Chapter 30: First Among Equals

In the moments that followed a strange, dissonant serenity seemed to fall across the plaza, broken only by the affronted wail of the car alarm. The screams and cries had died away, and I watched in amazement as more of the crowd blankly took out their phones and trained them on the broken window. They weren't panicking, they weren't fleeing, they just seemed to be... waiting! Was it shock? Denial? Some bullheaded belief that this was somehow part of the 'show'? I had no idea, but the air positively hummed with electric anticipation.

"What the hell is going on up there, Thera?" I hissed, "This is not what I expected!"

"Oh?" he looked faintly amused, "What did you expect?"

"I don't know! Not this!" I gestured at the broken window, "And what is this, anyway?"

"Well…" Thera cast a quick glance at the commander, who was talking urgently to someone behind the curtain, "You remember I said that Keame might have received a call about a mutual exchange? Well, that call might've been from one Sophia Bulgakov, and it might have been an offer to offload the last existing copy of #273. You know, so they'd stop bothering her."

"What?" I exclaimed, and then quickly lowered my voice, "But you said-"

"It's a fake, Laura," he said flatly, "But if Ronin should happen to get wind of that exchange then...well, who could really blame Bulgakov for it being destroyed? After all, she did uphold her part of the deal."

"So you set a trap, then?" I said, and added disgustedly, "With an innocent civilian?"

"'Innocent'? Spare me," he snorted, "She was willing to sell your family up the river to gain access to hers, and she knows it. At least this way she has a shot at getting a clean break."

"Assuming she's still alive up there!" I said sharply. Right on cue, several shots rang out, "That's a lot of gunfire."

"She'll be alive," Thera said confidently, "She might be a bit covered in, well, viscera, but she'll be alive. You know what Vi's capable of."

"Yeah, I do," I shuddered at the memory, "But isn't that a bit excessive?"

"Ronin is excessive," he gave me a cool look, "Most of his previous victims were nearly unrecognisable."

A wave of gasps went up in the crowd. Thankful for the distraction, I looked up to see a lithe, hooded figure clad in dark black leather appear at the shattered pane. In one hand, they were carrying a nondescript suitcase, while in the other they were wielding a long, curved sword, streaked red with blood. A flurry of whispers rippled through the plaza.

"Who is that? Check out that sword!"

"Is that Ronin? What's he doing here?"

"Is he going to jump? No way!"

"C'mon, Vi," I murmured, "You can back down now. They've seen you. You don't need to do anything else-"

Without so much as a backward glance, Vi hurled herself into open space and twisted into a graceful swan dive. A collective gasp went up as she streaked down the side of the building, hurtling like a meteor towards the ground below, and at the last minute she stabbed out with her sword and cut deep into the concrete. With the poise of a trapeze artist, she swung easily around the hilt, planted both feet on the wall, and backflipped gracefully out of view onto a nearby rooftop. The crowd looked on in stunned silence.

"Christ!" I said, releasing the breath I didn't realise I was holding, "I've never seen her do that before!"

"Oh, she's just getting started," Thera said, his eyes shining with admiration, "You still worried about Sophia?"

"Not as much as I was," I admitted, and gave him a sidelong glance, "Hold on. You're enjoying this, aren't you? You like this side of her!"

"I love this side of her. It's wild, exciting, and alluring, but..." he returned my look with one of his own, "Something tells me that you know exactly what I'm talking about."

I felt my cheeks prickling, "And what do you mean by that?"

"Pull the other one, mate, it's got bells on," he chuckled, "Let's just say Clint didn't catch your eye by being a snappy dresser."

My tart response was cut short as the curtain rustled behind us. One of the commander's subordinates re-emerged, pale and shaking, and came forward to stammer out a brief report to his commander. In response, the commander swore loudly and then stamped forward to take Keame by the shoulder.

"Sir!" he said. His tone was quiet, but the urgent bass tones carried well in the unnatural silence, "You know who that was!"
"I know," Keame said calmly.

"And you know why he's here!"

"Of course. From the look of that briefcase, I would say he's achieved his aim."

"Then we have to go! Now!"

"I'm not going anywhere, Pexley," Keame said firmly, and shook the commander's hand off his shoulder, "He killed my son. I want to know why."

"But…" Pexley looked shocked, "You can't talk to Ronin, sir! You've seen what he can do-"

"-which is why I hired you and your men, as I recall. In any case, I will not be intimidated by my son's murderer. If I'm going to die, I will die with my boots on."

The commander sputtered another objection, but the refinery magnate waved him off and stepped up to the very front of the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he said, in a loud, calm voice, "You will have noticed that there appears to be an…altercation taking place in the nearby hotel. While I am sure that the St. Louis Police Department will respond swiftly, can I please ask you to leave the plaza calmly via the Chestnut Street exits, taking all your belongings with you. Thank you for coming out!"

The crowd below grumbled quietly, but here and there I could already see people gathering up their things and looking for the quickest route to the exit.

"Wow," Thera folded his arms, "Full marks for bravery. Or mule headed stupidity, I guess, but...hmm. He wants to know 'why', does he? Interesting."

"You'd think he'd know, right? I mean, Vi had all that stuff on him-"

"-which some people tried very hard to keep out of the public eye," Thera said, "And it's like you said; sometimes falling into denial is easier than admitting an awful truth. Add a dash of wilful ignorance, maybe a smidgeon of manipulation…" his gaze panned over to Pexley, "I dunno. I'm also not really sure I care."

"You don't? That's a first."

"Eyes on the prize, Laura. We need the Missouri List, not his bloody life story," he said curtly, "The Alvins and Poppys of this world take priority."

"Well, when you put it like that..." I nodded, "But you think he's going to hand it to you? Just like that?"

"We'll have to see, won't we. I've certainly persuaded more...intractable people," he said, "But I can't do that unless I get him alone, and- oh, here she comes."

There was a faint glint of steel from the low concrete buildings across the road from Kiener Plaza, and then Vi vaulted into view. For just an instant she surveyed the dispersing crowd, seeming almost to revel in the attention, and then leapt from the building to land lightly on a streetlamp. She crouched, tensed, then sprang suddenly across the road, and as she flew she threw the briefcase out ahead of her. Her sword blurred, and with a shriek of tortured metal and a shower of sparks the case disintegrated into shrapnel and scraps of leather, fluttering gently to the ground.

"No-!" Pexley growled, as Vi landed perfectly on the pavement, "Where's the police? Where're the snipers?"

"I called them off," Keame said calmly.

"What? Why?"

"How many currently serving police officers do you think have Blipped, commander?" Keame said, "If I go on stage and talk about self-reliance while being protected by non-Lost snipers, I'll be a laughing stock!"

"But sir," Pexley frowned, "Most of my boys didn't Blip either-"
"So be sure to use those who did in the future!" said Keame, and cocked his head, "That being said, are those sirens I hear?"

With a blaze of light and noise, three patrol cars came swooping down the street and came screeching to a halt just outside the plaza. Six police officers leapt out and immediately took cover behind their cars, unholstering their pistols as they did so. Vi paused for a moment, and then turned to regard them with a curious, almost incredulous air, as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

"Freeze! SLMPD!" one of the officers shouted, training his pistol on Vi's chest, "Throw down your sword and put your hands over your head! We will open fire-"

Vi threw her sword to the ground with a noisy clatter, and in that split-second distraction she moved with breakneck speed. Her hand dipped into a small pouch belted at her waist, and then in a single fluid motion she flung something at the officers. There was a gleam of metal in the sunlight, a sudden crack of electricity, and the officers dropped in unison and lay on the ground, twitching violently. With a weary shake of her head, she picked up her sword, sheathed it, and walked off.

"Well, that was stupid," Thera remarked, "Points for trying, I guess?"

"Christ," I murmured, "That was the police, Thera!"

"And they've just learned a valuable lesson," he said, "Can you imagine what would've happened if they'd opened fire? Six officers, aiming at a target standing in front of a crowd? That could've been messy."

"I...suppose," I conceded dubiously, "But hold on! Those things she threw...weren't those what Caleb had?"

"Yeah. Found a load of 'em at...well, a certain headquarters," Thera said, and looked briefly over at the commander, "Care to guess who the original designer was?"

"Stark?"

"Actually, no. It was this other company called, um, 'Hammer Industries'?"

"Really?" I said, "Keame's been investing heavily in them, so…"

"...that kinda explains why Blacknest has all their gear," Thera said, "It might also explain where those Mufflers came from, too."

"Clint's always said they make a living out of knock-off Stark tech. I guess-"

I was interrupted by a strangled gasp from the Blacknest commander.

"-cannot be serious, sir!" Pexley said, more urgently this time, "We have to go! Without the police-"

Keame shook his head sharply, but said nothing. He hadn't budged so much as an inch since his proclamation, and the only sign of any inner turmoil was the whitening of his knuckles as they tightened around the mic.

"He really isn't going anywhere," I said, and I had to admit that I was impressed, "After seeing what she did to those cops, what does he think he's going to do?"

"Oh, I don't think he thinks he's going to do anything," Thera said, with a small smile, "I'm pretty sure he's counting on someone else."

"Someone else?" I said, and then it hit me, "Hold on, you don't think that-"

"Clint was 'seen'? I hope so. After all, I'd hate for all my hard work to go to waste."

The crowd was still emptying as Vi darted into Kiener Plaza, but there were some who even wild horses couldn't have dragged away. They knew this was big, and no matter what happened they wanted to be able to tell their grandkids 'I was there'. As Vi streaked towards the stage, they melted away in front of her, providing a clear path for the vigilante, and then closed up just as smoothly behind her.

"Where is he?" I murmured, scanning the crowds for my husband, "Where's Clint?"

"Biding his time, I'd think," Thera said, and added ominously, "He knows if he misses his shot, he won't get another."

Everyone watched in rapt silence as Vi reached the Runner, and in a single smooth motion she put one foot firmly on the balustrade and launched from there to flip over the statue, landing silently on the other side in a tight roll. As she regained her balance, a figure burst suddenly from the nearby audience and struck her hard across the back with a long, black rod, sending her sprawling across the stones. She recovered in an instant, flicking back to her feet with liquid grace, but it was already too late. With a snap of the wrist Clint's staff became his bow, and then he was sighting down the length of a carbon-black arrow that quivered with barely-restrained power. Vi froze.

"Move an' I'll shoot, Ronin!" Clint said harshly, "An' you know I ain't the sort to miss!"

Vi laughed nastily, and when she spoke her voice was low and rasping. If it wasn't for the tell-tale lilt, I wouldn't have known it was her at all, "If it isn't Hawkeye, the cardboard cut-out Avenger. Did the band overcharge? Was Squirrel Girl double-booked?"

"Y'know, I'm really gonna miss these little digs of yours," Clint said. If he was surprised by her voice, he didn't show it, "It's almost touchin' how much effort you put into 'em -don't move!" he barked, as Vi's hand twitched, "I'm serious!"

"As serious as you were the last six times we did this?" Vi laughed again, "You can't stop me, Hawkeye. I'm justice incarnate!"

"You keep on tellin' yourself that, Ronin," Clint spat, "Truth is, you ain't nothin' more than a goddamn murderer. You reckon your family's gonna be proud of you?"

"I did what I had to do!" Vi retorted, "Sex traffickers, druglords, torturers…how can there be any justice in a world where they exist? I'm cleaning up the dregs Thanos left behind!"

"How dare you talk about Simon like that!" Keame said, suddenly.

"Your son?" Vi glanced briefly in his direction, and I felt a chill go up my spine, "Do you even know what he did? His 'employees' used to snatch homeless people off the street and give them a choice; either take part in his sick bloodsports, or be slowly tortured to death while he watched. I've seen pictures of his victims that'd turn your hair white, Keame, and I did the world a favour by eliminating him!"

Keame's voice sounded strained, "That's a lie! Simon wouldn't-"

"-do things like that? Oh, but he would - and in your heart you know that, don't you?" Vi continued twisting the knife, "A cruel, sadistic, violent man, free from Daddy's rules, high on Daddy's money…c'mon, what else was he going to do? Hell, he probably couldn't believe his luck when you got Snapped! Sure, he threw a nice wake for you and said all the right things, but then as soon as he could he tossed your memory in the trash and used your money to live like a king!"

There was a faint 'crack' as the microphone body split in Keame's white-knuckled grip.

"You don't have to take my word for it, though. I mean, why would you?" Vi chuckled, "Hey, why not ask your commander there? I'm sure he could tell you a thing or-"

"Don't listen to him, sir!" Pexley stepped forward and raised his voice, "What're you waiting for, Hawkeye? Take the shot!"

The moment that followed seemed to stretch out into eternity. For just an instant, Clint's eyes flickered towards Thera, he nodded almost imperceptibly-

-and then the world exploded in a wave of sound and colour. Clint's arrow leapt from his bow and sang through the air, and I felt Thera tense up as it flew straight and true towards Vi. At that distance she shouldn't have dodged it, couldn't have dodged it, but there was an explosion of fabric and then the arrow thudded, quivering, into the platform frontage.

In the dreadful silence that followed, Vi brought her hand up to her face and gently touched the angry red line scored across her cheek. Her glove came away glistening with blood.

"Jesus Christ," I murmured, and suddenly the sounds of camera shutters and cell phones were rampant. A storm of whispers echoed off the nearby buildings.

"What the hell?"

"Ronin's a chick?"

"He shot the hood right off her face!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the commander staring at the newly unmasked Vi, a look of shocked realisation on his face. A moment later his eyes flicked over to Thera, but when he saw me looking he quickly turned away and stalked off to confer with his subordinates. Whatever the context was, I was sure it wasn't good.

"Looks like you're getting some attention," I said quietly.

"Well, good!" Thera muttered back, "Clint played his part."

"Wait; did you plan for that shot to turn out like that?" I blinked, "No way."

"Why not? You know how fast Vi can be," he said, "And Clint is nothing if not consistently accurate. It's just a good thing he was paying attention earlier."

I took a deep breath, "You two play way too dangerous for my liking! So what now?"

"Now? Now they have to sell it."

The crowd watched, totally transfixed, as Clint and Vi stared each other down across the plaza. Clint's expression was calculating, focused, his muscles tensed like a coiled spring, while a faint smile played across Vi's face. A moment later, she burst out in peals of musical, if slightly maniacal laughter.

"And I thought you said you 'weren't the sort to miss'!" she said, in her normal lilting tones, "Still, you got closer than I thought you would. Want a biscuit?"

"I'll pass," he said, still eying her warily, "So it's you, huh?"

"It's me," she said, "Surprised?"

"I guess not, actually. Kind of obvious when you think about it," he said, "I just didn't think Ronin was a...well, a woman."

"Really?" Vi sounded unimpressed, "All those times we fought and you didn't suspect a thing? Is the callsign 'Hawkeye' just an ironic joke?"

"Well, you do a good voice," he said, "Very gravelly."

She inclined her head, "I practice."

"Clearly. So what's your deal, then?" Clint said, and from his expression I could tell he was thinking very quickly, "You one of the Widows Natasha freed?"

"Could be, could be," Vi said, playfully, "On the other hand, unethical supersoldier training programmes are ten a bloody penny, so…"

"You're right; it doesn't matter. 'Specially now everyone knows who you really are," Clint said, and I could hear faint notes of guilt and unease in his voice, "No matter what happens here, I win."

"Do you really think I'm worried about that, sweetie?" Vi shrugged, "People know who you are - no, wait, bad example. People know who Stark was, and he seemed to do alright!"

"Yeah, 'cept Stark wasn't goin' around murderin' people!"

"He kind of was; he was just popular enough to get away with it," Vi said, "In the end, what's the actual difference between the Avengers taking on H.Y.D.R.A. and me taking on the Yakuza? At least I don't leave burning cities in my wake."

"No, just mutilated corpses."

"C'mon, compared to what they did to their victims, I was the soul of mercy. Believe me, Ol' Simon never knew what'd hit him," Vi chuckled, "Meanwhile, you idiots were so cack-handed the United Nations tried to collar you with the Sokovia Accords!"

"Those're some pretty high-handed words, comin' from a common murderer."

"Oh, I'm anything but common, sweetie," said Vi, and I could see her fingers flex hungrily, "How many times do I have to kick you around for you to realise that?"

"That ain't happenin' this time," Clint said, and with another flick of the wrist his bow collapsed back into a staff, "An' I ain't havin' you spit on Stark and Roger's memory by comparin' yourself to the Avengers. You want that? You're gonna have to earn it."

"Fine by me," Vi dropped into a low crouch and gripped her weapon tightly, "En guarde!"

With a yell Vi lunged towards Clint, steel flashing as she unsheathed her sword. There was a resounding clash as their weapons met but Vi struck again and again, forcing him back against the Runner with an unrelenting flurry of blows that culminated in a devastating overhead slice. Clint dove to one side as her sword carved a chunk from the balustrade, and in that split second opening he retaliated with a jarring kick to the kneecap. As she staggered back, he knocked her sword from her hands, sending it skittering across the stones.

Seizing the opportunity, Clint mounted a vicious counterattack, his staff scything through the air as he advanced on the weaponless vigilante. She swayed, ducked, and caught an eye-watering blow on her forearm as she surged forward to snatch the whirling weapon out of midair. They struggled furiously over the staff, wrenching it back and forth, and then Vi planted her foot on his chest and threw herself backwards, hurling him overhead before cartwheeling upright. Clint landed in a smooth roll and scooped up her sword, but before he could regain his footing Vi cracked him hard across the shoulders with the staff.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" she said sharply, and hefted the weapon experimentally, "Not bad; nice balance. Still prefer my sword-"

Vi jumped back as Clint surged to his feet. There was a single, almost perfunctory clang as their weapons met, and then the two combatants were circling each other, weapons almost touching and eyes searching the other's face for any signs of weakness.

"You said Clint just needed to be seen!" I hissed angrily at Thera, who shrugged helplessly, "They're trying to kill each other!"

"No they're not," he said casually, "If Vi wanted Clint dead he'd be a bubbling pool of irradiated ooze by now. Empowered, remember?"

"Yeah? Well, she just clobbered him with that staff!"

"If they pulled their punches, everyone'd know it was fake. Besides…"

"Besides what?"

"They were always going to have it out at some point, Laura, so why not now?" He said, "This whole thing isn't just about Ronin and Hawkeye; it's their opportunity to find out which one of them's better."

"That's…" I searched for the right words, and failed miserably, "...ridiculous!"

"Yeah, you don't need to tell me twice," Thera said wearily, "But, well, Clint makes Vi feel...uneasy."

"Uneasy. She's going to war over 'uneasy'."

"Hey, it takes two to tango, y'know," he said, a bit defensively, "Look, you know what happened to Vi. The only reason she survived was because she was the best. Not just good - the best. She learned that the only way to survive was to be at the top of the food chain, and so...she doesn't tolerate competition. It either gets subdued or-" he looked briefly out the fracas, "-it gets crushed."

"That's insane!"

"Really? I think you'll find Clint has very much the same philosophy. Once they get it out of their system, they'll be fine. Well-" he paused, "-fine-ish."

Vi pounced, and the air once again rang with the sounds of combat as she unleashed a dizzying pattern of strikes with the staff, spinning and twirling like a whirlwind of steel. This time Clint stood his ground, and the sword shimmered in the sun as he wove a complex web of parries and counterstrikes, looking for an opening. Suddenly he lashed out hard, and their weapons locked together with a deafening crash as they wrestled for supremacy. Despite her best efforts, Vi was slowly and inexorably pushed back, her boots offering almost no purchase on the smooth plaza stones.

"I gotta admit, you're pretty good," Clint said, almost convivially, "Not as good as you think you are, but pretty good all the same."

In response Vi growled and redoubled her efforts, but to no avail.

"You could give up now, if you want," he said, "If you come quietly, maybe they'll go easy on you."

"I'm never giving up!" she snarled, "I've seen what organised crime can do, Hawkeye! I've seen them drag men, women, entire families away and burn them alive simply because they wanted to send someone a message! Can you imagine what that's like?"

"You think I've never seen what happens when cartels fight?" Clint snapped, "Of course I can!"

"Oh, really? Can you still hear their screams? I can, and they won't be silenced until I've wiped every last godsdamned criminal off the face of the planet! That's justice!"

"It ain't!" Clint said, "An' I'll stop you, every time!"

With a yell of exertion Vi forced Clint away and swung viciously at his leg. He stepped out of the way, almost casually, and then delivered a blistering riposte that sparked off the edge of the staff, missing Vi's ear by millimeters.

"Every time, sweetie? Name one time you have!" she laughed darkly, "And do you know why you've always failed? Because you just don't want it enough! You never have! When your family was dust you came after me hoping I'd put you out of your misery, but now you're scared of throwing your life away protecting petty criminals and scumbags!"

"That ain't true!"

"C'mon, Hawkeye, we both know you don't really want to be here! What you want to do is go home, fish your kids out of whatever exhibit the zoo put 'em in, and spend the rest of your life playing tag, roasting smores and making out awkwardly with your wife-"

"Oh, she had to bring that up, didn't she," I muttered.

"-and sure, you could spend the rest of your life being beaten in by yours truly in a variety of far-flung, exotic locations, but who's actually going to thank you for that? These idiots?" she jerked her head at the rapturously attentive crowd, "Don't make me laugh! Oh, they'll talk a good game about 'truth, justice, and the American way' but can you honestly say they'd give a shit if I wiped out a local crime syndicate? Of course not. Hell, some of 'em would even hold my coat!"

Clint smiled, ever so slightly, "Okay, you got me there."

"So why bother? Just go home, sweetie!"

"I can't!"
"Why not?"

"Because…" he paused for a moment, "I don't understand."

"Nothing new there," Vi remarked, "I'm afraid you're going to have to be a bit more specific."

"I don't understand why you did...this!" he said, and once again there were those notes of guilt in his voice, mingled with self-loathing, "You've got real potential, Ronin; hell, I can think of more than one time I really could've used someone like you in my corner, so...where were you? If you'd just let the Avengers help you instead of wastin' that talent takin' down two-bit thugs, maybe we wouldn't be here!"

Suddenly, Vi slapped Clint's sword to one side and drove at his solar plexus with the tip of the staff. He leapt backwards, parried once again, and then they were ferociously trading blows back and forth across the square.

"You know Hawkeye, I really thought you'd get it!" Vi snapped, between strikes, "How can you think that saving children from traffickers was a waste of my talents? Or destroying drug gangs? Some of them do unspeakable things to their victims, like-"

"-there're kids present!"

"Fine! But I wasn't just bringing justice to the world; I was saving lives!"

"By becoming a monster?"

"Who says I'm a monster?" she deflected a vicious scything cut, "The man I carried out of a torture chamber? The girl I reunited with her family? Maybe it's easy to ignore the little people when you're wrapped up safe and warm at the Avengers compound, but I'm not about to be lectured about monsterism by someone who was on the same team as the bloody Hulk!"

"You diced people up! Some of them had to be shovelled into sacks!"

"Oh, sweetie, I assure you that they were long past caring at that point. I had to make the rest fear me," she laughed again, and swatted almost patronisingly at his head, "After all, it's not like they were afraid of you."

"C'mon, the Avengers-"

"-take more time to assemble than flat-pack furniture! Without instructions! By the time you've swooped in with that big, shiny, noisy jet of yours and struck that ridiculous group pose, they've gone to ground three towns over! I don't give them that chance; I can strike anyone, anywhere, without warning. That's what they're really afraid of."

"Not anymore," Clint said, "I ain't gonna let you keep doin' this."

"Is that your final answer?" Vi said, and raised her staff threateningly, "Please say yes."

"Final answer," he said, and cocked his head, "But if you're gonna finish this, you'd better do it fast, 'cause that sounds like a bunch more police're headed our way."

Across the plaza I could see people looking curiously into the air, and then a moment later my ears picked out distant sirens and the tell-tale whum-whum-whum of approaching helicopters. The sound of the rotors echoed off the nearby buildings, making it impossible to tell where they were coming from or how close they were. It was clear, however, that there were a lot of them, and throughout the crowd I could see people quickly picking up their stuff and hurrying as fast as they could for the roads. Nobody wanted to be here when they arrived.

"Damn, they responded faster than I expected," Thera said, his expression grim, "Alright, Laura; I think it's about high time you got off the stage."

I blinked, "What? Why?"

"'Cause any moment now, Mr. Pexley and his lads're going to clock that the police arriving is the perfect diversion for-"

There was the nasty, unmistakable sound of a pistol being cocked behind us, and my blood suddenly turned to ice.

"-yeah, that," Thera concluded lamely.

"You two aren't going anywhere," said Pexley, in a deep, menacing voice, "I hope you haven't forgotten about our little private chat, have you? We've got all kinds of things to talk about- don't move!" he said, quickly, as we turned as one to look, "Just keep looking at the fight. We're all friends here, right?"

I felt a numbness descend as my mind whirled uselessly, throwing up suggestions and discarding them just as quickly. Was this really happening? What should I do? Tackle Pexley? He had a gun, and even if he didn't just shoot me I'd probably just bounce off. Scream for help? I'd probably only get half a syllable out before he shot me, and would Thera be able to save me before I bled out? What if he shot me in the head? What if, what if...

While I was wrestling with a dozen terrible ideas, Thera seemed perfectly calm, "Our chat? Sure. Just let Laura off the stage and we'll chat as much as you want. She's got nothing to do with this."

"Bullshit. What's going on here, then?" Pexley held a tablet out for us to see, and with a sinking feeling in my stomach I saw the picture of Vi practically tackling me outside the school gates, "Seems pretty familiar for someone who's got 'nothing to do with this', eh?"

"What do you want me to say?" Thera said blandly, "Vi's a hugger."

"That's not what my boys say. They say she keeps her distance."

"Maybe your 'boys' need to shower more and spy less, then."

"Or maybe y'all that little bit closer than you're claiming to be," Pexley said, and then he leaned in with a nasty, toothy smile, "And that makes you valuable."

Thera's eyebrows jumped, "Oh yeah?"

"Ronin's lover and her friend? Hell yeah. Do you have any idea how many people there are who'll want a piece of you two?"

"They're just going to get in line, I'm afraid," Thera said, "And that's a long, long line."

"Do you have any idea who I'm talking about?" Pexley sneered, "These people ain't the sort who 'get in line'."

"How rude," Thera sighed, "Orderly queueing is the hallmark of a functional society."

With a snarl Pexley brought his hand down hard on Thera's shoulder, and the mystic staggered and turned pale as Pexley dug in hard with his fingers and pulled him close.

"Keep joking around, you limey prick!" he whispered furiously, "You think this is all a big joke, huh? You think people like me're below your notice?"

"Your words, not mine," Thera said, and winced again as Pexley tightened his grip.

"I've heard about you, y'know. Word travels fast amongst my boys, and Kostas' been telling everyone who'll listen about what you did for Bulgakov. He thinks you came back from the other side packed to the brim with all kinds of superpowers."

"Kostas' an idiot, mate."

"Yeah he is, but I'm pretty sure he ain't lying. I've stayed alive this long because of two things; knowing when people're tellin' the truth, and making sure I'm always one step ahead of the competition."

"You think we're in competition? Goddess!" Thera said, "We're not even in the same league."

"You think? Smug bastard," Pexley smoothly holstered his pistol and pulled out a small radio, which he held close to Thera's ear, "Let's see if this can't bring you back down to earth."

Thera listened intently, and with mounting alarm I watched as his eyes went wide and the remaining colour slowly drained from his face. What was going on? What was he hearing?

"Y'see, I've always had a nose for trouble," Pexley said, watching him with a knowing smile, "And nothing stinks quite like a pair of mysterious do-gooders turning up in one of my Blip Centres. That's why I put my boys onto you, to make sure I always had a contingency in case you got out of hand...and you know what we learned?"

Thera stayed quiet, but his hands began trembling visibly.

"You like kids, don't you? Taking care of them, playing with them, reading them bedtime stories…you two just couldn't pass up the chance to play happy families, could you?" Pexley shook his head, "If only you'd known that all that care and attention was just painting a crosshair on their backs. Can you hear her crying, Thera? She's all alone in the dark, and that's your fault."

Thera hissed, "If you hurt Poppy, I swear I'll-"

"What're you gonna do? Take a swing at me? Turn me into a frog?" Pexley said, with an evil grin, "You don't think 'Caleb' was the only one who was handy with a knife, do you? If you do what I say then she'll be fine, but if I give the signal or if they think I've been taken out, then...well, I'd hate to be someone who actually cares for that kid. It'd be heartbreaking."

"Count to four…" Thera murmured, and with what looked like a supreme effort he closed his eyes and took a long, measured breath, "Count to four…"

"Not so funny anymore, is it?" Pexley snarled, and then he stowed the radio and pulled Thera in close, "So here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna let everyone know that I've got Ronin's bit on the side, and then I'm going to sell you to the highest bidder so they can have the pleasure of gutting you themselves! But first-" Pexley shifted his grip to probe gently, almost tenderly around Thera's eye with his thumb, "-I think I'm going to have a bit of fun with you first."

Thera hung in his grasp, limp and unresisting, and I suddenly felt the fear and doubt crystallise into pure, cold fury. After everything I'd been through, and everything I survived, was I really going to stand by and watch while he kidnapped children and tormented my friend's fiance? Not fucking likely.

"Let him go!" I said, in a low, dangerous voice, "I mean it."

Pexley hesitated for just a moment, his thumb poised over Thera's unblinking eye, "Why? You gonna scream or something?"

"Maybe," I said coolly, "And maybe you'll shoot me before I can, but either way you'll have to deal with Ronin and Hawkeye. Think about that, 'Commander'; Ronin and an Avenger, both baying for your blood. How long do you think you'll last?"

"Long enough to tell my boys to get to work."

"How will that help you? You're a dead man the instant you give that order," I pointed out, and then something else occurred to me, "And even if you do somehow escape, do you think either Ronin or Hawkeye will ever stop hunting you? You could go anywhere, become anyone, and one day-" I drew my finger across my throat, "-you'll end up just like Simon!"

Pexley glared at me contemptuously, but from the fear dawning in his eyes I could see that he knew I was telling the truth. For just a moment he stared silently at the pair duelling out on the plaza, and then his expression became set.

"We'll see about that," he said firmly, and pressed the transmit button on his radio, "Pexley to all operatives: Withdraw to the Playground, and let Miller know that we'll be needing his services for two particularly difficult...guests."

The radio crackled with a single, brief acknowledgement, and with a look of satisfaction Pexley stowed it away on his belt as he hauled the catatonic Thera to his feet.

"You two're coming with me," the commander said, in a tone that brooked no argument, "If you try anything funny, then-"

Thera's eyes snapped open, and Pexley's threat ended in a yelp of pain as he bit down hard enough to draw blood and followed it up with an elbow to the solar plexus. As the commander stumbled back, Thera grabbed him roughly by the collar and swept his leg, sending him crashing to the wooden stage floor.

"You know what, mate? I don't think I like you very much," Thera said, as he dropped down hard on Pexley's ribcage, "You're the kind of person who can put someone right off their vows."

"You're going to regret doin' that, Thera!" Pexley said, "Boys!"

"Time for you to go, Laura!" Thera said urgently, as a dozen Blacknest operatives emerged from the curtains, batons drawn and raised threateningly, "Get off the stage!"

"And leave you to be kidnapped and tortured?"

"'Wouldn't be the first time," he said, with a rather wry look, "It's a bit of an occupational hazard."

"You ain't goin' anywhere!" Pexley roared, and Thera leaned in hard as he struggled to rise, "If you do, I'll-"

"Do what, mate?" Thera said, "It's like Laura said; the instant you give that order you're a deadman. No way're you wasting it on someone whose only crime is sharing a photo with Ronin! Now flipping run, Laura!"

I hesitated for just a moment, but then turned and fled desperately as the mercenaries descended on Thera in a storm of flashing batons and well-placed kicks. Abandoning him to their tender mercies felt terrible, but what else could I do? If I stayed, I'd be swatted, but if I could get off the stage, I could get help. If I could get help, then maybe we could find Poppy, and once we found Poppy...well, I was sure that the fireworks would be nothing short of spectacular.

The trouble was, all of that hinged on 'getting off the stage', and the Blacknest mercenaries knew that too. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see them fanning out towards the stageside steps, cutting off the only escape routes except a foolhardy leap from the stage to the stones below. They moved quickly, despite their heavy armour, and by the time I reached the front of the stage they were already surreptitiously taking up positions while they waited for me to make my next move. Beneath their helmets I could see wicked smiles forming; I was trapped, and they knew it.

I needed help; I needed to get Clint's attention! That was probably easier said than done, though. The ever-increasing drone of the approaching police helicopters drowned out all but the loudest noises, but even a dead silence wouldn't have helped. Clint and Vi were their own little world, completely wrapped up in their battle for supremacy, and they weren't the only ones. Keame was standing stock still, completely mesmerised by the fight, but in his hands I realised he still held the shattered carcass of the microphone...

"Keame!" I cried, "I need that mic!"

"I...what?" with an effort, he shook himself out of his reverie and looked at me with some surprise, "Are you still here, Laura?"

"Not for much longer, if your goons have anything to say about it!" I said, and indicated the slowly collapsing half-circle of Blacknest operatives, "Look, I know we've had our differences, and I honestly have no idea how big a role you've had to play in all of this, but Pexley's kidnapped Thera's kid and I really need to get Hawkeye's attention!"

"He's done what?"

"Just give me the damn mic!" I snatched it out of his unresisting grasp. The casing was busted, but the mic itself still seemed to be just about functional. As I fiddled with the switch Keame looked at the approaching mercs as if seeing them for the first time, and his lips pressed together in a fine line.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded harshly, addressing the closest mercenary, "This rally is over! Stand down!"

"With respect, Dr. Keame, we don't take orders from you," another operative said, "We take orders from Commander Pexley, and he's ordered us to retrieve this woman."

"To what end?"

"That's none of your concern, Dr. Keame. Please stand aside."

"No, sir, I will not," Keame said, and stepped forward to place himself in the path of the advancing mercenaries, "I still have some honour, and that will not allow me to watch while you drag her off to some grisly fate!"

The Blacknest operatives stopped and looked a little worriedly at one another. Clearly, none of them wanted to be the first to take a swing at their employer, and that gave me a few seconds of breathing space. I turned back to the plaza, lifted the mic to my lips, and cried out;

"Cli- Hawkeye! Ronin! We need your help! Blacknest's kidnapped children! They've taken Poppy!"

Even with the power of the stage speakers, my voice was barely audible above the sound approaching helicopters, but I saw Vi freeze at the name 'Poppy' and turn to look at the stage. There was a brief moment while she took it all in, and then she vaulted back out of the range of Clint's sword and indicated frantically for him to stop.

"Great, you got their attention," said my little inner voice, "But what're they meant to do about it? The Blip Centre's over three hours away, assuming Poppy's even still there!"

"I-"
"You think they can get there in time to save her and still save Thera? Of course not; Pexley's no fool. He's going to force them to choose."

"Then we need a third option!"

"I'm open to suggestions."

Suddenly Keame swore, and I whirled to see two Blacknest mercs discard their batons and move in to restrain him. I dove forward without thinking, wielding the shattered microphone like a makeshift club, but an armoured arm wrapped around my throat and jerked me bodily into the air. I yelled and struggled furiously, raining blows down on anything I could reach to no avail. Slowly, the mercenary tightened his grip, and I found myself fighting for breath as spots danced in front of my eyes.

"Listen, lady, this can go one of two ways," he said, "Either you stop resisting and come with us, or I choke you out and take you with us. Believe me, the second option ain't much fun, and my mom taught me to never hurt a woman, but...I will. 'Cause that's what I'm paid to do."

"You're a damn coward!" I hissed back, but stopped struggling. As he relaxed his grip, the spots wavered and vanished just in time for me to see them drag Keame to his feet, arms pinned firmly behind his back.

"Bring 'em over here," Pexley directed, "And then get ready to move out!"

I felt the wooden decking brush past the tips of my toes as my captor marched us over to where Pexley waited, surrounded by a phalanx of operatives. They parted at his approach, and my heart leapt into my throat as I saw Thera's bruised and bloodied body lying unmoving on the floor. Every inch of skin was a painful testimony to the ferocity of their assault, and his right arm laid at a painfully unnatural angle. If it weren't for the slightest movement of his chest, I would have thought he was dead for sure.

"Thera!" I gasped, and the operative dumped me in an unceremonious heap next to him, "You sons of bitches-"

"Smug bastard got what was coming to him," Pexley said, "But get a good look, Laura, 'cause in a couple of hours you're gonna wish you looked that good. As for you, Dr. Keame-"

"Get your hands off me!" Keame said, as the mercenaries all but frogmarched him across the stage, "How dare you!"

"Sorry, sir, but this is for your own good," Pexley said, with a rather insincere smile, "I tried to warn you about Ronin, but-"

"Was that for my own good?" Keame looked horrified at the sight of Thera's injuries, "What could he have possibly done to deserve that?"

"Him? He's Ronin's boyfriend, sir-"

"Fiance!" I snapped. It was petty, but I had to show defiance somehow, "Get it right, would you?"

"Fiance? Even better!" Pexley said, "So he's engaged to the woman who killed Simon! Isn't this exactly what you wanted, sir? You paid us to-"

"I didn't pay you for this!" Keame said firmly, "And I certainly never paid you to kidnap a child!"

"Yeah, 'cause I know the kind of person I'm dealing with," Pexley retorted, "It's like I told you; you ain't gonna corner someone like Ronin by being nice! You gotta draw her out by any means necessary, and sometimes that means crossin' a few boundaries."

Keame drew himself up as best he could, "This is unacceptable, Commander, and I'm terminating our contract. Blacknest is finished."

Pexley snorted, "You ain't terminating shit, Keame. You think you can act all high and mighty with me? Truth is, you're up to your neck in this just as much as I am, and I've got enough dirt on you to make sure you're put away for a long, long time."

Keame and Pexley glared at one another, and Keame's jaw worked furiously as he tried to come up with a suitable response.

"Got nothing to say? Yeah, didn't think so," Pexley laughed, "Take him home, boys, and make sure he gets there safely. Wouldn't like Ronin to kill our golden goose, right?"

In the silence that followed I fancied I could hear a faint buzz in the air, like a particularly large bee, and then there was a loud, unpleasant 'thock'. A mercenary jerked and then collapsed to the ground, revealing an arrow protruding from just below the rim of his helmet.

"Sniper-!" his partner began, but his cry of alarm ended in a choking, gurgling wheeze as an arrow simply seemed to sprout from his throat. Another mercenary fell, clutching at the shaft embedded in his eye, and then the remaining troops scrambled for the comparative safety of the curtains either side of the stage.

"You damn cowards!" Pexley roared, as he leapt to his feet, "Come on, Hawkeye! Where's my arrow?"

"Oh, sweetie, he's not that stupid," Vi's voice floated through the air, and then she leapt up from the plaza, "Okay, maybe he is that stupid, but he wasn't born yesterday. Someone like you'll have a dead man's switch."

"Ronin!" Pexley looked taken aback, but then gestured to his men, "You have your orders, men! Take her down!"

"Unless their orders are 'give Hawkeye some much-needed target practice', I think they should probably sit this one out," Vi said, "You're losing men at a genuinely prodigious rate, 'Commander'. I'm not sure you can really afford to lose any more."

"So now you and Hawkeye're working together, are you? Two minutes ago you were trying to kill each other!"

"A truce. Nothing quite like a child abduction to make bitter rivals look past their differences," Vi said, drawing her sword with a menacing rasp, "Kidnapping my Poppy was the last mistake you're ever going to make. I'll make sure of it."

"What do you think you're gonna do with that, Ronin?" Pexley said, "You know what'll happen if you kill me!"

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you. At least, not right now," Vi said, in a chillingly matter-of-fact tone, "I just figured that since I'm in the neighbourhood-"

There was no warning, just a glimmer of metal and a rush of air, and suddenly Vi was standing before Keame. The tip of her sword came to rest delicately on his Adam's apple, and I could see his eyes go wide as he tried very, very hard not to swallow.

"I've got a bone to pick with you, mate," Vi said grimly, "Tortured men, kidnapped children, mercenaries running rampant...and who do I find dancing at the centre of that web, Keame? Maybe the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree."

"You'd better not touch him," Pexley warned, "Otherwise…"

"You'll get cut off a second time?" Vi gave him a knowing smile, "Relax, Pexley. We're just having a little chat! Reggie here is no doubt curious to know what his future holds, so I'm here to clear a couple of things up! Isn't that right, Reggie?"

"I...I…" Keame stuttered.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Vi said, "Let me get something straight, then. You've caused me a lot of trouble, Keame, and I'm not the kind of woman who likes to be...inconvenienced. Understand?"

Keame blinked once, and tried to edge away from the gleaming edge of Vi's sword.

"I hope so, 'cause right now your continued existence depends very heavily on not saying, doing, or even thinking anything that'll inconvenience me further. If you so much as forget to hold a door open for me, then you'd better believe that I'll be coming for you. Am I quite clear?"

"I...um...yes," Keame exhaled sharply as Vi sheathed her sword once more, and then reached up to patronisingly ruffle his hair.

"Good. Now run along home, will you?" she said, and turned to glare at Pexley, "As for you-"

"What, you think that little display scared me?" Pexley said scornfully.

"No, 'cause you're an idiot. A small-time thug who's only rose to power 'cause Simon kept you around. What were you, his court jester?"

"He was my buddy!"

"Yeah, no," Vi laughed, "Look, I only knew Simon as puree, but I know he wasn't the kind of person who had friends. Poodles? Sure. Patsies? Definitely, but not friends or-" she paused, and then said with some distaste, "-'buddies'. Still, I bet his death really hurt you, didn't it? Not 'cause you cared about him, of course, but because you couldn't live it up on the Keame family fortune anymore! No more parties, no more women, just...back to the gutter and comparative obscurity."

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I know exactly what I'm talking about, Alan," she laughed, "Let's be honest, it's just a mercy you've stopped calling yourself 'Apex'. If I'd known about that at the time I would've killed you simply on grounds of bad taste. Lucky escape for you, eh?"

Pexley growled angrily.

"I don't know why you're so mad at me, Apex," Vi said, "Maybe I would've gotten to you eventually, but no, you had to go sticking your nose in where it didn't belong. I know you did it just so you could get your hands on the Keame family fortune again, but really...you should've known when you were beaten."

"Oh yeah? I ain't beaten!" Pexley challenged her, "Not like your precious Thera, anyway. I reckon he's gonna be feeling pretty stiff tomorrow. It's just too bad we couldn't really work him over, but I gotta leave something left to sell, right?"

"Steady now, sweetie," Vi said dangerously, and her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword, "A hostage'll only take you so far, you know. Push me hard enough, and maybe I'll decide to kill you anyway."

"No you won't," he said casually, "You ain't the sort to let a kid get hurt, so as long as my boys're looking after your kid, you can't do squat! I'm going to take these two-" he indicated me and Thera, "-away, let the people you hurt have a bit of fun with 'em, and by the time this is over I'll be a new person livin' it up in another part of the world."

"You really think that's what's going to happen?" Vi said, "Oh, sweetie; you're biting off so much more than you can chew."

"Yeah? We both know that there ain't anything you can do to stop me, 'cause if you do then that poor little girl's blood'll be on your hands. You want her to live? Stay away."

"Live? Live?" I murmured. Something about that seemed significant, and then it hit me, "Liv! Of course!"

That was it; it had to be! Pexley knew that kidnapping Poppy was the nuclear option, so he wouldn't have issued that order until he was sure, absolutely sure, that he needed that kind of leverage over Thera and Vi. He must've given the order just after Clint shot Vi's cowl off her head, which meant that...Poppy's kidnappers couldn't have taken her very far! In fact, they could still be at the Blip Centre! If anyone could rally the inhabitants to carry out a sweep, it was Liv, and then...well, it was a long shot, but it was all I had.

Moving carefully, I dug into my pocket for my phone and gripped the case with my fingertips, slowly teasing it out as Pexley continued his little rant. Just a little further...

"You know the best bit about all this? I was thinkin' that maybe I'd make you turn yourself into the police, or trade yourself in for that little girl and your friend, but you know what? I'm not interested. Both of those're too good for you; I'd much rather you live a long, long time, watching us skin your lover over and over again until you're nothing more than just a bitter, burned out failure of-"

There! My phone slipped out of my pocket, falling to the floor with a clatter. Before Pexley could react I grabbed it, leapt to my feet, and threw the phone as hard as I could at Vi.

"Ronin, call Liv!" I cried, as she snatched it out of the air, "You have to call Liv! She can get to the Blip Centre! She can-"

Pexley lashed out, moving faster than I thought possible, and stars exploded behind my eyes as his fist cannoned into my temple and knocked me hard to the floor. I lay there, fighting the urge to vomit as the world spun around me, and then Pexley grabbed my top and hauled me roughly to my knees.

"You be quiet, you bitch!" he snarled, raising his other hand. I stared at him defiantly, but through the pain I felt a small twinge of satisfaction. I was right; I had to be.

"Laura!" Vi cried, but as she stepped forward Pexley put up a warning hand.

"If you come any closer, Ronin..."

"Goddess! You're going to pay for all of this, Pexley! I'm not sure how yet, but you will."

"I've heard that before," Pexley laughed, and the nausea rose again as he gave me a short, sharp shake, "Go on, Laura! Beg her to save you!"

I stared at Vi, and she stared back with a pleading look. I knew what she wanted me to do; she wanted me to back down, grovel, do whatever it took to satisfy Pexley's sadistic urges. Maybe that'd keep me safe, but then...what about Poppy? I couldn't leave her fate to chance, even knowing what it would cost me to stand up to Pexley. In the end, all I could hope was that Clint and the kids would understand.

"My...my PIN," I mumbled, struggling to form the words through the fog descending on my mind, "Ronin, my...PIN-"

"Don't, Laura! Please!" Vi implored me, tears standing in her eyes, "I can't help you if-"

"My PIN is the age of my kids, two years ago!" I tried again, and then gathered myself up to shout, "Vi, my PIN is the age of my kids two years ago! You have to-"

Pexley's second shot struck like a hammerblow, and through the waves of white-hot pain I was dimly aware of falling, and then there was another explosion of pain as I hit the floor in an ungraceful heap. I heard someone call - no, scream my name, and then I was roughly flipped over so I was staring up at the sky. It was beautiful, I decided dreamily, a perfect azure dome with just a hint of pink frosting, and I smiled as darkness began to nibble at the edges of my vision. As my world collapsed to a tunnel, and then a single spot of light, the last thing I saw was Pexley's face, contorted with rage, and his fist raised to deliver a final, brutal strike.

Mercifully, everything went black before it fell.