Step 2.6

People don't realize how loud guns are, Hollywood and TV don't do them justice. Each bang felt like a needle right against my ear. It hurt enough that the pain dazed me for a few seconds. I barely noticed a car squeal past and crash into a parked truck. The driver side door swung open; the driver jumped out and just ran away.

The gunshots stopped momentarily, replaced with the sounds of breaking bones, shouting, and cursing. I scrambled to my feet—when did I hit the ground?—and ran. Not all the bangers had guns. Some carried bats, pipes, even golf clubs. I dodged two guys beating on each other, only to stumble into another pair on the ground punching and biting.

I nearly tripped over them.

A blow to my shoulder knocked me off course and sent me to the ground against a car. I scrambled as the two men started fighting, my feet pushing me along the street behind the crashed car. The gunshots started back up, and I again covered my head. Glass shattered and showered over me. The chill in my chest grew and spread. It felt like a thousand bees tickling all over me. I'd never been shot at before.

The shaking of the truck forced me to my stomach. Three ABB ran over and around my hiding place to get into the fight. Each sent another finger around the hilt of my saber.

But nothing. No one seemed to care about my presence. The realization that I didn't even factor in the fight helped. No one wanted to hurt me, they just didn't care if it happened by accident. That's slightly better, right?

I needed to get off the street.

The bullets and beatings kept me down, the little bees tickling harder and harder each passing moment. Another shattered window and a bullet against the pavement got me moving.

The pain in my ears, and the biting of debris on my palms barely registered. I rolled under the truck, and crawled to the street on the other side. I saw the cracked door just a few feet away and nothing else mattered.

Nothing except for the crying woman in the corner of my eye. The ABB surrounded her, but like me they didn't seem to care. They fired their guns, while one threw a Merchant into the wall behind him. There were more of them. Thirty or forty. How were there more of them?

She huddled there on the ground in the middle of it, hands over her ears, mascara running.

Small bits of rock and glass dug into my flesh as I pushed myself up. I ran, bullets blowing bits of wall and pavement into the air while the brawl carried on in the middle of the street. Every blast sent a shiver through me. Cars piled up on the edges, some people just frozen behind the wheel while others got out and ran. Someone tried to speed through only to crash like the other guy.

I grabbed the woman's arm and forced her up.

I shouted at her to come with me, but I don't think she heard the words. Only the force of my body pulling hers forward got her to move, kept her going even after I stopped. A Merchant leaped over a car, pipe raised my way. My hand started to draw my saber before the guy got knocked to the ground by another pipe.

The Asian man gave us a disparaging look before moving on. Pipe cracked against pipe, and the Merchant punched him in his side while we ran past.

I forced the door fully open with my shoulder. The same shoulder still aching from the errant blow earlier. I hissed a sharp breath as my meager weight fell into it. The frame snapped, the door clattering to the floor with one hinge hanging on the side. The storefront shook with the breaking of glass. From the corner of my eye I saw an unmoving body on the ground. I kept going, running down the aisles while bags of chips and cans of soda exploded.

Milk spilled across the floor. The dairy display sported three nice holes in it. A group of teenagers hid in the back in the puddle, two girls and a boy about my age. I collapsed to my knees beside them, panting for breath. I released the woman and she fumbled in her purse. Her phone came out a few seconds later and she started dialing.

Can my heart beat this fast?

I pressed a hand to my chest to be sure it was beating.

One of the teenagers on my other side clutched her arm, blood flowing over her fingers.

I told her she was bleeding. She looked at me with a blank stare. My hands patted myself down. I didn't feel any pain other than the ache in my shoulder, but I searched anyway. I repeated myself, and I couldn't hear my voice. Just a whining tone in my ear, and more gunshots. Police sirens in the distance? Might just be another ringing.

In lieu of speech I pointed to her arm. She glanced down, eyes going wide.

Without thinking I tore my sleeve and quickly wrapped it around her wound, then tore the other, rolled it up, and pressed it underneath the makeshift bandage.

I squeezed her arm. She nodded, but it was one of her friends who took hold and squeezed. The boy. He took hold and held her close. Boyfriend, I guessed. I gave everyone else a look over, but other than some cuts and scrapes, no one seemed hurt.

I calmed myself, pushing the thunder of gunfire from my mind. I rose slowly, peeking over the shelves. The windows didn't offer much of a view. I saw the body at the front of the store more clearly and got back down. His eyes were open, and just staring blankly. That could have been me. No brute power, maybe some kind of under armor hidden under my clothes?

Not now. Out of the street. Time to think.

Even fewer options than the last time I found myself in the middle of something. The woman saw my face, as did everyone else in the back of the store. Even if I found a makeshift mask and used my saber and pistol, seven people would know what Newtype looked like. One hand searched my pocket, assuring me I still had my pistol and beam saber. Worse came to worse, I could protect myself and everyone in the store with me.

But what came after that?

I need to get to the garage.

I pulled out my phone.

sys.t/ Veda
sys.t/ I'm pinned at the corner two blocks south

sys.v/ are you injured?

sys.t/ I'm okay but I can't get out

I checked Veda's log. She'd realized what had happened quick and called the fight in to the police and PRT. At the same time, she called in other fights across the southern end of the Docks. A dozen of them. Guns, and bats mostl—

And the Empire was moving?

sys.t/ What is the Empire doing?

sys.v/ Kaiser has declared the truce violated
sys.v/ he is encouraging all capes to punish both sides

sys.t/ Empire, ABB, and Merchants fighting
sys.t/ PRT?

sys.v/ The Protectorate team is being recalled

That was good, I guess. Armsmaster, Miss Militia, Stratos, and Velocity back in Brockton Bay. All six members of the Protectorate and the Wards. Maybe if they had done something about the gangs before, this wouldn't be happening, but at least they were taking war on the streets seriously.

Didn't help me at the moment though.

Standing back and doing nothing wasn't an option.

Looking around the store, I asked "Is there a back door?"

No one seemed to know.

I'd check, and if not I'll just have to go out the front.

Just fifteen or so feet to the corner and I'd be clear of any stray bullets. The Merchants and ABB seemed more interested in each other than anything. Then just a block up and another left to get to the workshop. Five minutes to get there, and then another five to get back with my costume and some of the stun grenades.

sys.t/ I'm going to make a run for it
sys.t/ I'll be there soon

sys.v/ please remain where you are

sys.t/ I'll be okay

sys.v/ it is unnecessary
sys.v/ help has arrived

Help? What Help?

A loud pop echoed in the air. I raised my head over the shelf again, seeing a group of ABB on the ground, and a little ball looking at me.

My jaw slackened a bit. Orange rolled off. Another pop followed, coming with shouting and cursing. The number of gunshots fell, and Green rolled into the building.

"Hello! Hello, I'm Haro!"

Everyone stared, including me.

My little robot just spun about and started toward the door. "This way! This way! Quickly!"

I stumbled getting up. For once, my nervousness helped me, I think. Everyone just thought I was scared as I coaxed them up.

"Let's go," I said. "Come on!"

The street certainly looked like a war zone. Bullet holes all over. Men on the ground, bloody and beaten. Some probably dead. Not entirely sure which people on the ground were there because of the fight, or because my Haros were kicking their asses breaking it up.

Purple and Orange rolled circles around the few ABB and Merchants still on their feet, while Navy and Red bound the men on the ground with zip ties.

A group of Merchants on the far side of the street fired on the Haros, but the little balls moved too fast. Purple darted under a car, and Orange jumped into the air to hide behind a hydrant. Bullets followed them both, then moved in Orange's direction as he zigzagged through the street.

The gangsters didn't notice Purple roll out from under a van at their feet. Its ear flap popped open, the robotic arm inside tossing a cylinder to the ground. All five men dropped like rag dolls, the air visibly displaced by the explosion. They screamed and kicked, hands over their ears and weapons clattering around them.

The woman ran as soon as she saw the coast was clear, and the teenagers too. The Haros only gave me passing glances, not enough for anyone watching to think they knew me…I hoped.

Purple busied itself bouncing on a Merchant's chest while Red rolled up to bind him.

"Get beat! Get beat!"

Two police cruisers came around the corner as I turned it. The officers got out, their faces a mess of confusion and surprise at the sight of four little robots tying up gangsters while a fifth guided people out of the area.

Fifth…Where's Pink?

The answer came twenty feet into my run to the garage.

"Newtype! Newtype!"

I froze and carefully scanned around me. No one close enough to hear the chirps.

Pink waited for me behind the dumpster in the alley. I felt a little surprised to see one of the Haros using its feet for once. Pink held my mask in its hands, a backpack on the ground beside it containing my costume, my rifle, and more grenades.

sys.t/ good job Veda

sys.v/ thank you

I got changed quickly. Green and Orange slipped into the alley and waited for me to finish. I stuffed my clothes into the backpack and threw it over my shoulder.

"Thanks guys."

I patted Pink on the head, but the gesture was for all of them.

"Helping! Helping!"

I'll admit, ideas burst in my head by the dozen. I never intended the Haros as anything more than assistants around the workshop, but why not use them for more? Fit them with a rotor frame and they could work like UAVs. Let them do recon, or surveillance, and deal with thugs.

So many things to work on next chance I got.

I picked my rifle up and inspected it. A bar with ten sections appeared on my visor, and a red circle. A small camera under the barrel of the rifle synced up to the targeting software I designed. Point and shoot, easy. Hopefully.

"Veda, where's the PRT?"

"New Wave is intercepting Empire forces in the Towers. Dauntless, Aegis, and Kid Win have deployed ahead of Protectorate and Ward forces to the Docks."

"Any other big fights like the one I walked into?"

"Affirmative."

More fights meant more people caught in the crossfire…more bodies on the ground. I didn't even know how many people were dead behind me or just too hurt to move. Did it even matter? I didn't want to get involved in a gang war. I wanted to hide in my workshop and ride it out. I shook my head. No point dwelling on it. I had my costume and some gear. Enough to do something.

I glanced at the Haros. They worked well at taking down thugs.

Simple thugs…

"Capes?" I asked aloud.

"No sightings of any Merchant, ABB, or Empire capes have been reported," Veda answered.

Again, not that I wanted to complain but, "That doesn't make sense. What about that thing? The blackout everyone thought was Squealer?"

"It is moving north toward Lord's Port."

Dad.

I fished out my phone and found a dozen missed messages. I sent him a message. No calls. I still heard gunshots, however distant they might be. Any call and Dad would hear the gunfire in the background and know I was lying.

I'm okay dad. At library hiding.

Thank god. Stay there. I'm coming to get you.

No. No no. No no no no NO.

Maybe the Merchants were picking a fight in the Docks but walking around the street looking for me would get him killed.

No. Dad stay where you are. I'm fine. I swear. You can't go out looking for me!

I continued exchanging messages until I felt certain he'd stay put. I needed to get to him. Make sure he was alright. The gunshots sounded closer than before, and echoed through the streets in all directions. And while I went running off after my dad, how many other people got hurt? Talk about sadistic choices.

Work my way east, I decided. Take out any thugs I see.

I set my phone into my jacket.

"All of you, around me," I ordered.

They moved quickly. Navy and Red carried a bunch of zip ties in their hands. The others I gave stun grenades. "Don't use them unless you can get a bunch of guys," I said. "And don't hit any bystanders. Red. Navy. Tie up as many as you can. Veda, mark the fights you know about on my HUD."

"Marking."

Red triangles with numbers to signify distance filled my vision. A dozen of them, some with question marks to signify that she didn't really know much about them. Smart. A single black triangle marked the position of the blackout.

Deep breath.

I nodded to the Haros at my feet. "Stay with me?"

Green gave a little bounce.

"Roger! Roger!"

I took a few minutes to psych myself up. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. Just me and six Haros against who knew how many gang bangers, with the gang capes nowhere in sight.

What could go wrong?

"Come on."

Hefting my rifle in my arms I ran, the Haros rolling in a perimeter around me. I turned right at the end of the block. East to the Boardwalk and then north toward the Port. The sun tinted the sky red as I went, street lights kicking on as the darkness set in.

Gunfire grew louder as I went. The fight lay straight ahead. Police used cruisers for cover, officers grabbing people off the street and ushering them away from the fighting.

One noticed me coming and tried to wave me over. "Hey. Miss—"

I went right past him.

"Purple. Orange. Go!"

The two Haros picked up their speed. They moved far faster than I'd realized. Those few steps as they went ahead felt like an eternity. I read something once about how it takes a certain kind of insanity to run towards bullets instead of away. Never felt so self-conscious about talking to myself before, but talking to myself helped me feel less crazy. It's one thing to know heroes run into gun fights, something else entirely to actually go and do it.

I can do this.

I picked my first target. A small guy with a bat beating on someone who wasn't fighting back. The red circle fell over his body and I fired.

The white bolt burned red on the edges, illuminating the street in a bright flash. The blast struck my target in the chest, launching him into the air and throwing him five feet back. Right when he hit the ground, Purple rolled out from under a car. The soft pop of my stun grenade followed, and a group of men on the other side of the vehicle fell.

Another pop a second later, and Orange leaped over the hood of a van to drop his other grenade in the middle of a group of Merchants. Navy and Red followed, binding the disabled men by their wrists and ankles.

Keep going!

"Pink!" I pointed at a group of Merchants on the corner. One of them held a shotgun, and the other had a long rifle. Pink rolled off after them while I picked another target and fired.

One more.

Then another.

I pointed to a family hiding in the alcove of an apartment building. "Green!"

Again.

Another target. Another shot.

The explosions echoed around me, and the guns fell silent bit by bit. The brawl continued in the middle of the street. I kept shooting until the battery ran dry and needed to recharge.

Green rolled past me with a man and woman following, and Navy on the opposite side of the street guided an older man out of a building.

"Purple!"

I pointed, and my Haro responded by launching itself into the air. The Merchant pointing a gun the old man's way hit the ground hard, and Purple landed right on his head for emphasis.

"Stay down! Stay down!"

Body slams definitely weren't in the original program, but if it works it works. I wasn't in the mood to complain about it. Then Purple hit him in the knee, seemingly just to rub it in.

"Get beat! Get beat!"

Okay, maybe I should do something about that.

"Leave him alone, Purple!"

I recalled the little beast, handing off two more grenades, and then did the same for Orange.

The gunfire continued in the distance, but in the immediate area it all felt quieter. Nearly two dozen ABB and Merchant thugs lay on the ground behind me. The police followed, taking people from the Haros and ushering them to safety while collecting the thugs.

I took a moment just to watch. Months upon months of the trio's beatings, months of frantic uncertainty that I'd ever be able to follow through on my goal of being a hero. There lay the proof. A bunch of people safely evacuated from a war zone and thugs caught because of me.

I really can do this.

A smile crossed my face as the charge of my rifle restored.

The sharp pain in my stomach took that away.

I hit the ground and gagged, my stomach emptying as the unbelievable pain blew through my entire body.

"Get the cape!"

"Shoot da bitch!"

A window beside me shattered, and I pulled myself into cover again. The Haros charged forward. Navy and Red rolled circles distracting the ABB and Merchants. Bullets started striking pavement, and none of them noticed Orange leap over a van and throw a grenade into their midst. On the other side Green and Pink ran the same distraction, with Purple throwing the grenade and following with another body slam into the closest target.

I gagged, forcing another round of bile back down. Sophia's shoulder checks didn't remotely compare. Maybe if she'd been checking me with a bat, or fifty. My hand tenderly touched the center of the pain. No red this time. No hole. Turns out my costume does stop bullets. Other than "holy shit that hurts" I seemed alright.

A bat swinging toward my face sent me back down. I fell to my back to avoid the swing, and then rolled to the side as my attacker swung overhead toward the ground. The metal bat pinged off the asphalt, and I raised my rifle to block the next swing. After my weapon fumbled from my hands I scrambled away, grabbing a saber and flipping it on just as the guy swung overhead again.

The blade struck him in the calf, his clothes burning away as my saber took his leg out from under him. Changing the shape of the saber might prevent dismemberment, but nothing I did got rid of the heat of the particles gathered in the field.

"Fuck!" the thug screamed.

I kicked him right between the legs, 'cause fuck him.

The guy tried to get back up, only for Purple to crash into the back of his head with a crack. The distraction let me jump to my feet and retrieved my rifle. The bar on my HUD flashed with 'error' over the sections that had taken a hit from the bat. Turning my weapon on its side I found a massive dent. I pushed the idea for a more rugged design aside.

Purple bashed its ball into the back of my attacker again when he tried to rise. It bounced on him a few times to keep him down while Pink rolled up and bound his ankles together.

The ground shook, and I spun around. Dauntless rose from the small crater he'd left in the street, an Asian man in a green jacket going over the hero's head to the ground as the hero threw him. His shield burst alight, a slow march my way with a dozen PRT troopers and police right behind him.

That apparently was too much. The Merchants broke and ran, and the ABB went the opposite direction. Cops on the other side of the street caught a bunch of them, tackling men to the ground or hitting them with tasers.

Dauntless makes one dramatic entrance and they scatter? So I'm a little jealous they didn't break and run when I showed up. Sue me.

"You okay?"

I glanced at the hero. He looked taller than he looked on TV to me. A bit like Armsmaster. Big and armored hero with a polearm. His armor looked like a cross between riot gear and Ancient Greek soldier. Bronze and gray colors with metallic sheens. His spear, boots, and the disk on his arm all glowed with an undercurrent of power.

A lot of people said he'd be as strong as the Triumvirate someday.

"I'm fine,"

I got up. My Haros gathered around, all looking a bit worse for wear, dirty and bumped from rolling around on the street. Purple must have gotten shot at some point. I crouched down, popping open the robot's ear to inspect the interior. No damage. The bullet just went through some empty space.

Dauntless continued with his questions, asking, "Saw you take a hit. Sure you're alright?"

"Costume is bulletproof." I touched my stomach again. Ow. Still hurt.

"Bulletproof mostly means no penetration," he said. "Still probably bruised. Maybe internal bleeding."

I didn't feel lightheaded or anything though. Just really, really fucking ouch that smarts sore. A few deep, ragged breaths swelled the pain for a moment, but afterward it dulled a little.

"Think I'm okay." My statement was punctuated by wiping a little vomit from my chin.

Dauntless, for his part, didn't question. "Alright."

Police and troopers spread out, collecting the disabled Merchants and ABB and forming them into lines. Some cursed, others groaned. A few seemed completely out of it.

Those grenades might last longer than I thought.

"Noa!" Dauntless waved one of the troopers over. The man approached, his face hidden behind his helmet. "Leave a squad behind to help the BBPD get all these guys off the streets. Load the rest up.

He nodded. "Sir." His attention shifted to me, or rather the orbs waiting at my feet. "Nice robots."

The Haros all answered in varying combinations of, "Hello. Hello! We're Haro. Haro!"

Dauntless tilted his head. "Are they supposed to repeat themselves?"

I frowned. "It's a glitch."

"Hm." He tilted his head to one side. "Right. I hear you." He glanced at Noa. "Armsmaster is back. He's taking over operational control."

"Understood," Noa replied.

Dauntless turned back to me. "Armsmaster is taking the Protectorate to go after the tank."

"Tank?" I blinked. "What tank?"

"Squealer's tank."

In eloquent fashion I blurted out, "How does Squealer have a tank?!"

"Built it," he answered. "The Wards aren't cleared for that kind of fight. We're directing them to break up the unpowered figh-Yes. Yes, she's here with me now. Alright. Armsmaster wants to know what you intend to do."

"Keep breaking up fights and getting people to safety," I said. Till I get to the Union building, or it all stops. Whichever comes first.

Dauntless nodded. "The Director wants this contained. Hopefully, before the capes start fighting each other. Are you willing to work with us?"

I frowned. "Working with you guys hasn't worked out so far."

"I know. I'd love to talk to you about that sometime, but the city is bigger than any quarrel. We're hoping that once Armsmaster gets spotted with the rest of the team the Merchants will back down. Once they back down we can force the ABB and Empire to do the same. In the meantime, we need to keep the fires under control."

On the one hand, relief because the Protectorate was finally being proactive. On the other, maybe if they were more proactive this wouldn't have happened. Just on the street around me, an EMT was treating a man with a bullet in his thigh. I hadn't forgotten the dead man in the convenience store. Maybe I blamed them for it a bit, but in the moment?

Defuse the fighting. Force all sides to back down.

The idea wasn't wrong. It made sense. I didn't want to see people getting shot up in the streets and obviously the Protectorate left a bigger impact on the gangs than some new tinker.

I mulled over my words before speaking.

"Help people and I'll help," I said finally. "Stop and I'll do it on my own."

Dauntless nodded. "Helping people is what we try to do."

"Yeah. Try."

I ignored Dauntless' flinch at my words. My final statement on the matter, I decided. Funny how I'm two different people, Taylor Hebert and Newtype, and I found the PRT failing both identities. But I couldn't wage war against them. If everything aligned, great. I'd help. Otherwise they could go shove it up their asses.

I turned my attention away from the pair and focused on the Haros.

"What do you guys have left?"

Purple and Orange opened their flaps. Green and Navy each held a grenade, while Navy and Red carried zip ties. Dividing up the bag they brought with them, Orange and purple got more grenades, leaving me with only one remaining. The rest got the remaining zip ties.

I pushed my ruined rifle into my backpack. No good anymore. Left me with a pistol in one hand and a saber in the other. I'd need to design a system for the pistol to help my aim at some point, or just practice.

"StarGazer, how are you doing? Everything alright?"

"I am coordinating response with the PRT, police, and emergency services. So far three fights have been stopped and forty-one individuals arrested."

I nodded. I didn't ask for the details, they came to my imagination easily enough. Veda pointing out where groups of thugs were, calling in fights, warning ambulances about traffic. All easily within her ability with access to the traffic cameras.

"Good job. What about the Empire?"

"New Wave has engaged Hookwolf, Cricket, Stormtiger, and Krieg in Downtown."

"That's it?" I tried making sense of it. "Just four of them?"

"No sign of the rest of their roster," Noa said behind me. I didn't notice he was still there, and Dauntless too.

"It's weird," Dauntless admitted. "They normally use their numbers to muscle their way in. They win a lot of fights just by showing up."

Kaiser declares the Merchants and ABB in violation of the truce and then gets bogged down in a fight with New Wave. I pushed it from my mind. Nothing I could do about it at the moment.

That the Merchants had a fucking tank rolling through the Docks seemed like a more pressing concern though. No idea what I'd do about that if I ran into it. I'd probably have no choice but to run.

I stood up, wondering if Dauntless or Noa would leave. They didn't.

"What?"

"We're not clear on if you're going to help," Dauntless said.

"I said I would."

Noa curtly added, "You said you'd help if it suited you."

I scowled. "I said I'd help. What I won't do is turn around and leave when the PRT decides helping is inconvenient." This is a waste of time. Is it three times now? Sophia. Armsmaster. Parian. Yeah, it is three times now. "Trusting in you guys hasn't worked well for me. I'm not eager to try it again." I turned away. "StarGazer, point me to the next fight."

One of the triangles on my HUD turned yellow.

I started running, Haros rolling at my feet.

"Hold on!"

I stopped. Dauntless was already in the air flying off. Noa stood where I left him, shaking his head.

"You're seriously just going to run there?" he asked.

"I haven't built my jetpack yet," I retorted sarcastically. Although a jetpack would be fun.

Noa shook his head. "Will you at least accept a ride?"

An armored PRT van pulled up slowly on the street behind him. I leaned towards no. Something about not getting into vehicles with strangers felt remarkably apt. That said, I didn't want to be such a petty, small person so wrapped up in anger I refused anything approaching help. Not to mention the still burning pain in my gut that throbbed a little with every step.

Why can't this shit be simple?

"Just a ride?" I asked.

"Just a ride," he answered. "Do what you will when you get there. You're not in my chain of command."

I waited. The van stopped and a dozen troopers piled into the back. Noa held his hand out toward me. I walked around the back and looked inside before accepting. The Haros jumped up after me. They occupied the center aisle, while I took a seat at the far end.

Noa closed the doors behind him and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Four blocks east and one south."

"We're being routed east. We'll drop you off on the way."

"What's east?"

"The Protectorate is going to engage the tank and force it back before Lung or Oni Lee show up. We need to evacuate the area regardless."

Not a bad idea, but, "is anyone dealing with the fighting?"

"The Wards, troopers, and cops, but there's more fights than there are Wards, troopers, and cops," another trooper explained. Her name tag said Martinez, and she bore sergeant stripes on her shoulder. "You seriously going to keep going on your own?"

"If I have to," I said.

The ride didn't last long, but even ten minutes off my feet left me feeling better. The van lurched to a stop and Noa popped the back door open.

"Good luck."

Right. "Thanks for the ride."

I climbed out and the Haros followed after me. The sounds of gunshots guided me while the van drove off. I noticed a camera hanging from light posts around the intersection.

"Do you know how many, Veda?"

"Eighteen active combatants," she answered. "One bus of civilians caught in the center. No others evident. I have alerted police to your position."

"Are they coming?"

"Two cars dispatched."

Alright then.

I rounded the corner right into the fight. The Merchants and ABB left a trail of destruction along the road as I went, their fighting now on the left corner of the far intersection. A bus hung in the middle of the road, shadows shifting inside while bullets struck the vehicle and men fought around it.

"Orange. Purple. One grenade each. Get as many as you can. Guns first. Get them away from the bus!"

Orange and Purple took out the two biggest groups. Red and Navy tied them up, while Pink and Green distracted and disabled them. My aim sucked with the pistol, but I didn't need it.

When a Merchant came at me with a wooden paddle I burned right through it with my saber. The weapon actually caught fire. He threw it down with a yelp and I caught him in his face with my next swing. Red broke out across his cheeks as he hit the ground.

"You bitch!"

"You'll live," I deadpanned.

When he tried to get up I shot him. He screamed again and I parried a punch from another Merchant. Green caught the second guy in the back, driving the man to the ground and making him an easy target.

Those police cars did show up. They slid to a stop on the intersecting road to my right, the officers using them for cover as they started moving up the street. Ahead, two groups of gunmen lay on the ground. The still standing thugs pulled a repeat performance of last time in turning against me as I got closer to the bus.

I took cover, crouching behind a car, and letting the Haros go ahead. The cops only issued one warning before they started shooting. As soon as they did, what guns remained turned on them. I broke from my cover, running along the sidewalk and catching the closest Merchant in the side with my saber and the leg with my pistol. He hit the ground and I turned towards the next guy when the sound broke the sky.

A roar shook the air, and stopped my heart for a second.

A bright light overtook the night sky to the north. A loud crack joined the roar a few seconds later. Then another. A figure flew through the air, lightning shooting from it toward the ground. Dauntless?

I didn't get much time to wonder. The Merchants broke, the ABB turning in full to me and the cops only to find all their friends were down. The remaining three reacted in three different ways. One ran. One threw his hands up and let the police officers tackle him, and the third ran forward.

"Purple!"

My Haro had another hole in it, but Purple still managed to hit the guy in the leg and trip him up. The cops rushed to him and got his hands cuffed.

And that's when all the street lights shut off.