For months, years, Colin Wallis, head of the Brockton Bay Protectorate as the hero Armsmaster, had been trying to clean up his city. As a hero, it was his job to save as many people as possible, to make their lives as good as he possibly could. Forces closing in on him from all sides had made his task trying.
The Empire Eighty Eight, a gang of nazis and murderers killed wantonly, spreading hate and prejudice through the streets, condemning people for something so inane as the color of their skin or who they loved. The Azn Bad Boyz, a gathering of asians hiding from the Empire's hate under the protection of an evil dragon that forced them to enslave children. The Merchants, degenerate druggies that flooded Brockton's streets with substances that killed or crippled its youth and infirm.
Armsmaster had been fighting these factions for years; he dedicated his life to seeing them brought down, to seeing order and justice restored to his city. Overnight, the leeches sucking Brockton dry were banished.
The Empire's cape roster, once larger than the Protectorate and Wards combined, was cut in half. What remained of their capes had entered into a brief power struggle. Hookwolf ultimately gained control, but several of their capes had not been seen since Hookwolf's rise to power. Night, Fog and Alabastor had all fled the city. Where they went, Armsmaster didn't know, but they were no longer his problem. A gang that once made the city tremble was now cut down to a third the forces and influence it once boasted, and it was still shrinking. In another month, Armsmaster predicted the Empire would be no more.
The ABB no longer existed. Lung, Oni Lee and Bakuda were all dead. With their cape presence gone, the unpowered gang members scattered. Some fled the city. Some turned themselves in. Many ducked their heads down and went about their lives, hoping the PRT would be too busy to seek them out.
The Merchants had fled the city. Once news of Lung's death spread, Skidmark gathered his capes around him and ran, taking his unpowered lieutenants with him. Brockton General still had patients coming in off the street, panicked as they could no longer get their fix and withdrawal symptoms brought them low.
Even the lesser villains in the city were quiet. Coil, a man who employed tinkertech mercenaries, had not made a sound in recent days. It was assumed, though not confirmed, that he fled the city when Skidmark did.
Armsmaster's life goal had been accomplished. Brockton was safe from the gangs he'd fought for so long. He should have bee n celebrating. He should have felt relief. Instead, all Armsmaster felt was the stinging bite of failure.
It was true that Brockton was at peace for the first time in years, but Armsmaster had nothing to do with the current state of the city. The Protectorate was not responsible for this change. No, this 'peace' was due to the actions of one person.
Oberon.
The name alone made Armsmaster scowl, his fists clench. The monster in the guise of a young boy had slaughtered his way through Brockton Bay, then left it behind to continue his spree of murder around the globe.
It was Oberon that cut the Empire's numbers in half. It was Oberon that killed the ABB's capes. It was Oberon that scared the Merchants out of the city. Oberon had done in a single week what Armsmaster had been trying for years, but that was not all he'd done.
Brockton Bay was once known for its shipping ports. With the rise of Leviathan and the tightening stranglehold of the gangs, Brockton's reputation turned to a haven for criminals and villainy. Now, all of those villains were dead, unorganized or fleeing, yet Brockton's reputation had somehow gotten worse. Brockton was now known as the point of Oberon's genesis, as the city that birthed one of the world's great evils.
Brockton was known as the city where the world's greatest hero fell.
Oberon killed Eidolon a few miles outside Brockton's city limits and murdered Panacea in Brockton General Hospital. Brockton's reputation was that of a city where heroes went to die and villains were born. Already, Brockton's population was dropping even more than was common during the reign of the gangs as unpowered civilians fled the city en masse.
It was as if the city had fallen under a curse. The gangs were no longer a threat, yet somehow, things had gotten worse.
"Armsmaster?"
Armsmaster snapped alert, mentally scolding himself for letting himself lose focus. "Yes?"
Miss Militia was frowning. While her bandana hid her lips, Colin had spent years working with her and knew the fluttering of her eyelashes meant she was concerned for him.
"Are you–"
"I'm fine." Armsmaster rebuffed before she pried further. They were on patrol. They needed to focus. Even if they weren't, Armsmaster was the head of the Protectorate, her direct supervisor. He could not let Hannah believe he was suffering from doubt. That would lower morale.
"Armsmaster, it's okay to–"
"Console to Armsmaster." Arsmaster's radio crackled to life before Miss Militia could say anything else. Colin thanked the world for small mercies when he heard Aegis's voice.
"Armsmaster here."
"I've got…something on 4th and Park. A call came in about a potential parahuman."
Armsaster's eyes narrowed behind his visor as his HUD began charting the most direct route to the location. "Do you have any additional information?"
"The caller said it was someone in a dark robe. Could just be a costume."
"We'll check it out."
"Understood." Aegis's voice cut out.
"Follow me." Armsmaster said to Miss Militia. The two of them turned their respective motorcycles around and headed towards the intersection.
When they arrived, Armsmaster was quick to spot the man. His height and build were nearly completely obscured by the bulky dark cloak he wore; his back was to Armsmaster and Miss Militia. Armsmaster's grip on his halberd tightened as he approached.
"Hello? Would you mind–"
"I've been standing here for over an hour. If I knew you'd take so long, I would have sent a letter. I probably would have gotten a faster reply." a male said.
Miss Militia stepped forward. "We received a report of a–"
"I know." the man interrupted her. "I was the one who made the call."
Armsmaster was tense. Had they been led into a trap?
The man turned around. The hood of his cloak hung low. Shadows obscured the man's face. A potential stranger effect? Armsmaster couldn't tell.
"I called you out here to tell you that the PRT and Protectorate aren't needed here anymore. You never did anything for the city before Oberon tore it apart, and you haven't done anything since. If you want to stick around and take pictures with people so they feel safer, fine. But stay out of my way."
Miss Militia's eyes narrowed. The green energy of her power flickered. "Brockton Bay will not be ruled by villains."
The man laughed, a broken, morose sound. "Brockton Bay won't be run by villains? What do you call the last three decades! Some of my boys couldn't walk down certain streets because their skin happened to be a certain color. One of their sons was beaten within an inch of his life because he had a boyfriend. Two of their daughters went missing in ABB territory and still haven't been found. You have done nothing for this city."
Armsmaster had had enough. "Unknown parahuman, stand down. If you want to talk, we can discuss this back at–"
The man started laughing again. "You don't get it. This is the talk. It's already over. Keep doing your pointless PR stunts to pad your own ego and leave me alone so I can do what you've never done. I'm going to protect this city the way I have been for the last week. You didn't even know the Teeth sent capes to scout us out did you?"
Armsmaster frowned, pulling up several camera feeds on his HUD and searching for any evidence of what the man was saying.
Miss Militia took a cautious step forward, hand held out invitingly. "If the Teeth are really looking to come back to Brockton and you want to help, then–"
"I'm not helping. At least not by your metric. No. I've already fixed the problem. I sent them packing. Just like I'll send the rest of them packing. I will protect this city because all you seem to care about is your image."
"The Protectorate will not accept a villain ruling Brockton Bay." Armsmaster said.
The man shook his head. Though Armsmaster couldn't see his face, he sensed the man was tired. Not physically, but tired of existence. He made a note to add that to this unnamed cape's profile.
A screeching caw snagged Armsmaster's attention. A life-size jade raven descended from the sky, flapping its wings to slow its descent as it landed on the cloaked man's shoulder.
"If I need to become a villain to protect this city, I will. If I must be labeled a villain to safeguard the city where my wife and daughter are buried, then I will wear that mantle with pride."
More and more of the jade ravens were appearing, perched atop light posts and rooftops, all staring condemningly down at Armsmaster and Miss Militia.
A group of men emerged from an alley to Armsmaster's left. Armsaster quickly ran them all through the BBPD and PRT systems with his HUD, checking for prior arrests. There was only one hit, a man named Kurt who was brought in after a drunken brawl. He worked for the Dockworker's Union. Armsamster was able to determine that the rest of them were Dockworkers as well. All of them were supporting the unnamed, robed cape.
Armsmaster felt there was a connection here. What wasn't he thinking of…
The girl… The bug parahuman that Oberon had killed before Panacea. The PRT recovered her body before turning her over to her sole remaining parent. Officially, they never learned her name. Unofficially, they'd determined she was Taylor Hebert, daughter of Danny Hebert, head of the Dockworker's Union.
Armsmaster stowed his halberd in his shoulder holster and took a step forward. "Danny, I understand that–"
"Stop talking." Danny Hebert said. The jade ravens around the area began cawing angrily. Their numbers swelled again. There were hundreds of them.
Miss Militia's eyes had snapped to Armsmaster when he'd spoken the man's name. She'd been read in on the report same as him. She took a deep breath. "Oberon took something from all of us, Danny. Come with us. Help us put the city back together."
"I will put this city back together, but I don't want your help. You had your chance, and you blew it time after time. No more. Leave Brockton's future to its sons and daughters." He turned around and began walking away. The gathered dockworkers followed him. More jade ravens appeared, flying in a circle around the group.
"Danny, please," Miss Militia implored. "You'll be branded a villain. They'll think you want to rule the city."
Danny Hebert pulled back his hood, revealing his face. There were dark bags under vacant eyes. "Unkindness has ruled Brockton Bay for decades. Now at least, Unkindness will be working for the city." The jade ravens all began screeching, filling the air with noise. The ravens swirling around the group multiplied until none of the humans were visible. The ravens vanished as quickly as they appeared, taking the group with them. Unkindness and his gang were gone.
X
"This is the biggest breakthrough we've had in years." Doctor Mother said, her hands steepled in front of her face as she leaned into the circular table they were all seated around. All of Cauldron's inner circle was here with one notable exception. They'd all agreed that Legend was still too…volatile, to see things logically. David's death and the revelations about his connection to the Endbringers had shaken Keith. Rebecca intended to check on him after this meeting.
"Contessa, are you able to formulate a new path?" The Number Man asked, eyes calculating.
Contessa's eyes narrowed as she frowned. "He is…blank. I could maneuver around him once, create paths that did not directly involve him, but now he is gone. I cannot path him."
"That may be a good thing. If you can't path him, Scion should have issues predicting him as well." Rebecca said.
"Perhaps, but we have no guarantee he will be able to defeat Scion." Doctor Mother said.
The Number Man said, "We never had a guarantee we would win. Oberon's cooperation is a net positive. With both Null and Two, he is capable of a level of synergy with his powers we hadn't dared hope for. We need to supply him with the right powers. If there is something capable of harming Scion, he must have it."
"Contessa cannot path him. How can we be certain he will keep his word? Alexandria said he believes he can run from Scion. Why would he fight?" Doctor Mother said.
"He will fight." Rebecca said, iron in her voice. "Oberon has yet to lie. If he had no intention of fighting, he would say as much. When we were speaking… Something happened. I think he used a power to view what would happen if Scion won. It disturbed him. He will fight Scion, but I cannot predict how he will act after Scion is dead."
Doctor Mother waved her off. "The point is moot. If Scion is defeated and humanity's extinction is averted, he can rule as a self-styled god for all I care. We need to focus on bringing that future about. Contessa, find powers that Oberon can use against Scion and use Doormaker to send them to the Birdcage. The stronger he is, the higher our odds of success."
Contessa nodded as she stood up. "Door to Athens: Earth Bet." She stepped through the gold-rimmed portal the moment it opened. It snapped shut behind her.
"I will look over the records we kept of each power Cauldron has distributed, both those in the wild and those on site. I'll see if I can find anything useful." The Number Man said as he stood, his chair scraping against the ground as he pushed it back.
After he left, Doctor Mother looked Rebecca in the eye and said, "Maintain his cooperation. I don't care what it takes. He is now our best and possibly only hope. With the entire Birdcage absorbed by him, if he dies…"
"We lose all of the parahumans he has taken, as well as the potential to use the Endbringers against Scion. I know the stakes." Rebecca stood. "With Oberon in play, the time to confront Scion is closing in fast. Reduce the price of vials. The more powers we distribute, the more likely we are to find one that could hold the key to ending Scion."
Doctor Mother nodded. "I will start immediately."
"Good luck. Door to my office." Rebecca stepped through the portal into her PRT office. There was a lot she had to do. The fate of the very world was in the balance.
X
Metal plates and wires drifted through the air in the bubble-shaped structure. Pieces slotted together in mid air before setting down in their proper positions with the precision of a scalpel.
Floating in the center of the domed space was a figure with feathered white wings protruding from every part of its nude feminine body. A blank face and fully pale eyes like orbs of ivory stared at nothing, seeing into the future and the past as The Simurgh furthered the construction of her moon base.
When Oberon connected Ziz to his network of powers, Ziz had acted swiftly, using a number of powers in tandem to secure the materials she required and transporting them all up to where she resided on Earth Bet's moon. She then made use of the myriad tinker powers within the network to construct this base and the devices within.
She had completed her main servers and computers as well as the generators necessary to power them and the atmosphere in the domed habitat. Ziz did not need to breathe or be protected from the vacuum of space herself, but she wanted to be prepared in case a human ever needed to access her servers. Oberon likely would be able to protect himself with his many powers, but it was possible another human would need to use this facility to coordinate and control the weapons Ziz was preparing to use against Zion.
Ziz could not predict any futures where Zion was involved. She could not ensure victory, so she prepared for every possible scenario, crafting weapons and tools to overcome any conceivable counterattack Zion would employ.
She was not certain it would be enough. Her devices would harry and distract Zion, but she did not expect them to be able to destroy him. Oberon would need to create a plan capable of disposing of him.
Ziz's foresight warned her of an impending notification on her computer. She used her telekinesis with the precision of a scalpel, pushing down the keys to type out her response as the message came through.
Dragon: Hey, Hope. I was looking at the blueprints for that energy shielding device you sent me. The designs look great, but the power requirements seem too intensive.
Hope: Yeah, I noticed that too. I was hoping Armsmaster could help me make something that could compensate. I meant to contact him…but I kind of got wrapped up in work.
Dragon: :) I understand that better than anyone. I can forward him the blueprints and see what he thinks?
Hope: I'd appreciate that! Oh! I finished working on that water reclaimer for Madison. I'll have it dropped off in the usual spot.
Dragon: I'll make sure it gets picked up.
Hope: Thanks!
Dragon: You're welcome. We'll talk later during Better World's weekly meeting.
Hope: See you then!
Dragon: :)
Ziz closed the chat window and resumed her work. She had many projects to complete that would allow her to complete future projects. Fortunately, she did not require rest as humans did. She would work unceasingly until her tasks were complete.