Trial 2.05

I was riding shotgun in a police car, wearing my powered armor. I was Bastion now. We were heading out to a residential district to check on a report of a "mysterious individual." It was probably nothing, but apparently the Mayor's sister lived in the neighborhood and we don't want her getting hurt on the chance we're wrong. We were at a red light when I got the call over the com unit.

"Bastion, come in Bastion. Over." Kurt, or rather, Lieutenant, was trying to get me. I'd left him in charge of the Dockyard while I was out

"Bastion here," I answered. "What seems to be the problem, Lieutenant?"

"We've got a situation: Lung's fighting that Hookwolf Guy and they're getting awful close. We've got the Yard on lock down and everybody's in the Bunker, but..."

"Understood, stay alert, but unless Lung starts trying to tear up the Yard, you should be able to wait it out."

"Understood sir,an-The Protectorate have arrived, Sir."

"Well then, let them handle it."

"Understood, Lieutenant out."

"You've all been a big help today," Said the officer at the wheel. His tone and the look on his face, they told me that he meant it. "It isn't often that one of you big shot heroes helps out us regular cops. I don't know about anyone else on the force, but I know I appreciate what you're doing today."

"You're very welcome, officer."

"I mean it, though," he added. "We've been even busier than normal these last few months.I bet you a million dollars we're gonna get there and it's a painter's van idling or something."

"Do you get calls like that often?"

"We didn't used to, but the whole town's been on high alert ever since the PRT did that press conference on that girl..." The officer trailed off, awkwardly.

"Now," he picked up, "I can't help but notice that the stuff you and your boys are wearing looks an awful lot like the stuff we've been getting from that Hebert fellow down on the docks." He sounded hesitant. "Now, your Lieutenant just said that you were down in the dockyard. Now, I know you capes have rules, and… You don't have to answer by the way, but I have to ask..." He trailed off, the obvious question left unsaid.

I thought about it for a minute. Even if this man decided to spread the word, it was more or less an open secret that Danny Hebert and Bastion were one and the same. And really,a secret identity is meant to protect your loved ones. My friends all had access to my weapons and armor, and that just left Taylor. Taylor with her identity open to anyone who could look, living on the streets. If anyone went after her to get to me… Taylor fought the most dangerous cape in the city to a draw. As much as I want to protect her, any enemies I make would have to be insane to think that they could go after her to get to me. As much as it pained me to admit it, right now I couldn't protect her.

So I answered with a sigh. "Danny Hebert and I are one and the same."

"Okay," said the officer. "I just want you to know, I believe you about your girl. I've got a niece at Winslow, a freshman, and she says your girl never picked a fight with anybody, even with half the school shittin' on her. My niece has been in trouble before, but she ain't a liar."

"Thank you," I said to him. "The Mayor's office is investigating what happened, do you think your niece would be willing to tell that to the people there?"

He hesitated. "...I'll ask her about it the next time I see her."

We drove in silence for another few minutes before I spoke "It's hard. Knowing she's out there, on the streets, fighting. Not knowing when or where I'll see her again."

"I feel you."

It was then that a call came in on the radio: "Attention all cars, there is a parahuman incident in progress within and outside Brockton Bay Central Bank. The Wards have responded but due to the nature of the altercation the following roads have been temporarily closed." The man on the other end read off the street name for the bank and some of the roads leading to it.

"Well," I said. "At least I know my little girl isn't at the bank. I haven't seen her in a while but I know I didn't raise a bank robber." I laughed a bit, and the officer laughed with me.

*Break*

The Wards were all staring at Glory Girl and I as we came through the wall. I could feel the shock from here, and I couldn't blame them. 'Lilith' just threw the so called Invincible Glory Girl around like a rag doll. Speak of the devil; the life size Reckless Cape Barbie was pushing herself off the ground, fear, anger, and confusion radiating in equal measure.

"Lilith, Empress, whoever you are… That, that hurt?!" Glory Girl erupted from the ground, flying right towards me. I was still on all fours so I simply ducked to the side, raised myself to sort of a squatting position, and as she flew past me I grabbed her leg.

"What the-" I cut her off by quickly jumping to my feet. She kicked me in the back with her free leg. I felt my carapace crack from the blow but I stood strong. "Let go you-" Once more, I cut her off, by taking my free hand, wrist recently healed, and wrapping it around her leg, giving me a solid two hand grip.

And then I swung her overhead and slammed her into the pavement, just like in an old cartoon. The pavement cracked and I could feel my claws beginning to dig into her Glory Girl's calf, so I lifted her back, up and slammed her down again. Then I let go. The point was to hurt her, not to tear her arms and legs off… Yet.

I let her push herself off of the ground again, though I could hear pained moaning. Then, once she'd gotten up to her knees, I showed her my bloody fingers from where my claws had dug into her. "It looks like someone isn't so invincible after all, is she?" She was scared of me. Good, after what she did she should be. On a whim, licked the blood from my fingers, tasting the slightly sweet metallic flavor. "Hmm, I think Lung tastes better than you do."

She was standing and facing me now, and although she tried to give a brave face I could feel the terror building within her. It was delicious. She was clutching her right arm, possibly broken or dislocated, when she looked me in the eyes and said "You're insane, a complete and total psycho."

I slapped her across the face. I wasn't using anywhere near my full strength, but it should have been enough to hurt her. She didn't react with pain though, physically or from emotions.. Either she was harder to hurt than I though or-I had to jump back when she tried to get me with a left hook.

"You know," I said, as though she hadn't tried to punch me, "I've been wondering if I haven't been going crazy for a while now. Your input is appreciated." I leaned to the right as she tried to punch me again.

"Here's the thing, Gee-Gee," I said, while smiling wide enough to show off my fangs. "I'm psychic. My brain is so powerful that I can literally read your mind." That wasn't exactly the truth; all I can feel is intent and emotions for now, but she didn't need to know that.

I dodged another punch as I continued. "Every attack you're going to make, I can see it coming from a mile away." I jumped just as she began to try and kick my legs out from under me, and I brought both of my fists down on her head as I landed, knocking her to the ground. "And you're just not good enough at fighting to hit me anyway."

"That's impossible," I heard her say, as she tried to push herself up. It's strange, I know that I've hurt hurt her, so why aren't I hurting her now? I stepped on her, pressing just hard enough to force her back down.

"Says you," I said, grinning. The fear within her skyrocketed and I could feel a bit of shock… Wait, maybe I can read minds after all? That's fucking awesome."They said that it was impossible for people to fly, but look at you." I found a spot that felt like something was broken, so I ground my heel into it, smiling when I heard Glory Girl gasp in pain. "The bottom line is, I know that you're afraid of me. You're so scared that you can't even think straight." I savored the feeling of her surprise and growing fear. "If you were, well, you'd have run the first time I let you get up."

I felt myself rising and found Glory Girl pushing against the ground. If I remember things right, she can dead lift a full ton. I don't weigh anywhere near that much, so instead of trying to put all of my weight on her, I sent out my pulse to force her back into the ground. She groaned as she slammed into the ground. Then I stomped on her good arm. I heard a satisfying crunch just before she screamed.

"Let me tell you something, Miss Dallon," I said as I stepped off of her. I kneeled down to flip her onto her back as I continued with "You risked the lives of a bank full of hostages with your little stunt." I looked Glory Girl in her terrified eyes. "Worse, you could have killed my new friend." I felt a single tear roll down my face as I hoisted the defeated cape up by the front of her dress. "If you killed her-"my voice cracked for just a second, "If you killed her, I'll kill you. Slowly."

And then I threw her into the street. She hit the ground ten feet away, bounced, and rolled another five. She was twitching and I could hear her moaning in pain. "Lung put up a better fight," I said. Really I was kind of disappointed, I guess part of me was expecting her to-my thoughts were interrupted by what felt like a great deal of fear heading my way.

I was forced to dodge an incoming blast of some sort of emotional energy. I felt another fear beam and dodged again. I turned in time to see the Wards mobilizing-Gallant kept firing more of those emotion beam and I could see Aegis and Kid Win flying off. I just focused on not getting hit by those beams.

After about a minute of jumping and dancing myself out of harm's way, and away from the prone Glory Girl, I sensed a presence behind me and turned just in time to be punched in the chest by Aegis. "Look," I said as I shrugged off a punch that clearly hurt him more than it hurt me, "I really don't want to fight you." That's the truth. Aegis hasn't hurt any of my friends, he hasn't needless risked anyone's lives.

The hero in rusty red replied: "Then you'll surrender?"

I literally laughed in his face. "Yeah, I'll get to you on that when Hell freezes over." I sidestepped another fear beam as I replied.

"Well," said Aegis as he himself dodged the beam I'd dodged, "If you're not going to surrender, we'll have to fight."

"You could always just let my friends and I go?"

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Aegis replied, "not after what you did to Glory Girl."

He threw another punch and I there and took it. He didn't hit anywhere near as hard as Glory Girl could kick, and I heard a crunch as his fingers broke against my carapace. "Gee-Gee over there started it. Bitch needs to get her priorities straight." I rolled my neck. "You sure you wanna do this?"

He responded with another punch, which I again just kept taking. I only moved when Gallant fired one of his emotion beams at me. Then I got shot by one of Kid Win's lasers. I'd been wondering when he was going to get involved, but damn. Those things stung like a bitch.

Aegis disengaged and Kid Win took his place, riding towards me on his flying skateboard and firing blasts at me from twin laser pistols. I tried dodging back, but he was firing far faster than Gallant's beams, and sometimes Gallant's beams would be coming at me and I'd have to dodge into laser fire, and… Okay, after a while it didn't sting so bad, but seriously it's annoying.

I sensed a great deal of anger coming up and stopping a good twenty feet away,and I turned in time to see a mass of Shadows turn into a black clad cape leveling a crossbow at my chest. She fired, and the dart broke on my carapace. I looked down to see some weird liquid flowing down my scales.

I shouted to her, "was that a tranq dart, Stalker?!" I'm pretty sure it was. "What, do you not wanna try and finish the job?!" She responded by leveling the other crossbow at me, so I jumped at her, but the coward turned to shadow and fled.

I was starting to notice that the street was a bit bigger than it was earlier and-fuck. Kid Win had pushed me into a trap. The street was warped all to hell, and Aegis was back, this time with Clockblocker and Weld. I tried to jump back as Clockblocker reached out to grab me, but I landed in Weld's open arms and found myself trapped in a reverse bear-hug with my arms pinned to my sides. Ahh shit. This just like that video game. I'd have to think if I was gonna get out of this.

I was facing Aegis, and he spoke to me. "Are you willing to surrender yet, Lilith?"

"Okay, one," I said. "My name isn't Lilith, My name is Empress. Two," I said with a bit more venom in my voice than I'd intended, "fuck you, I'm not going." I could have gotten out of Weld's hold easily, but I made a show of struggling against his grip. I wanted them to think they had me.

"Empress," said Weld. His emotions were weird, in a way different from Alec or Rachel, but he was apparently trying to sound empathetic. "Look, I get it. Your body changed, you're confused, and your scared, and you're lashing out. I've been there, and there are plenty of other capes in the same boat. It's scary." What the fuck was he talking about? Oh, he must think I'm a Case 53 like he is. "And when the PRT comes after you, trying to capture you before you hurt yourself or anyone else, you panicked, and you ran, and you're scared, I get it. The PRT aren't the bad guys. I don't agree with how they've handled things, but I've been where you are now, and getting brought in was the best thing that's ever happened to me. If you'll just come with us-"

"I'm gonna cut you off there, Weld." I continued to make a show of struggling. "I get what you're trying to do, and you seem like an upstanding guy, but you've got a few misconceptions. First, you don't know what I've been through." I paused for a moment, wondering best how to handle this… Ah to hell with it, it's not like it was a big secret, the street was empty, and they probably already knew. "My birth name is Taylor Hebert. My Father is Danny Hebert, my mother is Annette Hebert, deceased. I was a student at Winslow High until my trigger event, even though my middle school grades were good enough to get into Arcadia. I deliberately chose to go to the shitty school to stay with a friend who betrayed me the summer before freshman year." I continued to struggle. "And if any of you try to go after my father to get to me, you will wish that the Slaughterhouse Nine captured you because your deaths would be far less painful."

None of the Wards were expecting that, I felt shock and fear from some of them and even a hint of surprise from Weld. Except from Shadow Stalker, off a few feat away by Vista. All I felt from her was anger and disgust.

"So, as you probably understand now," I continued, "I'm not a case 53, so no Weld, you don't get it." I stopped struggling. "Now look, I get what you're trying to do, and you seem like a nice guy, but I meant what I said-the fucks in the PRT have been out for my blood since the day I triggered, and they're not getting me unless I'm in a body bag. I'm sorry though,"I said truthfully.

"For what," asked Weld.

"That you got dragged to a hellhole like Brockton Bay on my account," I said. "And for this." Then I twisted my hands and sank my steel rending claws into his belly.

I don't know if I actually managed to hurt him, but he let go and I managed to get to my feat. I turned and punched Weld as hard as I could, and he went flying back a about a dozen feet. I think. It was hard to tell with all of the spatial warping. Anyway he landed on a parked car, so…

Clock Blocker tried to freeze me, but out of nowhere his hand changed trajectory and he tagged himself in the crotch. I could see the Bank from here, Regent was standing at the hole in the wall that Glory Girl had made, He gave me a thumbs up when he saw me looking, but I didn't responds-I was too busy dodging another one of Gallant's emotion beams. Aegis was back on the offensive, trying and failing to hurt me with his punches, and after a moment Kid Win continued his barrage of laser blasts. By now they weren't even irritating.

After a few minutes of just letting the heroes wail on me to no effect, I began to notice that the streets were starting to get smaller. I wasn't able to pay much mind to it because at that Moment I could feel disgust and anger at one side and Fear coming up from behind. Shadow Stalker fired another dart to at me, while Galant shot at me with another emotion beam, With Kid Win shooting at me from one side and Aegis in front of me, I couldn't dodge one without putting myself directly in the way of the other, It was a no brainer however, Stalker's dart couldn't hurt me so I jumped right into it.

Then it went right past my scales and buried itself somewhere in my belly. It didn't hurt, but it was uncomfortable and confusing and distracted me just long enough for one of Gallant's Emotion beams to hit me. I fell to my knees and a dry sob escaped my mouth. I couldn't stop myself, I thought…Mom dying… Emma betraying me… A flute stolen from my locker… ayeah and a half or harassment and violence. Old wounds tore open, and with them the floodgates. I was on my knees crying in front of the Wards and I couldn't bring myself to care. Then I thought about everything that's happened since then, and… I robbed a bank. When Dad found out… If Dad was even still alive...

No! Fuck no, I've been there before. I'm not going back. Like that all of the sadness and despair I was feeling was gone and I began to feel such a rush that I couldn't help but laugh hysterically. I pushed myself off the ground and stood to my feet. I could feel the emotions of the assembled Wards, and they were freaking the hell out. I looked at them and they were a lot further away than I thought they were… The street was so small… The buildings so close together… It was getting hard to breath... The smell of rotting blood, the feeling of maggots crawling on my skin… the metal digging into my flesh and I couldn't stop laughing even as I fell to my feet and fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!

I stood and threw my arms to the side, screaming and sending out my pulse. A pulse bigger than the one I'd used against Lung. Within seconds, everything ease back to normal… Other than the scorch marks on the ground around me, that was. The strange mixture of fear and hysterical glee faded to be replaced by rage. Gallant and Vista had fucked with my head, I didn't like that. I charged at Gallant, still screaming, and he panicked and began firing more of his emotion beams at me, and I dodged and danced around them before leaping and tackling him to the ground.

"Don't," I said as I sank my claws into his armor, "do that," as I ripped circuits and servos from his steel suit, "again!"

I stood, that armor was heavy. There was no way Gallant could move in it with it this damaged. I turned to face Vista, the other Ward who tried to fuck with my head. She was more scared of me than Glory Girl had been, she tried to stretch the ground between herself and I, but it wasn't fast enough to stop me from jumping to her. I grabbed her by the arm and hoisted her up. I heard a pop as I dislocated her shoulder with the sudden jerk.

"You? You don't fuck with me either," I said, more calmly than I had with Gallant. I turned and threw her by the arm directly at an unfrozen Clockblocker, knocking them both to the ground.

Shadow Stalker was next in my sights. While I charged at her, she fired another bolt at me. Rather than dodge it or take it, I used my telekinetic pulse to knock it aside and continued on my charge. As I reached out to grab her, she turned to shadow, so in a latch ditch effort I pulsed again. Hard, but not too hard, and the mass of shadow was pushed away, towards the wall of a nearby building. I don't know why, but my would be killer became solid again before hitting the wall. She tried to stop herself by putting her arm forward, and got an obviously broken arm for her trouble.

I sensed a presence coming up behind me, so I turned turned and, as if on instinct, slashed with my claws. Seconds later, Aegis's arm fell to the ground. This, this was enough to shake me from my rage.

"Oh my God," I said, bringing my hands up to my face. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," the leader of the Ward's replied, "It's just a flesh wound." Then he punched me with his good arm. Once more, I just stood there and took it. He couldn't hit hard enough to hurt me when this fight started, he can't now.

"You know," I said as my regret began to be replaced by annoyance, "just letting my friends and I leave is still on the table."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Aegis replied. I was honestly considering ripping his other arm off, since it didn't seem like such a big deal to him, when I felt an impact on my back and a burning sensation big enough to actually hurt.

I turned in time to catch a blast of light in the chest, but I managed to see Kid Win, floating there with-where the fuck fuck did he get that? He had a massive laser cannon, at least fifteen feet long with a barrel four feet across. And then I got shot again. Seriously, that fucking hurts. I managed to dodge the fourth blast coming my way and began running towards Kid Win in a zigzag pattern. After two misses he stopped firing and just tried to keep his aim on me. I was five feet from him and fifteen below him when I managed to jump up to him at and angle. Then he pulled a lever and released a cone of sparks and lightning, shocking the hell out of me and knocking me back to the ground.

"Fucking Tinkers," I said, as I the feeling returned to my arms and legs. "There's no way way in hell you had that thing on you this whole-" And then he shot me in the back with the normal laser function of the cannon. I could feel chunks of burned Carapace starting to flake off.

I rolled to dodge another blast and managed to hop to my feet. The Wards' Tinker was about to fire again when he suddenly stumbled and ended up firing into the street a good few feet away from me. At first I was confused, but then I realized that Regent must have messed with his body. That's twice today that he's saved my butt. I'd have to find some way to thank him.

I took the opening the stumble gave me to jump and grab the Tinker's gun. Gravity and a good tug pulled it from his grip and down to my level. I turned and ran for about a dozen feet, then started looking the gun over for a latch or secret compartment or something. Eventually I managed to rip out what I'm pretty sure was the battery, which I tossed back over my shoulder. Then I took the cannon in both hands, ran back towards Kid Win, and chucked his gun back at him, knocking him over and making him crash into the ground.

All that left were Aegis and Weld… No, Weld was still on the car I'd knocked him into. I walked, slowly, with my arms out, until I was close enough to talk to him. "So, would you like to surrender? Because seriously, I just took out your entire team." I gestured to the various incapacitated Wards. "You can't win."

"I don't need to win, Empress. I just need to buy enough time."

Buy enough-Oh shit! Glory Girl had said that her mother and father, Brandish and Flashbang where on the way. I honestly didn't want to fight two more capes… Especially once they saw what I'd done to their daughter.

"Look," I said. "I'm really sorry, I really don't want to do this, but I really don't want the PRt to get their hands on me either." Then I ran and punched him in the chest. I could hear his ribs crack with the impact, but he didn't go down. Not that I expected him too, with his power. I jabbed him with my other hand, stabbing my claws into him… I'm pretty sure I managed to puncture one of his lungs, and still he stood tall.

So when he tried to punch me with his still attached arm, I caught it with one hand and use the other to slash the arm clean off. Then I kicked him in the shin and took off a foot with the claws on my toes.

"You've got one good limb left, Aegis. Are you going to give up or am I gonna have to rip your leg off and break your spine?"

He didn't answer. After a minute I realized that he was stalling and I punched him again. With one leg, it upset his balance enough that I was able to grab him and force him to bend in a way that broke his back. Then I threw him into the building that I'd made Shadowstalker crash into. He hit the wall, fell, and landed on my would be murderer.

I turned back to the bank in time to see the Bank and the street rapidly being encompassed in Darkness. I let out a breath and allowed it to engulf me. I found myself in a dark void and couldn't hear anything, not even the pained moanings of Glory Girl or some of the Wards. This was Grue's power. I felt someone take me by the hand and give me a firm but gentle tug, and then I was being led to somewhere in the darkness. I found myself being lifted up onto something, and then there was a sensation of high speed movement, with the darkness clearing out a few moments later.

We were all back in the van. Me, Brian, Alec, Lisa and… Rachel! Without thinking I pulled the brutish girl into a hug. She apparently wasn't expecting that, because she went stiff the second I did it. I immediately let go of her.

"I'm sorry," I said. "It's just, you-you're okay." That could have come out better,

"Yeah?" Rachel felt… Okay, she's still hard to read but she felt a bit confused.

"It's just, how?"

"Oh," Rachel said. "Panacea fixed me."

I had to ask "...Why?"

"I believe,"' Lisa cut in, "That her exact words were 'there, you're better now, go stop your friend before she kills my sister.' "

"But you were fighting the Wards by then," interrupted Alec. "So, basically that wasn't gonna happen. Those three put the cash in the car and got the dogs down to size, and I kept watch."

"Yeah, I saw that. You saved my ass a couple of times," I said to him. "Thanks." I looked and saw that, behind Rachel's dogs where the bags that I'd been meant to carry.

"Eh," replied Alec. "I was supposed to be making sure that Panacea didn't try anything, but all she did after healing Rachel was stare at Glory Girl, so I figured I'd fuck with the Wards."

...Okay, that's… Okay. I remembered something.

"Brian," I said, in a pleading tone. "pull over and let me out."

Brian asked me "why?"

"My Dad's the head of the Dockworkers union," I answered. "Glory Girl said that Lung and Hookwolf got into a fight down by the dockyard. I-I've got to get down there."

"Taylor," said Lisa. "Your Dad is fine."

I was incredulous. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Because of that new Tinker based in the docks," she replied with a wink. "You know, Bastion." She gave another Wink.

There's a Tinker on the docks? "Who?"

"Come on Taylor, you know this," Lisa said… "You don't know, do you? When was the last time you were anywhere near the Dockyard?"

I thought back. "I tried to sneak into my Dad's office down there about a week after I triggered, but..."

Lisa face palmed. "Okay, Taylor, I'm sorry. I thought you knew. Look, the Head of the Dockworker's Union, one Danny Hebert, your father, has been making an awful lot of noise about how the PRT is pursuing his daughter, you, like a criminal and that they've been ignoring evidence that she, that is, you, were innocent. At the same time, he's been building things. He's openly admitted to being a Tinker. Are you following?"

I nodded. My dad, my dad was a Parahuman? Was, was I-

"Yes, it's most likely that you triggering and going into hiding was his trigger event." Lisa… Okay, her powers were kind of annoying sometimes. "Now, your father's been building things up-The Dockworker's union have tinker tech tools and vehicles now, and the dockyard has been completely rebuilt in the last four months." It had? "Most relevant to this conversation now is a fortified bunker specifically for people in the Dockyard to hide in in the event of an emergency exactly like Lung going on a rampage through the area. If your dad is in the Dockyard, than he's perfectly safe."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay then, now who's this Bastion?"

"You seriously didn't know?" Lisa sounded incredulous. "I could have sworn you knew. Anyway, about a week and a half before we met, a New Cape by the name of Bastion, with help from some normal people armed with Tinker-Tech armor and weapons, completely wiped out the Merchants. Bastion and his 'Raiders' were armed with Tinker-Tech exactly like your fathers. Even without my power it's obvious… Okay, breaking a big rule here, but it's obvious that your Dad is Bastion."

...My Dad was a superhero. My 7 and 13 year old selves' fantasy had come true. Part of me, part of me that was still a young Cape geek was doing flips and screaming

"So," Lisa continued, "We've concluded that you do not, in fact, need to be let out so you can rush into a situation where you're either going to die or get captured." I nodded in agreement with her. "So, take satisfaction that,despite the plan going straight to hell, we still pulled the job off perfectly."

Perfectly? "What do you mean, perfectly?"

"The goal," Lisa said, "was to get the cash, and maybe for you to show off what you've got." She gestured, over the seat, to the three bags. "We got the cash, and you got to show off. Yeah, it wasn't the way we wanted it to go… And I'm sorry about that, by the way, but none of us are dead and we didn't get caught."

I guess she was right, but it didn't really feel like a success.

"Also," Lisa continued, "There's a dart of some kind buried in your belly, about an inch to the right of where your navel would be if you still had one. You um… You might want to do something about that.

"Crap." I'd forgotten about that. Well, leaving it in couldn't possibly be good. "Okay, Rachel, could you scoot over? I kind of need to lay down for this."

Rachel did as I asked, and I lied down. I felt around on my belly, around where Lisa said, for anything that felt off. Once I was sure I'd found it, I took a deep breath and forced my clawed fingers past my scales and deep into my flesh. You'd expect something like that to hurt like hell, but to me it just felt weird. I wiggled around until I had ahold of Shadow Stalker's Dart. Then I ripped it out, along with a chunk of my flesh and plenty of my blood. Everyone else seemed a bit disgusted.

Except for Alec. All he said was "Cool" and went back to whatever he was doing.

"Look," I said to the others. "It's been a long day and I'd like nothing more than to just take a nap. Could, could one of you wake me when we get to the drop off?"

I was a bit surprised when Rachel was the one who nodded, but after everything that happened the last couple of hours I was just emotionally exhausted. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.