There were two guys on this floor. I took them up to join their friends, though...an extra layer of security, now that I think about it. If they woke up enough to call for help, it'd be that much harder to hear from two floors away.

I lean against a wall, just across from the stairwell, just taking a few moments to catch my breath and consider my next move. And the six people on the next floor. Which...it's not going to be a problem. I just took care of five easily enough. Why would six be any worse?

It won't be. I'm...pretty sure of that.

I refresh my vision and start down the stairs. Move carefully, step lightly. A couple of them squeak, despite my efforts, but it doesn't draw any attention anyway. So I guess it doesn't matter.

Six...five men and a woman. Gathered in two groups...must be two separate rooms. Apartments. Whatever...three and three. The first group are all seated together, facing each other. With the other group, two are sitting with a little distance between them, and the third is...standing guard? He's definitely watching, more than the others are.

Watching the doors, I realize, as I edge into the hallway outside. The hall door, at least, but...are the two rooms connected? That's not helpful…

I pause, as one of the three that are sitting together starts moving. Raised voices, as he stands...the woman is up a second later, their third almost falling out of his seat...a clatter that might be a chair. More shouting, and now they're shoving each other. Which...I'm not sure whether this is a good thing. It's already drawing attention from the next room. If more people come up to investigate, that could be trouble.

A door slams open; the rooms are definitely connected. I move closer, try to follow the mix of English and...not...as he shuts them down. My vision goes out, but I refresh it immediately. See him returning to the other room. See the guy that had started the shouting heading toward the hall door.

These are the people that everyone's so fucking afraid of? If they're ready to fight each other at the drop of a hat...ugh.

I wait as long as possible before moving straight up a floor, to watch him through the floor. He pushes through the door, and I can hear it slam behind him. When he starts stalking down the hallway, I follow. This one is going first. Asshole...he turns, and I push a door open to keep up. Another apartment. A dead end, and not too close to the rest of them.

Perfect.

This place seems pretty evenly laid out. I can probably assume that his going through a door now, and that that door leads into a...bathroom. Okay. I push the door open a little further, step inside, and look down to see him leaning on...the sink, it must be. Splashing water on his face. Cooling down after a fight. That's never worked, for me...but to each their own, right?

...yeah.

Alright. That's enough waiting. This is a perfect moment, and I'm going to capitalize on it. So, I step forward a bit, square up, and shoulder my bat. Take one last look through the floor before looking up at the clouded mirror-

-and meeting his eyes over his shoulder as he straightens up again.

He stills. I can't help but smile at his expression.

"Boo."

The bat thunks against his head as he turns to face me, and I push him back against the wall, hold him there until I've recovered enough to take us-

-up to the top floor with the rest of these assholes. Still mostly out of it, and my makeshift restraints are working...I kick my latest take-down as he tries to take a breath. Can't have him calling for his friends...he turns on his side and curls up around his stomach, until I grab his arms and liberate his belt. Get him tied up with the rest of them.

By then my vision has gone and I'm fully recovered. Back down-

-to the bathroom, so I can start considering my options for moving forward. I need bait, something distracting, but not enough to get them calling in backup. Three on the floor below, and they'll hear anything first. Which leaves...six, five, that's eleven, so fourteen...four on the ground floor, to back themup. Unless that's changed. I...I should probably check that, shouldn't I?

The rest of the ABB on this floor seem pretty content to stay where they are, so I shut the bathroom door and sit on the edge of the tub.

And then? Then I reach out and take control of every bug and rodent in my range, again. They've spread out again, since my first round of spying, but it's easy enough to rein them in. Set them to feeling things out again. The count hasn't changed, even if they've moved again. They seem...mostly calm, I think. From the way the mosquitoes and flies are reacting...one of them is bleeding? Must be the guy that was hurt earlier. That might be good information later, but I've got what I needed…

Now that I think about it? Rats could be useful right now. How many more times can I afford to use this power? Not...too many, but maybe that'll be enough to take care of part of my current problem, at least. Not much time to waste, so I focus on the rats on this floor. Manage to get one in the right room before my control slips away.

I breathe, and take it back. Reorient on...the way out of the wall. The rat knows the way, I just need to...let it move.

There. It's in the room. Bright light, people. A steady clicking, muffled...in the next room. Not sure what that is, but also not my focus right now. No, it's the two sitting at the rickety table, talking. Focused on each other. That makes it easy to get the rat across the empty space.

I stand, enhance my vision, and send the thing across the man's feet.

He jerks back and away, his chair tipping over as the rat scurries across the floor, squeaking in distress. The woman starts laughing. The guard barges in to do some more angry shouting.

The guy on the floor pushes himself up, bites out something harsh. More laughter, another door-slam from the guard. Stomping feet...and the rat dies. Like he really needed to kill it...

I wait. I watch. Nobody downstairs really reacts, other than to look around. The guy I'd scared, in the meantime, spends a few moments pacing and gesturing at his surroundings before kicking something I can't see. His chair, maybe.

He storms out of the room, just like his friend before him. I almost smile again.

Maybe I'll celebrate later, though. Right now...I stand, and move to the bathroom door, throw it open with a little more force than necessary and make no effort to hide my footsteps as I move to the kitchenette. The guy pauses, out in the hallway, and starts moving my way.

"You still sulking in there?" He says something more, after that, but it might as well be gibberish for all I can understand of it. Makes me wish I could speak...whatever language that is. Should I be able to recognize it? Will that be important, at some point?

...what am I expecting here? Some kind of super-hero competency test? Ugh.

I turn out the lights, as he approaches the door. Stand inside the kitchenette, just behind the switch, and turn so that all that he might see is the dark of my clothes.

"Shou? The fuck you doing in here, man?" Footsteps, close. The switch flicks.

I turn, swing, and bounce his head off the wall. Trying to catch him before he falls almost knocks the bat out of my hand, which...wouldn't be a good thing, right now.

After a moment of struggling to keep him up, and I finally just take us up to drop him with the rest. This is almost becoming routine. Smack him in the head, tie him up, and head back down...almost have it down by rote.

Four more to go. And one of them is sitting alone.

I step out into the hallway, reach up to adjust the set of my mask, and take a little time to work some of the strain out of my arms….there's a bank of switches, set into the wall here...I flip them down, and the hall lights go out with a flicker. A good start. Now, to draw my target out. Not more rats, I doubt I'll get that lucky a second time. I could make some noise, but that might draw out the rest of them.

Maybe I'm overthinking it. I just need to get her out into the hall.

So, I press myself to the wall beside the door into the appropriate room, and reach down to grip the doorknob. A glance back to make sure she's not activelywatching the door...I turn it, slowly. Quietly. Until I hear it click...the door sticks, a bit, but a push gets it free.

It creaks open as I pull my hand back and edge further down the hall.

She's curious. Confused. She stands and...edges away from the door. Hm. Not the reaction I was after...no, wait. Here she comes. Slowly, carefully. Ready to draw a weapon, from what I can tell...oh. Maybe I should be further away. Like-

-down the hall, just around the corner. I lean out just enough to see her, enhanced vision or not...she edges out of the room, looking around, warily. Relaxes, after a few seconds; I can hear her, grumbling under her breath, as she fumbles toward the light-switches...is it that dark? I guess it has gotten later...well, I can work with that. I step out-

-and watch her from behind as she finally finds the switches and flips them on with a pleased huff.

She turns, and I press forward with my bat. She manages to bite out a yelp before I drive the breath out of her...and then her knee catches me in the stomach, returning the favor. Which is fine, because I don't need to breathe to grab her and take us-

-to the roof. Not the top floor apartment where I'd been dropping the ones I'd taken down. That was...reflex. Should work on that…

Impact against my face. Painful, but the mask is good protection against...did she punch me? Guess it doesn't matter. I hit her in the stomach, again, then bring the bat up for a good swing...it catches her under her chin, and sends her reeling back.

A bit of space, a moment to recover...I can focus. I step into my downswing and catch her shoulder. She's off balance already; that's enough to drive her to the ground. One more swing finishes things off with the knockout.

Dammit. Alright. That's...that's eight. Ten more. Just ten. I can...manage ten.

Deep breath. And-

-back down.

Two men and a guard. The guard is on alert, and the men are still doing...whatever it is they've been doing. The group on the floor below us are still just...there.

I find the light switch, turn them off, then slide down the wall across from the door. Sit and watch as the guard paces. Watch, and think. There's a pressure behind my eyes; I vaguely recognize the fact that it's been building for a little while now. Which is...just great.

I don't really feel like getting up right now. So, I lift my bat...let it drop. Guard stops, turns...snaps at the other two in the room, before moving for the door and stepping out. A pause. He's a little more on the ball than most of his friends; he pulls his gun almost immediately.

The false brightness of the room fades, and I blink as my eyes adjust. Manage to catch sight of...piles of money, before the guard closes the door again. The clicking was one of those automatic counter things.

That's...huh…

Footsteps. I can see the guard moving; better, after I enhance my vision again. I get a now-familiar jolt from my Charm, as he 'sees' me, but he doesn't react.

The lights turn on. He stiffens, and his gun comes up to point at me.

I watch. Don't move. Even when he edges closer and nudges me with the toe of his boot.

His aim slips, as he stops to look around. "The fuck…?"

"Hey."

He whirls, and I yank, hard, on his pants-leg. His foot lifts; he tips back-

-and hits the gravel of the rooftop. Purposefully this time...I pick up my bat and bring it down as quickly as possible on his gun-hand. He grits out a cry, as I scramble to my feet and kick the gun away. Kick him in the side a couple of times, while I'm at it.

While he struggles to breathe, I relieve him of his belt and drag him over to the other gangster I'd brought up here. With two of them in one place I can make things a little more difficult for them to get loose...I sit them up and tie their hands together, turn them on their sides...shit. Shit, I forgot to pull her gun. I saw her reaching for it.

I throw it over the edge of the building, send the other one after it. Stupid.

If she'd gotten herself back together before I'd brought this guy up...dammit.

Okay, enough. Second-guessing myself doesn't help anything. There are two guys downstairs that I can take down right now without any kind of setup.

The noise of those counting machines is much more...pervasive, in the room with them. I watch as they go through that...money. So much money. Just...sitting here, in the hands of a gang. This can't be the only place they're keeping their cash, not with only eighteen people to watch it. How much more do they have? How much have the other gangs stolen?

Brockton Bay just keeps getting worse...and I'll bet these people just keep getting richer.

Well screw them.

I grab the first one by the collar and pull. Step aside as he falls, and stomp on his stomach the moment he's down. The second one turns, almost immediately, nearly falls over trying to get to his feet. He opens his mouth-

-and catches my bat right across the jaw. He goes down, as the first guy sits himself up. I turn, take two steps, and swing again. He's down, and the second one is weaving for the door. Because of course. I close the distance and grab him from behind. Can't get my bat up, quickly, so I hook my arm around his neck and pull.

Pain, in my foot. I hiss, tighten my grip and fall back-

-onto a mattress. Slurred curses from somewhere nearby, distracting, and I cough as an elbow catches me in the ribs.

I lose my grip. He rolls away. Scrambles away toward...the door. Dammit. I surge up and follow, tackle him from behind and drive him to the ground again. Struggling. He tries to turn us over, but I plant my knee on his back and get a hold on his hair...drive his head down into the floor. Nothing. So I grit my teeth and do it again. One more time.

Finally, slumps. Which is great. Because I've got to go check on the other guy.

I stand, hiss as my side complains. Breathe, Taylor...just breathe. It's just pain. Nothing's seriously damaged, or it would hurt a lot worse than this.

When I arrive in the room with the money...the man hasn't moved. Good.

Good.

I adjust my mask, reach beneath it to rub at my face. Prod at a sensitive spot forming on my cheek. Seven left. The three below me, and then I can...

...where did the people on the next floor go?

I shift, sweep my surroundings, below, above...nothing. Shit...where the hell…? I move-

-out to the stairs, to head down to the next floor. Spot one figure moving toward the front of the building, before they move out of sight. Out of the building? Why would they be leaving? I need a better view...the roof.

The pair that I'd brought up are still secure. I ignore them, jog over to the edge of the roof...there's a pair of vans, there, that they're gathered around. They're...agitated. One breaks off, and runs back in, while the rest of them pile into one of the vehicles. Why…?

Oh...shit. They're going somewhere. And that other guy is going in-

-to find his friends. He's already on the second floor, moving up the stairs. I move-

-to the third floor, and catch him as he hits the top of the stairs. A low swing to the back of his leg sends him to the ground and he doesn't have a chance to wonder what's happening before I teleport us both up to the room where I'd stuck almost everybody else.

I don't bother trying to secure him. Because there's no point, now.

The rest of the ABB that were in this place are gathered in one place, outside...I don't know why, but that doesn't matter. With all of them on edge and grouped up, this is a wash. I'll have to...I can't really do anything more here, can I? I can't...dammit.

Stupid. Stupid, did I even have a plan for what I'd do when I'd cleared this place out? No, I didn't, did I? And what could I have done, except…

Except call for help.

My hands shake, as I clench my fists. And I'm suddenly...very aware of the weight of my phone, in my pocket.

I…

I need to leave. There's nothing more I can do here, so...I need to leave.

The man at my feet hisses, and tries to turn over. I kick him in the face. Teleport to the edge of the roof.

A deep breath in...and I fall. I don't stop falling until I'm far away from that mess.

xxxxxxxxxx

Dad's waiting up for me.

That's...he's still awake. Why is he still awake?

I sit down, on the edge of my bed, and watch him shifting in his chair downstairs. It's...well past one, for the second night in a row. And he's up because of a...a stupid argument.

Because the school called him. Because they were 'concerned' for me, since I hadn't shown up for almost a week. Concerned. That's what he'd said, that's what they'd said. They were 'concerned' about my absences, about the fact that I'd decided I didn't want to walk into that fucking hellhole for a few days.

Never concerned about the bullying, no, not beyond making sure I wouldn't suethem for what they let happen. Not about the...the campaign that Emma had continued to wage against me, against my...my social life, and my grades, and...everything else.

And now I'm just pissed off again! I went out to calm down, to not think about this mess. And the second I come back, it's just…

I yank my mask off, wince, and prod at my cheek. It feels...bruised. Which makes sense. I drop it on the bed, and peel out of my sweatshirt, too. Hiss as my side protests a bit more sharply. Dammit. Dammit. And now tonight...oh, sure, I beat on some guys, yay. Except what did it get me, exactly? Other than...bruised ribs, and a lack of sleep?

Did it help me, somehow? Did it inconvenience the ABB?

"Fuck." I stand, as quietly as possible. Undo the belt holding my Bone Charms on, and take my piecemeal costume to my closet, to stow away.

What it didn't do is solve my problems. Dad...dad was right. He...didn't know how bad things were. Not until I told him...not until I threw that in his face. But he was right.

Avoiding the problem, waiting for it to fix itself...it doesn't work. It never works. I'll have to figure something out, but in the meantime…

I need to rest. A glance down, rub at my eyes. It doesn't block my view of dad...sitting in a chair. Waiting for me to come home.

And I just...I can't do this tonight.

I turn back to my closet, grab a change of clothes, and pull out my phone as I-

-start down the sidewalk outside. I'll...maybe Victoria will let me stay, again. Maybe she won't mind me calling in the middle of the night and letting me sleep on her floor.

Yeah.

xxxxxxxxxx

Victoria meets me in her back-yard. She's sitting on a lawn-chair, and jumps when I appear nearby.

"Shit. Will you stop that?" Quiet...she's keeping her voice down. It's...late. I guess that makes sense. "Try walking over, next time. Please."

"Sorry...I will." Really. I'll think about it. Next time. I comb my hair back, close my eyes for a second. "And sorry for…inviting myself over, like this."

She sighs, and sits forward, rubbing at her face. "Yeah, well, you sounded kinda shaken up...can we go inside? It's late, and I've got school tomorrow."

Yeah. Yeah, on top of everything else, I probably woke her up, so...that's fine. I can't fault her for not feeling like conversation.

I pad over and hold out my hand. She stands, and takes it. And then we're in her room.

"Great." She reaches out and ruffles my hair before turning away and collapsing on her bed. "'Night."

...okay. "...thanks."

"Mmhm."

Quiet. I guess she's out. Which is fine. I'll just find a place to…

Oh. There's...a pillow, and a blanket laid down on the floor. Because Victoria put them out for me, after I...called at two in the morning.

...fuck.

I turn, and sit down. Work my shoes off, carefully, quietly. Don't want to wake her. Don't want to...bother her. More. She's got school.

I set my clothes aside and stretch out as best I can. Wince, and turn onto my good side. Try to...relax. Sleep.

Sleep is better than having to think about this crap.

It'll be waiting for me in the morning, after all…