"So who exactly was this Lung?" I asked slowly as I poked the dead dragon. Blood just kept leaking out of the body, more than should be possible; even with his increased size.

"Parahuman, he was the leader of a local gang called Azn Bad Boys. As he fights he gets stronger, becoming more dragon-like." Dauntless answered as he drifted up closer.

"Azn Bad Boys?"

"More commonly known as the ABB." Oh, Lung was the leader of the ABB. They were the ones setting all the bombs off, right? The ones who I was hunting before being arrested.

"Know anything else about the ABB?"

Dauntless was now beside me, "They mostly stay on the east side of the city the docks, but they seem to be trying to expand right now." he poked Lung with his lightning spear. "Right after Lung was taken we thought they were going to fall apart. I guess we were wrong."

"Two other parahumans, Bakuta, a bomb tinker, and Oni Lee, a teleporter."

I frowned, teleporter? But the other one was a little more unsettling.

"Bomb tinker? She makes bombs?" I looked at Dauntless.

He nodded, "Yes."

I wasn't sure how making bombs was a superpower, but I wasn't the one to question it.

"Anything else?"

Dauntless turned away from the body as he surveyed the room. "Their gang colors are red and green. The membership of the gang is all Asian." he swallowed, "They mostly deal in protection rackets, theft, and sexual slavery."

I frowned heavily, they need to be taken down. Who would be better than a pseudo-immortal-alien-demon-killer-thing?

"Which way to the docks?"

"You want to go after them? Get them when they're down?" Dauntless had closed the distance between us.

Was he going to stop me, throw me back into a cell? "Are you going to stop me?"

Dauntless shook his head, "No, not this time."

I nodded, "Which way to the docks?"

Dauntless pointed behind him, "go through the building until you reach the street than turn right. Follow the street until you have left downtown. You should be in the docks at that point."

The hero made no attempt to stop me as I walked away. I Navigated my way through the destroyed rooms, headed in the direction Dauntless had pointed. Hopefully, he gave me good directions.

I soon came to a hallway, pristine floor to ceiling windows lined one side. Down below I could see the street, the same street I fought the ABB in. based on Dauntless' directions I had come in from the docks. I was essentially going to be tracing my steps a little bit.

There was only one way to get down there. With a quick kick, one of the panes of glass shattered. Sending a spray of glass shards into the street below. I grabbed either side of the window frame, and then. I more or less just swung myself out the window. Not flying, falling, kind of a like a rock.

I will tell you every part of me wanted to do the three-point landing but I didn't. I hit the ground going at what felt like terminal velocity, a mass of tangled limbs. I left a pretty good-sized crater in the asphalt.

There was no pain just a faint buzz that passed after a second. I untangled myself before standing up. I kicked a chunk of asphalt away as I looked around. The street looked vaguely like a warzone, there where little fires and broken windows everywhere. The poor Honda Civic that I tore the door off still sat in the same place. One day I would use the rest. A few other cars were littered around, the most fixed one was only missing its windows; there may have been some holes in it too. Thankfully there were no bodies.

I started off the way I had come, navigating myself around the debris.

"You going to pay for the road?" I stopped, groaning as I turned around.

Floating off the ground Dauntless levitated above my crater.

"Uh, maybe? Possibly, no?" I answered shrugging, "So you decided to stop me after all."

The floating hoplite shook his head, "No, quite the opposite."

Opposite? Was he going to help me?

"I'm going with you, to help you."

If I had been drinking water I would have to spit it out. "What?"

Now it was his turn to shrug, "thought it might be better than sitting in an abandoned building."

He landed on the ground softly, "And you need a guide."

Dauntless had a point there, I didn't know my way around town. I would welcome any help I could get, not that I would need it.

I nodded, "No Birdcage?"

Even under his helmet, I could see the hero purse his lips. "No Birdcage," he affirmed.

We stood there for a moment, "Which way to the ABB?"

Dauntless lead us through a maze of alleyways and street that I would not remember the names of. I was kind of surprised he knew the city so well, he knew every shortcut. Slowly the looming skyscrapers and nicer building disappeared. Short squat and generally disgusting buildings took their place. Trash littered the ground and the sides of the buildings flowing out of the alleyways like water. We passed a few people, all of them in terrible condition. We saw the aftermath of many of the bombs that the ABB were setting off. A group of people and the surrounding sidewalk turned to glass. Their faces forever stuck with a scream of agony. Half a block had disappeared, leaving nothing. We only saw one bomb go off, the look of agony on the man's face as his head exploded sending a spray of ice. Flash freezing a car and his immediate surroundings.

Even with all of this Dauntless stood up to his name, but I could see his facade crack whenever we saw the aftermath of some of the particularly nasty bombs. Or when we saw the tortured expressions of the bomb victims.

Before long we stood in an alleyway just across from a vaguely oriental looking building.

Dauntless pointed at the building, "this building is a front for the ABB, a bar of sorts. One of the Lung's lieutenant has been known to have set up here. We haven't raided the place yet due to the threat of Lung."

I frowned or at least I tried to, "Now with Lung is gone we're going to hit it?"

The hero nodded, "If anyone is going to know where Bakuta is, it's going to be here."

I peeked around the alleyway, a couple of guards stood before the double doors. They looked bored, weapons hung loosely in their hands, eyes unfocused. I could see why there was no one around. These streets were practically abandoned now. They tensed up when a young Asian man ran up to the door. Some words were exchanged before the guard let the man in; while I could hear the words I couldn't understand them.

"So what's the plan?" I asked my guide.

Dauntless looked around the corner, "You take the bottom. I'll take the top, meet in the middle. Try not to kill anyone." he gave me a look, "Remember we need to find where Bakuda is."

Not killing would put a damper on my abilities. My general tactic in a fight seemed to be hit it hard. Nonetheless, I nodded, I would try not to kill anyone.

"So just walk out there and hit stuff?" I asked

"Yeah something like that, just remember to ask where Bakuda is!" With that parting remark, he turned from me, launched himself up to the side of the building, and disappearing over the roof.

I nodded to myself, just hit stuff and ask for Bakuda.

I sauntered out of the alleyway and headed towards the building. I would like to say that I walked out there, asked the guard some questions and they told me where Bakuda was. Then I left and everyone was happy. But, no, that didn't happen.

I like to think that I already had a reputation with the ABB. More likely the guards just wanted an excuse to shoot something, and pseudo-immortal-demon-things are great targets.

I barely made a few yards from the alleyway before the two-guard with firearms started to shoot me. The other one, he was armed with a hatchet stood as he yelled at the others to shoot me more.

Mentally, I decided that everyone I fought was going to get a broken jaw and two broken kneecaps. Wait how were they going to tell me where Bakuda was with a broken jaw? Broken arms and legs will do, or just general immobilization.

My comfortable saunter turned to a rushing sprint as I closed in on the gang members. The one with the hatchet was going to be first.

Unlike my fight with Lung, I was going to be using my fists this time. I rebounded off the ground flying through the air at the hatchet-wielding thug. I heard him scream before I shut him up with a punch to the jaw. His neck twisted and I heard a snapping sound. I may need to cut back on power.

The two other guards had now backed up to the double doors of the building. A continual stream of bullets hit me. Both the weapons clicked as they ran out of ammo.

I tilted my head to the side, "Where is Bakuda?" Might as well ask before I really mess them up.

The guards did not answer, one tried the door; it was locked. The other man was failing to replaced his magazine. These two wouldn't answer I decided.

With a blur of motion, I slammed the guard that was reloading into the wall. My finger crushed his windpipe like a piece of celery.

I let him fall to the floor as I turned to the other one. He was huddled up against the door, pleading for the people on the other side to let him in. liquid stained the ground around him.

"Where's Bakuda?" I gave him one more chance

"I don't know! I don't know!" He screamed back tears streaming down his face.

Apart from me wanted to kill him, but no. "Leave."

The one word sent him running off, he tripped a few times. In no time he was gone, he would probably be back with the ABB by the end of the day. What an idiot.

I gave my attention back to the double doors. Most likely barred and locked, against me that was futile.

Digging my fingers into the space between the double doors. With no effort, I tore the two doors off their hinges sending them into the street behind me.

I had my first look into the building, one word described the place. Neglected. The place looked like it hadn't been cleaned in fifty years. Old and new stained cover the floor, walls, and ceiling, each stain was a different color. Old bulbs lighted the placed, they were all so aged that they gave off sickly yellow light.

The occupants reflected the place, twenty or so people. All looking like they hadn't thought about personal appearances in a while. The best part was that every single of them had a weapon on them. I was unhappy to note that most of them had hatchets.

Everyone was still as we stood off. Twenty against one.

"Where's Bakuda?" I questioned for the third time.

Someone swallowed, no one said anything.

"I said, can someone please tell me where Bakuda is!?" I yelled.

I can't remember who started the fight first, but I will say it is my personal belief that it was was one of the hatchets wielding guys. People screamed, guns fired, and more people screamed. I was a blur of motion as I fought my way around the room. Breaking kneecaps, crushing jaws, and in general just hurting everyone.

At one point over the screams and the gunfire, I heard Dauntless crash through the top story.

Several gang members ran around me out the door. Other they tried, I got them first.

With inhuman agility I fought, twisting around punches instead of blocking. Sliding and rolling underarms and legs.

I grabbed a gang member by the throat throwing him against two other thugs. I dodged another wild swing of a hatchet. Before kicking the offending hatchet wielder in the knee. A shotgun slug to the face flung my head back. I Ignored the shotgun, for now, I grabbed a chair, brought it down on an ABB member. He stumbled back from the hit, I stabbed him with what remained of the chair.

I moved my arm up, shifting it into a shield as another slug hit me. I glided forward bashing the shotgun wielder with the shield. I shifted the shield to have a razor edge, with it I cut the thugs hands-off; and his shotgun in half. He went to the floor screaming at this stumps.

I held the shield for a second, could I disconnect things from my body? I took hold of the shield on my arm, bring it off my other arm I frisbee tried tossed it at one the people running out the door. The shield left my grasp spinning through the air, it hit my target in the back of the neck. The fleeing thug was decapitated, forgot to take the razor edge off. Ouch.

Well, that settles it, now I don't have to run around the place getting up close.

I shifted a spear into existence in my right hand; it was more like a javelin through. With a lunge I threw the spear at a thug, impaling him.

A door to my right exploded as Dauntless barged in sending a spray of splinters flying. Must have cleared the top.

Dauntless hefted his shield narrowly avoiding a strike to his neck. He kicked away the thing that tried to decapitate him.

He turned to me eyes wide. "We have to get out of here!" He yelled over the din of the fight.

"What? Why?" most of the ABB had left the building now. A couple of them were trying to crawl out of the building. Others, they just lay there on the ground screaming.

Dauntless answered me as he rushed out of the place, "The whole place is rigged to explode!"

I stood there for second processing what he said, the whole place was going to go boom?

I began to head for the door, but I had stalled for too long. For the second time since my arrival, I stood amid the explosion. The blast wave hit me first knocking me off my feet. Next was everything around me including the building being sent everywhere. Red hot flames blasted from the center of the building, everything was burning. The building collapsed into itself, wood and metal snapped.

As if it could get worse the build collapsed, even more, falling into its foundation. Building material from the four stories above me came down.

The explosion was strange, first, it pushed everything away. But then it pulled everything too. By my guess, the bomb was located somewhere in the basement.

The initial blast must have pulverized the foundation. Then when the second blast hit pulling everything towards it the building came down with it.

The full weight of the building above me crashed down and covered me. For the first time since my fight with Lung, I was injured. I feel cracks run through my nigh-invulnerable body. I think one of my arms was separated from me at one point.

My regeneration kicked in pulling me back together. I could still feel the weight of the building bearing down on me.

I pushed myself to my knees, rumble moved above me. One wrong move and I would be buried even more. I shifted the weight from my back to my hands, I felt my body strain against its limits as I tried to push to a standing position. I needed to be stronger. I remembered my fight with Lung, the bigger I was the stronger I would be. My body rippled as I strained it, I felt my size increase, slow, not as fast as my fight with Lung. the debris above me groaned as it shifted. The weight lessened, it was more manageable.

I laughed, why was I restricting myself. Another pair of arms sprang forth from me taking some of the weight. The bigger I got the easier it was, and the faster I grew.

Sides of what I was pushing up came crashing down pinning my legs. I shifted the weight above me to the side. With a heave, I threw the weight off me.

Like a primeval titan of old, I used my now almost forty-foot tall body to crawl my way out of the rubble. I broke through the surface, and as I did I shifted myself back down to a more realistic size.

I pushed into the street before the building. Building materials covered half the street and the buildings closest to the ABB place had also collapsed; adding to the rubble that had trapped me.

The street was partially collapsed into where the bomb was also.

All in all, it was a big mess.

I looked for Dauntless, he was nowhere to be found. Several ABB mooks were lying around. But no wanna-be hoplite.

A flash of gold caught my nonexistent eye. I had found the hero, crumpled up against a green dumpster near an alley. I jogged over to the fallen hero, he didn't look bad; but I had heard of something called internal bleeding. Internal bleeding was kind of stupid, isn't that where the blood was supposed to be?

I shoved the dumpster away for the Dauntless' crumpled form. I knelt as I inspected him for injuries. There was no blood or at least no blood from Dauntless. Must have been knocked over into the dumpster. Lost consciousness, so concussion. My medical training was limited, heck I was probably forgetting a lot of stuff.

But if there was one thing about concussions that I remembered was don't let the victim fall asleep. Dauntless was unconscious which meant he was kind of sleeping.

I need to wake him up, but how?

Grabbing the hoplite by the shoulders I shook him, "Dauntless!"

Dauntless remained unconscious, I thought about slapping him. But I was pretty sure he had sustained a head injury. For all I know I could accidentally snap his neck with my super strength.

I shook the hero again this time I yelled, "Dauntless! Wake up!"

The hero shifted in my iron grip, groggily he tried to sit up; I pushed him down. His eyes fluttered open, he turned his head to look to his left.

I held up my right hand showing three fingers, "Dauntless look at me, how many fingers am I holding up?" that's what you're supposed to do, right?

Dauntless look at my hand, "Three. Can you let me up?"

I released my grip, "Uh, sure."

I clasped my hand around his forearm pulling Dauntless to his feet. Dauntless frowned at the rubble of the building.

"Didn't think that would happen."

"What happened?" I asked I was pretty sure I wasn't the one that set off the bomb.

"I found one of Lung's lieutenants." he paused.

"And?" I urged him on.

Dauntless rolled his shoulders, "I didn't find out where Bakuta is holding up." my shoulder slumped at his statement. "But, I did get some interesting information."

I perked up, "What information?"

'There's a meeting tonight." he pursed his lips, "It's about the ABB. apparently, the other gangs don't like what they're going."

"There's a meeting between the gangs about the ABB's behavior?" I deduced.

The hero nodded, "Yes, it's at Somer's Rock."

"Somer's Rock?"

"It's a pub, kind of a neutral grounds, there's supposed to be no fighting allowed in it. All the groups in the city recognize it."

I nodded in semi-understanding, "We should go."