2.3 Mandibles
My morning was spent preparing. I convinced Brian to rent the vans for the day and early in the morning. I used the opportunity to expand my collecting range to areas I had not been previously. Focusing on collecting more black widow spiders, I repeated the process of collecting that I'd used on my morning runs. Namely, having the spiders mate, lay eggs at a height, then enter into the truck. Given the speed of the truck and my still limited range of a block and change radius, I had to pass by the areas several times before the spiders were done with their tasks. The trick was making sure to return in time to ensure the males were not eaten. I found that if I fed the females first, the males were more likely to survive. Once they were done, I brought them down to the van with bees, wasps, flies, and other filers.
Once I had them in the van, the spiders set to work. At my prime as Weaver, working for the PRT I had several billion black widows producing spider silk bodysuits. I made them in varying sizes, but nothing really custom, except for my active team members in the Chicago Wards. In the van, I had them weave right on me, so this new suite would be a perfect fit, as skin tight as skin tight can get. I had started them on my left foot, leaving my right foot to drive, then switching feet when they had at least a sock.
My current costume had padding in the feet to give me traction and cushioning. I was debating whether to do the same here. I could opt for chitin boots, giving me greater protection on my feet, and making them into a weapon if I tipped the toes, or I could stay light and agile, like my current costume. Most of the bodysuits I had made for the PRT were to act as an underlayer, being the last line of defense for capes with armor, or simply a modesty cover for the capes that were their own armor. I had only ever made chitin armor for Brian and myself. Rachel only ever had the jacket, Lisa wanted to keep the skintight bodysuit, Alec too used it as an underlay with his loose renfair attire overtop. I was considering how to improve their costumes when I got around to making theirs.
For Lisa, I would be making a full face mask. When Jack cut her mouth open, he took away her greatest weapon against him. Really any cape that could shut her up, could effectively neutralized her power. I was considering taking a page from Alec's mask, which had foam padding around the mouth that protected from impact, but still allowed him to speak. I was also considering giving Lisa a full helmet with speakers and an earpiece. I wanted to set all of us up with a wireless communications system for use in the field. I had in mind for Lisa's to be a bit more advanced, able to talk to us without alerting our enemy. Brian could have the same thing. My swarm and swarm speak gave me the same abilities. Rachel would need her face free to whistle to her dogs. Alec could also make use of the system, if I ever got it up and running. I might need help with the wiring and programing, but there were enough tech geeks for hire without even having to use a tinker.
All of this would cost money, but for now I had a backer who already had some of this gear on hand. Sadly, I was still waiting for much of this gear to arrive, but I had been paid. It would have been poor form for me not to have been paid my signing bonus before I was sent out on a job. The $350,000 would help grease the wheels with Blasto. I wanted to keep him paid and happy, mostly to keep him out of trouble. He was vital to my plans, and if he was wanting for money or projects, he might just find himself in a bit of trouble. I had already fucked things up with Accord and was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I didn't expect it to drop on Blasto, but Accord might have some plan where attacking him directly could get him in his services eventually. It would be a concern, but the bug harvesting and upcoming bank job kept me from getting too distracted.
During my driving and planning, my spiders managed to get to my calves before I arrived back at the loft. There I traded out for the ones I had kept on the ground floor, adding nearly a thousand from the first run, and about the same on each of my subsequent nine runs before I had to stop to prepare for the bank job.
By the time I had finished my runs, I had a new set of leggings finished and another 10,000 spiders to add to my warehouse. The trick would be keeping them alive. While present, I could keep them from eating one another. Gone, or asleep was another issue. 11,000 black widows was overpopulation for a single warehouse. It was overpopulation for a single block even. I spread the spent ones out, feeding them on the useless bugs that had also been collected. They headed out, spreading evenly over my block radius, going up and down, and when even that was too dense, I walked outside, bringing them a further block in each direction before I felt comfortable leaving them to their own devices.
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To say I was nervous, was an understatement. So many things seemed off. I couldn't find Dinah anywhere. I had been checking my phone driving around in the morning and hadn't received any missed calls or messages. Not from Dinah and crew, not from Cauldron, nor from Blasto. Dinah and crew weren't supposed to call unless it was an emergency. Cauldron I was worried about. I had assumed Accord would have passed along the message, if nothing else than to get an idea of who he was dealing with. Then again, maybe not. Blasto, I didn't really know how long it would take him to make what I needed. The bugs I didn't really need just yet. I wouldn't be facing off a serious threat for a while. Even still, I was worried about him.
Lisa had noticed my mood, but refrained from commenting. I thought on the change from my own time. Lisa had seen I was nervous then too, but tried comforting me. Here she seemed content to sit. No not really content, more like she seemed uncomfortable with the idea of talking.
"You mentioned yesterday that facing off against Lung is a lot riskier," I interjected into the silence
"A lot."
"Why?"
Lisa turned to look at me with a smile on her face, but I could see in her eyes a bit of hesitation. I knew this to be one of her favorite topics, but her hesitation worried me.
"Think of it as a game, a high stakes variant of cops and robbers. Grown adults running around in costume. Making up code names for themselves. It's ridiculous, and we know it's ridiculous, even if we don't admit it out loud. So there's capes like you and me, where we go out in costume and it's fun. Maybe we have some agenda or goals," she said, pausing to gauge my reaction.
"But at the end of the day, we're getting our thrills, blowing off steam and living a second life. Then there's the crazies. The people who are fucked up in the head, maybe dangerous if there's not something or someone to help keep them in line. The people who take it all too seriously, or those guys you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of, even if they didn't have powers. Lung, Oni Lee, Heartbreaker," she paused again. "Bitch."
"And then there are the S Class Threats," I added. "The soulless motherfuckers who just want to watch the world burn. The Slaughterhouse Nine, Nilbog, Sleeper, and the Endbringers."
"Right," Lisa started again, but with even more hesitation than before. "But you have to understand, ninety percent of what goes on when you're in costume? It's the first group…" she finished, tailing off.
"The Endbringers?" she asked after her pause.
"The Slaughterhouse 9?" Another pause.
"Nilbog?"
"Sleeper?" Her eyebrows shot up after the last name.
I turned to face her and saw that she was turning pale.
"All of them? All the known S class threats?"
"And several more you and the public are not aware of yet," I added. "But those are my agendas, and none of those are anything you need to worry about right now. What worries me right now is why our boss really has us pulling this bank job. The reasons you gave me in the loft are all bullshit and you know it. So why is he really having us pull this job?"
She was still distracted by the six S class threats she now knew were part of my 'agenda'.
"Focus T. We are at the bank we are about to rob. Coil has us pulling this job for more than just the money. Why? What is he after?"
She visibly brought her attention back to the here and now. I could see the effort it took her to reign in her power from such a monumental, earth shattering piece of information, to redirect on something far less interesting, though far more important right now. She looked at me, finally coming back to the present and looked… sheepish?
I raised an eyebrow behind my mask.
"Ok, so you know how you asked me to look into info on those two names?" At my nod she continued. "Well, he gave me a list too. This one was a lot longer, but was basically a list of Medhal employees. He also gave me instructions to keep quiet about it, as in not you, nor anyone else on our team can know about this."
"So he wants to take down the Empire," I mused aloud. I was more surprised the bank job played a part in that. It wasn't until weeks later that he used any of the information. I knew there was still more to this job, Dinah had been proof of that enough. We might still be pulling the job for the reasons Lisa mentioned, but I was still nervous there was something else going on.
"So why tell me now then?" I asked.
"Cause you said you would help me with that little problem."
"I mean, why are you telling me this now, before we pull the job as opposed to earlier this morning."
"He told me right before we left the loft. I was gonna tell you, it was just hard to break the silence, you seemed to be in a bad mood and I didn't want to set you off."
"I'm not in a bad mood. Ok, I am but that isn't directed at you. Well, it is a little now, but I'm not gonna do anything more than be upset with you. I'm not some crazy cape that goes around executing their teammates when they fail, or ship my adversaries off to the CUI when I disagree with them. I don't want you to be afraid to disagree with me."
"Really? 'Cause I tried pushing your buttons in front of the rest of the team once before. Do you remember what you said then?"
"Yeah, I told you not to fuck with me. That's a lot different than us having a disagreement. That was you putting me in a tricky position."
"I was doing you a favor. Did you see the way Brian was smiling at you, rattling off all that information on the local capes?"
I blushed a bit behind my mask. Stupid hormones.
"A thank you would be nice," she smirked, letting me know she wasn't too upset.
"Thanks for that T. I appreciate the gesture, but in the future, please keep my secrets as just that. Secret."
"Aw you're no fun."
"Sure I am."
"Prove it."
I simply smiled as my bugs finished moving into position. Sitting in the vans in the rain, my bugs were less noticeable in their advances into the bank. I had moved the local bugs to congregate in the walls of the bank. After prepositioning them near the cameras, I flashed the vans lights, signaling Brian, Alec, and Rachel, aka Grue, Regent, and Bitch.
"Ready to rob a bank?" I asked Tattletale. Her grin was all the answer I needed.
I hopped out into the rain, bringing my swarm with me from the back of the van. I kept a quarter of the useful bugs I had collected on me, the ones more susceptible to the rain. The rest I divided up and spread them out about the street. We had only had to deal with Glory Girl inside the bank last time. The others were content to take us on the street, so I made sure I had some out there.
I brought up the roaches I had been gathering in the storm drain and set them lining up along several escape paths. It would serve to lessen Vista's powers, were she to show up. My new butterflies were holding fast to me, not having the strength to fly in the rain, nor with the cloud cover. I had other flying bugs providing me with cover.
I looked upon the six story bank. The stone edifice was topped with crenelation on the roof and balconies. Gargoyles guarded the corners, and iron grilles protected the windows. I knew the front would have a grand entrance, with wide stone stairs and status of wild horses. We were entering through the back, so as not to cause direct alarm to the customers.
Grue approached us, covered in his darkness. Regent followed behind with Bitch and her pony-sized dogs bringing up the rear. The camera that pointed at the door and panel we were facing was covered by my bugs. Eventually people might start catching on that this meant trouble, but for now, if anyone was watching the screens, they would be more annoyed with the bugs, than worried this was an attack. I had bugs positioned at all the major cameras that could track our movement. Those were holding back until they were needed. If I covered all the cameras at once, who ever operated them would be able to guess something was up and sound the alarm that much sooner.
Tattletale got to work on the keypad, giving the same explanation and code as the first time around.
"... Voila. Try it." she finished.
I pulled on the door, walking headlong into the space, unconcerned with Grue's hesitation or hand signals. Walking down the corridor I signaled the rooms with people and counted of their numbers. Two here, none here, three here, and another two there…
I waited as Grue and Regent set about collecting them. They dragged them back out to the hallway, marching them in front of two of the dogs, but behind the third. I didn't concern myself with the civilians we had in toe. From the moment we entered the building, we were facing cape involvement. I was covering cameras as we progressed, while reaching out and gathering my swarms in the buildings across the street.
We finished clearing the offices and were approaching the main lobby. Grue stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.
"I know you are new to the team thing, but if I give you a signal to wait, you wait. Understood?"
I nodded, realizing I was forgetting that they weren't the same team I had pulled jobs with just yet. I was used to taking point, given that my bugs gave me a huge tactical advantage on the battlefield. Here and now, Grue was also still in charge, and was working with a virtual unknown.
"Good. Now, you know what to do," he said.
Grue set his darkness into the room followed by my bugs. The workers we had in tow were held back, to be used for another purpose. The cameras were covered by my bugs, but the darkness would make them a moot point while we operated. I had located the alarms and addressed those the same way I dealt with Accords defenses. With bugs having been covertly entering the building while we sat outside, I had every employee marked, along with every customer before we even entered the building. There were many upstairs on the upper floors we had never even bothered with the first time we robbed this bank. They were as unimportant now as they were before.
Walking into the main lobby, Grue and I corralled the people there to the nearest windows, which we had left partially uncovered. The people there were scared, but not panicked. We made sure to spread them out this time. We had messed up last time, keeping them bunched up, as it let Panacea go unnoticed till it was already too late. With civilians visible at the windows, it would also serve to keep the heroes from just charging in, something that would have been helpful against Glory Girl.
With the ground floor sorted, we enacted the next part of the plan. The bugs collected to the center of the room, leaving enough to keep track of the 'hostages'. The darkness was consolidated, and thats when the scared civilians started to panicked. Standing in the center of the room were four monsters. Three were dog shaped, but car sized. The fourth was something that should terrify both capes and civilians. Standing still like a statue, but at over fifteen feet tall, a humanoid wraith looked upon those gathered. Its edges were blurred and the body was blacker than night. Glowing eyes flickered on and off on its face, like blinking eyes. The screams from those gathered were enough to startle the dogs, who barked and growled ferociously, doing little to settle the already terrified crowd.
The form, I had worked on with Grue earlier. My bugs were there to give definition, creating the framework for Grue to fill with his darkness. It allowed a larger mass with less bugs. The trouble we had was with coordinating and maintaining the form where Grue couldn't see it. He couldn't feel his darkness like I could with my bugs. The other drawback was movement. With my bugs hovering in place, he could keep his darkness up. Whenever we tried moving, it took a while before he could get his smoke to settle just right. The darkness trails from the body were cool, but when I moved too fast, or in ways Grue didn't see, the illusion failed, showing a bug frame, hollow on the inside. Still scary, but I had other reasons for wanting to place the wraith here than for crowd control.
The other drawback was that it required Grue to be here, maintaining his darkness. I was still free to move about, and had followed the rest of the group to the vault door. Through my bugs spread about the room I gave my command.
[Stay where I placed you and no harm will come to you.]
I didn't need to tell them the 'or else'. Looking upon a wraith, darkness descending from his body, no one moved. There were those who openly wept. Others stood frozen. One girl about my size fainted at the sight, collapsing to the ground. I had other things to worry about. The seven employes we had in tow were my responsibility. I kept them in my sights, not that I needed to, but because I didn't want it known yet that I didn't need to.
Tattletale got to work on the door while I stood guard over the employees. The handgun holstered at my waist deterred them from doing anything stupid. It was odd really, my powers were far more dangerous than a handgun, but I guess they understood what the gun could do better than the bugs. Taking these employees hostage like this, had been my idea, and so I was in charge of them.
It took a few minutes for Tattletale to get the vault open, but when she did, I nudged the employees forward. They were reluctant at first, but when Bitch called over Brutus, they scrambled ahead of the car sized dog.
"You four will collect money into these bags," I said tossing them the canvas bags we had been supplied for this job.
"You three," I said, indicating the remaining three employees, "will start opening the filing cabinets and safety deposit boxes and fill these bags," I said, handing the biggest one a crowbar and indicating the filing cabinets lining the wall opposite the stacks of money. "Don't be a hero. That crowbar won't be effective against me," I said tapping my chitin facemask, "And the dogs would only think its a chew toy," I finished, looking at Brutus.
Bitch scowled at my comment but didn't turn to look from where she was strapping the rigging to the dog in question. Brutus turned his head our way and growled, emphasizing my point.
I stood there for a minute for the 'minions' to start working. They were bagging money, but slowly. They took a few tries getting the first file drawer open. Regent and Bitch started grabbing some of the money but I stopped them.
"No, you two are overseers. Let the bank workers do the grunt work. Conserve your strength for the capes when they come."
Regent hopped back up on a stack of money that wasn't being packed up and started twirling his scepter. Bitch just grunted and dropped the bag she had started to fill. Satisfied, I left the room to check in with Tattletale.
I found her typing madly on a computer in the senior managers office.
"We don't leave until you're done," I said.
"Right. Pressure is on."
"Not what I meant. I mean we will stand our ground until you are done."
She paused to look up at me.
"That important?" she asked.
I didn't reply, only turning back to the vault where I could feel something starting with my bugs. Walking into the room, I could see what I had already felt, four employees bagging money, one employee struggling with the second filing cabinet, and the other two just standing around, waiting for the second cabinet to be opened.
Walking into the room I drew my taser and used it on the back of the man working on the cabinet. The employe collapsed to the ground with a sigh. I picked up his crowbar and opened the door myself. I threw my full weight against the bar, not wanting to have to struggle, nor look to weak in front of the other 'minions'. The screech of metal indicated the drawer opening. I turned back to the two taskless employes and tossed the nearest the crowbar.
"Don't fuck with us," I said, stepping over their downed co-worker. Regent merely cocked his head, looking at the scene from atop the stack of bills he was perched on. Bitch looked at me toe to tip. I stood my ground as she appraised me. She grunted to herself then turned to take the first full sack.
After what I did to the first employee, his fellows worked with renewed vigor. The bags filled quickly, with Bitch calling Judas, followed by Angelica shortly after.
It was when we were loading the last bag that I felt Tattletale jump.
"White hats are here, I still need another five minutes," she called out, paging the phone nearest to me from the managers office. It was still eiry sometimes to be around her power. This was one of those times.
[Take your time. They won't come in the bank, not with the civilians pressed up against the windows. I'll give the others the heads up though. Who do we have.] I tried asking through my bugs. Everything just came out monotone, without any inflection or indication I was asking a question.
"We have Aegis, Vista, Browbeat, and Shadowstalker. They also have a flyer on the roof, Gallant or Kidwin maybe?"
[Noted,] I replied, so thankful that my bugs couldn't carry inflection for my response. Kidwin, Gallant, and Clockblocker were nowhere in sight. Neither were Panacea, nor Glory Girl. The five Wards would not be a difficult fight for us. Hearing Aegis was here though, sent off all kinds of alarms in my mind. Two possibilities were running through my mind. One would mean doom. The other, assured success. It all hinged on who was really behind that mask.
"We will be leaving shortly. Bitch, your priority is getting the dogs out with haul. Regent, keep a sharp eye. We have an unknown cape on the roof. Aegis, Vista, Shadow Stalker, and Browbeat are on the ground. I'll give the heads up when we are to move."
"I can take them. Just have Grue let me go all out," Bitch replied, eyes focusing more intently on me.
"No need. We have a plan for escape, and getting the money out is higher priority than starting a fight." Putting action to words, I started moving my bugs into position.
"Coward," she called out, as I walked out to the main hall to Grue.
"Capes are here, we need to get moving now. And you were right about Browbeat." he said, having seen their arrival through the windows.
"We need more time loading the money," I lied. "We had issues with one of the employees."
Grue looked at me hard.
"I took care of him. He won't be causing us any problems, and neither will the Wards outside. They seem content to wait in the rain, I'm content to wait in here. We have hostages along the windows. They can't even enter without putting them at risk."
"You calling the shots then?" He asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
"Merely letting you know where we stand, and what I expect our opponents to do," I replied.
"Thanks, sorry it's just weird with you here now," he finished, not realizing exactly what he said. I stood there a bit, waiting for him to get it.
He didn't.
He seemed more focused on the wraith that was positioned facing out, towards the street and the Wards.
Turning to look outside at the capes, I saw a face that gave me pause. Pressed against the wall, wrapped in his mother's arms, was Aiden. His face had tears streaking down his cheeks, and his eyes were red and puffy. His mother noticed my stares and pulled him closer to her.
I looked away, not wanting to worry her. I found myself lost in thought… Aiden had lost his mother and possibly his father, having to stay with me and Charlotte in my lair after the Leviathan attack. Could I do anything to change that? I couldn't warn them, not outright. I could make them flee. Threaten them. It would make me a monster, but I had already accepted I might be labeled one with what I had planned.
My musings were cut off as a bolt shot through the window and pierced my 'head', killing bugs, among them a firefly I was using to create glowing eyes.