Allegro 4
"LEFT!"
SCREECH!
"RIGHT!"
SCREECH!
"PUNCH IT!"
"QUIT BACKSEAT DRIVING, BITCH!"
"DO YOU WANT TO DO YOUR OWN THING AND DIE, OR DO YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO ME AND LIVE!?"
"GROOOAAAR!"
VROOOOM!
"THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT!"
This was the general tone of any and all conversation that occurred on Squealer's demon-truck as they roared down the mercifully empty streets of Brockton Bay, closely pursued by the massive, enraged and recently fire-breathing behemoth that was Noelle Meinhardt.
"YOU REALIZE THAT SHE'S GOING TO KILL US, RIGHT?" Ballistic demanded, shouting like Tattletale and Squealer to make himself heard over the sound of the howling wind.
"OH DON'T BE SUCH A SPOIL SPORT, WE'LL BE FINE!" Tattletale responded, breathing slightly through her nose as she leaned against the side of the truck's bed. "ALSO, SHUT UP! MY HEAD IS KILLING ME, AND ADRENALINE CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH!"
"HOW THE HELL DO YOU THINK THAT WE'LL SURVIVE!? NOELLE WANTS YOU DEAD! PERSONALLY! I'VE NEVER SEEN HER THIS PISSED!"
"SIMPLE! BECAUSE MY FRIENDS AND THE REAPERS ARE OUT THERE, AND IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, IT'S THEM!"
"THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL THEY HAVE A PLAN TO DEAL WITH NOELLE!"
-o-
"So, we're all clear on the plan to deal with Noelle?" The Composer pressed, looking around at the heroes and villains assembled.
A majority of the parahumans nodded in agreement with varying levels of enthusiasm.
Others, most notably Grue, were a bit... reluctant.
"You do realize we're all going to die, right?" He asked in a deadpan tone.
"Ah, lighten up, Grue!" Gangsta slung her arm around her brother's shoulders eagerly. "We're just baiting an Endbringer-esque monstrosity into a trap wherein we shall brutally and efficiently murder it! No biggie!"
Grue gave his sister a flat look through his helmet. "No biggie. Really."
"Hey, look at the bright side: it'll be great experience for the next real one."
"Somehow I don't feel relieved..."
"Alright, enough!" The chief Reaper snapped. "You all know your jobs. Lady Photon, Purity, Hip, Hop, go and tell Tattletale the extension to the plan and then lay down covering fire. Slow them down as much as possible. We need time to make this work. Faultline, Kaiser, Miss Militia, you know what you need to do. Everyone else, dig in. We're going to be in it for the long haul."
The Parahumans disbanded, some dropping into alleyways while others made their way onto different rooftops. The fliers took off and started to soar towards where they could still hear the roar of both Noelle and the large Tinker-tech truck. Meanwhile, Miss Militia, Kaiser and Faultline dropped to the street and made their way over to a nearby manhole. With a quick kick, Faultline caused the cover to cave in and the trio climbed down into the sewers.
The Composer was silent as she watched the heroes, villains and Reapers scatter. She didn't even turn around as Brandish stepped up behind her, casting a searching look at her.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" The senior Dallon queried with a fair amount of weariness.
The Composer sighed tiredly as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Hell if I know. Right now, I'll take simply surviving as a victory."
Brandish sighed in agreement. "I suppose that's all we can ever hope for, isn't it?"
"Amen."
-o-
"They're just around the corner!" Chicago called out from his perch on the rooftop of one of the street's buildings.
"Everyone, get ready!" The Composer called out. She then glanced behind her at Kaiser. "You're certain that the supports will hold?"
Kaiser's only answer was a flat glare.
"Right, sorry. Alright, let's try again: will they collapse when we need them to?"
The only response was the glare becoming even flatter.
"Riiiiiight. Well, whatever, all that matters is that it works. If not..."
"GROOOAAAR!"
"Well, try not to think about that! For now, showtime!"
As if on cue, Squealer's demon-truck skid around the street's corner, barely making the turn and rumbling down the road and stopping at the end of the street, just beneath the Composer and her allies. Seconds later, Noelle turned the corner in turn and made to pursue her prey, occasionally snapping a tentacle out at the fliers that were flitting above and pestering her.
The Composer nodded at Miss Militia. "Do it."
The hero nodded in agreement, then flipped the lid of the detonator she was holding open and pressed down on the button.
BOOM!
"GREEEAAAGH!"
Noelle screeched in shock and fear when the street outright collapsed under her, the asphalt she was standing on shattering and falling away, dumping her into the sewers below. She then screamed in pain as she landed on the fragmented metal that awaited below.
"LAY INTO HER! GO GO GO!" The Composer swung her arm at the gaping chasm.
In response, the majority of Brockton Bay's Parahumans re-emerged from the roofs and alleyways they'd been hiding in and began to unleash as violent and destructive a barrage as they could manage.
Miss Militia hefted a large, extremely heavy-looking missile launcher and proceeded to fire off rocket after rocket. Kaiser, on the other hand, swung his arm down, calling down a small forest of spikes and pillars to impale the monster in the abyss.
The Composer nodded in silent approval as she observed the onslaught. "That should keep her occupied long enough for Armsmaster to get here..." She mused to herself.
"Hey, Composer!"
The Reaper looked down from the edge of the roof at Tattletale, who was eagerly waving from the bed of the demon-truck. "Nice addition to the plan! Let me guess, I forgot that not everyone would be able to keep up, huh?"
The Composer nodded. "Not that big of a deal. It worked out in the end. We have Noelle in an advantageous position. Now we just have to hope she doesn't find a way out."
"GROOOAAAR!"
The Composer twitched visibly as she watched a massive, disfigured wing made of tattoos reached up over the lip of the street-long pit, ignoring the firepower aimed at it, and dug into the street that remained. Slowly, the snarling visage of an imitation drake dragged its way up into view. She cast a flat look at Miss Militia and Kaiser. "Well. Any ideas?"
"THAT FUCKING TEARS IT!"
The Parahumans jumped in shock when Skidmark's particularly gravelly voice rang out from the demon-truck's cab.
Kaiser instinctively scowled in response to the insubordination. "Skidmark, why don't you do our I.Q.s all a favor and-!"
"FUCK YOU, KAISER!" The Merchant leader roared, clambering out of the passenger-side window to glare at his rival gang-leader from over the roof of the cab. "AND FUCK YOU ALL FOR NOT EVEN THINKIN' THAT WE CAN DO JACK SHIT! RESPECT THIS, COCKSUCKERS!" He rammed his fist down on the truck's roof. "TURN THIS DAMN THING AROUND AND CRACK THIS FUCKING STREET WIDE OPEN!"
With a squeal of rubber, the demon-truck's wheels squealed in different directions so as to rotate the vehicle a one-hundred-and-eighty degrees. They then spread out, lowering the cab down so that it was right next to the street. Suddenly...
CRACK!
The asphalt shattered like glass as a piston slammed into the street.
Skidmark cackled as he hung out of the window and swung his free arm. "EAT THIS, CUNTSHIT!"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then... the fragments of the street began to slide. Slowly at first, the first few fragments began to pile up against the struggling malformed Drake, but then began to accelerate. One after another, they slid faster and faster. The end result was the entirety of the street practically ramming itself down the Drake's throat and snapping its neck. The scream that erupted from the bottom of the pit left no illusions as to where the stone landed when the Drake fell.
The assault lulled for a moment as the Parahumans took in the carnage, Skidmark's whooping and hollering filling the silence. "HAHAHA! HELL YEAH! SUCK IT, SHITSTAINS! THAT IS HOW YOU DO IT! HAHAHA! MOTHERFUCKING RESPECT!"
The Composer blinked as she came out of her shock. "Umm... wow. Is it just me, or is his vocabulary becoming more and more tolerable?"
Miss Militia sighed as she kneaded the bridge of her nose. "The adrenaline must have burned the drugs out of his system. He isn't near the top of Brockton Bay's most wanted list for nothing."
"Indeed." Kaiser drawled. "And now we are presented with the eternal question that us villains here in Brockton Bay face: do we force him into rehab to spare our senses, or do we stick the needle in his arm to preserve our territory?"
"Duly noted..."
A new roar and sounds of struggling from the street-long trench prompted the Parahumans to renew their assault, laying down a barrage of stone and energy directed at the target of their ire.
However, not all of the fighters were attacking Noelle. Some were fighting her... byproducts.
"On your left!"
RATATAT!
"And your right!"
RATATAT!
FWOOSH! BANG BANG BANG!
"Thanks, Psycho!" "Psycho! Thanks!"
FWOOSH!
The twins sighed a breath of relief at the temporary reprieve before swinging up their weapons and firing at the vandalized Noise that were persistently assaulting them. Ever since Noelle had swallowed their Minks whole, the resultant monstrosities had been doing their level best to try and chew, claw, and all around rip their faces off. It was only thanks to their teamwork and Psycho's occasional support that they had been able to fight off the small swarm at all.
"This!" Hip grunted as she rammed her gun into the gut of one of the monster-Minks and fired point blank. "Is getting annoying!"
"Agree-ERK!" Hop narrowly flapped his way over a creature that had pounced at his feet. "Agreed! Grgh, at least the pit's so deep that not even the fire can reach us!"
"Yeah!" Hip huffed tiredly. "We're almost five stories up, how the hell else could she get us besides these things?!"
"GROOOAAAR!"
The duo flinched at the roar... then paled as a massive shadow fell over them.
Slowly looking up, they stared in horror at the massive tentacle that had risen from the pit and was towering above them.
Reacting on instinct, the two attempted to flap their wings... and snapped their heads over their shoulders and stared in horror as they watched a pair of monstrosities behind them gnaw at the remains of their tattoo additions. They didn't even need to touch their cans to know that they were both out of any and all Melodies.
Hip and Hop slowly looked at each other.
"Brother?"
"Yes sister?"
"This is going to suck, isn't it?"
"Oh yeah."
The tentacle began to fall towards them...
FWOOSH!
And the twins yelped in shock when Psychedelic nabbed them by the back of their hoodies and tossed them off the roof.
The fox-themed Reaper attempted to warp away as the tentacle fell towards him... and flinched when a bolt of pain shot through his body. He tried to warp again, but kept drawing blank on his power. All he needed was one more second, one more second...
Too late. The tentacle was inches from his head.
Time seemed to slow to a near halt.
Impact in three.
Two.
One.
A weight rammed into his shoulder, shoving him out of the way and sprawling onto the rooftop, the tentacle destroying where he'd once stood.
Acting out of pure instinct, Psychedelic tapped back into his power and warped to a nearby rooftop, huffing and puffing as he doubled over and gripped his knees.
BOOM!
His attention was snapped back to where he'd once been by a large explosion from where the roof he'd just been on, followed by Noelle screeching in pain, though admittedly that last one was nothing new.
Suddenly, Psycho straightened up, snapped his head around... and stared at the blank demon mask of Oni Lee.
Oni Lee stared back, equally silent.
Neither moved.
Neither breathed.
They could have stood there for hours...
"GROOOAAAR!"
If not for Noelle's fury regaining their attention.
After a moment of intense thought, Oni Lee and Psycho nodded at each other with an air of finality.
Oni Lee unslung a bandolier-full of grenades and tossed it at Psycho, who slipped it on in a single deft move.
The two warped off the rooftop in their own manners...
BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM!
And the world was filled with a nigh unending stream of explosions.
Meanwhile, back where the fox-themed Reaper had started, in a nearby alleyway, the contents of a very full dumpster shifted about a bit until a pair of hooded heads popped out from between the trash bags.
The two were silent for a moment before speaking.
"Brother?"
"Yes, sister?"
"Do you think that that whole 'karma' thing Tattletale was going on about might hold weight?"
"Considering how we're the child overlords of most all street-crime in Brockton Bay? I sure hope not!"
Suddenly, the sound of scratching and growling above them caused them to look up and stare at the horde of deformed critters that were crawling and hovering above them.
The twins gave each other panicked looks.
"Uh oh," They chorused.
They flinched as the monsters dropped down on them...
ZAP!
Then blinked in shock when all that landed on them was a small shower of ashes.
"The hell!?" They asked simultaneously.
"Remain calm, citizens!"
The twins jumped when an electronic voice filled the alleyway. They turned to look at the source of the voice... and gaped in shock.
Standing in the alleyway was a hulking figure, at least eight feet tall and wider than any normal person deserved to be. The majority of this bulk could most definitely be attributed to the armor he was sporting: a navy-blue mechanized suit with large shoulder-plates, backpack, and a red-lensed and gap-mouthed helmet. Clutched in his hand was a large rifle whose barrel was lightly smoking.
"The Adeptus Astartes have arrived!" The figure rumbled.
Finally, Hip and Hop got their jaws working.
"Uber!?" The sister sputtered in disbelief.
"I- are you wearing Ultramarine armor!?" The brother gaped.
Uber chuckled as he brought his free hand up in a salute. "You're damn right it is! We heard the Endbringer alarms go off and came ready for war. Although..." He looked past them and stared at the pit. "That is distinctly not Behemoth, Leviathan, or the Simurgh. Dare I even ask?"
"Let's just say that Coil was into some really weird shit and leave it at that." Hip deadpanned.
"Anyways!" Hop changed the subject. "What about Leet? Aren't the two of you supposed to be inseparable?"
"He's coming. He had to take the long way around."
"How come?"
Uber made to answer...
BOOM!
And was cut off by a literally ground-shaking explosion.
"FOR THE EMPEROR!" An inhumanely loud electronic voice roared. The statement was followed by an insane amount of gunfire.
Hip and Hop were silent as they stared at Uber in awe.
"Did you guys...?" Hip breathed.
"Make an Emperor-damned Titan?" Hop finished.
"Warhound-class, to be specific!" Uber puffed his chest out in pride. "Admittedly, they're meant to act as scouts, but it was all we could manage with the resources we bought from the party. Impressive, no?"
Hip and Hop glanced at each other before sniffing and turning their noses up disdainfully.
"Points for using Warhammer," Hip started.
"But boo for using the Marines! Down with the Imperium!" Hop cried exuberantly.
Uber scoffed in disbelief. "Seriously? Well who would you prefer, smart guys?"
The twins glanced at one another before grinning with an insane eagerness.
"You got a spare bolter and chain-sword we could borrow?" Hop inquired eagerly.
The video-game villain hesitated slightly before nodding. "Yeah... but you need to promise to give them back, alright? Needless to say, they're the only ones we have."
"We promise!"
"Scout's honor!"
"Why does that not reassure me?" Uber muttered. Nevertheless, he dug the weapons out of his backpack and held them out for the twins.
Hip barely repressed a squeal as she gripped the bolter, while Hop nearly cackled as he revved the chainsword.
"I'll pelt the boss, you keep the mobs off me?" The girl asked, her grin never leaving her face.
"Sounds like a plan!" The boy concurred. "Just one thing. PSYCHO!"
FWOOSH!
The teleporting Reaper warped behind the two, his foot tapping on the ground impatiently.
"Reload, please!" The twins rocked on their heels innocently.
Psycho motioned like he was rolling his eyes before tossing the two a pair of cans with wings on them.
"Thank you!"
The fox-man flashed them a slightly rude gesture before warping away.
"Well, that was rude!" Hip huffed.
"Eh, he was probably just tired or something, we've all had a long day." Hop shrugged.
"Fair enough!" Hip nodded before grinning at her brother. "Now then... shall we, brother?"
Hop returned the grin with equal malice. "Let's, sister!"
Uber swallowed nervously as the twins conjured their respective wings. "Why do I feel like I just made a big mistake?"
-o-
"So, Grunge!" South grunted as he let loose another round of paint into the horde of mutated Mink noise that was circling above him and his bear-themed colleague. "How're things at the PRT? Is the pay any good?"
"You are seriously asking me this now!?" Grunge snarled as he struggled to work out a spent can of Noise that had jammed in his launcher's cylinder.
"Well, as you know, the farm's not been doin' that well lately, and it's not like the bar rakes in a lot of cash..."
"Do you even pay any kind of taxes!?"
"Well, no, but I've been eyein' this high-tech karaoke system for awhile now. I figure that if we live through this, it'd be nice if I could find a way to buy it!"
"Oh for the love of-! Well, I suppose that there's an open spot for a good cook at the PRT cafeteria. Anything's gotta be better than the slop that they serve there. Though for the record!" Grunge grunted as he clicked his gun's cylinder shut and fired another blast into the throng. "I'm not sure how much longer we're gonna last without a god-be-damned miracle!"
"RAAAH!"
Both the Reapers and mutilated Noise alike froze when two blurs shot out of a nearby alley and up into the cloud of creatures.
"WAAAAAAAGH! DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA!" Hip laughed as she fired at everything that was inhuman and flying.
"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!" Hop cheered ecstatically as he vigorously reenacted a twisted union of Friday the Thirteenth and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Grunge and South were silent as they overlooked the morbid display of brutality.
"... does that even remotely-?"
"Nope."
"Ah... Does this count as a-?"
"Hell nope."
"Good."
"... wanna get back to blasting the twenty foot tall tragic freak of nature?"
"Please."
And so they did, ignoring the carnage above them as well as they could.
-o-
"And if you sign up now, I guarantee you both a life-long health insurance plan plus dental! And I mean quality dental, not that pathetic knockoff Coil was offering."
"Tattletale, stop making a sales pitch..." The Composer growled as she pinched the bridge of her nose before glaring at the asexual entertainer-based villain. "And you! Stop looking like you're actually contemplating it!"
Circus grinned nervously and rocked back on... his? heels, whistling innocently.
"Aw c'mon!" Tattletale whined. "I need to grab ahold of what little of Coil's empire remains while I can! Besides, it's not like me or Circus can actually do anything! It's Trainwreck who's doing all the work!"
She was right: the large, armored Parahuman was standing at the mouth of the chasm Noelle was in. While he couldn't do much on his own, he was causing ungodly amounts of damage by loading and firing a large, two-pronged weapon that was strapped to his back.
"Hot damn!" Skidmark whistled appreciatively from the cab of Squealer's truck, watching as another round tore through the head of another malformed Noise that had tried to climb out. "That's one kickass gun! The hell's it called?"
"It's a rail-OOF!" Miss Militia was cut off by Kaiser ramming his elbow into her side. She glared at him momentarily before catching sight of the way he was frantically shaking his head and paling in realization. "Ah... really unique gun. Must be an original work of Leet's?"
"Huh... damn... woulda loved to get my hands on one..."
The hero and non-Merchant villains heaved simultaneous silent sighs of relief as Skidmark seemed to let the issue drop.
Finally, it was Ballistic who broke the silence.
"Composer... listen... I..." He sighed and shook his head wearily. "Can... you let me out of this junk pile?"
"And why should we do that?" The Chief Reaper demanded flatly.
"Because..." The Traveler let his shoulders slump. "I want to help you... help you... s-stop Noelle."
"MMPH!?" Trickster screamed through the Jelly gagging his mouth.
"FUCK YOU, KROUSE!" Ballistic responded, his temper flaring instantly. "I've sacrificed enough for that monster's sake! Enough that I damn well have the right to say when it ends! And it ends right here! Right now! I am sick of wasting my life! For the first time in years, I want the chance to be free and to actually live for a bit! So fuck you, Krouse. And if I have to... fuck Noelle."
Composer was silent as she stared at Ballistic for a moment before glancing at Tattletale. Upon receiving a nod, she promptly waved her hand at Mush. "Cut him loose. Kaiser, if you don't mind, supply him with some heavy-duty ammo."
The mass of garbage promptly sluggishly shifted around, spitting out the heavily-padded villain.
Unfortunately, he wasn't the only thing that came out. A small amount of Mush's mass came out behind Ballistic.
While it didn't free anyone else, it did give Trickster just enough room to rip his arm out of the mass and claw off the Jelly that was covering his eyes.
The next instant, Ballistic was back inside Mush, and Trickster was free, glaring furiously at the capes surrounding him.
Miss Militia's eyes widened in shock as her hand was filled with green light. "LOOK-!"
"Woah!" Glory Girl stumbled in shock as she suddenly appeared, nearly impacting the roof. "What just-OH SHIT!" She swore as she looked up and caught sight of the flailing person falling from the sky, soaring up to save her.
"Trickster, let's be reasona-! GAH" Tattletale ducked in panic beneath Hop's sword as he swung madly in her general direction.
"Trickster!" The Composer demanded. "Enough! Stop! Before someone gets-!"
"Hurt?" She blinked in surprise when found herself squarely above the pit Noelle was in. "Ohsonofa-!"
Acting on instinct, the Composer swiftly conjured a pair of wings from her shoulders in a burst of static, pumping them frantically in an effort to get back to where she started.
She was almost halfway back. She could even see Psycho gripping Trickster by the front of his shirt with one hand and rapidly slapping him back and forth across his face with the other.
'Almost there, almost there, almost there!'
Then she felt something wrap around her ankle.
'...oh shit.'
There was a jerk, a rush of air, and then...
"This... this is never going to end. It's never going to end, I don't have anywhere I can go... I... what do I... what do I do... What do I do, what do I do, what do I DO!?"
NEED TO GET OUT...
NEED TO GET OUT...
LET ME OUT... LET ME OUT... LET ME OUT LET ME OUT LET ME OUT!
LET!
ME!
OUT!
SQUEALCH!
Taylor huffed and roared furiously as she ripped her way out of the fleshy prison that was containing her, her world little more than a flurry of fangs, fire, claws, explosions and fury.
She kept struggling for a moment until something gripped the back of her shirt...
FWOOSH!
And she found herself collapsing on a roof, only half-consciously dismissing her Melodies.
"Boss!" Gangsta was at her side in an instant, giving her a shoulder and helping her climb to her feet. "Damn that was badass, b-but are you okay?"
The Composer hacked and wheezed, trying to dislodge some of the noxious fluid that had managed to slide down her throat. "R-relatively... Trickster?"
"Psycho's handling him." Gangsta nodded towards the edge of the roof. True to her word, the warping Reaper was holding the Traveler leader by his ankles and suspending him over the street as he shook him up and down, making sure that his coat was bunched up over his head. "I don't think he'll be causing us any more trouble."
"Damn..." Ballistic breathed in awe. "No one's ever gotten out of Noelle on their own before. That was... damn, the girl's right, that was badass."
"Thanks..." The Composer coughed. "But... what about my..." She shuddered violently. "My clone? Is she going to clone me or...?"
Ballistic shrugged helplessly. "I... I don't know. I mean... after all, it wasn't like there's an exact science. And again, nobody's ever done that before so... maybe she won't?"
"GREEEAAARGH!"
Noelle didn't roar this time. This time... she screamed.
What little of her massive body could be seen shuddered and stumbled in pain as the monster stumbled backwards fitfully, her limbs flailing about madly. The anterior part of her lower mass bulged and warped violently, tracts of skin splitting open slightly.
Finally, without warning...
SQUEARCH!
"GREEEAAARGH!"
Her body blew open, and something ripped its way out of her, leaping its way onto the pavement.
It lay still for a moment...
"RAAAAAAGH!"
Before throwing its head back and screaming.
The onlookers could do little more than stare at the newest monster in horror.
It... appeared to be human, in the vaguest sense of the word. After all, it had flesh, bone... and that was it. Not even a trace of skin hid the creature's musculature, and said muscles barely covered its entire skeleton. As twisted as its body was, it was only compounded by the writhing, warped mass of pseudo-flesh that could have been Melodies in another life that was crawling within and over her frame. Parts of it formed claws, others legs, tails, wings, quills, even jaws.
It was only half-formed, but it was all horrific.
"Then again, maybe she will..." Ballistic whimpered.
The Composer groaned as she pushed herself away from Gangsta and rolled her limbs wearily. "The job never stops, does it?"
"RAAAAAAGH!"