Breathe 01

I pulled the baseball cap lower, trying to hide my glowing eyes behind the rim and the aviator sunglasses.

"Taylor, if there is literally any sort of check, that getup is not going to do a darn thing."

"I can dream," I groused.

"Sure, babe. Dream on." Lisa chuckled as she patted my leg. "So, Taylor, I have to ask - one more time - are you absolutely sure that you want to head out of town for a few days."

I fed a piece of lettuce through the bars of Mr. Spinster's cage and nodded. "Just for a week. Then we can come back. I just…need to be away from here for a bit."

"Okay."

We drove in silence after that, getting closer to the edge of the city limits, the radio playing music in the background.

"So how was Missy?"

"She sounded, well, okay I suppose." I shrugged. "We tried not to talk about anything major, just random stuff. She got called away for something after a few minutes so we didn't really have too much time to talk."

"Makes sense," Lisa said. "Oh hey, I love this song! Turn it up!"

I rolled my eyes, but obliged her. I didn't even recognize the artist. "Doesn't this count as Country?"

"No way. It's Pop at worst. Do I look like a Country Girl to you?" She glanced at me and my red face, then immediately stated, "Don't answer that."

I did my best not to swallow my tongue at the mental image of Lisa in cowboy boots, Daisy Duke shorts, a cowboy hat, and a T-shirt tied in the middle. Her skintight latex was already bad enough. I didn't need that image in my head right now. This was not the time or the place for it!

Thankfully the song ended and the station started to transition to their hourly news coverage. I silently counted my lucky stars.

Good morning Brockton Bay, as I'm sure everyone Downtown has heard by now, Brandish and Armsmaster are still engaged in what's by now amounted to open warfare with the remnants of the Empire Eighty Eight.

If you need to go Downtown, don't. If you are able to evacuate the area, we highly recommend it. An evacuation recommendation is in effect for a six-block radius around Medhall at this time.

At last count, there have been three reported cape fatalities and numerous injuries amongst the rank and file in the Empire since the fighting started. Property damage is significant; thanks largely to Brandish and her ongoing battle with Fenja. The Empire's remaining lines appear to be holding against Armsmaster's assault however, both heroes are growing increasingly violent as the morning progresses, so how long that status quo remains in effect has yet to be seen.

Again, we strongly recommend evacuation if you're in the area. The city has lost it folks. It's about time someone took out the trash, but man, the city has lost it.

"What the hell," I murmured. "Since when did everyone in this city fly off the deep end?"

"That's a very good question," Lisa said. She frowned, twisting the volume louder. We both focused on the radio, willing it to give us more information, as Lisa slowed and the cars behind us began to honk.

To put things in perspective, in a very rare showing these days, Flashbang had even joined in on the battlefield earlier. The reclusive hero captured Rune, handing her off to members of the PRT before pulling back from the primary front.

No one has been able to reach the remaining members of New Wave for comment yet. Panacea hasn't been seen since collapsing at the hospital. It's currently believed that Lady Photon and Manpower are both still at the PRT Headquarters with the body of their niece. While many are surprised that they have not taken the fight to the Empire alongside their compatriots after the shocking death of Glory Girl, we for one are -

"WHAT?!"

I didn't know if it was me or Lisa who screamed. The car lurched to a halt, the tires squealing and the cars screaming at us. I wheezed, unable to catch my breath. It felt like Alexandria herself had punched me.

"Wait, wait, shhh, shhh, I need to hear!" Lisa shouted. She threw on her flashers and cranked the radio as high as it would go.

"Can you at least drive! Start heading back into the city!" I yelled.

"It's already been this long, give me thirty seconds to hear the end, Taylor! I can't focus on the report and the road!"

Kaiser's statement seems to have been accepted at face value for the moment - though with Armsmaster's actions receiving no official rebuke, that acceptance is dubious at best. In fact there has been no public statements from the heroic side at all as of yet - beyond Bastion's continued absence from the field. That in itself is telling of the level of trouble he's in. Rumor has it, the man was present when Glory Girl was murdered. While we don't want to speculate just yet, if this were true questions are surely going to be raised about Bastion's qualifications.

Unfortunately, that's all the details we have right now. This story is still very early in development, so we will continue to report as more information comes in. Keep listening to WHTP, Dockyard Rock for the most up to date progression!

Now in other news, the search for the missing local Ward, Braid, and her associate, Tattletale, continues. If you have seen either, please contact your local PRT or Protectorate member. Do not approach them or take hostile action. Neither are considered antagonistic, however both are dangerous if threatened. The number for…

My burner phone was already in my hand and my fingers were numb as I tried to punch in the buttons. Lisa was completely ignoring the cars flipping us off and going around us as she muttered to herself.

I finally got the call entered in, but the case was plucked from my hand as it started to ring. Lisa's face was a mask, as she stared at the metal and plastic display.

"Who is this and how did you get this number?" That wasn't Armsmaster. That was…was that Miss Militia?

"Fuck, he is on a warpath! I was hoping the news was overplaying things. Glory's death was one thing too much for him with everything else that's happened. Dammit!" Lisa hissed. "Where's Victoria's body? How long has she been dead?"

"I repeat: who is this, and how did you get this number?" Miss Militia's voice was even colder than before.

"Seriously?" Lisa snapped. "Who the fuck do you think would be asking about the body of Braid's dead friend and calling on Armsmaster's personal number? Try using your brain!"

I leaned over, the utter calm in my voice surprising even myself. "It's Tattletale and Isis, Miss Militia. I've changed my cape name, effective now. Armsmaster gave us this number personally so we could keep in touch. Now please, answer the question. How long has our friend been gone, and where is she being kept?"

There was silence during which I couldn't even breathing. Then, "Three hours. The Medical Wing in the PRT building. If there is anything you can do…Please do it fast. These idiots are going to get themselves killed seeking their revenge and the Director doesn't have enough authority anymore to prevent it. I have to go."

Miss Militia hung up and Lisa stared at me, her mouth set into a thin line. "Taylor, I can't make this decision for you. That's a lot longer than with me and we don't know the limits of your power when it comes to people. We could go back for nothing. If we do go back, we're almost definitely not leaving again. You need to know that before you decide."

I shook my head and grasped her hand. "You know it's not a choice and you know what I'm going to say. Vicky's my friend. Let's go."

Lisa squeezed my fingers, before letting go and gripping the wheel. The car roared, the tires squealing as we twisted in the middle of the road, rocketing back the way we came.

"Kinda figured you'd say that."

As the buildings flew past, I lifted the cage in my hands. Mr. Spinster got off of his wheel and came to the edge, his little paws clutched the side, his eyes meeting mine.

"Lisa, your power is working again right?"

"Yeah."

"Was it intentional?"

"…Almost definitely. He tried to take advantage of the chaos and get rid of a thorn in his side while also striking a blow against more big name heroes. Bastion's out, maybe for good now, so Kaiser's plan almost worked. He probably didn't expect Armsmaster to blow a fuse, but I guarantee you that he had planned to take out Brandish as part of the collateral damage when she flipped her lid. Almost anything would have been a net win for him as long as he was still standing at the end of the day. Armsmaster has thrown a wrench into that, but…Yeah, it was an intentional hit. He saw an opening, to push back against the squeeze he was under, and he took it."

Mr. Spinster squeaked. I nodded. "We need to stop by Downtown first."

Lisa's grip tightened, her knuckles going white. "You sure? Vicky…could be time sensitive, Tay."

"It's on the way, and it'll only take me a minute. My well is still overflowing, but like you said, we don't know how much extra power I'll need. Armsmaster and Brandish can deal with the rest of the Empire, but Kaiser isn't getting away with this." I held Mr. Spinster's warm, lively gaze. The hamster didn't look away from me once. "No one hurts anyone else I care about. Not again. Not ever. If I'm staying…They all need to know that…"

"Sounding pretty vengeful there."

I grunted. "I'm just…I'm done with bullies, Lisa. And Kaiser? He's one of the biggest ones in town. If I can't get peace and quiet by leaving, then I'm going to show everyone what happens when bullies try to force me into the limelight. If my friends are going to be targeted, then fuck being quiet. If I have to kill every last one of them…that's what I'll do."

"…You know, you can be pretty terrifying, Taylor."

"…Good."

That was a nice change. Maybe one day, I would feel terrifying too. Instead of just…

Tired.

The ride to the fighting took us less than five minutes. With how fast Lisa was driving, it was probably a good thing that the roads were empty in the direction we were going. Not that I thought she would have cared. Her power was probably helpful for figuring out when you could speed through a red light.

That was a mildly terrifying thought. I quietly resolved never to drive with Lisa when she was in a hurry and I was not enhanced enough to save us both if there was an accident. Her power was good, it was not foolproof.

As the sound of explosions shook the car, Lisa fishtailed, and we swung to a stop. I set Mr. Spinster down on the floor and squeezed her hand one more time.

"Start heading towards the PRT building. I'll meet you there," I said.

"Taylor, please be careful," she replied.

"I will. Drive safer. No safety net now."

She just smirked, none of the usual joviality present. "You know me."

I was out and the car peeled away from me at unsafe speeds again. I turned, and let the world slow down around me, amping my senses high enough to sort through the different noises, explosions, and echoes. It took ten seconds to sort through it. Once I had centered myself and sorted through what I needed of the ambience, I pushed off, rocketing down the street.

Hitting the building on the corner of Tabor, I used the foundation to reorient myself without losing speed, kicking off of marble. I was dimly aware of an explosion of rock left behind my passing, but it didn't matter. The wind tore at my hair and whipped past my eyes, leaving my eyes burning and my skin tingling. As quickly as the pain rose, it healed. Two more re-directs and then I could see them.

Kaiser was behind a field of metal, Menja at his heel, as tall as a four-story building. Cricket was bleeding on the street near Armsmaster, though Alabaster and Krieg were harrying him, trying to get him away from her long enough that Othala could get through Kaiser's blades to reach her teammate. Hookwolf was prowling in front of Kaiser.

Seven vs. one, and Armsmaster was holding his own. Holding his own in a suit of armor that had more in common with a mecha from one of the Saturday morning cartoons…

There would be time to be impressed later. I was on the clock and every moment I delayed was time I didn't have to spend.

Scowling, I adjusted my approach one last time, leaving more debris behind me. Heads slowly started to turn towards me. Well, towards the corner of the building I had just leapt off of at least.

None of them reacted remotely fast enough to actually matter.

I slammed my fist into Krieg, his field slowing me down enough that the world momentarily sped up, almost back to normal.

It didn't affect me enough to stop my fist from launching him through the wall of a nearby building, drawing out a large portion of his essence with the strike.

The increase in noise was immediate. Everyone was shouting at once. Armsmaster's speakers blared.

And I sped back up. Twisting, I launched a fist into Alabaster's gut, sending him rocketing into the air. Then I turned and jumped over Kaiser's blades. Grabbing Othala, I whipped her back the way I had come, leaving her to land amidst a splay of limbs next to Armsmaster.

I jumped again. Landing on top of Menja's spear, I let my speed drop away and the world sped up. Kaiser and Hookwolf were yelling again.

I ignored them both, my gaze centered on Menja.

"Valkyries fight together," I stated. The woman's eyes widened as she finally noticed me glaring at her. "Brandish is going after your sister. You both helped to kill Glory Girl. Didn't you?"

"Braid! Wait, we are the ones who can supp-"

I didn't give Kaiser a chance to finish. I hooked one foot under the spear handle and kicked down on the blade's tip with the other, sending the giant metal piece rocketing down towards him. He barely managed to dodge out of the way.

Menja tried to shake the spear to knock me loose, but I just leapt to her shoulder instead. "You shouldn't have hurt my friend."

Placing a hand against her, I searched for the overlay even as I started to draw on her essence. This wasn't like with the monster in Coil's basement. The two sources of fire had overlapped there. Here…I was actively hunting for the deeper wellspring.

I wanted that power. I needed that power.

Just before I finished bleeding Menja dry, I managed to slip my metaphysical fingers into the inferno raging behind her. A wicked grin spread across my face as I pulled greedily from the font. It reared back, trying to fight.

It didn't stand a chance. I drained the blazing fire until it was a dim flame in the background that slipped from my grip. Menja was back to normal size, and I stepped off of her, turning to Kaiser.

The two villains were staring at me, at least, I assumed Hookwolf was staring at me, his 'head' was angled my way at least.

"What…?"

"No one hurts my friends anymore," I stated, stalking forward. Louder, I shouted, "Armsmaster! Does Hookwolf have a Kill Order?"

Armsmaster's new suit punched a hole through the field of blades that Kaiser had erected and the bright black and red mini-mech stepped through. "It is technically a Birdcage sentence. No one will be disappointed if he does not make it. I will take responsibility."

"Works for me. I'm going by Isis now, by the way."

"Just fucking try me, you little -"

I pulled on my speed, and rocketed forward, punching clean through his shifting blades. The wall of metal and hooks barely moving at the speeds I was now capable of, his paltry attempts were not enough to impair my vision or stop me from reaching his core body. I clamped my hand on his head, and yanked at the overlay, leaving the man untouched.

If I was going to do this, I might as well learn my limits in the process. And if I wasn't supposed to kill Hookwolf, well…this would be poetic in a fashion.

The blades fell away as the inferno powering the thing behind him dropped to a whimpering spark. I let it go, turned, and kicked the blubbering Hookwolf behind me, back towards Armsmaster.

I didn't let the world speed up again until I had ripped Kaiser's helmet off and I was holding him by his throat in the air.

He tried to speak, I just squeezed my hand. "You murdered one of my best friends. I don't have many of those. You don't get to walk away." Blades sprang from the ground around me. Nothing even tickled as they tried to flay me - my skin was far too hard for that. "You're lucky I don't have time to give you what you deserve. I've already wasted too much time."

"P - leas - e!" he managed to gasp.

"A life for a life." I tore his essence from him, ripping at his overlay as quickly as I could at the same time.

Kaiser fell limp in my hands, and the ghost of a scream echoed in my head as the inferno powering him died too.

Letting him fall, I heard a wet thump behind me. Glancing back, I nodded once. "Alabaster's back. Can you deal with the last few? I don't know enough about any of them to know if it's justified to drain them all and I'm comfortable enough with my reserves that I can get to Glory Girl and probably be okay."

Armsmaster glanced at the carnage around us. Had it really only been - I glanced at my watch - two minutes?

Maybe Lisa was right, and I was terrifying.

"I'll manage…Isis. Are you…"

"I'll be fine. I can't talk. I have to go."

"Wait! Hookwolf -"

"Depowered. Whatever gave him his ability, I pulled everything from it." I smiled down at the shaking wretch of a man. "Good luck surviving the Birdcage now!" I snapped a quick salute to Armsmaster, reoriented myself, and kicked off of one of Kaiser's blades.

I had a car to catch, and a friend to resurrect.

Current Empire Eighty Eight Members:

Kaiser - killed by Taylor

Krieg - captured by Taylor

Hookwolf - depowered by Taylor

Fenja - locked in battle with Brandish, killed by Brandish after depowered by Taylor (through Menja)

Menja - killed by Taylor

Crusader - previously killed by Armsmaster

Alabaster - captured by Taylor

Cricket - captured by Armsmaster

Stormtiger - previously killed by Brandish

Victor - previously killed by Armsmaster/Brandish

Othala - captured by Taylor

Rune - previously captured by Flashbang