Eventually we have to leave the hospital, although I would have liked to stay we had things we needed to do today. Things like hunting Bakuda. We both say our goodbyes to my dad, and I give him one last hug.

As we get about half way back to Owl's apartment, Owl lets out a long suffering groan. "I left my new jacket on the roof last night." She hangs her head and keeps walking.

"Did we buy another one of them the other day?"

"I hope so, I'll have to check when we get back. Man this sucks, that jacket was rad."

I raise an eyebrow at her calling something 'rad', but I don't comment on it. "Couldn't you just wear a hoodie and cut a couple holes in the back, or just go without and just wear your tank top."

She shakes her head. "Nah, it wouldn't be the same." Then something must come to her mind, because her eyes light up with mischief. "Maybe I could go with your tank top idea though, because I know you'd like to see me with less clothes on." She gets a big smirk and shoots me a wink.

I give her a light shove. "Oh my god, you're horrible. One time. I look one time."

She snickers. "Oh, I'm never letting you live that down. It's just to many possible jokes packed into one moment. It'd be a crime to not rib you on checking me out."

I shake my head, but I'm still smiling. We keep sniping little jokes back and forth for the rest of the walk back to her apartment, laughing the whole way.

We go back out again, picking up where we left off last night. Owl in her slightly different Gorha costume, it mostly looks the same, but her new black jacket is cloth instead of leather. I fixed my cracked mask lens while Owl was complaining about losing street cred with her new jacket.

I'm back on Gorha's back as well. We walked a block and a half, but then Gorha complained about it being to slow and picked me up.

Gorha decided to try and follow Oni Lee's scent. It being the next day, and with him teleporting everywhere, I figured it would be hard for her to follow the scent, but she assured me she could follow it. Something about him bleeding makes it easier, and that she would know the smell of a dirty teleporter anywhere. I'm a little skeptical about that last bit, but if it gets us to Bakuda I guess it works.

After a good hour of roof hopping we start to enter the more industrial part of ABB territory. We pass more and more rarely used or abandoned warehouses.

Gorha sharply changes direction and starts to head towards a warehouse with an attached office building that's seen better days. "We're getting real close, Phoni should be right ahead."

As soon as the building comes within my range, I pour my bugs into the place, and I'm very surprised. The outside of the building looks bad, well it looks like every other building around here at least. There are a few people patrolling around the outside, but if you couldn't see all of them at once you'd think they where just going for a walk. They're even hiding their walkie talkies and guns to make themselves blend in more.

The inside though, oh the inside looks well taken care of. It looks like the dock economy never tanked in this building. The office building seems to be turned into some form of barracks in places, the second and third floors are mainly taken up with uniform bunk beds with a form of cafeteria on the second floor. The first floor entrances are heavily barricaded, one of the entrances is filled with sandbags covering a mounted gun of some form that's pointed at the doors. The rest of the first floor seems to be storage and an armory, filled with guns and body armor. The fourth floor, the last floor, seems to be filled with more private rooms, filled with more personal affects.

What stops me cold though is when I start to search those rooms, I find Oni Lee. He's sitting in what I think is his room on the floor. He's on his knees, sitting on his feet. His mask is off and he's holding it with both hands in his lap, the demon face staring back at him. His head is bent down with his eyes closed, one being swelled closed. There's a small puddle of blood under his deformed arm and his side with the cut. I strike quickly, sending a few more bugs through the open window and cover his eyes. He doesn't move. I make the bugs bite, to try and limit him more. He doesn't move. I cover him in insects. He doesn't even flinch. He doesn't make a noise, hell he doesn't even take a breathe. In fact he hasn't breathed since I found him, hasn't moved.

Now a cold feeling starts to fill me. I start to check him. The cut in his side, the place where I made all the black widows bite. It looks bad, god it looks awful! I'm starting to get this sinking feeling.

I lean down to tell Gorha. "I found Oni Lee." I pause for a second and fight back the bad taste in my mouth. "I, I think he's dead."

Gorha stops on a roof and puts me down. "Good, that's one threat out of the way." She nods and looks back at the warehouse.

"Gorha, I think I killed him." I say softly, a bit of a waver in my voice.

She is still looking at the building, scoping it out. "Well he did try to stab you in the face, I think that's a fair response."

She doesn't get it does she. This is just an old hat for her, you fight, and someone doesn't walk away. I'd be worried about it, but I'm still trying to justify me killing someone.

Justify? I killed a man. Oh god I did that.

But he was trying to hurt me, he was going to kill me.

That doesn't make it okay though.

He was throwing grenades at me.

But who am I to take a life. A sad loser decides who lives and dies. That's not right, it can't be right.

I wanted to be a hero, but do heroes kill people. Am I-

"Owl, am I a bad guy?" There's a little quiver in my voice that I tried to squash, but just couldn't.

She still doesn't look back. "Do you feel guilty right now? Like there's a sinking pit in your gut. Do you feel that you should have do something different?"

"Yeah, all of it, yeah. I should have done something different. Why did I kill him!? I could have stopped." I wrap my arms around myself.

Gorha finally turns around, sending one last longing glance at the building as she walks over. She stands in front of me. "Skitter, the cape world isn't as nice and shiny as the government and society likes you to think. It's dark, disgusting, and sometimes down right horrible. On the outside the capes just have cute little back and forths. Go down a layer though, the PRT will bury capes, their capes that don't play long. The villains and crime lords, they'll execute their own henchmen for talking out of line. You killed Oni Lee, yes. Accept that, because you can't bring him back. He's dead." I shiver and wither a little. "But he also picked a fight with us completely unprovoked. He saw us and decided to try to kill us, just because we were there. He was scum, horrible scum. And you defended yourself, you took a bad guy off the streets."

I had to look away from her. She sounds so sure of what she's saying, but that can't be how it really is right. I mean yeah Brockton sucks, I get that. But everywhere is the same? Maybe to a lesser extent though. God if that's how it really is than that kinda puts a downer on my hope filled future cape career. "I get it was self defense, but shouldn't I have at least tried to capture him or something?" Something, anything else but murder.

She puts her hand on my shoulder and gives it a firm squeeze. "Tay." She almost whispers. "The cape world is not pretty. You can't capture teleporting capes, it's just not easy or effective. The sad truth is that either they're on your side or they're in the ground. Especially a killer like Oni Lee. A man like that has a large body count, and a willingness to kill. You saved yourself. You saved me, probably. You gave closure to anyone he's ever killed. And you feel guilty, which is good. If you felt fine about killing someone, than there's a problem. You're on the right path, you just hit a little speed bump."

I give her a nod. I feel better, not good, but better. "Alright, let's just get this over with." I don't wanna wear this mask right now, but we have a job to do.

"Good, now let's get Bakuda. Remember Bakuda has hurt a lot of people, they may even be worse than Oni Lee. We'll try to take them in, but if push comes to shove, you're more valuable to me than some psycho. If it's us or them, please choose us." She's implying more murder. Not murder, it's self defense right?

She walks back to the edge and continues to watch. Instead of questioning her, I fill her in on what I'm seeing in the building. While I tell her about the office, I move my bugs to the warehouse. That part of the building is absolutely packed with stuff. There's catwalks running above the floor with people camped out on top of it, keeping watch over everything. The floor is filled with crates, some stacked 20 feet high, packed full of guns, machinery, electronics, and other random parts. It's a maze, and the only ways in are some shutter doors in a docking area, and doors in from the office building. All the emergency exits seem to be bricked over or covered up. Towards the back of the warehouse is a cleared area with tools and a workbench littered with things and devices. And standing at the workbench is a woman.

She's on the shorter side, with straight black hair. She's Asian, with a plain face that's scrunched in concentration. She's wearing some form of bodysuit similar to Oni Lee's, but with more padding, and a pair of big, stompy boots that don't seem to really fit her. She's fiddling with things on the bench, putting together components. After a while of watching, she shoves the mess of wires and stuff into a shell. The shell looks like one of Oni Lee's grenades that he used last night. She nods her head and looks smugly at the finished grenade, then grabs more things and starts to work on another one. There's a gas mask sitting on her workbench.

Is that her mask? Have we found Bakuda?

"I think I got Bakuda, she's in the warehouse making bombs. What do you think we should do?"

Gorha thinks for a second. "If I sneak in through Oni Lee's window, would you be able to guide me quietly to Bakuda?"

I use my bugs to plot a course through the building, all the way to the bomb maker. "It'll be tight, and I could probably use fireflies to guide you. Would you be able to take it slow enough not to be noticed?"

"I'm pretty good at sneaking when I need to, don't worry."

"If you get spotted this is going to go down hill fast."

"I said don't worry. I got this." There's determination in her eyes and a smile in her voice. I have some reservations about this, but I do think Gorha can do this.

She takes off her jacket and tosses it to me, then her quill slowly grow out from her back. "I see the look you're giving me. I'm doing this so my senses are better. It's going to be hard to see fireflies in daylight, I'd rather not take any chances." She then plucks a quill and holds it in her hand. "That and this gives me a quieter lethal option if, IF I need it."

"Alright. When you're in there I'll put a firefly on a wall on flash it if someone is close in that direction. When I show you something in bugs, nod when you see it so I know. If you need anything else, whisper it, I should be able to hear you. Okay?"

She nods. "Got it Boss."

"Good." I point off to one side. "Go down in the alley over there, I'll guide you from there."

She gives me another nod and hops right off the roof.

I slowly, very slowly guide her towards the open window. While she is in the alley, I set three fireflies in a triangle and flash them, then spell out 'This means stop'

"Got it."

I time the guard rotation just right and make sure no one is looking out a window, and when it's clear I turn the flies into an arrow. She sprints across the open street and jumps three stories up and through the window. She rolls into the room and looks around.

She walks around to the front of Oni Lee and looks him up and down. "Hey Skitty, how much can your bugs carry?"

'Depends'

She reaches down and gently opens Oni Lee's hands and takes his mask, then pulls a couple grenades off his bandoleer. "Would you be able to carry these off, I want them. Might be able to use the grenades later at some point."

I take some of the more noticeable insects and less useful ones and test the weight of the items. When I get them settled I send the bugs off with them.

After that I send Gorha through the door and into the hall. She goes towards the stairs, but I have her stop at the top. One of the ABB is walking by a floor down. When they go by I see a path open, but only for a short time. I spell out 'Hurry Hurry' and start gives arrows to Gorha. She speeds silently down the stairs and banks around the corner. I have her rush around a corner and book it down the hall.

As Gorha is half way down the hallway, some jackass decides to turn around and head towards her. I panic and have her stop. I go to turn her around, someone is heading that way to dammit. Can't go that way. I signal her to a door to her side. She jerks her thumb at it in question. I rapidly blink the fireflies and she nods and ducks into a supply closet. That same guy is walking towards it though, so I light a trail up the door, into the ceiling to get Gorha to try and hide above the door just in case. She climbs up and deploys her bladearms to secure herself.

The door unfortunately opens and the guy walks in and shuffles through some supplies, with Gorha hovering just above his head.

She takes out her quill, her eyes focused on the guy, just waiting.

If this stupid asshole looks up, he'll be dead before he knows what's happening. Oh please don't look up.

Eventually he finds what he needs, a gallon of bleach. He puts some things back where they were, takes his bleach, and leaves.

The door closes but Gorha waits up there for a second. After a little bit I signal her to get down. She stores her makeshift knife and heads to the door, putting her bladearms away.

We have a few more close calls in the office, but with my guidance Gorha makes it to the doors into the warehouse.

She goes through while I tell her how to avoid the the guards on the catwalks. She slowly but surely makes her way through the crate maze.

None of the guards are looking in Bakuda's direction, so I have Gorha approach slowly. At some point when I was focusing on Gorha, Bakuda put her mask on. Seems I need to work on not getting tunnel vision while we do something like this.

As Gorha gets closer a red light goes off above the workbench. Bakuda stops and turns around slowly.

"Looks like our wanna be Stranger finally shows up. Good job dumbass, you made it this far." Bakuda gives a condescending slow clap. Her voice is harsh and synthesized, but her smug tone still comes through well.

There's still about 50 feet between them.

"My pathetic little slaves didn't even know you made your way here yet. That's almost a laudable achievement, but you made the fatal make of being my enemy bitch."

Gorha growls and takes a step forward.

"Ah ah ah. Don't come to close, wouldn't want your friend to get hurt now would you."

"The hell is that suppose to mean."

"It means, idiot, that you and your friend were roof hopping in broad daylight, we noticed you coming from a ways out. Welcome to the trap. You make any wrong move, and your friend won't live long enough to see me turn you into a science experiment." There's a madness creeping into her machine like voice.

While this conversation is happening, I start searching everywhere around me for anyone that could have eyes on me. This is my own fault really. I was to focused. I can multitask like no ones business, so I should start using my damn power to the fullest extent.

Gorha replies to the crazy cape. "You hurt her at all, I'll skin you alive." She growls out. Her eyes have turned red.

I still can't find anyone in my range. I start to get up slowly and try to make my way towards an air conditioning unit for cover.

"You don't have any room to threaten me. Me! In my own base. I'm a god damned genius, and you and your stupid friend fell for my trap. You're nothing compared to me. Run at me, fight me, and you die slowly."

I lean against the unit and keep searching.

"But maybe you need an example."

There's a sudden pressure wave that hits me, and I notice I'm falling. By the time I hit the roof, the pain finally hits me. My leg is on fire, horrible pain. The worst I've ever felt. Everything becomes hard to focus on. I look down and notice that there's a hole in my thigh that wasn't there before.

Fuck they shot me! The sound of the shot finally catches up

I'm screaming in pain, and trying to slowly crawl away. The shot came from the other side of the warehouse, but it's definitely outside my range. I took cover in the wrong place, I was completely in the open.

The sound of the shot must make it into the warehouse to because Gorha whips her head in the direction of it, then turns back to Bakuda. Her bladearms explode from her back, and her eyes are burning with hate. "Did you just shoot at her?!"

Bakuda has the gall to laugh. "Shoot at her? I told them to shoot her." She laughs some more, then upholsters a side arm she had on her hip.

I make it to the other side and slowly stand. I put my hand against my thigh and pull it back, it's covered in blood. Oh no. Just as I steady myself, I'm falling again. The pain is immense. A shot from a different angle just blew out my shin. Now both of my legs are wounded, useless. Tears are filling up my lenses as I'm still screaming in pain. I crawl toward the raise corner of the building. Hoping it will give me cover from both snipers.

Either shot could have killed me. Then terror fills me, almost drowning out the pain in it's intensity. The snipers are just playing with me, it's just a game to them. Shooting a 15 year old is just a game, just their job.

When the sound of the second shot makes it to the warehouse, Gorha charges. Bakuda raises her pistol, but it's not a pistol. The barrel is to wide. She pulls the trigger and suddenly with a thompf, Gorha explodes and is sent flying off to the side.

"Ha, hahaha. Eat it bitch." Bakuda breaks the gun in half and pulls out a shell, then puts a new one in. Fuck, it's a grenade launcher. Oh fuck. She slowly walks to Gorha's limp battered form.

I make it to the corner, and just as I get there, I start getting shot at by both of the snipers. Crippled by pain, I curl into the corner. Still trying to get them in range futilely.

Bakuda walks up to Gorha. "See what happens when people fuck with me. HAHAHAH-"

She's cut off when she walks into Gorha's range and a barely in tact bladearm whips out, separating Bakuda's legs from her body. Gorha pulls her way onto Bakuda. She's still not fully regenerated, and the ruined bits of her face make her look like an absolute nightmare. Or at least that's Bakuda must think because she lets out a blood curdling scream. Either that or it's the pain from losing both her legs.

How's it feel bitch.

Bakuda pulls up her gun, but Gorha backhands it with enough force to shatter Bakuda's hand, sending the gun, and one of Bakuda's fingers, flying deeper into the warehouse. She then reaches up and punches Bakuda in the face, then grabs and rips the gas mask off with enough force to take some hair with it. Gorha then smashes the mask into Bakuda's face a couple times.

"Telling them to stop shooting, now!" Gorha's barely healed throat rasps out.

Bakuda is crying. "Who are you to boss me around, I'll kill you!"

Gorha grabs one of Bakuda's arms, and snaps it like a twig at the elbow. "Do it. Or I keep breaking you."

She's screaming in pain. "AHHhhh, all- alrigh, a-alright. I'll do it, I'll do it!"

Gorha grabs a radio off Bakuda and gives it to her. "Now!"

She fumbles with one hand, terror in her eyes. "C-call off the sniper team. Call them off!"

After a second a voice comes through the radio. "Okay." Then a second later. "Someone got to Bakuda, sniper team finish playing around and finish off the cape, we need your support here."

Bakuda looks afraid, then furious, then terrified. "No, no no you idiot call them off now, you stupid fu-"

Gorha reaches down and crushes the radio and throws it away.

"I tried, now you better leave. Or I'll make you regret it." I don't know where her false bravado is coming from, but it just pisses Gorha off more. False bravado, and primal terror.

"Regret it? No, no I won't regret anything." She stands over Bakuda and puts her foot on her head, pressing it sideways into the ground. Bakuda starts screaming as Gorha applies more and more pressure. Bakuda is flailing, both her shattered and broken arm and her good one, trying to get out from under Gorha's foot. Gorha just keeps slowly pushing down more. She's screaming now, screaming bloody murder, clawing at Gorha, the ground, her own face, anything to get away. But she can't. Her eyes are raining bloody tears, as red flows steadily from her nose. Her eyes, panicked and bloodshot. She gives one last lung bursting screech, before her skull finally gives and Gorha's foot turns Bakuda's head to paste.

The sniper shots pick up the pace, as fear runs through me. She failed, she didn't call them off. If only they were in range, if only. Come on, just a little more please! I'm losing to much blood, please not like this.

But they are in my range, but they weren't before. How?!

Questions later, live now. I gather a swarm, a big swarm, the biggest swarm. And I hit them with it, all of them. Every single ABB member in my range. The snipers, the warehouse guards, all of them.

I bury them. Bugs go for eyes, genitals, any soft spot.

But it's not enough, they keep fighting, keep moving. They could hurt me again, and again. Like the Trio did. Hurt me. Hurt Owl. They could hurt my dad again! Again!

Insects funnel down open wind pipes, fill interiors and bite, burrow, and tear.

I'm choosing us.

I curl into myself more, into the safety of the corner of the roof.

They won't hurt us.

They won't ever hurt me.

AN: The ending for this one went through a couple revisions. It could have went a few different ways, but as soon as I wrote this one down I knew this was the ending I wanted.

At first it was the gang just wins yay. Then it went to Owl stopped Bakuda and got her in PRT custody yay. Then it became Taylor gets hit with bomb and her bugs go apeshit, so Owl goes mad and it leads to fight with the Protectorate, but Taylor recovers and saves everyone through the power of friendship yay.

Well I got to this one, and holy shit I had Owl crush Bakuda's head in the most brutal way possible, while Taylor has a blood loss induced panic attack and does overkill. Fuck

If you have thoughts on the chapter, please leave a review. This one started highish and ended brutal so I'd like to know what you guys thought about it.

-Killa