been vaguely aware of Glory Girl dragging Panacea out of the crowd and flying her to safety, but she hadn't exactly been gentle about it. Glory Girl's aura reacted differently depending on how people perceived her and how she perceived others. When she wasn't focusing it with hostility, it could subdue people. When she did focus against the crowd as a threat, it was the emotional equivalent of a steam train blasting straight down the street.

Glory Girl reacted too quickly, I realised. She never even waited to see if anyone even took my offer before she went barrelling in to help Amy. That had the final straw before the riot really kicked off.

I wanted a distraction, I thought with a gulp. Yep, I'd say that'd do it…

I was still panting, my body sore and my head spinning, but slowly I focused on the manhole cover down the street, exactly where Runaway said it would be. Suddenly, fifty yards seemed like a very long distance…

I need bugs. I still had my swarm, but I couldn't do anything with it. The best I could achieve was thousands of insects chaotically flying through the air, but that was only useful so far. I had to find a way of getting rid of all of those sabotage bugs…

As far I could see, I had discovered a different way of operating my power. It was like I had two 'modes' of operation; I could either control individual bugs, which gave me very precise control and short range, or I could control the whole swarm, which gave me absolutely horrible control but long range.

I couldn't do both, and the only reason I was getting around Amy's sabotage bugs was because my control was so bad. All of that time I spent trying to boost my range, I thought bitterly, thinking back to the relay swarms, and now that I finally did it turned out to be useless.

I took a moment to catch my breath, while Runaway stood up and limped determinedly down the alley. Damn, there is only one solution left, but it isn't a very nice one…

With a sigh, I closed my eyes and mentally transmitted the order for all of the bugs to kill themselves. Suddenly, it started raining insects as all of the bugs started dropping out of the air.

Even though I wasn't getting precise feedback, the sense of all of those bugs started to commit suicide still sent shivers down my spine. It was a calculated risk, but the only way I could conceivable get my control back quickly.

I ordered every insect to spasm, to stop breathing, and for their bodies to shut down and suffocate. I was pretty sure that the sabotage bugs were still receiving some of my orders, at least, they just weren't receiving them very well. If I was only transmitting one order, I reasoned, then the static would consist solely of that order and sabotage bugs should be receiving that order too. That meant that if I killed off my entire swarm, the sabotage bugs should die along with them.

Even in the first few seconds, I could feel thousands of bugs dying in droves. Others were still have seizures. I was also pretty sure that whatever Amy did to mess up my bugs, that couldn't have been healthy for them. You couldn't give an organism brain damage and expect it to survive for long. It would be the weakest and oldest bugs that died first, and the strongest that would manage to last the longest.

Hopefully, so long as the sabotage bugs were one of the first ones to die, then my control would return pretty quickly, I could revoke the suicide order, and I'd still have enough of a swarm left to be useful.

Hopefully.

Otherwise I would end up with full control back, but absolutely no bugs to control, I thought with a gulp.

With a thought, I focused on my control and changed my 'mode' again back to normal, and suddenly the headache returned and images of dying insects flashed into my head, but I blocked them both out. As soon as my headache disappeared I'd know that all of the sabotage bugs were dead.

Still, that didn't help me right now. Right now I just had to keep on running and hope my gambit paid off.

Tattletale's body was weak and limp, she was having trouble moving. With a gulp, I dragged her arm over my shoulder and tried to pull her up. I half-stumbled, half-ran, my feet crunching over the bodies of dying insects with every step.

I could do this, I thought furiously. Glory Girl would be trying to find a safe place to put Panacea down, but that'd be difficult as suddenly my swarm seemed to stretch much longer. Manpower was being buried under a building, Lightstar would be running around the front. Lady Photon and Laserdream would be trying to stop the riot, and that only left…

Suddenly, I felt something heavy hit me like a solid wall. It sent both Tattletale and I crashing to the ground. My body felt so battered already that I nearly collapsed. Through my spinning head, I glimpsed a figure in a white bodysuit with a blue-tinted visor and blue hair hovering above me.

Fuck. Shielder.

Runaway was sent crashing to the ground a second later as a forcefield hit him. Around us, the air was glowing with a blue tinge as suddenly he formed a hard light barrier surrounding us, boxing us in, as he flew safely out of reach. I dragged myself up and pounded uselessly against the wall, while Tattletale shambled to her feet, panting for breath.

"Let us go right now," Tattletale shouted wheezily, her voice dark. "Because if we're captured I'll tell the whole world that you're gay."

Even from this distance, I could see Shielder's mouth drop open. Then, Runaway was up as well, reaching towards the barrier with his fingers. About an inch and a half away, his invisible claws cut through it with ease, and then suddenly the whole barrier burst like a bubble.

I breathed a breath of relief as then we were pushing through. Sheilder was hovering ahead, suddenly looking uncertain.

"Oh thank you," I muttered in relief towards Runaway, reaching out to steady myself uncertainly.

He flinched as my hand approached. Suddenly, he glared at me with such viciousness it caught me off-guard. "Don't touch me," Runaway snarled with a furious glare, as he pulled up his hood to hide his face and kept on running.

My eyes widened in shock, but then Tattletale was there to push me forward. From the corner of my eyes, I suddenly glimpsed the glowing shapes of Lady Photon and Laserdream, abandoning the useless attempts at crowd control and flying towards us.

Oh come on! I thought with panic, just as the blasts of hard light came shooting towards us. I gathered up whatever strength I had left, grabbed Tattletale, and sprinted forward.

Runaway was there first. His fingers cleaved easily through the metal of manhole cover like a hot knife through butter, shredding the metal into ribbons, and then suddenly the cover was snapping into pieces and he half-leapt, half stumbled straight into the sewers.

There was no time for any sort of graceful approach, so instead I just had to drop, dragging Tattletale with me. We fell two and a half metres with a dull 'oomph' as one of the hard light blasts hit into my back, landing roughly onto a hard ground and in nearly two inches of gunky, foul water.

Oh great, I thought bitterly, caught between gasping for air and trying desperately to keep my mouth shut. Just when I thought this night couldn't get any worse. Sewer water.

Laserdream and Lady Photon were still hovering outside, shooting blasts of light through the narrow manhole uselessly. Tattletale was there, grabbing my shoulder as she helped me up weakly, while Runaway fumbled with something by the entrance. There was a pop, and a cloud of smoke hissed out, obscuring the hole and keeping the New Wave back. A smoke grenade, I realised. Runaway had said that he had booby-trapped the escape route.

It was pitch black in the sewers, but fortunately I had a torch in my compartment. The sewers were narrow, cramped, and so low that I could barely stand up straight without hitting my head. Still, we kept on running, splashing through the water and trying desperately not to think about what we standing in, while New Wave were left useless standing at the entrance. I didn't blame them. If any of the fliers tried to descend through the narrow hole, they would be left as easy pickings for Runaway's claws if he was hiding by entrance. No one wanted to take the chance that he wasn't.

We ran for nearly twenty seconds when suddenly Runaway stopped, keeling over as if in pain as he clutched his chest.

"Are you alrigh–" I asked worriedly.

"Go." The voice was a snarl, but at the same time it sounded almost pained. "Go. Get out of here."

I hesitated, uncertain, but Tattletale seemed to understand. Hell, Tattletale always understood and I was tired of feeling lost. "Come on," she hissed quietly, dragging me away from Runaway insistently. "Let's just go."

We started half-running, half-jogging again. The sewers were a maze, but it seemed like Tattletale could pick up on the trail that Runaway left as well. "Why?" I hissed. "What the hell is wrong with him?"

She hesitated. "He's not a safe person to be around anymore," she said finally, her voice low. "Come on, he can handle himself."

I wanted to press for more information, when instantly I felt my headache disappear. At last. All of the sabotage bugs must now be dead. I quickly dived into my powers, trying to recover whatever was left of my swarm, only to feel a punch of dread as very few replied. There were barely three hundred insects still left alive, and even most of those were useless ones like slugs and worms. Damn, the bug population of Brockton Bay must have just took a beating in the last five minutes.

Still, I set about gathering what I could. I was moving now and as my range changed I should hopefully reach new bugs. Maybe I could even switch between long range and short range control to try and draw the bugs in quickly and keep control of them. It would still be awkward, and slow. Too many bugs had died and it would take a while time for me to recover my swarm. I tried to focus, stretching my powers as far as they would go as I gathered my swarm.

I had to switch into long range, focus on a single group of bugs and give them orders to come here (all the while I inadvertently told all other bugs to go in useless directions), and then quickly switch to short range to keep control of the bugs that I already had. It was messy, and exhausting. My powers hadn't adapted to the difference between long and short range yet, I had do it mentally.

We emerged into a central drain, more spacious and with walkways where we could actually step out of the filth. By the time we stopped, I was wheezing for breath, physically and mentally exhausted, my body bruised and sore and my heart still pounding frantically. Tattletale looked just as bad. Still we had done it.

We had got away, and New Wave was left with a riot to try and clean up…

Suddenly, there was a thunderous crack that reverberated around us. We both shot up in panic, looking in the direction of the sound. It took me a few seconds to recognise the sound of someone with super-strength tearing through the pavement.

The sound wasn't that far away.

"Ohhh fuucckkk!" Tattletale swore, exhaustion replaced by pure panic as she turned to run. "Run!"

We both sprinted. We barely made it a dozen yards before a blindingly fast flying shape hit me from behind. I couldn't help the scream as suddenly I was dragged off the ground – the tidal wave of fear hit me like truck and I nearly blacked out.

"Got you!" A voice growled in my ear, as I felt an impossibly strong arm wrap my torso, while another hand clutched at my throat. The deceleration was so sudden that I had to stop myself from throwing up. I glimpsed bright blonde hair behind me out of the corner of my eye.

Glory Girl.

Tattletale reacted instantly, holding up her handgun threateningly. Glory Girl stopped and twisted me around like a human shield, still hovering half a foot off the ground. The headlock was so firm I couldn't even move, I could barely breathe with her hand on my throat.

Suddenly, my mind flashed back to the last time we had been in this situation, with Tattletale and I facing off against Glory Girl. We had managed to escape then. Of course, then we had a hostage, we caught Glory Girl by surprise, and we had still been very lucky.

Except now, I didn't have any bugs, and Tattletale's gun was out of bullets. And Glory Girl sounded very, very angry.

At least Glory Girl never knew Tattletale was out of ammo, I thought with panic. It was small mercy, but Tattletale was left trying to threaten an invincible superhero with an empty pistol.

"Do you have any idea what a crappy night you've put me through?" She growled, still holding me like a ragdoll in front of Tattletale.

Yeah, tell me about it, I would have said, but I could barely breathe.

I could see the panic in Tattletale's eyes, but somehow she still managed to smirk. "Oh come on, GG," Tattletale managed with barely a quiver in her voice. "Got to admit, this does bring back memories, doesn't it?"

I swear I felt Glory Girl's grip tighten. "Best if you don't remind me," she growled dangerously. "Put the gun down and surrender, otherwise we'll see what I can away with under 'resisting arrest'."

I desperately tried to pull the bugs towards me faster. My swarm was still fairly small, but it was growing slowly – I had even managed to catch some of my original super-large mutant centipedes that I had brought with me. But the problem was that most of the bugs were still on the surface. I had to find a way of getting them into the sewers, and then try and find their way to me as soon as possible. Bugs weren't that fast, and I needed them right now.

I gagged for breath, feeling her fingers so tight they felt like they would burst through my throat. "…Please…" I gasped. "… Air…"

"You tried to kill my sister." Her voice was cold and quiet. Still, her grip did slacken fractionally.

There was a pause. The only reason she wasn't taking Tattletale down right now was because she was at least trying to bring us back alive, and she didn't want Tattletale shooting. Still, the gun was a lame threat against her and everyone knew it.

"This is how it's going to work. You're coming with me," Glory Girl ordered. "If I see a single bug, Skitter gets it." She glared at Tattletale hatefully. "And if you even open your bitch mouth, then I swear to god that I'll–"

"So how long has your boyfriend been playing around with your sister?" Tattletale said quickly.

The question was met with stunned silence. Glory Girl didn't react, but I could feel her aura wavering. God bless you Lisa, I thought thankfully. God bless you and your gas-lighting skills. I knew the play – Tattletale was buying time, and I had to use it to get my swarm ready.

"What?" Glory Girl demanded, unable to stop herself.

"Gallant and Amy," Tattletale teased, mouth twisting into a smirk. "Ow… never saw that one coming. How much does it burn knowing that your boyfriend picked your younger sister over you?"

She shook her head. "Fuck off. Gallant would never do th–"

"You sure about that?" Tattletale challenged. "Tell me, when was the last time you actually talked to your boyfriend? He's always been busy at work, hasn't he? Almost making excuses? And what about Amy – she's been skipping around happier than ever hasn't she? She must be loving the fact that she stole your boyfriend from you."

Glory Girl scoffed. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? What about that time when Gallant came around to your house when he thought you weren't there, asking to speak to Amy?" Tattletale smirked. "How do you explain that one, hmm?" Glory Girl turned stony silent. "Gallant has seemed awfully interested in Amy recently, hasn't he? Tell me something, did you follow them? I think you did. You must have followed him after he brushed you off. Did it hurt to see them talking together oh so intimately and hugging and –"

"SHUT UP!" Glory Girl roared. She lurched so sharply I thought my neck would snap. Oh please, Lisa be careful here, I begged. "I know what you're doing;, you're just playing on my fears. You're not a psychic."

"You're right, I'm not. My power simpler than that – I'm just always right." Tattletale scoffed. "What excuse did Amy make after that, anyways? 'Counselling'? Oh please, honey. You checked her phone, you saw that Gallant has been making a lot of calls to her. You're not a stupid girl – you know that they're both keeping secrets from you. You're just in denial and you don't want to accept it."

Glory Girl grit her teeth together, but I could feel her hand trembling slightly.

"It probably happened after Boston – Gallant was the wounded hero, and Amy was the sweet and caring nurse," Tattletale continued with a sigh. "Face it, cheerleader, the quarterback is just stringing you along while he pines after the girl on the marching band."

My bugs were getting closer. I had to hesitate and keep them back, though; I didn't want to act too recklessly, not when Tattletale was working her magic. Glory Girl definitely didn't sound so sure anymore.

"…You can say whatever the hell you want," Glory Girl snarled, moving closer towards Tattletale, still clutching me tightly. "But there's still no way I'm ever going to let you get away, you bitch."

"How about this one then?" Tattletale muttered quietly, so quiet I had to strain to hear. Glory Girl was well and truly hooked. "Why don't you get the doctors to have a real closer look at your mother's so-called 'brain injury'?"

Glory Girl stopped suddenly, eyes widening in shock. "What did you say?" She demanded.

"It was an awfully convenient brain injury that took Carol Dallon down, now wasn't it?" Tattletale muttered conspiratorially. "Did you trust Panacea when she said 'oh, I'm so sorry, I can't heal your mother'? You probably did. After all, she's your sister – you love her. It was only a bit later when you started to wonder exactly why Amy acted so weird every time you mentioned Carol. You were grieving, but she never did. You never even saw Amy shed a tear about what happened to Carol. Oh, and then Amy comforted you – oh boy, did Amy comfort you. She was a shoulder for you to cry on, she even slept in your bed again to help you sleep, but Amy never, ever even went back to the hospital to check on Carol, did she?"

There was a long pause. Glory Girl looked shaken. Her grip softened and I started to wonder if I could maybe squeeze my way out…

Tattletale continued in a slow voice. "Come on now, Vicky, you're not a stupid girl. You were there when Amy first started to experiment with her powers, and you've picked up on all of the things that Amy never mentioned. The things she kept secret. You were there when she first started to make her rules, and all of those little mishaps before then." I could feel Glory Girl's aura trembling now. "You know exactly what Panacea is capable of… I wouldn't be quite so comfortable with letting her touch you in the future…"

"… shut up…" Glory Girl muttered, her breath hoarse.

Tattletale didn't stop. "… And let's not forget that little time Amy walked in on you and–"

"I said shut up!" She roared suddenly, before dropping me and shooting forward. Her hand knocked Tattletale's gun away easily, while her other fist slammed into Tattletale's chest. The blow knocked her physically off the ground.

I screamed in shock as Tattletale was sent slamming into the wall with a painful thud. Tattletale was left gasping in pain. I saw blood dripping from her mouth.

"You fucking bitch!" Glory Girl roared furiously. It was hard to tell, but there might have been tears in her eyes. "You absolute fucking bitch, I'm going to put you away for the rest of you–"

"Hi."

The dry voice cut through the air suddenly. Everyone turned to stare at the figure walking towards us in the gloom of the sewers. Runaway's shoulders were slumped, he was cradling his side and he walked with a distinct limp, eyes focused on Glory Girl. "…Am I interrupting here?" he muttered quietly.

"… took your time…" Tattletale gasped weakly, clearly struggling to breath.

Glory Girl glared at him with narrowed eyes. "You're that villain… Cutthroat…" she muttered. "We received a warning about you. What, you're with the Undersiders now?"

He shook his head softly, lowering his hood. "No," he replied. "… but I've been through enough bother helping them escape tonight already. They already owe me a debt, and I want them to be alive so I can collect it later. That means I'm going to have to convince you to leave them alone."

I was left collapsed onto the floor, still struggling to catch my breath. I slowly reached around to grab my baton as I stared at the confrontation. Glory Girl snorted. "I'd rather take you in with them."

"Thought you might." His voice sounded almost disappointed. He carefully lifted his hood on again, the shadows concealing his face. "… and I'm not very good at this whole banter thing, so let's just get this over with. You're strong enough that I can't afford to hold back against you, so there are only two things that you really need to know about me…"

Glory Girl braced. I could feel the aura coming off her so strong I could barely breathe, but Runaway didn't even seem affected. "…One…" he muttered, as he slowly rolled his shoulders. His fingers were constantly flexing and twitching. "… Please don't go gentle on me. I really don't deserve it…"

"What the fuck?" Glory Girl grunted.

His whole body tensed. "… And two…" He muttered slowly. I could hear his voice shift slightly. It became quieter, almost more feral, like a snarl. When he lifted his head slightly, suddenly I could see the faint blue light of the sewers reflecting in his eyes.

His pupils were glowing slightly. Like a cat. "…I'm going to hurt you now…"

Suddenly a piece of the puzzle clicked into place. He hadn't been telling the truth when he explained his powers, I thought suddenly, or at least he had been omitting details.

He wasn't just a Striker – he was a Changer.

Runaway growled – as in actually growled, a deep, bloodthirsty sound almost like some sort of primal animal. Glory Girl looked surprised for a second, before her body tensed.

And then instantly Glory Girl shot through the air at breakneck speed. Runaway slashed out with his hands, but Glory Girl was too fast. Her leg spun around and slammed into Runaway in a flying kick, crashing into his shoulder with the sickening crack of bone snapping. The blow sent him flying bodily and landing roughly into the gunk of sewer water.

For a second, Glory Girl looked a bit surprised at how easy it was. "I thought he was supposed to be toug–" She complained, but she was cut off instantly.

Without even a pause, Runaway suddenly twisted around and pounced at her, even dropping to all fours and lunging with a bloodthirsty snarl. His left arm was twisted backwards and clearly broken, but he didn't even seem to care.

Most people recoiled, or screamed in pain, or even just flinched after they had been hit. Runaway didn't do any of those. He didn't even hesitate before lunging in for the attack.

His body was completely obscured under his hoodie. The only thing I could glimpse were those glowing eyes as he pounced.

For a second, Glory Girl was caught off-guard. She flew backwards quickly as Runaway swiped at her with his one remaining arm, narrowly avoiding his fingers.

It was only a few seconds later when I saw the fine red cuts appearing across her forearm and her torso. They were thin, but they weeping a lot of blood very quickly. Glory Girl gasped, and then screamed.

Whatever shield she had was absolutely useless against him. Runaway's claws were so sharp you couldn't even feel it when they cut you.

And yet Runaway didn't even give her any time to pause. He was absolutely relentless as he kept on charging at her. I could see the sudden panic in Glory Girl's eyes for a second, but to her credit she managed to hold herself together as she flew around Runaway and slammed her fist into his back. Runaway took the blow without even a whimper, and returned with another slash.

Glory Girl must have realised she needed to keep away from his hands, and she spun upwards in the air, before dropping down with a kick from above. The blow sent him crashing to the ground, but he was up in a second and swiping at her. The only sound he made was that snarl – furious, relentless.

"He doesn't feel any pain when he's transformed…" I vaguely heard Tattletale muttered. I watched with wide eyes. It was almost like a dance as I watched the fight – lightning fast, and deadly.

Glory Girl was faster. She was stronger, she had could fly, she had more manoeuvrability. Even in the fairly narrow sewers, she could spin circles around him. Every single blow she landed was absolutely devastating.

Yet somehow, despite the fact he was taking much, much more damage, it still looked like Glory Girl was struggling to hold him off.

Every action Runaway made was absolutely feral. There was no warning, no hesitation, just a bloodthirsty desire to hurt her. He was suffering injuries and broken bones, but he just kept on going. Glory Girl wasn't fighting a person anymore; she was trying desperately to fight off a savage animal.

I could feel the fear radiating from her, but it didn't look like Runaway could feel anything anymore.

Cutthroat, I thought suddenly. He tore a kid limb from limb.

There were more thin red cuts appearing across her body. Glancing blows, but getting deeper. Glory Girl was screaming now, while Cutthroat was a veritable hurricane of wild slashing blows. No skill to it, no control, just a savage desire to kill her. The snarling was reaching a crescendo.

"He's going to go too far…" I realised in shock. I had to bring my bugs in faster. They were coming quickly, but not fast enough. Already there was about a hundred ants and spiders skittering around the sewers, but the bulk the swarm hadn't arrived. I could hear the buzzing, but it was barely audible over the sound of panicked screaming and savage snarling…

Tattletale shook her head. "He already has," she muttered with a gulp.

Cutthroat's claws sliced open her shoulder, deeper than all of the others. Glory Girl howled in pain, while Cutthroat lunged for her throat. She kicked back suddenly, and earned herself half a dozen deep scratches across her ankle for the effort, but managed to knock him back. Fighting Cutthroat in close quarters was the absolute worst possible idea, I realised.

She must have had the same thought. In an instant, she was flying backwards down the sewer, dripping blood madly. Cutthroat was charging after her instantly, shoulders slouched, blood splattered across his body. For a second, I thought Glory Girl was abandoning the fight, but then she stopped and tore a large brick out of the wall with a pained grunt. She spun it around like a professional hammer thrower winding up for a shot.

Cutthroat tried to dodge, but that huge brick flew towards him with the speed of a baseball. He dived out the way, but it still crashed into his torso with a sickening crash of stone against bone. I don't think he even felt the pain from the blow, but the momentum still sent him flying.

Glory Girl was there in a second, grabbing him tightly by both the arms and holding his claws firmly out of reach as she lifted him off the ground. He tried to thrash, but then she slammed her knee against his stomach and pinned him in mid-air against the ceiling, locking him down so tightly he couldn't reach her.

"No…" I heard Tattletale mutter in the distance. "… Don't…"

"Calm down!" Glory Girl roared, while Cutthroat kept on thrashing madly against her, his telekinetic claws useless. Even if she had the advantage, I could still see the sweat and blood pouring off her. "It's over, now calm the fuck down you psycho or I'll–"

Suddenly, I recalled something that Tattletale had managed before. It struck me as odd at the time, but I hadn't a chance to really question it. Now everything clicked into place.

What's the plan now? Tattletale had said. Are you going to bite our heads off…?

Bite our heads off. The phrase hadn't been a figure of speech.

Cutthroat had telekinetic teeth as well.

Glory Girl could barely even react as suddenly Cutthroat lunged, dislocating his own shoulder as his mouth dived towards Glory Girl's throat. She tried to twist out the way, but didn't get far enough.

Blood splattered everywhere as invisible, infinitely sharp fangs collided between Glory Girl's shoulder and neck, and bit down. His fangs extended an inch and a half outside of his mouth, large enough to bite straight through skin and bone and leave a gaping hole.

Glory Girl screamed. It was a different type of scream – not even a particularly loud scream. It was a scream that I could imagine a thousand mice screaming just before a cat tore them apart.

Cutthroat was suddenly on her, legs wrapping around her, pulling his arms free to slash at her body while his teeth kept on ripping apart flesh and bone. Glory Girl dropped to the ground while claws ripped mercilessly through her body.

The sight of so much blood my knees weak. Cutthroat didn't even slow down. There was a crunch as his claws ripped into Glory Girl's shoulder, easily ripping her arm off and tossing the limb aside. I watched lions tearing apart gazelles on the discovery channel before, but I had never, ever seen it so close.

My heart pounded. I have to stop him. If Glory Girl died here…

At once, I ordered every single bug around to attack. The tunnel instantly buzzed as so many flies, spiders and ants pounced on Cutthroat and started biting. I went for the eyes, crawled into the mouth and ears and up the noses. I was used to people panicking under my bug assault, but Cutthroat barely reacted. It was nothing but a mild irritation for him, I didn't think he could even feel fear.

Still, it got his attention. He glared towards me and I heard that snarling again. In an instant, he was charging straight towards me with pure murderous intent.

My body froze in fear. I could have ran, but I knew instinctively that it would never be far or long enough.

Those glowing eyes could have quite easily been the last thing I ever saw.

My heart almost stopped as I found the ants I was looking for, and they managed to crawl onto Cutthroat's leg. Bite, I ordered desperately, bite, bite, oh god just bite…

Cutthroat was about two metres away from me before his leg suddenly seized up and he collapsed. Even as his body froze in paralysis, he was still trying to claw his way towards me, as if murdering me was the only thing that he wanted. After a couple of seconds, the paralysis was complete and his body turned stiff.

I released the breath that I hadn't even realised I was holding. My specialist neurotoxin ants worked, at least. I had been very, very lucky that enough of those ants had managed to survive when I purged my swarm, and luckier still to find them again afterwards.

There was no time to reflect. Instead, Tattletale was suddenly off the ground and hobbling towards the mutilated body of Glory Girl, surrounded by gore and blood. Her body was missing so many huge chunks of flesh she was barely even recognisable. Her face had been cut open by five long gouges stretching from forehead to chin.

I had never been squeamish with blood, but this…

"She's still alive…" Tattletale muttered breathlessly. "… Barely."

"What?!" I gasped in shock. I was instantly reminded by the way cats would play with their food… keeping them alive as long as possible for them to suffer… Think Taylor, think, you've got hurry here. "… Where's Panacea?"

She shook her head. "Too far away. Won't make it." She glanced at me, eyes filled with fear. "You know first aid, right?"

"Not enough," I said with a gulp. There was blood, so much blood, how could I even…?

An idea struck. "Hold on," I muttered, as I gathered up my swarm. "I think I have a plan…"

They were insects and we were in the sewers. It was hardly the most hygienic of situations, but I just had to make do. Instantly, I ordered my swarm to cover Glory Girl. She had so many injuries, I had to treat them all at once. I forced my mind to go blank as I dived into my swarm, controlling them with more precision than I had ever done before.

I sorted through my bugs. They were my tools and I had to play doctor. I ordered all of my spiders to start weaving webs, while my ants dived into Glory Girl's wounds. I needed a cocoon… something to hold her together…

I could feel Glory Girl's heartbeat, but it was weak, erratic. She must have been trying to move, but too much had been severed. I was no doctor, I had no idea what I was meant to be doing, but my powers were good at figuring stuff out and I had just had to hope I had time to learn…

I ordered my neurotoxin ants to bite her. I needed to stop the pain, stop her from dying of shock. I had heard that the Aztecs used to use ant heads to stitch up wounds, I could only hope I could do the same hear.

For a second, a moment of doubt hit me as I remembered Glory Girl's forcefield skin – if that was still activated then I wouldn't be able to stitch up anything. Then, my ants bit down and hit soft flesh easily, and I realised that her forcefield was turned off. Had she deactivated it so I could help her? Maybe it just switched off when there was too much damage? Either way, it gave me a chance.

No time to be squeamish. Right, now I just had to keep her alive.

I kept on pulling in more bugs. Already, Glory Girl was surrounded by a cocoon of silk web stained by blood. Inside the cocoon, my bugs began stitching up her wounds, using spiders silk and pincers to close them together. Doesn't have to be neat or long lasting, I reasoned. It was enough for me just to stabilise her and get her to Panacea…

Glory Girl's arm was still littered across on the manky floor. After a moment of hesitation, a pale-faced Tattletale picked up the severed limb and put it on top of the cocoon. Might as well keep her together as best as I can.

I could trace the countless marks where Cutthroat's fingers had cut through her. Her worst injuries were the hole in her shoulder and her missing arm. Too much for me to stitch together there, I just had to patch it up with silk.

My mind buzzed as I tried to figure out all the ways to fix her. I pushed my power into overdrive and suddenly I could imagine how everything was working. The swarm could figure it out. There had never been a doctor that could treat every single wound at once with an army of tiny surgeons before…

I felt Tattletale holding my hand suddenly, reassuringly. "Her lungs are filling up with blood," she muttered in my ear. "She's going to suffocate…"

How was I supposed to fix internal injuries? I thought with a gulp. Then, through gritted teeth, I ordered select bugs to crawl into her open wounds. I would have nightmares about the feedback for weeks, but if it saved her life, then I could handle it.

I once saw a documentary that said that doctors do pretty gruesome things to intensive care patients to keep them alive. It was common practice to crack open ribs just so they could get to heart to pump it so it kept on beating. With a moment of dread, I realised I was going to have to be a lot more aggressive to save her life.

"Internal haemorrhaging around the stomach," Tattletale whispered softly. "Severed nerves across the shoulder…"

She kept on going in a quiet voice. I took the information quietly but didn't respond. I just dived on deeper, letting the swarm consume me until Glory Girl didn't feel like a person anymore.

Waves of data hit me. It didn't matter how gruesome the data was, I just accepted it. The task was the task, and orders were orders. I broke the problem down into its simplest components, and everything became clear.

Anything that had been cut was stitched. Anything that was in the way was eaten through. Anything that fell apart was pulled together.

At one point, I felt Glory Girl's heartbeat start to flicker. I simply injected enough venom into it to keep it beating, and then kept on going.

This was first aid, not treatment. The number one priority was to save her life, and everything else came second.

It was such a clearly defined objective that my swarm just did it. It wasn't nice, it wasn't sentimental – it was just efficient.

By the time I finally opened my eyes again, I had absolutely no idea how long it had been. Glory Girl was completely hidden underneath a tight, well organised cocoon by my feet, maintained by thousands of insects that were doing everything from watching her heartbeat to pumping her lungs. Glory Girl herself had been put into a coma, nice and secure for transport.

She wasn't healthy – not even slightly – but all of my senses reported the same thing; she was stable.

I gasped softly, slowly returning to my body and becoming aware of my senses as a human again. Tattletale was looking at me, eyes filled with concern. I honestly didn't know what to say.

Slowly, we both turned to stare at the figure lying on the ground. I wasn't sure if the paralytic venom had worn off yet, but he didn't even try to move.

"I'm sorry," Runaway muttered quietly, his voice quaking with emotion as he kept on lying on the ground. "… I can't control it when I go over halfway…"