City of Heroes

Birth of the Brotherhood

Disclaimer: I don't own City of Heroes. Though I do own a few of the characters in this fic.

Sentry's Duty: 2 of 3

Edward Taylor hadn't always had such a dark outlook on the plight of humanity. He used to really believe in heroes like Statesman and was right there with the crowd cheering him on. Who wouldn't after all, Statesman was everything patriotic and a symbol for what the United States stood for. He was twelve at the time the seemingly ageless hero put out the call for others with unique abilities to join him in the fight against the evils of Paragon City.

He wanted so badly to be able to fly.. to have limitless strength.. but Edward was as normal a boy with normal boy problems a child could have. His father was a hard working member of the middle class, their mother had always made sure that food was ready at mealtime and their clothes were kept in good condition and his sister Betty played with her dollies. The all American Dream. What Statesman stood for.

Then Edward met Alice Carrington. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.. it was almost like a dream a week later when he'd asked her out and Alice said yes. Her hair was dyed black and was just below her shoulders, the shade matched wonderfully with her deep, thoughtful eyes. She was goth, but not the seriously screwed up slitting the wrist for their demon god sort. Alice had the classy gothic outlook, looking at life's beauty not at the brightest parts, but at how the smaller less flashy things contributed to the puzzle.

They were together for a year before their faithful trip out to see the latest movie about Statesman, Patriot's Stand it was called. After the movie they had walked down their usual route home, nothing was out of place or anything gave a sign as to what was to come that night. When they were a block away from Alice's two floor home a man had came out of nowhere and wrapped a beefy arm around Alice's neck, demanding all their money. When Alice had managed to get away from him, Edward tackled the man only to be beat down until he could barely keep himself awake.

As a result he didn't know what happened to Alice, because he'd never seen her after that. Now here he was in a similiar situation against a mutant with super strength that had casually slapped him aside as a simple annoyance that was now going toe to toe with his little sister. Sure, Edward knew that the Sentry battle armor was working as planned when Betty slammed both of her clasped fists into the side of Garm's head and as a result sent the mutant in a ten yard trip through the air before he landed on his feet in a crouch snarling. However, strong as the suit was it simply wasn't enough. Garm was simply too tough to be dealt with, any weakness was either too well hidden or simply not there.

That was proven when Garm caught Betty's left leg when she went for a kick to his face. Garm let loose a feral roar and Betty was thrown into the alley wall. She seemed unharmed for the most part.. but Edward knew the mutant wasn't angry enough to kill her, she hadn't done enough for Garm to take her seriously. Edward grit his teeth, forcing himself onto his knees with a wet cough. It was like time was repeating itself but on a different stage and on a much more personal level. If he didn't get up right this minute his sister was going to be killed once Garm had enough of her.

"For such a tiny pretty little thing you pack a wallop." Garm clipped while he slammed his fists down in a double hammer blow that was barely halted by Betty throwing her own arms up and grabbing his wrists. Garm smirked, "You know I can get used to being around someone that can give as good as me. Shame you're so attached to that bug over there."

"That man is not a bug you pompous brute!" Betty sniped, straining to keep his arms in place. Her knees were beginning to buckle under the slowly mounting pressure of Garm's raw power.

"Aww.. you're offended-" Garm cut himself off and slammed a knee into Betty's stomach, causing her to double over just as his fists connected with her shoulders, causing her to crumple on her side stunned. Garm raised a massive foot and aimed a stomp at her chest, missing when Betty managed to roll out of the way. Just as his head turned to follow her movements a blast of fire enveloped his head, ripping a startled yell from the mutant, also there was a trace of pain that didn't go unnoticed by the Bard.

As Garm staggered back, clawing at his blistered face Betty stood up with a confident smile, her left palm smoking. "Napalm. Even you're not immune to a fire this intense. When I was told about you this suit was made just to take you out." Betty pushed both her hands forward now, sending out dual blasts of fire that enveloped Garm and provoking a pained bellow from the towering mutant.

The fire cleared, leaving Garm without his coat and his pants were in tatters, some strips down near his shins looked like they'd melted against his flesh. He dropped his arms enough to send a glare of purest rage at the woman. She had just hurt him, badly. A feat only that recently had belonged to that electric purple wearing idiot that had supposedly been eaten by Widow. "YOU BITCH!"

Garm leapt at her, pushing off the ground so hard it cracked the pavement and tackled the woman with near bone shattering impact. Fortunately the armor took the brunt of the tackle, only making her skid back a few feet with her heels dug in, allowing the armor clad woman to send a right hook across Garm's jaw that made the big man back up to shake the cobwebs loose. Betty brought up both her hands again with a yell, sending another blast of concentrated napalm over Garm's upper torso.

For a minute all she could see was her own attack, all else vanishing from her field of vision. For a minute she felt the exhilaration that she had created the ultimate in battle armor tech. Perhaps she could land a good deal with the local law enforcements, make Paragon as a whole safer- Suddenly Garm surged out of the flames jaw set and smashing his palm to her face. With a snarl he caught her right arm with his free hand and squeezed, crushing the gauntlet and her hand. Betty screamed in pain and just a bit of shock. The mutant heaved an angry breath. "I'll rip you into so many pieces they won't find your remains."

Betty threw her other hand forward, the beginnings of another napalm blast forming in the circuliar hovel of her palm. Garm quickly used his other hand and grabbed her wrist, forcing the flame to go skyward.

A wild grin, "Oh no you don't. I learned my lesson about your hot little hands." Garm crushed that gauntlet as well, provoking another pained screech from Betty. She was nearly on the verge of passing out from her crushed wrists, she had other weapons but her mind was too busy dealing with the agony burning through both of her arms.

The Bard heard his sister's screams and with each one his body tensed with rage. After Alice had vanished Edward had his parents help him get into any martial art schools that would accept him. He read books and practiced boxing, his entire life for the next six years his life was over crammed with nothing but fighting and learning how to condition his body. His school life nearly bombed if it hadn't been for his sister being there and keeping him on track.

So was all of his training and countless hours of what Betty had referred to as self torture just a waste. Here he was again, a bigger and stronger man was about to take away a loved one and Edward couldn't do a thing about it.

A dry sob escaped his lungs, but almost right at the same instant a little voice inside his mind decided it was time to speak up. It wasn't a typical 'mind voice' as it sounded like a woman of culture rather then his own voice. "You are not finished yet Edward, you can still win. Get up, get up and fight! You are more then what you were as a child, so much more and as such you can do infinitely more. If you do not move now you will regret it for the rest of your life!"

It was like the haze of pain lifted, the burn in his chest lessened just enough. That voice was right, he had to get up or he would never forgive himself. He was not weak! He was not Edward Taylor now. A surge of adreneline hit him, allowing him to gain his way onto shaking legs. The Bard forced the unsteady balance into one that could be managed and bent down, retrieving a rusted length of pipe; he would not let Betty share Alice's fate.

Garm sent another punch into Betty's stomach, cackling all while Betty struggled to free her hands from the grasp of his left fist. One more punch caused the Sentry armor to finally cave in, causing Betty to involuntarily try to curl up on herself. She could feel the dark blue bodysuit dampen with blood, some of the armor dug into her flesh. Garm grinned, drawing back his fist again for a decapitating uppercut when a pipe slammed into his head. The mutant snarled, dropping Betty and spinning around just to be hit in the face with all the strength Edward could muster. Garm stumbled to the side, straightened back up, and was caught a third time, drawing a very small amount of blood from his mouth. The mutant snarled and looked at the annoying pipsqueek that had gotten back onto his feet and growled out a venom filled question. "Just who are you to do that to me?"

Edward dropped the warped pipe, and stood with his left shoulder facing Garm. His head bowed slightly and the words seemed to give a haunting echo off the alley walls. "Who am I..?" The man raised his head to meet Garm's glare. "I am the Bard.. and I'll gladly sing a funeral ballad for you."

Tempest turned from the stain glass mirror, having changed the moment the woman in the armor had started to brawl with Garm. "Rachel I have to go. If I don't then Garm will kill them both."

Rachel was quiet for a moment, observing the Bard as he used his smaller size and speed to avoid a punch and kick the mutant's knee out from under him. "Agreed.. but Crystal and I shall go with you. It's been a long time since I've been to the surface, but now it is time for the Fallen Saint to make her return.." She turned to Crystal and snapped out an order. "Widow prepare to teleport us. It's time for us to make our intentions more direct."

To be continued: Sentry's Duty 3 of 3