It wasn't long before nightfall came, due to my inhuman physiology I had no need for sleep, or at least that's what I believed. Dauntless, on the other hand, He still needed sleep. Based on my observations, his powers only affected his armaments; shield, boots, spear, and maybe something else.

I spared a glance at the hero, he looked ragged. Why had I not noticed before? We had literally been fighting the entire day. One fight ended with Dauntless being blown out of a building.

"Dauntless?" I began, "I think you need a break." I was blunt and to the point.

The hoplite turned his tired gaze to me, "There's no place to rest." he swallowed, "My house is across town, I can't bring you to the Rig, or the PRT building."

The Rig? That was a new one, I put it aside for now. "I dunno, just sleep on a roof or something." He could fly, right?

Dauntless laughed, it was a hollow thing, "Sleep? On a roof?"

I nodded, "Yeah, we just get on a roof, it's safe and secure. Who's going to look for us on a roof?" I mean we weren't going to sleep in an alleyway. "I don't need to sleep. So I'll just take a watch and wake you if anything happens."

"Sleeping on a roof is not safe or secure." Was the retort.

"With me, it will be." I shrugged, "Just fly us up." I pointed at the building next to us. An old apartment building, that appeared to not be in use.

The hero sighed, "fine, but you're finding your own way up."

"Why?" I whined.

"Too heavy." He grunted.

Oh, I had totally forgotten about my weight. I thought about what I was made of. I reached inside, Steel, no wait, Stainless steel with heightened nickel content. That was heavy. I remembered when I first awoke, I was shot, and I bled. I wasn't metal then, so why not change to that. That form felt organic but most definitely alien.

With just a thought, the shiver was sent down my, my gunmetal appearance changed back to the ugly molten gray.

All this though process and changing the only took a second, "Now try." I stated to the hero.

The hero is question looked surprised, he had noticed my change, "You sure? I just thought of somewhere we could crash."

Oh, ok, "Where?"

"There's a small police substation not far from here. As Heroes we should be able to crash there."

It beats hanging out on a roof, 'Sure, just lead the way."

A short couple of minutes later we stood in front of what I would consider the worst police station ever. The place was run down, and when I say run down I mean it. The paint was faded and peeling, the concrete was cracked. A rusty barbed-wire fence surrounded the building. Only two cruisers were parked in the lot. One looked fine but old. The other was a mess. The windows were broken and the car had been graffitied. Everything that could be vaguely valuable was gone from the car.

"You sure this is a police station?"

"Yes," Dauntless pointed out a sign, above the metal door. In rusted metal words Brockton Bay Police Department Substation 3.

"Is it still active?"

"Yes, I'm sure it's still active."

After stumbling across the mother of all potholes we stood before the door. It looked worse up close. A simple metal door, mild steel sheet door if I remembered the type right. A square tinted window was in the door at head height.

Dauntless reached over to the right side of the door, his finger brushed over a button. A buzzer I guessed, as a guess that proved correct.

After a few moments, a distinctly male voice answered, "This's Officer Wallis, how can I help you?"

Dauntless cleared his throat, "This is Protectorate Hero Dauntless."

"Dauntless?" Answered the cop after a moment. "I'll head over to the door in a moment."

A shadow crossed over the tinted window for a moment. Then began the sound of bolt unlocking. For a few agonizing moments, Dauntless and I listened as deadbolt after deadbolt was undone.

The door was opened by an average looking cop with a receding hairline. His cheeks were slightly red, as he huffed out, "It's really you? Dauntless? Did the department finally send someone to help?" he sounded so hopeful.

Before either of us could answer he ushered us in. the inside of the building was a little better kept outside. We were in a small but well set up lobby room. The only furniture is a couple of chairs and a large desk at the far end of the room.

"We are not here to help you with your problem." Dauntless paused at the look in the man's face as his hopes were crushed. "We are here to rest for a bit before hitting the ABB."

The man's face lit up at the end. "So you have come to help with my problem."

I stayed silent letting Dauntless do the talking, "What exactly is your problem?"

The Officer seemed to get agitated, "My problem?! Is that the ABB is running amok around here, grabbing people right and left." he sighed running a hand over his head, "And I'm only one overweight cop, I can't do anything." he didn't look overweight

I chose that moment to step in, "Once we're done, you won't have to worry about the ABB." Officer Wallis looked at me warily. Guess I still looked scary...

Dauntless nodded, "Before the week's over the ABB will be gone."

"Then I'll be coming with you." Stated the Cop standing a little bit taller.

Dauntless stuttered, "Coming with us? We're going into a cape fight."

The cop laughed, it was a deep thing. "I've been a cop for twenty-five years, and ten of those years running this substation solo. I think I can handle a cape fight."

I wasn't so sure but I wasn't going to not allow him to come with us. But Dauntless had other ideas.

"Cape fights are no place for regulars."

Officer Wallis laughed him off. "I'll be fine. Break rooms through the door on the farthest left. You'll find some food in there. There should be a couch to sleep on also."

Dauntless realized he wasn't going to win the argument. "Thank you," he said cuttingly before heading to the room.

I paused for a moment and looked at the policeman locked the door while humming a haunting tune. This place really was forsaken by God.

I followed after my guide, into the little room. The room like the rest of the substation I had seen was small and sparsely furnished. A simple plaid sofa, a very small counter with a sink and some coverts, a miniature fridge, and a very old microwave.

It was cozy but small.

Dauntless immediately went for the sofa. He landed with an ungraceful thud, armor and all. I on the other hand went and looked at the fridge, a loaf of bread, some luncheon meats, a block of cheese, and some bottles of water.

I didn't care, not like I need to eat. I head for the empty wall on the far corner. I slid down the wall with my back against it.

I began to think about my powers, shapeshifting. As of now, I hadn't run into any limit on what I could do, well maybe not. I could only turn into things that I had knowledge of, such as a human. I knew how a human worked, now I could tell the name of an organ and its function. No, I didn't have medical knowledge, I had knowledge of how it worked and how it connected to the rest of the body. I understood steel, and what it was made of. Still couldn't name things, I just knew what had to change to become like steel. Or like, in my second fight with the ABB I went to something other than steel, I didn't know what it was, but I knew what I needed to change to become that.

I began to metaphorically scroll through the different forms I had. All the stuff was just changing what I was made of, making myself lighter or heavier.

I chuckled, I could turn into glass, take glass man to a whole new level.

Oh wait, here was the knowledge to become a very large beast, with a very largemouth. I didn't know I felt about that. If its most important feature is its mouth, and I really didn't want to eat anyone, I don't think I was going to use that.

I pulled myself out of the wealth of knowledge stored in my nonexistent brain; I checked there was no brain in my body.

I turned to my current body, I knew there was some way to improve it. While yes I could make myself tougher, but that came with the cost of weighing more. The most obvious answer was blade arms, and more limbs, but that was kind of old. And only gave me better combat prowess.

After a moment of thought, the answer appeared. I didn't know how this body moved, but I did know it had no muscles or bones.

I grabbed the hardest material I had composed myself of as of yet. I then began to design my bones, pulling on the knowledge of the human body.

Next was muscles and tendons, I wasn't about to give myself organs I didn't need. I made the muscles and tendons out of the same fleshy substance I was made of. I didn't need nerves to tell my muscles how to move. My body was made in such a way that there was no center for control, my brain was everywhere, but it still didn't exist. My brain was just so very alien to a human, even I was confused.

The end product was a better, not tougher but certainly stronger body. As before I did not have support inside the body. Before I was like a pillar, now I was like a pillar that had a foundation and extra support keeping it up. All in all, it was an improvement. But I wouldn't know how much of an improvement it would be until the next fight.

Now with that improvement out of the way I could focus on other things. Most importantly increasing my combat effectiveness. While yes punching and stabbing worked, it wasn't going to work all the time. I need to incorporate my shapeshifting. If I could constantly change, that would be a boon. Like what I did with Lung, using the wings and shield when I fought him. Or in the ABB front building, the spears and metal disc. While those were good, what I needed to do was use them all... at the same time.

Heck, if I wanted I could have four arms.

Armor, I could make some sort of cushion around my body, lessen the hits. The less I'm knocked off balance, the more I can attack. I could add blades everywhere and just run at my enemies... oh wait that was stupid.

While I would add the blades I would not run at people.

And don't forget claws, instead of blades I could use claws. That way I could grab my enemies. The ABB wouldn't know what hit them.

I looked at Dauntless, asleep on the sofa. It would be hours before we moved out. With an internal sigh, I turned back to look at what I could do to improve.

I was right in that hours later, based on the clock, five hours. Dauntless awoke. He stumbled off the sofa, adjusting his armor. The hero stuffed a slice of bread into his mouth before he began to drown it down with a water bottle. Ah, the breakfast of champions.

As he while he drank his water I raised to a standing position. "We going?" I questioned.

Dauntless raised one finger in the wait a moment gesture. He stopped guzzling water, "One moment."

The hero head for the sofa, reaching down he picked up his shield and spear, which I guess he placed on the floor. The shield looked different, there were no arcs of electricity coming off it. And it was the size of a dinner plate. His spear also, it looked like any other spear, no white sparks.

Just as I opened my non-existing mouth to say something the shield and spear came to life. "Now I'm ready."

I followed closely behind, as we exited the room. Meeting us in the lobby was the Police Officer from last night, Wallis.

He looked up from fixing the straps on his body armor. Calling it body armor was a little generous. It was more of torso armor.

Dauntless seemed surprised, "Level four body armor?"

"Did say I was coming with you." answered the officer, as he finished and grabbed a pistol off the desk. He holstered the pistol on his thigh, then add some extra magazines, sticking them in pouches. Next was a bandolier of shotgun shells which he attached to his waist below his duty belt.

How much more was this guy gonna stick on himself?

He wasn't done as he slung a shotgun across his back. Finally, he grabbed a short carbine off the desk.

"You done?" I asked the Officer, "I'm not sure you can carry anything more."

He nodded, "Yes, I have everything I need."

"Be aware that this could and most likely will involve hostile capes." Stated Dauntless

The cop nodded again, "I know." he stated simply.

Several minutes later, the three of us were out and headed for the center of the ABB territory.

"So where exactly are we headed?" I questioned Dauntless.

"We have been given a target," by the villains went unspoken. "It's pretty far inside ABB holdings."

"Any information on it?" I asked the Hero,

Dauntless pursed his lips, "Its an abandoned car warehouse, lots of ABB activity around it."

"Nothing more?" Villains were probably just sending us to an ABB hotspot, hoping we would die.

"Which warehouse?" Asked Wallis, the first thing he had said since we left the substation.

"It's the old Ford one."

The officer cursed, "its one of the probable ABB headquarters."

Shit, that meant a lot of mooks, all in one spot… "How far?"

The officer shrugged, "Thirty-minute walk, fifteen if we hustle."

Dauntless grumbled something about flying. I just groaned, "We should have taken a car."

Dauntless chuckled, "Not with your weight."

"Yeah I resent that comment, and I'm a shapeshifter I can be whatever weight I need to be."

"Then why do you insist on being so heavy?"

"Because it makes me tougher," I grumbled.

Wallis looked puzzled, "You're a shapeshifter?"

I looked at him, "Yup, grade A, can be whatever I want." Eighty percent true.

Wallis looked terrified. I didn't care… use to it now.

We continued in relative silence for quite a few minutes after that.

Dauntless was the one to break the silence, "We take a left here." turned his head back to look at us. "We are closer to the heart of ABB holdings than any law enforcement care to go."

"Wait law enforcement gave up on this area?" I asked, not surprised.

Wallis looked pained, "Nothing we can do, besides most of the people here are an active part of the ABB." he shrugged, "It's not like the other areas, here your either ABB or dead."

A fleeting memory of my past life blurred past me, in my past life I was very familiar with gangs and gang violence.

It was strange, that was the first time I had thought of my previous life in a while. Last time I had thought about it was when I remembered my name…more like forced myself to remember.

"So do all the gangs hold territory like this?" I ventured.

"Yes and no," answered Dauntless. "The E88, there isn't much danger in their territory unless you're of a different race than white. Otherwise, the only danger faced is through protection rackets." I made a note, take them out next. "Then there's the Archer's Bridge Merchants. They're just drug dealers and the territory that belongs to them is worthless."

Officer Wallis put his two cents in, "Every month the BBPD will round up a quite a few of them." he shook his head, "There's a lot of them but they don't do anything but sell drugs, and occasionally attack a random person."

Ok, who was worse, White Supremacist or Drug Dealers? Oh, wait, I know what to do, get rid of them both at the same time. The meeting at Somer's Rock would have been the perfect place, all the leadership in one place…

"We're really close, only speak if it really necessary." Spoke Dauntless bringing me out of my thoughts. "We need to get the drop on them. This way through this alleyway."

Dauntless led us into an alleyway. Age-old garbage decorated the ground and walls of the alleyways. We came out the other side onto a back street.

Dauntless motioned for us to stop, he spoke quietly to Wallis and I. "The Warehouse is just around the corner. We need a battle plan."

Officer Wallis fingered his carbine, "I'm just along as support. If you can get me on top of this building." He knocked on the wall of the alleyway. "I can dispatch them from above."

"Done," said Dauntless. "I fly around and hit them in from the rear. Usurper, you hit them from the front." The hero grabbed hold the police officer, "One more thing Usurper." he looked me dead in the face. "Don't hold back. Give it everything."

Dauntless and Wallis shot off the ground up the side of the building.

I grinned and stepped out of the alleyway, ABB better be ready for me, because I was ready for them.