Chapter 9-5

Slowly, the fires died down and the smoke began to clear. The Phorid stood up, seemingly injured but still able to fight. An echo boomed in my head. It sounded almost like laughter.

A worthy effort, but not enough.

I didn't know if that was directed at me or at the heroes attacking it from above. Not that it mattered. Phorid was still alive and we needed a new plan.

Then, Lady Photon landed on the edge, flanked by her children. The other flyers stood around her like a cloud. I recognized Aegis in their midst, along with a massive robot-suit that had to be Dragon's. A white, glowing figure floated above. Purity, I guess. I didn't see Gallant.

"It's over, Outbreak." Lady Photon said, her voice carrying throughout the crevice, even though she barely raised it. "You're surrounded and your victims are being rounded up as we speak. Tell them to stand down and we can put an end to this madness." She was very tall. Correction, she looked very tall. Her costume, her stance, even her positioning; all of it were designed to project superiority and power. Lady Photon had the appearance of a queen: regal, untouchable, morally and physically superior to everyone she met. It took a certain talent to pull it off.

That didn't change the question I kept asking myself: why were they still talking? Outbreak won't be wowed by their little song-and-dance routine and its wounds were mending before our eyes. I mean, I get that they're heroes rather than soldiers, but right now, the only thing they're doing is wasting time and giving the monster a chance to pull something out of its ass. As if on cue, it's voice boomed in my head.

Madness? It chuckled. Sanity is relative, little regent. Where you see folly, we see a duty we must fulfill.

"Very well." Lady Photon replied, calmly. "If you can't see reason, then you leave me no choice."

The creature laughed in response. Not just telepathically too. Come then, Sentients! Come with all your power and glory! We may have failed our Emperors in the past, but you will not find us easy prey. Emperors? Sentients? What the hell was it babbling on about? Not important. The fight was starting.

The flyers moved in to attack, but Phorid was ready for them. It charged forward, hurling projectiles of something at the amassed capes. Judging by the screams, at least some of them were hitting home. Purity fell out of the sky, her light fading like a snuffed-out candle. Aegis caught her, mid flight, but she wasn't looking good. The strongest blaster in the city, taken out in less than a minute.

What could I do? The creature roared and the earth began to rumble. Blue forcefields appeared over the affected capes. Shielder. I reached out with my power and reduced the force of the scream as much as I could. It wasn't much, but at least the bubbles held. Just how strong were Shielder's forcefields? Could they last through another attack like that? Time like this that I really wished my armband had survived the collapse.

I needed to do something, anything, before someone else got hurt.

"Guys…guys. We need to help."

"Yes." Limbo said, visibly rattled. Why? What's going on? "Yes, we do. Not now, though. We should wait for an opening. It would be unpleasant if we were annihilated by our own allies, don't you agree?"

My eyes narrowed. Limbo didn't seem like the type that would let anything get to him. "Okay, what the hell is going on? What's a 'Sentient'? Who the hell are the 'Emperors'?"

Limbo and Vauban looked at each other again, seemingly having another conversation. "I…am not quite sure. I could speculate, but… Is this really the right time, for such things?"

"If it helps us understand why it's here or what it wants, yes."

He knew something. Not just about Outbreak. No, he and Vauban have been walking on eggshells around me all night, and that wasn't just because I was a stranger. They knew something. Something about me specifically and how it all connected to Outbreak.

Their armor…It was like mine and Red's, wasn't it?

"It's… Look, let's just say that neither of us has the answers we're looking for, alright?"

No, not good enough. He had answers, and I was going to get them. It's selfish, it's stupid, but I just… I needed them. This might just be my only chance. "Stop bullshitting me. If he's attacking us by mistake…"

"You'd still be killing it, now would you?"

"And your armor? It's like mine, isn't it?"

Both the assassins froze in place. It took a second for Limbo to start moving again. Gone was his practiced grace. Instead, his body language became almost frantic. "My dear, we are in the middle of a battle. This is not the moment to…

"You're dodging the question."

"And you're putting me in an impossible position! Look, I want to tell you what I know. The fact that you're even asking this question means you deserve an answer. Blessed ancestors, there's a thousand things I'd like to ask you in return, but I simply can't. Even if I had all the answers, even if I knew what questions to ask, I can't. Not here. Not you."

"Why?"

"Because you work for the damned Protectorate, child!" Limbo snapped back, his calm façade having finally cracked. "There's more to this universe than you realize and the only thing keeping you safe is that neither you nor they are aware of each other's existence. Please, for the sake of everyone on this wretched Earth, stop looking. Stop asking questions. We cannot protect you from what you'll find."

We stood there for a moment, both of us seething in rage. I was so close to getting what I need. So close to finding out what made me different, and now this limey fuck wants me to just give up?!

Vauban cleared his throat and said: "Let's focus on our common enemy, for now."

"Yes, let's." Limbo replied.

"Fine." I snarled back. Maybe…maybe he had a point, I realized as my anger faded. Some things are best left buried, like Sophia's 'extracurricular activities'.

We were losing. Phorid had leapt out of the hole and was actively chasing the remaining heroes. The Blasters were throwing everything they had at the monster, but it wasn't enough. Oh, we were hurting it, alright, but Phorid gave as good as it got. Without help, we wouldn't last long. We needed reinforcements, and we needed them now.

Then, an unholy fusion of a tank, a train, and a Greek trireme came out of nowhere and slammed into the monster's side. The Merchants had arrived.

What the fuck, universe?

"CHOO CHOO, MOTHERFUCKERS!" Skidmark yelled, cackling maniacally at the scene in front of him. "Oh, did that hurt, pissweed? Well, that's just too fucking bad, ain't it? Should've known better than to throw down with the motherfucking Merchants!"

Phorid tried to free itself, but Skidmark was having none of that. "Oh, no you don't, cocksucker! Squealer, ram this shitbiscuit into a wall." The creature broke loose and lunged at the drugdealer, who promptly shot it in the face with a laser pistol. "Squealer, back the fuck up. I wanna hit it again!"

We climbed out of the hole and started looking for cover. Standing in the open while a giant monster and a parahuman druglord were duking it out didn't seem like a good idea. Seconds later, my fears were proven right: Phorid disappeared in a massive fireball.

"Whoohoo!" A woman cried out. Probably Squealer. "We got him Skiddy! We fucking got him!"

Skidmark didn't agree. "Well don't just sit there, bitch! Run the fucker over. I wanna make sure it's…" Phorid got up and started to roar. "Ah, fuck. Shoot it! Shoot the pile of shit!"

The guns on the machine opened up, but it wouldn't be enough. I ran towards the vehicle and pushed my power outwards, diverting the scream as much as I could. When it passed, my brain felt like it had caught fire. I lost my footing, but was caught and pushed into the Merchant's car. Who…right, the assassins.

"The fuck are you?" Skidmark asked, eloquently.

"Independent contractors, plus one." Limbo replied, unperturbed by the Merchants pointing guns at us. "Now, would you kindly chase after that monster before it disappears. It regenerates rather quickly, in case you haven't noticed."

Monster…Phorid. Focus on the sound. Where is it? There. "T-two-hundred feet. That w-way." I stammered. Couldn't do much else. I nearly drained myself just finding the thing. "Aim for the neck a-and the elbows. Armor's weaker there."

"Ah, there's the shitstain." The Merchant huffed before shouting to his men: "You heard Mr. Fancypants: keep shooting!" Then, he turned to us and said: "Okay, you little shits, how do we kill this fucker?"

"Ah, so you can be reasonable."

"Of course, I'm reasonable. I'm sober again! Thank fuck for Panacea!" He exclaimed. Wait, Panacea made him sober? That's…terrifying, in more ways than one. "That's right cocksuckers, I'm cleaner than Kaiser's cunt!"

"Alliteration. Nice." Limbo deadpanned in response.

"You know it, bitch! I'm a fucking poet too."

Wow. Skidmark had somehow managed to turn vulgarity into an artform. I wasn't sure if I should be impressed. Mom must be rolling in her grave.

Vauban was the one who answered. "Short answer: keep shooting until it falls over. Long answer: armor piercing rounds to cut to the carapace and sever the sinew tissue underneath. Corrosives work too, especially on the outer layers."

"Corrosives…that's like acid, right?"

Dragon soared passed, flattening another building and tearing massive chunks out of Phorid with a barrage of missiles. The monster was knocked down for a moment, but kept running soon after.

"Yes, like acid." Limbo replied, warily. "That look on your face concerns me…"

Then, Skidmark burst into laughter. "Oh, I got acid alright. Squealer! Pin that bitch!" Something shifted underneath and the engines went into overdrive. Next thing I know, Phorid is impaled on the prow, desperately clawing at the armored front of the machine while the blasters overhead pelted it with fire. "Keep driving, dammit! Three more blocks that-a-way."

"May I ask where we are going?" Limbo inquired.

"Meth lab."

"Meth lab?"

"Meth lab!"

Limbo's reply was simple and yet encompassed the situation. "Oh dear."

The vehicle accelerated, screaming towards a non-descript looking warehouse in the middle of the docks. "Alright, shitbiscuits, time to bail." Not bothering to question him, we jumped off the doomed vehicle and huddled for cover. Not a moment later, the vehicle, the building, and the monster went up in flames. I got up and shakily pointed my gun at the inferno.

"Think it's dead?" One of the merchants asked.

"Don't jinx it, Dave. Got enough bad luck for one night already."

I heard something moving in the blaze. "I think it's still alive." A sound emerged from the burning laboratory. Somewhere between a growl and a scream. "Yes, it's still alive."

"You shitting me?!" Someone behind me said. "Seriously?"

The creature walked out of the building. Most of its armor had been blown off and a rear leg was missing. It looked almost pitiful. Still, it was moving, somehow. That made it a threat. I took aim and fired. The others followed suit. Phorid…Phorid kept moving towards us, ignoring the barrage being sent its way. Even when Skidmark started using his power and stopped it dead in its tracks, Phorid still tried to get to us. To kill us. Why? Why keep going? What's the point?

The only alternative is to lay down and die. Outbreak spoke to me. That is something we cannot do. Not now, not ever. You…you understand this, do you?

"Yes." I whispered. "I do."

Dragon's suit fell from the sky like the hammer of god, landing right on top of the creature. In a single motion, she rammed the barrel of her arm-mounted cannon into Phorid's skull and fired. The contents of its skull were spread all over the pavement and the monster went still.

I took a few steps closer. Was it dead? Really dead? The remains started to sizzle and Phorid disintegrated before my eyes. I guess that was my answer. "It's dead." I said to no one in particular.

"As far as I can tell, it is." The Tinker replied. I probably feel honored or something, but honestly? I'm too exhausted to care right now. "We thought you were dead. Your teammates will be happy to hear you're alright."

"Good…good to know." I should probably chat some more, maybe joke about how her armbands sucked, but I couldn't. Just too tired. I started looking for a place to crash.

The zombies would still be there in the morning.