Taylor was bruised and exhausted, but she felt good. Vin had slacked off at the end to show Taylor how to use a knife and fight, but that had come after a long session of Taylor trying and failing to take Vin down. Vin hadn't been trying to hurt her; most of the bruises were from hitting the ground, and Vin had shown her each time afterwards what she had done wrong and how to fix it. That still hadn't helped her stop Vin but it had helped teach her.
Vin had promised that future training sessions would be more focused on teaching Taylor the fundamentals and working on how to make her effective in a fight. Vin had also promised that future training wouldn't be quite so one-sided once Taylor got a handle on fighting, moving, and using her powers.
Taylor hoped that would be soon as she felt another twinge of her sore leg muscles.
Throwing her hoodie over her plain clothes and putting her costume into her backpack, she rose to her feet wiping her face with a cloth. Vin was waiting by the door of the warehouse, having changed out in a few moments as her cloak was the only real part of her costume.
To Taylor's annoyance Vin didn't seem to even be winded in the slightest. "How long have you been doing this?" Taylor asked
"About five or six years." Vin said simply.
Damn, no wonder she wasn't winded. Then again, Vin had mentioned that her powers gave her better endurance, which was such bullshit.
"You did well today. A lot better than I did," she said, smiling at a memory. "You need some work but I don't doubt you'll be very skilled if you keep working at it."
Taylor grinned at the praise.
"I'd love to keep training with you, or patrol with you if that's possible," Taylor said in a hurried tone, hoping that she wasn't asking too much with the offer to work together.
"Sounds great. Once I get metals secured and have enough to use more comfortably I'd be happy to make this a regular thing, though I can still show you how to fight even without my powers." Vin said, opening the door and walking into the street.
And patrolling sounds fine. Would you like to join us for dinner?" she asked.
Taylor was thrown for a loop for a moment as her mind tried to process the offer of working with a skilled cape and being invited to dinner with said cape and her spouse.
"I think Elend would like you and we could discuss how best to work together," Vin continued, falling beside Taylor with that easy gait that seemed to make her look like a hunting predator stalking its prey.
Taylor thought for a moment. She had told her dad she'd be out with a friend for the day and he'd probably want her home at some point, but she hadn't given him a specific time and she'd likely be home soon anyway.
And he'd probably not notice for a while anyway. Besides, she wasn't in the mood for leftovers again and it was more fun to eat with Vin and meet her husband.
She still couldn't believe that Vin was married. Hell, she had assumed that Vin was her age when she first met the woman.
Still, if he was as good as Vin she'd be happy to work with the pair, and to be honest she didn't think Vin would take the suggestion of not working with her spouse well.
"Do you know the way to the library?" Vin asked, snapping Taylor out of her thoughts.
She listed off the directions before giving a frown. "Vin, you know the library doesn't serve or allow food right?" she asked in a joking tone.
Vin snorted as she changed direction, realizing she had been walking the wrong way. "I'm aware, but I was going to meet Elend there before grabbing dinner. I hope you don't mind a restaurant. Neither of us are what could be called competent in a kitchen."
oOo
As it turned out, Elend was ineligible to be a librarian as he lacked evidence of any kind of degree from a college or university. He had started to form a plan to ask Vin to forge one until he learned that, while being a part time librarian was closed to him, an assistant librarian position was in need of filling and did not require messy things like evidence of his existence past his ID.
"Well that about finishes up the interview, Mr. Venture," the interviewer said, her smile wide and genuine as she put down the clipboard she had been using to take notes. "You seem to be very well put together and we'll let you know in a few days once we go through the rest of the candidates."
Elend smiled and continued to Soothe and Riot the woman, as he had been doing for the majority of the interview.
Vin had a better touch, subtle like a feather—or, to put it in a lethal sense, a dagger. Elend was a warhammer with emotional allomancy, having little in the way of subtlety but hardly lacking in strength. As such, he had been careful: only at high points, during jokes or going into his fabricated life or passion on books, did he risk a touch of allomancy on the woman.
"Thank you. I can't wait to hear back from you. I admit I might have a bit of a tendency to stop and read but I can assure you I'll be a strong worker and happy to help with any problems," he said, giving an easy laugh and rising from the cheap creaky chair. He walked around the plastic table to shake the librarian's—Jane, she had said— hand.
"Well, you don't have the job yet, but you've made a strong impression," she said, packing away her belongings as the light began to fail from the windows to leave the dim and yellowish ceiling fixture as the sole source of light.
Elend glanced out the window, still so unused to not seeing the mists begin to cover the streets. A light fog could be seen in some areas late at night, but as of now it was clear and that fog lacked the…life the mists had possessed. None of the tendrils of smoky mists swirling in patterns that lasted for a moment, or warmly embracing allomancers as they descended into the mists.
He missed them. They had never been his the way they had been Vin's, both before and after she became god, but without them it felt like a fundamental rule of the world was gone.
The sun went down and the mists came out. That was how it had been for a thousand years.
He started to head for the door to the main section of the library to leave, but paused when he saw the long barren and dusty row of computers.
He still didn't understand how they worked or all the things they could do, but as he had waited for his interview he had overheard a conversation of two men buying, of all things, products on the computer. He stepped closer looking at the box. The library had a few more minutes open and he wanted to check something.
OoO
As the pair saw the bearded man coming down the stairs, Taylor watched as Vin seemed to change. The caginess and partial frown changed to a warm smile.
"So how did it go?" Vin asked, hugging the man.
"Great. Made a good impression and I'll hear back soon," he said, before turning to Taylor. His smile held, but Taylor felt like he was sizing her up. She wasn't sure if he was disappointed.
"You must be Taylor, Vin's told me a bit about you. Nice to meet you," he said, offering his hand, which she shook.
"So shall we go and get some dinner?" he offered, and the group began to walk.
A while later the three sat in a pizza restaurant. Vin was looking at a slice of pizza with suspicion as Elend carefully cut up his pizza.
"Why is this fruit yellow?" Vin asked, gesturing to the pineapple on the Hawaiian pizza Taylor had ordered.
"It's pineapple. It's just yellow. It would be weird if it wasn't," Taylor said, wondering if this was a test from Vin.
"Vin's just messing with you," Elend said, chuckling. "So, I imagine she's been mysterious and brooding the whole afternoon?" he asked, earning a slight tap on his ribs from Vin.
Taylor took a bite of her pizza. "No, she was really helpful. She kicked my ass though. She said you've both been active for around 6 years?" she asked, trying to learn more about the two.
"Yeah, not a surprise. She's always been skilled and has only gotten better since she first started using her powers. She's been active for five years. I got my powers after her. Not the greatest honeymoon, if I'm honest," he said, getting an eye roll from Vin.
Taylor bit her lip. The hell had happened during their honeymoon?
Wait, how old was Vin when they got married, then?!
"Though brooding has always suited her," Elend added.
"He's selling himself short. He was brilliant before he got powers. We couldn't have done half the things we did without him," Vin said, finally taking a bite of her own slice of pizza.
He rolled his eyes in return and Taylor got a sinking feeling of dread this was going to become very awkward.
Not for them, her. She had no desire to watch a make out session at a public restaurant.
"So…brooding," Taylor said, as they gave each other eyes that made her want to hurl, and Elend laughed at the statement. The food was trash, but this was more fun than Taylor had had in a long while.
oOo
A few days later
Lisa yawned as the group wrapped up their planning. Ramen and pizza boxes were scattered around and the blueprint of the bank was covered in grease from their fingers. But the plan was set and it was time for Lisa to sleep.
Alec had lain on the couch and pretended to sleep for much of it, but Brian had made sure Alec knew what the plan was. Alec had been listening, in truth, but he did it anyway to annoy Brian.
Rachel, on the other hand, had been sullen and glared at them all, so she was in a great mood.
Brain flipped Alec off the couch to pull it out for a bed. They had decided it would be best if they all stayed the night so they'd be able to take care of any last-minute issues.
Well, Lisa had decided and had been able to convince him to actually stay. Tiny moral victory for her.
Alec rose with an exaggerated groan as Brain pointed him to a sleeping bag.
Lisa rubbed her forehead with her fingers. She could feel the migraine coming. What she needed now was advil and eight glorious hours of sleep and no more dealing with her team or fucking Coil.
"All right, I think that wraps things up. See you all in the morning, don't wake me unless we are being raided or…else," she said in a chipper tone, too tired to think of threats.
Chipper as in a rusted wood chipper, well past needing rest and grating on her tongue.
She grabbed a glass of water out of the kitchen area and took a sip of the lukewarm sulfur-tasting water.
City tap. Gross. But better than nothing.
Grabbing her phone from the table and a few scattered items, she made her way to retire for the night… morning. Honestly she was past caring what time it was.
Heading into her bedroom, she yawned once more as she partly closed the door behind her.
As she reached to flick the lightswitch, she felt something sharp press to her throat.
Her body went cold as a deep pit appeared in her stomach. The slightly open door creaked shut gently as her eyes darted around looking for the source.
To her right, hidden by the doorframe. A figure in a shredded cloak. Handwoven, her power supplied. A long arm emerging from the shifting cloak holding a glass dagger. Greenish and blue, from the way the dim light reflected off it. Razor-sharp, her power told her.
She glanced at the cowled figure. Their face was hard to make out but the eyes were clear.
"Lisa Willbourn," the figure, a woman, said. Her voice was controlled and casual, as if she was meeting some acquaintance.
Lisa's heart pounded as that pit of ice in her stomach got bigger and bigger. Her power worked overtime as she tried to figure out what to do.
Skilled, was able to breach the building without your notice. Has been here for hours, By her grip on the knife she is skilled in using it, will kill you, can kill you, can-
She ignored the power. Not much help there.
"Bug is off limits. Do you understand? Contact her or her family and you die," the woman said, her voice going colder. Lisa met the eyes of her potential assassin as she tried to work out a plan.
Call for help? No she'd die before she could say a word. This had to be the parahuman who helped Bug with Lung. Armless and dickless now, Lung was well out of commision and stuck in a coma. The parahuman had cleaved his arm off like it had been nothing. Lisa was done, this was it, she was going to die.
Has killed bigger before. Has been killing since a teen. Sees Bug as someone to help, sees herself in her. Thinks Bug's plan was terrible. Has worked with others before, is manipulating you emotionally with her powers.
Fuck. Great. A master as well, one subtle enough that Lisa wouldn't have noticed unless it was pointed out. Now that it was, she could feel it. A light press of fear that kept building.
"I'm not sure what you mean. Unlike you I respect the unwritten rules," Lisa said in a voice that sounded brave to hide the terror she felt.
She was terrified. The dagger pressed closer and ice filled her veins.
"How about you stop playing savior and let her make her own deci—"
Lisa was cut off as she felt a thin line of blood trickle down her neck. She wanted to swallow, she wanted to gulp, but even the slightest movement on her neck could kill her. Her body screamed for some type of movement. Her heartbeat thudded in her chest.
How much of this terror was her and how much was forced on her by the master? How many powers did this woman have?
The blade lightened for a moment. "Don't lie to me. You tracked her down using the computer, you know who she is. And you want to recruit her."
Lisa couldn't stop the words. "Well, we'd offer you a position as well, but this is a hell of a way to ruin first impressions," she said, cursing her tongue and squeezing her hands into fists to dig her nails into her palms. She forced a grin as the words finished spilling out.
Something that might have been a twitch of the lips appeared briefly on the assassin's face but was gone too fast to be sure.
"But… fine, yeah. We won't contact her again unless she wants our help," Lisa said, trying to figure out a way to get Bug on their team without being knifed by Miss I-Carry-A-Sword-Taller-Than-I-Am.
"As far as you are concerned she doesn't exist. Got it?" the woman asked.
Well, "asked" implied there was more than one option.
Lisa nodded and the dagger retreated. She nearly fell to the floor as she touched the blood on her throat. She knew cape work was dangerous, but this was different. She didn't expect to have an assassin in her own room for Christ's sake.
The phone in Lisa's pocket was pulled out by some unseen means. The assassin held it up to Lisa.
"Password," she said, and Lisa dutifully complied, knowing the Undersiders needed to get out of this place as fast as possible. Everything was in disarray now. Coil would need to give them funds for a new base.
Hell, maybe new identities. Hers had been found out. How long had she been watched?
The phone rang as the woman waited for the number she had dialed to answer. She had gone slowly over the list, her eyes squinting at the text. For a brief moment Lisa thought she was going to call Coil, only to hear a different voice entirely.
"I'm done here. I'll be back in a few, don't stay up waiting," the woman said
English is not her first language. Accent somewhere between French and German but no actual dialects like it. Speaking in code. Telling partner no need to come. Partner is a teammate and lover, not a lover, spouse.
To add insult to injury, once done with the call she smashed the phone into a hundred parts with her bare fist.
Tossing it behind her, the woman opened the door to the main area and was greeted by surprised Undersiders in various stages of sleep.
Before any of them could move they were slung back against the wall, Rachel by a dog bowl, Brian by his belt buckle, and Alec from the bed frame of the pull out couch. She ignored them as she walked past them, ripped the doors off their hinges with a casual tug, and went into the streets.
"...What the fuck just happened?" Alec asked
