Interludes 2:

-Emma-

"Please, Emma, don't think you're fooling anyone." the strange girl whispered. These people, Taylor's supposed new friends, they were throwing a wrench into everything. Taylor had been reacting to Emma's jabs, and then they showed up and...no one seemed to know how to handle them.

"What?" Emma responded, just as quietly.

"I know exactly what you've done, what you've continued to do." the girl said. "I wonder what could make someone turn on a friend...maybe you felt you outgrew her? That you're better than her? Stronger?"

Emma flinched, and saw the girl grin in response. "There it is." she said. "You have such obvious tells. Don't take up poker. Anyway, let me tell you...you're weak. Far weaker than Taylor is. Trust me."

Emma could feel herself shaking. Who was this girl to say these things? She...she didn't know anything. If she had, she would know how much she just fucked up. If Taylor had just fought back, then...

"And that weakness has driven your best friend away. Have fun living with that. And keep a look out for gangs while traveling around. I hear the ABB is getting a bit rambunctious lately."

With that, the girl walked over to Taylor, grabbed her arm, and the group left. Emma wanted to run to join Sophia and Madison, but couldn't get her legs to move. After a few moments, she heard the pair approach.

"What was that?" Madison asked. "Who were they, and why were they with Hebert?"

"I don't know..." Sophia said. "They...there's no way Arcadia is looking into the locker thing. They wouldn't bother."

Emma shook her head, but didn't speak.

"Emma? You there?" Madison asked. "What did that girl say to you?"

Finally, Emma found her voice. "I...she...I need to go." she said. That whole conversation, the girl calling her weak, saying she drove Taylor away, mentioning the ABB, it had all torn at Emma. The last thing she needed was for people to see her like this.

She started to walk away, only to feel Sophia's hand gripping her arm. She looked angry. "Emma, where are you going?" she asked.

"I...I need to go home." Emma said. "I just...can't..."

"Emma, we don't run." Sophia said. "You're stronger than that, right? I thought you were a hunter, not prey."

Emma opened her mouth to retort, but...she couldn't. She hated what she was feeling, so helpless. It was like that girl had known the exact words to speak to mess with her.

Emma turned wordlessly from her friends and headed down the hall. She would go to the office and phone her mother, and she would go home and think. She could get past this.

She had too. She was strong.

-Armsmaster-

"They're going too far." Armsmaster said, pacing the room. "This isn't just starting a fight. They may as well have requested a kill order."

"Well, I say we give them what they want." Assault said. "They've hurt countless people, which is bad enough, but busting Lung out? That's too far."

Armsmaster didn't miss the wry smile Battery had on her face when she heard Assault's condemnation of breaking a criminal out of jail. "It complicates things. If it were just Bakuda blowing up half of the city, or just Lung escaping, it would be more easily managed, but..."

"Both at once? It's a bit much." Miss Militia said. "Three hours of constant bombing, and the ABB as a whole is going all out. If we don't find a way to put this down, fast..."

Armsmaster nodded. "Exactly. So, any ideas?"

"One." Armsmaster groaned as he turned and saw Emily Piggot and Thomas Calvert entering the room. The latter was the one who had spoken. Armsmaster nodded for the man to continue.

"I have received information that the villains of the city are planning a meeting." Calvert said. "To discuss the ABB situation themselves. As I understand it, the territories that they lay claim to have been affected by Bakuda's assaults. I'd wager that they all take up arms against Lung and his gang."

"So, you're proposing we just...let them duke it out?" Assault asked.

"Not at all. I propose we do the same. An alliance amongst the heroes of the city." Calvert said. "Director Piggot agrees. If we reach out to New Wave and the Undersiders, and assault the ABB with our combined forces, I believe we'll be able to eliminate them as a concern before the weekend is over."

Armsmaster groaned a bit. "Bringing in the private teams may be...difficult. They operate differently than the PRT and Protectorate do." he said.

"Different may be what we need." Piggot said. "If this continues, there may not be a city left to protect."

Armsmaster sighed. "You're right, of course, Director." he said.

"Excellent, then I assume you're all on board?" Calvert asked. There were affirmative murmurs throughout the gathered heroes. "I'll make the appropriate arrangements and reach out to New Wave and the Undersiders."

Armsmaster watched them walk away. "Miss Militia, please alert the Wards that we should expect guests at some point soon." he said. "The rest of you are dismissed. Get ready for an all out confrontation with the ABB."

Armsmaster excused himself from the room, leaving before even Miss Militia did. He needed to get to his workshop and prepare.

He wasn't looking forward to this. New Wave was one thing, there was a history there. They had collaborated many times, but The Undersiders? They were an unknown. Especially there newest member, Skitter.

He groaned as he recalled the two days of scrutiny he had endured, the suspension, as a result of the combination of tranquilizers and venom that had been pumped into Lung. It wasn't entirely the girls fault, but...it wasn't entirely his, either.

He shook his head as he entered his workshop. No matter. He needed to prepare. Lung would be recaptured, along with Bakuda and Oni Lee. And this time, they would all be sent to the Birdcage.

-Sophia-

"Alright, Wards." Miss Militia said. "A decision has been reached. We will be acting against the ABB."

Sophia smiled. Great. After all that shit with Hebert today, I could use a little stress relief.

"When are we going out?" Aegis asked.

"Unknown. We are calling together the cities heroes, to strike with the full force of the city." Miss Militia said. "New Wave and The Undersiders are being invited here so that we can pitch the collaboration to them. You should all be aware so that you can be in costume when they arrive."

Sophia's smile left her face. She wouldn't get any action just yet, and she would have to deal with even more heroes. New Wave was almost as lame as the Wards, and The Undersiders...

Well, they were closer to what real heroics were, in her opinion, but they still lacked that edge. She had faced off with Grue, their acting leader, when he first showed up in the city. His power had messed with hers, and he was an okay fighter, but he had lacked that killer instinct.

Whatever. she thought. I'll still get to go out and fuck up some scumbags. She turned to go to her room to get into her costume, wanting to be ready when they showed up. She glanced quickly at her phone, seeing that Emma still hadn't responded to her texts. She shook her head.

Maybe she's not as strong as I thought.

Sophia tossed her phone onto her bed and set about getting changed. She hoped the other groups got here soon. She had a lot of aggression to work out.