"Well fuck," I declared aloud at the sheer absurdity of what had just happened.

I mean I knew being a trouble magnet was part and parcel of the whole Exalted package but seriously? An S-Class Threat right off the bat?

~What's happening?~

One of the absolute nastiest things in this world is attacking. Going by what I know of the narrative either the planet's most successful crew of murderers had stopped by or the local analogue of a behemoth is attacking a city.

~That's bad~

"Shit," Jeramiah uttered to my side, "Okay don't worry kid, we're pretty close to a shelter," He assured me.

~That's good!~

"Nope," I responded reflexively.

"What?" he asked startled.

"...I'm going to fight," I said to him after a moment's delay.

~Wut~

"What?" The Trucker started, before stopping as realization slowly set in, "So... it's like that?"

"Yep," I responded. "Hate to ask, but can you give me a lift to the PRT building at least?"

"Shit kid, if it's like that the roads are going to be a complete mess. I'll pass it up the line and get you a lift," He offered.

"Appreciate it," I grinned.

~So... I am assuming when you said local equivalent of behemoths~

Now was really not the time to be questioned by my mouthy co-pilot. Endbringers didn't have charms, perfect attacks or anything akin to that, but they could still take a beating that would easily level a city, held powerful and versatile abilities, and raw physical speed and strength superior to anything found in nature. Even without favoring in things like relative size and mass.

On the bright side, it could just be nine mortal sociopaths who regularly took on the greatest champions of the world, ripped them in half, and ate whichever of their organs they felt like.

~Oh that sounds fun to deal with. Okay I'll shut up but try not to get us killed will you?~

That much should be obvious.

A thought occurred, "Oh! One other thing!" I called out to him while he was on the radio.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Can you tell them to bring a set of men's pants extra large? I can do a sort of shape shifting power up thing but it'll wreck my wardrobe!" I was bullshitting but having pants to wear would let me drop my disguise and instantly prove my 'cape' status.

Well that and if I really had to there were certain charms I could access... at cost, that actually lived up to that.

He looked at me surprised, "Seriously?"

"Seriously!" I called back.

He went with it and less the a minute later walked back up to me, "They're sending a van," he told me, his face contorting in a way that said exactly how little he thought of that measure.

I 'tisked' but, blew it off as a minor thing. There wasn't really anything either of us could do about it after all.

Well outside of one thing. I looked at him and gave a half smile, "Thanks for the assist."

He huffed out at that, "You realize you're thanking me for probably getting you killed right?"

"Eh," I shrugged, "At least it's going down in glory if it comes to that."

He looked at me stone faced and what looked a little pissed, "You should take this seriously."

"Dude," I said smile slipping down to a far more serious frown, "I get it. One in four dead on a good day, I know the odds."

"Do you?" He asks me, "This is your last chance to back out you know."

"I know," I replied looking out as people did their thing. There had been surprisingly little chaos so far. Lots of people getting out onto the roads or streets. Probably more huddling up where they currently were. Well unless the area really wasthatunder populated.

He looked at me seriously for a minute, then breathed out a half muttered "Christ," before shaking his head, "Alright. You're choice."

"Yep," I replied drumming my fingers against my leg. They said the hardest part of this stuff was the waiting.

I guess I'd see for myself soon.

"It's The Simurgh by the way," he warned me in what was likely one last attempt to call any bluff I was making.

I blinked, "Huh."

I wondered if my shaping defense would help against her. Didn't she technically use micro fine telekinesis rather then actual telepathy?

Only one way to figure out really.

He watched me for one more moment, then clapped a hand down on my shoulder, "Well... God be with you son."

The irony of that statement was palatable to me, still I couldn't help but smile again, this one a little less cocky, "Thanks. You make it safe to that shelter too okay?" I requested.

He grunted, "Don't you worry about me."

"Hey, don't go getting hypocritical on me old man. You look after yourself, I'll try not to get mind raped by the giant feather duster from space, deal?" I offered trying one last time to lighten the mood.

Apparently all those dots in manipulation finally broke through because he cracked just the tiniest hint of a smile, "Fine, deal."

"Now that's more like it," I responded, as I spotted what looked like an armored police can on approach, "And I think I see my ride."

"Good luck," he said to me one last time.

I flashed him a victory sign, "Catch you later if I survive!" I called out before jogging over to the van.

As I did I felt a sort of familiar chill settle into my mind. The time for pleasantries was over.

Now, It was time to get down to business.