Storm 4.4

Taylor's world became agony as Scion's blast hit both Leviathan and Ares at the same time, the backwash of pain echoing through her link to the super. It hadn't killed him, or the Endbringer, but if the sheer agony coursing through Ares and into her was any indication, then Scion had dealt some serious damage.

"Kid! C'mon kid, get up, we gotta move!"

Taylor blinked blearily and realized she'd dropped to her knees from the pain. Blinking away tears of blood, she didn't have the energy to do much beyond struggle to her feet with Magician's help.

"Godammit, I am not meant to be a babysitter." Magician grumbled. "I was the most feared supervillain of my age, the best of the best, the strongest, why am I stuck like this?"

"Because you got killed from sheer overconfidence in your own abilities?" Taylor suggested wryly as sensation other than pain began to fill her head. "Where are we going exactly?"

"Rally point. That blast of Scion's caused some kind of EMP, so your armband is toast, but I can sense a gathering of capes off to the south, away from the fighting mind you. How's Ares doing by the way?"

Taylor reached out through her link to the mad hero, but sensed a lot more rationality and reason to his presence now, though much less raw power. Ares?

Olympia. I don't know what that was, but it knocked a bit of sense into me. Guess I should be kinda grateful for that. She 'heard' him shift through some debris and felt the vaguest sensation of itching on her arms and side. She guessed that it was Ares healing from the injuries that Scion had dealt. What's the situation?

Magician is here. He's worried that if Scion senses me, he'll try and kill me, so he's hidden us for now.

Explains why he didn't care if I was in the blast range. Leviathan is running, should I pursue it?

Kill it.

As you command.

"Better than before." Taylor finally said to Magician. "He's not going berserk anymore at least."

Magician nodded with what looked like relief. "I'm dropping some of the Stranger powers so that you can be seen, but keeping up the ones blocking our power." He said as they neared the gathering site of capes. "Also keeping up some of the ones over myself, don't want any of your allies getting ideas and trying to kill me now, would we?"

"Afraid they'd win?" Taylor snarked.

"Nah, more like afraid I'd kill too many important folk and cause mass instability in the cape scene." He returned easily. "I took on your little Triumvirate solo and stomped them into the dirt." He paused. "Alright, that Eidolon guy is actually a pretty tough customer, I may have hurt his self esteem a little, but he's actually really powerful, like Roulette if he hadn't decided to retire like a little bitch."

"Roulette is a good guy and a great hero." Taylor felt compelled to defend her… friend? "I mean sure he's a little… lazy, but that doesn't take away from what he's done to help me."

Magician waved a dismissive hand. "I never said he wasn't either, but what I am saying is that if he hadn't decided to rely on what he was given and had pushed, truly pushed the limits of his powers… Well, Roulette and his counterpart, Deviant, were meant to be perfect versions of me and Ares."

"Ares and-"

"Your grammar isn't even right in this case so shaddup!" He snapped, whacking her lightly across the back of the head. "Anyway, from what I picked up, that Deviant kid was able to go full 100% of his power. Now, being younger and therefore, not as developed as Ares, his powers weren't enough to fight the big guy, but the fact he was able to access all that power and even temporarily hold off one of the most dangerous heroes of his era one on one is not to be underestimated. Given time he could have eclipsed Ares, especially with the superior control he had." Magician lectured. "What I'm getting to with all this, is Roulette had the same potential, but he's squandered it. He's still powerful and his character is unquestionable, it's his work ethic that I judge."

"That was…surprisingly passionate, coming from you of all people." Taylor noted.

"I hate seeing waste." He shrugged lightly. "When it comes to what people want to use their powers for, I'm not one to judge, but when they have something and don't even use it? That pisses me off." A dark look passed across his features. "My brother and I came from nothing, but we made something of ourselves, especially once we got our powers. Isaac had it all practically handed to him, but he's content to be the simple hero 'Roulette', pissing away his potential." He eyed her with a slightly critical eye. "At least you haven't done that… much."

Taylor gave him a brief side eye before they arrived at the group of assembled capes. She figured if she started talking to empty air the other capes might get… jumpy. She was relieved to see a number of fellow Brockton Bay heroes still on their feet, albeit with a lot of injuries in some cases. Of note, Glory Girl's costume was a mess of blood and the seawater would probably ruin it in the long run, but at least she was breathing. The Pelham section of New Wave stood off to the side huddled around Lady Photon who appeared to be reassuring her children. Taylor vaguely remembered her armband announcing her as 'down' then 'recovered'.

Most of the Endbringer veterans were there too. The Triumvirate, having an intense discussion with Legacy and Roulette. A Dragon suit, this one smaller, but notably more advanced looking than her previous one. Chevalier and Myrddin. Several others that Taylor could probably name if she wasn't so damn tired. Armsmaster sat off to the side on a reinforced crate, armor dented heavily and looking… not exhausted actually, if anything his eyes were more alert than ever. Drugs maybe? Even as he sat there in the now very light drizzle, he was working on something with a series of tools that had unfolded from his belt. He focused intently, his hands moving with precise motions and manic speed. He paused suddenly and then leaned back with a sigh.

Taylor stepped up to him. Between his armor and natural height, even sitting she was barely taller than him. "Hey, Armsmaster. Everything alright?"

His head tilted back to regard her with a faintly bitter smile on his face, though there was also something she couldn't place. "Olympia. You've done more during this Endbringer fight than I think any other cape has before you."

The praise(?) made her feel uncomfortable. "I'm just using what I have to do the best I can." She shrugged. "Like any hero should."

"And that's highly commendable." Armsmaster grunted, putting away his tools and inspecting his halberd. He'd lost the other one at some point. "I hate seeing young parahumans with strong powers waste them or even worse, become villains. You act as if what you're doing isn't anything special, but statistics show that it really is."

"So then why do you look…" She searched for the right word that wasn't 'grumpy' "Displeased?"

Armsmaster snorted and shook his head. "Ignore me. My own issues, nothing to do with you on a personal level." He stood suddenly, hefting his halberd, eyes alert and looking in the direction that Leviathan, Scion, and Ares had rushed off in. "Something is happening."

"Strider!" Legend called as he perked up with the rest of the Triumvirate. "Get us closer." The leader of the Protectorate shifted almost nervously. "Today is our best chance." His eyes scanned the still living capes, those who were still alive and in a position to help. "We have Scion. We have an unknown, but incredibly powerful Brute. This is the moment we change the pattern and finally kill one of these monsters."

The combatants were too tired to cheer, but Taylor saw spines straighten and eyes hardened with resolve. With a flash of crackling energy, the entire group was suddenly on a rooftop overlooking the city, the clashing titans wreaking havoc as they battled for the fate of the city.

"Well now is as good a time as any."

Taylor spun around quickly, already moving to draw her weapon. She had been expecting something like this.

Magician held Victoria from behind, the blade hidden within his cane burning with foreign power and dangerously close to Victoria's throat. "Olympia? Be a dear and dismiss Ares. Now."

Whispers began to pass through the assembled capes as they began to prepare for a fight, some of them glancing nervously at the Endbringer and it's opponents, then back to the brazen supervillain that was violating every known rule of cape culture.

"Magician, what are you doing?" Legacy asked with barely concealed fury. "This is not the time for your games."

Magician threw back his head and laughed. "It's the best time for them! Here's the deal, Olympia, dismiss Ares and the others and come with me or I will kill the closest thing you have left to a best friend and then get to work on the rest of the capes. I've already smacked down the little three over there." He jerked his head toward the Triumvirate. "I'm sure the others won't prove anywhere near as challenging. And if you even think about starting to dismiss me from this reality, I'll make sure my last act is removing this girl's head from her shoulders." He grinned wickedly, madness glinting in his eyes. "I doubt even her sister could heal something like that."

"Don't do it!" Victoria snapped suddenly, straining at Magician's grasp. "I'm not worth it!"

"She's right." Alexandria spoke firmly, stepping up to stand next to Taylor. "I'm sorry, I know she's your friend, but killing Leviathan is more important."

Taylor felt her throat go dry as she stood at a crossroads. She could see the terror in Vicky's eyes, but also the resolve. She was ready to die to stop an Endbringer. But…

This was Taylor's fault. Taylor's fault for not being careful who she summoned. Taylor's fault for not getting rid of the looming and self admitted threat even sooner.

What kind of hero am I, if I let my friend die?

"You promise not to harm her? Or anyone else?" Taylor asked.

"You have my word." Magician promised.

Taylor nodded and then focused on Ares. With a mental command he vanished, right as he was leaping for Leviathan's core. "It's done."

"The others too." Magician motioned toward Legacy and Roulette.

"They aren't a threat to you and they can help with rebuilding the city." Taylor countered. "Please, leave them."

Magician thought about it, then shrugged. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Now," he removed the blade from Vicky's throat and cut a hole in reality with it. "Through the doorway please. Then I'll let your friend go."

"Arlen." Roulette spoke up suddenly, eyes filled with a strange mix of emotions. "Don't do this man. You're better than this. You've always been better than this. Help us kill Leviathan. You'll be saving millions of lives."

Magician's smile wavered slightly, taking on a bitter edge. "You're a good kid, Isaac, but that's where you're wrong: I'm not secretly a good person in shitty circumstances. I don't care about the millions of lives I'd be saving, I only care about what I want and what I need to do. I'm a supervillain, Isaac, and not even death itself will change that. Now, if that's all, through the portal Olympia. Chop-chop."

Taylor steeled herself, swallowed back some bile, then walked forward and through the doorway.

A/N: Hey, two weeks is better than two months I think. A bit shorter than usual, but I didn't want to drag out the chapter too much, it all just kind of boiled down to Magician's obvious betrayal. Next up is a series of Interludes that I'll be starting on today. Hope y'all enjoy.