Part 25:
I hesitated for a moment as I approached the Towers. I floated at the 11th floor for a moment, peeking into the window that I was closest to, before deciding to just phase in. I was fortunate enough that there was no one present as I entered.
I pulled out my phone and began typing.
"Is now really the best time to try and make plans for the night, Hebert?" Sophia asked.
"Texting Lethe." I said, rolling my eyes. "Don't need the shit right now, Sophia. Kind of on edge."
"Yeah? Taking on a whole team of Capes doesn't phase you, but two does?"
"She kind of has a point." Tattletale said.
"I get it." Aegis said. "Kaiser and Purity carry more weight with their names. The leader of the Empire and the strongest Blaster in the city..."
I nodded. At least he understood.
I cast Sophia away and brought Alabaster back out, then made my way toward the stairs. As I approached, I could hear someone walking down the stairs. I stopped, holding my breath. If they stopped here, got off at this floor...
Or if it was Kaiser and Purity...
No, that didn't make sense. Purity would fly out of the building, Kaiser would have louder footsteps with his armor. Unless he got rid of it when he came here...
Whoever it was passed quickly, and I stepped into the stairwell. A quick glance down revealed an older man in a suit. He didn't match Kaiser at all. I let out a sigh of relief. I started climbing the stairs.
"This is risky, you know?" Aegis asked. "I don't know if you're aware, but moves like this, attacking people in their homes? It's not done. Not since Fleur back in the days of the Brockton Bay Brigade."
I nodded. Everyone knew that story. Fleur was killed in her own home not too long after the Brigade revealed their identities. "I know, but that story doesn't really take away from my resolve. It was an Empire Cape who killed her, right?"
Aegis nodded. "It was, but...listen, you have enough of a reputation. Do you really want this added to it?"
"If it means no more Empire, if it means everyone is safer, then yes. I'll take that hit to my reputation."
"And if someone decides it's safe to go after your civilian ID?" Alabaster asked. "Turnabout is fair play and all that."
I looked down, stopping in the middle of the flight of stairs. "I...guess I'll need to be careful, then." I said. I could hear someone step into the stairway a couple of floors down. I started moving again.
"If I don't give them anything to track me down with, then I don't need to worry..."
I reached the 13th floor and pushed the door open, stepping into the hall.
"Listen, you don't have to do this." Alabaster said. "You don't know what Kaiser and Purity are capable of, you know? You could back off, just..."
"Stop." I said. "You can't convince me otherwise. I'm finishing this."
"They're too strong, you know that. Kaiser wouldn't have lasted this long if he weren't..." Alabaster said.
"No...you know that they can't beat me." I said, stopping in front of room 13E. "You know it, too. You're trying to stop me. Some sense of duty to your old team. But it won't work."
Alabaster turned to Tattletale and growled. "I hate your power."
"Anyone could tell what you were trying." Aegis said.
I swapped Aegis for Sophia, and phased through the door. As soon as I was through, I could hear the conversation that was underway.
"...nt me to risk my life, risk everything to put me in that psycho's line of sight?" A woman's voice. Purity. They were in the living room, around the corner from where I stood. I glanced around, taking in the room. I noticed a few cards on the fridge for an interior decorator. Kayden Anders.
That was her. I knew it. It all added up. Max Anders was the CEO of Medhall. A connection between them further than being on the same team.
"You would rather leave such a menace on the loose? Claiming more Capes by the day. You may not have a blood relation to Theodore..."
His voice rose as he said the name. I was able to put it together easily. His son, who was listening, who wasn't Purity's son.
"And Aster? One day, she'll trigger. It's almost guaranteed. Could you bear the thought of her being claimed?"
A pause.
"I know what you're doing. Trying to use Aster and Theo against me. But you...this is what you always do. Trying to manipulate people, and...and what you've done to Theo. I mean, he's locked in his room and..."
"Kayden, you left to be a hero..." Kaiser said. That gave me pause. Purity...had given up on the Empire and tried to go straight? "What better way to cement that reputation than to eliminate a threat of this level. You remember what it was like when Glaistig Uaine was active. If you played a part in her defeat, then all of your past actions would be overlooked, and..."
He took a deep breath, but it was an act. I could tell, and part of me assumed Purity knew, too.
"I would owe you a great deal, Kayden. I know that you don't care about the Empire anymore, but this girl claimed people who you once considered friends and allies. She would claim everyone who remains if she could."
"Ooh, he's making so many assumptions about you." Tattletale said. "He is a good actor, though."
"If you help me, Kayden, then I would give you anything you desire."
"Ooh, that sneaky bastard..." Tattletale said.
"I've never heard him like this." Alabaster said.
"Anything? Really?" Purity asked.
"Anything at all. You have my word."
Shit, he's winning her over.
I took a deep breath and stepped further into the apartment, casting Sophia aside for Hookwolf. "Nice speech, Kaiser." I said. I could see both of them stiffen as soon as I spoke. "Too bad it's all just manipulative shit."
Purity looked terrified, Kaiser radiated anger. "How did you find this place?"
"One of your lackeys was kind enough to spill the details on where you went after I busted up the party at Medhall." I said. "I'd say you can deal with that later, but they're all already in PRT custody, so you won't really have the chance."
I was interrupted by a blade bursting from the floor and striking me through the chest. The wound revealed the mass of blades that had replaced my innards. I stepped back, letting the blade come loose. Alabaster's power kicked in and sealed up the wound. "Nice try."
Kaiser stepped back, glancing slightly toward Purity. I looked at her too. "My issue is with Empire 88. If you're no longer a part of their ranks, and are no longer a villain, then you're safe."
She relaxed slightly, but was still on edge. That was as much because of Kaiser as it was me.
I turned my attention back to him. "So, if my assumptions are correct, there is...one Cape left in the Empire. And I'm pretty eager to get that number a bit lower." I said, stretching a bit.
Kaiser hesitated, but then...something changed. He returned to the confidence he had earlier when he first appeared before me. The same confidence he had when he was talking to Purity. "Come now, Elysium. Surely we can reach a compromise. My earlier off remains on the table. There would be a position of prominence in the Empire for you."
I could see the shock from Purity, even as Tattletale burst out laughing.
"He is unbelievable." she said.
"Ugh...not exactly his best showing." Alabaster said.
"Kaiser...we're not so different in some ways." I said. "I can tell what you're like. I can read the confidence that you carry. That's probably a big part of the reason that you chose your name, right? Sure, part of it was that you knew you would be inheriting the Empire at some point, or at least take a leadership role, right? You wanted your name to symbolize that power that you would inherit."
Confusion was leaking into him now. "I chose my name for a similar reason. I mean, with my power there was no point in trying to hide anything. At least with my name...Elysium. A resting place for heroes. It has a good connotation. It's a bit optimistic, though. I mean, do the people I connect to...that I claim really get rest? I can't say for sure. But...their powers go to a good cause. I can use them to help people. To take away suffering. That's where we differ. I try to relieve suffering, and you cause it. That's why I would never join you."
Kaiser rolled his shoulders. "Fairly long winded. A shorter answer would have sufficed."
I nodded. "True, but I wanted to keep your attention on me for as long as possible to give her a chance to set up."
Both Kaiser and Purity turned around just in time to see Tartarus release her tendrils and wrap them around Kaiser. He was much larger than her, but this trapping aspect of her power seemed to feed into some pocket dimension of sorts. It would be interesting to examine it more, but there would be time for that later.
"Now, my associate here is going to remove you from this place. We'll deal with you later."
"You can't do this!" Kaiser said. "I'm...I lead the Empire. This is my city!"
More blades sprung up, striking me and Tartarus. They scraped harmlessly against her. I had more wounds that couldn't actually hurt me, for a moment. Until they healed.
"You've been dethroned. You'll no longer be an issue in this city. Do it."
With that, Kaiser was dragged into Emma's projection, and she fell into the nearest shadow. I turned my attention to Purity, who was looking at me in shock and shaking. "Who...what was that?"
"A new teammate." I said. "You don't need to worry about him any more."
Purity shook her head, then sighed. "You were serious, weren't you? You really aren't going to hurt me?"
"No, not if you're really trying to be a hero. Put all the bad things you did behind you." I said. I turned toward a nearby door. It was closed. "Your children...are they okay?"
"They should be. I..." she paused, turning a bit pale. "Oh God, Theo." she added, approaching the door.
"What, what's wrong?"
"Kaiser, he mentioned the plan in front of him, at some point. Maybe he was on the phone? I'm not sure, but when he showed up and started explaining and ranting and raving about what you'd done and how we were all in danger...he locked himself in there with Aster, and he...I can't be sure but there was a moment..."
I looked between the door and Purity, and then my mouth fell open.
"Oh shit..." Tattletale said.
"What, what is it?" Alabaster asked.
"He probably pissed himself or something." Hookwolf said. "Kid was always a crybaby. Brought shame to both of his parent's legacies."
"He triggered?" I asked. Both of the Empire Capes looked at me in shock.
"I...I think so." Purity said. "There isn't a lock on that door, but it's stuck, and there was a moment where Max...Kaiser and I blacked out for a second." She knocked on the door. "Theo? Theo, please come out."
There was no response.
"I can go in." I said. "I can phase through the door and talk to him."
She looked conflicted for a moment, then nodded. "Please, if you can get him and Aster out of their..."
"I will." I said, casting Hookwolf aside for Sophia and phased through the door. Once on the other side, I took in the sight. An infant girl was in a crib. She didn't seem too upset.
The slightly overweight boy who was sitting in a rocking chair, breathing heavily, on the other hand seemed very upset.
"Theo, I assume."
"Oh God, it's you..." he said, still rocking.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything to you. I just wanted to..." I turned and looked at the door, and saw a large wooden hand had emerged from it, pushing against the floor. I whistled. "Woah. You did that?"
"I guess so. I mean, I didn't mean to. It just happened, and..."
"Calm down, I know." I said. "Triggers are never easy. You'll be okay. We just need to get you out of here. Kaiser is gone, he can't do anything to you, Purity, or your sister."
"Did you..."
I paused. "No. One of my teammates took him. But he won't be back. My teammates and I will make sure of it."
He calmed down, at least a little. "He was going to take us. I overheard him on the phone. He was planning to force Kayden back into the Empire somehow and take Aster and me and try to get us to Trigger." He paused. "I guess he succeeded. Halfway, at least."
I smiled sadly behind my mask, not that he could see it. "Right, so how about we get you and Aster out of here, okay?"
He nodded, and moved over to the crib while I headed to the door. I swapped Sophia for Hookwolf again, and transformed my arm into a chainsaw. It took me about a minute to cut the wooden arm away. As soon as it was gone, I opened the door and Purity rushed in. She picked up Aster and turned to Theo.
"Theo, are you alright?" she asked.
"I'm okay. I'm sorry." he said. His voice was flat now, almost emotionless. I got the feeling that this was his default. "I was just trying to..."
"Theo, you protected Aster. Thank you so much." Purity said. She then turned to me. "And...thank you, for being kind and for your help. If there's anything I can do for you...within reason."
I nodded, and then paused. "You're trying to be a hero, right? Put the Empire days behind you. The Merchants are gone, and now the Empire is too." I said. I could see Purity shift slightly. "But you've been making strikes against the ABB for the most part anyway."
"Apparently it's not that easy to get past her Empire ideology." Tattletale said.
"She's still putting up the good fight." Alabaster said. "That should be respected."
"She was one of the few who could go toe to toe with Lung, even for a bit. Makes sense that she would still try to put that beast in his place." Hookwolf said.
"I have something of a score to settle with Lung. If you're interested, maybe we could work together." I said.
Purity seemed to mull it over. "You do seem effective, and you're definitely strong." Purity said. "We might actually be able to win if we cooperated."
"I'll let you think about it." I said, taking a card out of my pouch. "Take this and call the number if you want to work together."
Purity looked at Aster, hesitating. Theo took the card from me instead.
"I should go. My partners are waiting for me."
With that, I said goodbye to Purity and Theo and left the building. I headed up to the roof and flew down after swapping Hookwolf for Aegis. I touched down in an alley next to the building.
"Everything go well?" Lethe asked, causing me to jump. Once I recovered, I nodded.
"Tartarus has Kaiser." I said. "Purity was a non issue. She's not Empire anymore."
"Aww, and here I thought you were finally gonna get a cool long range attack."
"I'm not gonna kill people unless it's necessary." I said. "Speaking of, we should go meet up with her."
Lethe just nodded. She had already known the plan from my earlier text.
We headed away from the city, away from the Protectorate and PRT and all of the other watchful eyes. We headed into the wilderness just outside of the city, where Lethe had told Tartarus to wait for us. It was a long trip. It gave me time to think. To recognize whether this was the right choice or not.
Kaiser wasn't just the leader of the Empire, he was the Empire in many ways. As long as he was around, he could recover. Rebuild. He had too much charisma for me to believe he would ever be without followers.
We slowed as we approached Tartarus. She looked us over, looking uncomfortable.
"Let him out." I said.
"Listen, are you really going to...?"
"Just let him out."
She unfolded, letting Kaiser fall out. He was still held by the tendrils.
"What game is this?" he asked. "Decided against handing me over to the PRT?"
I nodded. "I don't know that it would really do any good. But, we do need you gone."
He nodded, smugness coming into his voice. "So, I leave the city and promise to never return? A fair trade, I suppose. Since you won, I can concede..."
He stopped as he saw me shaking my head. "No, you won't stay away. Someone with an ego like yours can't accept a loss." I said.
"Then, what are you...?"
I stepped forward, casting Aegis and Alabaster aside for Grue and Night. With each subsequent step, more and more darkness was generated.
I could see the realization in his limited movements. "No, you can't do this!" he said.
"I can." I said. I needed to. This was what Cauldron wanted me to do, more or less. Kaiser would never give up. He would try to come after me so long as he lived. He would never cooperate.
This wasn't just about him, though. I needed to prove that I could do what I had signed on to do. I needed to prove that I was willing to make myself stronger while removing dangerous and unstable elements.
As soon as the darkness had covered all of us, I struck out with one of my bladed limbs. I easily pierced his armor, and could feel my connection to his power as I sank into his flesh.
He was groaning, still protesting. I didn't want to hear it. Both because it wouldn't change my mind, and because it made me feel guiltier.
I pulled on his power and felt the connection form, and then pushed it away. I didn't want to deal with him right now.
I reverted, brought Alabaster and Sophia back out. I didn't want to talk to Aegis just yet, either. He wouldn't approve of this.
I also had to consider what I would say to Purity and Theo next time I saw them. There would be no reports of Kaiser being captured, just that he was gone.
"We'll come up with something." Tattletale said. "For now, I think you need to rest."
As the last of the darkness faded, I nodded. "You're right. I can't wait to get home and sleep."
I turned and saw Lethe and Tartarus staring at me.
"So, I think some introductions are a bit overdue." Lethe said.
I groaned. She was right, I needed to fill them in on each other.
Shit... I thought. Sleep was going to be a ways off.
