3.7

Purity, or who I assumed was Purity, had yet to respond to my message by the time school was over. I debated whether to head over to the Gate of Hell and use the statue to polish up on my skills, especially in regards to what happened with Strix, but I thought against it. I knew I would have to get stronger if I met that masked freak again, but right now, all I wanted to do was spend some time with my family.

Dad was home early this evening, though the sour look on his face told me everything I needed to know. "Did another worker quit?"

"Higher-ups told me to let Kurt go," he said bitterly. I remembered Kurt vividly compared to some of the other faces in the Dockworkers, even considering him to be an honorary uncle with how often he babysat me when Mom or Dad wasn't there to take care of me. "I tried to argue with the manager, told him nobody worked as hard as he did, but the stubborn son of a bitch wouldn't listen. It doesn't help that we're going through a restructuring right now, too!"

It was hard to remember that, as passionate and dedicated Dad was to the Dockworkers Union, he was not in charge of the organization. He was merely one of the better parts of the machine, in charge of looking after the workers and making sure they were given all due payments. If he found someone in desperate need of the job and they met the criteria, they were hired. But that was far as his power went. If the higher-ups wanted someone gone or implemented changes that would affect the people in the company, it was Dad's job to break the news.

He never liked giving people the one piece of news they didn't want to hear. They were doing their damndest to work and provide for their families, after all. No different from him. It would have been better if he were in charge, but it didn't matter how much power Dad had in the Union or how loyal the workers were to him. Not in a city like Brockton Bay.

The problem, of course, could all be traced back to that fucking tanker sitting in the ocean.

I always wondered why no one thought to get rid of the damn thing. Imports by sea were slow and barely a trickle, which played a part in why the economy in the city was in the gutters. You would think the ABB or the Empire would do something about it, if only so they could take advantage of possible renewed sea trade. It would be easy for them to do, especially Kaiser since manipulating metal was his specialty. And yet none of them, even the Merchants, did anything about it, as if they were content with how they raked in the money as it was.

I thought about doing away with the tanker myself. I could do to it what I did to Winslow, cut it into neat little pieces. Just a few slices and bam! Renewed trade through the Bay! …only, after thinking about it more deeply, I realized there would still be some problems to consider. The remains of the tanker, for starters, and what to do with the rest of the Boat Graveyard. The tanker was not the only problem; it was the biggest one, there was no doubt about that, but there were other factors to consider as well. Dozens of ships, all stuck to the bottom of the ocean floor and the shallows of the city's edge. At the end of the day, such a large scope operation wasn't just a one-man operation, you needed a full crew and an actual plan besides brute force.

When the realization dawned on me, I felt pretty disappointed. Even though I was a cape now, there was still so little I could actually do beyond beating up bad guys and killing monsters. It made me feel frustrated. Weak.

I hate being weak.

"You okay, Taylor?"

I blinked, returning to reality and finding Dad looking at me with concern. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You had this angry look on your face. Did something happen at school?"

Angry? Why would I be angry? Okay, granted, I suppose I was a little frustrated with this Strix and Fallen business, but other than that…

"Everything's fine, I promise. No one's started bullying me like back in Winslow." At the thought of my old school, I couldn't help but think back to Emma. An uneasy pit formed in my stomach. "Um, has Uncle Alan…said anything about how Emma's been doing lately?"

Dad seemed surprised by the change in topic, eyes swimming in emotions too quick for me to catch, before he sighed. "He hasn't said much other than she's been going to therapy sessions. I think what happened at Winslow was the straw that broke the camel's back between him and Zoe."

"Are they…?"

"There's been talk of a divorce, yeah."

I winced. Zoe was almost like a second mother to me, even though I hadn't seen her since Emma and I drifted apart and the former started acting like a bitch. She was so nice. I remembered how, during one of my sleepovers at Emma's place, she helped braid my hair when I got it long enough. It was for a Halloween party back in Elementary School. I could barely remember that party or anything after it. I couldn't even remember what Emma and I did during the party.

A bitter reminder of what happened between us.

I wasn't sure what to say about the news. I never realized how badly what happened to Emma affected them. It was better late than never that Emma was finally getting help, so why was she looking for a divorce?

Dad must have read my thoughts or something because he answered my unspoken question. "From the sounds of it, their marriage hasn't been good for a while now. I think what they wanted to do with Emma was just the powder keg finally going off." He sighed tiredly, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I can't even imagine what Anne's going through right now."

Anne… I didn't even think about her.

Annelise, or simply just "Anne", was Emma's older sister, either in her second or third year of college by now. I couldn't begin to imagine what must be going through her head or Emma's with the divorce happening and all.

…I shouldn't care about Emma anymore. She made her choice a long time ago. Even if she had a bad experience and coped with it in her own way, it didn't excuse the hell she put me through. It didn't excuse her from ruining Mom's flute.

So, why…?

Why can't I get her out of my head?

The thought continued to haunt me, all the way until I laid down and went to sleep. Sadly, my slumber did not last very long. With enhanced senses came the unfortunate tendency to wake up at the slightest thing, be it danger or something as meager and mundane as your cell phone going off. I glanced at my clock and groaned. It was barely past midnight for fuck's sake.

Mumbling thoughts of murder under my breath, I grabbed my phone and flipped it open, not bothering to look at the caller ID. "Talk or die."

"Hey, now. Don't get all uppity with me because I'm ruining your beauty sleep." Every hair on my body went ramrod straight, along with the rest of me as I sat up. "Toss on your gear and get your tight ass over here. New job just came in."

"R-right! On my way!"

So much for sleep…

May 6, 2011

Dealing with demons in the middle of the night was nothing new. Usually I was already late at night anyway with nothing better to do, but this was the first time I was woken up to deal with them. Someone wanted a batch of Scarecrows dealt with, and wouldn't you know it, they were hanging out by the docks.

I was already irritated enough by the fact that I got woken up in the middle of the night. Hearing that they were right next door to the Union only made me want to carve them up all the more.

I reached the docks in record time, in no small part to my haste. It must have taken me less than ten minutes. Seriously, I knew I could hustle if I put my mind to it, but damn.

In any case, I leaped down from the rooftop and made my way over to the warehouse, unsheathing Orthrus. I stepped inside, finding the place empty and covered in shadows and moonlight. I slid the gate shut behind me, advancing further in. I heard only my footsteps echoing across the empty warehouse.

"What is it with demons and warehouses?" I muttered under my breath. "Why couldn't they just, I don't know, squat in a roach motel or an abandoned school?" Who was I even talking to anyway? My point still stands either way. This was just so cliché!

"Kehehehehehe!" Aaand there they are.

The Scarecrows stumbled out of the shadows, all patchwork and giggling and stumbling. They were more or less the same ones I dealt with before…only they had a new friend. It was another Scarecrow, only twice as big and made of leather rather than rough patchwork. It had wickedly-sharp scythes for arms and long blades for feet, along with another blade attached to its back. Black ooze dribbled from the holes on its body, splattering to the floor and quickly climbing back into the puppet-like body.

"Okay, that's now…" I assumed a stance, conjuring four Summoned Swords and positioning them around me. I made the first move, swinging Orthrus upwards and sending a trail of ice their way.

The rushing glacial spikes managed to impale a few of the Scarecrows. The rest managed to avoid them by getting out of the way, though the ones that were impaled didn't die. The power behind the attack was too weak. As for the big guy…

Wait, where did he—the back of my head throbbed, danger quickly approaching. Killing intent bore down from above. I looked up and swore a curse, diving to the side and avoiding the falling Giant Scarecrow as it came barreling down to earth, spinning and flying off like a wheel. It rode around the warehouse, cutting up the ground and making a bee-line straight for me. I flipped Orthrus around, coating the blade in intense heat, and went to slash at the Giant Scarecrow in the hopes of pushing it back.

To my surprise, however, the bastard was pushing me back. I grounded my feet into the concrete, trying to halt my retreat. Sparks flew everywhere, all across my face. Were it not for my visor, I would have been blinded. I put more strength into my swing, knocking the demon off course and barely avoiding it. One if its blades nearly nicked me across the cheek as it soared above me, hitting the ground and finally rolling to a stop.

Three Scarecrows came at me in a pincer, one jumping into the other and swinging their bladed leg and the other going for a stab with their arm. I deflected the one in the air and ordered my Summoned Swords to block the one behind me, locking the blade in place. Orthrus' gout of flame knocked the airborne demon away and roared as I spun, swinging it behind me. A trail of red flame followed as I sliced off the demon's sole weapon, then grabbing it and throwing it at the big guy behind me.

The Giant Scarecrow callously knocked its fellow demon aside, its sharp claws easily tearing through its patchwork body and sending black ooze splattering everywhere. Ooze that was quickly flooding into the leather-clad demon. I used the distraction to send a few Summoned Swords its way, hoping to deal some damage. To my dismay, the blades bounced off. The Giant Scarecrow gave a low, mocking laugh.

Shit, it's skin's too tough! I swung Orthrus and threw an arc of flame its way. The Giant Scarecrow bounced off the ground and latched onto the ceiling like a spider, then pounced on top of me. I rolled out of the way, getting behind it and about to counterattack with another wave of hellfire when three Scarecrows with bladed arms suddenly jumped over their larger sibling, taking my by surprise and clashing with me.

Something's not right here. When I fought these things before, they were just mindlessly stumbling and could barely put up a fight. I killed them easily before, but now… They're still easy to shrug off, but they're more coordinated. More cohesive, almost as if… As if…

…As if they're being commanded. I parried and countered, skewering them with my Summoned Swords and slicing open their patchwork bodies with a single slash of my Devil's Arm. Orthrus' flames incinerated the ooze in seconds, burning away whatever was left. I glared at the Giant Scarecrow, which was now turning to face me, its smaller bretheren taking up position around it.

I understood it, then. The smaller demons were weak and mindless on their own, relying on numbers to make up the difference. The bigger one was intelligent, stronger and capable of rallying them, giving orders. I wasn't just facing a stronger variant, I was fighting an enemy commander.

My blood started to sing. A toothy grin made its way up to my face. Was I getting excited by the prospect of fighting something challenging? It didn't feel like a pushover, but it was definitely nowhere near as strong as that Fury bastard back in February.

I gripped Orthrus in both hands, a fleet of Summoned Swords hovering around me and ready to engage. Right as I was about to get back into the thick of it—

The ceiling came crashing down. The ground shuddered when something came down. Smoke flooded my vision, barely hiding the group of demons, but enough to make it hard to see. I saw a thrashing thing in the smoke, carrying what looked like a pair of sharp, chipped scissors, before a loud crunch sound reverberated through the air.

"Fucking finally…" a filtered, female voice muttered irritably. The smoke cleared, revealing the culprit.

It was a cape, and a tinker by the look of it. They were wearing armor, albeit rough and unpolished by the look of it. I saw some exposed wiring under the metal plating, but otherwise, the design painted a stereotypical heroic figure. They looked like a female version of Gallant, albeit sporting a more feminine look and dark-blue colored armor with long black hair spilling out from underneath the helm. A four-pointed shield with light-blue lights was fixed to their forearm while some kind of mounted weapon was attached to their other arm.

For a moment, I briefly saw black whisps of something floating around her before they dissipated. The unknown cape looked up, staring at the amassed group of demons. Then she turned to me. I could swear we looked each other in the eye underneath our respective masks.

The unknown cape spoke first. "Crap."

The Scarecrows charged. The sound of battle filled the warehouse once again.

3.8

Not ten seconds after she said that did the demons charge.

I zipped past her, swinging Orthrus in tandem with my Summoned Swords, blocking attacks from all sides. I tried the same with the Giant Scarecrow, but found myself being overpowered once again. Its blades pressed down, attempting to bring me to my knees. I felt the other Scarecrows going to attack me from behind. Summoned Swords blocked their paths, some impaled and killed with a lucky hit or two, but some weren't deterred and powered through. As confident as I was in my regenerative ability, I still didn't like the idea of getting hurt or worse. Not after that whole ordeal with Strix.

That was when the unknown cape suddenly reminded me of her existence, barreling in and grabbing one of the Scarecrows by the leg and throwing it against its allies. The shield lit up like a Christmas tree, suddenly rotating and moving at the speed of a buzzaw before she THREW IT?!

"Holy sh—!" I quickly disengaged, planting my feet on the Giant Scarecrow and got out of the way. The spinning shield smacked dead-on into the big guy's abdomen. The force wasn't enough to cut into the leather or force it back, but it clearly left it disoriented enough for me to get some distance and kill the Scarecrow coming up behind me, cutting off its arm and jamming its own blade into its skull. The flood of demonic beetles spilled out and quickly scuttled away, slithering into the larger one.

"Okay, that's disgusting," the cape groaned. Her shield returned and latched back onto her arm, right as two Scarecrows jumped on top of her. "H-hey! Get!" She grabbed one by the head and threw it on the ground. "Off!" She then grabbed the second Scarecrow and cut open its chest with the spinning shield before throwing it aside. The Scarecrow on the ground recovered right as she tried to stomp its head on, stumbling and bouncing away from her. "What the hell are these things?! Some bio-tinker circus troup?!"

"I wish," I grimaced, eyeing the Giant Scarecrow. The way it angled its mask, I felt as though it were leering mockingly at me.

I changed Orthrus' element, changing sides and taking a quick headcount of how many Scarecrows were left. I counted at least seven left. It didn't escape my notice how the ooze of bugs from the last Scarecrow the cape killed piled into the bigger one, as if joining the horde within the body. Either they were seeking refuge before they could be killed, or they were adding their power to the big guy. If it was the latter, then we would have to kill this thing quickly. First things first, I needed to figure out how to cut through that leather body. I needed to get in close with Orthrus, maybe strike with some heat.

The demons did not wait for us to make the first move. Three charged at once, shortly followed by the Giant Scarecrow becoming a spinning ball of death. I sent the weaker ones flying with a simple slash through the air and a blast of cold air, but I had no illusions of trying to block and repel the Giant Scarecrow through brute force alone. I jumped to the side and avoided it and went for another tactic, gathering my Summoned Swords around Orthrus.

Each Devil Arm had unique properties, inherited or derived from their base. The Devil's Arm Ifrit, for example, was forged from the molten corpse of a fire elemental demon and could generate scorching levels of heat. In some cases, that power could influence the wielder's own abilities. Admittedly, I learned this well after my fight with the Bloody Cape, but I experimented with Orthrus' effects on my Summoned Swords.

I was more than happy with the results. The orange-red blades changed ever so slightly, some beginning to be encroached in frost while others began to crack, their tips burning crimson and steaming.

With a flick, the elemental-infused conjured blades were sent flying and went straight for the Giant Scarecrow. It rolled up the wall and continued to speed forward, evading the swords completely before bouncing off like a cannonball and making a bee-line straight for the cape. "Watch out!" I shouted in warning.

The armored girl quickly kicked the Scarecrow she was fighting off her and pulled away, just barely escaping fate and becoming sliced-and-diced roadkill. The Giant Scarecrow changed course and went for round two. Scarecrows attempted to pin her in place or keep her distracted. I moved to intervene, bisecting one and separating it from its torso. Orthrus' chilling breath froze the bugs before they could vacate their now destroyed puppet. The cape, rather than take my newly-made escape route, punched the Scarecrow in front of her in the mask.

That was when I realized what the mounted weapon on her wrist actually was as she pulled her fist back, and with it, a steel wire. With a surprising show of strength, whether her own or her armor's, she threw the Scarecrow attached to the other end of the wire directly into the path of its larger sibling, slamming it right into its side with enough force that it had no choice but to change direction. It went past the cape by a wide margin and had to force itself to a stop, digging its blades into the ground.

I stared in awe and appreciation at her skill before getting back into it and deflecting a blade coming for my neck. I changed elements again and slashed the Scarecrow across the chest, lighting the patchwork body ablaze before sending Summoned Swords into its body and making it a pincushion, then kicking it into the Scarecrow charging at me. It callously used its dying brother as a springboard, hopping into the air and swinging its bladed leg down on me.

I side-stepped and countered, swinging Orthrus and slicing off its weaponized limb like a hot knife through butter. The Scarecrow flopped to the ground and died the moment I stabbed it in the head, setting it and its bugs ablaze.

"GET FUCKED!"

I looked back at the unknown cape, just in time to see her surrounded by three Scarecrows that had her dead to rights, only to have their bellies sliced open and their bugs to spill out in disgusting, oozing black floods. She pivoted on her heel, bringing the spinning shield around with her and slicing off their heads for good measure. The Scarecrows haplessly fell and dissipated into nothing while their puppetmasters fled to the Giant Scarecrow, which was now standing on its legs and laughing.

"Kekekekekekekekekekeke."

I swear, this bastard is laughing at us.

"So, do you have any ideas?" the cape asked me, not taking her eyes off the Giant Scarecrow. "Aside from trying to cut it open, I mean."

"Can you keep it still for a few seconds?"

"I can try."

A plan formed in my head. I had no idea if it would work, but it wasn't as if I had any other choice in the matter. The Giant Scarecrow let out a warbled cackle as it lunged, bringing its claws down. The cape got out of the way in time and just…stopped? What was she doing? As I pondered what was going through her head, her body started to shimmer and glow. It did not appear to be produced by her armor, so it was something else. The Giant Scarecrow swiped at her, aiming to slice her to pieces.

Two shields blocked its advance. I saw double. Next to the cape was essentially her twin, only with reversed colors. The white parts of the armor were jet black, her black hair dyed white, and the blue highlights on her shield colored dark red. The position of her shield and mounted wrist-wire were reversed as well.

I was stunned, left gaping for a short while and trying to figure out what just happened before shaking my head. I quickly joined the fray, sending Summoned Swords flying at its backside. A wicked smile formed over my face when I saw the flame-infused swords pierce into its leathery body. It did not catch fire as I hoped it would, but it made the bastard yell in pain. The distraction proved useful; the cape and her doppelganger knocked the Giant Scarecrow off balance, then proceeded to lunge forward and ram their fists into its shoulders, where its body and the blades met. The wrist-wires dug in deep and the twins were off, pulling as hard as they could on the wires and dragging it right up against a steel beam. The giant blade on its back prevented it from fully being trapped, but just as I hoped, they kept it in place long enough for me to get some momentum going.

I flipped Orthrus tight, flipping into a reverse-hand grip, my free hand firmly on the pommel. I sped up, pouring every bit of strength I had into my arms and legs, crossing the distance in seconds. I thrust Orthrus as deep into the Giant Scarecrow as I can, then let it loose.

First came the ice. Thick sheets of frozen water encroached its body, pouring out from the wound and devouring it from the inside. The Giant Scarecrow thrashed and writhed, attempting to pull itself away. It was succeeding, the twins struggling to keep it pinned against the steel beam. I felt Orthrus' chilling fangs growing deeper. My smile turned vicious as I twisted the blade and dug even further. Sparks flew across what little of the Devil Arm's edge I could see.

"Pop goes the weasel."

Hellfire roared and expanded. The ice broke apart and evaporated. The Giant Scarecrow suddenly expanded, growing like a balloon. The chittering and ungodly squealing of the Trypoxylus beetles grew louder before the body could not take it any longer.

Pop.

The cape screamed and backed away, avoiding the sudden intense burst of heat that erupted in front of her. There was nothing left; no scorch marks, no disgusting piles of black ooze made up of demonic bugs, not even a scrap of leather. I waited a moment, straining my senses and waiting to hear or sense something. Maybe some kind of last surprise meant to catch us off guard.

There was nothing.

I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding, the tension slowly bleeding away. I sheathed Orthrus and turned my attention to the cape, now alone. Her doppelganger was nowhere to be found. I finally take a moment to look at her more closely. Despite the amateurish design of her armor, it had seen its fair share of battle. It had no shortage of dents or cuts, some of which looked too old to come from the fight just now. The way she moved suggested she had some prior combat experience as well. It was strange, though. Granted, I don't follow PHO as much as I should when it comes to cape news and debuts unless I see a news article, but I would have thought someone like this would have been mentioned.

"So, uh…" The cape fidgeted, shifting back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I take it you work for Rodin, too?"

I stared. "…huh?"

"So, looks like you two finally ran into each other."

I should have expected this, to be honest. Boss mentioned I was hardly the only Devil Hunter out there in the world. I was just someone with more unique circumstances. It was still amazing to run into someone more experienced than me, though, if only by a few months.

After some rather explaining, I found myself joining her back in the Gates of Hell, where Boss was fixing up a cocktail for her. Meanwhile, I drank from a freshly-opened can of orange soda.

"I didn't know the talk of the town was a Devil Hunter too," the cape said beamingly. "I have to admit, I'm a little jealous you got a Devil's Arm before me, though. I've been trying to convince Rodin here to give me one for ages."

"Like I told you," Boss huffed. "You bag your first big baddie, I'll make you one. 'sides, even if I did have some to sell, I wouldn't go giving you it for free. I've heard what tinkers get up to when they get into it. Last thing we need is you blowing up the neighborhood trying to pick it apart."

"Give me a break…"

"So, what's your name?" I asked curiously. "Do you not have one?"

The cape shook her head. "Nope. I'm kind of like an indie hero, sort of. I haven't really made a big debut, and I mostly focus on hunting demons. Don't get me wrong, I also deal with the occasional scumbag or two every now and then, but I make most of my buck here. Speaking of demons, there's been a lot of them crawling out of the woodwork recently."

"Tell me about it." Part of me had an idea why that was, too.

Boss finished mixing the drink, setting it down in front of the cape. "Ever since the Fallen came to town. Considering they got somebody like that Strix punk, I'd bet you anything they're following him."

"Has there been any word on the missing persons?"

The cape answered with a sigh. "I've been looking into that myself since the Fallen showed up. Hunting down their members, trying to pry info out of them, but I can never get anything. Not for a lack of trying, mind you. Trying the whole "I'll kill you if you don't tell me everything" bluff doesn't work, either. They're more terrified of Strix than they are of the heroes and villains."

I don't blame them. Just thinking about that bastard made my skin crawl. My side still burned from the memory of his flames.

At this point, I had a pretty good idea why the Fallen were kidnapping people. Like Boss said, demons from the Underworld crawled out of their holes one of two ways. Either they managed to slip through the cracks, squeezing their way in, or they were lured out by the tantalizing smell of blood. It was impossible to know how many of the missing persons in Brockton Bay could be attributed to just gang violence or people getting fed up with this shithole of a city, but if even half of those were the Fallen's doing…

We were running out of time. How much time was left, I had no idea. It was equal parts aggravating and terrifying, knowing that there were god knows how many people in desperate need of saving, hoping a hero would find and save them. If I couldn't find them and we failed…

NO.

Something steely forms in my head. A burning fire was lit in my breast.

I wouldn't fail. I refuse to fail. I will not fail.

"Head on home, kid," Boss told me. "I'll call you in case something turns up."

I nodded and stood up, downing the dregs of my soda before tossing the can into the garbage bin halfway across the room. "Take care! And good luck!" the cape shouted at me. I waved back, giving her a thumbs up.

By the time I returned home, sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. It took two hours before I finally allowed myself to fall unconscious.

I called in sick to school in the morning. I told Dad I wasn't feeling well, that I must have ate something foul and faked puking in the bathroom. I didn't like having to lie to him, but I had no choice.

When I woke up, the first thing I did was log onto PHO to see if there was any new updates. I had a message in my PM.

Purity wanted to meet.

3.9

I passed the message onto Antares, who in turn set up for a quick meeting with the Protectorate. It was a safety measure as well as a discussion, no doubt in regards to my connection to the Empire cape. Truth be told, I half-expected the Protectorate to force themselves into the meeting. Armsmaster certainly gave off that impression. Miss Militia, on the other hand, was more restrained and offered an alternative solution.

"You want me wired?"

For the record, it took considerable effort not to squeal. Miss Militia was one of my favorite heroes, right up there with Battery. Getting to meet her in person was almost a dream come true. I was a little surprised that Antares wasn't here, though I imagined she was still resting after the asskicking we got from Strix. I asked about her when I met with Armsmaster and Miss Militia, though she wasn't able to give out too much information. At the very least, she said Antares was doing fine.

"It's mostly a precaution," Miss Militia assured me. "Purity is suspected to have drifted away from the Empire and has had little interaction with any of the other capes under Kaiser. There are some rumors she's trying to go straight, though we don't have any real concrete info for that."

Armsmaster scoffed. "I highly doubt she has. If Purity wants to go hero, she would have turned to us. At the very least, she would have attacked the Merchants and Kaiser. Instead, she's just been going after any ABB she can find."

"True, but there's also a chance Kaiser knows her civilian identity," Miss Militia countered. "We should take that into account as well."

The tinker looked as if he wanted to argue further, but thought against it and shut his mouth. I could understand Armsmaster's skepticism, though. Purity was a well-known villain and seemed wholly unrepentant of what she did. The idea of her going straight was more than a little sketchy, especially if all she's been targeting was the ABB and Lung. If she also went after the Merchants, I could see a little support, but not much.

After all, the ABB consisted of pan-Asian ethnicities. Ergo, targeting a group that was dominantly non-White wasn't a good argument of you claiming to go hero.

It would be great if Purity was legit trying to go hero, but so far, she hadn't given me or anyone a lot of evidence.

"So, what do I do if she tries a recruitment pitch?" I asked nervously. "High-tail it out of there? Fight?"

Armsmaster shook his head. "That is ill-advised. She was one of Kaiser's lieutenants for a reason. If she tries for a recruitment pitch, decline. If she gets aggressive, flee. Fight only if you don't have any other choice."

"We'll be nearby in case things go south," Miss Militia promised. "You have our word on that, Vergil."

It was noon. The appointed time when Purity wanted to meet. I stood atop one of the many tall buildings in the Towers, lounging atop a water tower and fiddling with a Summoned Sword while waiting for Purity to show up. I hadn't thought much about the upcoming encounter, save some trepidation and anxiety from meeting with Purity by myself. Now that the situation was unfolding, I found my hands trembling and uncertainty creeping up.

I knew Rune's real name. Only her first name, but only that. I doubted that would matter much to the Empire. From what I understood about the Unwritten Rules, secret identities were a serious matter for two reasons, the first was that it kept a cape's families safe. Second was that if you broke the rules, there would be hell to pay. A cape who had their identity exposed would see no reason to hold back or go on a rampage, and no one was going to help the one who exposed them unless there was something in it for them.

The fact that I knew one of the Empire's capes' real name was a red flag. It meant I held some power over them. Not a whole lot, mind you, but enough to give them pause. I wouldn't put it past the realm of possibility of them trying to silence me to protect one of their own.

A troubling thought occurred to me just then. What if this meeting was just a pretext to kill me before I could tell anyone? What if Purity wanted to kill me before I spilled the beans about Rune?

My grip over Orthrus tightened. I refused to lay down and die because someone told me to.

"Hello."

It took a great deal of self-restraint not to withdraw Orthrus from its confines and strike at the speaker behind me, nor drive the Summoned Sword into their skull. I dismissed it with a flick and carefully turned around. A woman clad in pure white light floated in front of me. The only visible features were her hair and physique.

"Purity," I greeted tersely.

"We don't see any other Empire capes nearby," Miss Militia's voice cackled in my ear. "Looks like she really is alone."

That was a little comforting, but I didn't let down my guard. I kept my face impassive, not wanting to show even the slightest hint of weakness. Purity and I shared some kind of staredown, as if gauging the other. Neither of us made a move, but neither of us was willing to back down if the other showed hostility. Seconds dragged into minutes. After what felt like an hour, the light around Purity dimmed ever so slightly. Her feet touched the concrete floor beneath us.

"I apologize for the short notice. There were some…complications on my end."

"It's fine," I replied neutrally. I couldn't stop myself from scanning the rooftops behind her, wondering if there was a sniper anywhere nearby. "You said you had information you wanted to share. Why me?"

"Because I believe you're after the same thing as me. You want the Fallen here in the city dead or gone."

"What makes you say that?"

"One of the Empire's warehouses was attacked," Purity said, putting me on edge. "There were no signs of a struggle, not shots fired, no sign of cape activity anywhere… Except that one of the members sent out a group message about a man carrying a scythe attacking them."

My blood ran cold. The night we encountered Strix came to my mind. My hand balled into a tight fist.

"Cricket went to investigate what happened, and imagine her surprise when she found you and two Wards fighting someone who matched that same description. Someone working for the Fallen. The next day, someone made a post asking for information about missing persons. Sometime last month, when the Fallen started spreading their propaganda here in Brockton Bay, the number of people disappearing suddenly skyrocketed. I simply connected the dots."

"Hence how you found me."

Purity nodded. "I admit, I was a little hesitant at first. Actually, me being here is a huge risk."

"Let me guess. Empire?"

The woman sighed. "They're aware you know about Rune."

"How is she, by the way?" I couldn't help but ask, both out of worry and genuine curiosity. Even if Rune was a neo-Nazi, she didn't deserve to die. Especially not to the Bloody Cape.

I got the feeling that Purity was smiling behind whatever mask she wore under all that light. "She's fine now. Granted, she's been complaining non-stop about her prosthetic, but she's fine. Speaking of, I want to thank you. You had every reason to inform authorities about her, but you never said anything."

"I didn't because I know what happens to capes who break the Unwritten Rules. Last thing I want is the Empire to hound my ass."

Purity nodded solemnly. "Understandable…"

I get back on topic. "Do you have any idea what happened to the missing gang members?"

"None. And it isn't just them. Friends and family to those who joined have also gone missing." Her tone grew severe, making me tense. I did not sense hostility, but rather trepidation and fear. "Kaiser is many things, but the Fallen are testing his patience. He believes them the ones responsible for the kidnappings and is threatening to go to war with them."

That…sounded bad. Very bad. "And you're bringing this to me and not the Protectorate because…?"

"Because I owe you a debt, and the PRT…" Purity sighed heavily. "They wouldn't trust me."

Gee, I wonder why? I felt tempted to say it to her face, but kept my mouth shut. She came here of her own volition and went out of her way to talk to me, after all. The last I could do was be respectful and hear her out.

"At any rate, I propose a deal."

"A deal?"

She nodded. "Cooperation. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. As I said, I owe you a debt for saving Rune. Even if Kaiser doesn't like it. I would prefer this be settled before things escalate. We exchange information; I pass along any information the Empire has about the Fallen to you, and you vice versa. Is this acceptable?"

A pause for a moment, giving the illusion I was considering her offer, In truth, I was more focused on what my minder had to say.

"On the one hand, this sounds too good to be true," Armsmaster grumbled. "But if Kaiser is willing to go to war with the Fallen…"

"He does realize what will happen if he does that, right?" For some reason, Miss Militia sounded alarmed.

"I'm aware, Miss Militia. Vergil, take her deal for now."

I nodded. "…alright, I agree to your terms." Purity brightened up slightly. I then decide to make my own matters known. "For the record, I have no intention of joining the Empire Eighty-Eight anytime soon. I'm not a villain, despite what anyone says."

"I figured as much." Purity rose into the air, the light around her brightening. "I hope we don't get in each other's way. For both our sakes, let's hope this trust isn't misplaced."

For a moment, I didn't see the Empire cape. For a moment, I didn't see a villain. There was…something, a feeling I couldn't put my finger on. Purity looked almost vulnerable.

"…wait." The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop myself. Purity halted mid-air, turning to face me in confusion. "What's your stake in this?"

"My stake?" I could feel her frowning. "That's a stupid question. The Fallen are insane for worshipping the Endbringers. These kidnappers and their affiliation with this Strix character only makes them abominable. Say what you will about the Empire, but there's nothing wrong with basic human decency."

I shook my head. "That's not what I mean. They say you're going straight, that you've been straying from the Empire. You chose to go to me and not the heroes."

"Like I said, things are complicated."

"But why?" I persisted. I could see it. That something. There was hesitation, a gnawing feeling on the back of her head. I could feel it. "There has to be another reason why you went to me and not the heroes. Not if you're serious about becoming a hero."

For a moment, I wondered if I overstepped my boundaries. The silence is almost crushing, as is the impassive glare she leveled at me. I heard Armsmaster and Miss Militia advising me to get out of there and drop the subject before things got out of hand. I felt my blood broiling, fingers twitching and ready to draw Orthrus. My inner devil wanted a fight, and part of me wished to grant its request if things got ugly.

The silence dragged on for what felt like hours before Purity finally answered. It was quiet, almost a whisper, but I heard it nonetheless.

"…they took my son."

Her words leave my feet frozen to the ground, thoughts of battle long gone. Purity left, quickly becoming little more than a shining beacon dwindling in the horizon.

"…fuck." I couldn't tell who said that, Armsmaster or Miss Militia. It didn't matter who said it. I shared in their feelings.

We finally realized the full extent of what was going on and the implications of Kaiser going to war. The Unwritten Rules were regarded so dearly by the cape community because it kept bloodshed and violence down to a minimum. For a given value of minimum. Whether the Fallen knew it or not, they violated that rule. If Purity was speaking the truth, then a bloodbath was waiting over the horizon.

And there was no telling who would be caught in the crossfire.

"This is going to be fun…" I groaned under my breath.

Why did this shit have to be so complicated?!

3.10

I decided craziness could wait a while. Between Purity dropping a bombshell and that debrief, I did not want to deal with anything in Brockton Bat at the moment. Heroics could wait as could demons. Boss brooked no complaints and said nothing, happily giving me the rest of the day off, which of course meant I was free to pursue life at home.

It was almost dizzying to realize how little I actually remembered what being 'normal' was like. Sure, I spoke with Dad more often and could actually enjoy school now, but more often than not, I was out on the streets fighting punks or killing anything that went bump in the night. Demon slaying had become so part of the norm for me I wondered if my civilian life had any real meaning.

Giving up this, being Taylor Hebert—a normal girl living with her father—was out of the question. Nothing could make me give this up.

"So, how have things been at school?" Dad asked me as we prepared dinner. Tonight was the rare occasion we worked together in the kitchen; my father was not a lousy cook per se, but he had a bad habit of burning anything not called 'meat loaf'. "Found a boy that's caught your fancy yet?"

I rolled my eyes as we revisited this conversation for what must have left like the umpteenth time this week. "I have several boys who are friends, and I'm not interested in any of them. Besides, one is already in a relationship and I'm pretty sure another is gay." At least I assumed Chris was gay. And maybe half the school. It escaped nobody's notice how interested he was in Trent Darren's, pardon my French, fucking ripped body in P.E. Not that I blamed him; Trent was quite easy on the eyes, but that's all he was, just eye candy.

"In that case, any lady friends?" Dad snickered at my flummoxed expression. "I won't judge, kiddo. Before Annie and I hooked up, she was dating a girl two years older than her." His face grew nostalgic and perhaps a little thoughtful if the creased brow was any indication. "Now that I think about it, Clarice really didn't like me when Annie introduced us."

"Was she part of Lustrum's gang?"

"I think so, though I couldn't be sure. She hated me at the very least, though that might have been because I was a close friend of Annie's."

That had been a somewhat recent discovery. Since we reconnected, Dad was slowly growing more open talking about Mom. A few weeks back, I once asked him what Mom was like when she was my age. As it turned out, she was quite the rebel in the past; she was actually part of Lustrum's gang of feminists, though Dad wasn't sure if she was a hardcore member who swung bats at people or was part of the rank-and-file. I did a little research on Lustrum myself and learned she was sent to the Birdcage, though the circumstances leading to that event were not what I expected.

She wasn't sent there because of a confrontation with the PRT. Lustrum walked up to their front door and turned herself in. The public statement was that she was taking responsibility for one of hers going too far. Some poor shmuck ended up castrated by a member of Lustrum's crew, though the news articles and PHO didn't say whether the guy lived and who was responsible for said castration. It mattered little anyway as Lustrum's gang fell apart without her and vanished with the wind. She still had some supporters here in the Bay, but they were all regular folks without a major voice to back them up.

I found many other gangs like Lustrum's as well. Brockton Bay's criminal history before the Golden Age of Parahumans wasn't like what it is now. There were the occasional gangbangers and street thugs, but they could be counted on one hand alone. The first parahuman gangs in the city that were not the Empire or the Teeth ended up phasing out real quick, either driven by independents like the Brockton Bay Brigade and other solo heroes or absorbed into others, and even those gangs ended up vanishing.

The Empire Eighty-Eight stood alone, Allfather leading the group until his untimely death. Even when the Teeth showed up, they were still the strongest power in the city.

"Seriously, though, is there anyone you like?" Dad pressed on. "I would eventually like to play the Dad card at some point in your life."

"Then you're gonna be waiting a long time, old man," I snorted. "Because there's no one like that at Arcadia. Romance isn't exactly high on my list of priorities, you know? Besides…"

He frowned. "Besides what?"

My hands stopped moving. I thought back to the locker and Winslow. I thought back to Sophia and Emma. I thought back to the day I met Rodin and fought Orthrus. The sigh leaves my mouth before I realized it. "I…don't think I'm cut out for this dating stuff. I'm not pretty, I'm not smart, and my hair's…" I pinched a few white locks between my index finger and thumb. "It's not what you would call normal. Plus there's all this baggage. I just don't feel comfortable sharing that sort of stuff with other people."

"…Taylor." I looked at my father. He looked like he aged several years, crow's feet looking more obvious than ever. "It shouldn't matter if your pretty or smart."

"Mom was both of those things," I pointed out.

"I didn't fall in love with your mother because she was smart or she looked pretty. I loved her because she was the sort of woman who took no shit from anyone and spoke her mind. Love isn't just about appearances, kid. Anyone who dates or marries somebody just because they look hot as hell just means they're fucking shallow. Age fades as you grow older. I'm not exactly young anymore, and in a few decades, I'll be as shriveled as a prune. So would Annette if she were still here. Would I still love her then? Of course I would."

Dad sighed. "What I'm trying to say is, you shouldn't fall in love with somebody for shallow reasons like that. One day, you'll meet a boy or girl who will love you because of who you are, and you love them the same way." He shook his head and stepped away from the counter, setting down the knife and rag as he turned to look at me fully. "Me and Annette weren't perfect. We all had our secrets. I didn't know she was with Lustrum until we'd been together four years and she called me to help bail her out when shit with the gang went south. I never told her about the stuff with my parents until we had you."

"Your parents?" Now that I thought about it, I never heard Dad talk very much about his family. I knew about my grandmother from Mom's side, but I knew zilch about Dad's. "Did something bad happen?"

Dad grimaced. "My parents and I never got along. They were old-fashioned who thought they knew what their kids wanted. Suffice to say, what I wanted and what they thought I wanted were two entirely different things. Last time we ever spoke was when they yelled at me for marrying some 'snot-nosed punk' who wasn't good for me. They haven't bothered to talk to me since."

I stared with a mix of guilt and anger. Guilt for bringing up something that Dad clearly did not want to talk about, and anger at my grandparents over on Dad's side of the family. They sounded far too much like the stereotypical over-controlling parents you hear about on news feed and website blurbs way too often. I sincerely hope the day when I meet them never comes.

Dad looked like was going to say something else, only to stammer and frown. "….Shit, where was I going with this again?"

The smile on my face couldn't have been any bigger. "You were saying something about me finding the right special someone?"

"Oh, right. A-anyway, my point is that the special guy or girl you run into? They'll love you because you're Taylor. That's it, really." He paused for a moment, then smirked. "And if they think you look cute? Well, added bonus. Plus there's the whole 'beauty in the eye of the beholder' and all that."

"…you suck at giving advice, do you know that?"

"Your mother thought I was good at giving it. Unfortunately, it seems my rebellious daughter doesn't have a very good brain. It could be defective."

"Hey, this brain's defective because of you. In fact, I think you should reimburse me."

Dad grinned. "Oh yeah? How?"

"Stop talking and help me finish dinner."

"Fair enough."

That night, I didn't think about my cape life at all. The concerns and state of Brockton Bay were the furthest thing from my mind at the moment. I ignored it all in favor of a lively and animated talk with my Dad at the dinner table, tossing back jokes and recalling old memories involving a hellion called Taylor and a woman by the name of Annette Hebert.

The next day I went to school. Victoria was here, looking no worse for wear, albeit walking unsteadily. "Oh, h-hey." She smiled when she saw me, joining me on the way. "Been a while."

"Feeling better?" I asked. "Your walking kind of funny, though."

"Slight screw-up on the way here," she assured me. "Not to mention I think my legs might be asleep. What about you, stranger? You look like you're in a good mood?"

"You think so?"

"You're smiling more than usual. It's kinda creepy, to be honest."

"Wow. Rude much?"

"Hey, I gotta hit the daily quota somehow!"

As usual, classes were a mixed bag of exciting and boring, but lunch was more excitable than usual. The boys were happy that Victoria was back, especially Dead. Cuddle time was back to being a regular thing, as was Dennis and Chris' jokes they should get married. That said, Amy was still absent. Victoria said there was a situation at home that needed to be handled and she volunteered to deal with it. I chalked it up to family drama, as well as a reminder as to who her family was.

"Do you mind if I ask a personal question?" I asked suddenly.

Victoria shrugged. "Go right ahead, so long as it isn't anything creepy."

"What's it like having a cape family?"

Next to me, Dennis snickered. "She gets that question more than you'd think."

"It's not too bad, I guess?" Victoria looked thoughtful. "I mean, my cousin and aunt are still going even though New Wave's pretty much disbanded, but outside of the family barbeque stuff I normally don't see them very often. Mom hasn't gone out for heroics since…" Her mood darkened some, but otherwise she kept up her smile. "But, not many people bother her. Sure, we get the occasional fan coming up to greet us, and me too because, hello, daughter of Brandish and all that, but other than that it's pretty normal."

"…huh."

The blonde girl grinned. "What, disappointed it's not as exciting as you thought?"

"Nothing like that. I just thought you'd have a bunch of creeps looking to get into your good graces because of who your family is."

"Oh, she did and still does," Dean chimed in. "As well as the occasional stalker."

I deadpanned. "…are they still alive?"

"In prison, but yes," Victoria answered without missing a beat. "Sometimes Mom scares them off with a lightshow. She might be retired, but she's still a cape. Enough about me, though. How about you, Taylor? What's your family like?"

Once again, everything in the world felt right as I ignored everything else. Unlike last night, though, I felt something was wrong. There was this feeling in the back of my head, my hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.

But…what?

"Is everything all set to go for the party?"

"Yes, Your Grace. Everything is prepared for tomorrow's festivities…"

Strix looked away from the nameless grunt and at the stage. He took count of the number of people gathered for the upcoming performance. All the actors were in place, save for a few last minute additions. A few extras was nothing to worry about, though he would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. Ever since his arrival in the Human World, he expected to find a decent challenge and found his opponents wanting. The capes were nothing to write home about, and the one Devil Hunter he encountered was no more than a greenhorn.

"Vergil" as she called herself was a curiosity. He felt Zion's Shard within her, but there was no mistaking the demonic energy coursing through her. A half-breed was nothing special beyond being quite the appetizer, but something told him that girl was different. It was instinctual, he realized. Something in his bones told him that girl was unique.

"If she shows up, this might be exciting," Strix said mostly to himself. He was not going to hold his breath, however. Per that annoying git Valefor's orders, the festivities were kept to the down low with the utmost secrecy. Only a handful of outsiders knew where the party would take place, all just as twisted and crazy as the rest of these idiots.

He hoped she would show up regardless, if only so that he could have an outlet to relieve his boredom.