Overcast 3.2
Taylor blinked her eyes slowly, ears ringing, head aching, and legs feeling oddly numb. She tried to sit up, but immediately felt her head spin and something warm run down the side of her face.
Oh that's my blood, she thought to herself with an internal giggle. No wait, she giggled out loud. Why? This wasn't funny! Isaac stumbled into her field of view, part of his face scorched and burned, though it was rapidly healing. His lips were moving, but she couldn't hear what he was saying over the ringing. She pointed to her ears and shouted that she couldn't hear him.
He nodded in understanding and then his hand shimmered with energy that he placed on top of her head. Warmth spread through her body, the pain in her skull vanishing, her ears popping and hearing restored. The sounds were far from pleasant, a lot of screaming, crying, and sirens. Her back tingled for a moment and then she could suddenly feel her legs again.
"Up you get," Isaac grunted as he hauled her to her feet. "Lemme just…" Golden energy left his palm, forming dozens of lines to the surrounding people. All around them, wounds began to heal and close within a matter of seconds. "We should head to the nearest hospital. I somehow doubt this was an isolated incident, the emergency rooms are going to start getting packed. Least I can do is clear them out, leave the really serious cases to your friend."
Taylor glanced at the carnage. "You don't think we should stop whoever did all this?"
"Of course we should, but if experience is any indicator, then I'm guessing it'll be next to impossible to find them at this point." Isaac at least looked as frustrated as Taylor felt. "Right now we need to mitigate the damage, throwing Olympus into this will just be adding fuel to an already raging fire."
Taylor's PRT issued phone chose then to start ringing. "Assault?" She answered.
"Battery actually." The hero answered. "Assault is down, the ABB have staged attacks all across the city." The sounds of fighting filtered through the phone line. "They're concentrated at the PRT building right now, you're too young for us to ask for help, but can you assist in other parts of the city?"
Taylor's eyes shot to Isaac and he gave her a minute nod. A portal opened and he stepped through. "Olympus is ready to help. A healer will be arriving shortly at Brockton General to start clearing out the emergency rooms."
"You have a hea- Of course you have a healer." Battery laughed through the line even as more gunfire could be heard on her end. "You got anyone else you could send our way? Not you, please, we don't want to put you in any unnecessary danger."
Could she? Was she strong enough to give it a try? Only one way to find out… Legacy materialized, smiling as always, but with a definite glint of anger in his eyes. He too shot off into the sky, quickly shattering the sound barrier. "Legacy is enroute and approaching fast."
"Yeah, I can see him. Thanks, Olympia." Battery sounded relieved.
"The rest of Olympus will do what we can." Though judging by her headache, Taylor wasn't sure how much else that would be. "I'll keep my phone handy, give us updates."
"Will do. Stay safe out there, the ABB aren't exactly playing by the rules anymore." Battery warned her before dropping the call.
Taylor looked around at the chaos and carnage that the ABB had caused at the cafe and were probably spreading throughout the city. Taking off at a jogging pace, she made her way home. She needed her armor and her command center. She had a feeling that the night ahead was going to be long.
Isaac Walker stepped through the portal he'd conjured with Jumpgate's power and then swapped it back for Magister's. Already the waiting room of the ER was filling up and he knew from experience that it'd only get worse as the night progressed. His eyes flickered to the television in the corner and noted that the ABB had already released a statement online, a threat and a declaration of intent. They were going to be trying to aggressively expand their territory with the loss of Coil and the Merchants. Isaac didn't know much about the gang politics of Brockton, but he did know that any criminal worth their prison sentence didn't want their rivals expanding their business. He was willing to bet that there would be some intense fighting between the ABB and Empire Eighty-Eight tonight, not to mention the Protectorate and PRT. All the more reason to take care of the hospital quickly so he could get out into the field. Wait…
Since when do I get into fights? Leave that to the real heroes.
But he couldn't deny that part of him wanted to be out there, kicking ass and putting criminals where they belonged. No, now wasn't the time for that, the people here needed his help immediately. Focusing on Magister's power, Isaac allowed lines of soft golden light to spread across the room, sharing the formidable healing factor around. Cuts and bruises, broken bones and lacerations, all of it began to rapidly heal. The nurses began to usher out those who had been healed, making room for more. Across the room, he made eye contact with Panacea and the young healer had a look of such intense relief on her face that Isaac wanted to just give the poor girl a hug. Being the only healer must have been taking a toll on her mentally and emotionally.
"Panacea." He greeted her, walking up as he spread the golden energy around. "I'm Roulette, with Olympus." He held out his hand.
She accepted it, pausing as she did so. "You're like Legacy."
"How'd you figure?"
"You have the same energy inside your cells as he does." She noted, eyes unfocused. "Differently to how his did and concentrated throughout your body in different areas as well." Her eyes regained focus as she dropped his hand. "What can you do?"
"At the moment I have a powerful healing factor that I can share with others." Isaac replied, easily slipping into the role of Magister. "I can concentrate on one person with severe trauma or spread among a lot of folks with minor injuries, which is what I'm doing right now." He gestured to the waiting room that was clearing out even as they spoke. "I figured that while I'm here I can take care of the majority while you focus your time on the real bad cases."
"What about people with missing biomass, like limbs? I can only work with what's there." Panacea explained.
"Then I can help with those." Isaac decided. "My healing will create biomass ex nihilo."
"Great. No major side effects? Tonight it probably won't matter as long as we keep them alive, but we'll need to get all this confirmed once the crisis is over." Panacea bit out briskly as she walked over to another patient and began healing them.
Isaac followed while spreading the healing factor some more and pulling it from others who'd healed up already. "No long term consequences, guaranteed." Magister had run his clinic for decades and not once had there been any kind of side effects from his healing.
"I hope you're right, because we're going to be healing a lot of people tonight." Panacea sighed. "And this won't be the only hospital filling up."
"Once we clear out this one, we can move on to another." Isaac assured her. "We'll get as many as possible."
"But- The time it'd take to transport both of us could cost lives!" Panacea protested.
A small smirk found its way onto Isaac's face. "Trust me, that won't be a problem. You'll see."
Legacy landed in the middle of a veritable warzone (and he'd been in them before, this was definitely a warzone) just in time to snatch an explosive out of the air and hurl it up into the air high enough to avoid casualties. With a burst of energy vision he hurled an ABB member back and then ducked behind an overturned truck to speak with Battery.
"What's the situation?" He asked quickly.
"ABB are staging attacks across the city and they're armed with tinkertech explosives." Battery summarized. "No sight yet of Lung or Oni-Lee or whoever is making the bombs, but so far things aren't going well. The E88 have deployed several of their capes and if we don't put a stop to this quickly, then we're going to be seeing a lot of dead bodies." The hero winced as a bullet deflected near her head. "I've already got several officers down."
Legacy's fists clenched and he nodded. "This won't go unanswered."
"Agreed." Battery replied. "But right now we have to get the fighting to stop and- Hold on." Battery held her hand up to her earpiece, listening intently. "Shit. We have sightings of Lung, he's already ramped up a ways and he's engaged Menja, Krieg, Rune, and Victor." Her eyes darted to Legacy. "Can you assist?"
"Easy." Legacy slammed his fist into his palm. "Just give me an address."
"Smith and Seventh, about five miles south-east of here, by the Docks." Battery rattled off. Her power finished it's charge and she blurred into motion, slamming several ABB members into the pavement. "Hurry it up, Lung will only get stronger the longer he's fighting!"
Legacy gave a quick two fingered salute and then jetted off into the sky, flying in the direction given to him. It was a lot easier to find the fight than he expected, which shouldn't have been surprising considering the thirty foot tall viking woman and the eight foot tall dragon man who was growing by the second. Lung was running between Menja's strikes, lashing out with bursts of flame while Krieg and Rune ducked behind a telekinetically controlled car. Numerous dead or wounded ABB and Empire men lay around, several with precision gunshots to the head. The work of Victor, a skill thief. Legacy had an issue with parahumans of that sort of nature, especially considering the long term effects of the man's power.
Eyes darting around the battlefield, Legacy spotted the Empire parahuman on a rooftop, heavy sniper rifle set up and aimed towards Lung. Glowing beams of energy, precise as a scalpel, shot out from his eyes and carved through the weapon, rendering it inert.
"I'd suggest you surrender." Legacy informed him as he came to an abrupt stop mid-air. "Or I will put you down so hard you'll be seeing stars for the next week."
The combat-Thinker reacted by drawing a pair of handguns and shooting Legacy in the face. They were good shots too, aimed right for the eyes, normally a vulnerable point for most Brutes.
Legacy was not most Brutes.
Even as the shots were crumpling against his eyelids, Legacy blurred forward faster than Victor could react and grabbed the man by the front of his black chestplate. He then lifted him up and rammed him through the roof and down onto the next floor. The neo-nazi villain laid there groaning in pain while Legacy just smiled down at him and then flew back up.
Oh great, the dragon is ten feet tall now. Fun.
Said dragon was dragging his flaming claws across the back of Menja's leg. Even with her Breaker effect dampening the damage, it still managed to draw blood and send the woman down onto one knee with a cry of pain. Krieg reacted by leaping out of cover and slamming a fist into Lung's back, redirected kinetic energy and throwing the villain through a shattered storefront. Taking that as her cue, Rune levitated the car she had been using as cover and flung it in after him in an explosive hail of debris and shrapnel.
A heartbeat passed. Two.
Then Lung burst forth, fourteen feet tall now, face beginning to show signs of transformation, streams of white hot fire surrounding, armored scales rapidly growing. The cluster of Empire capes went from looking ecstatic to scared. Lung charged, the dragon roaring his rage and fury. Legacy met him halfway, a thunderclap of displaced air ringing out.
"I'd stand down if I were you." Legacy growled, straining against the Dragon of Kyushu. "I've fought bigger and stronger than you."
Lung gave the typical supervillain reaction. A loud roar and faceful of fire. Legacy waited patiently for him to stop, then punched him in the chest. It was carefully measured of course, it had been years since Legacy had fought someone who could stand up to his full strength. The blow was still enough to fold Lung in half and send him flying backwards with the sound of snapping bone.
"Had enough?" Legacy asked politely while floating over to the struggling parahuman who was wheezing and coughing up blood. Legacy could hear the bones repairing themselves with all sorts of unpleasant cracking.
Lung responded by growing another foot and roaring, sending a concentrated stream of flames at Legacy. It was hot of course, but nothing compared to the heat that ReNew could put out when he got pissed. Or even Bellona really.
"Bad dragon." Legacy scolded before uppercutting him.
There was another grizzly crunch of bone and shattering teeth and the dragon briefly gained flight. Dashing upward, Legacy then drove another fist into Lung's gut, throwing him down and into the street. This time when Legacy landed, Lung was shrinking back to his ordinary size, some of the wounds still carrying over.
"Learned your lesson yet?" Legacy asked cheerfully as he stood over the downed villain. "Cause I can do this all day."
The dragon did something unexpected. He started to laugh. A wheezing, bubbling laugh as blood seeped from his mouth.
Damn, I think I hit him too hard. Legacy winced.
"Alright fella, let's get you up and to your new home." Legacy reached down to take him.
Lung just grinned through bloodstained teeth. "If you are here dealing with me, then who is protecting your Master?"
Legacy's blood went cold. "How did you…?"
"You did not think we would prepare before making our move?" Lung chuckled. "You see a mighty dragon and think that I am strong, but stupid. I have been preparing for this eagerly. The Protectorate is not my most dangerous foe in this city, you are."
Legacy went to start flying, but couldn't as he vanished in a burst of light, as if he'd never been there at all.
The Dragon laughed in victory.
Taylor ran through the streets as chaos engulfed her home. Explosions and gunfire were coming from all directions. Sheer, utter insanity. What had driven the ABB to do this? Was this her fault?
Yes, yes it is.
She froze as Archmage's voice echoed through her mind. Why?
You created a power vacuum my dear. Gave the ABB an opening to take more power and influence in the city. Archmage explained. I would have done the same. In fact, I have done the same.
How can we stop it?
Patiently. If Lung is smart, then he will keep his new Tinker tucked away safely while she produces explosives. You'll have to choose a more opportune time to deal with her.
People are dying, Daylen! Taylor protested. I can't just stand by and do nothing!
People are always dying. You can't save everyone, no one is that powerful.
Then I'll save as many as I can.
Taylor threw open the door to her workshop and began donning her armor, feeling the comfortable thrill of power begin to sing through her veins. Vulcanium truly was an amazing meta-material. She briefly borrowed a teleportation power (the pain in her head lessening thanks to all the vulcanium she was wearing) and appeared in an alleyway near the Dockworkers' Association. The DA was her father's life's work, she figured that she could help protect them from all the insanity going on while Isaac helped the wounded and Legacy did his thing.
It was quiet though. Too quiet. Amidst all the chaos of the city, the DA's windows were darkened and silent. Taylor felt a spike of panic and ran into the building.
That was a mistake.
Pain like nothing she'd ever felt before spiked through her body, every nerve lighting up like a signal flare. There was nothing in the world except all consuming agony!
Then it ended and someone rolled her onto her back. She stared up at a figure, a cape, wearing some kind of gas mask contraption and goggles, surrounded by several ABB thugs.
"Get rid of the flier, now." A harsh metallic voice spat out of the mask.
Taylor tried to move, but her nerves still cried out in pain and the other cape simply pushed her back down.
"The flying Brute, do whatever it is you projection Masters do and get rid of him." The villain ordered. "Or I'll kill you and then I'll kill your dad."
Taylor felt a chill run down her spine. It was bad enough that the heroes knew her identity, but villains now too?
"That's right you cocky bitch, we know who you are." A rattling laugh came out of the figure's mask. "It was child's play to hack the PRT's systems, they aren't meant to keep a real Tinker out. Now do as I say or else."
Left without much choice, Taylor focused briefly and dismissed Legacy from the physical world.
"Good girl. Lee, get your ass back here, now. Don't worry about the boss, I'm sure he'll pull himself back together in a minute." The cape said into a cellphone. "Now, as for you…" The cape kneeled down next to Taylor. "The name's Bakuda. I'm going to enjoy making an example out of you."
Taylor fought back another spasm of pain and managed to choke out a reply. "What the fuck did I ever do to you?!"
"Nothing really." Well that threw Taylor for a loop. "If anything you did the ABB a favor by taking out those Merchant parasites. The problem though is that you've set an example and a pattern. First Coil, then the Merchants, seems like you have a vendetta against villains in the city. So we're striking first, making sure you aren't a problem while we make this town ours. After we're through with you, no goody two shoes hero will try and be anything more than low level street trash ever again."
"And you think-" Taylor winced as her arm twitched. "You think that the Protectorate will just take this lying down? You're stepping on dangerous territory here, that's not very smart of you."
Bakuda tilted her head, then stood up and kicked Taylor in the ribs. "Coming from the stupid girl who came charging in blind, ready to protect daddy dearest. The Protectorate has been doing nothing but stall since I was in diapers and now that I'm here with Lung, this town will belong to the ABB." She kicked Taylor again for good measure and began pacing around the room. "It really isn't anything personal, but reputation, power, that's all that matters for a cape. You might not know it, but you're growing famous in certain circles. I'll be known as the villain that brought down Olympia, rising star and independent hero." Bakuda paused in her pacing, back turned to Taylor.
And Taylor took her opening.
Her spear was more than just a weapon, it was tethered to her. As Vulcan had explained it best, it was always with her. Bringing it forth with a thought was easy, as was shoving the sharp blade through the back of Bakuda's leg. The Tinker went down with a storm of curses. The thugs began raising guns, but Taylor wasn't having any of that. With another thought and a spike of pain ripping through her head, Legacy formed into existence, eyes glowing dangerously. Beams of light lanced from his eyes and disarmed the ABB quickly and efficiently, melting or cutting through firearms with ease. Then he blitzed around the room with superhuman speed, knocking out each one with practiced ease.
"Olympia, thank God you're ok…" Legacy breathed a sigh of relief. "Nicely done." He looked visibly proud and like he was restraining himself from hugging her.
Good, because Taylor wasn't in the mood for hugs.
She approached the downed Bakuda who was trying to crawl towards a weapon that was lying on the floor. She kicked the villain over onto her back and loomed over her.
"You were going to kill me. You threatened my dad." Taylor's teeth clenched and she raised the spear up. "That was a mistake."
Bakuda raised her hands, panic in her voice. "Wait, wait, you're a hero, you aren't supposed to do this kind of thing!" She pleaded.
Rage lanced through Taylor's veins. Oh, so now she wanted to treat it like a game?!
"Yeah, about that."
Taylor brought the spear down.
A/N: I hate long Bakuda arcs.