Sorry I've been away for so long. As I keep finding out, weeks can pass by really quickly when you're doing several stories at once, playing video games, watching shows and going to work. Work is also a big reason this took so long. Earlier this year, I got a second job to get some more money. So before I had five days off to do things I wanted. But not I've only got three days off split across the week (Tues, Wed, and Sat) and so there's things I really want to do during that time.

You might have already noticed that this isn't exactly a new chapter. While plenty of people enjoyed the Lady Maria chapter, there were a couple who didn't like it and made some pretty good points as to why. Anonzerotengmai, Selias, and WanderingScholar. Anon suggested that I have Maria come from an alternate Earth like Alex had, and then I thought 'why not just bring Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower herself in'? I told this to rikeproseet, and he agreed that it sounded much better than the old chapter. And he also let me know of a document to help sort out the confusing backstory of Bloodborne, called The Paleblood Hunt. It's still a little confusing though, so if her backstory seems a little confusing… blame interpretation.

With that said, have a read of this chapter and tell me what you think. Do you guys like this one better, or the old one?


Chapter 17: Aftermath – Lady Maria: Revised.

It was a peaceful night in Brockton Bay, with only a few people left wandering the streets. Around this area of the city, it was mainly white-skinned beggars and thieves still searching for shelter or prey; anyone else had been chased out by fans of Empire Eighty-Eight long ago. They all knew better than to try their trade here. Not after rumours spread of several half-eaten bodies being found, ravaged by a large wolf-like monster. Hookwolf. Whether it was true or not was irrelevant. It sent the message it wanted.

Be pure or be dead.

Maria had nothing to worry about down here. Her skin was white enough to be considered pale, her face framed by light blond hair. And she currently lying in wait, hiding on the rooftops above and keeping watch for anything suspicious. Tonight couldn't go badly; too many people were relying on them.

She tapped at her comms. "Cainhurst to squad leader; surrounding area is clear. No signs of another shift approaching."

"Copy that Cainhurst." Captain Griffin replied, his voice gruff and loud in her ears. "We have the targets in our sights."

"How many?"

"About ten skinheads surrounding fifteen kids. E3 presence is just Rune and Cricket."

She nodded. No doubt Kaiser was leaving this kind of dirty work to someone else. Let them take the glory and the fall. That way, he can say they kidnapped all these kids without his permission. Plausible deniability, the smug bastard. "According to our intel, the next shift change should be in thirty minutes. I'll stay here in case they arrive early."

"Copy that Cainhurst. Squad moving into position." She already knew what they were doing. They would surround the skylights on the roof, approaching from several different directions. Jump down and toss some flashbangs. While the supremacists were still reeling, they'd use riot rounds to put them down before Jeffery and Clint sprayed as many targets with containment foam as possible. Standard ops, short and sweet. They had gone over this a hundred times.

Of course, that wasn't to say it would actually work.

"On my mark." Griffin said. "Three… Two… One… Mark." She could hear the shattering of glass in the night air, the squad moving already. Next would come the bang of the flashbangs, then the sound of the guns firing, then…

A window on her side of the warehouse shattered, something jumping out.

"Shit!" Griffin swore. "Cainhurst, Cricket is making a run for it! Her senses made flashbangs ineffective! Don't let her escape!"

"Understood sir. Moving to intercept." She replied, stowing her binoculars and grabbing her rifle. She was already running by the time it was in her hands, jumping down onto the next tier rooftop as she moved towards Cricket's path. The villain may have had a head start, but Maria was tall and sprightly; she was already catching up. She made it to ground level quickly, firing a quick burst-shot to try and slow her down. Cricket jumped over the shots with ease, but it did force her to swerve and swing away, slowing her down just a fraction. Cricket used her momentum and the pipe she was holding onto to jump up over the wall before them, disappearing over the other side. Maria used her height to jump for the lip of the wall, grabbing it with one hand and using both to pull herself over. Instead of jumping down like Cricket had done, she then jumped for the rooftop next to them, running down it with speed until she could see Cricket again. She then acrobatically jumped down, landing in front of Cricket. And the way out.

Cricket responded by pulling free her kamas, and slashing at Maria's hands. She intercepted the blow with her rifle, the force of the hit knocking it from her hands. Cricket smirked and got closer, obviously thinking that Maria was unarmed.

But she carried a piece of equipment that no one else in the PRT had.

Maria pulled out the two parts of her specialised blade, her Rakuyo, and snapped them together, the magnetic properties of the metal allowing them to join with ease. Cricket tilted her head at the sight, but brandished her kamas and charged in, making a high-pitched sound. Maria had read the reports; read how several officers felt nauseous after she started doing that for an extended amount of time. Already she could feel her equilibrium start to feel off.

Fine. She'll just have to finish this quickly then.

She charged forward to meet Cricket, surprising her with her turn of speed. The villain swung her kamas to intercept her charge, but they struck her Rakuyo with a loud clang. Maria kicked out at her and pulled her blade free, swinging it against the kamas. Cricket bounded away and jumped off the wall, using the momentum to aid her attack. The force pushed Maria back, but she stood her ground. She grasped at the join between her blades, and pulled the shorter blade free. Using the rapier itself to keep blocking, she swung the off-hand blade with all her might, the flat of the blade slamming into Cricket's hand. She dropped her kama, fingers likely numb. As she jumped away, Maria moved forward again, swinging both blades this time. The other kama went flying, and she then slammed the hilts into her face. Cricket went down, and the feeling of nausea stopped. The world became deafening.

Footsteps on approach. Lots of them. She turned to see her squadmate Sam on approach, huffing slightly as he came to a stop. He took in the villain on the ground, the blade in Maria's hands, and the lack of blood staining them.

He nodded at her. "Nice work Cainhurst. And here we were worried she got away from you."


"You know, it's things like this that make me keep coming back to this job." Clint said on the way back to HQ, his foam pack lying at his feet.

"Seeing good people happy to be back with their loved ones?" Sam asked.

"Hell yeah. And putting the sons of bitches hurting them behind bars. Hey, Maria. Great job stopping Cricket from getting away. That's probably another dozen people not getting hurt right now."

She smiled. "Just doing my job Clint. It's nothing special."

"Nah. Shooting someone's foot out from under them from fifty meters away in the dead of night is nothing. Taking on a parahuman in a sword fight though? That there is something."

"I was lucky. None of her powers do any direct damage or help her attack. Her skill with her kamas is simply that; skill. Fortunately, I was the better fighter." The truck slowed to a halt, obviously back at HQ. They all jumped out and headed in doors, congratulating each other and slapping themselves on the back. Maria gave a small smile as she followed the team inside. They passed by a few other officers on standby, a couple who were glaring at her. Then they spoke, and her mood fell rapidly.

"Well, here's the 'noble' lady, back from stopping some horrific atrocity." One of them said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I wonder how many people are missing a pint or two."

"Dunno." The other said, a younger lady named Francine. "But at least they're not waking up as part of some Vileblood's meal. Or their bath water." They laughed cruelly. Maria clenched her fists and stormed past them, heading towards the changing rooms.

She knew exactly what they were talking about. And they knew that she'd knew it was meant to hurt.

"Ignore her." Clint advised. "Trixie's just being a bitch. She's just jealous that she's not half the woman you are."

"I'm not upset about her." She replied. "They are just words. They cannot hurt me."

"Glad to see you being all mature and all. But we could add some laxatives to her tea. Get her stuck on the toilet for an hour or two."

"There's no need. She's nothing." Clint shrugged, and pulled his jacket on.

"Alright. I guess it's your choice. See you next time Maria." She nodded, still changing her gear as he left. What she said was true; Trixie's words didn't matter to her.

If she knew the things Maria had done… the things she had fought… she would fear her.

She smiled to herself, a sad smile, as she looked down at her blade. Rakuyo. A weapon made for monsters and beasts. A weapon from another world, another time.

A time where she was known… as Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower.


She sat alone in her chair, the massive room silent and still. Behind her was the clock face, silent as the grave. Time hasn't moved since she arrived. Time had no meaning in this nightmare. Only pain, suffering and loss. And she had lost so much.

It had seemed so innocent, so normal at the beginning. All they wanted was to learn, to know more about the world. And learn more about the labyrinth they found away from the city. There was nothing wrong with exploring, finding out what it was for and who made it. Surely there was no harm in that, they said. They had searched, and searched, and searched; always writing down their findings. So simple; so normal.

But then one day, they came across something. Something that mocked their feeble rules and logic. A monster, a thing that was certainly not human. And a vat of blood along with it. Blood that possessed unusual properties. And the moment they found it, their gaze turned from the labyrinth to themselves. To find a way to become greater than human. To push all of mankind to the cosmos and the power it contained.

But from that moment, fractures formed in the college. Master Willem believed that only through greater understanding will mankind rise, while others like Lawrence believed that the blood itself will change them, make them greater. Both sides argued over and over, with only her and her mentor Gehrman remaining objective. But they finally chose to side with Willem when word reached them of a creature, washed up on the shores of a fishing hamlet. A creature that matched the description of a god known as Kos, though some would say Kosm. The reports suggested that monsters roamed the town, killing anyone that approached. Desperate for the eyes that Kos granted, the eyes that allowed them to see beyond their mortal limitation, the two of them were sent to gather the eyes. By any means necessary.

Despite her misgivings, she obeyed. Everyone they found there, beasts and men alike, were killed for the eyes. Some were still of their own will, pleading for help. They did not falter; they cut them all down. And when they found Kos on the shore, as dead as the rumours said. Signs of damage and spears showed on her form; the town must've killed her in their ignorance. But most shockingly, they found a foetus. An unborn child, still within her. They brought it back, and the others immediately dissected it. A primal scream had echoed in her head, for just a moment.

She and Gehrman saw what the eyes did to people. They both decided that the blood was a better choice. It could heal any injury, cure any disease. Those who took it became stronger, faster and more durable. The two of them, along with Lawrence and Micolash, left Willem to his insanity. And Lawrence founded a church to spread the cure. It worked, for a time. But then they found someone who had taken the Blood. Someone whose body was twisted into a hideous beast.

The decision was clear; They needed to keep this secret. She and Gehrman started a workshop, dedicated to killing off the beasts. They recruited members to aid them, and they hunted the creatures at night. But the hunts didn't stop; if anything, they became more common, and lasted longer. A plague spread through the city, requiring more Blood to cure. But those cured were more likely to turn into beasts, until entire districts were turning. She and the others were forced to work in the open, fighting off beasts to save frightened citizens. And then she was called away, to lead the research hall. A place where the church worked to make humans become more than they once were. But all she could see were insane monsters. She couldn't convince the church to stop, so she was forced to merely settle for making the test subjects lives less horrific. To ease their suffering any way she could. She kept it up for as long as she could, always feeling at odds with herself. She began as a woman trying to make the world a better place, a more learned one. And somehow, somewhere along the way, she had helped hurt their own people. Unable to take this anymore, she started preparing to take her own life.

All it would take is one quick slash; her new blade was more than sharp enough. One slice, and it would be over. She was about to press the edge against her throat when she heard footsteps. Several of them.

She had guests. A lot of them. And they sounded angry. Perhaps they were somehow aware that she was about to end her life, and wanted to stop her. Perhaps they were the citizens, somehow aware of her sins. Perhaps even the Church decided she was a liability. It mattered not; if they were here to fight her, then she would kill them. Ten of them rushed into the room, wearing strange black armour and holding unusual guns. Perhaps they were The Choir's new hunters, acting as their lackeys and assassins. She did not care anymore. She stood up, blade at the ready.

"You may have come here for justice, and for that I do not fault you." She said softly. "But know that my death will be on my terms. Leave me to my fate. Return to your masters empty-handed." The hunters did not respond; they simply raised and fired their guns. She dashed to the side, slightly surprised to see them firing dozens of bullets at such quick speed. She dashed behind one, moving like air, before sliding her blade through his ribs. Their armour is far weaker than she expected it to be, and on closer inspection was made from some glossy material instead of metal. The hunters panicked as they twisted round, while she sliced the heads off two more hunters. The closest ones pulled out thin rods, extending them as they crackled with lightning. She ignored their flailing, dodging their strikes to cut them down. The last three ran away, trying to create space between them and her. She ran after one, cutting him down at the waist before stabbing her other blade through the second man.

That just left her and the female hunter. The hunter cast off her jacket, revealing heavily tattooed arms. She pressed her hands against her skin, and seemed to grab at tattoos shaped like daggers. Then she pulled them away, holding black daggers in her hands.

A new power discovered by the Healing Church? Some enhancement of the Old Blood? Then she was enhanced. She must be a Hunter. Then the Church sent her after all. They would likely experiment on her corpse, turning her into something worse. She gripped her blades tighter, and parried the thrown tattoos. The Church Hunter tossed out more and more designs; snarling tigers, giant hissing snakes, a crocodile and others. She cut them down with ease. Really now; these beasts would be no match to the monsters out there. At best, they would simply serve as a short distraction. Is this the best the Church could send against her?

She dashed in close, slicing her blade down across the Church Hunter's chest. As she bled profusely, Maria stabbed her hand into her chest, clenching her heart. A quick kiss on the cheek, and then she ripped it out. The Hunter fell over dead, a torrent of blood erupting. Maria could feel the blood healing her wounds.

But then there was the sound of clapping. Slow, mocking clapping. A woman stepped out of the shadows, wearing a form fitting dark suit and a brimmed hat. Long dark curls bloomed from under her hat. Maria gripped her blades, ready for a second fight.

"Calm yourself, Lady Maria." The woman said, raising her hands in a sign of non-violence. "I am not here to fight. I merely wish to talk."

"And yet you arrived quickly after I killed these Hunters." Maria noted. "Either you have impeccable timing, or you are a part of them."

"They and I work for the same people, yes. But I knew they wouldn't be able to beat you. We merely wanted to see if our intel on your skill was accurate. I am pleased to say that you performed admirably."

Maria frowned. "I do not appreciate being used as a test subject. I was in the process of repenting for my heinous actions. Leave me now, or perish."

The woman stepped closer. "It won't work. Killing yourself." She said. "You, Gehrman, and all Hunters after you two are cursed by your actions. When you die, you will enter a nightmare. One that will be impossible to leave. For now at least. There is meaning in life, and goals we need your help with."

Maria paused, and then lowered her weapons. "How do you know these things? Be your master Willem; have you taken the eyes?"

"I have not. But I have taken something very similar. It tells me things I need to know to complete my mission. And it tells me that you will not find repentance in your death." She waved a hand, and two more hunters stepped out of the shadows, carrying a strange box. "As for my master, perhaps it would be best to speak to her yourself." One of the soldiers tapped at something on the back of the box, and the front lit up with abnormal light. A bright white instead of the yellowish glow of the oil lamps. Curious, Maria stepped closer, still ready for battle. This could be some kind of lure, a means of tricking her into lowering her guard. The glass changed colours, until there was a woman inside. A dark-skinned woman with long dark hair tied back. Maria blinked and stepped back in surprise.

"Are you a phantom trapped in a cage?" She asked, genuinely interested. "Do you seek a physical form?"

"No. I do not seek a body, nor am I a ghost." The woman replied sharply. "This is simply technology from our world; it may be more advanced that what you have available, but it is not magic in nature. I am speaking to you from our base, the location I won't mention." Maria puzzled over those words. This woman was alive, yet not in the room? Was this really technology? It sounded unlikely; technology couldn't pass images through thin air. "Contessa. Was the fight as you expected?"

"It was, Doctor." The other woman in the suit replied. "Lady Maria performed admirably.

"Good. Then I shall be brief. Lady Maria, we require your aid in protecting all of mankind. A dangerous foe threatens us, and we need all the help we can acquire."

Maria answered with a thin smile. "Brief, yet to the point where all knowledge is lost. You shall have to explain in depth before I agree to anything. The nature of your foe and what its plans are would suffice."

"Of course. I only spoke briefly to gain your attention. And to prove that we are not here to kill you. Quite the opposite, in fact. Our plans require you alive." The Doctor raised her hand, a small box between her fingers. She pressed a button on it, and the image changed suddenly. It showed a man made of gold, wearing a short, revealing suit of white. "This is Scion, a hero from our world. He flies around the world at incredible speed, helping out any crisis he comes across. He asks nothing in return, demands no glory or anything. While we don't know why he's helping people, we do know that he is nothing like he presents himself. He actually desires nothing less than the destruction of mankind." The screen changed again, showing moving pictures. They showed two individuals, wearing bright colours and formfitting clothing in the midst of battle. One was firing flames from his hands, while the other vanished and reappeared elsewhere. "Scion and his spouse create shards of themselves in a process of reproduction. These shards link up with people facing great trauma, and grant them powers considered by the world to be impossible. People use these powers to help make the world a better place, or to destroy as much as possible. But the real reason the shards link with people is to give us the means and motives to mutually destroy ourselves. Once all humans are dead, the shards return to Scion and Eden, where they undergo a process that turns them into a newborn." The image changed again, showing the world. Or rather, a world. It did not match the maps she was familiar with. Then the image grew smaller, revealing it to be surrounded by worlds almost exactly the same. "Your world is not alone. There are other Earths, most populated by humans and yet different from each other. Scion's reproduction requires all these worlds rendered barren."

"You mean that he will go to all worlds and unleash these… shards, until all of mankind has been destroyed. Eventually, he will find his way here."

"Precisely." The image changed back to the Doctor. "I founded a clandestine organisation dedicated to stopping this from happening. To this end, I am recruiting individuals to help us in our goals. Contessa's powers conclude that you will be of great use to this."

Something that wasn't truly human, with morals beyond their understanding; threatening their way of life, and twisting them into monsters. It sounds so familiar.

"Is he a Great One?" She asked.

"We are not completely certain. There may be some overlap between him and your Great Ones."

"If there is a chance, then I believe it is my duty to help stop him. We cannot let ourselves be ended like this. My blade will strike him down." She flourished her weapons.

"Scion can't be killed by a blade, no matter how skilled the wielder is. He creates a wave effect that nullifies any attack or defence derived from his shards. And he himself is immune to simple weapons."

Maria was confused. "If weapons cannot slay him, then why do you require my aid?"

"Scion is not the only threat we face. Just our end goal. Our world faces other threats that also threaten our lives. And those threats also affect our plans whenever they kill one of our potential assets." The Doctor explained. "Because the shards are drawn by trauma, most of those with powers use them for crime and selfish goals. We require individuals like yourself to deal with these villains, thereby leaving our resources free to deal with Scion."

"So I am to hunt down beasts so that you can keep your attention on this Scion." Maria summed up.

"It means you can do some good." Contessa said. "Scion threatens all worlds. Yours included. And would saving innocents not be adequate repentance for what you did under the Healing Church and the College?"

"Not adequate enough." She replied. "But I fear that my soul could not rest, knowing that I refused to help end this new nightmare." She holstered her blades. "Very well then. For the time being, we have an accord. My sword shall fight in your service."

The Doctor nodded. "Thank you for seeing reason. Contessa, make sure Lady Maria is up to date with our world. People will notice if she acts slack-jawed around every street light." And then the box went dark, its light snuffed out.

Contessa stepped towards her, hand extended. Come along, Lady Maria. We have much to show you."


It had been… harrowing, learning how different their worlds were. Not in terms of monsters or any real threats; but in the difference in technological capabilities. Things that people took for granted were magic to her; cars, cellphones, television, computers, airplanes. Sometimes she would wake up and think she was in some eldritch dream.

Most of the time though, she was going from one nightmare to another.

The Blood Starved Beast shrieked as it charged towards her, blood splattering everywhere as it moved. She rolled away from it and it slammed into the wall behind her, dazing it enough for her to slash away at it with ease. She hacked off a limb and it screamed, rising up on its back legs. She holstered one blade and pulled out a rifle, firing a shot of blood pellets and mercury into its skull. It fell over, and she climbed up on top before shoving her fist through its neck. She ripped out the spinal bones in a shower of blood, and it bled to death. A second growling warned her of the other Blood Starved Beast, charging for its fallen comrade. She jumped off, and it lapped up the blood flowing from the Beast corpse. It was so hell-bent on draining every last drop, she managed to carve its back apart before it even deigned to fight back. And by then, it was nearly dead. A quick jump, a swing of her combined blade… and its head fell to the ground, followed by its body. She took a deep breath, the fighting now over.

KNOCK, KNOCK. KNOCK, KNOCK.

The sound echoed throughout the church grounds, the world going deathly silent after each knock. She had been in her enough times to know what that meant. She needed to hurry. She needed to find shelter. She needed to find the Hunter's Dream. Where were the Messengers? They had to be…

A cooing sound stopped her in her tracks. There, in an alley, three messengers held a lamp aloft. The Gatekeepers. Aware of the passing time, she ran towards them, hand reaching for the torch as the knocks continued. As her fingers touched the lamp, the world went dark…

She gasped, trying to work out where she was. She was… in a bed, a very fluffy cover tangled around her body. Clocks ticked away, and a strange black rectangle sat by her bed on a table…

The real world. She was awake. She was pretending to be Maria Cainhurst, a PRT Officer fighting against the parahumans threatening Brockton Bay. It all came back to her. She sighed and slumped back in bed.

Knock, knock, knock, knock. The banging was insistent.

"Coming!" She called out loudly, hoping her uninvited guest could hear her. She got out of bed, smoothing her nightgown and throwing a dressing gown on top. Another thing she had to get used to was this world's differing sense of modesty. Here, it was perfectly normal for men to see a woman's ankles. And her legs. And her arms. And even her stomach.

It was shocked her how women could go out wearing as little as they can get away with, and yet still be considered decent.

She opened the door harshly, ready to complain to whoever was on the other side. And she stopped, recognising her guest.

"Clint." She said in surprise, before getting upset. "What are you doing here? How did you even know where I lived?"

Clint shook his head. "That's not important Maria. We've got a big problem." He sounded worried. She frowned, wrapping her gown more tightly around herself.

"Parahuman?"

"ABB. Their newest member, Bakuda, has gone crazy. She's stockpiled as many explosives as she can, and she's apparently got even more set up around town. Big places. Schools, malls, apartments, train stations… anywhere there would be lots of civilian casualties. Management wants all PRT agents out there disabling them, before the ABB starts blowing the Bay sky high."

She nodded, understanding. "Let me get dressed first. Then we'll go hunting."


They had to scour most of the city, dealing with ABB attacks and looting. They put up resistance, but after dealing with real monsters, mere men were no threat to someone of her skill. Yet they remained tense throughout the whole mission, worried that at some point, those bombs were going to go off. She had read stories about Tinker bombs; they were greater than any beast could hope to be.

It was only after they had confirmed that the PRT had seized every last bomb that she could breathe a sigh of relief. And find out how this had all started. Fortunately, Captain Griffin had similar thoughts.

"Alright team, pay attention." He called out, standing before them in the briefing room. "Now, for a lot of you, the first thing you woke up to was a general order to move out and deal with this bomb threat. You wouldn't have had time to get up to date with the latest power struggles. Luckily for you, this meeting is to inform you of all that's happened in the last 24 hours."

Maria raised her hand. "How did we come to learn about these bombs?" She asked. The kind of intel they received was too informed to be a mere call-in. The ABB must've had a spy on the inside.

"I'll get there in a minute Cainhurst. Let me just get started first." Griffin cleared his throat. "Now then; at around 0800 yesterday, we received several calls from concerned citizens saying that they saw ABB members dragging Asian civilians from their homes. As far as we could tell from the calls, they were recruiting everyone they had left alone the first time. The elderly, school kids, and anyone who paid protection money. We started trying to find out where they were being taken, but we didn't have much hope of finding out soon."

"But then at about 1900 hours that night, we got more calls. There was a battle happening over at the docks. Lots of explosions. We went out there to investigate and possibly intervene, but by the time we arrived the fighting was over. And we found nearly all the missing civilians. They told us that the parahuman Bakuda had surgically installed bombs into their bodies, and made it very clear she wasn't afraid of using them whenever she felt like it."

"Jesus." Someone muttered in shock.

Griffin nodded. "At least we didn't have to worry about them detonating anytime soon. Bakuda was killed in the fight." He pressed a button on his remote, and the wall behind him had images projected on it. A minor villain team known as the Undersiders. And a man in black armour. "Apparently, the rumours that villains took down Lung were correct. Or at least Bakuda believed them enough to act on them. As the main targets of the ABB when Lung was brought down, they were her first suspects. The fight was an attempt to get revenge. Unfortunately for Bakuda though, the Undersiders were with a new villain. A powerful threat tentatively known as The Masked Man."

"Hold on." Jackie interrupted, stepping forward. "You mean the guy who took down the Wards practically by himself? That guy?"

Griffin nodded. "We put him as at least a Shifter 4, Brute 6, Mover 2, and Shaker 3. And according to eye-witnesses, he can somehow absorb people through tentacles. That's how he killed Bakuda. While somehow keeping her heart alive enough to not trigger a dead man's switch."

"Two hours later, we got a call from an anonymous source about the bombs Bakuda had around the city. He told us everything we needed to know about them. Their locations, how to disarm them, what traps were waiting for us; everything."

"So… We've dealt with them." Someone said. "The ABB's leaders are down, their men are being arrested, and their bombs are gone. We won."

"I wish. Around the time of the battle between the ABB and the Undersiders, Oni Lee was breaking Lung out of his cell. They both got away, and Lung's intimidated enough of his men back into line. A gang war is coming people; we have to be ready for it." He gave a curt nod. "Revise your training for this people. I want everyone ready to react when we get the call. Dismissed."

Everyone started filing out, talking amongst each other. But Maria stayed where she was, watching the images of the Masked Man. He seemed so inhuman in that armour, his plating looking more organic than metal. And his ability to eat people with his tendrils…

Was this man something from her world? A beast, perhaps? Or did this mean that other places had also attempted to contact the Great Ones?


She panted as she ran through the water-swept streets, rain thundering down on her like bullets. Her clothes were soaked through, her sword hanging limply in her hand. Behind her, before her, all around her the world shook and crumbled.

She wasn't running into the fight. She had read the reports, and knew even she couldn't hope to best this foe. She was running away from it. She was running for her team.

"Griffin!" She shouted, struggling to be heard over the fighting. "Clint! Sandra!" She ran further ahead, hoping to see some sign of them.

They had been helping escort people to the nearest shelter when Leviathan arrived, bringing a massive wave that tore down buildings. She had come to with a spluttering start, far away from where they started from. Around her had been a dozen bodies; the civilians they had been helping. Every one of them had been crushed by the force, some missing limbs where they had been sheared off from collisions. Seeing them brought back flashes of when people in Yharnam turned into beasts, and ran wild amongst the townsfolk. The same kind of devastation, the same kind of damage caused. She could do nothing for them now. So she focused on the mission. Protect the civilians. Get them to safety. Find shelter.

But first, she had to find her team. She had to find what happened to them.

"Griffin!" She shouted again. "Clint!" Her radio had been broken. If only it had stayed dry, stayed intact. She could've called them, arranged a meeting place. Instead, she was running around like a lunatic, one step away from dying. She stumbled as the ground rumbled, falling over. The line of buildings before her exploded, shattering into rubble as something big smashed through them.

She looked up, certain that Leviathan had found her. Instead, something else was getting back up. A monster of similar size, but completely different. It was a fleshy red, with a massive arm and a gorilla-like body. Gnashing teeth clashed as it roared, scales growing over it as it grew even larger.

And then it exploded into dust, the water turning grey as it settled. A roar further away made her turn. The thing was on top of a building, the frame cracking under its mass. It exploded into dust again, reappearing elsewhere.

Another Endbringer. One they had never seen before. Of all the luck, they get attacked by two at once. This must have something to do with the Great Ones. A curse upon her for meddling with them. And everyone else was going to pay for her sins.

She was losing focus, losing her direction. Let the other parahumans deal with those two; she needed to find her team.

"Sandra! Clint!" She shouted again, hoping beyond hope to hear a response.

All she could hear was the sound of fighting.

She was lost in a land of destruction.


Out of the four of them, only she and Clint escaped mostly unscathed. Griffin had lost an arm during the fighting, nearly lost his life from infection from the dirty water.

Sandra didn't make it. They found her flattened against a building.

But hardly anyone cared. They were all happy that they even survived. That other Endbringer fought on their side, fending off Leviathan until he ran. It was being treated like a hero.

But that didn't mean the city escaped without damage. It was like a natural disaster. Half of the city was without power, and criminals started taking over. The PRT and the Capes were holding onto city hall, but only just.

There was only one side profiteering off the chaos. The villains.

The Undersiders now control entire sections of the city, lording over them like… like feudal lords. Blacklight wiped out the Merchants, and took over their territory. Started improving it, making it a safe haven.

Maybe she had been mistaken about him. Maybe he wasn't someone who had found out about the Great Ones, and somehow made contact. Maybe, he was actually one of them. A being completely alien to them, his morality different from their own. The Great Ones often both cursed and helped the people of Yharnam. This could very well be the same thing. To Blacklight, killing people and building them a home could very well mean the same.

But she couldn't dwell on such thoughts too long. They had a patrol next. Keeping an eye on Hookwolf and the Fenrir's Chosen.

Fun times.

"…And we've still got a dozen missing people from the Slaughterhouse Nine attack." Captain Griffin was saying. The three of them were looking over a map of the city, territories marked along with sightings of the Nine. "If I'm being honest, I'd say that they're all deceased. They don't normally take prisoners, thank God."

"But they do like to torture and mutilate people." Clint responded. "For all we know, these people could still be alive and in constant agony. If that were me, I'd want someone to find me; if only to put me out of my misery."

"The families would get some closure." Maria agreed.

Griffin sighed, rubbing his prosthetic. "I know. That's why we're still looking for them. I just feel like they're long gone by now." He pointed at the map. "We'll have another check near Mount Olympus; that's around the last place the Nine were seen before Blacklight killed them off. After that, we'll try going…" He stopped as the room rumbled, the air rent by the sound of a massive explosion.

"What the hell was that?" Clint asked in shock. They all ran out of the room, following everyone else outside. In the sky was a massive mushroom cloud, the standard sign of an explosion with incredible power.

And it was coming from Mount Olympus.

"What the fuck…?" Clint breathed. Griffin and Maria were too shocked to speak.

Everyone who had moved to Mount Olympus – hundreds of people – gone. Just gone in an instant.

But who did this? And what if they strike again?

Griffin bumped her shoulder. "Look." He said. She turned in his direction, and saw capes approaching. Alexandria was at the head of the group. Held between all the capes was the slight figure of Athena, Blacklight's right-hand woman.

But if they held her here right now, only moments after Mount Olympus was destroyed, then that meant…

"Holy fuck." Someone else muttered. "They blew it. They blew it straight to hell."

"What were they thinking? There were civilians in there." Another said. But most were silent, still trying to understand. Understand how things got so bad that hundreds were considered collateral damage to stopping a villain.

Maria pressed a hand to her breast. Memories threatened to overwhelm her. Once again, she had joined an organisation that lost sight of their noble goals. Changed from protectors to monsters. The latest reports of Mount Olympus had said that everyone was healthy, human, and happy. There was no justification to kill them all off. And even if there was some reason, this was too much.

Never again, she swore. She would never again justify mass murder.


A large beast roared in her face, and moved to crush her beneath its fists. She simply side stepped it and sliced its head off, before carving off one arm. As it fell to the ground, another monster took its place. This one was more human, some kind of… undead. She took it down just as easily, slicing it apart like it wasn't even there.

Blacklight and Mount Olympus somehow managed to survive. And he sought revenge for the attack on him. These creatures were his weapons, his soldiers. They just kept coming, ignoring self-preservation in an effort to kill as many of them as possible.

To the others – the parahumans and PRT Officers – this was hell on Earth. To her though, a seasoned Hunter…

This was just another hunt.

She rolled away as a giant beast charged her, passing safely underneath it before cutting a line down its chest. The beast skidded to a halt, knocking someone away with its mass before picking up its fellow's severed arm and devouring it. The cut on its chest healed, and it looked angrier. It started running towards her, arms flailing and gouging the ground.

Once again, she ducked within its reach and sliced it apart, bursting out the other side. Its roar petered out, and it fell to the ground. Tendrils snaked out and around the other corpse, but she turned back and jabbed her blade into its skull, slicing downwards until it was split in two.

The lull in battle gave her time to assess the situation. It wasn't looking good. Though the heroes around her had incredible powers able to match or beat the beasts, they weren't as well-versed in the art of avoiding attacks. She watched as one hero near her was grabbed by one beast, and ripped in two lengthways. High above, the flying Endbringer rained more monsters down upon them, even as it fought back against their aerial attacks. And in the middle of all this, was Blacklight himself. Decked out in his armour, tearing through everything in his path. And here, she saw more proof that he was likely a Great One. She had seen him blasted with enough force to tear him to shreds, and yet he appeared elsewhere. As he watched, a PRT Officer threw a bomb. One of the bombs collected from the ABB. Blacklight was immediately turned into glass, black as obsidian. But nearby, one of the beasts got up on hind legs, and changed shapes until it became Blacklight again. A tentacle lashed out, and the officer was sliced apart.

This was not going in their favour. As expected when mere mortals anger things from beyond their world. A sixth sense had her lash out with her blade, cutting an undead in half. But more of them surrounded her; undead and beasts alike. Too many for even her to handle as she was.

Though it filled her with bile, she had to turn to the blood arts. She had to use her family's legacy to survive.

Shaking off her blades, she stabbed them both into her chest. Pain momentarily shook her, and blood covered the blades completely. As the first row of undead approached, she pulled the blades free and spun on the spot. The blood sprayed outwards, slicing through them with ease. They all fell over in pieces, black and red blood spraying everywhere. The next line moved in to try and overwhelm her, but she merely snapped her blades together, pulled them back, and thrusted forward. A lance of blood speared through them, clearing her a path. She cartwheeled through the opening, blades spinning and slicing the arms that reached out for her. Once she was round the other side, she spun around and slashed them with blood. The front line was carved up and blasted back, slamming into the ones behind them. She readied herself for their retaliation attacks.

But then, they stopped. They stepped away from her, limiting themselves to growling. In fact, all around her the beasts and undead were backing away. The remaining heroes and officers looked around in confusion.

"This is your only warning." Blacklight said, his voice magnified. "Brockton Bay is no longer welcome to heroes. I'm in charge around here now, and I will never again tolerate your attacks on me or my people. You can either leave, stop using your powers, or die. I don't give a fuck which. But by tomorrow, Brockton Bay will be free of anyone who's part of the PRT, Wards, or Protectorate. If I catch anyone disobeying this simple rule, I will have them killed. There will be no mercy, no second chances, no negotiation. We see you, we kill you. Tell the world that Brockton Bay belongs to Zeus and his Pantheon."

Athena stepped forward, her cheek bruised. Beside her was a younger woman. "You can collect your dead and injured, give them treatment. And you can also move your families out. I'm sure your bosses have some way of covering your moving costs. Anyone who wants to leave can do so. We won't force them to stay. But since Zeus isn't afraid to kill criminals, Brockton Bay could probably end up one of the safest cities on the planet."

"Like I said; you've got till tomorrow to decide. If you're going to stay in hospital, then I'd better not hear of any fucking powers from any of you." As if to emphasise his threat, Alexandria fell from the sky and landed near them. Everyone nearby jumped from the impact, dust billowing outwards. Blacklight strolled over to her, grabbing her by her suit and hoisting her up. The monsters followed him, heading towards the worm-like creature under his command. They all headed inside, and then it tunnelled away back to Mount Olympus.

"…Holy fuck." Someone gasped in shock.


In the end, her choice was rather simple.

She wouldn't keep working for the PRT, despite what Doctor Mother ordered her to do. She refused to continue working for people who would justify the possibility that the people in Mount Olympus were infected. She saw the kind of hysteria that could cause; the hunts and executions. She didn't want to be a part of that back home, and she wouldn't be a part of it here. But she couldn't just ignore Blacklight – or Zeus, as he's calling himself. Even if he saw his goals as noble, his limited understanding of humanity could cause him to damage the very people he swore to protect. Someone had to stay and keep an eye on them; to step in when the beasts ran wild.

She was a Hunter. This was her duty. She had to stay, despite his orders.

Hopefully, as long as she didn't use her blood again, he wouldn't care about her. After all, all she really had was her speed and skill. And most of the time, that was more than enough.

And so here she was. Decked out in her Hunter's uniform, patrolling the streets. They were quiet right now, everyone staying home. People were still undecided on whether or not Zeus meant what he said. Whether he was here to protect them or to be a dictator. And others were waiting for the power struggles to end. Several villains came in from out of town, believing that they could usurp Zeus and take the city for themselves.

From where she was standing, she heard the sound of screams. A roar of a beast. And the smashing of metal. She ran as fast as she could, ready to destroy this new threat. She rounded a corner to see a tall man standing over a shredded corpse. She couldn't even tell whether it was a man or a woman, such was the damage. One of the villain's hands was a giant black claw. He turned slightly, and spotted her standing there. His face was hidden behind a wolf mask with massive teeth.

"Another straggler?" He said, his voice distorted. "Unless you're secretly Zeus or one of his Pantheon freaks, clear the fuck out before I gut you alive. I've got bigger fish to fry than some stupid whore thinking she's some fucking hero."

"Who says I think I'm a hero?" She replied, grabbing the hilt of her blades. She dashed towards him, blades pulling free. He lifted up his clawed hand in time, catching one blade. But then she slashed him across the chest with the other, bleeding him. He knocked her sword away, but she dashed back before he could strike her.

She smiled. This was even more like fighting a beast back home. No doubt he'll soon show he has some 'ultimate form' that's simply a bigger, nastier beast.

"You bitch!" He roared, charging towards her with both arms now clawed. She parried his attacks with ease, slicing one arm before shoving her hand into his chest. Some pressure forced her hand out before she could grab anything, and shadows filled the wound. "You think you're a fucking match for me?! I am Shadow Wolf! And as soon as I'm done eating your corpse, I'm going to kill Zeus and take over this shithole!" Shadows covered his skin and spread outwards, until a giant black wolfman stood before her. Saliva dripped from his teeth, and he roared in her face, revealing dozens of curved fangs.

She simply yawned at him. How pedestrian. The technology of this world was more frightening to her than this fool. Angered by her boredom, Shadow Wolf dashed towards her at incredible speed, one hand raised to crush her. She simply rolled around him and slashed at his arm, both swords enough to slice it off. Roaring in pain and fury, he turned towards her and tried again, shadows leaking from his wound. He moved quickly, forcing her back step by step. But she vanished behind him, cutting his tendons and forcing him to the ground. Roaring angrily, he started swinging his arm wildly. She removed it just as easily, leaving him wounded and defenceless. Then she rammed her hand through his back, fingers tightening around his heart. One tug, and she ripped it free. The shadows faded, revealing Shadow Wolf covered in blood as he fell to the ground. She flicked her bloody hand, trying to get most of the blood off. Then she flicked her swords before holstering them, turning away.

And found the Pantheon standing behind her.

Apollo – one of the first of the Pantheon seen – stepped forward, giving her a shallow bow. "That was very well done." He said. "It appears that your skill was not some mere fluke."

"About fucking time she showed up." Hermes muttered. "Don't know why Zeus gives such a crap about her though."

"You… were looking for me?" She asked, hand still on her hilt. She needed to be ready in case they were here to kill her.

"Of course." Apollo said. "Despite all the parahumans here earlier this week, you were surviving amazingly well. Dozens of Hunters and Infected, and you managed to survive without even a scratch. And he was rather intrigued by your ability to use your blood to aid yourself." He held out a hand to her. "We are here to offer you a place with us."

Maria paused. This… wasn't exactly what she wanted. She wanted to watch Zeus from afar, not be within range of his fury. But she could hear the unspoken threat. 'Join, or we will be forced to kill you for breaking the rules'. And wouldn't being in Mount Olympus give her a better understanding of their Great One, and keep a better eye on them. No more waiting outside, wondering what was happening in their halls. Now she could be more aware of their plans.

"I shall accept." She finally said. "But I do not require nor want the gifts of your Great One. I desire to remain human until my death." She heard Hermes snort in derision. Apollo looked at her and shrugged.

"Very well then. We have several other members that are still human. Come with us; we will take you to Mount Olympus so you can be introduced to everyone." He whistled, and a beast – a Hunter, he called it – jumped down from a rooftop. Its back shifted and molded until it resembled a saddle. She climbed on board and held on, the Hunter jumping high into the air and landing on a roof. And then jumped to the next.

Well; she was a part of the Pantheon. Now she just had to hope that her sins and her past did not curse her once more.


And there we go. Finally got it all written.

As I was writing this, I kinda felt that Alex could appear to be like a Great One to Maria. The inhuman abilities, the weird morality, the ability to turn others into monsters and super-powered people… It just seemed very much like what Mergo and Kos (though some say Kosm – sorry for throwing that meme in constantly) and Ebrietas and The Moon Presence do.

I've decided that the next Aftermath chapter is going to be focused on the villains and 'villains' of Brockton Bay. How they handle Alex's new rules. It shouldn't take too long to write that out (he says hopefully) and I should have it ready next month. Some of you guys had briliiant ideas, but I'm going to save some of them for after the Aftermaths. Already planning on having the fight between Saint and Dragon happen later.

And before anyone says anything, yes I copied paragraphs out of the old chapter and slapped them in. I thought they were well written, and I could reuse them.