Grenades crack. I didn't know that before, but it's all I can think of as I flinch back, as the metal lever flies…
That's a grenade.
No time to think. Oni Lee is moving toward me. I move away, faster. Fall. Hit Victoria, and-
-teleport. Falling, heart racing, and then pain as I'm jerked to a stop.
It takes a moment to actually catch up with the situation. To move beyond the sight of teeth and grenade, and realize that I'm in the air.Hanging in the air, Victoria's crushing grip on my arm the only thing stopping me from falling to the street below.
"The fuck-?"
"Oni Lee." I gasp out, twisting...lashing out. My kick connects, a body falls away, another crack sounds-
-and then green fire explodes somewhere below us. He can follow us, because he's a teleporter. With grenades, and knives, and guns. More villains below, a lot more guns, too.
Victoria has the phone. She can fly.
"Call for backup. I'll distract him."
"Dammit!"
She sounds pained. But she lets go. And I fall.
One, two, three...can't see Oni Lee, can't see Night and Fog, below with the mooks. Four, five-
-and I land in a crouch on the tallest rooftop overlooking the fight. Near the edge. Plainly visible. If I can draw him in, avoid the explosives, avoid getting shot...more time for backup to arrive. Stalling.
I have just enough time to draw my baton before I have to dive forward, off the roof-
-to the street below. My 'landing' bounces me off an Empire ganger as he pulls the trigger on his machine pistol. Cries of pain from beside us. Another explosion above.
Oni Lee behind. No grenade this time. A knife. I swing, wildly, but it twists in the air, his arm dipping as he guides it around before driving it up into my ribs. The vests keeps me from being stabbed, but the impact is still painful. Leaves me feeling breathless.
That could be adrenaline, though. The almost-painful pounding in my chest might back that up. If I had the time, I'd consider it more carefully.
When he pulls another grenade, I don't hesitate to take another swing, this one aimed at his wrist. He avoids it...but not the bullets that hiss by me a moment later, the gunshots setting my ears ringing.
Blood erupts from the wounds in his chest, but doesn't have a chance to hit me before it all turns to ash. An unnatural hum, too close, too close, has me 'porting away.
Behind the ABB. Will he bomb his own people? He's been trying to kill me since he appeared, but I can't tell. Gunfire, too loud...I'm rattled. I'm letting this get to me. Letting it distract me enough that an unpoweredgunman nearly puts a bullet in me before I can force myself back into motion. A lunge to the side to avoid the shot-
-puts my shoulder in the small of his back. He cries out, but I'm gone. On the other side of their line. And there's no time to breathe before Oni Lee is on me again. Pressure across the back of my collar, a slash across my stomach, another stab at my ribs that actually bites, and beforehe can turn to ash, I put myself-
-on a nearby rooftop. Because getting stabbed hurts, and I need a second to actually think. Instead of just being in the middle of everything.
The bleeding isn't bad. I'm still breathing, and the pain...I can deal with that. Fix it later. Focus on not getting stabbed again. Which isn't the easiest thing, because Oni Lee...I can't out-fight him like this. Can't outmaneuver, not easily. I got lucky, that first night, but now he's ready for me.
Which...doesn't necessarily mean he can counter me. Not entirely.
Rats. Control.
For a second, it feels like the knife is still digging into my side, but then the feeling of fatigue passes, and I have two dozen rats clinging to the inside of my coat. A few of them slip into its inner pockets, down my sleeves. One curls in the space between my neck and the high collar. And the rest-
-swarm to the ground as I appear behind the ABB again. More of them are paying attention this time, but they don't have a chance to turn their guns on me before the rats reach them. That takes care of them, at least temporarily, which means I can focus on the bullet that hisses past my head.
I duck, and teleport to the nearest alleyway, and remind myself that standing on either side of this fight means standing across from murderous gunmen.
Rats spread. Their sight, their hearing, it's limited, but still useful. I get a rough idea of how many people are on this side of the street (more than eight, less than fifteen), the layout of my surroundings (parked cars, overturned food cat, three bodies), the smoke...but it's not killing them. Not Fog? Oni Lee probably wouldn't gas his own guys, any more than he'd blow them up...which leaves Night. The inhuman clatter and gurgling scream I hear a moment later seems to support that idea.
If I wasn't struggling to keep my breathing steady, I'd be cursing right now.
I need to calm down. Focus. Send a couple of rats to check her partner...their breathing becomes labored, and painful, and I get a good look at Fog drifting away from a flying grenade before it goes off.
Does that mean Oni Lee is distracted? Or just going after a target of opportunity? Either way, he's not paying attention to me right now. I need to keep it that way. Keep out of sight...I move-
-above again, just long enough to get another good look at the street. The E88 have stopped firing and hunkered down, while the ABB are scrambling to stay out of the heavy cloud of smoke spreading across their line. That would be appealing cover, if it weren't for Night's obvious presence.
Which…
Her power has something to do with 'not being seen'. I remember talk about monster forms and brute ratings on the forum, but it's the first part that's important. It explains the smoke, and the thing that tears by one of my rats, leaving a sudden blindspot in my sense of what's inside the cloud.
I teleport down, inside the very edge of the cloud. And, after a moment to ensure it's not going to hinder my breathing too much, I enhance my vision and start forward.
Stumbling, blinded figures. There are cries of panic, cries of pain, from a few splayed out on the ground, still struggling despite the...damage they've taken.
My focus is on the woman that almost cracks her head against a parked car as momentum takes her off her feet. That's Night, I'm almost certain of it, so I waste no time-
-'porting to her side...and kicking her in the head.
She goes limp, and I'm not in quite so much danger anymore. Which is...ha. Holy shit. Guns, grenades, knives, and dangerous capes. I don't think I can really claim I'm any safer. But I just took down Night. And I think that that warrants a little optimism, moving forward.
I've got the smoke for cover, now, but that only goes so far. Most of the ABB guys (the ones that can still walk, anyway) are already out of it, which means it won't be much longer before Oni Lee decides chucking a few grenades in might be a good idea. Things on the Empire side of the street are looking a little too organized for my taste, and...I'm expecting backup. No idea how long that's going to be.
So what do I need to do? Break the bad guys' focus. I've still got plenty of rats to send scurrying across the street, and it doesn't take long to set them to work doing that. The shouting and occasional gunshot draw attention from the other combatants, but it looks like the ABB are focusing on pulling out. Which...at this point, I can't do much about. Much more than I already have, anyway…
Fog. Considering I have very little in the way of ranged attack options right now, I'm not sure I can do anything but avoid him. Easy enough.
Oni Lee...he's the most immediate problem. I did manage to drive him off with rats before, but there really isn't any telling as to whether it'll work again. At the same time...there's no reason not to try and get a few on him, anyway. It's something I know will work, after all. And somekind of plan is better than nothing.
The rats disappear, but I summon more, refresh my control once I get them settled and spread out. My vision goes white, but I enhance it again. The smoke is starting to get to me, my eyes stinging and throat itching, but I ignore that as surely as the pain in my side.
I wait. I watch. A pair of rats squirm out of my sleeve, one settling in my empty hand while the other clings to my baton.
When Oni Lee appears a dozen feet in front of Fog, guns raised to fire-
-I'm behind him, shoving the first rat at his collar. When another rat appears, I turn my attention to it, and teleport back to the smoke to avoid the gunfire that follows.
The rat struggles, clawing at cloth, and barely reaches skin before the villain pulls it free and snaps its neck.
Alright then…
Something hits the ground just behind me-
-and I'm back on the roofs. It was a good decision, because the flare of green that explodes into existence a moment later eats away the majority of the smoke. Along with the remaining ABB survivors and half the cars they'd been using as cover.
I ignore the way my hands are shaking, the way it takes more effort than I'd like to collapse my baton and store it away.
He's quick, he learned from last time...can I keep this up? Stalling? As far as I know, he can keep this pace up as long as he feels like it. I'm notnearlythat lucky. How long has it been already? How long until backup arrives? Can I afford to wait-
Crunch.
Gravel, behind me. I throw myself down, hitting-
-the sidewalk with a grunt. The heat sends me scrambling away from the scorched surface, a group of rats shaking loose and squealing unsettlingly as they flail on the crackling cement. Note to self: green fire leaves things hot.
I let out a breathless laugh, secure my remaining swarm...of rats. And I reach out as I stand, because dammit, I'm not limited to rats. Flies and roaches may not be much, but they might be useful. I don't hesitate to gather what I can into my coat before I have to move again.
Oni Lee, in front of me. I throw before he can do anything other than stand there...he's still got his gun out, and the rats foul his aim. One gets duplicated, behind me, and I spin in place, slinging an arm out as another rat throws itself from my sleeve. That one hits him in the face.
His next appearance is in the air. I put myself above him, twisting and sending a rain of rats and bugs down, before teleporting away, because there's no time to fall…
I hit the rooftop in a crouch, focusing Oni Lee as best I can. Keeping rats on him, despite his attempts to shake them. Getting bugs inside his mask. I have this dizzy moment of deja vu as he teleports up, around, away...he's running? That's...
Behind me. I stand, turn-
A burst of gunfire.
Two hammer-blows to my stomach, and red hot pain in my side. All my breath goes out of me, and I can't...focus. Can't breathe. Can't do much more than stumble, until a hand grips the front of my vest.
Demon mask...gun...hand…
The rat darts out of my collar and sinks its teeth into a finger. Oni Lee bites out a savage snarl, leaves me to slump and struggle for breath as he shakes it off. My knees hit the rooftop and I barely feel it. He's ignoring the rest of them, my swarm. Lifting his gun again. I need to...get away. I need to…
A blur of red hits the gun, and Oni Lee catches a padded elbow to the face. When Velocity grabs my hand and tells me to teleport-
-I do exactly that.
Still can't breathe. It's starting to hurt. That would be...oxygen deprivation, wouldn't it? Fuck.
"Hey, you're good, come on, relax and take a breath." I flinch at the hand on my shoulder, and the prodding at my chest and back. Too fast, barely there, but still enough to hurt. "Breathe, Crow. Vest caught two shots, the third feelslike a through and through, and it's too far over to have caught your lung. Practically a graze. So breathe. "
I do. It's shallow, and painful, but then I'm struggling for a second one, and then a third. Not my lung. Just a graze.
Backup's here.
"Alright, good." Velocity looks up, for a second, before turning his attention back to me. "Keep that up, you're doing just fine. Held up after getting ambushed, and you're gonna make it out alive. It's all good training." I nod, and he stands. "I'll send your partner this way. Leave the cleanup to us."
I don't really have an opportunity to respond, before he disappears in a blur. Instead of trying, I pull myself back against the nearest...wall? I'm in an alley. Guess it makes as much sense as anywhere. I wasn't exactly...thinking clearly, when I teleported us.
That was...that was way too close. I swallow, hiss, take as deep a breath as I can manage. Reach up to feel the damage on my vest. The warm, damp spots forming on either side. 'Bullet Resistant'. And if I hadn't had this, I'd probably already be bleeding out, here.
This is...this is really painful.
"Holy shit, Crow!"
Ah, and there's Victoria...Glory Girl. Ugh. Whatever. Right on time. "Hey." Ow. Alright, so talking isn't something to do just yet. I can wave, though, and it seems like enough for the moment.
Well, for me. Victoria doesn't seem particularly comforted by it. "What the hell do you think you were doing? I thought you were going to ditch the guy, not get into a point-blank gunfight."
"Kinda…" Shit, okay. "Tried. To...avoid." Alright, no more talking. This is bullshit. I hold out my hand, on the side with the stab wound. That one pulls a lot less, I think, than the bullet hole would have...Victoria winces, as she helps me to my feet.
"You owe my sister a trip to the nearest spa. Got it? This one's all on you." That's probably fair. She chews her lip, as I wobble unsteadily. "What do we do about that mess? Velocity said that Armsmaster was on the way, but…"
I shake my head. Because I just got shot three times. I nearly died, just now. Breathing is pain, and fighting isn't even worth considering. "Home."
She grits her teeth, but nods. "Yeah, fine. Shit, you're an idiot…"
I can't argue it right now, but it's still annoying. I press my fingers under the bullet wound for a second, then reach out to swipe them across her skirt.
"Oh, eww. What the hell!?"
"Home."
"Jesus, I said fine!"
I think I actually manage to smile.
xxxxxxxxxx
Victoria smiles and jokes, as Amy closes the holes in my chest and fixes the internal bleeding that probably would have killed me if we hadn't done anything about it. Amy? She just looks tired. And that, more than anything, is what pisses me off about this situation.
"Sorry." I try to ignore the way Victoria is playing with my vest, and just how far she can open the damaged sections. "I was trying to avoid this."
She grunts, as she lets my hand drop, the strange squirming in my gut finally dying. "That's good. Just because you 'team up' with New Wave doesn't mean you'll always have a healer on tap."
I flinch. Nod. Because it's true. "...your sister said I owe you a spa-day." Her frown turns to confusion, and I offer a weak smile, and a shrug. "I don't know what I can do about that, but…I mean…"
"No, that's…" A pause, and she sighs. "You don't owe me, for this. It's not like I could just let you die."
That doesn't help in the slightest.
An arm hooks around my shoulders, and I fight down the urge to teleport away when Victoria drags me into a one-sided hug. "Hey, so things are cool over here?" Amy yelps as she's subjected to the same treatment, on the other side. "The day's still young, and we missed lunch because of this stuff. So Amy, you should come with us to get something. We can celebrate a job well done!"
That doesn't seem very appropriate, and I do my best not to look too indignant as I...fail to twist out of Victoria's grip. "I got shot."
"Celebrate your crazy, shitty luck then. I don't care, I just really want some food." She tightens her hold, her smile sharpening. "You in?"
I almost want to agree out of hand. But I also really don't feel like going out somewhere right now. So, after a moment of consideration-
-I escape, moving across the room to pick up my damaged vest. "I think I've had enough excitement for one day." I turn, smiling at Victoria's dramatic pouting. "You two go have fun. I'm just going to head home."
"Alright, whatever." She waves me off, tugging Amy against her side. "You can mope around all you want, but you're not going to stop us from going out and enjoying ourselves. Right Ames?"
"R-right?"
I smile, and move to pick up my mask. Putting it on one-handed isn't particularly easy, but I guess the practice can't hurt. "Stay out of trouble, Victoria."
"Oh, like you've got any room to talk." I guess I don't… "And don't forget, the PRT's probably gonna want us to stop in and give a statement at some point, after that mess. Just keep it in mind."
"I'll do my best."
She nods. And I leave.
The highest rooftop within range of Victoria's bedroom is about half a block away. I stop there for a few, very long seconds, letting the wind tug at my coat. It feels strange, without the vest attached. Considering I've only had a few days to actually get used to wearing it, it doesn't seem like that should actually be such a big deal…
I look down at the thing, unfold it...poke a finger through the ragged little hole that the bullet had left through the front.
This isn't the first time I've been shot. It's not even the first time that getting shot would have killed me.
I've died.
But...no, I've never died. Not really. I've just seen it happen. Felt it. Precognition, triggered by some weird interaction between my powers and a murderous Tinker's work. I'd gotten used to it; having those few extra seconds to work with.
Would that have helped, earlier? Would it have even…'activated'? Maybe it would have saved the vest, at least. Maybe I would have avoided the pain. Maybe it would have let me stand a more solid chance.
I'm getting a little tired of maybe. My life has been a roller-coaster, lately, all ups and downs...and as nice as the 'ups' have been…
It takes a little under ten minutes for me to get home. There's a 'traveling as the crow flies' joke in there, somewhere, and I promise myself to never, ever speak it out loud, because I'd never hear the end of it.
The house is empty, as expected. I'm quick to shed my costume and get it packed away, spend half an hour putting together (and then eating) a lunch for two. Healing, I think, takes a lot out of you…
I wind up sitting in my room...with a battered notebook, three Bone Charms, and a pair of Runes spread out on my desk. They look...harmless? Just sitting there. I still can't help but wonder how I didn't realize, before, that there had to be something wrong with them. But how the hell could I have guessed that they were-
The Mark on my hand prickles, as I trace my fingers across the bone and metal. I pick up one of the Charms, and a part of me knows that this is the one that lets me fly. Just like that's the one that wouldn't have saved my life, today, if things had gone worse.
Assuming...assuming that Tattletale was right (and I have no reason to doubt that)...then at best, these things were made from the remains of innocent people. Victims. People that...needed help, and never got it.
Could I have saved them? If I'd known? Would I have been able to get them away from the Tinker that did this? To stop him?
I'd like to think so. That I could have helped them.
'I can't help anyone if I'm dead.'
The Charm clicks, softly, as I set it down again. I think...I think I've had enough crazy for one day.
Maybe I just need to rest, for a little while.