Another meaningless day… I slowly entered the bus station and began to daydream as my body went through the repeated motion of purchasing a ticket and entering the bus. Although I was relatively successful in life, being a corporate lawyer for a multinational corporation, my life passed by without purpose. After all, everything would disappear in the end, wouldn't it?

The only escape I could find was through reading various fantasy and supernatural novels, with each book dangling the hope of a greater life before me. However, regardless of the quality, it could never substitute for the real thing.

I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts by a large crashing noise. As I turned to the window to observe the source of the noise, I saw a truck rapidly approaching towards me. At that moment, I felt something I hadn't felt in years and thought I would never feel again - fear, and I came to a realization.

I don't want to die.

However, all contemplation was meaningless, and as the truck rammed into the side of the bus, my vision faded to black.

Yui Hasegawa (Original) POV

I sighed as I walked down the steps of Arcadia High and headed towards my apartment. Although I lived in a nice part of Brockton Bay close to the PRT headquarters - I still lived in Brockton Bay, and crime was rampant throughout the city.

While many longtime residents of Brockton Bay had resigned themselves to this, I knew that they could be better. Despite how faint they were, I still had memories of living in Kyushu happily with my parents nearly 10 years ago.

Though, I suppose I'm part of the group that contributed to this problem. The constant nightmares of Leviathan and the gradual pressure from living in a literal hell compared to Kyushu eventually got to me, and I experienced a "trigger event" nearly a month ago.

Despite my power's strength, I haven't really been using it for much at all besides the occasional petty crime and to do my homework faster - though the ability to not require sleep has helped me do much more overall. Maybe one day I'll debut as a cape and join the Wards, but that sure as hell isn't going to be now.

As I close the door to my apartment, I feel a cold dread wash over me. A bubble of slowed time instantly appears behind me and I turn around - only to find nothing. However, the feeling only intensifies and I start feeling an intense pain coming from inside. I collapse onto the ground, and my vision fades to black.

***

MC POV

I woke up - seemingly with no injury and looked around. Wait - this isn't my apartment! Just as I was about to reach into my pocket to call the police, a rush of information flooded into my head. Years of memories were suddenly implanted into my mind in an instant.

I "remembered" growing up in Kyushu with my parents for 5 peaceful years of my life. I remembered seeing a gargantuan green beast come with never ending tsunamis sinking the island. I remembered being evacuated before my parents, never to see them again. I remembered being sent to Brockton Bay and growing up here alone for a while in this apartment. I remembered the constant nightmares I had of the Kyushu attack and Leviathan.

Clearest of all, I remember it all culminating a month ago, seeing a vivid hallucination of Leviathan attacking Brockton Bay as well, leading to my trigger.

I quickly snapped out of my daze and analyzed my situation. Based on the memories I had inherited, it was glaringly obvious that I was in Worm. A quick glance at Yui's, no, my phone showed the date - September 12th 2010. Good, at least I have some time to prepare before Golden Morning and Scion.

The most pressing issue was my identity. Was I Yui Hasegawa? Or was I the me from Earth? Despite gaining all of Yui's memory and inheriting some of her desires, quirks, and fears, my personality was a merger of the lighthearted and introspective Yui, and the callous lawyer. So by that account, I wasn't either Yui or the lawyer from Earth, which I currently identified as "myself."

However, that wasn't completely accurate. Despite my knowledge of the incoming Endbringers and Zion, I still felt the greater trepidation when thinking of Leviathan. I hummed the same tunes that Yui enjoyed listening to on long nights of studying. I also felt sadness upon thinking of her (our? my?) dead parents, despite my previous self having no association with them or anyone like them.

I suppose it would be accurate to say I was a weird amalgamation of the two individuals. For now though, I suppose I would refer to myself as Yui Hasegawa, as that identity actually existed in this world. I got up, and brushed myself off before taking a seat on the nearby recliner, and sighed. How was I supposed to survive?

I had no combat experience whatsoever, and I spent the majority of both lives in a peaceful environment mindlessly going through day-by-day, accomplishing nothing of note. Just a stray attack from a sufficiently powerful cape could end me in an instant! Why was I sent to this hellscape of a world? A tear actually fell down my cheek, and before I knew it, I was crying.

My thoughts raced, and anxiety gripped my chest like a vise. Each potential threat in this world loomed large in my mind, and the sheer scale of the threats ahead paralyzed me. The Endbringers, Scion, the Slaughterhouse 9—the list felt endless, and I felt like an insignificant speck in comparison. Most significantly of all Contessa, and also Contessa. Seriously, Cauldron may know of my existence right now and is simply choosing to ignore it either because I won't live long enough to affect their plans or that they know that I know they exist, and will not cause problems for them as I don't have a death wish.

The fear of death, something I hadn't felt until my death on the other Earth, suddenly consumed me. It was a visceral, primal emotion, and the memories that flashed back of Leviathan imposingly standing over a city, sinking building after building certainly didn't help either.

For a moment, I felt totally lost, unable to find my way out of the darkness that enveloped me. Why did it have to be me? Why couldn't I have gotten some god-like ability to ensure my survival? For a moment, I seriously contemplated suicide then and there. After all, it would be a much nicer way to go than being gassed by Kaiser for my asian heritage.

After a few minutes of hysteria, my mind began to find some semblance of clarity. Okay, I could take this like I do all other challenges in life, right? The moment that thought rang across my head, I actually laughed. Like hell I could actually save myself in this situation. However, I wasn't so weak as to kill myself, I had to at least try to survive, damnit!

I quickly went over my memories to try and grasp at any solution I could find. At least it wasn't the worst case scenario, I was a parahuman, and a quite powerful one at that. My powers are actually extremely versatile, I could classify as a Brute, Shaker, Striker, and minor Trump. My Brute rating came from my increased strength, reaction speed and durability, as well as my ability to act with 100% of my body's capability at once.

My Shaker rating was probably going to be my main power as a cape - I could create bubbles of sped up or slowed down time. My Striker ability paired nicely with this, allowing me to cause anything I touch to "rot" away, aging tremendously or the opposite, causing it to move backwards in time.

Finally, my Trump power let me observe the Shards and powers of other capes, though I couldn't interact with each other. At least I could use this to identify the characters from Worm in real life, as I honestly had no clue how some of the characters looked like.

Seriously, it's a shame that the original Yui was only using her powers to gain some quick cash! While these powers couldn't compare to the likes of Eidolon or Contessa, they were still extremely potent and could allow her to become a vital part of any organization. If only she used her powers properly, she could be so much greater!

Oh well, at least I would be using these abilities far better than she ever could.

Or at least I would once I became a cape. Speaking of which, one of the key things I lack is a proper cape costume. How do capes even get their costumes? It's not like I could simply walk to a tailor and request a costume, that would just reveal my identity. While Taylor made her own costume, my powerset didn't really allow me to do the same.

Is every cape just a master tailor? It seems I have to put some more research into this. I wander towards the bedroom, and boot up the computer. Searching on the Earth Bet equivalent of google, it seems like most capes either get costumes from the Protectorate, use crappy homemade ones until they get famous, or commission either a proper business or a black market organization.

The first option was immediately eliminated - joining the Wards would restrict my freedom too much, and I only had a small amount of time before Golden Morning. So I had to make a temporary costume for now before I could commission one from a proper organization.

Thus, gaining contact with such an organization would be top priority for now, as I wanted to get a proper costume before I debuted. While normally I wouldn't care about things such as "looking cool" during my debut, an image of professionalism would be crucial to forge early on for people to take me seriously.

In terms of organizations I knew of that could design a costume to the standards I had envisioned, only a few came to mind. Most notably, Toybox was still operating and was a coalition of prominent Tinkers, meaning they could probably make what I wanted from them. More importantly, they were dead men walking who would eventually be killed by the Slaughterhouse 9, meaning my identity would be safe after their demise.

Of course, such a commission would be extremely expensive, and I have no way of contacting Toybox currently. Both of these issues both have the same answer - Faultline's crew. Their group performed a crucial mission for Toybox, and would thus likely have their contacts. Additionally, they were famed for never doing a job without adequate pay, meaning that any work I did with them, however temporary, would pay well.

Locating Faultline would also be quite easy, she literally owned several businesses in Brockton Bay. Making up my mind, I put on a simple surgical mask and a hoodie, and decided to head towards Palanquin.

Leaving the apartment door, I walk down the stairs and enter the streets of Brockton Bay for the first time since my arrival here. Although the streets of Downtown Brockton were clean, as I moved towards the commercial district, the situation grew distinctly worse. While occasionally there were some peddlers offering their goods, they seemed to be largely empty aside from a few pedestrians who were seemingly trying to turn invisible by their expressions.

Fewer PRT patrols covered the area, and the people seemed to be hurriedly walking along. I could sometimes see groups of thugs wandering around. As I entered the commercial district, things seemed to slightly improve, as shopkeepers here would pay off gangs to not attack them and to defend their stalls.

Shaking my head, I reach the block Palanquin was located at. As I looked at the doorsteps of the nightclub, I realized something. In my haste to travel here - I had forgotten that I wasn't of legal age to actually enter. While I could just trap the bouncers in a bubble, I doubt forcing my way in would make the best first impression.

As I was standing awkwardly, reconsidering my life choices, I noticed a woman with a shard walk out of the club. After a brief inspection, the shard appears to have the ability to sever molecular bonds, and a thinker ability? Weird. Whatever, molecular severing is the signature ability of only one character - meaning that this is Faultline. I wanted to approach her, however, she might attack me if I did so in her civilian identity.

Noticing that Faultline was preparing to leave, I quickly made up my mind. I didn't get this far in either of my lives by hesitating. Running up to her, I asked

"Hello? Um, I have a request for you"

Briefly glancing at me, she asks "What is it, I don't have much time for children." in a curt voice.

"I don't really know how to say this, so I'll just be blunt. I wish to converse in our cape identities."

Suddenly, I find myself pinned to a wall, with passersby turning to glance at us before hurriedly moving along their way. Although I could've stopped the attack, I doubt that would be a good idea at this moment.

"You have 10 seconds to tell me how you figured out my identity."

I snap out of my thoughts and whisper "I have a trump ability that lets me see powers. I'm sorry to disturb you right now but I didn't want to break into your nightclub. But really, I came here for business."

She loosens her grip on me and begins to visibly calm down, though she still maintains a watchful eye on me. After a brief examination, she beckons me to follow her into the nightclub, and we walk upstairs to a dining room.

After she pours herself a glass of coffee, we both take a seat. She still seems wary of me, but she no longer appears to maintain a visible combat stance. Following a brief silence between us, she asks

"So, what did you want from me? Coming here unmasked is no small thing."

I take a second to consider my options then reply "I would like for you to help me contact Toybox for a commission, and I would be interested in carrying out mercenary work under you to help pay for it."

Faultline pauses for a moment and stares at me. "Well, that wasn't what I was expecting. I'm always looking for more members to join my crew, however temporarily. What exactly can you do?"

I could just give Faultline information that I already know from Worm, in particular the origin of Case 53 would definitely be of interest to her due to the makeup of her crew. However, doing so might risk me the attention of Cauldron as well as potentially massively derailing canon. While I did want to find an alternative solution to the massive problem of Scion (in particular a solution that benefited me), ensuring the rise of Kherpi would be essential as a backup option.

Shaking my head, I decide to simply do a mission or task for her. This would help me practice for my debut, raise my reputation with her, as well as give me a fallback option for the long term in case I wish to join her crew myself.

"In addition to the power sight I told you about earlier, I am a Shaker/Striker/Brute, so I can undergo combat missions. However, I'm not yet ready to debut yet as a cape, so I would prefer to take a covert mission or a recon one involving my power sight."

She reaches into her pocket and I tense up for a second, a motion which doesn't go unnoticed by her. However, she pulls out her phone and begins scrolling through for a minute. She finally responds .

"Well, we don't actually have any combat missions with the payout you're looking for. However, recently the ABB contacted me about finding information on the E88 capes, and they're willing to pay quite a sum for their future movements. I haven't gotten back to them yet, it seems like something that you could do for us."

Hm. Although some of the E88 capes such as Hookwolf, Purity, or Krieg could be dangerous, I felt as if I could at least manage to run away from the others. Additionally the Empire was literally the definition of "acceptable target" so even if I got caught by the PRT, the repercussions would be light. I also knew information about most of the E88 capes and their abilities, so I could only pick the fights I knew I would win." Overall, it seemed like she was sincere in giving me a mission and not trying to get me killed.

"I would be willing to get this information, would the movements of a single cape suffice for the contact information and payment?"

Faultline actually chuckled at that, and responded "Hah. No. Toybox is the highest rated Tinker organization, their commissions aren't so cheap. Unless you bring me Kaiser's step by step plan for the next year, you'll have to track down at least 3 capes."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do. Can I have your contact information so I can get back to you once I finish?"

Faultline thinks for a second before shrugging and saying "Eh, why not." and writes down a number onto a piece of paper and tosses it my way. I take a glance at it and add it to my phone before the paper crumbles to dust in my hand. I nod and walk out of the nightclub, ignoring the stares I get as I do so.

Once I arrive home, I pull out my homework for the day and activate a time bubble to hasten the process. Although I didn't want to be doing work from a grade I had already passed several years ago, a dip in my grades or an erratic change in behavior could signal to the Protectorate about my trigger event or cape activity.

After finishing up all of my schoolwork for the day, I use my striker ability to de-age myself proportional to the amount that the sped up time had aged me. With these two abilities working in tandem, I could greatly increase my work efficiency without any significant drawbacks.

I spend the next few hours using the same technique to gather as much public information about the E88 capes as I could. Despite me knowing most of the information about their abilities and personality, the information online proved to be more useful than expected as sightings of the villains were commonly posted on websites such as PHO.

Looking out my window, the moon appeared to be rising in the night sky, and the stars shone brightly towards me. I glanced at my phone for the time - 8:23 PM. I still had plenty of time to head out and gather my first batch of intel. As a noctis cape, I didn't require sleep to function, meaning I could spend the entire night out as long as I returned at around 5 to prepare for the next day.

I left my apartment and headed Northwest of the downtown area where I lived, towards Empire territory. Majority of the gangs in Brockton seemed to be inland, likely due to the fact that coastal areas would be closer to the Protectorate headquarters and thus more likely to be patrolled by the PRT.

As I slowly advanced towards the E88 influenced areas of the city, I kept an eye out using my power sight for any parahumans, as well as looking for individuals who seemed to be part of the Empire in general. However, it was futile as the streets were largely empty. I wonder if this is what heroes do out on patrol?

I snapped out of my thoughts when I saw a group of thugs walk up to me. I couldn't actually confirm if they were E88 members however, as I was still quite far from core Empire territory.

"Hey, girlie. Why don't you be a dear and hand us your-"

Before he could finish his sentence, I formed a small time acceleration bubble around myself and slammed my fist into his neck, before quickly following with a kick to his stomach. I kept my hand at his throat and asked "Are you E88?"

The other gangsters looked at me in fear, and started to slowly back away. One of the men whispered "P-parahuman! Run!" before attempting to break off into a sprint.

Of course, I didn't allow this and trapped him in a bubble of slowed time. The other thugs glanced at him before looking at me with dread in their eyes - they knew they weren't going to escape. Suddenly, one of the thugs yelled "Damn it all, I can't afford to die here!" before charging at me.

This broke the other 2 thugs that weren't in bubbles out of their daze, and they too ran towards me. I easily dodged the first punch before dissipating my acceleration bubble and forming a slow bubble at the 2 approaching men. The remaining gangster launched another series of strikes at me, and I attempted to block them.

However, as I shifted his arm away from my body to block, he smiled and twisted his arm at an angle in order to grab my wrist. Relying on my brute strength, I managed to break his lock, but not before one of the slowed thugs managed to land a clean hit on my back.

Due to my brute rating, this barely harmed me at all. However, it reminded me of one of my greatest weaknesses - combat experience. Even these simple thugs had been in far more fights than both of my lifetimes together. I sighed and activated an acceleration bubble around myself. Although maintaining 3 bubbles was extremely taxing for me, I forced myself to hold them and grasped outward towards one of the men.

Because of the acceleration, I easily landed contact and used my striker ability combined with my acceleration field to age him 50 years in nearly a second. As he collapsed onto the street, the last fragments of hope disappeared from the remaining 2 gangsters and I easily subdued them before cleanly snapping their necks.

I turned back towards the direction the first thug had run away from and leapt from the sidewalk into a breakneck pace, easily catching up with him. I grabbed him by the throat and asked him once again "Are you E88?"

He slowly faced towards my direction and looked in abject horror at the sight that lay before him - not that I could blame him. His friend who could have been no older than 30 was now a frail old man collapsed onto the ground while the other 2 had their necks twisted to an inhuman angle. He shuddered before muttering out

"N-no… I'm just part of a local gang."

Damnit! This meant that this whole fight was likely to have been meaningless. At least I learned not to be cocky in this fight. I frowned as I thought about my overall performance. Without my brute power, I would likely have taken a serious hit there and would probably be out of commission for a while. I couldn't afford to make such blunders in the future.

Mistaking my frown for displeasure with his answer, the man scrambled to respond "Well, the E88 sometimes forces the local gangs in the area to do grunt work for them."

Now we're talking! I smile and ask the man with a polite tone "and who is your contact for such endeavors?"

Seeing a chance to get out of this situation alive, he quickly coughed up as much information as he could. "W-well, his name is Weber Schmidt and I think he handles a bunch of smaller gangs like us. We usually contact him at a red-roofed building 2 streets down from the Ferry Station North."

Hm, well that's better than I thought I would get. Although I could choose to go deeper into Empire territory, the likelihood of cape presence would greatly increase and after that shitshow, I don't think I'm ready for a cape fight for a while.

"Um, can I go now?"

Oh right, this guy is still here. I turn to him and the sparkle of hope I had ignited earlier drains from his face as he sees my cold expression. He closes his eyes and resigns himself to his fate as he slowly ages, eventually becoming an unidentifiable rotting corpse. I haul his body to the others and form an acceleration bubble around them. Together with my striker ability, they slowly decompose more and more, before only skeletons remain.

I increase my concentration on the acceleration field and the rate of rot increases exponentially, and in time, the bones wither as well away. In the place of 4 men stood merely a pile of dust - an untraceable crime. You know, it's funny how this was my first time killing someone, yet I felt nothing, nothing at all.

Well, sociopathy was pretty much a requirement to survive in this world, so it was more a boon than a curse, really. Continuing on my objective for today, I head towards the supposed location of the E88 contact. The walk there is much nicer than the previous walk, as people in this area actually feel safe enough to walk the streets at night.

As I arrive at Ferry Station North, I scan the nearby streets for red roofed buildings like the one that the thug pointed out. I could see two, however one was a McDonald's and I doubt that would be an E88 meeting point. As a former corporate lawyer, I knew that megacorps hated all humans equally rather than simply choosing specific races.

The other red-roofed building was simply an office, housing various different companies. While most individuals would be stuck here, unable to locate exactly where Weber was located without causing a massive disturbance, a particular corporation among the list residing in this office stuck out to me.

A crown on a red and yellow background representing Medhall, one of the largest pharmaceutical corporations in the United States. However, I knew it was actually a front for Kaiser's subordinates for money laundering and disguise purposes. This meant it was extremely likely that Weber would be located within the Medhall office within this building.

Before entering the building, I quickly went around the back and grabbed an empty parcel, a pen and a sheet of paper that were about to be thrown away. Digging through the dumpster, I managed to find a cardboard box addressed to the Medhall corporation. Perfect. I then quickie scribbled some information onto the paper.

I walked confidently into the building and spoke to the receptionist in a bored tone of voice "Hello, I have a delivery for Medhall corporation? I need someone to sign off on it."

The receptionist who was likely tired from working her shift glimpsed up for a second, confirmed the recipient of the package, and said in an equally bored tone "Medhall is on floor 3, I think there are only a few people in right now though."

Wow, Medhall must be quite rich to buy or rent an entire floor of this building. After all, it was prime real estate close to the docks, ferry station, and most importantly the PRT headquarters. The veil of legitimacy provided by the company brand must mean that the Protectorate wouldn't look twice at them setting up shop here.

Anyways, back to the mission! I really need to stop getting distracted with random thoughts like that. I nod at the receptionist and head towards the elevator, clicking on the button for the third floor. As the doors shift open, I once again state "Hello, delivery for Medhall here."

The room floor is neatly divided into 3 areas, with several cubicles to my immediate left and right. In front of me lies a path to a small meeting room with 3 men discussing something intensely, though I can't hear what they're saying even with my enhanced senses due to the clackering of keyboards from all around me.

One of the office drones got up from his cubicle and asked me what I wanted. After repeating myself once more, he said " and are in a meeting right now, you'll probably have to wait a bit because they are the only ones who can sign off on it."

I feign irritation despite knowing that there was no way any sane E88 member would let their normal staff look at any packages they receive and huff before sitting down near some chairs next to the cubicles.

As I sat down, I discreetly observed the room and its occupants. Most of the employees seemed engrossed in their work, typing away on their keyboards, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of computer screens. It was a typical corporate scene, but I knew that beneath the mundane façade, there was a hidden world of power and influence.

I focused my attention on the meeting room. The three men inside were deep in conversation, their voices hushed but filled with urgency. Their body language suggested tension and unease, which only piqued my curiosity further. I decided to bide my time and wait for the right opportunity to act. Sitting there, I pulled out my phone and pretended to browse through emails, all the while keeping an ear out for any snippets of conversation that could provide useful information.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door to the meeting room finally opened, and Weber Schmidt stepped out. He was a middle-aged man with graying hair, dressed in a tailored suit that exuded an air of authority. He glanced around the room, his eyes landing on me briefly as he winces in irritation before moving on. Racist bastard.

Suddenly, he turns his head back, at a speed I would have expected to give him whiplash. He narrows his eyes at me and mutters something in German. He then pulls out a walkie talkie, and begins to repeat himself. I hesitate - if I bubble him right now, it would likely ruin all chances of resolving this peacefully. However, I don't know what exactly he's doing, and it can't be good.

An expression of resolve forms on my face and I leap towards him, causing cracks to form on the concrete wooden floor. Several office workers immediately get up, and I can see panic spreading across their faces. However, a small minority of them glare at me and rush towards me - likely Empire agents.

I pay them no mind as I focus solely on Weber Schmidt. In the blink of an eye, I create a bubble around him, slowing down time significantly. "What are you doing? Let me go!" Weber yells, his voice slow and distorted.

"Listen, Schmidt, I don't want to fight. I just want some information," I say, keeping my voice calm despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

He looks at me with a mix of fear and defiance. "I won't tell you anything, you ABB scum! This can be considered as a declaration of war against the Empire! Kaiser will have your head!"

Huh? He thinks I'm ABB? Before I could understand his rationale, I noticed that the agents from earlier had arrived at my position. As the Empire agents surrounded me, I could feel the tension in the room escalate. They were clearly well-trained and ready for a fight. I took a deep breath, centering myself, and prepared for the confrontation.

Before they could make a move, I activated my time acceleration bubble around myself, instantly boosting my reflexes and speed. The world around me seemed to slow down as I effortlessly dodged the first agent's punch, then countered with a swift strike to his jaw, sending him stumbling backward.

The other agents closed in, but I managed to use my enhanced speed and agility to barely evade their attacks. Before they could continue, I ripped off a portion of Weber's business suit and held it up. Instantly, the fabric began to disintegrate in full view of all the Empire operatives. I then held my hand to Weber's neck and said "If you take another step, he disintegrates. If you make a motion to attack, he disintegrates. If you interrupt me, he disintegrates."

I could see a mix of fear and hesitation appear in their faces. Before they could decide on what to do, I took advantage of their inaction to continue "I'm not part of the ABB, I'm just here to give you some helpful advice. Why don't you be polite and lead me to the meeting room."

Maintaining this many bubbles at once while talking was rather taxing, so I dissipated the one around Weber as it was rather useless right now. He immediately noticed and replied "How would I know you aren't a new ABB cape?"

I could see the agents adopt guarded but not aggressive positions as they saw me release Weber from the bubble. However, they were still ready to jump me at a moment's notice. As I didn't have complete confidence in beating fully trained Empire agents, especially not ones who were prepared for a fight, I decided to continue conversing. "Okay, look. Just hear me out, you're not going to lose anything even if I'm an ABB agent. Besides, I can kill you at any moment."

Weber's face hardened at my naked threat and he gritted his teeth before leading me into the meeting room.

I followed him inside and took a seat. He quickly sat opposite me and said angrily "What. do. you. want."

I chuckled and pulled out the piece of paper earlier and slid it to him. "Now, don't be so hasty."

He grudgingly picked the paper up and started reading. However, after he read the first few lines, his eyes widened. On that paper, I had written the specific abilities of every single E88 member that I knew of. If this information got out to the PRT, the Empire's capes would be heavily neutered and the PRT could easily develop counters to them.

"How did you get this information!" he spoke out in a panicked voice. Not that I could blame him, if this came from a leak on his side, let's just say Kaiser wouldn't be too happy and leave it at that.

Seeing the perfect opportunity to make trouble for one of my future enemies, I followed up his query immediately with "I stole this information from a local villain named Coil. He seems to be breaking the unwritten rules and trying to find out about the identities of several E88 capes as well."

Schmidt's expression morphed again, this time to one of surprise. "Coil? But he's just a small-time villain - leader of a group of mercenaries. We don't even know if he has powers."

"Well, let's just say he's a powerful thinker and leave it at that. Also, he seems to be controlling a small group of villains known as the Undersiders. They operate the docks as well, quite close to this location actually."

Schmidt contemplated his options for a second before replying "Well, we'll be sure to investigate this. If it is found to be true, Coil will not go unpunished. But what do you want by giving us this information?"

"I happen to have a personal grudge against Coil. Additionally, his Thinker ability is quite high ranked, around Thinker 7 or possibly even Thinker 8. I would recommend that you perform quick decisive operations before he gathers many clues about you or even leaks this information to the PRT."

In order to do quick, decisive operations against Coil, they would most definitely need to send at least a few capes, especially if the Undersiders get involved. Thus, I wouldn't technically be lying if I reported to the ABB that the E88 was planning to make a move on Coil. It's just I also happened to cause the move to happen. Two birds with one stone.

Before I could continue the conversation with Weber, loud, blaring sirens suddenly rang out. I turned to Weber, who also had a panicked expression on his face. It was likely that one of the Medhall employees from earlier had called the police, and as there was clear cape involvement due to me, the PRT would be coming.

Fuck! If I could barely handle battles with experienced regular humans, how could I expect to handle a PRT trained cape? At least I was still wearing the surgical mask from earlier. I immediately nodded to Weber and feigned confidence "Well, looks like the party's over. I'll be leaving now."

Before he could respond, I focused all my energy into a single fist, and smashed it into the wall, immediately causing several pieces to shatter, though not large enough for me to escape. I immediately followed up with a powerful kick, and leapt through the wall, crashing into the ground below. I could feel several bruises form on my skin, however, I had to ignore them for now.

I got up to run, but before I could, a loud booming noise rang out from my side. High on adrenaline, I turned around and instantaneously placed a bubble to slow down the approaching object. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a small dart, flickering with golden electricity. Behind the dart, a golden armored man stood - Dauntless. I managed to duck slightly, and the dart landed on a wall behind me, collapsing to the floor.