A Nondescript Pup, 1 week later

A worn down pub with iron bars on the windows with curtains drawn.

A small notepad slid across towards her.

"Coke?"

"No Skitter, she's deaf, you have to write it on the pad." Taylor moved to do so.

Taylor felt like she was a little out of her depth.

At first she had wanted to go the independent hero route. Like Cryoblade. He had been doing small things for the public before went out in costume for the first time.

Coincidentally his first real fight had been the same day as her.

It had all happened so fast.

She found out those kids she wanted to save were actually supervillains. And then she had to decide on the spot whether to wait for the Protectorate or do some independent hero work. To get in undercover with this group and then stop them.

But then something happened that she never expected. She liked these guys. Her team was the first time she felt like people cared about her. It was an odd feeling. So would she try and back out, maybe try and see if she could join up with Cryoblade? Or stick around and try to find out who the Undersiders boss was? She didn't want to hand them over anymore, but their boss was fair game. Maybe Rachel. And Alec? Taylor wasn't sure if Alec was evil or just an asshole. Probably the latter.

Maybe she could do both. Take the identity of the boss to Cryoblade. Or to Armsmaster. Or maybe Miss Militia. She still had plenty of options. Or maybe she didn't. She'd already committed herself enough to rob a bank. Maybe there was no coming back from that.

Taylor and the rest of the Undersiders were on cushy benches, waiting for the other guests to arrive.

Kaiser came in with a blonde at his side, holding onto his arm.

Tattletale made a small gasp that signaled she'd found something new, but she'd wait to tell them afterward.

Purity followed a few steps behind, along with Krieg, Night, Fog and Hookwolf.

Kaiser sat down at the end of the table in the center of the room, his people finding chairs behind him.

Coil entered behind him, no backup, no show of force. He was all alone.

Lisa whispered to Taylor about the different politics surrounding each group and their potential powers as they came in.

Faultine gave Tattletale an icy glare when she and her group walked in.

Finally the last group walked in. You could almost feel a wave of grime wade into the room as Skidmark and his cape junkies filed in.

Kaiser sprouted a frown as Skidmark sat down, but didn't voice any dissent.

All of the seats at the table were taken, and Kaiser tapped his hand against the table impatiently when another team walked into the room.

At its helm was a tall man with a black costume, his red mask and top hat a stark contrast to the rundown muddy walls. Behind him was a spindly praying mantis looking creature with sharp pincers, standing 9 feet tall. Other capes filtered in behind them.

"Just who are you?" Kaiser spoke up.

Coil responded for him "The Travelers, yes? You're not local."

"You know the rules, here?" Taylor noticed that Brian was shoving himself into the conversation, establishing himself as someone who deserved a spot on the table.

But before he could respond, a cold breeze filtered into the room.

Even though everyone was wearing thick costumes, it seemed to ignore such things, making several people involuntarily shiver.

The praying mantis-like creature clicked its mandibles together in agitation, the clicking noises sounding like teeth chattering in the cold.

The air seemed to get lighter, each breath now a task. Since most had masks covering their faces, their breathing became labored in the thin air.

Massive tendrils of water gripped the door frame as something struggled to fit through the door. It towered over even the massive praying mantis, the water monster void of any eyes or human features giving Taylor the creeps.

It moved along the floor, leaving the ground behind it drenched, finding a spot in one of the corner booths.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath as the air billowed in the wake of a new cape. His armor was constantly shifting. It looked like a live tornado, sometimes shifting to reveal stray pieces of armor made of stormy air before clouding back up into the chaos of ripping wind. A spiky shoulder plate rose momentarily before falling apart in the whipping winds. The wind would billow out and then shift aside to reveal an intricate chest plate with hundreds of grooves only to get covered again in the stormy wind. The only piece that seemed to stay the same was the helmet. A mask of shark piercing gray, the color of a dangerous stormcloud; it had no eyes, yet seemed to bore into your soul. It had small wings on the sides, flaring out from the top of his head.

The Travelers had found a booth to sit in, but Trickster had still been waiting before the table, likely having expected to get a chair. Instead he had arrived at a full table, and before he could make a claim for anything, something far more dangerous had entered the room.

Knowing not to anger the serial killer, the cape with the red mask and top hat hurriedly joined his team in the booth.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? Ya get up in here, stealing the air from my fucking mouth. Don't ya know the rules? No powers! We'll all jump ya if you keep…"

Skidmark was interrupted as the chair he was sitting on was torn away, splintering into the wall behind him. His body raised in the air by some unseen force as he reached for his throat gasping for air. His body was held aloft for a second that seemed to stretch far too long before his body slammed into the ground, cracking the tiles below. His body made squealing sounds as he was shoved head first into the ground where Kraken had left a watery trail, the leather in his suit squeaking along the wet ground. Sliding past multiple booths, nobody made a move to help him. There was a very loud crash outside as Skidmark's body was slammed into a dumpster.

There was a moment of silence as the current parties considered their options. Mush and Squealer tried to make themselves as small as possible as they scurried out of the pup, going to check on Skidmark.

Then words were spoken, shattering the silence like thunder in a still night.

"Chair."

The words were altered. Like the sound had been cut into a thousand pieces and then spliced back up. There was a slight echo, the voice resonating against the walls.

The watery monster in the corner extended a tendril, a small tube of water snaking along the floor before forming a chair at the end, right where Skidmark had been before.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" The eerie voice spoke up again.

Coil cleared his throat. "That was dramatic."

"Well that should be everyone. My sources say that Lung won't be coming, but that's not very surprising, given recent events and the subjects of tonight's discussion."

"The ABB," Kaiser replied, regaining his voice, shooting icy glares at Vacuum.

"Yes, Bakuda has continued her bombing spree, killing hundreds and putting thousands in hospitals. Armed presence on the streets. Ongoing exchanges of gunfire between ABB members and the police and military. They have raided our businesses and bombed places they've suspected we might be operating. Uber and Leet have broken their pattern of streaming video game content to use Bakuda's technology to raid and destroy our assets. They have seized territories. And they have no sign of stopping."

A contorted voice spoke from behind a skull mask of shadows. "Bakuda has put bombs in Uber and Leet's heads, ensuring their cooperation. Their streaming sites have been taken down. Bakuda will force them to step up their game. Armed with Bakuda's bombs, they will be a real force to deal with."

That had been shocking news. Lisa had figured it out earlier this week. All she needed was that the sites were taken down, and she'd pieced the rest together.

Kaiser spoke up. "Not to mention Oni Lee could duplicate Bakuda's bombs. And Lung has taken on entire protectorate teams by himself."

Coil spoke up. "Oh they won't be a problem, earlier this week…"

"I killed them." The voice echoed like an oracle, the whipping winds twisting his words into promises of death.

Kaiser audibly gulped, but shook himself back into character. He had guests, after all.

"Either way, these bombings have to stop. The ABB must be stopped. They can't sustain this. They'll self-destruct sooner or later, and with things as they are, they might take the city with them."

Grue spoke back up. "Bakuda is the center of this. She's been 'recruiting' all around the city by putting bombs in people's heads, and then using them to recruit more. She can detonate all of them at any time. We need to take her down. Uber and Leet won't fight anymore if she's taken out."

"She videotaped the ambush she pulled on my group a week ago and left it behind when she ran. I've made copies. Maybe you'll find it useful to get a better understanding of her."

This would show the Undersider's strength. It showed how much they'd gone up against, and that they'd been fine and able to attend this meeting.

He went about handing CD's out. He paused in front of Vacuum. Instead of handing him the disc, he opted to try and slide it over to the cape.

The disc fractured into thousands of pieces, a small stream of glittering debris filtered out in a line through the air towards the window.

Coil ignored it. "We're in agreement then? The ABB cannot be allowed to continue operating."

"No." The chilling voice of Vacuum replied.

"I don't see why I would agree to this. The ABB running rampant doesn't affect me in any way. I'll kill the rest of them on my own time. What I'm really curious about is why should I let any of you leave here alive?"

Coil, who was sitting closest to Vacuum, edged his set away slightly.

The tension in the air rose as nobody knew what to do.

It was common knowledge that anybody who broke the truce would get ganged up on. Everyone was supposed to attack and kill anybody that broke the truce.

But Vacuum was not a regular cape. Yes, they might be able to take him down eventually, but a lot of them would die trying. The first few to attack him would die without a doubt. And there was also the unknown quantity of the powerful changer in the corner of the room, just silently observing those around it.

Nobody wanted to be the first to make a move. Moving would mean death. So long as they joined the fight later, they might survive and win. But making the first move was fatal.

Vacuum laughed, the throaty cackle dancing off the walls. Was he reflecting and twisting his voice on purpose? Taylor knew that sound wouldn't echo like this normally.

Faultline stood up, staring Vacuum in the eyes.

"I have no quarrel with you or yours. We won't be going after the ABB unless they get in my way or someone pays my rates."

Turning to the rest of the room, Faultline continued. "And just so we're clear, if it's the ABB paying, my team's going to be on the other side of things." She strode out of the room, each step with purpose. A bead of sweat ran down her forehead, but she continued forward. Her team followed behind her, Vacuum only giving a slight nod in response.

Taylor had to give it to her. Faultline had balls. Probably why she and Tattletale didn't get along.

"Well if that's everything, I think we're headed out too." The man in the top hat said, stepping out from the booth.

The door slammed shut before Trickster could take another step. A breeze swept the room, making Grue's darkness billow around his head.

The hair on the back of Taylor's neck stood on end. Her instincts were screaming at her to run. To hide. But she couldn't move.

The air thinned more, each exhale visible in the chilling air. This was it. Now or never.

But before anyone worked up the courage to move, Vacuum laughed again. His lone bellow was the only sound as people regained their breath, the air restored to normal.

"Breathe." Another hearty chuckle followed.

"I only came here to remind you of your mortality. It's not as fun when you're all trapped in a penn. I like the chase. It wouldn't do to kill you all so quickly. That would be far less entertaining."

"But fear. I do enjoy fear. And you all reek of it. Do remember who let you live today. It won't happen again."

"I'll give you one week to get rid of the ABB. Then I'll take matters into my own hands."

Motioning towards the door with his head, Vacuum exited the room, the watery monster trailing behind him.

Everyone seemed to let out a collective breath as they left. The temperature rose back to normal, warming Taylor's bones.

Kaiser stared at the empty spot on the table. Coil glanced to the splintered remains of a chair splayed across the floor near the back wall. Grue watched the door, unmoving, like the Grim Reaper was about to walk through it.

After that the meeting continued, the groups eventually agreeing to a ceasefire, which would extend to the local authorities.

Besides looking at the empty spot where a chair was missing, or the puddle in the corner of the room, the event from minutes ago was ignored. How could they talk about it? What would they do? For now the ABB stood as a very present and beatable threat. So that's what they would talk about. Nobody made plans to work together. Even though Vacuum had given them a week deadline, that didn't make gangs forget who they were.

But they all left wondering what would happen if the ABB was still standing in a week. What would Vacuum do to the ABB? And more importantly, what would he do to them?