The rain had stopped ten minutes ago.
Colin glanced up at the sky, wiping away the last droplets of water from his visor. The overcast was peeling away, now, revealing patches of blue sky, and sunlight began to stream in through the cracks, bathing the bay in a warm glow. It painted an almost tranquil picture; it was a stark contrast to the horrors that began just under an hour ago.
Something moved in the corner of his eye, and he looked back down to see Panacea rising to her feet. She had stayed home for the fight, waiting until it was over before coming to handle the aftermath. It made sense; there was nothing she could've offered to the fight directly, and she was too valuable to lose.
The healer washed her hands of blood, then turned back to him. "I've staunched the blood loss, and I managed to grow some skin over your stump. No bone fragments, either, so there's no risk of a nasty surprise in the future."
"Thank you," he said, glancing down at his leg.
Panacea sighed. "Sorry I can't do any more, but I don't have biomass to work with, and there are others who need my attention."
"That's alright," Colin replied, almost absentmindedly.
Panacea left after a moment's pause, heading over to where Miss Militia was nursing a broken leg. There were other wounded nearby, propped up by friends and enemies alike. It was a common enough sight, after an Endbringer battle; oftentimes the medical care had to be done right in the field, and here was no different.
Well, there was one major difference.
There still had been no sight of either Leviathan or Superwoman since she took the fight out to the bay, nearly fifteen minutes ago. It was quite likely that she had died fighting the beast off, or that the Endbringer simply decided to retreat. Still, many had begun to wonder if someone like her could be taken out so easily; after all, Leviathan had never been dealt so much damage by only one cape.
His musings were interrupted when Dragon came over. Her suit was damaged, with many armor panels missing, but it was still functional. It had shed a great deal of mass after the fight was over, and was now only the size of a small car.
She sat down beside him, leaning back on some rubble. They had a good look of the bay, now; the waters were returning to a placid blue, and already the PRT was at work, looking for survivors and minimizing damage.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better than before," he replied, sighing. "Still trying to get used to the idea of missing a leg."
"I might be able to help with that," Dragon said. "I've been researching advanced prosthesis for some time; you could get a new leg that'd be better than the old one."
He glanced her way. "I believe you mentioned that before, when you were discussing cybernetics with me. Could I see your notes, after this is over?"
"I'd be happy to." She paused for a few moments, then continued. "I don't think she's out of it, just yet."
"Oh?"
"Do you recall what I showed you, about Richter's notes?"
"It was at the back of my mind, but I do remember," Colin replied. "I was interrupted by the crisis at the Docks."
"Well, I wanted to tell you something, and I think now is a good time." Dragon took a deep breath, then sighed. "I believe that she's extraterrestrial in nature."
He sat straight up. "You're joking."
"Would I joke about this? That object Richter examined contained technology that puts tinkers to shame. Trust me; I know how tinkertech works, and that wasn't it. It was so..."
"Alien?" Colin finished.
"Precisely. It had to be from another world."
"But does that automatically mean that Superwoman's an alien?"
"There's more information, but I don't think I should discuss it around here." She gestured at the nearby capes and PRT officers. "It's... sensitive."
Colin nodded slowly. "I see."
Before he could ask anything else, there was a bright flash in the sky, and he reflexively put a hand over his eyes. The sun must be finally showing, now that the overcast was going away. Glancing down at the watch built into his armor, he saw that it was just past noon.
As more of the clouds drifted away, however, he realized that it wasn't sunlight.
A glowing cloud was spreading across the sky, expanding rapidly. After only a few moments, it took up almost a quarter of the sky, obscuring the Moon from sight. Colin had to avert his eyes from the epicenter; it outshone even the sun, if only briefly. Around him, hero and villain alike gasped as they looked upward at the spectacle.
For a brief moment, he recalled an old documentary he watched years back, which discussed the detonation of nuclear weaponry in space. Apparently, the US once fired an atomic weapon into the upper reaches of the atmosphere, where it promptly fried half of the satellites in orbit. The cloud he saw now reminded him of that grainy footage, and a cold feeling formed in his gut.
Finally, the light faded, and he lowered his hand. The cloud now took up half of the sky, but it had dimmed considerably, to the point where it was almost invisible. There were a few flickers of green light, and he realized that the first particles were hitting the ionosphere. He felt exposed, now; there was no telling how much radiation was now saturating the area.
"Look!" someone called, pointing upward. "Look, up in the sky!"
Others joined in, a wave of gasps rolling across the crowd. Some pulled out cellphones to take pictures, while a PRT officer produced a video camera. Looking up again, Colin realized that a figure was coming down from the sky, carrying two large objects with it. He couldn't tell who it was; the noon sun silhouetted its form, obscuring it in shadow.
Finally, the figure lowered, and Colin gasped. It was her. Bloodied, battered, with several tears in her uniform, but it was her. His jaw hung open at the sight, especially when he realized just what she was carrying.
Superwoman descended to the ground, cape fluttering behind her, and dropped Leviathan's head on the ground.
There was no mistaking it, despite the massive burns and gashes covering its crocodilian skin. Leviathan stared lifelessly at him, the light faded from its burnt eyes. Steam rose from where it fell onto the flooded street, and parts of it still glowed a dull orange. It had been roughly torn off at the neck, with jagged pieces of crystalline flesh protruding from the stump. No ichor poured forth from the wound; it had already been bled out.
"Is... everyone... safe?" Superwoman said, her voice hoarse.
There was no response; the defenders stared at her with wide eyes, mouths agape. She looked at them all, then managed a weak smile.
"All that really matters."
Then, she collapsed.
For a moment, everyone just watched, as if their awe had paralyzed them. There may have been a twinge of fear behind it as well; there was no telling how well she'd be able to handler her strength.
"Somebody get a stretcher!" a PRT officer finally bellowed. "She needs medical attention!"
Colin sat up, eyes wide as he watched Superwoman struggle to a kneeling position, a hand clamped over her stomach. Bright pink blood trickled from cuts on her face and hands, staining the water, and her face was covered in bruises. A nearby defender knelt at her side, helping her up, and Legend flew over to get the other. Together, they hoisted her to her feet, while a stretcher was wheeled over.
"Easy, easy," Legend said, as they set her down on the stretcher. "It's going to be fine."
"No... doctors..." Superwoman hissed, getting to a sitting position. "I'll be fine."
"Miss, you're injured," a PRT EMT said, producing a needle. "Sit back so we can get an IV in."
"Do you... really think... that you'd be able to prick me... with that?"
The EMT paused, giving Superwoman enough time to suddenly jump off the stretcher. Before anyone could say something, or make a token attempt to stop her, she was gone. A sonic boom rolled across the street, strangely subdued.
Silence reigned. People turned their attention once more to the head of Leviathan, which had finally cooled. A nearby cape tentatively moved forward and knocked a fist against Endbringer's remains, as if to confirm that it was indeed dead.
Another moment passed, then the cheering began.
S
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Topic: LEVIATHAN KILLED
In: Boards ► World News ► Endbringers ► Main
derpritter (Original Poster) (Veteran Member)
Posted On Oct 1st 2010:
WTF. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. LINK IS HERE.
Ahem.
Here's the news for those who didn't catch what happened, or if the site crashed.
• Providence is alerted of an Endbringer attack, most likely Leviathan. Fairly standard, as attacks by giant unstoppable monsters go.
• Defenders gather. Protectorate is there as usual, and local capes make a showing. Os Navegadores, the premiere team in the Azores, also come along for the ride. Recent upstart in Brockton Bay, called Superwoman, also appears.
• Leviathan attacks early. Green Dragon appears, and shit hits the fan. Big time. Several defenders are killed, which is pretty standard. The hard target is broken, and the Endbringer gets in.
• This is where shit gets real. Superwoman suddenly knocks Leviathan into the bay, and reports confirm that she dropped a fucking island on the thing. Oh, but it doesn't stop there. No, she drags it out into outer space, and fucking obliterates the thing, which was the lightshow everyone on the entire freaking hemisphere saw.
• Not more than 20 minutes passes before Superwoman comes back down from space, carrying Leviathan's fucking head in one hand, and some chunk of crystal in the other.
That's all I'm saying for now; there might be more I don't know at the moment.
(Showing page 345 of 347)
►StarSpawn (Veteran Member)
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
No fucking way.
►TimeDiver (Wiki Warrior)
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
troll
►mistakenot
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
This can't be real. Is it?
►JLF65
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Seriously? How the fuck did this happen?
►ShadowCub (Veteran Member)
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
FUCK YEA! EAT IT LEVIATHAN!
►Bailey Matutine
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Fucking A. Scion didn't do this?
►Terrace
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Nope. Everything confirms it was Superwoman.
►Ramenth
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Did anyone see the pictures. Holy shit that's badass.
►Meikyuu (Kyushu Survivor)
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Japan has been avenged.
►TheLastOne (Veteran Member)
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Un-fucking believable. I just saw a video of that Superwoman coming down with the head.
►Grognan
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Did anyone see the flashes in the sky?
►caezlinnorm
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
I'm pretty sure half the fucking planet saw that, dude.
►MS-21H 'Hawke'
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
I can't believe this actually happened. How did it happen?
►Selias
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Does it really matter?
►GBscientist (Veteran Member) (Wiki Warrior)
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Holy shit. I'm pretty sure those flashes were gigaton or more, if they could be seen as far away as HEO.
►grey
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
holy fuk r u kidding me
►sparhawk
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
wow
►crystalwatcher
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Did anyone see how young that girl looked?
►Nemonowan
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Cripes, she looks younger than my kid.
►MasterXellos
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
This message has been deleted due to inflammatory statements. Enjoy your one-month ban. -Tin Mother
►Jake Snake
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Any news on the Green Dragon?
►andy_710
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Apparently it slinked away after Leviathan got hit into orbit.
►XanatosGambit86
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
I can't believe I'm actually alive in a time where an Endbringer gets destroyed. Especially by someone who isn't Scion, no less.
►kojiro kokita (Kyushu Survivor)
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
May the Leviathan rot in hell.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3
(Showing page 346 of 347)
►MrGazzer
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Shit, the video's already at fifty million views.
►esseresse
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
I tried to watch, but Youtube crashed. :(
►Omega Cloud
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
There's probably a hundred different websites with the video.
►General TheDyingTitan
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
I wouldn't be surprised if they crashed, too.
►Kailenn
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
One down, two more to go.
►DesertChocolate
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Hell yes! Go Superwoman!
►Leteatbee
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Video's already up at 100 million. Holy fuck.
►Harry Kiri
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Well, I'm pretty sure Providence is going to be real famous soon.
►Amberion
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
What's the casualty list?
►Gorgoneion
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Capes: 6
Civvies: ~200
►SpiralAK (Veteran Member)
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Most of those were probably when the Newport Bridge fell, too.
►Arafell
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
That's gotta be the lowest ever, right?
►Essus
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Amberion: Man, there's a lot in that little state. Littlest state, biggest shit happening right now.
►Cheezuz_TheGodOfCheese
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Any status on Superwoman? I'm pretty sure I saw her collapse before the video ended.
►kurohyokitsune
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Dunno. Report says she flew off. Hope she's ok.
►Nidhoeggr
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Crazy shit happening right now. I wonder what they're going to do with Leviathan's head.
►HotaruSama
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Destroy it. I don't want there to be a massive exhibit for that thing when my uncle didn't even have a headstone.
►Tammin
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Maybe we should study it first. It had to have a weakness, right?
►Alayn
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Based on those bright flashes? Probably hitting it really hard.
►insignia33
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Video's just broken 200 million views.
►lordamnesia
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
So, did Scion finally get usurped after three decades of awesomeness?
►Stíobhan
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
I don't see any Endbringer heads under his belt, do I?
►happydeath
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
The versus debates just exploded right now.
►ImperfectHusband
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
I'm excited, but I'm also scared at the same time. All of that power, contained in a teenaged girl?
►Heraldoftruth
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
This comment has been deleted due to inappropriate humor. Enjoy your one-day ban. -Tin Mother
End of Page. 345, 346, 347
(Showing page 347 of 347)
►Aliceisdead
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Period jokes. Really?
Anyway, I wonder what Superwoman's going to do next.
►Firkraag
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
What's with the 'S' on her chest?
►baofengyu
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
It means hope, apparently.
►Rocag
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Very appropriate at the moment.
►Athelmar
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Link here. Apparently Japan exhausted their entire supply of sake, and Russia's almost through their vodka reserves.
►Dyn
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Can't blame them. Work closed early for the celebrations, and I'm going to pour myself a scotch right now.
►Scherazade
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Count me in.
►Prester Fred
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
CNN is running a segment on the fight; they have even better footage of the whole thing.
►Kalzky
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
I hope she gets the Simurgh next. Or maybe the Slaughterhouse Nine.
►Unstorpable
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Or Nilbog!
►Name
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
There's also the Three Blasphemies. And Sleeper.
►Tenkmaku
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
I'd like for her to go after the African warlords.
►Viral AI
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Super-Punches for everyone!
►cedeelbe
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
Speaking of, there's a cool gif of her hitting Leviathan halfway across RI.
►Loiosh
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
I'm wallpapering that.
►an_Aquarian
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
I'm so giddy right now. Oh, and can we rename it the Superwoman package?
►BrotherDeath
Replied On Oct 1st 2010:
In all due seriousness, I'm wondering what the world's new darling is up to right now.
End of Page. 345, 346, 347
S
Weld came across Clockblocker sitting on a curb, eating frozen lemonade.
The Ward had taken off his helmet, despite the fact that he was sitting in front of some restaurant called Gregg's. Admittedly, there was nobody around to see his face; everyone was either home, or returning home from the shelters. A city of more than a hundred thousand, made a ghost town.
"I didn't realize how hungry I was until I tasted this," Clockblocker said between gulps. "Some vendor gave it to me on the house before he left. Said that 'only the heathens in Massachusetts use straws'. It's a godsend after all the shit we just went through."
"Tell me about it."
"How're you feeling, man? I saw what Leviathan did to you; is everything alright?"
Weld touched a hand to his stomach, tracing the crude 'scar' where he'd been pulled in half. It hadn't hurt, but it was still a terrifying experience, to face your own mortality in a moment.
"I'll be fine," he finally said. "Anyway, you should finish quick. We're heading back in fifteen minutes."
"Makes sense." Clockblocker paused to eat from a plate of chocolate cake. "Fuggin nutsh, wusht Shooperwoman did."
Weld smiled. "It's unreal, isn't it?"
A chuckle. "Tell me about it. I grew up hearing about Leviathan, and how no-one had been able to stop it. I was kinda used to the idea of it just being there, you know? You can fight it, but you can't stop it. Now, though? Everything's changed."
"Hopefully, it's for the best," Weld said. "Let's get going, before Armsmaster gets impatient."
"They called this cake 'Death by Chocolate'; I ain't leaving until I finished it all."
Weld gave a small laugh. "Alright. You've earned it. We all earned a break."
With that, he turned away, and his smile faded. He had no heart beating in his chest, no hot blood rushing through his veins, but he could still feel anxiety. He could still feel worry, and he never knew how strong of an emotion it could be until that moment.
He needed to be back in Brockton Bay, as soon as possible.
S
It was a simple matter to scoop up some blood; it was another to do so discreetly.
Thankfully, there were plenty of distractions. The Protectorate and PRT were occupying themselves with getting people safely out of their shelters, and the villains had already retreated to their territories, though it'd be some time before they resumed illicit activities.
She pretended to simply walk her suit over the puddle of bright pink blood, making sure that the small scoop was as well-hidden as possible. Once that was done, she continued strolling forward, heading towards Kennedy Plaza. Already, scanners inside of her suit were beginning analysis; she'd finally have definitive proof of the truth.
Suddenly, she paused.
It was clear that Superwoman didn't want the truth to get out. Whatever her reason, it was her choice to make, and it was something Dragon could sympathize with. She, too, wouldn't want anyone to reveal her nature without her consent.
Dragon already had a good grip on the reality of the situation. The sigil, the blood's color; the pieces were easy to put together and form a picture. The analysis of the blood would be the clincher, the thing that forced the world to acknowledge said picture without a healthy dose of skepticism. After all, even in a world where men could fly and shoot fire from their hands, logic still ruled. Occam's Razor was still in effect.
There was something else at play. She had to obey the law, even if she disagreed with it; Richter had placed that as one of her shackles. She was certain she already knew Superwoman's identity, especially after she had found more of her creator's notes. If the PRT had enough reason to ask her for the identity, she'd be forced to give it up.
After a moment's pause, she activated her suit's incinerator.
Whatever protective effects Superwoman's body was under, they didn't extend that far to the blood. Perhaps it was cut off from some source of energy, or it was a quirk of her biology. Regardless, it only took a minute for the cells to be destroyed.
In that time, however, a cursory analysis came in. Dragon briefly studied it, then paused. It included basic data about Superwoman's cellular structure, but there was something about it...
No. That didn't make any sense. There had to be an explanation; there was no way that could be possible...
Nonetheless, the data stared her in the face.
Nearly a minute passed before she went to rejoin the others; during that time, her mind reeled from the revelation.
I have to ask her. I need to ask her.
At the same time, however, there was a great risk involved. Pandora's Box had already been opened by that small analysis alone; there was no turning back, now. If she did it, she'd need to make sure it was done all the way, without any complications.
Engine flaring to life, she began the flight back to her base. Providence fell away beneath her, and she began to initiate her transfer programs en route.
She'd need to make a quick change before she did anything else.
S
It took longer than he would've liked, getting back to the city. The taxi to the neighborhood was even worse; there were drunken revelers crowding the streets, celebrating the death of an Endbringer. He could understand why, but it did little to temper his impatience.
He stepped out onto the curb, and the taxi drove off. He waited a few moments, then began to walk. The neighborhood was quiet, especially in comparison to the downtown area. There, they had even set up a massive TV screen to loop Superwoman's descent over and over again. Nighttime had come swiftly; the likelihood of being spotted was slim, especially in a place like this.
The house was quiet when he strolled up the porch steps, taking care to distribute his weight so they wouldn't snap. A bicycle that hadn't been there before was leaning against the banister, and he frowned.
Pausing for a moment, he took a deep breath, then knocked.
There was a moment's pause, then a lanky man opened the door a crack. He was balding, with a pair of glasses perched over his nose, and one could tell that the years had taken their toll on him.
"Yes?" the man asked.
"Hello, sir. My name's Weld; you might've seen me in the papers. You're Danny Hebert, right?"
"Yes," Danny replied. "Now, is something wrong?"
"I'm Taylor's boyfriend."
Danny paled. "She didn't tell me anything about you."
"She was going to introduce me to you, before I had to leave for the Leviathan fight, and she hasn't returned any of my calls. By the way, did you hear the good news, sir?"
"Y-yeah, I did. Crazy stuff." Danny sighed, rubbing his eyes; his forehead was covered in a sheen of sweat. "Look, Taylor's not home at the moment. She's-"
"Sir, there's blood on your floor," Weld said, flatly.
A pause. Danny glanced down, a look of resignation on his face, then opened the door. Weld stepped inside, brushing past him, and the door shut.
It wasn't hard to find her; one needed to only follow the blood on the floor. Taylor had laid down on the couch with enough force to break it in half, more of her blood smearing the wall beside her. Her breathing was ragged, little more than a rasp, and she winced with every rise of her chest. A girl with red hair was by her side, applying bandages, only to back away when Weld stepped into view.
She had been hastily dressed in her nightclothes, but the bloodied uniform right by her on the floor was damning enough. The sigil was unmistakable, even when partially hidden beneath a pillow. Weld stopped to look at it, before kneeling down by the couch. He saw that a pair of glasses was clutched tightly in her hands.
"Taylor," Weld said, his voice soft. "Taylor, it's me."
She creaked an eye open, inhumanly blue, and looked at him.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.